The Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks moved up in the latest NBA power rankings following strong performances, while the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics dropped. Trade season officially opens on Monday, allowing deals for many offseason signings, as the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs prepare for the Emirates NBA Cup final.
The NBA's Week 9 power rankings highlight shifts in the standings amid the Emirates NBA Cup's impact on schedules and the start of trade eligibility for numerous players. Detroit, New York and Houston climbed into the top 10, with Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers falling, according to NBA.com analyst John Schuhmann. The rankings, released every Monday, reflect one expert's opinion based on offensive and defensive ratings, net ratings and pace.
The Oklahoma City Thunder hold the top spot at 24-2, but their 16-game winning streak ended with a narrow loss to the Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday. The Thunder scored just 109 points on 107 possessions in their worst offensive outing of the season, shooting 9-for-37 from three-point range. Chet Holmgren was a plus-51 in two games last week. The Spurs (record not specified but went 9-3 without Victor Wembanyama) upset the Thunder, advancing to the final against the Knicks, who won nine of their last 10 games behind Jalen Brunson's 75 points over two Cup elimination wins.
In the West, the Denver Nuggets (18-6) lead with the league's No. 1 offense at 124.4 points per 100 possessions, winning four straight including a road victory over Sacramento where Nikola Jokić scored 36 points on 14-for-16 shooting. The Rockets (16-6) escaped with a two-point win over the Clippers, maintaining the highest offensive rebounding percentage at 41.5%. Their bench ranks second league-wide.
The Pistons (20-5) blew out the Atlanta Hawks by 27 points for their largest margin this season, leading the East with a plus-6.3 point differential. They doubled up Atlanta 42-20 in the restricted area. The Knicks (18-7) rank second offensively at 122.0, scoring 70 points in the paint against Orlando in the semifinals.
Monday marks the opening of trade season, with players like those on new offseason contracts now eligible. Last year, the Brooklyn Nets traded Dennis Schröder on Dec. 15. Analysts note potential moves, though no obvious blockbuster looms before the Feb. 5 deadline. The West leads interconference play 55-45 (.550).
High jumps included New Orleans (+4) and San Antonio (+3), while the Lakers (-4) and Sacramento (-4) fell. The Lakers (18-7) rank 29th defensively over the last three weeks, allowing 42.8% from three. Boston (15-10) lost their five-game streak in Milwaukee, shooting 14-for-49 from three.
Teams of the week: Spurs (3-0, beating the champions with Wembanyama's return) and Kings (0-3). Plus-Minus players: Holmgren (+51, right way) and Royce O’Neale (-56, wrong way). Boston is the team to watch, facing the Pistons, Heat and Raptors this week.