NBA Power Rankings: Warriors trending in right direction
NBA Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's basketball editors.
This week, we're shining a spotlight on the good, the bad, and the Utah Jazz with a little more than a month remaining in the 2024-25 regular season.
Jump to:
ATL | BKN | BOS | CHA | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN | NOP | NYK | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX | POR | SAC | SAS | TOR | UTA | WAS
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (55-10)
Previous: 2
The three-game dip in January appears more like an anomaly than the norm for the Cavaliers. They're on a 15-game winning streak after beating the Nets on Tuesday, matching their 15-0 start to the season.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (53-12)
Previous: 1
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's scoring has perfectly complemented the Thunder's near-impenetrable D. He's the first player since Michael Jordan to eclipse 30 points in 40-plus games in three straight seasons.
3. Boston Celtics (47-18)
Previous: 4
Al Horford has successfully filled the Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis-sized hole at center. The 38-year-old is a key cog to the league's fifth-most effective lineup (minimum 250 possessions), per Cleaning the Glass.
4. Los Angeles Lakers (40-23)
Previous: 7
The Lakers will need to tread water with James injured for up to two weeks as they're only one game up on the fifth-place Rockets. Dropping a game to the Nets wasn't a good start.
5. Denver Nuggets (42-23)
Previous: 3
Jokic has set two historic statlines this season, recently dropping the league's first 30-20-20 game as well as a 35-20-15 box score in January. His all-time displays could lead to another MVP and help secure the second spot in the West for the Nuggets.
6. Golden State Warriors (37-28)
Previous: 13
Golden State is 12-1 with Jimmy Butler in the lineup. The Warriors have been better at both ends since his acquisition from Miami, posting the league's fifth-best offensive rating (119.8) and defensive rating (108.8).
7. New York Knicks (41-23)
Previous: 5
The Knicks have the third-worst offensive rating (108.9) since the All-Star break, they're 13-17 against teams .500 and above, and now Jalen Brunson is out at least two weeks. Smack that panic button.
8. Milwaukee Bucks (36-28)
Previous: 10
The Bucks won nine of 10 before a tight loss to Orlando preceded a valiant effort against Cleveland in a back-to-back. However, moral victories mean little when they're now 0-9 against the East's top three (Cavs, Celtics, Knicks).
9. Memphis Grizzlies (41-24)
Previous: 6
Jaren Jackson Jr.'s ankle injury hasn't stood in the way of the Grizzlies winning. Memphis has gone 3-1 and registered a top-10 defense without the former Defensive Player of the Year.
10. Houston Rockets (40-25)
Previous: 9
Amen Thompson's untimely ankle sprain could be catastrophic for Houston. The Rockets' offensive and defensive ratings with him off the court have dropped by double digits since the All-Star break. Can I get an Amen?
11. Detroit Pistons (37-29)
Previous: 14
The Pistons own the league's fourth-worst turnover percentage (15.9%) but the fourth-best net rating (10.1) in six games in March. They can match up against anyone down the stretch if they take care of the ball.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (37-29)
Previous: 12
Rudy Gobert's return from a 10-game absence coincided with the T-Wolves' best offensive display of the season in a 141-point outburst versus the Spurs. Anthony Edwards and Co. continue to impose their will on lesser opponents.
13. Indiana Pacers (36-28)
Previous: 8
Aaron Nesmith has been instrumental to the Pacers' success since returning to the lineup Jan. 16. Indiana is 13-9 with the versatile wing, and he's averaging 11.2 points as a starter.
14. Los Angeles Clippers (35-30)
Previous: 11
The Clippers continue to confound away from the Intuit Dome. Their 13-20 road record includes a recent 2-6 run on an eight-game road trip, featuring back-to-back defeats to the Lakers. Road warriors, they are not.
15. Sacramento Kings (33-31)
Previous: 15
Forgive the cynicism, but the play-in-bound Kings are incapable of punching up. Their 12-21 mark versus teams at .500 or above is the fifth-worst record in the conference. Not great.
16. Orlando Magic (30-36)
Previous: 18
The Magic have two 24-point per-game scorers in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Orlando's next two leading scorers are out for the season (Jalen Suggs, Mo Wagner). They desperately need someone else to step up.
17. Atlanta Hawks (31-34)
Previous: 19
The Hawks score 47.3% of their points in the paint, the third-highest percentage in the league. Atlanta has only been in the top 10 in percentage in this category twice in the Trae Young era: his rookie and sophomore seasons.
18. Phoenix Suns (30-35)
Previous: 20
The Suns have the league's fifth-best offense over the past 10 games, but they also have the third-worst defense over that span. They gave up 151 and 149 points in losses to the Grizzlies and Nuggets.
19. Portland Trail Blazers (28-38)
Previous: 21
The Blazers are closing in on a play-in spot thanks to a 15-10 record in their last 25 games. They just need to vault the allergic-to-winning Mavs and Suns.
20. Miami Heat (29-35)
Previous: 18
The Heat have gone 4-11 since trading Jimmy Butler to the Warriors. They've lost five of their last six and sit six games below .500, their worst mark of the season. Heat Culture apparently means losing.
21. Chicago Bulls (27-38)
Previous: 24
The Bulls lack direction after not getting much in return for Zach LaVine. They own the NBA's 23rd-ranked offense and sit 26th in team field-goal percentage (45.3%) since his departure.
22. San Antonio Spurs (26-37)
Previous: 22
The Spurs are 3-8 since losing Victor Wembanyama and have the ninth-hardest strength of schedule over their remaining 19 games. All hail San Antonio's exceedingly ethical tank job.
23. Toronto Raptors (22-43)
Previous: 25
This team is struggling to lose. The Raptors need to tank with no chance of competing but have instead won four of their last five with a borderline G League roster to move eight-and-a-half games ahead of last place in the NBA.
24. New Orleans Pelicans (18-48)
Previous: 29
The Pelicans are 6-16 over their last 22 outings and own the league's worst defensive rating (118.6) despite pivoting to a towering starting five that features Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson on the wings.
25. Philadelphia 76ers (22-42)
Previous: 26
The 76ers will be shipping their 2025 first-rounder to OKC unless the lottery balls miraculously slot them into the bottom six. With the fifth-softest remaining schedule, they may win too many games by accident.
26. Washington Wizards (13-51)
Previous: 30
Washington has proven its value over other struggling teams despite sitting at the bottom of the East. The Wizards hold a .500 record post-All-Star break thanks in part to wins over the Raptors, Jazz, Hornets, and Nets.
27. Brooklyn Nets (22-43)
Previous: 23
Brooklyn eked out a win against a wounded Lakers team, snapping a seven-game losing streak. Still, the Nets possess the league's second-worst offensive rating (108.5) over their last 15 contests.
28. Dallas Mavericks (33-33)
Previous: 17
With Luka Doncic gone, Kyrie Irving out for the season, and no timetable for Anthony Davis' return, the decimated Mavericks are trending toward a second missed postseason in three years. Organizational malpractice 101.
29. Charlotte Hornets (16-48)
Previous: 28
The Hornets are 3-9 since the All-Star break while putting up a league-worst 101.4 points per game during this stretch. They're also the worst shooting team in the NBA with a 40.5% field-goal percentage.
30. Utah Jazz (15-50)
Previous: 27
The first step to the Jazz's tank is complete: They're the first team eliminated from postseason contention. Utah is liable to sit anyone on any given night; Will Hardy has had 16 different players start a game this season.