NBA energy rankings 2024-25: Thunder take over high spot behind MVP-worthy Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

It is Christmas in Las Vegas with the NBA Cup this subsequent week, and one of many groups in Sin Metropolis for the ultimate 4 has taken excessive spot on these NBA Energy Rankings.

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1. Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (19-5, Final Week No. 4). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added to his MVP case by dropping 39 on Dallas in Tuesday’s NBA Cup win (the Thunder are on to Las Vegas). Right here, SGA talks about how his sport advanced into one thing not like the opposite stars of the NBA: “I used to be all the time taught how one can play very well. In order that basis after which being smaller, rising up, I needed to actually determine how one can rating and play utilizing angles. After which my sport is simply rounded out by means of work and selecting spots that I can get to, and making an attempt to have the ability to make photographs from these spots. After which simply being assured from there.”

2. Boston Celtics (19-5, LW 2). It is the factor everyone is speaking about with Boston, but it surely nonetheless hits arduous watching this workforce play: Simply what number of 3-pointers they rise up a sport. Boston averages 51.4 3-point makes an attempt a sport, 56.5% of their shot makes an attempt whole. The subsequent closest workforce to them is the Bulls at 43.5 makes an attempt, virtually eight fewer 3-pointers a sport. Main the best way is MVP candidate Jayson Tatum at 10.5 makes an attempt a sport, adopted by Derrick White at 9.1 (he is hitting 39% of these). Whereas Boston did not advance within the NBA Cup it was form to them, their make-up video games this week are Detroit and Washington.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-4, LW 1). Cleveland has been extremely lucky with well being this season amongst its high 4, so it was regarding Sunday in Miami when Evan Mobley rolled his ankle, however he stated postgame it is nothing critical. One other a part of Cleveland’s scorching begin is its taking pictures — the Cavs do not launch as many because the Celtics (38.2 a sport), nonetheless Cleveland is hitting a league-best 40.4% from past the arc. We’re far sufficient into the season to say that is not a fluke, and it ought to solely get higher with Max Strus set to return to the lineup Friday after being out all season with an ankle challenge.

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4. Dallas Mavericks (16-9, LW 5). The Mavericks have been the second-best workforce within the West this season — they’d received seven straight heading into Tuesday night time — however that NBA Cup loss to Oklahoma Metropolis could also be an indication that the hole from first to second is fairly massive. A part of that loss was the Mavericks had been with out P.J. Washington, who’s essential to their protection — Dallas is 1-5 this season in video games Washington has missed. The Mavericks’ protection has regarded higher with Dereck Energetic II within the beginning lineup, and it’s 9.7 factors per 100 possessions higher when Washington and Energetic are each on the courtroom.

5. New York Knicks (15-9, LW 6). If one factor issues me about this workforce — exterior of their apparent incapability to defend — it is the letdown video games the place the Knicks lose to lesser groups. The most recent was the Pistons on Saturday, however all that factors again to the protection. For the second yr in a row the Knicks have superior to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup and are the favorites towards the Hawks, however a foul protection giving Trae Younger area to do his factor inside Madison Sq. Backyard is a priority. Nonetheless, New York must be bringing its high-octane offense to Las Vegas. Ought to.

6. Memphis Grizzlies (17-8, LW 9). Memphis is taking pictures up these Energy Rankings — and this spot virtually feels too low. The Grizzlies have received 9-of-10 and have the most effective web ranking within the league over their final seven video games (+12.6). For the season, the Grizzlies are within the high 5 in offense and protection should you filter out rubbish time (as Cleansing the Glass does, the Grizzlies are seventh in protection should you go away it in). All that is with some issues nonetheless not clicking for Memphis — Zach Edey stays out and Desmond Bane has struggled from 3 this season (32.3%, effectively off his profession 41% common). Enjoyable check in Los Angeles towards the LeBron James and the Lakers on Sunday.

PLAYOFFS OR BUST

7. Houston Rockets (16-8, LW 3). Houston sees its NBA Cup sport Wednesday night time towards Golden State as a little bit of a costume rehearsal for the playoffs — a spot this core has but to go. With the NBA Cup quarterfinals, there’s a brighter highlight and one thing the gamers need — a bigger bonus and a visit to Las Vegas — on the road. The Rockets love this core and wish to see what it might probably do within the postseason, which is why all of the commerce hypothesis (like them going after Houston native Jimmy Butler) is exterior hypothesis that’s not going to occur. Ultimately, the Rockets must make a commerce, however not till this summer season on the earliest (and so they don’t need an older, costly participant again).

8. Golden State Warriors (14-9, LW 7). There was a divide amongst Warriors followers and throughout the group: Is Jonathan Kuminga the star who can lead this workforce into the long run, is he the No. 2 who may help win a hoop subsequent to Stephen Curry, or is he simply not that man? It’s an enormous query in a contract yr and Steve Kerr is giving Kuminga the prospect to show it by transferring him into the beginning lineup. As a starter the final 4 video games, Kuminga had an enormous night time dropping 33 factors on the Rockets, however within the different three video games he is averaged 17.3 on 44.9% taking pictures and 3-of-10 from 3. Can Kuminga put up one other huge night time towards the Rockets, who the Warriors face Wednesday night time in an NBA Cup knockout-round quarterfinal sport?

9. Orlando Magic (17-10, LW 8). The basketball gods will be merciless. They’ve been to the Magic, who’ve now misplaced Franz Wagner for an prolonged interval to the identical fluke damage that sidelined Paolo Banchero — a torn indirect. Their NBA Cup loss to the Bucks confirmed simply how gritty this workforce will be, with Mo Wagner stepping up his offense off the bench and Jalen Suggs scoring like he is again at Gonzaga and taking over UCLA. The Magic’s elite protection will assist the workforce hold its head above water, however factors shall be arduous to come back by, and with that so will wins till the workforce’s shot creators return.

10. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-11, LW 15). Early within the season the Timberwolves had been getting run off the courtroom, actually. Via Thanksgiving they’d given up the fourth most quick break factors within the NBA and it confirmed of their document. Enjoying with tempo — and getting again in transition — has been the key sauce to turning issues round. Once they blew out the Clippers every week in the past, the Timberwolves had a 20-0 quick break level benefit. The Timberwolves had received 4 in a row earlier than falling to the Warriors Sunday, however watching this workforce in individual the attention check tells you they’ve righted the ship after a sluggish begin (following the commerce that shook issues up earlier than camp).

11. Denver Nuggets (12-10, LW 11). Someone get Nikola Jokic some assist. He’s enjoying at an MVP degree and it is not sufficient. One of the best instance of that’s the loss to the Wizards, the place Jokic scored 56 factors with 16 rebounds and the Nuggets nonetheless misplaced to a workforce on a 16-game dropping streak coming in. If the playoffs began right this moment, the 2023 NBA Champions could be within the play-in, that regardless of Jokic averaging a triple-double of 32.3 factors, 13.6 rebounds and 10.2 assists a sport.

12. Miami Warmth (12-10, LW 14). Miami appears to be awakening from its conventional early season slumber and has received 5-of-7, with a pair extra winnable video games on the schedule this week (shorthanded Toronto and Detroit). Jimmy Butler commerce rumors are flying round as a result of he and the Warmth didn’t work out a contract extension, and Butler may be open to it if it’s a contending workforce keen to pay him together with his subsequent contract (he has a $52.4 million extension for subsequent season), however right here is the place the brand new CBA sucked the enjoyment out of one thing followers love — with Miami and each critical potential commerce companion coping with arduous caps or tax apron restrictions, placing collectively this type of deal is extra sophisticated than ever. There is a good probability Butler is with the Warmth previous the deadline and into the playoffs.

13. Milwaukee Bucks (13-11, LW 13). I am nonetheless a bit of hesitant to say, “The Bucks are again.” Their win over Orlando within the NBA Cup is an ideal instance of that — Milwaukee obtained an enormous night time from Giannis Antetokounmpo (he continues to play at an MVP degree) and it was Dame Time within the closing minutes, sending the Bucks to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals. But it took all of the Bucks needed to beat a really shorthanded Orlando squad. Milwaukee has received 9-of-11 however towards a mushy schedule, and when final week they confronted one other NBA Cup squad in Atlanta plus Boston, the Bucks misplaced. Las Vegas may give us a greater sense of simply how good Milwaukee actually is.

14. Los Angeles Clippers (14-11, LW 10). Kawhi Leonard is nearing a return. There isn’t any official timetable, however Leonard is practising with the workforce and a return within the subsequent week or two appears doubtless. That ought to solely assist the Clippers’ Sixth-ranked protection, which is a credit score to Tyronn Lue and Ivica Zubac, the middle who has develop into a robust deterrent within the paint plus is cleansing up the glass (the Clippers defensive rebounding is quietly a robust a part of their protection). This Clippers roster with a wholesome Leonard shouldn’t be profitable a hoop, however no person would wish to see them within the first spherical.

15. Atlanta Hawks (13-12, LW 18). Trae Younger has a aptitude for large moments and there may be none greater this season for these Hawks than the NBA Cup quarterfinal knockout sport in Madison Sq. Backyard. In that case, Younger wants to seek out his shot as a result of he is been ice chilly the previous couple of weeks — in his final 10 video games he’s taking pictures 25% on 8 3-point makes an attempt an evening, and simply 39% total. Regardless of that, Atlanta is available in scorching, they’d six straight video games (together with over the Cavaliers twice and the Bucks) till they bumped into Denver on Sunday.

16. Sacramento Kings (12-13, LW 19). Mike Brown needed to shake issues up and went with one thing form of radical — beginning Malik Monk. How has that labored? Monk’s offense has taken a step ahead scoring 19.4 factors a sport and it is not simply the added six minutes an evening, he is taking pictures 42.9% from 3 as a starter (8.4 makes an attempt a sport) up from 35.7% off the bench (5.4 makes an attempt). His help ratio has additionally elevated, and Monk is averaging 6.4 assists per sport as a starter. The Kings have received two of these three video games, together with two in a row now for the primary time since early November.

17. Phoenix Suns (12-11, LW 12). Right here is the one factor that appears to matter with these Suns: Kevin Durant may return Friday towards Utah from his sprained ankle. It is this easy: The Suns are 11-2 with Durant enjoying and 1-9 in video games he misses (that one win was towards Utah, so if he does not play Friday it nonetheless must be a Phoenix victory). Phoenix wants Durant again partially as a result of he represents the specter of somebody who can rating within the paint — Phoenix is twenty seventh within the league in factors within the paint, which is an indictment of Jusuf Nurkic and the bigs in addition to exhibiting how a lot Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and everybody else fortunately accept midrange jumpers.

18. San Antonio Spurs (12-12, LW 16). Gradual begins are killing this workforce — the Spurs have misplaced the primary quarter in 10 straight video games (nonetheless going 6-4 in these video games) and misplaced the primary quarter in 10 of their 12 losses this season. It was nice this week to see how emotional and grateful Chris Paul was to his teammates after passing Jason Kidd to develop into second all-time in assists within the NBA — he was clearly moved and you may see how a lot he enjoys this roster and workforce.

19. Los Angeles Lakers (13-11, LW 17). It’s one of many extra gorgeous stats of the season: The Lakers have a -7.1 web ranking when LeBron is on the courtroom and a optimistic one when he’s off. Most of that’s because of the Lakers’ protection being worse with LeBron on the courtroom. It’s a -6.4 web ranking when LeBron and Anthony Davis share the courtroom. Whereas one can fixate on the opposite three gamers on the courtroom to get a very good ranking — issues are optimistic when it’s Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell with LeBron and Davis — it’s a purple flag that the Lakers are dropping the minutes with their finest gamers on the courtroom by a lot. It’s an even bigger purple flag (however not a shock contemplating the Lakers are twenty fourth within the league in protection as soon as rubbish time is filtered out, by way of Cleansing the Glass) that the protection is the duo’s weak finish.

PLAY IN HOPEFULS

20. Philadelphia 76ers (7-15, LW 25). Joel Embiid is again — and he dropped 31 in his return. That return got here after lacking seven video games resulting from everybody’s favourite “left knee damage administration” — the reasoning used for all 16 video games he has missed this season — and he regarded a bit of rusty to begin lacking his first seven photographs. From then on he regarded sharp, taking pictures 13-of-21 on his solution to a 31-point, 12-rebound sport. The 76ers have received 4-of-5 and if Embiid can keep wholesome the workforce has loads of time to show this season round.

21. Chicago Bulls (10-15, LW 21). The Chicago Bulls are twenty seventh within the NBA in protection, however the 123 factors a sport they’re giving up is probably the most factors an evening the Bulls have given up in workforce historical past (hat tip to Legislation Murray of The Athletic). Count on numerous Bulls commerce rumors to fly across the subsequent couple of months — Chicago want to transfer their big-money contract gamers resembling Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball, however different groups doubtless can have curiosity in guys like Coby White and possibly Patrick Williams. The excellent news for Bulls followers is the entrance workplace is making an attempt to get a deal performed, not following a mandate from possession to chase a play-in spot.

22. Brooklyn Nets (10-14, LW 23). Dorian Finney-Smith sums up the contradiction of the Brooklyn Nets effectively. On one hand, Finney-Smith is taking and making probably the most 3-pointers of his profession — 43.2% of his 5.5 makes an attempt a sport — and with that has the best true taking pictures proportion of his profession at .617. On the flip facet, he’s committing a profession excessive 3.1 private fouls a sport, an issue for all of the Nets as no workforce permits the next free throw to area objective proportion than does Brooklyn (they battle to defend the paint and find yourself fouling to cowl up errors).

23. Indiana Pacers (10-15, LW 20). Watching the NBA Cup unfold has been a reminder about what’s totally different with Indiana this season: The protection has been unhealthy for a few years (and must be addressed, ultimately), however a dynamic, fast-paced offense coated it up. That offense is gone, the Pacers are nineteenth in offensive ranking and sixth in tempo. A part of that’s Tyrese Haliburton has gone from All-NBA good and an Olympian to only good this season: His scoring, assists, and taking pictures proportion from 3 are all down. How do Rick Carlisle and the gamers flip that round?

24. Detroit Pistons (10-15, LW 22). Cade Cunningham says he seems like he’s an All-Star, “I consider I’m. Every time I’m on the courtroom each night time, I really feel like I’m the most effective participant… I’m simply making an attempt to assist my workforce win and we’ll see what occurs with it.” The uncooked numbers again Cunningham up: 23.9 factors, 9.4 assists, and seven.3 rebounds a sport. The query turns into, will the Pistons win sufficient video games that the coaches will vote him in as an East reserve (there’s little probability the followers vote him in as a starter).

CAPTURE THE (COOPER) FLAGG

25. Toronto Raptors (7-18, LW 24). The Raptors shall be with out Scottie Barnes for just a few weeks with a sprained ankle — which is not good however regarded loads worse when Karl-Anthony Cities landed on him. Barnes is averaging 20.6 factors, 8.4 rebounds, and seven.4 assists an evening, and the Raptors are +4.1 higher with him on the courtroom. Whereas not excellent news, it does not hit the Raptors as arduous because the franchise’s focus has already began to pivot to the stacked 2025 NBA Draft.

26. Charlotte Hornets (7-17, LW 26). The Hornets are 1-5 since LaMelo Ball went out, with the win coming towards struggling Indiana (that win snapped an eight-game dropping streak). With Ball out it has been the Brandon Miller present: In his final 5 video games he is averaging 28.6 factors a sport and taking 13.7 3-point makes an attempt a sport (hitting 37.7% of them) whereas grabbing 5.4 rebounds an evening.

27. Utah Jazz (5-18, LW 28). It is arduous to pinpoint one drawback with this Utah workforce, but when compelled to select only one I am going to take the league-worst 18.4 turnovers a sport. The one time they took higher care of the ball, simply 14 turnovers, they crushed the struggling Path Blazers. With that win Utah is 1-2 to begin a stretch of 8-of-9 on the street.

28. Portland Path Blazers (8-16, LW 27). Portland has dropped 4 in a row (together with one to Utah) and 8-of-10. As commerce rumors begin to warmth up across the league, count on to listen to some Jerami Grant speak as different groups check out the veteran ahead. Robert Williams III can also draw some curiosity if he stays wholesome.

29. New Orleans Pelicans (5-20, LW 29). Shedding Brandon Ingram to a extreme ankle sprain that’s going to have him sidelined for some time was one other gut-punch damage in a season of the. With the Pelicans pulling the rip twine on the season, groups shall be calling about everybody on the roster, but when New Orleans trades Herb Jones, they higher get a haul again. I’d not let that man go.

30. Washington Wizards (3-19, LW 30). Washington snapped its 16-game dropping streak on the expense of the Denver Nuggets regardless of Nikola Jokic dropping 56 — that win helps hold the highlight off this workforce. Jonas Valanciūnas’ rock-solid efficiency in that sport going up towards Jokic (20 factors, 12 boards, 5 blocks) is why numerous groups have a watch on him because the commerce market begins to warmth up.