This is Part 4 of this year’s bi-weekly NBA Team Power Rankings. The criteria of these rankings include, in no particular order:
- Team Record
- Net Rating (Point Differential Per 100 Possessions)
- SRS (Combination of Strength of Schedule and Net Rating
- Sprinkle of where teams are trending
It has been about a month since we last ranked the top 10 teams in the NBA. Plenty has happened since then. Here is how I think these teams rank as of Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.
Honorable Mentions
Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic
10. Los Angeles Clippers (Previous: Not Ranked)
The Clippers have been one of the more interesting teams to check in on all year long. Once it was confirmed that Kawhi Leonard was going to be injured for a long stretch at the beginning of the season, many people (including myself) decided to count them out of the playoffs and maybe even the play-in tournament. However, James Harden and Norm Powell had other plans. Both of them have had All-Star stretches this year, and it seems like Leonard is arriving at the perfect time.
9. Milwaukee Bucks (No Change)
The NBA Cup winners stay put at No. 9. If we are talking purely ceiling, I think the Bucks have as good a chance as any team not named the Celtics or Cavaliers to go on a run. When you have a top-two player, along with a top-20 player, plus a championship coach — yes, I know he won the championship when George W. Bush was president — there is a chance those three guys can take you on a run. However, their margin for error is much smaller than that of some other teams in their range because of their lack of depth. With this being said, Giannis Antetokounmpo looks as good as ever, and at the end of the day, you need a superstar like him to win the title.
Dame hit the 3-ball and Giannis notched his 49th career triple-double in the Bucks W over the Raptors 🦌 pic.twitter.com/R7Crbbr2jv
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 7, 2025
8. Dallas Mavericks (+2)
This was the hardest team to rank. On one hand, similar to the Bucks, they have as high a ceiling as anyone given their superstar power and playoff experience. However, their star, Luka Doncic, already sat out for a stretch at the beginning of the season and will miss another month. In addition, Kyrie Irving is injury-prone and will be out for a week or two. They are a much better team than I expected, but they can go down hard when hit with just a little bit of adversity.
7. Denver Nuggets (Not Ranked)
This is the third team in a row with championship potential but little margin for error. Having the best player in the world certainly has its perks, but it can only take you so far when the rest of your roster is not that good, especially since Nikola Jokic is worse at defense than he was the year Denver won the title. It will be hard to evaluate Denver the rest of the year, but given their experience, I think they have as good a shot in a playoff series against any team not named the Thunder.
6. Houston Rockets (-2)
This is for the people who complain about the NBA today because “they don’t play defense.” Watch the Houston Rockets. They are young, tough, shoot the mid-range, and do not allow anyone to score. However, unfortunately for the Rockets, the term “defense wins championships” is only half true. While being 12th in offense is nothing to scoff at, it probably is not good enough to win the title, especially given their style of play.
FVV SEALS IT ON DEFENSE 🔒
Rockets get the W at home! pic.twitter.com/LOy8wIejKY
— NBA (@NBA) January 6, 2025
5. Memphis Grizzlies (No Change)
The team that I expected to surpass expectations this year sneaks into the top five. Similar to the Rockets, watching Memphis play defense is a whole lot of fun to watch. Jaren Jackson Jr. has been phenomenal all year long and should be a lock to make the All-Star Game. I have the Grizzlies higher than the Rockets because of their two-way ability. They possess the fifth-best offense in the league.
4. New York Knicks (+4)
Despite losses to the Thunder and Magic, the Knicks have been on an absolute roll. After starting off the year slow, they have solidified themselves as a top-three team in the East. The offensive duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns is debatably the best in the league. However, there is another side to the ball, where the Knicks currently rank 14th. It will be interesting to see how this improves with the addition of Mitchell Robinson once he comes back from injury.
3. Boston Celtics (-1)
December was easily the worst month the Celtics had in the past two seasons. They had six losses throughout the month when they only had 14 all of last year. With this being said, they still have a top-three record and are top-three in net rating and SRS. The sky may feel like it is falling because the Celtics hit little to no adversity last year. However, the fact that they have hit this adversity while still maintaining a top-three record is great news for them.
The Oklahoma City Thunder held the Boston Celtics to 27 points in the 2nd half
— TF (@ThunderFocus) January 5, 2025
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (+1)
Whether you want to believe in the Cavs in the playoffs is your choice, but you cannot deny how great of a team they have been so far. People look at their roster and think, “Their offense is probably struggling but their defense is keeping them in contention.” However, they are first in offense and seventh in defense. The Cavaliers’ ceiling is unclear, but the more they distance themselves in the standings, the more you have to take them seriously.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (+2)
The more I watch the Thunder, the more I’m convinced this is the biggest gap between the best team and second-best team in the West since Kevin Durant was on the Warriors. They have everything: elite perimeter defense, elite rim defense (when fully healthy), great coaching, a superstar, and some very good shooters. If you need to see a little more to be sold on them, then all the power to you, but I’m all in.
Main Image Credit:
Joshua Gateley | NBAE via Getty Images
