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New NBA Power Rankings Have Lakers Surging, Luka Dončić Crashing MVP Conversation
We're in the home stretch now. The 2025-26 NBA season is almost over.
As we near the end, the contenders continue to distinguish themselves from the field. On the other end of the spectrum, the tanking seems as prevalent and aggressive as its ever been.
And as teams jockey for position all over the league, Luka Dončić is making a late surge into the MVP conversation.
He's hardly the only notable story of the week, though. The biggest ones are all discussed below, as we sort all 30 teams by the criteria that's served us for years: team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of good old-fashioned subjectivity.
30. Washington Wizards (16-53)
1 of 30
Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -11.1
It's been a bit since the Washington Wizards claimed the bottom spot in the rankings, but they sure did what they could to get back here.
The Wizards are currently on a 14-game losing streak. And after finally debuting Trae Young, they have him back on the shelf again, this time with a quad injury.
It probably wouldn't matter all that much whether he played or not. There's more than enough inexperienced players in the rotation to overwhelm the contributions of any one vet. And the current aim to lose is the right one.
Washington coming back for the 2026-27 campaign with Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr and one of the top picks in the 2026 draft will give it a shot to be competitive for the first time in years.
29. Brooklyn Nets (17-52)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -9.3
The Brooklyn Nets' tank reached pretty epic proportions this week.
Beyond going 0-3, they managed just 24 points in the first half of Wednesday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. That's tied for their lowest scoring half in the play-by-play era (which dates back to 1996-97).
And it makes it hard to imagine that, as long as Brooklyn keeps letting rookies like Danny Wolf, Drake Powell and Nolan Traoré lead the way, it'll win more than maybe another game or two this season.
28. Indiana Pacers (15-55)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -8.8
The Indiana Pacers' gap year is nearly, mercifully over. And they look ready to see this tank across the finish line.
After another winless week, Indiana has now dropped 15 in a row.
In that stretch, they've lost to the Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards (twice). And each of their next five opponents are .500 or better.
There's a very real chance Indiana doesn't win another game, and that would be just fine. If the Pacers come back in 2026-27 with Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac and one of the top three picks in this draft, they could immediately head right back to contention.
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27. Sacramento Kings (18-53)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -9.8
The Sacramento Kings being 4-3 in their last seven has bumped them out of the bottom three and moved their chance of landin the top overall pick from 14 percent to 12.5.
The difference doesn't sound significant, but for a roster devoid of a young, foundational talent, it can be.
The Kings will likely be underdogs in all but two of their remaining games, and both of those are against the Brooklyn Nets (who took Sacramento's place in the bottom three). Sacramento can still shore up those lottery odds.
26. Milwaukee Bucks (28-41)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -5.2
The Milwaukee Bucks are 2-10 in their last 12. They suffered an embarrassing, 32-point loss to the tanking Utah Jazz on Thursday. And this week, we learned that the team has "approached" Giannis Antetokounmpo about shutting him down for the remainder of the season (something he reportedly does not want to do).
A few months from now, when Giannis will almost certainly be traded, Milwaukee may be vindicated. The return could be bigger than what the Bucks might've gotten in February.
But right now, it feels like the time to move onto a new era is long overdue.
25. Utah Jazz (21-49)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -7.2
When you're a fan of a tanking team, random moments of solace can go a long way.
The Utah Jazz got one on Thursday, when Ace Bailey erupted for a career high.
It took him 27 shots to get there, but Bailey finished with 33. He also had nine boards, four assists and three steals.
Though it's been a rough rookie campaign, games like this one can generate a little hope in the future. Bailey may not be a future superstar, but he could be a heck of a release valve alongside one of the top prospects in the upcoming draft.
24. Dallas Mavericks (23-47)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -5.0
The Dallas Mavericks were a later entrant in the tank race, but they've been doing their darnedest to make up ground.
The Mavs had a random win over the Cleveland Cavaliers this week, but they're still just 4-21 since mid-January.
And all the losing has them on the verge of a 40 percent chance to land a top-four pick in the draft lottery.
One year after stumbling backward into Cooper Flagg, Dallas could have the chance to pair him with Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson.
23. Memphis Grizzlies (24-44)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -3.0
The Denver Nuggets' apparent apathy and recklessness with the ball contributed to a little speed bump in the Memphis Grizzlies' tank job this week, but before that win on Wednesday, they'd lost eight straight. Dating back to mid-January, they were 6-21.
And considering the fact that eight of Memphis' next nine opponents are above .500, we can probably expect the losses to just keep on coming.
Ultimately, those are good. At this point, the Grizzlies should be prioritizing the draft and the odds to have a good pick there. But performances like Wednesday's and the way Ty Jerome has played whenever available make it tough not to wonder what might've been.
Against the Nuggets, he had 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in just 25 minutes. On the year, he's now averaging 20.2 points and 5.7 assists in just 22.3 minutes. He trails only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo in estimated plus-minus.
Had he been healthy from the start of the campaign and Zach Edey avoided injury in the middle of it, Jaren Jackson Jr. might still be there. And Memphis may have competed for a play-in spot.
22. Chicago Bulls (28-42)
9 of 30
Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -4.5
Late-season surges, especially when they come from players on bad teams, always have to be taken with a grain of salt.
In March and April, there are always several teams hoping to lose. Rotations get weird. And individual stat lines can balloon.
Caveats aside, 23-year-old Josh Giddey is still one of the Chicago Bulls' younger players. And after he had 19 assists in Thursday's loss, he's now averaging 12.4 over his last seven appearances.
Whatever the next version of the Bulls look like, there's a decent chance they already have their lead distributor.
21. Golden State Warriors (33-36)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: 0.6
The good news for the Golden State Warriors is that Kristaps Porziņģis has appeared in five out of their last seven games.
The bad news (depending on your perspective for the rest of the season), is that Golden State is 1-6 in those games.
At this point, it seems like they may be angling for 10th place (the tanking teams below them won't let them get to 11th), a quick out in the play-in tournament and a return to the lottery. And that may be the wisest course for the franchise.
The Warriors' two-timeline approach never yielded a young star, and Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler are now nearing the twilight of their careers. The team needs another chance to find an heir.
20. New Orleans Pelicans (25-46)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -3.6
Dejounte Murray didn't play in Thursday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers, but his return from injury supercharged the New Orleans Pelicans' recent, already solid, play.
New Orleans is 12-6 in its last 18, 5-1 in its last six and 5-4 when Murray plays.
He's averaging 19.4 points, 5.9 assists and 1.7 steals in just 27.3 minutes. And when he's on the floor with Zion Williamson, the Pelicans are plus-14.3 points per 100 possessions.
19. Portland Trail Blazers (34-36)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -2.1
The Portland Trail Blazers snuck up to ninth place in the West this week, which would give them a home game in the play-in tournament against the Golden State Warriors (assuming the standings hold).
But if they keep playing like they have of late, they might not even be in the 9-10 game.
Portland is hot on the Los Angeles Clippers' heels and three games over .500 in their last 19 games. In that stretch, Jrue Holiday is averaging 18.4 points and shooting 42.7 percent from deep, while Jerami Grant is adding 18.0 points with a 41.5 three-point percentage.
But the most encouraging sign may be the play of second-year center Donovan Clingan, whose game is proving to go far beyond rim protection. During the aforementioned run, Clingan is putting up 14.9 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.3 threes, while shooting 38.7 percent from deep.
18. Philadelphia 76ers (38-32)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -0.5
Despite the absence of both Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the Philadelphia 76ers had a 3-1 week.
It helped that two of the wins came against the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings, but any win without your top two players is valuable.
And the most recent one came with the added bonus of reminding everyone that V.J. Edgecombe has legitimate star upside. Against Sacramento, Edgecombe put up a career-high 38 points, to go along with 11 assists, seven rebounds and two steals.
17. Los Angeles Clippers (34-36)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: 0.4
The Los Angeles Clippers' were counted out by most after starting the season 6-21. But Kawhi Leonard led a remarkable turnaround that's probably locked them into the play-in.
Luck may be running out, though. L.A. is in the middle of a four-game losing streak, and Kawhi has missed two of the last three games with an ankle injury.
If he's not back to full strength soon, the Clippers slipping to the bottom half of the play-in wouldn't be shocking. From there, missing the playoffs is a likelier outcome than getting in.
16. Phoenix Suns (39-31)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: 0.8
The Phoenix Suns' record has been like a yo-yo lately, and this week it was down. After winning four straight ahead of the last edition of the power rankings, they went 0-4 before this one.
It's hard to get too bent out of shape over the latest slide, though. The four losses closed out a six-game road trip, and three of them came against the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs.
And regardless of who's available, you can always expect the same level of defensive effort and offensive connectedness from this group. Those traits have more than overcome the lack of talent that led to a 30.5 over-under before the season started.
15. Orlando Magic (38-31)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: 0.9
Coming off a seven-game winning streak, the Orlando Magic lost some momentum by ending this week with three straight losses, two of which came against teams they could be battling for seeding the rest of the way (the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets).
And while there'd been some encouraging signs for Paolo Banchero's scoring in recent weeks, he may be reverting to some of the habits that have made him one of the least efficient volume scorers in the league during his career.
Banchero was 1-of-5 from deep in Thursday's loss to the Hornets, bringing Orlando's record to 15-20 when he takes at least four threes. The Magic are 23-11 in all other games.
14. Miami Heat (38-32)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: 2.9
The Miami Heat followed up Bam Adebayo's 83-point night with an 0-3 week. And things aren't about to get any easier.
Nine of Miami's final 12 games are against above-.500 teams. The next four are against the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers, with three of those being on the road.
Finishing above the play-in isn't out of the question, but this closing kick could also send the Heat to the bottom half of the play-in.
Miami missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019 is in play.
13. Toronto Raptors (39-29)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: 2.2
After slipping down the power rankings two weeks in a row, the Toronto Raptors went undefeated in this one. And two of their three wins were against the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons.
There are a couple of differences at work here. One is the emergence of Jakob Poeltl, who's spent much of the season either injured or ramping up after returning from an injury. The other is a blistering hot streak from Brandon Ingram.
During this little streak, Poeltl has averaged 15.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.7 blocks, while Ingram has poured in 29.3 points on 59.6 percent shooting from the field (and 62.5 percent from deep).
Neither is likely to keep up exactly this level of production the rest of the way, but knowing this is in both makes it a little easier to imagine the Raptors winning a playoff series.
12. Atlanta Hawks (38-31)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: 1.4
It's easy to nitpick the Atlanta Hawks' 11-game win streak. Ten of the wins have come against sub-.500 teams. And it's mid-March, a period of the year when NBA teams are often aggressively chasing losses.
But 11 wins in a row is 11 wins in a row. And there are some meaningful changes to the team that suggest the success might outlast this soft portion of the season.
For one thing, replacing Zaccharie Risacher with CJ McCollum in the starting five has supercharged that lineup. And the extra defensive attention that McCollum commands (compared to what Risacher didn't) has given Nickeil Alexander-Walker more space on his drives and catch-and-shoot opportunities.
During the streak, NAW is averaging 22.5 points and 3.9 threes, while shooting 48.8 percent from deep.
11. Houston Rockets (41-27)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: 4.1
It's probably time to start questioning the Houston Rockets' status (or former status) as a title contender.
After Wednesday's home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston has dropped three of its last four and is 4-6 in its last 10. The Rockets' minus-7.3 net rating in the clutch ranks 24th in the league.
And with neither Amen Thompson nor Reed Sheppard really growing (or being allowed to grow) into the point guard's role, the offense has looked listless since losing Steven Adams' rebounding. Since he left the rotation with an injury, Houston is 20th in points per 100 possessions.
10. Denver Nuggets (42-28)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: 4.2
The Denver Nuggets authored perhaps their worst outcome of an already disappointing season on Wednesday.
They were on the second night of a back-to-back and without Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, but the Memphis Grizzlies have been very transparently trying to lose for months. And the Nuggets turned the ball over 19 times (10 came courtesy of Nikola Jokić) on the way to a 125-118 loss.
Pair their ability to lose to seemingly anyone with the fact that they're minus-12.2 points per 100 possessions in the clutch (only the New Orleans Pelicans, Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets), and it's pretty hard to take this team seriously as a contender anymore.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves (43-27)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: 3.6
The Minnesota Timberwolves got some bad news this week. Anthony Edwards is going to miss 1-2 weeks with inflammation in his knee.
But in each of the last two seasons, Minnesota's point differential has actually been better when Edwards is off the floor.
And in the first two games of this current absence, the T'Wolves have a pair of double-digit wins.
With Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, this team has more firepower than people realize. And the next couple weeks could be a reminder of that.
8. Charlotte Hornets (36-34)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: 3.8
The Charlotte Hornets aren't quite as hot as they were in mid- to late-January, but they just finished off another winning week and are within striking distance of sixth place.
It's a long shot, for sure, but with the way their stars have performed of late, it doesn't feel like the Hornets will stop climbing the standings any time soon.
Charlotte is 20-6 since January 22. And in that span, LaMelo Ball is averaging 19.7 points, 6.6 assists and 3.8 threes, while shooting 37.0 percent from deep, while Kon Knueppel has added 19.5 points, 3.7 threes and 3.2 assists, while shooting 45.1 percent from three.
7. Detroit Pistons (50-19)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: 8.0
The Detroit Pistons went 3-1 this week, but they got a devastating piece of news in the middle of it.
In Tuesday's win over the Washington Wizards, Cade Cunningham collided with Tre Johnson and suffered a collapsed lung that will keep him out of action for at least two weeks.
Not only does that put Cunningham's chances of reaching the 65-game minimum for consideration for postseason awards in jeopardy (he's at 61 games right now), it opens the door a crack for the Boston Celtics to steal the top seed in the East.
Making up a four-game gap in three weeks is unlikely, but eight of Detroit's next 10 games are against above-.500 teams.
6. New York Knicks (45-25)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: 6.6
Over the last month and change, some have rung a couple alarm bells over the New York Knicks losing to the Detroit Pistons (twice), Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.
But in the same stretch, they also had blowout wins over the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets. And they're now up to the third best net rating in the league against top-10 opponents.
Recent struggles against some contenders notwithstanding, New York still profiles as a contender. And this week, one of its most underrated players deserves a little spotlight.
On Tuesday, Josh Hart had a never-before-seen statline in just 26 minutes.
Hart is one of the league's quintessential gap-fillers. At 6'5", he plays solid defense and rebounds like a power forward. And he's one of the Knicks' more underrated distributors.
After his monster night, New York is now 25-8 when Hart totals at least five assists.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers (43-27)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: 4.3
Donovan Mitchell has been pretty healthy this season, appearing in 61 of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 70 games, but he missed Thursday's contest with a bruised eye.
And the 115-110 road win over the Chicago Bulls turned into a pretty vivid example of what a good innings eater James Harden still is. With Mitchell out, he went for 36 points and nine assists.
And while he probably won't be asked to take on that big a load in many playoff games, Cleveland knowing it has someone of this caliber around to run the non-Mitchell minutes makes it a real title threat in the East.
4. Los Angeles Lakers (45-25)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: 1.3
Luka Dončić wasn't meaningfully in the MVP race for most of this season. The Los Angeles Lakers' underwhelming point differential and absurd production from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama sort of boxed him out.
But over the last couple months, SGA and Jokić both had extended injury absences. And even if they hadn't, the way Luka and the Lakers have played lately might've forced some voters' hands anyway.
The hot streak continued Thursday, when Luka dropped 60 in a road win over the Miami Heat.
And throughout this current eight-game winning streak, he's now averaging 40.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 6.1 threes and 2.4 steals(!), while shooting 42.2 percent from deep.
This kind of run, at this point in a season, can absolutely sway an MVP race.
3. Boston Celtics (46-23)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: 8.1
Jayson Tatum's recovery from a ruptured Achilles has to be one of the most remarkable stories of this season.
He's only been back for six games, but he's already routinely playing 30 minutes (he's topped that mark in each of his last three appearances). He's scored at least 20 points in five of those six games.
No, Tatum doesn't look quite like the perennial All-NBA player he was before his injury, but the way he's played is encouraging sign that he can get there by some point in the postseason.
If he does, the Boston Celtics are capable of beating anyone in a series.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (55-15)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: 10.9
The Oklahoma City Thunder had another undefeated week. A second straight 60-win season is now a virtual certainty.
And, as if this team wasn't loaded enough already, it's starting to look like swooping in for Jared McCain may have been one of the biggest steals of the trade deadline.
After dropping 26 in a blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, McCain is now averaging 11.9, while shooting 44.4 percent from deep, in 18 appearances for OKC.
1. San Antonio Spurs (52-18)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: 7.4
The San Antonio Spurs have maintained their spot at the top of the list thanks to a 4-0 week and some late-game heroics on Thursday.
In the waning seconds, with his team down one to the Phoenix Suns, Victor Wembanyama swept through, dribbled once and hit a dagger fadeaway for the win.
The jumper moved San Antonio to 20-2 since the calendar turned to February and clinched its 2026 playoff spot.
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