The 2022-23 NBA season came to a conclusion with the Denver Nuggets winning the first title in franchise history. With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray under contract, Denver looks like the team to beat heading into what is sure to be a tumultuous offseason in the NBA. Our NBA Power Rankings will keep you informed on the league’s changing landscape throughout the season.
Each week we will provide valuable updates on where each team stands to help you place the right bets on games. Teams are ranked in terms of who should be favored this week if they met on a neutral floor. In the NBA Finals Page, we look beyond current records to analyze each team’s potential to win an NBA championship.
NBA Power Rankings
Here are Nate Weitzer’s NBA Power Rankings as of June 24, 2023.
1. Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic posted some of the best numbers in postseason history while leading the Nuggets to a 10-1 record in the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals. There are no answers for the versatile big man and Denver’s roster is stocked around him in an era that will make it harder for other teams to gather high-priced talent.
2. Boston Celtics
Rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla was in a tough situation during the playoffs, but now he has veteran minds around him and plenty of options to consider with Kristaps Porzingis wearing green. The Celtics should lock up Jaylen Brown on a Super-Max extension and they still have backcourt depth despite trading Marcus Smart.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
Khris Middleton declined a player option for $40.4 million and Brook Lopez could also test the waters in free agency. As long as they have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday on the roster, the Bucks will be in a position to contend, and they might be better off if they shake things up to replace those aging vets.
4. Phoenix Suns
The Suns are the only true Super Team heading into this season with nearly all of their money tied up in four players. They will likely look to flip Deandre Ayton for multiple players to create some depth around Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant.
5. Memphis Grizzlies
With Steven Adams, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Marcus Smart on the squad, the Grizzlies have a chance to become the best defensive team in basketball. Ja Morant will miss the first 25 games this season, but Memphis might not miss him if Adams is healthy and Smart can hit the ground running.
6. Sacramento Kings
After posting the best offensive rating in basketball last season, the Kings are looking for upgrades on the wing. Mike Brown did a fantastic job to get this young squad into the playoffs and now they have some experience.
7. Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James enters his 21st NBA season with a much better supporting cast than he had to start the past two seasons. The Lakers should be very active in free agency this summer and rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino could make an impact off the bench.
8. Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid averaged 33.5 PPG to win his first MVP award, then seemed to run out of gas in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston while James Harden disappeared in yet another big playoff moment. The Sixers are likely to bring back Harden under new coach Nick Nurse.
9. Golden State Warriors
Swapping Jordan Poole for Chris Paul sends a clear message that the Warriors are trying to win another title before the sun sets on Steph Curry’s incredible career. New GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. might have a tough time convincing Draymond Green to sign on for one more year, but moving Poole should help.
10. Miami Heat
Miami’s run to the NBA Finals from the play-in tournament will stand as one of the most impressive underdog stories in the modern NBA. The Heat may still struggle to score consistently this season if Pat Riley can’t bring in another weapon. They are assuredly hoping for Damian Lillard to become available.
11. New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson completely changed the culture for a listless Knicks team and Josh Hart came in to provide a valuable competitive edge on the wing midway through the season. New York is a prized destination for free agents and it would be surprising if Leon Rose and company don’t add another piece this summer.
12. Dallas Mavericks
Acquiring Kyrie Irving while losing Dorian Finney-Smith seemed to cost the Mavericks a shot to compete this season, and they eventually tanked out of the play-in tournament one year after making the Western Conference Finals. Duke center Dereck Lively II and Marquette wing Olivier Maxence-Prosper should help shore up a leaky defense while Kyrie and Luka carry their offense.
13. Oklahoma City Thunder
Jalen Williams nearly won Rookie of the Year candidate and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.4 PPG last season to flash the Thunder’s growth potential. Now Chet Holmgren joins this young core and he should provide a significant impact as a 3-point shooter and shot blocker in his first season.
14. Los Angeles Clippers
While Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have rarely been healthy over the past few seasons, the Clippers are pretty much locked into building around those superstars given their contracts. There is still flexibility at the edges of their roster as they enter the final year of Tyronn Lue’s coaching contract.
15. Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland went 31-7 against teams with losing records last year as Donovan Mitchell gave their offense an incredible lift. Then the wheels fell off in the playoffs with Jarrett Allen getting bullied and Evan Mobley unable to make much of an impact on offense against a physical Knicks team.
16. Atlanta Hawks
Quinn Snyder should get Atlanta’s offense on track with a full training camp to work with his new team. The Hawks are one of the deepest teams in the league and they might deal Clint Capela or John Collins to clear playing time for Onyeaka Okongwu or A.J. Griffin.
17. New Orleans Pelicans
Some home cooking has the Raptors back on track, although they dropped a very winnable game on March 22 against a Pacers team playing without Tyrese Haliburton.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards (ankle) should be back soon and Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) might return for the first time since November. The Wolves have suddenly been playing a slew of high-scoring games lately and their offense should improve when those stars return.
19. Portland Trail Blazers
With the NBA watching, the Blazers decided to use the No. 3 overall pick to select Scoot Henderson, and it appears they plan to pair him with Damian Lillard and their existing core. Lillard could still push for a trade or wind up getting moved during the season if Portland trends towards another tanking season.
20. Brooklyn Nets
Mikal Bridges flourished as the top option in Brooklyn and raised his stock to the point that Sean Marks was unwilling to deal the elite wing for the third overall pick in the draft. Brooklyn has a lot of building to do around Bridges, but the Nets have plenty of assets after trading Irving and Durant.
21. Utah Jazz
Danny Ainge stockpiled three first-round picks ahead of this draft and used them to grab a three-and-D specialist in Taylor Hendricks, along with two potentially elite scoring guards in Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh. Utah should be a very high-scoring team once again.
22. San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama has arrived and the Spurs are likely to be far more competitive with the greatest prospect in 20 years impacting their scheme on both ends of the floor. San Antonio has a significant amount of cap space and could bring in a few veteran playmakers to set Wemby up for success.
23. Chicago Bulls
With $20 million committed to Lonzo Ball, who might never suit up again due to chronic knee issues, the Bulls are somewhat limited in their spending, but they only have eight other players under contract and have an interesting decision to make on Nikola Vucevic after trading a healthy ransom for the center two years ago.
24. Toronto Raptors
The first shoe dropped for Toronto with Fred VanVleet entering free agency. The Raptors could sell off Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby for significant assets and turn the page towards a rebuild.
25. Indiana Pacers
Indy looked great whenever Tyrese Haliburton played, and rather toothless without the elite young point guard. They traded down a spot to take Jarace Walker and he should fill a gaping hole at PF for this young team.
26. Orlando Magic
Paolo Banchero led an intriguing frontcourt for the Magic last year and Orlando might have secured its backcourt for the future by taking Anthony Black sixth and Jett Howard 11th in the draft.
27. Charlotte Hornets
LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller will form a lengthy and talented tandem on the wing for Charlotte. Miles Bridges is eligible to return from suspension this year, and the Hornets will hope that Nick Smith Jr. can overcome his knee issues and prove to be a late-round steal.
28. Houston Rockets
Drafting Amen Thompson fourth overall might indicate that the Rockets don’t expect to add James Harden this offseason. There was chatter that they would take Cam Whitmore with that first pick, but the Villanova product fell all the way to No. 20 and Houston was lucky enough to get both lottery-projected prospects.
29. Detroit Pistons
Even though they already have Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey in their backcourt, the Pistons took the best player available at No. 5 overall and will see how Ausar Thompson can fit in on the wing. Monty Williams is in charge of figuring out the pieces as he cashes in on a massive contract.
30. Washington Wizards
The Wizards are selling off assets to start a rebuild in earnest. Beal and Porizingis are gone, Kyle Kuzma could be next, and that would clear the runway for French prospect Bilal Coulibaly to play big minutes right out of the gates.
Preseason rankings
Here are what our pre-season NBA Power Rankings looked like on October 6. Preseason NBA title odds for each team are also listed.
| Ranking | Team | NBA Title Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Warriors | +600 |
| 2. | Bucks | +800 |
| 3. | 76ers | +1500 |
| 4. | Clippers | +550 |
| 5. | Grizzlies | +2200 |
| 6. | Suns | +1200 |
| 7. | Nets | +700 |
| 8. | Nuggets | +1800 |
| 9. | Celtics | +600 |
| 10. | Timberwolves | +3500 |
| 11. | Heat | +2000 |
| 12. | Cavaliers | +3000 |
| 13. | Mavericks | +2000 |
| 14. | Hawks | +4500 |
| 15. | Pelicans | +3500 |
| 16. | Lakers | +1800 |
| 17. | Raptors | +4500 |
| 18. | Bulls | +6500 |
| 19. | Trail Blazers | +8000 |
| 20. | Kings | +70000 |
| 21. | Hornets | +18000 |
| 22. | Knicks | +15000 |
| 23. | Pacers | +100000 |
| 24. | Wizards | +40000 |
| 25. | Pistons | +70000 |
| 26. | Magic | +100000 |
| 27. | Rockets | +100000 |
| 28. | Thunder | +100000 |
| 29. | Spurs | +100000 |
| 30. | Jazz | +100000 |
How to use Pro Basketball Power Rankings
When placing bets on the NBA, it’s crucial to consider factors such as travel time, home court advantage, and playoff positioning versus the rest that so many stars value. By using these NBA Power Rankings, or creating your own criteria for a Power Rankings system, it can be possible to evaluate the prospects of a team more thoroughly based on those factors.
Oddsmakers tend to overreact in the NBA based on the status of star players, but often underreact to trends such as a teams’ performance on back-to-back sets, or at the end of a long road trip. Read our full NBA Betting Guide for more strategies on gaining an edge against sportsbooks.
If you develop a system that helps you stay a step ahead of oddsmakers, it’s certainly possible to cash on over 50 percent of NBA bets and turn a profit. Trust your data and use our Power Rankings as a guide for identifying value on a nightly basis.