NBA Power Rankings 24-25: Top 10 teams after Week 21 ft. OKC Thunder and LA Lakers

With roughly 14 games left in the NBA 2024-25 regular season, the margin for error keeps getting narrower, even for championship-caliber teams.

This is the best time in the season to build momentum and get hot either to make the playoffs or to enter the postseason playing their best brand of basketball. Conversely, it's the absolute worst time to fall flat.

That's why the Cleveland Cavaliers are no longer the best team in the NBA after a cold three-game stretch. Here, we're going to let you know our updated power rankings with the top ten teams in the league.

NBA Power Rankings after Week 21 of the 2024-25 season

#10 Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are always a dangerous team. They have two of the best closers in the game in Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kyle Kuzma has been a solid fit.

The Bucks are 38-30 and can still finish with a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference. They need a healthy Antetokounmpo, which has been an issue at this point in the season for years now.

#9 New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are still the third-best team in the Eastern Conference, but they've struggled to stay afloat with Jalen Brunson out with an injury. Unfortunately, he's reportedly set to miss at least one more week.

Tom Thibodau's team has gone 5-5 in their last ten games, and that includes two losses in the last three games. If Brunson isn't healthy enough for the playoffs, it's hard to like this team's chances.

#8 Memphis Grizzlies

The Western Conference is absolute mayhem right now. The Memphis Grizzlies went from being the No. 2 seed to the No. 5 seed in a little over a week. Even so, they're still 43-27 and a very dangerous team.

The Grizzlies haven't been as good on the road (18-16) as they've been at home (25-11). Also, Ja Morant has missed plenty of games with injuries, and that might be their biggest concern right now.

#7 Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets, like most teams in the West, have also been in a bit of a rollercoaster lately. They fell from No. 2 to No. 4, but they can still finish the season with the second seed.

Nikola Jokic's MVP-caliber campaign has him averaging a triple-double and the Nuggets with a 44-26 record. They also have the highest field goal percentage in the league (50.6%).

#6 LA Lakers

The LA Lakers continue to thrive in LeBron James' absence. Luka Doncic has put the team on his shoulders, and he's back to the nightly 30-point, triple-double threat he was before arriving in Los Angeles.

Austin Reaves has also been spectacular over the last six games or so, and J.J Redick's team has already won 43 games, matching Darvin Ham's win total for his first season with the team.

#5 Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have won eight of their last ten games to become one of the hottest teams in the league and re-claim the No. 2 seed in the West. They're now 45-25 for the season.

Ime Udoka's team ranks right in the middle of the pack in points per game (114), and they're the worst team in the league in free throw percentage (74.3%). They continue to lead the league in rebounds per game (48.7) and thrive off defense.

#4 Golden State Warriors

The Jimmy Butler trade has done wonders for the Golden State Warriors. They've won eight of their last ten games, and they've only lost two games since he's been with the team.

The Warriors will still have a tough time finishing with a top-four record, but they can definitely avoid the Play-In Tournament if they keep this pace up, especially with Stephen Curry putting up some throwback performances.

#3 Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are slowly gearing up for the postseason. They've gone 8-2 in their last ten games, and that's despite giving Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum some games off to rest.

Joe Mazzulla's team is still very dangerous, and you can never count out the defending NBA champions. They lead the league in three-pointers made (1,225) and knock them down at a 36.9% rate.

#2 Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled to keep their foot off the gas lately. They've dropped three games in a row and are no longer in control of their destiny to finish the season with the best record in the league.

While they're still on pace to win 65+ games, they've gotten off to some slow starts over the past week or so, and they've struggled to close out games they would've won earlier in the season.

#1 OKC Thunder

There's a new team at the top. The OKC Thunder are back to No. 1 after re-claiming the best record in the league and going a league-best 9-1 in their last ten games.

Even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander taking some days off to rest, the Thunder continue to crush their opposition. They lead the league in free throw percentage (82.2%) and average the fewest turnovers per game (11.2).