Kevin Durant has been sidelined since Jan. 15 with a sprained left MCL and is starting to do more work on the court, but there's still no firm timetable for his return.

's entry into NBA this week looks a lot different than when it started last week. The Philadelphia 76ers can finally move on from the Ben Simmons saga by adding a former MVP next to Joel Embiid. Simmons will join the Brooklyn Nets, who are left with a "what if" following the departure of James Harden as he leaves behind a team that has lost 11 straight games. Kevin Durant has been sidelined since Jan. 15 with a sprained left MCL and is starting to do more work on the court, but there's still no firm timetable for his return. Kyrie Irving remains a part-time player due to his vaccination status and won't be able to play with the team again until February 26 at Milwaukee . Embiid and the 6ers, on the other hand, have won seven of their last 10 games and climbed to fifth place in a tight Eastern Conference, just 2.5 games behind the first-place Miami Heat. The Eastern Conference race continues to be neck-and-neck ahead of Sunday's All-Star game, with the 76ers just a half-game behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers and 1.5 games behind the second-place Chicago Bulls. How will each team fare after Thursday's deadline? Where does each team rank heading into the All-Star Game? Our experts break down where all 30 teams are heading into the 2021-22 NBA home season.

NOTE: Throughout the regular season, basketball panel experts rank all 30 teams from top to bottom, evaluating which teams are playing the best basketball right now and which teams look the most like championship contenders.

. Phoenix Suns
2021-22 Record: 46-10
Previous ranking: 1

Chris Paul tied a season-high with 19 assists against the Bucks on Thursday and came into the game with 15 assists on Saturday. It was his second 19 assists of the season, something no other player had ever done. He also has seven 15-assist games this season, three more than the next-best player. The 34 assists also tied his career best number of goals in consecutive games.

. Golden State Warriors
2021-22 Record: 42-15
Previous ranking: 2

Klay Thompson is getting back into his rhythm -- as evidenced by his 33 points in Saturday's win over the Lakers. Draymond Green is starting to do more in his rehab. The same goes for James Wiseman, who may finally be able to contribute later this year after a meniscus injury derailed his second season. Stephen Curry and his staff are on the road for six of their next eight games as they try to maintain stability until Green returns.

. Memphis Grizzlies
2021-22 Record: 40-18
Previous Ranking: 3

Memphis is the third fastest team to reach 40 wins, behind the Suns and Warriors. The Grizzlies have the NBA's best record since Christmas (21-4). During that time, Ja Morant averaged 28.9 points and 6.8 assists while shooting 50.8 percent from the field, putting himself on the verge of MVP talk.

. Miami Heat
2021-22 Record: 37-20
Previous Ranking: 4

Miami continues to roll -- winning five straight heading into Tuesday's game against the Mavericks. Bam Adebayo is a big reason why. He averaged 23.2 points and 10.8 rebounds in six games in February. The Heat's toughness will only intensify as the wins pile up after the All-Star break.

. Milwaukee Bucks
2021-22 Record: 35-22
Previous Ranking: 5

The Bucks finally got the frontcourt help they've been looking for all season, by acquiring veteran forward Serge Iba at the trade deadline. Cal came in to replace Brook Lopez, but they sacrificed some tight end depth to do so.That risk came right back to hurt the Bucks when Pat Connaughton, who had been their sixth man all season, broke a finger on his right hand on the same day the team traded for Donte DiVincenzo. Connaughton will undergo surgery on Monday and is expected to return to the lineup before the end of the regular season, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday.

. Chicago Bulls
2021-22 Record: 36-21
Previous ranking: 6

While the landscape of the Eastern Conference has been shaken in the week leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, the Bulls are among the few top contenders. One of the more inactive teams. Instead, Chicago is banking on its team getting healthy again, Lonzo Ball (knee), Alex Caruso (wrist) and Patrick Williams (wrist) All are expected to return sometime in March.

. Philadelphia 76ers
2021-22 Record: 34-22
Previous Ranking: 7

Daryl Morey is finally reunited with James Harden, and the Ben Simmons saga is officially over. Now, as Coach Rivers said, it's up to Philadelphia to deliver on the championship expectations that now surround the team after getting the former MVP to pair with Joel Embiid (likely the 2022 MVP).

.Cleveland Cavaliers
2021-22 Record: 35-22
Previous Ranking: 8

Welcome to Cleveland, Caris LeVert. In his second game with the Cavaliers, LeVert helped the team overcome an 18-point deficit against his former team, the Pacers, by hitting three clutch jumpers in the final three and a half minutes to win. won. The Cavaliers are third in the Eastern Conference and will be a tough matchup for anyone making the playoffs.

. Utah Jazz
2021-22 Record: 35-21
Previous ranking: 10

After an injury-riddled 11 losses in 13 games, the Jazz have won five straight at home despite being selected to the NBA. Center Rudy Gobert sat out with a calf strain. Donovan Mitchell has been outstanding since missing two weeks with a concussion, averaging 24.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists over the past four games, in which time he has a positive overall plus-minus Negative value 57.

0. Dallas Mavericks
2021-22 Record: 33-24
Previous Ranking: 9

Luka Doncic scored 96 points against the Clippers , the most by any NBA player in two games this season of, the most ever for the Mavericks. He has scored at least 30 points in seven of the past eight games, averaging 35.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 10.5 assists in that time. Is this workload sustainable for Doncic after the Mavericks traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Wizards at the deadline? "Of course," he said. "It also makes my body better. More cardio. Yeah, I can do it."

1. Boston Celtics
2021-22 Record: 33-25
Previous Ranking: 14

Boston Most Recent has been one of the hottest teams in the league for weeks and made some moves to bolster its roster before the deadline by acquiring Derrick White and Daniel Theis . White made an immediate impact and should be an immediate factor in the Celtics' closing lineup throughout the fourth quarter of Boston's win over Denver on Friday.

2. Denver Nuggets
2021-22 Record: 31-25
Previous Ranking: 11

The Nuggets didn’t have a deal done before the trade deadline, but their biggest addition could come later this season.Jamal Murray continues to work his way back, Michael Porter Jr. . It is still possible to return. Nuggets president Tim Connelly told Altitude Sports Radio that both could be cleared in the "not too distant future," and their returns will depend on when they feel ready. Considering how good Nikola Jokic is, adding Murray back to the lineup has been a scary proposition for any potential Western Conference playoff opponent this season. Despite the injuries, Jokic still has the Nuggets in sixth place. If Porter returns, Nuggets will be a team that no one wants to face in the first round. For now, Jokic will try to hold down the fort until reinforcements potentially return.

3. Toronto Raptors
2021-22 Record: 31-24
Previous Ranking: 13

Toronto showed confidence in its team by trading Thaddeus Young before Thursday's deadline — and now the team is in The 2022 record is 16-7. Young hasn't played much in San Antonio this season, but if he can regain the form he had last season in Chicago, when he was one of the league's best backup players, he should be part of the starting frontcourt trio of Pascal Siakam Strong additions, OG Anunoby and rookie Scottie Barnes.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves
2021-22 Record: 30-27
Previous Ranking: 15

Minnesota started the season with a surprising defense that ranked in the top 10 in the league, while their offense - expected to be strong to start the season - ——But it was difficult. Well, the Timberwolves playbook has changed drastically since the calendar turned to 2022. Since early January, the Timberwolves have had the NBA's No. 1 offense, narrowly beating the Suns in offensive efficiency, while their defense has slipped to 21st. Minnesota has the eighth-lowest net rating in the NBA since Jan. 1. —— Collier

5. Brooklyn Nets
2021-22 Record: 29-27
Previous Ranking: 12

In less than two months, the Nets have fallen from the top of the Eastern Conference into the quagmire of the play-offs. James Harden is gone, Ben Simmons is here, and the team will lose four of its best players — Simmons, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Joe Harris — for the final three games before the All-Star break. They have lost 11 consecutive games.

6. Los Angeles Clippers
2021-22 Record: 28-30
Previous Ranking: 18

The Clippers are one of the winners of the trade deadline. They acquired Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, rookie Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round pick from Portland in Norman Powell and Robert Downey Jr. · Covington. But on Sunday, the Clippers saw another blow to their playoff hopes this season: Powell is out indefinitely with a fractured left foot. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George's returns uncertain this season, Powell was supposed to help shoulder the scoring load. The Clippers did send Serge Ibaka to Milwaukee in exchange for Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye , clearing the logjam in the center. Coach Ty Lue will try to keep the Clippers in the playoff picture, but their real hope is to win a championship next season.

7.Charlotte Hornets
2021-22 Record: 29-29
Previous Ranking: 17

Charlotte desperately needs an All-Star Game. The Hornets have lost seven of eight games and learned earlier this week that Gordon Hayward will be sidelined indefinitely due to a sprained ankle ligament. Terry Rozier will have to do more on offense to get this team back on track. In seven games this month, he's averaging 22.7 points.

8. Atlanta Hawks
2021-22 Record: 26-30
Previous ranking: 16

Hawks forward John Collins left Friday night's game against the Spurs with heel soreness, and an MRI on Saturday revealed a right foot strain, This will keep him out of action during the All-Star break. He entered Friday's game with five 20-point games in his past seven games, including one in which he had a season-high 18 rebounds. During that time, Collins averaged 18.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while shooting 56.3% overall.

9. Los Angeles Lakers
2021-22 Record: 26-31
Previous ranking: 19

After failing to hold a six-point lead in the final minutes against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, Los Angeles has now lost seven of nine games. . However, despite losing the game against the Warriors, the Lakers believe they can see a ray of sunshine through the clouds. "We lost the game," Russell Westbrook said. "But I'm optimistic and happy with the way we're playing the game. Playing the game the right way, for the most part."

0. Washington Wizards
2021-22 Record: 25-30
Previous Ranking: 20

Bradley Beal finishes the season with a 10-3 start in the rearview mirror and the Wizards are busy heading into Thursday's trade deadline. Point guard Spencer Dinwiddie didn't make an impact, so the Wizards sent Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans to the Mavericks for Kristaps Porzingis, except for the final two years of the contract. Except for accepting Porzingis' nearly $70 million contract per year, there is no loss. The Wizards also traded Montrezl Harrell to the Hornets and Aaron Holiday to the Suns. While the Wizards have just one game remaining in No. 10, the remainder of the season will be largely about seeing if Porzingis can stay healthy and allow young players, like Kyle Kuzma, to continue to develop.

1.New Orleans Pelicans
2021-22 Record: 22-34
Previous Ranking: 22

Arriving at New Orleans at 12:30 a.m. Having barely slept, C.J. McCollum was in his first game against the Pelicans. He struggled in the game, scoring just 15 points on 6-of-21 shooting. Two days later — with some time to rest — McCollum looked like the player the Pelicans envisioned when they traded for him, as he tied a career-high 36 points on 15-of-24 shooting from the field — High 11 rebounds.

2. New York Knicks
2021-22 Record: 25-32
Previous Ranking: 21

How did New York follow up Thursday's win over the Warriors in San Francisco ? was outscored 35-11 in the fourth quarter on Saturday in Portland, turning a double-digit lead to start the quarter into a catastrophic loss. The Knicks now return home for a few must-win games against the Thunder and short-handed Nets before the All-Star break.

3. San Antonio Spurs
2021-22 Record: 22-35
Previous Ranking: 23

Dejounte Murray had 32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds on Friday night against atlanta, the next night He had 31 points and 12 assists against the Pelicans. He has just one turnover per game. According to research from ESPN Stats & Information, Murray is the first player since turnovers were tracked in the 1977-78 season to have at least 30 points and 10 assists in consecutive games with one or fewer turnovers.

4. Portland Trail Blazers
2021-22 Record: 23-34
Previous ranking: 24

The Trail Blazers began to shake up the team before the deadline, sending Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers in exchange for Come Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, rookie Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round pick. Then they sent out CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell to New Orleans for Josh Hart, Nick Alexander-Walker, a first-round pick, two second-round picks, Didi Luzada and Tomas Satoransky . They then moved Alexander-Walker to the Jazz and Satoransky to the Spurs, getting back Elijah Hughes, Joe Ingles and a 2022 second-round pick. It remains to be seen what will happen with Damian Lillard and how the Trail Blazers will build around him if he stays in Portland. Coach Chauncey Billups still has the Trail Blazers in 10th place, but it's hard to stay there for a playoff ticket.

5.Sacramento Kings
2021-22 Record: 22-36
Previous ranking: 26

In the first two games after joining the team, Domantas Sabonis averaged 19 points per game, shooting 60.7% from the field, and 12.5 rebounds. 6 assists, Kings 2-0. Sacramento got a lot of flak for sending 21-year-old Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana in the trade, but 25-year-old Sabonis is certainly no slouch.

6. Indiana Pacers
2021-22 Record: 19-39
Previous ranking: 25

Pacers president Kevin Pritchard calls Tyrese Haliburton the team's point guard of the future, vs. Indiana Biggest deadline acquisition rave reviews. Haliburton is off to a hot start in his first two games with his new team, averaging 22.5 points and 11 assists so far in Indy.

7. Oklahoma City Thunder
2021-22 Record: 17-39
Previous ranking: 27

Aleksej Pokusevski, a skinny 7-foot developmental project the Thunder drafted in the first round of the 2020 draft, has spent most of his time on the G since last month Since spending time in the league, it has shown signs of growth. In the past four games, he averaged 13.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, shooting 61.8% from the field and 50% from three-point range.

8. Houston Rockets
2021-22 Record: 15-40
Previous Ranking: 28

Kevin Porter Jr.'s performance has boosted the Rockets' optimism that he can be the long-term solution for the team's starting point guard. He's averaging 17.3 points and 6.8 assists over his past 12 games, shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 48.2 percent from three-point range during that span.

9. Orlando Magic
2021-22 Record: 13-45
Previous Ranking: 29

Orlando has lost four of its past five games, but the team's young core has still produced some solid performances. Wendell Carter Jr. had the consistency the Bulls wanted to see before trading him in the Nikola Vucevic deal a year ago. Carter is averaging 17.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and three assists in seven games this month.

0. Detroit Pistons
2021-22 Record: 12-44
Previous ranking: 30

The Pistons signed forward Marvin Bagley III before the trade deadline, hoping the former second overall pick stays in Sacramento Benefit from changes in circumstances four years later. Bagley, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, is coming off the worst year of his career with the Kings but will audition for half a season in Detroit before looking for his next home court.