With the 2024-25 regular season is closing in our its finish, our latest NBA power rankings offers a late season evaluation of all 30 clubs in the association. Along with an appraisal of every squad around the league, you can also stay up to date with the upcoming slate of games on the NBA schedule and see who are the 50 best NBA players right now.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at where every team ranks as we head down the home stretch of the NBA season.
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10 worst NBA teams right now
30. Washington Wizards (Last Week: 30)
Despite a head coach change to begin the season, the Washington Wizards remain the league’s worst team. Last season they had the Detroit Pistons take the spot for the worst record in the NBA. However, that now goes all to the Wiz as their league-worst defense (120.5 points against) and nearly just as bad offense (108.7 PPG) is why they are just playing out the string to land as many ping-pong balls as possible for the lottery in May.
29. Utah Jazz (Last Week: 29)
In year three as head coach, Will Hardy and his team have taken another step back. Making matters worse for the Utah Jazz is despite getting a massive contract extension in the summer, top star Lauri Markkanen has regressed in his third season in Salt Lake City. Jazz fans continue to suffer as they are forced to endure watching a team with one of the league’s worst defenses (119.9 points against) and offenses (112.2 PPG). It only gets more frustrating because they had the draft assets to make moves to be a better team last summer and before the trade deadline.
28. Charlotte Hornets (Last Week: 27)
While LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have put up some pretty good numbers this season, it has not made the Charlotte Hornets a competitive team. Despite the strong play from their backcourt, the Hornets are in striking distance of owning the worst record in the NBA. While they are a solid defensive team (giving up 113.4 opponent’s PPG), only the Magic and Nets are worse on offense.
27. New Orleans Pelicans (Last Week: 28)
It has been a rough season for New Orleans Pelicans fans. They were ravaged by injuries to many of their best players over the first couple of months. And just when it seemed like they might be rounding the corner, DeJounte Murray suffered a season-ending injury. The organization saw that as a reason to wave the white flag and finally moved Brandon Ingram before the trade deadline.
The Pelicans have had some bad years, but this is one of the worst considering the talented team they started the campaign with.
26. Philadelphia 76ers (Last Week: 25)
The Philadelphia 76ers have been the biggest disappointment in the NBA this season as injuries and in-fighting have severely hindered this group’s potential. The big concern heading into the season was whether stars Joel Embiid and Paul George could stay healthy. Unfortunately, they have lived up to the moniker of being injury prone or flawed version of the great players they used to be.
The best thing that could happen for Philly the rest of the season is to lose as many games as possible an improve their chances of landing Cooper Flagg in June’s NBA Draft.
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25. Toronto Raptors (Last Week: 26)
The Toronto Raptors have been a disappointment this season. Sure, injuries have hurt them at times, but there is enough talent on the roster to have a better record in what has been a very weak Eastern Conference this season. Yet they have struggled on both sides of the ball throughout the year. They have a ton of ground to make up to get into striking distance of the final play-in spot in the conference.
24. Brooklyn Nets (Last Week: 23)
The Brooklyn Nets were the first team this season to punt on the campaign and look ahead to the summer. After some competitive play to begin the year, an extended slump was all the organization needed to go into full-on sell mode and trade off a couple of their better veteran players. While it would be nice to land a play-in spot, that is very unlikely. Tanking to get more ping-pong balls is the hidden agenda for the Nets over the final weeks of the season.
23. Chicago Bulls (Last Week: 24)
On offense, the Chicago Bulls were one of the league’s best and a headache for opponents. However, after trading Zach LaVine at the deadline, they have not been the same. It also doesn’t help that they have one of the worst defense in the league — giving up 119.8 points per game. Yet, despite being close to locking up a losing season, they are a near lock to reach the play-in this spring.
22. San Antonio Spurs (Last Week: 22)
The San Antonio Spurs were much better than they were last season. With the help of NBA league legend Chris Paul, the team was around .500 for much of the season. However, their chances of reaching the postseason received a fatal blow with a blood clot ending top star Victor Wembanyama’s season. While they may have a better chance to get Cooper Flagg in the NBA Draft now, Wembanyama’s future being uncertain is a franchise-changing problem for the Spurs.
21. Miami Heat (Last Week: 18)
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has again proven why he is among the very best in the sport. Despite the dark cloud that Jimmy Butler created over the team with his contract drama, the Heat remained competitive all season. Yet, oddly enough, after finally moving the unhappy star they have slipped into a slump over the last month. They have hit a new low point with a recent eight game losing skid that has put their postseason hopes in jeopardy.
20. Portland Trail Blazers (Last Week: 21)
The Portland Trail Blazers have a roster that should be able to contend for a play-in spot this season. However, Chauncey Billups’ team has been inconsistent all season. For every bit of momentum they get with a win streak, it seems to be followed by a losing skid soon after. They have lived a one step forward, two steps back journey all season. Nevertheless, they can still salvage the season because they are just a few games out of the final play-in spot out West.
19. Phoenix Suns (Last Week: 19)
Outside of the 76ers, the Phoenix Suns have been one of the league’s biggest letdowns in 2024-25. As we hit the home stretch of the season the team continues to embarrass themselves despite having a pair of elite talents on the roster. Is this a perfect team? Not at all. But Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and head coach Mike Budenholzer should be far better than currently being on the outside of the NBA playoff picture. What a mess.
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18. Atlanta Hawks (Last Week: 20)
The Atlanta Hawks have been a handful for opposing defenses. Led by the face of the franchise Trae Young, the team has been a force on the offensive side of the ball (117.1 PPG). It is why they have had a far better season than many predicted. However, for as good as they are on offense, they are terrible on the defensive side of the ball (giving up 119.6 points per game).
That, along with being hit with an injury wave, Atlanta has struggled in the new year. Fortunately for the Hawks, the East is weak and despite being under .500 they are in little danger of missing the playoffs.
17. Orlando Magic (Last Week: 17)
The Orlando Magic got hit with a massive blow early in the season when top stars Paolo Banchero and later Franz Wagner suffered major injuries. It seemed like it would be a death blow. Yet, head coach Jamhal Mosely did a splendid job keeping his team competitive and thriving with elite defense. However, despite the return of their two stars, the Magic have struggled mightily in the news year. Fortunately, for them, they have the best defense in the NBA. But it has not stopped them from slipping into the Play-In portion of the playoff chase.
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16. Dallas Mavericks (Last Week: 15)
The Dallas Mavericks‘ decision to shockingly trade Luka Doncic before this year’s deadline has led to a steep decline of bad luck for the team. The top player they got back in the deal, Anthony Davis, suffered a serious ab injury in his debut. Then fellow star Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL a few weeks later. It seems like Dallas is headed toward being a lottery team. However, Davis is closing in on a return and could help lead the team to the playoffs this month.
15. Sacramento Kings (Last Week: 16)
This has been a wild season for the Sacramento Kings. There were high hopes when they added DeMar DeRozan to a talented but underperforming team this summer. When they got off to a slow start, the front office took the bold step of firing head coach Mike Brown. Then they went further when they realized De’Aaron Fox was not in their long-term plans and traded him to the Bulls.
In the deal, they landed two-time All-Star Zach LaVine. While this group has a lot of potential, there have been too many major changes in one season for this group to really evolve into a serious threat in the West. But they are still in a good place to at least make the playoffs for a third straight season.
14. Los Angeles Clippers (Last Week: 12)
The Los Angeles Clippers have been an interesting story in the 2024-25 NBA season. To the surprise of no one, Kawhi Leonard began the season in dress clothes due to another injury. However, in his absence, Norman Powell has emerged and earned All-Star honors for the first time. Yet, despite being at full health and adding Ben Simmons from the buyout market in February, the Clippers have struggled at times in March. Similar to the Bucks, this is a good team, but not one being taken seriously as a title contender.
13. Detroit Pistons (Last Week: 10)
The Detroit Pistons were the worst team in the NBA last season. However, things have turned around for Motown’s favorite Bball team in a huge way this year. After a historically bad showing, new head coach JB Bickerstaff has helped turn his team into one of the better units in the East. While they have hit a rough patch early in March, they are in striking distance of locking up a top-six seed in the conference. Their rise back to competitive play has been a true feel-good story this year.
12. Indiana Pacers (Last Week: 9)
After a surprisingly mediocre start to the season, the Indiana Pacers caught fire early in 2025 and looked like the team NBA pundits expected. Their offense was flying high and Tyrese Haliburton emerged from a season-long slump. Unfortunately, injuries have led to an inconsistent last month and they have slipped down the standings and our latest NBA power rankings.
11. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Week: 13)
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10 best NBA teams right now
10. Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week: 11)
The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the most fascinating stories in the NBA this season. The team with a pair of superstars and a Hall-of-Fame-worthy coach struggled badly over the first month-plus. Yet, they turned it all around and ended up winning the Emirates Cup during the first half. However, they still don’t feel like an actual title contender. A recent skid where they lost to playoff teams like the Cavaliers, Pacers, and Thunder isn’t a great sign of how they will fair in the playoffs.
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9. Memphis Grizzlies (Last Week: 6)
The Memphis Grizzlies were expected to be far better this season with superstar Ja Morant back. So far, the results have been very good. With their superstar on the floor, they are the best-scoring team in the league (122.7 PPG) and own one of the best records in not just the West but the whole NBA. However, their defense is among the worst in the league and could be a serious Achilles heel come playoff time.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (Last Week: 7)
The Los Angeles Lakers were already a good team that was building serious momentum before the Luka Doncic trade. However, with the young superstar, they were evolving into a nasty team that could be a dark horse contender in the West. But a recent groin injury to LeBron James has derailed their hot play. It also sends a worrisome sign that despite adding a top three to the roster, LA still will go only as far as the 40-year-old will take them.
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7. Golden State Warriors (Last Week: 14)
The 2024-25 edition of the Golden State Warriors should be called the rubber band team for how much they have snapped back from good, to bad, to good this season. Fortunately, after trading for Jimmy Butler last month, they are at a very good point and have been one of the best teams in the NBA over the last month. Since the trade deadline, they have won 14 of 16 and are emerging as a team to worry about in the Western Conference playoffs.
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6. Denver Nuggets (Last Week: 4)
When you have the best player on the planet, Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets will always be a very competitive squad. Yet, over the first couple of months, the team struggled, and it led to rumors about key members of their championship team being moved. However, over the final months of the season, they have played much better. And future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook has, arguably, turned into their third-best player.
Yet, the same questions remain. When they take on the best teams in the league this spring, will their defense hold up, and can Jamal Murray recapture his impressive form of their title run?
5. Houston Rockets (Last Week: 8)
The Houston Rockets have been one of the best stories in the NBA this season. After showing some very nice growth under Ime Udoka last season, they have continued that momentum and evolved into an elite team in the West. Yet, they hit some bumps in the road last month that included a six-game losing skid. Nevertheless, first-time All-Star Alperen Sengun and his team righted the ship in March and are building new momentum at just the right time.
4. New York Knicks (Last Week: 5)
While they have one of the five best records in the league, there is reason for concern when it comes to the New York Knicks. Their defense is a clear weakness and they continue to come up small against the league’s best teams. Furthermore, Tom Thibodeau’s classic overuse of his starters is resulting in injuries for stars. Fortunately for the Knicks, they have a strong starting five that can help them remain among the NBA’s best until they are fully healthy.
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3. Boston Celtics (Last Week: 3)
The defending champion Boston Celtics don’t have the best record in the NBA. However, the regular season feels like a dress rehearsal for the spring. They continue to mow down the teams they are supposed to beat but have met some resistance from the league’s other top teams. However, unlike the rest of the pack, we know Boston can turn things up to another level when the postseason comes.
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2. Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Week: 2)
The Oklahoma City Thunder have twice been hit by huge injuries this season. However, they have persevered and remain one of the league’s 99-percentile clubs. Their defense has been among the best in the game (107.1 points against per game) throughout the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to cement his case as the favorite to win the MVP award, and they have only been fully healthy for a few weeks. If they get in a groove over the next few weeks the Thunder could be unstoppable in the postseason.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Week: 1)
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a surprisingly dominant team this season. There is no better example of how good they have been under new head coach Kenny Atkinson than winning 16 straight and 19 out of 21 recently. They own the best record in the NBA due to having an elite defense and offense. That is why they get the top spot in our latest NBA power rankings.
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