This week’s NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings see some movement at the top, but not teams that should be surprising — we knew Oklahoma City and Denver could be this good.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (30-13, LW 2). While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets all the flowers for what is happening in Oklahoma City, do not sleep on how good Jalen Williams has become. He’s not likely to be an All-Star this year, but he will be one. They realize it in OKC, where he took the game-winning shot to beat Portland Tuesday (we’re not going to get into all the late-game drama with the referees here; what matters is what Williams was asked to do). Oklahoma City beat Minnesota last week, those teams square off again Monday and this time the Thunder are on the second night of a back-to-back.
JALEN WILLIAMS. DAGGER. @okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/jyZ2bWStWp
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) January 24, 2024
2. Denver Nuggets (31-14, LW 6). Last week’s win over Boston was a reminder that, when the Nuggets decide to focus, they remain the team to beat in the NBA. Boston, for all its defensive talent, had no answer for slowing Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and when the right shooters and role players are around that duo nobody can stop them. That win is a reminder of how great Denver can look and bumps them up these rankings... but it likely will not be enough to get Jamal Murray his first All-Star appearance, he’s just missed too many games in a West LOADED with quality guard players. Maybe the coaches vote him in as a reserve, but it seems a long shot.
3. Boston Celtics (34-10, Last Week No. 1). Boston is still the team to beat in the East, but that loss to Denver revived every concern about this team in the playoffs and clutch minutes. The Celtics scored two points in the final 4:50 with a little too slow decision-making and too much isolation that’s easy to defend. This is the best team in the NBA when clicking, however, the questions about this core’s ability to execute in the biggest of moments is back on the front burner. We know Denver will execute, Boston has to reach that level. There are a couple of other chances to test themselves this week with the Heat and Clippers.
4. Philadelphia 76ers (29-13, LW 5). 70. That number is just insane. It again speaks to why Joel Embiid is on his way to repeating as NBA MVP if he can just stay healthy enough to get to 65 games played. He is simply playing at another level right now compared to anyone else. The only other guy who can claim to be near that level is the guy with the Finals MVP from last season Nikola Jokic, and we are all hoping we finally get to see that showdown in Denver on Saturday night. That mile-high game is the second of a five-game road trip for Philly, mostly through the West, with a brutal back-to-back in Portland and then Golden State (not that the teams are great, but that travel is harsh).
AN HISTORIC 70-POINT NIGHT FOR JOEL EMBIID 👏
— NBA (@NBA) January 23, 2024
✅ 76ers franchise record
✅ 9th player in NBA history to score 70+
✅ A new career high
70 PTS, 18 REB, 24/41 FGM, 21/23 FTM pic.twitter.com/gDKY2E9bVA
5. Los Angeles Clippers (28-14, LW 4). What makes the Clippers particularly dangerous as a playoff team is they are the best shooting team in the league, hitting 39.8% of their 3-pointers on the season (that is up to 43.3% in the past 15 games). That quality shooting, plus their depth, helps them find wins on nights they don’t play with enough focus (particularly on the defensive end). That’s how Tuesday’s game against the Lakers played out — with LeBron out, the Clippers were not sharp, but it didn’t matter because they just kept hitting shots. Friday night starts the first of seven on the road for the Clippers as the Grammys kick them out of Crypto.com Arena.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (26-15, LW 8). Donovan Mitchell’s play of late will force a tough decision on J.B. Bickerstaff soon. Mitchell continues to thrive with the better floor spacing of the current starting five — 30.6 points and 8.2 assists a game in his last five games, shooting 50% from the field — and the team is winning, now eight in a row and 15-of-18. When Darius Garland gets healthy he can plug right into that system and it still works. But what about when Evan Mobley gets healthy? He is an elite defender, but the team is defending well without him, and he was the guy teams helped off of when the Cavs had the ball. How will Bickerstaff handle this? What will the front office have to say on the matter?
7. Minnesota Timb rwolves (30-13, LW 3). Minnesota still sits tied atop the Western Conference, but the team’s loss to Charlotte this week — in a game where Karl-Anthony Towns scored 62 but got greedy for more in the fourth quarter and took the team out of its rhythm — left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Especially coach Chris Finch: “It was an absolute disgusting performance of defense and immature basketball.” Are the Timberwolves mature enough to handle their success or are they still figuring it out? Minnesota is on the road for its next four but the first three are winnable at the Wizards, Nets and Spurs — a chance for the team to bounce back.
8. New York Knicks (27-17, LW 9). Will Jalen Brunson get the second All-Star starting guard spot? We can assume — based on the fan vote and media members who talked about their votes — that Tyrese Haliburton is a lock for one spot, but the other East guard starting slot is up in the air. The fans had Trae Young, but he rarely does well with his peers so the player vote could sink him. That openes the door for Brunson, who seemed to have a lot of support in the media voting pool. Damian Lillard is in that mix as well. A feather in Brunson’s cap is how well the Knicks are playing right now, 8-1 in games where both he and newly acquired OG Anunoby are in the lineup, but that will be put to the test this week with the Nuggets and Heat.
9. Milwaukee Bucks (30-13, LW 7). Doc Rivers is a coaching upgrade for Milwaukee. Put aside the questions of whether Griffin deserved more time to learn and grow on the job (and if he was ‘t going to get that, why hire him in the first place?). On the ground right now, Rivers brings a baseline level of competence this team needs. Rivers gets players to listen and buy in, and his teams have an identity — Griffin’s Bucks had neither of those things. Whether Rivers is going to be able to coach this Bucks team past the second round is a different question but he will make this team better over the coming months. For a win-now team, maybe that is all that matters.
10. Phoenix Suns (25-18, LW 13). The trio of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal improved to 8-3 when fully healthy (not including the game Beal started but left injured five minutes in), and the team has a +22.9 net rating when all three of them are on the floor. There are still questions about the team’s defense — and with that, questions about what level of contender they are — but the Suns have won six in a row and seem to be figuring things out. This game-winner from Kevin Durant to beat the Bulls was a thing of beauty — it starts with a perfect pass from Jusuf Nurkic to set things up and then KD’s double-clutch in the air is impressive.
DOUBLE CLUTCH.
— NBA (@NBA) January 23, 2024
GAME WINNER.
WHAT A SHOT FROM KEVIN DURANT ‼️ https://t.co/vZXTuUyT3Q pic.twitter.com/XXf0vR5Qvr
11. New Orleans Pelicans (26-18, LW 12). For a hot minute this past week some “the Pelicans are open to trading Herb Jones” rumors were out there, but that is not true. He’s not available. Nor should he be because in recent weeks he has started to find his 3-point shot, and when you pair that with his elite defense, that is not a combo any smart team decides to trade away. When Jones and the rest of this roster click, they may be the most dangerous of the non-elite teams in the West. Just how good they are gets tested this week with the Thunder, Bucks and Celtics.
12. Indiana Pacers (24-20, LW 14). Tyrese Haliburton is going to miss the next three games, at least, due to his strained hamstring. While that is not going to cost him his starting All-Star spot — the game is three weeks away, he should be recovered by then – it starts to put his potential spot on the All-NBA team (and the $41 million pay bump that comes with it) in jeopardy. When he returns, Haliburton will have missed at least 12 games, and if that number climbs to 18 or above, he will miss the NBA’s new 65-game threshold for postseason awards. Haliburton will be out for at least games against the 76ers and Suns this week.
13. Miami Heat (24-19, LW 10). Scary Terry in Miami could be scary for the rest of the East come the playoffs. Terry Rozier is a hand-in-glove fit for a Miami team in need of an offensive spark — he gets downhill and attacks. Pair Rozier with Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo, and that is a dangerous quartet for a franchise known for upping its game in the playoffs. Hop fully the arrival of Rozier ends the team’s 3-game losing streak as they had to turn it around against Memphis. Tougher test the next night against B ston, then a fun showdown Saturday against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden.
14. Dallas Mavericks (24-19, LW 11) Dallas is just hard to get a feel for. Which team is this, the one that lost to the shorthanded Pelicans, or the one that blew out the full-strength Pelcans a couple of nights later? No top team wants to go up against Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in the first round of the playoffs, but Dallas is just 12-10 when both of them play this season, and their defense still scares nobody. Suns, Hawks, Kings and Magic on the schedule this week for the Mavericks.
15. Sacramento Kings (24-18, LW 17). Neither De’Aaron Fox nor Domantas Sabonis will be named All-Star starters this week (they didn’t thrive in the fan voting like that), but the bigger question is, will they make the game itself as reserves voted in by the coaches? Both are deserving, but the West is 20 deep with players who are deserving and there are going to be some tough cuts. Sacramento deserves an All-Star, but not sure if they get two. A win Monday over stumbling Atlanta ended the Kings’ four-game losing streak, but now they head out on the road for seven in a row and they need to find some wins in there to stay afloat in the West.
16. Los Angeles Lakers (22-23, LW 18). Decide for yourself if it is upping his trade value or making him indispensable, but D’Angelo Russell is playing his best basketball as a Laker of late, averaging 24.8 points, 6.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds a game in his last five games. Whether it involves Russell or not, expect the Lakers to make some move to shake things up in the next couple of weeks, the only question is what move is it. Also, expect LeBron James to be named an All-Star Game starter again on Thursday, the 20th time that’s happened, extending his record.
17. Orlando Magic 23-21, LW 16). Franz Wagner is back healthy, which is great news for Paolo Banchero, who has had to carry an insane offensive load for this team with the German out. Ba chero shot below 40% in the games Wagner missed, a sign of just how much defenses were able to load up on him and make life difficult. Healthy again and still with an elite defense, Orlando would love to string together some wins and climb out of the play-in, but that will be tough with the upcoming schedule, which includes 6-of-7 on the road, and the one home game is red-hot Phoenix.
18. Utah Jazz (22-23, LW 15). Utah was red hot winning six in a row, then have dropped their last three. What did we learn in those nine games? The Jazz’s run was all about the offense coming together, it is the third-best in the league over those nine games (124.8 offensive rating, 9.8 higher than their season average), but their defense remains bottom 10 and that hangs them up sometimes (117.8 defensive rating in the last nine, very close to their season average). Utah dropped the first two games of a six-game road trip but their next three are at Washington, Charlotte and Brooklyn, they need a couple of wins in th t stretch to right the ship.
19. Chicago Bulls (21-24, LW 21). Zach LaVine isn’t going anywhere at the trade deadline (it was a long shot before he sprained his ankle again, now it’s all but DOA). The bigger question is will DeMar DeRozan be in Chicago after Feb. 8? There are teams that see the veteran’s scoring — even though his efficiency has dro ped this season — and expiring contract as something worth taking on as at least a rental. A trade of Nikola Vucevic is a much longer shot because his contract is longer. Chicago dropped the first game of a three-game West Coast swing, falling to the Suns on Monday. Next up are the Lakers then Trail Blazers.
20. Houston Ro kets (20-22, LW 19). Alpren Şengün has an outside shot at becoming an All-Star reserve — it’s not likely in a deep West, but he’s been good enough this season to be in the conversation. That’s the silver lining, the cloud is the Rockets have dropped 6-of-8 and with that slid to 11th and out of even the play-in out West. A roller coaster of a season is not a shock with some of the younger players asked to take on a big role with this team, but if they are going to stop the slide and get back in the postseason mix it starts this week against Charlotte, Portland and Brooklyn.
21. Golden State Warriors (18-22, LW 20). The Warriors return to the court Wednesday night after more than a week off following the tragic death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, and honestly, nobody knows quite what to expect. There isn’t a lot of precedent for this and grief hits people differently. The Warriors are home for four games this week while they try to return to playing, taking on the Hawks, Kings, Lakers, and 76ers.
22. Atlanta Hawks (18- 5, LW 23). The trade rumors swirling around him haven’t slowed Dejounte Murray, who hit game-winners in back-to-back games. Both he and the Hawks seem ready to move on, and while Lakers nation is pining for him there are a number of teams in the mix for a potential deal. Trae Young is in the league’s concussion protocol — there is no timeline for his return — and while he is out Atlanta will take all the Murray heroics it can get. The Warriors, Mavericks, Raptors and Lakers are on the schedule this week.
DEJOUNTE MURRAY. PULL-UP 3 FOR THE WIN.
— NBA (@NBA) January 20, 2024
His 2nd game-winner in a row after his buzzer-beater on Wednesday 🤯😱 pic.twitter.com/dKfJKUxAaJ
23. Toronto Raptors (16-28, LW 22). Toronto is 0-11 against the Atlantic Division this season, putting them on pace to become the first team in NBA history to go winless in its division. The Raptors have three games left against the Nets and plenty of other opportunities to change this trend, but there are no easy wins against the Celtics, 76ers and Knicks. The Raptors host the Clippers next then head out on the road for six games.
24. Brooklyn Nets (17-26, LW 25). Losers of 11-of-13 doesn’t sound good, but this stat may better tell how things are going in Brooklyn: The Nets have had double-digit leads in six of their last eight games, but lost four of those games. Ben Simmons has been traveling with the team and could return in the next week or two, not that it really changes anything with this roster. Brooklyn is home this week (not that you would know it when Knicks fans fill the building like they did Tuesday), with games against the Timberwolves, Rockets and Jazz.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (16-27, LW 24). I feel like even writing about Memphis I’m going to sprain an ankle and be out a couple of weeks. One player not injured who could draw interest at the trade deadline is sharpshooter Luke Kennard, who has looked like his vintage self the past week or two. Teams will come calling, but with a favorable contract (a team option for next season), do the Grizzlies just want to hold on to him and run it back next season when everyone is healthy? May depend on what is offered.
26. San Antonio Spurs (8-35, LW 26). It shouldn’t be lost that while Joel Embiid was overwhelming everyone and dropping 70, Victor Wembanyama scored 33 and had his moments. It’s a steep learning curve in the NBA — Embiid had to go through it, and now Wemby is learning firsthand. And learning quickly. Wembanyama is averaging 20.3 points and 10 rebounds a game right now, and the list of rookies who averaged 20-10 is filled with all-time greats (like Shaq and the too-often-overlooked David Robinson). Thunder, Blazers, Timberwolves, and Wizards are on the schedule this week.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (12-31, LW 28). Anfernee Simons is one of the quickest, best drivers in the NBA — he averaged 12.6 drives a game, the same number as Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell — and he can get around any single defender and get his shot. That has been fun to watch as Chauncey Billups has leaned more into his playmaking and is bringing Scoot Henderson along more slowly. To that end, Henderson just looks more comfortable, more confident coming off the bench at this point. Some winnable games on the schedule this week with the Spurs and Bulls, before the Blazers face a run of elite teams.
28. Charlotte Hornets (10-31, LW 29). The Terry Rozier trade was a good one for the Hornets (that pick has potential, and maybe they can flip Kyle Lowry), and hopefully a sign that new ownership is ready to pick a direction with this team — if it’s tearing down to the studs and rebuilding, fine, just go all-in and be committed to the process as an organization. This trade is a sign that maybe they are, which is good for Hornets fans.
29. Washington Wizards (7-35, LW 27). It sounds like Kyle Kuzma could be a Wizard after the trade deadline, with the Wizards reportedly not dropping his price tag (multiple first-round picks) as the deadline nears. That doesn’t mean Kuzma is wearing oversized sweaters in our nation’s capital next season, it just means that might be an offseason trade. Washington has lost four in a row and 10-of-11, but could they turn things around on the road this week with games against the Pistons and Spurs?
30. Detroit Pistons (4-39, LW 30). The Pistons are not good, but their -10.3 net rating for the season isn’t the worst in the league (Charlotte, -11.2) and suggests the team should be closer to 10-33, not flirting with the worst record in NBA history. Detroit isn’t just bad, they’ve been the unluckiest team in the league, using Cleaning the Glass’ numbers (which thinks they should have eight wins right now). With games this week against the Hornets and Wizards, maybe Detroit can find a win or two before the schedule turns tough again heading into the All-Star break.
