NBA Tier List: Bulls continue to surge, Raptors return to form

Happy New Year!

As the calendar has flipped over to 2022, there’s been a few changes to the tier list since last week.

Most notably, the Milwaukee Bucks have moved up into the top tier, the Toronto Raptors have moved back into the middle, and the fourth level has become that much more muddled and mired in mediocrity.

Here’s a look at how we view the league at the moment.

Tier 1: Streaking in the East

The best story in the NBA at the moment are the Chicago Bulls. Winners of seven straight, including a pair most recently that came on buzzer-beating, game-winning triples from DeMar DeRozan, who is increasingly looking like a pretty good dark horse MVP candidate.

More quietly, the Bucks have won six in a row and Giannis Antetokounmpo is putting up numbers that can rival those of his two previous MVP seasons, so he’s also a possible candidate to watch out for, particularly if his Bucks continue to roll like they have most recently.

Tier 2: Part-time Kyrie set to make his debut

The Brooklyn Nets have dropped two straight and have an encounter with the Memphis Grizzlies Monday, which could mean a third-straight defeat. Even if that happens, however, it sounds like help could be on the way as the third member of the team’s vaunted “Big Three” is set to make his debut.

It’s expected that Kyrie Irving will suit up for the first time for Brooklyn this season on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers, beginning his part-time player stint with the club.

Irving is a prominently unvaccinated player, but one has to wonder, after getting a taste of playing again, if he’ll just decide to get his two jabs and the booster in order to be eligible by at least the post-season so he can, once again, be eligible to play in all games.

Tier 3: Raptors resurgence

For the first time all season, the Raptors had, essentially, a fully healthy roster as they had available, and played.

Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Gary Trent Jr., Precious Achiuwa, Chris Boucher and Khem Birch are all back and healthy and given how well Barnes has looked in his rookie season, particularly as a shooter, the revelation of Trent this season as a defender, Siakam looking more and more like his old all-star self and VanVleet having an all-star-calibre season, the ceiling for this Raptors team looks pretty high, with a realistic goal of the No. 5 or 6 seed certainly within range.

Tier 4: Positives among negative

There’s a lot of teams that we’ve placed at this level – 12 to be exact – and a common thread with all of them is they’ve been largely disappointing for most of the season.

With that said, most recently, there are some bright spots to be said for each of them such as the return of Luka Doncic from health and safety protocols for the Dallas Mavericks and the strong play of Jalen Brunson during his absence, the absolute scoring tear that LeBron James has been on even as his Los Angeles Lakers haven’t performed anywhere near to expectation, the decent level of play seen from the New Orleans Pelicans most recently as they’ve won five of their last seven games and the stellar rookie season from Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey who became the youngest player to record a triple-double ever (19 years, 84 days) with his 17-point, 13-rebound, 14-assist gem on Sunday.

Tier 5: Things get ugly in Houston

The Houston Rockets are a bad NBA team this season, and things got even worse when on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets. Key young guard Kevin Porter Jr. reportedly lost his temper during a half-time chat, and he just up and decided to leave the arena.

Porter supposedly became upset after assistant coach John Lucas challenged him. Lucas also reportedly challenged Christian Wood – who has arguably been the Rockets’ best player this season – after Rockets coach Stephen Silas decided to have Wood start Saturday’s game coming off the bench.

Wood, played eight scoreless first-half minutes and then, reportedly, refused to sub into the game in the second half.

Even if Lucas and Silas were a little out of hand with how they handled Porter and Wood, if what’s being reported is true, it sets an awful example for other young players like prized rookie Jalen Green.

The NBA is still a job and, as such, a certain level of professionalism should be exhibited. Leaving in the middle of a game and deciding not to sub in when asked just because you’re upset is the exact opposite.

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