Before the NBA trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors were stuck in the mud and battling and battling to just be in the play-in region of the Western Conference standings. Several weeks later, the Dubs are the 6-seed in the West and rapidly rising in the NBA power rankings, alongside the LA Clippers.
Jimmy Butler has completely changed the narrative for Golden State. Since he first appeared in a Warriors uniform on Feb. 8 against the Chicago Bulls, this team has gone 11-2, losing only once when he’s played.
In this span, Stephen Curry has regained his MVP-like form and the Dubs are looking extremely confident in their ability to make a deep postseason run.
Before Butler’s arrival, Golden State was one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the NBA. Over their last 13 games, the Warriors rank first in both free throws made and free-throw percentage. After ranking 10th in defensive rating before the Butler trade, this team now ranks third in defensive rating over the last month.
The bottom line is that Butler is everything Curry and the Warriors needed because he presents a clear path to winning.
“It’s pretty clear as day the difference in not just our record but how we’re playing. How we’re winning and his impact on the game.” Curry said of Butler recently after the team’s 115-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. “Early, it was him getting back in shape trying to figure out how to be aggressive and play in our system. Now we need to cater to his actions and his comfort zones, and then it’s just got better every game.
“We gotta keep doing that. We’re not getting ahead of ourselves, but it’s nice to win games.”
Elsewhere in the Western Conference, defense continues to be the calling card for the Clippers, who are still fighting to make it out of the play-in region of the standings. Although Los Angeles has struggled since the All-Star break, they’ve also been an incomplete team.
Norman Powell has missed nine of the Clippers’ last 10 games with a right hamstring strain, and he only played nine minutes in the one game he attempted to return in. Without Powell, their best scorer, the Clippers have been tested, specifically James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
The good news for Steve Ballmer’s group is that Harden recently put up 50 points in a key win over the Pistons, and Leonard gave the team a key overtime win against the Sacramento Kings, a game LA needed to have regarding their position in the standings and NBA power rankings.
While they may be in eighth place right now, the Clippers are a dangerous team who is beginning to find their groove without their top offensive scoring weapon this season. As a somewhat easy portion of their schedule approaches, now is the time for the Clippers to go on a run.
With roughly five weeks remaining in the regular season, here’s what has changed across the NBA and in the power rankings.
Previous 2023-24 NBA Power Rankings: Week 19 | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (-)
Record: 54-10 | Last Week’s Schedule: at CHI (W22), vs. MIA (W5), at CHA (W1), at MIL (W12)
Upcoming schedule: vs. BKN (3/11), at MEM (3/14), vs. ORL (3/16)
The Cleveland Cavaliers remain the best team in the NBA and are rolling ahead of the playoffs. Aside from being the only team to have clinched a playoff spot, the Cavs’ last loss came on Feb. 4 against the Boston Celtics. This team has won 14 straight games and 18 of their last 19 overall.
As long as Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen remain healthy, the Cavaliers will be extremely tough to beat in a seven-game series. This team has the firepower and depth to put up points against any opponent, and they are tough to score against on the interior because of their two bigs. Cleveland should be viewed as the title favorite right now in the East.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (-)
Record: 53-11 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. HOU (W9), at MEM (W17), vs. POR (W18), vs. DEN (W24)
Upcoming schedule: vs. DEN (3/10), at BOS (3/12), at DET (3/15), at MIL (3/16)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to leave his imprint on the MVP race, and he was sensational this past week for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although he did sit out one game to get some rest, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 44.0 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 54.0 percent from the floor.
More importantly, the Thunder own the best net rating in the league since the start of March and are on the verge of locking up the Western Conference’s first playoff spot. This will be a key week for the Thunder to prove their championship pedigree with matchups against Boston and the Milwaukee Bucks, who beat them in the NBA Cup championship, approaching.
3. Boston Celtics (-)
Record: 46-18 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. POR (W10), vs. PHI (W18), vs. LAL (W10)
Upcoming schedule: vs. UTA (3/10), vs. OKC (3/12), at MIA (3/14), at BKN (3/15)
An easy week for the Boston Celtics was capped off by a 111-101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, a game that can create momentum for the defending champions. Defensively, Boston is beginning to pick up steam, which was the main reason why they won a championship last season.
Outside of their gaudy three-point shooting numbers and efficient offense, defense is what makes this Celtics team dangerous. After three straight double-digit victories, it will be interesting to see how long the Celtics can keep up this high defensive effort, especially with the Thunder approaching on the calendar.
4. Denver Nuggets (+2)
Record: 41-23 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. SAC (W6), vs. PHX (W8), at OKC (L23)
Upcoming schedule: at OKC (3/10), vs. MIN (3/12), vs. LAL (3/14), vs. WAS (3/15)
A 23-point loss to the Thunder on Sunday looks worse than it was for the Denver Nuggets. After all, this was a three-point game with a little over nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Denver could use a key win to get themselves back on track, and they will have a chance to revenge this loss in Oklahoma City on Monday.
Nikola Jokic continues to dominate for the Nuggets, as he recently recorded the first 30-20-20 game in NBA history with 31 points, 22 assists, and 21 rebounds in a 149-141 overtime win against the Phoenix Suns last week. Performances like this will continue to create a strong argument for Jokic to win his fourth MVP award.
5. Los Angeles Lakers (-1)
Record: 40-22 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. NOP (W21), vs. NYK (W4), at BOS (L10)
Upcoming schedule: at BKN (3/10), at MIL (3/13), at DEN (3/14), vs. PHX (3/16)
Luka Doncic and LeBron James have been one of the best duos in the league since the All-Star break. Unfortunately, Doncic will now be tasked with leading the Los Angeles Lakers by himself since James suffered a groin injury in the team’s loss to the Celtics.
This is a significant blow to the Lakers, who had won eight straight before Saturday’s 111-101 loss in Boston. Without James, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and Austin Reaves will really need to step up next to Doncic for Los Angeles to continue their fight with Denver for the 2-seed in the West.
6. Memphis Grizzlies (+1)
Record: 38-22 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. ATL (L2), vs. OKC (L17), at DAL (W11), at NOP (W3)
Upcoming schedule: vs. PHX (3/10), vs. UTA (3/12), vs. CLE (3/14), vs. MIA (3/15)
The Memphis Grizzlies have lost six of their 10 games since the All-Star break. While it may be hard to trust this team right now without Jaren Jackson Jr. on the floor, Memphis has still proven to be one of the deepest teams in the league that can score against anyone.
At the same time, there is reason to be concerned about the Grizzlies. Much of this team’s core is young, and Ja Morant claimed recently that he’s been dealing with a shoulder injury. With Jackson out and Morant banged up, the Grizzlies enter a dangerous part of their schedule with obvious concerns at hand.
7. Golden State Warriors (+4)
Record: 36-28 | Last Week’s Schedule: at CHA (W18), at NYK (W12), at BKN (W2), vs. DET (W5)
Upcoming schedule: vs. POR (3/10), vs. SAC (3/13), vs. NYK (3/15)
No team in the NBA has been hotter and rising in the NBA power rankings faster than the Warriors. Just a few weeks back, this team was on the verge of falling into the bottom 10 of the power rankings. Now, they are on the verge of climbing into the top five, especially if they can continue their recent hot streak on their home floor.
Although we can talk about Curry, Butler, and others, the key for the Warriors heading into the new week is Jonathan Kuminga. The young forward continues to recover from his severe right ankle sprain, and Kuminga will be making his injury return at some point during the Warriors’ current seven-game homestand. Is this the final piece to the Dubs truly becoming title threats again?
8. Milwaukee Bucks (+1)
Record: 36-27 | Last Week’s Schedule: at ATL (W6), vs. DAL (W30), vs. ORL (L2), vs. CLE (L12)
Upcoming schedule: at IND (3/11), vs. LAL (3/13), vs. IND (3/15), vs. OKC (3/16)
The same inconsistent struggles that haunted the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this season are beginning to resurface. Outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, what do the Bucks have that makes them a championship threat?
Even though Kyle Kuzma has been good at times, his production as the third key talent on this roster has been inconsistent. Still, the Bucks are trending up and have won eight of their last 11 games due to Giannis and Dame putting the team on their backs. It will be interesting to see if these two stars can continue to carry Milwaukee, especially with a rematch of the NBA Cup championship game with Oklahoma City at the end of the week.
9. New York Knicks (-4)
Record: 40-23 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. GSW (L12), at LAL (L4), at LAC (L10)
Upcoming schedule: at SAC (3/10), at POR (3/12), at GSW (3/15)
Jalen Brunson suffered a sprained ankle in the New York Knicks’ overtime loss against the Lakers, which was the worst possible outcome for this team to begin their long road trip. With Karl-Anthony Towns’ offensive production decreasing, Brunson has been the only constant for the Knicks during the second half of the season.
Not only will this team’s offensive rating drop significantly without the star point guard but they will also need to try to forge a new identity. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby suddenly become the most important scoring factors on this team without Brunson, and New York will need to go back to their roots on defense in order to maintain their positioning as the three-seed in the East. The Knicks’ current three-game losing streak is tied for their longest of the season.
10. Los Angeles Clippers (+2)
Record: 35-29 | Last Week’s Schedule: at PHX (L2), vs. DET (W8), vs. NYK (W10), vs. SAC (W1)
Upcoming schedule: at NOP (3/11), at MIA (3/12), at ATL (3/14), vs. CHA (3/16)
The Clippers emerged from a rough 2-6 stretch with three key wins over the Pistons, Knicks, and Kings. This team is now 35-29 on the season and it appears LA is getting hot at the right time without Powell on the court.
All four of the Clippers’ games this week will be against teams with a sub-.500 record, meaning that LA could move up and out of the play-in region if they can extend their win streak to seven games. Outside of the Warriors, the Clippers remain the most dangerous team in the bottom part of the West playoff picture.
11. Detroit Pistons (-1)
Record: 36-29 | Last Week’s Schedule: at UTA (W28), at LAC (L8), at GSW (L5), at POR (W7)
Upcoming schedule: vs. WAS (3/11), vs. WAS (3/13), vs. OKC (3/15)
After splitting their four-game West Coast road trip, the Pistons return home for what should be two easy wins over the Washington Wizards in preparation for the Thunder. Outside of Cade Cunningham continuing to put up All-NBA-like numbers, the Pistons’ offense as a whole has proven to be very balanced. This will need to continue for Detroit to be viewed as a possible threat and a top-six team in the East.
12. Indiana Pacers (+1)
Record: 35-27 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. HOU (W13), at ATL (L6), at ATL (L2)
Upcoming schedule: at CHI (3/10), vs. MIL (3/11), at PHI (3/14), at MIL (3/15)
It isn’t a coincidence that the Indiana Pacers have dropped two straight games to the Atlanta Hawks without Tyrese Haliburton. While this has been a disappointing season for Haliburton, he’s still been the leader, averaging 24.2 points and 12.5 assists while shooting 59.1 percent over his last six contests. Should the Pacers get two key wins over the Bucks, they can move up to the 4-seed in the East and into the top 10 of the NBA power rankings.
13. Houston Rockets (-5)
Record: 39-25 | Last Week’s Schedule: at OKC (L9), at IND (L13), at NOP (W12), vs. NOP (W29)
Upcoming schedule: vs. ORL (3/10), vs. PHX (3/12), vs. DAL (3/14), vs. CHI (3/15)
Home-court advantage has suddenly disappeared momentarily for the Houston Rockets, as they have gone 5-5 over their last 10 games. As a result, Houston is two games back of Denver and Los Angeles for the 2-seed and just a single game behind Memphis for the 4-seed.
The good news for the Rockets is that they pick up some confidence-building wins over the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of a week when they will play four teams with losing records. There is no better opportunity for the Rockets to get back inside the top 10 of the NBA power rankings than this week.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (-)
Record: 37-29 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. PHI (W14), at CHA (W15), at MIA (W2), vs. SAS (W17)
Upcoming schedule: at DEN (3/12), vs. ORL (3/14), vs. UTA (3/16)
Outside of the Thunder, only one team in the West has an active win streak of five or more games. That is the Minnesota Timberwolves. While some will say that the Timberwolves deserve to be inside the top 10 of the NBA power rankings, the fact of the matter is that this team’s two wins over the Thunder in February are overshadowed by losses to Utah and Washington.
As good as they can be defensively, we’ve yet to see the Wolves fully put together a complete game of excellent defensive effort. Even so, they are eight games above .500 and still very much in the mix to avoid the play-in tournament.
15. Sacramento Kings (-)
Record: 33-30 | Last Week’s Schedule: at DAL (W24), at DEN (L6), vs. SAS (W18), at LAC (L1)
Upcoming schedule: vs. NYK (3/10), at GSW (3/13), at PHX (3/14)
Domantas Sabonis is currently sidelined due to a hamstring injury and Malik Monk suffered a big toe injury in their 122-98 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Suddenly, the Sacramento Kings are leaning on DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, two teammates from a season ago with the Chicago Bulls. Without Sabonis and Monk, it’s hard to see the Kings entering matchups against the Knicks and Warriors as favorites.
16. Phoenix Suns (+4)
Record: 30-34 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. LAC (W2), at DEN (L8), at DAL (W9)
Upcoming schedule: at MEM (3/10), at HOU (3/12), vs. SAC (3/14), at LAL (3/16)
Can the Phoenix Suns finally go on a run and get above .500 on the season? This team has not won back-to-back games since the end of January, and they will be looking to snap this streak on the road against the Grizzlies to begin the new week. With the Mavericks falling out of the playoff picture due to injuries, the Suns can sneak into the play-in tournament, but claiming the 10-seed would be dangerous territory for Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
17. Atlanta Hawks (+4)
Record: 30-34 | Last Week’s Schedule: at MEM (W2), vs. MIL (L6), vs. IND (W6), vs. IND (W2)
Upcoming schedule: vs. PHI (3/10), vs. CHA (3/12), vs. LAC (3/14), at BKN (3/16)
Trae Young continues to lead the Atlanta Hawks to key wins that have flown under the radar. Outside of defeating the Grizzlies by two points last week, the Hawks also took down the Pacers in back-to-back matchups. While they will certainly be a play-in team, the Hawks are beginning to find success with Caris LeVert and Georges Niang stepping up.
18. Portland Trail Blazers (-)
Record: 28-37 | Last Week’s Schedule: at PHI (W17), at BOS (L10), at OKC (L18), vs. DET (L7)
Upcoming schedule: at GSW (3/10), vs. NYK (3/12), vs. TOR (3/16)
Currently 1.5 games back of the Suns in the West standings, the Portland Trail Blazers are also fighting for that last play-in tournament spot given that Dallas’ season is coming to an end prematurely. The problem with the Blazers is that they have struggled when opportunity presents itself, like this past week when they lost to the Thunder without Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Lu Dort.
If the Trail Blazers are to be legitimate play-in threats and possibly knock the Suns out of contention late in the year, then they will need a staple victory to seize momentum. That could come against Golden State or New York this week.
19. Orlando Magic (-)
Record: 30-35 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. TOR (L1), vs. CHI (L2), at MIL (W2)
Upcoming schedule: at HOU (3/10), at NOP (3/13), at MIN (3/14), at CLE (3/16)
The Orlando Magic were once seven games above .500 this season. Now, they are five games below .500 and falling down the NBA power rankings fast. Although a key road win against the Bucks snapped a five-game losing streak for Paolo Banchero and Co., this team still has major problems on the offensive side of the court.
20. Chicago Bulls (+2)
Record: 26-38 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. CLE (L22), at ORL (W2), at MIA (W5)
Upcoming schedule: vs. IND (3/10), vs. BKN (3/13), at HOU (3/15)
Crazy enough, the Chicago Bulls have won back-to-back games for the first time since the start of January. Coby White has been leading the way for Chicago, averaging 28.0 points per game and shooting 47.1 percent from the floor over his last five games. The Bulls currently hold onto the 10-seed in the East with a sizeable 3.5-game gap between them and the Philadelphia 76ers.
21. Miami Heat (-4)
Record: 29-34 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. WAS (W16), at CLE (L5), vs. MIN (L2), vs. CHI (L5)
Upcoming schedule: vs. CHA (3/10), vs. LAC (3/12), vs. BOS (3/14), at MEM (3/15)
Nothing has gone right for the Miami Heat since trading Jimmy Butler to the Warriors. This team has won back-to-back games only once since the end of January, and the Heat have struggled with their overall health. The good news is that Bam Adebayo is finally playing well and could create momentum for Miami’s lackluster offensive attack.
22. Dallas Mavericks (-6)
Record: 32-33 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. SAC (L24), at MIL (L30), vs. MEM (L11), vs. PHX (L9)
Upcoming schedule: at SAS (3/10), at SAS (3/12), at HOU (3/14), vs. PHI (3/16)
At this point, you have to feel bad for fans of the Mavericks. The Luka Doncic trade has sent a series of events into motion that will now see Kyrie Irving sidelined until 2026 due to a torn ACL. Dallas has about seven or eight healthy players right now, which is why their season is over.
23. San Antonio Spurs (+1)
Record: 26-36 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. BKN (W14), at SAC (L18), at MIN (L17)
Upcoming schedule: vs. DAL (3/10), vs. DAL (3/12), vs. CHA (3/14), vs. NOP (3/15)
Now 4.5 games back of the 10-seed in the West, the San Antonio Spurs are on their way to another lottery pick. This isn’t the worst scenario in the world, as the Spurs find themselves in a very good position moving forward with De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyma having a full offseason to work alongside one another. Plus, the potential of a top pick joining the mix creates a ton of intrigue in San Antonio.
24. Toronto Raptors (+1)
Record: 21-43 | Last Week’s Schedule: at ORL (W1), vs. UTA (W9), vs. WAS (L1)
Upcoming schedule: vs. WAS (3/10), vs. PHI (3/12), at UTA (3/14), at POR (3/16)
Any chance of the Toronto Raptors possibly going on a run and making the play-in tournament is slowly vanishing. The Raptors are now five games behind the Bulls for the 10-seed in the East after losing to the Wizards, and Brandon Ingram has yet to make his debut for Toronto. Still, this is the most dangerous team in the bottom 10 of the NBA power rankings because Darko Rajakovic’s group doesn’t back down to any team they play.
25. New Orleans Pelicans (-2)
Record: 17-48 | Last Week’s Schedule: at LAL (L21), vs. HOU (L12), at HOU (L29), vs. MEM (L3)
Upcoming schedule: vs. LAC (3/11), vs. ORL (3/13), at SAS (3/15)
Like the Raptors, the New Orleans Pelicans are another team to watch as a potential spoiler for playoff-contending teams down the stretch run of the season. Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III have been great in recent games, and the Pelicans have been competitive. However, this team has lost four straight after a 5-2 stretch.
26. Philadelphia 76ers (+1)
Record: 22-41 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. POR (L17), at MIN (L14), at BOS (L18), vs. UTA (W4)
Upcoming schedule: at ATL (3/10), at TOR (3/12), vs. IND (3/14), at DAL (3/16)
Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George are all injured for the Philadelphia 76ers. At this point, the Sixers need to give up and tank for a higher lottery pick because they won’t make any noise at 19 games below .500 this year. Better luck next season Philly.
27. Brooklyn Nets (-1)
Record: 21-42 | Last Week’s Schedule: at SAS (L14), vs. GSW (L2), at CHA (L3)
Upcoming schedule: vs. LAL (3/10), at CLE (3/11), at CHI (3/13), vs. BOS (3/15), vs. ATL (3/16)
Seven straight losses for the Brooklyn Nets has resulted in Jordi Fernandez’s team being 4.5 games back of the play-in tournament. It is hard to see the Nets being able to regain the same momentum they had when they had won seven of nine games in February. The Nets will play five games in seven days this week, including two back-to-backs.
28. Washington Wizards (+1)
Record: 13-49 | Last Week’s Schedule: at MIA (L16), vs. UTA (W3), at TOR (W1)
Upcoming schedule: at TOR (3/10), at DET (3/11), at DET (3/13), at DEN (3/15)
For once, the Washington Wizards aren’t one of the two worst teams in the NBA power rankings. This is due to Washington winning four of their last six games, including two straight over the Utah Jazz and Raptors. Washington will continue their seven-game road trip this week in Toronto.
29. Charlotte Hornets (+1)
Record: 15-48 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. GSW (L18), vs. MIN (L5), vs. CLE (L1), vs. BKN (W3)
Upcoming schedule: at MIA (3/10), at ATL (3/12), at SAS (3/14), at LAC (3/16)
After getting blown out in recent games, the Charlotte Hornets almost pulled off one of the season’s biggest upsets over the Cavs, and then they beat Brooklyn by three points. Miles Bridges, the only healthy Hornets starter, has averaged 29.6 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in March.
30. Utah Jazz (-2)
Record: 15-49 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. DET (L28), at WAS (L3), at TOR (L9), at PHI (L4)
Upcoming schedule: at BOS (3/10), a MEM (3/12), vs. TOR (3/14), at MIN (3/16)
Utah has yet to win a game in March. However, they have lost four of their last five games by single digits. Even with constant lineup changes and players being held out in order for the youth of the team to get more minutes, the Jazz are still giving some teams a run for their money in the second half.
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