2024 FTN NBA Power Rankings: The Bucks Are Back! Jokić's Best Season Yet?

Welcome back to FTN Fantasy’s NBA Power Rankings!

Believe it or not, we’re already nearing the quarter-mark of the NBA season. With teams having played around 17 games, we’re beginning to see meaningful trends and draw solid conclusions. Some teams, like the Bucks, worked through early-season challenges and are now thriving, while others, like the 76ers, are still struggling to find their footing.

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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FTN NBA Power Rankings

Key Takeaways

The Bucks are Back!

When the Bucks started 2-8, panic swept through Milwaukee. The Giannis-Dame pairing faced heavy scrutiny, and Doc Rivers seemed one step closer to returning to ESPN broadcasts. But since that rough start, everything has changed. Giannis has reclaimed his dominance, taking over games as only he can. Dame has embraced a facilitating role, recording 10+ assists in three of his last four outings. The bench, previously a glaring weakness, is now contributing meaningfully – Gary Trent Jr., in particular, has stepped up. With Khris Middleton expected back later this week, the Bucks’ upward trajectory looks poised to continue.

Nikola Jokić is at the Top of his Game

Claiming that Nikola Jokić is better than ever is no small statement for a player with three MVPs in four seasons. Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening. According to FTN’s model, Jokić is adding over 1.5 more points of value than any other player in the league. He’s averaging a jaw-dropping 30.3 points, 13.9 rebounds and 11.3 assists per game, all while shooting with insane efficiency – 56% from three, no less. He ranks second in scoring, first in rebounds, second in assists and leads all players in three-point shooting among those with at least 400 minutes played. Simply put, no player is more essential to his team than Jokić, whose brilliance keeps the Nuggets ranked eighth in our model almost single-handedly.

The 76ers are Headed Toward Complete Failure

At 3-13, the 76ers are spiraling, and it’s hard to see a clear path forward. Joel Embiid has struggled in his limited appearances, playing just four games so far. Paul George looks like a shell of his former self. And while rookie Jared McCain has shown promise, he’s still prone to inconsistency – like his 20% shooting night yesterday. If the Sixers can get healthy and reset mentally, their talent could make them dangerous. But with every loss, the likelihood of this season being a write-off grows.

Is the Western Conference That Good, or is the Eastern Conference That Bad?

For over two decades, the Western Conference has generally outperformed the East. This season, the disparity feels more pronounced than ever. The West holds a dominant 44-25 record in inter-conference matchups, a gap that continues to widen. Interestingly, the East boasts the league’s two highest-rated teams – the Celtics and Cavaliers – but its bottom tier is dragging the conference down. Eight of the 12 lowest-ranked teams in our model are Eastern Conference squads, a figure that jumps to nine when ignoring injuries. As a result, the Eastern Conference playoffs might feature multiple sub-.500 teams, while some strong Western Conference contenders could miss the cut entirely.

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	22-6	1	1	-	1	-	Even in a week where they went 1-1, it'll take a lot more to move Boston off of the top spot. After losing to Chicago early in the week, Tatum refused to let that happen again in their rematch, going for a 43-point triple double
Oklahoma City Thunder	WEST	22-5	2	2	-	2	-	The Thunder certainly didn't have the result in the Cup Final that they hoped for, but they are still the clear second best team in our ratings. The game did expose a potential flaw in their lack of 3-point shooting
Cleveland Cavaliers	EAST	25-4	3	4	+1	8	+5	While advanced metrics have the Cavs slightly behind Boston and OKC, the Cavs still have the best record in the NBA, and should be thrilled about where they're at a 3rd of the way into the season
Dallas Mavericks	WEST	18-10	4	3	-1	3	-1	We expect Luka to return at some point this week, so we're leaving him in for our ratings. When healthy, this team is deep enough to be a contender
New York Knicks	EAST	18-10	5	5	-	9	+4	The Knicks went into Minnesota and absolutely embaressed Julius Randle and the Wolves, causing Wolves fans on social media to turn on Julius
Denver Nuggets	WEST	15-11	6	6	-	5	-1	The Nuggets continue to have head-scratching losses, like their Thursday loss to Portland, but when you have Nikola Jokic, you can win on any night against any team
Milwaukee Bucks	EAST	15-12	7	10	+3	10	+3	We are miles past the Bucks' slow start, and winning the Midseason Cup was the proof in the pudding
Minnesota Timberwolves	WEST	14-13	8	9	+1	7	-1	The Timberwolves may be the 8th-ranked team in our ratings, but they have some serious questions to answer. Where is the offense going to come from when Edwards or Randle isn't hot? There seems to be a chemistry issue here
Memphis Grizzlies	WEST	20-9	9	11	+2	17	+8	The Grizzlies are finally getting respect in these ratings, up 8 spots from their preseason ranking and up 2 spots from last week. This team is extremely deep, and Ja is the engine that makes it run
Sacramento Kings	WEST	13-17	10	7	-3	13	+3	Just when things started to turn around for the Kings, coming off of a 3-game win streak, the Kings go 0-4, capped off by a blowout loss to Indiana.
Philadelphia 76ers	EAST	9-17	11	12	+1	4	-7	The 76ers do appear to be moving in the right direction, gong 6-3 in their last 9 games. But I just want to point out that Embiid played friday vs Charlotte and then sat on Saturday against the Cavs, which isn't surprising anymore but is certainly disapointing.
Houston Rockets	WEST	19-9	12	13	+1	19	+7	The Rockets are one of the bigger risers in these ratings, up from 19 to start the season. And yet, Rockets fans are sure to be upset by this rating, as their 19-9 start indicates they're a threat in the west
Miami Heat	EAST	13-13	13	15	+2	20	+7	The Heat are stuck in the middle right now, which is not where NBA teams want to be. It's hard to pinpoint the right landing spot for Jimmy Butler, but it makes sense that the Heat want to blow it up
Los Angeles Clippers	WEST	16-13	14	17	+3	11	-3	Norman Powell is likely heading toward his first all-star appearance. He's averaging 23.9 PPG and is doing it on insane efficiency as the #1 option as the Clippers are 3 games over .500
Golden State Warriors	WEST	15-12	15	14	-1	16	+1	The Warriors snapped their losing streak with a nice win over the Timbewolves, and Curry showed he's still got it.
Phoenix Suns	WEST	14-13	16	8	-8	6	-10	The biggest fallers this week, as Devin Booker is out and the Suns look lost without him. When healthy, this team can content, but if one of Booker or KD is out, then they have no shot
Los Angeles Lakers	WEST	16-12	17	20	+3	12	-5	Last week I was ready to count them out, but now they're on a 3-game win streak and Lebron and AD look healthy again
Orlando Magic	EAST	18-12	18	16	-2	15	-3	The Magic somehow are treading water despite missing their 2 best players. With Paolo potentially returning soon, this season is far from lost for Orlando
Atlanta Hawks	EAST	14-15	19	18	-1	21	+2	I want to believe in this Atlanta team, but last week showed why I'm unable to do so. The talent is there, but they need to be more consistant
Indiana Pacers	EAST	14-15	20	21	+1	18	-2	The Pacers are just 1 game under .500 after winning 4 of 5, and Tyrese Haliburton is beginning to look like himself again. While they're not a title contender, they're at least showing that they can make the playoffs again
San Antonio Spurs	WEST	15-13	21	19	-2	22	+1	When Wemby and CP3 are both on the floor together, the Spurs are good enough to make the playoffs. We have to see what the rest of the season looks like, especially in the tough western conference, but I'm holding out hope that we see playoff-Wemby
Chicago Bulls	EAST	13-16	22	24	+2	25	+3	In classic Chicago Bulls fashion, they somehow beat the Celtics this week, in Boston. They aren't good enough to make a run, but they aren't bad enough to tank, so look for Zach Lavine to get moved
Detroit Pistons	EAST	12-17	23	25	+2	24	+1	This Detroit team can be fun on some nights when Cade is playing, but they're still a couple of pieces away from true contention
Brooklyn Nets	EAST	11-17	24	23	-1	26	+2	The Nets made their rebuilding plans obvious when they traded Dennis Schroder, but it's given Cam Johnson a chance to show what he looks like as a #1 option
New Orleans Pelicans	WEST	5-25	25	22	-3	14	-11	While injuires are the main issue for New Orleans this year, they have enough talent healthy now that they should be wninning more games. It is pretty pathetic right now
Charlotte Hornets	EAST	7-21	26	28	+2	28	+2	Of all the really really awful teams in the league, Charlotte is probably the best because they have Lamelo
Toronto Raptors	EAST	7-22	27	27	-	27	-	Is Immanuel Quickley ever coming back? I'd love to see what this team looks like with IQ + RJ + Scottie, but I'm not sure we are going to get that chance this year
Utah Jazz	WEST	7-20	28	26	-2	23	-5	The Jazz are probably better than the Trailblazers, but not by much. Lauri is a good player, but if he's your first option, you have no chance
Portland Trail Blazers	WEST	9-19	29	29	-	30	+1	Do you want to know how they beat Denver this week? Don't ask me, I have no idea
Washington Wizards	EAST	4-22	30	30	-	29	-1	Gross
	Conference