As we navigate through the NBA playoffs, it's time to start taking stock of things. We're down to four teams, and the Draft Lottery is just around the corner. Coaching changes are still coming (sup, Scott Skiles), and in all there's lots of teams trending in many different directions.

So I want to take this opportunity to play a little game of you all: NBA Stock Market.

Below, I'm going to give one team I think is trending up, one team I think is holding steady, and then one team that is trending down. I'm basing this on how I would feel about playing with that team in NBA 2K's Association Mode moving forward and weighing it against how I would have felt using the team earlier in the season.

From there, I'd love to hear what categories you might put some teams in at this juncture.

Sacramento Kings – TRENDING UP

I'm slotting the Kings here because rock bottom has come and gone (assuming the Kings don't get awarded the first pick in the Draft Lottery and have to pick swap with the Sixers). Dave Joerger is the sixth Kings head coach since the start of the 2011-2012 season, which is another way of saying the Kings lack, among other things, stability. But unlike the last couple coaches, at least this time the GM was hiring his own coach, and so Divac and Joerger appear to be on the same page from the start. Now I have my coach in Association Mode, and free agency still can provide some opportunities along with a solid draft pick.

In other words, I have another shot to put a team around DeMarcus Cousins, and I even have a solid backstory now of realizing that Joerger has coached Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Lance Stephenson, so maybe he can become close with Boogie as well.

Indianapolis Pacers – TREADING WATER

A smart coaching hire leading to some optimism in Sacramento is followed by a questionable coaching dismissal in the Hoosier state leading to confusion, if nothing else. By all accounts, Frank Vogel is a tremendous coach and a legitimate "free agent" now who many franchises should want to bring aboard. Almost no one will debate how effective Vogel was at getting his teams to defend well, but as Pacers President Larry Bird made clear last week when he announced that Vogel’s contract would not be renewed, this change was made to help improve the offense.

Either way, I know the next coach will probably want to play more small ball and play faster. So while the Vogel decision hurts to some degree, it's exciting to think about playing NBA 2K and using some Myler Turner/Paul George combinations at center and power forward.

New York Knicks – TRENDING DOWN

Kristaps Porzingis and Phil Jackson had me feeling good around midseason. Fast forward to the present and I don't feel as positive. Kurt Rambis is still being discussed as the head coach, injuries slowed down the growth of the team in the second half, and my general insecurity about the long-term look of the roster are three line items that make me nervous about using the Knicks in Association Mode.

"obviously the Knicks still have oodles of cap space, but the triangle is only so enjoyable to use, and I'm not sure Melo is going to be around anymore..."

Porzingis is a blast to control in 2K, and obviously the Knicks still have oodles of cap space, but the triangle is only so enjoyable to use, and I'm not sure Melo is going to be around anymore. All in all, there are still much worse situations out there, but there's one too many question marks, and the specter of Rambis hanging over this all has me feeling not so great about using the Knicks at this point.


All right so what about you guys? What teams are you more excited about using in Association Mode today than you were earlier in the year? What teams have you soured on? What teams do you feel about the same about?