NBA Power Rankings: Celtics and Clippers surge, but Thunder still the team to beat

New York Times

15-04-2025

We have finally completed the 2024-25 regular season (1,230 games!) and almost have a complete postseason bracket. By this weekend, 16 teams will be participating in a Game 1.
Before I end this season's edition of the Power Rankings, I want to hand out the final grades for the season. I did say fourth-quarter grades were coming, so don't be surprised. I will add that the fourth quarter of the NBA season tends to be the silliest. Not every team had the same priorities:
Every NBA team's record in the last 20 games of the season
What stands out… pic.twitter.com/0LbVxoyzj3
— Law Murray 💭🚫 (@LawMurrayTheNU) April 14, 2025
We will attempt to give a letter grade to each team, with a focus on the last five weeks of the regular season. But consideration will be given to what teams did overall this season. So, sure, a team might have backed into the playoffs. But being one of the 12 teams to avoid the Play-In Tournament and earn a seven-game series is what every team wants, especially if it retained a healthy roster. Here are the first-quarter grades, as well as the second-quarter grades.
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A reminder: These Power Rankings won't just rank every team. We will retain the tiers that teams will be promoted into and relegated out of. There will be five tiers every week:
• Top Contenders — Locked at five, these are the class of the league
• In a Good Place — Could be one team, could be seven teams.
• The Bubble — Not to be confused with Walt Disney World. The middle of the pack.
• Not the Tier to Fear — Not playing the worst ball in the league, but with a lot of work to do.
• Basement Floor — Bringing up the rear.
Let's end the regular season with Week 25 of The Athletic's NBA Power Rankings. Records and statistics are final:
Last ranking: 1
In the last week: W vs. LAL, W at PHO, W at UTA, W at NO
Offensive rating: 119.2 (third)
Defensive rating: 106.6 (first)
First quarter: A-
Second quarter: A
Third quarter: A
Fourth quarter: A
The Thunder did it — they outscored their opponents by more points than any team in NBA history at 1,055. On average, Oklahoma City won by 13 points. Simply a powerful basketball team, and point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged only 1.9 turnovers with 7.3 assists over the last five weeks of the season.
Last ranking: 3
In the last week: W at NY, L at ORL, W vs. CHA, W vs. CHA
Offensive rating: 119.5 (second)
Defensive rating: 110.1 (fourth)
First quarter: A-
Second quarter: B-
Third quarter: B+
Fourth quarter: A
I wanted to see if the Celtics could get to 60 wins in back-to-back seasons. They got there, winning 17 of their last 20 games, and I expect them to get out of the Eastern Conference. So there you go, Celtics fans in the comments every week. A shoutout to Luke Kornet, who averaged 3.4 offensive rebounds per game over the last quarter of the season and should play more this postseason than he did last year.
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Last ranking: 2
In the last week: W vs. CHI, L at IND, W at NY, L vs. IND
Offensive rating: 121.0 (first)
Defensive rating: 111.8 (eighth)
First quarter: A
Second quarter: A
Third quarter: A
Fourth quarter: B+
No disrespect to the Cavaliers from me. They had an awesome season that should be sustainable given the talent and ages of their team leaders. I am very excited to see them play this postseason and to see if they can validate their performance by beating the Celtics. I believe they're good enough, but Boston's done it, while Cleveland is trying to win more postseason series this spring than it has in the previous six years combined. It does help that center Jarrett Allen has averaged 2.6 offensive rebounds per game to help Cleveland's offense a bit over the last month.
Last ranking: 4
In the last week: L at OKC, W at DAL, W vs. HOU, L at POR
Offensive rating: 115.0 (11th)
Defensive rating: 113.8 (17th)
First quarter: C+
Second quarter: C
Third quarter: A
Fourth quarter: C
The Lakers going 18-3 going into and out of the trade deadline is what keeps them here. They were a decidedly average team outside of that stretch. The center position is a concern, as Jaxson Hayes averaged 2.7 personal fouls a game in the last five weeks, and Los Angeles slipped to 20th defensively while splitting its last 20 games. When it comes down to it, Luka Dončić is LeBron James' teammate in a side of the Western Conference bracket that will favor the Lakers getting back to the conference finals. I've seen this movie before.
Last ranking: 5
In the last week: L at LAC, L at LAL, L vs. DEN
Offensive rating: 114.9 (12th)
Defensive rating: 110.3 (fifth)
First quarter: A
Second quarter: B
Third quarter: C-
Fourth quarter: A
It's not going to get as much reaction because it took Ime Udoka two years to turn this franchise around, but it's nothing short of remarkable that the Rockets have home-court advantage through the semifinals after losing 60 games in 2022-23. The Rockets won 15 of their last 20 games, and they had a top-10 offense over the last five weeks. All-Star center Alperen Şengün led Houston's strength by averaging 3.9 offensive rebounds per game in that stretch. Now their challenge is to see how well they can compete with so many players about to make their postseason debuts against teams that have gone on deep playoff runs recently.
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Last ranking: 7
In the last week: W vs. SA, W vs. HOU, W at SAC, W at GS
Offensive rating: 114.3 (15th)
Defensive rating: 109.4 (third)
First quarter: B
Second quarter: B
Third quarter: C-
Fourth quarter: A
The Clippers ran all the way through the tape. Going back to Vinny Del Negro and Doc Rivers, the Clippers have usually done a great job finishing the regular season. But Tyronn Lue led the best finish in the history of the franchise, with the Clippers needing all 18 of the wins they got over the last 21 games to secure a playoff spot. They did it by having the best offense in basketball over the last five weeks to go with what was a top-five defense all season long. Kawhi Leonard is ready, averaging 26.5 points on 55.2 percent field goals over the last five weeks.
Last ranking: 6
In the last week: W vs. WAS, W vs. CLE, L vs. ORL, W at CLE
Offensive rating: 115.4 (ninth)
Defensive rating: 113.3 (14th)
First quarter: D
Second quarter: B+
Third quarter: B
Fourth quarter: A
People are just not going to believe in the Pacers until they replicate what they did last year. But Indiana has been playing very well for a long time, and it won 15 of its last 20 games to get home-court advantage in the first round. Indiana had a top-10 defense in the last five weeks while making a much more concerted effort on the defensive glass. If the Pacers are going to maintain balance to go with their depth, then they can make noise again.
Last ranking: 9
In the last week: L vs. BOS, L at DET, L vs. CLE, W at BRK
Offensive rating: 117.3 (fifth)
Defensive rating: 113.3 (13th)
First quarter: B-
Second quarter: B+
Third quarter: B-
Fourth quarter: B-
Yes, the Knicks finished with the fifth-best record in the NBA. I think these Power Rankings have expressed that I do not care. New York is not a 'best of the rest' team to me. Three teams established themselves as bona fide contenders, and New York lost all 10 games to them. A Tom Thibodeau team hasn't been to the conference finals since 2011, and Thibodeau's teams have lost as the higher seed six times, including all three of his postseasons with the Knicks. I think the Knicks had a good season, I'm just not moved in the slightest. They have this spring to present something meaningful and show that they are capable of playing their best basketball against the teams that matter most. I do like that OG Anunoby is healthy and finished the season averaging 1.9 steals over the last five weeks.
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Last ranking: 10
In the last week: L at MIL, W at MEM, W vs. BRK, W vs. UTA
Offensive rating: 115.7 (eighth)
Defensive rating: 110.8 (sixth)
First quarter: C-
Second quarter: B
Third quarter: C+
Fourth quarter: A
Minnesota had a thoroughly wretched meltdown in Wisconsin to remind everyone how difficult it is to trust the Timberwolves. But even including that, the Timberwolves won 16 of their last 20 games to secure a playoff berth, and they have performed well on both ends of the floor. Minnesota is another team benefiting from a center actively pursuing extra chances, with Rudy Gobert averaging 4.3 offensive rebounds per game in the last five weeks. The Timberwolves are the only team outside of the Thunder, Celtics and Cavaliers that had a top-10 offense and defense for the season. Too bad they drew the Lakers to start the postseason.
Last ranking: 11
In the last week: W vs. MIN, W vs. NO, W at DET, W vs. DET
Offensive rating: 115.1 (10th)
Defensive rating: 112.7 (12th)
First quarter: C
Second quarter: B+
Third quarter: B-
Fourth quarter: B
You remember what I said about the Clippers having a history of being hot going into the playoffs? Well, of course Doc Rivers had the Bucks on an eight-game winning streak to end the regular season. Again, I've seen it before! And that also means that I've seen a Rivers team be short-handed entering the playoffs. We'll see if Damian Lillard can suit up after being stricken with deep vein thrombosis in his calf. At least Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy, putting up back-to-back Eastern Conference Player of the Week performances while getting 11.3 free-throw attempts per game over the last five weeks.
Last ranking: 13
In the last week: W at SAC, W vs. MEM, W at HOU
Offensive rating: 118.9 (fourth)
Defensive rating: 115.1 (21st)
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First quarter: C
Second quarter: B+
Third quarter: B
Fourth quarter: C
Last week's Power Rankings came out with me being as low on the Nuggets as I was all season, and then Denver made a shocking and relatively unprecedented coaching change. Interim coach David Adelman has been steady, leading the Nuggets to their first three-game winning streak since the nine-game streak Denver went on that included zero wins over teams that finished with a winning record. This is still a bottom-10 defense asking Nikola Jokić to give Herculean efforts. Jokić ended his MVP push by averaging 33.5 points and 8.8 free-throw attempts per game over the last five weeks.
Last ranking: 12
In the last week: W vs. NY, L vs. MIL, L at MIL
Offensive rating: 114.6 (14th)
Defensive rating: 112.5 (10th)
First quarter: C-
Second quarter: B+
Third quarter: B+
Fourth quarter: C
Detroit isn't exactly playing its best basketball going into the playoffs, but what a sentence that even is. The Pistons were able to go from 68 losses to the comfort zone that Vanessa Williams introduced right before the 1991-92 season, which was the last time the Pistons played the Knicks in the playoffs. The Pistons went 3-14 against the Cavaliers, Celtics, Pacers and Bucks this season. But they went 3-1 against the Knicks, and coach J.B. Bickerstaff probably has a chip on his shoulder after how the 2023 postseason went against New York. The only way the Pistons will survive this matchup is if they clean up the fouls. The Pistons were a top-10 defense this season, but going into Madison Square Garden while having the third-worst free-throw attempt rate allowed over the last five weeks isn't going to cut it.
Last ranking: 8
In the last week: W at PHO, L vs. SA, W at POR, L vs. LAC
Offensive rating: 114.2 (16th)
Defensive rating: 111.0 (seventh)
First quarter: B+
Second quarter: D
Third quarter: B+
Fourth quarter: B
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For the third time in five seasons, the Warriors are in the Play-In Tournament. It's a jarring result after the Warriors debuted Jimmy Butler and won 21 of 26 games. But Stephen Curry got locked up by the Rockets, Harrison Barnes called game, and James Harden packed them up, all at Chase Center. Butler averaged 2.0 steals per game for what was a top-five defense over the last five weeks. But the Warriors have some things to figure out, and now they'll have to do it from the bottom of the West bracket.
Last ranking: 14
In the last week: W at CHA, L vs. MIN, L at DEN, W vs. DAL
Offensive rating: 117.2 (sixth)
Defensive rating: 112.6 (11th)
First quarter: B+
Second quarter: B
Third quarter: B-
Fourth quarter: C
The Grizzlies split their last 20 games while somehow not being the only winning team to fire its coach in the final quarter of the campaign. Even when they won, they lost, as rookie Jaylen Wells was seriously injured in Charlotte and will spend the postseason recovering from a broken wrist and a concussion. One thing going for Memphis has been the continued progression of backup point guard Scotty Pippen Jr., who averaged 5.3 assists and only 1.8 turnovers over the last five weeks.
Last ranking: 17
In the last week: W vs. ATL, W vs. BOS, W at IND, L at ATL
Offensive rating: 108.9 (27th)
Defensive rating: 109.1 (second)
First quarter: B+
Second quarter: C-
Third quarter: D
Fourth quarter: B
The Magic are going to make things interesting if they can get the Celtics in the quarterfinals. Orlando is 6-4 against Boston over the last three seasons, and the Magic are bringing the second-best defense in the league to the Play-In Tournament. It would be interesting to see if backup power forward Jonathan Isaac could play more, as he averaged 1.1 blocks per game over the season's final month. As bad as Orlando's offense was this season, the defense gives it a chance to assimilate to a playoff atmosphere, and the Magic did win 12 of their last 20 games.
Last ranking: 15
In the last week: L at CLE, W vs. MIA, W vs. WAS, W at PHI
Offensive rating: 113.2 (20th)
Defensive rating: 114.8 (19th)
First quarter: D
Second quarter: C
Third quarter: D
Fourth quarter: A-
Of all the teams that finished with losing records, the Bulls looked the best by far, winning 15 of their last 20. The offense has been good, but the most surprising aspect of Chicago's success over the last five weeks has been a defense that ranked ninth over the last five weeks. Point guard Josh Giddey averaged 10.5 rebounds per game in that span, including 8.4 defensive rebounds. The Bulls have a great chance to steal the No. 8 seed.
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Last ranking: 18
In the last week: L at ORL, W at BRK, W at PHI, W vs. ORL
Offensive rating: 113.7 (17th)
Defensive rating: 114.8 (18th)
First quarter: C
Second quarter: B
Third quarter: D+
Fourth quarter: B-
The Hawks won 12 of their last 20 games, and they had a top-five offense over the last five weeks. Shooting guard Dyson Daniels averaged 14.7 points on 53.4 percent shooting from the field in that span, highlighting how easily Atlanta can get buckets. But I'm not sure the Hawks are headed for good matchups in the Play-In Tournament despite playing relatively decent basketball lately.
Last ranking: 19
In the last week: L vs. DEN, L vs. LAC, W vs. PHO
Offensive rating: 115.9 (seventh)
Defensive rating: 115.3 (22nd)
First quarter: D
Second quarter: B
Third quarter: C+
Fourth quarter: D
It was disappointing to see the Kings falter so badly down the stretch. The offense got stagnant, the defense remains as bad as it has been all season, Malik Monk's injury throws them to another loss at the worst possible time, and now they are the ninth seed for the second year in a row. This is a big week for Domantas Sabonis, who averaged only 0.3 blocks over the last five weeks.
Last ranking: 16
In the last week: L at CHI, W at NO, L vs. WAS
Offensive rating: 112.4 (21st)
Defensive rating: 112.0 (ninth)
First quarter: C-
Second quarter: C
Third quarter: D
Fourth quarter: D
This wound up being the worst Heat season in a decade. Miami just isn't good enough offensively. Tyler Herro has averaged 17.0 field goal attempts over the last five weeks but only 4.2 free throws in that span.
Last ranking: 20
In the last week: L vs. LAL, W vs. TOR, L at MEM
Offensive rating: 113.7 (18th)
Defensive rating: 115.0 (20th)
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First quarter: B-
Second quarter: C-
Third quarter: 🤦🏾‍♂️
Fourth quarter: D
Dallas had the 22nd-ranked offense and the 22nd-ranked defense in the NBA over the last five weeks. That's not the balance this team was supposed to have been displaying after making the roster moves it made. The presence of the Mavericks bigs doesn't stop teams from simply hammering them inside. The Play-In Tournament presents a new chapter to the Anthony Davis vs. Domantas Sabonis rivalry.
Last ranking: 22
In the last week: L at UTA, L vs. GS, W vs. LAL
Offensive rating: 111.0 (22nd)
Defensive rating: 113.7 (16th)
First quarter: D+
Second quarter: D-
Third quarter: A-
Fourth quarter: C-
Portland is keeping its brain trust of general manager Joe Cronin and coach Chauncey Billups together, and the Blazers can thank a stretch starting in January in which they went 15-6. The Blazers didn't exactly finish the season strong, losing 12 of the last 20 games while struggling mightily with turnovers. Figuring out how to optimize the guard play (and with whom) should be a major part of where Portland goes next.
Last ranking: 21
In the last week: L vs. GS, L vs. OKC, W vs. SA, L at SAC
Offensive rating: 114.7 (13th)
Defensive rating: 117.7 (27th)
First quarter: C+
Second quarter: C-
Third quarter: D
Fourth quarter: D-
What a catastrophe, but this is what we have come to expect from the Suns. Like the Kings and Mavericks, Phoenix lost 13 of the last 20 games. But the Suns never put up a decent, believable stretch of basketball once Kevin Durant missed games for the first time earlier this season. Only the Utah Jazz were worse defensively in the last quarter of the season. They also aren't good at interviewing coaches, apparently.
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Last ranking: 23
In the last week: L at LAC, W at GS, L at PHO, W vs. TOR
Offensive rating: 113.5 (19th)
Defensive rating: 116.3 (25th)
First quarter: B+
Second quarter: D
Third quarter: D-
Fourth quarter: C-
San Antonio had three players make it to 82 games: Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie. Rookie Stephon Castle came up a game short of joining them. Between the season-ending conditions of Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox and the stroke that kept Gregg Popovich from coaching after November, this was a bit of a lost year for them. The Spurs have a good base of talent, and they understand the importance of surrounding young talent with veterans who can provide a great example of professionalism.
Last ranking: 24
In the last week: W vs. CHA, L at DAL, L at SA
Offensive rating: 109.6 (26th)
Defensive rating: 113.6 (15th)
First quarter: D+
Second quarter: D
Third quarter: C
Fourth quarter: C
The only team that closed the season better defensively than the Raptors was Orlando. Toronto has to find a way to make its roster fit on the other end of the court. Brandon Ingram never debuted, so it will be a fresh new look next season.
Last ranking: 25
In the last week: W vs. NO, L vs. ATL, L at MIN, L vs. NY
Offensive rating: 108.1 (28th)
Defensive rating: 115.4 (23rd)
First quarter: C
Second quarter: D-
Third quarter: D+
Fourth quarter: D-
The Nets were as bad offensively in the last five weeks as they were all season. As a result, they weren't able to play spoiler at any point. The only team Brooklyn beat since the All-Star break that finished with a winning record was the Los Angeles Lakers last month.
Last ranking: 27
In the last week: W at WAS, L vs. ATL, L vs. CHI
Offensive rating: 111.0 (23rd)
Defensive rating: 117.3 (26th)
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First quarter: D-
Second quarter: C
Third quarter: D-
Fourth quarter: F
Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse will be back to figure out how to move forward after a season in which they likely felt like Philadelphia would win 58 games, not lose 58. The Sixers embarked on a full-on tank to close their season, losing 17 of 20 games while rolling out a primary lineup consisting of second-round rookie center Adem Bona and four players who weren't even on the team to begin the season (Quentin Grimes, Jared Butler, Lonnie Walker IV, Marcus Bagley).
Last ranking: 26
In the last week: L at IND, L vs. PHI, L at CHI, W at MIA
Offensive rating: 105.8 (30th)
Defensive rating: 118.0 (28th)
First quarter: F
Second quarter: F
Third quarter: D
Fourth quarter: D-
What a great moment for Bub Carrington to end his rookie season, and Washington's season in general, on a fun high note. Washington was the anti-Thunder, getting annihilated by 1,020 points. The only other team in league history to have a worse point differential than this season's Wizards was the 1993 Mavericks, a team that went 11-71 while getting outscored by 1,246 points. The fact that the Wizards didn't lose 70 games is a credit to them.
A special moment for the rook 🥹 https://t.co/fEnyZhlttc pic.twitter.com/pygGKI7qll
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) April 13, 2025
Last ranking: 28
In the last week: L at BRK, L at MIL, L vs. MIA, L vs. OKC
Offensive rating: 109.7 (25th)
Defensive rating: 119.1 (29th)
First quarter: F
Second quarter: D
Third quarter: D+
Fourth quarter: F
The Sixers Southwest. New Orleans never played with anywhere close to a full deck this season, a shame considering the talent amassed and that it won nearly 50 games a year ago. Unlike the Sixers, the Pelicans have decided to start over in the front office, firing David Griffin and leaving it up to his replacement to determine coach Willie Green's fate. Getting beaten by 49 points at home by this year's Miami team is a rough way to go out.
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Last ranking: 29
In the last week: L vs. MEM, L at TOR, L at BOS, L at BOS
Offensive rating: 106.7 (29th)
Defensive rating: 115.7 (24th)
First quarter: D
Second quarter: D-
Third quarter: F
Fourth quarter: D
That's a wrap on nine consecutive seasons failing to qualify for the postseason, the longest active streak in the NBA. Going beyond that, the Hornets haven't won a playoff series since leaving the city in 2002. And what did the Hornets accomplish along the way? They're still Bobcatting around, turning the ball over at will while barely defending. For them to say that this year's Hornets had the most losses since the 2004-05 expansion team is a damning statement.
Last ranking: 30
In the last week: W vs. POR, L vs. OKC, L at MIN
Offensive rating: 110.2 (24th)
Defensive rating: 119.4 (30th)
First quarter: F
Second quarter: D
Third quarter: F
Fourth quarter: F
The aggressive full-season tank is mercifully over. The Jazz had enough talent to win twice as many games as they did this season. They were the anti-Thunder in a different way than Washington was; while the Thunder set a record for turnover differential this season, the Jazz did as well, but in the other direction. Utah had 444 more turnovers than their opponents; the Thunder forced 435 more turnovers than they had. The Jazz rebuild will continue until that in particular is addressed.
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(Top photo of Jayson Tatum: Winslow Townson / Getty Images)