2024-25 FTN NBA Power Rankings: Takeaways From The First Half of the Season

Welcome back to FTN Fantasy’s NBA Power Rankings!

As we approach the midway point of the NBA season, FTN’s NBA model offers fresh insights into how teams stack up. A clear top tier has emerged, led by the Celtics, Cavaliers and Thunder, while teams like the Knicks and Nuggets are knocking on the door but haven’t fully proven they belong.

The Rockets and Grizzlies are starting to validate their hot starts, while preseason favorites like the Suns and Timberwolves are struggling to live up to expectations. Meanwhile, teams like the Pelicans and Jazz, once thought to be playoff contenders, are already facing an uphill climb.

Dive into our latest rankings to see where every team stands, plus our key takeaways from the past week of action.

Every Monday, we bring you an up-to-the-minute snapshot of the league with our exclusive power rankings, powered by the FTN NBA Betting Model. These rankings adjust for recent results, injuries and news, giving you a dynamic view of the NBA’s shifting landscape. We also track which teams are trending up – and which are trending down.

But this isn’t just about rankings – it’s about giving you the edge. Whether you’re betting on the NBA or simply keeping tabs on your favorite team’s performance, our rankings provide key insights to help you make smarter decisions. Curious to see how we evaluate a specific matchup? Our NBA Betting Model is constantly updated with the latest data, and we highlight the best value picks in our NBA Bet Tracker.

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Key Takeaways

Russell Westbrook’s Value to the Nuggets

When Russell Westbrook signed a minimum contract with Denver last offseason, reactions were mixed. Critics questioned his fit, but he’s silencing doubters in a big way. Westbrook has arguably been Denver’s second-best player this season, despite our model rating him behind Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon. His January numbers – nearly 18 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8 assists per game on efficient shooting – underscore his value. While it’s uncertain if this efficiency will carry into the playoffs, Westbrook has made himself indispensable. Moving him back to the bench would be difficult, and the Nuggets might not want to. The signing has been nothing short of a win.

The Value of Depth

The Knicks and Grizzlies are thriving this season, but they’re doing so with starkly different approaches. New York relies heavily on its starters, averaging 180.5 combined minutes per game – by far the most in the league. Conversely, Memphis spreads the workload, with no player averaging more than 30 minutes and 10 players logging 20+ minutes per game. The Knicks’ heavy reliance on their starters has drawn criticism, with fatigue seemingly catching up in recent games. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies’ deep roster allows for consistent production from their bench, with seven players averaging double-digit points. Both strategies are effective, but the long-term implications could be telling as the season progresses.

The Celtics are Struggling, but Does it Matter?

The Celtics, at 28-11, still boast the NBA’s third-best record and remain atop FTN’s Power Rankings. However, they’ve been a modest 9-7 since early December. Despite this, there’s no reason for panic in Boston. Over this stretch, they rank third in net rating, and their star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown remains elite. Tatum is likely headed for another All-NBA First Team nod, with Brown not far behind. If the Celtics enter the playoffs healthy, they will remain the clear title favorites. Regular-season lulls don’t overshadow their dominance when it matters most.

The Pacers Deserve Our Attention

After a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, expectations for the Pacers were high, but their 10-15 start left fans disappointed. However, a strong 12-3 run over their last 15 games has them back on track. Now ranked 14th in FTN’s Power Rankings, Indiana’s resurgence has been driven by a top-3 net rating during this stretch. Tyrese Haliburton’s consistency will be key as they look to climb further. While they’re not in the top-tier conversation, securing home-court advantage for the first round isn’t out of the question.

Conference:

Team	Conference	Record	Current Rank	Previous	Week Diff	Preseason	Pre Diff	Notes
Boston Celtics	EAST	28-11	1	1	-	1	-	They're in a bit of a rut by their standards, but they still comfortably rank first in our ratings
Oklahoma City Thunder	WEST	32-6	2	3	+1	2	-	While their winning streak broke in Cleveland Wednesday night, they followed it up by destroying the Knicks in New York Friday night
Cleveland Cavaliers	EAST	33-5	3	2	-1	8	+5	The Cavs picked up the big win against OKC on Wednesday, but followed it up by losing to the Pacers on Sunday
New York Knicks	EAST	26-14	4	4	-	9	+5	The Knicks picked up a huge blowout win against the Bucks yesterday, which felt necessary after getting blown out by OKC and losing 3 of their previous 4
Denver Nuggets	WEST	23-15	5	5	-	5	-	Russell Westbrook is playing his best basketball in a few years, and it's helped Denver win 3 straight games this week
Houston Rockets	WEST	25-12	6	6	-	19	+13	The Rockets picked up an impressive win in Memphis this week. They may feel a move away from being title contenders, but they are a difficult matchup on any night
Sacramento Kings	WEST	20-19	7	8	+1	13	+6	Since Mike Brown was fired, the Kings are undefeated, going 7-0. Our model remained high on the Kings during the cold streak, and we are starting to see why
Memphis Grizzlies	WEST	25-14	8	18	+10	17	+9	The Grizzlies are finally healthy, and it makes them the biggest risers this week and jumping into the top-10.
Milwaukee Bucks	EAST	20-17	9	9	-	10	+1	Their 3-game winning streak ended yesterday, but so far, moving Middleton into the starting lineup has looked like the right move
Philadelphia 76ers	EAST	15-22	10	7	-3	4	-6	This has to be an incredibly frustrating season for Sixers fans, as the team just can't get healthy. They are still dangerous whenever Embiid plays
Los Angeles Clippers	WEST	20-17	11	10	-1	11	-	Kawhi was back and things were looking bright, but then he left the team to help his family deal with the LA fires, and the Clippers have now lost 4 of their last 5
Minnesota Timberwolves	WEST	20-18	12	11	-1	7	-5	They lost on Saturday to the Grizzlies, but since moving Divencenzo to the starting the lineup, the Timberwolves offense looks a lot better
Indiana Pacers	EAST	22-18	13	15	+2	18	+5	The Pacers continue to move up the ratings, as they're on a 6-game winning streak that includes beating Cleveland in Cleveland by 15 yesterday
Los Angeles Lakers	WEST	20-16	14	13	-1	12	-2	Only played 1 game this week due to postponements, so it's hard to draw new conclusions from this week
Phoenix Suns	WEST	19-19	15	12	-3	6	-9	Moving Beal to the bench has looked smart so far, as Phoenix is now on a 3 game winning streak, albeit against weak competition
Golden State Warriors	WEST	19-19	16	16	-	16	-	Adding Dennis Schroder hasn't made a difference yet, as the Warriors remain a .500 team
San Antonio Spurs	WEST	18-19	17	17	-	22	+5	The Spurs had a tough week, going 0-3. They are still ahead of schedule this season, but don't have enough to go deep into the playoffs
Orlando Magic	EAST	23-18	18	19	+1	15	-3	The Magic have to be glad to have Paolo back, but they are still missing key pieces in Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs
Miami Heat	EAST	20-17	19	20	+1	20	+1	Without Jimmy Butler, the Heat are on a 3-game winning streak. Who knows what ends up happening there, but the Heat will likely remain an average team
Dallas Mavericks	WEST	22-17	20	21	+1	3	-17	The Mavericks are struggling without Kyrie and Luka, which isn't surprising, but Quentin Grimes' development bodes well for the team once they're healthy
Atlanta Hawks	EAST	19-19	21	14	-7	21	-	Without Jalen Johnson, the Hawks don't have enough talent to compete most nights
Chicago Bulls	EAST	18-21	22	22	-	25	+3	If we were only rating offenses, they'd be a fringe top-10 team. But they play some of the worst defense in the league
Detroit Pistons	EAST	20-19	23	23	-	24	+1	The Pistons failed to pick up a big win against the Warriors, but will have 3 different opportunities to pick up impressive wins this week
New Orleans Pelicans	WEST	8-32	24	24	-	14	-10	1 step forward, 2 steps back has been the mantra this season. Zion's suspension for being late is the cherry on top
Toronto Raptors	EAST	8-31	25	25	-	27	+2	Now healthy, the Raptors have been more competitive in games, but it hasn't turned into wins
Charlotte Hornets	EAST	8-28	26	26	-	28	+2	Even though the Hornets are now healthy, they just lack talent outside of Lamelo
Utah Jazz	WEST	10-28	27	27	-	23	-4	Over the last few weeks, the Jazz have been competitive on most nights, even though they have just 3 wins to show for it
Portland Trail Blazers	WEST	13-25	28	29	+1	30	+2	Deni Avdija has looked great since moving into the starting lineup, becoming a silver lining on an otherwise rough season
Brooklyn Nets	EAST	13-26	29	28	-1	26	-3	Tosan Evbuomwan led the team in scoring last night, showing you where the Nets are at right now
Washington Wizards	EAST	6-31	30	30	-	29	-1	They are losing but they're also getting their young players valuable minutes. So this is arguably a successful season for them
	Conference

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