With the All-Star break wrapping up, NBA teams are preparing for their final stretch run of the season. Some are hoping to grab a top-four seed, others are just looking to make the Play-In tournament, and the remainder are tanking for Duke’s Cooper Flagg. With two-thirds of the season already being played and the trade deadline already passing, the contenders for this year’s title aren’t able to make any big changes to improve their roster. The most important stretch of the season is coming up. Here are the NBA power rankings for the top teams vying for the championship this year.
The Oklahoma City Thunder seem to have everything going right for them as things stand after the All-Star break. With a 44-10 record they sit atop the Western Conference with an eight-game lead, and they’ve won eight of their last ten games. The Thunder ranks sixth in offensive rating while being first in defensive and net rating. They are winning games by an average of 12.9 points per game, which would be the biggest margin since the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.
Oklahoma City has been led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the leading candidate to win this year’s MVP award. With averages of 32.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, he is having a career year and a key reason for the team’s success. The Thunder also have seen great contributions from Jalen Williams, who was voted a first-time All-Star this season averaging 21 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per night. They also have four other players scoring at least 10 points a night, and though they have star power at the top, they play an all-around team game that rivals any other squad in the league.
The Thunder had injuries early on in the season, but now all of their top players are healthy. Most recently, they got Chet Holmgren back on the court, after missing the first half of the season. Holmgren has struggled with injuries in his early career, but if he stays healthy, he’ll be a big piece in their postseason run. Oklahoma City had a disappointing end to last season after losing in the second round of the playoffs, but as things stand today they are the current favorites to win the title this year.
The Boston Celtics are the defending champions, and their roster and playoff success speaks for itself. They had one of the most successful postseason runs last year, losing only three games en route to their 18th title. This season, they rank fourth in offensive rating, fifth in defensive rating, and third in net rating, winning games by an average of 9.7 points. They are the only team to be top five in both offensive and defensive ratings.
With a 39-16 record they are second in the East only behind Cleveland, and are looking to hold onto that spot heading into the playoffs. The Celtics did have a rough stretch last month where they lost four out of seven games, but most recently they’ve won seven of their last eight.
Boston has one of the best crunch-time lineups in the league featuring Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis. They also have Payton Pritchard coming off the bench as a leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, and a major sparkplug for their offense when the rest of their stars are out. The Celtics have the star power and experience, currently holding the second-best odds of winning the championship.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been the most surprising team of the NBA season so far. They got out to one of the best starts in franchise history, and look to continue in that form as the playoffs come around. They rank first in offensive rating, eighth in defensive rating, and second in net rating. Their 44-10 record puts them at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, and they look like they’ll hold onto the number one seed for the first time in nine years. Similar to Boston, the Cavaliers did hit a rough patch last month, but they’ve now won eight of their last nine.
Cleveland was the only team in the league to have three All-Stars, with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley each given the nod. All three are averaging at least 18 points per game, and alongside them, the Cavs have one of the best supporting casts in the league. They also made a trade to get De’Andre Hunter at the deadline, who will be a big piece for them on the defensive end, while also helping round out the offense. Though they lack the championship-level experience, beating Cleveland in the playoffs will be no easy task for any team in the East, which is why they have the third-best odds to win it all this year.
Over the offseason, the Knicks made a big move in trading away Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo for Karl-Anthony Towns. So far that move has worked out, and the Knicks are having one of their best regular seasons in recent memory. They are second in offensive rating, 18th in defensive rating, and fifth in net rating, holding a 36-18 record and sitting third in the East. They’ve won nine of their last 11 games and scored more than 100 points in all but one of those matchups.
Led by Jalen Brunson and Towns, things have just been clicking for New York this year. Both of them were named All-Star starters, each averaging at least 24 points per game. Along with them, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart round out their starting lineup, each of whom are having some of the most efficient years of their careers. Hart has also been dominant in rebounding the ball, averaging 9.6 per game despite being listed as six feet four inches tall. New York has been amazing on the offensive side, but they’ll have to ramp things up defensively if they want to make it out of the second round of the playoffs this year. As things stand today, they have the fifth-best odds to win it all.
The Denver Nuggets were champions two years ago, but just couldn’t seem to regain that magic last year. They made a few moves over the offseason, including picking up Russell Westbrook to pair alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Denver is third in offensive rating, 16th in defensive rating, and sixth in net rating, helping them to a 36-19 record, sitting third in the West. The Nuggets lead the league in points in the paint with 59.9 a night and won eight games in a row heading into the All-Star break. They had a rocky start to the year, but have picked things up heading into their last two months of the regular season.
As has been a common theme this decade, Jokic continues to be the best player in the league, averaging 29.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game on 57.7 percent shooting. He does everything on the court for Denver, and is having the best statistical year of his career, on pace to average a triple-double. Murray started the season out slow but has recently come into form, scoring a season-high 55 points against Portland last week. With Westbrook, Michael Porter Jr., and Christian Braun, Denver has a great supporting cast that has much-needed championship-level experience. Staying healthy will be crucial down the stretch, but Denver currently sits fourth in the latest NBA power rankings and holds the fourth-best odds to win the championship.
Besides just the teams mentioned above, the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, and Milwaukee Bucks all look to make a run this postseason. Both Memphis and Houston have played great during the regular season, but lack major playoff experience to lead them past some of the other teams in the West. Minnesota and Milwaukee have the potential to make a run but haven’t looked that great recently, as both fighting for a top-six seed in the playoffs. The Lakers are still a bit of an unknown entity, but after trading for Luka Doncic, anything is possible for them.
As the regular season winds down, the NBA landscape is looking as competitive as ever. The top teams in the latest NBA power rankings all have a legitimate shot at winning four straight rounds, but the road to the championship won’t be easy for anyone. Currently, Boston and Oklahoma City are the two favorites to get matched up in the Finals. However, anything is possible in this league, and even a team not mentioned on this list could shock everyone and make a run. With football season finally over, the national attention will now focus on the final stretch of this NBA regular season, which looks to be thrilling, as multiple teams battle to win it all.
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