As the calendar flips to 2024, the NBA regular season has reached the portion where only four months remain before the start of the playoffs.
The top class of the league continues to enjoy success as they rack up wins. The Boston Celtics look like the team to beat in the East while the West is dominated by a trio of Northwest division teams.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the league, the Detroit Pistons snapped a historic losing streak. The San Antonio Spurs continue to lose as No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama had his best game yet.
Let’s look at this week’s edition of Thunder Wire’s NBA power rankings, capping the week of Dec. 25 to Dec. 31:
30
Detroit Pistons (3-29)
Previous ranking: 30
The Pistons finally did it. After suffering through a historic 28-game losing streak — the longest in NBA history — Detroit finally picked up a win for the first time in over two months. The Pistons squeezed out a close win over the short-handed Raptors.
29
San Antonio Spurs (5-27)
Previous ranking: 29
The biggest benefactor of the Pistons’ historic losing streak might be the Spurs, who are off to an almost equally bad start. San Antonio continues to lose as they’ve lost seven of their last eight games. At least Spurs fans saw Victor Wembanyama’s best game yet of 30 points, seven blocks, six assists and six rebounds this past week.
28
Charlotte Hornets (7-23)
Previous ranking: 27
With the Pistons’ win, the Hornets now own the longest active losing streak in the league with 10. Charlotte continues to tank down the standings as Gordon Hayward looks like he’ll be an option for buyers this trade deadline. At least Brandon Miller looks good!
27
Washington Wizards (6-26)
Previous ranking: 28
The Wizards continue to be one of the worst teams in the league. Washington’s only win out of their last five contests came against the struggling Nets.
26
Portland Trail Blazers (9-22)
Previous ranking: 26
The Trail Blazers continue to be one of the worst teams in the league, but they’ve collected two wins over their last three contests. No. 3 picked rookie Scoot Henderson has had back-to-back 20-plus point outings.
25
Toronto Raptors (12-20)
Previous ranking: 25
The Raptors’ slow descent to the bottom of the league continued this week as they’ve lost two in a row — including having the dishonor to hand the Pistons a win. Off the court, they completed a notable trade with the Knicks where they shipped OG Anunoby in exchange for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. If Toronto decides to be a seller, it has plenty of attractive options available for other teams.
24
Memphis Grizzlies (10-22)
Previous ranking: 24
Ja Morant’s return provided a quick shot in the arm for the Grizzlies, but after winning his first four games back, they’ve lost three in a row — all in blowouts to contenders against the Nuggets, Clippers and Kings. Memphis still has stuff to figure out and with such a slim margin for error for its playoff aspirations, it needs to figure it out quickly.
23
Brooklyn Nets (15-18)
Previous ranking: 20
After a hot start to the season, the Nets have cooled off. Brooklyn has lost three consecutive games with two being lopsided defeats handed by the Bucks and Thunder.
22
Atlanta Hawks (13-19)
Previous ranking: 21
The Hawks continue to stay in mediocrity purgatory. Recently, it’s been more losses than wins though as they’ve gone 1-4 in their last five outings. Trae Young continues to have a monster year for Atlanta with 28.3 points and 11.3 assists.
21
Chicago Bulls (15-19)
Previous ranking: 22
The Bulls continue to survive without their franchise player Zach LaVine. Chicago’s latest win saw them beat the mighty Sixers as DeMar DeRozan and Coby White continue to carry it.
20
Utah Jazz (14-19)
Previous ranking: 23
As soon as you start to count out the Jazz as a tanking team, they reel off a string of wins. This time, Utah has won seven of its last 10 games with its latest win coming against the Heat.
19
Golden State Warriors (15-17)
Previous ranking: 17
After winning five in a row, the Warriors are currently struggling through a three-game losing streak. Golden State continues to be inconsistent as Steph Curry is turning in another great campaign.
18
Houston Rockets (15-15)
Previous ranking: 13
It continues to be a season of streaks for the Rockets. Houston is either in the midst of a long winning streak or a long losing streak. Right now, they’ve lost three in a row as Tyrese Maxey dropped 42 points to lead the Embiid-less Sixers over Houston.
17
Los Angeles Lakers (17-17)
Previous ranking: 15
The Lakers continue to struggle following their in-season tournament championship win. Los Angeles has gone 3-7 in its last 10 games with losses to the Timberwolves and Pelicans recently. LeBron James continues to do his best to keep the Lakers afloat.
16
New York Knicks (17-15)
Previous ranking: 16
The Knicks have hit a recent wall, losing three consecutive games. New York has allowed 120-plus points in four of its last five games. Help is on the way though as OG Anunoby was traded to the Knicks this past week.
15
Phoenix Suns (17-15)
Previous ranking: 18
Things are looking up for the Suns as they’ve won three in a row and recently welcomed back Bradley Beal after a multi-week absence. Phoenix has a chance for its trio of Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to play for an extended time for the first time this season.
14
Indiana Pacers (17-14)
Previous ranking: 19
After a recent skid, the Pacers have won three consecutive games. Tyrese Haliburton continues to establish himself as one of the best guards in the league with averages of 24.6 points and 12.8 assists.
13
Cleveland Cavaliers (18-14)
Previous ranking: 14
The Cavaliers continue to overcome the absences of Evan Mobley and Darius Garland. Impressive road wins over the Mavericks and Bulls has Cleveland looking like a viable playoff threat. Donovan Mitchell headlines the Cavaliers’ roster with 28 points and 5.7 assists.
12
Orlando Magic 19-13
Previous ranking: 11
After a hot start to their season, the Magic has gone 4-6 in their last 10 games. Regardless, that shouldn’t take away from their successful season so far. Orlando has built a promising core of Paola Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.
11
Dallas Mavericks (19-14)
Previous ranking: 9
Luka Doncic continues to be otherworldy for the Mavericks as they continue to play without Kyrie Irving. On the season, Doncic has averaged 33.9 points, 9.3 assists and 8.4 rebounds. He continues to be one of the best players in the league.
10
New Orleans Pelicans (19-14)
Previous ranking: 12
The duo of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson has found a groove as the Pelicans continue to be one of the better teams in the league. New Orleans has won two in a row as their latest win saw the duo score 26 points respectively over the Lakers.
9
Sacramento Kings (19-12)
Previous ranking: 10
After a bad loss to the Trail Blazers, the Kings have bounced back with wins over the Hawks and Grizzlies. De’Aaron Fox continues to enjoy a career season as he’s averaged 30 points this season.
8
Miami Heat (19-13)
Previous ranking: 7
The Heat continue to be one of the best teams in the league as they collected a signature win over the Sixers on Christmas. Rookie Jamie Jaquez Jr. led Miami with 31 points in the win. Even without Jimmy Butler, Miami is a machine.
7
LA Clippers (19-12)
Previous ranking: 8
Missing Kawhi Leonard, the duo of Paul George and James Harden have picked up the slack for the Clippers. LA has gone 2-2 since Leonard suffered a hip contusion that’s kept him out of action for four games. The good news is he’s looking near a return.
6
Denver Nuggets (23-11)
Previous ranking: 5
Even though they lost their last contest to the Thunder, the Nuggets were previously on a six-game winning streak. The reigning NBA champions continue to be a staple among the NBA’s contenders. Denver will soon welcome back Aaron Gordon, who suffered face lacerations.
5
Philadelphia 76ers (22-10)
Previous ranking: 3
The Sixers continue to do just enough to overcome Joel Embiid’s current absence with an ankle injury, going 2-2 in their last four games. The reigning MVP is having another monster season and could see himself repeat as the league winner.
4
Milwaukee Bucks (24-8)
Previous ranking: 2
The duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have been as good as advertised. The All-Star duo has heated the Bucks with nine wins in their last 10 contests. Milwaukee has been a staple of the league’s contenders for several years now.
3
Minnesota Timberwolves (24-7)
Previous ranking: 4
Outside of a blemish against OKC, the Timberwolves continue to rack up wins in their most successful season in recent history. Minnesota continues to be one of the best teams in the league thanks to the trio of Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert.
2
Oklahoma City Thunder (22-9)
Previous ranking: 6
The record might not be as attractive as some teams below them, but there’s no denying the Thunder’s successful week furthers cements their status as a contender. Blowout wins over the Timberwolves and Nuggets will help you jump up the power rankings.
1
Boston Celtics (26-6)
Previous ranking: 1
The one consistent in this season’s power rankings is that the Celtics remain atop. The Celtics have won six in a row and possess a league-best plus-10.5 point differential. Boston has a strong case for multiple All-Stars this season as Derrick White enjoys a career year.
