As the calendar flips to March, the NBA is in the home stretch of its 2024-25 regular season. All 30 teams will have a jam-packed schedule the rest of the way with just six weeks left. Per usual, there are plenty of tight races with playoff seeding sans both conferences’ top spot.
The Philadelphia 76ers finally waved the white flag on a miserable season. Joel Embiid was ruled out for the rest of the year with a knee injury that’s plagued him. It’s an ominous future for the former MVP winner as the injuries have piled up.
In a showdown of the East’s top two teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 22-point deficit in their best win of the season against the Boston Celtics. Donovan Mitchell took over down the stretch as Boston melted away in a possible Eastern Conference Finals preview.
Speaking of regular-season games with a little extra juice, the Los Angeles Lakers and Luka Doncic beat the Dallas Mavericks. It’s the first time the teams have met since Doncic was shockingly traded at the deadline. The deal continues to look awful for Dallas as Anthony Davis misses time.
Throughout the 2024-25 season, Thunder Wire will conduct weekly NBA power rankings. Here is the latest edition for the Feb. 24 – Mar. 2 week:
30. Washington Wizards (11-48)
Previous Ranking: 30
Considering their cushion in the reverse standings, the Wizards could enjoy their two wins from this past week without stressing over ruining their lottery odds. Bilal Coulibaly has scored double-digit points in four straight games. Player development is all that matters the rest of the way.
29. Charlotte Hornets (14-45)
Previous Ranking: 28
The Hornets have lost six in a row. They’ve quickly plummeted down the standings. They lost to the Wizards in a matchup of the league’s two worst teams. Even with the poor record, at least Charlotte knows LaMelo Ball is one of the best players when healthy with a stat-stuffing season.
28. Toronto Raptors (19-42)
Previous Ranking: 27
The Raptors have lost three in a row by double-digit points. They understand the mission. Besides improving their lottery odds, the only intrigue left for their season is awaiting the debut of Brandon Ingrams. He was handed a handsome extension that shows Toronto sees him as a long-term piece.
Previous Ranking: 26
Even with the Jazz being one of the worst teams, a last-second win over a divisional rival is always fun. Walker Kessler scored the go-ahead dunk against the Timberwolves to secure the upset. Utah has been in the basement all season but has surprisingly played well against better teams.
26. New Orleans Pelicans (17-44)
Previous Ranking: 29
The Pelicans’ three-game win streak was snapped with a loss to the Suns. Before that, Zion Williamson had his first career triple-double against the same Phoenix squad. Williamson and Trey Murphy III have been the only bright spots of a lost New Orleans season.
Previous Ranking: 23
The Nets have lost four in a row. They flirted with being in the play-in tournament range but have fallen back in the standings. That’s what the Brooklyn front office wants as it hopes to add a blue-chip prospect this upcoming draft. Besides that, Cam Thomas made his return from a lengthy absence this past week.
24. Philadelphia 76ers (21-38)
Previous Ranking: 25
The Sixers pulled the plug when Joel Embiid was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. An injury-plagued season is finally over for the former MVP winner. The writing was on the wall when he was shut down and met with medical consultants. The rest of the year will be about Philadelphia keeping its top-six protected pick.
Previous Ranking: 24
The hits keep coming for the Bulls. They’ve struggled this past month. They escaped with an overtime win over the Raptors that they desperately needed to get. But afterward, Ayo Dosunmu was ruled out for the rest of the season with shoulder surgery. It’s a brutal loss for Chicago’s rotation as it stays in the postseason picture.
22. San Antonio Spurs (25-34)
Previous Ranking: 22
Still reminiscing on Victor Wembanyama’s loss, the Spurs finally snapped a four-game losing streak with an upset win over the Grizzlies. De’Aaron Fox hit the game-winner. San Antonio added him with the hopes he’d be Wembanyama’s co-star and will need to wait until next season to see that materialize.
Previous Ranking: 20
It’s been a disastrous season for the Suns. They’ve lost eight of their last 10 games and have completely fallen out of the postseason picture. Everybody in Phoenix is just waiting on the inevitable Kevin Durant trade this upcoming offseason. Considering their top talent and hype, the Suns are one of the most disappointing teams in recent history.
20. Atlanta Hawks (27-33)
Previous Ranking: 19
In another classic case of benefiting from being in the East, the Hawks remain in the thick of the postseason picture despite their struggles. They’ve lost five of the last six games but will likely be in the play-in tournament. Atlanta will need Trae Young to put up video game numbers if it wants a chance to make noise in the playoffs.
19. Portland Trail Blazers (27-34)
Previous Ranking: 21
The Trail Blazers had a four-game win streak admirably snapped with an overtime loss to the Cavaliers. Shaedon Sharpe has taken the next leap as a scorer. His career-high 36 points in a win over the Wizards were highlighted with the best poster of the season. Portland’s young guards have led its squad to one of the best records over the last two months.
18. Orlando Magic (29-33)
Previous Ranking: 16
As soon as it felt like the Magic avoided the injury bug, they were hit with cruel injury news. Jalen Suggs will be sidelined for the foreseeable future because of knee surgery. An injury-plagued season continues for Orlando as he joined Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as players with extensive absences.
17. Miami Heat (28-31)
Previous Ranking: 18
The Heat picked up two critical wins over the Hawks and Pacers. They’ll play in the play-in tournament again this season. The only question is if they’ll host a home game for it. Give Miami credit; its retooled its roster around Tyler Herro and hasn’t missed a beat despite dealing with drama all year.
Previous Ranking: 17
The Kings have won three in a row as Zach LaVine has seamlessly transitioned into their top scorer. They’re right back in the postseason race. That said, all eyes will be on Domantas Sabonis. He suffered a hamstring injury in their win over the Rockets. If he misses time, that will hurt Sacramento’s aspirations.
15. Dallas Mavericks (32-29)
Previous Ranking: 13
A nightmare season continues to get worse for the Mavericks. All eyes in the NBA world were on their trip to Los Angeles. It was the first time they faced Doncic as an opponent. It was a surreal scene for everybody involved, as nobody dared to imagine a trade like that happening in the middle of the season. The deal’s fallout continues to be felt and will be felt for the foreseeable future.
Previous Ranking: 10
At this point, the Clippers have to be worried about Kawhi Leonard. The scoring numbers have dipped and he’s looked a step slow on defense. All of LA’s playoff hopes fall on his shoulders. They’ve struggled recently, but that pales in comparison to Leonard’s subpar outing. They’re in serious danger of falling into the play-in range, too.
Previous Ranking: 11
The Timberwolves made franchise history. A 25-point comeback win over the Thunder marked the biggest comeback victory Minnesota has ever experienced. With Anthony Edwards on the bench, the backup players slowly chipped away for the shocking win. Besides that anomaly result, the Timberwolves have struggled. Edwards was suspended for reaching 16 technical fouls on the season.
12. Golden State Warriors (32-28)
Previous Ranking: 14
Since they added Jimmy Butler, the Warriors have played with an extra pep in their step. The veteran squad needed his arrival to bring in some juice after an up-and-down start to their season. Stephen Curry has felt rejuvenated as he scored 56 points and shot 12-of-19 from the outside in their win over the Magic. They’re a playoff sleeper.
Previous Ranking: 12
The Pacers hope to get a top-four seed for the playoffs. While not ideal, last year’s run showed that seeding doesn’t matter when a team gets hot at the right time. Tyrese Haliburton had 33 points and 11 assists in a win over the Raptors. Indiana needs that version of him the rest of the way if it hopes to make postseason noise again.
10. Detroit Pistons (34-27)
Previous Ranking: 15
The Pistons had an eight-game win streak snapped by the Nuggets. But that shouldn’t spoil what they’ve done this season. After being the league’s laughingstock over the last three years, Detroit’s turnaround is one of the NBA’s best stories. Cade Cunningham has played at an All-NBA level. What he’s done for that franchise deserves all the praise.
Previous Ranking: 8
The Rockets picked up a resume win over the Bucks. Jalen Green had 25 points in the close victory. Houston is part of the jumbled West where it could rise to the second seed or fall as low as fifth place. It’ll be a tight finish between those four squads. Green will be a wildcard for the Rockets in the playoffs, as he’s their best hope of a go-to scorer.
Previous Ranking: 6
This past week encapsulated what’s wrong with the Grizzlies. Sure, they beat the cupcakes, but against contenders, they fail to get signature wins. Losses to the Cavaliers and Knicks showed that. Ja Morant had 29 points in a high-scoring 151-148 overtime win over the Suns, showing that Memphis needs him to play like that to have a chance.
Previous Ranking: 7
Everything said about the Grizzlies can be applied to the Knicks. Almost as if they’re mirror copies of each other across conferences. The Knicks have no problem beating up on inferior teams but have always struggled to show up against counterparts like the Cavaliers and Celtics. Maybe Mitchell Robinson’s return could change their fortune.
6. Milwaukee Bucks (34-25)
Previous Ranking: 9
The Bucks have found a flow, with six wins in their last seven games. In a matchup of multi-time MVP winners, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points and 19 rebounds in a win over the Nuggets. They’ve been inconsistent this season, but Milwaukee has the championship pedigree and talent to make a deep playoff run if everything goes right.
5. Los Angeles Lakers (38-21)
Previous Ranking: 5
The Lakers have been one of the hottest teams with six straight wins that have them back up as the second seed. What’s scary is Doncic hasn’t looked like himself yet. He scored 31 points in a win over the Clippers. Los Angeles also avoided an injury scare when Austin Reaves suffered a calf injury. Everybody views the Lakers as a contender, and they look the part since they changed their roster at the trade deadline.
Previous Ranking: 4
Even though the Nuggets are in the conversation for the second seed, losses to the Celtics and Bucks this past week continue a disturbing trend where they struggled to show out against the league’s best teams. Guess time will tell how legit this Denver squad is. That said, Nikola Jokic continues his brilliance as he hopes to win MVP for the fourth time.
3. Boston Celtics (43-18)
Previous Ranking: 3
A complete meltdown against the Cavaliers embarrassed the Celtics on a national stage. The reigning NBA champions haven’t been the butt of jokes for some time, but a 22-point collapse is worthy of it. Especially after Jayson Tatum told Cleveland to go home in the first quarter just to melt away a massive lead. Alas, a win over the Nuggets served as some good medicine for them to get over the loss.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (49-11)
Previous Ranking: 2
Like the Celtics, the Thunder also embarrassed themselves, thanks to a historical collapse. Leading by 25 points, they should’ve beaten the Timberwolves. Instead, Minnesota clawed back into the game with its bench lineup and stunned the OKC crowd. Alas, just a blip in the radar for the Thunder’s dominating season this year. They will spend the rest of the regular season trying to get Chet Holmgren back to form, but an ankle sprain might cost them time.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (50-10)
Previous Ranking: 1
The Cavaliers continue in their winning ways. After it looked like the Celtics had their number, Mitchell led the comeback win with 41 points. Cleveland has won 10 in a row, and mostly all by blowouts. At this point, the season is too old to be skeptical of their title odds. The Cavaliers should enter the playoffs as a heavy championship favorite.
