NBA Power Rankings Based on Championship Odds (Celtics Take Top Spot, No Hope Left for Lakers?)
By Peter Dewey
Teams are starting to settle in four weeks into the 2022-23 NBA season, and one contender, the Boston Celtics, looks just as dangerous as it was last year in the Eastern Conference.
Led by Jayson Tatum, the Celtics own the best offense in the NBA this season, and a win on Monday night jumped them past the Milwaukee Bucks in the standings.
While many of the East's top teams have started strong, the Western Conference has been much different with the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers off to surprisingly strong starts this season.
The Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers have struggled out of the gate, but it's possible that no team has been as bad as the Los Angeles Lakers, who are 14th in the West despite trying to contend this season.
Is there any hope left for LeBron James, Anthony Davis and company? If so, the team is going to need a run soon.
Here's our latest Power Rankings based on the NBA championship odds for this season:
1. Boston Celtics (+500) Last Week: No. 2
The Celtics are now atop the Eastern Conference, and they're doing it without center Robert Williams III.
2. Milwaukee Bucks (+500) LW: No. 1
Have the Bucks have come back to earth? A little, mainly due to absences of Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
3. Denver Nuggets (+2000) LW: No. 5
The Nuggets have a dominant offense this year, and Nikola Jokic no longer has to do everything himself, raising their ceiling in a big way.
4. Portland Trail Blazers (+8000) LW: No. 6
Portland is atop the Western Conference standings, showing just how important a healthy Damian Lillard is to its success.
5. Atlanta Hawks (+5500) LW: No. 5
The Hawks are off to a strong start, and they've beaten the Bucks twice already this season.
6. Memphis Grizzlies (+1800) LW: No. 10
Jaren Jackson Jr.'s return on Tuesday should bolster Memphis' outlook the rest of the season.
7. Phoenix Suns (+750) LW: No. 4
Phoenix is dealing with injuries to Chris Paul and Cam Johnson, and it could use something in return for Jae Crowder if he's still going to sit out.
8. Dallas Mavericks (+2000) LW: No. 8
The Mavericks are going to go as far as Luka Doncic carries them. With his 30-point streak getting snapped, Dallas has struggled to win games.
9. Cleveland Cavaliers (+2100) LW: No. 3
Did I jump the gun on Cleveland? The Cavs have lost four straight after a terrific start to the 2022-23 season.
10. Utah Jazz (+16000) LW: No. 9
Utah has dropped back-to-back games, but a 10-5 start is still way above anyone's expectations for this team.
11. Los Angeles Clippers (+750) LW: No. 11
The Clippers are treading water until Kawhi Leonard is healthy, thanks to some terrific play from Paul George.
12. Philadelphia 76ers (+1800) LW: No 13
Joel Embiid put his name in the hat for MVP with a near quadruple double, scoring 59 points in a win over Utah on Sunday.
13. Miami Heat (+2100) LW: No. 21
The Heat have won three straight to get back to .500 on the season. It's only a matter of time before this team is amongst the top six seeds in the East.
14. Toronto Raptors (+4600) LW: No. 12
Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet going down has hurt Toronto, but the team is still eighth in the NBA in net rating.
15. New Orleans Pelicans (+3600) LW: No. 15
The Pelicans are extremely talented, and the team ranks seventh in net rating despite a slower start.
16. Golden State Warriors (+700) LW: No. 16
Steph Curry needs some help, as entering this week the Warriors were -22.1 points per 100 possessions when he's off the floor.
17. Brooklyn Nets (+1300) LW: No. 20
Kevin Durant is BALLING right now, carrying the Nets with Kyrie Irving still suspended.
18. Washington Wizards (+20000) LW: No. 19
Washington could be a frisky team in the East, moving to 8-6 with a four-game winning streak.
19. Sacramento Kings (+50000) LW: No. 24
The Kings have won four of their last five games, including a big win over Golden State on Sunday.
20. Chicago Bulls (+6500) LW: No. 14
The Bulls should be in the playoff conversation this season, but the early returns look a lot like the end of the 2021-22 campaign where they fell to sixth in the East.
21. Minnesota Timberwolves (+3600) LW: No. 18
The Wolves are struggling early, ranking 19th in the league in offensive and defensive rating so far.
22. New York Knicks (+12000) LW: No. 17
The Knicks are terrible on defense right now, allowing 145 points to the Thunder and giving up over 14.0 3-pointers per game.
23. Oklahoma City Thunder (+50000) LW: No. 23
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserves some All-Star and All-NBA recognition for his start to the season.
24. Indiana Pacers (+50000) LW: No. 22
Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin has been terrific, and Indiana is off to a .500 start in the first month.
25. San Antonio Spurs (+50000) LW: No. 26
The Spurs are just 1-6 after starting the season 5-2. This is more of what we expected from this team this season.
26. Charlotte Hornets (+27000) LW: No. 25
Charlotte finally got LaMelo Ball back in the lineup, but the team has dug itself a hole in the Eastern Conference standings.
27. Orlando Magic (+50000) LW: No. 30
The Magic picked up a couple wins to move out of the No. 30 spot in our rankings.
28. Detroit Pistons (+50000) LW: No. 28
Cade Cunningham is hurt, and the Pistons are the worst team in terms of net rating in the NBA. This team is still a year or two away from playoff contention.
29. Los Angeles Lakers (+9000) LW: No. 27
LeBron James is dealing with an abductor strain, and the Lakers are just 3-10 on the season. This is the nightmare scenario for the franchise.
30. Houston Rockets (+50000) LW: No. 29
Houston doesn't defend anyone, for the second straight season, and is looking like a team primed for a top-3 pick once again.
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.