NBA power rankings 2024-25: Thunder, Celtics pulling away from everyone, Lakers re-enter top 10

Cleveland has won 4-of-5, reached 60 wins on the season, will be the No. 1 seed in the East, but it feels like they are at least half a step behind Boston and OKC, the way the top two are playing right now.

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1. Oklahoma City Thunder (63-12, Last Week No. 1). The Thunder are 28-1 against the Eastern Conference this season, which sets a new high water mark for best record every against the other conference (the previous best was the 2000 Shaq/Kobe Lakers and the 2007 Dirk Nowtizki Mavericks, both of whom were 27-3). The Thunder also have 48 double-digit wins this season, just two off the record (50 by the Wilt Chamberlain/Jerry West 1971-72 Lakers; the Thunder have tied the 2017 Warriors and already in double-digit wins and passed both Kareem’s 1971 Bucks and Jordan’s 96 Bulls). Worth noting that all those other teams won the NBA title.

2. Boston Celtics (56-19, LW 2). Boston is hitting its stride at just the right time — the Celtics just recorded the first 6-0 road trip in franchise history (it's kind of shocking that the Bill Russell Celtics didn’t pull that off). Part of what is driving that is improved playmaking from Jayson Tatum, who averaged 5.6 assists a game before the All-Star break and is averaging 7.1 a night after. Tatum is having his best season, playing with more edge than ever, and is a First Team All-NBA lock.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers (60-15, LW 3). If you're looking for reasons to feel good about the Cavaliers — outside of them reaching 60 wins for just the third time in franchise history — then think back to Sunday's win over the Clippers. Jarrett Allen got his revenge on Ivica Zubac with 25 points and 12 rebounds, and the Cavaliers had a balanced attack with Donovan Mitchell (24 points), Evan Mobley (22), and Darius Garland (19). That's the energy this team needs to take into the playoffs.

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4. Golden State Warriors (44-31, LW 6). The Warriors are now 19-5 since the Jimmy Butler trade and their defense is the reason. The Warriors have the seventh-ranked defense in the NBA this season and, in what is a good sign for the playoffs, the fourth-best clutch defense in the league. It also helps when Stephen Curry does this.

5. Denver Nuggets (47-29, LW 4). Denver went 2-3 without Nikola Jokic, but he didn't miss a beat when he returned. He looked like his MVP self. Did you see the 61-point triple-double against Minnesota on Tuesday? Jamal Murray missed that game (his second in a row) with a hamstring issue — if Denver is going to make any kind of postseason run it will need a fully healthy, aggressive Murray. We've only seen that Murray sporadically this season.

PLAYOFFS OR BUST

6. Houston Rockets (49-27, LW 5). The Rockets need wins down the stretch to hold on to the No. 2 seed (they are 1.5 games ahead of Denver), making it difficult for coach Ime Udoka to get his guys a chance to rest and recover for the playoffs. "I think we do have to find the balance,” Udoka said. “Obviously, with the standings being as close as they are, every game is crucial, especially when you play in the people in striking range… But you know, more so than anything, you want to be healthy and playing good basketball going into postseason. So regardless of where you may fall, that's the most important thing as far as us… But winning is the ultimate thing that we were striving for right now. Like I said, health and all that is important, but don't want to slide down the standings as well.”

7. Los Angeles Clippers (43-32, LW 7). What makes the Clippers such a dangerous playoff team? First, the third-ranked defense in the league. Second, Kawhi Leonard is back: In his last 10 games, he has averaged 25.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, shooting 44.4% from 3 (and 54% overall), plus playing quality defense. The Clippers sit eighth in the West as of this writing but are just a game out of fifth (the Warriors) and are 8-2 in their last 10.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves (44-32, LW 8). Anthony Edwards is the face of the team, but Rudy Gobert looks like the glue that holds the Timberwolves — and their defense — together and makes them a genuine threat in the West. He had a great game (19 points and 25 rebounds) against the Pistons in the brawl game, then it was clear how much the team missed him when he fouled out against the Nuggets on Tuesday (Minnesota still got the win). In a deep West where we can say this about a lot of teams, Minnesota is hitting its stride at the right time.

9. Los Angeles Lakers (46-29, LW 11). With Jaxson Hayes as the team's starting center, the Lakers are going to go for long stretches in the postseason without a traditional five on the floor — but with the versatility of LeBron James and size at every position (the return of Rui Hachimura really helps here) they can make it work. That "small" lineup for the Lakers is active and aggressive on defense, it threw off the Rockets in a Lakers win Monday night. It looked like a defense that can at least hold up in the playoffs — and the Lakers will need it to.

10. New York Knicks (48-27, LW 9). The buzz out of New York is that Jalen Brunson should return for a few games before the end of the season, letting the Knicks try to get get some of their chemistry back before the playoffs start (where they may well face the Bucks in the first round, a team the Knicks swept this season). The Knicks have gone 7-5 without Brunson and as long as they continue like that and keep their heads above water, they should hold on to the No. 3 seed. Good test for the Knicks on Wednesday against the Cavaliers.

11. Indiana Pacers (44-31, LW 10). Indiana looks like it will host a first-round playoff series as the No. 4 seed, it has a two-game lead over the Pistons with seven games to play (plus the Pacers have the tiebreaker), and Indy has a much easier schedule the rest of the way. The Pacers earned the right to be home with their play during the second half of the season. Looking ahead to a potential first-round matchup, the Pacers are 3-1 in the regular season against the Pistons but 1-3 against the Bucks.

12. Detroit Pistons (42-33, LW 13). The Pistons have tripled their win total from a season ago (14), which is a historic turnaround, and while J.B. Bickerstaff will get deserving Coach of the Year votes, don't sleep on the job Trajan Langdon did building the roster. Their play will earn the Pistons a top-six seed in the East, the only question is will it be five or six (catching Indiana for the four seed is not happening)? A home-and-home against the Bucks the final weekend of the season could determine that 5/6 race.

13. Memphis Grizzlies (44-32, LW 12). Taylor Jenkins is out the door as coach, fired in part because Ja Morant and other players did not like the team’s new offense — an offense forced on Jenkins along with a complete turnover of assistant coaches. Everyone in Memphis seemed to be on a different page. The question now is, can interim coach Tuomas Iisalo (don’t be shocked if he gets the job full-time) make any meaningful changes this late in the season? We’ve already seen more screens, on and off the ball, and more pick-and-roll. However, that doesn’t solve the defensive issues that really hold this team back. Iisalo also got a brutal welcome with his first three games being the Lakers, Celtics and Warriors, it's not surprising they are 0-3 under him.

14. Milwaukee Bucks (41-34, LW 15). The most important thing in Milwaukee is the health of Damian Lillard, the team is 3-4 since he had to step away for what turned out to be deep vein thrombosis in his calf. His personal health needs to be the priority. That said, the Bucks are stumbling to the finish line and if they finish sixth in the East they face a very good Knicks team in the first round — Milwaukee is 0-3 vs. New York this season. If the Bucks are bounced in the first round, it's going to be an interesting summer in Milwaukee.

15. Orlando Magic (37-40, LW 16). The Orlando Magic are 5-2 in their last seven and are back to the formula that made them look dangerous early in the season: An elite defense (third best in the NBA in those seven games) and enough offense from Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to make it work. The Magic and Hawks are tied for the 7/8 seed in the East and those teams seemed destined to meet in the first round of the play-in. They also play each other next Tuesday in what will be a huge game for seeding purposes (they also play each other on the final day of the season).

16. Atlanta Hawks (36-39, LW 17). Atlanta's offense is clicking of late — it has the fourth-best offense in the NBA over the last seven games. Trae Young drives that but they have to keep him healthy for the play-in (where they almost certainly face Orlando in the first game). Young has been battling some right Achilles tendonitis that has slowed him in recent weeks, it's just a tough time for coach Quin Snyder to get Young some rest with the standings tight. Huge game against Orlando next Tuesday.

17. Miami Heat (34-41, LW 22). Things change fast in Miami, where a 10-game losing streak in the wake of the Jimmy Butler trade has turned into a five-game winning streak that keeps the dream of the No. 8 seed alive (the Heat are two games behind Atlanta/Orlando with seven to play). To move up, Miami needs a lot more wins. Can it pull off the upsets at home this week against some stumbling but better teams in Memphis and Milwaukee?

18. Chicago Bulls (34-42, LW 18). Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis has come on strong of late. In his last five games, he is averaging 17.2 points a game, is shooting 51.7% from 3 (on 5.8 attempts a game), and is pulling down 4.6 rebounds a night. He's going to make the All-Rookie team and looks to be a solid part of whatever is being built in Chicago. We’ll see if Josh Giddey is part of that future, but his half-court game-winner to cap an 18-point fourth quarter comeback and beat the Lakers is the Bulls’ shot of the season.

19. Dallas Mavericks (37-39, LW 21). Dallas is getting its bigs healthy with Anthony Davis and Daniel Gafford back from injuries, and Dereck Lively II (ankle stress fracture) close to returning as well. Dallas is 3-1 in the games Davis has played, and he has averaged 14.3 points and 6.8 rebounds a game despite a minutes restriction. Gafford impressed in his return against Brooklyn with 17 points and 7 rebounds.

PLAY IN HOPEFULS

20. Sacramento Kings (36-39, LW 19). If not Doug Christie as coach next season, then who? Sacramento has stumbled down the stretch, losing 7-of-8, and is still only the 10 seed in the West because Phoenix is its own dumpster fire. After a hot 10-2 start, the Kings are 13-19 under Christie, which will have the Kings considering their options. Please tell me the rumors of a Vlade Divac return to power are not true.

21. Phoenix Suns (35-41, LW 14). Kevin Durant is out for at least a week with a sprained ankle, but the question of whether he has played his last game in a Phoenix uniform isn’t even the biggest one around the team. The real question: Do the Suns care? With just six games left in the season, the fact we are asking that question says plenty. With Durant and Beal out and the Suns 1.5 back of No. 10 seed Dallas — a team playing better with Anthony Davis returning — the question becomes, should the Suns just shut their season down?

CAPTURE THE (COOPER) FLAGG

22. Portland Trail Blazers (33-43, LW 20). Does Portland's late-season surge behind Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe and others portend a Trail Blazers ready for a leap next season like the Rockets did a season ago? Maybe that's a big ask, but give Joe Cronin and the front office credit for building a roster where we think that is possible.

23. Toronto Raptors (28-48, LW 24). Toronto has a -1.8 net rating this season when Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley share the court, but that is in a relatively small sample size this season. Will the addition of Brandon Ingram to that duo next season turn Toronto into more of a threat in the East? It should raise the team's floor and have them in the postseason. The one thing we know is that Darko Rajakovic will be the coach, his extension was picked up by the team. He is not going anywhere.

24. San Antonio Spurs (31-44, LW 23). One thing we should expect to change next season in San Antonio: The defense. They will finish in the bottom 10 in the league for the third straight season, but when Victor Wembanyama returns (if he can stay healthy) and with a renewed focus on that end, expect the defense in Texas to be a lot better next season.

25. Brooklyn Nets (25-51, LW 25). Give rookie coach Jordi Fernandez credit for getting the most out of his guys despite the front office pivoting hard toward the rebuild. Brooklyn won back-to-back games in the last week — against the Wizards and Mavericks — and continues to play hard. Also, if getting Giannis Antetokounmpo to come to Brooklyn is Plan A, there needs to be a good Plan B. And Plan C.

26. New Orleans Pelicans (21-54, LW 27). The Pelicans shut down Zion Williamson for the season and it begs the question: Have we seen the last of Zion in a New Orleans uniform? If the Pelicans choose to test those trade waters, there would be plenty of interest from some other teams who saw the All-NBA level Zion played at this season — in only 30 games — and would take a chance. The questions are: Do the Pelicans want to trade Zion and pivot? If so how good are the offers coming in?

27. Philadelphia 76ers (23-53, LW 26). The 76ers seem to have secured the fifth-worst record in the league, they have a two-game "lead" over Brooklyn with the sixth worst record. That's enough cushion that the possible return of Tyrese Maxey for a couple of games at the end of the season doesn't hurt — he is working out but coach Nick Nurse said, "It went just 'Medium.' It didn't like 'Oh, that was great,’ you know? So it's just medium, but he's still working." Really, why risk bringing him back?

28. Charlotte Hornets (19-56, LW 28). LaMelo Ball is out for the season to have a couple of surgeries, but the question is will he be back with the team next season or will they try to trade him? The smart money is on a return. While Ball averaged 25.2 points and 7.4 assists a game this season in the 47 games he played — and he is a fan favorite — he is also expensive on a max contract with four years and $168.6 million remaining. Add to that his injury history — the 47 games played this season is the most in the past three years — and the fact he is regarded in league circles as as more of a floor raiser than a guy who is the point guard of a contender, and the market for him would be smaller than most fans think. And Charlotte would not get the return it seeks.

29. Washington Wizards (16-59, LW 30). In his last 10 games, Alex Sarr has averaged 18.5 points and six rebounds a game. He's shooting isn't there yet — 33% on 3-pointers over that stretch, 41.1% overall — but it's improving, as is he. Sarr is going to make an All-Rookie team, the only question is if it's First Team or Second Team (and if Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George will join him).

30. Utah Jazz (16-60, LW 29). This 60-loss season is taking a toll on Jazz fans — this organization and team has been good (and for a few years, very good) for a couple of decades. Jazz fans aren't used to this kind of losing. They can understand why it's happening and tolerate it for a year, but this cannot be a trend in Utah. The Jazz will have a top-three pick entering the lottery and Jazz fans could use a little luck to jumpstart this rebuild.