We're over two months into the new NBA season, and things are pretty much holding to form as teams have firmly established their identities. The Houston Rockets have risen to the top of the league thanks to their 14-game win streak, while the Boston Celtics have cooled off after their 16-game streak earlier this season. And, of course, the Cleveland Cavaliers are flexing their muscle at the top of the Eastern Conference while the Golden State Warriors are still the Warriors and may as well be 1b to Houston's 1a.
How does the rest of the league shake out? Here are our latest NBA Power Rankings.
30) Atlanta Hawks (7-23)
The Hawks continue to share the ball as well as anyone, ranking fourth in the league in the assists. However, that's about the only thing they do well.
29) Dallas Mavericks (8-23)
The Mavs have shaken off their terrible start to be just bad and have struggled to get anything going. Dallas is clearly in the transitional phase entering the post-Dirk era.
28) Memphis Grizzlies (9-21)
Without Mike Conley, the Grizzlies have been absolutely awful. The bottom has fallen out on this group and it doesn't look like they'll be going up anytime soon.
27) Sacramento Kings (9-20)
Zach Randolph's resurgence this month has been nice for this Kings team that has needed a leader to step up. That said, wins haven't followed.
26) Phoenix Suns (11-21)
When Devin Booker and T.J. Warren are on the court, Phoenix is competitive. When they're not, the Suns are really bad.
25) Orlando Magic (11-20)
Remember when the Magic were at the top of the Eastern Conference just a few short weeks ago? Yeah, that was fun. They've lost 16 of their last 19 games as they've fallen back to being the team we thought they were.
24) Brooklyn Nets (11-18)
I actually like what Brooklyn is doing with the acquisition of Jahlil Okafor, and they already have 11 wins this season - a mark they didn't reach until the final month of the season last year.
23) Chicago Bulls (9-20)
Chicago has won six straight games and hasn't lost since Nikola Mirotic made his season debut. This won't be the case all season, so enjoy it while you can, Bulls fans.
22) Charlotte Hornets (11-19)
Charlotte is very easily one of this season's biggest disappointments. They have just two wins away from home this season and have lost 13 straight games decided by three points or less. Outside of Kemba Walker, Dwight Howard (who has actually played really well this season), and Nicolas Batum, the Hornets have been garbage.
21) Los Angeles Lakers (10-18)
The Lakers are showing flashes of potential this season, particularly defensively, but are also showing signs of their youth. Lonzo Ball is appearing to break out of his funk, though, which is a positive sign for this group.
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20) Los Angeles Clippers (11-18)
The Clippers have rebounded from their long losing streak but are still among the worst teams in the league. Look for them to blow it up - starting with trading DeAndre Jordan - in the coming weeks.
19) Utah Jazz (14-17)
Utah is going to be without Rudy Gobert for another 3-4 weeks due to a PCL sprain, but that may not be a bad thing for the Jazz. They are 7-5 without him and 7-11 with him.
18) Oklahoma City Thunder (15-15)
Yes, we know it takes time for a team full of new major pieces to come together, but it's time to start showing some concern about what this Thunder team can do. They've blown so many leads late in games and have been inconsistent on both sides of the ball.
17) Miami Heat (15-15)
Miami continues to quietly rack up wins, but they still haven't really beaten anyone of consequence. Because of that, they stay this low.
16) New Orleans Pelicans (15-15)
The Pelicans have alternated wins and losses this month as consistency - particularly defensively - has escaped them.
15) Philadelphia 76ers (14-15)
Ben Simmons is winning Rookie of the Year and Joel Embiid is playing actual significant minutes on a nightly basis (minus back-to-backs, of course). They've proven they'll be a playoff team far sooner than most expected.
14) New York Knicks (16-14)
Kristaps Porzingis has guided the Knicks to one of the more surprising starts in the league this season. New York is in solid playoff position right now - something no one would've thought two months ago.
13) Denver Nuggets (16-14)
Thanks to Gary Harris' emergence as a great scoring option on the wing, the Nuggets have seen an offensive uptick. They'll likely be in the playoffs, though it remains to be seen how dangerous they could be.
12) Indiana Pacers (17-14)
Indiana has been another huge surprise as Victor Oladipo has turned from a role player into an All-Star. They've shown they have staying power.
11) Milwaukee Bucks (15-13)
Giannis Antetokounmpo can't do everything for the Bucks, who have lost four of their last seven games as they've struggled to shoot from three.
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10) Minnesota Timberwolves (18-13)
The T-Wolves have settled into a funk as their eight-man appears to be having a negative effect on the team. They have three players in the top 13 in the league in minutes per game - only Portland (Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum) also has multiple players ranked that high.
9) Detroit Pistons (17-13)
Tobias Harris has cooled off but the Pistons continue to win. They appear to be a lock for a top-five seed in the playoffs.
8) Washington Wizards (16-14)
Washington managed to hold form without John Wall for a few weeks and their best five - Wall, Bradley Beal, Kelly Oubre Jr., Otto Porter Jr., Marcin Gortat - have been as good as any in the league. However, once again, depth is an issue again.
7) Portland Trail Blazers (16-14)
Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and an improved Jusuf Nurkic have Portland looking like a legit playoff team. The biggest reason for that is their success on the road (9-5).
6) Toronto Raptors (20-8)
Toronto won't take many of the headlines, but all DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry & Co. do is win. They're firmly entrenched as a top-three seed in the East.
5) Boston Celtics (26-7)
Boston has been inconsistent since that massive winning streak as injuries have caught up with them. That said, they've solidified themselves as one of the elite teams in the league.
4) San Antonio Spurs (21-10)
The Spurs are still working Kawhi Leonard back into the fold, and when they do, San Antonio will be even more dangerous. The fact that they've managed to stay at the top of the league despite missing him and Tony Parker is yet another testament to Gregg Popovich.
3) Cleveland Cavaliers (23-8)
The Cavs - namely LeBron James, who continues to rack up triple-doubles - have really turned it on since their early season struggles. Even though Boston has the better record, Cleveland is the best team in the East once again.
2) Golden State Warriors (24-6)
Though the Warriors are No. 2, they're still the hunted. Kevin Durant has stepped up since Stephen Curry went down with an ankle injury and - unsurprisingly - Golden State has continued to win.
1) Houston Rockets (25-4)
The Rockets still haven't lost with Chris Paul in the lineup and are riding high on a 14-game win streak. They're clearly playing better than everyone else in the league.
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