NBA Power Rankings Based on NBA Championship Odds (Bucks Take Over Top Spot)
By Peter Dewey
The NBA playoffs are approaching, and we have a new teams with the best record in the NBA... the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee took over the top spot in the Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics' loss on Monday night, and the Bucks are in the midst of a 14-game win streak. They've been dominant with Khris Middleton in the lineup (16-3) this season.
The East is wide open, and the New York Knicks (fifth) are making a charge with six straight wins to put some pressure on the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers.
In the West, LeBron James' foot injury is going to make things tough on the team's playoff quest, but outside of the Denver Nuggets, everyone remains pretty jumbled up in the playoff picture.
James miraculously played through the injury that is now expected to require multiple opinions, sources said, and the Lakers are bracing for his absence to be multiple weeks. https://t.co/zuovQ2wVzc
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 28, 2023
How does this all effect the NBA Finals odds? Let's break it down with our latest NBA Power Rankings:
1. Milwaukee Bucks (+500) Last Week: No. 3
The Bucks can't be stopped right now, and with Khris Middleton in the lineup, they've looked like the best team in the NBA.
2. Boston Celtics (+280) LW: No. 1
Boston is still playing at a high level, but the team hasn't been able to hold off this crazy Milwaukee run. What an ECF matchup that would be...
3. Denver Nuggets (+750) LW: No. 2
Denver has a major cushion in the Western Conference, but it needs Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon to stay healthy into the postseason.
4. Phoenix Suns (+450) LW: No. 4
Kevin Durant will make his Suns debut on Wednesday night... Let the fireworks begin!
5. Philadelphia 76ers (+1200) LW: No. 5
The Sixers have dropped two straight games, but Joel Embiid and company are still in the driver's seat for a top four spot in the East.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (+4000) LW: No. 6
The Cavs have a 2.5 game lead on the New York Knicks for the No. 4 seed, but the footsteps are getting closer. Still, Cleveland should be fine, posting the No. 2 net rating in the NBA this season.
7. Memphis Grizzlies (+1600) LW: No. 8
Memphis has been dominant at home (25-5), but the team needs to be better on the road to be a true Finals contender.
8. Los Angeles Clippers (+1000) LW: No. 7
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are playing a lot of minutes lately, but the Clips have dropped two in a row to fall out of the No. 4 seed in the West.
9. New York Knicks (+15000) LW: No. 11
Six in a row for the Knicks? Tom Thibodeau's group just upset Boston and now is seventh in the NBA in net rating and on a 50-win pace over its last 40 games...
10. Sacramento Kings (+9000) LW: No. 10
The Kings are clinging to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, and they should be a lock to finish in the playoff field in the West.
11. Golden State Warriors (+1600) LW: No. 14
Golden State is weathering the storm without Stephen Curry (again), moving up to the No. 7 spot in the conference with back-to-back wins.
12. Dallas Mavericks (+1800) LW: No. 9
Dallas has all the offensive talent in the world, but the No. 23 defense simply isn't going to cut it...
13. Miami Heat (+6000) LW: No. 12
The Heat picked up a much-needed win over the Sixers, snapping a four-game skid that has pushed them to seventh in the East.
14. Brooklyn Nets (+20000) LW: No. 13
The Nets may end up in the play-in tournament, going just 3-7 over their last 10 games.
15. Atlanta Hawks (+10000) LW: No. 15
Atlanta has a bottom-10 net rating this season, but maybe new head coach Quin Snyder can turn around the Hawks' season.
16. New Orleans Pelicans (+10000) LW: No. 16
New Orleans is in danger of falling out of the play-in field slipping to 10th in the West with Zion Williamson still out.
17. Toronto Raptors (+20000) LW: No. 18
Toronto is in the No. 9 seed in the East, and the team's decision not to sell at the deadline may pay off if it can sneak into the playoffs.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (+40000) LW: No. 17
The Wolves desperately need Karl-Anthony Towns to return, as they keep slipping in the Western Conference play-in race.
19. Utah Jazz (+60000) LW: No. 22
Utah is back up to the No. 8 seed in the West, refusing to quit despite several trades since the offseason.
20. Portland Trail Blazers (+40000) LW: No. 21
Damian Lillard is going off, dropping a career-high 71 points in the Blazers last game. Yet, Portland is still outside of the play-in tournament in the West.
21. Los Angeles Lakers (+3000) LW: No. 23
LeBron James' foot injury could be the nail in the coffin for the Lakers if Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell and others don't step up.
22. Washington Wizards (+50000) LW: No. 19
Washington is back to the No. 10 spot in the East, and the team can't seem to string wins together consistently all season.
23. Chicago Bulls (+60000) LW: No. 24
The Bulls are fourth in net rating in their last 10 games, and they've done it with the No. 6 defense in the league. The playoffs are a reach, but not out of the question.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder (+60000) LW: No. 20
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's injury has led to back-to-back losses for OKC, and the team is in danger of falling out of the play-in picture.
25. Indiana Pacers (+100000) LW: No. 25
The Pacers fell off a cliff following Tyrese Haliburton's injury, and they seemed primed for a lottery pick in the upcoming draft.
26. Orlando Magic (+100000) LW: No. 26
The Magic have one concern: Paolo Banchero is shooting 3 percent from beyond the arc this month...
27. Charlotte Hornets (+100000) LW: No. 27
The Hornets have won five straight, but they lost LaMelo Ball to a broken ankle in the process.
28. Detroit Pistons (+100000) LW: No. 28
The only way the Pistons can look at this season as a success is if they end up with the No. 1 pick.
29. Houston Rockets (+100000) LW: No. 29
Nine straight losses. The Rockets are a dumpster fire.
30. San Antonio Spurs (+100000) LW: No. 30
16 straight losses? This is a masterclass in tanking.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.