2018-19 NBA Power Rankings: Philadelphia 76ers’ poor depth causing issues
6-23. Previous: 29th. Atlanta Hawks. 30. team. 125.
The Hawks continue to get solid production from John Collins and Trae Young, although the latter’s efficiency hasn’t been great. In the midst of a rebuild, the Hawks were always going to patrol the bottom of the standings. Dewayne Dedmon and Jeremy Lin are potential buyout candidates.
29. team. 156. . 7-23. Previous: 30th. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs have shown signs of life after an abysmal start to the season, but Zion Williamson remains the primary objective. Collin Sexton is rounding into form, but he’s still a mess on defense with questionable shot selection. As a rookie point guard, though, those lumps are palatable.
24. . 7-24. Previous: 27th. Chicago Bulls. 28. team
The Bulls fired Fred Hoiberg, a decision the locker room didn’t exactly embrace. Jim Boylen’s tenure got off to a rough start, but a couple strong efforts have put things at ease. If Chicago was winning more games, Zach LaVine might be an All-Star.
team. 27. . 9-23. Previous: 26th. New York Knicks. 27
The Knicks are treading water at the bottom of the standings, as expected. Emmanuel Mudiay has been a pleasant surprise, but it comes at the expense of Frank Ntilikina. There’s no reason to rush Kristaps Porzingis back — ride out the tank, then regroup over the summer.
26. team. 66. . 7-24. Previous: 28th. Phoenix Suns
The Suns are on a three-game win streak. Devin Booker, when healthy, can get buckets. Deandre Ayton‘s strong season has been somewhat overshadowed by Luka Doncic, but he’s an efficient scorer who’s grabbing double-digit rebounds per game. Phoenix will regress back to the mean, but it’s good to see life from a team that, prior to the win streak, was painful to watch.