We have moved into the dog days of the season, which can lead to strange results as players grow tired and start looking ahead to the All-Star break. All that gets taken into account in these latest NBA Power Rankings.
1. Detroit Pistons
(28-10, last week No. 1)
Detroit seems to have answered every question this season. The only question facing the Pistons now is "can they beat good teams in the playoffs?" While that can't be answered until April and May, they have been doing it during the regular season — Detroit is a league-best 10-4 against teams over .500, including 6-1 on the road. If you don't want to do the math yourself, the Pistons are 18-5 against teams below .500. Also impressive: The Pistons are 6-1 on the second night of a back-to-back this season. When the All-Star Game starters are announced a week from today, expect Cade Cunningham to be among them.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
(33-7, last week No. 3)
Two Thunder games this coming week — hosting the Spurs and then traveling to face the Rockets — are good mid-season tests to see if the mid-season slump that made OKC look beatable continues, or if they have returned to form (watch that Spurs/Thunder game as part of Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock). Being the team with the target on its back is something the Thunder have had to adjust to this season, coach Mark Daigneault said last week. "When you win the championship and you start the way we started, it comes with the territory… It's a competitive privilege to be a team that other teams are up to play for." The best news out of OKC in recent weeks is that Nikola Topic has resumed training at the team's facility following chemotherapy for testicular cancer. This is a great milestone for Topic that deserves to be celebrated.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
(26-14, last week No. 6)
Minnesota is looking more and more like the team that has gone to the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back years — coming from 15 down on Sunday to beat the Spurs was the latest example. Minnesota has all the hallmarks of a contender: It is top-10 in the league in both offense and defense, it is clutch and second in the league in points scored in the fourth quarter per game, and it has the superstar to take and make the big shot when it matters. Speaking of Anthony Edwards, he played it down like it was no big deal, but it is — congratulations to Edwards on becoming the third youngest player in NBA history to reach 10,000 points.
4. San Antonio Spurs
(27-12, last week No. 2)
After missing just a couple of games following a knee hyperextension, Victor Wembanyama was back on the court last week. Wemby pushed to come back sooner, with coach Mitch Johnson saying, "I do know his long-term health and making sure we keep that kid from himself in terms of his competitiveness [is a priority]. We want him to be healthy for years, not for just trying to win the next couple of games." Just after Johnson said that, Wemby went and dropped 30 on the Grizzlies in 21 minutes, but had to sit out the clutch minutes at the end of the game due to a minutes limit and the Spurs lost by one. The Spurs are doing the right thing, but when Wemby can do this, how injured is he?
5. Boston Celtics
(24-14, last week No. 5)
The Celtics don't slide in our rankings this week, but losses last week to the Timberwolves and a shorthanded Nuggets team raise a question about just how good this team is against the best (the Celtics are 11-9 against teams over .500 this season). Those concerns (and the return of Jayson Tatum in the next couple of months) are why they are actively looking for another big man to solidify the front line. The Celtics can solidify their position in the East with seven games in a row against the conference coming up, but six of them are on the road.
6. Phoenix Suns
(24-15, last week No. 8)
Let's give owner Mat Ishbia some props. We all rolled our eyes this summer when he said the focus in Phoenix would be on culture building — too many previous owners and GMs had said that and not followed through, and we hadn't seen that from Ishbia to that point — but he has done it. Give Dillon Brooks the locker room assist, along with the quiet leadership of Devin Booker (who, because the West is ridiculously deep, is a borderline All-Star). It is all working for the team that is the biggest surprise in the league. That culture will be put to the test over the next couple of weeks as the Suns head out for a five-game road trip through the East. Grayson Allen returned after missing nine games with a right knee injury, adding depth to a team that has thrived this season because it is stacked with good players.
7. New York Knicks
(25-14, last week No. 7)
The Knicks went 3-5 (without Josh Hart in the lineup, but he returned on Sunday and had 18 points and six dimes in a Knicks win. It's not a coincidence the team struggled without him — he is the Knicks' glue guy. He makes everyone else fit. "He's the heart and soul of the team from an energy perspective," Miles McBride told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. "I bring a lot of energy, we got a lot of guys that do. But he's been doing it for so long and we've all been able to use him as the nucleus." New York is 1-1 so far on its road trip with a back-to-back against the Kings and Warriors remaining before a return to Madison Square Garden.
8. Houston Rockets
(22-14, last week No. 4)
Alperen Sengun's absence for essentially four games (he only played one minute in the game he got injured) showed exactly how much the Rockets depend on him, and why he should be an All-Star. The Rockets don't take a lot of 3-pointers (31.2 a game, 29th in the league) but make a top-five 37.2% when they do. Without Sengun on Friday against Portland, the team went 1-of-17 from 3 in the fourth quarter and lost. With him out, plus the one game he returned (a loss to the Kings), the Rockets are shooting a league worst 24.3%. The Rockets will try to get right with five straight home games, but that includes a Thursday-Friday back-to-back against the Thunder and Timberwolves.
9. Denver Nuggets
(26-13, last week No. 9)
The Nuggets are a very respectable 4-3 since Nikola Jokic went out, and while their league-leading offense has fallen off without the Joker, it is still a solid 14th in the league over those seven games. While Jokic is "antsy" to return, according to coach David Adelman, the wins and the fact that Denver remains third in the West mean they can afford to be patient about bringing the MVP candidate back. The day to really watch on that front is Jan. 30, when the Nuggets host the Clippers: If Jokic is out past that date he will miss too many games to qualify for postseason awards or the All-NBA team under the league's 65-game rule. Which is a stupid rule (I can guarantee you voters already took games played into account), but that is a discussion for another day.
10. Toronto Raptors
(24-16, last week No. 12)
Jakob Poeltl has missed the last 10 games, which is why the Raptors are active in the trade market looking for a big man. That said, his absence has not hurt the Toronto defense, as the team is seventh in the league over its last 10 games, and it has gone 7-3 overall (sitting fourth in the East). The Raptors beat the 76ers on Sunday but have a rematch on Monday, then later this week host a red-hot Clippers team led by Kawhi Leonard, a guy Raptors fans know well.
11. Cleveland Cavaliers
(22-18, last week No. 10)
The Cavaliers have played well during a tough stretch of the schedule, going 6-4 in their last 10 and posting the eighth-best net rating in the league (+4.8) during that stretch. While the Cavaliers have already lost as many games this season as they did all of last season and sit seventh in the East, they are just two games back of the No. 4 seed and the chance to host a first-round playoff game. Cleveland has an opportunity to help itself in the East standings this week with two games at Philadelphia.
12. Los Angeles Lakers
(23-13, last week No. 11)
Is the national media too hard on the Lakers? My old friend Darius Soriano at Silver Screen and Roll argued that recently, and he's not totally wrong. It's interesting to point out that the Lakers have essentially the same point differential this season as the 14-25 Charlotte Hornets (the Lakers are -12, the Hornets -13), but the reality is the Lakers are 10 games over .500 and sitting fifth in the West. While the Lakers are looking hard for a 3&D wing at the trade deadline, their problem is that 29 other teams are looking for one, and the price to get a good one — such as Herb Jones in New Orleans — is higher than the Lakers can pay at the deadline.
13. Philadelphia 76ers
(21-16, last week No. 13)
Paul George has been key to the 76ers' strong play of late — winners of 5-of-7 — because he has been the guy carrying the team in the minutes (particularly at the start of the fourth quarter) when both Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are getting a rest. Even with more things going right, this team does things like last Monday's loss to a shorthanded Denver team, which just makes them hard to trust. One game against the Raptors and two against the Cavaliers this week are the kind of games the 76ers need to win if they are really going to earn our trust, and not just tease us with a few nights flashing their potential.
14. Orlando Magic
(22-18, last week No. 16)
The Magic are the comeback kids — they have nine wins this season in games where they trailed by at least 10 points, tied for second-most in the league. However, the more important comeback this week was the return of center Mo Wagner to the lineup. He has missed the first half of the season recovering from the torn ACL he suffered last December (last season he averaged 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds a game off the bench). His brother, Fanz Wagner, is expected to return to the lineup soon (hopefully before the team's game in Berlin on Thursday). Finally, we all heard Paolo Banchero call bank before he launched the game-winner against the Nets, right?
15. Golden State Warriors
(21-19, last week No. 15)
One thing holding this season's Warriors back: They are not very good in the clutch. Golden State is 8-12 in games within five points in the final five minutes, and they have a -8.6 net rating in those minutes, largely because they have the second-worst clutch defense in the league this season. That shouldn't be the case on a team with veterans Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. Golden State is 2-1 to start an eight-game homestand, where they have a chance to pad their record and move up the Western Conference standings.
16. Los Angeles Clippers
(15-23, last week No. 19)
Frankly, this ranking may be too low considering the way the Clippers are playing of late. The Clippers are 9-2 in their last 11 games with a +10 net rating in those games (and a top-10 offense and defense in that stretch). With a healthy Kawhi Leonard dominating games, the Clippers — a team many were writing off just a few weeks ago — are within half a game of the play-in tournament (and you can be sure this is not a team the top squads in the West want to see early in the playoffs). Very winnable home games this week against Charlotte and Washington should continue the streak.
17. Milwaukee Bucks
(17-22, last week No. 17)
The Bucks are 5-3 since Giannis Antetokounmpo's return to the lineup (but the only win in that stretch against a team over .500 came against the Lakers). For the season, the Bucks are 14-11 in the games Antetokounmpo plays, a winning percentage that ultimately would work out to a 46-win season, which would have the Bucks in the mix for a top-six seed. As it stands, they still have work to do to get into the play-in. Unsurprisingly, Antetokounmpo leads the NBA in points scored in the paint this season, both total (500) and per game (20).
18. Portland Trail Blazers
(19-21, last week No. 22)
Deni Avdija leads the NBA in average drives per game at 20.4 — that's over two a game more than second place Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. With drives come free throw attempts, which is why he leads the league in total free throw attempts and is second in attempts per game (to the Lakers Doncic). All of that is why Avdija laughed off comments from the Rockets' Tari Eason about Avdija getting favorable whistles. "That made me laugh, for real. Let's address it. I drive the most in the league. I'm very physical. I'm not shying away from contact. I'm going downhill and I don't care who's in front of me. I'm going straight through them. And I'm not playing for those fouls, but I'm going to get fouled. This is part of the game. I can't control it. I'm very aggressive. I initiate the contact and that's my game … if it's hard to stop, you've got to own it or do something else." You can watch Avdija and decide for yourself, he and the Trail Blazers take on the Warriors in the second game of Coast to Coast NBA Tuesday on NBC and Peacock this week.
19. Atlanta Hawks
(20-21, last week No. 20)
Atlanta has moved on from Trae Young, and while we can say there was a missed opportunity cost there — they could have gotten more a year ago, or even last summer — the fact is that trading away the face of the franchise and a fan favorite is never easy. That the team came to the realization it was time and convinced ownership to do it for what amounted to a salary dump is a win. It was time for both sides to move on and they did. The Hawks have won their last two games since the trade, and they also have that New Orleans Pelicans pick in their back pocket.
20. Miami Heat
(20-19, last week No. 14)
This ranking may be too low for Miami, but they have lost 4 of 5, including an ugly one to Indiana over the weekend. The good news is that Tyler Herro has returned to the lineup after missing the last 11 Heat games (and had 21 in that loss to the Pacers). Things do not get easier for the Heat as they face the Suns, Thunder, and Celtics this week.
21. Chicago Bulls
(18-20, last week No. 18)
The best reason for optimism in Chicago? The play of second-year forward Matas Buzelis. He has taken a big step forward this season, particularly of late, averaging 19.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and three assists per game in January. "I think the biggest thing with him that I've been the most pleased with and that's been really consistent from him is he's not holding the ball and dancing with it," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said (via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times). "He was decisive when he had it in space. Whether it was shooting the ball or driving the ball, he was decisive, and I feel like that's how he has to play." Buzelis just looks more comfortable on the court now.
22. Charlotte Hornets
(14-25, last week No. 23)
There are plenty of changes in Charlotte. LaMelo Ball got moved to the bench — something he wanted to do, according to coach Charles Lee — and instantly responded with a 33-point outing. However, he returned to the starting five the next game in a win against Utah. Also, Grant Williams made his season debut (he had been out since tearing his ACL 14 months ago) and put up nine points in 14 minutes, looking understandably rusty in his first game back. Last season, Williams averaged 12.6 points and 5.1 rebounds a game for the Hornets. Last week's win over the Thunder will go down as one of the season's highlights.
23. Memphis Grizzlies
(17-22, last week No. 21)
Memphis and Ja Morant are ready to part ways, but league sources NBC speaks with think this is more likely to be an offseason trade. This is not unlike the Trae Young trade situation, which ended up being basically a one-team market (and that team is off the board). There are teams willing to take a chance on Morant, but questions about his availability, concerns about his salary, and the fact that the Grizzlies are looking for a first-round pick in return make this look more like an offseason move than one that happens before Feb. 5.
24. Dallas Mavericks
(14-25, last week No. 25)
As of this writing, the Mavericks have not made an official announcement on how long Anthony Davis will be out with ligament damage in his left hand, but it's long enough that his trade market is sunk. That domino falling knocks over a lot of others. First, Daniel Gafford just became one of the more likely players to be traded at the deadline as Atlanta, Toronto, and others that had their eyes on Davis start looking at the next big in line, and he also happens to be a Maverick. (Keep an eye on Boston in the Gafford sweepstakes.) One other thing to watch is how Davis' injury affects Kyrie Irving's potential return this season. If Davis is out for a significant period of time, do the Mavericks pull the plug on the season and push Irving to take the rest of it off to recover from his torn ACL?
25. Brooklyn Nets
(11-25, last week No. 24)
If one thing seems inevitable at the trade deadline, it's that Brooklyn will trade Michael Porter Jr. — he is the hottest name in league trade talks right now. The question is how much the Nets can get back for a guy averaging 25 points a game this season. On the court, the Nets have had a couple of nice in-game comebacks in the past week, but have still dropped 6-of-7.
26. Washington Wizards
(10-28, last week No. 26)
Trae Young has yet to step on the court for Washington, but said he wanted to go to the Wizards because he believed he could help turn the organization around. "It's a day-by-day process. I know what it takes. It's not going to be easy. But I know this is a place that I'm excited about and I was excited about whenever I heard it could be a possibility." These last two games could be telling. We may not see much of Young in a Wizards uniform this season — especially if he starts to raise the floor of this team — because the Wizards owe their first-round pick to the Knicks, but it is top-eight protected. As of the trade, the Wizards had the fourth-worst record in the league, and with that, were guaranteed to keep their pick. Washington does not want to give up that pick this season, heading into what scouts consider a very good draft. If Young starts to inspire a lot of winning, expect there to be an injury or some reason for him to sit the rest of the season.
27. Utah Jazz
(13-25, last week No. 27)
When the Jazz put their best players on the floor, they have a respectable offense and a team that can pull off some upsets, which is why once a week or so, Lauri Markkanen gets rested now. The latest example of that was Saturday, at home, when he sat against Charlotte and the Hornets led by as many as 46 in a rough outing for the Jazz. You want to know why everyone in Utah is high on Keynote George? Watch this game-sealing bucket to beat the Mavericks — that is the whole bag of moves.
28. Indiana Pacers
(8-31, last week No. 30)
Indiana snapped its 13-game losing streak last week, and with that congratulations go to coach Rick Carlisle for reaching 1,000 wins in his career. Carlisle was a quality NBA player — he has a ring from the 1986 Celtics — who has been an even greater coach, one of the best Xs-and-Os minds in the game. It took a while for the Pacers to get Carlisle to 1000 because of how hard injuries have hit this team — Indiana has used a league-leading 22 different starting lineups this season (in 38 games).
29. Sacramento Kings
(9-30, last week No. 29)
Sacramento remains one of the most active sellers at the trade deadline with Zach LaVine (maybe to Milwaukee), Domantas Sabonis and Keon Ellis being the players most likely to need a go bag next to the door. The Kings' impressive win on Sunday over the Houston Rockets — snapping a seven-game losing streak — keeps them out of the bottom spot in these rankings.
30. New Orleans Pelicans
(9-32, last week No. 28)
Trey Murphy III has had some big games of late, scoring 42 in a loss to the Lakers (a team that could really use him) and then 35 in a win against the Wizards on Friday. Also in that win, Derik Queen had his first career triple-double with 14 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists. With games against the Nets and Pacers this week, the Pelicans have some opportunities to pick up wins (and move out of the bottom of these rankings and the 15th slot in the Western Conference.
