Suns rise, Warriors fall in 2022-23 NBA Power Rankings

76ers stay in top five of 2022-23 NBA Power Rankings originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The league being in All-Star break mode provides ample time to examine how teams have fared through late February.

Boston remains the most consistent team from either conference since the season opener, while Milwaukee is back in contention for first place in the East. 

Then in the Western Conference, Denver upped its game with more depth than ever surrounding Nikola Jokić and holds a solid lead at the summit, while Sacramento remains the league’s biggest surprise as the No. 3 seed. 

Before league play resumes on Feb. 23, let’s take a look at the updated 2022-23 NBA Power Rankings:

30. Houston Rockets, 13-45: The Rockets have not moved from dead last in four straight editions of the power rankings, and they lost seven in a row coming into the break. They finally moved on from Eric Gordon at the deadline and landed a pick swap from the Clippers, while John Wall and Danny Green were both bought out. They’ll remain near the bottom for the remainder of the campaign. (Last ranking: 30)

29. San Antonio Spurs, 14-45: Two Texas teams are being massacred at the bottom of the barrel. San Antonio lost 14 in a row coming into the break and moved on from Jakob Poeltl for Khem Birch and three draft picks, one of which is a 2024 first-rounder. It was a solid exchange, but the frontcourt depth is more shallow than ever. (Last ranking: 29)

28. Detroit Pistons, 15-44: We won’t see the James Wiseman-Cade Cunningham pairing until next season, but trading a young forward to land yet another young big – with Bojan Bogdanovic still on the roster – was a confusing move from Troy Weaver. Detroit will hover around the bottom, too. (Last ranking: 27)

27. Charlotte Hornets, 17-43: The Hornets picked up two wins right before the break, one of which was an offensive thriller against Atlanta, with LaMelo Ball pulling the strings in mesmerizing fashion. They dealt Mason Plumlee and Jalen McDaniels at the deadline and received future second-round draft picks and Svi Mykhailiuk, so the depth plummeted. (Last ranking: 28) 

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26. Chicago Bulls, 26-33: The Bulls lost six in a row coming into the break, and Lonzo Ball’s season is in jeopardy. Considering they did nothing at the trade deadline to either rebuild completely or add pieces, things could get worse in the Windy City. (Last ranking: 22) 

25. Orlando Magic, 24-35: Orlando’s experiment with Mo Bamba failed, as they essentially collected a future second-rounder from the Lakers after drafting him No. 6 overall. But the recent lottery selections continue to show promise, and the Magic could add more strong youngsters this offseason. (Last ranking: 25) 

24. Indiana Pacers, 26-34: Indiana raced to an optimistic start in the first few months but have regressed to probably where it should be. Jordan Nwora could be an intriguing addition to the roster as a young wing who should get more consistent minutes than he did in Milwaukee. (Last ranking: 24) 

23. Washington Wizards, 28-30: The Wizards picked up four wins from their last five games, and Kendrick Nunn has proven to be a useful rotational guard in the lineup. They’ll be fighting for a play-in spot, but they don’t appear to have the magic to make a real run this season. (Last ranking: 23) 

22. Toronto Raptors, 28-31: Toronto won five of its last six games before the break, which could hint at an upcoming surge up the standings like it had last season. There’s hope now that Poeltl is in the fold, but it’ll be an intriguing watch to see if the Raptors can claw their way up the ladder in the East. (Last ranking: 25) 

21. Utah Jazz, 29-31: Utah didn’t sell all of its pieces at the deadline, but it probably could’ve received more for Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker than Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and a 2027 first-rounder, with Russell Westbrook nearing a buyout. The Jazz will likely stay around this tier or drop in future editions. (Last ranking: 18) 

20. Portland Trail Blazers, 28-30: The Trail Blazers needed more wings, and they got just that with Matisse Thybulle and Cam Reddish. The frontcourt depth still feels quite shaky behind Jusuf Nurkic, but they’ll need to push for a play-in spot behind Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant. Thybulle and Reddish definitely can assist in that pursuit. (Last ranking: 19) 

19. Los Angeles Lakers, 27-32: The Lakers are looking better again. The results may take some time, but if they can stay healthy, it’s hard not to like a D’Angelo Russell-Malik Beasley-LeBron James-Jarred Vanderbilt-Anthony Davis lineup, with players like Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Bamba and more off the bench. (Last ranking: 21) 

18. Oklahoma City Thunder, 28-29: The Thunder collected more draft picks at the deadline for Mike Muscala and Darius Bazley, and they remain in contention for a play-in spot thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s incredible play. Will they reach the play-in or fall back for better draft positioning? (Last ranking: 20) 

17. Golden State Warriors, 29-29: The Warriors didn’t have a golden deadline other than adding a currently injured Gary Payton II. He’ll certainly help the rotation when healthy, but Golden State’s momentum continues to oscillate as Stephen Curry deals with an injury-riddled campaign. (Last ranking: 15) 

16. Atlanta Hawks, 29-30: Landing Saddiq Bey could end up being a vital acquisition for the Hawks, who continue to float around as an average team in multiple statistical categories. They’ll be in contention for a play-in spot, but they’ll also need to find better consistency sooner rather than later. (Last ranking: 16)

15. Minnesota Timberwolves, 31-30: Minnesota is staying afloat despite Karl-Anthony Towns’ lengthy absence due to injury, but he’s expected to return before the season’s end. Conley is filling Russell’s shoes, and his chemistry with Rudy Gobert could help reduce the load on Anthony Edwards. (Last ranking: 17) 

14. New Orleans Pelicans, 30-29: It’s not exactly a shock to say the Pelicans are struggling without Zion Williamson. The setbacks do not help, which is unfortunate given how robust and cohesive New Orleans looked when Williamson was healthy. They need him back pronto. (Last ranking: 11) 

13. Dallas Mavericks, 31-29: All eyes will be on the Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving pairing going forward. Can the Mavericks make it work between the two? The overall depth is concerning, especially considering they lost three in a row before the break. (Last ranking: 12) 

12. Miami Heat, 32-27: The Heat’s main roster move was swapping Dewayne Dedmon for Kevin Love. It’s not exactly groundbreaking, but it does help partially move the needle in the right direction. (Last ranking: 10) 

11. New York Knicks, 33-27: The Knicks strung together three wins in a row right before the break, and new addition Josh Hart lit up the floor in each contest. If they can start winning games at home (16-15 record), there’s little reason to think they won’t make the postseason. Their 17-12 away record is third-best in the league (Boston is 18-10, Milwaukee is 17-12). (Last ranking: 13) 

10. Los Angeles Clippers, 33-28: The Clippers shuffled the roster around quite a bit, adding Gordon, Plumlee and Bones Hyland to the fold. The buyout signing of Russell Westbrook could be a make-or-break addition, however, considering how his recent tenure panned out with their L.A. rivals. (Last ranking: 9)

9. Sacramento Kings, 32-25: Sacramento has done extraordinary well to be where it is now: the No. 3 seed in the West. But after the deadline, the Kings made no significant additions and will hope squad chemistry and continuity triumphs over star acquisitions elsewhere from chasing teams. They have one of the best offenses in the NBA and two All-Stars, plus the potential Rookie of the Year. Finishing anywhere above the No. 6 seed would be instrumental. (Last ranking: 8)

8. Phoenix Suns, 32-28: Devin Booker’s return helped Phoenix catch fire just before the break – and that was before the Kevin Durant move. T.J. Warren, Terrence Ross and Bazley shore up the wing depth after trading away Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder, even if the collective quality isn’t as superior. But the Suns are looking hot all of a sudden, and they’ll be tough to beat in a seven-game series. (Last ranking: 16)

7. Brooklyn Nets, 34-24: The foundation of the Nets’ current record was laid by Durant and Irving, two stars now out of the equation. They’ll likely lose this spot by the time the next edition rolls out in two weeks, but is it crazy to think they might be solid enough for a play-in spot at the minimum? The roster may be devoid of two otherworldly talents, but the replacements are still playoff-level athletes. (Last ranking: 6)

6. Memphis Grizzlies, 35-22: The Grizzlies lost nine of their last 13 coming into the break, which saw them lose some steam in the hunt for the West’ No. 1 seed. There’s ample time to recover, and adding Luke Kennard’s sharpshooting from 3-point range moves the needle as a rotational piece. (Last ranking: 7)

5. Cleveland Cavaliers, 38-23: Cleveland rattled off seven wins in a row before falling to the 76ers in the last game prior to the break, and adding Danny Green to the rotation was a sneaky-good pickup. (Last ranking: 5)

4. Philadelphia 76ers, 38-19: The 76ers have won 13 of their last 16, including four in a row, entering the break. The deadline could’ve been better, as they added McDaniels from Charlotte and Dedmon in the buyout market, so let’s see how they fare going into the postseason push. (Last ranking: 4)

3. Denver Nuggets, 41-18: The No. 1 seed feels like Denver’s to lose. If the Nuggets can stay healthy, they have the depth needed to make a serious run to the NBA Finals, even if their defense isn’t the most convincing. Adding Thomas Bryant at the deadline was a huge upgrade over DeAndre Jordan, as they now have an offensive presence anchoring the interior when Jokic needs a breather. They only drop a spot because of what the next team has done. (Last ranking: 2)

2. Milwaukee Bucks, 41-17: Milwaukee is the most in-form team in the NBA having won 12 straight, including 14 of its last 15. Khris Middleton still isn’t at his best, and the Bucks will have Jae Crowder filling a crucial void as a versatile wing and forward with plenty of big-game experience. The battle for the top seed out East will be fascinating. (Last ranking: 3)

1. Boston Celtics, 42-17: It’s not easy to dethrone the Celtics – this is their third time in a row maintaining the top spot in the power rankings. They’ve consistently been the best-performing team all season and added a high-volume shooting center in Muscala at the deadline, so their quest for Banner No. 18 remains vigorous. (Last ranking: 1)