Off./Def. Ratings By Month, West 5-8 Seeds

The Nuggets, Jazz, Timberwolves, and Clippers round out the bottom of the Western Conference traditional playoff spots.

The standings in the West have seem some rearrangement all season, particularly in the 5-8 zone. Minnesota has jumped in and out of the Play-In Tournament as has Denver. Utah has been on a skid recently, falling from 4th to 6th over the last week. The Clippers have remained in 8th place for a while, and are firmly positioned to stay there.

Denver's offense has been superb since January, but their defense has been very poor in March, falling below league average for the first since November.

The Nuggets have been without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. all season, and Nikola Jokic has carried the load on offense. Denver's OFFNTRG of almost 120 in March is a big reason they've been able to stay ahead of a hot Minnesota team. They've also managed to leapfrog Utah amid an abysmal stretch of games by the Jazz. Denver holds a 0.5 game lead over Utah.

The Jazz have had a rollercoaster of a season. Their defense has been up and down while their offense has remained their strong spot.

Aside from their below-average marks on the offensive end in October and January, Utah has blitzed teams all season long. Their decrease in offensive rating from February to March is no cause for concern as their numbers are still elite. It's their effort on the defensive end of the floor that is more troublesome.

Aside from Rudy Gobert, the Jazz aren't necessarily a group of well-rounded defenders. Their guards get torched on the perimeter, and drives to the hoop often end up bothering Gobert, who can only help so much without leaving his man. As is the case with teams like Golden State and Miami, if Utah can recreate some of their defensive success from the beginning of the year, they'll be in good shape for the postseason. Then again, most teams are completely different this far into the year.

Minnesota's late season push can be attributed to their offensive firepower. Take a look at the run they've been on since January.

The Wolves increased their offensive rating by nearly 10 points from December to January, and have been even better post All-Star break. While their postseason experience isn't quite there, it's safe to say they'll put up a hell of a fight against any team they face. Trying to score with them is difficult, but Minnesota can also pride itself for a defensive resurgence late in the year, finally seeing their rating crest NBA average in March, a feat they haven't been able to accomplish since November. Like the Boston Celtics, the Timberwolves have gotten hot at the right time.

How fun would a Memphis-Minnesota matchup be in round one? That's how the standings look right now, assuming Minnesota stays at 7 and can beat a feisty Clippers team in the Play-In.

The Clippers have been a great story without their stars, but Paul George is now officially back, and had one hell of a return. NBA fans can appreciate the Clippers' comeback wins that have happened so often this season. What about their offensive and defensive ratings over the course of the year?

It's a tale of two ends of the floor. LA has increased its offensive rating each month, but has seen a decrease each month on the defensive side.

The Clippers offense has yet to eclipse the NBA average, but with Paul George back just in time for the postseason, the Clips can remedy that. Their defense was above league average up until February, and has been particularly bad in March. There's no doubt that they have a lot to piece together as they prepare for the Play-In, but their grit and ability to claw their way back into games trumps any analytics, or at least that's been the case so far.