NBA Power Rankings: OKC battles out West, Magic ascend in the East

We’re one month into the 2024-25 NBA season, and in just a few weeks a lot has unfolded in both conferences.

The second edition of the NBA Cup kicked off last week, once again unveiling some flashy courts. Group stage games will end Dec. 3 and knockout contests will start Dec. 10.

The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to hold the No.1 spot in the rankings despite having their 15-game win streak end after losing to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, in the wild West, the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder are battling for No.1. The Houston Rockets have also ascended into the top of the conference, while the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets are struggling to stay above .500.

Can the Milwaukee Bucks find momentum? Will the Philadelphia 76ers eventually overcome their injuries? Let’s check this week’s power rankings to see where all 30 teams stack up.

Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Michael Wright, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Ohm Youngmisuk, Chris Herring and Kevin Pelton) think teams belong this season.

Previous rankings: Preseason | Oct. 30 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 13

Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland’s undefeated start ended in Boston on Tuesday — losing a nail-biter 120-117 despite the Celtics being a plus-36 in 3-point scoring differential. Still, the Cavs can take a bow after notching their 15th win Nov. 17th. In LeBron James’ last four seasons with the franchise, the quickest Cleveland reached 15 wins was Nov. 30th. — Dave McMenamin

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2. Golden State Warriors

• 2024-25 record: 10-3

• Previous ranking: 4

• Next games: vs. ATL (Nov. 20), @ NO (Nov. 22), @ SA (Nov. 23), vs. BKN (Nov. 25)

The Warriors have only lost three games this season — two of them to the Clippers. This early-season success is a major feat for the Warriors given their dismal start to last season. The depth they were excited about heading into the year has proved to be legitimate as they’ve navigated some early-season injuries, and the defensive identity they wanted to rely on has been extremely strong. The one area that could be a concern are the Warriors’ free throws — missing 10 in their loss against the Clippers on Monday night. — Kendra Andrews

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3. Boston Celtics

The rich get richer. Not only does Boston continue to rattle off victories, taking down the undefeated Cavaliers on Tuesday, but Kristaps Porzingis practiced for the first time this season Monday. The Latvian center has yet to make his debut because of offseason ankle surgery but is on pace to potentially return within the next few weeks — giving the defending champions not only another 3-point shooter, but an elite post-up threat to further diversify their offense. — Tim Bontemps

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4. Oklahoma City Thunder

Luguentz Dort is proving that his 3-point shooting campaign last season wasn’t an outlier. Dort is shooting a career-best 44.9% from 3-point range on the heels of shooting 39.4% last season, which was an uptick of more than six percentage points from the first four years of Dort’s career. He’s earned a reputation as an elite perimeter defender, so Dort’s development as a shooter makes him one of the league’s premier role players. — Tim MacMahon

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5. Houston Rockets

Pay attention. Off to their best 14-game start since 2019-20 after Sunday’s win at Chicago, the Rockets are one of the hottest teams in the West. Houston hasn’t lost consecutive games this season, and its suffocating defense appears to be improving as Alperen Sengun continues to develop on that end of the floor. The Rockets entered Tuesday with the third-best defensive rating in the league (105.2), and two bench players — Amen Thompson and Tari Eason — are arguably the most significant contributors to that and making strong cases to enter the starting lineup. — Michael Wright

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6. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets already knew life without Nikola Jokic was very hard — they are now 19-28 all time without the MVP. Jokic missed his third straight game at Memphis on Tuesday night due to personal reasons. Without Jokic, the Nuggets lost to an injury-decimated New Orleans squad and then lost by 15 in Memphis on Sunday, despite Ja Morant and Marcus Smart not playing. After scoring a combined 29 points in those first two games without Jokic, Jamal Murray led the Nuggets to a win over the Grizzlies on Tuesday with 27 points. Michael Malone said afterward the point guard’s scoring struggles weren’t solely on Murray, who also must make plays for teammates as well. “[But] if it’s not him, you’re asking some really young players to carry a load that they are probably not ready to carry,” Malone said. — Ohm Youngmisuk

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7. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers will have an early litmus test this weekend to see how real their hot start is when they host the Nuggets. L.A. has lost 12 of its past 13 games against Denver, including two straight playoff boots. But there are a couple new characters added to the rivalry. Former Lakers guard Russell Westbrook is now suiting up for Denver, while L.A. has the dazzling Dalton Knecht coming off a 37-point performance Tuesday, when he tied the all-time rookie record with nine 3s. — McMenamin

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8. Phoenix Suns

It’s déjà vu in The Valley. After Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker managed to play just 41 games together last year, Phoenix is flailing because of its health once again. The Suns have gone 1-5 since Durant went out with a left calf strain, including 0-4 since Beal joined him on the bench with a similar injury. The Suns are in a homestretch, but it won’t get any easier against playoff-worthy opponents in the Knicks, Lakers and Warriors over the next week. — McMenamin

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9. Orlando Magic

• 2024-25 record: 9-6

• Previous ranking: 17

• Next games: @ LAC (Nov. 20), @ LAL (Nov. 21), vs. DET (Nov. 23), @ CHA (Nov. 25)

Franz Wagner has been keeping the Magic afloat as they wait for several key players to get healthy, including Paolo Banchero, earning Eastern Conference Player of the Week accolades. During his past seven games, Wagner is averaging 27.4 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 46% from the floor. He scored 20 points in seven consecutive games, which ties the longest streak of his career. Orlando is the first team since December 2018 to hold its opponents to less than 100 points in six straight games. — Andrews

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10. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves are still looking to find their groove after making the conference finals last season, but new addition Julius Randle had a signature moment Sunday when he hit a game-winning, buzzer-beater to defeat the Suns. Randle has upped his efficiency since joining Minnesota this season, shooting 51% from the field, 38% from 3 (both higher marks than any of the past three seasons). After three days off, the Wolves begin a road trip through Toronto and Boston this week before returning home. — Jamal Collier

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11. Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant (hip) remains week to week, but Memphis continues to flex a deep rotation that could prove beneficial as the season progresses. Jaren Jackson Jr. has scored 29 points or more in three of his past six games. Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane appear to be on the mend and have gradually worked their way into the mix by coming off the bench. When Memphis’ starting group is totally back in the fold, expect reserves such as Scotty Pippen Jr., Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey and Santi Aldama to wreak havoc on opposing bench units. — Wright

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12. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs went 1-4 in the stretch that forward P.J. Washington missed due to a sore knee. He made his presence felt in a major way in his second game back, setting season highs with 27 points and 17 rebounds in Sunday’s road win over the Thunder. That served as a reminder of the critical role that Washington played in the Mavs’ West semifinals win over the Thunder last season. Washington averaged 17.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in that series, when he shot 46.9% from 3-point range. — MacMahon

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13. New York Knicks

Few players have been more offensively dynamic than Karl-Anthony Towns, who’s enjoying career-best efficiency and rebound rates while spraying no-look passes all over from one game to the next. The downside? Teams are shooting 9.5 percentage points better than average within six feet of the basket when Towns is defending it, by far the NBA’s worst rate for any center who’s faced at least 50 such shots this season. — Chris Herring

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14. Sacramento Kings

The Kings are itching for Malik Monk, Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan to return, the latter two of whom could come back as soon as Friday. It’s not that the wheels completely fell off for Sacramento while they’ve been sidelined — De’Aaron Fox scored a combined 109 points over two games — but there have been multiple close contests that they feel they could have won with their stars playing. The Kings struggled with clutch time games last season, and it was high on their list of things to address this season. — Andrews

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15. LA Clippers

• 2024-25 record: 8-7

• Previous ranking: 13

• Next games: vs. ORL (Nov. 20), vs. SAC (Nov. 22), @ PHI (Nov. 24), @ BOS (Nov. 25)

Without Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers have had to scrap for everything. But they’ve managed to hand the Warriors two of their three losses. Assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy’s defense forced 19 turnovers that led to 31 points in Monday’s win against Golden State. Head coach Ty Lue is figuring out how to manage Ivica Zubac’s minutes. Mo Bamba’s return in the past two games helps, and Lue has also inserted Kris Dunn into the starting lineup to ease James Harden’s ballhandling and playmaking load. Terance Mann had his best game of the season Monday with 10 points, six assists and five rebounds off the bench. Until Leonard gets back, the Clippers will need to keep treading above .500. — Youngmisuk

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16. Indiana Pacers

• 2024-25 record: 6-8

• Previous ranking: 14

• Next games: @ HOU (Nov. 20), @ MIL (Nov. 22), vs. WAS (Nov. 24), vs. NO (Nov. 25)

After dropping a game to the Raptors to start the week, the Pacers will begin a 10-game stretch that could define their season and give themselves a chance to bounce back from a slow start. Indiana will face just two teams with a winning record during that span, beginning with Wednesday’s game at Houston before an NBA Cup showdown and playoff rematch against Milwaukee. The Pacers will need to get its offense back into gear. After finishing second last season in offensive efficiency, they are currently ranked 14th. — Collier

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17. San Antonio Spurs

On a two-game skid, San Antonio received a much-needed two-day break with star Victor Wembanyama listed as day-to-day due to a right knee contusion. Wembanyama’s injury isn’t considered serious, but he sat out Tuesday’s victory against Oklahoma City. Second-leading scorer Devin Vassell is back in the lineup but coming off the bench for “the foreseeable future,” according to interim coach Mitch Johnson. Rookie guard Stephon Castle has been a revelation on both ends, and veteran Chris Paul has dished nine-plus assists in five of his past six appearances. — Wright

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18. Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler returned for Monday’s come-from-behind victory over the 76ers, but the story of the Heat’s season has been the play of Tyler Herro, who is averaging a career-high 24.2 points while shooting a career-best 45.2% from 3-point range on almost 10 attempts a night. If he can keep that up, it changes his and Miami’s ceiling. — Bontemps

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19. Detroit Pistons

Although the Pistons missed an opportunity to reach .500 by beating the Bulls at home Monday, they still have their best winning percentage (.438) at any point after the first 10 games of the season since last making the playoffs in 2018-19. Under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, a young Detroit roster has made strides defensively, improving from 25th in defensive rating a year ago to the top 10 with largely the same core. The Pistons’ opponent shot quality ranks seventh hardest in the league, per Second Spectrum’s quantified shot quality measure. — Kevin Pelton

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20. Atlanta Hawks

Winners in three of its past four, the Hawks have to feel good about limiting Kings guard De’Aaron Fox to 29 points after a combined 109 points in his previous two games. Atlanta’s 22nd-ranked defense isn’t elite, but Dyson Daniels (who was responsible for guarding Fox in Monday’s win) has looked impressive playing next to offense-minded lead Trae Young. Daniels entered Tuesday with an incredible 15-steal lead and 34-deflection edge on the next-closest players — flat-out ridiculous numbers given that we’re less than one month into the season. — Herring

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21. Milwaukee Bucks

• 2024-25 record: 5-9

• Previous ranking: 20

• Next games: vs. CHI (Nov. 20), vs. IND (Nov. 22), vs. CHA (Nov. 23), @ MIA (Nov. 26)

The Bucks have won three of their past four games, providing relief after a disastrous 2-8 start. Milwaukee’s improved defense, powered by an increasingly locked-in Giannis Antetokounmpo, ranked seventh in defensive efficiency since the start of November. A soft schedule this week filled with home games will give the Bucks a chance to bounce back from their slow start — they will host Eastern Conference foes Chicago, Indiana and Charlotte. — Collier

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22. Charlotte Hornets

Brandon Miller, last season’s runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting, has struggled since coming back from a glute strain he suffered in the season opener. He’s shooting 35.3% (down from 44% as a rookie) and 30.6% from 3 (down from 37.3%). Even when left wide-open, he’s connected on just 26.5% of his 3s. Coach Charles Lee challenged Miller coming into the season to develop a more efficient shot profile by swapping out more midrange shots for 3s instead. But it could also be worth it for Miller to put the ball on the floor to draw trips to the line to build the 21-year-old’s confidence. — Herring

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23. Portland Trail Blazers

• 2024-25 record: 6-8

• Previous ranking: 27

• Next games: @ OKC (Nov. 20), @ HOU (Nov. 22), @ HOU (Nov. 23), @ MEM (Nov. 25)

The Blazers’ current three-game winning streak ties their longest since a 4-0 start to the 2022-23 season, back when Damian Lillard called Portland home. All three wins came with starters Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons sidelined, with the Blazers getting 27.3 PPG on red-hot shooting from guard Shaedon Sharpe and strong performances from both backup centers. Robert Williams III, looking fully healthy, has totaled 33 points on 15-of-16 shooting in two starts. And when Williams sat out the back end of a back-to-back, lottery pick Donovan Clingan stepped in with 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks. — Pelton

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24. Brooklyn Nets

The Nets have been more competitive than expected in their first season under coach Jordi Fernandez. They’re a top-10 offense but their most glaring issue has been their defensive struggles. Brooklyn commits more fouls per 100 possessions than any club, and only Toronto sends opponents to the line more on a per-shot-attempt basis. Despite those metrics, and the aggressive play they suggest, the Nets are still tied for last in blocked shots per 100 plays. It highlights just how much they could use injured rim protector Nic Claxton back in the lineup. — Herring

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25. Chicago Bulls

• 2024-25 record: 6-9

• Previous ranking: 24

• Next games: @ MIL (Nov. 20), vs. ATL (Nov. 22), vs. MEM (Nov. 23), @ WAS (Nov. 26)

The Josh Giddey experience for the Bulls has come with ups and downs during his first few weeks. He has started all 15 games for Chicago, but he was out of the closing lineup for five straight games before staying on the floor in Monday’s win over Detroit. Giddey is shooting a respectable 36.4% from 3, but the team is still getting outscored with him on the court to the tune of a minus-8.2 net rating. Giddey’s development, after a crucial trade from the Thunder involving Alex Caruso, will be one of the measurements for the Bulls’ success this season. — Collier

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26. Philadelphia 76ers

Team meetings or not, the solution for the 76ers getting out of the East cellar is a simple one: more production from their stars. Philadelphia is being outscored by a staggering 20.4 points per 100 possessions when Joel Embiid is on the floor this season, and 12 points per 100 possessions when Paul George is playing. If those two start playing like All-Stars again, the 76ers will quickly start to look like a better team. — Bontemps

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27. New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans snapped a six-game losing streak by beating the Nuggets on Friday with Jokic out of the lineup, but they continue to lose ground in the West playoff race because of injuries. The biggest obstacle for New Orleans may be how many teams stand between the Pelicans and the play-in tournament. Right now, that’s four, with only the Jazz behind them in the standings. New Orleans dealt with a similar predicament in Zion Williamson’s rookie season, playing around .500 after a 1-7 start but never digging out of that hole. — Pelton

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28. Utah Jazz

Rookie guard Isaiah Collier is only 1-of-12 from 3-point range, but he’s providing evidence that he can make a positive impact. Collier, whose debut was delayed two weeks due to a hamstring injury, has a plus-10 rating in 108 minutes over his first six games. His tenacious, tough defense has made a favorable impression. Entering Tuesday, the Jazz were allowing only 104.5 points per 100 possessions with the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Collier on the court, the lowest defensive rating among Utah players. — MacMahon

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29. Toronto Raptors

Over the past three games, Raptors center Jakob Poeltl has produced at an All-NBA level, averaging 30 points on 72% shooting and 15 rebounds. Per Keerthika Uthayakumar of TSN Sports, Poeltl is just the sixth player in Stathead.com’s database to reach those heights over a three-game span, and all of the others, save Dwight Howard, won MVP. Poeltl’s powerful play helped Toronto take Boston to overtime Saturday before finally ending a seven-game losing streak against the Pacers on Monday. — Pelton

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30. Washington Wizards

After starting the season 2-2, Washington has lost nine straight. Even worse, only one of those losses (to San Antonio) have come by single digits. The Wizards have six 20-point losses, tied for the most through 13 games of a season in NBA history. An upset Wizards coach Brian Keefe took the blame for the past two losses to Detroit and New York, which were by a combined 48 points. Washington did get point guard Malcolm Brogdon back recently from injury, but rising prospect Bilal Coulibaly missed Monday’s game due to a head injury. — Youngmisuk