(Records as of 9:00 am EST 1/20/16)

It’s that time of the year when you see your favourite team bloom into what they are from the preseason and a stopgap to the all-star break where the deadline looms. Some teams have shown promise and have surprised. While some teams have fizzled out or just bombed as the season goes on. Here are the Power Rankings/Mid-Season grades starting with 21-30 brought to you by basketball aficionados, The Untamed Fan:

21. Washington Wizards 19-21

 

 
Leading Scorer: John Wall 20.0 PPG

Leading Rebounder: Marcin Gortat 9.9 RPG

Leading Assists: John Wall 9.7 APG

At the midpoint, the Wizards have faltered from their mid table prominence from a year ago due to the loss of Bradley Beal to injury. His missing of significant time caused John Wall to bring out some heroics that aren’t really heroic and Otto Porter (12.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG 1.6 SPG) coming into his own at the starting 3 spot.

Moves will have to be made for the Wizards to stay in contention in the East. An upgrade at the 4 or bench production could be a start with many trade pieces and salary dumps that are on their current secondary.

With Beal (19.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.2 APG 41% 3FG) back, Wall gets his co-pilot. Let’s see if they can right the ship in the second half.

Grade C

22. Utah Jazz 18-23

 

 
Leading Scorer: Gordon Hayward 19.6 PPG

Leading Rebounder: Rudy Gobert 10.3 RPG

Leading Assists: Gordon Hayward 3.4 APG

Quinn Snyder has this team playing really  really well despite talent and injuries to key players: Derrick Favors, Alec Burks and Rudy Gobert. Gordon Hayward has become a stud, passing, defending, shooting (37% from 3, 46% from 2) and even working his way out of a shooting slump.

Their bench play is give or take. However, Trey Burke (14.3) coming off the bench gives them a scoring spark that is needed and valued.

Other nice surprises have been: Withey (6.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.7 BPG) standing in for Favors (16.8 PPG 8.6 RPG)  and Gobert continuing a rim protection presence, Rodney Hood injected into the lineup has stretched the floor and provided D.

An upgrade at the 1 will suffice. Despite Neto’s play, Burke has been better. But with Exum out, better guard play will be needed (18.1 APG 30th in the NBA).

Grade B-

23. Sacramento Kings 17-23

 

 
Leading Scorer: DeMarcus Cousins 25.9 PPG

Leading Rebounder: DeMarcus Cousins 11.1 RPG

Leading Assists: Rajon Rondo 11.6 APG

The George Karl-DeMarcus Cousins beef seems to have simmered, but so has their play. There is no reason for this team to have a losing record with versatile Rudy Gay (18 PPG 6.9 RPG 1.2 SPG), top 5 PG Rondo and the best big  man in the game, Boogie in your lineup.

Omri Casspi has been a great surprise for his reunion with the Kings providing great 3 point shooting numbers (47%).

If the Kings continue to not place in the Western Cnoference table, moves should be made. Relieving themselves of Gay’s healthy contract ($30+M) would be a great start.

Grade D+

24. Denver Nuggets 16-26

 

 
Leading Scorer: Danilo Gallinari 19.0 PPG

Leading Rebounder: Kenneth Faried 8.9 RPG

Leading Assists: Emmanuel Mudiay 5.7 APG

They’re just not that good. At all.

There’s promise in Mudiay, Lauvergne, Jokic, and Nuric but that’s where it ends. Gallo has been playing extremely well, but when there’s no one else to score, you’re gonna have to.

A big surprise has been Will Barton (15.6 PPG 6.2 RPG 39% from 3). Where did he come from? And why did the Blazers let him go? 6th man of the year candidate right there.

They need to move on from Faried. He could be a Dennis Rodman type, but it hasn’t been shown. Trim the fat, rebuild totally.

Grade D-

25. New Orleans Pelicans 14-27

 

 
Leading Scorer: Anthony Davis 23.1 PPG

Leading Rebounder: Anthony Davis 10.4 RPG

Leading Assists: Tyreke Evans 6.6 APG

Injuries. Injuries. Injuries. This has plagued this team from Holiday, to Evans, Davis and now Gordon. This has been their downfall and this is where it will end. No playoffs in sight this season at all.

Bright spots will be short lived by Ryan Anderson whom happens to be the best scorer off the bench in the league (16.8 PPG 38% from 3) and on the trading block. His value is unquestionable unlike his defense, but that coveted stretch 4 tall 3 position is very attractive.

Grade D+

26. Minnesota Timberwolves 13-30

 

 
Leading Scorer: Andrew Wiggins 20.8 PPG

Leading Rebounder: Karl-Anthony Towns 9.5 RPG

Leading Assists: Ricky Rubio 8.4 APG

So, about the whole geriatric mantra I continue to use, they’re using their advanced aged players in a great way: mentorship.

With the unfortunate loss of their Head Coach Flip Saunders, the T’Wolves lost a leader of men that was admired. His presence is missed but vision is still there and leadership has been extended by the vets.

KG, Tayshaun Prince, Kevin Martin and Andre Miller are showing the young guns how to be professionals. They may be expendable but their value is tremendous.

Andrew Wiggins is showing his potential but there’s more need to be seen by him in the stat sheet (3.8 RPG 1.8 APG >1 SPG/BPG).

KAT is a stud that is just going to get better and better. His inside outside game  is going to be dominate as he stuffs the sheets (15.6 PPG 9.5 RPG 1.7 BPG).

Rubio is becoming a new man with his improved jumper (+.05 FG% +.74 3FG%) and ball hawk skills (2.2 SPG). Dieng, LaVine and Muhammed are key players off the bench to help build a solid team far away from the David Kahn age.

They won’t get better in the W category but they will be better in the future.

Grade C+

27. Phoenix Suns 13-30

 

 
Leading Scorer: Eric Bledsoe 20.1 PPG

Leading Rebounder: Tyson Chandler 7.4 RPG

Leading Assists:Eric Bledsoe 6.1 APG

Injuries. A disgruntled separated conjoined twin. Instability. Boom: Suns season.

Losing Eric Bledsoe hurts more than anything and overpaying Tyson Chandler to be a shell of himself hurts even more. Money spent in the wrong place.

Surprises from the season so far come from TJ Warren who has shown he can score in this league (11.0 PPG 40% from 3) and be an X-Factor, Teletovic showing out on offense (42.5% from 3), Devin Booker can flat out shoot the rock (44.6% from 3) and Brandon Knight not being efficient (3.5 Turnovers per game).

This two PG system hasn’t worked with Isaiah Thomas-Dragic or with Bledsoe-Knight (7.0 turnovers per game), so stop it. You barely contended for the playoffs last year and couldn’t close out so why not get closers? Blow it up. Start over. Try to bank on Bledsoe’s bad knees but don’t get stuck in a Derrick Rose situation.

Grade F

28. Brooklyn Nets 11-31

 

 
Leading Scorer: Brook Lopez 19.9 PPG

Leading Rebounder: Thaddeus Young 9.2 RPG

Leading Assists: Jarrett Jack 7.4 APG

The Billy King experiment failed. Lionel Hollins flopped. Tom Thibedeau is in the wings. Joe Johnson’s overpaid and under performing still. Brook Lopez is killing and Thaddeus Young has came into his own this season (15.4 PPG 9.2 RPG 1.5 SPG).

With a new regime on the horizon, the Nets could be on the up and up with the pieces of Young, Hollis-Jefferson (5.2 PPG 6.1 RPG 1.4 SPG) and centerpiece Lopez. The season’s a wash, just play it out, refrain from devastating injuries such as Jarrett Jack’s torn ACL or make moves at the All-Star break to capitalize on the upcoming draft and FA market.

Grade F

29. Los Angeles Lakers 9-34

 

 
Leading Scorer: Kobe Bryant 16.3 PPG

Leading Rebounder: Julius Randle 9.4 RPG

Assists: Kobe Bryant 3.5 APG

This season is just about Kobe’s farewell tour, and Byron Scott’s stubbornness and idiocracy when it comes to developing the young guys.

They have promise in Clarkson, Russell, Randle and Williams. Besides that your bench and starting center is washed up and cannot buy a bucket. Teams a joke, ownership is a joke, sorry Kobe has to go out this way.

Grade F

30. Philadelphia 76ers 5-38

 

 
Leading Scorer: Jahlil Okafor 17.5 PPG

Leading Rebounder: Nerlens Noel 8.3 RPG

Leading Assists: Ish Smith 8.3 APG

With the hirings of Jerry Colangelo and Mike D’Antoni, the Sixers have been playing great lately.

Bright spots are the whole team, Ish Smith and Noel in particular without ignoring Okafor’s progress from past transgressions and struggle early on and the emergence of TJ McConnell (6.0 PPG 3.7 RPG 4.9 APG 1.3 SPG 34.5% from 3) and Robert Covington (11 PPG 5.4 RPG 1.6 SPG 33% from 3).

Future is bright, present is pleasant the tanking is over, just keep fighting hard into the offseason. Make some moves at the deadline if need be, because there are some valuable players available to swap on this roster. Also, you have assets, use them or try.

Grade C-

Stats courtesy of basketball-reference.com

Cover photo courtesy of wizofawes.com