This week's NBA power rankings

This past week, we've seen the Pelicans lose their star, the Spurs make a statement against the Golden State Warriors … yet not a whole lot of movement in our NBA power rankings.

With just a few weeks left in the regular season, these teams are what they are, and that means the Philadelphia 76ers are still a laughingstock and the Warriors are still the top dogs, despite a rare loss.

Without further ado, here are this week's NBA power rankings.

30. Philadelphia 76ers

Now in the midst of another relatively large losing streak (six games), questions will be raised about the potential of Philadelphia becoming just the sixth team in Association history to lose 70-plus games. In order to prevent that, the Sixers will have to post a 4-7 record from here on out. With just nine wins in 71 games, that seems highly unlikely.

29. Los Angeles Lakers

The good news first. All three of the Lakers' losses last week came by single digits. That tells us a story of a team that's still competing for head coach Byron Scott. The bad news? Los Angeles has lost 14 of 17 over the past month and a half. That's not going to inspire much confidence in Scott's ability to return to the bench next season.

At the very least, that top-three protected pick in June's draft is looking good right now. Los Angeles holds a five-game "advantage" over Brooklyn for the second-worst record in the NBA.

28. Brooklyn Nets

A nice little 17-point win over Philadelphia last Tuesday was followed up by consecutive double-digit losses to Chicago and Detroit to close out last week. Without much to play for moving forward, especially considering its first-round pick is heading to Boston, Brooklyn simply wants to see the season come to an end.

The only good news for this downtrodden franchise has been the recent stellar play of second-year guard Bojan Bogdanovic. Including a 44-point outing against Philadelphia, the former second-round pick of the Miami Heat is averaging 29.7 points while shooting 57 percent from the field over the past three games.

27. Phoenix Suns

Playing more competitive basketball than at any other point since early in the season, Phoenix is displaying the young talent needed for the team to move on from what has been a horrendous campaign. Rookie guard Devin Booker is averaging 21.7 points and 5.3 assists over the past 10 games. Meanwhile, former top-five pick Alex Len is averaging 14.5 points and 12.2 rebounds during that same span.

Fortunately for the Suns' lottery hopes, this hasn't translated to a ton of wins. Still, coming out on top in five of their past 13 games is a dramatic upgrade from earlier in the year.

26. New Orleans Pelicans

With Anthony Davis now lost for the season, there really isn't much to look at in New Orleans. An injury-riddled campaign that started with losses in 11 of their first 12 games has turned into a complete and utter disaster for first-year head coach Alvin Gentry. The largest question moving forward is going to be Davis' long-term health after recent reports regarding his knee. At 26-43 on the year, nothing else on the court really matters moving forward this season.

25. Sacramento Kings

A close loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday is a prime representation of just how much Sacramento struggles to close out games. The Kings boasted a 95-90 lead with just over six minutes remaining. From that point on, Chicago outscored them 19-7 to take the game going away.

Eight of the Kings' last nine losses have now come by less than 10 points. That's no way for a struggling team to right the ship. Now at 27-43 on the season, the Kings are playing for nothing more than pride. Meanwhile, head coach George Karl and star center DeMarcus Cousins could be on the way out of town in relatively short order.

24. New York Knicks

New York simply hasn't been able to score anywhere near enough to win on a consistent basis. It is averaging just 87.6 points over the past five games and shooting less than 40 percent from the field in the past three games. For a team that currently sits 15 games under .500, the most amazing thing here is Kurt Rambis' unwillingness to actually play the minimal amount of youngsters the team has.

Rookie first-round pick Jerian Grant is averaging just 15 minutes per game this month. Meanwhile, 32-year-old journeyman Sasha Vujacic is averaging over 16 minutes. That's absurd.

23. Minnesota Timberwolves

While it hasn't translated to a ton of wins recently, this young team is playing much better basketball. In addition to Karl-Anthony Towns likely cementing his status as the NBA's Rookie of the Year, Andrew Wiggins is playing lights-out basketball. Including a 25-point outing in a close loss to Golden State on Monday, Wiggins is averaging 20 points while shooting 56 percent from the field in March.

Officially eliminated from playoff contention, it's now all about seeing what Towns and Wiggins can do moving forward. If Monday's solid performance against the defending champs is an indication, this team is headed in the right direction.

22. Denver Nuggets

A win over the red-hot Charlotte Hornets this past week gave us an idea of just how talented Denver's youngsters are. Jusuf Nurkic, Gary Harris, Will Barton and Emmanuel Mudiay all put up double digits in the win. These are going to be the four players that help move Denver into contention, not the likes of Kenneth Faried and Danilo Gallinari. This is what will make things interesting moving forward, even with the Nuggets currently 13 games under .500.

21. Orlando Magic

That whole using Tobias Harris as a scapegoat thing doesn't seem to be working. Since trading its leading scorer from a season ago back in mid-February, the Magic has lost 12 of 18 games, including eight of the past 10. Not only has this pushed Orlando from playoff contention, but it's now just ahead of the New York Knicks for the third worst record in the Eastern Conference. This is most definitely a disappointment for a team that entered the season with playoff aspirations.

20. Milwaukee Bucks

At this point, it's more about the production from this team's young core than it is about winning and losing. Though, the Bucks have been playing much better basketball since it became clear they wouldn't be contending for a playoff spot. Despite close losses to Utah and Detroit over the past few days, wins against Memphis and Miami over the past two weeks tell us a story of a team that's on the upswing.

Outside of the freakish recent performance of Giannis Antetokounmpo, guard Khris Middleton has proved he can be a No. 1 scorer for a good team. He's averaging 19.4 points while shooting 48 percent from the field in March.

19. Utah Jazz

Currently one game out of the final playoff spot out west, Utah has picked it up recently after struggling in late February and early March. Despite a loss to the Chicago Bulls over the weekend, the Jazz has won five of its past six, including an impressive win over Cleveland last week.

More than anything, it's been the performance of the team's defense that's made the difference. During this six-game stretch, Utah is giving up an average of 88 points on this hot streak. With road games coming up against Houston and Oklahoma City this week, Utah's solid defense will most definitely be tested.

18. Dallas Mavericks

Recent struggles haven't kept Dallas from remaining in playoff positioning heading into the stretch run. Though, this team is going to have to right the ship if it wants to fend off Utah moving forward.

A tough recent slate of games included losses to Cleveland and Golden State over the past week. However, fans in Dallas should be happy with wins over Portland and Charlotte during that span. The biggest issue right now is the knee injury that will likely keep Chandler Parsons out for the remainder of the season. With him sidelined, questions will arise about the Mavericks' ability to tread water moving forward this season.

17. Houston Rockets

Mediocrity on top of mediocrity. A recent stretch of solid performances ended with double-digit losses to the Clippers and Hawks last week. Unable to find itself more than two games over .500 since late January, Houston is currently just one game ahead of Utah for the final playoff spot out west.

As has been the case most of the season, it's the defense that has let this team down recently. It's yielding 115.7 per game since handing Memphis a 49-point less in mid-March. With seven of their next eight games against teams that are .500 or better, the Rockets need to fix this end of the court in short order if they want to earn a playoff spot.

16. Washington Wizards

Winners of five in a row, the Wizards are making a late push for a playoff spot back east. With double-digit wins over Detroit, Chicago and Atlanta during this span, Washington is also proving itself to be a pretty dangerous team. The performance of John Wall has been especially awesome during this streak. He's averaging 22.2 points and 12.5 assists over the past five games. Now 1.5 games out of the final playoff spot, the rest of the Eastern Conference should be really concerned here.

15. Portland Trail Blazers

With seven losses in 11 games this month, the Trail Blazers are struggling big time recently. The majority of these issues have come on the defensive side, with Portland yielding 110-plus points in eight of the past 10 games. During this very same 10-game span, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are combining to average nearly 50 points per game. This is a representation of just how poorly the team's defense has played.

Now just 1.5 games ahead of Utah for a playoff spot, it's time for the Blazers to step it up. If that doesn't happen, they could very well miss out on the playoffs after such a strong two-month stretch heading into March.

14. Chicago Bulls

In the midst of a three-game winning streak, the Bulls are now tied for the final playoff spot back east. More than anything, it's been all about the team getting its stars back to full health. Jimmy Butler hasn't been great since returning from his knee injury (15.2 points per game), but his presence has made a huge difference. Equally as important, the recent play of Derrick Rose needs to be taken into account. He's averaging 17.9 points while shooting 50 percent from the field in March. That's absolutely huge here.

13. Indiana Pacers

Indiana's attempt to gain momentum was quieted last week after dropping consecutive close games to Toronto and Oklahoma City. This has the team fighting for its playoff life heading into the final three weeks of the regular season. With games coming up against New Orleans and Brooklyn this week, Indiana has an opportunity to maintain its status as a top seven seed back east. A loss in one of these two games won't lead to much confidence for the team moving forward.

12. Detroit Pistons

Taking advantage of a somewhat weak schedule, Detroit put up a perfect 3-0 record last week, defeating Sacramento, Brooklyn and Milwaukee. Now at three games over .500 and tied for the eighth seed back east, the Pistons will continue their current nine-game home stand with winnable games against Orlando, Charlotte and Atlanta this week.

If Tobias Harris, Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond continue to provide what we have seen this month, the Pistons will be perfectly fine when the regular season draws to an end.

11. Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis ended a four-game losing streak with an impressive 11-point home win against the Clippers on Saturday. Still etched in stone as the fifth seed out west, the biggest issue for Memphis moving forward will be injuries. Can Mike Conley return from his Achilles injury in time for the playoffs? With Marc Gasol lost for the season, this is going to be key if the Grizzlies are going to take out their likely first-round opponent, the Clippers.

10. Atlanta Hawks

Winners of 10 of their past 13, the Hawks are currently tied with Miami for the third seed back east. Not only would earning that third seed likely help the team avoid Cleveland in any potential second-round matchup, but it would give the Hawks a ton of momentum heading into the playoffs. More than anything, an uptick on the offensive end of the court has been the biggest boon for Atlanta recently. It has put up 100-plus points in each of the past five games.

9. Charlotte Hornets

Monday's surprising home win against San Antonio was a culmination of a recent stretch of action that has seen Charlotte play the best basketball in the Eastern Conference. Not only have the Hornets won eight of their past 10 games, but they boast a spectacular 21-7 record since losing to Oklahoma City on Jan. 20.

Averaging 22.8 points while shooting 48 percent since the All-Star Break, Kemba Walker is the primary reason for this. If he's able to continue his stellar play, Charlotte could potentially earn a top three seed when all is said and done. After all, it's just a half game behind Miami for that spot.

8. Miami Heat

If Charlotte's not playing the best basketball in the Eastern Conference, the Heat surely is. A 21-point win over Cleveland during the weekend is the latest representation of this. That game saw Hassan Whiteside put up 16 points and 13 boards, his 13th double-double over the past 14 games. With Dwyane Wade playing elite-level basketball in the backcourt, that type of production in the low post will make Miami incredibly hard to beat. This has been on full display with Miami winning 11 of its past 16 games.

7. Boston Celtics

Boston was able to get off the schneid with blowout wins over Philadelphia and Orlando in the past two games. That followed up a four-game losing streak, all against teams currently with winning records. This is the issue. Boston had previously played up to the level of its competition during what was a stellar two-month span of action.

With the possibility of being anywhere between a third and sixth seed and with four of their next five games against winning teams, the Celtics need to get back on track here soon. That's going to require someone stepping up behind Isaiah Thomas, who is averaging 26.5 points per game this month.

6. Los Angeles Clippers

Now likely locked in to the fourth seed after losing six of their past 10, it's high time the Clippers get back on track here. Simply put, they have not been performing like a title contender over the past few weeks. Road losses to Memphis and New Orleans over the weekend magnifie this.

It's not going to be easy this week with a game against Golden State and back-to-back outings against Portland. Based on the Clippers' recent lack of success, these are going to be three huge games for the team.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder

In the midst of a four-game winning streak, the Thunder is in the process of figuring this thing out. In what can't be considered too much of a surprise, it's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook at the center of this recent run of success. They are combining to average 45.5 points while shooting a ridiculous 55 percent from the field in these four games. It's the lack of volume shooting and growing sense of proficiency that makes their recent performance look so good.

Even then, Oklahoma City is going to need to get a consistent third scorer to step up if it's going to contend for a conference title. With a 0-5 record against San Antonio and Golden State this season, the disconnect is real there.

4. Toronto Raptors

Winners of four consecutive and eight of 10, the Raptors are in prime position to earn the top seed back east. They are just 1.5 games behind Cleveland for the stop spot.

The play of Kyle Lowry has been spot on recently. He's averaging 27.2 points and 6.8 assists over the past five games. His ability to contribute more from a scoring perspective could be huge with DeMar DeRozan acting as one of the most consistent scorers in the game. With nine of its next 10 games against winning teams, this is going to be important for Toronto moving forward.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

Despite some pretty bad performances recently as a team, LeBron James is in the midst of putting the Cavaliers on his back, even if he chooses not to follow them on Twitter. Coming off a triple-double outing against Denver on Monday, James is averaging 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists over the past two games. It's been needed with Kevin Love dealing with both a back injury and an illness, the latter of which forced him to sit out Monday's game.

Just 1.5 games ahead of Toronto for the top seed, head coach Tyronn Lue has indicated he will not run his team into the ground to get home-court advantage. Though, that has to be the ultimate goal here. Getting all hands on deck will be key.

2. San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio followed up an outstanding defensive performance in a win against Golden State on Saturday by blowing a 23-point lead against the Hornets on Monday. In terms of the Western Conference standings, the Spurs' most recent loss pretty much cancels that stellar performance against the defending champs.

In terms of psyche, beating Golden State the way they did on Saturday, especially on the defensive end of the court, could loom large moving forward. As it is, San Antonio is now four games out of the top seed. This is an indication that Gregg Popovich is more than likely prepared to rest his starters a great deal moving forward.

1. Golden State Warriors

Let's put one thing to rest. Losing by eight points on the road against San Antonio on the second half of a back-to-back without Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala isn't a big deal. Following that up with a dud performance in a narrow win over Minnesota on Monday is somewhat of a big deal.

By putting bigs on Stephen Curry, opposing defenses (at least in the past two games) have shut him down big time. The likely NBA MVP is shooting just 29 percent from the field, including 14 percent from three-point range, over the past two games. Still on pace to post the best regular-season record in NBA history, it's now all about Steve Kerr and Co. adjusting their offensive scheme accordingly.