NBA Power Rankings: My Top 5
The NBA seems as open and competitive as it’s ever been. For too many years, we had already pre-determined the Finals opponents by the All-Star break.
Now, we’re not even sure who’s the top team in each of their respective conferences.
Fear no more, though. I have compiled a list of my top five teams in the NBA as of now. I emphasize as of now because this list is subject to change. This list is also not my top five Finals contenders.
This is my list of the top five teams in the NBA as of January 22, 2024.
Before I jump into the list, I want to share some of the metrics I took into account when creating my top five. All my stats come straight from the NBA’s official website. I compiled these stats on Jan. 22, so they are subject to change.
There were six metrics I considered when creating this list. They are as follows: Wins and Loss Record, Defensive Rating, Offensive Rating, Assist to Turnover Ratio, Effective Field Goal Percentage (EFG%) and True Shooting Percentage (TS%).
I chose these six because I felt they best represented what constitutes a good team. Can you score offensively? How efficient are you when you score? Can you play good defense? Can you limit your turnovers and be a high-assist team?
All these questions must be answered to be considered a top team in this ultra-competitive NBA season.
With that being said, let’s move onto the list.
#5: Denver Nuggets
While the Nuggets are fifth on my current power rankings, they are still easily one of the top teams in the league.
Nikola Jokić is averaging 26.2 points while shooting a mesmerizing 59.0% from the field. All while adding 12.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists to his stat line.
This man is virtually unstoppable, and if he has it going one night, you can basically kiss a win goodbye.
The Nuggets are currently 3rd in the West and have the best AST/TO ratio of any team in the league. They currently sit at 7th for offensive rating and 6th in EFG%.
Only one thing is holding this team back from being the best team in the league, and that is their ability to play defense.
Is it bad? Not really, but in comparison to these other teams on this list, they are the second-worst defensive team. That just isn’t going to cut it when they match up with these other top teams.
#4: Los Angeles Clippers
This team probably deserves to be higher on this list due to how they’ve been playing recently. Since the addition of James Harden, the Clippers are 25-12 and have been playing their best basketball all season.
This team has the sixth-best offensive rating, but like the Nuggets, their defense scares me.
Out of all the teams on this list, they have the worst defensive rating. They are ranked 14th in the league on the defensive side of the ball.
You’d figure a team with Normal Powell, Terance Mann, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard would be stellar defensively, but that just hasn’t been the case for this Clippers team.
The star power on the offensive side of the ball allows this team to score against anyone in the league, but when it comes to matching up against teams that can match your firepower, can you stop them is the question.
Health aside, this team is bound to make a deep run in the postseason. Hopefully, defense isn’t what stops them from capturing the NBA title.
#3: Minnesota Timberwolves
Does anyone else feel like this team is surprising everyone?
Obviously, we know that Anthony Edwards is a rising superstar, but I didn’t expect them to be competing for the #1 seed in the West, but they are.
This team is the best defensive team in the league. It seems like everybody on the floor for this team can defend.
But this team has the 19th-best offensive rating in the league. That is scary for any Timberwolves fan. Yes, this team can guard, but their inability to score at times is going to hurt them against the top teams.
I look at their roster, and I count two guys who can just go get you a bucket when you need one. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. That’s it.
When it comes to playoff time and teams strap in defensively, I wonder where this team can find their scoring from.
#2: Oklahoma City Thunder
This team is legit. Before you go questioning their inexperience, let me read you some stats.
They have the 5th best offensive rating, the 5th best defensive rating, 4th in AST/TO ratio, 3rd in EFG% and 1st in TS%.
On paper, this team checks every box. They can run and gun, score quickly, defend, shoot efficiently and take care of the ball.
They do everything they need to do amazingly, and for such a young team, they play and carry themselves like vets.
Do I have this team making a deep playoff run? Probably not. I still have questions about their interior size and ability to bang with guys like Jokić, but as of now, there is no question they are a top-two team in the league, and I believe you could argue they are the best.
This Thunder team is only going to get better and better as they gain experience. I say get your wins in now against the Thunder because, coming very soon, they’re not a team anybody is going to want to see come playoff time.
#1: Boston Celtics
This team has the 3rd-best offensive rating and the 2nd-best defensive rating of any team in the league.
They have four players who average above 15 points per game and two who average above 20. Jayson Tatum is averaging 27.0 points per game and Jaylen Brown is averaging 23.1 points per game.
I think this team is hungry and they are playing like it. In each of the past couple of seasons, the Celtics have lost deep into the playoffs. Sometimes to better teams and sometimes to teams I believe they could’ve beaten.
It seems like this is the end of that.
Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have been great pick-ups for the Celtics and have helped them become the team they are. They have interior size, long and athletic wings, lengthy guards and the ability to defend any player they go against.
This team is bound for a deep playoff run, and quite honestly, they are my favorite to make it out of the East as of now.
I don’t think any team can say they are better than the Boston Celtics at this part of the season.