As the calendar flips to February, the 2023-24 regular season is mere days away from the NBA trade deadline. This will give contenders one last chance to make significant upgrades on their roster before the playoffs.
This past week also saw the All-Star rosters fully announced as the league prepares for the weekend festivities. The best players this season were recognized.
The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder continue to be two of the best teams in the league this season. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrated sending three representatives to the All-Star game.
Meanwhile, it’s a doomsday scenario with the Philadelphia 76ers, who’ve lost MVP candidate Joel Embiid for an extended period with a knee injury. It will likely cost him a chance to repeat as MVP due to the 65-game minimum requirement.
Let’s look at this week’s edition of Thunder Wire’s NBA power rankings for the week of Jan. 29 to Feb. 4:
30
Detroit Pistons (6-42)
Previous ranking: 30
The Pistons have been the undisputable worst team in the league this season as they continue to rack up losses. They’ve recently played better though, not getting blown out from the get-go in their contests.
29
Washington Wizards (9-40)
Previous ranking: 29
The Wizards have gone 2-4 under interim coach Brian Keefe. At this point, it’s safe to predict they’ll finish with top-three lottery odds. Especially if Washington becomes active sellers this week with plenty of tradeable options.
28
Charlotte Hornets (10-38)
Previous ranking: 28
The Hornets own the longest active losing streak in the league at seven losses in a row. The bright side is No. 2 pick Brandon Miller has found a groove recently, being named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for January. He’s been the lone bright spot of a forgettable season for Charlotte.
27
San Antonio Spurs (10-40)
Previous ranking: 27
It’s been rough recently for the Spurs as they’ve lost four in a row. At least Victor Wembanyama continues to play like one of the best rookies. The French phenom earned Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors for January.
26
Toronto Raptors (17-32)
Previous ranking: 25
The Raptors have made a lot of progress with racking up losses recently. Toronto has lost 10 of its last 12 matchups, including the last two — which featured a blown 23-point lead against OKC. With the departures of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes has become the Raptors’ best player.
25
Brooklyn Nets (20-28)
Previous ranking: 24
Expect the Nets to be the team to watch out for the most in this week’s trade deadline. Brooklyn is going nowhere this season and it has several veteran wing options that’ll be attractive for buyers. Ben Simmons also made his return this week after a lengthy absence but tweaked his ankle in his first game back.
24
Memphis Grizzlies (18-32)
Previous ranking: 21
A five-game losing streak has snatched away any hope of a late push for a playoff spot for the depleted Grizzlies. The latest loss was Marcus Smart’s return to Boston as he sat out the contest. Memphis is simply too injured to collect enough wins. It’s been a lost season for the Grizzlies as they continue to navigate through significant absences.
23
Portland Trail Blazers (15-35)
Previous ranking: 26
This is a lost season for the Trail Blazers, but this week saw the return of franchise icon Damian Lillard to Portland. Both parties made the tough decision to part ways after years of stagnation. The Trail Blazers collected their best win of the season when they beat the Bucks.
22
Chicago Bulls (23-27)
Previous ranking: 20
The Bulls received a massive blow this week when it was announced Zach LaVine would miss the rest of the season with foot surgery. The 28-year-old has struggled to stay healthy this season, only playing in 25 games. Chicago is still in the play-in range and has played well in LaVine’s absence this season.
21
Golden State Warriors (21-25)
Previous ranking: 22
Steph Curry’s season-high 60 points was spoiled in an overtime loss to the Hawks. It’s been that type of season for Golden State as its struggled with consistency despite another All-Star campaign from its franchise player.
20
Atlanta Hawks (22-27)
Previous ranking: 23
A four-game winning streak might be too little, too late for the Hawks as they likely enter this week’s trade deadline as sellers. Expect Dejounte Murray to have a market if they do. It was also a tough week for Trae Young, who was arguably the biggest All-Star snub.
19
Houston Rockets (23-26)
Previous ranking: 19
A quiet month might’ve cost Alperen Sengun his first career All-Star bid. The third-year center wasn’t announced as a reserve, which means his only chance left is being an injury replacement. Jalen Green has also played great recently, stringing together several 30-point performances. Houston also made a move this week for next season, as it acquired Steven Adams — who is out for the season — from the Grizzlies.
18
Utah Jazz (25-26)
Previous ranking: 15
The red-hot Jazz have cooled off a bit, going 4-6 in their last 10 outings. Utah continues to be in the range for a playoff spot, so it likely won’t make any drastic roster changes during the trade deadline.
17
Los Angeles Lakers (26-25)
Previous ranking: 16
It was a gossip-filled week for the Lakers as LeBron James needed to shoot down a rumor that he requested a trade. He also had a signature passive-aggressive tweet with an hourglass emoji that many interpreted as him wanting change following an inconsistent start to Los Angeles’ season. The drama surrounding the Lakers continues to grow ahead of the trade deadline.
16
Miami Heat (26-24)
Previous ranking: 17
A seven-game losing streak for the Heat was snapped when they won against the Kings on Wednesday. After falling off in recent weeks, Miami hopes to jumpstart its season. It continues to hover around the playoffs, which is all it needs considering its historic playoff success.
15
Dallas Mavericks (26-23)
Previous ranking: 13
Injuries have started to recently pile up with the Mavericks. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have each dealt with nagging injuries. Dallas has gone 3-7 in its last 10 games and has hovered around .500 for most of the season.
14
Indiana Pacers (28-23)
Previous ranking: 12
An early return from a hamstring strain has caused the Pacers to slowly integrate Tyrese Haliburton back into their lineup. The All-Star starter will get a chance to play a few more games before he headlines the NBA’s weekend extravaganza.
13
Orlando Magic (27-23)
Previous ranking: 18
Struggles over recent weeks appear to be over for the Magic as they’ve won three in a row. Orlando celebrated Paolo Banchero’s first career All-Star berth this week. He’s led them to their best start in recent memory.
12
New Orleans Pelicans (28-21)
Previous ranking: 14
The Pelicans have enjoyed both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson being relatively healthy this season. The duo has led New Orleans to one of its best starts in recent history.
11
Sacramento Kings (29-19)
Previous ranking: 11
The Kings might have the strongest collective case for All-Star snubs. Sacramento is one of the best teams in the league and both De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis have strong odds to be named as injury replacements if needed.
10
Philadelphia 76ers (30-18)
Previous ranking: 9
It’s been an awful week for the Sixers, to say the least. They lost their MVP candidate Joel Embiid for an unknown amount of time after suffering a knee injury as he looked hobbled in his last game. Philly’s season is spiraling out of control as it will try to overcome its franchise player’s absence.
9
Phoenix Suns (29-21)
Previous ranking: 10
The Suns are starting to cook, winning seven of their last 10 contests. Devin Booker was named Western Conference Player of the Month for January and joined Kevin Durant for the All-Star game.
8
Milwaukee Bucks (33-17)
Previous ranking: 5
The Bucks have struggled recently, going 5-5 in their last 10 games. It’ll take some adjustment for new head coach Doc Rivers, who was named an All-Star head coach. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard will join their head coach for the weekend festivities.
7
New York Knicks (32-18)
Previous ranking: 8
The Knicks have been one of the best teams in the league since the start of 2024. A recent nine-game winning streak was snapped, but that doesn’t take away how impressive New York has looked this season. They were awarded for their season with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle being named as All-Stars.
6
Cleveland Cavaliers (31-16)
Previous ranking: 7
It’s been a hot stretch for the Cavaliers in recent weeks, winning nine of their last 10 games, including a current five-game winning streak. Cleveland has had MVP-like play from Donovan Mitchell and recently returned Evan Mobley from a lengthy absence. Everything is going right for the Cavaliers this season.
5
Denver Nuggets (35-16)
Previous ranking: 4
It was a pretty relaxed week for the Nuggets, who won against the Trail Blazers twice. Nikola Jokic continues to play like an MVP candidate and the reigning NBA champions are within striking distance of the first seed.
4
Minnesota Timberwolves (35-15)
Previous ranking: 6
The Timberwolves had Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns named as All-Star reserves. They also had Chris Finch named as the All-Star head coach due to owning a tiebreaker over the Thunder. Minnesota’s been one of the best teams in the league this season.
3
LA Clippers (33-15)
Previous ranking: 3
Since trading for James Harden, the Clippers have been one of the best teams in the league. LA had both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George named as All-Stars this week. The Clippers have won three in a row and are 8-2 in their last 10 games.
2
Oklahoma City Thunder (35-15)
Previous ranking: 2
The Thunder won three of their four games in their most recent homestand. OKC has survived the absence of Jalen Williams due to light-weathered opponents like the Hornets and Raptors. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the best players in the league this season and will have an even stronger case for MVP with Embiid’s likely disqualification.
1
Boston Celtics (38-12)
Previous ranking: 1
The Celtics continue to be a winning machine, collecting wins in seven of their last 10 games. Boston’s success this season earned them a pair of All-Stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Celtics continue to be a dominant force in the regular season.
