The calendar has flipped to the new year as teams begin to prepare for the 2025 trade deadline which is a mere month away now on Feb. 6. Now is the time for teams to begin figuring out where they stand and how they plan to attack the deadline at this stage of the season.
In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been a machine and the Boston Celtics have been terrific while the Philadelphia 76ers have gotten off to a tough start amid injuries, but have begun to show signs of life. The New York Knicks have figured it out while the Orlando Magic cannot be forgotten about. The Milwaukee Bucks have begun to surge as well after their slow start.
Out West, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been at the top while teams like the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Dallas Mavericks will be teams to worry about as well.
With that said, here is the ninth edition of the NBA Power Rankings:
30. New Orleans Pelicans (5-29)
Previous ranking: 29
The Pelicans have just been a disaster. Injuries to the likes of Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, and others have completely derailed their season. New Orleans has lost 11 in a row and is 28th in offensive rating and 29th in defensive rating. The play of Trey Murphy III has been the lone bright spot in their dreadful season.
29. Washington Wizards (6-25)
Previous ranking: 30
The Wizards have picked up three wins recently over some middling teams. They beat the Hornets twice and then the Bulls on New Year’s Day. It has still been tough sledding for Washington, but with the deadline coming up, there should be interest in both Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole as the Wizards continue the rebuild.
28. Charlotte Hornets (7-25)
Previous ranking: 26
It isn’t like the Hornets had many expectations heading into this season, but to be as bad as they are is a bit surprising. Especially, since they have had LaMelo Ball for a good portion of the season. Sure, Miles Bridges, Mark Williams, and Brandon Miller have dealt with injuries as well, but Charlotte should not be on a 8-game skid and be as bad as it is.
27. Utah Jazz (7-25)
Previous ranking: 28
The Jazz have been awful on the defensive end as they rank dead last in the league in that category. With that being said, coach Will Hardy does a great job of getting his team ready to compete on a nightly basis. Utah hasn’t won many games as it has struggled to really find consistency, but there has been a good effort on most nights.
26. Toronto Raptors (8-26)
Previous ranking: 28
The Raptors ended a lengthy losing skid on New Year’s Day with a win over the Nets, but it has been a tough season in terms of results in Toronto. There is a lot of young talent that needs this court time to develop, but with young players, it means uneven play and difficulty finding wins. Coach Darko Rajakovic and his staff have to focus on growth at the moment.
25. Portland Trail Blazers (11-21)
Previous ranking: 25
This Blazers team is intriguing because of the young talent on the roster, but coach Chauncey Billups has had a tough time finding consistency from them. Of course, consistency does not come from youth-laden teams, but Portland has to move forward. One has to wonder if Anfernee Simons can be the one to lead this team back to respectability.
24. Brooklyn Nets (12-21)
Previous ranking: 24
Welcome back, D’Angelo Russell. The Nets pulled off another big deal before the new year as they sent Dorian Finney-Smith out West to the Lakers to acquire a fan favorite in Russell who played two seasons for the Nets from 2017 through 2019. One should expect Cam Johnson will be the next one out the door at Barclays Center.
23. Philadelphia 76ers (13-18)
Previous ranking: 23
The Sixers are surging as they are 10-4 since the 3-14 start. They are now only half a game back of the Bulls for the final play-in spot in the East, but they let one slip away in Sacramento on New Year’s Day. It is most likely a blip on the radar as they have been playing very well as of late, but when considering the hole they dug themselves, the Sixers can’t afford losses like that one.
22. Chicago Bulls (15-19)
Previous ranking: 22
The Bulls took a terrible loss in Washington on Wednesday as their up-and-down season continues. As always written in this space when it comes to the Bulls, they have to make some moves. Chicago has been in the play-in tournament the previous two seasons–without a playoff appearance in either year–and is destined to be there for a third consecutive season. A rebuild is inevitable.
21. Sacramento Kings (15-19)
Previous ranking: 21
Kings gonna Kings. The week for Sacramento began with the firing of coach Mike Brown who won Coach of the Year in 2023 while guiding the Kings to their only playoff appearance in the last 19 years. It was an unprofessional move by the organization, but interim coach Doug Christie has led Sacramento to two consecutive wins.
20. Phoenix Suns (15-17)
Previous ranking: 16
The Suns are in trouble. They have lost three in a row including a loss to a Grizzlies team missing nine players including Ja Morant and they lost to a Mavericks team missing Luka Doncic. They are a disaster on defense and are relying on Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to throw them on their backs and lead the way. Coach Mike Budenholzer has to figure something out in the Valley of the Sun.
19. Detroit Pistons (15-18)
Previous ranking: 20
The Pistons suffered a huge blow in their New Year’s Day win over the Magic when guard Jaden Ivey went down in a heap after a collision with Orlando’s Cole Anthony. Ivey has suffered a broken fibula in his left leg which will end his season after a terrific start for a resurgent Detroit team. More pressure will now be on Cade Cunningham to step up and lead the Pistons on the floor.
18. Indiana Pacers (16-18)
Previous ranking: 15
The Pacers are still an up-and-down group. They won five in a row to get back to .500, but are now back in the No. 8 seed. For a group that reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2024, this has been a bit of a disappointing season. One would have assumed that Tyrese Haliburton and Co. were ready for that next step in contention.
17. Golden State Warriors (16-16)
Previous ranking: 14
The Warriors are very “mid” in the words of Stephen Curry. They are only 20th in offensive rating ad ninth in defensive rating which makes for a very mediocre, middle-of-the-road team as they try and move themselves out of the play-in tournament in the Western Conference and into the top 6 in the West. Curry is still playing well and management has to make a move to help him out.
16. San Antonio Spurs (17-16)
Previous ranking: 19
The Spurs are showing signs of improvement. They are beating the teams they should while hanging tough with the good teams in the league. The addition of Chris Paul has proven to be helpful while phenom Victor Wembanyama continues to make strides as a superstar in this league. San Antonio could use another big piece to truly make the jump, but that could come in the offseason.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-15)
Previous ranking: 13
The Timberwolves are a dangerous team with Anthony Edwards leading the way, but coach Chris Finch has to figure out how to get the most out of the Edwards-Julius Randle tandem. It certainly isn’t like what it was with Karl-Anthony Towns and the Wolves have got to find a way to vault it self into the conversation in the West.
14. Atlanta Hawks (18-16)
Previous ranking: 18
The Hawks are flying in the middle of the sky right now. Every time they try to get their heads into the top 5 or so in the East, they are pushed back down. Either way, Atlanta is getting strong play out of Trae Young as well as the role players around him. The Hawks could be a tough out wherever they end up whether it’s the play-in or the playoffs.
13. Miami Heat (17-14)
Previous ranking: 17
The Heat have had an interesting week. They had an impressive win going into Houston and beating the Rockets, but it ended with Tyler Herro getting thrown to the ground by Rockets forward Amen Thompson, and the teams ending up in a bit of a scuffle. Either way, Herro and the Heat are back in the top 6 in the East and had Jimmy Butler return to the floor on Wednesday.
12. Milwaukee Bucks (17-14)
Previous ranking: 9
The Bucks have had a bit of a hangover since winning the NBA Cup. They have had a couple of bad losses and have had to squeak out wins when they can. With that being said, as long as Milwaukee has Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard healthy, it will be a serious contender in the East. The Bucks just need them healthy.
11. Los Angeles Lakers (18-14)
Previous ranking: 12
The Lakers made a big move by acquiring Finney-Smith from the Nets as he gives LA a 3-and-D option with length and versatility. He can play both forward spots and will look to give the Lakers a boost on both ends of the floor. His 3-point shooting will be valuable next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis within this team’s offense.
10. Orlando Magic (20-15)
Previous ranking: 7
The Magic are still a tough group who deserve a ton of credit for staying afloat amid all of the injuries, but do they ever need Paolo Banchero to return from his injury. The Magic were able to stay afloat when Franz Wagner was healthy, but now without Banchero and Wagner, it has been a struggle for Orlando. One has to believe Banchero will return soon for this group.
9. Los Angeles Clippers (19-14)
Previous ranking: 11
The Clippers are now in the top 6 in the Western Conference standings and have been stifling on the defensive end. LA ranks No. 6 in the league in defensive rating and just needs a healthy Kawhi Leonard to really make a jump into contention. When will Leonard return to help James Harden and Co.? Who knows? But it would be helpful for the Clippers when it does happen.
8. Dallas Mavericks (20-14)
Previous ranking: 8
The Mavs have picked up some impressive wins with Doncic sidelines, but Dallas figures to slide without its superstar leader. There are some tough teams in the West nipping at their heels and the Mavericks have to find a way to stay afloat. Luckily for them, they still have Kyrie Irving to lean on in this situation.
7. Denver Nuggets (19-13)
Previous ranking: 10
The Nuggets have won three in a row and are piecing it together. Nikola Jokic is still an elite player in this game while the role players have figured it out around him. Russell Westbrook, especially, has had some really special moments recently in a smaller role. Denver will still be a dangerous team when the playoffs roll around in April.
6. Houston Rockets (22-11)
Previous ranking: 4
The Rockets still have work to do in order to truly become a contender in the West, but it’s obvious that the talent is there. Coach Ime Udoka has a good handle on his group and has maximized the players on this roster. With guys like Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun leading the way, the Rockets will be able to figure out the next steps on their path to contention.
5. Memphis Grizzlies (23-11)
Previous ranking: 6
A healthy Grizzlies team is a scary one. A semi-healthy Grizzlies team is a solid one. Memphis is missing Ja Morant at the moment, but can rely on Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane to step up and lead the way for a team that is now the No. 2 seed in the West. This is the team everybody expected to see in 2023-24 before they were decimated by injuries.
4. New York Knicks (24-10)
Previous ranking: 5
The Knicks have been fantastic as they have won nine in a row and are looking like true contenders in the East. Of course, they have to prove this against the likes of the Celtics and the Cavaliers, but New York has bulldozed its way past everybody in its path. The duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns is a deadly one on offense.
3. Boston Celtics (24-9)
Previous ranking: 3
The Celtics are suffering some hiccups as of late, but one could argue that they are simply coasting at this stage of the season. The defending champs still have a tendency to lose focus and just kind of assume they are going to win which has caught up to them as of late. As time moves on, Boston will need to be better, but everybody within that organization knows this.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (27-5)
Previous ranking: 2
The Thunder have been a machine in the West. They have won 12 games in a row as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has placed himself squarely in the MVP conversation in the league. Oklahoma City currently holds a comfortable 5 game lead over the Grizzlies for the No. 1 seed in the West and has to be considered the favorites to make the finals come May and June in the Western Conference playoffs.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (29-4)
Previous ranking: 1
The Cavaliers appear unstoppable at the moment. They are the No. 1 ranked offense in the league and they are also ranked No. 8 in the league in defense so they are terrific on both ends of the floor. Donovan Mitchell has been terrific, per usual, but Evan Mobley has really taken that next step averaging 18.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks as he builds an All-Star case.
