NBA Power Rankings: Celtics Stay Hot, Suns Gain Momentum

New year, new No. 1 team. Plus, the Heat are managing to stack wins despite injuries while the Timberwolves take a tumble.

As debut’s go, OG Anunoby’s first game with the New York Knicks was a good one. Playing less than 48 hours after being acquired from the Toronto Raptors, Anunoby scored 17 points in 35 minutes. Most importantly: The Knicks won, knocking off the Minnesota Timberwolves, 112–106, to end a three-game losing streak.

"I felt good," Anunoby said. "Just trying to help the team on both ends. Just talking to guys on defense and them talking to me, helping know where to be and stuff. Felt good."

In Anunoby, the Knicks add to the lineup one of the NBA’s better two-way players, a sturdy, 6’7” forward who can guard anyone from Jayson Tatum to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Over the last four years, Anunoby, 26, has shot 47.0% from the floor and 38.2% from three-point range. He’s a winner, with a championship on his resume to prove it.

Still, the price to get him was steep. Immanuel Quickley is the frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year, or at least he was until the Raptors made him a starter. For all his efficiency issues, RJ Barrett is a legitimate 18–20 point per game scorer. Quickly, 24, and Barrett, 23, are years from their primes. And don’t dismiss that second-round pick, which will be rerouted again from Detroit. The way the Pistons are playing, that pick will be the closest thing to first-round value.

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Ultimately the success of this deal for New York will come down to fit—which looks pretty good so far—and exactly how much it costs the Knicks to re-sign him. If the Knicks can get Anunoby, an unrestricted free agent next summer, back at $25–30 million per season, great. If they have to max him out at closer to $40 million, that’s a contract that could become problematic, especially with Jalen Brunson able to hit free agency in 2025.

Let’s jump into Sports Illustrated’s latest NBA power rankings … 

1. Boston Celtics

Last week: 2

How many All-Stars do the Celtics have? At least two. Probably three. Maybe four? Derrick White is making a strong case. White is averaging a modest 17 points per game. But he’s shooting 41.6% from three and playing elite defense. Consider: Since the 1946-47 season, only eight players have averaged at least 1.3 steals and blocks in a single season. White is on pace to be the ninth.

Tatum reacts during Boston's Christmas Day win over the Lakers :: Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

Last week: 4

How’s this for an MVP case: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is up to 31.2 points on 54.6% shooting, chipping in 5.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and a league-best 2.6 steals per game. Anyone else geeked up for OKC-Boston on Tuesday night?

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

Last week: 1

Signs of trouble in Minnesota? ‘Wolves coach Chris Finch criticized the team’s selfish play in a win over Dallas and said the team got punked on the offensive glass in a loss to the Knicks. Turnovers are a problem: Minnesota is averaging 14.7 per game, fourth-worst in the NBA.

4. Denver Nuggets

Last week: 5

Aaron Gordon is out? OK, here comes Peyton Watson with a 20-point effort in a win over Memphis last week. Watson, 21, has emerged as a leader on Denver’s second unit, which ranks sixth in the NBA in bench plus/minus.

5. Milwaukee Bucks

Last week: 7

The Bucks’ offense is humming. Milwaukee averaged 131.5 points per game in December, the highest scoring December in NBA history and the fourth-highest scoring month ever. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s December: 32.5 points (on 61.6% shooting), 11.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists. The MVP race is going to be really competitive.

6. Los Angeles Clippers

Last week: 6

The Clips quickly righted the ship after back-to-back losses to Oklahoma City and Boston, ripping off three straight wins against Charlotte, Memphis and Miami. Los Angeles surged in December, finishing the month 11–2 and with Kawhi Leonard back and Mason Plumlee on the way, the Clippers begin January at nearly full strength.

7. Philadelphia 76ers

Last week: 3

Couple of bumps for the Sixers on the recently concluded Joel Embiid-less road trip. But Tyrese Maxey continues to shine. Maxey scored 42 points in a win over Houston last week, bumping his scoring average up to 26.1 points this season. Nick Nurse told reporters “we’re on this road to him being a legit star player in this league.” That road is going to be a short one.

Maxey is averaging a career-best 26.1 points per game this season :: Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports

8. Indiana Pacers

Last week: 13

A four-game winning streak—capped by Monday’s road win over newly minted blood rival Milwaukee—seems to have broken Indiana out of its post in-season tournament malaise. Aaron Nesmith continues to be a revelation from beyond the three-point line. Nesmith is connecting on 47.1% of his threes, more than 10 points better than last season.

9. Sacramento Kings

Last week: 8

Seriously—what is up with Kevin Huerter? Huerter’s shooting numbers are down across the board this season, including a five-point drop from beyond the three-point line, resulting in him being pulled from the starting lineup against Memphis on Sunday. Meanwhile Sacramento is still searching for consistency defensively but how’s this for a weird stat: The Kings have the NBA’s best defensive rating (93) in clutch situations—defined as the last five minutes of a game with the score within five points—more than three points better than the second-place Knicks.

10. New Orleans Pelicans

Last week: 9

A team with so many good isolation players—Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum— should be efficient in the clutch. The Pelicans aren’t, ranking 25th in the NBA in clutch time offensive rating. That cost them two winnable games against Memphis and is something New Orleans is focused on cleaning up. Said McCollum: “We are putting the ball in our best players’ hands. It’s just about making sure the spacing is right.”

11. Orlando Magic

Last week: 10

What a pickup Goga Bitadze has been for the Magic. Waived by Indiana last season, Bitadze has been a terrific fill-in for Wendell Carter as a starter, providing defense and rebounding off the bench. Bitadze isn’t a floor spacer, but he’s been terrific on the offensive glass and his true shooting percentage (63.6%) is outstanding.

12. Miami Heat

Last week: 20

Eight. That’s the number of games the Heat have had Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro on the floor together, which includes the 23 minutes Butler played before exiting a loss to Utah with a foot injury last week. Miami, unsurprisingly, has found ways to win regardless, but a league-high 18 different starting lineups in 33 games creates challenges. Hopefully this latest injury won’t keep Butler out long.

13. Phoenix Suns

Last week: 18

Three games with Bradley Beal back, three wins for Phoenix, which has a top-10 offensive and defensive rating in those three. It’s a small sample size—and the Suns’ wins, all at home, have come against Charlotte, Orlando and Portland—but Phoenix will take anything resembling consistency at this point.

14. Dallas Mavericks

Last week: 13

Keep an eye on Dallas as a potential landing spot for Pascal Siakam, who is exactly the kind of plus defender and rebounder the Mavericks need right now. Rival execs expect Dallas to get aggressive in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, with the Mavs eager to improve a below average defense.

15. Cleveland Cavaliers

Last week: 15

Don’t expect the Cavs to trade Donovan Mitchell this season, or at least that’s the indication teams have been getting from Cleveland the last few weeks. The injury ravaged Cavaliers (2–3 over their last five games) may have to make a decision on Mitchell, a free agent in 2025, at some point, but it won’t come until this summer at the earliest.

Mitchell and the Cavaliers ahve  :: Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports

16. New York Knicks

Last week: 11

Let the OG Era begin! The Knicks may not be done wheeling and dealing after acquiring Anunoby. Quickley’s exit left a hole in the backcourt. A scoring guard like Jordan Clarkson, who might be available in Utah, could fill it. Anything to get Brunson—playing a career-high 35.9 minutes per game this season—a little help.

17. Los Angeles Lakers

Last week: 14

Are the Lakers in trouble? Blaming in-season tournament fatigue for a disastrous December was weird, as was LeBron James’s suggestion that injuries were an issue for a team that, save for the ongoing problems with Gabe Vincent, has been largely healthy. Rob Pelinka has a few more weeks before he has to decide if this offensively challenged team needs a shakeup.

18. Golden State Warriors

Last week: 19

The good vibes from that mid-December five-game winning streak were replaced by familiar frustrating ones following a three-game losing skid to close out the month. The team is openly talking of a disconnect—most notably defensively—that needs to be addressed. With Draymond Green likely returning in the next few weeks, Golden State needs to get right quickly.

19. Houston Rockets

Last week: 16

Jalen Green broke out of his season-long shooting funk the last two games, collecting 53 points on 58% shooting. Getting the best out of Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, is a top priority in Houston, which, despite some recent struggles, begins the new year squarely in the Western Conference playoff mix.

20. Utah Jazz

Last week: 24

Wait—are the Jazz good? Utah has won five of its last six—including back-to-back wins over Miami and Dallas—to inch closer to .500. Jordan Clarkson picked up a triple-double in the win over the Mavericks. Why is that notable? Because it’s the first Jazz triple-double in 16 years. Wild.

21. Chicago Bulls

Last week: 17

The Bulls keep picking up just enough quality-ish wins—against the Lakers, Hawks and Embiid-less Sixers—to stay relevant. Zach LaVine could return this week from a foot injury. Which is a good thing … right? The Bulls are 10–5 since LaVine went out in late November, with Coby White assuming a leading role.

22. Memphis Grizzlies

Last week: 26

Just when you thought Memphis was going to make a storybook run to the playoffs … the Grizz lose three straight to sink deeper into the hole Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension put them in. Memphis really needs help on the glass. The Grizz are 24th in the NBA in rebounding and are averaging fewer than 40 rebounds per game in their 22 losses. And Steven Adams isn’t walking through that door.

In five games since returning from suspension, Morant is averaging 25.2 points and 7.8 assists per game :: Petre Thomas/USA TODAY Sports

23. Atlanta Hawks

Last week: 21

It’s starting to feel like when, not if, the Hawks deal Dejounte Murray, who is having a strong season—38.3% from three-point range—but just isn’t working opposite Trae Young. Jalen Johnson picked up right where he left off after missing a month with a wrist injury, collecting a double-double in his last two games.

24. Brooklyn Nets

Last week: 22

What Brooklyn did last week, organizationally quitting on a home game against Milwaukee, was disgraceful. Let’s put aside the need to rest a group of largely 20-somethings. But doing it at home? In front of a sold-out crowd? That wasn’t right. It felt like karma when the Nets went to Washington for the next game and lost to the lowly Wizards. Just a goofy thing to do.

25. Toronto Raptors

Last week: 23

Is the Anunoby trade the start of a tear down in Toronto? The Raptors have six weeks to make a decision on Pascal Siakam, the free agent to be who scored 36 points in a win over Cleveland on Monday. The Raps are clearly trying to build with youth—Quickley, Barrett, Scottie Barnes are all 24 or younger—which puts Siakam, 29, on the outs. Will someone step up with a big enough offer to pry him loose?

26. Portland Trail Blazers

Last week: 25

Some good news in a forgettable Blazers season: Scoot Henderson is showing signs of life. The rookie racked up 22 points and 11 assists in a win over San Antonio last week and has a double-double in two of his last four games. Henderson’s shot remains erratic, but he’s gone 7-for-13 from deep over his last three games. So there’s that.

Henderson has averaged 18.6 points and 6.8 assists over his past five games :: Howard Lao/AP

27. Washington Wizards

Last week: 29

Remember when Jordan Poole was a lock for Most Improved Player? Poole’s numbers are down across the board from last season as he’s struggled in a leading role. Tyus Jones is having an outstanding season, shooting 53.7% from the floor and 42.5% from three. Jones, 27, could be a hot commodity closer to the trade deadline.

28. Charlotte Hornets

Last week: 27

I know LaMelo Ball is out, but there is a positively Pistons-esque quality to watching the Hornets, in that you not only expect them to lose but to get crushed. Charlotte has the third worst point differential—ahead of San Antonio and aforementioned Detroit—and has lost 11 straight, the last three by a combined 53 points.

29. San Antonio Spurs

Last week: 28

In the grand scheme of the Victor Wembanyama era, it probably won’t matter. But the Spurs are really bad, with a 33-point home tattooing by Boston on Sunday serving as the latest reminder. Priority No. 1 for San Antonio this offseason has to be finding a starting point guard. All the Jeremy Sochan experiment has revealed is that Sochan is not a point guard. In the meantime, play Tre Jones more.

30. Detroit Pistons

Last week: 30

The joy of ending a 28-game losing streak was fleeting as the Pistons began a four-game road trip with a 23-point loss to Houston on (Thompson) Twin Night. Detroit’s effort has been a nice story, but if the Pistons continue to be this bad defensively, a single digit win season is within reach.