NBA Power Rankings: Biggest lessons learned so far from all 30 teams

On Dec 3, 2024

Nov 27, 2024, 08:00 AM ET

We’re a little over a month into the 2024-25 NBA season and we’re already past the halfway point of the NBA Cup group phase with teams facing knockout round clinching scenarios this week.

Some teams are dominating in group play, while others are focusing on the long-term goals of the regular season. Either way, every game counts when it comes to our weekly rankings.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are separating themselves from the rest of the Eastern Conference, riding one of the best starts in franchise history with their only loss coming at the hands of their biggest rival, the Boston Celtics.

Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors appear to be in championship form again and are chasing the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are currently leading a stacked Western Conference.

This week, we asked our NBA insiders to pick one lesson learned from every team this season. What has, and hasn’t, worked out for teams in the first month? How are injuries impacting opportunities? Which teams are falling into rebuild mode already?

Here are the updated rankings for all 30 teams.

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

Jump 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

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

2024-25 record: 17-1
Previous ranking: 1
Next games: vs. ATL (Nov. 27), @ ATL (Nov. 29), vs. BOS (Dec. 1), vs. WAS (Dec. 3)

The time for Cleveland is now. With only two players in the rotation aged 30 or older (Caris LeVert and Georges Niang), the franchise incorporating a new coach in Kenny Atkinson and the group coming off two straight playoff appearances, it would have been understandable if Cleveland treated the season like another building block. Instead, a 15-0 start has Donovan Mitchell’s preseason declaration to Andscape’s Marc Spears sounding prescient: “We’re championship contenders when we’re healthy.” — Dave McMenamin

2. Boston Celtics

Their 3-point shooting remains unstoppable. Since the start of last season, when the defending champions shoot over 40% from 3-point range — including Monday’s rout of the Clippers — Boston is a staggering 44-1. But perhaps the more impressive stat is that when Boston shoots under 35% the Celtics are 20-14. With Kristaps Porzingis healthy and back in the fold, Boston’s top eight rotation players are all plus 3-point shooters who can also hold their own on defense. No other team in the league can match that two-way versatility. — Tim Bontemps

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

2024-25 record: 13-4
Previous ranking: 4
Next games: @ GS (Nov. 27), @ LAL (Nov. 29), @ HOU (Dec. 1), vs. UTAH (Dec. 3)

Size still matters in the NBA. The Thunder learned this lesson even while en route to the West’s No. 1 seed and the second round of the playoffs last season, which is why Oklahoma City made recruiting 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein the top offseason priority. But OKC still had to endure a stretch when Chet Holmgren suffered a serious injury and Hartenstein was still recovering from a broken hand, going 3-3 over the span which started the night Holmgren was hurt. Hartenstein instantly showed his value in his Thunder debut last Wednesday, recording 13 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks in 29 minutes during a win over Portland. — Tim MacMahon

4. Golden State Warriors

No lead is safe. As good as the Warriors have been, they let two wins slip away to the Spurs and Nets in stinging fashion. They blew a 17-point lead in San Antonio in the final 13:55 and looked tired on the second night of a back-to-back. And then they squandered a 19-point lead in the final 19:13 to the Nets. The Warriors lost consecutive games despite leading by 15 or more in each for the first time since April 2000. Making those losses even more painful is the fact that the Warriors’ upcoming schedule is extremely difficult. Their next eight games are against Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Denver, Houston, Minnesota and Memphis. — Ohm Youngmisuk

5. Houston Rockets

Intense execution of simplistic schemes wins. It was only a matter of time until Houston started to exhibit the grit and toughness that defined coach Ime Udoka’s playing career. It shows mostly on defense, where Udoka demands his players win their individual matchups. The Rockets rank No. 2 in defensive efficiency behind the Thunder. Credit veterans Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet for establishing Houston’s defense-first mentality that’s been adopted by younger players such as Tari Eason, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. as the Rockets continue to strive in a scheme dedicated to taking away the 3-pointer. — Michael Wright

6. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets have to rediscover the hunger they had during their title run. While Denver has the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets aren’t playing like they have a finite window to contend. The Nuggets already got a dose of life without Jokic when he was away from the team for three games, two of which were losses to a depleted New Orleans squad and Memphis. If a 145-118 beatdown at the hands of the Knicks on Monday at home doesn’t wake Denver up, a livid Michael Malone probably will. “I need Nikola Jokic,” Malone said when asked about needing more vocal leadership outside of Russell Westbrook. “I need Jamal Murray. I need guys who have been here, in that starting lineup, to be vocal. ” –Youngmisuk

7. Los Angeles Lakers

2024-25 record: 10-7
Previous ranking: 7
Next games: @ SA (Nov. 27), vs. OKC (Nov. 29), @ UTAH (Dec. 1), @ MIN (Dec. 2)

The same problems persist for Los Angeles. After the Lakers were humiliated by the Nuggets in the second half Saturday — losing for the 13th time in 14 games against the team that eliminated them from the postseason the past two seasons — Anthony Davis said L.A.’s flaws are common knowledge around the league. “The scouting report on us,” Davis said, “run when we miss, run in transition and offensive rebound, crash the glass.” L.A. is last in the NBA, allowing 19.3 fast-break points per game and second to last in offensive boards allowed (13.3). But hey, at least they are aware of what to focus on. — McMenamin

8. Memphis Grizzlies

2024-25 record: 11-7
Previous ranking: 11
Next games: @ DET (Nov. 27), vs. NO (Nov. 29), vs. IND (Dec. 1), @ DAL (Dec. 3)

Injuries open opportunities. What a weekend for Scotty Pippen Jr., who dropped a career-best 30 points at his Hall of Fame father’s old stomping grounds, shooting a sizzling 13-of-16 with 10 assists against the Bulls. The performance showed just how dangerous Memphis will likely be once it gets back to full health. Ja Morant returned Monday, and interestingly, the Grizzlies had been a little more efficient offensively in the games the two-time All-Star had missed than the ones he played. Morant will look to ease back into a rhythm as the next three games on the current four-game homestand come against teams with records below .500. — Wright

9. Orlando Magic

2024-25 record: 12-7
Previous ranking: 9
Next games: vs. CHI (Nov. 27), @ BKN (Nov. 29), @ BKN (Dec. 1), @ NYK (Dec. 3)

Franz Wagner can handle a go-to role. When Paolo Banchero suffered an oblique strain at the end of October, it was unclear how the Magic would replace his shot creation. Banchero had a team-high 30% usage rate last season and was up to 32% of the team’s plays through Orlando’s first five games. Wagner has helped fill in the gap by pushing his usage rate from 26% in a secondary role in 2023-24 to 31.5% since Banchero’s injury with little decline in his efficiency. Even when Banchero returns, coach Jamahl Mosley may want Wagner to share lead playmaking duties with him. — Kevin Pelton

10. New York Knicks

2024-25 record: 10-7
Previous ranking: 13
Next games: @ DAL (Nov. 27), @ CHA (Nov. 29), vs. NO (Dec. 1), vs. ORL (Dec. 3)

Extend a thin rotation with rookies. New York, still awaiting season debuts from big men Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa, is a relatively thin, precarious group at the moment with backup guard Deuce McBride having missed five games due to illness and a left knee injury. Coach Tom Thibodeau has had solid health with his starting five, leaning on each member of that group to the tune of 35 minutes per night or more over the past two weeks. With someone like the trusted McBride out, Thibodeau has turned to rookies like Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet — something he has rarely done in past years — just to have an eighth or ninth player on a nightly basis this early in the campaign. — Chris Herring

11. Dallas Mavericks

2024-25 record: 10-8
Previous ranking: 12
Next games: vs. NYK (Nov. 27), @ UTAH (Nov. 30), @ POR (Dec. 1), vs. MEM (Dec. 3)

Clutch statistics tend to have a wide variance. For the second straight season, the Mavs have served as an extreme example of this. It was a great development last season, when Dallas was a dominant closing team, ranking second in the league in clutch winning percentage (23-9, .719) and first in clutch offensive rating (127.1). That was in stark contrast to the Mavs’ clutch struggles in 2022-23 following the trade for Kyrie Irving, when Dallas lost 15 of 21 clutch games while limping into the lottery. The Mavs have reverted to that form early this season with a 3-7 clutch record. Dallas is 5-of-15 from the floor in the final minute with a one-possession margin. In contrast, the Mavs shot a league-best 55.2% in those situations last season. — MacMahon

12. LA Clippers

2024-25 record: 11-8
Previous ranking: 15
Next games: @ WAS (Nov. 27), @ MIN (Nov. 29), vs. DEN (Dec. 1), vs. POR (Dec. 3)

Jeff Van Gundy’s defense is life. Despite a blowout loss in Boston, the Clippers are off to a much better start than expected largely due to their defense. When Jeff Van Gundy’s defense is at its best, the Clippers are a problem. During their recent five-game winning streak, they held Golden State, Orlando, Sacramento and Philadelphia each under 100 points. They’ve beaten the Warriors twice, won at Denver and are sixth in the West. Not to mention they’re doing this without Kawhi Leonard. Until Leonard can return, the Clippers’ recipe for success is their scrappy and stingy defense. — Youngmisuk

13. Phoenix Suns

Kevin Durant is still at the top of his game. With Durant in the lineup this season, the Suns are 9-1. Without him, heading into Tuesday against the Lakers, they were 1-6. Coming off a gold medal summer with Team USA, the 36-year-old scorer’s game has continued to shine, putting up MVP numbers (27.6 points on 55%/43%/84% splits with 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists) more than a decade after he last won the award with the Thunder. — McMenamin

14. Minnesota Timberwolves

Chemistry takes time. Although the Wolves insisted their roster shake-up on the eve of training camp — exchanging Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo — would add strength and depth, it has been clear this season that the team will take time to adjust to its new makeup. Randle has had some bright individual performances, but the Wolves have not brought the same intensity on defense they were known for last season. There’s plenty of time to capture it, but the Wolves’ growing pains out of the gate are apparent. — Jamal Collier

15. San Antonio Spurs

Following the vets is the way to go. Last season, San Antonio didn’t tally its first three-game winning streak until late March. The Spurs are currently riding a four-game run after defeating the Jazz on Tuesday. Credit veterans Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes for teaching the young Spurs consistent execution when the stakes are highest. San Antonio is a top-10 team in clutch time in terms of win percentage (57.1%) after finishing last season 13-28 in clutch games. Victor Wembanyama is back after a three-game absence while Devin Vassell appears closer to a return. — Wright

16. Milwaukee Bucks

Don’t overreact. After a disastrous start to the season, the Bucks have started to right the ship a bit. They’ve won six of their past seven games entering Tuesday to climb back into the No. 6 slot in the Eastern Conference, right back in the mix for a playoff spot despite a 2-8 start. Since the beginning of November, the Bucks rank in the top 10 in defensive efficiency, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing like an MVP averaging a career-high 32.4 points while shooting 61% from the field. Their win streak came during a soft spot in the schedule, so let’s see if they can do it against tougher competition before declaring them all the way back. — Collier

17. Miami Heat

2024-25 record: 7-8
Previous ranking: 18
Next games: @ CHA (Nov. 27), vs. TOR (Nov. 29), @ TOR (Dec. 1), @ BOS (Dec. 2)

The starting lineup needs to change. Miami entered this season wanting to see what the group of Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo looked like. The result? That group, across eight games this season entering Tuesday night’s action, has been outscored by 10.6 points per 100 possessions. As a result, Rozier came off the bench after returning from injury Tuesday against Milwaukee and Butler remains in a more ball-dominant role — a likely trend moving forward. — Bontemps

18. Sacramento Kings

2024-25 record: 8-10
Previous ranking: 14
Next games: @ MIN (Nov. 27), @ POR (Nov. 29), vs. SA (Dec. 1), vs. HOU (Dec. 3)

It’s tough to build an elite offense without 3-pointers. Having added midrange maestro DeMar DeRozan to the duo of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, the Kings have dominated inside the arc. Only the Cavaliers have shot better on 2-point attempts than Sacramento’s 58%. Yet the Kings rank just 12th in effective field goal percentage because they’re near the bottom of the NBA in 3-point attempts (24th) and percentage (26th). Sacramento can hope for better shooting by slumping Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk and Keegan Murray, all below 30% from 3. Without it, the Kings may not have enough scoring efficiency to threaten for a top-six spot. — Pelton

19. Detroit Pistons

2024-25 record: 8-11
Previous ranking: 19
Next games: @ MEM (Nov. 27), @ IND (Nov. 29), vs. PHI (Nov. 30), vs. MIL (Dec. 3)

Defense is the easiest way to improve. Much of the focus on the Pistons has been on the shooting they added with veteran newcomers Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Tobias Harris. Although Detroit’s offensive rating has improved from 27th to 21st, the bigger gains have been on defense — not exactly the strong suit of the additions. Much like Ime Udoka with last season’s Rockets, new Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff has brought a defensive culture that has helped the Pistons jump from 25th in defensive rating to 12th, putting Detroit in contention for a play-in spot. — Pelton

20. Indiana Pacers

2024-25 record: 8-10
Previous ranking: 16
Next games: vs. POR (Nov. 27), vs. DET (Nov. 29), @ MEM (Dec. 1), @ TOR (Dec. 3)

Every season is different. The Pacers blitzed the league at the start of last season with a high-engine offense and an All-Star point guard capable of driving the teams toward wins. But despite a run to the Eastern Conference finals last season, nothing has come as easy for Indiana this season. Their offense has fallen from near the top of the league last season to 18th so far this year. Tyrese Haliburton has struggled and injuries have decimated Indiana’s depth. It’s a completely different start compared to how fast the Pacers began last year. — Collier

21. Brooklyn Nets

2024-25 record: 8-10
Previous ranking: 24
Next games: @ PHX (Nov. 27), vs. ORL (Nov. 29), vs. ORL (Dec. 1), @ CHI (Den. 2)

Ben Simmons is regressing. Following a loose-ball situation, Simmons found himself all alone — wide-open — under the basket Friday with an opportunity to either dunk or drop in an easy layup. But upon catching the pass from Jalen Wilson, Simmons rushed the attempt, failing to even hit the rim. The play happened in Philly, of all places, where Simmons had a similar split-second flub as a Sixer during a 2021 playoff game. It was a reminder of a hard truth: Even as Simmons leads the Nets with 6.6 assists per game, his apparent confidence issues have made him a shell of his former franchise player self-due to his reluctance to shoot. In an all-important contract year, Simmons is averaging just 4.8 shots, which qualifies as a career low for the 28-year-old, regardless of whether you count those attempts on a per-game, per-minute or per-100 possession basis. — Herring

22. Atlanta Hawks

2024-25 record: 7-11
Previous ranking: 20
Next games: @ CLE (Nov. 27), vs. CLE (Nov. 29), @ CHA (Nov. 30), vs. NO (Dec. 2)

Turnovers can cancel out improvements. Atlanta has improved on the defensive end this season — 22nd in efficiency, up from 27th last season. But what’s continued to hold back the Hawks defensively is their turnovers, and how efficiently opponents score off of them. Atlanta, which coughs the ball up at an above-average clip, is surrendering 1.42 points per possession following their live-ball turnovers, per Inpredictable, the NBA’s second-worst rate. The problem was on full display last Wednesday, when the Hawks lost after conceding 22 points to Golden State following turnovers. — Herring

23. Chicago Bulls

It’s better to be early than late with your rebuild. The first few weeks of the Bulls season has outlined how this team should navigate the ups and downs of this rebuild. They are still trying to find the right role for guard Josh Giddey, one of the key building blocks in their revamp — they are currently being outscored with him on the court. Defensively, they are challenged when slowing any team down. Offensively, the Bulls are still relying on veterans Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine, both of whom are having bounce-back seasons, but want to get more from their young core. The Bulls rebuild may have come a little too late and has left them with a middling season to try and make sense of. — Collier

24. Charlotte Hornets

2024-25 record: 6-11
Previous ranking: 22
Next games: vs. MIA (Nov. 27), vs. NYK (Nov. 29), vs. ATL (Nov. 30), vs. PHI (Dec. 3)

Frontcourt depth will now be crucial. Between the injuries to big men Mark Williams and Nick Richards — and most recently to forward Grant Williams, who this past weekend was lost for the season to a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee — the Hornets have learned that they’re either going to tap into their depth, or find some to stay afloat. Taj Gibson, 39, has been a part of the rotation in recent weeks, and now coach Charles Lee will have to figure out who takes the spot of Williams, a versatile forward who was limiting opposing players to just a 29.2% field goal percentage on isolation plays, the third-best mark in the NBA among stoppers who had faced 20 or more isos so far. — Herring

25. Portland Trail Blazers

2024-25 record: 7-11
Previous ranking: 23
Next games: @ IND (Nov. 27), vs. SAC (Nov. 29), vs. DAL (Dec. 1), @ LAC (Dec. 3)

Don’t overreact to recent results. Blazers fans can’t be blamed for feeling whiplash during the month of November. Portland has alternated highs and lows, seemingly at random. Blazers coach Chauncey Billups called out his team’s effort after a 45-point home loss to Memphis and Portland responded with a season-high three-game winning streak. Those good vibes dissipated with a 28-point loss at Houston on Friday, which the Blazers followed by beating the Rockets on the back end of a back-to-back. They couldn’t carry that over in a 25-point loss at Memphis on Monday. Portland’s five losses by 25 or more currently lead the NBA. — Pelton

26. New Orleans Pelicans

2024-25 record: 4-14
Previous ranking: 27
Next games: vs. TOR (Nov. 27), @ MEM (Nov. 29), @ NYK (Dec. 1), @ ATL (Dec. 2)

The 2024-25 season might already be over. Injuries tell the tale and the latest news on star Zion Williamson isn’t promising with ESPN’s Shams Charania reporting he’s not close to a return. The team received positive news recently about a pending return for Dejounte Murray, while Brandon Ingram and Trey Murphy III have recently come back. Still, Williamson, Jose Alvarado (hamstring) and Herb Jones (shoulder) remain out due to injuries. Once everybody is healthy again, New Orleans will have a tough time fighting its way back into contention in a stacked West given how much ground it has lost already. Maybe it’s time to rethink the long-term plan for Williamson. — Wright

27. Philadelphia 76ers

Age and injury concerns were valid. The 76ers entered the season with questions surrounding their ability to make it through the season healthy. Then, they proceeded to not even get to the regular season healthy. Now, more than a month in, Philadelphia has played a grand total of six minutes with its big three of Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Joel Embiid on the court together — and, not surprisingly, sit at the bottom of the NBA standings, with no sign of things improving anytime soon. — Bontemps

28. Toronto Raptors

2024-25 record: 4-14
Previous ranking: 29
Next games: @ NO (Nov. 27), @ MIA (Nov. 29), vs. MIA (Dec. 1), vs. IND (Dec. 3)

The youth movement is fully underway. The Raptors currently have five players averaging more than 30 minutes per game, with only one of them — Jakob Poeltl — north of 25 years old. The roster has fully been flipped from the 2019 title-winning squad and has instead been turned over to Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett. As a result, Toronto is not competing for a playoff spot, but for ping-pong balls in the lottery — and the chance to add another young difference-maker. — Bontemps

29. Utah Jazz

2024-25 record: 4-13
Previous ranking: 28
Next games: vs. DEN (Nov. 27), vs. DAL (Nov. 30), vs. LAL (Dec. 1), @ OKC (Dec. 3)

The early stages of a full rebuild are here. Unlike the past two seasons, when they were competitive until unloading veterans at the trade deadline, coach Will Hardy will have to deliver a lot of lessons this season. One is that minutes must be earned, even for a franchise likely (and hopefully) headed for a high lottery pick. Rookie Cody Williams, the No. 10 pick, has struggled with this — he returned to the bench after seven games as a starter and has played single-digit minutes in two of the past three games. — MacMahon

30. Washington Wizards

It’s going to be another long season. Everyone knew this would be a rebuilding season in D.C. But when the Wizards beat the Hawks in consecutive games and were 2-2 to start the season, Washington looked like it could at least be competitive. Washington has lost 12 straight following those Atlanta wins, 11 of the losses coming by 10 or more points. At least building blocks like Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr show flashes of improvement and continue to get plenty of minutes and experience. — Youngmisuk

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