And just like that, the 2023-24 NBA regular season ends in a month.
Apart from the still strong increase Boston Celticsevery team is scrambling to get the best possible positioning, whether for the playoffs or for draft purposes.
The top of the Western Conference remains tight. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets all have 47 wins and the race will likely go down to the wire.
Elsewhere, the the Los Angeles Lakers And Warriors of the Golden State stay close to each other. If things stay the same, they could find themselves in another potential play-in tournament thriller.
Let’s break it all down with the 13th edition of the NBA Power Rankings 2023-24:
30. Wizards of Washington, 11-57
THE Wizards recently won two straight – against Charlotte, in Miami – to end a double-digit losing streak, but that doesn’t propel them out of last place. Since then, they have lost four times in a row and the future remains muddy. (Last ranking: 30)
29. Detroit Pistons, 12-56
Detroit would be dead last without Washington. A miraculous turnaround will be needed next season, starting with more internal growth that will need to be led by head coach Monty Williams. (Last ranking: 29)
28. Charlotte Hornets, 17-51
Charlotte has the worst net rating in the league and is 2-8 in its last 10 games. At least Brandon Miller showed his potential in a few flashes, otherwise it would have been another wasted year for the Hornets. (Last ranking: 28)
27. San Antonio Spurs, 15-53
At least the Spurs have Victor Wembanyama, who has just been a different breed as a rookie. The number of jumps he made in a single season is absurd, but it’s a shame he couldn’t get as many wins in his debut campaign. (Last ranking: 27)
26. Portland Trail Blazers, ages 19-49
There’s not much new in Portland other than hoping Scoot Henderson can finish the campaign on a high note now that he’s back from injury. (Last ranking: 26)
25. Toronto Raptors, ages 23-45
It appears Toronto has made its decision. The Raptors have a first-round pick who is protected in the top six, otherwise he will be traded to San Antonio. Toronto is 1-9 in its last 10 games, including seven straight losses. This pick could be huge for the team’s future. (Last ranking: 23)
24. Memphis Grizzlies, 23-46
Memphis climbs one place thanks to Toronto’s decline. This has been a season full of terrible injuries for the Grizzlies, so the main goal is simply to finish without any additional serious injuries. (Last ranking: 25)
23. Brooklyn Nets, ages 26-42
THE Nets are also benefiting from Toronto’s fall, but they have their own problems to deal with. Since the last edition, Ben Simmons was excluded from the season. Brooklyn has a lot of roster building to do in the offseason. (Last ranking: 25)
22. Utah Jazz, 29-39
Utah has had streaks throughout the season, but it may be this past fall that ultimately sticks. The Jazz are 2-8 in their last 10 games, but their first-round pick could be redirected to Oklahoma City (he is protected by picks 1-10, however). There may not be another big winning streak until next season. (Last ranking: 21)
21. Atlanta Falcons, 30-38
Atlanta continues to be a middling team and it doesn’t seem like anything can change that. Reshuffling the roster, mainly via a possible trade of Dejounte Murray, will be essential during the offseason. Atlanta, however, is improving due to Utah’s decline. (Last ranking: 22)
20. Chicago Bulls, 34-35
THE Bulls I still have time to reach a new peak this season. They’ve won six of their last 10 games, but the chances of continually improving this campaign without Zach LaVine are slim. The transactions should have been completed by the deadline. (Last ranking: 19)
19. Houston Rockets, 32-35
Houston still has a top-10 defense, but its 9-24 road record has significantly dented its ceiling. Memphis, for context, has a road record of 15-19. This, combined with an improved offensive game, will be key to a raise next year. Alperen Sengun avoiding serious injury was also key. (Last ranking: 20)
18. Golden State Warriors, 35-32
There’s a lot of parity from this spot to around the top 10. The Warriors drop three spots from last edition after their strong run came to a halt in the last few games. There’s still time to potentially avoid a play-in game, but the margins are razor-thin compared to Golden State’s current situation. (Last ranking: 15)
17. Miami Heat, 37-31
THE Heat are currently in a fragile situation, having lost five of their last seven matches. The only two victories came in Detroit. As mentioned above, the margins around this region are thin, so Miami is also diving. (Last ranking: 13)
16. Indiana Pacers, 38-31
Indiana was down last year, and that continues here. The Pacers continue to fluctuate between wins and losses and need Tyrese Haliburton to rediscover his early season magic to have a legitimate chance this season. (Last ranking: 14)
15. Los Angeles Lakers, 37-32
You never know which version of the Lakers you’ll get – they beat Milwaukee and Minnesota back-to-back then lost to Golden State and Sacramento – which is ultimately both good and bad and will likely be the reason for their downfall (as well as concerns in terms of coaching). For now, their recent play is worth a move up one spot. (Last ranking: 16)
14. Philadelphia 76ers, 38-30
THE 76ers are entering a delicate period. They’ve lost five of their last eight games and now head out on a four-game road trip against four Western Conference playoff hopefuls. They need to stay afloat while Joel Embiid remains out. (Last ranking: 11)
13. Sacramento Kings, 39-28
THE kings have a particular problem in which they regularly engage in quality battles with elite teams but completely stumble against teams they should beat. Maybe that could be a good thing come playoff time, but they need to secure a good seed first. (Last ranking: 18)
12. Phoenix Suns, 39-29
Phoenix didn’t completely fizzle out, but it also fluctuated between wins and losses, which saw the team fall out of the top 10. (Last ranking: 9)
11. Dallas Mavericks, 39-29
THE Nonconformists have won five of their last six games against strong opposition, with Kyrie Irving’s left-handed batter over Nikola Jokic being the ultimate prize. (Last ranking: 12)
10. Orlando Magic, 40-28
Orlando is the biggest winner of this edition with eight wins out of 10, but that has to come with context. These wins came against Brooklyn (x2), Toronto (x2), Detroit, Washington, Charlotte and Utah. The two losses came against New York and Indiana. But teams on the rise like Orlando should take care of business, something the teams below them haven’t always done. (Last ranking: 17)
9. Los Angeles Clippers, 42-25
Compared to other teams above Clippers, it was a bit of a difficult time for LA. They lost four out of five and were also on a downward trend in the last edition. LA will have to get back into shape before next month. (Last ranking: 6)
8. New Orleans Pelicans, 41-26
New Orleans has won six of its last seven, but it’s still not enough to continue progressing. Staying healthy during this time is what really matters, especially with Zion Williamson at the helm. (Last ranking: 8)
7. New York Knicks, 41-27
THE Knicks started losing the last few editions when injuries began to pile up, but they have since won four out of five and are not yet fully healthy. There could be more to come from Jalen Brunson and Co. (Last ranking: 10)
6. Cleveland Cavaliers, 43-25
Cleveland’s form from late January to mid-February petered out, with recent weeks marked by turbulence in terms of results. Donovan Mitchell hasn’t fully returned yet, so that’s something to consider when wondering if they could get back to their previous levels. (Last ranking: 6)
5. Milwaukee Bucks, 44-24
Milwaukee will likely have to settle for the No. 2 seed in the East and is 3-3 in its last six games. The Bucks’ next game, however, will be a matchup in Boston. Talk about a huge test in what could be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. (Last ranking: 5)
4. Minnesota Timberwolves, 47-21
The top three in the West are nearly identical in terms of records, so everything remains to play for throughout the next month of action. Minnesota will have to do it without Karl-Anthony Towns, however, so its resilience will certainly be tested. Anthony Edwards, fortunately, nothing seems disturbed. (Last ranking: 3)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder, 47-20
Oklahoma City moves back up one spot after winning six of its last eight games. The team’s youth will be tested come playoff time, but none of that has slowed them down yet. (Last ranking: 4)
2. Denver Nuggets, 47-21
Denver remains the best of the top three in the West and is also in incredible shape. The Nuggets have won 11 of their last 13 games, including a home thriller against Boston. Their next opponent? In Minnesota. (Last ranking: 2)
1. Boston Celtics, 54-14
THE Celtics remains first for the ninth consecutive edition. Their starting five features perfect balance at every position, and they are currently on a league-best six-game winning streak. As long as they stay the course, this is their first chance to reach banner #18. (Last ranking: 1)
