2024 FTN NBA Power Rankings: Can Anyone Take Down Boston?

Welcome back to FTN Fantasy’s NBA Power Rankings!

As we pass the quarter-mark of the season and enter the NBA Cup Quarterfinals, one thing has become abundantly clear in our model: the Boston Celtics are the team to beat. Despite falling short in the NBA Cup chase, Boston’s dominance in the league is undeniable. They stand alone as the favorites at +280 odds to win the NBA Finals (per DraftKings Sportsbook), with only the Oklahoma City Thunder (+380) remotely close in contention. For context, the next closest team – the New York Knicks – sit far behind at +1000.

This gap reflects what oddsmakers see as a two-team race, and FTN Fantasy’s NBA model paints an even starker picture. We rate Boston at a staggering 10.3 points above expectation, with OKC in second at 7.7. To put this into perspective, the gap between Boston and OKC (2.6 points) is larger than the gap between the Thunder and our sixth-ranked team, the Denver Nuggets. Right now, the Celtics are operating on a completely different level, solidifying their position as the league’s clear frontrunner – even if they won’t be lifting the NBA Cup in Las Vegas.

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.

Want to stay ahead of the curve this season? Don’t miss our special offer – use promo code POWER to save 10% on a subscription to FTN Fantasy. Dive deeper into the NBA with us!

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

Key Takeaways

The Boston Celtics Are on Their Own Level

As a die-hard Knicks fan, it pains me to admit that the Celtics are in a class of their own. While Jayson Tatum, ranked sixth in our player model, is the undisputed leader, Boston’s dominance stems from its depth. Our model ranks eight Celtics among the top 100 players in the league, including seven in the top 70. This means their starting lineup is elite, but their bench, featuring players like Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, keeps the machine humming throughout the game. It’s hard to imagine anyone slowing them down anytime soon.

Can The Thunder Compete With Boston?

If there’s one team that looks capable of challenging Boston in a seven-game series, it’s Oklahoma City. With a team rating of 7.7 points above expectation – the second-best in the league – the Thunder are firmly in contention, even without Chet Holmgren Our player model rates Holmgren as the 18th-best player overall and the fourth-best defender, underscoring how much they’re missing.

However, there’s a looming question about fit. Isaiah Hartenstein, ranked 30th in our model and playing brilliantly since his return from injury, occupies the same position as Holmgren. Finding the right balance between their roles will be critical. But make no mistake: based purely on talent and potential, OKC is Boston’s most serious competition.

Are the Indiana Pacers the Biggest Disappointment?

If you’ve been following our rankings since the season started, the Pacers’ struggles shouldn’t be surprising. We rated them 18th in the preseason, and they’ve only fallen three spots since. But for Pacers fans, expectations were far higher following last season’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Much of their disappointment revolves around Tyrese Haliburton Coming off an All-NBA selection, a spot on Team USA and a super-max extension, Haliburton has not delivered at the same level as last year. In a loss to the Hornets yesterday, he managed just nine points, highlighting his inconsistency. He’s dropped to 43rd in our player model, ranking as the 12th-best point guard and 18th guard overall. If the Pacers want to salvage their season, Haliburton must step up.

Are the Atlanta Hawks Good?

Before their blowout loss to Denver, the Hawks were on a six-game winning streak that included two victories over the Cavaliers and another over the Bucks – impressive feats. Yet, despite this success, we still rank Atlanta 18th, suggesting the Hawks are a play-in team at best.

Surprisingly, this recent surge has come despite minimal contributions from their star point guard, Trae Young Trae is enduring the worst shooting season of his career, hitting just 38% from the field and 31% from three. Additionally, he ranks as the league’s sixth-worst defender in our model, compounding Atlanta’s issues. As a team, the Hawks have only three players in our top 100, and one of them, Bogdan Bogdanović, has appeared in just 10 games this season.

Advancing past the Knicks in the NBA Cup could help make me a believer in Atlanta. Until then, I remain skeptical of this team’s ceiling.

Check out some more interesting NBA Information on ftnfantasy.com