NBA Power Rankings: Celtics, Thunder, Timberwolves Surging After Thanksgiving
All but two of the NBA's 30 teams played on Thanksgiving eve, lending a little volatility to this week's power rankings when none was really needed.
For the rest of the season, you can expect plenty of movement from week to week. Parity feels like it's at an all-time high. There may be as many as nine or 10 teams that could realistically win it all.
At least for right now, though, there's one from that group that seems to be establishing its own tier.
That squad is there based on championship chances, recent performance, numbers and plenty of subjectivity, which is, as always, how the entire league is sorted below.
30. San Antonio Spurs (3-12)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -13.2
Generally speaking, things have been pretty rough for Victor Wembanyama on the offensive end.
His starting point guard, Jeremy Sochan, is pretty clearly not a point guard. And when you combine the lack of traditional setups with Wembanyama's confidence as a shooter, you can get numbers like his.
Through his first 14 games, Wembanyama averaged 18.6 points, but he shot just 50.3 percent from two and 26.9 percent from three. Both marks are well below average.
But every once in a while, he'll give us stretches of borderline dominance, when the shot is falling and it's easy to remember why he entered the league with the fanfare he did. In Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Wemby had 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting.
Once nights like those become more regular, Wembanyama will look like a star. Most nights, he's already that on the defensive end.
29. Washington Wizards (2-12)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -8.4
The Washington Wizards have lost seven straight and 11 of their past 12. There's plenty to criticize. There may be even more to chuckle at.
Jordan Poole's latest addition to a 2023-24 gaffe roll happened this week, when he miscalculated the rules on when the game clock starts on a new possession.
But given Washington's early season struggles, it's probably fair to assume there will be plenty more opportunities to dwell on their failures this season.
Instead, let's highlight one of the bright spots.
Rookie Bilal Coulibaly was minus-16 in Wednesday's loss to the Charlotte Hornets, but the Wizards have still been significantly worse without him on the floor this season. He's hit 43.9 percent of his threes, and his range and willingness to defend have him looking like a defensive weapon far sooner than anticipated.
28. Detroit Pistons (2-13)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -6.1
There's a good distance and a few teams between the Detroit Pistons' net rating and the worst mark in the league. They've been competitive in a number of losses, but those losses are nonetheless piling up.
On Monday, following first-half ejections of both Michael Malone and Nikola Jokić, the Pistons still managed to lose a home game to the Denver Nuggets, who were also without Jamal Murray. That extended their losing streak to 12 games.
While there are certainly some bright spots—including the outside shooting of Isaiah Stewart and Marcus Sasser and the wide-ranging contributions of rookie Ausar Thompson—franchise cornerstone Cade Cunningham's shooting has to be a concern.
After posting well-below-average effective field-goal percentages in each of his first two seasons, his 45.4 mark in 2023-24 is still nearly 10 percentage points shy of where the rest of the league is.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (4-11)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -8.5
Scoot Henderson returned from an ankle injury on Wednesday. While the shooting woes remain intensely concerning (his 1-of-7 night moved his season marks to 32.2 percent from the field and 8.3 percent from three), he was plus-15 in a win and had seven assists.
On the right possession, you can see the first step and ability to kick out to other scoring options that made Henderson such an interesting prospect. But on plenty of others, his decision-making and poor shooting lead to run-out opportunities for the opposition.
Fortunately, this Portland Trail Blazers team has at least all of this season (and probably more) to help Henderson work through all of the above.
26. Memphis Grizzlies (3-11)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -6.5
The hole that the Memphis Grizzlies will have to dig their way out of upon Ja Morant's return from a 25-game suspension just keeps getting deeper.
They went 1-2 this week, with the lone win coming against the dreadful San Antonio Spurs.
And while Desmond Bane (25.6 points and 4.7 assists) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (20.0 points and 1.6 blocks) are having solid campaigns without Ja, much of the rest of the roster can't buy buckets.
Memphis is 29th in the NBA in effective field-goal percentage.
25. Utah Jazz (4-11)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -7.3
There's a real argument that the Utah Jazz are currently getting the worst guard play in the league.
There are bright spots—like rookie Keyonte George leading his class in assists per game and a handful of heat-check moments from Jordan Clarkson—but on balance, it's been bad.
Collin Sexton and Talen Horton-Tucker are both below average, according to box plus/minus. Clarkson, George and Kris Dunn are all way below replacement level.
And yet, Lauri Markkanen is averaging 23.7 points and 3.3 threes while shooting 38.3 percent from three. John Collins is averaging 14.7 points and shooting 43.4 percent from deep.
Just imagine where those two might be if George develops into a competent lead ball-handler or the Jazz acquire one before the trade deadline.
24. Charlotte Hornets (5-9)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -7.4
The Charlotte Hornets had a solid 2-2 week that included a win over the Boston Celtics and plenty more reasons for optimism from LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams.
On Wednesday, they beat the Washington Wizards in a game in which those two were the only starters with positive marks in the plus-minus column.
After a slow start to the campaign, Ball's 34 points and 13 assists against Washington brings him up to 32.2 points and 8.7 assists—while shooting 43.6 percent from deep—over his past nine games.
Williams, meanwhile, is at 13.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in just 27.2 minutes for the entire season.
The win-loss record may stay below .500 this season, but the combination of playmaker and rim-runner here should be a solid foundation for the future.
23. Chicago Bulls (5-11)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -5.2
The Chicago Bulls' hands are sort of tied by the fact that a lot of the players who were signed this summer aren't trade eligible till December 15 (or, in some cases, January 15), but every game that comes and goes with this core almost feels like an exercise in futility.
It's now painfully clear that the trio of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević isn't going to meaningfully contend. As the losses keep piling up alongside uninspiring performances from those three, it's hard to imagine their respective trade values improving.
At this point, Bulls fans have to be darn-near counting down the days until trade season unofficially opens in mid-December.
22. Brooklyn Nets (6-8)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: -1.3
The Brooklyn Nets were able to cling to the middle of the power rankings for weeks, thanks to just enough above-average minutes and the idea of what they might be when fully healthy.
But the Nets went 0-3 this week, Ben Simmons has now missed eight of Brooklyn's past nine games and Cam Thomas has missed the past six.
The switchability of lineups featuring Mikal Bridges (who had 45 in Wednesday's overtime loss), Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Simmons is still intriguing. Nic Claxton's shot-blocking and Spencer Dinwiddie's heat-check scoring ability are too.
But we've reached a point where the Nets need results more than intrigue to move back up in the rankings.
21. Toronto Raptors (7-8)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -1.2
The Toronto Raptors have some legitimate, high-end talent. Over his past eight games, Pascal Siakam is averaging 24.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists. For the entire season, Scottie Barnes is putting up 19.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks.
But it looks like that may not be enough to escape a second successive season of mediocrity.
Toronto has a sub-zero net rating. It went 2-2 this week and 1-2 the week before. Its below-average three-point percentage has doomed the Raptors in multiple matchups and generally makes things pretty cramped on offense.
Nights like Wednesday, when Toronto scored 132 points and beat the Indiana Pacers, only seem to delay the inevitable. Eventually, the Raptors may need to break up this core by moving Siakam and/or OG Anunoby and add as much shooting as possible around Barnes.
20. Golden State Warriors (7-9)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -0.3
The Golden State Warriors have lost eight of their past 10, and it's starting to feel like their playoff chances are in legitimate jeopardy.
It's still early, but there are two issues for this team that time alone can't fix. The Warriors are old and small. The top teams in the West right now are bigger, younger and more explosive.
The potential field-leveler for Golden State is obviously shooting, but if you take Stephen Curry's three-point makes and attempts away, the Warriors are 29th in the league in three-point percentage.
19. Atlanta Hawks (7-7)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: +1.4
Over his first 11 games of the season, Trae Young averaged 23.4 points on an ice-cold 35.6 percent shooting. He was just 28.2 percent from deep. His season high in field-goal percentage to that point was 46.7.
But maybe those 11 games were just adding to some kind of pent-up production for the two-time All-Star and longtime one-man offensive engine. His past two performances went a long way toward making up for the cold start.
In Tuesday's 157-152 loss (in regulation, if you can believe it), Young went for 38 points on 13-of-17 shooting. In Wednesday's overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets, the shooting percentage fell off again (he was 12-of-31), but he finished with 43 points and nine assists.
Atlanta obviously has to be better on defense (it's given up 302 points in its past two games), but if this version of Young is around for a while, the Hawks will be a tougher out.
18. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-7)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -1.9
The Cleveland Cavaliers were beaten soundly by the Miami Heat on Wednesday, but they'd won four straight prior to that. And Jarrett Allen went toe-to-toe with each of the game's two best centers in the last two games of that streak.
On Sunday, he was plus-42 in 29 minutes in a win over Nikola Jokić. Two days later, he went on the road to put up 26 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in an in-season tournament victory over Joel Embiid.
Allen playing like an All-Star again has helped the Cavaliers more than survive Donovan Mitchell's four-game (and counting) absence with a hamstring injury. If he keeps it up after Mitchell's return, Cleveland should look more like the team that finished fourth in the East last season.
17. Los Angeles Clippers (6-7)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: +3.6
There was plenty of reaction to the Los Angeles Clippers' recent six-game losing streak. Five of those games coming after the James Harden acquisition added plenty of fuel to that reaction.
But things may be steadying now. L.A. went 3-0 this week. Two of those games were against the San Antonio Spurs, so they should be taken with plenty of grains of salt. But they also might've been exactly the kind of confidence-boosting matchups this new roster needs.
It's going to take time for the Clippers to figure out how their four ball-dominant players—Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook—will work together. Playing teams like the Spurs are opportunities to do just that.
16. Sacramento Kings (8-6)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: -0.7
The Sacramento Kings followed up a six-game win streak with back-to-back road losses to the New Orleans Pelicans to close the week.
Ending on a sour note shouldn't harsh Kings fans' vibes too much, though. Sacramento is still plus-10.1 points per 100 possessions when Domantas Sabonis, De'Aaron Fox and Keegan Murray are all on the floor.
Bench contributions may be harder to come by than they were last season, but that foundation should be good enough to keep the Kings in the playoff mix throughout 2023-24.
With Fox's ability to relentlessly pressure the rim, Murray's shooting and Sabonis' unique playmaking (he's averaging 7.1 assists and 3.6 offensive rebounds), Sacramento will be a tough out as long as all three are available.
15. New Orleans Pelicans (8-7)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: 0.0
The New Orleans Pelicans' five-game losing streak in early November was plenty concerning, but they've followed that up by winning four of their past five. That stretch includes victories over the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings. The one loss was to the surging Minnesota Timberwolves.
Suddenly, the Pelicans appear right again. And more importantly, Zion Williamson does, too.
In his first six games, Williamson shot 50.5 percent from the field and didn't look like the same unstoppable force around the rim that he'd been in the past. In the six games since, he's shooting 60.4 percent from the field. The way he explodes off the floor is closer to that previous version of Zion.
If he maintains this level, it changes everything for New Orleans. The pressure he puts on the paint collapses defenses, creating time and space for the rest of the Pelicans outside. Once those Pelicans include Trey Murphy III and CJ McCollum, this team should look like a near playoff lock again.
14. Houston Rockets (7-6)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +4.2
It's been a season of streaks for the Houston Rockets.
They started 0-3 before rattling off six straight wins. Then, they followed up that streak with another three losses in a row. And to close this week, they took advantage of a get-right opportunity against the floundering Memphis Grizzlies.
Altogether, given the fact that they went 22-60 last season, it's hard to look at the first 13 games of 2023-24 as anything but a massive success.
Houston's top-10 in the league in net rating. It's top-five in defense and looks more organized and committed on that end than it was at any point in 2022-23.
The Rockets could very well have a budding superstar on the roster, too. He had a relatively quiet game on Wednesday, but Alperen Şengün is averaging 20.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
13. Los Angeles Lakers (9-7)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: +0.1
It feels like a trade for a third star could be inevitable for the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James is producing at a level we've never come anywhere near seeing from a player in a 21st season. He's at 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.4 threes, while shooting 41.4 percent from deep.
Anthony Davis has had a couple high-profile letdowns, but his seasonlong marks of 21.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.9 blocks and 1.0 steals are more than enough from a No. 2.
It's the rest of the supporting cast that's largely responsible for L.A.'s point differential being barely above zero. A few members of that group have suspiciously movable contracts.
Once trade restrictions on players signed this past summer expire (December 15 or January 15 in most cases), expect to hear plenty of rumors about D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and maybe even Austin Reaves.
12. New York Knicks (8-6)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +4.7
The New York Knicks dropped a road game to one of the best teams in the league on Monday when the Minnesota Timberwolves beat them, 117-100.
But this team has still won six of its last eight. And while scorers like Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett may be getting more attention, center Mitchell Robinson deserves some shine as well.
Robinson is only taking 5.1 shots per game, but that hasn't killed his motivation to defend and rebound. His 7.7 offensive rebounds per 75 possessions is on pace to be an all-time record.
As if all those extra shots he's creating weren't enough, he's also averaging 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks per 75 possessions.
11. Indiana Pacers (8-6)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +2.3
The Indiana Pacers' defense is atrocious.
It gave up 132 points in a loss on Wednesday. It was the ninth time they've surrendered at least 120. It's given up more than 150 twice. And the Pacers' seasonlong 120.4 defensive rating ranks dead last in the league.
But my goodness, this team is fun.
The reason Indiana still has a comfortably positive point differential is an outrageously effective attack that's putting up an NBA-best 122.7 points per 100 possessions.
The Pacers fly up and down the floor like, well, pace cars. They get threes to the basket in bunches, and they have five players with 50-plus three-point attempts and an above-average three-point percentage.
But the biggest reason for their offensive prowess and the incredibly entertaining brand of basketball is starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton. After dropping 33 points and 16 assists in Wednesday's loss, he's averaging 25.3 and 12.3.
No one in league history has averaged 24-plus points and 12-plus assists for an entire season. And Magic Johnson is the only player to ever register a 22-12 season (he did it twice).
10. Orlando Magic (10-5)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +4.4
The Orlando Magic didn't need Wednesday's win over the reigning champion Denver Nuggets to be seen as legit, but it sure didn't hurt.
Orlando emerged from that victory tied for second in defensive rating. Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero combined for 50 points (on 19-of-32 shooting), eight assists and five blocks in the win. And comeback player of the year (if that award existed) Jonathan Isaac continued his recent strong play.
Due to his injury history, his playing time is still understandably low, but Isaac is averaging 10.3 points and 1.3 blocks in 15.0 minutes over his last four games.
9. Dallas Mavericks (10-5)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +2.0
There are times when the Dallas Mavericks' lack of high-end talent in the frontcourt can be pretty alarming. Those times could be a bit more common in the short term if a back injury to Dereck Lively II keeps him out too long.
But it's easy to look past that on nights like Wednesday, when Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić combined for 58 points in a road win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
On the season, Luka is putting up 30.5 points, 8.1 assists and 4.0 threes, while shooting 40.8 percent from deep. Kyrie is going for 24.3 points, 5.8 assists and 2.8 threes, with a 39.5 three-point percentage.
And between those two, Dallas often has enough firepower to win a shootout with anyone.
8. Miami Heat (10-5)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +3.7
The Miami Heat have now won nine of their past 10 after ending the Cleveland Cavaliers' four-game winning streak on Wednesday. And the way they quickly turned their season around felt very Miami.
This team is getting contributions from all over the roster. Random absences here or there don't seem to matter. Once a player is integrated into the famous Heat Culture, he just seems guaranteed to contribute when called upon.
Tyler Herro had 46 points, 14 assists and five steals in the first two games of this winning stretch, but he went down early in the third contest with an ankle injury. Since then, Duncan Robinson has averaged 18.4 points, 3.9 threes and 3.4 assists, while shooting 48.2 percent from deep. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is at 13.4 points and 2.7 assists in the same games.
7. Phoenix Suns (9-6)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +3.0
Unsurprisingly, the Phoenix Suns just needed to get their best (or second best) player back from injury to get on track. Devin Booker has played five games since his return, and the Suns have prevailed in all of them.
But even that doesn't quite do this development justice.
This summer, when Phoenix acquired Bradley Beal, there was plenty of talk about moving him to point guard. He hasn't played enough to see that through, so the responsibility has naturally shifted to Booker. He's dominating in that capacity.
Booker is averaging an absurd 28.1 points and 9.3 assists, while shooting 42.1 percent from deep. And when you consider that those are the numbers of the Suns' second-leading scorer, it's easy to have lofty expectations.
Through 15 games, Kevin Durant is putting up 31.4 points while shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 52.2 percent from deep.
6. Milwaukee Bucks (10-5)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: +2.5
Giannis Antetokounmpo was 7-of-20 from the field in a week-ending loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, but things have clearly been trending up for both him and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Over his first seven games, Giannis averaged 24.4 points with a barely-above-average 54.6 effective field-goal percentage. He had more turnovers than assists during that stretch.
But since then, Giannis is putting 34.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 66.2 percent from the field.
The turnovers are still a concern, but it feels like Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are starting to figure out the balance of power between them, and wins have generally followed.
Prior to Wednesday's loss to the East-leading Boston Celtics, Milwaukee had won five straight.
5. Philadelphia 76ers (10-5)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +6.7
After dropping their past two games, the Philadelphia 76ers have suddenly lost four of their past six. And the scorching hot start for Tyrese Maxey may be over.
In his first nine games, Maxey put up 28.6 points and 7.2 assists, while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 43.1 percent from deep. In his six games since, he's at 22.8 points and 6.8 assists, with a 39.0 field-goal percentage and a still-above-average three-point percentage.
Of course, Maxey was never likely to maintain that level of play all season. The Sixers remain near the top of the East because Joel Embiid may be playing better than he ever has before.
He's been durable and missed just his first game of the season on Wednesday. He's posting career highs in box plus/minus and assist percentage, and he's leading the league in points per game for the third straight season.
4. Denver Nuggets (10-5)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +5.3
Jamal Murray has missed the Denver Nuggets' past eight games, and his absence looks like it's starting to wear on both the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokić.
After losing to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, Denver's now 4-4 without Murray. Jokić was tossed in the first half of the game before that (a win over the Detroit Pistons) for arguing for a foul call. And he got into a late tussle over a rebound with Jalen Suggs against the Magic that seemed like a surefire precursor to another tech (though one wasn't called this time).
Jokić is averaging 27.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks during this eight-game stretch, but the Nuggets need their second-best player to look like a title contender (surprise, surprise).
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-4)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +9.0
The Oklahoma City Thunder aren't just a fun story about a plucky, up-and-coming bunch of youngsters who might make life difficult on someone in the first round.
A month into the season, they're second in the league in net rating. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is putting up 30.4 points and 6.3 assists in a bid to repeat as an All-NBA selection. Jalen Williams is bullying his way to 17.5 points and 1.5 threes, while shooting 36.8 percent from deep.
And perhaps most importantly, Chet Holmgren has checked seemingly every box the size-challenged Thunder couldn't in 2022-23.
This group now has a legitimate rim protector and pick-and-roll dive man. And as if that wasn't enough, he's a cold-blooded jump shooter too.
Holmgren is averaging 17.1 points while shooting 55.7 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from deep.
While he can certainly get better as a rebounder over the next few seasons, the multiple NBA-ready skills he already has may make the Thunder a title contender as early as now.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-3)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +6.8
In the summer of 2022, the Rudy Gobert trade was largely panned. A few weeks in the season, "largely" morphed into "almost universally."
Gobert didn't look like quite the same defensive force he was with the Utah Jazz, and the combination of he and Karl-Anthony Towns felt clunky at best.
But then the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Mike Conley ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. He stabilized a roster in need of veteran leadership, helped the T'Wolves give the Denver Nuggets one of their biggest postseason challenges and is now piloting the top seed in the West.
As it turns out, what the Gobert trade really needed was a bona fide point guard. And now, Minnesota looks like a bona fide contender.
Gobert looks like a dynamic, one-man defense again. Anthony Edwards is flashing All-NBA upside. And Karl-Anthony Towns is putting up a team-leading 25.4 points while shooting 50.0 percent from three over his past eight games.
1. Boston Celtics (12-3)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +10.2
Given the recent struggles of the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets, their league-leading win percentage and a net rating comfortably ahead of those of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, it's impossible to deny the Boston Celtics their spot atop this week's power rankings.
This week featured a disappointing road loss to the Charlotte Hornets, but the Celtics quickly bounced back, refocused and beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. And one of the only supposed weaknesses of the team early in the season—a lack of depth—was a strength against the Bucks.
With Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford, Boston may well have the best top six of any roster in the league. If reserves Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard have more nights like they did against the Bucks, when they combined for 20 points and hit 4-of-7 three-point attempts, the Celtics will look borderline unbeatable.
Stat of the Week
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The NBA's offensive explosion is far from contained.
Each of the top 31 offensive ratings of all time have come since the start of the 2018-19 season, and the bulk of those 31 have come from the past few seasons.
Several of these are going to decline as we get deeper into 2023-24, but after the Sacramento Kings set the offensive rating record last season, four squads are ahead of that mark now.
- 2023-24 Indiana Pacers: 122.7
- 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks: 120.7
- 2023-24 Philadelphia 76ers: 120.6
- 2023-24 Atlanta Hawks: 120.2
- 2022-23 Sacramento Kings: 119.4
Increased volume of threes is often blamed, and rightfully so. But there should be about as much attention drawn to just how much better shooters are than they were in the past.
The way today's NBA players can hit threes on the move, with hands in their face, coming off all kinds of cuts, screens or other actions or from well beyond the line is absurd. And it's not just specialists doing it anymore. It's hard to survive in any role without being able to shoot.
It has always been the most important skill in basketball. It appears that the NBA has never been more aware of that.
