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76ers making surge up Eastern Conference standings
The trade deadline is a mere week away now on Feb. 6. Now is the time for teams to begin figuring out where they stand and how they plan to attack the deadline at this stage of the season.
In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been a machine and the Boston Celtics have been terrific while the Philadelphia 76ers have been struggling all season amid injuries, but are beginning to really surge. The New York Knicks have been terrific while the Orlando Magic cannot be forgotten about once they get healthy. The Milwaukee Bucks have begun to surge as well after their slow start along with the Indiana Pacers.
Out West, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been at the top while teams like the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Dallas Mavericks will be teams to worry about as well.
With that said, here is the 12th edition of the NBA Power Rankings:
30. Washington Wizards (6-40)
Previous ranking: 30
The Wizards have lost 15 in a row and need to make a move before the deadline. The youngsters are getting valuable reps to develop in this league, but there is no real reason for keeping Kyle Kuzma on the roster. The goal has to be developing Alex Sarr and others while positioning themselves for the lottery.
29. Utah Jazz (10-35)
Previous ranking: 29
The Jazz have to love what they are getting out of their younger players. While it hasn’t led to wins just yet, Utah is getting a lot of strong play out of guys like Isaiah Collier, Keyonte George, Kyle Filipowski, and Brice Sensabaugh. Now, the Jazz have to try and move their veterans to see if they can get add to their stockpile of young talent.
28. Charlotte Hornets (12-32)
Previous ranking: 27
The Hornets have been an average defensive team as they rank 16th in defensive rating, but they have been disastrous on the offensive ranking 27th in offensive rating. Charlotte has its eyes on wining the lottery as Brandon Miller is out for the season and the Hornets should focus on that as well as hoping LaMelo Ball can stay healthy the rest of the way.
27. New Orleans Pelicans (12-36)
Previous ranking: 25
The Pelicans continue to be disastrous. They have lost four in a row as they continue to deal with injuries and inconsistent play. One has to wonder about the status of coach Willie Green and whether his seat is getting warm down in New Orleans. On the bright side, Trey Murphy III has been terrific for the Pelicans.
26. Brooklyn Nets (15-33)
Previous ranking: 26
The Nets are fully embracing the tank as they have their eyes on the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. This is good for the franchise as they move into the future, but it hurts the present as coach Jordi Fernandez looks to create a culture in Brooklyn. One has to wonder if the Nets will make another deal ahead of the deadline as they move forward with the rebuild.
25. Toronto Raptors (15-32)
Previous ranking: 28
The Raptors have won five in a row including beating teams like the Magic and the Hawks (twice). While Toronto is not going to contend for a postseason spot in 2025, it’s obvious that coach Darko Rajakovic and Co. are laying down the foundation for the future. The Raptors have a good young core led by Scottie Barnes and they need to build around it.
24. Portland Trail Blazers (18-29)
Previous ranking: 24
The Blazers just seem stuck. While they are losing enough to be in the lottery, it hasn’t been at the rate it needs to be in order to truly be in the Flagg sweepstakes. With that being said, guys like Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan have been good additions to the roster. The goal for Portland now has to be focused on the development of Scoot Henderson and the youngsters.
23. Chicago Bulls (20-28)
Previous ranking: 22
The Bulls are still holding onto their core at the moment, but with the deadline now rapidly approaching, it has to change. As mentioned in this spot all season, Chicago is going nowhere with Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball at the moment. All three are talented as ever and the Bulls should get a nice return for either player as they move forward.
22. Philadelphia 76ers (19-27)
Previous ranking: 23
The Sixers have followed up a miserable 7-game losing skid with a 4-game winning streak now and are only percentage points back of the Bulls for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. They are coming off some impressive wins over the Cavaliers and Lakers and Tyrese Maxey appears to have his joy back. If they get healthy, a rather huge if, this team can be scary in the East.
21. San Antonio Spurs (20-24)
Previous ranking: 21
The Spurs have dropped two in a row following a big win over the Pacers in Paris. They dropped the rematch with Indiana and then lost to the Clippers at home. San Antonio now has some work to do as it is 2.5 games back of the Kings for the final play-in spot in the West as the season progresses.
20. Atlanta Hawks (22-25)
Previous ranking: 16
The Hawks are in a bit of a freefall as they have lost six in a row and lost Jalen Johnson for the rest of the season. As injuries begin to take their toll in Atlanta, the Hawks are now No. 9 in the East and are only 2.5 games ahead of the Bulls and the Sixers in the play-in standings. It will be up to Trae Young to keep Atlanta afloat and in the playoff race.
19. Miami Heat (23-23)
Previous ranking: 19
The Heat have to figure out the Jimmy Butler saga as they move forward. The star forward has been suspended for a third time and Miami is still adjusting to playing without the disgruntled forward. On the bright side, coach Erik Spoelstra has finally given Kel’el Ware the playing time he needs and Bam Adebayo can play more power forward.
18. Sacramento Kings (24-23)
Previous ranking: 15
The Kings now have to figure out the De’Aaron Fox situation as they will begin taking trade calls on their star guard. They have worked their way back into the play-in tournament in the tough Western Conference, but the potential Fox drama looms over them now as they move forward and one has to wonder what the front office will do leading into the 3 p.m. EST deadline on Feb. 6.
17. Detroit Pistons (23-24)
Previous ranking: 14
The Pistons have run into a tough stretch of their schedule and have been delivered a dose of reality. While Cade Cunningham continues to play like a star and Malik Beasley has been fantastic as a floor spacer, they need another ball-handler and scorer to take pressure off Cunningham. If Jaden Ivey can return from his injury, it would be a big help on the offensive end.
16. Golden State Warriors (24-23)
Previous ranking: 20
The Warriors are still a competitive bunch as Stephen Curry has been terrific on the offensive end and the role players understand what they are supposed to do. They just have to find some consistency. One has to wonder if they can feasibly pull off a Jimmy Butler deal and have him team up with Curry and Draymond Green in The Bay.
15. Phoenix Suns (24-22)
Previous ranking: 18
The Suns have had a chaotic season led by the benching of Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic being phased out of the rotation a bit. With that being said, when Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are healthy, the Suns are a lethal offense as there are not many in this league who can match up with either player. Beal is still a player who can produce off the bench for Phoenix.
14. Orlando Magic (24-24)
Previous ranking: 13
The Magic have stumbled, but getting Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Goga Bitadze back on the floor to join Paolo Banchero should settle them down and get them back on track. Orlando was near the top of the standings in the East and should make another run up the standings when it gets back into the groove of things.
13. Dallas Mavericks (26-22)
Previous ranking: 17
The Mavericks are still awaiting the return of Luka Doncic from injury, but until then, Dallas can rely on Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson to lead the charge on the offensive end. It also doesn’t hurt that PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford are there to chip in when the time calls for it. When Doncic returns, the Mavs will be a competitive bunch in the West.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (26-21)
Previous ranking: 12
Have the Wolves figured it out? Are they one, big happy family in Minnesota? They have won four in a row and are creeping up on the Clippers on getting out of the play-in tournament and into the top 6. The duo of Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle still has some work to do, but Minnesota has enough talent to make this work. It has been a bit of a down season, but the Wolves can get this done.
11. Los Angeles Lakers (26-19)
Previous ranking: 11
The Lakers are dealing with yet another Anthony Davis injury and one has to wonder how they will go about surviving his absence. Of course, LeBron James is still playing at a high level, but they will need Rui Hachimura to step up and will lean on Jarred Vanderbilt a bit more than maybe they would have liked at this moment when considering he hasn’t played much basketball in the past year.
10. Indiana Pacers (26-20)
Previous ranking: 9
The Pacers are back to being an offensive juggernaut as they are in the top 10 in the league i offensive rating, but defense continues to be an issue. It will be hard for Indiana to truly contend in the East if it can’t get enough stops. While Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are a talented duo and Myles Turner is an elite shot blocker, the Pacers need to get defensive out on the floor.
9. Los Angeles Clippers (27-20)
Previous ranking: 10
The Clippers are 7-2 with Kawhi Leonard in the lineup which shows how talented LA is with he and James Harden leading the way. Harden, especially, deserves a ton of credit for the job he has done in 2024-25 as a leader and somebody who can get after it on the offensive end still at his advanced age.
8. Milwaukee Bucks (26-19)
Previous ranking: 8
The Bucks took a bad loss to the Blazers on Tuesday, but they are still sitting at No. 5 in the East thanks to the strong play of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. The role players continue to do a good job for this group and coach Doc Rivers has been pushing the right buttons. One has to wonder if Milwaukee makes a move at the deadline.
7. Denver Nuggets (28-19)
Previous ranking: 7
The Nuggets have lost three in a row including a bad one to the Bulls in Chicago. With that being said, as long as Nikola Jokic is out there, Denver is dangerous. The Nuggets are continuing to get strong efforts out of Jamal Murray and others which makes Denver a serious contender in the Western Conference. This team did just win a championship two years ago, after all.
6. Memphis Grizzlies (31-16)
Previous ranking: 6
A lot of experts aren’t taking the Grizzlies seriously, but when this team is healthy, they are dangerous. Memphis has been a strong team all season long and with stars like Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizz should be considered a contender as they sit at No. 3 in the Western Conference standings.
5. New York Knicks (32-16)
Previous ranking: 5
The Knicks have won five in a row including wins over teams like the Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Kings who have all been surging. New York is sitting at No. 3 in the East and is just a game back of the Celtics for the No. 2 seed. The Knicks are jelling at the right time as they continue to move forward with their season.
4. Houston Rockets (32-14)
Previous ranking: 4
The Rockets have been stifling on the defensive end all season and are looking to solidify their status as title contenders in the West. The young core of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson has been fantastic and coach Ime Udoka deserves so much credit for getting this group to mesh together. Fred VanVleet has been a calming influence as well.
3. Boston Celtics (33-15)
Previous ranking: 3
The Celtics have been on cruise control throughout the season following their hot start, but Boston still has work to do. While they are the defending champs and they are the favorites to come out of the East again, they have to hold off the Knicks in the standings and they need to assert themselves again.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (38-9)
Previous ranking: 2
The Cavs dropped three in a row–including two to the Rockets and one to the very short-handed Sixers–but they bounced back with wins over the Pistons and the Heat to get back on track. Cleveland has still been a machine all season long led by All-Star starter Donovan Mitchell as well as Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and a cast of proven role players.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-9)
Previous ranking: 1
The Thunder are going to be a scary bunch heading into the playoffs led by star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and big man Chet Holmgren when he does return from injury. Oklahoma City is going to likely going to be the No. 1 seed in the West, but one has to wonder if it will be the favorites. Teams like the Mavericks and Nuggets have proven themselves in the postseason. The Thunder will have to do the same.
The Philadelphia 76ers are on the rise in the Eastern Conference standings, making a strong surge towards the top. With key players like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons leading the way, the team has been on a winning streak and climbing up the ranks.
Their recent victories have showcased their talent and potential to compete with the best teams in the league. The 76ers’ defense has been stellar, shutting down opponents and forcing turnovers to create scoring opportunities.
Fans are buzzing with excitement as the team continues to dominate on the court and show their strength in the Eastern Conference. With their recent success, the 76ers are proving that they are a force to be reckoned with and a serious contender for the playoffs.
Keep an eye on the Philadelphia 76ers as they make their way up the Eastern Conference standings and look to make a deep postseason run. #TrustTheProcess #76ersNation
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