Thunder Still Lead NBA Power Rankings, but Pistons and Spurs Are Gaining Ground
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With the NBA trade deadline set for Feb. 5, the latest ESPN Power Rankings show the Oklahoma City Thunder hanging on to the No. 1 slot despite an uncharacteristically rough January. Oklahoma City (38-10) has already matched its total number of defeats from the season’s first three months, dropping five of its past games and shooting only 30.8% from three-point range in those losses.
Even so, Mark Daigneault’s club maintains a six-game cushion in the Western Conference over the surging San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio (31-15) sits fifth overall and second in the West after getting its full roster healthy for the first time in almost a month, highlighted by Victor Wembanyama’s sixth 15-point, 15-rebound performance of the campaign.
The Detroit Pistons (34-11) stay second overall and first among Eastern Conference teams. Detroit’s front office still holds a $14 million trade exception and could look for additional scoring before the deadline, while Cade Cunningham showed signs of recovering from a right-wrist injury by scoring 29 points on 13-for-22 shooting Sunday against Sacramento.
How the Top 10 Stack Up
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (38-10) – Remain atop the rankings despite recent three-point woes.
2. Detroit Pistons (34-11) – Evaluating trade options; Cunningham heating up.
3. Houston Rockets (28-16) – Kevin Durant posts a third straight 30-point game as Houston climbs four spots.
4. Denver Nuggets (31-16) – Jamal Murray averages 28.2 points while Nikola Jokić nurses a knee injury.
5. San Antonio Spurs (31-15) – Four-game home winning streak ends, but a fully healthy lineup fuels optimism.
6. Boston Celtics (29-17) – Second in the East and third in league-wide net rating despite Jayson Tatum’s season-long absence.
7. New York Knicks (28-18) – Two victories ease concerns after a four-game skid.
8. Toronto Raptors (29-19) – A 4-1 Western swing, including a win in Oklahoma City, lifts Toronto into an East tie for third.
9. Los Angeles Lakers (28-17) – Rui Hachimura thrives as the featured scorer with the second unit.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves (28-19) – Recent slide against winning teams raises questions about postseason ceiling.
Key Storylines
- Shooting Slump in Oklahoma City: In the Thunder’s 10 defeats, the league leaders are hitting just 30.8% from deep, exposed most recently when Isaiah Joe and Luguentz Dort combined to miss all 10 of their attempts in a home loss to Indiana.
- Pistons’ Trade Flexibility: Detroit’s $14 million exception expires this summer, heightening speculation that the front office will add perimeter scoring before the deadline.
- San Antonio at Full Strength: Wembanyama’s 15-point, 15-rebound outing against New Orleans came in the Spurs’ first game with a complete roster since early January.
- Houston’s Heavy Reliance on Durant: The 37-year-old forward insists he can handle the minutes load as the Rockets await the return of injured center Steven Adams.
- Murray’s Breakout in Denver: With Jokić sidelined, Murray is posting career highs in scoring (26.0) and shooting efficiency (.490 FG%, .448 3P%).
The rankings are compiled by a panel of ESPN reporters and analysts: Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Kevin Pelton, Michael C. Wright, Bobby Marks, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram.
The next edition is slated for early February, shortly before front offices must finalize any last-minute moves.
Source: ESPN
