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Power Rankings for NBA teams in the 2024-2025 NBA season. RotoBaller analyzes every NBA Team in Week 17 of the season with Power Rankings from worst to first.
NBA Power Rankings - Week 17
After one of the most insane trade deadlines in recent history, we’re now just days away from the All-Star break. As the unofficial halfway mark of the season it marks an important spot on the calendar for many teams as they decide to make a run for it. Where does your team stand in our power rankings as we hit the midway mark? Keep on reading to find out.
30. Washington Wizards
Last Week: 30
A nice three game winning streak was immediately erased by another three game losing streak, something Wizards fans are all too accustomed to this season. After trading away Kyle Kuzma for Khris Middleton we’ve still yet to see Middleton in a Wizards uniform as he deals with an ankle injury and isn’t expected to suit up until after the All-Star break. Wizards fans may be intrigued to see Middleton in a new uniform for the first time in his career but it won’t wash away the stink of this season.
29. Utah Jazz
Last Week: 29
Utah was one of the more active teams at this year’s trade deadline, yet they didn’t really acquire anyone significant to their future plans. In their last 10 games they’re 2-8 with a -10.0 net rating, third worst in that span. Their 121.6 defensive rating in those 10 games surprisingly isn’t the worst in the league but it’s not making things fun for Jazz fans. John Collins is back in action but it’s still a rough time for Jazz fans who certainly are welcoming the break in the schedule.
28. Charlotte Hornets
Last Week: 28
Charlotte fans that were excited to see Dalton Knecht in a Hornets uniform may be the most disappointed fans this week after their trade with the Lakers got rescinded when Mark Williams failed a physical. So he’s back in Charlotte where the new offensive leader over the last 10 games has been Miles Bridges. The 26-year-old has averaged 22.3 PPG in the last 10, taking the role over for the oft-injured LaMelo Ball. He should continue to at least be Charlotte’s number two option as the season dwindles down into stress-free games for the Hornets.
27. Brooklyn Nets
Last Week: 27
Cameron Johnson survived the trade deadline, as did most of the Nets. Ben Simmons isn’t on the roster anymore, though, as the Nets bought out his contract before he signed with the Clippers. Brooklyn is still waiting for the return of Cam Thomas as well, a return that could take their 105.2 offensive rating over the last 10 games and really turn it up. He should be back after the All-Star break, at which point Brooklyn basketball should be a bit more watchable once again.
26. New Orleans Pelicans
Last Week: 26
New Orleans finally cut ties with Brandon Ingram and shipped him out to Toronto. That won’t affect much of the Pelicans’ performance on the court since Ingram hasn’t played since December. This is now Zion Williamson’s team, which is 1-9 with a -12.8 net rating in their last 10 games. Dejounte Murray’s torn Achilles tendon has opened up the door for Trey Murphy III, who has averaged 27.3 PPG in the four games since Murray’s injury. The development of Murphy and the rest of New Orleans’ young roster is all Pelicans’ fans have to look forward to the rest of the season.
25. Toronto Raptors
Last Week: 25
Speaking of Brandon Ingram, the former Pelican signed a 3-year, $120M extension on Tuesday, showing his commitment to the Raptors and foregoing free agency this offseason. He’s expected to be back at some point after the All-Star break, potentially helping Toronto make a push to the play-in. But they’re six games behind the Bulls for the final spot coming into Tuesday’s action and the Sixers, a few games ahead of them, finally have a healthy Joel Embiid. Ingram will need to make his mark quick or else Raptor fans may be focused strictly on the future.
24. Chicago Bulls
Last Week: 24
After trading Zach LaVine, the Bulls decided to keep Nikola Vucevic. It’s put their roster in a funky spot where it’s not exactly competitive but not exactly bad. Is that a ton different than they were before? Not quite, but they could at least be viewed as a bit of a threat if you slept on them before. In their current state they’re more or less walking through the motions, something that will see them easily slip out of the final play-in spot and land them in the lottery. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before they do just that.
23. Portland Trail Blazers
Last Week: 23
After a scorching hot streak that made them one of the hottest teams in the NBA, Portland has fallen back to earth after getting beat handily by the Timberwolves and the Nuggets. At 4.5 GB of the final play-in spot they still have work to do if they want to continue surprising teams in the West. Defense had been the Blazers’ strength during their 10-1 run and will need to continue being their calling card if they want to creep back up in the standings.
22. Atlanta Hawks
Last Week: 21
The Hawks moved on from De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic at the trade deadline, taking away much of the firepower the bench provided them. With Jalen Johnson set to miss the rest of the season, the Hawks may have a tough time competing going forward. Trae Young has always driven the offense, and will continue to do so, but it will be a tall task to make the Hawks formidable enough to be a threat in the play-in with the current roster.
21. Philadelphia 76ers
Last Week: 22
The Sixers finally have a healthy Joel Embiid and at the right time too as they push to make a run into the play-in spot. With plenty of teams in front of them set to fall (Chicago and Atlanta) and others that can’t seem to stop free-falling even though they once looked safe (Orlando) there’s plenty of opportunity for Philadelphia. At just 1.5 GB of Chicago headed into Tuesday’s action, there’s no real excuse for this team to miss the play-in. After a disastrous start, things are starting to look up for Sixers fans.
20. Miami Heat
Last Week: 20
The Jimmy Butler saga is finally over and Miami can finally move past the drama. Sitting in the seven-seed, and not in much danger of potentially falling out of the race, Miami has ample opportunity to integrate its new acquisitions into its system in time for a playoff run. The most notable threat will be Andrew Wiggins, who can give them a threat from most areas on the court when given the opportunity. Miami’s just 4-6 in their last 10 games, though, and will still need to turn it around in order to have some confidence once the playoffs come around.
19. Phoenix Suns
Last Week: 18
It could have been Kevin Durant back in a Warriors uniform until it was rumored he had no desire to rejoin Steph Curry in Golden State. That puts the Suns in a bit of an awkward position given how active they were looking to be at the trade deadline, or at least how loudly their desires were discussed in the national media. Phoenix is now in a position where they are going to need to push as hard as possible with their current roster for a championship run. But they’re on the outside of the play-in bracket and 3 GB of the six-seed. It’s not a huge gap between them and the Clippers for the six-seed but the gap feels monumental between where the Suns are and where we all expected them to be.
18. San Antonio Spurs
Last Week: 17
The De’Aaron Fox trade has yet to yield any results that would have Spurs fans feeling all that excited as they’re just 2-2 in his four games as a Spur. That includes losses to the Hornets and Magic, two eastern conference teams that San Antonio surely should have beaten. On the bright side, San Antonio has a 57.5% eFG% with Fox active. That’d be a lot more excitable if their defense wasn’t giving up a 57.2% eFG% at the same time. They’ll get a chance to prove themselves against Boston on Wednesday and head into the break with the play-in bracket in reach.
17. Orlando Magic
Last Week: 16
Orlando may have stopped the bleeding, winning two of their last four, but that’s likely still not enough to make Magic fans confident they can return to their top tier form they showed while battling injuries earlier this season. They’re just 6-15 since the beginning of January and have fallen to the 9-seed, dangerously close to falling out of the play-in picture altogether. They may have some help thanks to the bottom of the play-in bracket looking particularly weak in the East, but they need to pick it up to be taken seriously once again.
16. Golden State Warriors
Last Week: 19
After acquiring Jimmy Butler, it looks like it may have been the right move for the Warriors. At least early on here. In their two games with Butler active, the Warriors have scored 132 and 125 while holding both Chicago and Milwaukee to 111 points each. That’s a happy start to the Butler era in the Bay Area. Curry has been hot, scoring 30+ in four straight. Butler has scored 25 and 20 with much of that coming from the free throw line. He’s taken 13 and 15 free throws in his two games as a Warrior. That’s well above his 6.4 FTA per game mark when he was in Miami. Things are turning around in Golden State, at least for now.
15. Detroit Pistons
Last Week: 15
If the giant step the Pistons have taken this season hasn’t impressed you, maybe take a look at their most recent box score. They blitzed the Bulls on the road on Tuesday and outscored them 71-29 in the first half. That’s not a typo. At the 6-seed in the East they have surpassed expectations for this season and now look like they’ll be a fun underdog to follow when the playoffs begin. Cade Cunningham has averaged 29.7 PPG in his last 10 games, making him the dynamic driving force the Pistons were looking for when they drafted him #1 overall in 2021.
14. Sacramento Kings
Last Week: 14
Just as the Spurs haven’t really seen impressive results from their trade for De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento’s waiting to see results from acquiring Zach LaVine. Matter of fact, they’re also 2-2 since the trade. LaVine himself has averaged 18.5 PPG as a King, well below his 24.0 PPG mark in Chicago this season. DeMar Derozan, in his much discussed reunion with former teammate Lavine, is averaging 23.5 PPG in LaVine’s four games as a King and is clearly the new driving force of Sacramento’s offense without Fox. Tied for the last play-in spot, Sacramento’s not exactly sitting comfortably as of now.
13. Dallas Mavericks
Last Week: 13
To say the fallout from the Luka Doncic trade hasn’t gone Dallas’ way would be an understatement. Anthony Davis put up an incredibly solid stat line in his Mavericks debut shortly before suffering another abdominal injury and is now going to be out multiple weeks. Amid all the negative fan reaction, the Mavs have gone 2-3 since the trade and host the Warriors and Heat before heading into the All-Star break. A couple wins may help ease fan tension for now, but with just a one game lead over the Suns (who are in the 13-seed) they risk falling outside of the play-in if they slip up.
12. Los Angeles Clippers
Last Week: 11
The Clippers somehow feel like one of the most under-the-radar teams in the league. Ultra quiet compared to their LA-brethren, they’re sitting in the 6-seed tied with Minnesota. They’re 5-5 in their last 10 games, neither being all that impressive or all that bad. Their 111.8 defensive rating in the last 10 games ranks eighth overall in that span, helping their slightly below average offensive production. They won’t be putting up flashy numbers but will keep being competitive throughout the rest of the season. Come playoff time they won’t be a team you can sleep on.
11. Milwaukee Bucks
Last Week: 8
This team is one that’s depended solely on Giannis and Dame for far too long and it’s starting to come crumbling down. With Giannis slated to be out for multiple weeks, the Bucks are in a freefall. After going 9-2 through most of January, Milwaukee’s in a 2-6 downward spiral. The last five have been without Antetokounmpo where they’ve posted a -6.6 net rating. Newly acquired Kyle Kuzma has played just three games for Milwaukee but is grabbing 7.0 RPG. They will need more offensive production from him while Giannis is out for them to get back into the swing of things.
10. Indiana Pacers
Last Week: 10
The Pacers have cooled off a bit after going on a bit of a run, losing three of their last four games. Even with that, they’re 13-5 since January started. Myles Turner survived another trade deadline and should help the Pacers be a dominant force when the playoffs come around. Indy is sitting in the 4-seed and probably won’t be moving higher being 5.5 GB the Knicks. They have a one game lead over the Bucks and will certainly need to fight to hold onto that and get home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
9. Los Angeles Lakers
Last Week: 12
A big riser for us this week that was probably happening regardless of the Luka Doncic trade. The Lakers have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games and have posted a +14.1 net rating in that span. Doncic picked a great time for his Lakers debut in facing the Jazz, essentially the old “homecoming” game for college teams that schedule an easy win so everyone can go home happy. Not to be overlooked, Austin Reaves has been on a heater. The Wichita State product has averaged 27.4 PPG over his last five, pushing the Lakers to surprising wins when they seemed undermanned. As long as the Lakers stay healthy they will be a scary team to face in the playoffs.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves
Last Week: 9
The Timberwolves keep chugging along, maybe a bit under-the-radar compared to what you’d expect for a team we’re ranking eighth overall. They’re sitting in the 7-seed in the West thanks to the Clippers owning a tiebreaker. They’ll want to jump LA to avoid the play-in, a scenario they’re sure to want to avoid given the firepower in the West. They’ve been without Julius Randle for the past six games and they’ve gone 3-3 in that span. A jump above the 6-seed probably isn’t in sights for Minnesota unless Houston falters even more, but avoiding the play-in should be the priority for this Timberwolves roster.
7. Houston Rockets
Last Week: 4
Houston continues to trend downwards and has lost six of their last seven games. Five of those have been without veteran Fred VanVleet. One could argue his presence on this team may help keep things together as they’re 1-4 without him in this span. At the same time, the offense is shooting for just a 47.8% eFG% in those five games. Houston’s been able to overcome their normally inefficient offense by playing incredible defense. But when the defense slacks it becomes an issue for them. Houston will be a tough out but they need their offense to improve to become a real threat in the playoffs.
6. Denver Nuggets
Last Week: 7
The former champs are starting to look like they’re going to make a run at it again. Denver’s on a seven game winning streak with a +17.2 net rating in that span. They’re not just beating teams, they’re running away with games. Now the level of competition isn’t exactly inspiring, but they’re handling their own. Nikola Jokic is averaging 30.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 11.3 APG during the winning streak and hasn’t played in the fourth quarter in three straight games. All eyes will be watching Denver after the break when they host the Lakers on February 22nd.
5. Memphis Grizzlies
Last Week: 6
With an 8-2 record in their last 10 games coming into Tuesday’s matchup against the Suns, Memphis is starting to turn it on again. Their 121.3 offensive rating is sixth best in that span, something we’re coming to expect out of this Grizzlies team. Memphis plays great team ball and continues to be a threat in the West. Sitting in the 2-seed they’ll have to fight off Denver to keep it, but they’re sitting pretty in the West playing competitive ball while giving their rookies Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells plenty of time to develop at a high level.
4. New York Knicks
Last Week: 5
After Tuesday’s win over the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks are now 9-2 in their last 11 games. It’s pretty much what we’ve come to expect out of this Knicks team this season whether they’re fully healthy or not. Their +6.4 net rating in that span isn’t overly impressive but they keep racking up the wins with their 122.1 offensive rating. They’re pretty firmly locked in the three seed without much worries of dropping lower. There’s an outside chance they could move into the two-seed if Boston falters, but ultimately they’ll head into the break, and likely into the postseason, as the East’s third best team.
3. Boston Celtics
Last Week: 3
Speaking of champs that are starting to look like champs again, Boston’s on a bit of its own run. Winners of nine of their last 12 games, the Celtics are starting to regain form. There are still worries with their propensity to play down to the level of their competition and slip up, but they’re also rising to the level of their competition at the same time. During this streak they’ve been able to notch wins over the Cavaliers and Knicks. Not that anyone doubted they could stay with teams atop their conference, but it goes to show they are a forced when they’re mentally locked in.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
Last Week: 2
After a three-game losing streak that may have caused some to push pause on the Cavs’ breakout season, they’ve gone on to win seven of their last eight games with the only slip-up happening against Boston. At the trade deadline they went out and acquired De’Andre Hunter from the Hawks, helping to solidify their wing defense while gaining an additional 3-and-D type player. With a 5.5 game lead over the Celtics for the top seed, Cleveland’s in a fantastic spot to head into the playoffs as the top seed in the East. Whether they can hold up throughout the postseason will be the bigger question but they seemed poised to make a deep run after two years of early exits.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Last Week: 1
Back in our top spot without much worry, the Thunder continue to roll. Their +15.2 net rating in the last 10 games is the best in the league, hardly a surprise at this point in the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continue to have a stellar season, averaging 37.3 PPG in his last 10 games. SGA and Jokic will lead the MVP conversation but it will be the Thunder with the top spot in the West headed into the postseason. With an eight game lead over the Grizzlies in the two-seed, there’s not much danger for the Thunder as the West should run through OKC come May.
