NBA Power Rankings: Who's Up Top for the Final Week of the Season?
We're essentially past the NBA's stretch run for 2023-24. This is that part of the race when desperate runners lean their heads forward to get the slightest edge at the finish line.
Throughout the league, teams only have five or six games left to play, and a ton still has to be decided in those limited contests.
First place in the Western Conference is still very much up for grabs. Three teams are in the hunt there. There's still plenty of potential shuffling from fifth through 10th place in that conference, as well.
The Boston Celtics may have first wrapped up in the East, but there's still plenty of potential shuffling after them too.
As all these organizations jockey for position, we'll once again take stock of the entire NBA with power rankings based on individual and team numbers, recent performance, championship chances and a healthy dose of subjectivity.
30. Detroit Pistons (13-63)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -8.7
In a season as bad as the Detroit Pistons', nights like Wednesday are a welcome reprieve.
Cade Cunningham was out and the game ended with another tick in the loss column, but Malachi Flynn came off the bench to pull off what may have been the most random 50-point performance of all time.
Flynn went absolutely bananas, with 50 points, five assists and three steals in 34 minutes. He went 18-of-25 from the field and 5-of-9 from deep. And despite losing, he was plus-14 on the night.
None of that, of course, erases the lows of this season and the fact that Detroit is 1-10 in its last 11, but it's always nice when an individual night is a little less painful for the fans.
29. Charlotte Hornets (18-58)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -10.9
The Charlotte Hornets are on the verge of another era, with news breaking this week that coach Steve Clifford would be leaving his post at the end of the season to join the front office.
And ideally, the organization will settle on someone who might be known a bit more as a developmental specialist.
There's plenty of upside on this roster, assuming it can find a modicum of health. LaMelo Ball has already made an All-Star team and is an effective high-volume three-point shooter and playmaker. Mark Williams has a chance to develop into a high-end rim-runner and -protector. And Brandon Miller, who's averaging 17.1 points and 2.4 threes, while shooting 36.8 percent from deep, is potentially the perfect flanker for that pick-and-roll combo.
28. Portland Trail Blazers (20-56)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -8.7
On balance, Scoot Henderson has had one of the worst rookie campaigns of the three-point era. He's 947th among the 953 first-year players over that span in box plus/minus.
It's obviously way too early to bail out, though. He just turned 20 in February, and he's had a handful of individual performances recently that should inspire a hint of confidence.
In late March, he had 24 points and 10 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers. On Wednesday, he went for 22 and 10 in a win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Henderson is still turning the ball over too much, and his general inconsistency will take some time. But we're at least seeing hints of how his strength and in-between game might help him become a plus playmaker.
27. Washington Wizards (15-62)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -8.9
There are plenty of mirage-like stat lines in March and April, so it's smart to exercise caution when evaluating players and teams now. That seems especially true with bad teams.
Having said that, Jordan Poole's recent run may be inspiring a hint of confidence in the 24-year-old again.
Since Valentine's Day, he has put up 20.4 points, 5.4 assists and 3.2 threes while shooting 36.5 percent from deep.
26. Toronto Raptors (23-53)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -6.3
The degree to which the Toronto Raptors have folded this season is quite astounding.
Of course, it's not like they had pocket aces or anything to begin with, but through early January, this team was within striking distance of the play-in tournament and an even net rating.
Since then, they have the worst record in the league at 8-32 and the worst net rating at minus-11.5. After losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves by 48 on Wednesday, they've now dropped 15 in a row.
Certainly, injuries have been a factor, but this is also a pretty clear organizational push to improve lottery odds. Trading Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby would support that read of the situation.
And now that they've sunk as far as they have in the standings, the chances of keeping their first-round pick (which goes to the San Antonio Spurs if it's outside the top six) have skyrocketed.
25. Utah Jazz (29-47)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -4.7
It's been a rough few weeks for Utah Jazz fans, who are suffering through their first 10-game losing streak since 1982.
The latest loss was a blowout at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were without Donovan Mitchell.
There are some silver linings, though. The organizational veer toward tanking has meant more opportunities for 2023's three first-round picks, and they've all shown flashes of upside.
Now a fixture in the rotation, Brice Sensabaugh has averaged 12.0 points, 3.0 assists and 2.5 threes, while shooting 37.5 percent from deep over his last six games.
Over his last 10 games, Taylor Hendricks is averaging 10.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 threes and 1.0 blocks in 29.3 minutes.
And Keyonte George, who forced his way into playing time far earlier than the other two, leads this rookie class in total assists.
24. San Antonio Spurs (18-58)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -6.9
He went 9-of-29 from the field, and the San Antonio Spurs lost, but Victor Wembanyama gave us another potential glimpse into the future in Tuesday's matchup against Nikola Jokić.
Against the consensus best player in the world, the rookie finished one block and two assists shy of a quadruple-double. And he pushed the reigning champs all the way to the final buzzer.
Massive stat lines and more competitive finishes aren't some new development either. Since their last game in February, Wembanyama has averaged 23.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 4.3 blocks, 2.2 threes and 1.2 steals. And over that stretch, San Antonio's net rating is minus-1.2.
Not great, but certainly much better than the minus-8.5 the Spurs had before then.
23. Brooklyn Nets (30-47)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -2.6
Another "it's March and April" caution is necessary here, but the Brooklyn Nets' lack of draft assets and certain future stars makes it all the more important to find beacons of hope on the current roster.
And in the last several weeks, Cam Thomas is providing some.
In the 13 games since his last extended absence from injury, Thomas is averaging 26.5 points, 3.8 assists and 2.5 threes. And while there's still room for growth as a playmaker, those assist numbers are encouraging.
Thomas will likely always be a shoot-first guard, but an ability and willingness to set teammates up more often will make his game less predictable, and by extension, scoring even easier.
22. Memphis Grizzlies (26-50)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -6.8
It's certainly not your traditional Coach of the Year case, and this isn't an endorsement for him to win the award, but Taylor Jenkins should at least be mentioned in the discussion.
The number of absences (from injuries and Ja Morant's suspension) this team has had to endure is absurd. A total of 31 players have logged minutes for Memphis, which is an NBA record.
And yet, the Grizzlies have still generally competed every night. On Wednesday, they beat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Jaren Jackson Jr.'s offensive game has expanded as he's had to take on a more primary role. Desmond Bane has improved as a playmaker. And hidden gems GG Jackson and Vince Williams have developed and will likely have roles on the hopefully whole team that will take the floor in 2024-25.
The record and net rating are awful here, but it's easy to find positives from this Memphis Grizzlies campaign.
21. Chicago Bulls (36-40)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -1.9
Just when it looked like they might get to .500 on the season, the Chicago Bulls have gone 2-5 in their last seven games. And the most recent loss came against the Atlanta Hawks, who are within striking distance of Chicago's ninth-place spot.
In the end, all of this is probably inconsequential, but the Bulls and Hawks are on a collision course for the 9-10 game in the play-in tournament. And home-court advantage could be important in that matchup.
20. Atlanta Hawks (36-41)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -1.2
He struggled in Thursday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks, and the Atlanta Hawks have generally been underwhelming in 2023-24, but Jalen Johnson is proving worthy of some organizational optimism this season.
On Wednesday, the 22-year-old had his first career triple-double with 28 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and one block.
And while the Hawks may have some big decisions to make this summer (it's pretty clear at this point that Trae Young and Dejounte Murray just don't fit together), committing to Johnson long-term shouldn't cause much heartburn.
Regardless of what the team looks like going forward, a wing with plus size, a three-point shot, a willingness to defend multiple positions and a dash of playmaking will fit in.
19. Houston Rockets (38-38)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: +0.9
Despite their 11-game winning streak in March and late-season breakouts from Jalen Green and Amen Thompson, it looks like their unexpected quest for a play-in berth will fall short.
After losing at home to the Golden State Warriors by 23 on Thursday, Houston trails Golden State by four games with six to play.
Any disappointment over the campaign doesn't deserve much breathing room, though.
The Rockets smashed their preseason over/under of 31.5. Green, Thompson and Cam Whitmore all showed plenty of upside. And though an injury cut his 2023-24 short, Alperen Şengün performed like an All-Star playmaking 5.
Things are undoubtedly heading in the right direction for this team.
18. Golden State Warriors (42-34)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: +2.2
As it turns out, Draymond Green wasn't overly brash when he declared he wasn't worried about the surging Houston Rockets in late March.
From the date of Green's remarks up to Thursday's game between the Rockets and Golden State Warriors, Houston was 3-2. The Warriors, meanwhile, have won six straight since then after pummeling the Rockets. And they now have a four-game lead in the standings with six games left for each team.
The Rockets put up a valiant effort, but this race is effectively over.
Now, in spite of the dangers of prematurely looking ahead, Golden State can start to mentally prepare for a play-in tournament that will almost certainly require them to win back-to-back games on the road to make the postseason.
17. Indiana Pacers (43-34)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +2.3
The Indiana Pacers started their week with a 19-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers and ended it with a disappointing loss to the rudderless Brooklyn Nets. And that's sort of been the nature of the season for the Pacers, who've hovered around six to nine games over .500 for much of the way.
Dig a little deeper into the last several weeks, though, and you can start to see how this team might be getting more prepared for the physical, intense battles that often happen in the playoffs.
Prior to the All-Star break, Indiana was 26th in points allowed per 100 possessions at 119.2. Since then, it's at a middle-of-the-road 113.4.
The Pacers have been able to play a little more stout on that end without some dramatic sacrifice on offense too. And their more well-balanced approach should help them be competitive in the first round.
16. Miami Heat (42-34)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: +1.5
The Miami Heat had a 3-0 week cooking before they ran into Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
That contest ended with a loss, but things are still generally headed in the right direction, with Miami going 7-4 in its last 11.
And perhaps just as important as the wins and losses is the fact that Terry Rozier seems to finally be figuring out how to impact this team's offense.
After averaging 15.1 points and 5.6 assists while shooting 26.8 percent from deep in his first 20 games with Miami, Rozier is at 21.2 points with a 48.7 three-point percentage over his last nine as he leaves more of the distribution to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
15. Sacramento Kings (44-32)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +1.3
As with every other team in the play-in range of the standings, every game is suddenly crucial for the Sacramento Kings.
So going 4-4 in their last eight and losing back-to-back games to another team near them in the standings (the Dallas Mavericks) has nearly locked them out of a top-six finish.
Still, seventh is very much in play, and home-court advantage with two chances to win one game should be enough for this team to make a second straight playoff appearance.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers (46-31)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +2.8
They beat the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers and spiraling Utah Jazz, but the Cleveland Cavaliers went 2-2 this week, and the two losses were blowouts authored by Western Conference playoff teams.
Over an extended run that dates back to mid-February, Cleveland is 11-15 in its last 26.
With those struggles and Donovan Mitchell suddenly getting questions about his future as a Cavalier (which he won't publicly commit to), this is starting to feel eerily similar to Mitchell's final months with the Utah Jazz.
Winning a couple of series could quiet the noise. Mitchell is still under contract for next season at $35.4 million. But if Cleveland suffers another first-round exit and Mitchell remains unsigned long-term, expect the trade vultures to circle.
13. Los Angeles Lakers (44-33)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: +0.4
It took too long for coach Darvin Ham to settle on a starting five that includes both Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves. And there are still games that make you question this group's playoff upside, such as a too-close, five-point win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
However, Ham did get to the right starting five eventually. And less than a year ago, we saw the Los Angeles Lakers surge from the play-in tournament to the conference finals.
The lineup with those two, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell is now L.A.'s most-used lineup, and it has a solid (though unspectacular) plus-5.6 net rating.
12. Philadelphia 76ers (42-35)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: +2.3
The Philadelphia 76ers have been hanging around the 15-20 range of the power rankings for weeks, but the surprise (at least to the outside world) return of Joel Embiid this week has to have their fans thinking contention again.
Philly is 2-0 since Embiid came back to the lineup. And though he failed to hit at least half his shots in each of those two games, he looked solid for someone who came back just eight weeks after a meniscus procedure.
And if these ramp-up games get him to around 90-95 percent of what he was prior to the injury, Philadelphia can upset anyone in the play-in or first round of the playoffs.
Through his last pre-procedure appearance on January 30, the Sixers trailed only the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder in net rating.
11. Milwaukee Bucks (47-29)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +3.2
You've surely already seen the comparisons. The Milwaukee Bucks were 30-13 under Adrian Griffin. Since they fired him, they're 17-16.
As if that wasn't bad enough, they ended this week with back-to-back losses to the Washington Wizards and injury-ravaged Memphis Grizzlies. And just over a month after JJ Redick went viral for saying new Bucks coach Doc Rivers never takes the blame himself, the coach took aim at the travel crew after the Washington loss and then the medical staff after falling to Memphis.
In terms of raw talent, the Bucks still seem as loaded as any team in the East. A deep playoff run would be far from surprising. But organizational trust and stability typically accompany a run like that, and the last several weeks make it hard to trust Milwaukee on that front.
10. New York Knicks (45-31)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +4.9
The New York Knicks got some bad news this week, when after months of trying to avoid surgery, Julius Randle finally opted to undergo a season-ending procedure.
And without their second-leading scorer, it's easy to wonder about the postseason prospects of this team.
But if this roster has taught us anything in 2023-24, it's that it will fight regardless of how many injuries pile up.
On the season, New York is now plus-15.4 points per 100 possessions when its three Villanova Wildcats (Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart) are all on the floor without Randle.
9. New Orleans Pelicans (45-31)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +4.8
Right around the most critical point of the season for playoff positioning and avoiding the play-in tournament, the New Orleans Pelicans have suddenly lost four of five and slid to seventh place (which of course puts them in that 7-8 play-in game).
Things have the potential to get worse too.
New Orleans is only a game-and-a-half up on the ninth-place Los Angeles Lakers. And of its final six games, four are on the road and four are against teams around the same range as them in the standings.
They have to play the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors, all on the road, before ending their season at home against the Lakers.
With Brandon Ingram still out with a knee injury, Zion Williamson is going to have to be an absolute superstar for the Pelicans to finish in the top six.
8. Los Angeles Clippers (48-28)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +3.4
From November 17 to February 5, the Los Angeles Clippers went 31-8 and trailed only the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics in net rating.
Over the rest of the season, they're just 17-20.
So, the question, of course, is which version of the Clippers will show up for the postseason?
Updates on Kawhi Leonard, who's missed the last two games, haven't been much more specific than him having knee soreness.
His availability is obviously key, but L.A. has to find whatever ingredient made the team competitive, particularly on the defensive end, through that middle portion of the season.
When everyone's available and engaged, the Clippers can beat anyone. But they've also shown a penchant for no-showing. Add them to the list of completely unpredictable Western Conference teams.
7. Orlando Magic (45-31)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +2.5
After spending much of the last several weeks wondering if the Orlando Magic might be able to snag home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, a win over the New Orleans Pelicans and losses from both the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday have opened up the possibility of Orlando finishing as high as second.
It's a slim possibility, to be sure, but the Magic are two games back of the second-place Bucks, who just dropped back-to-back games to the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies and have six games left on the schedule. Two of those are against Orlando and three others are against the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Whether the young Magic leapfrog Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks or not, this season has been a remarkable breakout for a defense-first team that's already crushed its preseason over-under of 37.5 wins.
6. Phoenix Suns (45-31)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +3.1
They're still prone to occasional eyebrow-raising results, like last week's loss to the San Antonio Spurs or this week's loss to the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-less Oklahoma City Thunder, but the Phoenix Suns are generally showing their title-contending upside a bit more of late.
They're 6-2 in their last eight, a stretch that includes road wins over the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans. And Devin Booker, specifically, looks like he's rounding into postseason form.
After ending this week with 52 points against the Pelicans and 40 on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Booker has averaged 31.6 points, 6.6 assists and 3.9 threes over his last seven games.
When he's clicking and Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are both healthy, Phoenix has the firepower to beat anyone in a series.
5. Dallas Mavericks (46-30)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: +2.3
It's felt like the Dallas Mavericks have been flirting with the bona fide title contenders' tier for a few weeks, and it's probably safe to officially declare them in.
After beating the Atlanta Hawks with their defense on Thursday, Dallas is 12-2 in its last 14. And this surge has an awful lot to do with MVP-like performances from Luka Dončić.
During this stretch, Luka is putting up 30.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 4.5 threes, while shooting 39.6 percent from deep. And one of those losses came in the one game in the last 14 that Dončić missed.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (52-24)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +6.6
With the No. 1 seed in the West still within reach, the Oklahoma City Thunder suddenly find themselves without both of their top two scorers (one of whom is an MVP candidate).
Jalen Williams missed the last two games with an ankle injury, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed those two and four of the last five with a quad issue.
Neither condition seems to be raising any alarm bells. OKC is likely just prioritizing postseason health over seeding, but there's also a risk the team might lose some momentum or rhythm.
The Thunder are 3-4 in their last seven, and if they wind up finishing third, there's a decent chance they might have to face Luka Dončić and the red-hot Dallas Mavericks in the first round.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves (53-23)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +7.0
It still feels like the Minnesota Timberwolves will need Karl-Anthony Towns back to make a real push for the conference finals, but they've more than survived his absence in the regular season.
After pummeling the free-falling Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, Minnesota is 10-4 since Towns left the rotation with a meniscus injury. And evidence is starting to accumulate that suggests Naz Reid is more than up to the task of replacing his All-Star teammate.
2. Boston Celtics (60-16)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +12.0
There's nothing left for the Boston Celtics to prove this regular season.
They're the only team that's going to reach 60 wins. And after Wednesday's 35-point win over the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander- and Jalen Williams-less Oklahoma City Thunder, their season-long point differential of plus-11.72 ranks fourth in NBA history.
Only the legendary 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks and 1995-96 Chicago Bulls were higher, and all three of those teams won the titles in those respective seasons.
The pressure is now on for these Celtics to live up to the dominance of their last several months.
1. Denver Nuggets (53-24)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +4.9
Jamal Murray has missed the Denver Nuggets' last seven games with various lower body injuries. And while the team is 4-3 in those contests, it's once again abundantly clear that Denver has to have Murray to make a deep playoff run.
Despite a fourth straight all-time great individual campaign from Nikola Jokić, there's an extra gear the team simply can't reach without Murray available to be Jokić's counterpoint in the offense and the emotional charge on either end.
That being the case, a cautious approach to his injury timeline makes sense. It's better to finish second or third in the West than it is to have a compromised Murray in the playoffs.
And while Denver has been a bit underwhelming during this latest Murray absence, it's 2-0 against the Boston Celtics on the season and plus-14.9 points per 100 possessions when its two best players are both on the floor.
The Nuggets have done just enough to hang onto No. 1 for the final regular-season edition of the 2023-24 power rankings.
Stat of the Week
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The latest installment of the stat of the week serves as something of a celebration of the NBA's expanding talent pool.
After Slovenian Luka Dončić recorded his 20th triple-double of the season this week, the NBA posted that 2023-24 was the first season in league history in which three different players cleared that threshold.
With Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis and Serbian Nikola Jokić making up the rest of that trio, it's worth mentioning that all three contributors to this feat were born outside the United States.
The NBA's global reach has been on display throughout this season, and there's no reason to think that talent pool won't keep expanding.
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