NBA Power Rankings: 30 Words for 30 Teams

Welcome to theScore's biweekly NBA power rankings, where you'll find roughly 30 words on all 30 teams every other Monday through the end of the season.

1. Golden State Warriors (24-4)

The Warriors have only lost twice in their last 22 games, are on pace for 70-plus wins again, and have the best point-differential of all time. It's almost like a historically great team somehow found a way to get better.

2. San Antonio Spurs (22-5)

The Spurs have only lost twice in their last 19 and are just slightly off the pace of their franchise-record-setting season of 2015-16.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers (19-6)

Cleveland's only loss in its last seven games came with all three of its stars resting, but the Cavs' true litmus test comes when they host the Warriors on Christmas Day.

4. Toronto Raptors (19-8)

By taking care of the ball, attacking mismatches, getting to the free-throw line, and knocking down more than 39 percent of their 3-point attempts, the Raptors' fairly simple offense is scoring more efficiently than any team in NBA history.

5. Houston Rockets (21-7)

The only thing more remarkable than a 10-game win streak that includes a victory at Oracle Arena is that Mike D'Antoni and James Harden's Rockets have the league's No. 2 December defense.

6. Los Angeles Clippers (20-8)

Since racing out to a league-best 14-2 start, the Clippers are a pedestrian 6-6, and must now face life without Blake Griffin until the new year.

7. Utah Jazz (18-10)

The Jazz are one of four teams - along with the Warriors, Spurs, and Clippers - to rank top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, despite the fact they've lost more value to injuries than any other team.

8. Memphis Grizzlies (18-11)

Has there been a more impressive victory this season than the Conley-less Grizzlies spanking the Warriors by 21 points just over a week ago?

9. Oklahoma City Thunder (16-11)

Here's how ridiculous Russell Westbrook's inhumane play has been - he's coming off a 26-point, 22-assist triple-double that only rates as his third-best performance of the season (by Basketball Reference Game Score).

10. Boston Celtics (15-12)

Getting Al Horford and Jae Crowder back has helped some, but the solid yet unspectacular Celtics lack a quality win, going 0-7 against the top nine in these rankings.

11. Charlotte Hornets (15-13)

Part of Charlotte's crash back to earth since mid-November has been the play of Kemba Walker, who went from a shooting line of 49-48-84 and an average game score of 21.2 through his first 10 games to 44-37-74 and 14.6 over his last 17.

12. Atlanta Hawks (13-14)

Atlanta's rebounded from a horrendous stretch by winning three of five, including victories at Toronto and Milwaukee. They're not as good as the 9-2 Hawks were, but they're better than the team that lost 10 of 11.

13. Milwaukee Bucks (13-12)

Giannis Antetokounmpo's explosion has overshadowed Jabari Parker's development, as the 21-year-old is posting career highs in scoring, shooting, rebounding, and assists.

14. Indiana Pacers (14-14)

Only Golden State and Toronto have gone longer without a three-game losing streak than Indiana, who's managed to avoid such a streak since February.

15. Washington Wizards (12-14)

Since hitting rock bottom, the Wizards have won six of eight, with their latest victory coming against the Clippers.

16. Detroit Pistons (14-15)

Detroit's last four losses have all been double-digit defeats, prompting the reeling Pistons to hold a dreaded players-only meeting.

17. Portland Trail Blazers (13-16)

Damian Lillard can plead with his team all he wants. The bottom line is the Blazers just aren't nearly as good as their 2015-16 success - and the offseason projections - would have you believe.

18. New York Knicks (14-13)

Speaking of overrated, the above-.500 Knicks have an average point-differential (-3.1) worse than the Heat, T-Wolves, and Kings.

19. Chicago Bulls (13-13)

The Bulls were outscored by 37 points while being swept in a home-and-home with Milwaukee, have lost of six of eight, and are finally the 3-point shooting team we thought they'd be - the worst one.

20. Miami Heat (9-19)

If you're looking for optimism, the Heat have faced one of the toughest schedules, and have only played four games against the bottom-10 teams in these rankings (going 3-1 in those contests).

21. Denver Nuggets (11-16)

In what's becoming a depressing "race" out West, the Nuggets have climbed within a game of eighth-place Portland by winning two in a row and a whopping four of seven.

22. Sacramento Kings (10-17)

DeMarcus Cousins is responsible for a fair chunk of his troubling reputation, but it's at least worth considering what seven years in Basketball Hell - without a single trade demand - will do to a man.

23. Orlando Magic (12-17)

Orlando struggling to score is expected, given its roster, but the lengthy, athletic Magic regressing defensively (19th-ranked, 105.0 defensive rating) under Frank Vogel is puzzling.

24. New Orleans Pelicans (9-20)

Tyreke Evans has logged only 26 minutes two games into his return, but it's still somewhat baffling that none of those minutes have come with Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday on the court.

25. Minnesota Timberwolves (7-19)

Nothing sums up the Timberwolves' frustrating season so far quite like building a big lead against the Rockets and then blowing a nine-point advantage in the final minute.

26. Phoenix Suns (8-19)

The Suns being terrible again isn't unexpected, but Phoenix has to be concerned about the play of Devin Booker, who's not shooting, scoring, or defending well.

27. Dallas Mavericks (7-20)

Dirk Nowitzki returning would not only be a Christmas gift for Dallas, but also for anyone forced to sit through a Mavs game this season. At least Dirk makes them somewhat watchable.

28. Los Angeles Lakers (11-19)

The Lakers have lost nine of 10 and Luke Walton has had to abandon his Mr. Nice Guy routine, but on the bright side, maybe L.A. will get to keep their top-three protected pick after all.

29. Philadelphia 76ers (7-20)

Not even edging Brooklyn in Sunday's battle for 29th can overshadow the Nerlens-named cloud hanging over the Sixers right now.

30. Brooklyn Nets (7-19)

Watching Joel Embiid dominate them on Sunday had to be depressing for a dreadful Nets team lacking in young talent that still doesn't control its own first-round pick until 2019.