While some stars have returned to their teams after their injury woes, others weren’t so lucky and had to undergo another rehab session to play again this season. Stars like Brandon Ingram, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid have been mostly in and out this year due to injuries. However, quite a few NBA teams have completely avoided the injury bug but oddly failed to capitalize in their respective conferences.
With week 7 done, let’s take a quick look at the grades for all 30 NBA teams.
Which NBA teams had the best grades after week 7?
Atlanta Hawks: A (Last Week: A)
For the second straight week, the Hawks managed to have a good grade due to their surprising play on the court. They won against the Pelicans, Bucks, and Lakers before falling to the Nuggets to end week 7.
Boston Celtics: A (Last Week: A+)
While the Celtics fell short against the visiting Grizzlies, they still had a great week when we look at the bigger picture. They are two games behind the Cavs for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and should be able to surpass them now that Kristaps Porzingis is back in the starting lineup.
Brooklyn Nets: C (Last Week: B)
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The Nets are starting to feel the effects of the absence of Cam Thomas, who remains out due to an injury. They only went 1-2 this week but managed to stay competitive without the team’s leading scorer this season.
Charlotte Hornets: D (Last Week: F)
Without LaMelo Ball, it’s not surprising that the Hornets struggled to generate some offense on the court. They were close to having a winless week but somehow came away with a win against the struggling Pacers, with Brandon Miller leading the charge.
Chicago Bulls: C (Last Week: D-)
Going 2-2 isn’t bad, in all honesty. The Bulls outlasted both the Nets and the Spurs before succumbing to the Pacers and the Sixers to end week 7. Nikola Vucevic is playing well as of late and could be their biggest asset in the trade market this season.
Also Read: Grading 30 NBA Teams’ After Week 6 Games Of The 2024-25
Cleveland Cavaliers: A (Last Week: B)
With the Celtics having a complete lineup again, they are now on the heels of the Cavs in the Eastern Conference standings. After a 15-0 start, the Cavs now have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games. If they aren’t careful, the Celtics will pass them soon.
Dallas Mavericks: A+ (Last Week: A)
The Mavericks are the winners of seven straight, and they are blazing hot right now. It’s not just Luka Doncic who’s done the heavy lifting; Kyrie Irving is also having a very nice season for himself. Their bench play is much superior this year compared to their run to the NBA Finals last June.
Denver Nuggets: D- (Last Week: C)
Despite a 56-point effort against the Wizards, Nikola Jokic and the rest of this team couldn’t get the job done and are now responsible for ending the NBA’s most infamous streak this season. After the humiliating loss, Jokic even suggested a couple of things in the media, such as how to discipline his struggling teammates whenever they had a bad game.
Detroit Pistons: D (Last Week: C)
Save for their surprising win against the Knicks, Detroit had a relatively off week in terms of shooting the ball. Tobias Harris remains a non-factor for them this season after signing a lucrative contract in the summer.
Golden State Warriors: C+ (Last Week: D)
The Warriors performed much better in week 7 than the previous week, but they are still sliding further down the West standings. Rumors have it that they are actively looking for an all-star caliber player to pair alongside Stephen Curry before 2024 ends.
Houston Rockets: C (Last Week: A+)
This was not a good week for this Rockets squad, but there are some positive signs that they could learn from their recent woes. They lost to the Kings and Warriors before slugging out a win against a James Harden-less Clippers.
Indiana Pacers: F (Last Week: D)
1-3 in week 7 ain’t going to cut it for a team like the Pacers. They are one of the few teams in the NBA who remained healthy since the start of the season. There’s essentially no reason for them to be five games under .500.
Los Angeles Clippers: D (Last Week: B)
Here we go again with the Clippers. They were hot in week 6 but freezing cold in week 7. Who could blame them, though? They are relying heavily on an aging James Harden with Kawhi Leonard out. Their loss to the surging Rockets to end the week must have hurt a lot.
Los Angeles Lakers: D- (Last Week: B-)
The Lakers lost to the Wolves, Heat, and Hawks before outlasting the Blazers to cap off week 7. We are not under the illusion that this team is a contender because, clearly, they are not. While D’Angelo Russell isn’t perfect, he should be starting for this team instead of Gabe Vincent.
Memphis Grizzlies: A+ (Last Week: A+)
Have you seen Ja Morant’s dunk against the Celtics? That was perfection. What did we say? If Morant is aggressive in attacking the basket, this NBA team’s morale is through the roof. The Grizzlies are now second in the Western Conference standings. They are back, baby!
Miami Heat: A (Last Week: B)
After losing to the Celtics in week 7, the Heat went on to win against the Lakers, Suns, and Cavs. While Jimmy Butler is still doing Jimmy Butler things, much of their newfound offensive output came from Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson.
Milwaukee Bucks: C (Last Week: A+)
After winning six straight games, the Bucks inexplicably went 2-2 this week. They lost to the Hawks and Celtics. Their two wins came from middle-of-the-pack teams in the East, which were unimpressive to begin with.
Minnesota Timberwolves: B+ (Last Week: D)
Fairly conscious of giving them an A remark because we truly don’t know if the Wolves have turned the leaf after a 3-1 week. They are still sitting outside the top 10 of the Western Conference standings, and we’re nearly at the end of 2024.
New Orleans Pelicans: F (Last Week: F)
Even with Murray, McCollum, and Murphy back, the Pelicans’ losses have kept piling up. They are at a point right now where making the playoffs in April is becoming an impossibility with each passing game.
New York Knicks: B (Last Week: B+)
The Knicks should’ve gone 4-0 but were surprisingly toppled by a struggling Pistons team at the end of week 7. They are three games behind the Orlando Magic for the third spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
Oklahoma City Thunder: A+ (Last Week: A)
OKC breezed through week 7 with wins against hapless NBA teams such as the Jazz, Raptors, and Pelicans. With the final leg of the NBA Cup games scheduled this week, it will be interesting to see if they are truly deserving to be the number-one team in the West.
Orlando Magic: C (Last Week: A+)
Much of Orlando’s recent struggle is due to the fact that both Banchero and Wagner are out due to injuries. As a result, they only managed to come out with a 2-2 record in week 7. Can they hold on to their spot in the standings while their stars are out?
Philadelphia 76ers: A (Last Week: D)
For the first time this season, the Sixers finally had a good grade here on TPS. This NBA team was decimated by injuries to start the year, but with their stars coming back, they have shown that it’s not too late to climb the standings.
Phoenix Suns: D- (Last Week: B)
Losing Kevin Durant to another ankle injury is tragic. Devin Booker is not a viable top option on a team with title aspirations. Bradley Beal is nowhere near his Wizards’ heyday. The boat continues to sink in the desert, even if there’s no water.
Portland Trail Blazers: F (Last Week: D)
The games weren’t even close and were just awful to watch. 0-3 in week 7, this team is going nowhere, fast. Jerami Grant is declining at a rapid rate, and even if Deandre Ayton isn’t a bust, he certainly has not lived up to his potential as a former number-one overall pick.
Sacramento Kings: B (Last Week: F)
What a difference a week makes. After inserting Malik Monk in the starting lineup, the Kings went 3-1 in week 7. With a relatively easy schedule for the rest of December, now is the time for Sacramento to climb up in the West standings.
San Antonio Spurs: D (Last Week: B+)
With Victor Wembanyama in and out of the lineup in week 7, the Spurs only compiled a 1-3 record. On a positive note, Chris Paul passed Jason Kidd to move into second place in the all-time assist leaders in the NBA.
Toronto Raptors: D (Last Week: D)
After dismantling the Pacers to open week 7, they lost against the Thunder and the Mavs to compile a 1-2 slate. They have an atrocious 1-11 record away from home. Their road games are just an eyesore.
Utah Jazz: D (Last Week: F)
The 44-point beatdown the Jazz received from Sacramento was dreadful to watch. The Thunder also beat them for 27 points. The only positive thing that came out from them this week was the dominance they displayed against a hapless Blazers team.
Washington Wizards: D (Last Week: F)
I was truly tempted to give the Wizards an A after they finally snapped their 16-game skid against the visiting Nuggets. All jokes aside, the Wizards were relatively bad again this week. Aside from outlasting a struggling Denver team on their home court, they were thoroughly embarrassed and demolished by the Mavs, Cavaliers, and Grizzlies.
Also Read: Power Ranking All 30 NBA Teams After Week 6 Games
