The NBA All-Star break has given players and coaches an opportunity to relax, heal, and prepare for the final ~25 games of the regular season.
The break also gives fans a chance to evaluate the league from a broader perspective and try to identify the teams that are true contenders.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are still heavy favorites to win the championship on bet365 (+130), with the Denver Nuggets (+500), Cleveland Cavaliers (+1200), New York Knicks (+1200), and Detroit Pistons (+1400) rounding out the top five favorites.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is -200 to win MVP, while Victor Wembanyama (-300) and Cooper Flagg (-700) are looking to claim the Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year trophies, respectively.
Deni Avdija is -125 to take home the Most Improved Player trophy, and Naz Reid is the favorite to take home the Sixth Man at +185.
Injuries to top players on top teams has been an unfortunate theme this season as the Thunder, Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and more have had to deal with injuries to their superstars.
However, outside of the long-term injury for Jayson Tatum, the hope is every team looks fully healthy by the time the playoffs come around.
Below is our list for the top-ten NBA teams heading into the last quarter of the season.
NBA Power Rankings - Post All-Star Break
10 - Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are 33-21, 5th in the crowded Western Conference. It's an impressive record considering Luka Doncic has missed 12 games, Austin Reaves has missed 26, LeBron James has missed 18, and their net rating for the season is -0.1.
Their offense is average, their defense is average, and they've lost 18 games by double-digits, but their 15-3 record in "clutch" situations stands out in a big way. If the Lakers can keep games close, Doncic and co. have been terrific at closing out games - a good recipe for playoff basketball.
9 - Houston Rockets
The Rockets are very good - they're 33-20 and 4th in the West and have a top-six defense, but something about this team does feel...off.
Blowout losses to inferior teams such as the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings have been a theme, poor clutch-time play (-7.8 net rating in clutch situations), critical comments by head coach Ime Udoka about Alperen Sengun's defense, and now the Kevin Durant "burner" account situation have taken over headlines in Houston.
It's not all bad - Amen Thompson, Durant, Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard have produced a decent offense this season, and the defense is great, but it's hard to see a vision for how the team will score when in a playoff setting.
Thompson can't shoot, Sengun has been inefficient for a big man, and Smith Jr. is inconsistent on a game-to-game basis. That leaves a ton of pressure on the 37-year-old Durant and the 21-year-old Sheppard.
The defense will be good enough to keep them in playoff games, but will the offense have any answer when Durant inevitably gets doubled in the playoffs?
8 - Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves (34-22) come in at the 8th spot, with potential to move up as the season winds down.
Minnesota has a perfect 7-man rotation for the playoffs that includes scoring, terrific defense, rebounding, and playmaking from several players. After adding Ayo Dosunmu at the trade deadline, there's no real hole or concerns for the top-seven.
The one glaring issue with the Wolves is if one of the cogs to their powerful lineup gets hurt. They have stayed very healthy throughout the regular season, but would have to count on Bones Hyland, Terrance Shannon Jr., or Mike Conley if someone gets hurt. Those three players are most likely not to be trusted in the playoffs.
7 - New York Knicks
The Knicks (35-20) have a nice blend of offense, defense, and depth that make them ready for a playoff run.
Their trade deadline acquisition of Jose Alvarado has worked out well (14 points per game in three games) and gives them a proven ball-handler off the bench.
New York is going to need Karl-Anthony Towns to step up to have a real chance - he's currently having the most inefficient season of his career.
6 - Boston Celtics
Boston (35-19) has surprised everyone in the NBA after Tatum was ruled out for the majority of the season. Tatum is reportedly practicing and could return for a playoff run, which would make them even more dangerous.
Jaylen Brown has played at an MVP-candidate level and elite shooters (Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Derrick White) are everywhere. The Celtics also picked up Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline, a key addition for a small team.
Defensively is where the Celtics are the best as they have plenty of switchable players that can guard multiple positions at a high level. Even if Tatum is out for the playoffs, it would be no surprise to this iteration of the team represent the East in the Finals.
5 - Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs (34-21) are 9-1 in their last 10 games and are starting to look like the offensive powerhouse they were last year.
Donovan Mitchell and the newly-acquired James Harden have complemented each other well and both were huge down the stretch in an impressive comeback win at Denver.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are stalwarts defensively down low, while Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis were brought in via trade to help spell Harden and Mitchell on defense on the perimeter.
Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson have each been shooting the lights out of the ball, and this team is very dangerous overall.
4 - Denver Nuggets
A number of injuries to the Nuggets (35-20) have affected their record, but it is impressive that they're still in the top three in the West. Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, and Jonas Valanciunas have each missed or will miss over four weeks of play.
First time All-Star Jamal Murray has stepped up in a big way, averaging 25.7 points and 7.6 assists per game in a career year.
On paper, the Nuggets have an extremely talented team surrounding Jokic - it's the best roster Jokic has had in his career. Valanciunas, Watson, Bruce Brown, and Tim Hardaway Jr. is a great bench while the starters have been some of the best in the league for a while.
However, some uncharacteristic losses at home (15-11 in Denver) and in the clutch (-8.6 net rating) are causes for concern. The Nuggets should get most of their guys back in a month, giving them some time to figure out their chemistry before the playoffs start.
3 - Detroit Pistons
The two-man game between Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren has been unstoppable for Detroit (40-13) who lead the East by 5.5 games.
Defense is their calling card, while Cunningham (+1400 to win MVP) carries the offense with his ability to score and playmake with the best of them.
Isaiah Stewart, Ausar Thompson, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and Ron Holland each average nearly two STOCKS per game, as they play a chaotic and aggressive defensive style similar to Oklahoma City's.
Duncan Robinson and Tobias Harris each provide enough offense and make difficult shots to keep them afloat on that end in the regular season, but time will tell if the offense will be explosive enough in the playoffs.
2 - San Antonio Spurs
Of course, discussions about the Spurs (38-16) start and end with Victor Wembanyama as he's been terrific on both sides of the ball this year, but it's the depth that makes this team dangerous.
Wembanyama will make any team a top defense, and the Spurs have eight players averaging double-figures in points per game on offense. Their ninth player in the rotation, Luke Kornet, is one of the best backup centers in the league.
Stephon Castle has taken a big leap this year, De'Aaron Fox has settled in with San Antonio, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, and Harrison Barnes each put in a few threes per game, and Keldon Johnson is one of the favorites for Sixth Man of the Year.
Not to mention backup rookie point guard Dylan Harper who keeps looking more poised as the season goes on.
1 - Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder (42-14) will remain at the top of the list until a team proves them otherwise once the playoffs come around.
Everyone knows the story with OKC - a historic defense paired with a historic scorer is a recipe for a historic team. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.8 points per game while shooting a career-high 55.4% from the field.
The reigning champs have looked a bit worse this year however, as injuries have started to pile up for them as well. Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, and SGA have each missed some significant time, and the Thunder that started 24-1 have gone 18-13 in their last 31 games.
Fully healthy, it's hard to see a team manage to win four of seven against them in a playoff series.
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All odds written in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
