Western Conference Power Rankings: March 2025 Edition

March is here and spring is near!

It’s time to check in with some fresh power ranks.

LET’S GET IT.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (48-11) - prev. #1

February: (11-2) No. 2 offense / No. 5 defense

After their best month offensively, OKC now has the No. 5 offense and No. 1 defense this season, the best net rating in the league at 12.6.

And yet, that 4th quarter meltdown at home to the T-Wolves was so jarring that we can’t still be worried about them in the playoffs.

The offense, in particular SGA, despite how great, is susceptible to going through lulls at times. That will be a problem come April and May. It’s easy to forget how insanely young this team still is.

2. Los Angeles Lakers (37-21) - prev. #6

February: (10-2) No. 9 offense & No. 1 defense

LukaMagic has officially arrived to LA.

Last week on Primetime ABC in Denver, the Lakers actually took care of business vs. their kryptonite Nuggets.

The No. 1 defense in the NBA in February!? They may not have a true starting center, but they have size and physicality across the board. And the preparation and defensive game plans have been on point. Hats off to JJ and Rob Pelinka. Promises made. Promises kept.

3. Denver Nuggets (39-21) - prev. #4

February: (10-2) No. 3 offense / No. 12 defense

This right here is the Nuggets team that we are used to seeing.

The one firing on all cylinders with Aaron Gordon in the lineup and Jamal Murray showing flashes of the Blue Arrow of old, even a hint of the bubble thrown in.

Jokic will Jokic, this we know. But when Jamal Murray scores 20+ points, the Nuggets are 20-8. That might not seem like the most drastic bellwether stat, but it’s crazier when you say this team wins 70% of their games when the 2nd best player hits his points average.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (38-21) - prev. #3

February: (6-5) No. 7 offense / No. 16 defense

After a stretch of winning 10 of 11 games, the Grizz have actually lost 5 of the last 8 against some good competition.

Ja had a concerning month-long stretch of some very low scoring games: 16, 11, 10, 16 and 12 points. But he sure brought out the “Call 12” version vs. the Suns and showed up late vs. the Knicks. (If only OG hadn’t sucked the life out of FedEx Forum.)

Something to keep an eye on is the recent defensive slippage vs. the fiercer teams. The Grizz are just 13-18 vs. opponents over .500.

5. Houston Rockets (37-22) - prev. #2

February: (5-7) No. 24 offense & No. 9 defense

11-4 in January flipped to 5-7 in February as the Rockets offense floundered amidst dealing with injuries and guys in and out of the lineup.

The Rox can still hang their hat on the fact they are 21-15 vs. teams .500 and above, only the Cavs, Celtics, Thunder and Lakers have a better mark.

If Ime can figure out how to unlock a few more elements offensively, this could be a scary team to face in the playoffs with how good the defense can be.

6. Golden State Warriors (32-27) - prev. #11

February: (8-3) No. 6 offense / No. 3 defense

Just when it looked like the Warriors were left for dead, Jimmy Butler’s arrival to the Bay has rejuvenated this team, winning 7 of 8, infusing them with heart and soul.

Jimmy has made life so much easier for Steph, who can now taste the home stretch of the season within his grasp and is free to let that thang fly.

56 points and 12 3’s down in Orlando? That’s Supernova Steph’s music. Look out for the Dubs!

7. Los Angeles Clippers (32-27) - prev. #5

February: (4-7) No. 19 offense / No. 19 defense

The Clips have hit their first true rough patch of the season.

They have been missing Norm Powell something serious, losing 4 of the last 5 without him, out dealing with a knee.

The defense here that was so strong, their backbone, just hasn’t been the same against teams with speed who can dictate a faster pace. We like the flier on Ben Simmons, but we did not like letting Terance Mann go.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves (32-29) - prev. #7

February: (5-8) No. 15 offense / No. 13 defense

The T-Wolves have lost 6 of the last 8 games, but those two wins were huge ones against the Thunder. All of the losses were pretty understandable (at Cavs, Bucks, at Rockets, Thunder and at Lakers. However, losing to the Jazz last night was a tough look, even in Utah.

They also haven’t had Randle and Gobert since before the All-Star Break — that’s worth mentioning for sure, but it has seemed clear at times that this offense is better without Randle clogging things up.

Thank the heavens that Chris Finch has played Rob Dillingham more. And hello Terrance Shannon!

9. Sacramento Kings (30-28) - prev. #9

February: (6-5) No. 10 offense / No. 24 defense

The Kings have won 5 of 7, but the wins are against the Pelicans twice, Hornets, Jazz and shorthanded Mavs, which took OT and a vintage 42-piece from DeRozan.

Honestly, not much will have changed in the end here with the Sac-Town Bulls with the Lithuanian towers. A pretty good offense with a leaky defense. Not a serious contender but capable of playing some fun basketball.

Also: MARKELLE FULTZ BACK!

10. Dallas Mavericks (32-28) - prev. #10

February: (6-5) No. 22 offense / No. 17 defense

Mavs GM Nico Harrison did the unthinkable, trading Luka away to La La Land.

The fit with AD did look good for all of 31 seconds (mins) before his adductor injury.

You know you might be in trouble when Kyrie is the reliable one.

Mavs fans have all the right in the world to be furious. But we’re still curious about how this team looks when all of the bigs are back.

11. Portland Trail Blazers (27-33) - prev. #13

February: (8-4) No. 12 offense / No. 4 defense

Same as last month but even more so now: Joe Cornin is NOT sleeping well at night!

Since Jan. 19, the Blazers are 14-5 with the No. 2 defense in the NBA and No. 4 net rating over that span (!!). This team has all of the ingredients for cooking up a Young Surprise Team.

7 different players are averaging double-digits. And how about that Shaedon Sharpe power dunk of the year candidate!?

12. Phoenix Suns (28-32) - prev. #8

February: (3-10) No. 14 offense / No. 30 defense

There is spiraling out of control and being stranded in the desert — and then there is the current state of affairs that is the Phoenix Suns.

This was the worst defense in the NBA in February. The only teams that the Suns had more wins than in February were the Hornets and Sixers.

Thanks to new owner syndrome, PHX traded the future and components of a Finals contender for an aging KD — and they are probably going to only have one playoff series win to show for it.

13. San Antonio Spurs (24-33) - prev. #12

February: (3-9) No. 26 offense / No. 14 defense

Wemby out for the season is the crushing headline here.

Fox’s new digs have not exactly been going according to plan, averaging 19.6 points and shooting 26.8% from 3 in silver and black.

But it’s all about the future here and the next two months will (and should) be all about tanking.

14. New Orleans Pelicans (16-44) - prev. #14

February: (4-7) No. 17 offense / No. 27 defense

After a 10-game losing streak, the Pelicans actually won 4 out of 5! Highlighted by Zion’s triple-double vs. the Suns.

Zion playing makes this team infinitely more fun to watch. Especially with Trey Murphy’s continued excellence coexisting beside him. Adding a top-flight draft pick to the young duo could save this franchise.

But it must be said: David Griffin waited far, far too long to trade Brandon Ingram.

15. Utah Jazz (15-44) - prev. #15

February: (5-8) No. 16 offense / No. 23 defense

The Jazz have all but clinched a top-4 chance at Cooper Flagg as Danny Ainge remains on Cloud 9, sleeping like an absolute baby.

But the Jazz can still show up and surprise you! Just like they did to playoff hopeful teams this month in the Magic, Warriors, Lakers, Rockets and T-Wolves.

Only at home, however. The Jazz haven’t won a road game since Jan. 5.

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