Now a quarter of the way into the 2024-25 NBA campaign, it's time to take our weekly stock of the NBA with the power rankings.

The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder continue to look like juggernauts. The Los Angeles Lakers are in a tailspin. And plenty of other teams across the league are sliding up or down the rankings based on our tried-and-true criteria.

With team and individual numbers, championship chances, recent performance and plenty of subjectivity as our guides, here's how all 30 teams sort out right now.

30. Washington Wizards (2-18)

Previous Ranking: 30

Net Rating: -16.0

The Washington Wizards aren't just the worst NBA team in 2024-25. They may be trending toward being one of the worst teams we've ever seen.

After losing by 36 points on Thursday, Washington now has an average, season-long point differential of minus-16.85 points per game.

That's on pace to be the worst mark in NBA history, and it's almost two points clear of the team currently holding down that spot (the 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks were minus-15.2 per game).

29. Utah Jazz (4-17)

Previous Ranking: 29

Net Rating: -10.3

After slow-playing tank jobs in each of the two prior seasons, the Utah Jazz are all-in on the rebuild in 2024-25. And their dreadful record and point differential reflect that.

So does their rotation.

The front office doesn't have as many veterans to unload as it did in prior years, but it also may not need to. Even with Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton on the roster, seven of Utah's top 12 in total minutes are in their first, second or third NBA seasons.

Keyonte George is leading the way, and he's also dead last in the league in wins over replacement player. His role can certainly be sold as a good developmental opportunity, but that also sounds like a pretty good tank commander.

28. New Orleans Pelicans (5-18)

Previous Ranking: 28

Net Rating: -12.2

Assuming they haven't already thrown their hat into this year's lottery chase, the New Orleans Pelicans were in desperate need of a win on Thursday and finally got one against the Phoenix Suns.

From November 3 to December 2, New Orleans was 1-15. It had to fight through injuries to seemingly all of its most important rotation players. And the Pelicans still don't have Zion Williamson back.

However, with Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III all in action now, the team should at least be competitive.

Or those players at least have enough time between now and February's trade deadline to juice their trade value and help the Pelicans add to their stash of draft assets ahead of this offseason.

27. Portland Trail Blazers (8-14)

Previous Ranking: 26

Net Rating: -8.1

For a rebuilding team, the first couple of months of an NBA season can be about rehabbing or generally improving the trade value of individual veterans.

And while the Portland Trail Blazers have won a few more games than expected, that's really not happening for them.

Anfernee Simons, a 25-year-old sharpshooter who made 38.6 percent of his three-point attempts prior to this season, is shooting 33.1 percent from deep in 2024-25.

Jerami Grant, who turns 31 in March, has an effective field-goal percentage a whopping seven points shy of the league average and still doesn't rebound.

Robert Williams III continues to struggle with availability.

And Deandre Ayton's inability to stretch the floor and comically low free-throw rate are part of why Portland's point differential is better when he's off the floor.

If one or more of the above don't turn their individual campaigns around soon, the Blazers might have to just resign themselves to their current trade values and put even more on-court trust into younger players like Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan.

26. Charlotte Hornets (6-16)

Previous Ranking: 24

Net Rating: -5.6

The Charlotte Hornets have lost seven straight and nine of their last 10. They're officially in the tank race, whether they started this season with that intention or not.

Leading scorer LaMelo Ball will be out for at least another week. Grant Williams is out for the season with a torn ACL. And center Mark Williams, who appeared in only his second game of the season on Thursday, is still ramping up.

The losses are going to keep piling up in the short term, even as Brandon Miller continues to grow in more of a lead ball-handler and scorer role. After scoring 26 on Thursday, he is now averaging 21.7 points, 4.1 threes and 3.5 assists while shooting 37.1 percent from deep.

25. Philadelphia 76ers (5-15)

Previous Ranking: 27

Net Rating: -6.4

There's no question this has been a bummer of a season for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Being in the Eastern Conference means there's still a chance to recover and get a play-in berth. Heck, sixth place is probably even within reach if Joel Embiid and Paul George can get and stay healthy.

But even if the win-loss record keeps spiraling like it did over the first quarter of the season, there's plenty of reason for optimism.

Tyrese Maxey is only 24 years old. And over the last three postseasons, he's averaged 22.6 points, 3.9 assists and 2.8 threes, while shooting 39.2 percent from deep.

Rookie Jared McCain, meanwhile, is only 20. He's putting up 16.5 points, 2.6 assists and 2.3 threes, while shooting 38.3 percent from three.

With those two and a top pick in the potentially star-studded 2025 draft class (Philadelphia only keeps that pick if it stays in the top six), the Sixers could have one of the most intriguing young cores in the league.

24. Indiana Pacers (9-14)

Previous Ranking: 19

Net Rating: -4.9

The Indiana Pacers' recent slide continued Wednesday, when they lost to the Brooklyn Nets and mustered just 90 points.

The Pacers have lost four straight and seven of their last 10. The three wins in that stretch came against a trio of sub-.500 opponents (the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers).

And while their high-octane attack was often able to overcome a bad defense in 2023-24, Indiana isn't even scoring at a league-average rate.

The answer for the decline may be as simple as the apparent drop-off from Tyrese Haliburton, a 2023-24 All-NBA selection who shot 59.5 percent on twos and 36.4 percent from deep last season. After going 5-of-13 from the field and 1-of-7 on threes in Wednesday's loss, Haliburton is shooting 54.6 percent on twos and 33.3 percent from deep.

23. Toronto Raptors (7-16)

Previous Ranking: 25

Net Rating: -4.4

The Toronto Raptors had started to gain a little traction in the standings, winning three of four before ending their week against the buzzsaw that is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 37-point beatdown at the hands of OKC aside, Toronto is clearly looking stronger. And that has a lot to do with forwards Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett starting to spend some time together on the floor.

The Raptors have a positive point differential when both are in the game. Both are averaging at least 20 points, and both are averaging six-plus assists.

If they can manage to pull their three-point percentages closer to average, Toronto can stay in the hunt for a play-in berth.

22. Detroit Pistons (9-15)

Previous Ranking: 22

Net Rating: -2.9

It was sort of a reality-check week for the Detroit Pistons, who went 1-3 and have dropped seven of their last nine overall.

So, while topping last season's abysmal win total of 14 almost seems like a foregone conclusion, a play-in berth feels less likely than it did in mid-November.

Still, being in the Eastern Conference has its privileges. And even while being six games below .500 and having an average point differential of minus-3.0, Detroit is within a game of 10th place.

If Cade Cunningham keeps up his mini-breakout—after going for 27 points and 14 assists in Wednesday's loss to the Boston Celtics, he's now averaging 23.7 and 9.1—the Pistons may stay within reach of the field, whether they want to or not.

21. Chicago Bulls (10-13)

Previous Ranking: 23

Net Rating: -3.3

Assuming the Chicago Bulls are ready to steer a little more aggressively into a rebuild, someone needs to trade for Nikola Vučević.

The 34-year-old just went off for 39 points and five assists in a win over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. He's averaging 21.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.2 threes, while shooting 46.8 percent from deep on the season.

And his $20 million salary this season (and $21.5 million next season) is below market value for a starting-caliber center.

His shooting and passing are good enough to loosen up just about any offense and are worth real assets for a Bulls team that should be angling toward better lottery odds in 2025.

20. Brooklyn Nets (10-13)

Previous Ranking: 20

Net Rating: -3.4

Assuming the Brooklyn Nets want to earnestly enter the race for highly touted prospects like Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, they're going to have to start moving veterans soon.

And the deeper we get into the season, the clearer it's becoming that their most coveted player is likely to be Cameron Johnson.

Johnson is experienced, has good size for a wing (6'8") and is shooting the lights out this season. After dropping 26 points and going 7-of-13 from three in Wednesday's win over the Indiana Pacers, Johnson is averaging 18.5 points and 3.3 threes while shooting 43.1 percent from three.

19. Los Angeles Lakers (12-10)

Previous Ranking: 14

Net Rating: -4.7

The Los Angeles Lakers had one of the most embarrassing performances of the season on Wednesday, losing 134-93 to the Miami Heat and having social media buzzing over their lack of effort.

The Lakers have dropped six of their last eight games, are sliding down the crowded Western Conference standings and have to be thinking about a dramatic shake-up.

L.A. has roughly the same roster it had in 2023-24, only LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both a year older. The Lakers are a game worse than they were through 22 last season. And it's clear that this group, as constructed, won't be a title contender.

18. Sacramento Kings (10-13)

Previous Ranking: 16

Net Rating: +0.8

The Sacramento Kings have gone from underwhelming to downright concerning over the last few weeks.

After losing to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, Sacramento is 2-7 in its last nine and in desperate need of better shooting from its supposed shooters.

Keegan Murray, Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles and Doug McDermott are shooting a combined 29.0 percent from deep. It's a little less surprising for these two, but De'Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan are at a combined 32.8 percent, too.

Those six players are all in Sacramento's top nine for total three-point attempts, and they just haven't been good enough to keep pace in the West.

17. San Antonio Spurs (11-11)

Previous Ranking: 15

Net Rating: -1.2

Victor Wembanyama missed Thursday's loss to the Chicago Bulls with lower back soreness, and the game served as a reminder of how important he already is to the San Antonio Spurs.

On the season, San Antonio is plus-2.6 points per 100 possessions with Wemby on the floor and minus-4.9 when he's off.

And while it's fair for old-school fans to want him to spend a little more time around the basket, the Spurs are 5-1 when he attempts at least 10 threes and 8-2 in games in which he makes at least 30 percent of his three-point attempts.

16. Miami Heat (10-10)

Previous Ranking: 18

Net Rating: +2.1

The Miami Heat have felt very "middle of the road" all season. And even though they crushed the Los Angeles Lakers by a whopping 41 points Wednesday, that victory came on the heels of back-to-back losses and it was over a team in the middle of a pretty dramatic skid.

Still, Miami showcased a lot of what could make it dangerous, if the team were ever to really lock in.

He's getting up there in NBA age, but 35-year-old Jimmy Butler is still a wily and competitive perimeter defender. When paired with Bam Adebayo's versatility on that end, they can anchor a group good enough to stifle most Eastern Conference opponents.

And on the other end, there is an abundance of playmaking talent. In Wednesday's win, Bam Adebayo had seven assists, while Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson, Kevin Love and Pelle Larsson all had at least five, and Tyler Herro added four.

When the ball is moving like that, even the sometimes uninspiring Heat offense is a tough cover.

15. Atlanta Hawks (12-11)

Previous Ranking: 21

Net Rating: -1.9

The Atlanta Hawks are on fire, the "Trae Young plus three-and-D versatility" vision is coming into focus and Jalen Johnson is having a star (or at least, star-adjacent) breakout.

After beating the Milwaukee Bucks in Milwaukee, Atlanta has won five straight. This run includes two wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers, too.

And the length and switchability of No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, De'Andre Hunter and Johnson is helping Young focus on his best and most important skill: playmaking.

On the year, he's averaging a league-best 12.0 assists per game.

The most encouraging development, though, could very well be the production of Johnson. He's up to 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks on the season. All five marks are career highs for the soon-to-be-23-year-old.

14. Phoenix Suns (12-9)

Previous Ranking: 13

Net Rating: -0.5

Kevin Durant went down with another injury on Tuesday, and that doesn't bode well for the short-term prospects of the Phoenix Suns.

KD is out for at least a week with a sprained ankle, and his absence started with a road loss to the lowly New Orleans Pelicans. Next up on the schedule? Back-to-back games in Florida against the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic.

On the season, Phoenix is plus-4.7 points per 100 possessions with Durant on the floor and minus-5.0 when he's off it.

13. Denver Nuggets (11-9)

Previous Ranking: 10

Net Rating: +1.0

Nikola Jokić has solidified his status as the best basketball player in the world over the first quarter of the season, but he isn't getting enough help from his teammates for the Denver Nuggets to be considered anything near a title contender (at least for now).

After another triple-double in Thursday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the three-time NBA MVP is now ahead of Magic Johnson on the all-time list.

Jokić is averaging 29.9 points, 13.4 rebounds, 10.4 assists, 2.1 threes and 1.8 steals, while shooting 55.9 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three. The Nuggets are outscoring opponents by 10.2 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor.

That should be good enough to be more than two games above .500 through 20, but they're also minus-17.8 points per 100 possessions when the Serb sits. And no one, including Jamal Murray, has shown anything close to an ability to carry the non-Jokić lineups.

To this point in the season, Jokić has a league-leading 6.5 wins over replacement player (value over replacement player times 2.7), while the rest of Denver's roster has combined for 2.2.

12. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-10)

Previous Ranking: 17

Net Rating: +3.5

After falling to 8-10 on the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves had a 3-0 week that included some encouraging signs for their defense.

They had two games against the Los Angeles Clippers and one against the Los Angeles Lakers. And while neither are offensive juggernauts (the Lakers are 12th in offensive rating, while the Clippers are 24th), 92 points being the high mark for Minnesota's opponents this week is worth mentioning.

Defense, of course, was a pillar of the Timberwolves' 2023-24 identity, but they've struggled to find their mojo on that end in the wake of the Julius Randle acquisition.

Theoretically, Randle should be a more mobile defender than Karl-Anthony Towns, but his career is filled with lowlights of him falling asleep off the ball.

Those moments have been a bit less common of late, which suggests Minnesota's defensive infrastructure, held up by Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards, could be impacting him.

11. Los Angeles Clippers (14-10)

Previous Ranking: 12

Net Rating: +2.5

The Los Angeles Clippers have slowed a bit over the last couple of weeks (they're 3-3 in their last six), but they're still clearly outplaying expectations.

Prior to Paul George's departure, if you'd told fans that he'd bounce without L.A. having a meaningful way to replace him, and that Kawhi Leonard wouldn't play a minute of the team's first 24 games, no one would've predicted them being four games over .500.

James Harden, who's averaging 21.6 points and 8.5 assists, obviously deserves a ton of credit for that, but the Norman Powell breakout may be every bit as important.

In his 10th NBA season, Powell is averaging a career-high 23.9 points and shooting 50.7 percent from three.

10. Milwaukee Bucks (11-10)

Previous Ranking: 11

Net Rating: +1.0

The Milwaukee Bucks ended their week with a loss to the red-hot Atlanta Hawks, but that shouldn't kill the vibes.

They'd won seven in a row prior to that, and Giannis Antetokounmpo has reentered MVP conversations with a vengeance.

He's averaging a league-leading 32.6 points, 11.6 rebounds (more than Anthony Davis and Rudy Gobert) and 6.6 assists (more than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and De'Aaron Fox).

And his 11.4 free-throw attempts per game is over two clear of second-place AD.

With one of the league's easier remaining schedules, if Giannis keeps this up, a top-four (or higher) finish in the East is still very much in play.

9. Houston Rockets (15-8)

Previous Ranking: 5

Net Rating: +6.8

The Detroit Pistons weren't the only young team that came back to earth a bit this week.

After securing a win in one of the best games of the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, the Houston Rockets ended the week with back-to-back road losses to the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.

Both were reminders that the team's two leading scorers, Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün, are still adapting to life as the faces of a winning franchise. Both are still playing on their rookie contracts.

8. Golden State Warriors (13-8)

Previous Ranking: 4

Net Rating: +5.7

Coming off a tough loss in which they coughed up a fourth-quarter double-digit lead to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors played the up-and-coming Houston Rockets without both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to close out the week.

And it may have been exactly the kind of sink-or-swim scenario the supporting cast needed, especially Jonathan Kuminga.

The 22-year-old went for 33 points (exactly one-third of Golden State's total that night) on 13-of-22 shooting. And that was against one of the league's best defenses.

The Warriors could use more consistent firepower after Curry and Andrew Wiggins. And even if Kuminga isn't that, performances like this one could convince a potential trade suitor he's what they're missing.

7. Memphis Grizzlies (15-8)

Previous Ranking: 8

Net Rating: +7.3

Ja Morant appeared in just nine games last season, which was clearly the biggest reason the Memphis Grizzlies missed the playoffs.

Now that he's back in action, though, his teammates are proving this team is about a lot more than the two-time All-Star.

On Thursday, Morant was a team-worst minus-32 in 28 minutes against the Sacramento Kings. And the Grizzlies still won by five points.

Santi Aldama's all-around play, Jay Huff's size and shooting and Marcus Smart's experience and playmaking have all been huge for a second unit filled with players in appropriate roles behind Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.

6. Orlando Magic (16-8)

Previous Ranking: 6

Net Rating: +5.4

The long-term absence of Paolo Banchero has given Franz Wagner the opportunity to showcase legitimate star power.

After losing their first four games without the All-Star forward, the Magic are 13-2 in their last 15.

And for the entire season, when Banchero is off the floor, Wagner is averaging 27.6 points, 7.0 assists, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per 75 possessions,

5. New York Knicks (14-8)

Previous Ranking: 9

Net Rating: +7.7

It still feels a little unusual for a Tom Thibodeau-led team to be hovering around the bottom third of the league in defense, but the New York Knicks are good enough on the other end for that to not really matter right now.

New York is scoring an NBA-leading 121.6 points per 100 possessions, and its starting five couldn't fit together much better than it is right now.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson are the inside-out foundation. Both are averaging over 25 points and shooting over 40 percent from three. Then, the trio of forwards they bookend are all averaging between 13 and 18 while providing highly switchable defense on the other end.

If the Knicks keep scoring like this and Thibodeau's principles eventually take hold and push them closer to top 10 on defense, this could be a bona fide title contender.

4. Dallas Mavericks (15-8)

Previous Ranking: 7

Net Rating: +7.3

The Dallas Mavericks have more than rounded into form, winning 10 of their last 11 and picking up five of those wins without Luka Dončić.

Even as their superstar's shooting marks are still catching up to his 2023-24 levels, Dallas is winning with defense and plenty of versatility in the wing and guard slots.

Dončić and Kyrie Irving provide the bulk of the firepower, but P.J. Washington (12.7), Klay Thompson (12.6), Naji Marshall (11.6), Quentin Grimes (9.1) and Spencer Dinwiddie (8.0) are all averaging at least eight points.

Washington, Grimes and Dinwiddie are all shooting over 39 percent from deep.

And with Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II pulling defenders into the paint on their rim runs, there are catch-and-shoot opportunities aplenty for all of the above.

Everything is clicking, which should be especially scary for opponents still expecting Dončić to return to last season's form.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers (20-3)

Previous Ranking: 3

Net Rating: +10.1

When you start a campaign 15-0, any subsequent stretch can feel like a bit of a letdown. So, the Cleveland Cavaliers losing three of five after the hot start drew some attention.

However, they're fully back on track, ending this week on a three-game winning streak that included victories over the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets.

And with each passing game, it's becoming increasingly clear this team is about a lot more than the well-known big four of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

After Caris LeVert had 21 points in Thursday's win over the Denver Nuggets, he, Georges Niang and Ty Jerome have now totaled five 20-point performances as reserves.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-5)

Previous Ranking: 2

Net Rating: +12.0

With Isaiah Hartenstein ably filling Chet Holmgren's role (and even outperforming him as a rebounder) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander again playing like an MVP, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in cruise control in the West.

And perhaps the most underrated piece of the formula is third-year wing Jalen Williams. He is sixth in the entire league in single-season estimated plus-minus, just ahead of Victor Wembanyama.

The 23-year-old is averaging 21.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 threes, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks, while shooting 38.9 percent from deep and providing some of the stiffest perimeter defense in the league.

Williams isn't just an intriguing young wing prospect anymore. He's already one of the best in the NBA.

1. Boston Celtics (18-4)

Previous Ranking: 1

Net Rating: +10.2

The Boston Celtics were without their best player on Wednesday, and they barely missed a beat in a 130-120 win over the Detroit Pistons.

Of course, Detroit isn't the stiffest competition in the league, but it was another vivid reminder of this roster's ability to shapeshift and remain dominant despite just about any absence.

Jaylen Brown (28), Kristaps Porziņģis (26) and Sam Hauser (20) all got to the 20-point threshold, and Sixth Man of the Year front-runner Payton Pritchard added 19.

And perhaps most encouraging, Brown ably filled Tatum's playmaking shoes and handed out nine assists (two shy of his career high).

With each passing week, almost regardless of who's available, it's becoming increasingly clear that teams will have to be darn-near perfect to beat Boston in a seven-game series.

Stat of the Week

Here's one for the NBA conspiracy theorists out there: For the third season in a row, the Los Angeles Lakers are on pace to lead the league in free-throw-attempt differential.

To date, they've taken 120 more than their opponents, while the second-place Denver Nuggets are plus-101 in that category. Last season, when you include the playoffs, the top two were L.A. at plus-522 and the Boston Celtics at plus-331. And in 2021-22, it was the Lakers at plus-597, followed by the New York Knicks at plus-203.

At least we can maybe say the gap is shrinking?

In all seriousness, there are reasonable explanations for the gulf. Anthony Davis and LeBron James go to the rim a lot. Under Darvin Ham, the defense emphasized trying not to foul. And it's not fair to suggest the league is intentionally trying to help L.A.

But three straight years is at least worth mentioning (and monitoring).