We’re in the stretch run of the 2023-24 NBA season, and we still have so much jockeying for position in both conferences, a great race for the top seed in the West and a lot to still figure out with all 30 teams — even the bad ones!
That means we have at least one pressing question for each squad in these final weeks. And we’re going to attempt to answer those questions in these Power Rankings. We’ll also keep up the streak of 22 straight weeks of flawless rankings absolutely nobody will object to.
Reminder: The Power Rankings don’t just rank the 30 teams. We divide these teams into tiers, which teams can move in and out of. We currently have the tiers broken into seven new categories:
- Eliminated – They’ve been eliminated from the Play-In race.
- Season is over, just not mathematically — They haven’t started tanking yet, but it’s on the table this season.
- Looking to make the Play-In — They’ve been rebuilding/retooling and think they can crack the top 10 in their respective conference.
- Play-In Tournament teams or better — They should be in the mix unless something disastrous happens.
- Playoff teams — Probably don’t have to worry about dropping down to the Play-In Tournament.
- On the brink of contention — A piece away from us believing they can win the title.
- Contenders — They are contending for the championship, barring a massive injury.
As always, I am sure we will all agree on the placement of all 30 teams, especially your favorite team.
Here’s how the Power Rankings work:
- It’s up to my discretion how the rankings shake out. For some teams, they’ll be hit in the short term. Others will be given the benefit for the long term. Yes, it is entirely subjective.
- If I have a team ahead of another team, there’s no reason to ask why they’re ranked above the team you like. The answer is pretty simple: I think that team is set up better for success.
- Yes, I watch the games. And yes, I watch your favorite team.
- This is supposed to be fun, so let’s have fun.
With all that said, let’s dive into Week 22 of The Athletic’s NBA Power Rankings. Stats and records are through Monday’s action.
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Tier 1 – The Contenders
Stretch run question: Is it possible to be too good in a detrimental way?
I realize it’s a potentially stupid question, and maybe it’s a 100 percent stupid question. The Celtics just haven’t really been tested much this season. In one-possession games in the final three minutes, their offense has been awful, and they’re just 11-10 in those games. Do they need more practice? Will none of this matter because having the best offense in NBA history means they’re going to obliterate the East? Should they tank some fourth quarters to get some more clutch reps? Are they so good that we just have to ask dumb questions like this to spark interest before the postseason?
Offensive Rating
122.0 (1st)
Defensive Rating
110.2 (2nd)
Eastern
Tier 1 – The Contenders
Stretch run question: Are the Nuggets deep enough for the playoffs?
We know the starting lineup is lethal. We know Reggie Jackson is a really good backup point guard option, and Peyton Watson has been tremendous as he grows into a more prominent role this season. That’s seven guys. Christian Braun had moments during last postseason but still played very limited minutes. He should at least be accustomed to the atmosphere enough if they need him to be over 20 minutes per night. Maybe you throw DeAndre Jordan out there occasionally? There just isn’t much size depth, but we know Michael Malone is going to play his starters big minutes.
Offensive Rating
117.6 (7th)
Defensive Rating
112.9 (10th)
Western
Tier 1 – The Contenders
Stretch run question: What’s their best closing lineup?
Of the Thunder’s five most-used lineups this season, their best net rating (+16.6 per 100 possessions) belongs to the unit of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort and Isaiah Joe. That’s some pretty good dominance and something that should work at the end of games. All five options can shoot. Josh Giddey probably can’t be on the court in crunchtime during playoff games. Gordon Hayward might replace Joe for some size and extra playmaking, but the Thunder are at their best when everybody can shoot, drive and kick.
Offensive Rating
119.0 (3rd)
Defensive Rating
111.5 (5th)
Western
Tier 1 – The Contenders
Stretch run question: Are the Wolves going to be able to replace KAT’s offense?
Maybe the correct question to ask is whether they can replace enough of his offense to help Anthony Edwards out, but the Wolves already had a struggling offense with Towns healthy. They’ve been in the bottom half of the league in offensive rating pretty much all season. The good news is this means more Naz Reid opportunities, and he’s an excellent, versatile offensive weapon. But when Rudy Gobert is missing time with a rib injury, the depth makes it tough to keep pace with the Thunder and Nuggets in the West. Ultimately, the Wolves need to get a team effort offensively because one guy can’t make up for Towns’ absence.
Offensive Rating
114.6 (18th)
Defensive Rating
108.2 (1st)
Western
Tier 1 – The Contenders
Stretch run question: Is Zion Williamson finding his next leap?
Zion has hit another gear. If this is going to be him the rest of the season and into the playoffs, my goodness, the Pelicans are going to be trouble. Over his last 16 games, Zion is contributing the typical 23.8 points on 56.4 percent from the field. He’s also getting to the free-throw line nearly seven times a game. But the playmaking from Zion has been so impressive. He’s also averaging 6.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists to just 2.5 turnovers per game during this stretch too. Not knowing if he’s going to set someone up or be the bulldozer scorer he is has to make the opposition even more nervous.
Offensive Rating
117.1 (8th tied)
Defensive Rating
111.7 (6th)
Western
Tier 1 – The Contenders
Stretch run question: Once again, is Kawhi Leonard going to be fine for the playoffs?
We saw back spasms knock Leonard out of a primetime game, and then he seemed fine after that. In fact, he didn’t miss a game and shot the ball well, but the Clippers lost two of those three games, including a bad one to the Hawks. There’s a certain point where you wonder if seeding will become important to the Clippers, or if they’ll prioritize their team health, especially their stars. Are they confident enough to be willing to drop down to the fifth seed if it means they’re healthy enough to take on the Pelicans without home-court advantage? Or will the Pelicans force them down to fifth regardless of LA’s approach?
Offensive Rating
118.7 (5th)
Defensive Rating
114.8 (14th)
Western
Tier 1 – The Contenders
Tier 2 – Brink of Contention
Stretch run question: Is there a work-life balance but for offense-defense?
That’s what the Bucks need to find. When the defense looked good for Milwaukee under Doc Rivers before the West Coast road trip, the offense suffered. Most of the season, the defense has been mediocre, and the offense has been incredible. How do they find a way to excel at both enough to put some fear into the rest of the East and find a contending status worth believing in? Or is that even possible with that roster? Khris Middleton being back should help solve a lot of those issues. Potentially.
Offensive Rating
118.8 (4th)
Defensive Rating
115.4 (16th)
Eastern
Tier 2 – Brink of Contention
Stretch run question: Do the Mavs have another defensive gear in them?
The Kings and the Mavs are two teams I’m very intrigued by. Unfortunately, their lack of defense concerns me for potential deep playoff runs. We saw the Mavs finally play some defense in their win against Denver, but it’s such a rarity for them. Can they get timely stops in the playoffs? And, if they can’t, will the offense from Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and the supporting cast be overwhelming enough to get them to win a round or two? These last few weeks are when they can build the continuity on the court necessary to find a better defensive level.
Offensive Rating
117.9 (6th)
Defensive Rating
116.7 (21st tied)
Western
Tier 2 – Brink of Contention
Stretch run question: Will the Knicks get Julius Randle back and make a run at this thing?
Not only do we not know the answer to this, but now OG Anunoby is having some issues with his elbow again. Anunoby’s availability makes me more worried about the Knicks than Randle’s presence in the lineup. But they’ll need both to have a chance to make the Knicks’ deepest playoff run since 1999. This Knicks team is legitimately good when healthy. It’s just getting harder and harder to expect them to have everybody ready to go any time soon, and they will still need some time to rebuild continuity on the court.
Offensive Rating
116.5 (13th tied)
Defensive Rating
112.0 (7th)
Eastern
Tier 2 – Brink of Contention
Tier 3 – Playoff Teams
Stretch run question: Are the Cavs tough enough for the playoffs?
That’s essentially what we need to figure out to see if we’re going to believe in the Cavs this postseason. And it’s probably annoying to Cavs fans because this team is excellent. It’s handled injuries as well as you can expect. The Cavs remain in the hunt for the No. 2 seed and still have a top-three defense. But the offense has never really come around, and we’re still waiting for them to be healthy. And if they are, we’re waiting to see if they can execute on offense in the playoffs. This is going to be a great test on whether or not Donovan Mitchell can deliver for them this postseason.
Offensive Rating
115.1 (17th)
Defensive Rating
110.8 (3rd)
Eastern
Tier 3 – Playoff Teams
Stretch run question: Can the Kings become even passable on defense?
The Kings are 19th in defense on the season. They allow the second-highest 3-point percentage, just ahead of the Jazz and their putrid perimeter defense. It has been better since the All-Star break, like all defenses in the league not named Utah’s, but the Kings are still just 17th in the league during that stretch. They have been good defensively in the clutch, but the Kings need to extend that to the entire fourth quarter. If they can do that, they’ll avoid the Play-In and potentially win a first-round series.
Offensive Rating
116.7 (12th)
Defensive Rating
115.6 (19th)
Western
Tier 3 – Playoff Teams
Stretch run question: Can they get up to the No. 4 seed for the playoffs?
The Magic have been one of the best stories this season, even though they’re not getting a ton of national exposure. Their defense is one of the best in the league, and Jamahl Mosley has these young guys executing nearly perfectly on that end of the floor. And they’re only one game behind the Knicks for the No. 4 seed in the East. Orlando has a fairly easy schedule (19th in strength of schedule) the rest of the way, slightly easier than the Knicks (14th). Can the Magic snag home-court advantage and frustrate their first-round matchup? Could they upset the Knicks in a series?
Offensive Rating
112.8 (22nd tied)
Defensive Rating
111.1 (4th)
Eastern
Tier 3 – Playoff Teams
Stretch run question: Can they wield a big three and make a deep run?
I know the drop this week was harsh, but I felt like so many teams had a better week and needed to move up at least one spot. Phoenix kept losing coin flips because of it. Still, the potential for the Suns and their big three is massive. They do outscore opponents by 8.5 points per 100 possessions when Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are on the floor together, but they’re just 16-11 in their 27 games. The depth is just not there, and the health makes you worry about them taxing these guys. They need a couple of bench guys to be able to give them consistent quality minutes.
Offensive Rating
117.1 (8th tied)
Defensive Rating
114.6 (13th)
Western
Tier 3 – Playoff Teams
Stretch run question: Will the Pacers be able to regain the magic from the first third of the season?
Much of this has to do with Tyrese Haliburton and how he’s able to play. In the first 30 games of the season, Haliburton was averaging 24.9 points, 12.7 assists and 2.5 turnovers and throwing up 50.1/40.8/86.3 shooting splits. He flirted mightily with the 50-40-90 club. Since that hamstring injury? It’s not the same, and neither are the Pacers. In these last 22 games, he’s averaging 15.6 points, 9.2 assists and 2.3 turnovers and has 43.7/28.2/86.0 shooting splits. And they’re missing Bennedict Mathurin. The Pacers need Hali back to himself to regain the magic.
Offensive Rating
119.8 (2nd)
Defensive Rating
118.1 (25th)
Eastern
Tier 3 – Playoff Teams
Tier 4 – Play-In Tournament Teams Or Better
Stretch run question: Do the Lakers have another gear like they showed at the end of last season?
We certainly haven’t seen it yet. And I’m doubting whether we’re going to. We’ll see flashes from D’Angelo Russell and flashes from Austin Reaves. But now Anthony Davis is dealing with an eye injury (will that slow him down?), and the Lakers are running out of time. They aren’t in real danger of falling out of the Play-In, but they’re in danger of losing one game in the Play-In and having their season end. This is not the same team we saw a year ago.
Offensive Rating
115.3 (16th)
Defensive Rating
115.5 (17th tied)
Western
Tier 4 – Play-In Tournament Teams Or Better
Stretch run question: Will the Heat build back up to being the danger everybody hates in the East?
As someone who typically believes in the Heat – because of their infamous culture – when most others dismiss them as an Eastern Conference threat, Miami hasn’t shown a ton this season to inspire confidence. Or at least it hasn’t shown enough consistency to inspire that confidence. That’s what the Heat need to build. They should be trying to avoid the Play-In despite their success last postseason. They haven’t appeared to consistently be on the same page as a team most of this season. The Heat will need that to surprise in the playoffs once again.
Offensive Rating
112.8 (22nd tied)
Defensive Rating
112.3 (9th)
Eastern
Tier 4 – Play-In Tournament Teams Or Better
Stretch run question: Can we see the healthy Warriors for the rest of the season, and will that even matter if we do?
Maybe we saw a glimpse of what the Warriors can look like at full strength with Steph Curry back in that win over the Lakers this past weekend. Or maybe it’s just another tease. The Warriors have been battling themselves all season, and they’re a better road team than a home team. They’re reliant on Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski as their consistent helpers around Curry. We’re still waiting to see if Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins can be consistently reliable. If that happens, that glimpse becomes more of a reality and a danger to top seeds in the West.
Offensive Rating
116.8 (10th tied)
Defensive Rating
115.5 (17th tied)
Western
Tier 4 – Play-In Tournament Teams Or Better
Stretch run question: Can the Bulls make anybody uncomfortable in the Play-In and maybe the playoffs?
Do we feel confident the Bulls can make it through to the playoffs? They put a massive scare into Miami last Play-In Tournament, and we’ve seen them pull off some pretty big clutch moments this season. I don’t think beating out Atlanta to get a chance for the No. 8 seed is crazy. But can Chicago get past Indiana or Philly or Miami or whomever it might face in that second matchup? If the Bulls get through, can they utilize their size to make Boston work a little bit harder in that first round and maybe even steal a game?
Offensive Rating
113.6 (19th)
Defensive Rating
115.3 (15th)
Eastern
Tier 4 – Play-In Tournament Teams Or Better
Tier 5 – Looking to make the Play-In
Stretch run question: Does Jalen Green have to be a part of their future?
Jalen Green has had a rough time finding rhythm and consistency in his third season, on a Rockets team with a much more serious and proper approach. He’s a scorer who doesn’t provide efficient production most nights. And that will only go so far with Ime Udoka. The Rockets even shopped him around at the trade deadline looking for a massive upgrade on the wing. Over his last 25 games, Green has put up 21.4 points on 44.4 percent from the field. His assist numbers are solid (3.6). Has he shown enough to make Houston feel like he needs the extension he’ll want? Can he show that in this final month?
Offensive Rating
112.7 (24th)
Defensive Rating
112.1 (8th)
Western
Tier 5 – Looking to make the Play-In
Stretch run question: Is it worth trying to bring Joel Embiid back for the postseason (if possible)?
I’m always worried when it comes to a team bringing a big man back (seemingly early?) from a knee injury, especially a meniscus tear or a displaced flap or whatever you want to call it. The Sixers are likely going to fall and remain in the Play-In Tournament by the end of the season. Then, they have to decide if they can and should bring Embiid back for that, or hope for the best before potentially bringing him into the first round. I would always use more caution with someone like Embiid, but that’s not my call. Regardless, I just hope he’s healthy when he’s finally back.
Offensive Rating
116.5 (13th tied)
Defensive Rating
113.8 (12th)
Eastern
Tier 5 – Looking to make the Play-In
Stretch run question: Can this team set itself up to be trouble when Trae Young is back for the postseason?
After their Los Angeles road trip, the Hawks are now 8-9 without Young in the lineup, as opposed to 22-29 with him playing. They’ve managed to handle this absence pretty well and are in no danger of falling out of the Play-In Tournament. But are they any danger to a potential playoff contender? If they can make it to the No. 8 seed, are we going to see the Celtics even break a sweat against them? I’ve been telling myself the talent is there, but the direction isn’t with this Hawks team. Maybe I’ve been wrong about how talented this team actually is?
Offensive Rating
116.8 (10th tied)
Defensive Rating
118.8 (28th)
Eastern
Tier 5 – Looking to make the Play-In
Tier 6 – Season is over, just not mathematically
Stretch run question: Is Keyonte George the real deal as their franchise point guard?
While most of the season we’ve seen George struggle to make shots like he did at Baylor, the rookie has made massive improvements in his last 20 games. Over this stretch, he’s averaging 17.2 points and 4.8 assists and putting up 45.5/40.9/86.3 shooting splits. George has turned a corner and gone from a nice mid-first-round find for the Jazz to potentially their lead guard of the future. They don’t need to decide on that now, but continuing even close to this level of play settles that question easily.
Offensive Rating
115.5 (15th)
Defensive Rating
119.2 (29th)
Western
Tier 6 – Season is over
just not mathematically
Stretch run question: Is Kevin Ollie going to be their coach of the future?
We’ve seen a better record in a short amount of time under Ollie on the interim sidelines. The Nets are 5-9 in the 14 games since he took over. However, the wins have come against Memphis, Atlanta (twice), a battered Philadelphia team and a good but injured Cleveland team. It’s a start for them finding a better level of execution, and the Nets organization has to figure out if Ollie is the guy. Some of that will likely depend on how much of a Play-In or playoff threat they expect to be next season. This team isn’t here to rebuild (it doesn’t have its own picks), so how do they become a winner?
Offensive Rating
113.3 (20th)
Defensive Rating
115.7 (20th)
Eastern
Tier 6 – Season is over
just not mathematically
Stretch run question: Can GG Jackson actually be a contributor when they’re good again next season?
Over Jackson’s last 17 games, he’s been a really intriguing player for the M.A.S.H. unit Grizzlies. They’re just throwing guys into the lineup who normally would barely make the roster — and certainly not the rotation — for a typically good Memphis squad. Jackson has been putting up 17.3 points per game on 44.6/36.3/75.7 shooting splits. Such production is nothing earth-shattering, but it’s pretty good for someone who is barely 19 years old. Is this transferable to the Grizzlies next season, when Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane are all in the mix? Will Jackson be a valuable player off the bench at such a young age?
Offensive Rating
106.9 (30th)
Defensive Rating
113.3 (11th)
Western
Tier 6 – Season is over
just not mathematically
Stretch run question: Do you have anything with Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick and Jontay Porter?
We know Scottie Barnes is the guy for the Raptors moving forward, and we know they have some very solid-to-good role players surrounding him. They still have to figure out if they can game the system a bit with any of these rookie-contract/cost-effective young guys on the roster. They acquired Agbaji at the deadline, and he’s really struggled to make shots and contribute. Dick had a good February but has cooled off considerably this month. If he can’t hit shots, there’s not much reason to play him. Porter has started playing in the last week, and he might be able to provide a solid backup big man role down the line. But now is the time to see what they’ve got.
Offensive Rating
113.0 (21st)
Defensive Rating
117.3 (24th)
Eastern
Tier 6 – Season is over
just not mathematically
Stretch run question: How does Brandon Miller finish his rookie campaign?
We’ve seen a little bit of a dip in production and efficiency for Miller in the month of March after an extremely strong February. The Hornets are just taking a skeleton crew to the games most nights with Vasilije Micić, Tre Mann and Nick Richards starting for them. Miller and Miles Bridges are going to be the 1-2 combo for Charlotte. Will Miller be able to finish the season on a strong stretch, shoot the ball well and be ready to take off in his sophomore season?
Offensive Rating
108.3 (29th)
Defensive Rating
118.5 (26th tied)
Eastern
Tier 6 – Season is over
just not mathematically
Tier 7 – Eliminated
Stretch run question: Which young guys around Victor Wembanyama will be here for the long haul?
We know Wembanyama is the real deal and heading toward being one of the best players in the league in a short amount of time. The next step for the Spurs is figuring out which players on the current roster complement him long term. Then, they can start filling in positions around those guys in the draft, free agency and trades. Tre Jones is a keeper, and so is Devin Vassell. Who else? Is Jeremy Sochan going to fit when this team is good? Is OIympic gold medalist Keldon Johnson the correct wing to have next to Vassell and Wemby? Strong finishes help answer all that.
Offensive Rating
109.7 (27th)
Defensive Rating
117.0 (23rd)
Western
Tier 7 – Eliminated
Stretch run question: How is Scoot Henderson going to end the season?
Henderson is another G League Ignite prospect who has struggled to make the leap to the NBA. Some of that is speed and difficulty at the NBA level. Other parts involve injuries. Regardless, he’s just not making shots and having the impact many of us expected. How does he finish it out? After missing 10 of 12 games recently, Henderson has been back and still struggling to knock down shots consistently. A strong end to the season with efficiency, changing speeds and having an impact would go a long way to building confidence for next season. He’s shown flashes. Let’s see consistency.
Offensive Rating
108.7 (28th)
Defensive Rating
116.7 (21st tied)
Western
Tier 7 – Eliminated
Stretch run question: Can the Pistons actually look like a solid team by the end?
Whenever people lament this Pistons team and tanking, it’s important to remind them that Detroit was trying to be good — or at least much better — this season. The Pistons have won three of their last seven games, which doesn’t sound world-beating at all. But for this team and the way it looked in November and December? It’s a nice bit of growth. Detroit currently has the 24th-hardest strength of schedule remaining, but can Cade Cunningham and company surprise some teams by passing out some losses?
Offensive Rating
110.3 (25th)
Defensive Rating
118.5 (26th tied)
Eastern
Tier 7 – Eliminated
Stretch run question: Are they going to be the worst team in the league?
The infamous “at this point it’s like ‘don’t be that team’” tweet by Kyle Kuzma just gets louder and louder. It gets recirculated more and more with each loss. And the Wizards are now a game behind the Pistons – who lost an NBA record 28 straight games – in the standings. Jordan Poole is talking about how people are mad at his confidence, not realizing it’s his indifference. The Wizards should not be this bad, and they’ll likely end up with the league’s worst record, and it will not due to injuries.
Offensive Rating
110.2 (26th)
Defensive Rating
119.7 (30th)
Eastern
Tier 7 – Eliminated
(Top photo: Stephen Lew / USA Today)
