With the NBA back in action following the All-Star break, teams around the league are entering the final quarter of the season ahead of the playoffs.
Only four teams are seemingly eliminated from playoff contention, leaving over two-thirds of the league still alive for the postseason. The addition of the play-in tournament has given more teams the opportunity to play meaningful basketball this late, and they are taking advantage.
The competition level over the final 20 games of the season figures to increase as playoff races tighten in each conference. The elite players of the league will need to continue to step up and lead their teams, creating some highly entertaining matchups.
To make further sense of it, Rookie Wire took a look at the NBA and ranked each team from worst to first. We come back each week and provide our latest assessment of the best teams and those that are rising.