Yahoo Sports ranks all 30 NBA teams entering the second half, applying Phil Jackson's '40-20 rule' to identify true contenders. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons meet the standard so far, while the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, and New York Knicks do not.
The Sacramento Kings sit at 30th, while the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets occupy 29th and 28th spots respectively. Wizards star Trae Young is reportedly out for the season due to injuries.