Let’s talk about ocean currents. 

Objects can move thousands of miles through the ocean due to currents. But other forces in the water can influence the movement of those objects as well. Here’s what this has to do with how crappy the Bulls are:

Throughout a season, if you just remember the most memorable moments, you can kind of convince yourself that a team is good. The Bulls have beaten the Warriors, the Cavaliers, the Celtics, the Raptors, and the Spurs. If you just think back to the games that stand out, you can walk away thinking the Bulls are a team that, sure, they may lose some games, but they can also beat any team on any given night. 

However, that ignores their current, which is made up of how actually a. talented b. disciplined c. well-constructed d. well-coached and e. consistent they are. And when you look at those factors, in the macro vision, you walk away with a team that’s 33-37, and yet just beat Utah. 

Likewise, you can look back at the beatings from Memphis and San Antonio early in the season for the Warriors, or their recent dip without Kevin Durant. You can form an opinion that says this team isn’t that great, and actually vulnerable. This is where the eye test fails you, because the Warriors are back at No. 1 in our rankings this week after a win streak topped by a dominant performance against the Bucks. But more than that, they have the No. 1 offense and No. 2 defense in the NBA across the entire season. That’s what their current shows. 

It’s not about those little things that make something bob up and down in the water. It’s where the team’s current has taken them. That’s what really matters when we evaluate teams. 

Biggest Movers
9 Grizzlies
6 Mavericks
Rk
Teams
  
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Rcrd
1 Warriors Back on top following a three-game winning streak topped by Steph Curry's re-emergence as the flame-throwing savant everyone knows him to be. Kevin Durant resumes basketball activities, the No. 1 seed is within range, and Curry and Klay Thompson are back to splashing. The dark days of early March are turning into a bright spring for the Warriors. 5 0-0
2 Spurs San Antonio's a fascinating team to talk about. No one disputes Kawhi Leonard's brilliance. No one argues that the Spurs and Popovich could very well make a run to the NBA Finals. But there are concerns about the rest of the roster and whether this team is a paper tiger, or a sleeping giant. It feels so stupid to doubt a projected 60-plus-win team with Popovich and Kawhi, but there's something people that watch nightly can't put their finger on with this team. -- 0-0
3 Cavaliers LeBron James pretty clearly wants the MVP. Saturday night vs. the Clippers was a chance for him to win a marquee game on his own in a season where he's averaging a career-high in assists and rebounds. No wonder he was mad the Cavs rested him, regardless of whether it was the right decision or not. 2 0-0
4 Wizards The Wizards' offensive revelation under Scott Brooks is truly Coach of the Year worthy. However, since the All-Star Break, they are 25th in defense. They need to fix that end of things. That's what makes them a better squad than the rest of the Eastern Conference contenders. 3 0-0
5 Rockets James Harden now holds the record for most triple-doubles with 40 points in a season with six. That's just amazing. His season has been every bit as incredible as Russell Westbrook's, and vice versa, no matter who wins the MVP. Also, the Rockets are now 13-1 on back to backs this season after Saturday's win in Denver. 2 0-0
6 Celtics The Celtics were sixth in the offense and 18th in defense before the All-Star break. Since then, they are 26th on offense and fourth in defense. So there's good news and bad news, I guess? They have to win the game Monday against Washington. 2 0-0
7 Heat The most impressive job that Erik Spoelstra has done every season is how the offensive efficiency improves month by month. The past two years he's just found solutions to fix those problems and it makes them better by year's end than at the start. -- 0-0
8 Thunder OKC's playing its best basketball at the right time. They host the KD-less Warriors again Monday, then face the Beard's Rockets next weekend. They need a good week to keep putting pressure on Utah for the fourth seed. -- 0-0
9 Jazz The Jazz have opened the door for the Clippers and Thunder to steal the fourth-seed from them. A strong finish to the season is imperative. Their tiebreaker situation is perilous. Their Saturday matchup with the Clippers is a must-win. -- 0-0
10 Raptors The Raptors had a good week to stabilize as they wait for Kyle Lowry's return. They need to take advantage of a soft stretch of schedule; there's still a chance for them to steal a top-3 seed and avoid Cleveland in the first round. 3 0-0
11 Pistons The Pistons got smoked by three good teams last week as a reminder that they can't hang with the big kids. They are 9-23 vs. teams .500 or better this season. 1 0-0
12 Grizzlies It feels very awkward that they took off, winning four straight, the minute Chandler Parsons was put on the shelf. But either way, the Grizzlies just beat the Hawks and Spurs, and still have a puncher's chance at the No. 4 seed. Too bad they have the Warriors and Spurs, both on the road this week. 9 0-0
13 Bucks Riddle me this. Who wants a piece of Giannis Antetokounmpo and a young, hungry Bucks team with nothing to lose in a first-round series? No one. That's who. OK, that was a bad riddle. It was pretty obvious. But still! 3 0-0
14 Trail Blazers Their win Sunday vs. Miami, on a second night of a back-to-back, was massive. They're in the driver's seat with a cupcake schedule from here on out to claim the No. 8 seed and face Golden State or San Antonio. 6 0-0
15 Clippers Sorry, you don't get credit for beating the shell of the Cavaliers on Saturday. They've lost three of four, but Utah's struggles have left the door open for them to take the No. 4 seed, still. Their Saturday matchup vs. Utah is going to be crucial for them. Bigger than that, though, they need to get themselves in a place where they're not disgusted with their play, as they have been lately. 3 0-0
16 Hawks Atlanta has the third-worst offense in the league since the All-Star break, and are ranked 25th since Jan. 1. How are the Hawks going to create enough offense in a playoff series to take down the kind of firepower they're going to face in either a 4-5 or 3-6 matchup? 5 0-0
17 Nuggets The Nuggets are 3-6 in games decided by five points or less at home this season. That's going to be the difference in them making the playoffs or not. Maybe 10 plays. That's brutal. 2 0-0
18 Timberwolves Well, that'll do it. A three-game losing streak puts them five back in the loss column, and with Portland streaking, that's just probably too deep a well for the Wolves to pull out of. This summer is going to be tough to figure out where they should go from here, and how they make the leap they need to, outside of just internal development. 1 0-0
19 Pacers Indiana is 14 games over .500 at home. So if it makes the playoffs, go ahead and pencil them in for at least one win. 4 0-0
20 Mavericks I'm calling it. That Sixers loss was it. They've got the Warriors, Clippers, Raptors and Thunder this week. Stick a fork in the Fighting Carlisles. (Note, this will all be changed next week when Carlisle finds a way for them to go 3-1 this week.) 6 0-0
21 Bulls Two years ago the Brooklyn Nets were this lifeless dredge of a team. They were just a chore to watch. They still made the playoffs, and still found a way to give Atlanta a hard time despite having zero chemistry, nothing exciting about them, and no hope for the future. The Bulls are now the 2015 Nets. And their win vs. Utah shows how they could still very well crash the party and make us all suffer watching them for another two weeks. 3 0-0
22 Hornets The playoffs are handing the Hornets their coat and saying, "So great to see you guys! Be safe on the way home! No, don't worry about your casserole dish, I'll bring it to the office on Monday. Bye now!" But the Hornets just won't take the hint. It's time to shut down Batum and Kemba for the year and make changes to the bench this summer. -- 0-0
23 Pelicans Too little, too late. They've won four of five, but their post-All-Star dip put them five back in the loss column. Even with games remaining vs. Denver, they probably won't be able to jump out of the lottery. Also, the fact that they keep winning games when Cousins is out is getting really awkward. 2 0-0
24 Suns I like their young core. I like the stars they've now sat for the season. I like their veterans. So why was this team so wretched? At some point, it sure doesn't look like talent is the issue, but they are still young, and will only get younger this summer. -- 0-0
25 Knicks Do you ever think about tracking down Phil Jackson's voicemail number and then just leaving a constant string of "The Triangle is not the answer. The Triangle is not the answer" messages? No? Just me? OK, then. 2 0-0
26 76ers I fought it for a while because I loved the idea of Joel Embiid winning for his dominance when healthy, but Dario Saric is the Rookie of the Year. He's slammed that door shut these last two weeks. -- 0-0
27 Lakers D'Angelo Russell's post-All-Star surge might have been a few months tardy, but at least it came. They really need him to be their franchise guy, and games like his 40-spot vs. the Cavs on Sunday point in the right direction. -- 0-0
28 Kings Skal Labissiere and Willie Cauley-Stein along with Buddy Hield make this team more watchable than they were when Cousins was around. Yeah, they're worse, but there's so much untapped potential, it's fascinating to watch it flourish. 1 0-0
29 Magic They have some winnable games this week vs. Philly and the Hornets. Time to buckle down and tank hard. Again. 1 0-0
30 Nets The Nets are better than their record. I know that sounds nuts, but it's true. And yet, they are still dead last in rankings. Think about how bad that makes their record. -- 0-0