Jason Timpf: NBA Power Rankings for the Week of December 29

This week’s NBA power rankings felt less about raw talent and more about identity. Who brings consistent effort? Who folds when things get hard? And which teams are actually learning something from adversity instead of just piling up wins?

Here’s where I landed. All title odds provided by Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook.

No. 10 — Los Angeles Lakers (+2000 to win the NBA Title)

This was, without question, the most embarrassing week of the Lakers’ season.

Luka and Austin Reaves missed time. Austin exited early against Houston. But the real issue wasn’t availability—it was body language. They looked like a team that didn’t enjoy playing basketball. On Christmas Day in particular, they stood out in the worst way: sloppy, lazy, and completely lacking intensity.

The Lakers right now are a bad mix of unathletic, low-energy, and careless with execution. And when that starts at the top, it trickles down. When LeBron doesn’t defend or rebound early, the tone gets set. When Luka comes out turning the ball over and spotting teams double-digit leads in the first quarter, it’s like getting punched in the gut before the fight even starts.

That’s why the Kings win mattered—even if the Kings aren’t good.

That was the best effort and intensity I’ve seen from the Lakers in a while. Luka and LeBron set the tone early on both ends, and the rest of the group followed. I’ve said this before: the Lakers’ ceiling defensively and on the glass is capped unless they add talent. But even within that limited range, they’ve been dramatically underachieving.

This is the roster. You have to play like the best version of it. And that only happens when your stars lead.

Quick shoutout to Nick Smith, who gave them 21 off the bench, filling the Austin Reaves role as a third shot creator.

Big test coming against Detroit.

No. 9 — Boston Celtics (+3000)

I’m still very bullish on Boston.

They went 2–1 this week, winning a home-and-home against Indiana before losing a close one in Portland. The late mistakes—particularly Jaylen Brown struggling with ball pressure near half court—stood out, but the bigger issue was lineup construction.

They tried going big, got torched in drop coverage. Went small, got punished at the rim. That’s not an effort issue—that’s a personnel one.

The offense was fine. They missed some shots, but they generated good looks. The problem was they couldn’t get the stops they needed late.

Here’s the thing: these issues largely disappear when Jayson Tatum returns and when they add frontcourt depth by the trade deadline.

Jaylen Brown has been outrageous: nine straight 30-point games, averaging 33-7-6 on elite efficiency over his last 13. If you’re a Celtics fan, you should feel great. This team is ahead of schedule, Tatum’s rehab is trending positively, and the East is wide open.

No. 8 — Phoenix Suns (+50000)

Phoenix just survived one of the nastiest 10-game stretches you’ll see all season—Thunder, Nuggets, Lakers, Rockets, Wolves, Thunder again, Warriors twice, Lakers again—and came out 4–6. That’s respectable.

Now the schedule softens, and suddenly this team could be 20–14.

This is a remarkable turnaround compared to last year and even preseason expectations. I was higher on the Suns than most, but even I didn’t see this coming.

The biggest reason? Defense and culture.

They’re now a top-10 defense, and every time I watch them, Mark Williams jumps off the screen. He sets such a high floor defensively and on the glass. The growth he’s shown on that end is staggering.

Between smart roster moves and a real culture shift under Jordan, this team is finally starting to look sustainable.

No. 7 — Minnesota Timberwolves (+3000)

This was a classic Timberwolves week.

They beat a shorthanded Knicks team, then looked lifeless for three and a half quarters on Christmas Day before suddenly flipping the switch and looking terrifying. Flying around, getting stops, hitting insane shots.

Then they blew it anyway.

They followed that up by giving up a 130 offensive rating to Brooklyn. Yes, the Nets have been feisty. Yes, they’ve defended well lately. But letting that group hang 36 on you in a quarter is unacceptable.

Minnesota is the most switch-flippy team in the league. When they’re locked in, they’re athletic, physical, and dominant. When they’re not, they’re passive and disengaged.

That inconsistency is why they’re frustrating—but also why you can’t write them off. The ceiling is still championship-level.

No. 6 — Houston Rockets (+400)

Houston looks back on track.

They followed up their blowout win over the Lakers with a dominant win against Cleveland. Kevin Durant set the tone immediately, lighting them up in his first shift. Over the last couple games, he’s been spectacular—55 points and 15 assists—and his defensive impact has been massive.

The fit is coming together.

I love Tari Eason with the starters. He gives them size, athleticism, and shooting without sacrificing defensive integrity. Reed Sheppard was excellent in pick-and-roll, and Dorian Finney-Smith just quietly makes everything cleaner. Always in the right spots. Always playing hard.

This roster makes sense. And with a lighter schedule coming up, they’re positioned to keep stacking wins.

No. 5 — Denver Nuggets (+650)

Denver’s loss in Orlando was one of the most frustrating endings to a fantastic basketball game.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are on a special run—the kind of offensive partnership we haven’t seen since KD and Steph at their peak. Every night, they’re dragging an injury-ravaged roster into contention.

The problem is depth.

They’re getting crushed in non-Jokic minutes. Jokic was +16 in a game they still lost. That tells you everything. Three starters down is finally taking its toll.

The ending against Orlando devolved into a foul-baiting mess that sucked the life out of the game, but zooming out: Jokic and Murray are playing at an absurd level, and the Nuggets are still dangerous because of it.

No. 4 — Detroit Pistons (+2250)

Back-to-back losses exposed some slippage defensively, particularly on the perimeter—which is normally their calling card.

Assar Thompson and Ron Holland struggled with the Kawhi matchup, but the bigger issue for me continues to be Tobias Harris. He sticks out like a sore thumb in too many sequences. If Detroit can upgrade that spot, it would change their ceiling dramatically.

They get a chance to reset against the Lakers, and if I’m Detroit, I’m coming out trying to physically overwhelm them. The Lakers will wilt if you push early.

No. 3 — New York Knicks (+1200)

Something feels different about this Knicks team.

Jaylen Brunson has been unbelievable in the clutch—pull-up threes, tough floaters, complete control of late-game possessions. OG Anunoby delivered the dagger against Atlanta with pure effort and timing.

They’re 4–2 since the in-season tournament, bucking the trend of teams that fall apart afterward. They look tougher. More confident. More purposeful.

This team feels like it’s on a mission.

No. 2 — Oklahoma City Thunder (+115)

First time all season they’ve dropped from the top spot.

They’re 3–4 in their last seven, and some old issues are creeping back: rushed catch-and-shoot threes, playoff-style shooting pressure, and problems on the defensive glass. Giving up 53 offensive rebounds across losses to San Antonio and Minnesota isn’t nothing.

That said, I’m not worried.

This is real adversity—and that’s good. They now have concrete problems to solve instead of coasting. I think getting humbled will ultimately sharpen them.

No. 1 — San Antonio Spurs (+1300)

I do not understand how the Spurs’ odds are this long.

Yes, they have flaws. Yes, they don’t dominate every matchup the way they do OKC. But being 3–0 against the Thunder matters. That’s a real feather in your cap.

Since mid-November, they’re 15–4—best record in the league over that stretch. They did lay an egg against Utah, with some ice-cold offensive stretches, but that’s the nitpick.

Overall, this team is real. It’s a great time to be a Spurs fan, and they’ve earned the top spot.