What a week throughout the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers, led by Donovan Mitchell, claimed a playoff birth despite having a little more than 20 games left in their schedule. They were the first team to do so this season. The Luka-LeBron tandem in LA has been stunning so far. For the rest of the field? Everybody is gearing up for playoff positioning, and as a result, this week’s rankings have several NBA teams falling further, and others are closing into that number one spot.
Here are the power rankings for all 30 NBA teams after the action-packed week 19.
Who are the top-ranking NBA teams after week 19?
30. Charlotte Hornets (28)
Losers of six straight, the Hornets’ season has gone from bad to worse. They only won a couple of games throughout the month of February and have gone 1-9 in their last 10 games. Their fans are hopeful that all this losing will give them a chance at Cooper Flagg, but that’s far from guaranteed.
Some trolls have reiterated that Adam Silver won’t ‘give’ them the number one pick because they are in the midst of a 10-year rebuild. Ouch!
29. Washington Wizards (30)
Despite having an inferior record to Charlotte, the Wizards move up a spot as they’ve shown more fight than their cellar-dwelling counterparts. It also doesn’t hurt that they managed to defeat the Hornets in week 19.
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Washington gets a plus for giving their youngsters important minutes to hasten their development. But the ultimate goal here is clear: get Cooper Flagg.
28. Utah Jazz (27)
The Jazz played four games this week and came out with a 1-3 slate. Their lone win was against the Anthony Edward-less Timberwolves. Isaiah Collier, the 29th pick in the 2024 NBA draft, has played extremely well for Utah and is climbing fast in the rookie rankings this season.
But as for their campaign as a team? Might as well commit to tanking to add more young talent in the future.
27. Toronto Raptors (26)
Even with Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett healthy, the Raptors losses have continued to pile up. They only won three games in their last ten, and their play-in chances have started to slip away from their grasp.
Could the addition of Brandon Ingram truly make this team playoff-worthy next year? Well, that’s what they are hoping for.
26. New Orleans Pelicans
It’s baffling that the Pelicans are trying to win rather than lose games to have better percentages in landing a top-three pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. They went 5-5 in their last 10 games, with Zion Williamson playing at full strength.
Wouldn’t they want to tank and pair him with a talent like Copper Flagg or Ace Bailey?
Confusing times down in New Orleans.
25. Brooklyn Nets (24)
Losers of four straight, the Nets’ chances of making the play-in tournament are slowly slipping away due to their poor play on the court. After being out due to an injury, Cam Thomas has struggled to knock down his shots whenever he’s on the floor.
Cam Johnson has peaked and is too inconsistent to be a third-string scorer for Brooklyn.
24. Philadelphia 76ers (25)
With Joel Embiid ruled out for the rest of the season(maybe even more), the Sixers’ title hopes are as good as the lowly Hornets and the Wizards this season—basically nonexistent at this point or in the immediate future.
Before winning a game against the visiting Warriors to end week 19, they were on a nine-game losing streak and hadn’t won a game since the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl weeks ago.
They can thank Nic…errr…Quentin Grimes for winning that game against the Dubs.
23. San Antonio Spurs (23)
Without Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs’ chances to make the play-in tournament are all but gone. De’Aaron Fox has struggled with his new role with San Antonio, except for a few good games from time to time.
Rookie Stephone Castle might be the only bright spot for them going forward. Their rankings will inevitably dip further and further for the rest of the 2024-2025 NBA season without their star big man.
22. Chicago Bulls (24)
The Bulls’ mini rise in this week’s rankings isn’t due to their stellar play, but it’s because other NBA teams have struggled to get some wins. They are 13 games under .500 but are still in line to grab the last play-in tournament spot in the East at the end of the season.
With Zach LaVine gone, their offense now revolves around Josh Giddey.
21. Phoenix Suns (20)
You can make a solid argument that Bol Bol has been the best player for the Suns in the last couple of weeks. Isn’t that crazy? Even for a team that has Durant, Booker, and Beal on the roster, Bol Bol is outplaying them all. Is that a good thing? That’s a resounding NO.
The Suns only went 2-8 in their last 10 and are in great danger of missing the play-in tournament. Rumors have swirled that Kevin Durant may ask for a trade in the offseason.
20. Portland Trail Blazers (21)
The Blazers only went 5-5 in their last 10 games but have looked like a different team as of late. Shaedon Sharpe suddenly looks like a prime Tracy McGrady because of how he’s shot the ball in the last couple of weeks.
While a play-in spot might not be feasible at this point, don’t count them out just yet. Does anybody remember their winning streak in January?
If they do that again, that would be something.
19. Atlanta Hawks (19)
Atlanta definitely misses DeAndre Hunter’s shot-making after they dealt him to the Cavs at the trade deadline. Aside from Trae Young, nobody in the Hawks roster is capable of creating their own shots.
They are six games under .500 but still on pace to qualify directly in the play-in tournament in April. It might be time for Young to look for another team in the offseason because Atlanta hasn’t become a contender during his time there.
18. Orlando Magic (16)
This ranking might be too low for a young NBA team as good as the Magic, but this is their reality right now. The winning formula they’ve found at the beginning of the season has abandoned them entirely in the last couple of months.
Orlando is in a three-game slide and just went 4-6 in their last ten games.
17. Miami Heat (17)
Miami has only won three games in its last ten and is three games below .500. Andrew Wiggins has struggled with his new role in a Heat uniform and often settles for jumpers instead of attacking the basket.
Tyler Herro is too inconsistent to become the number-one option for this franchise. But the East is so bad this year, and Miami is well inside the bubble for the play-in tournament at this point in the season.
16. Dallas Mavericks (15)
With PJ Washington re-injuring his ankle, a lot of Mavs fans are starting to question the team’s medical staff’s performance this year. After all the injury woes they had, especially in their frontcourt, nobody can blame them.
To add salt to their wounds, former Mavs players Luka Doncic and Quentin Grimes have shined with the Lakers and Sixers, respectively.
Their place in the play-in should be safe, though, due to the continued struggles of Phoenix and Portland.
15. Sacramento Kings (18)
Suddenly, the Kings are hot. Winner of three straight games, Sacramento is surging in the standings, and as a result, its spot in this week’s NBA rankings has risen a couple of spots. Zach LaVine is slowly getting comfortable with his role with Sacramento.
Their biggest concern right now is the health of Domantas Sabonis. He will be out indefinitely with a Grade 1 hamstring sprain.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (14)
The Wolves have played admirably well despite missing the services of Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle. Anthony Edwards has mostly carried the offensive load, but their role players, plus a couple of rookies off the bench, have contributed to their success in week 19.
Minny is only a half-game away from the sixth spot in the brutal Western Conference.
13. Los Angeles Clippers (11)
Luka Doncic, regardless of what uniform he’s wearing, still owns the Clippers. That’s a clear fact after the Clippers lost back-to-back games against the Lakers. James Harden inexplicably struggled with his shot this past week after his stellar performance after the all-star break.
They have lost two straight and only went 4-6 in their last 10.
12. Golden State Warriors (13)
Steph Curry went supernova against the Magic this week, erupting for 56 points and drilling 12 threes in the process. However, much of that was forgotten when they lost to an undermanned Sixers team to end week 19.
Due to their uneven performance, their rankings this week remained unchanged due to the rise of other NBA teams in the conference.
11. Indiana Pacers (9)
Nothing wrong with the Pacers, but their rankings took a small hit because other NBA teams have performed much better than them in week 19.
They went 6-4 in their last 10 games, with Pascal Siakam leading the way in the scoring department. They should be back within the top 10 soon.
10. Detroit Pistons (11)
That nine-game winning streak was something, right? Even if Denver put a halt to that, the Pistons definitely made a strong statement across the league that they aren’t the same team as they were last season.
Cade Cunningham is slowly looking like a tier-one player and should become one if he can deliver some memorable performances in the upcoming postseason.
9. Houston Rockets (10)
With 14 games over .500, you would think that the Rockets are emerging as a serious threat in the West, right? Except they aren’t. This team lacks a top-tier talent or a go-to guy who can elevate their team further.
They will be a playoff team this season, and that’s a huge improvement from last year.
Most pundits project Houston to be bounced in the first round of the playoffs. But we are still in the regular season, and like it or not, they have been consistently in the top 10 of the weekly NBA rankings for most of the year.
8. Memphis Grizzlies (5)
The Grizzlies have lost two straight and only went 4-6 in their last 10 games. With only a quarter of games left for most teams this season, it’s evident that Memphis might not have what it takes to be considered a real playoff threat in April.
Even with Ja Morant, the Grizzlies are almost at the same tier as Houston when it comes to their product on the basketball court.
7. Milwaukee Bucks (8)
All of a sudden, the Bucks are slowly resembling a contender that might have enough power to make some noise in the East in the upcoming postseason. They have won seven out of ten, with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing at an MVP level on the court.
If Damian Lillard can hit his shots consistently, it’s hard to brush off what this team is capable of in the next couple of months.
6. New York Knicks (7)
New York was rolling in week 19, winning three straight, and went 7-3 in their last ten games. However, the Knicks’ biggest problem so far this season is their record against the top teams in each conference.
They haven’t won a game versus the Cavs, Celtics, and OKC.
That’s a huge red flag for a team with title aspirations. While Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have played superbly, the same can’t be said for Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.
5. Denver Nuggets (4)
With Nikola Jokic leading the way, the Nuggets went 7-3 in their last 10 games. They halted the nine-game winning streak of the Pistons this week and are looking like a real threat in the loaded Western Conference. This might be the best team they have since their 2023 title run.
A little bump in the weekly rankings is not their fault, as another NBA team just got a whole lot better with the addition of another superstar.
4. Los Angeles Lakers (6)
Thank you Nico, INDEED.
The Lakers are on a six-game winning streak and went 8-2 in their last 10, thanks to Luka Doncic and LeBron James. While Doncic is still at 80% of his basketball capabilities, his vision and playmaking have elevated the Lakers’ offense immensely. LeBron James, at 40, is a superhuman.
Wait until Luka gets to 100% game shape, and this Lakers team will be a problem in the postseason.
3. Boston Celtics (3)
Yeah…about that loss to the Cavs. Jayson Tatum really said, “Get the hell outta here,” right? The Celtics were super confident that they’d route the league-leading Cavs in the first quarter after a 25-3 start.
Their celebration didn’t last long, though, as Cleveland showed their composure and came out firing to win that game. If the Lakers had only a similar record in the standings, the Celtics might have lost a spot in this week’s NBA power rankings, but that’s not the case here.
Even though they are the reigning champs, Boston knows that the talent gap versus other teams has grown smaller this season. They are beatable.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (2)
OKC are on a three-game winning streak and went 8-2 in their last 10. They are 11 games above their closest competition in the West, which is, surprisingly, the Lakers. Most media analysts have the Thunder as their pick to come out of the Western Conference this season.
Can they really do it? Is this team really better than the KD-Russ Thunder era?
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (1)
10-game winning streak. Embarrassed the Celtics at TD Garden. If there’s a contest of who has the better aura among NBA teams, why aren’t the Cavs included in that discussion?
It’s hard to find any weakness for this team. They are a legitimate title contender. With over 20 games left in their schedule, the Cavs already secured a playoff berth. There’s a reason why they are consistently on top in the weekly NBA rankings: they are THAT good.
This is the best Cavalier team since the LeBron James era. Wouldn’t be surprised if they will go all the way.
