NBA Power Rankings Version 8 (12/28/22)

Last ranking before the New Year, and a little bit of movement since last ranking. Who is on the rise and who is on the fall as we hit 2023.

Team (Record, Z-Score, Previous Ranking)

1. Boston Celtics (25-10, .892, 1): The Celtics grab a little more distance between 1 and 2 as they are 4-2 since last ranking, capped with a convincing win over the #2 seed Milwaukee Bucks. They are 2.1 standard deviations above average in ORTG, 1.1 above average in 3P% and .8 above average in DRTG.

2. New Orleans Pelicans (21-12, .780, 2): Another solid week for the Pels going 3-1 since the last ranking. Willie Green should be the favorite for coach of the year as they continue to be a mainstay in top five.

3. Phoenix Suns (20-15, .615, 3): The distance between the Pels and Suns has pretty much stayed the same compared to last week, even with the Suns dropping three of five games.

4. Denver Nuggets (22-11, .603, 6): The Nuggets jump up two spots and break into the top five comfortably. They've now rattled off five wins in a row, led by Nikola Jokic who seems to be the clear favorite for MVP. They are now second in the league in 3P% just 0.4 behind the team in the #5 spot...which is...

5. Brooklyn Nets (22-12, .406, 13): An eight spot jump for BKN as they are playing some really good basketball. Nine wins out of ten games led by their incredible three-point shooting have the Nets sitting in the #3 spot in the Eastern Conference.

6. Memphis Grizzlies (20-13, .378, 4)

7. Sacramento Kings (17-15, .354, 5)

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (22-13, .323, 10)

9. Utah Jazz (19-17, .291, 7)

10. Philadelphia 76ers (20-13, .277, 9): Despite a 4-1 week, the 76ers drop one spot in the rankings from last week. The 76ers have now risen to #2 in DRTG, giving up 108.9 points per 100 possessions, trailing only Cleveland.

11. Portland Trail Blazers (18-16, .230, 8): Portland has been quite an interesting story to start this year. They got off to an extremely hot start, but have settled into rather "okay" basketball since. The model likes their 3P% and heavy rebound differential, which keeps them in the top ten, despite barely hanging onto a playoff spot.

12. Milwaukee Bucks (22-11, .122, 12)

13. New York Knicks (18-17, .063, 18)

14. Golden State Warriors (17-18, .062, 11)

15. Dallas Mavericks (19-16, .030, 14)

16. Indiana Pacers (18-17, .008, 17)

17. Chicago Bulls (14-19, .007, 15)

18. Toronto Raptors (15-19, -.016, 16): Seeing the Raptors at #18 in these rankings, and 10th in the Eastern Conference really is a surprise. Good: Raptors have the best turnover differential in the league at -4. Bad: They have the 2nd worst three point percentage in the league. All of that has added up to four games below .500.

19. Atlanta Hawks (15-19, -.069, 23)

20. Oklahoma City Thunder (15-19, -.136, 21)

21. Los Angeles Lakers (14-20, -.154, 20)

22. Minnesota Timberwolves (16-18, -.216, 19)

23. Los Angeles Clippers (21-15, -.277, 25): This team and the Bucks have been the two real anomalies to the XSM ranking so far this season. The Clips would be hosting the #3 XSM ranked Phoenix Suns if the season ended today in the 4/5 Western Conference first round series.

24. Washington Wizards (14-21, -.395, 24)

25. Miami Heat (17-17, -.413, 22): It's really been a strange season for the Heat, and where they fall in this ranking also seems to fit that trend. Their offense and 3P% have both been bad, and play with some of the slowest pace amongst the NBA. They are a play-in team as of now, and honestly seem lucky to be that.

26. Orlando Magic (13-22, -.522, 27)

27. Detroit Pistons (8-28, -.729, 26)

28. Houston Rockets (10-24, -.750, 28)

29. Charlotte Hornets (9-26, -.870, 29)

30. San Antonio Spurs (11-23, -.902, 30): The gap between the Hornets and Spurs slightly widens despite the Spurs being 2.5 games better than their counterparts. Even though the Pistons are in the lead of the Victor sweepstakes, the Spurs are the clubhouse leader for worst ranking here.