Eastern Conference Power Rankings: Early-Jan. 2023 Edition
1. Boston Celtics (26-10) — prev. rank #1
The Celtics started the season 21-5 as the NBA’s clear-cut No. 1 team and juggernaut. Then a stretch of losing 5 out of 6 games (including two to the Magic and one to the Pacers, all at home) brought them back down to earth. But the C’s winning ways have commenced once again, currently winners of four straight.
It was always hard to believe that the Celtics could continue to shoot LIGHTS OUT like they did over the first month-and-a-half of the season, but their offensive rating dropped off a cliff.
November: 123.3 (No. 1 in the NBA by a landslide.)
December: 110.9 (No. 27 in the NBA ahead of only the Hornets, Thunder, and Rockets.)
However, it must also be mentioned that the Celtics’ defensive rating improved from 111.6 and 15th to 107.2 and 2nd.
Tatum has to be included in any early-season MVP discussions, and his 41 points on Christmas vs. Giannis and the Bucks were a reminder of just how sensational he was in the Eastern Conference Semis against Milwaukee last May.
January was when the Celtics turned it UP last season, and with Time Lord now back in the lineup, they have their full arsenal of weapons available (minus Gallo) to try to unlock their best version again.
2. Brooklyn Nets (24-12) — prev. rank #8
There is not a hotter team in the NBA right now than the one and only Brooklyn Nets, winners of 11 straight and 16 of 17 (!!) — a complete turnaround from their beginning-of-the-season malaise.
KD has been magnificent, and so has Kyrie. Since Kyrie returned from his suspension, the Nets are 17-3 and had the No. 1 offense in the NBA in December at 120.3.
Ben Simmons has been okay, but Nic Claxton has been tremendous, playing excellent defense and a ton of positive minutes.
Holy hell, T.J. Warren has been playing basketball! And it might not be a coincidence that he made his debut at the beginning of December, just as the Nets started to really take off.
The real shocker here is the development of the Nets’ defense, up to a top-10 mark on the season (!!) and averaging the most blocks (6.8) per game. And yet… we still never know what is around the next bend with this team.
3. Milwaukee Bucks (23-12) — prev. rank #2
The Bucks recently lost four in a row, all on the road: at Cleveland, at Brooklyn, at Boston, and at Chicago. Returning back home to Fiserv Forum is just what the doctor ordered as they have been playing shorthanded without Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton.
No Holiday or Middleton equaled Giannis becoming the 7th player in NBA history with back-to-back 40-20 games. That’s 40 points and 20 rebounds. In two straight games.
With Middleton only playing in seven games so far, the Bucks have stayed at the top of the East standings thanks in very large part to Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis. Splash Mountain missed the majority of last season, but he leads the team in minutes played while Portis already has six 20-10 games under his belt.
It would be nice for Coach Bud to give 6-foot-6 rookie MarJon Beauchamp more minutes as Grayson Allen’s defensive deficiencies continue to be on full display.
Speaking of Milwaukee’s defense, it is no longer No. 1 in the NBA per NBA.com, dropping to No. 2 at 109.1 behind their Central Division foe Cleveland Cavaliers. (It’s worth noting that Cleaning the Glass has Milwaukee behind Memphis at No. 1.) The Bucks’ offense has quietly dropped to the bottom 10 for the season, 22nd at 111.5.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (23-14) — prev. rank #3
The Cavs have been very streaky this season: an 8-game winning streak was followed by a 5-game losing streak, which was followed by a 4-game win streak. And in December, a 5-game winning streak was followed by a 3-game losing streak that the Cavs snapped on New Year’s Eve in Chicago, by the skin of their teeth.
They are still way better at The Rock (16-4) than on the road (7-10).
Donovan Mitchell has had some off games recently (4-of-16 against Toronto, 5-of-16 against Brooklyn, and 5-of-16 against Chicago), and the Cavs unsurprisingly did not fare well in those games.
When Jarrett Allen is involved offensively, good things happen for the Cavs. When J. Allen scores 14+ points this season, the Cavs are 12-3.
Don’t forget that the Cavs have additional playmaking off the bench on the way in the form of one Rick Rubio, set to return soon enough from last year’s torn ACL. Rubio will bring a much-needed second-unit steadiness and capable perimeter defense.
The Cavs’ offense has slipped some more, out of the top 10 at 11th and 113.6, but the defense has claimed the No. 1 spot at 108.4 per NBA.com. The Cavs play a ton of Western Conference teams over the next three weeks: Suns, @Denver, @Phoenix, @Utah, @Portland, @Minnesota, Pelicans, @Grizzlies, and Warriors — all consecutively. Gulp.
5. Philadelphia 76ers (21-14) — prev. rank #5
The Sixers not only survived six weeks without Maxey but also rattled off an 8-game winning streak in December.
Joel Embiid is putting up his annual case for MVP. He was back to averaging the most points per game in the league again at 33.2 until Luka just past him, and he already has two 50-burgers this season.
Harden has definitely leaned in more to his main-facilitator role. The Beard is averaging his most assists since 2016-17 at 11.1 dimes a night. He’s still chipping in 22 points per game, too.
Tobias Harris is quietly shooting a shade below 40 percent from 3 on over five attempts per game. He’s also shooting the best percentage from 2 in his career at 56.8.
The Sixers followed up having the No. 1 defense in November by having the No. 4 defense in December. And the Philly offense made a huge jump, improving from 109.2 and 26th to 115.9 and sixth.
6. Indiana Pacers (20-17) — prev. rank #6
The Pacers are still here and still as pesky as ever. (Just ask the Clippers.) As the days go on, these Pesky Pacers continue to look more and more like one of the Young Surprise Teams that was promised.
It all starts with Tyrese MF Haliburton, the one and only Haliwagon. When Haliburton scores at least 20 points, the Pacers are 16-5. In all other games, the Pacers are 4-12.
Bennedict Mathurin is still in all the early-season Rookie of the Year AND Sixth Man of the Year talks. He’s strong as hell and truly fearless.
Big shoutout to Myles trade-talks-be-damned Turner! He’s having the best season of his career offensively and it’s not close: 16 points a night and 40 percent from 3.
The Pacers’ efficiency ratings are not particularly great, but they are top-5 in assist percentage and No. 1 in fast break points.
7. Miami Heat (19-18) — prev. rank #10
New month and year, same ole shit with the Heat: dealing with injuries and playing WHO HE!? guys while pulling wins out of their asses. The latest is another Herro buzzer beater, this time in Utah on New Year’s Eve.
Spoelstra is a wizard of a coach and deserves all the credit in the world. Just when the Heat were written off and left for dead, they win 7 out of 10 games. It hasn’t been pretty, but it rarely ever is here.
It’s time for our monthly check-in on Jimmy Butler. He has not played more than three consecutive games since Nov. 16. On the season, the Heat are 12-11 with Jimmy and 7-7 without him. But when he scores 20 or more points, the Heat are 10-5.
Bam has continued to fill the gaps with some really good games in December. A healthy Herro makes a big difference, and even Victor Oladipo has been playing recently and contributing.
Despite the insane amount of zone, the Heat actually have a top-10 defense. Miami’s offense, however, is in the bottom 10. But the No. 24 offensive rating in December was an improvement from the No. 26 offense in November.
8. New York Knicks (19-18) — prev. rank #9
In classic Knicks fashion, an 8-game winning streak in December was followed by promptly losing five straight. But they did end 2022 on a higher note with a 20-point win in Houston.
Barrett (finger) and Brunson (hip) have been out a couple of games, which has opened the door for Randle to take his usage up another notch. The Knicks are 7-3 in games where Randle scores 30+ points. Before Barrett’s injury, he was playing really, really well, finally finding his 3-point shot and confidence.
Grimes has stepped nicely into his starting role, and Quickley has both a 27-point game and a 15-assist game in the last week.
The Knicks’ 3-point shooting improved mightily in December, up to 36.1 percent and 14th compared to 31.8 percent and dead last over the first month-and-a-half of the season.
Speaking of good December numbers, the Knicks’ offense was seventh (115.7) and the defense was third (108.2), good for the third-best net rating of 7.5 in the last month of 2022.
9. Atlanta Hawks (17-19) — prev. rank #7
Over the last five weeks, the Hawks have had three separate 3-game losing streaks. And on the contrary, they have one 3-game winning streak this season, and it occurred at the beginning of November. They just haven’t been able to get any momentum going.
It’s the same story for Ice Trae: He’s still shooting poorly (41 percent FG and 31 percent from 3), but he’s still averaging 27.4 a night on his crazy volume and bevy of free throws. His big-assist games are when the Hawks are at their best. When Trae has 12+ assists, the Hawks are 8-2.
When Dejounte Murray has the ball, Nate Mac has to figure out how to optimize Trae off-ball. The your-turn, my-turn stuff is already predictable and old.
Bogdan Bogdanovic’s return has not translated to winning ways just yet. The Hawks are 5-8 with Bogey, but Collins, Capela, and Hunter have all been in and out of the lineup. Another momentum-stopping factor.
The Hawks’ bottom-10 offense has to see the light of day if they want any chance at avoiding the elimination play-in game once again.
10. Washington Wizards (16-21) — prev. rank #11
Don’t look now, but the fightin’ Wiz have won four games in a row. Some good teams in there, too, including at Sacramento and vs. the Sixers and Suns.
The Wizards still have three players averaging over 20 points? The Wizards have three players averaging over 20 points! Beal (23.5), Porzingis (22.2), and Kuzma (21.7). Might be able to win a bar bet with that one.
Porzingis has maintained his health (knock, knocking on wood). He still looks more nimble on defense than ever.
After missing a month, Rui Hachimura has returned to the lineup playing some of the best ball of his career. The Wiz are 13-8 with Rui and 3-13 without him.
The Wizards’ efficiency numbers remain middle of the road on both accounts, but there is one indicator of their team’s success this season: When the Wizards hold opponents to 112 points or less, they are 15-5. The Wiz are 1-16 in all other games.
11. Chicago Bulls (16-20) — prev. rank #12
Like the Hawks, but even more extreme: the Bulls have two 4-game losing streaks and a 3-game losing streak with only one 3-game winning streak this season. The good news is that the lone 3-game winning streak was somewhat recent and came against three teams right in front of them in the standings: Heat, Hawks, and Knicks. And all three were on the road.
DeRozan is still playing his heart out. He hasn’t missed a game yet this season.
LaVine’s shot is coming around the mountain and not a moment too soon. His 3-point shooting is vital. When LaVine shoots 40 percent or better from 3, the Bulls are 11-3.
DeMar is not the only iron man on this team thus far. For as much as they have had their respective struggles, Vooch and Pat Williams have suited up every game for Billy D.
The Bulls are another team with middling to subpar efficiency numbers. But how about that Ayo Dosunmu revenge buzzer-beater against the Hawks!?
12. Toronto Raptors (16-20) — prev. rank #4
The last month of 2022 was a rough one for the Raptors, to say the least. With a 5-10 record, only the Hornets and Pistons had fewer wins in December.
Pascal Siakam is still playing at a really high All-NBA caliber level. But Fred VanVleet’s step back so far this season is plaguing the Raptors. FVV is shooting 38 percent from the field and has 10 games of shooting worse than 35 percent. (The Raptors are 2-8 in those 10 games.)
Scottie Barnes’ numbers are also down in his “sophomore slump” season. Expectations were so high after his stellar Rookie of the Year campaign. The skillset is certainly still there.
Precious Achiuwa has been out since Nov. 9, and his absence has only made Toronto’s lack of an established big man way more glaring.
On Jan. 1 last year, the Raptors were only 15-17 — but you never know exactly what Masai Ujiri has up his sleeve.
13. Orlando Magic (13-24) — prev. rank #13
Guess what? The Magic finally got (most of) their guys back and went 8-7 in December, including a 6-game winning streak with big wins over the Celtics and Raptors both twice. (There honestly is not much to say about the incident in Detroit.)
Just as we knew he would, Markelle Fultz has made a drastic difference here. His shot creation and pace have been a breath of fresh air for this offense. The Magic are 8-8 with Fultz in the lineup and 5-16 without him.
Franz Wagner is the Wagner bro that gets the hype, but Moe Wagner (aside from always pissing somebody off) has also been a helpful contributor to the Magic’s winning ways in December.
Paolo Banchero has slowed his roll recently with some down games. And yet, the dude is still averaging 21-7-4 on the season.
The first half of January is going to be a tough stretch for the Magic with a bunch of Western Conference opponents and a long West Coast road trip: Grizzlies, @Golden State, @Sacramento, @Portland, @Utah, @Denver, and Pelicans. Yeesh.
14. Charlotte Hornets (10-27) — prev. rank #14
Steve Clifford’s big purple dogs already have two 8-game losing streaks on the season, however, the Hornets are 3-4 over their last 7, including big road wins in Sacramento and in LA against the Lakers on a Friday night vs. LeShoe.
Since LaMelo returned from his latest ankle injury on Dec. 14, he has been straight sniping, averaging 4.5 made 3s per game and 25-8-7 a night.
Gordon Hayward is currently healthy and has played in nine straight games for the first time all season. Having him around definitely helps. With Hayward in the lineup, the Hornets are 7-13. Without him, they are 3-14.
Well well, guess who has actually been playing? Mark Williams! The rook had a 17-point, 13-rebound game against the Thunder where he shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the field. Perhaps Steve Clifford is finally seeing the light.
The Hornets remain dead last in offensive rating for the season (107.9), although it has ticked upward with LaMelo back. Charlotte’s defense has found its way to the bottom 5, but that was expected.
15. Detroit Pistons (10-29) — prev. rank #15
The Pistons have been no stranger to losing streaks this season, enduring 7-, 6-, and 5-game losing stretches already this season. But they have actually won two of the last three games, including a big road win in Minnesota on New Year’s Eve.
Cade’s season-ending shin surgery is a bummer, but the thought of Cade and Wemby in Mo-Town lessens the blow for Pistons fans.
The question has to be asked again: What would this offense have looked like if the Pistons had not traded for Bojan Bogdanovic? Bojan leads the team in scoring (20.8 ppg) and shot attempts by a wide margin. It feels like it has hindered Saddiq Bey’s development as Bey has taken a step back with a lesser role.
Jalen Duren has been getting more minutes of late and he looks like he could be a double-double machine.
Detroit’s offensive rating was much better in December (113.1 and 19th) compared to November (108.2 and 28th). The Pistons’ defense stayed in the bottom 5 and is ahead of only the Spurs for the season.
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Western Conference Power Rankings dropping soon.
New Power Rankings dropping every month.
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