We're already halfway through the NBA season, and the playoff race is really starting to heat up in both conferences - while other have fully embraced tanking for a high draft pick. How do all of the teams stack up against each other so far this season? Find out in our NBA Power Rankings:
1) Golden State Warriors (36-6)
Not a whole lot you can say here about the Warriors other than they are who we thought they were. Kevin Durant and all of their new pieces have meshed incredibly well together already, asserting themselves as the best team in the league.
2) Cleveland Cavaliers (29-11)
Cleveland is dealing with an abnormal rash of injuries, but when healthy they're as good as anyone - shown by that Christmas Day win over the Warriors.
3) Houston Rockets (33-12)
Where did these Rockets come from? Houston as hit a bit of a rough patch, losing three of their last five games, but they are a red-hot 22-5 since the start of December. Led by James Harden, Houston is the real deal.
4) San Antonio Spurs (32-9)
The Spurs are quietly lurking behind the Warriors in 2nd in the West, but are just 5-3 in the new year. It seems like they've hit a bit of a mid-season lull.
5) Toronto Raptors (29-14)
Toronto continues to re-establish themselves as one of the league's top teams, but a lack of quality wins has kept them from getting over the hump and joining that top group above them.
6) Los Angeles Clippers (27-14)
Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are both out with injuries, which has really limited the Clippers after an incredibly hot start. However, LA has figured out a recipe that works, winning seven games in a row.
7) Boston Celtics (26-16)
Isaiah Thomas is as hot as anyone else in the league, and the wins have followed, with Boston posting a 13-4 record in their last 17 games. They're starting to look like the team we thought they'd be in the preseason.
8) Memphis Grizzlies (25-19)
Memphis has proven their worth with wins over the Warriors, Jazz and Rockets (with the victories over Golden State and Houston coming on the road), but those are their only wins in the last eight games. Finding consistency is still key with his group.
9) Oklahoma City Thunder (25-19)
Like Memphis, OKC goes through stretches of dominance where they reel off short winning streaks, followed by short losing streaks. They're in the midst of the latter now, losing three of their last four games - including back-to-back losses to the Clippers and Warriors.
10) Utah Jazz (27-16)
Another team that has been dealing with injuries all year, Utah seems to have found their stride, winning five of their last six games.
11) Atlanta Hawks (24-18)
The Hawks got off to a great start, then went through a huge slump and are now hot again, winning nine of their last 11 games. This push has also caused them to pull everyone off the trading block to see what this group can do in the playoffs.
12) Milwaukee Bucks (20-21)
Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker, the Bucks look like they could develop into a dangerous team. However, like most young teams, consistency is a problem.
13) Washington Wizards (22-19)
Washington has shaken off a downright terrible start to the season, winning six of their last seven games - including three in a row. They've also won 13 games in a row a home, two shy of a franchise record.
14) Chicago Bulls (21-22)
Chicago has slowed after a hot start, losing four of their last six games. They seem to be regressing into the team we thought they would be in the preseason.
15) Indiana Pacers (22-19)
Another team that has found their way after a bad start, Indiana has won seven of their last eight games to put themselves in prime playoff position.
16) Portland Trail Blazers (18-26)
Portland has fallen well short of their preseason expectations, and are now just fighting to make the playoffs. It doesn't help that the Blazers have lost four of their last six games.
17) Charlotte Hornets (21-21)
Unlike the past couple of teams ahead of them, Charlotte got off to a tremendous start (they led the Eastern Conference 10 games into the season). They have since fallen off dramatically. A win over Portland on Wednesday snapped a five-game losing streak, and they have lost seven of their last nine games overall.
18) New Orleans Pelicans (17-26)
The Pelicans are playing much better than they were at the start of the season, but that isn't necessary resulting in consistent winning. They have lost five of their last eight games.
19) Sacramento Kings (16-25)
Sacramento has been much better than expected this year and were competing for a playoff spot, but they have the feel of a team about to freefall. Rudy Gay suffered a torn Achilles in Wednesday's loss to the Pacers, the team has lost eight of their last 10 games and they are starting an eight-game road trip. Yikes.
20) Denver Nuggets (17-23)
Despite having some talented players, Denver doesn't really seem to know what direction they're going in. Constant lineup shakeups have led to inconsistency all season long.
21) Detroit Pistons (20-24)
Detroit got off to a solid start without Reggie Jackson, but have been a mess since his return, going 6-11 over the course of the past month.
22) Minnesota Timberwolves (14-28)
Minnesota's defense has been surprisingly bad this season, and is the biggest reason why they've lost six of their last nine games. They're still a very young team, and they are playing like it.
23) Dallas Mavericks (14-27)
Dallas is starting to turn their season around after a catastrophic start and are currently on a three-game winning streak. They are now 8-7 over the course of the last month.
24) Phoenix Suns (13-28)
The Suns have struggled to find their footing all season long, and continue to do so, going 3-3 in their last six games.
25) New York Knicks (19-24)
The sky is falling in the Big Apple. Amidst rumors of Carmelo Anthony potentially being traded and Courtney Lee losing his starting spot to Ron Baker, they have lost eight of their last 11 games.
26) Philadelphia 76ers (14-26)
Philadelphia Is still bad, but there is hope. Joel Embiid is a star in the making, Dario Saric has shown a lot of promise, and they're still without Ben Simmons. They're a young team just learning how to win, and may have turned a corner, going 7-2 in their last nine games.
27) Orlando Magic (17-27)
Orlando's season is quickly crashing down after a hopeful start, losing nine of their last 11 games.
28) Los Angeles Lakers (15-31)
The loss of D'Angelo Russell has killed all the momentum LA had early in the season. They started to get back on track after his return, but they're now in the midst of a five-game losing streak.
29) Miami Heat (12-30)
Miami is in full-on rebuilding mode and are still struggling with consistency, losing 13 of their last 16 games.
30) Brooklyn Nets (8-33)
Brooklyn is bad again, but they're a different kind of bad than they were last season. Even though they've shown some fight, their talent level is just so much lower than everyone else in the league.