NBA Power Rankings: How All 30 Teams Stack Up Ahead of Christmas
The In-Season Tournament is over. Trade season is here. And the annual slate of Christmas Day games is right around the corner.
We're in the heart of the NBA season, and this week gave us plenty of results and performances to justify shake-ups throughout the power rankings.
Based on our usual criteria of team and individual numbers, championship chances, recent performance and plenty of subjectivity, here's how the entire league stacks up after this week.
30. Detroit Pistons (2-26)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -11.4
Twenty-five straight losses.
That's where the Detroit Pistons' streak stands after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz this week.
Either way, the Pistons have a chance to dubiously enter the record books between now and the next time you see the power rankings.
They play at the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, against the Nets in Detroit on Tuesday and at the Boston Celtics on Thursday.
29. San Antonio Spurs (4-23)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -11.6
The San Antonio Spurs may have two more wins than the Pistons, but they have the league's worst net rating. And somehow, they keep insisting on starting Victor Wembanyama without a point guard to set him and his teammates up.
Perhaps that's by design. Another No. 1 pick certainly wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. And staying on this no-point guard path will probably ensure a 14 percent chance at that top pick in the lottery.
But at a certain point, even playing a 1 alongside Wembanyama and simply giving him a better feel for NBA basketball isn't going to cost them those odds. And the Spurs might already be there.
28. Portland Trail Blazers (7-20)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -6.4
Scoot Henderson has been genuinely terrible this season, but there's still plenty of time to turn things around.
Malcolm Brogdon and Jerami Grant still being on the roster is part of why the Portland Trail Blazers aren't quite in the bottom three and on track for a 14 percent chance at the top pick 2024.
Anfernee Simons has only played in nine games, but he's looked like a borderline star when available. After scoring 41 in Thursday's loss to the Washington Wizards, Simons is now averaging 27.1.
And that's what this season for the Blazers and other rebuilding teams is all about. There's plenty of gripe-worthy material, but you have to look for the signs of hope alongside it.
27. Washington Wizards (5-22)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -9.0
The Washington Wizards are as close to last as they are to the 25th-ranked Portland Trail Blazers in net rating. So despite their week-ending road win in Portland, there's an argument to keep them behind.
But this close to the bottom of the league, the subjective margins between the awful teams are pretty thin. And we'll give the nod to Washington for winning the battle of lottery-bound teams that are a sliver ahead of the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs.
Plus, this wasn't Washington's only win of the week. It also knocked off the Indiana Pacers on Friday, and Kyle Kuzma got to at least 31 points in each of the victories.
26. Charlotte Hornets (7-19)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -10.8
They're plenty of wins clear of the Detroit Pistons, but the Charlotte Hornets are around the same level by net rating, which suggests this year's tankathon could be at least a four-team race.
And the Hornets have trades to make with Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward that would solidify their chances of finishing in the bottom four.
In the meantime, Brandon Miller continues to give Charlotte fans reasons for optimism.
In Wednesday's blowout loss to the Indiana Pacers, he had 21 points and went 2-of-4 from three, bringing his scoring average to 15.0 points and three-point percentage to 38.2.
At the very least, the Hornets have the first few blocks of a foundation with LaMelo Ball's scoring and playmaking and Miller's three-and-D-plus potential.
25. Utah Jazz (11-18)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -6.9
The Utah Jazz went 2-2 this week, but it somehow feels like they got a third win when they extended the Detroit Pistons' losing streak to 25 games.
And not because they avoided the distinction of being the team Detroit got off the schneid against (though that's nice too).
Given Utah's record and point differential, it'll almost certainly entertain moving veterans, and Kelly Olynyk is one who should have some value around the league.
That extra win was him potentially boosting his trade value with 27 points, six assists and four steals against Detroit.
Teams should know by now about his shooting, passing and solid positional defense, but that performance may convince one executive out there that Olynyk can provide a little more volume in a pinch.
Adding whatever the Jazz can get for him and perhaps Jordan Clarkson to a core with Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler would better set them up for the future.
24. Toronto Raptors (11-16)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -1.7
It's time. The Toronto Raptors are now five games below .500, and the fit between Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby just isn't there.
Toronto has to see what's available for the latter two and lay a foundation for a team that makes more sense for Barnes.
On Wednesday, the third-year forward had 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, bringing his averages to 20.6, 9.2 and 5.7.
He needs to be further empowered to be the lead playmaker and surrounded by dedicated floor spacing.
23. Memphis Grizzlies (8-19)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -5.6
There's still a long road back to the playoffs (or even a spot in the play-in tournament), but the Memphis Grizzlies are 2-0 since Ja Morant returned.
And he was genuinely sensational in his season debut, scoring 34 points (including 14 in the fourth quarter) and hitting a game-winning floater as time expired against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Morant obviously doesn't fix the absences of Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke, but his relentless slashing, and the pressure he puts on opposing defenses will turn the Grizzlies into a completely different team from the one that started 6-19.
22. Atlanta Hawks (12-15)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: +0.1
On Wednesday, the Atlanta Hawks offered a glimmer of hope for fans who understandably expected them to be better this season.
They won a road game over the Houston Rockets, who came into the contest at 11-1 at home.
They got 30 points and 14 assists from Trae Young, and Onyeka Okongwu was plus-12 off the bench. There's still reason for optimism for a core with those two running pick-and-rolls in the middle of the floor while flanked by Jalen Johnson.
It might just take a couple trades (perhaps of Dejounte Murray and/or Clint Capela) to assemble a roster that makes more sense around a trio like that.
21. Chicago Bulls (13-17)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -2.2
If they don't trade him before he returns from injury, it's going to be awfully tough to work Zach LaVine back into a rotation that is legitimately thriving without him.
The Chicago Bulls are 8-3 since a foot injury knocked him out of the lineup. And for the entire season, they're minus-7.7 points per 100 possessions when he plays and plus-2.6 when he doesn't.
Just having one less ball-dominator on the floor has been huge for the offense. More minutes for Alex Caruso has helped on the other end.
And right when it looked like the Bulls might start to offer up all their veterans on the trade market, they're suddenly just a half-game out of the play-in tournament.
20. Brooklyn Nets (13-14)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: +0.3
After getting blown out at home by the New York Knicks on Wednesday, the Brooklyn Nets have now dropped four straight and five of their past six. They've slipped below .500 for the first time since mid-November.
It may now be fair to start wondering if Cam Thomas' game and brand of scoring may be better suited to a bench role.
Thomas has had a sub-zero plus-minus in each of those six games. For the season, Brooklyn is minus-7.3 points per 100 possessions with Thomas on the floor (compared to plus-6.4 when he's off).
As a heat-check scorer off the bench, Thomas could get up as many shots as he wants without taking opportunities from more efficient scorers. Facing reserves might help his efficiency too, and it would certainly make his defensive shortcomings less noticeable.
19. Cleveland Cavaliers (16-13)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -0.2
The Cleveland Cavaliers' week started in terrible fashion, when news broke that both Evan Mobley and Darius Garland would miss a couple months with injuries.
Those reports understandably sent tons of fans and analysts to trade machines around the internet, looking for logical Donovan Mitchell deals, but he and Sam Merrill (yes, Sam Merrill) staved off thoughts of a rebuild for now.
Mitchell only played in two games during this week's 3-1 stretch, but he averaged 29.5 points and 9.5 assists.
Merrill, meanwhile, who's been on the NBA's fringes since 2020-21, hit 4.0 threes per game and shot 48.5 percent from deep in those four contests.
There are bound to be rougher stretches for this group, as it hopes to survive the absences of Mobley and Garland, especially if Mitchell is going to miss games too, but this week suggests the Cavs can at least hover around .500 till the roster is whole again.
If they can, they should have enough time to solidify a playoff spot between then and mid-April.
Or, well, they could just trade Mitchell and start thinking about 2024-25.
18. Houston Rockets (13-12)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +2.7
The Houston Rockets closed out their week with a home loss, and a 5-6 record in their past 11 games may have recalibrated expectations a bit.
But there's no question the offseason additions of coach Ime Udoka, point guard Fred VanVleet and forward and perpetual pot-stirrer Dillon Brooks accelerated the team's rebuild.
Well, those moves and the development of Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr. (which might also have something to do with the new pieces).
The former is averaging 19.7 points, 8.9 assists and 5.2 assists for the season, and after dropping 34 points on 8-of-14 shooting in the last loss, the latter is at 13.2 points with an above-average three-point percentage.
17. Indiana Pacers (14-13)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +1.1
The Indiana Pacers have had a rough go since making the In-Season Tournament championship game.
Their only two wins in that stretch came against the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets. And they gave up an average of 134.2 points in the five losses since then.
This defense is a basketball abomination, and their league lead in offensive rating is shrinking too.
We're bound to hear about plenty of O.G. Anunoby suitors in the coming weeks, but few teams can justify trading for him quite as easily as Indiana.
The Pacers need something to shake up the defense, and Anunoby can be another catch-and-shoot weapon for Tyrese Haliburton too.
16. Los Angeles Lakers (15-14)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: -0.6
The Los Angeles Lakers won the league's inaugural In-Season Tournament, but they're 1-5 since. And they're now barely clinging to 10th place and a spot in the play-in tournament.
In the West, where the Golden State Warriors are nipping at their heels, there's certainly no guarantee they'll hold on to that spot.
And it's starting to feel like LeBron James and Anthony Davis may need a little more help to secure it.
Those two have 10.7 estimated wins (the cumulative version of estimated plus-minus), while the rest of L.A.'s roster has 2.4.
15. Golden State Warriors (13-14)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: +0.3
Just when it was starting to feel safe to count the Golden State Warriors out, Stephen Curry and his team reminded us of their upside.
In a 132-126 win over the Boston Celtics, Curry was absolutely dominant down the stretch. In the fourth quarter and overtime, Curry went 7-of-11 overall and 4-of-5 from three on the way to 20 points and four assists. And 13 of those points came in the "clutch" (defined by the league as the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, when the game's within five points).
For the season, Curry has been an absolute monster in these situations, with a 48.4 three-point percentage and averages of 41.9 points and 6.9 threes per 75 clutch possessions.
He still has the ability to singlehandedly swing a game like no one else in the league. And now that Klay Thompson is finally warming up (he's averaged 20.2 points and 4.0 threes, with a 40.9 three-point percentage over his past 13 games), Curry may not need to as much.
14. New Orleans Pelicans (17-12)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: +2.7
The New Orleans Pelicans are getting healthy and have won five of six since their embarrassing semifinal In-Season Tournament loss to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this month.
Trey Murphy III's return has certainly helped. After dropping 28 in Thursday's win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, he's now averaging 16.3. And the Pelicans are plus-18.5 points per 100 possessions when he plays.
Having their point guard in place is quite a bonus too. In the eight games since his last absence, CJ McCollum has averaged 19.4 points, 4.4 assists and 3.6 threes, while shooting 52.7 percent from deep.
We're finally getting a sense of the depth of talent on this team, and it appears good enough to push above the play-in range.
13. Phoenix Suns (14-13)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +1.1
The alarm isn't sounding yet, but the bell-ringer is at least limbering up for his climb up the tower stairs.
The Phoenix Suns are 3-7 in their past 10 games, with the most recent defeat coming in embarrassing fashion. Phoenix led the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers by 15 in the second half on Tuesday before fully collapsing on the way to a 109-104 loss.
And while it's easy to pin what's been an underwhelming campaign on various injuries to Devin Booker and Bradley Beal (who's appeared in just six games), lack of durability was always a concern for this group, especially after it added Beal. The former Washington Wizard only made 51.8 appearances per season over the four prior to this one.
For a top three with as many age and injury questions as this one (Kevin Durant has been the iron man of the group so far, but he's 35 years old with an Achilles tear in his history), depth is crucial.
Right now, Phoenix just doesn't appear to have much.
12. Dallas Mavericks (16-11)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +1.1
The Dallas Mavericks have lost three of their past four in a stretch that's reminding everyone how important the injured Kyrie Irving is.
For the season, when both star guards are on the floor, Dallas is plus-3.8 points per 100 possessions, compared to minus-1.0 when Luka plays without him.
As fun as the one-man Luka show can be (he's averaged 36.2 points, 11.2 assists, 9.3 rebounds and 3.9 threes over his past 10 games), the Mavericks need to have at least one high-end offensive player alongside him to relieve some pressure and make the offense slightly less predictable.
11. Sacramento Kings (16-10)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: 0.0
The Sacramento Kings' week ended with a massive, 25-point home loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics, but they'd won five of six prior to that game.
After a cold start to the season, second-year forward Keegan Murray is finally starting to find a rhythm.
Punctuated by a 47-point performance in which he went 12-of-15 from deep against the Utah Jazz this week, Murray has averaged 21.0 points and 3.5 threes while shooting 50.9 percent from deep over his past eight appearances.
If Murray's shot is back for good, the two-man game of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will be significantly tougher to cover, and the Kings' attack should inch closer to the historic level it reached in 2022-23.
10. Orlando Magic (16-11)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: +2.7
The Orlando Magic had a come-back-to-earth week with four straight losses to three teams that could be in the hunt for a Finals berth.
The Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks reminded the Magic there are, as they say, levels to contention. And Orlando probably isn't there yet.
But coming into this season, no one could've expected them to be. And at 16-11, they're nine games better than they were through their first 27 in 2022-23.
This losing streak doesn't change the fact that Orlando has two alpha-level (or borderline alpha-level) scorers in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, an All-Defensive candidate in Jalen Suggs and a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in Cole Anthony. And they're all younger than 24.
9. New York Knicks (16-11)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: +3.6
Jalen Brunson has understandably gotten most of the attention this season, but Julius Randle has played through a rough statistical start and is a big part of the New York Knicks' 49-win pace.
After going for a team-high 26 points in Wednesday's win over the Brooklyn Nets, Randle's numbers have stabilized. If you knock his first 10 games of the season out, he's averaging 25.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists, while shooting 53.2 percent from the field.
When he and Brunson are on the floor without RJ Barrett, the Knicks are a solid plus-5.7 points per 100 possessions (compared to plus-1.2 when all three are in).
If New York can make a star trade that upgrades that spot, there's a chance it could move closer to the East's tier of bona fide title contenders.
8. Miami Heat (16-12)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: +1.4
In his second game back from injury, Tyler Herro led a Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat squad to a road victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
He had 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while going 4-of-5 from the field. Perhaps most importantly, he was plus-10 for the game.
After missing most of the team's 2023 Finals run and starting this season with a negative net-rating swing, it was easy to wonder about his impact on Miami's bottom line.
Hot takes about Herro were probably just products of the moment, though. Over the two seasons prior to this one, the Heat's point differential was comfortably better with Herro on the floor.
Even if there are lingering questions about his defense, having a soon-to-be-24-year-old who's averaged at least 20 points and four assists in each of his past three seasons is a luxury.
Miami has done some star-hunting recently, but it may already have one in Herro. This team just needs an extended stretch with him, Butler, Bam Adebayo and rising rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr.
7. Los Angeles Clippers (17-11)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +5.2
They ended their week with a road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in which Kawhi Leonard missed his first game of the season, but the Los Angeles Clippers had won nine straight before that.
And Leonard, Paul George and James Harden were clearly getting the hang of playing with one another.
Since the start of the streak, Kawhi has put up 29.3 points, 4.1 assists and 2.7 threes per game, while shooting 50.0 percent from deep. George is at 21.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.5 assists, with a 46.7 three-point percentage. And Harden is averaging 20.1 points, 9.5 assists and 2.9 threes, while shooting 45.3 percent from deep.
And those numbers aren't just coming from a "your turn, my turn" style offense that a lot of star-heavy teams fall into.
The star wings are adapting to playing and moving off the ball. Harden has been willing to give up some control too.
And with chemistry brewing, the Clippers suddenly look like bona fide contenders.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder (18-8)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +7.8
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has rightfully gotten most of the credit for the Oklahoma City Thunder being near the top of the West throughout this season, but his top two teammates deserve to have some light shed on them too.
After OKC dominated the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers in a 19-point win on Thursday, Chet Holmgren is averaging 17.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 2.5 assists per game. Jalen Williams is at 17.0 points and 3.8 assists.
And the synergy between those three jumps off the screen when they're all on the floor. Williams and SGA can get to the rim at will and score at all three levels. Holmgren's shooting pulls would-be rim protectors away from those drives. And the defense of the trio, particularly from SGA and Holmgren, can be stifling.
5. Denver Nuggets (19-10)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +5.4
Fresh off filming a pair of new commercials alongside Nikola Jokić, Peyton Watson is having a full-fledged breakout off the bench.
Over his past seven games, Watson is averaging 10.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.7 blocks in just 21.5 minutes while shooting 56.5 percent from the field and 58.3 percent from deep.
He's likely to return to earth a bit, but even if he's close to this level, it could be game-changing for the Denver Nuggets.
Minutes without Jokić have been disastrous since at least the start of 2021-22. If the second unit suddenly has multiple young, impactful players like Watson, Christian Braun and hopefully Julian Strawther, that trend might finally have an end point.
4. Milwaukee Bucks (21-7)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +5.1
After an uneven 5-4 start in which Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard didn't quite appear to be on the same page, the Milwaukee Bucks have slowly and quietly reestablished themselves on the top tier of title contenders.
They're 16-3 since that start. And during the more recent stretch, both stars look like, well, stars.
In those 19 games, Antetokounmpo is averaging 31.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks. Lillard is at 26.9 points, 7.8 assists and 3.6 threes, while shooting 40.8 percent from deep.
The team's overall defense is still comfortably in the bottom half of the league, but that kind of firepower from your top two players can overcome an awful lot on the other end.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves (21-6)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +6.4
The Minnesota Timberwolves still haven't lost two straight games at any point this season.
They dropped a tough one to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, in which Joel Embiid shot 18 free throws and had all three T'Wolves bigs (Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid) in foul trouble in the first quarter, but they bounced back one night later against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The resilience of this group may be its hallmark. And the further we get into this season, the easier it is to take Minnesota seriously as a title contender.
The Wolves have, by a pretty significant margin, the best defense in the league.
2. Philadelphia 76ers (19-8)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +11.5
Twenty-four games into his season, Joel Embiid has 843 points in 819 minutes. And after scoring 51 points and going 17-of-18 from the three-throw line in Wednesday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, his points have eclipsed his minutes in each of his past eight appearances.
That free throw total is notable, too. It marks the 36th time in Embiid's career that he's made at least 15 free throws in his 418 career games (once almost every 10 appearances). That's more 15-free throw games to that point in a career than anyone else in NBA history had.
As long as he continues to generate the easiest shots in the game at this rate, the Philadelphia 76ers will likely keep climbing that offensive rating leaderboard (they're currently second).
1. Boston Celtics (21-6)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +9.1
The Boston Celtics have looked like a juggernaut for most of this season, but they haven't been able to shake the ghosts of the 2022 Finals just yet.
In a game in which the Celtics had a 17-point lead and a 96.7 percent win probability with just a few minutes left in the third quarter, they fell to another barrage of points and threes from Stephen Curry.
And though Jayson Tatum has won his fair share of mano a mano matchups with superstars around the NBA, he can't seem to shake his struggles against this particular foe. He went 5-of-17 in that loss.
Dwelling on one of the Celtics' few losses this season doesn't make much sense, though. It was a road game. They took an emotionally charged Warriors squad to overtime. After bouncing back with a week-closing, 144-119 beatdown of the Sacramento Kings, they once again have the best record in the NBA.
Stat of the Week
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Sorry, Pistons fans. We're not done picking on you yet.
During their 25-game losing streak, Detroit has lost by a combined 356 points. And that's somehow not the worst differential in 25 straight contests without a victory.
The 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers were minus-422 in a 25-game winless run.
Something for the Pistons to shoot for, I suppose.
Advanced statistics via NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.
