NBA Power Rankings: Suns end season on top, Bucks highest ranked from East

It’s time for our final NBA Power Rankings of the season, and teams are primarily in order of the likelihood to win a title (Memphis is a little higher than I would rank them on that metric, but they earned it). Of course, all title talk starts in the Valley of the Sun.

 1. Suns (63-16, Last Week No. 1). Phoenix has owned the top spot in these NBA power rankings most of the season, and lapped the field running away with the best record in the league and a franchise record for wins. Phoenix finishes the season with the No. 2 offense and No. 2 defense, the best points differential, the best record in the clutch, and an aura that they are the team to beat. We could try to nit-pick this team heading into the playoffs — sometimes Chris Paul teams play so hard all season they don’t have another gear for the playoffs — but that’s a waste of time. The road to the title runs through Phoenix and I’m not sure there is a team in the West that can beat them.

 2. Grizzlies (55-24, LW 3). There are skeptics around every corner with this team heading into the playoffs — is Ja Morant healthy? Can they force turnovers and run in the postseason like they did in the first 82? Can they score enough in the halfcourt? — but after answering every question asked of them during the regular season, maybe they have earned the benefit of the doubt. Whatever happens, this postseason will be a learning experience. Memphis has some postseason awards hardware coming its way: Ja Morant likely wins Most Improved player and will make All-NBA (which team is up for debate, but he makes it), and Taylor Jenkins is in the mix for Coach of the Year.

 3. Bucks (49-30, LW 5). The Bucks finish third in our final NBA Power Rankings not because they totally deserve