2024 FTN NBA Power Rankings: Cavs Stay at 2, 76ers Running out of Time?

Welcome back to FTN Fantasy’s NBA Power Rankings!

We’re about a month into the 2024-2025 NBA season, and the Cleveland Cavaliers still haven’t lost a game. Surely, they must be ranked first, right? Actually, FTN still has them at No. 2, trailing only the Celtics, who our simulation model rates as a cut above the rest. While most power rankings overreact to recent performances, FTN’s model evaluates the season holistically, focusing on predicting future success. So if you’re here for hot takes about your favorite team winning it all because they went 3-0 last week, this isn’t that article. Even though the Cavaliers boast the league’s best record and deserve their No. 2 spot, we still have the reigning champs as the top team. And I think I speak for all our readers when I say we can’t wait to watch the Cavs and Celtics face off tomorrow night.

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

The Celtics Are in a League of Their Own

FTN’s betting model assigns offensive and defensive ratings to every team based on their expected performance. Right now, the Celtics are head and shoulders above the competition with an overall rating of 9.1. The next-best team, the Cavaliers, sit at 6.2. On offense, Boston stands out even more with a 6.9 rating; the next-closest is Dallas at 4.3. In other words, the Celtics are in a league of their own and are expected to be favorites in every game they play. This is reflected in the betting lines – they’re five-point favorites against the undefeated Cavaliers on Tuesday.

The Cavaliers’ Start is For Real

Cavs fans might be bummed we don’t have them at the top of the rankings, but let’s give credit where it’s due – Cleveland has clearly separated itself from the rest of the Eastern Conference. The next highest-ranked team in the conference is the Knicks, sitting at No. 7. If you told a Cavs fan before the season that they’d be a definitive top-two team in the East, they’d have taken it in a heartbeat. While their starting lineup has been key, I have to give a shoutout to Ty Jerome. After playing just two games last season, he’s now averaging a ridiculously efficient 10.7 PPG off the bench. Talk about a comeback!

It’s Now or Never For the 76ers

The 76ers land at No. 11 in our power rankings despite a rough 2-10 start. On the bright side, Jared McCain looks like the steal of the draft, and if this team can ever get fully healthy, they’re as dangerous as anyone. Our model still believes a healthy Sixers team is at least a playoff-caliber one. But here’s the catch – they’re already eight games under .500. At some point, they need to start winning games if they want a shot at the postseason. The injury excuse only goes so far.

The Model Does Not Agree With My Eyes About the Rockets

The Rockets are 10-4 and one of the hottest teams in the league right now. When I watch them, I see a deep roster and rising stars like Alperen Sengun making plays every night. They’ve racked up quality wins against the Knicks and Mavericks, and even took the Warriors to overtime. So I expected them to crack the top 10 in our rankings. But here’s the thing – our model predicts future performance, and it still views the Rockets as an average team. It’ll be interesting to see if Houston can maintain this early-season momentum or if the model’s skepticism proves accurate.

Check out some more interesting NBA Information on ftnfantasy.com

Conference:

Team	Conference	Record	Current Rank	Previous	Week Diff	Preseason	Pre Diff	Notes
Boston Celtics	EAST	21-5	1	1	-	1	-	No surprise here, as we rank the Celtics first yet again, and it's not particularly close. Boston took care of business with blowout wins over Detroit and Washington
Oklahoma City Thunder	WEST	20-5	2	2	-	2	-	OKC will play in the Cup Finals vs the Bucks on Tuesday, and no one should be surprsied. This team is the clear favorite in the west
Dallas Mavericks	WEST	17-9	3	3	-	3	-	Despite losing to OKC in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, the Mavs made up for it by scoring 143 in Golden State to cap off their week. The Mavericks are deep, and if anyone can compete with OKC, it is Dallas (as of now)
Cleveland Cavaliers	EAST	22-4	4	5	+1	8	+4	Cleveland took care of business in their one game against the Wizards this week. Cavs fans will be happy to see they've passed the Knicks in this week's rankings
New York Knicks	EAST	16-10	5	4	-1	9	+4	The Knicks took a disapointing loss to the Hawks, at home, in the quarterfinals of the Cup. The Knicks arguably have the best starting lineup in the league, but their lack of depth is a clear weakness right now
Denver Nuggets	WEST	13-10	6	6	-	5	-1	Denver dominated the Clippers in their one game this week. As long as Jokic is playing, the Nuggets will remain a threat in the west
Sacramento Kings	WEST	13-13	7	8	+1	13	+6	After seeming to be in free-fall, the Kings have now won three straight. They can use some support off the bench, but they have one of the toughest starting-5s in basketball
Phoenix Suns	WEST	13-11	8	19	+11	6	-2	Kevin Durant is healthy again, so the Suns are back in our top 10. Even at 36 years old, KD remains one of the league's most impactful players
Minnesota Timberwolves	WEST	14-11	9	7	-2	7	-2	The Timberwolves remain hot with a 2-0 week. If they can start getting some contributions off the bench, the Timberwolves would feel like a real threat out west
Milwaukee Bucks	EAST	14-11	10	9	-1	10	-	Remember when Doc Rivers was about to get fired and Giannis was getting traded? The Bucks now face OKC in the Cup Finals, and things seem to at the very least be stable in Milwaukee
Memphis Grizzlies	WEST	18-9	11	10	-1	17	+6	They finish the weekw with a shocking loss to the Lakers after winning 10 of their last 11. Still, Memphis is off to an impressive start and is just one notch behind the top contenders
Philadelphia 76ers	EAST	7-16	12	13	+1	4	-8	They're still just 7-16, but they're 5-5 in their last 10. However, Embiid will miss at least one game next week, and it's simply impossible to feel good if you're a 76ers fan (unless you're an Eagles fan too)
Houston Rockets	WEST	17-9	13	14	+1	19	+6	The Rockets should be proud of what they've accomplished to date this season. They are 17-9 and beat the Warriors to get to the semi-finals of the Cup. But then OKC reminded us that this Houston team has a ways to go to being a true contender
Golden State Warriors	WEST	14-11	14	12	-2	16	+2	The good news is Dennis Schroder should provide a legit spark, whether he starts or comes off the bench. The bad news is they're 2-8 in their last 10, and they play in a very tough western conference
Miami Heat	EAST	13-10	15	11	-4	20	+5	Miami falling to 15th has more to do with other teams getting healthy than them doing anything wrong. Miami is on a 4-game wining streak and should be satisfied with how the year has gone so far
Orlando Magic	EAST	17-11	16	16	-	15	-1	It sucks to see Orlando ranked this low, but until Paolo or Franz returns, they are not in the top half of the league
Los Angeles Clippers	WEST	14-12	17	15	-2	11	-6	The Clippers should be proud of their 14-12 start to the season without Leonard, but their blowout loss to Denver is a reminder that they're a few notches below the best teams in the league
Atlanta Hawks	EAST	14-13	18	18	-	21	+3	The Hawks had an impressive win at Madison Square Garden to advance to the Semifinals of the Cup but weren't able to get past the Bucks. Right now, the Hawks are an average team but have the potential to improve
San Antonio Spurs	WEST	13-13	19	20	+1	22	+3	The Spurs had a solid 1-1 week, and they continue to play .500 ball. The future is bright, but in the present, the Spurs should be satisfied with their 13-13 record
Los Angeles Lakers	WEST	14-12	20	17	-3	12	-8	The Lakers get a much-needed surprise win to end the week. They need to find some more firepower outside of Lebron and AD, but as long as those two guys are playing, they will win more often than lose
Indiana Pacers	EAST	12-15	21	21	-	18	-3	The Pacers had a great week, going 2-0 with two double-digit wins. While I'm not ready to declare that they're back, they are at least moving in the right direction
New Orleans Pelicans	WEST	5-22	22	23	+1	14	-8	The Pelicans are ready for the offseason to begin. The question is what will they do? While injury ruined this season, they may decide to blow the team up regardless
Brooklyn Nets	EAST	10-15	23	22	-1	26	+3	Trading Dennis Schroder is the right move, but it will certianly hurt the Nets in the short term
Chicago Bulls	EAST	11-15	24	24	-	25	+1	This ranking is maybe too low for Chicago, but they're clearly a bottom-10 team in the league
Detroit Pistons	EAST	10-16	25	25	-	24	-1	After a relatively promising start to the season, Detroit has now lost 7 of their last 10 games.
Utah Jazz	WEST	5-19	26	27	+1	23	-3	The Jazz technically move up a spot in the rankings, but really the Raptors just moved down due to Barnes' injury
Toronto Raptors	EAST	7-19	27	26	-1	27	-	Just when the Raptors started to get healthy, Scottie Barnes sustains a significant injury
Charlotte Hornets	EAST	7-18	28	28	-	28	-	Miles Bridges returned this week, but the Hornets are not worth watching until Lamelo returns
Portland Trail Blazers	WEST	8-18	29	29	-	30	+1	The Blazers have some good wins this season, but their recent 6-game losing streak shows how much work Portland has left to do
Washington Wizards	EAST	3-20	30	30	-	29	-1	Yuck
	Conference