Week 14 of NBA basketball is done and there’s a new top dog in the West. With Joel Embiid’s recent injury woes, a pair of Eastern Conference teams have started to make their moves toward the top.
Today, we will take a look at the ranking of all 30 NBA teams after week 15. This is going to be an exciting list so let’s quickly get into it.
30. Detroit Pistons (Last Week’s Rank: 30)
The Pistons has gone 3 out of 7 in their last 10 games and still sits at the bottom of the East in week 15. With a recent string of DNPs, it seems that French-American guard Killian Hayes could be dealt before the trade deadline.
29. Washington Wizards (Last Week’s Rank: 29)
The Wizards just went 1-3 this past week with the lone win being against fellow cellar-dwellers, the San Antonio Spurs. Plenty of teams are interested in prying Kyle Kuzma out of Washington via trade.
28. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week’s Rank: 28)
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The Hornets suffered multiple blowout losses this past week and it seems like this could go on for the rest of the season. The only positive side in all of this is that rookie Brandon Miller might end up as their franchise player in the near future.
27. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week’s Rank: 27)
A 0-4 week was not what the Spurs had in mind. Even though Victor Wembanyama is having one of the best seasons ever for a rookie, he still finds it hard to steer them into the winning column.
26. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week’s Rank: 26)
The only highlight in week 15 for the Blazers was spoiling Damian Lillard’s return in their home arena as a member of the Bucks. They are relatively silent in this year’s upcoming trade deadline. All signs are pointing out that they may want to evaluate this current roster until the end of the season.
25. Toronto Raptors (Last Week’s Rank: 25)
It generally feels like that the Raptors are taking off the gas in their pursuit of a playoff spot this season. They might be sellers before the trade deadline as they still have a lot of veterans on the roster who might be able to contribute to other teams.
24. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week’s Rank: 24)
The Grizzlies are now playing on one leg due to the plethora of injuries on their roster. In their last game of the week, 13 players were listed on the injured list. They had to fill their roster with a couple of 10-day deals and called up some G-league guys.
23. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week’s Rank: 23)
With the return of Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas inserted back into the starting lineup, the Nets turned some heads this week. They managed to go 3-1 and are still actively trying to bolster their record before the all-star break.
22. Golden State Warriors (Last Week’s Rank: 22)
Even a 60-point masterpiece from Steph Curry couldn’t save the Warriors from losing to Atlanta. Nonetheless, week 15 was kinder to them as they went 2-1. Jonathan Kuminga is also playing well as of late.
21. Houston Rockets (Last Week’s Rank: 20)
The Rockets are one of the most inconsistent teams this season. There are nights where they might look like a playoff team but they will inevitably lose to an inferior team the next day.
20. Chicago Bulls (Last Week’s Rank: 19)
With Zach LaVine officially done for the season, the Bulls might become a seller around the trade deadline. They are still hoping to grab a spot in this year’s playoffs without altering much of their current core.
19. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week’s Rank: 21)
Atlanta is now on a season-high four-game winning streak. Trae Young has been playing well as of late but it’s still too early to label them as a playoff-caliber team. Several teams are inquiring about Dejounte Murray’s availability on the market.
18. Miami Heat (Last Week’s Rank: 16)
Miami just went 2 out of 8 in their last 10 games. Most of their players are healthy to play though and that’s why their recent slide is concerning. Terry Rozier is still adjusting to his role with the team.
17. Utah Jazz (Last Week’s Rank: 15)
The Jazz have lost their steam for a bit for the past couple of weeks. They just went 1-3 in week 15 and with a tough schedule before the all-star break, things could go south quickly.
16. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week’s Rank: 17)
The Lakers went 2-2 this past week. Their wins were impressive though as they beat Eastern conference contenders such as Boston and New York. Can they sustain their momentum?
15. Orlando Magic (Last Week’s Rank: 18)
The Magic are 4-1 in their last 5 games and it certainly looks like they have turned a corner midway into this season. Several players have begun to step up their games to help Paolo Banchero in the scoring department.
14. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week’s Rank: 14)
The Mavs are struggling right now after a tremendous start early this season. Injuries played a big part in it. However, they have multiple guys on the roster who play heavy minutes on a nightly basis but average single digits on offense.
13. Indiana Pacers (Last Week’s Rank: 13)
With Tyrese Haliburton’s minutes restriction, the Pacers are struggling a bit to form a consistent groove with Pascal Siakam. But as a young team with a high potential, nobody should take them lightly.
12. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week’s Rank: 11)
The Pelicans went 2-1 this past week. They have one of the easiest schedules in the league before the mid-season showcase this February. This team needs to rack up wins to keep teams such as the Lakers and Dallas behind them in the standings.
11. Phoenix Suns (Last Week’s Rank: 12)
The Suns now have won 7 out of 10 games. After a slow start this season due to injuries, Bradley Beal is starting to find his groove within the team and looks much more comfortable as the third option of this squad.
10. Sacramento Kings (Last Week’s Rank: 10)
The Kings went 3-1 this past week and continue to rise in the West. However, the team is fuming about Sabonis and Foxx’s exclusion from this year’s all-star roster. They do deserve to have at least one of them in the game.
9. Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week’s Rank: 7)
With Joel Embiid out for a significant amount of time due to a meniscus tear, the Sixers are bound to fall in the Eastern Conference standings. It’s such an unfortunate outcome for a team with title aspirations this season.
8. New York Knicks (Last Week’s Rank: 8)
The Knicks have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games and now sit at the fourth spot in the East. They are playing well as a unit and the buzz in the Garden is back. Will the Knicks make some serious noise in the playoffs this year?
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week’s Rank: 9)
With a 9-1 record in their last 10 games, Cleveland is rocking right now. Even with Darius Garland out of the lineup, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen are steering this Cavs team to new heights as of late.
6. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week’s Rank: 3)
The Bucks are just 1-3 under new head coach Doc Rivers. Many pundits were baffled with their decision to hire the underwhelming Rivers and concerns are starting to grow due to their recent struggle.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week’s Rank: 5)
After surprising everybody with their meteoric rise this season, the Wolves have taken a back seat and now sit at the second spot in the West. They are not invincible but they still have the time to get things sorted out.
4. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week’s Rank: 4)
This Clippers team is a contender. They have won 8 out of 10 and their chemistry as a team is at an all-time high. If they play their cards right and sustain their momentum throughout the season, they will be hard to stop.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week’s Rank: 4)
This young OKC squad is something else. They now sit at the top in the Western Conference standings heading into the all-star break. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a serious candidate for MVP this season.
2. Denver Nuggets (Last Week’s Rank: 2)
The Nuggets went 4-1 this past week but as the reigning champions, it’s a head-scratcher that they don’t get much hype and love coming from the fans and the media. Nonetheless, they are still favored to repeat as champions this year.
1. Boston Celtics (Last Week’s Rank: 1)
Boston had no business losing against a depleted Lakers team this past week. However, they quickly bounced back and pounced on the hapless Grizzlies in their next game. They own the best record in the league right now and they remain as true contenders this season.
