NBA Power Rankings - 1.2.2022
It's been a wild, highly non-representative month throughout the league.
COVID-related absences have run rampant throughout the NBA over the course of the last month. Teams are signing fringe prospects and over-the-hill veterans who have been out of the league for years just to plug holes and keep games from being postponed.
To suggest there is absolutely nothing to be drawn from an iteration of the league where Greg Monroe is averaging more than twenty minutes a game with the Minnesota Timberwolves isn’t completely fair, but there certainly hasn’t been a lot going on that qualifies as representative of what teams really are. The same is true of their opponents.
But the show must go on (or at least such is the perspective of those responsible for deciding if it will), and so too will High Off The Glass’ Power Rankings. A few reminders before we dive in:
Teams are ranked based on capacity for winning a championship free of conference context. That’s not how the world works, but the point of the exercise is to assess which team is the best in the NBA in a vacuum at the game’s highest level.
Data points highlighted for each team include record, offensive rating, defensive rating, and net rating (league rank in parentheses), per Cleaning the Glass, which means garbage time possessions have been filtered out.
All statistics are relevant as of 12:00pm ET on 1/2/2022.
30. Detroit Pistons (-)
Record: 6-28
ORTG: 100.6 (30)
DRTG: 111.7 (23)
Net: -11.1 (30)
The Pistons won just a single game in the month of December and continue to hold the dishonorable distinction of having the league’s worst record and worst non-garbage-time net rating.
If you’re looking for good news in Detroit, you can take solace in the fact that Cade Cunningham has an impressive 27.6 percent assist rate to-date. He’s been terribly inefficient shooting the ball and is committing all sorts of turnovers, but those are deficiencies that tend to recede as younger players adjust to the pace of the league. Being an effective passer from the jump is encouraging.
29. Orlando Magic (-1)
Record: 7-29
ORTG: 103.7 (28)
DRTG: 114.5 (28)
Net: -10.8 (29)
There aren’t many silver linings in Orlando right now. The Magic are a terrible basketball team. But there are a few small things to celebrate. Franz Wagner has been better than many projected in his rookie campaign. Wendell Carter Jr. is semi-blossoming, or at least flashing more potential than he did with the Bulls. And Cole Anthony continues to be an exciting scorer/shooter.
Unfortunately - barring an unforeseen leap from rookie Jalen Suggs - not a single player on Orlando’s roster projects to be a foundational piece around which the Magic can execute their rebuild. But if they keep losing at the rate they are currently they may be able to nab that player in the upcoming NBA Draft.
28. Houston Rockets (+1)
Record: 10-27
ORTG: 106.9 (26)
DRTG: 115.2 (30)
Net: -8.4 (28)
Don’t look now, but the Houston Rockets more than doubled their win total in the month of December. It was just enough for us to bump them up one spot in the rankings.
We’ll use the remainder of this space to make an impassioned plea to get Jae’Sean Tate to a contender. He’s a fearless little bowling ball with a tireless motor, good natural feel, strong defensive ability, and an ugly jumper. Put him in the right situation - surrounded by more offensive talent and shooting - and Tate projects as the kind of player that could unlock all sorts of interesting lineups as an undersized forward.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (-)
Record: 13-22
ORTG: 102.3 (29)
DRTG: 110.1 (17)
Net: -7.8 (27)
The OKC Thunder continue to have just a slightly below average defense rather than the kind of dumpster fire that many of their peers in the NBA’s cellar bring to the table. Unfortunately, their offense is so inept it doesn’t really matter.
OKC leads the league in wins above expectations, a stat that makes sense given the streakiness of some of the Thunder’s key offensive weapons. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lugentz Dort are putting up solid counting statistics, but their efficiency rates are in the dumps. Catch them on the right night and OKC can look semi-competent, but on the whole things are pretty ugly.
26. Sacramento Kings (-)
Record: 15-22
ORTG: 108.7 (21)
DRTG: 113.4 (25)
Net: -4.7 (25)
And so begins the bottom of the NBA’s endless middle. At 15-22 the Sacramento Kings have the league’s 9th worst record and are somehow only have four fewer wins the the Philadelphia 76ers, who rate as 10th best.
The NBA’s parity may ultimately be working against the Kings long-term interests. Sacramento is going nowhere with its current roster (again), and badly needs to bottom out (again) and take a shot at finding a real star (again).
25. New Orleans Pelicans (-)
Record: 13-23
ORTG: 106.5 (27)
DRTG: 112.6 (24)
Net: -6.2 (26)
The New Orleans Pelicans are having a terrible year, but Brandon Ingram is putting together a nice little season. He’s averaging 22.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game, on reasonable efficiency considering the relative dearth of offensive talent around him. The Pellies have been 7.6 points per non-garbage-time possession better with him on the court.
Jonas Valanciunas has bee similarly impactful, but sadly it has all been for naught. New Orleans is missing Zion Williamson desperately, and the possibility that he may never return from injury this year is becoming more plausible with each passing day.
24. Portland Trailblazers (-9)
Record: 13-22
ORTG: 111.2 (12)
DRG: 115.1 (30)
Net: -4.0 (24)
The Portland Trailblazers have been hit particularly hard by COVID/injuries throughout the year, but things have looked off even when they’ve been at full strength. The Blazers can’t stop anyone, and are increasingly taking on the appearance of a team whose star can no longer paper over the rest of the roste’s flaws, even in the regular season.
Damian Lillard has been shooting the ball much better since returning from injury in mid-December. Portland is just 2-7 in those games.
23. Toronto Raptors (-)
Record: 15-17
ORTG: 110.5 (15)
DRTG: 111.5 (22)
Net: -1.0 (21)
When the Toronto Raptors are playing their best basketball they look like they are much better than the 23rd best team in the NBA. They fly around defensively, pressure the basket in transition, and generally create all sorts of productive chaos.
The most competent version of the Raptors is not on display with any great consistency, however. Toronto still may be heard from. Fred VanVleet is having a career year, and the Raptors are outscoring opponents by 4.9 points per 100 non-garbage-time possessions when he plays. They’re getting absolutely demolished when he sits. Toronto has a non-garbage-time net rating of -17.1 when VanVleet is on the bench.
22. Washington Wizards (-11)
Record: 18-18
ORTG: 108.7 (21)
DRTG: 111.0 (21)
Net: -2.3 (22)
December was not good to Washington. The Wizards lost their early-season magic (see what I did there), going just 5-9 for the month. Bradley Beal continues to struggle, and the good vibes from Washington’s success at the start of the year seem to be dissipating. The Wizards have reportedly lost confidence in rookie head coach Wes Unseld Jr.’s offense.
21. Indiana Pacers (+1)
Record: 14-22
ORTG: 111.5 (15)
DRTG: 110.4 (20)
Net: 1.1 (12)
The Indiana Pacers are the NBA’s most confusing team. They’ve got the league’s twelfth best non-garbage-time net rating, but 7th worst record overall. Management is ready to shake things up, and has reportedly made every single on the Pacer’s roster available via trade.
It’s hard to imagine Indiana making a deal that would take them out of the NBA’s expansive middle class, but it’s possible a move could make the puzzle pieces fit better and at least inch them toward the top of that group.
20. New York Knicks
Record: 17-19
ORTG: 110.0 (19)
DRTG: 109.8 (14)
Net: 0.2 (16)
The New York Knicks are essentially what everyone thought they would be last year. A relatively uninspiring band of ok-to-good players getting run into the ground by a maniacal coach with the hope of snagging one of the last few playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
New York’s unexpected success last year makes the current season feel like a pretty big disappointment, but in the grand scheme of Knicks history, being alright counts as a win.
19. Minnesota Timberwolves (-)
Record: 16-19
ORTG: 108.3 (23)
DRTG: 109.0 (11)
Net: -0.7 (20)
The Wolves rely on their starting unit to drive a TON of their success. They were without that particular combination of players for a significant portion of the month, which makes evaluation a bit tricky. So instead we’ll wax poetic about Jarred Vanderbilt.
The third year big man is a shockingly low-usage offensive player, content to gobble up rebounds on both ends and work hard defensively. He’s added some much needed toughness to the Wolves starting unit, and Minnesota is thriving when he’s on the court. His +13.6 on/off differential is second on the team, and 94th percentile league-wide.
18. San Antonio Spurs (+6)
Record: 14-21
ORTG: 110.5 (15)
DRTG: 109.7 (13)
Net: 0.8 (14)
The San Antonio Spurs got off to a slow start this year, but after an 8-7 December they’ve crept their way up into the top half of the NBA in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Dejounte Murray is playing the part of the star that the Spurs seemed to be missing dearly heading into the year. He’s averaging 17.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game. He’s been inefficient as a shooter/scorer, but his overall impact has been decidedly positive. San Antonio is 7.1 points per 100 non-garbage-time possessions better with Murray on the court, with a 3.1 net rating.
17. Los Angeles Clippers (-1)
Record: 19-18
ORTG: 107.3 (25)
DRTG: 106.5 (4)
Net: 0.8 (15)
The Clippers are staring down at least a month without Paul George, who was recently sidelined by an elbow injury. That’s going to make things all the more challenging on offense, where Los Angeles has struggled all year.
Simply excising Eric Bledsoe from the rotation seems an unlikely strategy, but it is one that holds some promise. Head coach Ty Lue has played Bledsoe heavy minutes throughout the year despite the fact that the veteran point guard has been abysmal individually and is torpedoing the Clippers in his minutes.
Los Angeles has been -9.7 points per 100 non-garbage-time possessions worse when Bledsoe is on the court. He’s played the fourth most minutes of anyone on the team.
16. Boston Celtics (-2)
Record: 17-19
ORTG: 109.2 (20)
DRTG: 107.9 (8)
Net: 1.4 (10)
The Boston Celtics are maddeningly inconsistent. On their best night they look like they can compete with any team in the league. On their worst they lose to the Greg Monroe-led Wolves or shoot 4-42 from beyond the arc (those things happened in consecutive games in fact).
Boston has the tenth best non-garbage-time net rating in the NBA, despite not having its full roster available for the majority of the season. If the Celtics can get a little healthier and figure out whatever it is they need to figure out how to lock in and play their best basketball consistently, they could easily shoot up this list. Until then, they don’t deserve to be considered anything but a middling outfit.
15. Atlanta Hawks (-5)
Record: 16-19
ORTG: 113.5 (3)
DRTG: 113.4 (26)
Net: 0.1 (18)
Trae Young has played the part of elite offensive engine so convincingly this year that it is hard to imagine the Hawks deserve to be quite so low on this list. He’s averaging 27.5 points and 9.1 assists per game, and boosts Atlanta’s offense by 15.8 points per 100 non-garbage-time possessions when he’s on the court.
The Hawks’ defense - both in Young’s minutes and otherwise - has been so bad that it negates most of the enthusiasm around the team’s offensive supernova. Atlanta has even struggled to defend with Clint Capela on the court.
Opponents have averaged a full point more per 100 non-garbage-time possessions in Capela’s minutes as compared to him sitting. Last year team’s scored 8.5 points less.
14. Charlotte Hornets (+4)
Record: 19-17
ORTG: 113.6 (2)
DRTG: 113.5 (27)
Net: 0.1 (19)
The Hornets are pushing just how far a great offense can take you to the test. Charlotte has aggressively prioritized ball handling, passing, and shooting over defense, and it is working relatively well. If the Hornets can make a deal for a center that might be able to serve as more of a defensive anchor than Mason Plumlee (not a high bar), then they might be a team to watch in the second half of the year.
13. Dallas Mavericks (-1)
Record: 17-18
ORTG: 110.5 (16)
DRTG: 109.5 (12)
Net: 0.9 (13)
The Mavericks have managed to go 5-5 in the last 10 games, despite playing without superstar guard/forward/superhero Luka Doncic. That seems like it should be reason for optimism, but Dallas has been an uninspiring team even with Doncic in the fold this year.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Mavericks trend upward upon Doncic’s return, assuming he is able to stay healthy and perhaps get into a bit better shape than he was in heading into the year. But it also wouldn’t be surprising if they continued to disappoint. Dallas is just missing some juice right now.
12. Philadelphia 76ers (+1)
Record: 19-16
ORTG: 111.2 (13)
DRTG: 110.0 (16)
Net: 1.1 (11)
The 76ers are really good when Joel Embiid plays. Philadelphia is just 3-8 without Embiid and 17-8 with him. He’s good enough to carry the Sixers to a victory against any team on a given night, but Embiid probably needs more support to rack up wins in the postseason.
Philadelphia may not be acknowledging any pressure to trade Ben Simmons right now, but they need to make a move if they don’t want to fritter away a year of MVP-caliber play from the team’s best player.
11. Cleveland Cavaliers (+6)
Record: 20-16
ORTG: 110.2 (17)
DRTG: 105.2 (3)
Net: 5.0 (5)
The Cavaliers probably deserve even more respect than this for the season they’ve put together thus far. Cleveland has been awesome, leveraging a unique brand of basketball and a bunch of youthful exuberance (and competence) to pile up wins over real competition.
But with Collin Sexton sidelined for the year already and Ricky Rubio recently joining him, the Cavs are starting to get VERY thin on the perimeter. Barring a mid-season leap to superstardom from Darius Garland, it is hard to see Cleveland having enough offensive firepower to stay in the mix in a meaningful way.
Here’s to hoping they continue to surprise us.
10. Denver Nuggets
Record: 18-16
ORTG: 110.2 (18)
DRTG: 110.1 (17)
Net: 0.1 (17)
Nothing new to say about the Nuggets here. Nikola Jokic still may be the greatest player on earth. His efforts are keeping Denver treading water, but the Nuggets have been totally crushed by injuries. We’ll keep bumping them up beyond where their fundamentals might warrant for as long as Jokic continues to dominate. Denver’s depth may be totally depleted, but if Jokic is healthy going up against the Nuggets is a dangerous proposition.
9. Los Angeles Lakers (-3)
Record: 18-19
ORTG: 107.9 (24)
DRTG: 110.2 (19)
Net: -2.3 (23)
It feels kind of silly to have a team with LeBron James playing as well as he is down at ninth, but my goodness the Lakers have been a mess. Only three of Los Angeles’ eighteen wins have come against teams that are currently .500 or better. Anthony Davis is sidelined by injury. Russell Westbrook remains a clunky fit. And a significant portion of the Lakers rotation is fighting a losing battle with father time.
James has been excellent, and it would be foolish to count him out, but Los Angeles has been playing like a borderline playoff team all year, despite his individual brilliance, not a contender.
8. Memphis Grizzlies (+13)
Record: 23-14
ORTG: 112.0 (9)
DRTG: 109.9 (15)
Net: 2.1 (9)
Last month we posited that the Grizzlies were on the verge of disaster with Ja Morant headed to the sidelines after injuring his knee. Boy was that wrong. Memphis went 10-2 without its best player, getting contributions up and down its roster. The Grizzlies are 4-2 since Morant’s return and are the league’s friskiest up-and-coming team.
They’re tough, deep as hell, and not afraid of anyone. Memphis already has wins over the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns (twice), and Utah Jazz, and has boosted its non-garbage-time net rating from 21st in the NBA to 9th over the course of the past month.
7. Miami Heat (-)
Record: 23-13
ORTG: 112.1 (8)
DRTG: 107.5 (6)
Net: 4.6 (4)
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have missed a lot of games, and yet the Heat have managed to stay in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, with the NBA’s sixth best non-garbage-time net rating. They’ve gotten major contributions from Max Strus, Caleb Martin, and Gabe Vincent, a testament to Miami’s ability to develop fringe players into reliable rotation pieces.
Kyle Lowry hasn’t shot the ball particularly well to-date. If he can up his percentage and the Heat successfully integrate Butler and Adebayo back into the mix without further injury, Miami will be a scary potential postseason opponent, even for the East’s elite.
6. Chicago Bulls (+2)
Record: 24-10
ORTG: 113.1 (4)
DRTG: 108.8 (10)
Net: 4.3 (7)
The battle for sixth on this list was a tight one, but we’re giving the Bulls the nod since they seem a better bet to be healthy than the Heat at the moment. Chicago is getting it done on both ends, and the two-headed monster of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan has been better than even the team's most fervent optimists hoped heading into the year.
They’re averaging a combined 51.3 points per game, and crushing opponents when paired together. The Bulls have been even better with just DeRozan on the court. They haven’t had much success in LaVine’s minutes without DeRozan, but he’s been good enough individually to think that should change with a larger sample.
Chicago still needs to prove itself in the crucible of the playoffs, but every regular season indicator we have to go off of suggests they will be no joke in the postseason.
5. Utah Jazz (-)
Record: 26-10
ORTG: 118.6 (1)
DRTG: 107.4 (5)
Net: 11.2 (1)
The Utah Jazz have been phenomenal this year. They’ve got the best offense in the league by a full five points per 100 possessions. Utah is pick-and-rolling teams to death, making sound decisions and bombing home threes. Donovan Mitchell looks like he may have taken the leap to top-10 player status, and Rudy Gobert remains as impactful a defensive presence as ever.
None of it matters until the Jazz prove themselves in the playoffs.
4. Milwaukee Bucks (-1)
Record: 25-13
ORTG: 113.0 (5)
DRTG: 107.8 (7)
Net: 5.2 (4)
Not a lot was made of Donte DiVincenzo’s absence during Milwaukee’s run through the postseason last year. Winning a championship tends to have a minimizing effect on the air time such challenges receive. The Bucks’ young wing is officially on the mend. His team is poised to reap the benefits of having one more two-way perimeter option.
DiVincenzo has played sparingly since returning from injury, but his presence on the court represents something meaningful: an opportunity to add in a rotation piece to a team that has already proven itself good enough to win a title without sacrificing anything. He’s a free upgrade to the guard/wing rotation.
Every little advantage matters when you’re competing at the highest level, and it’s possible DiVincenzo may be just enough to tip a series in Milwaukee’s favor down the road. They’ve outscored opponents by 38.4 points per 100 non-garbage-time possessions so far (extreme small sample size bias acknowledged).
3. Brooklyn Nets (+1)
Record: 23-11
ORTG: 111.7 (10)
DRTG: 108.0 (10)
Net: 3.7 (8)
The Nets haven’t played anything close to their best basketball and still somehow find themselves with the second best record in the Eastern Conference. Perhaps the more accurate way to describe things would be to say that Kevin Durant has kept them there. He’s averaging a ludicrous 29.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per night, with robust .522/.379/.877 shooting splits.
Durant has as strong a claim to the best player in the world crown as anyone on earth, and Brooklyn is about to re-integrate Kyrie Irving into its rotation (at least for non-home games). The Nets should theoretically see a better/more in shape version of James Harden from this point forward as well.
Brooklyn has been holding things together with scotch tape all season long. So much so that it was easy to forget just how terrifying this team was when all three of its stars were healthy last year. We may get a reminder fairly soon.
2. Phoenix Suns (-1)
Record: 27-8
ORTG: 112.2 (7)
DRTG: 105.0 (2)
Net: 7.3 (3)
The Suns have been incredible this year. They’ve got multiple star offensive creators, high-level role players, overwhelmingly precise and athletic defenders, great chemistry, excellent coaching, and an incredible commitment to a system that clearly works. The only problem for Phoenix?
Golden State happens to have all that too. And in most cases just a smidge more.
It’s almost uncanny. The Suns have the seventh best offense in the league and the second best defense. The Warriors rank one spot ahead of them in both categories. Golden State has one more win and leads the season series between the two teams 2-1.
1. Golden State Warriors (+1)
Record: 28-7
ORTG: 112.6 (6)
DRTG: 103.2 (1)
Net: 9.4 (2)
The knock against the Warriors in the early season was that they played a light schedule. The intensity of Golden State’s opponents has since picked up, and the Warriors haven’t lost a step. They have arguably the best offensive (Steph Curry) and defensive (Draymond Green) players in the league, and have found a supporting cast that runs their heady schemes to perfection.
Sprinkle in Golden State’s championship pedigree and the fact that they’re going to get back some version of Klay Thompson relatively soon, and it is impossible to keep the Warriors out of the top spot.