The Nuggets are the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Injuries continue to eat away at the depth chart, but Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray continue to step up. Will Barton and Isaiah Thomas will return to the rotation at some point.
Despite seeing their eight-game win streak end at the hands of Detroit, the Celtics are once again in the East’s elite tier. Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart are thriving in the starting five, while Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward continue to find new life in the second unit. The Celtics are deep, talented and, after a 10-10 start to the season, finding their rhythm.
The Warriors are in a statistical tie for first. With the core now healthy and DeMarcus Cousins ramping up his rehab, it’s reasonable to expect Golden State to reclaim the top spot in the near future. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are both MVP candidates, to varying degrees.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the early MVP charge, Milwaukee has established itself as a legitimate Eastern Conference contender. Mike Budenholzer’s five-out offense allows Giannis to terrorize the interior, while both Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe have All-Star cases.
The Raptors are in a funk, but ebbs and flows are natural in an 82-game season. When Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry are healthy, the Raptors have been nothing shy of the best team in basketball. With elite depth and star-power, Toronto remains on top for now.
You can read our previous power rankings here.