End-of-Season NBA Power Rankings
Derik Hamilton/AP Photo
The end of the 2022-2023 NBA season is finally upon us, as the final games of the year took place on Sunday. It’s now time to see where every team ranks among each other. Where will the Sixers be ranked? Will they be above the red-hot Bucks, Celtics, and Nuggets?
30: Detroit Pistons (17-65)
The Detroit Pistons have had a historically bad season. Their record ranks among one of their worst since the NBL-BAA merger. This team was carried to a measly 17 wins, most of them being late rallies led by rookie Jaden Ivey. It isn’t all going bad for Detroit, though. The Pistons are going to have a 14% chance of getting the first overall pick and drafting a generational talent in Victor Wembanyama.
29: San Antonio Spurs (22-60)
It has been a rough season for the Spurs. Since the departure of Dejounte Murray, San Antonio has just simply forgotten how to play competitive basketball. Almost all of their wins were close games and most of their losses were blowouts. It’s safe to say that the Gregg Popovich is going to hope that the Lottery goes their way, or San Antonio isn’t going to see the playoffs any time soon.
28: Houston Rockets (22-60)
The Rockets are in the same boat as the Spurs and Pistons. Not only did this team win a disappointing 22 games, but they also never seemed to get on the same page. The only upside of the Rockets is that Jalen Green had an outstanding 2nd season, and they will be tied for the highest odds to win the Lottery. The result of the Lottery could affect our 76ers, as, per the Athletic, James Harden is considering a return to Houston. If the Rockets were to pick up a guard such as Amen Thompson or Scoot Henderson, this may discourage Harden from leaving Philadelphia, leaving him no choice but to exercise his player option.
27: Charlotte Hornets (27-55)
The Charlotte Hornets are stuck in a very bad position. Not only did they have one of the worst records in the NBA, they also don’t have high odds for the number one pick. This means that they will almost definitely have no chance at drafting Victor Wembanyama, and they also had too many losses to make the play-in. The Hornets will likely be in a rebuild phase next season and will try to gain young talent and future draft picks.
26: Orlando Magic (34-48)
The Orlando Magic had a mediocre run this year, as they narrowly missed the play-in tournament. Paolo Banchero had a very impressive rookie year and will likely win Rookie of the Year. Orlando is a promising franchise that if they play the draft correctly, could be a force to be reckoned with in the future.
25: Portland Trailblazers (33-49)
The Blazers have had a season to forget. Not having McCollum really affected them, as scoring became more reliant on Damian Lillard. This lineup is getting old, as key talents such as Jusuf Nurkic and Lillard are in their thirties. The Blazers have to hope they play the draft right, or they might have a playoff drought coming.
24: Indiana Pacers (35-47)
The Pacers did not plat great basketball this year. While Tyrese Haliburton had an outstanding inaugural season with Indiana, losing Domantas Sabonis and Buddy Hield seemed to be too much for the Pacers. They finished with a record well below .500 and did not make the play-in tournament. Indiana definitely needs to change things up in the offseason if they want to stay competitive.
23: Washington Wizards (35-47)
The Washington Wizards had a rollercoaster of a season this year. While they were just shy of the play-in Tournament, Kristaps Porzingis had a solid season. Even though he was not selected to the All-Star Game, there could definitely be an argument that he should have been. If the Washington front-office drafts well this year, D.C. may have a playoff berth coming their way.
22: Utah Jazz (37-45)
Even though the Jazz came up short of the play-in, it could almost be guaranteed they will be there next year. They could even end up in the playoffs. Lauri Markkanen has a breakout year, as he was an All-Star starter. He was a force to be reckoned with from almost everywhere on the court. Whenever Markkanen was unable to preform, Jordan Clarkson stepped up. It is unfortunate that Utah was unable to perform, as they had one of the toughest schedules in the NBA. Next year will almost definitely be a year where the Jazz will be back in the playoffs.
21: Dallas Mavericks (38-44)
While the Mavericks are listed as the best team to not make the play-in tournament, they fell way short of expectations. Early in the NBA season, Dallas had one of the highest chances to win the NBA Finals. In fact, in late February they had a 96% chance of making the playoffs. It only took about a month and a half for that percentage to drop to zero. The addition of Kyrie Irving may have been all for not, as it is unknown if he will decide to re-sign in the offseason. If he decides not to, the Mavericks would have traded away their future for just another disappointing season.
20: Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42)
The Thunder had a surprising season to say the least. Losing Chet Holmgren in a pickup-game before the season started seemed to end Oklahoma City’s season before it started, but the Thunder prevailed. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a breakout season as he made the All-Star team. Even though they lost in their second play-in game, Oklahoma City is a promising franchise that could see Playoff basketball coming their way soon.
19: Toronto Raptors (41-41)
The Toronto Raptors have had somewhat of a disappointing season this year. While Pascal Siakam had a great year as he made the All-Star team, the rest of the team was mediocre. Toronto lost their play-in game versus the Bulls on Wednesday Night, ending their season abruptly.
18: Minnesota Timberwolves (42-40)
Minnesota had an interesting season to say the least. Trading D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley to the Lakers for Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker may not have been the best move for them. Both Russell and Beasley had stellar second halves to the season for the Lakers, while only Conley had a good half for the Timberwolves. Minnesota beat the Thunder in their final play-in game to become the eight seed in the West.
17: New Orleans Pelicans (42-40)
New Orleans season reflects mediocrity, other than Zion Williamson’s first half of the year. After Williamson got injured, all went downhill for the Pelicans. The only upside for them was Brandon Ingram’s stellar season. New Orleans lost in the first round of the play-in Tournament to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
16: Chicago Bulls (40-42)
The Chicago Bulls had a decent season this past year. While they did finish as the 10 seed, there can be an argument that they are better than the team that they faced in the play-in, the Toronto Raptors. DeMar DeRozan had a great year as he was an All-Star. Zach LaVine also had a decent season, but he was just shy of the All-Star nod. The Bulls surprised the Raptors in their first play-in game, but the Heat were too much for Chicago.
15: Atlanta Hawks (41-41)
Trae Young and the Hawks disappointed some fans this year. A higher seed than their 8th spot was expected by many NBA fans. Nonetheless, the Hawks defeated the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament and will be the seven seed. Atlanta will face off against the Boston Celtics.
14: Brooklyn Nets (45-37)
If we were ranking the Nets two months ago, they would be much higher than the 14th spot. However, questionable moves by the Brooklyn front office in trading Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant at the trade deadline drove their ranking down. The Nets were having a pretty good season before the trade deadline, but after the deadline the Nets win-to-loss ratio plummeted. The third-seeded Sixers should not have an issue with Brooklyn in the first round.
13: Los Angeles Lakers (43-39)
LeBron James breaking the scoring title may have been the highlight of the season for Los Angeles, but the Lakers have more to be excited about for the Playoffs. The Lakers competed in the play-in tournament as the seven seed and faced off against the Timberwolves. LA was victorious and will now play Memphis in the first round.
12: New York Knicks (47-35)
The addition of Jalen Brunson brought the Knicks to a below average team to a powerhouse in the East. A dynamic duo in Brunson and Julius Randle is one of the best in the league. This team was brought to an impressive 47 wins and and is a dominant team in the East. They will face the 4 seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
11: Miami Heat (44-38)
The Miami Heat may have been in the play-in tournament, but this team is much better than their eight seed shows. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were dominant this year as a duo, as both players used each other’s skills to their own benefits. The Heat defeated the Bulls in their final play-in game and the Bucks will have a lot to deal with in the first round. It would not be a surprise to many if Miami would take Milwaukee to six or seven games.
10: Golden State Warriors (44-38)
While Golden State didn’t maintain the same dominance they had last year when they won the championship, they still are a powerhouse in the West. Steph Curry put on a show once again, earning himself another All-Star starter selection, and Klay Thompson also had a great year offensively. Draymond Green was dominant on the defensive side. The Warriors will take on the Sacramento Kings in the first round.
9: Los Angeles Clippers (44-38)
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were finally able to give LA their long-awaited success. Both of the Clippers’ stars stayed injury-free for the most of the season and Leonard had an impressive bounce-back year after his ACL tear kept him out all of last season. Paul George was named an All-Star reserve showing signs of his Pacers’ days. LA will play the fifth-seeded Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.
8: Sacramento Kings (48-34)
The Sacramento Kings ended their 16 year playoff drought this year after a monstrous season by Domantis Sabonis. The MVP candidate surprised many with hus dominance. Although he likely will not win the award, he still helped Sacramento end the longest postseason drought in North American sports. The Kings take on the Warriors in the first round.
7: Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31)
It’s been quite a few years since the Cavs have even thought about a championship, but Cleveland can rejoice knowing that they have a good shot at it this year. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland led the Cavaliers to 51 wins on the year, which they had not been able to reach since the LeBron James era in 2016. It was only 2 years ago when the Cavs won only 22 games, but they’re back and ready to fight. Cleveland will take on Julius Randle and the New York Knicks in what will be a must-watch series in the first round.
6: Memphis Grizzlies (51-31)
Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies showed out this year winning an impressive 51 games and securing the two seed in the West. Memphis surprised some fans this season, as both Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. were selected to the All-Star team. JJJ had a breakout year and is already a Defensive Player of the Year candidate at the ripe age of 23. Memphis will play the either the Timberwolves or the Lakers in the first round, depending on the play-in game result.
5: Phoenix Suns (45-37)
The Suns record may not prove that they are a top-five team, but they without a doubt are. Phoenix may very well have the best one-two punch in the NBA in Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Not only do they have those two stars, they also have a former first-overall draft pick in Deandre Ayton as well as a player hungry for a ring in Chris Paul. It was only two years ago when the Suns were the Western Conference Champions and they will be looking for more in this year’s playoffs.
4: Denver Nuggets (53-29)
Nikola Jokic has led the Denver Nuggets to another playoff appearance, but for the first time in franchise history, as the one seed. Jokic has been a powerhouse for the Nuggets. For most of the year, he was the MVP frontrunner or runner-up in the KIA NBA MVP Ladder. The only clear weakness in the Nuggets is that they are nothing without Jokic. In fact, Denver lost more games than they have won when Jokic wasn’t playing. Denver will face the eight seed in the West in the first round.
3: Philadelphia 76ers (54-28)
The Philadelphia 76ers are a dominant force in the East led by MVP leader Joel Embiid and 8th in the MVP Ladder in James Harden. Embiid had another incredible season and it could finally be the year where he wins MVP over Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Philadelphia has been a team that you do not want to play, as they can beat anybody in the league. The third-seeded 76ers will take on six seed Brooklyn Nets in a matchup where the Sixers should have no issues handling business.
2: Boston Celtics (57-25)
The Boston Celtics have had a historic season, racking up one of their best records ever. Jayson Tatum had an incredible all-around season. Jaylen Brown was an unstoppable scorer. Robert Williams was a dominant rebounder. There was almost nothing in the way of the Boston Celtics this year, and they hope to keep their dominance moving forward into the Playoffs. Boston will play against either the Heat or the Hawks depending on who wins their game against each other.
1: Milwaukee Bucks (58-24)
Coming as no surprise, the 2021 NBA Champions are listed at number one on our Power Rankings. Giannis Antetokounmpo is an MVP candidate look to win the award for the third time. He led Milwaukee to the 1 seed in the East and the best record in the entire NBA. Not only is he a force on offense, he was also one on defense. The Bucks will take on the eight seed in the first round of the playoffs.
