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The first edition of the NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings in 2025 drops on New Year’s Day, so let’s do a New Year’s Resolution-themed one. Like your resolutions, expect most of these to be broken by the end of January.
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1. Oklahoma City Thunder (27-5, Last Week No. 1). New Year’s resolution for the Thunder: Get Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein on the court together. It’s wild to think that as good as the Thunder have been this season — best record in the West by five games — we haven’t seen the best version of this team yet with both its big men healthy. It’s also good to have Anthony Edwards say Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is “The MVP of the NBA… Yeah, I would say Shai. Yeah, he’s looking like the MVP, man.”
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (29-4, LW 2). New Year’s resolution for the Cavaliers: Just keep doing what you’re doing, your chance will come. Cleveland had a 15-0 start, has the best record in the East by five games over Boston, has the best offense in the NBA and a top-10 defense. Great teams don’t win a lot of close games, great teams aren’t in a lot of close games — of the Cavaliers 29 wins this season, 21 of them have been by 10+ points. Despite all that, Donovan Mitchell and company have a lot of doubters, ones that can’t be proven wrong until May. Until then, stay healthy and keep riding the wave of this season.
3. New York Knicks (23-10, LW 4). New Year’s resolution for the Knicks: Keep playing defense the way they have the last two weeks. The Knicks have won eight in a row and in that stretch have the sixth-best defense in the NBA, with a defensive rating of 106.8. Compare that to November, when the Knicks were 23rd in the league in defense with a 115.9 defensive rating. Another thing the Knicks hope to see continue in 2025 is the efficiency of Josh Hart, whose 68% true shooting percentage is fourth-best in the NBA — he is the only non-center in the top eight. Also, it helps when Jalen Brunson scores 55, including 16 in the clutch, as he did against the Wizards.
4. Boston Celtics (24-9, LW 3). New Year’s resolution for the Celtics: Wake up (at least for the final month of the season). The Celtics are 5-5 in their last 10 games but nobody is freaking out because: 1) Some key players have missed games due to injury here and there; 2) This feels far more like the mid-season malaise of a champion than a real problem. Still, the fact this team that relies so much on its 3-point shooting, launching 50+ a game, shot just 34.4% on them in December is concerning and something to watch long term.
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5. Memphis Grizzlies (23-11, LW 6). New Year’s resolution for the Grizzlies: Get and keep Ja Morant healthy. Morant is currently week-to-week with a shoulder sprain, and while this team is a respectable 9-5 this season in games Morant has missed, they need him healthy and attacking if this team is going to make postseason noise. It’s unfortunate Morant is likely going to miss too may games (by the time this shoulder heals) to qualify for postseason awards, he was in the mix for All-NBA.
6. Dallas Mavericks (20-13, LW 5). New Year’s resolution for the Mavericks: Get Luka Doncic healthy for the playoffs. Doncic likely is out for around a month due to a strained calf, and in a way that helps reset the priorities for this team: Focus on being healthy and relatively rested at the start of the playoffs — that means not wearing down Kyrie Irving with too heavy a workload while Doncic is out. This is where the offseason additions of depth come into play, but Dallas is 1-2 so far in this stretch without their star. Doncic isn’t going to play enough games now to qualify for MVP, All-NBA or any other postseason awards, the focus now has to be on the big picture for the franchise, and that starts in April.
PLAYOFFS OR BUST
7. Houston Rockets (21-11, LW 8). New Year’s resolution for the Rockets: Ownership, don’t push to do anything rash. Houston has lost two in a row to end 2024 and now enters a tough stretch of the schedule with Dallas, Boston and the Lakers at home this week, then 6-of-7 on the road. If a few more losses pile up, that’s when some owners will push for a trade (or fire a coach, hello Sacramento) just to do something to shake things up and hopefully turn things around. The Rockets need to be patient. Houston has built a quality young core and needs to let this season play out, see how this group with this coach, looks in the playoffs, then make any bold moves this summer. Grow this thing slowly and more organically, they are on the right road.
8. Denver Nuggets (18-13, LW 9). New Year’s resolution for the Nuggets: Get Nikola Jokic more help. One guy some of us were skeptical would be much help is Russell Westbrook, but he’s been solid for them as a starter — the Nuggets are 8-2 in games Westbrook starts, have a +5 net rating when he is on the court in those games, and he has an above average 55.9 true shooting percentage as a starter (49.7 off the bench). Still, Denver needs more depth and that has been more obvious with Aaron Gordon missing the last three games with a calf injury.
9. Miami Heat (16-14, LW 10). New Year’s resolution for the Heat: Move on from the Jimmy Butler era. That doesn’t have to happen at the trade deadline — Miami will not accept a bad trade. However, Butler’s comments this week — “Does it matter?.. I honestly do not care about getting traded, where I’m supposed to go.” — are a sign it’s time for the franchise to pivot. Because Butler has leverage (a player option for next year allowing him to be a free agent) and the joys of the luxury tax aprons, a Butler sign-and-trade this summer seems more likely than a move in the next month. Play this season out, this is still a Heat team that can make a little run in the playoffs, then see where things stand.
10. Los Angeles Clippers (19-14, LW 12). New Year’s resolution for the Clippers: Get Kawhi Leonard on the court. That could happen as soon as this Saturday, and once he gets into the mix we’ll see just how dangerous Tyronn Lue’s team can be. The Clippers have won 5-of-7, mostly on the road, thanks to the team’s sixth-ranked defense, which should only improve with Leonard added to the rotation.
11. Atlanta Hawks (18-15, LW 15). New Year’s resolution for the Hawks: Keep the late December vibes rolling into 2025. Atlanta went 8-4 in December, ending the month on a four-game win streak. This isn’t the Trae Young show, De’Andre Hunter has stepped up with his best season as a pro, while Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels are having breakout seasons. The Hawks are third in the NBA in bench points scored per game at 43.8. Atlanta has to keep those vibes rolling on the six-game road trip they have to start the season (they are 1-0 so far, having beaten Toronto).
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-15, LW 14). New Year’s resolution for the Timberwolves: Find a consistent offense. There are moments when I think this team looks like the one that made the Western Conference Finals a season ago — like when they won three games in a row this week, including beating Dallas and Houston, with Donte DiVincenzo scoring 20 points in back-to-back games (Houston and San Antonio). But stringing together consistent wins has been challenging because the offense is up and down. The Celtics and the Clippers provide stiff tests this week.
13. Milwaukee Bucks (17-14, LW 7). New Year’s resolution for the Bucks: Find that NBA Cup groove again. The Bucks looked like a team that could be a threat in the East when winning the NBA Cup in Las Vegas, but since then, they have gone 3-3, with one of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Damian Lillard missing every one of those games up until the win over the Pacers Tuesday. A soft schedule this week (Brooklyn, Portland, Toronto) can help the Bucks right the ship.
14. Los Angeles Lakers (18-14, LW 16). New Year’s resolution for the Lakers: Find even more help for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. After largely standing pat with this roster through the summer, Rob Pelinka made his move to bring in more talent in a trade for Dorian Finney-Smith that is a win for Los Angeles. But let’s not pretend this move makes the Lakers a threat to win the West. How much will DFS and getting some guys getting healthy (Jaxson Hayes just returned) help the defense, we’ll find out in the coming weeks — however the New Year’s Eve loss to Cleveland is a reminder how far this team is away from the league’s top teams. Getting more talent around LeBron and Davis is not just a one-trade move, it has to continue through the deadline (another big man?) and into the summer. The Lakers are good, but even LeBron admits they are not right now at the championship level he hopes to see.
15. Golden State Warriors (16-16, LW 11). New Year’s Resolution for Warriors: Find some offense. Stephen Curry summed the team up well after a loss to the Cavaliers Monday: “As the kids say, we’re very mid right now,” Curry said. “We’re just very average.” Actually, that’s kind for a team that is 4-13 in their last 17 games. The problems are on the offensive end, where the Warriors are 23rd in offense overall and 21st in half-court offense. Curry has not been able to find a consistent rhythm and he hasn’t been getting enough help (Dennis Schroder hasn’t changed that yet). However, credit Curry with the shot of the season so far.
16. Orlando Magic (20-14, LW 13). New Year’s resolution for the Magic: Just get healthy. This is a team with potential, one where this year’s playoff experience will help the team grow heading into next season, but it doesn’t work without a healthy Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner suiting up. Orlando is a respectable 4-5 since Wagner went down and both stars were out, thanks to a top-10 defense and enough offense from Jalen Suggs to get by.
PLAY IN HOPEFULS
17. Philadelphia 76ers (13-17, LW 21). New Year’s resolution for the 76ers: Just get to the playoffs healthy and see what this team can do — like we did on Christmas Day when they beat the Celtics. We’ve seen more of the good side of this team lately, with Philly winning four in a row with Joel Embiid in the lineup (the team is 6-1 when he plays since the former MVP came back from injury). This ranking level may be too low for the Sixers, while the 76ers are currently the No. 11 seed in the East they are 8-2 in their last 10 with a +3.4 net rating in those games — this looks like a playoff team in the East.
18. Indiana Pacers (16-18, LW 17). New Year’s resolution for the Pacers: More vintage Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers one win in their last four games came against Boston on a day we saw the All-NBA Haliburton from a season ago, with 31 points and seven assists, getting downhill and scoring 18 in the paint. Indiana caught some breaks in that win (Boston shooting 29.6% from 3) but that looked like the team that was must-watch the first half of last season, back when nobody could take their eyes off Haliburton.
19. San Antonio Spurs (17-16, LW 18). New Year’s resolution for the Spurs: Get Gregg Popovich back on the sidelines, he should leave on his own terms. Second resolution: Make the play-in, maybe the playoffs proper. If you have any doubts about Victor Wembanyama being the NBA’s next crossover star, you just needed to see him playing chess in Washington Square Park on an off day to get why he can be that guy. He’s also willing this team toward the postseason and they need to get there, that is the kind of building-block experience this team needs going forward.
20. Phoenix Suns (15-17, LW 19). New Year’s resolution for the Suns: Find enough defense to make this big three trio work. There are a lot of red flags around the Suns right now, but for my money this is the biggest one: Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal have played just 197 minutes together this season (due to injuries) and have a -4.3 net rating in those minutes. Phoenix is losing the minutes with all of its best three on the court. Mike Budenholzer has to find a way for this team to get some stops if it is going to even make the playoffs (right now it would not). Pulling off a trade to help that side of the ball will be hard to pull off with the Suns well into the luxury tax second apron (with all its restrictions).
21. Detroit Pistons (14-18, LW 23). New Year’s resolution for the Pistons: Make the play-in. If the postseason started today, the Pistons would be the No. 10 seed and make the play-in — and that would be a valuable experience for Cade Cunningham and Detroit’s young core. It’s what this franchise needs more than tanking and then hoping the lottery gods favor them. Detroit went 3-1 on a West Coast road trip — with Jaden Ivey’s four-point game-winner to beat the Kings being the highlight — and are now home for eight of 10.
22. Sacramento Kings (14-19, LW 20). New Year’s resolution for the Kings: Pick a plan and stick with it. The firing of Mike Brown — and replacing him with Doug Christie — feels like the latest in a long history of “we have to do something” impatient Kings moves. Mike Brown is a defense-first, solid NBA coach saddled with a flawed roster of guys who don’t defend well, and watching the first couple of games under Christie it’s hard to see how he changes things (the win against Dallas was good to see, but the Mavs were without Doncic and Irving). It’s hard not to feel bad for Kings fans.
23. Chicago Bulls (15-18, LW 22). New Year’s resolution for the Bulls: Make some trades at the deadline. Sounds simple, but we’ve seen the Bulls’ history. Zach LaVine is the big name that gets mentioned a lot (particularly with Denver), but Nikola Vucevic is the Bull most likely to be traded, according to the buzz around the league. Chicago needs to figure out its long term direction, and is Josh Giddey a part of that? The one who put up 23 and 15 on the Bucks in a win (with a couple nice defensive plays) would be a good fit, if we got to see him regularly.
CAPTURE THE (COOPER) FLAGG
24. Brooklyn Nets (12-20, LW 24). New Year’s resolution for the Nets: Draft well. The sale is on in Brooklyn with Dorian Finney-Smith headed to the Lakers, bringing the show that is D’Angelo Russell back to Brooklyn. There will be more Nets trades before the deadline — will anyone pay up to get Cameron Johnson? — as this team targets the future with 31 draft picks in the next seven years (15 of them firsts).
25. Portland Trail Blazers (11-21, LW 28). New Year’s resolution for the Trail Blazers: Find some consistency as they rebuild. There are stretches where this young Portland team looks like it is growing into something, like when Scoot Henderson hit his first NBA game-winner, a nifty and poised fadeaway against Utah with the game on the line. However, good wins over the Jazz and Mavericks were followed up by a sloppy game against the 76ers, and it’s a sign of the consistency this team needs to try and find while working toward a high draft pick.
26. Utah Jazz (7-24, LW 25). New Year’s resolution for the Jazz: Trade Lauri Markkanen this summer. He didn’t want to be traded last summer, he can’t be traded at the deadline, but as much as the scoring big man loves Salt Lake City (and the fans appreciate him), he is not part of the long-term future of this team. The short-term question as we approach the trade deadline is if other teams will meet Danny Ainge’s asking price for Collin Sexton or Walker Kessler.
27. Washington Wizards (5-25, LW 29). New Year’s resolution for the Wizards: Trade the veterans, then draft well. There are teams kicking the tires on both Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valanciunas for potential trades, the Wizards can’t hold out for some impossible offer, get the best deal they can, get draft picks, then use them wisely. They moved up in the standings these rankings this week because they beat the team one spot below them.
28. Charlotte Hornets (7-25, LW 27). New Year’s resolution for the Hornets: Draft well. Charlotte has lost eight in a row and 16-of-17. LaMelo Ball has been healthier than in previous years but has missed the team’s last three games, although he and Brandon Miller are expected back this week. Charlotte has battled a lot of health issues and has only had its best starting five for a couple of games, they are better than this record, but at this point its about the future in Charlotte.
29. Toronto Raptors (7-26, LW 26). New Year’s resolution for the Raptors: Draft well. There is real talent on this team in Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, much better than their record indicates. Health issues have gotten in the way (this team has just one game with its preferred starting five) but it should be better than this. Still, the focus is on the future and bringing in more talent to go around that core. Toronto is in a rough stretch of the schedule, expect the losses to keep piling up.
30. New Orleans Pelicans (5-28, LW 30). New Year’s resolution for the Pelicans: Decide what the plan is with Zion Williamson. Trade him? This summer there might be a market of teams willing to take a flier. Waive him? They can under the terms of the contract (games played) but this his highly unlikely. Keep him and hope something changes? That’s probably what happens, because when he does play there aren’t that many players who are better than him, who impact a game more than him. There is no easy answer here. Also, trade Brandon Ingram.
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