Season 2, Episode 27- The Hierarchy

In this week's special edition episode of "Diehlman at Halftime," I look back on my Power Rankings Predictions from October and compare them to the actual standings.

1-10: "The Elite Teams"
11-20: "The 'You're Getting There, But Not Quite' Teams"
21-30: "Code Red! This is Not a Drill!"

Also, listen to the perspective of our featured guest, Keith Pompey! (Follow him on X and Instagram at @pompeyonsixers).

"Aurora" interlude music written by Jeff Kaale
https://uppbeat.io/t/jeff-kaale/aurora
License code: HJ6W88QKKUB00FNS

Intro/outro written by Larry Diehlman

Release date: Monday, April 21, 2025

Chapters

• 0:15 Introduction
• 0:56 Overview of the NBA this Week
• 3:49 The Elite Teams
• 6:07 The "You're Getting There, But Not Quite" Teams
• 8:28 Code Red! This is Not a Drill!
• 11:43 Keith Pompey Interview
• 21:23 Conclusion

Transcript

**NOTE: Full episode transcript is below except the interview**

Introduction: Hello everybody, and welcome to episode #62 of “Diehlman at Halftime,” the NBA podcast that tops all others! I’m your host, Larry Diehlman. If you’re joining us for the first time, welcome abroad. And if you’ve been a loyal listener, welcome back! We have much to get to today and not a lot of time to do it. We have a few sections that we'll get into, but they may not be the ones you're used to hearing. 

Overview of the NBA this Week: An injured superstar has seemingly made one of the quickest recoveries ever. Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard has been cleared of his deep vein thrombosis (or blood clots) and is already off blood-thinning medication! Why is this a quick recovery, you ask? Doctors told Bucks officials that this recovery speed has never been seen before, but the early treatment from specialists helped tremendously. Deep vein thrombosis is an abnormal clot within a vessel. Blood congealing blocks the flow through going back to the heart. Lillard has no timeline for a return as of this moment. He was ruled out Saturday prior to Game 1 of the Bucks-Pacers series.

The NBA has announced the finalists for the regular season awards. For MVP, we have Nikola Jokić (DEN), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL). The Defensive Player of the Year will either be Dyson Daniels (ATL), Draymond Green (GSW), or Evan Mobley (CLE). The finalists for Most Improved Player are Cade Cunningham (DET), Daniels, or Ivica Zubac (LAC). For Sixth Man of the Year, there’s Malik Beasley (DET), Ty Jerome (CLE), and Payton Pritchard (BOS). The Rookie of the Year candidates are Stephon Castle (SAS), Zaccharie Risacher (ATL), and Jaylen Wells (MEM). Jalen Brunson (NYK), Anthony Edwards (MIN), and Jokić make up the Clutch Player of the Year options. And lastly, the Coach of the Year will either be Kenny Atkinson (CLE), J.B. Bickerstaff (DET), or Ime Udoka (HOU). Winners will be announced over the coming weeks.

Play-in Tournament Eastern Conference eliminations: Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks

Play-in Tournament Western Conference eliminations: Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks

This is a special edition of “Diehlman at Halftime.” I will go over my power rankings predictions from October and compare them to the actual standings by best to worst record. The headings for each section remain the same from last time. Some teams are ahead of others because of head-to-head tiebreakers. I took these rankings from ESPN. 

This episode is entitled "The Hierarchy."

So, who’s raising eyebrows at the moment?

The Elite Teams (1-10)

Original Predictions- Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns, and Milwaukee Bucks

Actual- Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, L.A. Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, L.A. Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves 

Reasoning: I really didn’t do too badly in this section. Six of my original teams ended up here. I figured the Celtics and Thunder would be two of the top three teams in the league. Their squads have too much firepower. Anyone that tells you they had Cleveland in the top three guaranteed back in October is lying. Having Dallas in here at seventh wasn’t a whiff when the season started. Looking back on it…imagine if someone told you what Nico Harrison was cooking back in July! The same thing can be said about the 76ers. The Mavericks’ season derailed because of trades. The 76ers were destroyed by injuries. There was a four-way tie for sixth in this section: L.A. Lakers, Denver, Indiana, and the L.A. Clippers. I might’ve underestimated the Lakers and Clippers a bit. I was one spot off for the Nuggets (sixth instead of seventh) and two for the Knicks (third instead of fifth). The Timberwolves were a few spots down than I thought. There was one prediction on the nose in this section: I had Indiana as eighth in both the original and actual standings! The Pacers aren’t going to rule the NBA, nor are they going to slide. They are definitely in contending status. Overall, not terrible.

The “You’re Getting There, But Not Quite” Teams (11-20)

Original Predictions- Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, L.A. Lakers, L.A. Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Golden State Warriors

Actual- Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat

Reasoning: So close again! I had the Grizzlies at 13 instead of 12 and the Magic at 14 instead of 15. Five of my original picks landed in this section. As we mentioned a moment ago, having Cleveland here was fair. Although, I can’t say the same about others. We had three ties in this section (when I mean ties, I mean they had the exact same record). The Warriors, Grizzlies, and Bucks were the first. The Hawks and Kings were the second. And the Bulls and Mavericks were the third. Houston took a huge leap this season, going from just outside the play-in tournament to the second seed in a tough Western Conference. Despite originally having the Warriors in this section at #20, they landed at #11. Never count out Steph Curry, and the Jimmy Butler trade was a tremendous boost. Speaking of boosts, how about Detroit going from #29 in my predictions to #14?! The “MUP” for New Orleans, or “Most Unfortunate Player,” was the injury report. Zion Williamson’s health is always a “what if.” Next year will be huge for them to determine the franchise’s direction. The Heat became the first 10 seed in NBA history to escape the play-in tournament and make the eighth seed. They eliminated Atlanta, who made the “Actual” here but not my “Original.” Similar to New Orleans, they need to make up their mind. Are they contending, or are they tanking?

Code Red! This is Not a Drill! (21-30)

Original Predictions- San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and Brooklyn Nets

Actual- Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz

Reasoning: Woof, the Phoenix Suns are awful! I had them at ninth in October…and here they are at #21. The Suns took a swing for Kevin Durant, and the results have not been favorable (not from Durant, but from the overall team). Seven of my original picks resurface here. But, there were some predictions one spot off again. I had Toronto at 23 instead of 24. I placed Washington at 28 instead of 29. Everything else was pretty much expected. San Antonio’s season was officially over when Victor Wembanyama was ruled out with deep vein thrombosis (the same thing Damian Lillard has). Despite Brandon Ingram not suiting up for Toronto yet, next season should be fun. Teams like Utah and Washington are happy that Cooper Flagg has officially entered the draft. Seeing the 76ers back in this section is a familiar sight from “The Process” days. They are praying their top-six protected pick doesn’t defer to Oklahoma City. Portland being at the top of this section with Phoenix means they’re showing some improvement (they were tied, by the way). My “hot take” from October was to see Charlotte take a step under new head coach Charles Lee. Not for a title run, but maybe a play-in tournament spot. They finished 14th in the Eastern Conference.

So my number of predictions correct? Drum roll, please...one. One. Out of. 30. That was the Indiana Pacers at #8 in the first section. Now something I didn't do last year: teams in the correct section. Remember I kept saying "Oh, five of my original predictions were here?" Teams in the correct section: 18 out of 30. So, the predictions correct, that was if they lined up exactly in the original and actual standings. Teams in the correct section, 18 of 30, that was if they were in the right grouping, but not in the right order. I will take it and run with it!

Onward to the playoffs!

Interview Segue: To get more insight into our “Power Rankings Predictions Review” this week, we have our 13th guest on “Diehlman at Halftime” season two. Let’s get into it!

Keith Pompey Interview

**NOTE: Interview was recorded before the play-in tournament ended on Friday, April 18, 2025

Conclusion: Well, that’s all the time we have for today. If you haven’t already, make sure to follow me on social media. I have two X (or Twitter) accounts and two Instagram accounts. The podcast accounts are under @Diehlman_NBA for both X and Instagram. My personal X account is @LarryDiehlman18, and my personal Instagram is @mr_sports18. They’re also in the description on Buzzsprout, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And thank you to Keith Pompey for being our guest this week on the podcast. Remember, you can follow him on X and Instagram @pompeyonsixers. And don’t forget to spread the word about “Diehlman at Halftime!” See you next time, fellow hoops fans!