Another week in the NBA down. Another week with absurd individual stat lines, the likes of which we haven't seen before, behind us.

Less than a month after Luka Dončić gave us the first 60-20-10 game in NBA history, Donovan Mitchell totaled 71 points and 11 assists in a win over the Chicago Bulls.

And suddenly, anything over 40 is starting to feel borderline routine. After Lauri Markkanen closed out the week with a career-high 49, the league is now up to 90 40-point games this season. The NBA is on pace to obliterate the all-time record of 142 set in 1961-62.

With all the individual talent providing these performances, it's harder than ever to sort through the power rankings. A condensed net rating leaderboard adds to the trickiness.

But that won't stop us from trying.

With recent performance, season-long numbers, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity as our guides, here's where every team stacks up.

30. Houston Rockets (10-29)

Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -7.0

Another week, another round of losses for the Houston Rockets, who've now dropped 11 of their last 12 in what feels like a pretty clear pursuit of the draft's top pick.

On the bright side, some of Houston's most important young players have still produced at a decent clip.

During those 12 games, Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. are both averaging 20.9 points, and Alperen Şengün is adding 14.6 points and 3.6 assists.

29. Charlotte Hornets (10-29)

Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -7.2

As far as long-term prospects go, things couldn't be going much better for the Charlotte Hornets.

They've lost three straight and five of their last six, putting them in the bottom three that would yield a 14 percent chance to land the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft.

And as the losses pile up, LaMelo Ball continues to look like a bona fide franchise cornerstone. Through 15 games, Ball is putting up 23.7 points, 8.1 assists and 4.1 threes while looking like an ideal playmaker for Victor Wembanyama.

28. San Antonio Spurs (12-26)

Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -9.1

The San Antonio Spurs just churned out a winless week, but there are still reasons for optimism.

First and foremost, they're plummeting toward the worst point differential in the NBA and a good shot to land Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson or someone else from what figures to be a loaded draft class.

And although the losses are adding up fast, 23-year-old wing Keldon Johnson is young enough to be a part of whatever the next core is. Over his last four games, Johnson has averaged 27.0 points (bringing his season-long mark to 21.6).

27. Detroit Pistons (11-30)

Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -6.9

The Detroit Pistons remain very much in the hunt for the top pick in the draft, but they're 3-2 in their past five games, and that's not the only thing breaking right for them.

First of all, they have a pair of veterans who continue to drive up their respective trade values. Since December 1, Bojan Bogdanović is averaging 22.0 points and shooting 45.3 percent from deep, while Alec Burks is at 13.8 points with a 47.6 three-point percentage. At this point, it's fair to expect real value in a return for them.

But perhaps more important than that are the good signs from some of Detroit's young core. In the same stretch, Jaden Ivey, Saddiq Bey, Killian Hayes and Isaiah Stewart are all averaging double-figures—and Marvin Bagley III and Jalen Duren aren't far behind.

26. Orlando Magic (14-25)

Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -3.8

The Orlando Magic are plenty plucky. So much so that a six-game winning streak in December may have had them thinking play-in tournament.

But a 1-4 record in their last five games should probably recalibrate expectations again. It feels a year too early for this team to break through, but there are still plenty of sources of optimism.

Chief among those is Paolo Banchero, who dropped 30 on 10-of-20 shooting in Thursday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. That brought his rookie-leading scoring average up to 21.3 points.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (16-22)

Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -1.0

The Oklahoma City Thunder had the kind of random, unpredictable week one might expect from a team in a rebuild-adjacent phase.

On Tuesday, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out of action, they dropped 150 points in an upset win over the Boston Celtics. The next night, with SGA back, they lost to the Orlando Magic.

Inconsistency is sort of par for a young team's course, though. In seasons like this, it's all about finding sources of hope from the young core. And while Gilgeous-Alexander has provided plenty throughout the season, the last couple of weeks may be about Josh Giddey joining him.

In his last 10 games, Giddey is averaging 16.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 threes, while shooting 41.9 percent from three.

24. Los Angeles Lakers (17-21)

Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -1.1

Dennis Schröder went for 32 points on 8-of-15 shooting and Thomas Bryant added 21 in a surprise win over the Miami Heat on Thursday, but this campaign increasingly seems to be more about LeBron James' chase of the all-time scoring record.

LeBron missed Wednesday's game, but he eclipsed 40 points in each of his two previous contests. Over his past 11 appearances, the 38-year-old forward is putting up 34.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists.

If James keeps up this level of scoring, he should reach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record in 14-15 games, but even if he drops down to 20 per game going forward, he'll break the mark with a few weeks left in the season.

23. Washington Wizards (17-22)

Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -0.7

Bradley Beal left Tuesday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks with hamstring tightness, and the Washington Wizards got steamrolled by a 55-point performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo, but things are still looking up for this team.

Washington lost 13 out of 14 games earlier this season, but this most recent loss to Milwaukee ended a five-game winning streak. And Beal missed the last three games of that streak.

Of course, for the season, the Wizards have a slightly better point differential when Beal is on the floor. This isn't a suggestion that the team just flat-out doesn't need Beal, but the rest of the roster has shown enough to think it can continue to compete for a play-in spot in his absence.

After Tuesday's loss, Kristaps Porziņģis and Kyle Kuzma are averaging 22.2 and 21.3 points, respectively.

22. Chicago Bulls (17-21)

Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -1.2

The Chicago Bulls were able to end the Brooklyn Nets' 12-game winning streak with a balanced effort that included 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from Nikola Vučević.

And even with some of the lofty individual peaks reached by DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine over the past couple years, Chicago's success often comes down to how the big man plays.

Since he joined the Bulls, they're 24-15 when Vučević scores at least 20 points and shoots at least 50 percent from the field (51-59 in all other games).

21. Toronto Raptors (16-22)

Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -0.2

The Toronto Raptors nearly pulled off an impossible comeback win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

On two separate second-half occasions, their win probability dropped to just 0.1 percent, but some ridiculous shooting from Gary Trent Jr. helped force an overtime period in which the Raptors appeared to just run out of gas (they shot just 2-of-11 in the extra frame).

The loss felt like a pretty accurate representation of Toronto's entire season, which features several stretches in which the Raptors look like a surefire playoff team despite having six more losses than wins.

On the year, they're second among sub-.500 teams in net rating

20. Atlanta Hawks (18-20)

Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -1.2

After losing four straight, the Atlanta Hawks were in desperate need of a win on Wednesday, and they got one on the road against the Sacramento Kings.

John Collins, De'Andre Hunter and Dejounte Murray combined for 65 points in this one, but the victory may have been as simple as Trae Young shooting well.

Young had just his seventh game of the season with a 50-plus field-goal percentage on Wednesday, and Atlanta is now 7-0 in those games (11-20 in all others).

19. Minnesota Timberwolves (18-21)

Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -0.5

Let's take a break from the incessant handwringing over the Rudy Gobert trade to talk about Anthony Edwards.

Over his past 10 games, Edwards is putting up 29.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.9 threes, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks. On balance, his plus-minus is positive in those contests despite the team being 4-6.

The ball is in Edwards' hands more than it was earlier this season, and he's showing he can expand his offensive impact beyond scoring.

If Minnesota is going to get back into the playoff hunt, it'll be because this ascension from Edwards continues after the return of Karl-Anthony Towns, who's nearing the end of the original timeline given for his calf strain.

18. Indiana Pacers (21-18)

Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -0.4

They ended their week with a road loss to the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers, but that shouldn't squash the vibes the Indiana Pacers cultivated during the four-game winning streak that immediately preceded Wednesday's contest.

All of the victories in the streak came at home, but the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers are quality wins. The Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors (their other two Ws) could make the playoffs too.

Every time it looks like Indiana might fade back toward the lottery (where many expected them before this season), they seem to come up with a stretch like this. And it's easy to credit All-Star-worthy Tyrese Haliburton for the stability.

On the year, he's now averaging 20.6 points, 10.2 assists and 3.0 threes while shooting 40.7 percent from deep.

17. Utah Jazz (20-21)

Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: +1.3

Fresh off a five-game losing streak, the Utah Jazz got a much-needed win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday. And the performance also gave a boost to Lauri Markkanen's already strong All-Star case.

Markkanen went 15-of-27 from the field for a career-high 49 points. That brings his season-long marks for points per game and true shooting percentage to 24.5 and 67.4.

Prior to this season, Stephen Curry was the only player who'd matched or exceeded both of those marks in a single season (though Nikola Jokić and Kevin Durant are on track to join Markkanen in 2022-23).

16. Phoenix Suns (20-19)

Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +2.6

This is now a full-fledged collapse for the Phoenix Suns, who've lost four straight and 12 of their last 16.

Of course, the absence of Devin Booker has a lot to do with the slide, but Phoenix was just 2-4 in his last six appearances (though he only played four minutes in one of those losses).

This is more about compounding issues. For what feels like the first time in his career, Chris Paul is showing signs of age. Starting forward Cameron Johnson has been out since early November. And Jae Crowder, who's refused to play at all because Johnson took his starting spot, has been away from the team for the entirety of this campaign.

This season has hit a danger zone that felt impossible a few weeks ago. And if this keeps up much longer, Crowder won't be the only one in trade rumors between now and the deadline.

15. Los Angeles Clippers (21-19)

Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: -0.8

The Los Angeles Clippers had one of the most embarrassing losses of the season on Thursday night.

On the road and up against the first-place Denver Nuggets, L.A. played both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but the defense looked completely bewildered from pretty much the opening tip.

Denver led by 34 at the half, and Clippers coach Tyronn Lue waved the white flag before play restarted. The Clippers' entire starting five started the third quarter on the bench.

Losing by that much is tough on its own, but this shellacking should probably be an eye-opener for L.A.'s front office. The constant start-stop nature of the Clippers' seasons may be unavoidable. Perhaps Kawhi's body simply cannot hold up against the rigors of a full regular season. But this is a vivid reminder of how difficult it is to cultivate championship chemistry in the NBA.

14. Portland Trail Blazers (19-18)

Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: +0.7

The Portland Trail Blazers seem destined to hover around .500 this season.

They've alternated wins and losses over their past four games. Their longest winning streak was the four straight they secured to start the season. Their longest losing streak is also four games.

They're plus-7.1 points per 100 possessions in the 884 minutes Damian Lillard has played, but they're minus-5.9 in the 902 minutes he hasn't.

While the supporting cast has certainly improved over what was in place last season, the Blazers might need to make one more deal if they want to escape the morass of the middle of the league.

13. Golden State Warriors (20-19)

Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: -0.5

The Golden State Warriors ended their week with a disappointing home loss to the Detroit Pistons, but they're a better-than-expected 6-4 during Stephen Curry's absence, and a throwback stretch from Klay Thompson is a big reason why.

Since Curry went down, Klay is putting up 26.0 points and 4.4 threes while shooting 38.0 percent from deep. In Monday's game alone, he dropped 54 in a win over the Atlanta Hawks.

If this version of Thompson sticks around after Curry returns, the Warriors might still be able to escape the play-in range.

12. Miami Heat (20-19)

Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: -0.6

The Miami Heat suffered a borderline embarrassing loss to the LeBron James-less and Anthony Davis-less Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, but they're still a solid 8-4 in their last 12 games.

And the balance between their top three scorers during this stretch feels almost perfect.

In these 12 contests, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo are all between 20.8 and 24.2. All three are getting more than 14 shots per game, and Butler and Herro are both averaging at least five assists.

With that three-headed attack and a grittiness on defense typical of a Miami team, the Heat should keep climbing the standings.

11. New York Knicks (21-18)

Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +2.6

After missing three games with hip soreness, Jalen Brunson returned this week, and he picked up right where he left off.

In his two games back in the lineup, Brunson put up 62 points and 12 assists while shooting 25-of-45 from the field and 5-of-10 from deep.

On the season, New York is now plus-12.1 points per 100 possessions when Brunson shares the floor with Mitchell Robinson and Quentin Grimes.

10. Sacramento Kings (20-17)

Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +1.0

After going 4-5 in their past nine, it feels like the Sacramento Kings are slowly returning to earth, but there's more than enough evidence to keep trusting this offense.

Sacramento is sixth in points scored per 100 possessions, but that doesn't quite capture the Kings' ceiling.

De'Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes and Domantas Sabonis have played 402 minutes together and are scoring 117.0 points per 100 possessions in those minutes. No lineup in the league matches or exceeds both marks.

9. Dallas Mavericks (22-17)

Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +1.4

On Thursday, Luka Dončić was held to fewer than 25 points for just the seventh time all season.

And after suffering a blowout loss to the Boston Celtics in that game, the Dallas Mavericks are just 1-6 in those sub-25 games from their superstar.

It may be starting to sound like a broken record, but this team needs to find a way to lighten the load on Luka.

In the Boston game, he came up limping at one point with an ankle injury. He took a shot to the chest that had him coughing for much of the second half.

He's simply getting beaten up, and that's happening while he's on track to post the fifth-highest individual usage percentage in league history.

At the deadline, Dallas should be targeting someone who can spare Dončić some of those possessions.

8. New Orleans Pelicans (24-14)

Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +4.6

Brandon Ingram has missed more than half his team's games, and there's still no definite return date. Yet, the New Orleans Pelicans were mostly cruising without him.

Now that Zion Williamson is set to miss "multiple weeks" with a hamstring strain, they might suddenly be in a danger zone.

New Orleans is still plus-1.0 points per 100 possessions when both Zion and Ingram are off the floor—a mark buoyed by Wednesday's win over the rebuilding Rockets—but depth is now a big concern.

When you add CJ McCollum to the list of players off the floor, that net rating falls to minus-5.7.

7. Milwaukee Bucks (25-13)

Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +1.9

The Milwaukee Bucks' offense is flirting with bottom-five status, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is posting his lowest true shooting percentage since 2015-16 (thanks in large part to a massive dropoff in efficiency in the mid-range and floater zone). However, they keep piling up wins with a top-two defense and force-of-will performances from their two-time MVP.

Even if his shots away from the rim aren't falling, there may not be another player in the league who can put as much constant pressure on the paint as Giannis. And that ability has translated to some absurd performances of late.

After becoming the 13th player in league history to register a 30-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in Wednesday's overtime over the Toronto Raptors, Giannis is up to 39.1 points, 14.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists over his last eight games.

6. Philadelphia 76ers (23-14)

Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +4.2

Joel Embiid missed Wednesday's win with left foot soreness, but he's probably earned a little rest over the last several weeks.

Since December 1, Embiid is averaging 35.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.2 threes while shooting 43.6 percent from deep. In that stretch, he's third in the league in fantasy points per game, and his No. 2 isn't far behind.

During this run, James Harden is 10th in fantasy points per game, with 22.5 points and 11.4 assists driving him to that spot.

And after what felt like a bit of a slow start to the campaign, Embiid and Harden appear to have fully recaptured their chemistry from last season. The offense feels far less "your turn, my turn," their pick-and-roll looks unstoppable, and Philadelphia is plus-9.3 points per 100 possessions when both are on the floor.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (25-14)

Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: +5.3

When it comes to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it's tough to think or talk about anything but Donovan Mitchell's all-time great performance against the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Mitchell went for 71 points on 22-of-34 shooting, handed out 11 assists and grabbed eight assists for good measure. It was, of course, the first 70-10 game in league history.

But that wasn't all the good news out of Cleveland this week. After losing three straight ahead of the last edition of the power rankings, the Cavs went undefeated this week and stayed within striking distance of first place in the East.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (25-13)

Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +4.8

Ja Morant understandably gets most of the attention. He's a nightly highlight reel and a legitimate turbo booster for his team's offense.

But there's a real argument that Jaren Jackson Jr. is the Memphis Grizzlies' best and most important player.

After going for 31 points on 12-of-14 shooting, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking three shots, JJJ is up to 16.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks in just 26.0 minutes per game.

When he's on the floor, the Grizzlies are plus-13.9 points per 100 possessions, compared to plus-1.0 without him.

3. Brooklyn Nets (25-13)

Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +4.2

The Brooklyn Nets finally had their 12-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday, but they've done more than enough to join the league's contender tier. Driving their arrival, of course, is the play of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

KD is putting up 29.9 points and 5.5 assists this season while shooting a league-best 93.3 percent from the free-throw line. He's also made an eye-popping 63.7 percent of his two-point attempts, and he leads the league in total twos made from five feet and out.

Meanwhile, in 20 games since returning from suspension, Irving is putting up 25.9 points, 4.5 assists and 3.2 threes while shooting 40.8 percent from deep.

There are plenty of others who can make a "best duo in the league" case, but very few of those have the playoff resumes of Kyrie and Durant. This still feels a little fragile considering their injury histories, but if they're whole in the postseason, the Nets are a real threat.

2. Boston Celtics (27-12)

Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +6.1

The Boston Celtics started this week with back-to-back road losses to the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder. The latter disappointment had to warm up the alarm bells, as the Celtics gave up a whopping 150 points to a rebuilding Thunder team that was without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Everything should feel a little more settled now, though. Boston crushed the Dallas Mavericks by 29 points on Thursday, and it held Luka Dončić to 23 points on 7-of-23 shooting. That may say as much as anything from that game.

Much was understandably made of the Celtics' offensive collapse in December, but they had the No. 2 defense in the league that month. It felt like something of a return to the roots that helped Boston reach the Finals last season.

If the Celtics can marry their pre-December offense with the way they've defended over the last several weeks (OKC stinker notwithstanding), they're going to start looking like a juggernaut again.

1. Denver Nuggets (25-13)

Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +2.8

The Denver Nuggets made a statement on Thursday night (after beating the Boston Celtics earlier in the week) when they ran Kawhi Leonard and Paul George out of their own gym by halftime.

No, seriously. Denver blasted the Los Angeles Clippers to such a degree that Leonard, George and the rest of L.A.'s starters didn't play a second in the second half.

For what may be the first time this season, everything seemed to coalesce for the Nuggets. They've had plenty of performances in which the ball was flying around and guys were getting open jumpers and layups, but this may be their best showcase for that. Most of those open looks were converted, and more importantly, everyone was engaged on the defensive end.

The Nuggets are certainly one of the most talented teams in the league, but they've been prone to stretches of inconsistency or a lack of focus.

If this is what they look like when engaged, they're a very real contender.

Stat of the Week

Everyone seems to be trying to figure out why NBA offenses are suddenly producing at truly unprecedented levels.

You know about Donovan Mitchell's 71-point, 11-assist game. Luka Dončić had the first 60-20-10 game in league history. And the NBA's players are on pace to shatter the all-time record for 40-point performances in a single season.

So again, the question is why?

Plenty have tried to answer, and Sportico's Lev Akabas shared a few factors that all seem to be converging at exactly the right moment to yield this wild string of NBA nights.

For one thing, the average usage rate (the percentage of a team's possession that a given player uses during the game) of each team's usage leader is higher than it's ever been.

Additionally, the popularization of small ball has limited the amount of time rim protectors are on the floor. Naturally, that means easier looks around the rim.

And finally, something that may be a bit harder to quantify (though Akabas tried) is that there's simply more talent in the league than there's ever been.

Flip to any game on any given night, and you're likely to see someone capable of exploding for a 40-plus-point game. Even rebuilding teams like the Detroit Pistons or the Houston Rockets have Bojan Bogdanović or Jalen Green (who've topped out at 38 and 34, respectively, this season).

Whatever the reasons are (and there could be more than these), we're the ones who benefit.

Fake Trade of the Week

Every year, it feels like most teams throughout the league are trying to keep their powder dry until players signed in the previous offseason are eligible to be traded.

This season, that remained true even after December 15. But on Thursday, the Boston Celtics quietly sent Noah Vonleh and cash to the San Antonio Spurs for a future conditional second-round pick.

San Antonio waived Vonleh right after acquiring him, and moves like this often signal something else may be on the way. If this doesn't open the floodgates, it at least cracks them wide enough for a peek to the other side.

In the spirit of Boston and the Spurs knocking over the first domino, let's revive the "Fake Trade of the Week" slide with a recent rumor involving the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanović.

"There's not much feeling that the Pistons are eager to move their best player with Cade Cunningham out, but as the team transitions more towards draft positioning this season Milwaukee will look to bid if the Pistons make Bogdanović available," Matt Moore wrote for the Action Network

It's difficult to cobble together enough salary to absorb Bogdanović's $19.5 million, but the Bucks can get there with Grayson Allen (previously rumored to be available), MarJon Beauchamp (a 22-year-old who's closer to the timeline of most of Detroit's other players) and Joe Ingles. All of that and a first-round pick (which Detroit would certainly be after for its leading scorer) could hurt the Bucks' depth, though.

A cleaner deal might be Allen and a lottery-protected 2029 first-round pick for Alec Burks.

Burks hasn't generated nearly as much buzz as his teammate, but he'd accomplish a lot of the same goals for the Bucks.

He's averaging 14.2 points, 2.1 assists and 2.0 threes in 22.0 minutes while shooting 45.2 percent from deep. Adding his shooting and playmaking to the second unit (or even in Allen's starting spot) would shore up Milwaukee's title chances.

For Detroit, of course, this is about getting a long-term asset (the first-rounder) for a veteran who probably doesn't fit in its future plans.