PBT's Week 15 NBA Power Rankings: Clippers take over top spot, Knicks rising fast

The Clippers' statement win over Boston earned them the top spot in these NBA Power Rankings, but their loss to another strong team in the Cavaliers shows how bunched up things are at the top of the board.

1. Los Angeles Clippers (30-15, Last Week No. 5). Put all the "they have to stay healthy" or "can Harden do it in the playoffs" caveats you want on this team, the fact is they are 27-8 over their last 35, with a +9.7 net rating in January. Their blowout win over the Celtics in the Garden highlighted everything they are doing right (even if they caught Boston on an off night). The Clippers have to be considered legitimate title contenders, even if those of us who picked them as such in the past can still see the scars. Paul George is on the bubble for being selected as an All-Star Game reserve, but as he's been playing through a sore groin, he might be okay missing a weekend back in Indianapolis to get some rest.

2. Boston Celtics (37-11, LW 3). Boston has won 9-of-12, but those three losses are to the Bucks, Nuggets and now Clippers — three other top contenders. Porzingis was out with a tweaked ankle for the loss to the Clippers and it underscores his importance to the team (and how well that trade has worked out) — he is averaging 19.4 points a game, shooting 35.8% from 3, playing solid defense in the paint, and the Celtics outscore opponents by 11 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court. He just needs to show he can do this in big playoff games. There are no big playoff previews this week as the Celtics face the Lakers and Grizzlies.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers (28-16, LW 6). Evan Mobley was back from his knee surgery and in the starting lineup Monday, playing 20 minutes in an impressive win over the Los Angeles Clippers, he hit 5-of-7 shots from the floor for 10 points. Darius Garland is expected to make his return from a fractured jaw on Wednesday night. The Cavaliers thrived with those two out and it's on J.B. Bickerstaff and company to ensure the floor spacing, ball movement and success this team had recently isn't lost adjusting to the return of Mobley and Garland. It's a bit of a soft spot in the schedule to work them in with games against the Pistons, Grizzlies, Spurs, Kings and Wizards up next.

4. New York Knicks (31-17, LW 8). New York is 14-2 in January with a +15.8 net rating, both league best records. OG Anunoby has been a hand-in-glove fit with Tom Thibodeau's Knicks — New York as a 100.2 defensive rating with him on the court (basketball-reference numbers) and with that are outscoring teams by 25.2 per 100 possessions in those minutes. Anunoby has transformed the team's defense — and they likely will get Mitchell Robinson back before the end of the season. That defense will travel into the playoffs and make New York a threat against any team they face. Fun showdown with the high-powered Pacers offense on Thursday.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves (33-14, LW 7). Tuesday night's win over Oklahoma City is the kind of victory Minnesota needs to stay on top of the West — the Timberwolves are in first but with Denver, Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Clippers all just one game back in the loss column. Anthony Edwards should be a lock to make it as an All-Star reserve (announced Thursday), and while Rudy Gobert has a strong case that he should join Edwards in Indianapolis, it feels like he could be a victim of the numbers game. The Timberwolves head out on the road next Tuesday until the All-Star break.

6. Denver Nuggets (33-15, LW 2). This ranking could be too low for a team that has won 7-of-9, including beating the Bucks, 76ers, and Celtics in that stretch (their one loss this week was to the red-hot Knicks). One interesting rotation wrinkle: In the big games, Michael Malone has leaned less on his traditional bigs in the non-Jokic minutes — DeAndre Jordan nor Zeke Nnaji — and leaned more into the athletic combo of Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson. That could be a postseason trend. Jokic was voted an All-Star starter, and while Jamal Murray deserves a spot he's likely going to be on the wrong side of a numbers game (too many good guards in the West).

7. Oklahoma City Thunder (32-15, LW 1). It's just a one-off, bad night, the kind of "flush it" game that every team has a few of during a season. That said, lose to the Detroit Pistons and you do not get to hold on to the top spot in these rankings. OKC then lost a second game in a row, this time to the Timberwolves, with Chet Holmgren struggling in both, shooting 6-of-20 across the two games. With Victory Wembanyama playing much better since being moved to center and having the training wheels taken off, Holmgren's grasp on the Rookie of the Year award is much more tenuous. ROY is going to be a real race through the end of the season.

8. Philadelphia 76ers (29-17, LW 4). Everyone is on edge waiting for the real news on Joel Embiid's knee (he is out Thursday but details from his MRI are scarce). Embiid had missed the previous two games with a knee issue (including the one in Denver, again) and wasn't moving well at all against Golden State before the acute injury. If the priority is the playoffs for the 76ers, can they convince Embiid to ignore the MVP/All-NBA 65-game threshold and just get healthy and focus on the postseason? Embiid's status for the All-Star Game also feels up in the air, and Tyrese Maxey deserves to get in as a reserve guard in the East. It'd be a harsh snub if he didn't.

9. Milwaukee Bucks (32-15, LW 9). It's only been one game, but Doc Rivers is already starting to put his stamp on the team — they looked better in a loss to Denver than in some recent wins. The transition defense was better, as was their effort and scrambling in the half-court — it's that end of the floor Rivers has to improve if the Bucks are going to be a postseason threat. Rivers' attempted turnaround will continue on the road with games at Portland, Dallas, Utah (on the second night of a back-to-back) and Phoenix this week.

10. Phoenix Suns (27-20, LW 10). Phoenix has gone 2-2 so far on its seven-game road trip, and while the team has cooled off there are positives. Grayson Allen might be at the top of the list, who has found a comfort level as a shooter playing next to multiple stars and is hitting 48.9% of his 5.4 3-pointers a game. On the flip side, the concern about the Suns in the fourth quarter remains — they are -168 in the fourth quarter this season, 50 points worse than second-worst Miami. With games against the Nets, Wizards and Hawks this week, the Suns hope to avoid any fourth quarter drama.

11. Indiana Pacers (27-21, LW 12). After missing 10-of-11 games with a strained hamstring, Tyrese Haliburton was back on the court against Boston but looked rusty (and ran into an athletic defense), shooting 5-of-16 on the night, but with 10 assists. Expect Haliburton to be out there every game he can — he can only miss three more games this season to qualify for All-NBA. If Haliburton makes All-NBA — and right now he certainly is on pace to — his max salary contract goes up by more than $40 million over five years. That's a lot of motivation to be out there. We finally get to see more Haliburton and Pascal Siakam this week against the strong defense of the Knicks, but then the not-so-strong defenses of the Kings and Hornets.

12. Sacramento Kings (27-18, LW 15). Sacramento has a legitimate case for two All-Stars — Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox — but at best will wind up with one, and maybe zero. This isn't fair, but there are more deserving players than spots in the West, and there will be disappointment. It may be easier for Sabonis to get into the front court, but it is up to the coaches now (they vote for the reserves). The roller coaster that is the Kings season is up right now, having won four in a row (three on the road). That road trip gets tougher with the Heat, Pacers and Cavaliers coming up.

13. Dallas Mavericks (26-21, LW 14). Luka Doncic is on a tear — and Hall of Fame point guard and former Dirk Nowitzki teammate Jason Kidd is singing his praises. "He's better than Dirk. He's in the atmosphere of MJ, the best to ever do it, LeBron, Kobe. And so, just to appreciate what this young man's doing at the age of 24, [it] is something that Dallas has never seen." Doncic's run included him dropping a historic 73 on the Hawks.

14. New Orleans Pelicans (26-21, LW 11). Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson have legit All-Star cases, but it feels like both will not make the cut in a crowded West. The Pelicans went 7-7 in January, but considering the fact the team had the toughest schedule in the league for the month (based on opponent winning percentage) that's not terrible. There are winnable games this week as the Pelicans face the Rockets, Spurs, and Raptors.

15. Orlando Magic (24-23, LW 17). Paolo Banchero îs on the bubble for making the All-Star Game out of the East, and considering the offensive load he has had to carry for a team surprising everyone, he should make it. But... it's up to the coaches. Banchero will play in the Rising Stars game, at least. Orlando has dropped 8-of-11 and is on the road this week against the Spurs, Timberwolves, Pistons and Heat.

16. Los Angeles Lakers (24-25, LW 16). After losses to the Rockets and Hawks, frustration in Laker nation is reaching a fever pitch, complete with cryptic Tweets (are we still calling them Tweets?) from LeBron James. The Lakers will not do anything radical right now — Darvin Ham will not be fired, LeBron James will not be traded — but expect them to do something. Expect the pressure to build on GM Rob Pelinka to do something at the deadline if the losses pile up this week — and Los Angeles faces Boston and New York next.

17. Utah Jazz (24-25, LW 18). Utah has the league's worst defense over their past five games. The Jazz have lost 5-of-7, meaning this team will be a seller at the trade deadline with Kelly Olynyk being the name we hear is most likely to be moved. Jordan Clarkson also could be in a new home after Feb. 8. The Jazz are home for 8-of-9 games coming up, but it's not going to be easy to turn things around this week against the 76ers, Bucks and Thunder.

18. Miami Heat (24-23, LW 13). Adding Terry Rozier to the rotation has not turned around Miami's losing streak (he has started slowly in South Beach), they have dropped seven in a row and slid into the play-in (No. 7 seed as of today). Nothing is working, the Heat have the worst offense and the third worst defense in the league over those past seven games. It feels like a long shot Jimmy Butler gets an All-Star nod, too. There are some tough games coming up this week (Kings, Clippers), but also a winnable one against Washington that could break the streak.

19. Chicago Bulls (22-26, LW 19). Coby White got thrust into a bigger playmaking role than expected this season (with Lonzo Ball out and Zach LaVine injured for a stretch) and he has thrived. White is averaging 18.7 points, shooting 39.1% from 3, plus adding 5.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds a game — all career highs. He's under contract for two more seasons after this one at a very reasonable $24.9 million total, he's going to be part of whatever is next in Chicago. Hornets, Kings and Timberwolves on the schedule for the Bulls this week.

20. Houston Rockets (22-24, LW 20). Dillon Brooks was back in the spotlight this week, getting under the Lakers Jarred Vanderbilt's skin and seeing him ejected, then smacking LeBron in the head and earning a flagrant. That said, Brooks has been a strong signing for the Rockets, averaging 13.9 points a game on a solid 58.1 true shooting percentage, and hitting 38.8% from 3. Plus, Brooks has brought his pesky defense to Houston. Starting Sunday in Minnesota, Houston has 6-of-7 on the road.

21. Golden State Warriors (20-24, LW 21). It's not so much the counting stats — 8.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7 assists a game in his last five — it's the quality of ball movement and defense. Suddenly Andrew Wiggins looks better and can play next to Jonathan Kuminga with Green at center. The bottom line is that the Warriors have been +16.6 per game in the last five games when Green was on the court. Don't expect any big moves from the Warriors at the trade deadline, because what move is out there that makes this team a contender or dramatically changes their season? The hard questions come this offseason (starting with Klay Thompson and his new contract).

22. Atlanta Hawks (20-27, LW 22). While the Hawks are struggling, it's going to be hard to leave Trae Young off the All-Star team considering these numbers: 27 points and 10.9 assists a game, shooting 36.8% from 3. Young should be headed to Indianapolis for the big game. Atlanta looked like a sure-fire seller at the trade deadline a few weeks ago, but the buzz now is leaning toward them keeping Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic, at least until the offseason. The Hawks have won a couple of games in a row and face off against the West this week in the Suns, Warriors, and Clippers.

23. Brooklyn Nets (19-27, LW 24). Ben Simmons made his return, playing 18 minutes off the bench against the Jazz, shooting 5-of-5 from the floor and finishing with 10 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds (and he was +27 for the night). It's a good sign... and then came news he would miss the team's next game with a knee contusion. Brooklyn has moved from buyer to seller at the trade deadline, with point guard Spencer Dinwiddie appearing the most likely player to be moved. The team reportedly wants to hold on to Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton.

24. Memphis Grizzlies (18-29, LW 25). Quietly, while nobody was looking, the Grizzlies have gone 8-7 January with the fifth-best defense in the NBA in that stretch. The Grizzlies are doing it with Jaren Jackson Jr. and company protecting the paint. The offense still struggles, but the team has a -1.1 net rating for the month and is playing respectable basketball despite all the drama and players out. Tough week of games ahead: Cleveland, Golden State, Boston, and New York.

25. Toronto Raptors (17-30, LW 23). Toronto has already traded two big names and they aren't done yet — expect Bruce Brown to be in a new home by Feb. 8, a lot of teams are interested. Gary Trent Jr. and others could be on the move as well. As for the rest of the season, the Raptors would never use the word "tank," but they owe a top-six protected pick to the Spurs and currently have the sixth-worst record in the NBA. You can see where things are headed.

26. San Antonio Spurs (10-37, LW 26). If the West were not so deep with talent this season, Victor Wembanyama would have to be seriously considered for an All-Star spot — he's been that good of late. Instead, he will be in Friday's Rising Stars game, and expect him to be in one of the events (most likely the Skills Challenge) on Saturday night. The Spurs are home this week to face the Magic, Pelicans and Cavaliers.

27. Portland Trail Blazers (14-33, LW 27). Malcolm Brogdon was a hot name in the NBA trade circuit for a while, but the Trail Blazers are comfortable hanging onto him, and with that are keeping their price high (thinking they could just trade him in the offseason). So far, no team has come up to match that price. Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe (if healthy) will take part in the All-Star Friday night Rising Stars game, which will be Scoot's third straight year in the game (two with the G-League Ignite). Brutal week ahead for Portland, facing the Bucks then two games against the Nuggets in Denver.

28. Washington Wizards (9-37, LW 29). The Wizards are 2-1 under interim coach Brian Keefe and to hear the players tell it, the change at the top has mattered. Here is Jordan Poole talking about what's different under Keefe. "Guys are just more connected. We're being played to our strengths right now. I'd say we made a couple of defensive coverages a couple of games ago that were huge for us. And guys have bought in, so it makes it easier to compete night in and night out." It's going to be tough to keep the good vibes going this week against the Clippers, Heat and Suns, plus with trade rumors swirling around this team. Expect deals in the next week.

29. Detroit Pistons (6-40, LW 30). Winners of two-of-three — including beating the Hornets — the Pistons are out of the cellar of these rankings, something I wasn't sure would happen this season. Their other win was a major upset of the Thunder – and that one was without Cade Cunningham in the lineup. Jalen Duren has stepped up as an anchor for this team of late, providing a scoring presence in the paint. It will be tough to keep the good vibes going this week against the Cavaliers, Clippers and Magic.

30. Charlotte Hornets (10-35, LW 28). Lose to Detroit and you fall behind them in the rankings. With Terry Rozier now in Boston (a good trade for Charlotte, that pick has value) and LaMelo Ball missing a couple of games with a sprained ankle, a lot has fallen on rookie Brandon Miller — and he has stopped up and played well, including scoring 29 against the Knicks. The game before, P.J. Washington stepped up with 43 against the Jazz. None of that has led to wins for a team that feels like it's heading towards major shakeups this offseason.