Happy New Year! Here are the top 10 NBA teams RIGHT NOW!
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
Winns of 10 of their last 11, Cleveland is pulling away from the Celtics. This week features tough but winnable matchups against the Warriors, Lakers, Mavericks, and Hornets. A 4-0 week would see Cleveland well on their way to leading the power rankings for another consecutive week.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder enter Week 11 on an 11-game winning streak. This week features matchups against the Timberwolves, Clippers, Knicks, and Celtics. The second half of this week’s schedule could put an end to their winning streak.
3. New York Knicks
New York battled last week and currently has a seven-game winning streak. Jalen Brunson continues to lead the way, and the Knicks will look to increase their winning streak against Washington and Utah early in the week. They end week 11 with contests at Oklahoma City and Chicago.
4. Boston Celtics
Slumps happen, and Boston has dropped four of their last six games. The defending NBA champs will look to rebound this week with matchups against Toronto, Minnesota, Houston, and Oklahoma City. After Toronto, the matchups are no cakewalks, but Boston will look to build momentum, especially with a win over Oklahoma City.
5. Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis will need to pick up the slack with Ja Morant out due to injury. Scottie Pippen Jr. is poised for more minutes, and Memphis is in line for a West Coast trip with games against Phoenix, Sacramento, and Golden State.
6. Dallas Mavericks
Dallas was gaining great momentum, but Luka Doncic is slated to miss over a month. Doncic’s extended stay on the shelf will be tough, and Dallas enters week 11 with matchups against Sacramento, Houston, and Cleveland. The game against Cleveland will paint a picture of whether Dallas must make a move to boost the roster while Doncic is out.
7. Houston Rockets
Houston continues to outproduce opponents during the first quarter of games, but production dwindles after the first quarter. Houston needs more consistency out of their starters, and until this changes, it can be rough sailing ahead.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves
The roller coaster ride continues for Minnesota. They rattled off a few wins and lost a handful of games. However, they are staying above .500, but they must find a way to be consistent, or they could find themselves below .500 as the schedule flips to 2025.
9. Miami Heat
Miami’s front office stated they have no intention to trade Jimmy Butler. That said, Miami continues to play hard and find ways to win. This week’s schedule sees favorable matchups against New Orleans, Indiana, and Utah.
10. Orlando Magic
Orlando continues to gain respect around the league. They lost Paolo Banchero early in the season but continue to play hard and post a respectable record. Banchero has yet to return, but the Magic continue to be a feisty matchup. Banchero’s will only help Orlando continue to power up the rankings.
