NBA Power Rankings: Knicks, Timberwolves on the rise as the ball drops on 2024

There is something appropriate about a New Year’s Eve Power Rankings. Day 366, no less.

The last day of the year always makes me feel like I made it or something. No matter what kind of year you had — if you are reading this, then thank you. I hope you feel like I do: Take the best, and leave the rest in 2024.

Along similar lines, the end of a year in the NBA allows for an opportunity to break out the time capsule. This week’s Power Rankings will feature the items that will go into the 2024 time capsule from each team.

A reminder: These Power Rankings won’t just rank every team. We will retain the tiers that teams will be promoted into and relegated out of. There will be five tiers every week:

• Top Contenders – Locked at five, these are the class of the league
• In a Good Place – Could be one team, could be seven teams
• The Bubble – Not to be confused with Walt Disney World. The middle of the pack
• Not the Tier to Fear – Not playing the worst ball in the league, but with a lot of work to do
• Basement Floor – Bringing up the rear

Let’s dive into Week 10 of The Athletic’s NBA Power Rankings. Win/loss records and statistics are through Monday’s games.

Tier 1: Top Contenders

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (28-4)

Last ranking: 1
In the last week: W at DEN, W at GS
Offensive rating: 121.2 (first)
Defensive rating: 109.7 (seventh)

Time Capsule: A screenshot from the 15-0 start

This basketball team changed head coaches, paid nearly all of its starters and has seven times as many wins than losses entering the final day of 2024. The Cavaliers are now one of only 14 teams that have won at least 28 of their first 32 games. Eight of the previous 13 teams went on to win the NBA championship.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (26-5)

Last ranking: 2
In the last week: W at IND, W at CHA, W vs. MEM
Offensive rating: 114.9 (seventh)
Defensive rating: 102.9 (first)

Time Capsule: What a Pro Wants

We mention this 2024 commercial in hopes that it stays in 2024. Better yet, it should have never left 1999 — no disrespect to Christina Aguilera. We do look forward to Chet Holmgren getting healthy and rejoining what is a powerful Thunder team led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In the meantime, the Thunder are riding the NBA’s best defense and comfortably running away with the Western Conference while maintaining contact with Cleveland to ensure neither team gets too comfortable.

The Celtics and Jayson Tatum haven’t been quite as lethal from 3 as they were last season. (David Butler II / Imagn Images)

3. Boston Celtics (23-9)

Last ranking: 3
In the last week: L vs. PHI, W vs. IND, L vs. IND
Offensive rating: 119.5 (third)
Defensive rating: 110.1 (ninth)

Time Capsule: The 2024 Larry O’Brien trophy

This is the easiest item to put in a time capsule as far as the NBA goes. The Celtics are still a very good team, but anyone who thought they were going to go on some kind of 2016 Golden State Warriors run overestimated how this team is built and how this team wins games. Boston has only played six games with all five of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porziņģis, going 4-2 in those games. Last season, the Celtics were 28-9 with that five-man lineup. Boston is also renowned for its 3-point volume, but the Celtics made 38.8 percent of their league-leading 42.5 3-point attempts per game last season, ranking second in the NBA. This season, the Celtics make only 36.4 percent of their league-leading 50.7 3-point attempts per game, ranking 15th.

4. New York Knicks (23-10)

Last ranking: 7
In the last week: W vs. SA, W at ORL, W at WAS, W at WAS
Offensive rating: 120.1 (second)
Defensive rating: 112.0 (13th)

Time Capsule: A playoff ticket to Wells Fargo Center

Salute to Knicks fans. They made their presence felt so thoroughly in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against their division rival Philadelphia 76ers that Joel Embiid had to call out his own fans for a disappointing turnout. Now the Knicks are taking an eight-game win streak and a loaded offense into the new year.

5. Memphis Grizzlies (22-11)

Last ranking: 4
In the last week: W vs. TOR, W at NO, L at OKC
Offensive rating: 116.8 (fifth)
Defensive rating: 108.4 (fifth)

Time Capsule: Steering wheel

Memphis was dead last in points per game by the end of the 2023-2024 NBA season. Now, the Grizzlies lead the league in points while utilizing the wheel concept offensively, and they drive more than any team in the league. It’s a good thing eight of their wins have come with star point guard Ja Morant out of the lineup; Morant is now week-to-week because of an injury to his surgically repaired right shoulder.

Tier 2: In a Good Place

6. Houston Rockets (21-11)

Last ranking: 5
In the last week: W at NO, L vs. MIN, L vs. MIA
Offensive rating: 112.5 (11th)
Defensive rating: 106.0 (second)

Time Capsule: A pillow

Rockets coach Ime Udoka improved the team from arguably the worst franchise of the early 2020s to an average team last season. This season, Houston has taken another step as a solidly good team with an elite defense. Udoka does not tolerate soft play. He made that clear at the end of last season when the Warriors kept Houston out of the Play-In Tournament, calling the performance “soft or scared.” Now, the Rockets are out here throwing guards all over the floor. Udoka has built a team that is going to either win games or take it out on their opponents by the end of the game, and we have seen that multiple times to begin this season.

GO DEEPER

‘No friends on the floor’: Ime Udoka’s vision to turn Rockets into the new Bad Boys

7. Dallas Mavericks (20-13)

Last ranking: 6
In the last week: L vs. MIN, W at PHO, L at POR, L at SAC
Offensive rating: 116.2 (sixth)
Defensive rating: 110.8 (11th)

Time Capsule: The locker room paper from Luka Dončić’s 73-point game

Dončić called his career-best 73-point performance from last January a special night, as he made nearly half of his team’s field goals in a 148-point performance for the Mavericks on the road. It was an eventful 2024 for Dončić overall. His Mavericks finally beat the LA Clippers in the postseason, they beat the top-seeded Thunder, and Dončić will be remembered for the smack talk after his isolation stepback 3 over Rudy Gobert in the Western Conference finals almost as much as the shot itself. While Dončić played in his first NBA Finals, he has not had nearly as many moments to begin this season, and it is unclear if he will be able to play in January because of a calf strain.

8. Denver Nuggets (18-13)

Last ranking: 9
In the last week: L at PHO, L vs. CLE, W vs. DET, W at UTA
Offensive rating: 117.0 (fourth)
Defensive rating: 114.1 (19th)

Time Capsule: Jamal Murray’s Game 2 buzzer-beater

Murray’s picturesque game-winner over Anthony Davis to complete a comeback in the West quarterfinals against the Los Angeles Lakers was right in line with the “Playoff Murray” moniker the point guard has earned. The other side to that coin is that Murray was held under 40 percent from the field in half of last season’s playoff games, and Murray’s scoring doesn’t reach a level in the regular season that would put him in position to finally make an All-Star team. Murray isn’t having a “bad” season, but at this rate, you just hope he continues to do his best work when it matters most.

9. LA Clippers (19-13)

Last ranking: 11
In the last week: W vs. GS, W at NO
Offensive rating: 110.7 (22nd)
Defensive rating: 108.0 (fourth)

Time Capsule: A compass

There’s nothing like a complete and total rebrand of a franchise to commemorate a year. The Clippers moved into Intuit Dome, which is basically a relocation and a consolidation. On top of that, they changed their colors, logos and uniforms. The team had been chilling in Southern California for decades with fans being unaware of what a Clipper is supposed to be. Now, the team has leaned fully into its seafaring ways, and that may soon coincide with a return from long-lost San Diego State sailor Kawhi Leonard.

Tier 3: The Bubble

10. Orlando Magic (20-14)

Last ranking: 8
In the last week: L vs. MIA, L vs. NY, W vs. BRK
Offensive rating: 109.0 (26th)
Defensive rating: 106.3 (third)

Time Capsule: The victory song

The Magic have been to the playoffs a few times over the past dozen years, but last season’s run felt more fun and fresh than the Steve Clifford teams at the end of the 2010s. A big part of that was the Magic embracing their past and bringing their victory song into greater prominence. The way this team defends under coach Jamahl Mosley will give them a chance to survive while young forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner recover from their torn obliques.

11. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-14)

Last ranking: 18
In the last week: W at DAL, W at HOU, W vs. SA
Offensive rating: 110.8 (21st)
Defensive rating: 108.8 (sixth)

Time Capsule: Wolves Back Day

The Timberwolves have only won four playoff series in their entire franchise history. Two of them were this year, and they pulled off the biggest Game 7 comeback in league history, dethroning the defending champion Nuggets in the process. Anthony Edwards was not fined for telling Charles Barkley to “Bring ya a–” to Minnesota, and then-future vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz capitalized on the moment to declare Wolves Back Day, complete with a subtle message. The vibes haven’t been the same since!

12. Atlanta Hawks (18-15)

Last ranking: 17
In the last week: W vs. CHI, W vs. MIA, W at TOR
Offensive rating: 112.0 (16th)
Defensive rating: 113.0 (17th)

Time Capsule: Ice Trae dice

The people need another Trae Young playoff series against the Knicks. More than three years after leading an upset in the 2021 playoffs over New York, Young and the Atlanta Hawks kept the Knicks from Las Vegas and the NBA Cup semifinals in December. Being the ultimate heel that he is, Young took the opportunity to pantomime shooting dice on the Madison Square Garden floor in the closing moments. We love the consistency!

#WeMove 🎲🎲 pic.twitter.com/r2Fy7M5D9n

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) December 12, 2024

13. Miami Heat (16-14)

Last ranking: 13
In the last week: W at ORL, L at ATL, W at HOU
Offensive rating: 112.4 (13th)
Defensive rating: 110.4 (10th)

Time Capsule: Pat Riley’s statement

Jimmy Butler hasn’t finished a game for the Heat since Dec.16. In that time, plenty of air has been given to what he prefers and what the Heat plan to do with him. Heat president/godfather Pat Riley released a statement that acknowledged the trade talk surrounding Butler and proclaimed the team would not trade the star forward. So, yes, we will put that statement in the time capsule for 2024. I’m sure we won’t have to reference that at any time in 2025 …

14. Los Angeles Lakers (18-13)

Last ranking: 14
In the last week: W at GS, W vs. SAC
Offensive rating: 112.5 (12th)
Defensive rating: 114.9 (21st)

Time Capsule: Bronny James’ substitution

The moment everyone had been waiting for since it was clear Bronny would stay in the 2024 NBA Draft happened in the Lakers’ season opener, with the younger James joining his legendary father, LeBron, on the court. Bronn has only played 18 minutes this season and made one shot, but he is in the league, while LeBron is about to be the first person to play in the NBA as both a teenager and a 40-year-old.

GO DEEPER

40 for 40: LeBron James’ top-40 NBA moments and accomplishments

15. Milwaukee Bucks (16-14)

Last ranking: 10
In the last week: L vs. BRK, L at CHI
Offensive rating: 112.3 (14th)
Defensive rating: 111.4 (12th)

Time Capsule: Ham and a cup

You have to put the NBA Cup in the time capsule! And a special nod to Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham, who has never seen a loss in the league’s new in-season tournament. Now, the least Ham could do is not have his new (old) Bucks team go through the same post-Vegas doldrums that damaged his tenure as coach of the Lakers.

GO DEEPER

The Bucks are feeling the NBA Cup hangover: ‘Just gotta keep moving’

16. Golden State Warriors (16-16)

Last ranking: 12
In the last week: L vs. LAL, L at LAC, W vs. PHO, L vs. CLE
Offensive rating: 110.7 (23rd)
Defensive rating: 109.7 (eighth)

Time Capsule: Klay Thompson sea captain hat

After 13 NBA seasons and four championships, Thompson left the Warriors in the offseason. When he visited Chase Center with the Mavericks in November, Golden State feted the former Splash Brother with a tribute that involved the entire arena. It was a wonderful moment — and the Warriors are only 7-14 since.

17. San Antonio Spurs (16-16)

Last ranking: 15
In the last week: L at NY, W at BRK, L at MIN
Offensive rating: 111.4 (18th)
Defensive rating: 112.7 (15th)

Time Capsule: A chessboard

Our alien overlord Victor Wembanyama wanted to play chess in Manhattan and nobody batted an eye, huh? This is how the horror movie starts! The crossover appeal of Wembanyama is sky-high, so yes, it’s cool that he is just chilling in New York. But when the young phenom puts his entire offense together and is leading the Spurs to the next league-sanctioned dynasty, it won’t be as wholesome then. Enjoy the innocent days of 2024 while you can.

Can Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers rediscover some of their 2024 playoff magic? (Bob DeChiara / Imagn Images)

18. Indiana Pacers (16-17)

Last ranking: 16
In the last week: L vs. OKC, L at BOS, W at BOS
Offensive rating: 113.0 (10th)
Defensive rating: 115.4 (23rd)

Time Capsule: Tyrese Haliburton’s Reggie Miller choke hoodie

Well, what do you know, another point guard upstaging the Knicks. The Pacers hadn’t been to the Eastern Conference finals since 2014 going into their semifinals matchup with New York. And there wasn’t a soul who expected the Pacers to survive the Knicks, especially once they were down 2-0 and 3-2. But Indiana wound up eliminating New York for its biggest moment of the decade. Will the Pacers keep that same energy in 2025?

19. Phoenix Suns (15-16)

Last ranking: 19
In the last week: W vs. DEN, L vs. DAL, L at GS
Offensive rating: 113.4 (ninth)
Defensive rating: 115.2 (22nd)

Time Capsule: Team USA gold medals

The Suns weren’t the only team that had multiple participants on the U.S. men’s basketball team that won gold in Paris. But they’re certainly the only team that has as few other redeeming qualities either. It looks like Phoenix will get Devin Booker back in the lineup soon to pair with Kevin Durant, and those two together make the Suns look like world-beaters. When the Suns have Booker and Durant, they’re 13-3. When one of them is out, they’re 2-13. That’s not a good look in an unforgiving conference.

20. Philadelphia 76ers (13-17)

Last ranking: 23
In the last week: W at BOS, W at UTA, W at POR
Offensive rating: 109.1 (25th)
Defensive rating: 112.2 (14th)

Time Capsule: The set of “NBA Countdown” before Game 4 of the NBA Finals

Paul George was still a member of the Clippers when he was invited to be a guest analyst ahead of the potential closing game of the NBA Finals. Joel Embiid crashed the set with some suggestions about George’s future, and next thing you know, the Sixers were the only team to add a 2024 All-Star to their roster without having to relinquish one themselves. How’s it going? Well, the volume of games hasn’t been there for the Embiid-George duo, as they have appeared in only 11 games together. The Sixers are 6-5 in those games, though, and that’s with George having a hard time scoring. Don’t look now, but the Sixers have won 10 of their past 13 games while looking like the team Embiid envisioned on that nationally televised desk in June.

GO DEEPER

Joel Embiid and the Sixers are beginning to look like what we thought they’d be

21. Detroit Pistons (14-18)

Last ranking: 21
In the last week: W at SAC, L at DEN
Offensive rating: 111.6 (17th)
Defensive rating: 114.5 (20th)

Time Capsule: A receipt from Kyle Kuzma

About a year ago today, Washington Wizards power forward Kyle Kuzma was watching the Pistons lead the Celtics by 19 at halftime in Boston. Kuzma remarked that “At this point, it’s like ‘Don’t be that team’” — as in, the team that loses to the Pistons. Detroit went on to lose its 28th straight game to drop to 2-29. But in 2024, the Pistons beat Kuzma’s Wizards three out of four times. When the Pistons won last month, they had some humble pie waiting for Kuzma. A lesson for all headed into 2025!

22. Sacramento Kings (14-19)

Last ranking: 20
In the last week: L vs. DET, L at LAL, W vs. DAL
Offensive rating: 114.5 (eighth)
Defensive rating: 113.0 (16th)

Time Capsule: Mike Brown’s extension

The Kings hired Brown as coach in 2022 following Brown’s successful run as a Warriors assistant. Brown was named the 2023 NBA Coach of the Year as he led the franchise to a division title and ended the longest postseason drought in NBA history at 16 years. Sacramento kept the Warriors out of the playoffs in 2024 and was the last team eliminated in the West Play-In Tournament. Brown earned a contract extension in July. And after his first five-game losing streak as Kings head coach, he was dismissed before December ended. Sacramento still hasn’t had a head coach begin a fourth season with the franchise since Rick Adelman left in 2006.

GO DEEPER

Mike Brown’s final days with Kings: Disastrous play, tension with star and an awkward firing

23. Chicago Bulls (15-18)

Last ranking: 22
In the last week: L at ATL, W vs. MIL, W at CHA
Offensive rating: 112.3 (15th)
Defensive rating: 115.5 (24th)

Time Capsule: A rose

Derrick Rose retired from professional basketball before this season, 13 years after being the youngest player ever to win NBA MVP. The Bulls will celebrate Rose next year. Hopefully it goes better than the disaster bomb that was this year’s Ring of Honor ceremony.

24. Brooklyn Nets (12-20)

Last ranking: 24
In the last week: W at MIL, L vs. SA, L at ORL
Offensive rating: 111.1 (19th)
Defensive rating: 115.7 (25th)

Time Capsule: Mikal Bridges’ “Roommates” appearance

Bridges was a member of the Brooklyn Nets when he went on Jalen Brunson’s and Josh Hart’s podcast and lamented Brooklyn’s status as the B team in New York. The Nets, firmly in playoff purgatory despite having Kevin Durant on their roster before Durant was traded to Phoenix for Bridges, finally missed the playoffs this year. Then the Nets and Knicks did the unthinkable: They collaborated on a trade that allowed Bridges to reunite with his Villanova teammates (sorry, Donte DiVincenzo) while also pivoting toward a proper rebuild. That pivot is still a work in progress thanks to new coach Jordi Fernandez finding wins out of this group, but general manager Sean Marks is trying: He traded Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith recently, and the vultures are circling Cameron Johnson.

25. Portland Trail Blazers (11-21)

Last ranking: 25
In the last week: W vs. UTA, W vs. DAL, L vs. PHI
Offensive rating: 108.4 (27th)
Defensive rating: 117.5 (27th)

Time Capsule: A tie-dye headband

Bill Walton died on May 27, nearly 50 years to the day that the Trail Blazers made him the No. 1 pick of the 1974 NBA Draft. Walton led the Trail Blazers to the franchise’s only championship in 1977 and was named NBA Finals MVP that year while following it up the next year by being the 1978 MVP. Portland is honoring Walton with a jersey band with Walton’s No. 32 on it this season.

Tier 5: Basement Floor

26. Utah Jazz (7-24)

Last ranking: 28
In the last week: L at POR, L vs. PHI, L vs. DEN
Offensive rating: 110.9 (20th)
Defensive rating: 119.8 (30th)

Time Capsule: A Lauri Markkanen mountain throwback jersey

The Jazz could have traded Markkanen and accelerated their post-Donovan Mitchell/Rudy Gobert rebuild. Instead, they signed Markkanen to an extension on a date that made him untradeable this year and have lost 24 games faster than any team since the original 1974-1975 New Orleans Jazz started 3-24. Mission accomplished, especially if they win the draft lottery.

The Jazz have Lauri Markkanen — but not much else to brag about. (Chris Nicoll / Imagn Images)

27. Toronto Raptors (7-25)

Last ranking: 26
In the last week: L at MEM, L vs. ATL
Offensive rating: 110.0 (24th)
Defensive rating: 116.5 (26th)

Time Capsule: Vinsanity

Toronto retired Hall of Famer Vince Carter’s No. 15 last month in a ceremony that sent Carter into a tremendous outpouring of emotion. This season is also the franchise’s 30th campaign, and it definitely looks like the Raptors will be hard-pressed to avoid 60 losses. But that Air Canada jersey being in the rafters is going to feed families (of social media content producers) for a long time.

28. Washington Wizards (5-25)

Last ranking: 30
In the last week: W vs. CHA, L vs. NY, L vs. NY
Offensive rating: 104.7 (30th)
Defensive rating: 117.9 (28th)

Time Capsule: The flag of France

Well, the Wizards are that team now. But their French lottery picks offer something to look forward to, at least defensively. Bilal Coulibaly, the seventh pick in the 2023 draft, is averaging 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in his second NBA season, while 2024 No. 2 pick Alex Sarr averages 1.8 blocks per game. Both need work in terms of their scoring efficiency, but let’s be real: That’s almost every Wizard under the age of 30.

29. Charlotte Hornets (7-25)

Last ranking: 27
In the last week: L at WAS, L vs. OKC, L vs. CHI
Offensive rating: 107.2 (28th)
Defensive rating: 113.8 (18th)

Time Capsule: A LaMelo Ball 3-point attempt

Ball has already reached his games played total from last season, although that was a low bar to clear (22). What is particularly eye-opening is the sheer volume of shots he takes. Only 10 players average at least 20 field goal attempts per game, while only four average at least 10 3-point attempts per game. Ball leads the league in both categories, as 13 of his 24.6 field goal attempts are 3s. The only other player jacking up 20 field goals and 10 3s is Jayson Tatum, whom Hornets coach Charles Lee worked with last year with the Celtics.

30. New Orleans Pelicans (5-28)

Last ranking: 29
In the last week: L vs. HOU, L vs. MEM, L vs. LAC
Offensive rating: 106.8 (29th)
Defensive rating: 118.0 (29th)

Time Capsule: Herb Jones’ All-Defense honors

The Pelicans just finished a December in which they won one game, and that should cancel whatever plans they had of sneaking back into Play-In contention. Their lone win was on Dec. 5 against the Suns, featuring Jones returning after missing 18 straight games and sealing the win by demolishing Booker’s offense with the game on the line. It was a fantastic exhibition of excellence by the only non-big to make the 2024 NBA All-Defensive first team, a mark Jones can’t achieve this season because he has already missed too many games.

FIRST
TEAM
ALL
DEFENSE

HERB JONES. pic.twitter.com/6C6FmTyH1J

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 6, 2024

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(Top photo of Karl-Anthony Towns: Jess Rapfogel / Getty Images)