NBA Power Rankings 2021

Who’s hot and who’s cold in the hunt for the NBA 2021-22 title? 

The conference standings don’t always tell what's up and what's down, so use our Power Rankings to make sure you know that you are in the know. Power rankings are updated after each NBA Regular season match week after every NBA Playoff game.

How does it work? We base our Power Ranking model on an improved version of Glicko (Glicko-2) that values ​​the strength of a team fighting for the NBA Title week after week, based on a rating, deviation and volatility.

NBA Power Rankings Past Updates

Week 1 (December 22nd - 29th)

• The Philadelphia 76ers under the management of Doc Rivers has shown a promising start, as have the Celtics. 
• It's business as usual in the West, as LeBron and his Lakers picked up where they left off last season - notably picking wins up on the road.
• Equally, the Suns and Utah Jazz have started strongly and will certainly be teams to look out for this season.
• It's the Timberwolves in the West and Westbrook's Washington in the East who have made the worst starts to the season and sit bottom of their respective conferences.

Week 2 (January 1st - 10th)

• The Lakers are at the top of the pile in the NBA Power Rankings, going 8-3 including a dominant win over the Rockets in their last.
• The 76ers have continued their run of good form, as they sit atop the Eastern Conference alongside the Celtics on 7-3.
• The Mavericks are climbing the rankings, as they go on a 3-game win streak with Luka Doncic playing like an MVP contender already.
• The Pelicans have dropped way down having lost their last three games, including losses to Thunder and Pacers

Week 3 (January 11th - 18th)

• Title hopefuls and certainly a team favored to compete in the playoffs the Denver Nuggets are our most improved team this week, climbing +10 in the rankings.
• The Lakers continue to soar above the rest, picking up wins in nearly all their games and reminding the NBA why they were the 2020 NBA Champions.
• A resurgent Warriors side also looks to be restating their position in the league, climbing +9 and moving up to 10th in the rankings.
• The move for Westbrook to the Wizards doesn't seem to have given them much, as they sit bottom of the pile alongside a struggled Detroit Pistons side.

Week 4 (January 19th - January 26th)

• The Lakers are still atop of the NBA Power Rankings this week, but they're closely tailed by the Clippers, Bucks and a very impressive Pacers team. 
• The Philadelphia 76ers (-5), Celtics (-2) and Suns (-4) have dropped points this season, allowing a Jazz team that continues to string together wins and climbing to 6th in the rankings.
• The Orlando Magic has really fallen off this week dropping -10 in the rankings. With the Grizzlies going the other way and climbing +13 to 13th.
• The Pistons and Timberwolves are still facing an uphill battle after a dismal start to the campaign. 

Week 5 (January 27th - February 1st)

• While the Clippers remain on top, but it's the Jazz and 76ers who are making the most impact on the rankings this week climbing +3 each to 3rd and 4th, respectively.
• The Nuggets, Cavs, and Hawks are also doing very well in week 4 climbing the ranks after some excellent wins.
• The Toronto Raptors had a torrid time at the start of the season, but seem to have found themselves again and go +7 in the rankings moving to 20th.
• The Timberwolves and Pistons remain at the bottom of the rankings, just behind the Wizards and Pelicans who have a lot of work to do if they want to make the Playoffs.

Week 6 (February 2nd - February 8th)

• The Utah Jazz climbs another position in the rankings this week, but can't knock the Los Angeles Clippers off their perch at the top.
• The Lakers, 76ers, and Nets are just behind, with the Brooklyn team climbing the most this week up +5 places.
• The Houston Rockets also enjoyed the first week, climbing +9 places in the rankings and moving into the top half of the table.
• The Raptors continued poor performances leave them in a tough spot, dropping -7 spots in the league and sitting 27th overall.

Week 7 (February 9th  - February 15th)

• A record-breaking start to the season for the Utah Jazz sees them remain atop of the NBA power rankings as we go into week 7.
• The Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs are some are the most improved teams this week, climbing +6 and +7 places, respectively.
• The Pacers and Grizzlies had a rough week, dropping down -7 and -6 places in the rankings this week. 
• The Heat, Mavericks, Bulls, and Magic continue to perform poorly and have a lot of work to do if they are to make it to the NBA Playoffs.

Week 8 (February 16th  - February 22nd)

• The Jazz is seemingly unstoppable this season. The team seems to be going from strength to strength, with Mitchell Donovan picking up the majority of the points. 
• The Spurs and Kings are our most improved teams this week, climbing +7 and +8 places, respectively, in the rankings this week. 
• Going in the other direction are the Pacers and Grizzlies, who dropped -7 and -6 places, respectively, after a string of poor performances. 
• Luka Doncic and the Mavericks seem to be putting together some performances thanks to the return of some key players and the team getting back to scoring ways. 

Week 9 (February 22nd  - March 1st)

• The Jazz's run of record-breaking form continues, as they sit way out in front in the NBA Power Rankings this week.
• They are chased by LeBron and his Lakers in the West. While in the East, it's Doc River's 76ers that are putting in the performances.
• The return of Kristaps Porzingis has had a direct effect on performances for the Mavs, combining with Luka to make Dallas the most improved team this week with +9 in the rankings.
• The Houston Rockets looked to be okay after the departure of Harden and Westbrook, but things have taken a turn for the worse this week dropping -7 places.

Week 10 (March 2nd  - March 9th)

• Once again it's the Utah Jazz at the top of the rankings, but it's the LA pair the Clippers and Lakers sitting in 3rd and 4th, respectively.
• Just below them, the Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets are comfortably in the top 10 after some good results.
• The Kings were looking good for a while, but after a string of poor performances, they drop -7 places in the rankings and now sit 23rd overall.
• The Bulls and Raptors seem to be finding some rhythm and +5 and +6 places in the rankings and will look to try and get their season going after the All-Star break.

Week 11 (March 9th  - March 16th)

• The Jazz is still atop of the Power Rankings this week, but the Milwaukee Bucks are starting to look like a Force in the East as Giannis finds form.
• The Knicks and Mavericks are two of the most improved teams in the top-flight of the NBA, moving up +5 and +4 places, respectively.
• The Pacers and Trail Blazers are the worst-performing teams in the Power Rankings this week, after a series of poor performances. 
• The Wizards and Thunder are climbing their way out of the bottom of the pack, with +4 and +2 places for the pair.

Week 12 (March 16th  - March 23rd)

• You wouldn't have predicted this at the start of the season, but the 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions in the NBA Power Rankings in March belong to Utah, Phoenix, and Philadelphia. 
• It's the Jazz that leads in the Power Rankings outright for this campaign, they continue to stake their claim for the best in the West, currently on a 3-game win-streak.
• The Los Angeles teams started the season 1 and 2 for the title. Now, it's the Lakers and Clippers who are performing badly, each dropping -3 places this week.
• A resurgent Dallas Mavericks side is starting to see things piece together for them. They climb +3 places in the rankings this week.

Week 13 (March 24th  - March 30th)

• The Phoenix Suns amazing run this season has taken them to the top of the NBA Power Rankings for this week. 
• Just behind the Suns are some of the favorites to win the title, the Nets, Lakers and Clippers in that order.
• The Charlotte Hornets are one of the most improved teams in the rankings this season, picking up a +4 ranking, as did the Atlanta Hawks.
• The Timberwolves have lost for a couple of games in a row now and sit rock bottom of the rankings overall. 

Week 14 (March 31st  - April 5th)

• The Utah Jazz continues to dominate things in the West and indeed in the NBA in general, atop of the league and the Power Rankings.
• A shocking season for the Boston Celtics, unable to string a series of wins together they are off the pace and not showing championship quality right now.
• The Hawks have improved a lot as the season has gone on, now looking like a stronger side and climbing their way up the rankings.
• The loss of Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden has hit the Rockets really hard, with the team well adrift of the playoff places and second bottom of the rankings this week.

Week 15 (April 6th  - April 12th)

• The Jazz remains on top as they continue their unbelievable run this year.
• The Suns are right behind the second in the Western Conference and third in the rankings.
• Just ahead of Phoenix we have the 76ers, who are competing with the stacked Nets team for the best in the East.
• Another good for Luka Doncic and his Mavericks has taken them to 11th in the rankings outright. 

Week 16 (April 13th  - April 21st)

• Utah Jazz remains on top, as the Suns, Nets, and 76ers begin to close the gap. The 76ers are pushing forward in the East, with Embiid making a claim for the MVP spot.
• Milwaukee Bucks are looking strong in the East, but haven't been able to show the same kind of performances we've seen in recent years.
• The Miami Heat are the strongest team this week, climbing +7 places in the league table. 
• The Timberwolves and Rockets remain rock bottom of the league and have a lot to do next season to bring their rosters up to speed. 

Week 17 (April 21st  - April 28th)

• The Phoenix Suns, much like the Utah Jazz, are having an unbelievable season and this is clear from their rank 1 position in the power rankings this week, something we haven't seen for many years.
• Just behind them are the two giants in the East, Doc Rivers 76ers and the championship favorites the Brooklyn Nets. 
• The Celtics are struggling a lot this season, despite the quality they have on the roster, sitting in 15th and climbing +2 places this week.
• Despite MVP Russell Westbrook joining the Wizards, Washington has struggled to make an impact this season, sitting 25th in the rankings this week.

Week 18 (April 29th  - May 4th)

• To everyone's surprise, the Utah Jazz remains at the top of the NBA Power Rankings for this week. 
• The Phoenix Suns sit second in the league, still ahead of the championship favorites the Clippers, 76ers, and Nets, who occupy the remaining top 5 spots.
• The Lakers suffered a few defeats recently, meaning they have dropped -1 place in the rankings.
• While the Bucks and Celtic climb up the rankings, moving up +1 and +4, respectively.

Week 19 (May 5th  - May 10th)

• The Utah Jazz remains on top, with the Western Conference heroes the Phoenix Suns just behind them in second place.
• The Nets climb up +1, as do the LA Clippers to find themselves second and third in the rankings overall.
• The Dallas Mavericks continue to shine, as well as the surprise team in the Eastern Conference this season the New York Knicks. 
• As we approach the end of the season, it's the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves that continue to occupy the very bottom of the table.

Week 20 (May 11th  - May 17th)

• As we go into the final weeks it's the Jazz who are still atop of the pile, as the number one team in the NBA regular season this year.
• The Denver Nuggets are now third in the Power Rankings, having climbed up +3 places this week.
• The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets make up the top 5 spots, with a +1 and -1 rank change, respectively. 
• The Trail Blazers continue their excellent season, with Damien Lillard in the driving seat and the team climbing to 10th with a +2 ranking.