NBA Power Rankings 2023-24: Top 10 teams ft. Denver Nuggets after Week 24
The NBA regular season has one week left. The playoff picture is shaping up. Both conferences will see 10 teams advance to the postseason, but almost none of the playoff seeds are wrapped up.
The Boston Celtics have locked up the top overall seed and have home court throughout the playoffs if they make the NBA Finals.
The top of the West is still unsettled as the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and OKC Thunder jostle for the No. 1 seed. The Nuggets and T’Wolves are tied at the start of the week, with OKC one game back.
The playoff picture can go a million ways this week. The Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls play in the 9 vs 10 play-in game, but the 7 vs 8 is still to be decided. The entire play-in in the West is still uncertain as well.
Let’s look at how the NBA is shaping up with just one week left. Here are the top 10 NBA power rankings with the postseason around the corner.
NBA Power Rankings Top 10 with One Week to Go
No. 10 - LA Lakers
The Lakers tanked their game on Sunday against the Timberwolves. Anthony Davis and LeBron James left early, and the Lakers lost 127-117. Previously, the Lakers had won nine of their last 10.
LA started looking like the team that advanced to the Western Conference finals last season. They could end up in the play-in tournament but seem poised to advance out of it if they keep up their recent level when fully healthy.
No. 9 - Orlando Magic
The Magic have a chance at the No. 2 seed in the East, something unthinkable for years for the franchise.
They have won three of their last four and are likely to have home court in their first-round series. Paolo Banchero has been on a tear, going for 24, 32 and 32 points respectively in his last three games.
No. 8 - Phoenix Suns
The Suns are clicking, now that they have their starters healthy. They have risen to the top-six of the West after going 7-3 in their last 10. Devin Booker has shown why he belongs in the top tier of NBA players.
Kevin Durant is shooting like his vintage self, while Grayson Allen has been one of the best 3-point shooters in the league this season. The Suns could be favored in their first round series depending on the matchup.
No. 7 - Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are trending in the wrong direction, losing four in a row. Three of them have been to lottery-bound, sub .500 teams.
The Bucks have seen their hold on the No. 2 seed slip, and they could fall as low as fifth this week. The Bucks are 23rd in defensive rating over the last 15 games.
No. 6 - Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs are trending up. They pulled off an incredible comeback in an overtime win against the Rockets on Sunday. Luka Doncic is leading the league in scoring and playing at a MVP level. They have won nine of their last 10 and should end up with the No. 4 or 5 seed.
No. 5 - LA Clippers
The Clippers also pulled off a huge comeback in their win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Clippers have been one of the best teams in the league when healthy. James Harden may be getting out of his slump, going 6-for-11 for 22 points in the Clippers' last win. The Clippers need an efficient Harden as their third-scorer to make a deep run.
No. 4 - OKC Thunder
The Thunder have fallen off a bit, going 5-5 in their last 10 . Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been injured and missed the previous four games, with the Thunder going 1-3. They will hope to get their MVP candidate back later this week.
No. 3 - Minnesota Timberwolves
The T’Wolves have stayed at the top of the West almost the entire season. They have maintained their top level despite missing Karl Anthony-Towns. The big man is reportedly near a return to action. Minnesota is battling for the top seed in the West.
No. 2 - Denver Nuggets
Denver is once again showing why they are the defending NBA champions. Nikola Jokic is the MVP favorite, and the Nuggets have the second rated offense in the last 15 games. Denver is tied for the No. 1 seed in the West and host Minnesota in a huge matchup on Wednesday.
No. 1 - Boston Celtics
The Celtics are going into the NBA playoffs as the favorite. They have the highest rated offense in the NBA over the past 15 games.
Their starting five is the most potent in the league. The rest of the East seems to be trending in the wrong direction, but the Celtics are going into the playoffs trending upward. They could be in for a tough matchup in the first round against the surging Sixers, though.