The Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder are heading into the final stretch of the regular season as the undisputed leaders of the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively, having held the top spot in their conferences for months. The Boston Celtics (35-19) and New York Knicks (35-20) are battling for the second spot in the East, taking turns in that position. The Cleveland Cavaliers (34-21), who have reinforced their roster with James Harden, are right on their heels with five consecutive wins. Without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have successfully navigated the restructuring from last summer, while the Knicks, under Mike Brown, appear to be burning their last resort in an Eastern Conference that is expected to be highly competitive next season. Cade Cunningham, alongside Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, and Ausar Thompson, has restored Detroit's 'Bad Boys' identity. They now lead the East with an iron grip, even surpassing the Thunder in winning percentage.
At the opposite end of the standings, about a dozen franchises are looking toward the draft and intentionally engaging in 'tanking'. Detroit arrived at the All-Star break, with a third of the regular season still to play, with a record of 40-13 (75.5% wins), while Oklahoma City stands at 42-14, equivalent to a 75% win rate. The dominance of the Pistons and Thunder has been so absolute that Detroit has led the East since November 7, while Oklahoma City has been at the forefront of the West since October 24. Among the other 28 franchises, only the San Antonio Spurs, second in the West, have surpassed the 70% win mark, with a 38-16 record (70.4%).
On the Hunt for the Thunder With a shiny championship ring on their fingers, the Thunder, with the same block that won the title, started the season with a dominant 24-1 run, aiming for the historic record of the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (73-9) and plunging their rivals into pessimism. That is, until they met the San Antonio Spurs of Victor Wembanyama in Las Vegas, who eliminated them from the NBA Cup in the semifinals and have become their nemesis: San Antonio has won four of the five matchups this season. Since that semifinal played on December 13, the Thunder have accumulated an uneven record of 18-13. 'You don't lose to a team three times in a row unless they are better than you,' said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Christmas night, after suffering the third consecutive defeat in twelve days to San Antonio.
Behind the Thunder and Spurs, the Denver Nuggets (35-20), Houston Rockets (33-20), Los Angeles Lakers (33-21), and Minnesota Timberwolves (34-22) occupy the playoff spots, while the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Clippers would be playing in the play-in.
The Return of the 'Bad Boys' Just two seasons ago, they were the worst team in the NBA. The Toronto Raptors (32-23) and Philadelphia 76ers (30-24) occupy the other two playoff positions. The Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, a surprising Charlotte Hornets, and Atlanta Hawks would currently be contesting the play-in.
The Plague of 'Tanking' 'It's time to look at this with a new perspective and see if that's an outdated way of doing it,' stated NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, referring to the system that rewards teams with the worst records with better draft positions. The truth is that this season, with the arrival of a very promising class of college players, more teams than ever have embraced 'tanking'—the practice of intentionally fielding uncompetitive teams to lose. The Sacramento Kings (12-44) have a 14-game losing streak and are the worst team in the league, but the Indiana Pacers (league finalists last season), Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, and Washington Wizards are also vying for the best draft positions. The Wizards themselves, who acquired Trae Young and Anthony Davis in the last trade market, do not seem to intend to play them until next season. Silver's statements acknowledge the growing concern that this system, which rewards poor results, may be undermining the integrity of the regular season.
