Every team’s fans have something to be thankful for this week — including some NBA Cup dreams that are still alive. (This week’s NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings 2024-25 is out a day later than usual, which is because of my travel schedule, starting next week we return to Wednesdays).
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1. Boston Celtics (15-3, Last Week No. 1). Boston fans should be thankful that Kristaps Porzingis is back in the lineup before Thanksgiving, much earlier than the expectation he would arrive with Santa Claus next month. KP played limited minutes (22) in one game against the Clippers, scoring 16, but his value in opening up the offense was instantly apparent as he was +32. Despite an NBA Cup opening night upset to the Hawks, if the Celtics can beat the Bulls on Friday night — especially if Boston can win big — they have a good chance of advancing to the knockout round (it will come down to point differential as the tiebreaker and the Celtics are +14 through three games — they need to run up the score to advance).
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (17-2, LW 2). Cavaliers fans should be thankful for Kenny Atkinson. His installation of a more motion-based offense, his trusting Evan Mobley with more playmaking (in a Draymond Green-style role Atkinson brought with him from the Warriors) and his trust of Darius Garland — and getting Donovan Mitchell to buy into all of this — has turned the Cavaliers into Boston’s biggest threat in the East. That includes in the NBA Cup, where Cleveland has a big showdown with Atlanta Friday night. Win that, then run up the score next Tuesday on Washington, and advancing as the group winner or wild card is very possible.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (14-4, LW 3). Thunder fans should be thankful Isaiah Hartenstein is back from a fractured hand — the team instantly looks better on both ends of the court (because Chet Holmgren is out with a fractured hip). Hartenstein has averaged 15.3 points and 12.7 rebounds a game, plus he solidified the team’s paint protection since his return. The Thunder are 3-0 with him with a +25 point differential in those three games. OKC still has a chance in the NBA Cup, but the big game is Friday night: Beat the Lakers on the road, then blow out Utah to build up the point differential, and the Thunder could well advance to the knockout round as the group winner or the West wild card.
Shai went OFF in the Thunder's road victory!
— NBA (@NBA) November 28, 2024
⚡️ 35 PTS (3 3PM)
⚡️ 9 REB
⚡️ 5 AST
⚡️ 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/pKRxivFzZN
4. Houston Rockets (14-6, LW 5). The Rockets move into title contenders status not for what they might do in June, but because they might win the NBA Cup. Houston is 3-0 and one of only two teams to have already won its group and secured ints place in the knockout round. Rockets fans, be thankful for the intense, physical, gritty defense that Ime Udoka has instilled in this team, it will take them beyond just the NBA Cup.
CONTENDERS ON THE FRINGE
5. Dallas Mavericks (11-8, LW 10). Mavericks fans, be thankful for depth. Luka Doncic has missed 5-of-6, but the Mavericks have won four of those five. Leading the way has been Naji Marshal, who is having a career year averaging 12 points a game with a .630 true shooting percentage well above the league average. Dallas has a key NBA Cup Game coming up next Tuesday: The Mavericks can’t win West Group C (the Warriors have clinched) but beat the Grizzlies and the Mavs will be 3-1 in group play with at least a +41 point differential (plus whatever they would add against Memphis). That likely is enough to advance.
6. Golden State Warriors (12-6, LW 4). Be thankful for the road Warriors. Golden State has slipped back to third in the West standings after dropping three straight (the last without Stephen Curry, he’s expected to just miss a couple of games because he’s a little banged up). However, they continue to look like a threat in the West because this team is 7-3 with a +8.2 net rating away from the Chase Center (fourth-best road net rating in the league). A road win against the Pelicans secured the Warriors’ top spot in West Group C in the NBA Cup — the Warriors will be in the knockout round. =
7. New York Knicks (10-8, LW 9). The Knicks are having an offensive outburst, just like we expect from Tom Thibodeau’s teams (*cough*) — they scored 130+ points in 3-of-4 games, all wins, before getting smoked by Dallas on Wednesday. The back-to-back 130+ point games against Phoenix and Washington last week were the first time the Knicks had scored 130+ in back-to-back wins since 1968. Knicks fans should be thankful that offense has them in the mix in the NBA Cup: Beat Charlotte on the road Friday and it sets up a big Cup showdown game next Tuesday against Orlando.
8. Denver Nuggets (10-7, LW 6). It’s too easy to say Nuggets fans should be thankful for Nikola Jokic — although they should be, he is playing at an MVP level again this season. Instead, be thankful for Peyton Watson finding a groove this season, particularly on the defensive end making some big clutch plays in the past couple of weeks. He’s not an offensive force, but he’s averaging a career-best 9.7 points a game and is shooting 34.9% from 3 — he is playing well. Denver’s loss to Dallas ended any NBA Cup dreams for this team.
PLAYOFFS OR BUST
9. Memphis Grizzlies (12-7, LW 15). Grizzlies fans, be thankful for Scotty Pippen Jr., who has emerged as a key part of their rotation and helped this team Stan strong through an early rash of injuries. He is averaging 12.5 points a game, shooting 39.7% from 3-point range, and stepped up and dropped a 30 spot in his father’s old stomping grounds in Chicago last weekend. Good test next Tuesday against Dallas in a game the Mavericks will be motivated to play for NBA Cup reasons (the Grizzlies are 0-2 in Cup play and out of it).
10. Orlando Magic (13-7, LW 13). Magic fans should be thankful for the emergence of Franz Wagner, a guy comfortable being the No. 2 next to Paolo Banchero, but who has stepped up in a huge way since Banchero went down — and that includes a logo step-back 3-point game-winner to beat the Lakers. In his last 10 games Wagner is averaging 27 points and 7 assists a game, sparking the Orlando offense. Wagner has the Magic 2-0 in NBA Cup play with big games coming up against Brooklyn and New York.
Franz Wagner. Clutch.
— NBA (@NBA) November 22, 2024
He ices the victory for Orlando with the cold stepback 3 🧊 pic.twitter.com/Qk1AtBRt15
11. Los Angeles Clippers (12-8, LW 14). Clippers fans, be thankful for Jeff Van Gundy’s defense — the Clippers are 5-1 in their last six games, and in each win they held their opponents under 100 points. Over the last six games, the Clippers have a 100.3 defensive rating, which is second in the NBA in that stretch. Tyronn Lue brought in Van Gundy and turned the defense over to the veteran coach, and the results have spoken for themselves. The Clippers are 1-1 in NBA Cup play but are still alive for the wild card spot in the West, they just need to blow out Minnesota and Portland in upcoming games (point differential is the key tiebreaker).
12. Phoenix Suns (10-8, LW 11). It’s obvious, but Suns fans need to be thankful for Kevin Durant — this team is 9-1 in the games he’s played this season. Durant has put up MVP numbers this season — 27.4 points and 6.6 rebounds a game — plus played quality defense. Phoenix is outscoring teams by 4.2 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court (and getting outscored when he is off the floor). Key NBA Cup game for the Spurs next Tuesday: win and the Suns will be 3-1 in West Group B with a real chance to advance to the knockout round as either group winners or the wild card (although they will need a blowout win and some point differential help to get the WC).
13. Los Angeles Lakers (11-7, LW 7). Laker fans are rightfully thankful that Dalton Knecht fell to them at No. 17, the rookie brings much-needed shooting to the rotation averaging 43.6% from deep, scoring 11.7 points per game, and he has been part of a couple solid Lakers five-man units. As his defense improves, so will the minutes coach J.J. Redick can trust him on the court. The Lakers have a chance to advance in the NBA Cup and defend their crown, but to do it they not only need to beat Oklahoma City on Friday night at home, Los Angeles needs a blowout to improve its -16 point differential. It’s a big ask.
14. Milwaukee Bucs (9-9, LW 21). Milwaukee fans should be thankful they play in the East. After a dreadful 2-8 start to the season and a lot of noise around the team, the Bucks used a soft spot in the schedule to find their footing, they have won five in a row (including beating Houston and Miami), and that has them sitting as the No. 5 seed already in the East (9-9 doesn’t even make the play-in out West). That win streak has timed out well with the NBA Cup — the Bucks are 3-0 and can clinch their group with a win over Detroit next Tuesday.
15. Miami Heat (8-8, LW 16). Heat fans need to be thankful for — and appreciate — Tyler Herro is having his best season as a pro. He’s leading the team averaging 23.6 points and dishing out 5.1 assists a night. Don’t take my word for it, Bam Adebayo talked about it this week and how the game has slowed down for the Kentucky guard. “He’s just reading the game, man,” Adebayo said. “The game has slowed down so much for Tyler. He’s understanding how to get the ball, when to get the ball and he’s just making plays right now.”
16. Sacramento Kings (9-10, LW 12). Be thankful that Malik Monk is back, this team is not the same without him coming off the bench. Monk was out for seven games with a sprained ankle and the Kings went 2-5 (Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan have been banged up, too). It’s not simply the 13.9 points a game Monk provides, the offense just flows better and the Kings outscore opponents by 4.7 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court (and get slightly outscored when he sits). If Monk can stay healthy for the majority of the rest of the season, he will again be in the mix for Sixth Man of the Year.
17. San Antonio Spurs (10-9, LW 18). The Spurs had a good week and fans should be thankful for the veteran presence that Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes have brought, getting this team a couple of big wins recently. However, if I were a Spurs fan, I would mostly be thankful for what I see so far from rookie Stephon Castle, who looks like he could be special. He’s averaging 14.7 points and 4.8 assists a game as a starter (the last 12 games), and, more importantly, he and Victor Wembanyama are showing some real chemistry.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-10, LW 8). Be thankful for Anthony Edwards’ honesty. That’s about all there is to be happy about in Minnesota right now, this team is a mess. Edwards says that is starting in the locker room, here he is talking about the 12-point blown fourth quarter lead vs. the Kings: “We was down, nobody wanted to say nothing. We got up and everybody cheering... We get down again and don’t nobody say nothing. That’s the definition of a frontrunner... It’s like we’re not even happy for each other out there.”
19. Indiana Pacers (9-10, LW 19). This season’s start is not a year ago, but Pacers fans should be thankful for Tyrese Haliburton — this is still the cornerstone of a very good and fun to watch offense. Haliburton is still averaging 17.4 points and 8.8 assists a game this season for Indiana. The Pacers open December with 7-of-8 on the road.
PLAY-IN HOPEFULS
20. Brooklyn Nets (9-10, LW 22). Nets fans should be thankful for new coach Jordi Fernandez, who has an ill-fitting roster with trade rumors hanging over them, playing well with a top-10 offense in the league. That offense will take a hit in the coming weeks with Cam Thomas out 3-4 weeks with a hamstring injury, they will miss his 24.7 points a game and his 38.9% shooing from 3.
21. Atlanta Hawks (8-11, LW 17). Hawks fans should be thankful for Dyson Daniels, who has broken out as an elite defender tis season — he leads the NBA at 3.1 steals a game — who also is scoring 14.2 points a game. He was buried and not used well in New Orleans, give Quin Snyder credit for getting him in better positions. Daniels has taken full advantage of his opportunity.
22. Detroit Pistons (8-12, LW 20). There are a lot of players and things on the court to be thankful for in Detroit — Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham showing some chemistry might be at the top of that list — but Piston fans should be most thankful for J.B. Bickerstaff. The new coach is at the heart of an improved Pistons defense (13th in the NBA, a big step forward from 25th in the league a year ago. That has them 2-0 in NBA Cup games so far, with big games this week against Indiana (Friday) and Milwaukee (Tuesday).
23. Chicago Bulls (8-12, LW 24). Bulls fans, be thankful that guys mentioned more in trade rumors or as bad contracts — Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic — took it personally and showed up ready to show this season why they got paid. LaVine is averaging 21.6 points a game shooting 43.4% from 3, while Vucevic is averaging 20.4 points and 9.9 rebounds a game. The Bulls are 2-1 in NBA Cup East Group C and have a real chance to advance to the knockout stage, but need to beat the Celtics in Boston Friday night to do it. That’s a big ask.
CAPTURE THE (COOPER) FLAGG
24. Toronto Raptors (5-14, LW 27). Be thankful Scottie Barnes is back — this team went 2-9 when he was out injured and is 2-2 since he returned. Barnes is averaging 20 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists a game for Toronto this season, and he needs time on the court to develop chemistry with the young core of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick.
25. Charlotte Hornets (6-12, LW 23). Hornets fans should be thankful that LaMelo Ball has been healthy this season, and he and Brandon Miller are developing some real chemistry. Miller has been hot of late — in his last five games Miller is averaging 28 points a game while shooting 48.1% from 3 on 10.8 attempts a game. Charlotte is an entertaining team to watch and should be one of your league pass favorites.
26. Portland Trail Blazers (7-12, LW 25). Blazers fans, be thankful for Shaedon Sharpe — and pray for his continued health. Sharpe is averaging a career-high 18 points a game for the season, a number that will go up when he finds his 3-point rhythm again. In a league where everyone playing has won the genetic lottery on some level, Sharpe is a standout, electric athlete you just love to watch. Portland, as a whole, has been feisty and they are not out of the NBA Cup knockout round mix, but the Blazers need to blow out the Kings and Clippers to up their point differential enough to have a chance.
27. Philadelphia 76ers (3-14, LW 28). Philadelphia fans have to be thankful for Jared McCain. In an otherwise dismal start to this season, it’s become clear Maxey and Jared McCain are the backcourt of the future. If the vote were held today, McCain likely would run away Rookie of the Year. To be fair, we are 17 games into a very long season — if the NBA regular season is a marathon, we just passed the mile 5 marker — but he has stood out as a bright spot on a team desperately in need of bright spots averaging 16.5 points a night while shooting 37.4% from 3.
28. Utah Jazz (4-14, LW 29). Lauri Markkanen has been good this season — 19.5 points a game, 6.6 rebounds, shooting 41.6% from 3 (on 5.9 attempts a game) — but he has not played at the All-Star level we saw from him the previous two seasons. It’s a concern if the Jazz did plan to rebuild around him (as some fans wanted), and it doesn’t help his trade value if the Jazz decide to move on next summer. If you want something to be thankful for in Utah — other than this being the right year to be bad with this draft coming up — its the continued development of Keyonte George, who looks like a player.
29. New Orleans Pelicans (4-15, LW 26). Pelicans fans, be thankful your team controls its own first-round draft pick this season. This season has gotten off to a disastrous start, Zion Williamson will not be returning anytime soon (still no timeline on his hamstring) and even as others on this team get healthy it’s hard to find positives. However, this is a deep draft with potential franchise cornerstones at the top, so if the Pelicans were going to be bad this was a good year to do it.
30. Washington Wizards (2-15, LW 30). The one thing to be thankful for with the Wizards is that young players Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr continue to both show improvement and flashes of what they might become. Those guys may not be the cornerstones of this roster in five years, but they are guys who can be a part of what is being built. Also, it’s a good year to control your own draft pick, so there’s that.
