The actual calendar has turned into a new year. We’re in the 2024 section of the season — this is when things start to get real around the NBA.
The All-Star Game is coming up. Players are making that push to get into the game. The best teams around the league are separating themselves from the worst. The small sample sizes we were previously looking at aren’t so small anymore.
The biggest conclusion that I’ve come to after watching the first part of the season is this: The Boston Celtics are far and away the best team in the NBA so far this year. If Boston is healthy, it should make the NBA Finals.
That’s a big if considering the injury history of Kristaps Porzingis, who is the key to unlocking everything for this team. But, regardless, this team is really, really good.
Let’s dive into these power rankings.
1
Boston Celtics
At this point, all the Celtics need to focus on is getting to the postseason in one piece. Boston is by far the best team in the NBA. Over the last 10 games, the Celtics’ +15.5 net rating is the best in the league by more than five points.
2
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves haven’t had as tight of a grip on the Western Conference as they did at the beginning of the season. However, their 26-10 record is still the best in the West even if the team’s offense isn’t quite catching up to its defense.
3
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t a surprise anymore. Shai Gilgeious-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren look like All-Stars on a night-to-night basis. The only question is whether they’d want to make a move. But, honestly, OKC doesn’t really need to.
READ MORE: The Thunder are so much better than they get credit for
4
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are looking dominant again now that the full squad is back in the picture. Denver is 8-2 in its last 10 games, and Jokic is looking like every bit of an MVP. Again. This team is going to be scary going into the second half of the year.
5
L.A. Clippers
It’s safe to say that the Clippers have the best “Big 3” in basketball right now. Granted, there aren’t too many of those All-Star trios left in the NBA these days, but still. James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are all awesome together. That’s why L.A. just locked Leonard up to a new extension going into the 2026-27 season.
6
New York Knicks
Maybe it was something about the Becky Hammon drama that just flipped a switch for this team, but New York has won five games in a row. OG Anunoby looks like a perfect fit with the squad and the Knicks are going toe-to-toe with the best teams in the conference.
More moves may be coming, but it wouldn’t be shocking if the Knicks already had everything needed for a deep playoff run.
7
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have a real defensive issue. Milwaukee’s 119 defensive rating is ranked 21st in the league over the last 10 games. That’s certainly not the caliber of defense we’re used to seeing from this team. There’s a lot that needs to happen to correct that.
8
Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid is absolutely having an MVP-caliber season for the 76ers this year, but he just can’t seem to stay healthy. He’s missed five of the last seven games the 76ers have played in. Philly has gone 5-5 in that stretch.
9
New Orleans Pelicans
It’s probably a bit of a surprise to see the Pelicans up in the power rankings this high, but New Orleans is just 1.5 games out of a home-court slot for the playoffs. The Pelicans’ net rating over the last 10 games is the second-best in the league at +10.3. This team is rounding into form at the perfect time.
10
Sacramento Kings
The Kings are looking to make a big swing. Sacramento is the main team attached to Pascal Siakam trade rumors at this point. Can the Kings make it happen without sacrificing core pieces? We’ll see.
11
Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton’s recent injury has put a bit of a damper on the Pacers’ otherwise fantastic season so far. Indiana is looking like a legitimate playoff threat.
Luckily, however, Haliburton’s hamstring strain doesn’t appear to be as serious as initially thought. He’ll reportedly be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks.
12
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat just keep on chugging along. Every time you count them out, they climb back into things even better. At 21-15, it doesn’t even feel like the Heat have begun to play their best ball yet.
13
Dallas Mavericks
Kyrie Irving’s return to the lineup after his scary heel injury is sure to bolster the Mavericks’ offensive attack. Luka Doncic is playing at an MVP pace already — having another major threat out there has only made this team scarier.
14
Orlando Magic
The Magic have slipped quite a bit in the Eastern Conference standings. Orlando’s 21-16 record is good for 8th place so far this season. But the good news is is that it seems Paolo Banchero is making a leap: He’s averaging nearly 35 points per game in January so far.
15
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have been great in January, amassing a 7-3 record over the last 10 games despite having key players in Darius Garland and Evan Mobley out of the lineup.
Their last three wins have come against bottom feeders in the NBA, but still. Cleveland needs to take every win it can in a tough Eastern Conference.
16
Houston Rockets
The Rockets still can’t win games on the road, but after a tough win at home against the Milwaukee Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo going wild, you’ve absolutely got to take this team seriously as a playoff threat.
17
Chicago Bulls
Had the Bulls not dug themselves into such a deep hole to begin this season Chicago might actually be in playoff position right now. Zach LaVine is back in the lineup again after returning from injury. Seeing how he re-integrates himself will be key — it’ll determine whether he’s a Bull moving forward.
18
Phoenix Suns
Something is wrong with the Phoenix Suns. Not only can this team just not stay healthy, but even when it is healthy things just don’t seem right.
The Suns’ trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal just aren’t clicking the way we thought they would. Plus, the depth being them isn’t nearly enough to cover up the issues we’ve seen. That’s why this team has lost three of its last four games.
19
Utah Jazz
The Jazz are playing much better basketball these days. Utah is 8-2 in its lats 10 games and has looked much like the team we saw early on last season. Will the Jazz still be sellers at this year’s trade deadline? Maybe. But, regardless, this is a dangerous team on the cusp of the playoff picture.
20
Los Angeles Lakers
Anthony Davis is having an MVP-caliber season so far. LeBron James is shooting the ball better than he ever has at any point in his career. Yet, still, the Lakers find themselves hovering around .500 at 10th place in the Western Conference. This is not what anyone thought this team would look like coming into the season.
21
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have had health issues all season long, but recently the team’s defense has fallen off a cliff. Brooklyn is giving up 120.7 points per 100 possessions over its last 10 games.
22
Toronto Raptors
Darko Rajakovic’s rant about the referees following the Raptors’ loss to the Lakers might be the most I’ve seen anyone get fired up about this team so far this season. The Raptors feel stuck in a rut, and I’m not sure what can possibly get them out.
23
Golden State Warriors
Draymond Green will return soon for the Golden State Warriors. That’s a good thing for the team considering how its 120.5 defensive rating is one of the worst in the league during that span. Maybe he’ll be enough to get Golden State back on track.
Hopefully, though, he can keep his hands to himself moving forward.
24
Atlanta Hawks
It’s hard to diagnose what is going on with the Atlanta Hawks. There’s lots of talent on this team, but it just doesn’t seem to mesh all that well. And now there are rumors that Atlanta may be trying to trade Dejounte Murray … back to the Spurs? Yeah, the Hawks might be cooked.
25
Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant’s injury is probably a death blow to the Grizzlies’ season. With the team’s star completely out for the year, don’t be shocked if Memphis turns into sellers for this year’s trade deadline.
26
Portland Trail Blazers
The goal for the Trail Blazers for the rest of the year should be to help Scoot Henderson find his footing in the NBA. Nothing else really matters — even if Portland ends up as one of the worst teams in the league.
27
Charlotte Hornets
It’s been such a rough season in Charlotte. LaMelo Ball still hasn’t returned from his ankle injury and, as more time passes, this team just continues to get worse. Charlotte is 1-9 in its last 10 games and has a league-low -15.8 net rating.
28
Washington Wizards
Though the Wizards stink, things are looking up. This team managed to pick up another win over the Brooklyn Nets to push their total to six wins on the season. Progress is being made, though you’d still love to see Bilal Coulibaly getting more touches here and there.
29
San Antonio Spurs
This season literally does not matter for the Spurs. All we want to see is Victor Wembanyama doing Victor Wembanyama things. We saw exactly that in his matchup against Giannis and the Bucks. This dude looks special.
30
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons managed to win a game to break the historic losing streak Detroit was plagued with and still somehow managed to land at last in our power rankings. Sorry, Pistons fans. Just know that your team is first in my heart right now.
