NBA Tank Rankings: An unkind 2016 in Orlando

(14-36). Previous: . Phoenix Suns. 2. team. 66. <p>Somehow, some way, the Suns defeated the Atlanta Hawks this week. That is the explanation for how Phoenix escaped from the basement, but in truth, the team is still pretty brutal to watch on both ends of the floor.</p> <p>Since mid-December, the Suns have lost 18 of 20 contests in woeful fashion, and over that time period, Phoenix is comfortably the worst team in the NBA. The on and off-court dynamics have been well-documented at this point, but in addition to the unrest, the Suns are also banged up in a big way, forcing Jeff Hornacek’s hand in deploying young players in roles they probably aren’t ready for at this stage. All in all, it’s been an ugly downturn in Phoenix, but hey, they beat the Hawks.</p>

team. 20. <p>The Lakers have been flirting with the top spot off and on in recent weeks, but at the time of this week’s post, there is really no doubt about their worthiness. Los Angeles holds the NBA’s longest losing streak with nine straight defeats, and over that time, the Lakers have been outscored by 18.1 (!) points per 100 possessions.</p> <p>Perhaps the larger indictment of Byron Scott’s team is that the Lakers now hold the worst net rating (-11.5 points per 100) over the body of the entire season, and with only a one-game lead on the Sixers for the worst record in the NBA, things are ugly. Los Angeles has no business being <em>this</em> bad given their talent level, but when you have one of the worst coaches in the league and an odd mixture of veterans and young guys, this is the result.</p>. (9-40). Previous: . Los Angeles Lakers. 1