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NBA Bubble Power Rankings 2: More games, more change

By Corey Rausch

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 08: LA Clippers players celebrate their victory against the Portland Trail Blazers at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 8, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 08: LA Clippers players celebrate their victory against the Portland Trail Blazers at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 8, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Kim Klement – Pool/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kim Klement – Pool/Getty Images) /

24-45. Previous: 22nd. Washington Wizards. 22. team. 142.

Last Week: Lost to Brooklyn 118-110, Lost to Indiana 111-100, Lost to Philadelphia 107-98, Lost to New Orleans 118-107

This Week: Sunday vs. Oklahoma City, Tuesday vs. Milwaukee, Thursday vs. Boston

So far the bubble has been about what was expected for the Washington Wizards. With Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans staying home, things were unlikely to go well, resulting in a worse winning percentage than the Charlotte Hornets, a team that has not played since March.

All negativity aside, the Wizards look to have discovered three building blocks in the bubble that they probably were hoping would be doing just this. Rookie Rui Hachimura has been inconsistent, as most rookies are, but two different outings of 20-plus points in five games is the start of something positive.

Troy Brown Jr. is averaging 16.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game and is showing that Washington may have found a player in the late lottery last season. So far in Orlando, however, the star of the bunch has been Thomas Bryant.

The young center has averaged 20.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.4 steals per game so far. Some may say these numbers are coming with no pressure and this is true. But if those defensive stats are not empty and help the defense win, Bryant quickly becomes the kind of player that helps a fully-health Wizards team take a step forward. The rest of this bubble experiment is not about wins. It is about figuring that out.

Sacramento Kings. 21. team. 84. . 29-40. Previous: 19th

Last Week: Lost to Orlando 123-116, Lost/OT to Dallas 114-110, Beat New Orleans 140-125, Lost to Brooklyn 119-106

This Week: Sunday vs. Houston, Tuesday vs. New Orleans, Thursday vs. Lakers

To be blunt, this team should be embarrassed. Some may say this is harsh, but for a team coming off a solid year last year with hopes to do better, what the Sacramento Kings have done in the bubble so far is hard to call anything but that.

Their win against the hapless Pelicans notwithstanding, so far in the bubble they have lost their other games against the Spurs, Magic, Mavericks and Nets. For one of the teams with one of the easier schedules, 1-3 is simply not good enough.

De’Aaron Fox has been phenomenal, averaging 26.2 points and 7.0 assists per game, looking like the star the team would have hoped for. Bogdan Bogdanovic has been similarly impressive with 20.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. The talent is here for this team. They simply have had trouble putting it all together.

Watching Luke Walton coach feels like watching a guy screaming for every last chance to keep his job. Whether or not he should, he probably will, so figuring out how to recover from this bubble will be the team’s next step. So far they have been the worst team that has been actually trying to win.