Last week featured the highly anticipated Oklahoma City Thunder at Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers wound up with a 129-122 win. The win not only solidified Cleveland as the top team in the NBA but gave them an 11th straight victory. Oklahoma City gets their chance at revenge this Thursday. It will be another must-see game.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 33-5
Cleveland had their first matchup with Oklahoma City a week ago and capped off a 129-122 victory for their 11th straight win. After, they upped their win streak to 12 games before falling to Indiana on Sunday. Cleveland has shown no signs of slowing down, and they get their second and final game against Oklahoma City on Thursday.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder 32-6
Last week saw a tough loss at the hands of Cleveland, but are set to meet for the final time on Thursday. Chet Holmgren missed last week’s game, but his return will give Oklahoma City a much-needed boost.
3. Boston Celtics 28-11
Boston continues to win, but there is concern about opponents outproducing them from the arc. They need to tighten up their defense and prevent opponents from seeing uncontested three-pointers. Boston is a top team and will be gunning for another NBA Finals appearance.
4. Houston Rockets 25-12
Winning the possession battle and limiting turnovers will always lead to victories. Houston has done both well of late and continues their hot run. This week features tough matchups against Memphis, Denver, and Sacramento, ending the week against Portland. Houston’s defense will need to show up greatly during their first three games.
5. Memphis Grizzlies 25-14
Memphis continues to outproduce opponents in the first half of games. They’ve shown recent struggles winning close games but pulled off a 127-125 victory against Minnesota on Saturday. Memphis will need to be at their best this week, with one game against Houston and two against San Antonio.
6. New York Knicks 26-14
New York hit an offensive rough patch of late but still rank as one of the NBA’s best offensively and defensively. Look for New York to get back on track this week with games against Detroit, Philadelphia, and Minnesota.
7. Denver Nuggets 23-15
Denver continues to rise in the rankings thanks to their improved defense. This was the tweak Denver needed after a mediocre start to the season. The healthy Nuggets are ready to continue their ascent, leaving the rest of the league on notice.
8. Indiana Pacers 22-18
Indiana enters Week 13 as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Winners of seven of their last 10 games, Indiana will enter a tough matchup with Cleveland, followed by games against Detroit and Philadelphia.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves 20-18
Consistency issues continue to be a problem for Minnesota. One week, they are sitting at .500, and the next, they jump a game or two above. The roller coaster ride moves forward this week with games against Washington, Golden State, New York, and Cleveland.
10. Los Angeles Clippers 20-17
The Clippers are a bad three-point shooting team. It is as simple as that. They are one of the worst at hitting wide-open threes, and teams can breathe a sigh of relief when late closing in on a shooter. The Western Conference has been a lot less competitive than the East, and this has allowed the Clippers to stay afloat for as long as they have.
11. Dallas Mavericks 22-17
Dallas finished last week 2-2 and continues to tread water while Luka Doncic is out. It is hard to nitpick a team that is playing without their best player, and the Mavericks have played well in Doncic’s absence. Kyrie Irving is dealing with a bulging disc in his back, and missing an extended period could make things interesting seeing Dallas play a handful of games without their two best players.
12. Los Angeles Lakers 20-16
As with a majority of the season, the Lakers have been in nearly every game they’ve played. They’ve won close games but also dropped close games. They’ve struggled against better teams but have not gotten blown out since December 4th (134-93). This week’s schedule features home games against San Antonio, Miami, and Brooklyn, followed by a road matchup against Brooklyn.
13. Milwaukee Bucks 20-17
Milwaukee has chased consistency for most of the season but continues to stay above .500. At this point, their main objective is to enter the All-Star Break fully healthy. Assuming Giannis isn’t tired out by the playoffs, it is hard to bet against a Giannis-led team in a playoff series.
14. Orlando Magic 23-18
Paolo Banchero made his anticipated return but the Magic are still without Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs but look to rebound from last week’s 1-2 record with tough games against Milwaukee, Boston, and Denver.
15. Sacramento Kings 20-19
Sacramento has won seven straight games and has turned the page following Mike Brown’s departure as head coach. They’ve picked up their defensive efficiency, even in De’Aaron Fox’s absence, and will look to increase their win streak with games against Milwaukee, Houston, and Washington.
16. Miami Heat 20-17
Miami started the New Year with a victory over New Orleans, followed by three straight losses. However, after Monday’s overtime loss to Sacramento, Miami has racked up three straight wins. Nikola Jovic has been a bright spot in the last three games, averaging 17 points and 6 rebounds off the bench.
17. Golden State Warriors 19-19
Through their first 15 games, Golden State went 12-3. Since November 22, the Warriors are 7-16. In desperate need of a wing defender, they could continue to struggle as the season progresses until they make a move.
18. Detroit Pistons 20-19
Detroit has won 9 of their last 11 games, but the loss of Jaden Ivey will be felt defensively. They’re over .500, but the schedule starts to get tougher with this week’s matchups featuring games against New York, Indiana, and Phoenix.
19. Phoenix Suns 19-19
Back at .500, Phoenix has made lineup changes to help with defense. This has led to winning four of their last five games. The Suns will look to build on their recent success with games against Atlanta, Washington, and Detroit.
20. San Antonio Spurs 18-19
San Antonio has hit a rough patch, dropping both games last week. Their young roster will have weeks where they face adversity, but they are poised to rebound. However, the rough ride could continue this week with tough matchups against the Los Angeles Lakers, two with Memphis, and Miami.
21. Atlanta Hawks 19-19
Jalen Johnson’s absence has been rough, as Atlanta is 2-4 without the emerging star. For a team that lives and dies by the three while giving up one of the league’s highest opponent three-point percentages, it is expected for the Hawks to have issues numerous times during the season. Atlanta enters Week 13 with contests against Phoenix, Chicago, and Boston.
22. Chicago Bulls 18-21
Chicago continues to struggle against the Western Conference (3-8) compared to the Eastern Conference (15-13). Week 13 will be an interesting test for the Bulls as they open against New Orleans, followed by games against Atlanta and Charlotte before ending the week at Portland.
23. Philadelphia 76ers 15-22
Philadelphia’s dreadful season continues with Embiid missing time yet again. If the season ended today, they would be out of the play-in tournament. Tyrese Maxey continues to shoulder the workload, but the 76ers have dropped recent games with Maxey and Paul George on the court.
24. Portland Trail Blazers 13-25
1-3 after last week, Portland’s main bright spot was Deni Avdija. Reaching 20 victories seems to be a long shot, but at least this week’s four games are at home.
25. Utah Jazz 10-28
It is hard to be successful when you struggle defensively. This has been the story for the entire season, and it is hard to believe this will be fixed by season’s end. At this point, Utah is headed for the draft lottery.
26. Brooklyn Nets 13-26
Brooklyn continues to lose their best players to injury, and it’s become apparent they are far from competitive with the talent on their bench. The Nets dropped all four games in Week 12 and may see another week of losses with matchups this week against Portland, both Los Angeles teams, and Oklahoma City.
27. New Orleans Pelicans 8-32
One more loss, and the Pelicans have equaled their total number of losses from last season. The horrendous season continues to roll along in New Orleans, but Zion Williamson is back on the court, but for how long?
28. Toronto Raptors 8-31
Toronto dropped all four games a week ago but saw Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Scottie Barnes on the court together. At this point, it may be best to increase their lottery odds for the number one overall pick (Cooper Flagg).
29. Charlotte Hornets 8-28
The Hornets continue to be one of the league’s worst teams in offensive and defensive efficiency. Charlotte is 1-11 over their last 12 games and will be in the running for the top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
30. Washington Wizards 6-31
Washington is the worst team, offensively and defensively. Not one team ranks below them in either category. It is to the point where you almost feel bad if Cooper Flagg ends up in Washington.
