Week 23 is in the rearview mirror, and there are three weeks left of regular season play before the postseason starts. In week 22, we had OKC at the top spot in the NBA rankings, overtaking the suddenly slumping Cavs for the first-place spot.
If we take a quick look at the standings, three teams in the Eastern Conference have already secured a playoff berth. The West is a different story, though. With many teams having similar records, only OKC has secured a spot in the playoffs.
Here are the power rankings for all 30 NBA teams after week 23.
Who are the top-ranking NBA teams after week 23?
30. Utah Jazz (30)
Losers of five straight, the Jazz have nothing to play for and have rightfully embraced tanking for a better chance at a top-three pick in June’s draft. They have mostly played all their bench guys, plus a few rookies, for the last couple of weeks.
29. Washington Wizards (29)
Going 3-7 in their last ten games, the Wizards are a couple more losses away from another 60-loss season. They are officially eliminated from playoff contention. One thing that’s going well for them is the play of rookie Alex Sarr. He has been a beast on both ends of the court.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
28. Charlotte Hornets (28)
With LaMelo Ball officially shut down for the rest of the season due to an injury, the Hornets have finally given up on their pursuit of a last chance to qualify for a play-in spot and embraced their fate of heading to the lottery. They are officially out of contention to qualify for a play-in spot.
They cannot dip further in the weekly rankings because two NBA teams have been playing disastrously badly compared to them all season long.
27. Philadelphia 76ers (26)
In just seven months, the Sixers went from talking about winning it all to missing the playoffs. Flashy offseason signings haven’t panned out, and injuries have continued to haunt this team all season long.
Losers of eight straight, there’s not a single silver lining for this team’s performance this year.
26. New Orleans Pelicans (27)
After week 23, the Pelicans are officially out of the playoff race. The team’s biggest problem for the past few years has been staying healthy. Zion Williamson has been too injury-prone throughout his career, and his supporting casts have dealt with their own injury woes this season. Time for a restart, Pels.
25. Brooklyn Nets (26)
A couple of months ago, there was little hope that the Nets might sneak into the play-in tournament. They’ve impressed people with their no-nonsense approach despite having no star on the roster.
Well, that’s all gone now. They are out for contention to make the play-in, and this will be another long summer for this team.
24. Toronto Raptors (24)
Statistically, the Raptors still have an outsider’s chance to make the play-in tournament. But should they still aim for that, though? They haven’t moved an inch in our last three rankings because other NBA teams in their conference have played well enough to position themselves better in the upcoming playoffs.
23. San Antonio Spurs (21)
It will take a herculean effort from the Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox-less Spurs to make the play-in tournament with just less than three weeks left to play in the regular season.
Losers of four straight, the chance for the Spurs to make the play-in has dimmed with each passing week. It’s time for them to play the young guys and make some drastic changes in the summer.
22. Portland Trail Blazers (22)
The Blazers are just four games away from the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. However, they are looking at an uphill battle just to get there. Losers of four straight, Portland may have shot themselves in the foot when we talk about their chance for the last postseason ticket.
They are good, but not good enough yet.
21. Phoenix Suns (16)
The Suns have lost three straight games and now sit outside the top 10 in the Western Conference playoff picture. Due to the competitive nature of the weekly NBA rankings, they are the biggest losers this week, falling five spots from 16 to 21.
It’s hard to believe that the trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal will likely miss the postseason at this stage of their careers. It’s time to blow it up in the summer.
20. Sacramento Kings (17)
Same with the Suns, the Kings are stumbling right now, losing three straight to close out week 23. Zach LaVine has gone cold, Malik Monk has been dealing with injuries, and they are overly reliant on the aging DeMar DeRozan to carry them on most nights after the trade deadline.
If this goes on, they’d probably give the Suns a fighting chance to overtake them in the 10th spot in the West standings.
19. Miami Heat (23)
All of a sudden, the Heat are hot again. They are on a four-game winning streak right now despite Andrew Wiggins missing some time due to injuries. Veteran guard Alec Burks has been playing well for them since being inserted in the starting lineup by Coach Spo in week 23.
18. Chicago Bulls (19)
Nobody expected the Bulls to play this well at this stage of the season after their so-so campaign for most of the year. Yet, here they are, wreaking havoc with Coby White and Josh Giddey leading the way.
And, oh…rookie Matas Buzelis looks like a future star in this league. Should they continue to play well for the rest of their campaign, don’t be surprised if the Bulls’ ranking will be high enough before the 2025-2026 NBA season.
17. Dallas Mavericks (20)
Anthony Davis hasn’t lost yet as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Sure, he just played in just four games for them, but their recent streak has jolted them inside the top ten in the West, where they are currently sitting at the ninth spot.
Another piece of good news for them is that Derrick Lively and Daniel Gafford might be able to suit up for them in week 24.
16. Orlando Magic (18)
Orlando has been playing well as of late, winning six games in their last ten outings. Paolo Banchero is playing at an all-star level again after missing a month earlier this season due to injuries.
However, despite their recent surge, they might still have to settle for a play-in spot instead of a top-six seed in the playoffs.
15. Atlanta Hawks (15)
Atlanta might not reach the top six in the East for a secured playoff berth, but there’s no doubt that they’ll be a participant in this year’s playoffs. Rookie Zaccharie Risacher has been playing great and looks like a stud lately.
Risacher may be well behind in the rankings of rookies, but should he have a big improvement in the summer, it’s not entirely out of this world to say that the top pick of the 2024 NBA draft is capable of being a solid number-two option for the Hawks in the very near future.
14. Milwaukee Bucks (13)
Losers of four straight, it’s safe to say that the Bucks’ title hopes are all lost due to losing Damian Lillard for the rest of the season – maybe even more. No matter how good Giannis Antetokounmpo is as a player, he cannot do it alone.
While their position in the top six in the East remains safe, don’t be surprised if they are bounced out of the first round of the playoffs.
13. Detroit Pistons (14)
Detroit is the first team in NBA history to triple its win count from the previous season. They will undoubtedly qualify for the NBA playoffs this year, and their ranking has mostly been within the top 15 range since the turn of 2025.
This is a good young squad with a lot of promise for the near future. Coach JB Bickerstaff should be considered as a finalist for Coach of the Year award.
12. Los Angeles Clippers (10)
The Clippers are just a game behind the Golden State Warriors for a top-six spot in the West with less than three weeks left to play in the regular season. With Norman Powell back in the lineup, this team is looking like a dark horse contender in the West.
Can we get an OKC vs. Clippers matchup in the first round? That would be a fantastic series for basketball fans all over the world.
11. Minnesota Timberwolves (11)
It’s safe to say that the Wolves won’t replicate their regular season success last year, but they won’t be an easy out in the playoffs, either. This team is hitting their stride at just the right time of the year and has looked more and more dangerous as the season winds down.
Nobody will want to face the Wolves in the first round of the NBA playoffs, especially for a team like them, who’s been mostly overlooked in the rankings all season long.
10. Indiana Pacers (12)
The Pacers went 7-3 in their last ten games and have shown glimpses of their potential to wreak havoc in the upcoming playoffs in recent weeks. They currently sit at the fourth spot in the East and still have a slim chance to climb up to the third spot should they continue to perform well on the court.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (7)
Many people in NBA circles have been baffled by Coach Taylor Jenkins’s surprise firing at this stage of the season. With less than three weeks left before the playoffs, it’s hard to believe that the new coaching change will propel them to a title this year.
Going 4-6 in their last ten games, the Grizzlies, in fact, are still in grave danger of falling outside the top six and into the play-in tournament.
8. Golden State Warriors (8)
The Warriors better not take their foot off the gas pedal because the Wolves and the Clippers are right behind their tail for the sixth spot in the West. Stephen Curry hasn’t shot the ball well after returning from a back injury, and Jimmy Butler has struggled to produce much on the offensive end.
But hey…they still went 7-3 in their last ten despite all the concerns within their recent play. Could Steph still have one more crack at a title this season?
7. Los Angeles Lakers (6)
Winning against teams above .500? For the Lakers, that’s not a problem. Winning against teams below .500? Well, that’s a different story for this team. The Lakers are at their best when facing top competition. They are subpar when pitted against bad teams, though.
After peaking at the fourth spot in the weekly NBA rankings just a few weeks ago, we have no choice but to put the Lakers outside of the top five due to their recent struggles. This team needs depth, especially at the center spot.
6. New York Knicks (9)
Despite Jalen Brunson’s absence, the Knicks have performed rather well in recent outings, winning six out of ten. Should Brunson return in top form before the playoffs, this team has what it takes to make it all the way to the NBA Finals this year.
If they can avoid the Celtics until the Eastern Conference Finals, expect them to breeze through the first couple of rounds of the playoffs.
5. Houston Rockets (5)
Winners of three straight and going 9-1 in their last ten, are the Rockets for real? They are fast approaching their first 50-win season since the James Harden era. Surprised? We are, too.
We’ve been skeptical about their progress because this team has no clear superstar on the roster – just a bunch of tier-two and tier-three stars who do their part on a nightly basis.
Can’t wait to see how they’ll perform in the postseason.
4. Denver Nuggets (4)
The Nuggets only went 5-5 in their last ten games, but they aren’t worried too much because they’d be going to the playoffs with basically the same lineup for the last three years. Nikola Jokic is arguably having the best individual season in league history, yet he might not win the MVP award.
Surely enough, any team who’d be pitted against the Nuggets in the postseason will have their hands full in handling Jokic. I would never doubt Denver, especially since they’ve silenced all their critics during their surprising title run in 2023.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (3)
The Cavs are on a bit of a slide to finish the 2024-2025 NBA season, and as a result, their grasp at the top of the rankings has dipped within the last couple of weeks. They have won 60 games, their first time to do so since 2010.
But are they true contenders, though? Many pundits are comparing this team to the 2014-2015 Atlanta Hawks, who breezed through the season but slumped in the playoffs.
Well, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley must be in their top form in the postseason to give this team a chance to make the Finals.
2. Boston Celtics (2)
The Celtics have won eight straight despite not having their best lineup on the floor to close out the season. They are resting Kristaps Porzingis for a deep playoff run and a chance to win back-to-back titles.
Equipped with a deeper bench than last year, it’s fairly obvious that despite the Cavs and OKC’s outstanding regular season records this season, the Celtics are still the team to beat in the postseason.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (1)
OKC, winners of nine straight, should secure a homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs after this week. If we base the MVP award solely on the team record, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should win over Nikola Jokic.
This young Thunder squad is deep, but they aren’t invincible as their fans have suggested. The playoffs are a different animal compared to regular season success. Before everybody jumps on their bandwagon, let’s see how they’ll perform in the first round with the Wolves, Mavs, and Clippers lurking in their path.
But these are the season rankings, not the NBA playoff rankings. Of course, OKC should be number one due to its record.
