1. Oklahoma City Thunder (27-12) — prev rank 2

The Thunder just lost to the Lakers for the second time in the last month, but OKC is still 12-4 over the last 16, on par with their consistency this season, a top-5 offense and top-5 defense and the No. 2 net rating in the NBA.

It’s gotten to the point that SGA is at a minimum in every MVP conversation. Behind Jokic and Embiid, sure — but he’s hot on their heels. Seriously. You can argue that SGA means as much to his team as anybody else.
J-Dub has been rolling in January, averaging 19.9 points, 5.8 assists and 5.1 rebounds. He’s also shooting above 50 percent from 3 (on low volume, but still) for the second straight month.
Rookie of the Year debate aside, there is no doubt that Chet has been nothing short of fabulous this season. Not even Sam Presti could have hoped for Chet to look this good.

The Thunder are 16-5 at home and 11-7 on the road. Six of the next seven are on the road: at Clippers, at Utah, at Minnesota, home for the Blazers, at San Antonio, at NOLA and at Detroit. Then it’s back to OKC for the T-Wolves and Nuggets to close out the month.

2. Denver Nuggets (28-13) — prev rank 3

The defending champions have not been immortal, losing at home to the zombie Magic and to the Thunder by 26 — in addition to a 13-point loss in Utah. However, the Nuggets have won 10 of the last 13 and are still rocking a top-10 offense (No. 7) and top-10 defense (No. 10) for the season.

Jokic already has four games this season of scoring less than 10 points. (He had only three such games last year). But the Nuggets are 4-0 in those four games. On the contrary, in the four games that the Joker has scored more than 36, the Nuggets are 1-3.
Jamal Murray has played 27 games and the Nuggets hold a 20-7 record with Murray in the lineup compared to 8-6 without him. When the Blue Arrow scores 22+ points, the Nuggets are 10-1.
Nuggets fans are starting to really buzz at the sight of Peyton Watson developing a consistent 3-point shot. Over the last month, Watson is shooting 42 percent from 3 on 3.3 attempts per game.

The Nuggets are 17-4 at home and 11-9 on the road. A 5-game East road trip awaits: at Philly, at Boston, at Washington, at Indiana and at MSG. Then it’s back to Denver for the Sixers and Bucks. Seven straight Eastern Conference opponents.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves (28-11) — prev rank 1

Over the last 14 games, the T-Wolves are 8-6. But out of the T-Wolves’ 11 losses, how many have come against teams with a sub-.500 record? The answer is just two. The Raptors and Hawks, both in the first week of the season back in October. As it has all season, the No. 1 defense in the NBA remains in the wilderness of Minnesota.

The Wolves are fresh off a big win against the red-hot Clippers, a game that saw Ant-Man score 33 points on 10-of-16 shooting, with 9 boards and 6 assists to boot. Edwards’ numbers are all up and it’s his fond and increased use of the backboard that makes us smile often.
It’s interesting to note that in the 10 games that KAT has led the team in scoring, the T-Wolves are 8-2. (As the primary scorer, Ant-Man has led the team in scoring 25 times with a record of 14-9.) But the biggest note about KAT is that he’s only missed one game all season. (Knock on wood!)
Off that notion, we would love to see Chris Finch utilize his bench a little bit more, leaning primarily and heavily on a strict 8-man rotation. It’s January, bubba! Put Leonard Miller and Wendell Moore Jr. out there.

The Wolves survived their hellacious schedule overlapping December/January and get rewarded with the Pistons, Grizzlies, Hornets, Wizards and Spurs in the next two weeks. They are a whopping 16-2 at home and 12-9 on the road.

4. Los Angeles Clippers (25-14) — prev rank 6

Since Dec. 1, the Clippers are 17-4, the best record in the NBA. The Clips also have the No. 2 offense in the league over the last two weeks. And per Cleaning the Glass, they have a top-5 offense and top-10 defense for the season. The ship continues to sail onward and upward!

What stands out the most is that this Clippers team has much more defined roles this year. Fewer rotation pieces has painted a clearer picture. And they are even having fun!
An underrated component to their Big 3 is the mega spacing that comes with them. Kawhi, PG and Harden are all over 42 percent from 3, averaging 8.6 made 3-pointers a night on 20.1 attempts.
And Norm Powell off the bench has been the best sniper of the bunch. Adding in 44.9 percent from downtown. And all four of Kawhi, PG, Harden and Powell are above 87 percent at the free throw line.

The Clippers are 16-4 at home and 9-10 on the road. After three at home (Thunder, Nets, Lakers), it’s a 7-game East roadie: at Toronto, at Boston, at Cleveland, at Washington, at Detroit, at Miami and at Atlanta.

5. Dallas Mavericks (24-17) prev rank 4

The Mavs just concluded a 7-game homestand (5-2), topped off by an avenging win over the Pelicans, who beat the Mavs on Saturday night without Zion, Ingram and McCollum. The MLK Day win over the Pellies was just the Mavs’ second win without Luka this season (now 2-4).

Without Luka, Kyrie has been leading the Mavs offense, playing in eight straight games after missing three straight weeks with a heel contusion. Kyrie is averaging 31.8 points since his return.
It was also Time Hardaway Jr. who showed up in the biggest way with his second 40-point game of his career on Monday. THJ has scored 32, 24 and 41 points in his last three games, filling in as a starter in the best way.
Derrick Jones Jr. deserves some praise, starting 39 games this season for the Mavs, providing rangey defense and shooting 63.8 percent on 2s. DJJ is playing the most minutes per game of his career and starting for the first time since his Portland days back in 2020-21.

The Mavs are 13-9 at home and 11-8 on the road. The schedule is about to heat up: at Lakers, at Warriors (with Draymond back), Celtics and Suns. And the last game of the month is at Minnesota.

6. New Orleans Pelicans (24-17) — prev rank 8

The Pelicans did lose to the Mavs without Luka on Monday, but they have still won 7 of the last 10 with a top-10 offense and top-10 defense over the last two weeks. Since Christmas, the Pellies actually have a top-5 defense in the NBA.

Over this recent stretch, the Pelicans have actually been whole for the most part, having Trey Murphy, Jose Alvarado and Larry Nance all back in the lineup. A big boost to spacing, defense and flexibility within lineups.
It’s mid-January and Zion is still healthy. His numbers are down slightly, but you have to wonder if it’s a willing sacrifice to have him on the court for the entire season. The Pels are at their best when Ingram is dishing the rock more to Zion inside. B.I. still forces up a lot of tough mid-range shots, but he’s getting better about it.
A big shoutout to rookie Jordan Hawkins, who lit up the Mavs for 34 points on 6-of-12 3-point shooting to carry the Pels to a road win without Zion, B.I. and CJ last Saturday. J-Hawk can snipe!

The Pelicans are 12-8 at home and 12-9 on the road, almost the exact same. The next four are at Smoothie King (Hornets, Suns, Jazz, Thunder), then it’s back on the road: at Milwaukee, at Boston, at Houston and at San Antonio.

7. Sacramento Kings (23-16) — prev rank 7

Over the last 12 games, the Kings are 6-6, unable to get a lot of momentum going, the latest being a crushing Dame Time buzzer beater in Milwaukee. The Sac offense still hasn’t found the same footing as last season, middle of the road in efficiency compared to No. 1 last year.

Fox has cooled off recently after playing some of his best ball in December. When Fox scores less than 22 points or doesn’t play at all, the Kings are 6-7. When he scores 22+, the Kings are 17-9.
The Sabonis season average line of 20-13-8 really doesn’t get talked about enough. He already has 10 triple-doubles compared to 14 all of last season.
Kevin Huerter’s shooting regression is a big reason for the Kings offensive fall off. Red Velvet is shooting 33 percent from 3 compared to 40 percent last year and it’s thrown a wrench into things.

The Kings are 13-7 at home and 10-9 on the road, finishing up a current 5-game road trip in the desert tonight. They won’t be back in Sac for long with just two games at home (Pacers and Hawks) before 7 more on the road.

8. Utah Jazz (22-20) — prev rank 12

Sooo the Jazz have won 6 in a row, 9 of the last 10 — and 12 of the last 14!

Since Dec. 21, the Jazz have the No. 4 offense and No. 6 defense, and no team in the NBA has won more games!

Markkanen’s numbers are right on par with last year’s All-Star campaign, and the idea of Danny trading him is seeming less and less likely. (But then again, his value would be at an all-time high…)
But the thing that stands out the most about watching the Jazz is that this is a TEAM. A team connected by selfless players. The Jazz have six players averaging at least 3.9 assists per game.
Collin Sexton has been playing some fantastic ball. Since Christmas, Young Bull has scored 20+ points in 9 of 12 games. And he’s also had at least 5 assists in 8 of those 12. The fire is lit!

The Jazz are at 15-5 at home and 7-15 on the road. They get two more at home (Warriors and Thunder) before hitting the road for six straight to close out January: at Houston, at NOLA, at Washington, at Charlotte, at Brooklyn and at MSG.

9. Phoenix Suns (21-18) — prev rank 10

It hasn’t been pretty here for a lot of this season, but at long last the Suns “Big 3” is playing together. The Suns have actually won 7 of the last 10, but the 4th quarter meltdowns have been so glaring, especially against the Grizz last Sunday night without Ja.

Booker is averaging by far a career high in assists, up to 7.7 dimes a night while his scoring efficiency has remained mostly the same. KD handles more of the scoring, but Booker is more important to setting up this offense, which is starting to come around the mountain.
In 15 games with Beal, the Suns are 8-7 but it’s a night and day difference on offense with him out there. Having another connector who can do everything helps drastically.
Grayson Allen deserves his own line here, shooting an insane 46.2 percent from 3 (!!!), including three games of 8+ made 3s. Among high-volume shooters, he’s No. 2 in 3-point percentage behind only Malik Beasley.

The Suns are still the rare team that’s better on the road (10-7) than at home (11-11). We will see if that holds as a 7-game road trip for the Suns overlaps January into February. The highlights being a trip to Dallas on Jan. 24 and KD’s return to Brooklyn on Jan. 31.

10. Los Angeles Lakers (20-21) — prev rank 5

The IST was a long, long time ago now. But it’s worth remembering that when the Lakers batten down the hatches, like they did last night against the Thunder, they are more than capable of winning games. The offense, No. 22 in the league, is a concern, especially given that LeBron and AD have been healthy for the vast majority of the season.

It’s worth noting and reminding you that yes, LeBron is 39 years old, so leaving meat on the bone for the yoffs is… a good idea! That said, the Lakers are currently the 10-seed and need to make some waves to get to No. 6.
AD deserves so much more credit for not only missing just two games this season (!!), but also for playing 36 minutes a game. When he’s hurt, all everybody wants to yell is about how he’s made of glass. Where is the credit!? 25 and 12 with 2.5 blocks a night is not unnoticed here, Brow.
Injuries to others have made it difficult for the Lakers and Ham to find continuity within lineups. They could use another ball handler and shot creator. Or they could just use the best version of D-Lo to stay hot…

The Lakers are 14-7 at home but just 6-14 on the road. The next five games are all at Staples: Mavs, Nets, Blazers, Clippers and Bulls.

11. Houston Rockets (19-20) — prev rank 9

Since Christmas, the Rockets are 4-8 with the No. 19 offense and No. 21 defense during that stretch. They are still wildly better at home (15-6) than on the road (4-14.)

Alperen Sengun’s improvement defensively has been the rage, but his scoring leap continues to shine bright, filled with one-legged floaters and moonshots that remind us of his idol, Jokic.
Jalen Green is once again a bellwether player for Houston. In the 11 games that Green scores 23+ points, the Rockets are 8-3. They are 11-17 in all other games.
Tari Eason has missed some time and it’s hindered the Rockets defense immensely. However, it’s opened up the door for rookie Cam Whitmore to get some run. Whitmore has seized the opportunity, excelling to the point of being trusted as the first man off the bench and with some crunch time minutes (!!). He’s a beast in transition and can step out and hit the 3-ball.

The Rockets current 6-game road trip thankfully concludes Wednesday night at MSG, then it’s back to H-Town for the Jazz, Celtics and Blazers.

12. Golden State Warriors (18-22) — prev rank 11

Draymond returned from his indefinite suspension just in time for the Warriors to lose to the Ja-less and Bane-less Grizzlies on MLK Day in the prime time TNT slot.

Since Christmas, the Warriors are a dreadful 3-8 with some of the worst body language you can imagine.

Even Steph’s numbers are down. And when he’s not on, the Dubs are toast. In games that Steph doesn’t score more than 25 points, the Warriors are 3-14.
It’s surprising to see that Klay is shooting 38.7 percent from 3. You would think with the current discourse that he was shooting below 30. That said, he has been far from the version of Klay that the Warriors need to be competitive.
Kuminga rose to the occasion with Draymond out. Speaking of Draymond, per Anthony Slater: the Warriors had a 123.8 defensive rating in the 16 games without him, giving up at least a 70-point half in five of six games. YEESH.

The Warriors are 11-11 at home and 7-11 on the road. The remaining January schedule does not get any easier: at Utah, Mavs, Hawks, Kings, Lakers and Sixers. Gulp.

13. Memphis Grizzlies (15-25) — prev rank 13

Welp. It was already looking like a lost season with Ja’s 25-game suspension, no Steven Adams, no Brandon Clarke and injuries elsewhere. But now it’s officially official: Ja is out for the season with shoulder surgery and Marcus Smart out for six more weeks with a right finger injury.

And yet! It was 19-year-old rookie GG Jackson’s career high 23 points on MLK Day that helped carry the Grizz to an upset win over drowning Warriors. Welcome to the league, GG!
KOC has mentioned the silver lining of more opportunity for development of Bane and JJJ together, and we love that positive outlook.
In addition to GG Jackson, it was Vince Williams Jr. (24 points) and Jacob Gilyard (three 3s) who helped carry the shorthanded Grizz. The next wave of Grizz could be here.

The Grizzlies have an inherent toughness to them that will make all-out tanking a difficult endeavor. Look for them to play the role of spoiler down the stretch instead of laying down.

14. Portland Trail Blazers (10-29) — prev rank 14

The Blazers currently have the worst offense in the NBA, but the defense at No. 22 is better than you’d think. Although over the last two weeks, the defense has been No. 30… so maybe not.

The good news is that Scoot Henderson is fresh off his best game yet: 33 points (with four 3s!), 9 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. According to Statmuse, he’s only the third rookie to reach those numbers, joining Steph and Jason Kidd.
Another thing that must be pointed out is that this team has continuously been ravaged by injuries. It was already going to be an uphill battle with this super-young roster.
Ayton has missed a lot of time (three straight weeks), so a big shoutout is deserved to Duop Reath!! A WHO HE!? character who has already started 10 games in the NBA.

It’s not too early to start thinking about how Joe Cronin handles the potential tank this time around with so many tank “competitors” — the Pistons, Spurs, Wizards, Hornets and Grizzlies are ALL right in the mix.

15. San Antonio Spurs (7-32) — prev rank 15

The Spurs recently won two games in a row for the first time since the opening week of the season against the Suns, taking down the Pistons and Hornets in dominant fashion.

There has been a lot of chit-chat about how Pop has handled Wemby this season… It would be so much easier to say that Pop knows best if it weren’t for the recent fall off of another coaching goat in Belichick… but either way, Wemby is the alien that was promised, there is no denying that.
Keldon Johnson off the bench is bizarre… And so is the Tre Jones situation. This Spurs team really is confusing.
A common theme to the Spurs’ two recent wins? Vintage Dougie McBuckets with five 3s against the Pistons and four 3s against the Hornets. The Spurs need more shooting, bottom-5 in 3-point percentage.

There are some more winnable games on the rest of the January schedule: at Charlotte, at Washington, Blazers and Wizards at home. But… do the Spurs even want to win those lottery-bound matchups?

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