At the start of each NBA season there are, realistically, about 10 teams who could make a run at a championship. By the time the All-Star break hits, those teams have made themselves known. The contenders have risen above the pretenders. The statistical profiles have enough of a sample size to be considered reliable. There’s always the chance of a team’s season getting derailed by an unpredictable twist of events. But by and large the shortlist of squads who will have a legitimate chance to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June is obvious at this stage.
Last week Sports Illustrated built off the first iteration of championship power rankings by heightening the stakes: one team will get eliminated from the rankings every week as the season winds down. The first team to go was the 76ers. This week there will be a new team on the chopping block, bringing the total number of championship hopefuls down to 10 in these rankings.
