Now that the dust has settled on the 2024-25 NBA season, it’s time for the final edition of the power rankings. How do the Wolves rank after escaping the play-in and earning a marquee matchup with Luke and LeBron?
All 82 games. Thirty teams. Countless hot takes, 37-point blowouts, last-second banked threes, load management headaches, and at least a dozen “Is [Insert Star Here] secretly unhappy?” stories that turned out to be total nonsense. This is the NBA, people. We made it. Now we’re staring down the barrel of the postseason — that beautiful, chaotic two-month sprint where legacies are made, reputations are shattered, and role players named “Lonnie” randomly turn into playoff heroes.
This year? It’s shaping up to be one of the weirdest and wildest playoff fields in recent memory. Especially out West, where the standings felt like a five-car pileup on black ice. The Clippers, Nuggets, Wolves, Lakers, and Warriors all ended up within a fingernail of each other in the standings. It took a Golden State–Clippers overtime game on the final day to shake out the bracket.
So how did it all shake out? Here it is — our final regular season edition of the 2024–25 NBA Power Rankings. Buckle up.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (68–14) Last Week: 2
They didn’t get to 70 wins, but they still locked up the best record in the NBA with a four-game win streak to close it out. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has reached the “Is this guy one of the five best players alive?” tier. Chet Holmgren might be the least-talked-about future All-Star of this generation. They’ve got shooting, length, defense, depth, vibes. It’s like watching a well-run startup that suddenly IPO’d at $12 billion. Can they hold up under playoff pressure? That’s the only question.
2. Boston Celtics (61–21) Last Week: 1
Boston loses the top spot after a late stumble in Orlando. Still, Tatum, Brown, and a scary-good defense make them the favorite in the East. If they go full 2008 Celtics and remind everyone how good they can be when they lock in, we could be looking at Banner 19.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (64–18) Last Week: 3
I have no idea what to do with Cleveland. They lost two of their final three games to Indiana — not ideal, considering they might see the Pacers again in Round 2. Donovan Mitchell’s playoff track record is, uh, complicated. But they’re deep, they’re long, they’re smart. If Mobley and Allen take a step forward, they can absolutely make a run. But if they flame out early, no one would be shocked either.
4. Los Angeles Clippers (50–32) Last Week: 7
It’s cute how everyone forgot about the Clippers for five months. Now they’ve won eight straight, Kawhi looks like he’s been thawed from the cryo-chamber just in time, and James Harden has quietly put together a “Wait, is this a redemption arc?” season. They took out the Warriors in OT on Sunday and now face Denver in the first round. If I’m the Thunder, I’m not loving that potential second-round matchup.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (49–33) Last Week: 5
The Wolves blew a 24-point fourth-quarter lead in Milwaukee last week that still makes me involuntarily flinch. That loss probably cost them the four seed. But they rallied, took care of business against Memphis, Brooklyn, and Utah, and now they’ve got the sixth seed — and a date with the Lakers. This team has size, grit, and just enough Ant-Man magic to be terrifying in a seven-game series. Remember: they beat Denver six straight times. They can hang with anyone. They just have to avoid their inner chaos demon for two weeks.
6. Milwaukee Bucks (48–34) Last Week: 11
You have to give them credit. Eight straight wins to close the season. And they did it by beating who was in front of them — including a massive comeback over the Wolves. This team’s still weird, but they’ve got firepower. Still, Dame’s health remains the biggest question as they head to the playoffs.
7. Houston Rockets (52–30) Last Week: 4
Let’s just call it what it was — a coast to the finish. Houston lost three straight to playoff teams with nothing really on the line, which is understandable for a young squad. But momentum matters. If they end up facing the Warriors, that could be a welcome-to-the-playoffs moment in the worst way.
8. Indiana Pacers (50–32) Last Week: 8
Seven wins in their last eight. Two of those came against Cleveland. Haliburton looks confident again. They’ve got speed, offense, and swagger. If they knock out Milwaukee, it won’t even be a shock.
9. Los Angeles Lakers (50–32) Last Week: 9
Sure, they got help from the scheduling gods. But they did what they had to do, and now they get home court against the Timberwolves. If LeBron and Luka go supernova, this team could win two rounds. But if Minnesota plays smart and uses their depth and size? We might be watching yet another playoff flameout in this era of Lakers basketball.
10. Denver Nuggets (50–32) Last Week: NR
Fired Mike Malone, lost four straight, looked like a mess. And then rebounded with three wins to close the season and somehow secured the four seed. But now they get the hottest team in basketball — the Clippers — in Round 1. A very un-fun reward for a very stressful April.
11. New York Knicks (51–31) Last Week: 10
They limped into the playoffs with losses to Boston, Detroit, and Cleveland. Something’s a little off. Maybe it’s the fatigue. Maybe it’s the weight of expectations. Or maybe they’re saving it for Round 1. But they better wake up fast — Detroit’s not going to be an easy out.
12. Golden State Warriors (48–34) Last Week: 6
They lost to the Spurs. At home. In crunch time. With Steph Curry on the floor. Then they lost to the Clippers in OT. And now they’re in the play-in. Again. The basketball gods are either punishing them or reminding us that even dynasties eventually hit the wall. Still, you can never count out Steph. You just can’t.
So here we are. The playoffs are set. The West is a warzone. The East is… top-heavy, but interesting. The Timberwolves are a dangerous wild card. The Thunder are trying to make the leap. And there’s about to be a whole lot of late-night scoreboard watching, heart palpitations, and, hopefully, playoff classics.
Strap in. This is the best time of the year. Let’s go Wolves. Beat LA.