NBA Power Rankings: Grizzlies fire Jenkins; Bulls stun Lakers; Lillard out with blood clot
NBA Power Rankings: Grizzlies fire Jenkins; Bulls stun Lakers; Lillard out with blood clot
As March nears its end, the 2024-25 regular season enters its final stages with just two weeks left. Outside of the two first seeds, plenty of drama remains to be figured out for the rest of the playoff picture. It's that time of the year when wins and losses get magnified.
To show how serious it can get, the Memphis Grizzlies shocked the NBA world when they fired Taylor Jenkins with the playoffs around the corner. The surprising move is pretty unprecedented this late in the season for a playoff squad.
The Milwaukee Bucks also received a potential season-altering blow. Damian Lillard will be out for an unknown amount of time with blood clots on his calf. With the playoffs around the corner, his possible absence could prematurely end their season.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers have struggled to defend with LeBron James and Luka Doncic. That could spell doom for their playoff aspirations. Their best route for a possible title is to outscore opponents with video-game-esque numbers.
Throughout the 2024-25 season, Thunder Wire will conduct weekly NBA power rankings. Here is the latest edition for the Mar. 24-30 week:
Previous Ranking: 30
The Jazz have lost five in a row. They pulled out all the stops to gain the NBA's worst record. If games are too close, Utah has sat its starters in the second half. They desperately need a blue-chip prospect and you can bet they've paid close attention to March Madness.
Previous Ranking: 29
As the season is nearly over, Alex Sarr has played his best stretch of basketball. He won't win Rookie of the Year but the Wizards must be excited about his future. Especially once they add a top prospect. They don't have the worst record anymore but as long as they have top-three lottery odds, it's all good.
Previous Ranking: 27
It's that time of the season when tanking squads rule out players dealing with nagging injuries. LaMelo Ball is an example. He was ruled out for the rest of the season and will have wrist and ankle surgery. It's a tough season to evaluate Ball. He put up monster stats but the Hornets were one of the worst teams in the league. He also struggled to stay healthy.
27. New Orleans Pelicans (21-54)
Previous Ranking: 28
Trey Murphy III's ascension was one of the rare bright spots from this awful Pelicans season. He's developed from a 3-point shooter to a complete scorer. If New Orleans bounces back next season, he'll play a big role. Who they add from the draft could also be a factor.
Previous Ranking: 25
The Sixers have lost eight in a row. They've done an amazing job over the last two months to catch up in the reverse standings. They're forced to do that hoping to keep their top-six protected pick. Nick Nurse even went as far as to say they want a high lottery pick in their locker room, which is as close as you'll get to hearing an NBA head coach admit to tanking.
25. Brooklyn Nets (24-51)
Previous Ranking: 26
March is almost over and the Nets added a last-second addition to the wacky cast of characters at this time of the year. They added Drew Timme from the G League and he's had a strong first impression. He scored a game-winner against the Wizards. It's always fun to see which random role players go off.
24. Toronto Raptors (28-47)
Previous Ranking: 23
It's bittersweet to see the Raptors go on a three-game win streak. At this point of the season, the clock is ticking. The Raptors have jeopardized their lottery odds with these last wins. Toronto must be stressed out that it could ruin its lottery odds with these meaningless victories.
Previous Ranking: 22
The Spurs are another team that's gone all out to tank. TheVictor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox have been ruled out for the season. They entered the season with playoff hopes but will return to the lottery. Perhaps it's for the best as San Antonio is still a little bit away from being a serious contender.
22. Portland Trail Blazers (32-43)
Previous Ranking: 21
The Trail Blazers have lost four in a row after a four-game win streak. Chauncey Billups might've saved his job with how they played since the All-Star break. They won't make the postseason but could be a contender to be a surprise squad next season. Deni Avdija has been a stellar addition to Portland.
21. Miami Heat (33-41)
Previous Ranking: 24
After a 10-game losing streak, the Heat have won four straight. Tyler Herro has had a strong scoring week with two straight 30-plus point outings. They also enjoyed some vengeance with a blowout win over Jimmy Butler and the Warriors on national TV. Miami is stuck in the play-in range. The only thing it needs to do is enter that tournament with some momentum.
20. Atlanta Hawks (36-38)
Previous Ranking: 15
Everything said about the Heat can be copied and pasted here. The Hawks are another squad stuck in the play-in tournament picture. They have little room to move up or down the standings. Atlanta has hovered around mediocrity over the last few weeks. If it makes noise in the playoffs, Zaccharie Risacher could be an X-factor. He scored 36 points in a blowout win over the Bucks.
19. Phoenix Suns (35-40)
Previous Ranking: 17
Given the teams ahead of them, the Suns have a slim window to make the play-in tournament. Once there, all they need is for Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to take over for two games. That sounds doable but bad losses could erase that chance for Phoenix. Booker's game-winner against the Bucks highlighted their week but they need more wins as their margin of error is thinner.
18. Sacramento Kings (36-38)
Previous Ranking: 16
Even though they're still technically in the play-in race, the vibes are at an all-time bad in Sacramento. The Kings are determined to make the postseason despite drastic roster changes. Domantas Sabonis even rushed back from injury to help that cause. But another blowout loss to the Thunder was a cruel reminder of what awaits them as their prize if they make the playoffs.
Previous Ranking: 20
Down one point with three seconds left, Josh Giddey walked the ball up to the midcourt logo and swished in a halfcourt game-winner. The buzzer-beater headlined a game-of-the-year candidate as the Bulls stunned the Lakers. Giddey has been a triple-double machine since the All-Star break and will handsomely get paid in the offseason as a Chicago cornerstone.
16. Orlando Magic (36-39)
Previous Ranking: 18
The Magic picked up a much-needed win over the Lakers. Not because of the result, but for a morale boost. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner combined for 62 points. Orlando has hovered around mediocrity for a few months now and its playoff aspirations will fall on how those two look as scorers.
15. Dallas Mavericks (37-38)
Previous Ranking: 19
Don't count out the Mavericks yet. At least to make the playoffs. He hasn't had a monster outing yet but Dallas remains undefeated when Anthony Davis plays. All they need to do is sneak into the play-in range. After that, Davis could easily win two games by himself and go from there.
14. Milwaukee Bucks (40-34)
Previous Ranking: 12
The Bucks had their hearts drop to their stomach when Damian Lillard was ruled out for an indefinite period after he discovered blood clots in his calf. There's been way too many of those medical scares this season and he's the latest example. On the court, Milwaukee can't afford to start the playoffs without Lillard. If so, a first-round exit is very much on the table, which could create an ominous environment for Giannis Antetokounmpo's long-term future.
13. LA Clippers (42-32)
Previous Ranking: 10
The Clippers are another team that's gotten hot. They've won seven of their last nine games with their only losses being close defeats against the Thunder and Cavaliers. Not bad. If you're LA, you can accept that. Kawhi Leonard has turned into a scoring machine and hopes to have a healthy playoff run to lead the veteran squad.
12. Detroit Pistons (42-33)
Previous Ranking: 14
The Pistons have played their best basketball with the playoffs about to start. A double-digit win over the Cavaliers ranks near the top of their most impressive victories this season. What makes Detroit's recent hot run even more stunning is Cade Cunningham's been out with a calf injury. The All-NBA candidate has seen his teammates step up and that's enough reason to take them seriously as a playoff squad.
11. Memphis Grizzlies (44-30)
Previous Ranking: 9
Even though they have a better record than the teams in front of them, firing your head coach with two weeks left in the season will cause you to slip down. After a bad loss to the Thunder, the Grizzlies shocked the NBA world when they fired Jenkins. Tuomas Iisalo was named the interim coach as he hopes to revive Memphis by the playoffs. It's a pretty unprecedented move that shows Jenkins lost the locker room a while ago. It's certainly a Hail Mary but let's see if the bold decision can pay off in the playoffs.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves (43-32)
Previous Ranking: 13
The Timberwolves continue to own the Suns. After sweeping them in the playoffs last year, they swept them again in their four-game regular-season series this year. Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle combined for 45 points. Minnesota has gotten hot and is a prime upset candidate in the first round if they advance past the play-in tournament. They're a better squad than their raw record indicates.
9. Golden State Warriors (43-31)
Previous Ranking: 7
Back-to-back bad losses put the Warriors in a tough spot. After flirting with homecourt advantage in the first round, they just hope to be a top-six seed. Stephen Curry's return from a pelvis injury should certainly help with that. Golden State avoided an apocalypse when he first had the scary fall. It needs him in the playoffs if it wants to have its first real playoff run in years.
8. Indiana Pacers (43-31)
Previous Ranking: 11
The Pacers scored a franchise-best 162 points in a blowout win over the Wizards. The regulation result certainly caught the attention of everybody in the NBA. That was sandwiched between losses to the Lakers and Thunder. Because of the East, Indiana is a wildcard to have another playoff run. If so, they need to rely on their high-scoring offense to repeat last year's success.
7. New York Knicks (47-27)
Previous Ranking: 8
The Knicks picked up some much-needed wins over the Clippers and Bucks this week. They've learned to play without Jalen Brunson as he recovers from an ankle sprain. At this point, all New York needs is for him to be back by the playoffs. It can cruise through the rest of the regular season and still likely secure a top-four seed.
6. Los Angeles Lakers (45-29)
Previous Ranking: 6
Defense may be a problem for the Lakers. A colossal choke job against the Bulls highlighted that as they scored nine points in the final 12 seconds. LeBron James and Luka Doncic are a textbook superstar duo but none of that matters if Los Angeles bleeds points on the other end. JJ Redick has his work cut out for him to make the most of his roster.
Previous Ranking: 5
It didn't take Nikola Jokic to return to his dominating self. He had a monster 39-point triple-double in a win over the Bucks. The reigning MVP winner has been the best player in the world for a while now. All of the Nuggets' playoff hopes will fall on his shoulders. That's Denver's top priority with the MVP race all but lost at this point.
Previous Ranking: 4
Credit the Rockets, they've won 12 of their last 13 games. Sure, it's mostly against cupcakes but you can only play the team in front of you. Houston has skyrocketed through the standings and holds a decent lead on the second seed. It won't be much longer until we find out how newbies like Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green perform in the playoffs.
Previous Ranking: 2
This is the first time in a long time the Cavaliers have dropped below second. They've had a historic season and run away with the East's first seed. That said, it's a little unsettling to see them play their worst basketball so close to the playoffs. They're a modest 5-5 in their last 10 games. Cleveland should still enter as the East favorite but will need to earn it against the team ahead of them.
Previous Ranking: 3
The Celtics have sharpened up. They've won eight in a row and are playing their best basketball. As the playoffs near, they coasted through most of the regular season. But the reigning NBA champions know what it's like to win playoff battles considering Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have done that their entire careers.
Previous Ranking: 1
The Thunder are 50 games above .500. Think about that sentence for a minute. They've won nine in a row and could touch 70 wins if they win out the rest of the way. They're also on the verge of history with a current 27-1 record against the East. Another win guarantees them having the best record ever against the opposing conference. Oh, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has likely locked down the MVP award with one of the best-scoring campaigns ever.
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