Before we begin this week’s Power Rankings, we would like to extend our thoughts to those going through the traumatic weather events across the country over the past week. The NBA took a pause and postponed four games: three because of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County and one because of icy conditions in Fulton County, Ga.

As teams approach the midpoint of the 2024-25 regular season, it’s a good time to see how preseason expectations are holding up. Using the win total over/unders from BetMGM, let’s assess how on-target teams are at the moment.

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.

Here now is Week 12 of The Athletic’s NBA Power Rankings. Win/loss records and statistics are through Monday’s games.

Tier 1: Top Contenders

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (33-5)

Last ranking: 1
In the last week: W vs. OKC, W vs. TOR, L vs. IND
Offensive rating: 121.2 (first)
Defensive rating: 110.6 (10th)

Preseason win total: 48.5
On pace to win: 71

This Cavaliers team feels like Steve Kerr’s first Golden State Warriors team — that is, a playoff team that changed coaches and went from run-of-the-mill in their conference to league juggernaut. And like that 2015 Golden State team, it’s the offense that has been special. The Cavaliers were not known previously for overwhelming offensive performances. Now, they’ve hit 130 points 10 times already this season, after only four instances all of last season.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (32-6)

Last ranking: 2
In the last week: L at CLE, W at NY, W at WAS
Offensive rating: 115.6 (sixth)
Defensive rating: 102.9 (first)

Preseason win total: 57.5
On pace to win: 69

We will get another round of Cavaliers versus Thunder on Thursday night, and while Cleveland’s offense won the battle in Ohio, I’d expect Oklahoma City’s defense to lock back in at home. Everyone knew the Thunder would be good this season, but they have been all-time great to begin the season thanks to a sticky defense that is so much better than any other in the league and the continued greatness of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. There’s possibly another level for them to get to, as Chet Holmgren (hip) has yet to play with Isaiah Hartenstein.

3. Boston Celtics (28-11)

Last ranking: 3
In the last week: W at DEN, L vs. SAC, W vs. NO
Offensive rating: 119.2 (second)
Defensive rating: 109.8 (sixth)

Preseason win total: 58.5
On pace to win: 59

The Celtics are very good this season! But unlike the Cavaliers and Thunder, Boston is meeting expectations rather than exceeding them. I do want to call out something that makes the Celtics less powerful than their perception. When I compiled the Team Shooting Rankings last month, the Celtics barely stayed in the top 10. Yes, Boston attempts 3s at a historic rate right now. But only the Thunder had a better 3-point percentage than the Celtics last season. So far this season, the Celtics are 15th in the NBA in 3-point percentage. Those cold snaps have left Boston more vulnerable than they did a year ago.

GO DEEPER

Celtics’ 3-point dominance has vanished during slide: ‘We’ve gotta get those up’

Amen Thompson and the Rockets have blown past preseason expectations. (Troy Taormina / Imagn Images)

4. Houston Rockets (26-12)

Last ranking: 5
In the last week: W at WAS, W at MEM, PPD at ATL, W vs. MEM
Offensive rating: 113.4 (11th)
Defensive rating: 107.3 (third)

Preseason win total: 43.5
On pace to win: 56

The Rockets were expected to improve and become a winning team, but they have exceeded expectations more than any team in the Western Conference. Ime Udoka has the defense giving Houston a chance to win every night, and the Rockets overcome bottom-five shot-making by taking care of the basketball and crashing the offensive glass. And this is with Houston getting very little contribution from guard Reed Sheppard, the third pick of the draft. The Rockets beat the Grizzlies twice in the past seven days to clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker against their Southwest Division rival.

GO DEEPER

Jalen Green’s growth is boosting the Rockets. Can he stay on this flight path?

5. Memphis Grizzlies (25-15)

Last ranking: 4
In the last week: L vs. HOU, W at MIN, L at HOU
Offensive rating: 116.7 (fifth)
Defensive rating: 109.8 (seventh)

Preseason win total: 47.5
On pace to win: 51

Memphis was widely expected to bounce back after a season ruined by player availability, but it has been even better than projected. The Grizzlies have built a really solid team, and while Ja Morant has been a positive factor, Memphis is 10-7 with Morant out of the lineup. As box office as Morant is, it has been the steadiness of Jaren Jackson Jr. on both ends of the floor that has led to greater heights.

Tier 2: In a Good Place

6. New York Knicks (26-15)

Last ranking: 6
In the last week: W vs. TOR, L vs. OKC, W vs. MIL, L vs. DET
Offensive rating: 119.2 (third)
Defensive rating: 112.7 (15th)

Preseason win total: 54.5
On pace to win: 52

New York’s starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns has played 688 minutes together this season, 258 more than any other five-man lineup in the league. The Knicks have shown that their top-heavy talent will overwhelm many teams on many nights. But they are good, not great. They don’t have enough quality players, and they rarely beat teams that are better than them.

GO DEEPER

Knicks at the halfway point: What to like and what not to like in New York

7. Denver Nuggets (23-15)

Last ranking: 7
In the last week: L vs. BOS, W vs. LAC, W vs. BRK, W at DAL
Offensive rating: 117.3 (fourth)
Defensive rating: 113.1 (17th)

Preseason win total: 51.5
On pace to win: 50

Denver has struggled defensively more than it had recently but is in a good spot overall. The Nuggets have had to navigate injuries to Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, but Russell Westbrook has been the Bruce Brown replacement who has kept them from collapsing. It also helps that Nikola Jokić decided this would be the season when he shoots 20 times a game and shoots the 3 better than ever.

GO DEEPER

Russell Westbrook showing himself to be a steal for Nuggets, a complement to Jokić

Tier 3: The Bubble

8. Dallas Mavericks (22-17)

Last ranking: 8
In the last week: W vs. LAL, W vs. POR, L vs. DEN
Offensive rating: 115.4 (seventh)
Defensive rating: 111.4 (12th)

Preseason win total: 49.5
On pace to win: 46

The Mavericks have done well to steal some wins while Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving nurse injuries. Dallas has a 9-8 record when Dončić doesn’t play but a 3-6 record when Irving doesn’t play. Irving should be back fairly soon for a Dallas team that certainly has shown a higher ceiling than many of the other teams in the West. Don’t be surprised if the Mavericks are better in the second half of the season than they were in the first half.

9. Orlando Magic (23-18)

Last ranking: 9
In the last week: L vs. MIN, L vs. MIL, W vs. PHI
Offensive rating: 108.5 (27th)
Defensive rating: 106.7 (second)

Preseason win total: 47.5
On pace to win: 46

The Magic aren’t quite hitting their goal, but to be close to it despite only having Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner together for five games is outstanding work by coach Jamahl Mosley. Only the Thunder defend better than Orlando, a physically imposing team that has understood for the past few seasons that it is only winning most games when the score is low. Banchero is back from his oblique injury, so the worst of the offensive doldrums is hopefully in the rearview mirror.

GO DEEPER

Paolo Banchero’s dazzling return gives the Magic hope

10. Milwaukee Bucks (20-17)

Last ranking: 10
In the last week: W vs. SA, W at ORL, L at NY
Offensive rating: 112.3 (14th)
Defensive rating: 111.3 (11th)

Preseason win total: 50.5
On pace to win: 44

From the time the Bucks played their first NBA Cup game through their romp through Las Vegas, Milwaukee went 12-3. That team is a contender. But the Bucks started 2-8 this season, and they’re only 6-6 since hanging a banner at Fiserv Forum. Milwaukee used to dominate regular seasons, but it might be too collectively old for that nowadays. Being an adequate regular-season team will only be acceptable if they can do in the spring what it did when the stakes were raised in the fall.

GO DEEPER

Bucks crushed by Knicks as record drops to 0-8 against Eastern Conference’s top 3

Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers are rounding into shape. (Trevor Ruszkowski / Imagn Images)

11. Indiana Pacers (22-18)

Last ranking: 14
In the last week: W vs. CHI, W vs. GS, W at CLE
Offensive rating: 113.9 (ninth)
Defensive rating: 114.0 (20th)

Preseason win total: 46.5
On pace to win: 45

Call the Pacers the anti-Bucks. Indiana started 10-15 this season and looked stale and uninspired. But then the Pacers got four days off in December and have gone 12-3 ever since, with the only losses to the Thunder, Celtics and Bucks. In that same time, the Pacers won road games at Boston and Cleveland. Their style of play works in the playoffs, so even though they are not destroying every defense they face, they should be feared if they’re going to be successful despite not having as powerful an offense.

GO DEEPER

Tyrese Haliburton heard the haters, and now he and Pacers are clapping back

12. Minnesota Timberwolves (21-18)

Last ranking: 12
In the last week: W at NO, W at ORL, L vs. MEM, W at WAS
Offensive rating: 111.5 (19th)
Defensive rating: 109.6 (fifth)

Preseason win total: 52.5
On pace to win: 44

This is going to sound like a backhanded compliment, but it is what it is: Minnesota is the best of the five teams that have fallen short of expectations the most this season. Like the Pacers, it wasn’t asking too much for the conference finals loser to at least be close to last season’s win total. Minnesota wasn’t expected to be better this season, especially after trading Towns. When the Timberwolves lose, they fall like a ton of bricks. Minnesota didn’t have a three-game losing streak in the regular season last year and has had three of them this season. But this is still a top-five defense that has a consistent high-ceiling star in Anthony Edwards, so the Wolves maintain their playoff relevancy despite a trying regular season.

GO DEEPER

Ghosts of Wolves’ past playoff failures haunt Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert

13. LA Clippers (21-17)

Last ranking: 13
In the last week: L at DEN, PPD vs. CHA, W vs. MIA
Offensive rating: 109.8 (24th)
Defensive rating: 108.6 (fourth)

Preseason win total: 35.5
On pace to win: 45

It’s not just that the Clippers are on pace to clear their lowly preseason win total by almost double digits. LA has found a way to stay afloat in the West despite Kawhi Leonard not debuting until 2024 ended, and even now, Leonard has another week or two of what he and the team are calling his “preseason.” The Clippers are another one of these teams that defends with the understanding that they don’t have the talent to outscore teams whenever they want. The questions with LA: How long does it take for Leonard to produce consistent all-league form, and to what degree can this wing-heavy roster be adjusted and optimized?

14. Detroit Pistons (21-19)

Last ranking: 16
In the last week: W at BRK, L vs. GS, W vs. TOR, W at NY
Offensive rating: 112.3 (15th)
Defensive rating: 113.2 (18th)

Preseason win total: 25.5
On pace to win: 43

Detroit was expected to be better this season, but not like this. Only Cleveland is on pace to exceed expectations to a greater degree. Detroit will hit its preseason win total before January is over. This is a team that won only 14 games last season; it’s on pace to triple that this season, and it’s getting better and better. The Pistons have won 10 of their last 12 games, and they haven’t lost to another East team in more than a month.

15. Miami Heat (20-18)

Last ranking: 18
In the last week: W at GS, W at UTA, W at POR, L at LAC
Offensive rating: 112.0 (16th)
Defensive rating: 110.6 (ninth)

Preseason win total: 44.5
On pace to win: 43

Miami is 8-8 this season without Jimmy Butler, whose seven-game suspension ends soon. It’s going to be an interesting week for the Heat, as they could activate Butler for their first home game in 13 days on Friday night against the Nuggets. But this has been Heat during most of the Butler era. Miami has only one 50-win season since LeBron James left in 2014, and that was in 2022 when it was the No. 1 seed. The deep playoff runs with Butler make people forget the quiet and unspectacular regular seasons. The Heat are right where they usually are at this time of the year, but the difference is in how they handle Butler’s situation.

16. Los Angeles Lakers (20-17)

Last ranking: 11
In the last week: L at DAL, PPD vs. CHA, PPD vs. SA, L vs. SA
Offensive rating: 112.7 (13th)
Defensive rating: 115.7 (24th)

Preseason win total: 43.5
On pace to win: 44

The Lakers are in seventh place in the West, like clockwork. Objectively, it’s the least surprising output in the league.

17. Sacramento Kings (20-19)

Last ranking: 17
In the last week: W at BOS, W at CHI
Offensive rating: 115.3 (eighth)
Defensive rating: 112.2 (14th)

Preseason win total: 46.5
On pace to win: 42

Add the Kings to the list of teams that disappointed to a severe extent to begin a significant portion of this season, only to procrastinate as I reach this particular Power Rankings. How about coach Doug Christie, though?! Sacramento has answered a six-game losing streak with a seven-game winning streak, equaling the longest Mike Brown had in his Coach of the Year campaign back in 2022-2023. Christie has gotten the Kings to play fast and to play hard while running up the minutes of the starters. That’s obviously not a sustainable formula, but it has reset the season.

GO DEEPER

NBA Lookahead: Is Kings’ turnaround for real? If so, what’s changed?

18. San Antonio Spurs (19-19)

Last ranking: 19
In the last week: L at MIL, PPD at LAL, W at LAL
Offensive rating: 111.7 (17th)
Defensive rating: 112.0 (13th)

Preseason win total: 35.5
On pace to win: 41

San Antonio’s improvement isn’t as extraordinary as Detroit’s, but people should be reminded about how bad the Spurs were last season. They lost 60 games with Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, including a 5-30 start. Now they’re at .500. They’re still not good, mind you. They are a bad defense when Wembanyama is off the floor and an incompetent offense when 39-year-old Chris Paul is off the floor. Paul and fellow veteran acquisition Harrison Barnes have played in every game this season. Not to mention, Mitch Johnson has held it down while head coach Gregg Popovich recovers from a stroke. Wembanyama’s singular talent keeps the Spurs relevant in the West, even though it feels like the rest of the team is maxing out right now.

GO DEEPER

Victor Wembanyama has grown into NBA’s best defender — and he’s still improving

19. Phoenix Suns (19-19)

Last ranking: 21
In the last week: L at CHA, W vs. ATL, W vs. UTA, W vs. CHA
Offensive rating: 113.7 (10th)
Defensive rating: 115.1 (22nd)

Preseason win total: 48.5
On pace to win: 41

Phoenix is having a disappointing season, but so much of it comes down to who is playing. The Suns are 17-6 when Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are on the floor. That’s a 60-win team right there. But being a 2-13 team when one of those players is out is nasty work, especially when Bradley Beal is on the team. Speaking of nasty work, they have Beal coming off the bench now, while Jusuf Nurkić has reached depths that Deandre Ayton never approached. Phoenix is still dangerous on any given night because of the shooting talent on the roster. But this roster has been a multi-season dilapidation.

GO DEEPER

Suns, with three wins in a row, enter what feels like a a make-or-break stretch

Dyson Daniels and the Hawks are on pace to surpass their expected win total. Yay? (Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)

20. Atlanta Hawks (19-19)

Last ranking: 20
In the last week: W at UTA, L at PHO, PPD vs. HOU
Offensive rating: 111.7 (18th)
Defensive rating: 114.3 (21st)

Preseason win total: 36.5
On pace to win: 41

Objectively, the Hawks are having a top-10 season as far as exceeding expectations. I’m not sure how Atlanta feels about that. Congratulations, Hawks. You got the top pick in the draft after a Play-In Tournament exit, and you’re a .500 team in the East! That sounds cool if you have zero expectations, or if you believe the Hawks are building something worthy of Trae Young’s prime. I’ll also note here that the Hawks are in the middle of a stretch where they play 10 games in 10 arenas.

21. Golden State Warriors (19-20)

Last ranking: 15
In the last week: L vs. MIA, W at DET, L at IND, L at TOR
Offensive rating: 110.9 (21st)
Defensive rating: 110.5 (eighth)

Preseason win total: 43.5
On pace to win: 40

This season was already projected to be Golden State’s worst since the 50-loss disaster of 2020. The Warriors have still fallen short of relatively low expectations, and they’re arguably worse than what they are. Golden State started this season 12-3, with half of those wins coming by double digits. The Warriors were very pleased with themselves when they won in Oklahoma City. But this has been one of the five worst offenses in the league since Thanksgiving, as they combine average ballhandling with subpar shooting and even worse shot creation.

GO DEEPER

Steph Curry, Steve Kerr and Warriors are grappling with an existential crossroads

Tier 4: Not the Tier to Fear

22. Chicago Bulls (18-21)

Last ranking: 22nd
In the last week: L at IND, W vs. WAS, L vs. SAC
Offensive rating: 112.9 (12th)
Defensive rating: 115.4 (23rd)

Preseason win total: 27.5
On pace to win: 38

Objectively, the Bulls are one of the five best teams in the league as far as exceeding expectations. It’s just that they are continuing to be just good enough to play in a No. 9 vs. No. 10 Play-In game. The lowly expectations for the Bulls were more about Chicago finally offloading valuable veterans Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević. Both are having superb campaigns for a Bulls team that makes more 3s than any non-Celtics team in the league. It makes sense for Chicago to find a trade that allows it to rebuild, but that was the case the past two years as well.

23. Philadelphia 76ers (15-22)

Last ranking: 23
In the last week: W vs. WAS, L vs. NO, L at ORL
Offensive rating: 109.4 (25th)
Defensive rating: 112.8 (16th)

Preseason win total: 50.5
On pace to win: 33

By far the most disappointing team in the East. A Bulls demolition would help the Sixers’ Play-In chances, but they need a month of decent play to aspire toward anything more than that. They simply haven’t gotten enough games out of the star trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. When all three players suit up, Philadelphia is 7-3. The team makes sense with those three available. But Embiid’s health has exposed all of Philadelphia’s holes, especially offensively, where Maxey is often overwhelmed and George has struggled to score consistently.

24. Brooklyn Nets (13-26)

Last ranking: 24
In the last week: L vs. DET, L at DEN
Offensive rating: 110.0 (22nd)
Defensive rating: 116.2 (25th)

Preseason win total: 19.5
On pace to win: 27

The Nets have already made two trades to strip coach Jordi Fernández of options, and they’re going to need at least one more to achieve their draft lottery goals. Fernández had the Nets playing with a real purpose offensively, with Dennis Schröder playing with a wealth of confidence and Cam Thomas getting loose on direct handoffs. Schröder has since been traded, with Dorian Finney-Smith departing as well, while Thomas has injured his hamstring multiple times. Cameron Johnson is still here; when he gets moved, perhaps Brooklyn will threaten 60 losses.

25. Portland Trail Blazers (13-25)

Last ranking: 26
In the last week: W at NO, L at DAL, L vs. MIA
Offensive rating: 109.0 (26th)
Defensive rating: 117.1 (26th)

Preseason win total: 21.5
On pace to win: 28

By many measures, Portland performs like a 60-loss team. But the Trail Blazers have won several tight games and found a way to knock off teams that are playing for something. They’re also 3-0 against the New Orleans Pelicans, so there’s that. The Blazers are another team that has a surplus of veterans that make sense to be moved somehow, which theoretically would lead to a further descent in the standings. But for now, Portland is a safe bet to get clocked twice a week but shock an unsuspecting foe once every 10 days.

Tier 5: Basement Floor

26. Utah Jazz (10-28)

Last ranking: 25
In the last week: L vs. ATL, L vs. MIA, L at PHO, W vs. BRK
Offensive rating: 111.0 (20th)
Defensive rating: 117.8 (29th)

Preseason win total: 28.5
On pace to win: 22

The Jazz have won 10 games this season, and I feel like I remember each one. They seem to win games extraordinarily loudly. They haven’t beaten a West team in more than a month, but the last one was a 42-point win in Portland. They began January with a 36-point win in Miami. Isaiah Collier had a crunchtime eight-second violation, and they still won a tank-off in overtime against the Nets. They can still get worse, as they have multiple veterans who could be moved. Utah doesn’t win often, but I find myself entertained with its season all the same.

LaMelo Ball and the Hornets weren’t supposed to be good, but they weren’t expected to be this bad. (Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)

27. Charlotte Hornets (8-28)

Last ranking: 30
In the last week: W vs. PHO, PPD at LAL, PPD at LAC, L at PHO
Offensive rating: 107.2 (29th)
Defensive rating: 113.3 (19th)

Preseason win total: 30.5
On pace to win: 18

Of all of the teams that were expected to be bad, the Hornets are actually the team that has disappointed the most. Charlotte is on pace for its worst season since the Lockout Bobcats won only seven games. That’s saying something, considering the woeful state of Charlotte NBA basketball over the past dozen years. The Hornets finally won a game to snap a season-long 10-game losing streak, but after a 4-5 start to the season, Charlotte is only 4-23 — while displaying some of the worst shot selection you will see from any team.

28. Toronto Raptors (9-31)

Last ranking: 27
In the last week: L at NY, L at CLE, L at DET, W vs. GS
Offensive rating: 109.9 (23rd)
Defensive rating: 117.5 (27th)

Preseason win total: 29.5
On pace to win: 19

The Raptors are close to the Hornets as far as falling below expectations despite not expecting to be good. Injuries have kept Toronto from seeing what they’re fully capable of — the starting lineup of Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl have only played four games together. In a related story, the Raptors lost all four of those games, and that lineup is awful. Toronto is fully in the tank and headed for a 60-loss season.

GO DEEPER

Chris Boucher deserves this final flourish, likely his last with the Raptors

29. New Orleans Pelicans (8-32)

Last ranking: 28
In the last week: L vs. MIN, L vs. POR, W at PHI, L at BOS
Offensive rating: 108.3 (28th)
Defensive rating: 117.7 (28th)

Preseason win total: 46.5
On pace to win: 16

By far the most disappointing team in basketball. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Dejounte Murray have never played in the same game. And at this point, who knows if that will ever happen? It’s a wrap for the Pelicans, who have four more losses than the next worst team in the West. They’re 13 games in the loss column out of 10th place. And this franchise has won one playoff series since 2008. Something’s got to give. New Orleans does not have to run anything back, so it will be interesting to see what the fire sale looks like over the next month.

GO DEEPER

Zion Williamson returns from suspension, but will things change for the Pelicans?

30. Washington Wizards (6-32)

Last ranking: 29
In the last week: L vs. HOU, L at PHI, L at CHI, L vs. OKC, L vs. MIN
Offensive rating: 105.1 (30th)
Defensive rating: 118.6 (30th)

Preseason win total: 20.5
On pace to win: 13

The worst team in the league. And that does make them a disappointment, because the Nets had the lowest preseason win total. The Wizards won only 15 games last season, but they’re even worse this season, combining a lack of shot-making with a lack of physicality. They get outscored by 14.3 points per game, which would be the worst differential of the 21st century.

GO DEEPER

What we’re hearing about a potential Jonas Valančiūnas trade

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(Top photo of Tim Hardaway Jr.: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)