NBA Power Rankings: December 15

We’re one-third through the 2022-23 NBA season, and not much is settled—which is atypical for the league. 

A handful of games ago at the quarter point of the season, an analysis by Sports Illustrated found that 17 of the 30 teams were within three games of the .500 mark, which is by far the most since at least the 1995-96 season. Last year, the number was 13, but it has hovered from around nine to 11 for much of the past 15 years.

There are also some surprising teams—both good (New Orleans) and bad (Los Angeles Lakers). 

We’re going to take a look at where each of the 30 NBA teams stand odds-wise heading into the holiday stretch and into 2023.

The Bucks have won five of six and are now tied in the loss column with the Celtics. Remember that Khris Middleton didn’t play at all in last year’s playoff series that the C’s took in seven games, so expect the 2021 champs to be on a mission all season. 

Boston shook off a two-game losing streak by holding off the Lakers in overtime, and defensive leader Robert Williams is expected to return this weekend to play for the first time all year. His presence may have been the difference in the Finals last year if he was at full-strength against Golden State. 

Even without either Brandon Ingram or C.J. McCollum, the Pels jumped into first place in the Western Conference on the heels of a seven-game winning streak. Zion Williamson has averaged 30 points per game in that streak and is remaining healthy to lead what’s been a very deep team so far this year. 

The Grizzlies are proving that last year’s run to the 2-seed in the West wasn’t a fluke, and they fought Golden State hard in a second-round loss. They are one of just three teams to rank in the top 10 in overall offense and defense—and the other two teams are second and third on this list). 

The Nuggets are still figuring things out defensively, and that will be key to a long playoff run, but Jamal Murray has returned from injury strong and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic is doing his thing. Denver is right where they should be. 

The Nets have put the distractions of the messy start of their season behind them and have won eight of their last 10 games with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading the way. If they can stay healthy (and the latter staying out of trouble), the Nets may actually be able to live up to expectations in the postseason.

The Cavs are still third in the Eastern Conference despite going 5-5 in their last 10 games. Donovan Mitchell has been a game-changer in Cleveland, who will probably make the main portion of the playoffs for the first time post-LeBron, but still probably lack weapons to compete with Boston and Milwaukee in a seven-game series. 

Phoenix is still being hampered by Devin Booker’s hamstring, which has caused problems off-and-on since last season’s playoffs. Not coincidentally, the Suns have dropped five straight. They will need their leader to be healthy if they want to stay towards the top in the West. 

The 76ers saw a week where Joel Embiid averaged 40 points a game and James Harden returned from a few-week absence, so Philly is primed to make a run up the standings (where they are now fifth in the East). 

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are back on the court, but for how long? Their careers in LA have been defined by injuries more than anything, so they will have to prove that they can stay healthy if this team will make a run come playoff time. 

The Warriors are still at .500, but they put it all together to beat Boston over the weekend, showing that they can turn it on when they need to. This group won the championship last year, so expect them to get into the playoffs and be a force even if they’re not showing it yet (and the NBA futures oddsmakers agree). 

The Blazers are back in the thick of things with Damian Lillard playing like a superstar again. After a little slump, winning four of five pushed them safely back over .500, but a stretch where 10 of 12 are away from home will be a challenge. 

Last year’s Western Conference finalists haven’t quite put it all together this year, but with Luka Doncic in the fold, they can go on a run like they did a year ago. They’ve been at .500 pretty much all season. 

For the first time since the spring of 2021, the Knicks are showing some life. A four-game winning streak has pushed them into the top six in the Eastern Conference. Julius Randle is in form, and offseason acquisition Jalen Brunson has upped his scoring average to 20 points per game. 

The Kings are playing to their potential this season, sitting at 14-12 and in the No. 7 spot in the West. De’Aaron Fox is turning into a star, but he hasn’t been able to stay on the floor consistently as of late. Still, it’s a nice story brewing in Sac-town.

Everything went right for the Heat last year on their way to the No. 1 seed, and it’s been mostly the opposite so far this season. But Jimmy Butler is back healthy, and the Heat are slowly climbing up to the .500 mark, so expect them to reach the postseason. 

A 3-7 stretch has brought them down to the play-in category at the moment, but rookie A.J. Griffin is having some clutch moments (two buzzer-beaters this year). If it gives Atlanta another late-game option besides Trae Young, that will be huge for the Hawks. 

The Jazz has dropped several close games as of late that’s dropped Utah close to the .500 mark. It’s still a team that’s punching up, however, after this summer’s fire sale saw Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert depart. 

The Raptors rely on an ensemble cast to succeed, so when members of that cast are out (like O.G. Anunoby and Otto Porter Jr.), it’s tough for the Raptors to win in an exceedingly difficult East. It feels like a good half-dozen teams in the conference have improved greatly while Toronto stands pat. It’s not 2019 or ’20 anymore north of the border. 

Things have stabilized somewhat from the terrible start, but LeBron James is still having trouble staying on the court consistently, and this is his 20^th season in the NBA. They might sneak into the play-in round, but it’s not a championship-caliber team anymore. 

The T-Wolves were also expected to take a leap forward this year with Rudy Gobert joining Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, but it hasn’t panned out yet. There’s still time though, and D’Angelo Russell’s strong play has been a bonus. 

The Pacers have come back to earth from their shockingly strong start, dropping six of their last eight with more tough opponents to go this month. In a division with Cleveland and Milwaukee, Indiana is overmatched and probably will miss the playoffs. 

The Thunder will probably miss the playoffs, but they at least have a star to build around. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31 points and six assists per game, well up from his career averages. 

Chicago has continued their slump from the end of last season and is just 3-10 in clutch games (close down the stretch). It’s been one step forward (win over Boston) and two steps back (losses to Cleveland and Washington) for the Bulls this season. 

The Wizards needed Bradley Beal back healthy this year if they were going to do anything, but he’s been hurt. Kristaps Porzingis has also been banged up, which has been typical during his career. 

While Orlando will again miss the playoffs, they at least got the No. 1 pick right. Paolo Banchero is averaging 21 points per game and solid defense held Kawhi Leonard to 4-of-15 shooting in a win over the Clippers last week. After dropping nine in a row, the Magic have won three-straight games. 

Houston is still way too young, but there has been improvement with wins in six of their last 10 games. Jabari Smith is shooting over 50% from the field and from 3-point range as of late. 

The Hornets thought bringing back former coach Steve Clifford would get the team past the play-in round, but they’ve instead regressed, especially on defense. Missing LaMelo Ball hasn’t helped either. 

The Spurs started the season well and had a recent three-game winning streak. Still, San Antonio is still early in the development process for several players. 

Detroit has had a tough schedule, but the news that Cade Cunningham (2021 No. 1 overall pick) will miss the rest of the season won’t make things any easier for the Pistons.