B/R NBA Power Rankings: Suns Finally Facing Competition at the Top
Just in time for the home stretch of this season, we might finally have some drama at the top of the NBA power rankings.
The Phoenix Suns, who've held the top spot for months, could be without Chris Paul (right thumb fracture) and Devin Booker (health and safety protocols) for the foreseeable future. Have they already built up enough of a buffer to hang onto first place in the West?
Will any of the contenders in the Eastern Conference, including the Philadelphia 76ers and the recently acquired James Harden, supplant the Suns here and in the unofficial title contenders' tier between now and the playoffs?
This past week of action offered us some clues about those questions and what lies ahead for the rest of the league.
30. Houston Rockets
1 of 30
Previous Rank: 29
Record: 15-47
Net Rating: -9.1
The Houston Rockets have plenty of objectives for the rest of the season, but winning games probably isn't one of them. After falling to the Utah Jazz in overtime on Wednesday, they've now lost 11 straight, each helping in a race to the bottom and the best odds in the draft lottery.
But wins and losses are more of a surface concern for a rebuilding team. They should be far more focused on glimpses of potential from Jalen Green (who's averaged 20.2 points over his last five games), Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun and other members of the young core.
Meanwhile, the vets whom the Rockets didn't move at this year's trade deadline should consider this the start of an extended audition for other teams. Christian Wood and Eric Gordon are both under contract for next season, but it's hard to imagine a long-term future for either in Houston.
Big individual performances could put them on more radars for offseason player movement.
29. Detroit Pistons
2 of 30
Previous Rank: 30
Record: 16-47
Net Rating: -9.3
The Detroit Pistons are suddenly plucky. They've won four of their last six and have a trio of forwards who are doing plenty of damage.
Jerami Grant, Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey are averaging 59.7 points over this stretch, and Cunningham is adding 5.2 assists.
When he hands out at least five dimes in a game, Detroit is 11-17 (.393). That's not great, but it's a heck of a lot better than the Pistons' win percentage in all other games (.143).
28. Orlando Magic
3 of 30
Previous Rank: 28
Record: 15-48
Net Rating: -7.9
The Orlando Magic won two straight following the All-Star break before coughing up a big lead to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
No letdown should ruin the vibes surrounding Markelle Fultz's return to action, though. He tore his ACL in just his eighth game of 2020-21 and missed over a year of in-game action rehabbing.
He came back this week, played two games and went 10-of-13 from the field. It wasn't just a bunch of layups, either. Fultz was taking jumpers, and the hitch that once plagued his form appears to be gone.
If he's rediscovered the confidence with which he played in college, the Magic have another interesting player to include in an up-and-coming core with Wendell Carter Jr., Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder
4 of 30
Previous Rank: 26
Record: 20-42
Net Rating: -6.6
Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Roby (yes, Isaiah Roby) and the skeleton crew of a rebuilding team, the Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a double-digit road victory over the heavily favored Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
In seasons like this, when the organization is still in the asset-accumulation phase, these performances can be welcome reprieves. But for OKC, there's additional hope to be derived.
Most people are already aware of SGA's star upside. His 29 points on 10-of-23 shooting against Denver wasn't all that surprising. But getting 26 points and four threes from Roby should raise some eyebrows.
Roby is averaging 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks in just 27.1 minutes over his last five games. For the season, he's shooting 42.9 percent from three.
26. Portland Trail Blazers
5 of 30
Previous Rank: 25
Record: 25-37
Net Rating: -5.5
The Portland Trail Blazers were pluckier than expected trading away half their starting lineup. They rattled off three straight wins, including victories over the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies.
Since the All-Star break, though, they've really leaned into the rebuild. With center Jusuf Nurkic now sidelined by plantar fasciitis as well, the Blazers have lost three straight games by at least 30 points.
In Wednesday's game against the ailing Phoenix Suns (who were without Chris Paul and Devin Booker), Portland started Drew Eubanks, Elijah Hughes, Josh Hart, Anfernee Simons and CJ Elleby.
Blazers fans should expect plenty more losing from now until the end of the season.
25. Sacramento Kings
6 of 30
Previous Rank: 24
Record: 24-41
Net Rating: -4.9
The Sacramento Kings are below .500 in the Domantas Sabonis era, but it's a lot easier to see the vision with this group.
The combination of Sabonis' skill and grit inside with Fox's explosiveness and slashing gives Sacramento a dynamic inside-outside (or perhaps, inside-inside) duo.
In nine games with the Kings, Sabonis is averaging 17.4 points, 13.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Since Fox returned from an injury on Feb. 8, he's put up 26.7 points and 6.1 assists while shooting 50.5 percent from the field.
This year's play-in tournament may be slipping away from Sacramento, but if it can surround this top two with the right supporting cast (meaning plenty of shooting) next season, the Kings might finally end their playoff drought.
24. Indiana Pacers
7 of 30
Previous Rank: 27
Record: 22-42
Net Rating: -2.4
The Indiana Pacers are 3-2 in their last five, and they're finally starting to get extended minutes with both Tyrese Haliburton and Malcolm Brogdon on the floor.
While the play-in tournament is probably out of reach for the Pacers, establishing a little chemistry between those two could go a long way toward setting things up for 2022-23.
A lineup with those two, Buddy Hield (who's averaged 20.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists since Indiana acquired him), Chris Duarte and a healthy Myles Turner could put Indiana right back in playoff contention.
23. New York Knicks
8 of 30
Previous Rank: 22
Record: 25-37
Net Rating: -2.6
On January 15, the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks and nudged one game over .500 with a 22-21 record. They've been a complete mess ever since.
There are plenty of potential scapegoats for this 3-16 stretch, but it's hard to avoid looking at Julius Randle. He's averaging 20.9 points over those 19 games, but he's shooting 41.3 percent from the field and 26.4 percent from three.
And over the course of the entire season, New York is minus-5.8 points per 100 possessions with Randle on the floor, compared to plus-6.3 with him off.
22. Washington Wizards
9 of 30
Previous Rank: 23
Record: 28-33
Net Rating: -2.6
The Washington Wizards' 10-3 start to this season feels like it happened an eternity ago. They've been in a fairly steady slide down the standings ever since, and the recently acquired Kristaps Porzingis still hasn't played a game for his new team.
It isn't all bad news for the Wizards, though. Some of their younger forwards are producing and offering a glimpse of a positionless future that could make the team better-suited for modern basketball.
Over his last 15 games, Kyle Kuzma is averaging 20.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.5 threes and 1.2 blocks while shooting 41.8 percent from three. In the same stretch, Rui Hachimura is shooting 61.3 percent (yes, 61.3) on a non-trivial number of three-point attempts per game (2.2).
And for the entire season, second-year forward Deni Avdija has been a plus-minus monster, thanks in part to his size (6'9") and consistent effort on defense. The Wizards are plus-1.7 points per 100 possessions with Avdija on the floor and minus-7.2 with him off.
21. Los Angeles Lakers
10 of 30
Previous Rank: 19
Record: 27-35
Net Rating: -2.2
Relative to preseason expectations, the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers have been a disaster. An absolute disaster.
Even those with the most pessimistic outlooks on the Russell Westbrook trade couldn't have foreseen this. The Lakers are on the brink of missing the play-in tournament altogether.
In their current four-game losing streak, they have losses of 28 and 21 points to the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Clippers.
Westbrook simply doesn't fit alongside LeBron James (L.A. is minus-0.9 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor), and Anthony Davis is still weeks away from a return from his latest injury.
If the losses keep piling up, the Lakers could be in for quite a summer.
"The Lakers' struggles may ultimately have ramifications for several key Los Angeles actors," Jake Fischer wrote for Bleacher Report. "League insiders remain dubious that Pelinka is truly entrenched as Los Angeles' lead executive beyond this season. The same doubt extends to the futures of embattled head coach Frank Vogel and Russell Westbrook."
20. San Antonio Spurs
11 of 30
Previous Rank: 21
Record: 24-39
Net Rating: +0.1
Poor Jakob Poeltl got more attention for being on the wrong end of Ja Morant's dunk this week than he probably has for anything else this season. And the AP's headline on the game recap referred to him simply as "7-footer."
Being nameless fodder for a Morant highlight drastically undersells Poeltl's play of late. Over his last five appearances, he's averaging 18.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 blocks.
And San Antonio's other potential building blocks have been solid too. Since the trade deadline, Dejounte Murray is averaging 25.9 points, 10.7 assists and 8.3 rebounds. In the same stretch, Lonnie Walker IV and Keldon Johnson have combined for 36.6 points.
19. New Orleans Pelicans
12 of 30
Previous Rank: 20
Record: 26-36
Net Rating: -1.6
The New Orleans Pelicans sneaking into the play-in tournament is starting to feel like an inevitability. They're 3-0 since the All-Star break, and the one-two punch of CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram looks dynamic.
In the eight games since McCollum was acquired, he's averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 3.1 threes. In the same stretch, Ingram is at 19.6 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds.
And if the Pelicans can add Zion Williamson, who could be nearing "basketball activity," before the play-in, they'll be a nightmare to defend.
18. Charlotte Hornets
13 of 30
Previous Rank: 18
Record: 31-33
Net Rating: -0.2
The Charlotte Hornets were 28-22 on January 28, and while they've obviously lost a lot of ground in the month and change since then, they've shown flashes of their offensive upside of late.
On Friday, they scored 125 points in a blowout win over the Toronto Raptors. Then, they closed out their week on Wednesday with 119 in a win over the finally-healthy Cleveland Cavaliers.
Woeful inconsistency, particularly on defense, has been the source of multiple losing streaks this season, but this week served as a reminder of how dangerous this team can be.
In the high-stakes context of the play-in tournament (which is where Charlotte appears to be headed), the Hornets' explosiveness could be tough to counter.
17. Brooklyn Nets
14 of 30
Previous Rank: 16
Record: 32-32
Net Rating: -0.8
Kevin Durant looked like he hadn't missed any time in his return to action on Thursday when he had 31 points 10-of-21 shooting.
But with Ben Simmons yet to debut and Kyrie Irving still a part-time player, it wasn't enough to beat the Miami Heat. And suddenly, the Nets are a .500 team with a negative point differential and a non-zero chance of missing the play-in tournament.
Durant is still great, but probably not great enough to overcome the absence of $66.5 million in salary.
Simmons and the Nets seem intent on delaying his first game beyond the March 10 meeting on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers, but Brooklyn will only have 15 games left after that. Things are getting borderline urgent.
16. Los Angeles Clippers
15 of 30
Previous Rank: 17
Record: 34-31
Net Rating: -0.3
Around this time of year, there's generally a lot of buzz about season-ending NBA awards. MVP gets the most attention, but even the lesser honors, like Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year, start to pop up more frequently in articles and social media posts.
In the spirit of this season, it's time to amplify Tyronn Lue's Coach of the Year case.
Despite Kawhi Leonard missing all of this season and Paul George missing most of it, the Clippers are three games over .500 and firmly in the play-in tournament.
It's tough to analyze on hypotheticals, but how many other coaches could have their teams in this spot after getting just 26 games out of their two best players?
15. Atlanta Hawks
16 of 30
Previous Rank: 15
Record: 30-32
Net Rating: +0.8
After making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, it's probably fair to characterize the sub-.500 Atlanta Hawks as one of this season's more disappointing teams.
They have a bottom-five defense and are outscored by 3.3 points per 100 possessions when Trae Young isn't on the floor.
But nights like Thursday offered a reminder of what kind of ceiling Young and the Hawks have. Even without John Collins available, the Hawks dropped 130 points in a win over the Chicago Bulls. Young had 39 points on 11-of-18 shooting and 13 assists.
In a game in which DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic all shot at least 50 percent from the field, the Bulls still didn't have enough firepower to counter Young.
14. Toronto Raptors
17 of 30
Previous Rank: 13
Record: 34-28
Net Rating: +1.1
The Toronto Raptors are 2-3 since the All-Star break, and the losses aren't run of the mill.
The Charlotte Hornets beat them by 32. The next night, the Atlanta Hawks beat them by 27. Then, on Thursday, they lost a squeaker to the Detroit Pistons, who have the third-worst record in the NBA.
It's not all bad, though. The absence of Fred VanVleet over the last three games has allowed Scottie Barnes to take on a little more responsibility, and he's rising to meet it. Barnes has averaged 22.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals in that span.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves
18 of 30
Previous Rank: 14
Record: 34-29
Net Rating: +1.4
Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards have rightfully garnered a lot of attention for the Minnesota Timberwolves' breakout campaign, but point guard D'Angelo Russell deserves his praise as well.
Over his last four games, Russell is averaging 26.3 points on 16.8 shots to go with 5.5 assists and 2.8 threes.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers
19 of 30
Previous Rank: 9
Record: 36-26
Net Rating: +3.5
The Cleveland Cavaliers have stumbled out of the gates post-All-Star break, going 1-3 and putting themselves back in range of the play-in tournament.
It's not hard to chalk at least two of those losses up to (at least in part) the absence of Darius Garland, though. When he's on the floor, the Cavs have a point differential around that of a 62-win team (compared to 34 without him).
Given everything Cleveland showed before the break, it's safe to assume this stretch is more likely a hiccup than a sign of things to come.
11. Denver Nuggets
20 of 30
Previous Rank: 12
Record: 36-26
Net Rating: +2.6
The Denver Nuggets suffered what felt like their worst loss of the season on Wednesday. They were at home and favored to beat the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder by 15.5 points. They wound up losing by 12.
Nikola Jokic was his typically solid self, with 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting, 16 rebounds, four assists and two steals, but the rest of the starters went 10-of-36. Will Barton, who needed two threes to set a franchise record for makes, was 1-of-10 from the field and 0-of-9 from three.
Denver had won six straight prior to this letdown, but as long as Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. remain out, performances like this always seem to be lurking.
It wasn't all bad, though. Rookie Bones Hyland was plus-10 in 22 minutes, scored 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting and dished out four assists. Over his last nine games, Bones is averaging 10.8 points and shooting 41.7 percent from three.
10. Chicago Bulls
21 of 30
Previous Rank: 11
Record: 39-24
Net Rating: +1.6
The most recent coverage of the Chicago Bulls focused on DeMar DeRozan, and rightfully so. From February 6 to February 24, DeRozan shot 50 percent or better from the field in each of eight straight games and averaged 38.4 points.
What may have deserved a bit more attention was the fact that DeRozan's plus-minus in those eight games was a mere six points over zero. The Bulls, who are still awaiting the returns of Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, needed Wilt Chamberlain-like scoring production from DeMar to barely win his minutes.
And as DeRozan cooled off, so have the Bulls. After losing to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, Chicago is now on a three-game losing streak. DeRozan is shooting 41.5 percent from the field in those games.
9. Utah Jazz
22 of 30
Previous Rank: 10
Record: 39-22
Net Rating: +6.7
The Utah Jazz's 4-12 January, in which Donovan Mitchell missed eight games and Rudy Gobert missed nine, was not indicative of what this team is. Surprise, surprise.
The Jazz have won three straight and nine of their last 10. And when the aforementioned stars appear in games with Mike Conley, Utah is 28-9.
As long as the Jazz's main stars are healthy, they're going to be hard to beat.
Having said that, going small, stretching out the defense and pulling Gobert away from the rim is still a concern. It reared its head again in Utah's overtime win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Against sub-.500 teams the rest of the way, head coach Quin Snyder should probably experiment more with potential small-ball 5s like Eric Paschall or Rudy Gay.
8. Dallas Mavericks
23 of 30
Previous Rank: 8
Record: 38-25
Net Rating: +3.6
The Dallas Mavericks' current tear continued this week when they went 3-1 and beat the Golden State Warriors twice.
The exploits of February's Player of the Month, Luka Doncic, have been well documented, and March doesn't seem to be slowing him down.
Since February 1, Luka has averaged 34.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 3.7 threes while shooting 39.3 percent from three.
And the trade that gave him a little extra playmaking to work with has had solid early returns. Spencer Dinwiddie has averaged 14.5 points, 4.8 assists and 1.7 threes while shooting 45.5 percent from three as a Maverick.
And Jason Kidd is even experimenting with lineups that include those two and Jalen Brunson. With all three on the floor, Dallas is going to have perimeter defenses scrambling.
7. Boston Celtics
24 of 30
Previous Rank: 6
Record: 38-27
Net Rating: +5.6
The "unstoppable force vs. immovable object" battle was on display Thursday when the red-hot Ja Morant (who entered with an average of 40.5 points over his four previous games) faced the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics have the best defense in the league since the calendar flipped to 2022, and though they gave up 38 to Morant, they made it harder on him than most have (he finished the game 13-of-29 from the field).
Jayson Tatum countered Morant's big total with 37 points of his own (on better efficiency) and got plenty of contributions from his defensive-minded supporting cast.
And that general hierarchy is working for Boston. Tatum is a bona fide star who's averaged just under 30 points since January 23. When he gets just a little help on offense and the kind of effort the Celtics have given on the other end in recent weeks, this team is mighty tough to beat.
6. Milwaukee Bucks
25 of 30
Previous Rank: 5
Record: 38-25
Net Rating: +3.4
For most of 2021-22, the Milwaukee Bucks have seemingly been stuck in neutral. That's had an awful lot to do with injuries and the health and safety protocols, though.
When Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo all play, Milwaukee is 26-8.
And with all three available on Wednesday, the Bucks secured a huge win over the first-place Miami Heat. The trio combined for 79 of Milwaukee's 120 points.
5. Golden State Warriors
26 of 30
Previous Rank: 3
Record: 43-20
Net Rating: +6.5
After losing to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, the Golden State Warriors have now lost three straight and seven of their last nine. For the entire season, they're 15-14 when Draymond Green is out of the lineup.
And given the fact that he's just now playing 3-on-3, it's safe to assume he could be out a while longer.
Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson obviously have plenty of history and chemistry together, but they've yet to work together with this season's supporting cast around them.
Without much of a runway on which to develop continuity, Golden State is far from invincible against any of their potential first-round matchups.
4. Philadelphia 76ers
27 of 30
Previous Rank: 7
Record: 38-23
Net Rating: +2.8
The James Harden-Joel Embiid era couldn't have gotten off to a much better start for the Philadelphia 76ers.
After overcoming a 16-point deficit against the New York Knicks on Wednesday, Philly is now 3-0 when both superstars play. In those games, Harden and Embiid combined for 60.0 points, 23.7 made free throws, 19.3 rebounds and 15.6 assists.
The key to a championship ceiling, though, might be Tyrese Maxey, who has clearly usurped everyone else on the roster for third option status. Playing off Harden and Embiid has suited him well, as Maxey dropped 24.7 points and 3.0 threes while shooting over 60 percent from the field in his last three.
3. Memphis Grizzlies
28 of 30
Previous Rank: 2
Record: 43-21
Net Rating: +4.2
The Memphis Grizzlies are 2-3 in their last five, a stretch that includes a loss to the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers and a double-digit thumping at the hands of the surging Boston Celtics.
This little hiccup probably isn't much more than that, though. Memphis still has the league's best net rating since November 27, and Ja Morant is on a timeline-seizing tear that included a career-high 52 points against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.
Over his last five games, Morant is averaging an even 40.0 points.
2. Miami Heat
29 of 30
Previous Rank: 4
Record: 42-22
Net Rating: +4.7
The Miami Heat lost a heartbreaker to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, but they bounced back with a six-point win over the Brooklyn Nets in Kevin Durant's return to action on Thursday. They've now won 10 of their last 12.
Their latest win is even more impressive when you consider that Miami was without Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker. And it highlighted the Heat's ability to compete under in just about any circumstance.
From Max Strus to Caleb Martin to Gabe Vincent, Miami has gotten plenty of contributions from unsung players in 2021-22, but it doesn't hurt to have multiple stars either.
Bam Adebayo carried the Heat with 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists on Thursday. Over his last 10 games, he's averaging 22.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals.
1. Phoenix Suns
30 of 30
Previous Rank: 1
Record: 50-12
Net Rating: +8.1
Not long after the Phoenix Suns got news that Chris Paul could miss most of what's left of the regular season, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Devin Booker is in the league's health and safety protocols.
Fortunately, Phoenix already had a significant cushion over the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies. Beginning this starting backcourt-less run by facing the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers helped, too.
Ultimately, CP3's extended absence is cause for real concern, but not yet. Phoenix has one of the West's easier remaining schedules and should still finish first in the conference (and probably the entire league).
A little extra short-term responsibility for the likes of Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges might pay dividends in the playoffs, too.
