There's nary mode astir it, the Boston Celtics are the hottest squad successful the NBA.
Four consecutive wins and 9 wins retired of their past 10 games person been capable for Boston to assertion the champion grounds successful the league astatine 17-4. But portion the Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks are successful a people of their ain record-wise, determination are a fewer under-the-radar contenders successful the East that mightiness person the foodstuff to situation them down the stretch.
The Miami Heat volition person different accidental to avenge their Eastern Conference Finals nonaccomplishment to Boston successful their 2nd and 3rd meetings of the play implicit the adjacent 3 days, and Miami volition bash truthful with their ain momentum having won 3 consecutive aft a dilatory start. The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks haven't had the consistency to lucifer Boston successful the standings, but some teams person proven to beryllium elephantine slayers truthful acold this play with wins against Boston and Milwaukee.
Meanwhile, the Western Conference has dilatory fallen backmost into bid aft a chaotic commencement headlined by the Utah Jazz holding the conference's champion grounds for a fig of weeks, including past week. But a caller five-game losing streak by Utah has allowed immoderate of the expected contenders successful the West to get backmost successful the driver's seat.
The Phoenix Suns are riding the NBA's longest progressive triumph streak with 5 successful a enactment to assertion the apical effect successful the West, portion the Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies circular retired the apical four.
Note: Throughout the regular season, our sheet (Kendra Andrews, Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Nick Friedell, Andrew Lopez, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin and Ohm Youngmisuk is ranking each 30 teams from apical to bottom, taking banal of which teams are playing the champion hoops present and which teams are looking astir similar rubric contenders.
Previous rankings: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6
1. Boston Celtics
2022-23 record: 17-4
Previous ranking: 1
Boston's violative onslaught to commencement the play continued with a rout of the undermanned Hornets Monday. The Celtics present person a staggering 120.9 violative standing connected the play -- a afloat 5 points up of Phoenix successful second; the aforesaid spread betwixt Phoenix and the Wizards successful 19th. -- Bontemps
2. Milwaukee Bucks
2022-23 record: 14-5
Previous ranking: 2
Bucks manager Mike Budenholzer said guardant Khris Middleton is "getting close" to making his 2022-23 play debut. Middleton has been practicing with the team's G-League affiliate implicit the past fewer weeks and went done a airy signifier with Milwaukee earlier this week. Middleton's instrumentality should assistance inject immoderate beingness into a Bucks discourtesy ranked 18th successful the NBA successful points per 100 possessions. -- Collier
3. Phoenix Suns
2022-23 record: 14-6
Previous ranking: 3
With the Suns erstwhile having the champion grounds successful the West done 20 games, Phoenix announced that wide manager James Jones was being promoted to besides service arsenic the president of hoops operations. "It's a large clip due to the fact that erstwhile you're winning games, there's a batch of excitement and enthusiasm," Jones said astatine a quality league Tuesday. "But astatine the aforesaid time, it creates an interior unit to execute more. And that's what we person to proceed to bash if we privation to execute our dreams of winning championships." -- McMenamin
4. Denver Nuggets
2022-23 record: 13-7
Previous ranking: 6
Jamal Murray enactment unneurotic his champion crippled since returning from wounded connected Tuesday night, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been tremendous connected some ends for Denver. It appears that Nikola Jokic is yet getting the enactment helium needs for the Nuggets to instrumentality the squad to the adjacent level. So acold that's gotten them to the No. 2 spot successful the West. -- Andrews
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
2022-23 record: 13-8
Previous ranking: 4
Donovan Mitchell scored less than 10 points for the archetypal clip each play -- his archetypal single-digit scoring effort since Jan. 26, 2021 -- and the Cavs nonaccomplishment to the Raptors connected Monday. Toronto is present 2-0 against Cleveland this play which could marque things absorbing down the line. If the playoffs started today, the No. 3-seeded Cavs would big the No. 6-seeded Raps successful the archetypal round. -- McMenamin
6. Memphis Grizzlies
2022-23 record: 12-8
Previous ranking: 7
Jaren Jackson Jr., who missed the archetypal period of the play portion recovering from ft surgery, is performing similar a franchise cornerstone again. After a mediocre shooting nighttime successful his play debut, Jackson has averaged 22 points with a 64.8 existent shooting percent implicit a four-game span. He's besides been a antiaircraft force, arsenic Memphis is allowing lone 104.5 points per 100 possessions with Jackson connected the floor. -- MacMahon
7. New Orleans Pelicans
2022-23 record: 12-8
Previous ranking: 9
Zion Williamson has proven to beryllium an violative unit successful his archetypal 100 vocation games, but he's starting to amusement advancement connected the antiaircraft extremity arsenic well. In Monday night's 105-101 triumph against Oklahoma City, Williamson held the Thunder to 2-14 (14%) shooting arsenic the closest defender according to Second Spectrum data. That's the lowest percent he's allowed successful immoderate crippled successful his vocation (min. 10 changeable attempts against, regular play and playoffs). -- Lopez
8. Philadelphia 76ers
2022-23 record: 12-9
Previous ranking: 17
Joel Embiid declared Philadelphia's play began connected Nov. 7, erstwhile helium returned from an unwellness and the Sixers bushed the Phoenix Suns. Since then, not lone has Philly had the league's champion defense, but it has by a important amount. Only Boston has a amended nett standing implicit that span of 11 games, successful which the 76ers person gone 8-3. -- Bontemps
9. LA Clippers
2022-23 record: 13-9
Previous ranking: 8
While the Clippers hold for Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Luke Kennard to return, Ivica Zubac made a lawsuit to get the shot much portion the stars are out. Call him "Shaq Zu" due to the fact that Zubac enactment up Shaq-like numbers connected Sunday against Indiana, detonating for 31 points, 29 rebounds and 3 blocks. He became conscionable the sixth subordinate to grounds 30 points, 25 rebounds and sprout 80% successful a game, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Satch Sanders and Bob Pettit. The earliest Leonard and George -- who are some retired during the Clippers' two-game roadworthy travel successful Portland and Utah -- could instrumentality volition beryllium Saturday against Sacramento. But until they are back, Zubac is increasing his game. -- Youngmisuk
10. Golden State Warriors
2022-23 record: 11-11
Previous ranking: 21
The Warriors yet got their 2nd roadworthy win, but that's inactive each they have, arsenic they're 2-11 distant from home. However, determination are signs of betterment from the defending champs, particularly connected the antiaircraft extremity and from their seat unit. Jonathan Kuminga successful peculiar has been a respire of caller air, and against Dallas helium played what Steve Kerr called "the champion crippled I've ever seen him play." -- Andrews
11. Indiana Pacers
2022-23 record: 12-8
Previous ranking: 14
The Pacers proceed to surprise. Their 12-8 commencement has been led by defender Tyrese Haliburton, who is averaging 19.9 points, a league-leading 11.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds with 1.8 steals. He squares disconnected against his erstwhile squad successful Sacramento connected Wednesday. -- Collier
12. Toronto Raptors
2022-23 record: 11-9
Previous ranking: 16
With Pascal Siakam backmost connected the court, Toronto tin propulsion up aft surviving the past fewer weeks without their all-NBA forward. It has to beryllium considered a occurrence that the Raptors inactive beryllium wrong 1.5 games of 3rd spot contempt a bid of injuries a 4th of the mode done the season. -- Bontemps
13. Portland Trail Blazers
2022-23 record: 11-10
Previous ranking: 11
The Blazers person mislaid 7 of their past 9 games and could usage Damian Lillard backmost arsenic soon arsenic possible. If determination is simply a metallic lining from this pugnacious agelong it is Jerami Grant continuing his awesome commencement with the Blazers. Grant had 32 points successful a nonaccomplishment to the Clippers and 44 against New York. He's scored astatine slightest 21 successful 10 of his 14 games successful November, thing that should payment the Blazers erstwhile Lillard returns from injury. Anfernee Simons besides has been impressive, scoring 37 and 38 points successful 2 of his past 3 games. -- Youngmisuk
14. Sacramento Kings
2022-23 record: 10-9
Previous ranking: 12
The Kings person mislaid 3 games successful a row, albeit to teams atop their respective conferences, truthful there's nary request for Sacramento to panic. What should beryllium a origin of interest though is their defense. Mike Brown was the antiaircraft mastermind and coordinator down Golden State's championship-caliber defense, and yet the Kings beryllium 26th successful the league successful that category. -- Andrews
15. Washington Wizards
2022-23 record: 11-10
Previous ranking: 15
After winning six of 7 games, the Wizards dropped 3 straight, including 2 successful a enactment astatine Miami. Still, they didn't fto the descent linger immoderate longer, handling Minnesota astatine location acknowledgment to Kristaps Porzingis doing thing nary Washington large antheral has done since Moses Malone. Porzingis exploded for 41 points -- the astir by a Washington halfway since Malone scored 50 successful 1987. Porzingis besides became the 5th 7-footer to person 40 points and marque astatine slightest 5 3's successful a game. The Wizards volition request a batch much of this due to the fact that they are astir to participate a brutal agelong successful which they volition play 14 of their adjacent 19 connected the road. -- Youngmisuk
16. Dallas Mavericks
2022-23 record: 10-10
Previous ranking: 13
Luka Doncic's favourite statistic from his 41-point, 12-rebound, 12-assist show successful Tuesday's skid-stopping triumph implicit the Warriors: 4 steals. Doncic said helium is arrogant of having "taken a immense measurement forward" defensively this season. He ranks 4th successful the league with 1.8 steals per crippled and is tied for 12th successful deflections (3.2). -- MacMahon
17. Brooklyn Nets
2022-23 record: 11-11
Previous ranking: 20
The bully news: Kevin Durant is inactive connected the Nets and remains awesome -- evident by his 45 constituent domination of the Magic connected Monday. The atrocious news: Ben Simmons' near genu problems proceed to beryllium an issue, and the Nets inactive can't find the consistency they request to commencement making sound successful the East. -- Friedell
18. Atlanta Hawks
2022-23 record: 11-10
Previous ranking: 10
Trae Young had 10 assists for the 139th clip successful his young vocation connected Monday nighttime erstwhile the Hawks faced the Philadelphia 76ers. That gave him the astir double-digit assistance games successful franchise history. The erstwhile proprietor of the record: Doc Rivers, the aforesaid Doc Rivers coaching Philadelphia, which the Hawks faced connected Monday. -- Lopez
19. Miami Heat
2022-23 record: 10-11
Previous ranking: 22
Bam Adebayo has truly travel connected beardown arsenic the Heat hold for Jimmy Butler (knee) to travel back. Adebayo is averaging 35 points and 10 rebounds implicit his past 2 games and racked up 22.3 points and 10.3 rebounds successful the period of November. -- Friedell
20. Utah Jazz
2022-23 record: 12-11
Previous ranking: 5
Utah has mislaid 8 retired of 10 games, including 5 successful a enactment without constituent defender Mike Conley Jr., who is sidelined with a strained musculus adjacent his knee. The Jazz discourtesy has continued to fertile among the league's astir efficient, but Utah has been dreadful defensively, allowing 119.6 points per 100 possessions during the 10-game slump. -- MacMahon
21. New York Knicks
2022-23 record: 10-11
Previous ranking: 19
New York continues to play close astir to the level it was expected to be, mostly winning the games it should and losing the ones it shouldn't, with a mates exceptions connected each broadside of the ledger. But implicit the adjacent 8 days, 4 games with playoff-caliber teams loom, which could rapidly dump the Knicks successful a spread if that inclination doesn't change. -- Bontemps
22. Minnesota Timberwolves
2022-23 record: 10-11
Previous ranking: 18
The Timberwolves proceed to struggle, and to marque matters worse they volition beryllium without Karl-Anthony Towns for respective weeks aft helium near Monday's crippled against the Wizards with a close calf strain. It is unclear who volition support Minnesota afloat successful his lack erstwhile the squad arsenic a full is inactive not gelling. -- Andrews
23. Chicago Bulls
2022-23 record: 9-11
Previous ranking: 23
The Bulls person won 3 of their past 4 games, including victories implicit the Celtics, Bucks and Jazz to assistance stabilize an already rocky season. Chicago went 1-10 against the apical 3 seeds successful the East past year, truthful present already owning victories implicit Milwaukee, Miami and Boston (twice) this play could spell a agelong mode successful proving that this year's squad is different. -- Collier
24. Oklahoma City Thunder
2022-23 record: 8-13
Previous ranking: 24
Oklahoma City's three-point changeable has seemingly gone missing successful the past 3 games arsenic the squad has changeable conscionable 29-of-111 (26.1%) implicit that span. However, they defeated the Bulls successful overtime and played the Pelicans pugnacious connected Monday due to the fact that of the continued excellence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his quality to gully fouls. Gilgeous-Alexander was 14-of-15 from the enactment against the Bulls and past acceptable caller vocation highs successful escaped propulsion makes and attempts going 16-of-18 against the Pelicans. Gilgeous-Alexander is 4th successful the league successful free-throw attempts per crippled trailing conscionable Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic. -- Lopez
25. Los Angeles Lakers
2022-23 record: 7-12
Previous ranking: 25
There were plentifulness of things that went incorrect down the agelong of the Lakers' 17-point illness to the Pacers connected Monday. But 1 stat was inexcusable: Anthony Davis lone had 4 touches successful the last 3 minutes, with the shot successful his hands for 10 seconds full and starring to nary changeable attempts, per ESPN Stats & Information research. "That's thing we person to bash better," Lakers manager Darvin Ham said of the deficiency of touches. "I, myself, person to bash better, for sure." -- McMenamin
26. Charlotte Hornets
2022-23 record: 6-15
Previous ranking: 27
Charlotte really won 2 consecutive earlier getting demolished by the Celtics connected Monday. Kelly Oubre Jr. continues to beryllium the violative spark plug for a beleaguered radical that volition beryllium missing Gordon Hayward for a portion with a enarthrosis injury. Oubre is averaging 21.2 points and 5.3 rebounds a crippled successful the period of November. -- Friedell
27. Orlando Magic
2022-23 record: 5-16
Previous ranking: 26
Orlando has dropped 5 consecutive and continues to beryllium overwhelmed by injuries. On a agleam note, young large antheral Bol Bol had a bully nighttime against the Nets connected Monday and continues to amusement improvement. Bol had 24 points, six rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a bargain successful 39 minutes. -- Friedell
28. Houston Rockets
2022-23 record: 5-15
Previous ranking: 30
Second-year shooting defender Jalen Green is showing large advancement arsenic a playmaker, averaging 6.1 assists on with 22.6 points implicit the past 9 games. To enactment that successful perspective, Green had six oregon much assists successful lone 3 games arsenic a rookie. He had a career-high 9 assists successful Saturday's triumph implicit the Thunder, which came the nighttime aft Green's archetypal 30-5-5 show successful a triumph implicit the Hawks. -- MacMahon
29. San Antonio Spurs
2022-23 record: 6-15
Previous ranking: 28
San Antonio has mislaid a league-high 8 consecutive games, tying the squad for the longest losing streak ever nether manager Gregg Popovich (they besides mislaid 8 successful a enactment successful Nov. 2019). San Antonio did person a season-high 138 points past Saturday successful a five-point nonaccomplishment to the Lakers. It was the third-highest scoring output for the Spurs successful a nonaccomplishment nether Popovich. San Antonio did deed a season-high 18 threes successful the decision with six players hitting aggregate triples. -- Lopez
30. Detroit Pistons
2022-23 record: 5-18
Previous ranking: 29
The Pistons find themselves successful a holding signifier with second-year defender Cade Cunningham, who has missed the past 11 games with a shin injury. Both helium and the squad are inactive trying to find the champion way guardant with the anticipation of avoiding what would beryllium a season-ending surgery. -- Collier
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