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NBA Power Rankings: West-leading Timberwolves take top spot

Read the latest edition of The Athletic’s NBA Power Rankings

Quarters: They’re not just for parking meters and Street Fighter arcade games anymore. 

Some quarters end up consistently making or breaking a team’s chances for winning a basketball game. Some teams start out super slow and spend the rest of the game trying to get back the lead. A few teams start strong and fade away. Others can’t handle halftime adjustments. 

For the Power Rankings this week, we’re looking at quarter-by-quarter breakdowns and clutch-time (score within five points inside of five minutes in the fourth quarter/OT) numbers for each team. Where is your team falling short or really bringing it during a game? Is clutch time ruining them? Are they (the Pistons) just bad all the time? Then, as always, we’ll flawlessly rank all 30 teams.

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Reminder: The Power Rankings don’t just rank the 30 teams. We divide these teams into tiers, which teams can move in and out of. We currently have the tiers in the Power Rankings broken into seven categories right now:

  • Incomprehensibly bad These guys are historically inept right now.
  • Not tanking but maybe someday — They haven’t started tanking yet, but it’s on the table this season.
  • Looking to make the Play-In — They’ve been rebuilding/retooling and think they can crack the top 10 in their respective conference.
  • Play-In Tournament teams or better — They should be in the mix unless something disastrous happens.
  • Playoff teams — Probably don’t have to worry about dropping down to the Play-In Tournament.
  • On the brink of contention — A piece away from us believing they can win the title.
  • Contenders — They are contending for the championship, barring a massive injury.

As always, I am sure we will all agree on the placement of all 30 teams, especially your favorite team.

Here’s how the Power Rankings work:

  • It’s up to my discretion how the rankings shake out. For some teams, they’ll be hit in the short term. Others will be given the benefit for the long term. Yes, it is entirely subjective.
  • If I have a team ahead of another team, there’s no reason to ask why they’re ranked above the team you like. The answer is pretty simple: I think that team is set up better for success.
  • Yes, I watch the games. And yes, I watch your favorite team.
  • This is supposed to be fun, so let’s have fun.

With all that said, let’s dive into Week 7 of The Athletic’s NBA Power Rankings. Stats and records are through Monday’s action.

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Tier 1 - The Contenders

1st Q: -1.0 net rating | Ranked 17th

2nd Q: +11.8 net rating | Ranked fifth

3rd Q: +13.0 net rating | Ranked second

4th Q: +1.7 net rating | Ranked 15th

Clutch: +23.1 net rating | Ranked fourth | Eight games (7-1)

Takeaway: The Wolves start slow, but they maul you in the middle of the game. Their dominance in the second and third quarters just breaks opponents’ spirits. They crush you to close out the first half then pour cold water on whatever halftime adjustments you made. Another impressive thing is their clutch performance. Anthony Edwards (57.1 percent true shooting) and Karl-Anthony Towns (67.6) have been very efficient in the clutch, and Minnesota’s clutch-time defense is obliterating teams.

Record

15-4

Offensive Rating

113.2 (18th)

Defensive Rating

106.7 (1st)

Net Rating

6.5

Rank over time

Thunder

106-103

Jazz

101-90

at Hornets

123-117

Western

Tier 1 - The Contenders

1st Q: +25.0 net rating | Ranked first

2nd Q: +10.6 net rating | Ranked sixth

3rd Q: -2.4 net rating | Ranked 22nd (tied)

4th Q: +2.2 net rating | Ranked 12th

Clutch: +11.6 net rating | Ranked 12th | 11 games (7-4)

Takeaway: What can you possibly say about this season’s Celtics? They’re simply good all the time. If you’ve managed to avoid a bad first half against them, they don’t typically come out of halftime killing it. But look at how dominant their first quarters have been. They won the first quarter 14 times, and seven of those have been by double digits. Boston is dominant out of the gates.

Record

15-5

Offensive Rating

116.7 (10th)

Defensive Rating

108.2 (2nd)

Net Rating

8.5

Rank over time

Bulls

124-97

Sixers

125-119

at Pacers

122-112

Eastern

Tier 1 - The Contenders

1st Q: +16.4 net rating | Ranked 2nd

2nd Q: -8.1 net rating | Ranked 24th

3rd Q: +3.8 net rating | Ranked 10th

4th Q: +6.7 net rating | Ranked 7th

Clutch: +9.6 net rating | Ranked 13th | 11 games (7-4)

Takeaway: The Nuggets are the second-most dominant team to start out games before they let it go quite a bit during the second quarter. Why is that? Could it be second-unit stuff considering the players they’ve been missing? Is it just a reigning champion being a little bored, knowing the grind ahead? It doesn’t matter because they turn it on in the second half and generally put games away.

Record

14-7

Offensive Rating

117.0 (9th)

Defensive Rating

112.4 (11th tied)

Net Rating

4.6

Rank over time

Rockets

134-124

at Suns

119-111

at Kings

123-117

Western

Tier 1 - The Contenders

1st Q: -3.5 net rating | Ranked 18th

2nd Q: +1.7 net rating | Ranked 11th

3rd Q: -1.0 net rating | Ranked 19th (tied)

4th Q: +16.1 net rating | Ranked first

Clutch: +31.9 net rating | Ranked first | 12 games (9-3)

Takeaway: The Bucks have not looked very good so far this season, but they’re still 14-6 and showing us incredible closing. Milwaukee has been the league’s most dominant fourth-quarter team while being mostly brilliant in the clutch. Bucks announcer Marques Johnson (who should be a Hall of Famer by the way) mentioned on a recent broadcast that it’s great to see how the Bucks prove their mettle in tight games. But also, you’d like to see fewer tight games by having them blow out teams. He’s right.

Record

14-6

Offensive Rating

118.0 (4th)

Defensive Rating

115.1 (20th tied)

Net Rating

2.9

Rank over time

at Heat

131-124

Hawks

132-121

at Bulls

120-113 OT

Eastern

Tier 1 - The Contenders

Tier 2 - Brink of Contention

1st Q: +8.5 net rating | Ranked fifth

2nd Q: +12.9 net rating | Ranked fourth

3rd Q: +6.7 net rating | Ranked fifth

4th Q: -16.9 net rating | Ranked 30th

Clutch: -14.9 net rating | Ranked 21st | 13 games (6-7)

Takeaway: What in the hell is happening at the end of Phoenix’s games? The Suns have been incredible in the first three quarters before just falling apart. Their offense in the fourth quarter and the clutch has been uninspiring. They settle for so many jumpers, and I’d like to see them attack more. Granted, they’ve had Devin Booker in and out of the lineup while still needing Bradley Beal to get back, but I suspect those jumpers will still fly at the end of games.

Record

12-8

Offensive Rating

117.1 (8th)

Defensive Rating

114.0 (18th)

Net Rating

3.1

Rank over time

Grizzlies

116-109

at Raptors

112-105

Nuggets

119-111

Western

Tier 2 - Brink of Contention

1st Q: +13.8 net rating | Ranked third

2nd Q: +7.9 net rating | Ranked seventh

3rd Q: +6.3 net rating | Ranked sixth

4th Q: +3.7 net rating | Ranked 10th

Clutch: +25.2 net rating | Ranked second | 12 games (7-5)

Takeaway: The only shocking thing about this is their dominant clutch-time net rating with a record of just 7-5 in clutch games. It goes that way sometimes, but the Thunder have started the season so well. This is what happens when you finally let a team play together for a full season. They’ve taken that experience and grown, and we now see the Thunder unleashing on the rest of the league. By halftime, you’re usually looking at a loss. OKC is a big-time problem.

Record

13-6

Offensive Rating

117.9 (5th)

Defensive Rating

109.5 (5th)

Net Rating

8.4

Rank over time

Lakers

133-110

at Mavs

126-120

at Wolves

106-103

Western

Tier 2 - Brink of Contention

Tier 3 - Playoff Teams

1st Q: +4.5 net rating | Ranked 12th

2nd Q: +21.3 net rating | Ranked first

3rd Q: -2.8 net rating | Ranked 24th

4th Q: -5.6 net rating | Ranked 23rd

Clutch: -7.5 net rating | Ranked 18th | Nine games (6-3)

Takeaway: The Magic close out that second quarter better than anybody, and they’re doing it with their defense. They’re doing everything with their defense. The second half is a bit concerning, but it makes sense when you remember this team is so young. Now that the win streak is over, it’s reasonable to expect them to come back down to earth a little. What I’d like to see from them in the fourth quarter and clutch moments moving forward is finding a way for Paolo Banchero to take over. He’s capable.

Record

14-6

Offensive Rating

113.7 (15th tied)

Defensive Rating

109.3 (4th)

Net Rating

4.4

Rank over time

Wizards

139-120

Wizards

130-125

at Nets

129-101

Eastern

Tier 3 - Playoff Teams

1st Q: +10.7 net rating | Ranked 4th

2nd Q: -4.0 net rating | Ranked 18th

3rd Q: +5.2 net rating | Ranked eighth

4th Q: +11.8 net rating | Ranked second

Clutch: +17.1 net rating | Ranked eighth | Eight games (4-4)

Takeaway: Remember a couple years ago, when the Knicks were getting demolished in the third quarter and Tom Thibodeau was too stubborn to go away from that starting lineup? It’s a distant memory now. The Knicks are starting and finishing games in dominant fashion. They’ve been good in clutch situations despite their 4-4 record. New York has a real closer in Jalen Brunson. This Knicks team is legitimately good and shows it most of the game.

Record

12-7

Offensive Rating

114.8 (11th tied)

Defensive Rating

109.0 (3rd)

Net Rating

5.8

Rank over time

Hornets

115-91

Pistons

118-112

at Raptors

119-106

Eastern

Tier 3 - Playoff Teams

1st Q: -9.5 net rating | Ranked 23rd

2nd Q: +13.9 net rating | Ranked third

3rd Q: +15.9 net rating | Ranked first

4th Q: +9.0 net rating | Ranked fourth

Clutch: -26.3 net rating | Ranked 27th | Seven games (2-5)

Takeaway: I’m not going to freak out too much about their clutch situation so far. I think they have the weapons to turn that around and start performing much better when it matters. While the 76ers’ second, third and fourth quarters have been great, I’m trying to figure out why they’re so bad at starting games. Maybe that’s nitpicking considering how dominant they are in second halves. Imagine what it would look like if they didn’t dig this big hole to start each night.

Record

12-7

Offensive Rating

119.8 (2nd)

Defensive Rating

112.7 (14th)

Net Rating

7.1

Rank over time

at Pelicans

124-114

at Celtics

125-119

Eastern

Tier 3 - Playoff Teams

1st Q: +8.4 net rating | Ranked sixth

2nd Q: +14.0 net rating | Ranked second

3rd Q: -6.3 net rating | Ranked 26th

4th Q: -10.8 net rating | Ranked 27th

Clutch: -19.8 net rating | Ranked 26th | Nine games (4-5)

Takeaway: It is night and day from the first half to the second half for the Pelicans. The offense and defense are great in the first half. They come out of halftime, and they can’t stop anybody. They also can’t score by the time the fourth quarter comes around. That shouldn’t happen with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram on your team. Maybe this is a byproduct of CJ McCollum being out, but the Pelicans have to get it together after halftime.

Record

12-10

Offensive Rating

114.2 (14th)

Defensive Rating

112.8 (15th)

Net Rating

1.4

Rank over time

Sixers

124-114

Spurs

121-106

at Kings

127-117

at Bulls

124-118

Western

Tier 3 - Playoff Teams

1st Q: +6.9 net rating | Ranked eighth

2nd Q: -12.9 net rating | Ranked 29th

3rd Q: +0.4 net rating | Ranked 17th

4th Q: +1.4 net rating | Ranked 16th

Clutch: +13.1 net rating | Ranked 11th | Nine games (6-3)

Takeaway: The clutch numbers are good, and I have a feeling the fourth-quarter stuff is going to improve dramatically. De’Aaron Fox has been absurd since he came back from his ankle injury. Since he came back, the Kings are +4.8 net rating in the fourth quarter and 7-3 overall. Fox is nearly averaging 10 points per fourth quarter (9.8), and nobody can really stay in front of him. It will get the Kings back to more of what we saw last season.

Record

11-8

Offensive Rating

114.4 (13th)

Defensive Rating

115.1 (20th tied)

Net Rating

-0.7

Rank over time

Warriors

124-123

Nuggets

123-117

Clippers

131-117

Pelicans

127-117

Western

Tier 3 - Playoff Teams

1st Q: -5.7 net rating | Ranked 21st

2nd Q: -0.5 net rating | Ranked 15th

3rd Q: +5.5 net rating | Ranked seventh

4th Q: +1.0 net rating | Ranked 17th

Clutch: +21.6 net rating | Ranked fifth (tied) | 10 games (8-2)

Takeaway: It’s funny that the Mavericks were a -2.8 net rating in the fourth until Saturday night. That 30-0 run against OKC nearly got them the win, but it definitely got them into the positive for the fourth quarter this season. Their starts to games have been troubling, but they’re coming out of halftime and regaining most of it. Really, this team is trying to get to clutch-time situations, when it’s dominating. I guess that’s why you have Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving on the same team, right?

Record

11-8

Offensive Rating

117.4 (7th)

Defensive Rating

117.3 (25th)

Net Rating

0.1

Rank over time

Rockets

121-115

Grizzlies

108-94

Thunder

126-120

Western

Tier 3 - Playoff Teams

Tier 4 - Play-In Tournament Teams Or Better

1st Q: -0.7 net rating | Ranked 16th

2nd Q: -0.6 net rating | Ranked 16th

3rd Q: +7.3 net rating | Ranked fourth

4th Q: +8.1 net rating | Ranked fifth

Clutch: +23.2 net rating | Ranked third | 11 games (7-4)

Takeaway: The Pacers are probably the most entertaining team in the NBA right now. They’re on pace to shatter the record for offensive rating in a season and in the running to post the worst defensive rating. Their first halves of games are a coin flip, then they turn it on after halftime. Especially in the fourth quarter, you get a sense of just how lethal that offense can be. Only the Bucks have a better fourth-quarter offensive rating.

Record

11-8

Offensive Rating

123.6 (1st)

Defensive Rating

120.2 (28th)

Net Rating

3.4

Rank over time

at Heat

144-129

Celtics

122-112

at Heat

142-132

Eastern

Tier 4 - Play-In Tournament Teams Or Better

1st Q: +6.4 net rating | Ranked ninth

2nd Q: +6.9 net rating | Ranked eighth

3rd Q: +4.7 net rating | Ranked ninth

4th Q: -13.0 net rating | Ranked 29th

Clutch: -30.6 net rating | Ranked 28th | 10 games (5-5)

Takeaway: Why are the Heat falling apart at the end of games? Their net rating in the clutch makes that 5-5 record look bewildering. And their fourth quarters have been putrid. Remember: The Heat played in 54 games that triggered clutch situations last season and were the league’s second-best clutch team. I know guys have been in and out of the lineup, but where is that Heat team now?

Record

11-9

Offensive Rating

114.8 (11th tied)

Defensive Rating

113.5 (16th)

Net Rating

1.3

Rank over time

Pacers

142-132

Bucks

131-124

Pacers

144-129

Eastern

Tier 4 - Play-In Tournament Teams Or Better

1st Q: -14.1 net rating | Ranked 28th

2nd Q: +1.1 net rating | Ranked 12th

3rd Q: +1.5 net rating | Ranked 13th

4th Q: +7.9 net rating | Ranked sixth

Clutch: +21.1 net rating | Ranked seventh | 10 games (7-3)

Takeaway: The Lakers have been winning more as of late, so it changes things a bit. But one of my favorite things on Twitter is Lakers fans not buying into “fake fourth-quarter runs” to make the games more competitive when the Lakers are losing. It’s crazy how bad they are in the first quarter. It just takes them a long time to get going, but once they do, they’re unstoppable. LeBron James (45 points, fourth in NBA) has been so brilliant in the clutch, and we see it reflected in their clutch performance.

Record

12-9

Offensive Rating

110.7 (23rd tied)

Defensive Rating

111.7 (9th)

Net Rating

-1.0

Rank over time

at Pistons

133-107

Rockets

107-97

at Thunder

133-110

Western

Tier 4 - Play-In Tournament Teams Or Better

1st Q: -4.8 net rating | Ranked 20th

2nd Q: +4.3 net rating | Ranked ninth

3rd Q: +1.3 net rating | Ranked 14th

4th Q: -3.2 net rating | Ranked 21st

Clutch: -16.0 net rating | Ranked 22nd (tied) | 11 games (5-6)

Takeaway: I can’t really figure out this Cavs team. I want to believe they’re better than they’re playing, and we haven’t seen the continuity with the lineups and rotations you’d hope to see. But this team is way too bad in the first and fourth quarters of games, considering the talent. The Cavaliers still feel a little disorganized, and I don’t know if that’s a Donovan Mitchell thing, a J.B. Bickerstaff thing or maybe something else.

Record

11-9

Offensive Rating

110.7 (23rd tied)

Defensive Rating

111.3 (8th)

Net Rating

-0.6

Rank over time

Hawks

128-105

at Pistons

110-101

Blazers

103-95

Eastern

Tier 4 - Play-In Tournament Teams Or Better

1st Q: -6.9 net rating | Ranked 22nd

2nd Q: +3.8 net rating | Ranked 10th

3rd Q: +0.9 net rating | Ranked 15th (tied)

4th Q: +2.6 net rating | Ranked 11th

Clutch: -16.0 net rating | Ranked 22nd (tied) | 10 games (4-6)

Takeaway: Nobody’s defense is worse to start a game than the Hawks’. Their first-quarter defensive rating makes the Pacers look like the 2005 Pistons — well, maybe just like a solid defensive team from this era. The rest of the game is good for the Hawks, though, until they get to the clutch. We know how deadly Trae Young can be. Dejounte Murray is pretty good too. So, the fourth quarter is a massive potential problem for opponents, but it hasn’t translated to clutch time yet.

Record

9-10

Offensive Rating

118.6 (3rd)

Defensive Rating

118.4 (26th)

Net Rating

0.2

Rank over time

at Spurs

137-135

at Cavs

128-106

at Bucks

132-121

Eastern

Tier 4 - Play-In Tournament Teams Or Better

Tier 5 - Looking to make the Play-In

1st Q: +7.8 net rating | Ranked seventh

2nd Q: -4.5 net rating | Ranked 19th

3rd Q: +12.2 net rating | Ranked third

4th Q: -2.0 net rating | Ranked 20th

Clutch: -16.9 net rating | Ranked 24th | 11 games (3-8)

Takeaway: The numbers and splits are pretty similar pre- and post-James Harden trade. Since they got him, the Clippers have been great in their first and third quarters, but they’ve been terrible in the second and fourth periods while obviously struggling in clutch situations. Their offense in the clutch is atrocious despite having Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Harden. Is that a lack of organization? Could it just be not having much time together? It could be a string of never-ending, inherent flaws they’ll never overcome. I don’t know, but they should be better.

Record

9-10

Offensive Rating

113.6 (17th)

Defensive Rating

110.5 (7th)

Net Rating

3.1

Rank over time

at Kings

131-117

Warriors

113-112

at Warriors

120-114

Western

Tier 5 - Looking to make the Play-In

1st Q: +5.6 net rating | Ranked 10th

2nd Q: -6.0 net rating | Ranked 22nd

3rd Q: +0.9 net rating | Ranked 15th (tied)

4th Q: +10.4 net rating | Ranked third

Clutch: +1.1 net rating | Ranked 15th | 10 games (5-5)

Takeaway: Aside from that second quarter, this Nets team has been excellent throughout the course of a game. Their offense is so good right now, and Jacque Vaughn has them playing some pretty good basketball. Those fourth-quarter flurries they throw on opponents can be bewildering. All of a sudden, the Nets have gone on a run and either put the game out of reach or made your lead disappear.

Record

10-9

Offensive Rating

117.5 (6th)

Defensive Rating

115.0 (19th)

Net Rating

2.5

Rank over time

Raptors

115-103

Magic

129-101

Hornets

129-128

Eastern

Tier 5 - Looking to make the Play-In

1st Q: +0.5 net rating | Ranked 14th

2nd Q: -6.3 net rating | Ranked 23rd

3rd Q: -5.1 net rating | Ranked 25th

4th Q: +4.5 net rating | Ranked ninth

Clutch: +13.2 net rating | Ranked 10th | 10 games (5-5)

Takeaway: How do we eliminate the middle of the game to benefit the Raptors? Closing out the second quarter and then coming out of halftime has been a rough stretch for Toronto. I’m not quite sure how you fix that either. Is that just problems with a new coach making those adjustments? Is the team losing focus? Are the rotations off to finish out the half? Regardless, this is a good fourth-quarter team. Scottie Barnes (126 points, ranking 10th; 53.6 percent shooting) is a monster in the fourth.

Record

9-11

Offensive Rating

111.3 (22nd)

Defensive Rating

112.6 (13th)

Net Rating

-1.3

Rank over time

Suns

112-105

at Nets

115-103

Knicks

119-106

Eastern

Tier 5 - Looking to make the Play-In

1st Q: +5.1 net rating | Ranked 11th

2nd Q: +0.8 net rating | Ranked 13th

3rd Q: +2.5 net rating | Ranked 12th

4th Q: -6.6 net rating | Ranked 24th (tied)

Clutch: -2.3 net rating | Ranked 16th | 16 games (8-8)

Takeaway: Remember when the third quarter used to separate the Warriors from everybody else? That doesn’t happen anymore. At least not to the degree we’re used to seeing. The Warriors being so mediocre in the clutch and so bad in the fourth in general is concerning, as is the fact that they can’t blow out teams too. They already have 16 clutch games this season. They’ve played 20 games. They’re on pace for 66 clutch games, which blows Miami out of the water from last season.

Record

9-11

Offensive Rating

113.7 (15th tied)

Defensive Rating

113.6 (17th)

Net Rating

0.1

Rank over time

Clippers

120-114

at Kings

124-123

at Clippers

113-112

Western

Tier 5 - Looking to make the Play-In

1st Q: +3.3 net rating | Ranked 13th

2nd Q: +0.5 net rating | Ranked 14th

3rd Q: +3.1 net rating | Ranked 11th

4th Q: +4.7 net rating | Ranked 8th

Clutch: -19.1 net rating | Ranked 25th | Nine games (3-6)

Takeaway: The real breakdown would be their home splits with this versus their away splits with this. The Rockets are actually pretty dominant in every quarter when they’re at home this season. And they’re completely dominated in every quarter on the road, except for the third quarter in which they have only a -3.5 net rating. A lot of that shows their youth is still getting the better of them on the road, and I think we see that in their clutch numbers too. But they’ve still taken a big step forward by being this dominant at home.

Offensive Rating

112.6 (20th)

Defensive Rating

110.0 (6th)

Net Rating

2.6

Rank over time

at Mavs

121-115

at Nuggets

134-124

at Lakers

107-97

Western

Tier 5 - Looking to make the Play-In

Tier 6 - Not tanking yet but maybe someday

1st Q: -15.3 net rating | Ranked 30th

2nd Q: -10.2 net rating | Ranked 25th

3rd Q: +0.2 net rating | Ranked 18th

4th Q: 0.0 net rating | Ranked 18th

Clutch: +21.6 net rating | Ranked fifth (tied) | 11 games (5-6)

Takeaway: Here’s the good news. The Bulls are actually very competitive in the second half of games. Even though we think everybody is mad there and possibly hates their coach, the Bulls are coming out of halftime and bringing it. It’s essentially a coin flip against them in the third and fourth quarters. The problem with that? They dig such a massive hole for themselves in the first half. We see them come thundering back at times in the second half to try to make it a game, but it’s often too little, too late. They need a complete overhaul.

Record

7-14

Offensive Rating

109.7 (26th)

Defensive Rating

115.5 (22nd)

Net Rating

-5.8

Rank over time

Bucks

120-113 OT

Pelicans

124-118

at Celtics

124-97

Eastern

Tier 6 - Not tanking yet but maybe someday

1st Q: -10.0 net rating | Ranked 26th

2nd Q: -15.0 net rating | Ranked 30th

3rd Q: -1.0 net rating | Ranked 19th (tied)

4th Q: +1.9 net rating | Ranked 13th (tied)

Clutch: -8.7 net rating | Ranked 19th | Eight games (2-6)

Takeaway: I don’t know how seriously we’re supposed to take any of these numbers or performances before Ja Morant comes back (which is soon, by the way!) The thing that matters is the losses piling up for Memphis. But this is a team that starts out slow and just doesn’t have enough in the second half to make it a game. I think the healthy and available version of this Memphis squad is pretty good, but we might not see too much of that this season.

Record

5-14

Offensive Rating

106.3 (29th)

Defensive Rating

112.4 (11th tied)

Net Rating

-6.1

Rank over time

Jazz

105-91

at Mavericks

108-94

at Suns

116-109

Western

Tier 6 - Not tanking yet but maybe someday

1st Q: -13.5 net rating | Ranked 27th

2nd Q: -5.9 net rating | Ranked 21st

3rd Q: -1.7 net rating | Ranked 21st

4th Q: -4.4 net rating | Ranked 22nd

Clutch: -5.7 net rating | Ranked 17th | 11 games (5-6)

Takeaway: Even though the Blazers are supposed to be bad this season, it feels a little tough to judge them so far. They’re just now getting whatever version of healthy they can possibly get, and they’ve played better lately because of that improving health and availability. Otherwise, their quarter breakdown makes sense. A young, incomplete rotation is getting destroyed at the start of games, and then they can’t quite do enough to get back into it.

Record

6-13

Offensive Rating

105.4 (30th)

Defensive Rating

112.1 (10th)

Net Rating

-6.7

Rank over time

at Cavs

103-95

at Jazz

118-113 OT

Western

Tier 6 - Not tanking yet but maybe someday

1st Q: -14.6 net rating | Ranked 29th

2nd Q: -5.3 net rating | Ranked 20th

3rd Q: -13.4 net rating | Ranked 29th

4th Q: -1.2 net rating | Ranked 19th

Clutch: +4.0 net rating | Ranked 14th | 11 games (6-5)

Takeaway: Of course, the numbers for the next couple weeks will be tough without LaMelo Ball. But instead of examining the first and third quarters that are so bad for Charlotte, let’s look at the clutch! They’ve been legitimately good in the clutch so far. They’re not really turning the ball over too much, and they’re scoring really well. Terry Rozier has been the guy for them, and it’s worth wondering if clutch performances like this get him noticed for a change of scenery at the trade deadline.

Record

6-12

Offensive Rating

113.0 (19th)

Defensive Rating

121.4 (30th)

Net Rating

-8.4

Rank over time

at Nets

129-128

at Knicks

115-91

Wolves

123-117

Eastern

Tier 6 - Not tanking yet but maybe someday

1st Q: -3.9 net rating | Ranked 19th

2nd Q: -10.4 net rating | Ranked 26th

3rd Q: -13.1 net rating | Ranked 27th (tied)

4th Q: +1.9 net rating | Ranked 13th (tied)

Clutch: +15.1 net rating | Ranked ninth | Nine games (5-4)

Takeaway: If the Jazz could avoid the first three quarters of the game and find themselves in the fourth or a clutch situation, we’d probably feel like we’re watching the Utah squad that started out last season so hot. Unfortunately, the middle of the game is tanking any chance they have of making a serious comeback. I don’t want to chalk the fourth-quarter success as just garbage-time success. I think the Jazz are genuinely putting up a good fight at the end of most games. It’s just not enough.

Record

7-13

Offensive Rating

110.5 (25th)

Defensive Rating

116.7 (23rd)

Net Rating

-6.2

Rank over time

Blazers

118-113

at Grizzlies

105-91

at Wolves

101-90

Western

Tier 6 - Not tanking yet but maybe someday

Tier 7 - Incomprehensibly bad

1st Q: -9.6 net rating | Ranked 24th (tied)

2nd Q: -1.8 net rating | Ranked 17th

3rd Q: -13.1 net rating | Ranked 27th (tied)

4th Q: -6.6 net rating | Ranked 24th (tied)

Clutch: -66.7 net rating | Ranked 30th | Six games (0-6)

Takeaway: Kyle Kuzma recently said the Wizards couldn’t guard a stop sign. It looks like their best chances of doing that happen in the second quarter only. In all other quarters, the stop sign would be dominating them. If by some chance the Wizards forced a clutch situation against the stop sign, they’d quickly be brought out of that. I’m honestly shocked their numbers in each quarter aren’t worse because I can’t think of a time in a Wizards game in which I get the feeling, “You know what? They’re starting to bring it.”

Record

3-16

Offensive Rating

112.5 (21st)

Defensive Rating

120.3 (29th)

Net Rating

-7.8

Rank over time

at Magic

139-120

at Magic

130-125

Eastern

Tier 7 - Incomprehensibly bad

1st Q: -0.4 net rating | Ranked 15th

2nd Q: -11.4 net rating | Ranked 28th

3rd Q: -26.2 net rating | Ranked 30th

4th Q: -10.2 net rating | Ranked 26th

Clutch: -14.3 net rating | Ranked 20th | 11 games (3-8)

Takeaway: The good news is this young, inexperienced team is pretty competitive to start most games. To be down less than half a point per 100 possessions in the first quarter shows they’re ready to play. However, they get obliterated in every other quarter and situation. The hope is that they find a way to be more competitive and dangerous as the season goes on. Doesn’t have to mean a lot of wins, but they can’t get demolished like this after halftime. What are they doing in the locker room? TikTok?

Record

3-16

Offensive Rating

107.3 (28th)

Defensive Rating

119.4 (27th)

Net Rating

-12.1

Rank over time

Hawks

137-135

at Pelicans

121-106

Western

Tier 7 - Incomprehensibly bad

1st Q: -9.6 net rating | Ranked 24th (tied)

2nd Q: -10.7 net rating | Ranked 27th

3rd Q: -2.4 net rating | Ranked 22nd (tied)

4th Q: -12.1 net rating | Ranked 28th

Clutch: -55.6 net rating | Ranked 29th | 10 games (1-9)

Takeaway: I guess the fact that the Pistons aren’t getting hammered in the third quarter is something. They recently got Bojan Bogdanović back, and they’ve at least lost two straight games by single digits. Maybe with another adult in the room, the Pistons will find their way into not getting destroyed in almost every quarter. The fun with small sample sizes is their clutch numbers have been ridiculously bad. We’ve seen 10 games trigger clutch situations, but they’ve been so bad in them that they have spent just 29 minutes in the clutch. That’s comically low.

Record

2-18

Offensive Rating

108.2 (27th)

Defensive Rating

116.9 (24th)

Net Rating

-8.7

Rank over time

Lakers

133-107

at Knicks

118-112

Cavs

110-101

Eastern

Tier 7 - Incomprehensibly bad

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(Top photo: John Hefti / USA Today)

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Update: 2024-04-22