We know that the NFL playoffs are the craze right now, but blink, and you’ll miss it; the NBA was stacked in week 14. OKC continues its struggle against the Mavericks, and the Cavaliers are having a hard time cracking the Rockets’ spell over them. As a result, the rankings have been all over the place for top-tier NBA teams.
Plus, the Jimmy Butler trade drama continues to linger despite the star’s multiple suspensions this month alone. It’s anybody’s guess right now where he ends up in the fast-approaching trade deadline. Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma are also rumored to be in the trading block.
With all that said, here are the NBA rankings for all 30 NBA teams in week 14.
Who are the top-ranking teams in the NBA after week 14?
30. Washington Wizards (30)
Losers of 13 straight, the Wizards now hold the best odds to win the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes in June’s draft. Everything’s not clicking well for this team, and honestly, they might not even get 10 wins this season. Adding salt to their wounds, Kyle Kuzma’s latest comments about the direction of this franchise have drawn flak all over social media.
29. Utah Jazz (29)
The Jazz were a bit competitive this week, but they continued to endure losses to the Pelicans, Thunder, and Grizzlies. They are on a five-game slide right now and are slowly realizing that they need to play their younger guys to shape them into possible contributors in the future.
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28. Brooklyn Nets (25)
The Nets were no match against the Knicks, Suns, and Heat this week. They are on a six-game losing streak and only compiled a 1-9 record in their last 10. With literally no takers for Ben Simmons in the upcoming trade deadline, it’s quite hard to watch this team embarrass themselves on a nightly basis. They should pick a sturdy direction and just go for a full-scale rebuild.
27. Charlotte Hornets (27)
Well, despite garnering enough fan votes, LaMelo Ball won’t be starting in this year’s all-star game for the Eastern Conference. While fans were outraged, maybe they should consider that the Hornets are nowhere near the playoff picture. At 12-30, they’d be lucky to reach 20 wins at the end of this season.
26. New Orleans Pelicans (26)
The Pelicans’ schedule was reduced from four to three in week 14, as their game against the Bucks was postponed due to an unexpected snowfall in New Orleans. They managed to win a close one versus the Jazz but fell to the Grizzlies and Hornets to cap off week 14.
25. Toronto Raptors (28)
Winners of three straight, the Raptors are seemingly clicking on and off the court. Surprisingly, they beat the Paolo Banchero-led Magic and got rid of the pesty Hawks in back-to-back games. It’s good to see that the team continues to compete despite their inevitable fate of missing the playoffs at the end of this season.
24. Philadelphia 76ers (23)
The Sixers were utterly demolished by Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets before surprising everybody with wins against the Cavaliers and the Bulls. Tyrese Maxey is doing everything he can to steer this team to wins despite Joel Embiid’s absence and Paul George’s torrid shooting.
23. Portland Trail Blazers (24)
The Blazers went 3-1 this week, garnering impressive wins against the Heat, Magic, and Hornets before falling to OKC. After much hope from this team early this season, it’s probably safe to assume that they will not move beyond the 20th spot in the weekly NBA rankings due to their inconsistency and lapses on the court.
22. Chicago Bulls (20)
While the Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic rumors are heating up, the Bulls impressed everybody by posting a win versus the Clippers but went back to their usual selves after falling to the Warriors and the Sixers. Josh Giddey still can’t shoot, and his game has continued to regress since his sophomore season with OKC a couple of years ago.
21. San Antonio Spurs (21)
Victor Wembanyama’s homecoming was a mixed bag. They impressed everybody in France by walloping Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers by 30 points in the first of their back-to-back games but were also walloped by the same foe in their second match. There was so much hope for this team after nearly making the top ten in the weekly NBA rankings about a month ago.
20. Golden State Warriors (19)
Week 14 was not a good one for the Warriors. They were thoroughly outclassed by the Celtics, Kings, and Lakers by a combined 56 points. What’s worse is that Steph Curry’s decline has started to show recently. The team is desperately searching for a gem before the trade deadline in order to compete for a playoff spot this season.
19. Atlanta Hawks (11)
Well…their rise in last week’s NBA rankings was rather short-lived. Losers of four straight, the Hawks are beginning to show their true colors, and we’ve ignored that for far too long – they are a mediocre team at best. If Jimmy Butler truly wants to help a team compete at a higher level, maybe he should consider the Hawks as one of his destinations.
18. Miami Heat (17)
With Jimmy Butler’s second suspension this month, the situation in Miami just keeps getting worse. Although they went 5-5 in their last ten games, one quick look and it’s safe to assume that this team is far from title contention. Despite all the chaos and trade talks, it looks like they got a keeper with rookie Kel’el Ware, as he’s been balling for them recently.
17. Dallas Mavericks (16)
This is quickly becoming ugly for this Mavs team after much hype before the start of the season. A huge part of their recent slide is due to the fact that half of their roster is currently on the injury list. While the win against OKC was nice(the Mavs have had their number since last season), the losses have continued to pile up. Can we please get a healthy Luka Doncic back? What do you say, basketball gods?
16. Orlando Magic (13)
Even with Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs back in the lineup, the wins were somewhat sparse for this squad for the whole month of January. They were embarrassed by the underwhelming Raptors and Trail Blazers in week 14. They went from being in the top five of the NBA rankings to outside of the top 15 in just a matter of weeks.
15. Sacramento Kings (14)
It looks like the Kings’ honeymoon phase with coach Doug Christie is over. No, they are not looking for another coach. They have struggled quite a bit lately. While winning against the struggling Warriors was nice, the losses to Denver and New York were ugly.
14. Phoenix Suns (18)
They are 7-3 in their last ten games, and whatever lineup changes coach Blud made, they should roll with because it is working. Kevin Durant is slowly staving off father time, and he must have asked for some advice from LeBron James on how to keep playing at a high level at this stage of his career.
13. Detroit Pistons (20)
The biggest risers in this week’s NBA rankings are the Pistons, who have shown everybody that they were over their last year’s atrocious showing and are zeroing in for a playoff spot this season. They posted impressive wins against the Rockets and Hawks before falling short against the Magic to cap off week 14.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (15)
Anthony Edwards apparently contacted Michael Jordan about how to handle double teams on the court. An admirable gesture, of course, as it’s a clear indication that he wants to get better as a player. They went 6-4 in their last 10 and have won two straight games.
11. Los Angeles Clippers (14)
The Clippers lost to the Bulls and the Celtics before outlasting the lowly Wizards to end week 14. Despite playing below his usual standards, James Harden should be given a look at one of the all-star reserve spots based on how he has steered this team to playoff contention, with Kawhi Leonard mostly absent.
10. Los Angeles Lakers (12)
Say what you want to say about this Lakers team, but they’re still getting things done. Winners of three straight, this might be LeBron James’s last chance for a championship before he calls it a career. While the Lakers are severe underdogs this season, maybe a trade for a rotation player who can absolutely contribute for them might just be enough to push this proud franchise past other mightier squads in the West.
9. Indiana Pacers (9)
If the games on French soil were any indicator of how the Pacers are performing so far this season, you are probably right in your assessment. They lost by a ton of points against the Spurs and bludgeoned the same team after a few days. However, even though they started horribly this season, they now have won 8 out of 10 and are currently chasing the Bucks for the fourth spot in the East.
8. Milwaukee Bucks (8)
The Bucks posted impressive wins against the shorthanded Sixers and the Heat before falling to the Clippers to end week 14. Even with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing at an elite level, it generally feels like their championship window has closed. However, if Damian Lillard suddenly goes supernova in the playoffs, maybe their story will end in a much better place.
7. Denver Nuggets (5)
It’s not that the Nuggets are struggling. They lost a couple of spots in the NBA rankings because other NBA teams in their conference just went supernova this week. Still, going 8-2 in their last 10 games is nothing to scoff at. Nikola Jokic has continued with his remarkable play this season, and in comparison to other greats in the past, he’s playing in a rarified air right now.
6. New York Knicks (7)
Kudos to Karl-Anthony Towns for having the best season in his career in just his first season with the Knicks. The Knicks have won three straight games and are just two games behind the Celtics for the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings. With Boston struggling a bit, they have a legitimate chance to surpass them before the all-star break.
5. Memphis Grizzlies (6)
The Grizzlies are winners of six straight, and they are on a roll right now. With a relatively easier schedule in week 14, it’s no surprise that they went 4-0. After outlasting the Wolves, they easily ran past the Hornets, Pelicans, and Jazz. They are doing it as a team, too, and they are not overly reliant on Ja Morant.
4. Boston Celtics (3)
This is arguably the first time this NBA season that the Celtics are ranked outside the top three in the weekly rankings here on TPS. While going 3-1 in week 14 is nothing short of impressive, it generally feels like Boston isn’t playing at full strength right now despite having everybody healthy. Can their nonchalant approach to games this season carry over to this year’s playoffs?
3. Houston Rockets (4)
It was just last week that we said the Rockets would have to do something impressive this season to climb into the top three in the weekly NBA rankings. Well, does beating the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers enough evidence to put them in this spot? Well, yes, of course. Coach Ime Udoka has done a fantastic job for this team in the last couple of years.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (1)
The cracks in the armor of this Cavs team have started to show in the last couple of weeks. Losing back-to-back to a superstar-less Rockets team may have made a bad, irreparable hole in their armor, in our opinion. Due to their recent blunders, the Cavs no longer have the best record in the NBA right now. They look vulnerable.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (2)
OKC had some highs and lows in week 14, but due to Cleveland’s recent struggles, they now occupy the top spot in week 14’s NBA rankings. They easily handled their business against the hapless Jazz and Blazers but continued their struggles against a Mavericks team sans superstar Luka Doncic. Are they the Derrick Rose Bulls of this era, or can they be a new version of the early Warriors dynasty? Who knows.
