The 2018-19 NBA season is at its conclusion, so it’s time for one more round of the NBA “weakness” rankings: A look at the teams competing for the chance to draft Duke star Zion Williamson, who potentially just played his final college game.
Last month, we put together an update from our initial post-trade deadline list. This time, we’ll take a deeper dive into each team’s remaining schedule and how things could shift.
Another reminder: Here are the odds on the bottom 10 teams getting the top pick through the lottery:
Worst three teams: 14 percent
Fourth-worst team: 12.5 percent
Fifth-worst team: 10.5 percent
Sixth-worst team: 9 perecent
Seventh-worst team: 7.5 percent
Eighth-worst team: 6 percent
Ninth-worst team: 4.5 percent
Tenth-worst team: 3 percent
So, for the last time before it’s official in over a week, let’s go backwards:
30. New York Knicks
Record: 14-62
Remaining schedule: vs. CHI, @ ORL, @ HOU, vs. WSH, @ CHI, vs. DET
The Knicks have clinched one of the bottom three spots thanks to going 1-9 in their last 10, which is great news.
29. Phoenix Suns
Record: 17-60
Remaining schedule: vs. CLE, vs. UTAH, vs. NO, @ HOU, @ DAL
They listened to us and stopped winning. Good work. I don’t see the team winning any of those games except for the Cavs contest, so I think they’ll end up with a bottom-three record.
28. Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 19-58
Remaining schedule: @ PHX, @ SAC, @ GS, vs. SA, vs. CHA
After a win over the Milwaukee Bucks in late March, I got nervous. But other than that Suns matchup Monday night, there isn’t a ton to be worried about here. They’re two losses “ahead” of the next franchise, so they should end up with a bunch of ping-pong ball opportunities for Zion.
27. Chicago Bulls
Record: 21-56
Remaining schedule: @ NY, @ WSH, @ PHI, vs. NY, @ PHI
Will they want those two wins over the Suns and Wizards back? Whatever. They might win those two games against the Knicks and maybe the one against Washington. No matter — they’re likely locked into the fourth-worst record, which isn’t a bad place to be in the new NBA version of lottery odds.
26. New Orleans Pelicans
Record: 32-46
Remaining schedule: vs. CHA, @ PHX, @ SAC, vs. GS
This is where it all gets verrrry interesting. There’s a group of teams within about two games of each other, which is tricky to sort out. But I’m giving the Pels the best odds of them all — they’re without Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday and have won just twice in their last 12 contests. Even if the Warriors rest their stars, I think even the Suns could beat them in their current state.
25. Dallas Mavericks
Record: 30-46
Remaining schedule: vs. PHI, vs. MIN, vs. MEM, @ MEM, vs. PHX, @ SA
If Luka Doncic sits out further with an injury, they’ll have a great lottery shot … as long as they stop winning (they beat the Warriors and Thunder recently).
24. Atlanta Hawks
Record: 28-49
Remaining schedule: @ SA, vs. PHI, @ ORL, @ MIL, vs. IND
They should be so much lower on this list … but Trae Young and Co. just reeled off three of four wins including victories over the Bucks and Sixers, two of the opponents they’ll face. I say they end up winning more, which is great for their young nucleus, but bad if they want Zion Williamson.
23. Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 31-46
Remaining schedule: @ POR, @ DAL, vs. DAL, @ DET, vs. GS
Weird: They’ve won recent games against he Rockets and Thunder, and as we know, they likely WANT to convey this year’s pick (top-eight protected) to the Boston Celtics. Because they’re going to go for it in their final games, I’ll throw them lower, but they may just end up with the sixth or seventh pick and miss out on their goal.
22. Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 35-42
Remaining schedule: @ OKC, vs. GS, @ LAC, vs. UTAH, vs. POR
Wasn’t benching LeBron James supposed to help them lose more? Regardless, that’s a brutal final five games they could lose. Too bad they’ve already won 35 times this year.
21. Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 34-42
Remaining schedule: vs. POR, @ DAL, vs. MIA, vs. OKC, vs. TOR, @ DEN
They also have an extremely tough schedule, but they also have 34 wins.
20. Washington Wizards
Record: 32-46
Remaining schedule: vs. CHI, vs. SA, @ NY, vs. BOS
Putting them down here because I suspect they have four very winnable games if the Celtics rest their key players.
