The Best NBA Teams Right Now, Ranked

Image via Getty/Todd Kirkland

We got a sneak peek of what the Pelicans could be last playoffs when they challenged the Phoenix Suns to six games. That playoff series was without Zion Williamson. Although he’s currently sidelined, Zion Williamson has quickly reminded NBA fans why he went No. 1 in the 2019 draft before now superstar Ja Morant. Even with the Pelicans terrific start the season, we still haven’t seen their peak because All-Star Brandon Ingram has been sidelined the majority of the season. While their Big 3 of Zion, Ingram, and CJ McCollum is as dangerous as any trio in the league, the Pelicans depth is what makes them a contender in the West. Whether it’s emerging talent like Trey Murphy, Naji Marshall, Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado or established vets like Jonas Valanciunas and Larry Nance Jr., the Pelicans could beat you in a numerous amount of ways. This team is legit and come playoff time, they’re not a team you want to face in a 7-game series. The key for them will be health.

Even without Jaren Jackson Jr. to start the year and brief injuries to Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies have still got off to a good start. Taylor Jenkins’ squad was able to win plenty of games without Ja Morant last season so there was no reason to believe they couldn’t win without JJJ in the lineup for a significant amount of time. They’ve quietly kept winning no matter who’s been out of the lineup. The backcourt of Ja and Desmond Bane have played like the All-Star caliber players they are but it’s also been the contribution from guys like Tyus Jones, Brandon Clarke, and Santi Aldama that has been impressive early in the season. At full strength, the Grizzlies are a fun team to watch and although many doubted if they could repeat their regular season success from last year, they’re very much in line to return to the playoffs as a No. 1 seed again. 

It’s hard for a team with the reigning two-time league MVP to fly under the radar but that seems to be the case with the Nuggets so far this season. Nikola Jokic is still a walking triple-double threat, and while his numbers might not be as gaudy this season as they have been the last two years, the tradeoff has been more consistent winning. With a healthy Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. flanking him, as well as high-level role players such as Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown and Bones Hyland, the Nuggets are quietly sitting in the top spot in the Western Conference early in the season.

Everybody was writing off the Brooklyn Nets in November. Could you blame them? No but it’s an 82-game season and as long as you have Kevin Durant on your team, you will compete. After the Nets’ slow start, which included the firing of Steve Nash and drama that led to Kyrie Irving’s suspension, the team has finally turned things around and have ascended to the top tier of the East where we all expected them to be. In the KD-Kyrie era, we’ve found ourselves rarely focusing on basketball when it comes to the Brooklyn but since Jacque Vaughn took the helm as head coach, the Nets have all business and all about winning. Thankfully, Durant’s latest injury isn’t as major as it could’ve so the Nets will have to stay afloat in his absence. With the emergence of Nic Claxton, who could be in the Defensive Player of the Year talks, and role players like TJ Warren, Yuta Watanabe and Edmond Sumner, the Nets are quietly one of the deepest teams in the league. Durant and Irving have played like true superstars this season and if the team can get Ben Simmons to a point where he’s aggressive consistently, they’re going to be a difficult out in a 7-game series for anyone. 

The Celtics fell short of an NBA title last season, losing in six games to the Warriors, but things appeared bright for their future. Flanked by All-Star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as adding Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Galinari in the offseason, the Celtics looked poised to be even stronger during the 2022-2023 regular season. After Galinari tore his ACL in Eurobasket play, starting center Robert Williams underwent another knee procedure, and head coach Ime Udoka being suspended for the entire season, there was reason to question whether the Celtics could be the same dominant team they were on the back half of last season on their way to the Finals. But their play to start the year has silenced all of those worries. The transition from Udoka to Joe Mazulla has been smooth and the Celtics haven’t missed a beat. Despite their recent struggles, they sit atop the NBA standings. Jayson Tatum has become an MVP candidate this season and Jaylen Brown has is career year in terms scoring. If those two continue to raise their game to new heights, and the supporting cast continues to contribute at an elite level, the Celtics will be in line to return to the NBA Finals.