With the NBA playoffs a little over a month away, the best teams in the NBA have distinguished themselves from the rest. Lottery teams have accepted their fate already and are looking ahead to this summer for a major rebuild. These last few weeks of the NBA season have a ton on the line for a lot of teams, regardless.
With the 2023-24 campaign coming to an end, we have an updated tier system that will show which sides will be pushing for the NBA title and which ones did not do enough this season. Here are all 30 NBA teams ranked into Best Teams, Serious Contenders, Playoff Teams, Play-In Teams, and Lottery Teams.
Best Team In Each Conference
Boston Celtics (49-14), Oklahoma City Thunder (44-19)
The 49-14 Boston Celtics are still the best team in the league even if they did drop a rather worrying game against the Denver Nuggets. If the Celtics want to prove they are the most dominant team, they need to knock off the champions and they have gone 0-2 against them this season. Regardless, the Celtics rank 4th in offense and an impressive 5th in defense. The key for Boston is to finish off strong and get to the Finals because they deserve to.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have emerged as a potential threat in the Western Conference quicker than anyone would have thought. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a superstar player, averaging 31.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, and they have managed to hold the number one seed in the Western Conference by a minute margin over the Timberwolves. Is there any surprise that Gilgeous-Alexander is in the MVP race?
Serious Contenders
Minnesota Timberwolves (44-21), Denver Nuggets (44-20), Los Angeles Clippers (41-22), Milwaukee Bucks (42-23), New York Knicks (37-26), Phoenix Suns (37-27)
The Minnesota Timberwolves can still grab the top seed in the Western Conference, boasting an impressive 44-20 record. Anchored by a stifling defense that ranks 1st in the league, the Timberwolves have showcased prowess on both the perimeter and interior. Karl-Anthony Towns is out with a meniscus injury so if he can return at full health before the playoffs, the team has a chance to make the Western Conference Finals.
In the West, the Denver Nuggets, currently at 44-20, are considered the favorites to reach the NBA Finals to represent the West. Boasting the reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and a roster built on consistency, the Nuggets exhibit a potent combination of skill and consistency, so never count them out. Denver wants that second-straight championship and they will do whatever it takes to get it.
The Los Angeles Clippers are proving that they are gearing up for a Finals run. Fourth in the West, the team is built for playoff success thanks to their star power although they have missed Russell Westbrook, who is injured. There is still plenty of talent on the team and as long as Kawhi Leonard is healthy, the Clippers have a real chance to make the Finals.
The Milwaukee Bucks boast an impressive roster with two of the world’s best players Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Doc Rivers is starting to get his groove with the Bucks, and the team has been in solid form overall going 7-3 over their last 10 games. As long as they are healthy, do not count out the Bucks when looking at Eastern Conference Finals matchups.
The New York Knicks are rolling right now, led by first-time All-Star Jalen Brunson who is posting 27.2 points and 6.5 assists per game while carrying the offense at times. OG Anunoby was an excellent pickup and Julius Randle is another All-Star who has performed at a high level although the team will need him at full health as soon as possible.
The Phoenix Suns are getting better as the weeks have gone by, and they are in serious contention to win a championship. They lack depth and size, and Bradley Beal is still finding his footing, but having Kevin Durant and Devin Booker looks like overkill at times. Even if their record doesn’t suggest it, the Suns can beat anybody.
Playoff Teams
Cleveland Cavaliers (41-23), New Orleans Pelicans (39-25), Orlando Magic (37-28), Philadelphia 76ers (35-28), Sacramento Kings (36-27), Indiana Pacers (36-29), Dallas Mavericks (36-28), Miami Heat (35-29)
The Cleveland Cavaliers should be in title contention but there are doubts about this team. Donovan Mitchell is a terrific offensive player and there is size down low with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but they are not on the level of the Celtics and Bucks in the East while the Knicks might have more in the tank once Julius Randle returns.
The Pelicans have been great this season with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram and their potential is being seen right now. Ranking 14th in offense and 8th in defense, the Pelicans compete every night and it will be interesting to see them in the playoffs. Let’s hope Zion can remain healthy until the end of the season.
Nobody expected the Orlando Magic to be this good but they will be in the playoffs. They probably won’t make it out of the first round considering how young they are, but it would be a great thing to see Paolo Banchero lead the team to the postseason because he is showing why he was the No. 1 overall pick.
The Philadelphia 76ers have faltered this season because their MVP Joel Embiid has been out. It is a shame that this keeps happening to them because they have some exciting talent to put around the big man. It will still be an interesting summer for them since they will have plenty of cap space available to try to build a superteam around Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are playing well enough to make sure the Sacramento Kings fight to avoid the play-in tournament in the Western Conference. Ranking 8th in offense this season, the Kings are a very good offensive team but they still do not look ready to make it out of the first round of the playoffs.
The Indiana Pacers, led by the exceptional playmaking of Tyrese Haliburton, currently averaging an impressive 20.8 points and 11.4 assists per game, stand as wild cards in the Eastern Conference. The addition of Pascal Siakam makes the Pacers a tough team to handle, but they might be one more star away from being a true contender in the Eastern Conference.
Luka Doncic is an MVP candidate and Kyrie Irving has been at an All-Star level, meaning the Dallas Mavericks are a tough team to handle. Currently 36-28, Dallas has been solid ranking 6th in scoring, but they are not considered title contenders because the competition is too high in the Western Conference.
Do not count out the Miami Heat who always seem to be in the playoff mix. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro might have been the consistent Big Three, and there is enough talent there to keep the Heat on the radar when looking at a potential Eastern Conference Finals matchup. Remember: Miami turns it on in the playoffs so it doesn’t matter which tier they are in right now.
Play-In Teams
Los Angeles Lakers (36-30), Golden State Warriors (33-30), Atlanta Hawks (29-35), Chicago Bulls (31-33), Brooklyn Nets (26-39)
The Los Angeles Lakers started the season as a massive disappointment because LeBron James and Anthony Davis are arguably two of the 10 best players in the world but nobody else has performed. To give them credit, they have turned it on by winning two straight games and are six games over .500. As long as James and Davis are healthy, don’t count out the Lakers.
The Warriors have been rolling. They aren’t the same team that won the title in 2021, but they are still a team to beat when they are clicking. Golden State has gone 6-4 over their last 10 games and Draymond Green’s return has been huge. Sure, they have been a disappointment, but they are back to playing inspired basketball recently.
Trae Young is doing his thing as usual, averaging 28.2 points and 11.3 assists per game as he looks to make his third All-Star Team. However, the team lacks the necessary pieces to ascend to the upper echelons of the league and cannot seem to find a way out of a play-in spot over the past few seasons. The play-in spot is the max the Hawks can aim for.
Finally, the Bulls will always be a play-in spot because DeMar DeRozan is a talented scorer who not only provides offensive firepower but can take any defender one-on-one. However, the Bulls will miss Zach LaVine who is out for the season which means another season is wasted without any real point in keeping the core together.
The Nets hold a 26-39 record, but somehow that might not throw off their intention to make the playoffs through the play-in tournament. They are only 1.0 game behind Atlanta for the 10th seed so anything can happen. The issue is, they don’t have a Trae Young-caliber player and it won’t matter if they do make the play-in because they won’t succeed in the postseason.
Lottery Teams
Houston Rockets (29-35), Utah Jazz (28-36), Toronto Raptors (23-41), Memphis Grizzlies (22-42), Portland Trail Blazers (18-45), Charlotte Hornets (16-48), San Antonio Spurs (14-50), Washington Wizards (11-53), Detroit Pistons (10-53)
The Rockets have faltered in the second half of the season and are set for the lottery. Barring an incredible winning streak to end the season, Houston didn’t have enough to make the playoffs yet. There is hope for the future considering Alperen Sengun is immensely talented, but there could be some major moves this summer.
Utah is another side that will probably be looking to rebuild this summer, and whether that involves Lauri Markkanen or not remains to be seen. The Jazz are not that far off from .500, but literally every team ahead of them in the standings right now is a better side. That means Utah will be in the lottery.
The Toronto Raptors traded Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby and placed the future in the hands of Scottie Barnes. Toronto is hoping RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley will also start improving their games because the Raptors want to build around youth and look toward the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Memphis Grizzlies had to endure the absence of the dynamic Ja Morant for 25 games to start the season and their record took a massive hit before he was shut down for the season. The Grizzlies are not taking advantage of their talent so they need to come back strong next season or start to risk obscurity.
The Portland Trail Blazers have had an awful season, winning only 18 games so far and none of their core players have looked like future superstars. However, there is still talent on the roster and there will be greater expectations on Scoot Henderson once he finishes this season and has the summer to work on his game.
LaMelo Ball is doing his thing individually (23.9 points and 8.0 assists per game), but the Charlotte Hornets are not a good team. They have found a way to win at least a few games recently, but their record suggests there is too much room for improvement before the Hornets get back on track.
San Antonio, led by budding superstar Victor Wembanyama, faces the perennial struggle of a team that has yet to be ready to contend. Wembanyama will win Rookie of the Year, averaging 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game, but that’s about it in terms of good news for the Spurs.
The Washington Wizards are not a good team, there could be a fire sale this summer, and the future is not looking too bright. The Wizards definitely have to move on from Jordan Poole because he isn’t what they need, and this season has been considered an utter disaster.
Finally, the Detroit Pistons, languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, have struggled immensely, winning only 10 games so far and tying the NBA record for most consecutive losses with 28 earlier in the season. Monty Williams’ reputation was certainly impressive before this season, but eyebrows are being raised.
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