NBA Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stack Up with 1 Month to Go
As we inch ever closer to this NBA season's conclusion, several teams are putting together solid cases to be considered bona fide title contenders.
ESPN's projection system gives eight teams a 5 percent (or better) chance to win the championship. FiveThirtyEight's has seven teams at or above that mark.
There's a level of parity right now that the league hasn't seen much of during its history, and it should make these closing weeks of the season a blast.
Other storylines include a ridiculous MVP race between Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons' return to Philadelphia, the continued collapse of the Los Angeles Lakers and more.
As this season winds down, the league sure isn't short on intrigue.
30. Portland Trail Blazers
1 of 30
Previous Rank: 26
Record: 25-40
Net Rating: -6.8
You can expect some mighty ugly scores from Portland Trail Blazers games from here on out.
Damian Lillard is done for the year. CJ McCollum is gone. And Jusuf Nurkic is out for the foreseeable future. The latest development is a quad contusion for Anfernee Simons, who's missed the last two games.
With a roster that might even struggle in the G-League, the Blazers are getting some predictable results. They're now 0-6 since the All-Star break, with a staggering minus-31.1 net rating over that stretch (the closest team to that mark is minus-16.3).
And in a 38-point loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Josh Hart was a whopping minus-51.
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
2 of 30
Previous Rank: 27
Record: 20-46
Net Rating: -7.8
With Josh Giddey out, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's offensive load was about as heavy as that of any player in the league.
Prior to Wednesday, he'd averaged 33.3 points and 7.7 assists over seven games since returning from injury.
But the weight finally seemed to catch up to him in a blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, when he scored eight points on 2-of-15 shooting.
SGA has quietly accepted this role in the rebuild for two seasons now, but that loss served as a reminder that this doesn't necessarily come without a toll.
28. Houston Rockets
3 of 30
Previous Rank: 30
Record: 17-49
Net Rating: -8.8
In a season packed with losses, high points like Wednesday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers should be relished by Houston Rockets fans.
With the three worst records in the league drawing the same odds for the No. 1 pick in the lottery, a victory here and there doesn't really hurt Houston's pursuit of the top of the draft. And when those victories are driven by the young core, even better.
On Wednesday, Alperen Sengun started and went for 21 points and 14 rebounds. Jalen Green scored 32 on 13-of-21 shooting. And Kevin Porter Jr. added 10 assists.
27. Detroit Pistons
4 of 30
Previous Rank: 29
Record: 18-48
Net Rating: -8.9
The Detroit Pistons are a frisky 6-3 over their last nine games, and there are plenty of reasons for optimism about the young core.
Over that stretch, Cade Cunningham is averaging 21.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Saddiq Bey is putting up 16.9 points and 2.8 threes while shooting 38.5 percent from three over the same period.
The swing piece for Detroit, though, might be the recently acquired Marvin Bagley III. He's averaging 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds in just 25.0 minutes as a Piston. As the season winds down, Bagley's minutes should rise. And developing chemistry between him and Cunningham could go a long way toward making Detroit more competitive in 2022-23.
26. Orlando Magic
5 of 30
Previous Rank: 28
Record: 17-50
Net Rating: -7.7
All season, most of the attention directed at the Orlando Magic has gone toward Cole Anthony, rookie Franz Wagner, and more recently, Markelle Fultz. But the steadiest member of the young core may be Wendell Carter Jr.
Carter leads the Magic in wins over replacement player by a significant margin. And after totaling 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists in Wednesday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans, he narrowed Franz Wagner's lead in total fantasy points to 24.1.
He doesn't have a headline-grabbing game, but Carter is exactly the kind of gap-filler Orlando will need if Wagner, Fultz or Jonathan Isaac develop into stars.
25. Sacramento Kings
6 of 30
Previous Rank: 25
Record: 24-44
Net Rating: -5.0
The Domantas Sabonis trade led to some decent vibes early. The Sacramento Kings won their first two games with the big man, and there appeared to be some real chemistry between him and De'Aaron Fox.
Since then, the Kings have been, well, the Kings.
Sacramento is on a three-game losing streak and has lost eight of its last 10. And after the Kings lost Wednesday to the Denver Nuggets without the suspended Sabonis (who bumped a ref in the previous game), FiveThirtyEight's projection system has them at a 0.3 percent chance to make the playoffs.
24. Indiana Pacers
7 of 30
Previous Rank: 24
Record: 22-45
Net Rating: -2.6
The Indiana Pacers looked frisky coming out of the All-Star break when they went 2-2 over four games. However, they're now in a three-game losing streak that includes losses to two sub-.500 teams.
The Caris LeVert and Domantas Sabonis trades signaled that the Pacers are more concerned with long-term returns, though. And as long as they're seeing solid individual play from Tyrese Haliburton (the one potential cornerstone player under the age of 25), they should be satisfied.
In his 11 games with Indiana, Haliburton is averaging 19.2 points 9.5 assists, 2.8 threes and 2.1 steals.
23. Los Angeles Lakers
8 of 30
Previous Rank: 21
Record: 28-37
Net Rating: -2.2
The Los Angeles Lakers continued their slide Wednesday with a 139-130 overtime loss to the Houston Rockets. They're now 7-19 since January 9 and 1-6 in their last seven games.
Even if Anthony Davis does return from a foot sprain in mid-March, this team isn't likely to inspire much fear in opponents.
L.A. is 11-9 when Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook all play, and the Lakers are minus-1.9 points per 100 possessions when they're on the floor.
22. Washington Wizards
9 of 30
Previous Rank: 22
Record: 29-35
Net Rating: -2.5
Kristaps Porzingis finally debuted for the Washington Wizards this week, and the early returns are encouraging.
Washington is 1-1 with KP, and he's averaged 22.0 points and 2.5 threes in just 23.6 minutes.
And since he's under contract through 2023-24 (assuming he picks up his player option), seeing him perform well (even in a limited sample) is nice.
This season may be another disappointment, but a healthy, consistent Porzingis can bring a ray of hope for next season.
21. New York Knicks
10 of 30
Previous Rank: 23
Record: 28-38
Net Rating: -1.4
Right when it looked like the New York Knicks might be ready to pack it in, they closed out the week by winning three straight games by an average of 23 points.
On Wednesday, they went on the road and beat the red-hot Dallas Mavericks by 30. And suddenly, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett look like the forward duo that led New York to a top-four finish last season.
During this mini-win streak, Randle is averaging 27.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.7 threes. Barrett is putting up 23.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists.
20. New Orleans Pelicans
11 of 30
Previous Rank: 19
Record: 27-39
Net Rating: -1.5
Just when the New Orleans Pelicans looked poised to solidify a spot in the play-in tournament, they followed up a four-game winning streak with three straight losses, including one to the Orlando Magic.
And if Brandon Ingram is out much longer (he's missed the last two with a hamstring injury), the door to 10th place may remain open for the San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings.
When Ingram is on the floor, the Pelicans are plus-2.8 points per 100 possessions. They're minus-10.0 when he's off.
19. San Antonio Spurs
12 of 30
Previous Rank: 20
Record: 25-41
Net Rating: -0.1
The San Antonio Spurs are a respectable 5-6 since they traded Derrick White to the Boston Celtics, in large part because of Keldon Johnson's ability to produce more in his absence.
Since the move, the 22-year-old Johnson is averaging 19.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 threes.
In the same stretch, the Spurs are plus-6.6 points per 100 possessions when Johnson shares the floor with Dejounte Murray.
18. Charlotte Hornets
13 of 30
Previous Rank: 18
Record: 32-35
Net Rating: -0.5
The Charlotte Hornets looked to be stabilizing a bit after the All-Star break with a 3-2 stretch that included blowout wins over the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers, but they've already started a new losing streak after closing the week with back-to-back losses.
And it's not all that difficult to peg the reason for Charlotte's struggles.
In Wednesday's loss to the Boston Celtics, the Hornets gave up 115 points. It was their 47th game this season in which they surrendered at least 110 (only the Houston Rockets have more such games). Charlotte is now 14-33 when opponents score 110 points.
17. Atlanta Hawks
14 of 30
Previous Rank: 15
Record: 31-34
Net Rating: +3.4
The Atlanta Hawks continue to be one of this season's bigger disappointments. After making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, they're on the verge of missing the play-in tournament.
And their biggest problem is likely the one that has plagued them throughout Trae Young's career.
The Hawks are scoring 9.6 fewer points per 100 possessions when Young is off the floor, which is somehow a slight improvement over marks from each of the last two seasons.
16. Los Angeles Clippers
15 of 30
Previous Rank: 16
Record: 35-33
Net Rating: -0.8
Much has been made (and rightfully so) of Nikola Jokic playing without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Joel Embiid was without Ben Simmons for the entire pre-trade deadline stretch of the season. But the Los Angeles Clippers may be the league's best story of resilience.
Sure, they're barely above .500 and have a negative point differential, but how many teams would boast L.A.'s indicators without their best player for the entire season and their second-best player for most of it.
Even without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers have remained competitive thanks to good coaching from Tyronn Lue and a team-oriented attack.
George last played in a game on December 22. Since then, L.A. has seven players with at least five appearances and a double-digit scoring average.
15. Toronto Raptors
16 of 30
Previous Rank: 14
Record: 35-30
Net Rating: +1.1
The Toronto Raptors, 3-5 since the All-Star break, have struggled of late, but a return to All-Star form for Pascal Siakam and a literal return from Fred VanVleet should help them change course.
Over his last five games, Siakam is averaging 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists. VanVleet, who'd missed Toronto's previous five games, scored 26 points and was plus-19 in a 15-point win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
When he's on the floor, the Raptors are plus-2.8 points per 100 possessions (compared to minus-2.3 when he was off).
14. Brooklyn Nets
17 of 30
Previous Rank: 17
Record: 34-33
Net Rating: -0.3
The Brooklyn Nets closed the week with back-to-back statement wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers.
In Tuesday's win over Charlotte, Kyrie Irving went off for 50 points on 15-of-19 shooting. On Thursday, in a highly anticipated matchup against Joel Embiid and James Harden, Irving and Kevin Durant combined for 47 points in a 29-point dismantling of the Sixers. One of the "other guys" who came over in the Ben Simmons trade, Seth Curry, went for 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting.
The blowout served as a reminder of Brooklyn's incredibly high offensive upside. And if Irving is available for even half of a playoff series, the Nets are going to be far from an easy out.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers
18 of 30
Previous Rank: 12
Record: 38-27
Net Rating: +3.4
After going 1-4 in their first five games after the All-Star break, the Cleveland Cavaliers managed a little course correction to close out this week.
On Sunday, big men Evan Mobley (20 points, 17 rebounds and four assists) and Lauri Markkanen (22 points and 12 rebounds) led the way in a win over the Toronto Raptors. Then, Darius Garland went off for 41 points and 13 assists in a back-and-forth road win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
Jarrett Allen suffered a fractured finger Sunday and is out indefinitely, which could certainly affect the Cavs' short-term prospects. But this kind of production from the young core—especially Garland, who's averaged 29.3 points and 11.5 assists in four games since returning from a back injury—should help them survive.
12. Denver Nuggets
19 of 30
Previous Rank: 11
Record: 40-27
Net Rating: +2.8
The Denver Nuggets had won 12 of their last 14 games (and 10 of their last 11), but fatigue finally seemed to catch up with them on Thursday when they lost to the Golden State Warriors in their fourth game in five nights.
Denver will now get a night off, and if anyone has earned the rest, it's Nikola Jokic. Over his last four games, the reigning MVP is averaging 34.8 points, 14.3 rebounds and 10.0 assists in 36.0 minutes.
And though he and his supporting cast deserve credit for being this far above .500, Thursday's game was a reminder that reinforcements are sorely needed before the playoffs.
If the Nuggets can get one or both of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. up to speed by the end of the regular season, they will be dangerous.
11. Chicago Bulls
20 of 30
Previous Rank: 10
Record: 40-26
Net Rating: +1.2
The Chicago Bulls ended a five-game losing streak Wednesday when they overcame a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Detroit Pistons.
But a six-point win over one of the worst teams in the East doesn't exactly quell concerns, especially when it came on the heels of all those losses.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves
21 of 30
Previous Rank: 13
Record: 38-29
Net Rating: +3.2
All season, the Minnesota Timberwolves have had one of the league's better starting lineups.
They're plus-109 when Patrick Beverley, D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Jarred Vanderbilt and Karl-Anthony Towns are on the floor, a mark that trails only the starting lineups of the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets.
But they've needed at least one consistent performer beyond those five to solidify their playoff footing, and Malik Beasley has been that player of late.
After going 11-of-17 from three in a blowout win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, Beasley is averaging 20.6 points and 6.2 threes, while shooting 52.5 percent from three, over his last five games.
9. Utah Jazz
22 of 30
Previous Rank: 9
Record: 41-24
Net Rating: +6.4
Take their injury-plagued January out of the equation, and the Utah Jazz are playing at a 62-win pace this season.
When Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley are all on the floor, Utah is plus-9.3 points per 100 possessions.
As long as it's healthy, this team is going to win regular-season games. And lots of them. But they've reached the prove-it era of their organizational history. Until they exorcise some playoff demons (including small-ball lineups that are surely headed their way), plenty will take their regular-season success with grains of salt.
8. Dallas Mavericks
23 of 30
Previous Rank: 8
Record: 40-26
Net Rating: +3.1
Teams are entitled to letdowns, especially during the regular season, but Wednesday's 30-point drubbing at the hands of the New York Knicks was among the Dallas Mavericks' most surprising losses of the season.
Still, Dallas is 12-5 since January 29, and Luka Doncic remains one of the hottest players in the league.
Over his last 20 games, Luka is averaging 32.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 3.5 threes while shooting 38.7 percent from three.
7. Philadelphia 76ers
24 of 30
Previous Rank: 4
Record: 40-25
Net Rating: +2.3
The Philadelphia 76ers got a significant wake-up call on Thursday when the Brooklyn Nets, without Ben Simmons, dominated them from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
Despite Joel Embiid getting 19 free-throw attempts in the first two quarters, Philly was down 21 at the half and looked hopeless on defense.
Of course, when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are on, the Nets can make just about any defense look bad, but this particular matchup may have exposed a lack of perimeter defense.
Matisse Thybulle is a needle-mover on defense, but as long as Danny Green is out, the Sixers may not have anyone else on the perimeter who fits that description.
6. Boston Celtics
25 of 30
Previous Rank: 7
Record: 40-27
Net Rating: +5.7
The Boston Celtics are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Since January 29, they're 15-2 with a plus-14.9 net rating. That mark isn't just first in the league over that span. It's about as far clear of the second-place Memphis Grizzlies as they are of 11th-place Philadelphia 76ers.
While it was the defense that initially led to Boston's surge up the standings, the Celtics are now lighting it up on the other end too.
In the same stretch, they're fourth in the league in points per 100 possessions, and Jayson Tatum is averaging 29.1 points.
5. Milwaukee Bucks
26 of 30
Previous Rank: 6
Record: 42-25
Net Rating: +4.0
With all the talk of the battle between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid for MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo has somehow slid under the radar a bit.
Even before he went for 43 points on 15-of-22 shooting in a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Giannis' numbers obliterated Embiid's in a blind poll. He also swings his team's net rating more than Embiid and is ahead of him in Basketball Reference's MVP Tracker ("...based on a model built using previous voting results").
And now that Milwaukee is starting to string some wins together (six straight now), it'll be hard to keep Giannis out of the MVP debate much longer.
4. Golden State Warriors
27 of 30
Previous Rank: 5
Record: 45-22
Net Rating: +6.3
The Golden State Warriors shook off a five-game losing streak by closing out the week with back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
And though there were certainly some bumps and bruises along the way, it looks like they'll bring some positives out of this period without Draymond Green (who's set to return Monday).
His shot doesn't seem to be all the way back yet, but Stephen Curry went for 34 points in Thursday's win over the Nuggets. Jordan Poole has averaged 23.8 over his last five. Moses Moody is going for 13.4 over the same stretch. And Jonathan Kuminga has put up 15.1 since February 1.
If Curry can maintain momentum and the young guys can keep producing like this after Draymond returns, the Warriors should find themselves back in a lot of conversations about the title.
3. Memphis Grizzlies
28 of 30
Previous Rank: 3
Record: 45-22
Net Rating: +4.5
The Memphis Grizzlies have cooled off a bit lately, with a 4-4 record over their last eight games. One of those losses coming to the Houston Rockets wasn't encouraging, either.
But the ceiling of this young team and its superstar point guard remains high. According to ESPN's BPI projection system, the Grizzlies have nearly a 6 percent chance to win the title this season.
Over his last 20 games, star point guard Ja Morant has averaged 32.7 points, 6.6 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 threes. He can be the best player in just about any individual series, which has often been a deciding factor in the playoffs.
2. Miami Heat
29 of 30
Previous Rank: 2
Record: 44-23
Net Rating: +4.7
The Miami Heat have been one of the best teams in the league since February 3. Prior to Wednesday, they were 12-3 in that stretch, but a matchup with the West-leading Phoenix Suns may have served as a wake-up call.
When Jimmy Butler isn't available (as he wasn't Wednesday), shot creation can be a problem for the Heat.
Tyler Herro can take over a game, but he's also prone to cold streaks. He went 7-of-20 against Phoenix and has a below-average effective field-goal percentage for the season. Kyle Lowry has been good at creating shots for others, but he too has a below-average effective field-goal percentage.
This all may be a little nitpicky. Miami still scores at a decent rate when Butler is off the floor, but the Heat are legitimate contenders, which puts them in nitpicking range.
1. Phoenix Suns
30 of 30
Previous Rank: 1
Record: 53-13
Net Rating: +7.8
In Devin Booker's first game back from health and safety protocols, the Phoenix Suns crushed the Miami Heat on the road and alleviated concerns that they might stumble without Chris Paul.
As important as the future Hall of Fame point guard is, Phoenix should be able to hang onto first place as long as everyone else stays healthy.
The Suns are plus-8.8 points per 100 possessions when Booker and Deandre Ayton play without CP3.
