NBA Power Rankings: Cavs, Warriors, Nuggets Among Teams Rolling at the Right Time
Welcome to the 2023-24 NBA season's stretch run.
The trade deadline has passed. With the exception of maybe a few buyout signings, rosters are set. The All-Star break is behind us. The next event to look forward to is the postseason, so playoff contenders should be locked in on that.
And as all 30 teams settle into this final stretch, it's time to again take stock of the entire league with the power rankings.
As always, the order is determined by team and individual numbers, plenty of subjectivity, recent performance and championship chances.
And for this week specifically, following our own All-Star break, we'll place a little more weight on that final factor.
30. Washington Wizards (9-50)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -9.0
They put up a heck of an effort on Thursday, taking the Los Angeles Lakers to overtime in Crypto.com Arena, but the Washington Wizards have earned their trip to the No. 30 spot in these power rankings.
Washington has dropped 13 in a row. And unlike some of the other teams that have spent this entire season at or near the bottom of the standings, there isn't a ton of hope-generating young talent on the roster.
The San Antonio Spurs have Victor Wembanyama. The Charlotte Hornets have LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. The Detroit Pistons have Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.
The Wizards have a couple of forwards in Deni Avdija and Bilal Coulibaly who look like they could be solid wings, but no one looks primed to drag this organization out of the purgatory it's been stuck in for decades.
29. Charlotte Hornets (15-44)
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Previous Ran: 27
Net Rating: -10.8
The Charlotte Hornets had some great post-trade-deadline vibes, when they won four straight and looked energized behind additions like Tre Mann, Grant Williams and Vasilije Micić.
But it's probably safe to say those have worn off. Charlotte has lost three of its last four, with the lone win coming against the Portland Trail Blazers.
On the bright side, rookie Brandon Miller continues to grow into a more prominent role than expected, thanks in part to LaMelo Ball only appearing in 22 games so far.
After scoring 21 points in Thursday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, he now has 18 20-point performances on the season. Victor Wembanyama (32) is the only rookie with more.
28. Detroit Pistons (9-49)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -8.4
The Detroit Pistons were banging on the door for a win in their first two games of this week before a Paolo Banchero buzzer-beater in one and an uncalled, open-court tackle by Donte DiVincenzo in the other cost them both contests.
But they finally broke through on Tuesday, with a double-digit victory on the road over the perpetually mediocre Chicago Bulls.
While improved play from Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, as well as the departure of Killian Hayes, has clarified the backcourt rotation for Monty Williams a bit, another sneaky factor in the improved competitiveness may be new forward Simone Fontecchio.
Acquired from the Utah Jazz just ahead of the trade deadline, the 6'8" floor-spacer has averaged 15.1 points and 2.7 threes while shooting 42.2 percent from deep in seven games as a Piston.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (15-42)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -9.0
At nine in a row, the Portland Trail Blazers are the current leaders in the clubhouse for longest active Western Conference losing streak. And seven of those losses have come at home.
Portland is about to hit the road for three straight (two of which are against the sub-.500 and injury-ravaged Memphis Grizzlies, but still) and have the fourth-hardest remaining strength of schedule in the conference.
Moving Malcolm Brogdon and Jerami Grant at the deadline to get worse and improve lottery odds felt like a no-brainer, but maybe the Blazers didn't need to do that after all. They're pretty much locked into a bottom-five record and no worse than a 10.5 percent shot at the No. 1 pick. Dropping below the Charlotte Hornets to bump those odds up is very much in play. And there might even be an outside chance they get into that bottom three.
26. San Antonio Spurs (12-48)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -8.2
The San Antonio Spurs secured a double-digit win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, and Victor Wembanyama once again did things we've never seen before.
The "he does everything" cliche has been thrown toward a lot of different players in a lot of different seasons, but it really does apply to Wembanyama, who's changing the perception of what a center is (in a league that already includes Nikola Jokić).
Over his last 28 games, Wembanyama has put up an eye-popping 22.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, 1.9 threes and 1.3 steals in under 30 minutes a game.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (20-39)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -6.2
It's been a rough season for the Memphis Grizzlies, but it's also come with some silver linings.
For one, Jaren Jackson Jr. is on track for the second most games in a season for his career. He's also had an opportunity to develop as a scorer, since he's been thrust into this No. 1 option role. He's averaging a career-high 22.2 points.
However, the more important long-term revelation from this season might be GG Jackson, the 6'9" forward who just turned 19 in December.
The deeper into 2023-24 we get, the more prominent the teenager becomes for a Grizzlies team that has lacked depth since the departures of Kyle Anderson and De'Anthony Melton during the 2022 offseason.
Over his last seven games, Jackson has put up 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 threes, while shooting 40.0 percent from deep.
24. Brooklyn Nets (23-36)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -2.4
Cameron Johnson caught fire in Thursday's win over the Atlanta Hawks when he scored 29 points and shot 7-of-11 from deep, but the Brooklyn Nets' play-in hopes remain in serious jeopardy after a months-long spiral down the standings.
Even after beating the Hawks, who are directly in front of them in the standings, Brooklyn is three games out of 10th place with only 23 to play.
And because the Nets are 10-26 since their 13-10 start, playoff projection models like Basketball Reference's and ESPN's have a hard time seeing them getting in.
23. Utah Jazz (27-33)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -3.1
It should come as no surprise that the Utah Jazz are fading from playoff contention following a second straight trade deadline at which they chose to be sellers.
The contributor Utah sent elsewhere last season was Mike Conley. This year, it was Kelly Olynyk (and to a lesser extent, Ochai Agbaji).
The more recent moves have certainly opened up some opportunities for rookies Keyonte George and Taylor Hendricks, both of whom appear to be fixtures in the starting five.
And while that adjustment will certainly lead to some tough nights, there will be some rays of hope too. In Thursday's loss to the Orlando Magic, George got to nine assists. If that level of production (or something close to it) becomes the norm, the rest of his offense will be much easier to come by.
22. Toronto Raptors (22-37)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -3.1
They lost to an understandably crabby Dallas Mavericks team coming off a two-game losing streak on Wednesday, but the Toronto Raptors had won three straight prior to that contest.
Being in the Eastern Conference and having two of those three wins come against the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks opened the door a tiny bit for a play-in berth too.
The Raptors' chances of finishing in the top 10 are slim, but they're not gone.
And if Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett keep shooting anywhere near their current level (they're at 51.4 percent and 61.5 percent from three, respectively, during these four games), those chances should improve.
21. Houston Rockets (25-34)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -0.4
It's undeniably been a tough third season for Jalen Green.
The Houston Rockets are dramatically worse when he's on the floor. And though he had three games of at least 26 points in February, the lows between those games have been rough.
In six games between the 34-point night he had in Thursday's loss and the last 26-pointer, he averaged 11.8 and shot 31.6 percent from the field. In one game between that 26-point night and his other 30-point performance in February, he had seven points on 3-of-11 shooting.
The inconsistency is often dooming Green's minutes, and with a shot at the play-in tournament pretty much gone at this point, coach Ime Udoka might want to think about truly unleashing rookies Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson the rest of the season.
In limited minutes, both have arguably been better than Green and Dillon Brooks. And they increase their lineups' versatility and explosiveness whenever they step on the floor. More on-court, developmental reps now could make the team better next season.
20. Atlanta Hawks (26-33)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -2.1
Thanks to "a tear of the radial collateral ligament (RCL) in the fifth finger of his left hand," the Atlanta Hawks are going to be without Trae Young for at least the next few weeks.
But while the Hawks were significantly worse without Young over the four seasons prior to this one, they may be uniquely built to survive this absence (or at least play as well as they were before he went down).
Atlanta ended its week with a disappointing loss to the floundering Brooklyn Nets, but they blew out the Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz in the first two games Young missed due to this injury.
And since the start of last season (Young and Dejounte Murray's first together), Murray has averaged 24.0 points and 7.9 assists per 75 possessions when Young is off the floor.
19. Chicago Bulls (28-31)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -1.5
Let's spend a little time on the Andre Drummond resurgence that really hasn't gotten enough attention this season.
The 30-year-old started alongside Nikola Vučević in Wednesday's double-overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and went for 26 rebounds, 17 points and three blocks in 36 minutes.
Since Christmas, Drummond is averaging a double-double in just over 20 minutes per game. And after Wednesday's win, he's been on the right side of the plus-minus ledger in five of Chicago's last six games.
18. Philadelphia 76ers (33-25)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: +3.4
There's probably no need for panic for the Philadelphia 76ers and their fans. Joel Embiid may still be back in time for the playoffs. And the rest of the Eastern Conference is bad enough that there's almost no chance Philadelphia slides beyond 10th place and out of the play-in tournament.
But dealing with one of those pre-playoff elimination games is suddenly a real possibility for this team, since it has struggled mightily for about a month now.
If Embiid does indeed return, two opportunities to win one game—the task for a team that finishes seventh or eighth, which feels like the Sixers' floor—against teams like the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls may not seem too daunting a task. Panic isn't the order of the day yet, but mild concern might be on the menu.
17. Orlando Magic (34-26)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: +1.4
The Orlando Magic have quietly been one of the best teams in the NBA since the trade deadline, going 7-2 in those nine games and beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland along the way.
The team's top two players, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, have certainly had their say during this run, but Franz's older brother, Moritz, deserves a little shine too.
In Thursday's win over the Utah Jazz, he had 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, to go along with 10 rebounds. It was Moritz Wagner's 23rd game this season in which he scored at least 10 points and shot at least 60 percent from the field. Only 11 players have more such games.
16. Indiana Pacers (34-26)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +1.8
Tyrese Haliburton understandably got most of the attention early in the season. His individual numbers—particularly as a playmaker—were astronomical, and he's still averaging 21.4 points and 11.6 assists.
Then, after the Pascal Siakam trade, a lot of eyes shifted to him. Since joining the Indiana Pacers, he's put up 21.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
However, this season's steadiest presence for Indiana may be Myles Turner.
Over his last six games, he has averaged 20.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals. And for the entire season, his ability to space the floor and protect the rim has led to a hefty 4.6-point net rating swing.
15. Los Angeles Lakers (33-28)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: -0.5
It feels weird to see the Los Angeles Lakers down a spot after they closed out the week with back-to-back wins, including a thriller against the Los Angeles Clippers in which LeBron James scored 23 points in the fourth quarter alone.
But it's sort of a reflection of the strength and depth of the Western Conference.
L.A. is 6-2 in its last eight games, but the losses came courtesy of the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns. And the Lakers are still stuck in the back half of the play-in tournament.
With less than two months left in the regular season, the chances of them even getting to seventh or eighth are slim.
14. Sacramento Kings (33-25)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +0.3
Nikola Jokić got the better of him in Wednesday's loss to the Denver Nuggets, but Domantas Sabonis has been among the league's most productive bigs all season.
Prior to Wednesday, he'd notched a triple-double in eight of 10 games. He's now the league leader in both that category and double-doubles.
And though that doesn't, by itself, warrant MVP consideration (contrary to Kendrick Perkins' latest eyebrow-raising take), Sabonis will be in the mix for a second straight All-NBA nod.
13. New York Knicks (35-25)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +3.9
Injuries continue to be a massive factor for the New York Knicks. They remain without three starters, with OG Anunoby, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson all working their way back.
But the increased responsibility and production necessitated by those absences could pay dividends down the line for Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanović. And as long as Jalen Brunson is available, the Knicks will at least be competitive.
After having 27 points and five assists in Thursday's loss to the Golden State Warriors, he now has 27 games with at least 25 points and five assists. Only Luka Dončić (45), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (39), Nikola Jokić (36), Giannis Antetokounmpo (30) and LeBron James (28) have more such performances.
Still, recent performance is very much part of the equation here. And the Knicks are 3-8 in their last 11.
12. Golden State Warriors (31-27)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: +1.8
Chris Paul is back for the Golden State Warriors, and he picked up right where he left off.
The Warriors went 2-0 in his first two games since returning to the rotation, and CP3 is plus-10 in those contests.
On the season, Golden State is plus-4.2 points per 100 possessions when Paul is on the floor and plus-0.3 when he's off.
With his pass-first mentality and newfound willingness to play off the ball, Paul has been an excellent fit with the Warriors whenever he's been available.
11. New Orleans Pelicans (35-25)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +4.4
The New Orleans Pelicans have stumbled a bit coming out of the All-Star break. They're 3-3 since then, and that stretch includes a home loss to the Chicago Bulls.
But New Orleans is still firmly in the top 10 for net rating, and the team's embrace of "Point Zion" Williamson could pay dividends in the long run.
During these six games, Williamson is averaging 7.2 assists. And if he's initiating actions from anywhere on the floor, defenses will be drawn to him, leaving more space on the outside for shooters.
10. Miami Heat (33-26)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: 0.7
They lost a Finals rematch to the reigning champions on Thursday, but the Miami Heat are finding a rhythm just in time for a playoff run.
Surprise, surprise.
Miami had won seven of eight (and nine of 11) before that loss to Denver. And while we're certainly used to late-season (or postseason) ascensions from this group, 2023-24's specific roster features a key difference.
Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s game is eerily similar to Jimmy Butler's. Obviously, he's years and tons of work away from being as effective, but his ability to play out of the post, create for others and defend multiple positions gives Miami another layer of versatility when he plays with Butler and helps the team survive his absences.
On the season, the Heat are plus-1.0 points per 100 possessions when Jaquez is on the floor and minus-0.8 when he's off.
9. Dallas Mavericks (34-25)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +1.1
The Dallas Mavericks suffered a loss about as heartbreaking as losses get on Tuesday (more on that in the Cleveland Cavaliers slide), but they got back on track with a road win over the Toronto Raptors the next night.
And they're now 8-2 in their last 10, a stretch that includes eight games since the trade deadline that landed the team Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington.
While the increased length, athleticism and defensive versatility that came with those two has helped, it's hard to look much further than Dallas' two superstars for the upswing.
In these 10 games, Luka Dončić is averaging 32.7 points, 10.2 assists and nine rebounds, while Kyrie Irving is adding 27.7 points and 4.9 assists.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (38-20)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +5.1
Ending the week with a double-overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls and being 3-3 in their last six could be reason for some tempered vibes for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they also had one of this season's most outrageous comeback wins on Tuesday.
With just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Dallas Mavericks went up 108-98. Their win probability hit 97.1 percent. And then Max Strus went absolutely ballistic.
In the final four minutes alone, he went 5-of-5 from deep, including this answered prayer:
That will undoubtedly be the exclamation point of his campaign as a Cavalier, but Strus has quietly been a steady upgrade on the wing throughout 2023-24.
7. Phoenix Suns (35-24)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +3.1
The Phoenix Suns have lost each of their last three road games, but after beating the Houston Rockets on Thursday, they're still 7-3 in their last 10 and slowly inching their way up the standings.
It may be too late to crack the top four (they're three games behind the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers, but putting a little cushion between themselves and the play-in tournament would be nice.
Given the degree to which this team has gone all-in over the last 12-13 months (it's past the point of pushing chips in; this is more like car keys in the middle of the table), a single-elimination game to miss the playoffs would feel like a borderline disaster.
With the exception of Devin Booker, every Sun from the 2021 Finals run is gone. Their trove of draft assets and young talent was emptied (and then some) to get Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkić.
When everyone's available, this team plays like a juggernaut, but injuries have OKC on the brink of some potentially dangerous games.
6. Los Angeles Clippers (37-20)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +4.4
Just when it started to feel like it was safe to count on a deep playoff run from the Los Angeles Clippers, they've come down to earth a bit in recent weeks.
After coughing up a 21-point lead and a 99.4 percent win probability in Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, they are now 3-5 in their last eight.
And while this stretch probably shouldn't raise many doubts about the ceiling of a team with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden, it may adjust our view of its floor.
With the talent level in the Western Conference, even a team with as much star power as the Clippers is susceptible to a first-round upset.
5. Milwaukee Bucks (39-21)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +4.2
Ending the week with back-to-back games against the Charlotte Hornets could help just about anyone get on track, but the Milwaukee Bucks are 4-0 since the All-Star break. And one of those wins came on the road and against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And while the Bucks are still just 7-7 with Doc Rivers at the helm, it's hard to deny they're moving in the right direction.
Defense was undoubtedly the team's biggest concern under Adrian Griffin, and it's fourth in the league during this stretch of 14 games under Rivers.
The offense has slipped over the same span, but there's no reason to panic on that front. Milwaukee has Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. To the extent scoring is an issue, it won't be for long.
And, as noted at the top, this week's power rankings are more influenced by championship chances than others. We're under three years removed from Giannis winning a title. And the weaknesses he's displayed in the last two playoff runs (lack of shooting and late-game, situational offense) are directly addressed by Lillard.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (41-18)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +8.0
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander notched his record 11th 31-point game of the season on Thursday, but the Oklahoma City Thunder opened up a four-game road trip with a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Their next two opponents are the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers, so this is a crucial stretch in the team's pursuit of the West's top seed (they're a game behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for that spot).
But it probably shouldn't be much of a cause for concern for OKC or its fans. On the season, the Thunder's plus-5.3 net rating against teams with top-10 net ratings is (by far) the best in the league.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves (42-17)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +7.0
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been great all season, but this 7-1 stretch they're currently in should increase the concern level for their opponents.
Since February 8 (when this run started), they're eighth in the league in offensive rating. That may not sound like much, but they're 17th for the entire season. And if they suddenly have a top-10 level attack to go with their league-best defense, they're a very real title threat.
And the offensive surge being backed by a superstar turn bodes well for their playoff chances too. During these eight games, Anthony Edwards is averaging 31.1 points, 5.4 assists and 2.8 threes.
2. Denver Nuggets (41-19)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: 4.4
The Denver Nuggets looked completely disinterested in the regular season for much of the pre-All-Star portion of the campaign, including during the three-game losing streak they carried into the break.
But they've looked a lot more like the playoff versions of themselves since then, and they have Nikola Jokić to thank for it. And that isn't just a reference to how he's played.
The Nuggets have followed up their three-game skid with a five-game winning streak that includes victories over the red-hot Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat.
And Jokić has four triple-doubles in those games.
Jamal Murray left Thursday's win in the first half following a rolled ankle. And his health and availability will always be concerns for this team and its hopes to repeat. But this version of Jokić can give the Nuggets a chance to beat anyone.
1. Boston Celtics (46-12)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +10.6
There is seemingly no slowing down the Boston Celtics, who just wrapped up a 9-1 February in which they outscored their opponents by a whopping 15.7 points per 100 possessions.
And at this point, it doesn't seem to matter who's on the floor. Seemingly any combination of Boston's rotation players is dominating opponents from all over the league.
Among the nine Celtics who've appeared in at least 40 games, Luke Kornet is the only one with a net rating under eight, and Boston is still outscoring teams by 5.7 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor.
That margin is into double digits for Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis.
While we hem and haw over which teams might be contenders in the West or through the rest of the East, the Celtics are playing at a level that might render all of that conversation moot.
Stat of the Week
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Sticking with the Celtics for just one more slide, this team is on track for the 11th double-digit "simple rating system" in NBA history.
Right now, Boston's SRS ("a rating that takes into account average point differential and strength of schedule") is plus-10.47.
And of the 10 teams that actually finished a campaign over 10, seven (the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks, 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, 1991-92 Chicago Bulls, 1995-96 Bulls, 1996-97 Bulls, 2014-15 Golden State Warriors and 2016-17 Warriors) won the title.
Obviously, this number doesn't guarantee a championship for this season's Celtics, but it might be time to start talking about them as a prohibitive favorite.
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