The Wizards are down John Wall, but Bradley Beal continues to keep them outside the bottom-dwelling tier (for now). If the Wiz decide to move Beal and/or Otto Porter Jr., that’s when things get interesting.
Despite Nikola Vucevic‘s extended brilliance this season, the Magic continue to float toward Eastern Conference mediocrity. There have been flashes from the young core, but overall, another below-average season seems imminent.
The Grizzlies are falling off a steep cliff, and injuries aren’t helping. Jaren Jackson Jr. will get outside Rookie of the Year hype, but his occasional outburst haven’t been enough to carry Memphis in recent weeks. The Grit-n-Grind are trending the wrong direction.
The Pistons are once again underwhelming. A playoff appearance no longer feels inevitable, with the Nets and Heat blowing past them in the standings. Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond will get All-Star consideration, but Detroit needs a jolt of energy — bad.
Kemba Walker should start in the All-Star Game. Otherwise, the Hornets don’t have much going for them. It’s Kemba’s team, which leads to some fun individual performances, but he can only carry them so far.