Week 12 of NBA basketball is done and there were some exciting games that were decided by game-winners and buzzer-beaters this past week.
Today, we will take a look at the ranking of all 30 NBA teams after week 13.
30. Detroit Pistons (Last Week’s Rank: 30)
In the battle of the East’s cellar-dwelling teams, the Pistons came out on top against the Wizards. The celebration was short-lived though as they were immediately trounced by the Wolves and the Bucks to end the week.
29. Washington Wizards (Last Week’s Rank: 29)
Even though Washington went winless in week 13, it’s important to note that they didn’t suffer any major blowouts in the process. New addition Marvin Bagley has been playing well for the team since his trade from Detroit.
28. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week’s Rank: 28)
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With a 2-8 record over the last 10 games, rumors are swirling around the Hornets like wildfire. Veteran players like Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward don’t fit their current timeline as a team and maybe prime candidates for a trade.
27. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week’s Rank: 27)
The Spurs are finding it hard to find a groove with Wembanyama on a minutes restriction and barred from playing on back-to-back nights. But whenever the prized rookie plays, he’s showing everyone that he’s going to be a problem in this league soon.
26. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week’s Rank: 26)
Portland had a relatively good week with wins against the struggling Nets and the surprising Pacers. Jerami Grant has been playing well since he came back from his injury. Rookie Scoot Henderson is also showing some potential despite his shooting woes.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week’s Rank: 25)
Add Desmond Bane to the Grizzlies’ injury woes as he’s expected to miss more than a month due to an injury. Without Morant and Bane, you can count on Memphis to miss the postseason this season.
24. Toronto Raptors (Last Week’s Rank: 23)
Toronto has lost steam after a stellar start in January. Long-time Raptor Pascal Siakam is no longer with the team as he was traded to Indiana this past week. They are banking on Scottie Barnes’ potential to lead them into the future.
23. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week’s Rank: 22)
The Nets only went 1-3 this past week but the good news is that they are trying hard to give themselves a chance to win each game. They managed to frustrate LeBron James and the Lakers in what would be one of their most impressive wins of the season.
22. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week’s Rank: 24)
Is Atlanta seriously trying to trade away Dejounte Murray? He just managed to drain back-to-back game-winners against the Heat and the Magic this past week – a rarity in an NBA season.
21. Golden State Warriors (Last Week’s Rank: 21)
The Warriors only played a single game this past week – a loss against a depleted Grizzlies team. Their games were postponed by the league with the sudden passing of their beloved assistant coach, Dejan Milović.
20. Houston Rockets (Last Week’s Rank: 18)
Houston generally struggled with some of the top brass in the East for the past couple of weeks. The only consistent force they have right now is big man Alperen Sengun. Jalen Green has been largely inefficient this season.
19. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week’s Rank: 20)
The Lakers impressed everybody with wins against the rising OKC squad and the Luka-Kyrie led Mavs this past week. However, true to their inconsistent theme this season, nobody was entirely surprised when they got blown out by the hapless Blazers.
18. Chicago Bulls (Last Week’s Rank: 19)
The Bulls went 2-1 this past week and now have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games. Coby White has been playing well in the absence of Lonzo Ball and he may be a lock to become the team’s starting point guard in the next few years.
15. Orlando Magic (Last Week’s Rank: 10)
Orlando went 2-2 this past week, but their slide from being a top-4 team in the East early this season to potentially dropping out of the top 8 has been alarming. They need their main guys healthy to be able to establish momentum soon.
16. Utah Jazz (Last Week’s Rank: 16)
After their improbable run since the first week of January, the Jazz now have lost back-to-back games in week 13. But make no mistake as this team is just starting to gel and they are poised to surprise everybody this season.
15. Phoenix Suns (Last Week’s Rank: 17)
Phoenix is starting to find its groove and build momentum before the upcoming all-star break. The trio of Durant, Booker and Beal are now playing well together despite their initial struggles to co-exist early in the season.
14. Miami Heat (Last Week’s Rank: 14)
Miami largely struggled this past week and just went 1-3. Even with Jimmy Butler back in the lineup, their woes continued. They are looking for an upgrade at the point guard position before the trade deadline and rumor has it that their primary target is Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray.
13. Indiana Pacers (Last Week’s Rank: 13)
The Pacers just acquired do-it-all forward Pascal Siakam from Toronto to strengthen their push for the playoffs this season. However, the team is still in the adjustment period as of late.
12. Sacramento Kings (Last Week’s Rank: 8)
Ever since backing out in the Pascal Siakam trade talks, the Kings have played sluggishly. They now have lost four straight games and have gone 4-6 in their last 10 games. Maybe the distraction garnered from the trade talks affected some of their players.
11. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week’s Rank: 12)
Dallas only played two games this past week and went 1-1. They won 6 out of 4 games in their last 10 but they need to build some momentum towards the end of this month against top-caliber teams that are looming on their schedule.
10. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week’s Rank: 11)
The Pelicans want to lock in a secure seed in the playoffs and avoid the play-in tournament entirely. With everybody almost healthy, they are going to be tested in their upcoming schedule in week 14.
9. New York Knicks (Last Week’s Rank: 10)
The Knicks have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games and a large part of their success is due to the play of point guard Jalen Brunson. All signs point that he’s going to earn an all-star part in February.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week’s Rank: 8)
The Cavs are on an impressive run right now with just one loss so far in January. They boast a 7-game winning streak despite missing key starters in the lineup. Their bench guys have been playing at a high level for the past couple of weeks.
7. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week’s Rank: 6)
The Clippers have remained one of the hottest teams in the league for over a month now. They have won 8 out of 10 in their last 10 games and there’s little doubt that their momentum will stop any time soon. They are looking formidable with each passing week.
6. Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week’s Rank: 7)
With Joel Embiid back at full strength, the Sixers now have won five in a row. One of those wins was against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. Watching those two behemoths battling it out was euphoric for the true fans of the game.
5. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week’s Rank: 5)
The Bucks went 2-1 this past week. Damian Lillard is now heating up and is recapturing his old form when he was still in Portland. He delivered one of the best buzzer-beaters this season against the Kings and scored in a variety of ways against the Pistons.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week’s Rank: 3)
After gaining ground toward the top spot in the West, OKC somewhat fumbled a bit in week 13. They left LA empty-handed as they lost to the struggling Lakers and the Clippers. They managed to stave off a hungry Utah team to close the week.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves(Last Week’s Rank: 4)
Just when OKC was primed to take over the top of the West, the Wolves suddenly went hot, going 3-1 this past week. Sorry KAT but Anthony Edwards is the true superstar in the team.
2. Denver Nuggets (Last Week’s Rank: 2)
The Nuggets went 3-1 this past week and their lone loss was against the Sixers. They managed to snap Boston’s 20-game winning streak at home which was a fairly impressive feat. It looks like Jamal Murray is back in full form again.
1. Boston Celtics (Last Week’s Rank: 1)
Even though the Nuggets snapped their impressive winning streak at home, the Celtics still sit at the top of the East and own the best record in the NBA in week 13. Their target is to win it all this season and only a handful of teams can match up with them.
