I didn’t know this until I started watching Italian soccer football a couple of years ago, but there are professional sports leagues that don’t have playoffs. When the regular season ends, the team with the best record is the champion and is celebrated accordingly. It’s an eye-opening concept for someone raised on American sports, where the regular season is just an entry point to the real thing — a two-month postseason slog that results in a trophy being handed out with legacies cemented and destroyed along the way.
But, for just these next few moments, let’s try to appreciate the NBA regular season. After all, excellence over the course of an 82-game grind is nothing to scoff at, even if the playoffs don’t go as you would have hoped. Let’s start with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who once again earn the No. 1 spot in the Power Rankings as the sun sets on a truly remarkable season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is as fun to behold as any player in the league, and even watching OKC’s defense makes you feel uncomfortable. It’s exciting to witness an up-and-coming team taking such a giant leap, and the Thunder have earned it all season long.
Deserving of similar praise are the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were facing a crossroads just last offseason as to what to do with their core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The answer turned out to be simple: Nothing. Instead they brought in head coach Kenny Atkinson, who helped turn them into an absolute juggernaut en route to the best record in the Eastern Conference. They land right behind the Thunder at No. 2 in the rankings.
It’s also worth noting all of the surprises we’ve seen this season. Predictions are never 100% correct, but we tend to at least have a general idea of how things will turn out. This season seems to have been particularly cruel to the prognosticators, and here are just a few of the Power Rankings positions that we may not have seen coming:
And that, folks, is why they play the games. With the regular season winding to a close, here is the latest set of NBA Power Rankings.
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The NBA’s best team finishes the season at No. 1 in the Power Rankings, and they opened the season with the league’s youngest average age. It’s good to be a Thunder fan right now. But this is where the real work begins, as an all-time regular season will be overshadowed by anything short of a conference finals run. And in the West, even their first-round matchup will be a significant test. | — | 66-14 |
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are your regular-season Eastern Conference champs, and they’re going to land either second or third in net rating after finishing 12th last year. Donovan Mitchell deserves credit for taking a backseat in both the scoring and playmaking department in order to empower Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, who have put up their best NBA seasons. | — | 63-16 |
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After going 12-3 in their last 15 games (including Wednesday’s loss with none of the top six available), the Celtics look ready to defend their title. In addition to the usual suspects, Boston goes a bit deeper this season with an improved Payton Pritchard. They’ll also have what should be a relatively favorable opening-round matchup to get their playoff feet back underneath them. | — | 59-21 |
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From No. 11 last season to No. 2 this year, the Rockets have pulled off a phenomenal glow-up in basically the blink of an eye. After all the talk of their offensive struggles, they ended up basically in the top 10 on that end, coupled with their absolutely elite defense. The attitude and energy are going to make this a fun team to watch during the playoffs. | — | 52-28 |
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The Knicks are going to finish with roughly the same record as last season, but things obviously feel quite different with the addition of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. All that matters to them right now, however, is that Jalen Brunson is back in time for the start of the postseason. He’s averaged 21 points and eight assists in his first two games since returning from a nasty ankle injury. | — | 50-29 |
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On Wednesday, Luka Dončić took out his frustrations on the team that traded him, and the Lakers hope this is the spark that lights a fire that lasts throughout the postseason. They look as dangerous as any non-OKC Western Conference team right now, but even the first round in the West is going to be a dogfight, no matter who ends up there. | 1 | 49-31 |
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As of Thursday morning, the Clippers have the fifth-best net rating in the entire NBA. Simply remarkable for a team that had Paul George leave them in the lurch while Kawhi Leonard’s absence was grimly tagged as “indefinite” prior to the season. The Clippers are 13-2 over their last 15 games with a ridiculous plus-17 net rating, making them a team nobody wants to face in the postseason. | 1 | 48-32 |
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I don’t know how to do a gaping jaw emoji, but … that. Arguably the most shocking head coach firing in NBA history will require significant regrouping prior to the postseason, which starts in *checks notes* six days. Nikola Jokić is capable of pretty much anything on a basketball court, but this is asking a ton of their superstar. | 2 | 48-32 |
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After a rough start, the Pacers have the NBA’s fourth-best record since Dec. 9, landing in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency over that stretch. Tyrese Haliburton has been outstanding, but don’t overlook Pascal Siakam, who leads the team with over 20 points per game while adding seven rebounds and three assists on a career-best 39% 3-point shooting. | 1 | 48-31 |
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Old friend Harrison Barnes hit a dagger that may end up sending Golden State to the Play-In, but that could be a blessing in disguise depending on how they feel about the matchup with Houston compared to another one of the Western Conference powers. No matter where they end up, though, the Jimmy Butler trade has revitalized this organization to the point that it will certainly carry over into next season. | 1 | 47-33 |
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The Wolves are storming into the playoffs, going 14-4 since the calendar turned to March. Their offense has been electric over that stretch, averaging nearly 121 points per 100 possessions, while the defense sits in the top 10. Minnesota will likely finish this season with the fifth-most made 3-pointers in the NBA, up from 15th last year. | 2 | 46-33 |
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Memphis is on a much-needed three-game winning streak as it looks to conclude a tumultuous regular season on a high note. The Grizzlies have gone 12-16 since the trade deadline, and an early playoff exit will raise a lot of questions about the roster — namely the future of Ja Morant. | — | 47-32 |
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The injury to Damian Lillard looked like a death sentence for the Bucks’ title hopes, but lo and behold they’ve won five straight without him (and one without Giannis Antetokounmpo as well). They’ll miss Lillard dearly in the playoffs, and a return hasn’t been ruled out, but it must be refreshing for Milwaukee fans to see the likes of Brook Lopez, Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. stepping up. Oh yeah, and Bobby Portis is back just when the Bucks need him the most. | 1 | 45-34 |
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You really can’t overstate what a tremendous turnaround the Pistons had this season, going from the worst record in the league to a top-six seed. Cade Cunningham gets a lot of (deserved) attention, but the Detroit front office needs to take a bow for the additions of Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr., who have helped diversify what was the NBA’s fourth-worst offense last season. | 1 | 43-36 |
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Southeast Division champs, baby! The Magic will be a tough postseason out, but the tremendous offensive struggles need to be addressed if they’re going to get into the East’s upper echelon next year. Injuries have played a major role, with Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Moe Wagner all missing significant time. | 2 | 40-40 |
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The Kings are officially in the Play-In — it’s just a matter of whether they’ll be No. 9 or No. 10. After what will likely be an early postseason exit, they’ll focus on fully incorporating Zach LaVine into what has the potential to be a dynamic offense next season. | — | 39-41 |
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Watching Luka Dončić eviscerate the Mavs on Wednesday must have been peak depression for Dallas fans, and clinching a Play-In spot is hardly consolation. The Laker game showed how difficult it can be playing through Anthony Davis without the proper pieces around him, and that’s what they’ll have to do with Kyrie Irving expected to miss a decent chunk of next season as well. | 2 | 38-42 |
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The Bulls picked up a huge win on Wednesday to help separate themselves from the Heat and creep up on the Hawks in the Play-In hierarchy, and they’ve actually gotten pretty frisky toward the end of the season. They’re 10-5 in their last 15 games with a top-10 offensive rating during that stretch. Even assuming a relatively rapid postseason exit, Josh Giddey and Coby White have created some serious momentum for themselves heading into next season. | 3 | 37-43 |
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The Hawks lost a key game to the Magic on Tuesday, meaning they’re going to need a whole lot of help to get that No. 7 seed, and there’s still a chance they could end up in ninth or 10th. No matter how the postseason plays out, however, the Hawks have to be incredibly excited about the young core they’ve built over the past couple of seasons. | 1 | 37-42 |
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The Heat’s chances of getting out of the No. 10 seed took a hit when they lost to the Bulls on Wednesday, but any number of scenarios can play out over the final few days of the season. The Jimmy Butler trade threw everything for a loop, so Pat Riley and the front office are going to have to make some major decisions, and possibly some major moves, this offseason if they want to get back to championship-level contention. | — | 36-44 |
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There’s a lot to like about the Blazers’ season, hence the extension for GM Joe Cronin. Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe have thrived with more opportunity, and the young core in Portland is looking very promising. This is a team that should compete for a postseason spot next year. | 1 | 35-45 |
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And with that, the sun sets on Phoenix’s postseason hopes. To call this season disappointing would be perhaps the biggest understatement of the year, and we genuinely may have seen Kevin Durant in a Suns uniform for the last time. What they get for him, and how that affects the rest of the roster, remains to be seen, but it’s hard to imagine a rebuild rapid enough to get them where they hoped they would already be. | 3 | 35-45 |
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With Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle on the floor this season, the Spurs had the equivalent of the sixth-best defensive rating in the NBA. That’s where they’ll start next year, assuming a full and healthy recovery for Wembanyama. There’s a very good chance that the Spurs will have each of the previous two Rookies of the Year on the roster entering next season. | — | 33-47 |
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Barring any changes this summer, Toronto will head into next season with a core four of Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett — you could do a lot worse. Despite their tanking ways, the Raptors still finished in the middle of the pack defensively, so Darko Rajakovic could be creating a bit of an identity on that end that will undoubtedly help moving forward. | — | 30-50 |
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Unlike many of this year’s tanking teams, it’s hard to pinpoint a key core moving forward for the Nets. That being said, they’ve competed on both sides all season long and won a lot of games they probably shouldn’t have. The priority will be finding some offense, as they landed in the bottom five this season with their best scorers in and out of the lineup. | — | 26-53 |
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Deep breath, Sixers fans. It’s almost over. To be fair, it’s been over for months, but the prospect of healthy Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, plus (fingers crossed!) a top-six pick heading into next season has to at least provide some solace. | — | 24-56 |
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The Pelicans won’t land in the bottom three, but there’s a high likelihood of adding a quality prospect in this summer’s draft, or dealing the pick for a legitimate haul. The problem is that New Orleans has a roster full of quality talent that just hasn’t been able to fully put it together. Dramatic changes this offseason wouldn’t be a total shock. | — | 21-58 |
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The season was clearly a wash, and you can’t really blame it on LaMelo Ball’s injury issues since the Hornets were 16-31 when he played. The team had a positive net rating with Ball and Brandon Miller on the floor, though, so at least that’s something to take into next year. | — | 19-61 |
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The Jazz are in a heated race with the Wizards for the worst record in the league, which was clearly by design. We’ll see which young prospect Utah ends up with and whether he, by some miracle, inspires the franchise to finally start trying to win games again. | 1 | 17-63 |
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Do the Wizards have one of the five worst net ratings of all time? Yes … yes they do. But do they also have several young players (Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, a resurgent Jordan Poole) who can genuinely generate some excitement for the future? Unquestionably. | 1 | 17-63 |
