Despite the injury bug sweeping across the NBA, week 4 still produced a ton of action. The Emirates NBA Cup – formerly known as the In-Season Tournament last season – was in full swing in its second iteration.
Needless to say, the battles were far more intense compared to a couple of weeks ago. We are getting a slight inkling of who the top teams in both conferences are.
Here are the rankings for all 30 NBA teams after week 4.
Who are the top-ranking NBA teams after week 4 of action?
30. Toronto Raptors (Last Week: 30)
That controversial three-point buzzer-beater by Boston’s Jayson Tatum must have hurt like a dagger for fans of this franchise. That was their only realistic chance to end their November slide. Now losers of seven straight, this season is looking like a bust for the former 2019 champs.
29. Washington Wizards (Last Week: 24)
The winless November continues for this lowly franchise, as they have now lost eight straight games. The games weren’t pretty too. They were blown out by double digits in almost all of them. Even with Kyle Kuzma back in the lineup, this team might continue to be bottom dwellers in this season’s NBA rankings.
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28. Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week: 26)
Going 1-3 in week 4 was an atrocious outcome for a team with championship aspirations. Even with Joel Embiid and Paul George back in the lineup, the Sixers continue to stink. Their best player in the past couple of weeks isn’t even Embiid, George, or Maxeyt. It is rookie Jared McCain.
27. Utah Jazz (Last Week: 28)
The Jazz are showing a little bit of life since their abysmal start to the 2024-2025 season. While they are still a long way from competing at the elite level, they are starting to play good basketball as of late. They managed to keep their games close, ultimately winning one this past week against the underachieving Dallas Mavericks.
26. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week: 25)
Without Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, and CJ McCollum, this Pelicans team is sinking fast. While their win against a Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets was admirable, the losses have kept piling up. We understand that injuries are part of the game, but this team has been cursed with them for the last couple of years.
25. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week: 29)
Just when the Bucks started to win consecutive games, they fell on their knees again with a blunder to the Charlotte Hornets. While a controversial call was what doomed them late in that contest, a perceived contender like them should have no business of playing catch-up to a lowly team like the Hornets.
Also Read: Ranking All 30 NBA Teams After Week 3 Games
24. Chicago Bulls (Last Week: 19)
Oh, Chicago. You haven’t changed a bit. For the fourth year in a row, the Bulls remain directionless. They want to compete, but they don’t have the pieces to consistently do so. As a result, they continue to sink in this season’s NBA rankings. Even a win against the underwhelming Knicks can’t save their demise.
23. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week: 18)
Cam Johnson is a professional scorer. However, he’s a one-dimensional type of guy. Don’t get me wrong, this Nets team needs his scoring, but their offense would look much more fluid without him on the floor. Brooklyn’s 5-9 after week 4, but due to the surprising struggles of bigger-named teams in the East, they might have a chance to sneak in the playoffs in April.
22. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week: 20)
It’s hard to pinpoint the true origins of the Hornets’ continued woes. LaMelo Ball is playing relatively well, and so is Brandon Miller. Yet, this team keeps on losing. To be fair, week 4 was a rough one for them as they played against playoff-caliber teams in the East, going 1-3.
21. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week: 23)
Trae Young and the Hawks were competitive this week, posting wins against the Celtics and the Wizards before falling short to the Blazers. The 2024 NBA Draft’s top selection Zaccharie Risacher, has cooled off a bit, but that’s quite understandable for the young wing who’s still learning how to play in the NBA.
20. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week: 22)
Did we say before that Victor Wembanyama has been underwhelming this season? We could all forget about all of that after his 50-piece nugget versus the lowly Wizards in week 4. He’s been playing well lately, and teams aren’t taking the Spurs lightly anymore.
19. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week: 27)
Who would have thought that the Blazers could win three straight games this season? As a result, they jumped eight spots from 27th to 19th in this week’s NBA rankings. Since Ayton went down, their offense and defense look more cohesive, especially with rookie Donovan Clingan in the middle.
18. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week: 17)
One week, they’ll be blazing; the next, they’ll be struggling. That seems to be the theme for this Clippers team sans Kawhi Leonard. James Harden isn’t even their best player this season. That title belongs to Norman Powell. If their hot and cold streak continues, the Clippers will be hard-pressed to reach the play-in tournament once the regular season ends.
17. Miami Heat (Last Week: 15)
Is this the end of an era for the Heat? It sure looks like so. They are a competitive bunch, but Jimmy Butler’s game has regressed a ton. Even Bam Adebayo looked like a mid-level center at times. Jaime Jaquez Jr, after a superb rookie season, has barely been a part of their rotation. Tyler Herro can score, but that’s just about it.
16. Indiana Pacers (Last Week: 10)
What’s going on with Tyrese Haliburton’s performance this season? He has been struggling, BIG TIME. It seems not so far ago when plenty of people were choosing him over Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson as the East’s best point guard. While the Pacers are currently sixth in the East, their play has been hugely inconsistent this year.
15. Detroit Pistons (Last Week: 21)
Facing the Pistons is no longer a cakewalk. They managed to eke out a 3-2 record in week 4, which is very impressive when we compare it to where they were last year. It’s not just Cade Cunningham who’s done the heavy lifting, though. Jaden Ivey has thrived in his role at the two spot. And Malik Beasley has slowly become their third option on offense.
14. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week: 16)
Week 4 started out poorly for the Mavs, as they lost three straight close games and failed to execute down the stretch. However, they finished the week off by winning against the Spurs and the Thunder. Kudos to them for holding off OKC even without Luka Doncic, who was a late scratch prior to the game due to an injury.
13. New York Knicks (Last Week: 14)
The Knicks went 3-2 in week four, including back-to-back wins against the struggling Nets. In all honestly, this newly revamped Knicks has been a disappointment so far after a month into the 2024-2025 season. As a result, this NBA team’s rankings have been all over the place.
12. Sacramento Kings (Last Week: 12)
109 total points scored in back-to-back nights for De’Aaron Fox. Only Kobe has scored more points than that in a two-game span. However, Fox’s 60-point outburst still fell short as they lost to the Wolves in overtime. The Kings are heading in the right direction, though, after a relatively slow start in the first couple of weeks this season.
11. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week: 9)
Going 2-2 without their superstar Ja Morant should still be considered a win for this franchise. Other players have stepped up in his absence, such as Scottie Pippen Jr and Jaren Jackson Jr. Should they get Morant back, expect this team to pile up wins in a hurry and aim for the upper echelon in the West’s standings.
10. Denver Nuggets (Last Week: 6)
Without Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets are a lottery-bound team. That statement rang true in week 4, as the three-time league MVP missed a couple of games, both of which resulted in losses. They sure would love him to be back soon, as they will be facing the Mavs, Grizzlies, and Lakers in week 5.
9. Orlando Magic (Last Week: 11)
Winners of five straight games, this young Magic squad is proving to everybody that they are forced to be reckoned with even without their star player, Paolo Banchero. Franz Wagner beautifully picked up the scoring slack and led this team over the hump sans their star. Once Banchero returns, expect this squad to climb into the upper half of the NBA weekly rankings as the season goes on.
8. Phoenix Suns (Last Week: 3)
Week 4 was not a good one for the Durant-less Suns. They now have lost three straight games. To make it much worse, they finished off the week with a heartbreaking defeat in regulation against the Minnesota Timberwolves on a Julius Randle buzzer-beating three-pointer.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week: 7)
The Wolves were tested heavily in week 4, with close wins against the Kings and the Suns. They managed to overcome De’Aaron Fox’s 60 points and Devin Booker’s 44 points in back-to-back games. This was not the same team that surprised us last season, especially with Towns now over to the Knicks. Can’t be certain whether that’s a good or bad thing yet.
6. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week: 9)
Well, hello there, Lakers fans. You had a very fulfilling week, didn’t you? The Lakers have now won five straight games and have shown that their strong start this season under new head coach and ex-NBA player JJ Redick was not a fluke. LeBron James continues to defy Father Time, and we are all thankful for it.
5. Houston Rockets (Last Week: 13)
Haven’t I warned you that the Rockets will be a legit playoff team this season? Well, their latest five-game winning streak can attest to that. What’s more astounding is that their starters are all scoring in double digits. Except for Jalen Green’s shot chucking from time to time, the offense has somehow remained fluid after four weeks of action.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week: 5)
This young OKC squad is starting to feel the absence of prized big man Chet Holmgren, who has remained out for a couple of months due to a fractured hip. As a result, they lacked size in the middle and opted to start 6 foot 5 wing Jalen Williams in the middle instead.
3. Golden State Warriors (Last Week: 4)
Is this 2016? The Warriors are top on the loaded West after four weeks of games. Certainly, they weren’t projected to be near the top of the NBA rankings when the season started, but boy, they are here. Their ball movement has been crisp, and Stephen Curry isn’t even forcing it like he used to. Can they sustain their surprising start, or will they falter soon?
2. Boston Celtics (Last Week: 2)
Did Jayson Tatum travel first before hitting his three-point game-winning buzzer-beater against the Raptors? The NBA thinks so, but there’s nothing they can do about it. The Celtics lead the league in three-point attempts this season, taking more than 50 attempts per game. More than half of their attempts per game are three-point shots. Isn’t that crazy?
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week: 1)
The Cavs are still undefeated to start the season. Even with Donovan Mitchell sitting out, the team continues to win on the court. Nobody on earth predicted that they’d be 15-0, and as a result, they now have a firm grasp on the top of the NBA weekly rankings here on TPS. Some say they are pretenders and not contenders. Well, one thing’s for sure: this Cavs team is no fluke.
Also Read: Ranking All 30 NBA Teams’ Owners From WORST To FIRST For The 2024-25 Season
