With the 2024-25 regular season underway, our latest NBA power rankings offer an evaluation of all 30 clubs in the association. Along with an appraisal of every squad around the league, you can also stay up to date with the upcoming slate of games on the NBA schedule and see who are the 50 best NBA players right now.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at where every NBA team ranks heading into 2025.
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The 10 worst NBA teams right now
30. Washington Wizards (Last Week: 30)
Despite a head coach change to begin the season, the Washington Wizards remain one of the league’s worst teams. Last season they had the Detroit Pistons take the spot for the worst record in the NBA. However, that now goes all to the Wizards as their league-worst defense (121.2 points against) and nearly just as bad offense (108.3 PPG) is why the Wiz are just playing out the string to land as many ping-pong balls as possible for the lottery in May.
29. Utah Jazz (Last Week: 29)
In year three as head coach, Will Hardy and his team have taken another step back. Making matters worse for the Utah Jazz is despite getting a massive contract extension in the summer, top star Lauri Markkanen has seemingly regressed further in his third season in Salt Lake City. The team’s rebuild into something competitive continues, but Jazz fans are suffering as they are forced to endure watching a team with one of the league’s worst defenses (119.4 points against) and offenses (112.2 PPG).
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28. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week: 28)
It has been a rough season for New Orleans Pelicans fans. They were ravaged by injuries to many of their best players over the first couple of months. And just when it seemed like they might be rounding the corner, DeJounte Murray suffered a season-ending injury. The organization saw that as a reason to wave the white flag and finally moved Brandon Ingram before the trade deadline.
The Pelicans have had some bad years, but this is one of the worst considering the talented team they started the campaign with.
27. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week: 27)
While LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have put up some pretty good numbers this season, it has not made the Charlotte Hornets a competitive team. Despite the strong play from their backcourt, the Hornets have one of the worst records in the NBA. While they are a solid defensive team (giving up 112.9 opponent’s PPG), they are near the bottom of the league in points per game (105.4) despite having a pair of 20-plus-point scorers.
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26. Toronto Raptors (Last Week: 24)
The Toronto Raptors have been a disappointment this season. Sure, injuries have hurt them at times this year, but there is enough talent on the roster that they could have a better record in what has been a very weak Eastern Conference this season. Yet they have struggled on both sides of the ball throughout the season. However, because the back half of the conference is wide open, they still have a chance to reach the play-in. But they need veteran acquisitions Brandon Ingram and PJ Tucker to get back on the court to have any chance to do that.
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25. Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week: 22)
The Philadelphia 76ers have been the biggest disappointment in the NBA this season as injuries and in-fighting have severely hindered this group’s potential. The big concern heading into the season was whether stars Joel Embiid and Paul George could stay healthy. Unfortunately, they have not been able to do that as Embiid has barely played for much of their campaign.
In a year where they might miss the playoffs, the lone bright spot is Tyrese Maxey has turned into one of the league’s legitimate great young stars.
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24. Chicago Bulls (Last Week: 26)
On offense, the Chicago Bulls were one of the league’s best and a headache for opponents. But on defense, only the Wizards have been worse. One can only imagine where they might have been if they were just a middle-of-the-road team on defense. But, it doesn’t matter now because the front office threw up the white flag on the season when they traded Zach LaVine before the trade deadline.
Nevertheless, they still might reach the play-in tourney due to the weakness of the back half of the Eastern Conference.
23. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week: 25)
The Brooklyn Nets were the first team this season to punt on the campaign and look ahead to the summer. After some competitive play to begin the year, an extended slump was all the organization needed to go into full-on sell mode and trade off a couple of their better veteran players. Fortunately for the organization, the Eastern Conference is very weak and they actually have the chance to reach the play-in tournament despite not aiming to be a truly competitive squad this season.
22. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week: 23)
The San Antonio Spurs have been much better than they were last season. With the help of NBA league legend Chris Paul, the team was above .500 for much of the season. However, they started to struggle in January, and the absence of head coach Gregg Popovich has surely had an effect. However, their chances of reaching the postseason are now on life support after an issue related to a blood clot has sidelined top star Victor Wembanyama for the rest of the season.
While they may now have a better chance to get Cooper Flagg in the NBA Draft, Wembanyama’s future being uncertain is a franchise-changing problem for the Spurs.
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21. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week: 21)
The Portland Trail Blazers have a roster that should be able to contend for a play-in spot this season. However, the first few months of the season were rough for Chauncey Billups and his team. They had no player that even sniffed an All-Star game invite or talents other teams are kicking down the door to trade for. Nevertheless, they played better heading into February. However, a slew of injuries derailed that recent hot streak.
20. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week: 20)
The Atlanta Hawks have been a handful for opposing defenses. Led by the face of the franchise Trae Young, the team has been a force on the offensive side of the ball (116.6 PPG). It is why they have had a far better season than many predicted. However, for as good as they are on offense, they are giving up more points on the other side of the ball (119.2 points against). The Hawks are better this season but still have some very clear weaknesses.
19. Phoenix Suns (Last Week: 18)
Outside of the 76ers, the Phoenix Suns have been one of the league’s biggest letdowns in 2024-25. Heading into March they are sitting several games under .500 and are far from a lock to reach the NBA playoffs this spring. Despite having a pair of superstar talents, Phoenix has been the team affected most by a very strong conference this season.
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18. Miami Heat (Last Week: 17)
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has again proven why he is among the very best in the sport. Despite the dark cloud that Jimmy Butler created over the team with his contract drama, the Heat remained competitive all season. After weeks of drama, they finally moved the six-time All-Star in a deal that landed them Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins. It wasn’t the star return they were hoping for but Wiggins is a solid fit and could help them in their playoff pursuit for the rest of the season.
17. Orlando Magic (Last Week: 19)
The Orlando Magic got hit with a massive blow early in the season when top stars Paolo Banchero and later Franz Wagner suffered major injuries. It seemed like it would be a death blow. Yet, head coach Jamhal Mosely did a splendid job keeping his team competitive and thriving with elite defense. However, despite the return of their two stars, the Magic went into a deep slump in January. Fortunately for Orlando, the East is as weak as ever and they still are in a good position to avoid a spot in the play-in tournament this season.
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16. Sacramento Kings (Last Week: 14)
This has been a wild season for the Sacramento Kings. There were high hopes when they added DeMar DeRozan to a talented but underperforming team this summer. When they got off to a slow start, the front office took the bold step of firing head coach Mike Brown. Then they went further when they realized De’Aaron Fox was not in their long-term plans and traded him to the Bulls.
In the deal they landed two-time All-Star Zach LaVine. While this group has a lot of potential, a new coach along with the addition of a new star should lead to some bumpy roads in the weeks ahead.
15. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week: 13)
The Dallas Mavericks were quietly having another strong season. They were a top-four club out West and a game from having the second-best record in the conference heading into the new year. But Luka Doncic suffering a serious calf injury completely changed the team’s trajectory. With him sidelined, GM Nico Harrison decided it was time to shockingly move on from him and sent him to LA for Anthony Davis.
On paper, the Mavs have a talented veteran team. However, their top two stars are injury-prone, and that sad fact showed itself immediately when Anthony Davis suffered a serious abdomen injury three quarters into his Mavs debut.
14. Golden State Warriors (Last Week: 16)
The 2024-25 edition of the Golden State Warriors got off to a red-hot start, and after the first month, they had one of the best records in basketball. But things completely fell apart in the months following. While Stephen Curry is still a star, he can no longer do it on his own, and they badly lacked a second star scorer.
They finally got that when they traded for disgruntled former Heat star Jimmy Butler before the trade deadline. Since his arrival, Golden State has played far better and could evolve into a serious dark horse contender in the Western Conference.
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13. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week: 12)
12. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week: 10)
The Los Angeles Clippers have been an interesting story in the 2024-25 NBA season. To the surprise of no one, Kawhi Leonard began the season in dress clothes due to another injury. However, in his absence Norman Powell has emerged and earned All-Star honors for the first time. Yet, despite being at full health and adding Ben Simmons on the buyout market in February, the Clippers have struggled at times this month. If Ty Lue can get all his talent on the same page, LA is a sleeper team out West.
11. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week: 11)
The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the most fascinating stories in the NBA this season. The team with a pair of superstars and a Hall-of-Fame-worthy coach struggled badly over the first month-plus. It added to speculation that Giannis Antetokounmpo could be moved this season. However, they have learned to play up to their talent and have returned to being one of the top teams in the East.
The big question down the stretch will be if moving fan-favorite Khris Middleton for Wizards star Kyle Kuzma was a great idea or a decision that sunk their chances of being a real contender in the conference.
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10 best NBA teams heading into the All-Star break
10. Detroit Pistons (Last Week: 15)
The Detroit Pistons were the worst team in the NBA last season. However, things have turned around for Motown’s favorite Bball team in a huge way this year. After a historically bad showing, the Pistons have been even better than just competitive and they are actually flirting with having a top-four record in the Eastern Conference heading into March.
Sure, this isn’t a peak period for the conference. However, new head coach JB Bickerstaff and his staff deserve all the flowers for one of the best year-to-year turnarounds in recent NBA history.
9. Indiana Pacers (Last Week: 9)
The Indiana Pacers had their fanbase very concerned over the first couple of months of the season. While they were never expected to be a defensive juggernaut, the regression of their offense and the poor play of top star Tyrese Haliburton confused many. However, things have turned around in a major way over the last month and the team looks like the team we expected all along. Their offense is playing like a top 10 unit again (116.4 PPG) as it has helped them rise back into a top-four spot in the East.
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8. Houston Rockets (Last Week: 8)
The Houston Rockets have been one of the best stories in the NBA this season. After showing some very nice growth under Ime Udoka last season, they have continued that momentum and evolved into an elite team in the West. Aleperen Sengun’s breakout 2023-24 season was no fluke as he has earned All-Star honors this year.
Yet, they have one issue that may be problematic come playoff time. While they are a very talented defensive team, they are a middle of the road offensive squad. And that could lead to trouble against the elites of the conference this spring.
7. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week: 7)
The expectations for the Los Angeles Lakers this season were not high. That’s what comes with having a new head coach without experience at any level. However, they have gotten better as the season has gone along. Yet just days before the trade deadline, they completed one of the most surprising trades in NBA history when they shipped out Anthony Davis in a multi-team deal that will get them Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.
The MVP candidate from last season joins a team that has been red-hot going into the All-Star break. This is a team that should be able to fill it up on offense once they continue to build confidence. But they have one major weakness in the front court. And that could be disastrous in the playoffs against teams like Denver.
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6. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week: 5)
The Memphis Grizzlies were expected to be far better this season with superstar Ja Morant back. So far, the results have been very good. With their superstar back they are the best-scoring team in the league (123.3 PPG) and own one of the best records in not just the West but the whole NBA. However, their defense is near the bottom five in the league. It is a major weakness and why they may struggle against the West’s best in some big games this spring.
5. New York Knicks (Last Week: 4)
The New York Knicks have been a surprisingly dominant offensive force this season. Their starting five, which includes Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges, have gelled faster on the offensive side than many NBA pundits expected. However, they still have a ways to go on defense. And that weakness has shown in some dominant losses to East elites, the Cavaliers and Celtics (twice) over the last couple of weeks. If this team can’t get better in big games on D, they still have a semifinals ceiling despite having more stars than they did last season.
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4. Denver Nuggets (Last Week: 6)
When you have the best player on the planet, Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets will always be a very competitive squad. Yet, over the first couple of months, the team struggled, and it led to rumors about key members of their championship team being moved. However, over the last month, they’ve played very well and are closing in on having the second best record in a tough conference. Never doubt a team led by the “Dad Bod God” Nikola Jokic.
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3. Boston Celtics (Last Week: 3)
The defending champion Boston Celtics don’t have the best record in the NBA. However, the regular season feels like a dress rehearsal for the spring. The team has played very well and is again one of the best teams in the game. But it feels like head coach Joe Mazzula is doing everything he can to make sure his team stays healthy and peaks as we get closer to the postseason later this year.
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2. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week: 1)
The Oklahoma City Thunder have twice been hit by huge injuries this season. However, they have endured and remained one of the best squads in the NBA. Their defense has been among the best in the game (106.0 points against per game) throughout the season. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams have felt like a new-age Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Now, they are fully healthy and can really show just how scary they can be over the final months of the season.
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1. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week: 2)
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been better than expected this season under new head coach Kenny Atkinson. They remain a top-10 level team on defense. However, he has helped elevate their offense to new heights and they are among the best in the NBA right now (122.9 PPG). They are deep and play with a lot of effort. There is no reason to believe they won’t be a top-five team in the league for the rest of the season.