The 2024-25 season continues to roll along in January. At this point, teams are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the league. It’s evident the NBA’s best three teams are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics.
The first two are running away with their Conference’s first seed. The final one is the reigning NBA champion with plenty of playoff experience. The Thunder and Cavaliers squared off in a game that lived up to the hype of a possible NBA Finals preview.
Meanwhile, Paolo Banchero and Zion Williamson returned to their squads after a lengthy absence. One went a lot better than the other, to say the least. The LA wildfire and Dallas/Atlanta snowstorms have also caused delays in the NBA’s schedule.
Throughout the 2024-25 season, Thunder Wire will conduct weekly NBA power rankings. Here is the latest edition for the Jan. 6-12 week:
30. Washington Wizards (6-31)
Previous Ranking: 29
The Wizards have been one of the league’s worst teams. They’ve lost six in a row. The inconsistent Bilal Coulibaly has struggled in recent games. He’s one of Washington’s top prospects. Another prospect is Alex Sarr as he’s limited with his scoring.
29. New Orleans Pelicans (8-32)
Previous Ranking: 30
To encapsulate the Pelicans’ season, Zion Williamson returned after a two-month absence, went off and threw down a highlight dunk against the Timberwolves and then missed the game with a hamstring injury. He was then suspended for tardiness. It’s been that type of year for New Orleans.
28. Toronto Raptors (8-31)
Previous Ranking: 27
The Raptors have lost five in a row and 16 of their last 17 games. They’ve gone full-on tank mode this season. It’s a wise decision to make. Even though he was an All-Star, Scottie Barnes doesn’t look like he can be the franchise player of a contender. Toronto needs to focus on adding blue-chip prospects.
27. Charlotte Hornets (8-28)
Previous Ranking: 28
The Hornets had their LA trip postponed due to the California wildfires. They basically had a week off because of the natural disaster. In other news, LaMelo Ball continues to be an All-Star voting champion. He’ll likely be an All-Star as he’s put up monster numbers on unreal usage.
26. Utah Jazz (10-28)
Previous Ranking: 26
The Jazz have lost eight of their last 11 games. They’re another team committed to being a basement dweller if it means a high lottery pick. A bright side for them has been Walker Kessler. After being a bench player last season, he’s taken advantage of the starter reps by being a double-double machine.
25. Brooklyn Nets (13-26)
Previous Ranking: 24
Down in the standings, the Nets go. They’ve lost five in a row. The rest of this season will be about securing a top lottery pick. Ben Simmons has had a nice resurgence in Brooklyn. He’s not a franchise cornerstone but has had a decent year as a backup guard.
24. Portland Trail Blazers (13-25)
Previous Ranking: 25
The Trail Blazers have been better recently. They’ve gone a respectable 4-6 in their last 10 games. Anferee Simons has leaped off as their top scorer. He had 28 points in a loss to the Heat. He’s in the sweet spot where Portland can convince itself he’s a long-term piece but also the most tradeable of all its young players.
23. Chicago Bulls (18-21)
Previous Ranking: 20
It’s gone under the radar, but Zach LaVine has had another awesome season with the Bulls. He’s their leading scorer and has carried them into the postseason picture. That’s ultimately what Chicago hopes to avoid but he’s too talented of a player. He scored 33 points in a blowout win over the Wizards.
22. Philadelphia 76ers (15-22)
Previous Ranking: 21
Still holding out hope for the Sixers, but their margin for error has shrunk. Inexcusable losses to the Pelicans and Magic make it easy to overlook Philly as an actual playoff threat. Doesn’t help when Paul George goes viral for the wrong reasons like he did when he said he was bored playing the center spot.
21. Phoenix Suns (19-19)
Previous Ranking: 22
Even though the Suns have won four of their last five games, that doesn’t take away from their bad situation. Moving Bradley Beal to the bench has had positive returns early on. He scored 25 points against the Hawks. Still, Phoenix needs a massive roster makeover if it wants to avoid another quick playoff exit with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Easier said than done though.
20. San Antonio Spurs (18-19)
Previous Ranking: 14
The Spurs had a rough week. They lost three in a row. Victor Wembanyama has quickly become one of the league’s best players. While San Antonio has been a nice surprise this season, losses to the Bucks and Nuggets show they’re still at least a year away from seriously contending with Wembanyama. No question about it though, he’s single-handedly changed the trajectory of that franchise.
19. Atlanta Hawks (19-19)
Previous Ranking: 15
The Hawks have quietly put together a solid campaign. Trae Young’s halfcourt game-winner against the Jazz put Atlanta on the map. He had 49 points in the win. He’s having another stellar campaign and leads the league in assists at 12.1.
18. Sacramento Kings (19-19)
Previous Ranking: 23
The Kings were criticized for firing Mike Brown but the move has paid off. They’ve won six straight and collected their most impressive win yet. Sacramento went into Boston and upset the Celtics. Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 28 rebounds. They also had a thrilling 2OT win over the Heat. It’s been the Kings’ best stretch this season.
17. Golden State Warriors (19-19)
Previous Ranking: 12
The Warriors have lost three of their last four games. Golden State has slowly slid down the standings after being one of the best teams in the season’s first month. Steve Kerr called the Warriors’ dropoff a crisis of confidence. Or perhaps it’s just a bunch of role players regressing to the mean after hot starts to their season.
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (20-18)
Previous Ranking: 16
The Timberwolves are turning every stone to fix their problems. Anthony Edwards has had a career season but that isn’t enough. Minnesota shook its starting lineup when it moved Mike Conley to the bench in favor of Donte DiVincenzo. The move resulted in 125 points against the Grizzlies but still lost on a heartbreaker.
15. Detroit Pistons (20-19)
Previous Ranking: 19
The Pistons have caught fire. They’ve won six of their last seven games. This is the best season Detroit has had in ages. Cade Cunningham has led the charge. He had another triple-double in a win over the Raptors. He’s well on his way to his first career All-Star berth.
14. Indiana Pacers (22-18)
Previous Ranking: 17
The Pacers have also been on fire. They’ve won six in a row. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam had 25-point double-doubles in a win over the Warriors. Playing their best stretch of basketball this season, a win over the Cavaliers was a nice stress test to see where they stand against the East’s best teams.
13. Miami Heat (20-17)
Previous Ranking: 18
The Heat have enjoyed a break from the Jimmy Butler saga. The multi-time All-Star is serving a suspension. They’ve won three in a row as Tyler Herro has stepped up as Miami’s best player. He scored 32 points in a win over the Trail Blazers. Still, the Heat must return to reality and conclude the ongoing storyline.
12. LA Clippers (20-17)
Previous Ranking: 9
Kawhi Leonard is still trying to knock off rust after last week’s season debut. The 33-year-old has only played in two games for the Clippers. He missed time this past week as he attended to his LA homes during the wildfires. LA had one game postponed because of the natural disaster.
11. Los Angeles Lakers (20-16)
Previous Ranking: 8
The Lakers are another team affected by the California wildfire. They’ve had two games postponed. JJ Redick extensively spoke about the natural disaster and how it affected him. He hopes to give Lakers fans an escape from reality once they return to action.
10. Orlando Magic (23-18)
Previous Ranking: 8
Help has arrived. Paolo Banchero returned from a torn oblique that cost him over two months. The former All-Star stamped his presence with 34 points in a close loss to the Bucks. The Magic did an amazing job at staying above water despite several injuries. Banchero’s return brings back a legitimate scoring punch.
9. Dallas Mavericks (22-17)
Previous Ranking: 11
All the Mavericks need to do is hover around .500 until Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving returns. High-seed aspirations were likely tossed out the window when the former suffered a calf strain that’ll keep him out for a while. It’s now about staying out of the play-in tournament range.
8. Milwaukee Bucks (20-17)
Previous Ranking: 13
The Bucks have won three of their last four games. An NBA Cup championship unfortunately didn’t provide the juice they hoped for. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been an MVP candidate but Milwaukee’s lack of depth has hurt it. To shake things up, Khris Middleton has come off the bench in recent games. The bold move has produced middling results.
7. Denver Nuggets (23-15)
Previous Ranking: 6
The Nuggets have won three in a row. They’ve found a groove. Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook have become a triple-double machine. They’ve both notched the feat in the same game twice. Denver also received some help with Aaron Gordon’s return from a calf injury. They’ve played their best basketball in the past week.
6. New York Knicks (26-14)
Previous Ranking: 4
The Knicks have hit a bump on the road. They’ve lost four of their last six games. While they’ve had a nice season, a blowout loss to the Thunder shows they’re a tier below the league’s elite. New York bounced back with a blowout win over the Bucks. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have been a top-scoring duo.
5. Memphis Grizzlies (25-14)
Previous Ranking: 7
The Grizzlies have gone under the radar but are one of the league’s best teams. They have a top-five offense and defense. What makes that even more impressive is the injuries they’ve juggled. A tough loss to the Rockets was washed away with a close win over the Timberwolves. Ja Morant hit the game-winner in the final seconds.
4. Houston Rockets (25-12)
Previous Ranking: 5
Since the calendar flipped to January, Jalen Green has had a hot stretch. The Rockets picked up an important win over the Grizzlies where they relied on their elite defense to get stops. Houston has been one of the league’s best teams all season and Amen Thompson’s emergence as a starter could be a turning point in his development.
3. Boston Celtics (28-11)
Previous Ranking: 3
Splitting their last four games has caused a mini-panic in Boston. The Celtics are not used to adversity, so a bad loss to the Kings sparked concern. Still, the reigning NBA champions have been a top-three squad all season. While the defense might not be as strong as last year, it’s still one of the league’s best.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (32-6)
Previous Ranking: 1
The Thunder had an epic showdown against the Cavaliers. Both teams entered with 10-plus win streaks. That’s rarely happened in the NBA. The clash caught the entire league’s attention. OKC barely lost out to Cleveland in a heavyweight bout. They quickly rebounded and blew out the Knicks in their next game. The Thunder are the team to beat in the West.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (33-5)
Previous Ranking: 2
In the greatest regular season game ever, the Cavaliers protected homecourt. It was an interesting chess match to see who’d dictate the pace between the league’s best offense and defense. The home squad emerged as the winner. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen went off against the Thunder. Even though the Pacers snapped their 12-game win streak, they still comfortably sit in first place. The Rematch between OKC and Cleveland is set to take place this upcoming week. Get the popcorn ready for that sequel.
