Most of the past week was dedicated to the In-Season Tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in the inaugural championship game in Las Vegas, and Adam Silver deserves his flowers for coming up with an idea many people thought was a gimmick. Now, the focus of the regular season can return to its original setting, and this week’s rankings show where everyone stands as Christmas approaches.
1. Minnesota Timberwolves
Everyone on the Wolves stands out right now. Mike Conley’s steady point guard play helps settle the team down, while Rudy Gobert turns in another potential Defensive Player of the Year campaign.
2. Boston Celtics
Derrick White dropping 30 points on teams means trouble for the rest of the NBA. Jaylen Brown getting ejected against the Knicks could signal a meaner, more serious predisposition from the Celtics.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee’s efforts to shore up their defense continue to fall short, and Bobby Portis called out head coach Adrian Griffin for his uncreative schemes. All things considered, the Bucks are playing very well through growing pains and adversity.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder have a mature penchant for winning close games, the most recent one coming on Friday when they defeated the Warriors in overtime for the second encounter this season. OKC has also evaded the personal drama of Josh Giddey, something Adam Silver needs to be held accountable for.
5. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers’ impressive In-Season Tournament win allowed them to flex their strengths, defense, and rebounding. Los Angeles plays smash-mouth basketball as well as anyone in the league, and it will serve them well again in the playoffs.
6. Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton is finally getting the respect he deserves, but with that will come more pressure to perform when the stakes are the highest. Hali struggled with the length of the Lakers over the weekend, but the Pacers are still a team to watch out for.
7. Orlando Magic
Everyone keeps expecting the Magic to falter at some point in the season, but their teamwork and completeness on both sides of the court should supply stability through any rocky stretches or losing streaks.
8. Dallas Mavericks
Kyrie Irving appeared to suffer a devastating leg injury against the Portland Trail Blazers, but he came away with a minor issue. Luka Doncic put up a 30-point triple-double in the first half against the Utah Jazz.
9. Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid has somehow upped his game even more in the regular season this year. The reigning MVP will have a chance to repeat if voters can forget his poor performance in the playoffs last spring.
10. Sacramento Kings
The Kings keep getting criticized for trading Tyrese Haliburton, but De’Aaron Fox may be just as good. Sacramento’s point guard is averaging 30 points and six assists per game this season, and Mike Brown wants Fox to get MVP consideration.
11. Denver Nuggets
Are the Nuggets experiencing a championship hangover, or is there something more sinister underlying their season? Nikola Jokic doesn’t look like himself, and even with Jamal Murray returning, Denver must reorient themselves.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland’s early-season woes have started to go away, as the Cavs took advantage of a soft schedule the last two weeks and won five out of six. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland work well in tandem, as per usual.
13. Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference with six wins in the last seven games. Mikal Bridges should be a surefire All-Star this year after getting some freedom outside of Phoenix.
14. Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi Leonard exploded for 41 points in a victory on Friday night. James Harden has settled into his role with the team, and the Clippers look like the contender they were supposed to be at the beginning of November before the trade with Philadelphia.
15. Phoenix Suns
The Suns were at the wrong end of bad officiating against the Lakers last Tuesday, but they get Bradley Beal returning from a back injury this week. It’s exciting to think of what kind of team Phoenix has with all of their stars on the court together!
16. New York Knicks
Coach Thibs surely isn’t happy after the Knicks gave up 133 points and 146 points last week. The Knicks seem stuck in the middle of the league. A trade might be the best option as the middle of the season approaches.
17. Miami Heat
Miami needs Caleb Martin to return to his playoff form from May and June. He scored 24 points last week, one of the first times he’s crossed the 20-point margin this season.
18. New Orleans Pelicans
Reports are swirling around Zion Williamson’s weight and conditioning issues. The Pelicans need to be careful not to leak too much of their displeasure with their star, otherwise, it could derail a solid start to the season.
19. Houston Rockets
Dillon Brooks starts every game by staring into the distance. What is he looking at? Perhaps some respect in the Western Conference. The Rockets are likely to stay in the playoff race if they can win some road games.
20. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls had a perfect week right as Zach LaVine said that he hopes to remain in Chicago for the long term. Alex Caruso likely won’t be traded very soon, as his intangibles are worth much more than suitors are willing to give up.
21. Golden State Warriors
Golden State loses close games like a team that’s never experienced intense basketball before. It’s perplexing to see a four-time champion collapse at the frequency that the Dubs do. Turnovers and poor lineups will do this franchise in.
22. Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta’s mediocrity has transformed into futility this week. Coach Quinn Snyder isn’t having the same effect on the Hawks that he did on the Jazz. They need a more consistent scoring option in the frontcourt.
23. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are imploding, and it’s time for the franchise to move on from Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. The insistence on fixing their broken roster puzzles many around the NBA.
24. Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant is about to return to the team and make his season debut. Will his maturity and growth during the suspension aid the Grizzlies in pushing for the playoffs? It will be tough in the Western Conference for Memphis to get back in the thick of things.
25. Charlotte Hornets
With LaMelo Ball trying to overcome his ankle injuries, the Hornets are one of the most boring watches in the league. They’ve at least stayed above the graveyard that Detroit and Washington are in.
26. Portland Trail Blazers
With Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton missing Wednesday’s game against the Warriors, youngsters like Shaedon Sharpe and veterans like Anfernee Simons showed the talent the Blazers possess on offense.
27. Utah Jazz
Things hit rock bottom for the Jazz in a 50-point loss to the Mavericks last week. This might be for the best as Utah adjusts its perspective and tanks for a better draft pick in June’s lottery.
28. Washington Wizards
Washington isn’t on a losing streak like the Spurs and Pistons, but they remain a black mark on the league. Joel Embiid’s potential absence on Monday could help the Wizards get another win on the board.
29. San Antonio Spurs
Wemby had a spectacular 21-point, 20-rebound game against the Bulls. The Spurs having their worst record in team history the year they draft a potential franchise changer certainly makes some people pause in San Antonio.
30. Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons have to start taking pride in their season. They are on pace for the worst winning percentage in NBA history, and Monty Williams has nearly a quarter of $100 million headed his way. Yikes!
Shawn Laib is a writer who has loved all things pop culture from a young age. Growing up playing classic Nintendo games and being introduced to a variety of movies and shows, he always enjoyed analyzing and getting to the bottom of the point of a story. As he went into high school, basketball and sports in general became a main focus. Shawn decided to put his skills in English class to good use and majored in the subject area at the University of Washington, graduating with a B.A. in 2020. He began his freelance writing career after college with sites like SUPERJUMP, Den of Geek, and Quote.com. He now remains a fixture with publications like The Manual and Wealth of Geeks.