Over the past two weeks, more teams in the NBA were outscored across their games (17 of them) than there were squads that outplayed their opponents. In other words, what...
Over the past two weeks, more teams in the NBA were outscored across their games (17 of them) than there were squads that outplayed their opponents. In other words, what we’ve seen, of late, is that the league’s rich keep getting richer, both in wins and point differentials and, probably, overall quality of life, too. While our power rankings haven’t seen too much of a shakeup this time out, we’ve seen some teams rise, including the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and Dallas Mavericks. Here’s how we’ve ranked the league’s power this week.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (24-10, 1st in the West)
Two-sentence summary: The league’s best team finally lost again. The unfortunate news, for everyone else, is that Oklahoma City’s now projected to win … just 74 games this season.
One question: Jalen Williams had arguably his worst game this season in Oklahoma City’s defeat in the semifinals, and the offense, when led by him, too often settled for bad shots. It’s probably nothing, right?
2. Denver Nuggets (18-6, 2nd in the West)
Two-sentence summary: Like the last edition of the power rankings, I see no reason to bump Denver down for an occasional bad loss, like one against a feistier Dallas Mavericks squad to begin the month, when their primary competition for it, the Houston Rockets, have done the exact same thing. And Denver’s churning along, of course, while continuing to survive the absence of two starters.
One question: Denver’s dead last in forcing turnovers this season, a true zag when most successful teams this season are emphasizing defensive chaos. Is there room for improvement, or can the Nuggets’ shotmaking carve their own path?
3. Houston Rockets (16-6, 3rd in the West)
Two-sentence summary: The Rockets remain the league’s lowest volume 3-point team, even if they have the league’s third-best 3-point percentage. They keep winning games, but we’ve all got eyes looking ahead to the two looming matchups against Denver on Monday and Saturday this week.
One question: Aaron Holiday has played too well to leave the rotation this season. Where will Ime Udoka find minutes for Dorian Finney-Smith and Tari Eason, who are both nearing a return?
4. Detroit Pistons (20-5, 1st in the East)
Two-sentence summary: The league’s third-best defense continues to have an incredibly defined style: We’ll out-physical you every single night. They lead the league in fouls committed, which is fine, since committing or drawing fouls has had a negligible impact on winning this season.
One question: I don’t think third-year players should win Most Improved, but nobody would have any problems with fourth-year Jalen Duren, right?
5. New York Knicks (18-7, 2nd in the East)
Two-sentence summary: I gave the “best in the East” edge to Detroit, but it’s close between these two, who are both, clearly, the scariest squads in the less feared conference. Jalen Brunson leads the league’s second-best offense and is taking more of his shots from 3 than any other season of his career, which is clearly working for the guy averaging nearly 29.
One question: Will Timothee Chalamet skip up out his Marty Supreme promo tour to attend the Knicks’ Cup championship on Tuesday?
6. San Antonio Spurs (18-7, 5th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: What an unbelievable return for Victor Wembanyama in the Spurs’ win over the Thunder, which was the first time San Antonio has had all three of its guards and Wembanyama available in the same game. This team’s ahead of schedule, but the success without Wembanyama — and getting the win in his return — makes their rise up the standings deserved.
One question: “I’m just glad to be part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful,” Wembanyama said after the Spurs’ win against the Thunder. “Pure and ethical basketball.” Is this the league’s next great rivalry?
7. Los Angeles Lakers (18-7, 4th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: Luka Dončić remains unquestionably a top-five player in this league, without question, but his ability to masquerade as the league’s very best for multiple weeks in a row just hasn’t been there as often this season, perhaps alongside his slightly diminished physical ability. He’s still objectively a killer, one who the Lakers will lean on in the coming weeks as Austin Reaves misses time with a calf sprain.
One question: No team’s outperforming its expected win total more than the Lakers this season. Which direction does the rest of their season swing: More close losses, or more dominance that brushes that aside?
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-9, 6th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: Minnesota has a flawed roster, but their ability to churn along despite that as one of the West’s best teams is notable nevertheless. Bones Hyland played 36 minutes in Sunday’s win, doubling his season high in minutes, and seems poised to get an extended chance to help bring clarity to the Timberwolves’ continued point guard need.
One question: That said, Bones Hyland? Really?
9. Boston Celtics (15-10, 3rd in the East)
Two-sentence summary: Hang on, now, and let’s pay attention now to the Celtics, who have the league’s third-best offense and sixth-best net rating while rising to third-best in the Eastern Conference. Boston has loaded up on 3-and-rebound role players, specifically ones who create second chances on the offensive glass, most exemplified by Josh Minott, a key addition for the Celtics.
One question: We’ll just brush aside their most recent loss to the Giannis-less Bucks, alright?
10. Orlando Magic (15-11, 4th in the East)
Two-sentence summary: Right when Paolo Banchero comes back, Franz Wagner goes out, atrocious news for the we-want-a-larger-sample-size-of-them-together believers. Jalen Suggs continues to be Orlando’s most important player, however, and Desmond Bane is fitting in.
One question: How does Bane top his last ball throwing stunt? I’m thinking he should headbutt the basketball into someone during a scuffle.
11. Miami Heat (14-11, 6th in the East)
Two-sentence summary: Miami leads the league in floaters, which makes sense for the egalitarian, no pick-and-roll style they’ve developed. As always, though, the Heat’s reason for being this high in the standings is much more about a feisty, understated defense Eric Spoelstra has assembled.
One question: This is the year for Spoelstra’s Coach of the Year award, right, which such a juicy, visible narrative for exactly how he’s been coaching them?
12. Phoenix Suns (14-12, 7th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: I knew Dillon Brooks was a culture changer, and I regret not taking that knowledge and using it to predict a much more competent Suns team, the one we’ve seen this year, before this season started. Even when he gets ragebaited into an ejection, what I think’s great is that Phoenix understands they wouldn’t have been in a game like this weekend’s loss to the Lakers without his clear, floor-setting presence abundant in what the Suns are aiming to do.
One question: If Grayson Allen turns out as a CIA experiment sent to test out the boundaries of the stepthrough move, no one will be shocked, right?
14. Golden State Warriors (13-14, 8th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: Is this too high? I’m at a loss with the Warriors, who bounce between being the team’s most and least deep team (the truth, obviously, is much closer to the latter), and who can’t even win games where Stephen Curry drops 48.
15. Atlanta Hawks (15-12, 9th in the East)
Two-sentence summary: Jalen Johnson has four consecutive triple-doubles, although his 12-point, 10-rebound, 12-assist one in Sunday’s win wasn’t his finest of this streak. But Johnson and the Hawks still look like a team that’s a season, and perhaps a couple moves, away from becoming something serious in the East.
One question: If there’s optimism for Zaccharie Risacher, it’s twofold: 1) It was known since he was drafted that he would go through extreme hot-and-cold stretches, and 2) he’s still troubled by inconsistent shooting mechanics, which is, theoretically, a fixable issue. But 2024’s first pick, who’s shooting just 29 percent from beyond the arc and averaging fewer points than his rookie year, has to start fixing exactly that soon, right?
16. Philadelphia 76ers (14-11, 7th in the East)
Two-sentence summary: I guess what’s so challenging about the 76ers is that I put them on once or twice each week and … I just still have no idea what this team is, you know? This isn’t so much another gripe about Joel Embiid and Paul George’s availability, both obviously trending up, as much as it’s a compliment to the mystery box nature that the 76ers remain given we still haven’t gotten extended stretches of consistency from any of them — which does make them alluring still, even if the likelihood is that the team’s current placement in the East is probably about where they will end up.
One question: Have we gotten past V.J. Edgecombe’s mini-rookie wall and gotten back to the fun stuff? It looks like it, which is good news.
17. Cleveland Cavaliers (15-12, 8th in the East)
Two-sentence summary: It’s getting bleak for Cleveland. We’re nearing #blowitup territory, I fear, not for the results themselves, where this team does have some standout results and remains in throwing distance of the top of the conference, but in how this team’s clearly trending in a bad direction.
One question: What would a Donovan Mitchell midseason trade look like, if it came to that?
18. Dallas Mavericks (10-16, 10th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: Dallas isn’t signalling that there’s a fire sale coming ahead of this year’s trade deadline, and the team’s interim front office is right to realize that, even if they did just that, it’s impossible to make this team’s roster bad enough to compete with the real tankers of this season. But seeing as the Mavericks don’t own their pick after next year’s draft until the 2030s, it’s also fair to ask how they will be able to make improvements around Cooper Flagg in the coming seasons.
One question: Even when Ryan Nembhard’s hot shooting cools off a bit, is anyone doubting that he’s still the team’s best option at point guard for everything else he does?
19. Memphis Grizzlies (11-14, 9th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: Things were looking up for the Grizzlies after a disastrous start, mostly thanks to Zach Edey; Memphis has outscored opponents by 78 points with him on the court while losing every other minute by 152. But because it’s the Grizzlies, anything that good must also involve pain, which arrived with the news that Edey would miss the next four weeks with a stress fracture in his left ankle.
One question: Cedric Coward, Memphis’ only other real positive this year, has rebounded from his early rookie wall. Is he fully back?
20. Portland Trail Blazers (10-16, 11th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: Given the state of the Western Conference, I think it’s right to expect that the Trail Blazers remain competitive for a Play-In Tournament berth if not outright secure one. Unfortunately, it’s still a coin flip every night whether their offense or the defense shows up, and too often it’s been neither.
One question: Have we noticed Shaedon Sharpe is quietly taking more of his shot attempts in the paint than at any other point in his career?
21. Charlotte Hornets (8-18, 12th in the East)
Two-sentence summary: Kon Knueppel already has the second-most games ever by a rookie with 20-plus points on 50/40/90 shooting. He remains the only real bright spot in a season that’s going about like all Charlotte seasons do, despite our best hopes otherwise.
One question: Is Charlotte going to exercise caution when entering extension talks with Brandon Miller next year? Because, right now, they should be cautious about what they’re willing to do.
22. Milwaukee Bucks (11-16, 10th in the East)
Two-sentence summary: The Antetokounmpo-less Bucks experience has been an odd one, with Milwaukee both high variance enough to beat the Celtics but with a floor low enough to lose to the Brooklyn Nets. Then again, they lost to the Washington Wizards earlier this year with Antetokounmpo, which seems to prove he’s right about this team not being serious.
One question: Do we need to start tracking the country’s sunniest cities?
23. Chicago Bulls (10-5, 11th in the East)
Two-sentence summary: It’s not just Chicago’s eight losses in nine games that have them dropping, but how sad many of these results have been, including defeats to Indiana, Brooklyn, Charlotte, and New Orleans twice! What I worry, as always for the Bulls, is that the team’s front office thinks this roster is much closer to being good than they are, and nothing good ever comes of that misaligned vision.
One question: Why, please someone tell me why, is Matas Buzelis getting fewer minutes than Patrick Williams?
24. Brooklyn Nets (7-18, 13th in the East)
Two-sentence summary: They’re saucy, they’re spicy, and the youngsters are starting to really show off of late, with the Nets winning four of their past six games in the month of December. In fact, it’s a really remarkable point of emphasis for this roster’s talent that they had a 45-point win without any player scoring more than 17 points over the past weekend.
One question: We know the Nets will still have games where they look outmatched and nowhere near seriousness, which is true, but we can remember this stretch when they do, right?
25. Utah Jazz (9-15, 12th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: Utah has actually won three of its five games this month, and it barely feels like it, given that this team’s still headed to the conference’s bottom. But Keyonte George continues to ascend even with his no-points-at-the-rim gimmick; he scored 39 in Utah’s last game with just one layup.
One question: Is Kevin Love scoring 20 points in the year 2025 a recession indicator?
26. L.A. Clippers (6-19, 13th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: It doesn’t matter to the Clippers where their pick is going next season; it only matters that they don’t own it. But since we know it’s headed to the Thunder, we can only sit in fear as the inevitable fire sale comes for this deeply sad roster, more disappointing than any I’ve seen this season.
One question: At least it’s good they’re only losing games by one-possession margins now, right?
27. New Orleans Pelicans (5-22, 15th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: The results for New Orleans’ draft night trade will always be bad, and they’ll remain that way no matter how good Jeremiah Fears and Deriq Queen play. But, man, it sure does look like Fears and Queen are the real deal.
One question: Is the continued “Warriors love Trey Murphy III” rumors the most embarrassing thing going in the NBA right now? Sure, and so does everyone else, but to what end? Golden State isn’t getting him.
28. Indiana Pacers (6-20, 14th in the East)
Two-sentence summary: Ethan Thompson started and played 24 minutes for the Pacers in their last game. I hadn’t heard of him until this last week, either, which is pretty much Indiana’s story this season, unfortunately.
One question: If you could combine Andrew Nembhard with his brother’s shooting touch, would he be a top-30 player or would he be even better than that?
29. Sacramento Kings (6-20, 14th in the West)
Two-sentence summary: Man, it’s not great when Precious Achiuwa, signed in an early November emergency, leads your team in scoring. It’s just not great anywhere in Sacramento.
One question: What even would be Keegan Murray’s trade value right now? It’s hard to pin down.
30. Washington Wizards (4-20, 15th in the East)
Two-sentence summary: Washington has doubled its win total this month. This is still bleak basketball that the team’s playing.
One question: I’ve seen enough nice things from Marvin Bagley III to think he’ll be in the league at least another five years. No one expected that, right?
Category: General Sports
