NBA Power Rankings: Celtics stay on top; Jazz and Kings make a leap

The last week of action in the NBA provided some great moments for fans and featured several game-winning shots and other highlight-reel plays from some of the best players in the sport.

Teams continue to make on-court improvements as the Boston Celtics look to be the cream of the crop at the moment. In the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz are proving that they are for real after picking up some impressive wins last week.

Rookie Power Rankings: Banchero, Mathurin are pacing the class

However, we are starting to see some injuries pile up in the league with several star players set to miss time. Their respective teams will turn to others to step up in the meantime as the schedule transitions into the sixth week of the season.

To make further sense of it all, Rookie Wire took a look at the NBA and ranked each team from worst to first. We come back each week and provide our latest assessment of the best teams and those that are rising.

Detroit Pistons (3-15)

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 29

The Pistons have a league-high seven-game losing streak and will move forward without Cade Cunningham for the immediate future due to a shin injury. With wins few and far between, one storyline to watch is the development of Jaden Ivey. The fifth pick continues to perform at a high level and is positioning himself firmly in the Rookie of the Year race.

Houston Rockets (3-14)

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 30

The highlight of the week for the Rockets came on Wednesday after defeating the Mavericks without Luka Doncic. They have since dropped two straight but will have a few days off before resuming action on Friday against Atlanta.

For more coverage on the Rockets, visit Rockets Wire

Charlotte Hornets (4-14)

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 28

Charlotte snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Magic and has since lost three straight. The group also lost LaMelo Ball after the former Rookie of the Year reinjured the same ankle that cost him the first 13 games of the season. His status moving forward is unclear.

Orlando Magic (5-12)

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 26

The Magic pulled out a miracle late on Friday with Jalen Suggs hitting the game-winner against the Bulls. They nearly did it again the next night versus the Pacers, but a layup by Franz Wagner was too long. One early bright spot has been the emergence of Bol Bol. The fourth-year center is averaging career-highs across the board in points (13.3), rebounds (8.2) and blocks (2.0). He also has a career-high six double-doubles.

Chicago Bulls (6-10)

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 25

The Bulls have lost four straight and six out of their last seven with a tough matchup on Monday versus Boston looming. The group has plenty of issues to work through and there doesn’t appear to be a quick fix available. Also noteworthy: They begin a six-game road trip on Wednesday in Milwaukee.

For more coverage on the Bulls, visit Bulls Wire

San Antonio Spurs (6-12)

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 23

The Spurs just wrapped up a five-game road trip in which they lost every game. They lost by an average of 10.2 points during that span to drop to six games under .500. Fortunately, rookie Jeremy Sochan managed to provide one great highlight:

Los Angeles Lakers (5-10)

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 27

The Lakers have suddenly turned things around after winning their last three games. Anthony Davis has led the way after scoring at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in each of those games. He is the third player in Lakers history to reach that mark in three straight games.

For more coverage on LeBron James and the Lakers, visit LeBron Wire

Miami Heat (7-10)

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 20

The Heat have had a tough go with injuries of late. They have been without the likes of Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and several others, and even only had seven players available on Friday versus Washington. The length injury report has given rookie Nikola Jovic the opportunity to play and the 27th pick has impressed in the early going. He is averaging 12.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and two assists over his last three games as a starter.

Oklahoma City Thunder (7-9)

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 24

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to blossom into a star in OKC after another stellar week of play. The highlight of the week certainly came on Wednesday as Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 42 points and hit the game-winner over the Wizards. He has been on a tear to start the season and is doing so in an efficient way. Consider this: He is just the second player ever to record 10 30-point outings over his first 14 games of a season and shoot over 50% from the field.

For more coverage on the Thunder, visit Thunder Wire

New York Knicks (8-9)

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 19

The Knicks have gone 2-2 on their current five-game West Coast road trip and have a chance to post a winning record on that trek on Monday versus OKC. New York has had some nice moments this season but has yet to gain any sort of consistency to go on a run. With several home games upcoming, we’ll see if they can build some momentum.

Brooklyn Nets (8-9)

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 17

The Nets had a wild week, which started off by giving up 153 points to the Kings. They bounced back by walking off against the Trail Blazers as Royce O’Neale recorded his first-ever triple-double and the game-winning shot. Then, Kyrie Irving returned after an eight-game absence on Sunday in a win over Memphis. One tremendous development for fans to watch is the emergence of Ben Simmons. He looks to be breaking out after averaging 16 points, 8.7 rebounds and five assists over his last three games.

For more coverage on the Nets, visit Nets Wire

Toronto Raptors (9-8)

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 16

The Raptors have gone 5-5 over their last 10 games after falling to the Hawks in overtime on Saturday. They had an impressive 21-0 run in the second half over the Heat on Wednesday to pull away and take the win. Due to a scheduling quirk, the Raptors have played two games over the past week and will only play two this week on Wednesday and Saturday. With several injuries on the roster, that time off should help them a bit.

Washington Wizards (10-7)

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 21

Bradley Beal is back after a five-game absence due to the health and safety protocol and quickly made his presence known. He nearly had the eventual game-winner over the Thunder on Wednesday but the Wizards fell in overtime for their only loss over their last seven games. Beal has scored at least 25 points in each of his three games back.

Sacramento Kings (9-6)

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 22

The Kings have won six straight for the first time since 2005, including a 153-121 victory over the Nets on Tuesday. It was the most points scored by the Kings since 1993 and their first win on TNT in four years. De’Aaron Fox was named the Western Conference Player of the Week after averaging 25 points, eight assists and 3.7 rebounds in three games. They now hit the road on a three-game road trip and will face a tremendous test with Memphis, Atlanta and Boston coming up.

Minnesota Timberwolves (8-8)

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 18

The Timberwolves have won three in a row with Anthony Edwards leading the way in that span. He had a team-high 25 points, five rebounds and five assists on Saturday in a win over the Sixers. Minnesota is 2-1 this season when he hits those numbers.

New Orleans Pelicans (9-7)

Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 13

The Pelicans have dealt with some injuries, but CJ McCollum continues to lead the way for the team. He recently put up his first 30-point game of the season on Tuesday in a win over Memphis and is averaging 18.9 points, 6.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds this season.

Atlanta Hawks (10-6)

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 12

The Hawks have gone 3-3 over their last six games but are coming off of an exhilarating win at the buzzer on Saturday over the Raptors in overtime. The team drew up a phenomenal play to win it as rookie AJ Griffin just beat the final horn on a layup from Trae Young.

Los Angeles Clippers (10-7)

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 14

The Clippers have gone 8-3 over their last 11 games and got Kawhi Leonard back on Thursday. Integrating him back into the lineup will be key as he looks to regain his footing on the court. During that 11-game stretch, the Clippers have the best defense in the NBA.

Indiana Pacers (9-6)

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 15

Indiana has won four straight and eight out of its last 10 after pulling out a one-point victory against Orlando in the final seconds on Saturday. The group is over .500 for the first time since February 2021 and Tyrese Haliburton was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career. Things look to be on the right track in Indy.

Philadelphia 76ers (8-8)

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 9

The Sixers have stayed afloat to this point of the season but will now be forced to move on without Joel Embiid for at least the next two games and Tyrese Maxey for 3-4 weeks. Of course, this is in addition to James Harden missing time with a foot injury. They will have to turn to the likes of De’Anthony Melton, Shake Milton and others in the meantime, but the long-anticipated return of Ben Simmons in Philly on Tuesday has suddenly lost some of its lure.

For more coverage on the 76ers, visit Sixers Wire

Golden State Warriors (8-9)

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 11

The Warriors finally picked up their first road win of the season on Sunday in Houston. Klay Thompson erupted for a season-high 41 points with 10 3-pointers to lead the Warriors, who have won five out of their last seven games. With the team proving it can finally win on the road, things could be turning around after a rough go to start the month.

For more coverage on the Warriors, visit Warriors Wire

Dallas Mavericks (9-7)

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 10

The Mavericks, as a whole, have the fifth-best defense and continue to lean on that unit to win games this season. Also of note: Luka Doncic recently became the 10th player in history to record 50 career triple-doubles. He is the second-fastest player to reach that mark.

Cleveland Cavaliers (10-6)

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 7

The Cavaliers snapped a five-game losing streak on Wednesday with a double-overtime win over Charlotte. They followed that up with a win over Miami and look to be back on track. The team is ranked inside the top five in offense (fifth) and defense (third), a strong indication that it could be one of top groups in the East.

Denver Nuggets (10-6)

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 6

The Nuggets are 2-3 over their last five games, including a questionable loss to the Knicks on Wednesday. However, the team has been without Nikola Jokic due to the health and safety protocol so we’ll give them a bit of a pass without their best player.

Portland Trail Blazers (10-6)

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 5

Portland will be tested over the next week or two with Damian Lillard expected to miss some time due to a muscle strain in his right leg. It doesn’t seem to be as serious as his previous calf strain, though, which is an encouraging sign for the team. They have lost three out of their last four games, however.

Memphis Grizzlies (10-7)

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 3

The Grizzlies have been bitten by the injury bug recently as Ja Morant (ankle) and Desmond Bane (toe) will each miss time. However, the team got Jaren Jackson Jr. back as the fifth-year center posted 25 points and 12 rebounds in his second game back.

Milwaukee Bucks (11-4)

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 2

Milwaukee is 2-4 since starting 9-0 this season and is coming off a loss to the Sixers on Friday. The team does begin a four-game homestand on Monday but will have some tough opponents in there with Portland, Chicago, Cleveland and Dallas. We’ll see if Giannis Antetokounmpo & Co. can build some momentum.

Phoenix Suns (10-6)

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 4

Phoenix has gone 4-5 since starting 6-1 on the season. They dropped a close one to the Jazz on Friday after Devin Booker dropped 49 points and 10 assists in that contest. However, the Suns are still one of six teams with a conference-best six losses after beating the Knicks on Sunday. They are 34-10 following a loss since the start of the 2020-21 season.

Utah Jazz (12-6)

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 8

The Jazz picked up impressive wins over the Suns and Trail Blazers last week to maintain their position atop the Western Conference. Malik Beasley caught on fire from behind the 3-point line in those two games. He scored 27 points versus the Suns and 29 points over the Trail Blazers on a combined 13-of-27 shooting from 3-point range.

Boston Celtics (13-3)

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 1

The Celtics continue to hum along with a league-leading nine-game winning streak heading into Monday in Chicago. They are 5-1 in 10-point games and 6-2 against teams above .500, the best mark in the Eastern Conference. Jayson Tatum continues to play like an MVP candidate and the rest of the starters have been great complementary pieces. Boston is performing at a high level and is the team to beat in the NBA at the moment.

For more coverage on the Celtics, visit Celtics Wire

Story originally appeared on Rookie Wire