NBA Insiders Dec 18, 2024, 08:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The second inaugural NBA Cup has concluded, with the Milwaukee Bucks crowned as tournament champions Tuesday night after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder. The regular season, however, continues to roll on as teams and players will look to turn things around in the new […]
The second inaugural NBA Cup has concluded, with the Milwaukee Bucks crowned as tournament champions Tuesday night after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The regular season, however, continues to roll on as teams and players will look to turn things around in the new year.
In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics seem as untouchable as they were expected to be entering this season. While the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers have tumbled down the standings to start the season, they hope 2025 will ring in more wins.
The wild West has definitely lived up to its name with four teams — Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers — all six games back of the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
Here is where all 30 teams stack up in this week’s power rankings.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Michael Wright, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Ohm Youngmisuk, Chris Herring and Kevin Pelton) think teams belong this season.
Previous rankings: Preseason | Oct. 30 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 13 | Nov. 20 | Nov. 27 | Dec. 4 | Dec. 11
The Memphis Grizzlies are second in the West behind the play of guard Ja Morant, who is averaging 22 points for the club. ESPNJump to a team:ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS
There was a brief injury scare for Boston when Kristaps Porzingis left Sunday’s win over the Wizards with a heel injury, but Porzingis downplayed its severity postgame. Injuries are just about the only thing that could derail Boston, as the Celtics are casually on pace to win 65 games and remain a favorite to become the first defending champion to repeat since 2018. — Tim Bontemps
Could we be seeing the start of Evan Mobley‘s ascent as a scorer? The fourth-year big man has been Cleveland’s leading scorer in three of their past five wins, including a career-high 41 points on 16-for-23 shooting (6-for-8 from 3) against Charlotte. The former No. 3 pick is averaging 18.6 points and shooting 55.6% from 3 in his first five games of December as the Cavs continue on pace to become the third team in league history to win 70 games. — Dave McMenamin
Entering the NBA Cup title game Tuesday, Oklahoma City was 17-2 when at least one of the Thunder’s 7-footers was available for the entire game. That includes a 9-1 record since free agent addition Isaiah Hartenstein (12.5 PPG, 12.3 RPG) made his Thunder debut after recovering from a broken hand. “He’s been amazing,” OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Obviously, we lacked a little bit of physicality in the past as a group, and he’s been able to plug that hole immediately.” — Tim MacMahon
The Grizzlies won 10 of their past 12 games, but after Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, star guard Ja Morant pointed out some of the team’s weaknesses. Memphis ranks second in the NBA in pace but Morant mentioned teams often slow the team down and score off of Grizzlies fouls and struggle on the offensive glass. Memphis wants to keep playing fast but the Grizzlies rank 28th in opponent free throw attempts (25.9 per game) and 27th in opponent second-chance scoring (15.1 points per game). — Michael Wright
Houston recently hit a rough spot, losing three of its past five contests. But the Rockets continue to perform in clutch situations, winning four of their past five games that were within five points in the last five minutes of play. Cold shooting continues to hold Houston back. The Rockets rank 28th in field goal (43.7) and 3-point percentage (32.2), and the club sits in the lower third of the league in paint field goal and midrange field goal percentage. Houston could get momentum back as it plays its next four games against three teams that own a combined record of 19-61. — Wright
Power forward P.J. Washington has established himself as one of the West’s most essential role players. The Mavs are 1-5 in games Washington has missed this season, including the NBA Cup knockout round loss in Oklahoma City. That’s one of only two losses for the Mavs in the month since Washington returned from a sprained knee. He has averaged 14.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals while typically taking the toughest defensive assignment to start games during that stretch. — MacMahon
The Bucks had a dominant showing in their win against the Thunder on Tuesday night, claiming the 2024 NBA Cup crown. After starting the season 2-8, the Bucks still have the best record in the NBA since Nov. 12, going 12-3 in their past 15 games. They rank eighth in defensive efficiency during that span while Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have emerged as the highest scoring tandem in the NBA, averaging a combined 58.4 points. — Jamal Collier
Mikal Bridges, who had a slow start to the season, has been highly effective on the offensive end in December. He’s averaging 21.1 points — up from 14.7 points in November — and has a sterling 66.5% effective field goal rate over the course of the month, the NBA’s best among players who’ve attempted at least 75 shots. It’s a highly welcomed sign for the Knicks, whose new-look offense had already been among the NBA’s most efficient before Bridges’ increased success, but looks primed to take off even more. — Chris Herring
Losing Franz Wagner to the same oblique tear that put Paolo Banchero on the sidelines has tested the limits of the Magic’s successful depth and defense. Orlando has lost three of the past four, including the game where Wagner was injured late, and Banchero has yet to return to practice. With both leading scorers out, the Magic is relying heavily on guard Jalen Suggs, who scored a career-high 32 points in Orlando’s NBA Cup loss at Milwaukee. He shot 4-of-19 in a home loss to the Knicks on Sunday. — Kevin Pelton
10. Denver Nuggets
Denver has run hot and cold since mid-November. And Monday was no exception, as the Nuggets blew a 23-point lead and went down 10 in the fourth quarter before pulling out a nail-biting win over the Kings. A good sign for Denver (winners of three straight) was that Jamal Murray came to life and looked like his old clutch self in crunch time, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter, including a 16-foot go-ahead bucket. — Ohm Youngmisuk
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The Warriors’ slump continued as Luka Doncic and the hot Mavericks handed coach Steve Kerr’s team its eighth loss in 10 games. But Dennis Schroder joined the team this week to give Kerr a much-needed ball handler to help Stephen Curry organize the offense, hit perimeter shots, defend and help run the second team. Kerr says the Warriors will adapt to Schroder and utilize his pick-and-roll strengths. For a team that has been searching for the right combinations and rotations, the Warriors will have to incorporate Schroder off two practices before playing at Memphis and Minnesota this week. –Youngmisuk
Since Anthony Edwards called out the team following a loss Nov. 27, the Wolves have won six of seven games to get themselves back into the playoff picture. They are currently tied with the Suns for the No. 6 seed and final playoff spot entering what could be an emotional game Thursday. Minnesota will host the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns, his first game against the Wolves following a shocking trade before training camp. — Collier
13. Phoenix Suns
Kevin Durant returned from a three-game absence with a left ankle sprain and led the Suns to two straight wins, averaging 25 points and 7.5 assists. Phoenix hosts Indiana and Detroit this week before a home-and-home series with Denver on Dec. 23 and Christmas Day — a good litmus test for both teams just a half-game apart from one other in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. — McMenamin
14. Miami Heat
While plenty of noise continues to surround Jimmy Butler and his future in Miami, Tyler Herro continues to play like someone making a case for his first All-Star appearance. He’s averaging 24.1 points and shooting 41.3% from 3 on over 10 attempts per game, joining Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry as the only players to be averaging double-digit attempts while shooting over 40% from deep. — Bontemps
15. LA Clippers
The Clippers halted a three-game slide by obliterating the Jazz at Intuit Dome on Monday. More important than the wins and losses, however, is the much-needed break in the schedule and the extra practice time to get Kawhi Leonard closer to a potential return from his right knee inflammation. Ty Lue told reporters Monday that he wasn’t sure yet if Leonard will travel with the Clippers to Dallas, where they play two games this week. Even if Leonard doesn’t travel, it’s another sign of progress that he wasn’t immediately ruled out. –Youngmisuk
16. Atlanta Hawks
Although Atlanta came up short in the NBA Cup semifinals against the Bucks, the Hawks built confidence through the high-stakes experience with a handful of players 25 or younger on their roster. They feel they’re building an identity as a long, disruptive club that can beat teams by creating extra possessions. Hawks coach Quin Snyder’s club, which ranks fifth in offensive rebound percentage, logged 22 offensive boards, including four on one particularly backbreaking possession in a come-from-behind win at Madison Square Garden to beat the Knicks and advance to Las Vegas. “That’s where you take a team’s soul,” Hawks center Clint Capela said of the extra chances. — Herring
LeBron James‘ return to the court Sunday coincided with JJ Redick trotting out a new starting lineup, with Max Christie joining James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. The hope is for Christie to become a quintessential 3-and-D wing with that group, and his first showing was a success: He helped limit Ja Morant to 6-for-21 shooting and 7 turnovers in a win over Memphis and went 1-for-2 from the outside. — McMenamin
18. Sacramento Kings
The Kings’ three-game winning streak ended in frustrating fashion Monday, when they led by 10 with four minutes remaining but saw the Nuggets score on each of their final nine possessions to come back and win a 130-129 thriller. In a conference where just 2.5 games separate Denver in fifth from Sacramento in 12th place — 1.5 games out of the play-in tournament if the season ended today — those kinds of outcomes could loom large in the final standings. — Pelton
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Nobody expected the young Spurs to be .500 at this point. But San Antonio needs to pull itself out of this current funk as the Spurs have lost four of their past six. Injuries have led to inconsistent lineups on a night-to-night basis. But the one constant has been San Antonio’s penchant for slow starts. The Spurs average 25.9 points in the opening quarter this season, good for 24th in the NBA. San Antonio has trailed after the first quarter in 17 games, and surprisingly won eight of those outings. — Wright
20. Indiana Pacers
Indiana has won back-to-back games and three of its past four, which the Pacers hope is a sign of things to come as they look to turn around their season. The upcoming schedule will provide a stiff test if the Pacers want a shot at making up ground in the East standings: Their next nine games are against opponents who are currently at or above .500. — Collier
21. Chicago Bulls
Guard Josh Giddey was having one of his best games — 11 points, eight assists and nine rebounds — before he had to be helped to the locker room Monday night after turning his ankle in the third quarter. Chicago is hoping to get good news on Giddey as it prepares for a tough schedule over the next week: a home-and-home with Boston and then hosting Milwaukee. — Collier
22. Detroit Pistons
After a three-game losing streak dropped the Pistons to a season-low six games below .500, they responded with their best win of the season, taking down the Knicks behind a 29-point, 15-assist triple-double from Cade Cunningham. On Monday, Detroit beat Miami in overtime for the second time this season, bouncing back both times after a late Heat run in regulation. At 11-16, the Pistons are holding the last play-in spot in the East and simulations using ESPN’s Basketball Power Index show them reaching the postseason 33% of the time. –Pelton
23. Brooklyn Nets
One question that comes up frequently in league circles is: “How many wins can the Nets afford to pile up this season?” After being pegged in the preseason to finish with one of the league’s worst marks — something that will increase their changes at drafting ESPN’s No. 1 prospect Cooper Flagg — Brooklyn got out to a surprising 9-10 start under new coach Jordi Fernandez, one that might have been too competitive to stay in the hunt for a top pick. All of which helps explain the team trading starting guard Dennis Schroder to Golden State. The Nets’ front office knows the team needs to develop. But it also knows that winning at too fast a clip will hinder the team’s long-term development. — Herring
An already brutal season in Philadelphia got worse over the weekend. Joel Embiid suffered his third facial fracture of his career and one of the team’s rare bright spots this year, Jared McCain, is out indefinitely after suffering a meniscus tear that will require surgery. Embiid’s status for Philadelphia’s Christmas Day game is unknown for a second straight season. — Bontemps
The Blazers missed an opportunity to snap their losing streak Friday, hosting a San Antonio team without guards Stephon Castle, Tre Jones and that lost Chris Paul when he was ejected in the first quarter. Up as many as 17 in the fourth quarter, Portland allowed the Spurs to rally and win on Victor Wembanyama‘s two free throws in the final seconds. The Blazers have been competitive lately, only losing their past three games by a combined 18 points. — Pelton
The injury-prone Hornets got an early Christmas gift Monday by finally being able to see their starting five — LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Josh Green, Miles Bridges and Mark Williams — play together for the first time. The outing was mixed, with Charlotte losing to Philadelphia and Miller exiting early with an ankle sprain. But merely having those players work together was a massive step forward for first-year coach Charles Lee and the organization to take stock of the club. — Herring
27. Toronto Raptors
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Toronto is playing without long-term building blocks Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley and continue to lose as a result. There’s a long way to go this season, but as of now the Raptors sit in fourth in the race to the bottom of the standings, giving them a very real chance of getting a top pick in what is a star-studded 2025 NBA draft. — Bontemps
28. Utah Jazz
After allowing at least 130 points in three consecutive non-overtime games for the first time in franchise history, Utah is on pace to have statistically the worst defense in NBA history. The Jazz are allowing 120.7 points per 100 possessions, which ranks last in the league by a margin of two points. The most points per 100 possessions ever allowed by a team in a full season: 119.6, an unfortunate record shared by last season’s Jazz and the 2022-23 Spurs. — MacMahon
New Orleans has lost 13 of its past 14 largely due to injuries. Six players sat out Sunday’s loss at Indiana. Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones returned Dec. 5, but the former suffered a sprained ankle in just his second game back and has been out the past three contests. Four of the top six players remain healthy, but that group has been ineffective on the floor in limited minutes together. After a matchup Thursday at Houston, the Pels tip off what might become a brutal five-game homestand against four opponents with a combined .625 winning percentage. — Wright
Since snapping a 16-game losing slide against Denver, the Wizards have dropped three straight. Thursday’s game against the 7-19 Hornets is a good shot for Washington to grab a fourth win. Washington plays Charlotte twice at home in the next four games with road contests at Milwaukee and Oklahoma City sandwiched in between. One Wizard making the most of his opportunity of late is fifth-year forward Justin Champagnie, who is averaging 16.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.2 blocks in his past four games. — Youngmisuk
