NBA power rankings: Where do the red-hot Nuggets land?

After an uneven start to the season, the Denver Nuggets have hit their stride. They probably don’t want to stop playing basketball, given how well they’ve played recently. We’ll take a closer look at their hot streak, and determine where the rest of the league slots in during the NBA All-Star break.

The Wizards and their fans likely wished that this was the end of the season, rather just a pause in the middle of it. The Washington Post’s Candace Buckner provided some optimism, though, wondering if a 2025 draft phenom like Cooper Flagg could supercharge the Wizards, just like the San Antonio Spurs have been revitalized by Victor Wembanyama.

The Pelicans finally found a trade partner for Brandon Ingram, signaling somewhat of a shifting thought process. While New Orleans has an eye on the future, their present has been tumultuous. They’ve had to deal with another long losing streak heading into the All-Star break, and the critical decisions for the front office will continue to plague the franchise for months to come.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

The Hornets are now trapped in no-man’s land with regard to Mark Williams and his future with the team. Even if their planned grievance over the physical the Los Angeles Lakers were scared off of goes in their favor, it’s going to be difficult to repair the relationship with the young center. Rachel Nichols told Fox Sports that she thinks this situation might cause a change in NBA trade rules.

The Jazz have plodded their way to an abysmal first half record, and more of their fans have been able to watch the misery. Utah’s regional sports network now reach over six million people across the state according to Awful Announcing, but the team has lost about 50 percent of its annual media rights revenue. Losing money and losing games is not a good formula.

The Raptors are in the midst of a rebuilding year, but they also don’t want to be embarrassed either. As captured by the New York Post after a loss to the Cavaliers, Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic said, “What Tristan did there was no class and disrespectful,” referring to a dunk Cavs center Tristan Thompson put down when the game was already in hand.

Brooklyn fans might want the team to lose to improve their draft odds, but the players don’t care. Nets forward Cam Johnson told ClutchPoints, “We don’t care. We do not care what they say about that. Listen, at the end of the day, the 15, 18 guys on this team have a job to do, and our job is not to try to get a draft pick.”

Might the second half of the NBA season turn into a Donovan Clingan coming out party? Starting center Deandre Ayton has been ruled out for at least four weeks with a calf strain, which opens the door for the 2024 lottery pick to make his mark. While no one actively roots for injuries, Clingan’s increased involvement has been something Blazers fans have wanted to see for months.

The Bulls were in need of some time off. They found themselves down 71-29 at halftime in a recent game against the Detroit Pistons. Rebuilds often take time and are painful, but those are the types of performances that get coaches and general managers fired. We’ll see how safe Billy Donovan’s job is as we wind down the rest of the season.

Philadelphia can’t get healthy, and it isn’t just Joel Embiid who is fighting through the pain. Paul George told NBC Sports Philadelphia before the break, “the past couple weeks have been tough on my body. This groin issue has just been lingering. The time off should definitely help.” The 76ers have been relegated to fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament in the East.

The Hawks nearly stole a victory during a recent road game against the New York Knicks. Atlanta improbably pushed the game into overtime, but wasn’t able to seal the deal. With their new cast of characters in town, the Hawks will need to find a rhythm sooner rather than later. ESPN reports that Larry Nance Jr. and Vit Krejci are going to miss several weeks with injuries.

Victor Wembanyama has made his first All-Star game, and his teammates are extremely happy for him. Harrison Barnes told My San Antonio, “I think it was really just a testament to the person that he is. Obviously, he works extremely hard. He gets so much attention, and he always tries to put it back on the team, make it more about the team and less about him.”

Phoenix has not met the lofty expectations they had coming into the year, and change is coming. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said about Kevin Durant, “he’s probably going to get traded this summer. He knows it. The Suns know it. The rest of the league knows it. They’re going to enjoy him while they have him. It’s not really controversial in all honesty.”

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

The Heat are looking to patch things together after jettisoning Jimmy Butler out of town, but they keep finding themselves dropping winnable games where they have late leads. Bam Adebayo told the Miami Herald, “how many times we got to keep learning this lesson?” If they don’t clean things up, they might find themselves in a play-in spot.

The Kings are hoping to keep things afloat after their trade of De’Aaron Fox. ESPN reported that Sacramento has signed Markelle Fultz to help address their void at point guard. Even with Fultz in the fold, fans can still expect Malik Monk and Zach LaVine to do the bulk of the ball handling down the stretch.

The Mavericks have teetered around .500 since the Luka Doncic trade, although it doesn’t feel like that. ESPN reported that Dallas fans were thrown out of a recent game for violating the NBA code of conduct. The mood around the team is one of frustration and despair, and that’s not going to change unless an unlikely run ensues this spring.

The Warriors are likely going to at least qualify for a play-in spot. The Suns are fading, the Kings traded De’Aaron Fox at the deadline, and the Mavericks are in shambles. This should give Golden State some solace, but they’re still going to have to fine-tune Jimmy Butler’s fit as the most important games of the season loom large in April.

The Magic received a ton of praise for staying strong during the period where Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner were injured, but they’re now under .500. It seems like Orlando has been a piece short at all times this season, as Jalen Suggs has also missed notable time due to a back injury. The All-Star break comes at a great time for them, as it might give them a second wind.

It seems certain that Minnesota has taken a step back with the departure of Karl-Anthony Towns and acquisition of Julius Randle. Sam Quinn of CBS Sports believes the franchise will have no choice but to get off of his contract. Quinn said, “If Randle was still playing like an All-Star, Minnesota would be fine with him picking up his $30 million player option.” However, his production and effectiveness have dipped.

Keith Langlois wrote on the NBA’s website that the “Pistons hit the break at a spring as Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson raise their ceiling.” It’s been a tremendous bounce back season in Detroit, which has been made even more impressive by the improvement of their young cornerstones. It might not be crazy to think that they would give a team trouble in the first round of the playoffs.

Dalton Knecht was on the other side of the Mark Williams trade debacle, and he’s also had to get re-acclimated to life back in Los Angeles. He told USA Today, “It’s hard. L.A. drafted me here, so L.A. means a lot. So, hearing that, then I go to Charlotte in the morning with one of my guys, get introduced, start meeting all those people and then fly out to Detroit in what was called my debut game to then flying back to L.A.” We’ll see how the rookie responds down the stretch.

There were many who predicted a drop off from the Clippers this season, but James Harden deserves a ton of credit for preventing that. He’s been sensational as a scorer and playmaker in Los Angeles, and has reminded fans why he’s one of the superior offensive weapons in the NBA.

In the never-ending saga involving the Luka Doncic trade, NBA writer Gery Woelfel wrote that the Mavericks actually contacted Milwaukee about a deal possibly centered around Giannis Antetokounmpo. This runs contrary to the common notion that Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison only dealt with the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s a fun “what if” to think about.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

The Pacers have looked like a different team since the new year began, one that more closely resembles their playoff tested bunch from a year ago. Indiana has gotten healthier and deeper, as Aaron Nesmith has returned to the lineup to provide defensive tenacity on the wings. They’ve also done a better job of re-establishing the breakneck pace they played at a year ago.

Jeremy Brener of Sports Illustrated has locked in on one key the Rockets need to improve on after the All-Star break. He notes that they’re one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA. They might want to consider giving Reed Sheppard more minutes, as the rookie is known as a solid outside shooter.

The Grizzlies have reclaimed their spot near the top of the Western Conference standings, but there’s still plenty for them to work on. Head coach Taylor Jenkins told the Memphis Commercial Appeal, “Forty-one points off of turnovers, that’s hard to win any NBA game.” The team will have to value the ball against the better competition.

The Knicks came out with a wild 149-148 overtime victory over the Hawks right before the All-Star break. New York nearly gave the game away in regulation on a bad pass from Karl-Anthony Towns. However, Jalen Brunson saved the day with a clutch jumper that gave the Knicks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Jason Lloyd of The Athletic wrote that the Cavaliers realistically have a three-year window to win a title. That’s music to the ears of Cleveland fans, who were happy to welcome De’Andre Hunter into the fold. The team will just need to stay healthy until April, and come up with ways to get over the hump.

Denver has catapulted up the Western Conference standings, reminding the rest of the NBA that they’re going to be a tough out in the playoffs. Head coach Michael Malone has found a rotation that works, which was eluding them earlier in the year. The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando wonders whether Malone will keep Julian Strawther in the rotation come playoff time.

The Celtics have been inconsistent since the new year, but fans can expect them to turn it on once they return from the All-Star break. Boston had a huge statement victory before the break on the road against the New York Knicks. The Knicks couldn’t get anything going all night, as the defending champions reminded them that the road still goes through Boston.

The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson charted Jalen Williams’ journey from little known draft pick to All-Star. He’s one of the main reasons why Oklahoma City feels like an overwhelming favorite to come out of the West, and possibly win the NBA title. The piece talks about Williams’ youthful exuberance, even as a seasoned NBA player.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!