There’s something that just clicks with this Lakers team, isn’t it?
I don’t know if it’s the magical residue of the NBA In-Season tournament that might be making this team feel a bit better than it is. Or maybe it’s just the fact that LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been so dominant in recent weeks. But, man. This team just has it. Whatever it is.
Look, I could be proven wrong about these Lakers. They could collapse tomorrow and it wouldn’t be shocking. But this team just seems to vibe so well.
The Lakers play hard and do it for one another. We saw that earlier this season when LeBron James went out of his way to let all of us know that he trusts Cam Reddish no matter what we say about him.
That’s the sort of chemistry we see from teams that win and win big. I don’t know how this Lakers season ends. I don’t know where they go from here. But right now, there’s not a team in the NBA with a better vibe. That has to count for something.
Let’s get into these power rankings.
30
Detroit Pistons
Sorry, Pistons fans. It’s bad. All bad. Better luck next year. Hopefully, there’s a win coming up on the schedule. Somewhere.
29
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs have lost 16 straight games, yet things don’t feel hopeless because Victor Wembanyama is out here having 20-point, 20-rebound games and looking like an elite defensive player already. This dude is insane.
28
Washington Wizards
Bilal Coulibaly was thought to be quite the project pick by the Wizards here. However, he seems to be way ahead of schedule. The Wizards might have a special player on their hands.
27
Portland Trail Blazers
Scoot Henderson is coming along slowly, but surely. Don’t bail on him now, Trail Blazers fans. It’s hard for guards to make their way in the league early on. He’s playing through mistakes and getting healthy at the same time. Patience is essential here.
26
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are just biding time until Ja Morant makes his comeback. In the meantime, though, Desmond Bane is finding his stride as a scorer. He scored a career-high 49 points against the Pistons.
25
Charlotte Hornets
LaMelo Ball isn’t quite back from injury yet, but he does seem to be progressing well and is in good spirits. That’s all you can ask for with the Hornets this season. The only things that matter are his health and Brandon Miller’s progress. Everything else is icing on the cake.
24
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are feeling like a seller for the trade deadline this season. Lauri Markkanen feels like the only piece that might be truly “untouchable” here, but the truth is that almost everyone on the roster is probably moveable for the right price. That price is draft picks.
23
Toronto Raptors
Every day it feels like the Raptors are inching closer and closer to just blowing things up. Three consecutive losses — including one to the lowly Hornets — will do that to you. Chicago has more than enough talent to trade. The question is whether Masai Ujiri feels like it’s time yet. The answer still seems to be no.
22
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have lost three games in a row to the Nets, 76ers and Bucks. Those are all tough teams to beat — especially Philadelphia and Milwaukee. But if Atlanta wants to ever get back to the Eastern Conference Finals, this is who it has to beat.
21
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors aren’t quite clicking the way we’re used to and it’s odd to see. They’re blowing leads late in games with gaudy turnover numbers and some of the players we’re used to seeing produce consistently just…aren’t. It’s not too late to turn things around, but the rest of the West is kicking things up a notch. The Warriors can run out of time pretty quickly here.
20
Chicago Bulls
Somehow, the Chicago Bulls have won four games in a row. This is a team everyone was ready to write off, but now it seems to be catching its stride. The Bulls are still toward the bottom of the East, but this doesn’t look like a pushover anymore.
19
New Orleans Pelicans
There’s something going on in New Orleans. The vibe is just off. At 12-11, this team is still in position to compete and make a play for the top of the conference. But it can’t have lapses like it did against the Lakers in the In-Season Tournament. Good teams don’t do that.
18
Houston Rockets
Alperen Sengun coming into his own as the Rockets’ best player has been a sight to behold this season. The Baby Jokic comparisons have never felt more appropriate than the moment after Sengun led Houston to its first road win of the season. This dude is special.
17
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat just can’t seem to stay healthy. Kyle Lowry is having issues with his back now, adding to an already lengthy list of players battling injuries on this team. Luckily for Miami, Jaime Jaquez looks like a stud. He’ll get more extended minutes moving forward.
16
Phoenix Suns
The Suns are getting Bradley Beal back into the lineup soon, which should turn their already potent offense into the best one the league has to offer. Beal isn’t going to fix the team’s defensive woes, though. That’s another story.
15
L.A. Clippers
Don’t look now, but the Clippers have won three games in a row and are in 9th place of the Western Conference. Not only that, but L.A. also has the 5th best defense in the league. This team is finding it’s stride, folks.
14
New York Knicks
The Knicks have had a tough stretch with a couple of losses in a row to the two teams atop the Eastern Conference. To add on to that, though, New York just lost Mitchell Robinson for the next two months. This is going to be a tough stretch of games without a defensive anchor. We’ll see if New York lasts.
13
Brooklyn Nets
This latest run for the Nets has been quite impressive. Brooklyn has won three straight games behind the brilliance of Mikal Bridges. He’s averaging 31.1 points per game on 61 percent shooting from the field. That won’t last, obviously, but it’s nice to see him getting back on track.
12
Sacramento Kings
Sacramento had a disappointing showing against the Pelicans in the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, but a tough win over the Suns shows us exactly what this team can be. If the Kings can get the offense firing on all cylinders again, Sacramento will have a legitimate shot at winning the Pacific Division again.
11
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are starting to play some of their best basketball of the season. Cleveland has won four of its last five games, including a tough win over the Magic. The schedule gets a bit harder over this next week with Orlando again and the Celtics coming up twice. This stretch will show us where this Cavs team truly is.
10
Indiana Pacers
It’s hard not to be impressed by the Indiana Pacers right now. Indy may have lost the In-Season Tournament, but this team very clearly opened some eyes and showed that it’s ready to compete at a higher level.
The Pacers are reportedly looking to find a two-way athletic wing to put next to Haliburton and solidify the team’s awful defense. We’ll see if Indiana can make something shake.
9
Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic is putting up some big numbers… but he’s only shooting 31 percent from the field in his last couple of games. That’s not good. And it’s a large part of the Nuggets struggles over the last week or so.
Look for Jokic to turn things around and get the Nuggets back on track this week.
8
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks managed to dodge a bullet a few nights ago when it looked like Kyrie Irving may have suffered a serious injury. It turns out it was just a bone bruise on his foot and that he’d ultimately be fine. The Mavs have won two straight games and are looking to keep that momentum going.
7
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are back on track with two straight wins after a couple of losses to the Celtics and the Pelicans in consecutive games. Joel Embiid’s 50-point effort against the Wizards a few nights ago makes it feel like another MVP trophy could be coming his way. It’s still early, but we’ll see.
6
Milwaukee Bucks
There seems to be some trouble in paradise with Milwaukee. Despite having the third-best win percentage in the league, the Bucks have some pretty confounding losses. It’s built up to the point where even some players are growing frustrated (looking at you, Bobby Portis).
This team is fine, but some things clearly need to be taken care of.
5
Los Angeles Lakers
There’s something about the Lakers right now that just feels special. Maybe it’s just the hype of the In-Season Tournament. Maybe it’s LeBron James still (somehow) looking as good as he ever has on the court. I’m not sure.
But this team is clicking well. It’s early, but it looks like LA could compete with some of the best teams in the league.
4
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic still rank second in the NBA in defensive efficiency. The team’s offense came back to bite it in a big loss to the Nets, which is why the Magic are down a bit here. But this team is still second in the Eastern Conference. That says a lot.
3
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder just keep chugging along at 14-7. Chet Holmgren looks like the Rookie of the Year so far (though Victor Wembanyama certainly has a claim, too) and Shai Gilgeious-Alexander is a legitimate two-way superstar now. It’s early, but at this point you should trust the Oklahoma City Thunder.
2
Boston Celtics
The Celtics are just one of two teams in the NBA who rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. There’s a reason Boston has the best net rating in the league. Though this team still has its slip-ups and isn’t perfect down the stretch, it’s still looking like the championship favorite this season.
1
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves still boast the league’s best defense through about a fourth of the season with a 106.2 defensive rating. The offense isn’t quite there yet, but this defense is legitimately good enough to mark them as a contender. I said it last week and I’ll say it again — these Timberwolves are for real.
