NBA Power Rankings 2024-25: Top 10 teams after Week 5 ft. Orlando Magic as Denver Nuggets free-fall

We are just over a month into the NBA season. There's still plenty of basketball to be played, but with most teams playing around 17 games, we can already get a glimpse of the potential playoff picture by the end of the season.

Granted, we've also seen how quickly things can change in the NBA. The Denver Nuggets, for instance, have lost three of their last five games, causing them to fall off our top 10 altogether.

Other teams, however, continue to be on the rise and look like legitimate championship contenders. With that in mind, we'll share our list of the Top 10 teams in the NBA right now.

NBA power rankings after Week 5 of the 2024-25 season:

#10 Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers lost their last two games, but they were riding a six-game winning streak before that. JJ Redick's team is 10-6 for the season, going 7-2 at home and winning seven of their last three.

Dalton Knecht emerged as a key contributor. He's averaging 20.3 points per game since becoming a starter, giving them some much-needed spacing around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They still need to prove themselves against title contenders.

#9 New York Knicks

The New York Knicks just dropped a game to the Utah Jazz. It was their sixth loss in their past seven trips to Utah, dating back to 2018. Other than that, Tom Thibodeau's team fared just fine, winning all of their games last week.

The Knicks currently rank fourth in points per game (118) and second in field goal percentage (49.7). They also lead the league in free throw percentage (82.4). They're still not where they expect to be defensively, but that will come with time.

#8 Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have finally left that slow start to the season behind them. There were rumblings about Doc Rivers potentially fighting for his job, and things have changed for the better ever since.

The Bucks have won seven of their last 10 games to take their record to 8-9, including four wins in a row. Their only loss was a controversial one-point setback on the road against the Charlotte Hornets.

#7 Houston Rockets

Ime Udoka's Houston Rockets are one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the league. They're young, deep, energetic and play suffocating and physical defense. That's why they're 12-6 for the season.

The Rockets have won seven of their last 10 games, and they've gone 8-3 at home this season. They split their four games of the week, but they're still the best rebounding team in the league at 50.2 per game.

#6 Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost one of their best players for the long run. Chet Holmgren fell with a hip injury, and he's looking at another month on the sidelines, at the very least.

Fortunately, Isaiah Harstentein was finally able to make his debut. They're 12-4 for the season and 6-4 in their last 10, but they lost two of their three games of the week. Even so, they're tied for the best record in the West, and they average the fewest turnovers per game (10.9).

#5 Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers are currently riding the longest winning streak in the Western Conference. Winners of their last five games, Tyronn Lue has his team climbing all the way to the fifth spot.

They've won seven of their last 19 games. The Clippers have been streaky, and this is their second 4+ game winning streak of the season. Norman Powell, their leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, is currently out with a hamstring injury.

#4 Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic have found its footing after losing Paolo Banchero. Franz Wagner is looking like a superstar at power forward, averaging 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game to pick up the slack.

Even with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope struggling from the field, the Magic have still managed to win eight of the last nine games, with their lone loss coming at the hands of the Clippers.

#3 Golden State Warriors

Despite having pretty much the same core from last season, the Golden State Warriors look like a completely different team right now. They've won seven of their last 10 games, and they've only lost one game at home all season.

They're tied for the best record in the Western Conference (12-4), mostly thanks to the way they spread the wealth and share the ball. They currently average 30.2 assists per game, the second-highest in the league.

#2 Boston Celtics

The defending NBA champions snapped the Cleveland Cavaliers' 15-game winning streak. They continue to breathe down their necks to try and get the first spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Boston Celtics have won eight of their last 10 games, and they have the best road record in the league at 8-1. The Celtics are leading the league in three-pointers made (319), all while having the fourth-best assist/turnover ratio (2.2).

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers

For another consecutive week, the Cleveland Cavaliers sit atop the power rankings and the standings. They have the best point differential in the league (+12.3), and they've won nine of their last 10.

Their only loss came by one possession, on the road, and against the defending NBA champions, and they bounced back shortly after. They have seven players averaging double figures, and they have the best field goal percentage (52), three-point percentage (41.5), and points per game average (123) in the league.