It was another parity-packed week in the NBA, as the rebuilding Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons combined for more wins than the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies.

Results like that have made the power rankings tricky all season, but it's made the on-court action as fun as ever (assuming you like high-octane offense and tons of jump shooting).

Every team in the league has a player (and in most cases, multiple players) capable of a superstar performance, and that means seemingly anyone can win (or lose) on any given night.

Even with the lack of predictability, there are some indicators to help sort through the thicket of teams in the middle of the standings. And they're the same ones we've used all season: recent performance, championship chances, numbers and plenty of subjectivity.

With those as our guides, this is how all 30 teams stack up just a couple of weeks from the trade deadline (when deals could throw a bunch of wrenches into this weekly exercise).

30. San Antonio Spurs (14-35)

Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -9.5

With another winless week in the rearview, the San Antonio Spurs' apparent (or incidental) pursuit of a shot to draft Victor Wembanyama continues in earnest.

And as we approach the trade deadline, there are some moves the front office can make to improve that pursuit.

For the second year in a row, Jakob Poeltl is posting a 13-plus offensive rebounding percentage and a 13-plus assist percentage. Charles Barkley (seven) and Andre Drummond (four) are the only players in league history with more such seasons.

Any team in need of a solid defender who can also add a wrinkle to the offense with that kind of passing and second-shot creation should be interested.

And after going 3-of-7 from three in a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, Doug McDermott is now shooting 41.8 percent from deep. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, he's at 41.6 percent.

Plenty of teams can use that kind of shooting.

And if the Spurs unload both of those veterans, the losses (and ping pong balls) should pile up pretty quickly.

29. Houston Rockets (11-38)

Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -7.9

The Houston Rockets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, but they're just 2-20 over their last 22 games.

Still, there are good signs from a young core that includes Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Porter, Jr. and unsung rookie who's come off the bench in all but two games this season.

After going for 18 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Eason is now averaging 8.3 points and 5.5 boards in just 19.1 minutes. And more importantly, the team's point differential is significantly better when he's on the floor.

28. Detroit Pistons (13-37)

Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -7.4

When coach Dwane Casey unleashes his two veterans, the Detroit Pistons are pretty competitive.

When both Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanović are on the floor, Detroit is plus-8.1 points per 100 possessions (93rd percentile), and those two started Thursday's win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Ultimately, victories aren't that helpful for the long-term vision. Each one potentially decreases the likelihood Victor Wembanyama will be a Piston, but solid performances by Burks or Bogdanović could boost their trade values ahead of the February 9 deadline.

In Thursday's win, Burks went for 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting and handed out four assists.

27. Charlotte Hornets (14-36)

Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -6.7

The Charlotte Hornets' prime trade candidates all showed up in big ways for Thursday's win over the Chicago Bulls.

Teams in need of a big man were surely intrigued by Mason Plumlee's 21 points on 9-of-9 shooting, 12 rebounds and four assists. Those looking for a little size and playmaking on the wing probably noticed something of a throwback game from Gordon Hayward, who had 17 points and three assists. And teams in the market for a heat check guy may have noticed Terry Rozier's 28 points on 19 shots.

Ideally, Charlotte will be able to unload all three for some value ahead of the trade deadline and really lean into the race for Victor Wembanyama.

26. Orlando Magic (19-29)

Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -3.0

After two and half years of recovery (and setbacks) from a torn ACL he suffered during the NBA's bubble season in 2020, Jonathan Isaac made his long-awaited debut this week.

In his first two games, he's logged 18 minutes, 15 points, four steals and three threes. Most importantly, he's looked like the same potential system-wrecking defender that he was prior to his odyssey with injuries.

And adding him back to a mix that now includes several similar players in terms of length and athleticism gives Orlando one of the game's most intriguing young cores.

The Magic could roll out a lineup of Franz Wagner (6'9"), Paolo Banchero (6'10"), Isaac (6'11"), Bol Bol (7'2") and Wendell Carter Jr. (6'10") without batting an eye.

25. Indiana Pacers (24-26)

Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: -1.9

Tyrese Haliburton has missed the last eight games, and the Indiana Pacers are (perhaps predictable) 1-7 during his absence.

The latest loss came on Wednesday against the plucky Orlando Magic, and it brought them to within three losses of the rebuilding team in the race for Victor Wembanyama.

Indiana certainly has avoided that fray to this point, but this stretch has to have them thinking about improving those lottery odds.

An exceedingly cautious timeline for Haliburton's injury and trading away Buddy Hield (17.6 points and 3.8 threes, with a 42.4 three-point percentage) and Myles Turner (17.4 points, 2.4 blocks and 1.6 threes, with a 39.5 three-point percentage) would help them achieve that.

24. Washington Wizards (22-26)

Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -0.7

He already had his starting spot more than locked up, but the Washington Wizards' trade of Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers this week could be an indirect vote of confidence in Kyle Kuzma.

Over his last six games, Kuzma is averaging 28.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 4.0 threes. And the Wizards are 4-2 in this stretch.

And with his emergence as a borderline star for Washington, it isn't hard to imagine them hanging in the play-in mix through the second half of the season. When he shares the floor with Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porziņģis, the Wizards are plus-7.4 points per 100 possessions (91st percentile).

23. Los Angeles Lakers (23-26)

Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -0.7

It certainly wasn't a blockbuster (that might still be on the way), but the Los Angeles Lakers acquired an intriguing, young-ish combo forward in 24-year-old Rui Hachimura this week.

And the price was a very manageable two second-round picks, a second-round pick swap and Kendrick Nunn (who's shooting just 32.8 percent from three this season and posting some of the worst advanced numbers in the league).

In his first game with the Lakers, Hachimura was a team-high plus-17 and scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 22 minutes. And he got a chance to spend a few minutes on the floor with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

With those three, L.A. has a chance to deploy a level of versatility across positions 3 through 5 that it simply didn't have before.

22. Chicago Bulls (22-26)

Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -0.5

Every time it feels like the Chicago Bulls might be turning a corner, they have a week like the one we just wrapped up.

After a quick little three-game winning streak that bled into last week, Chicago has now lost back-to-back games to the sub-.500 Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets. And the Bulls' top three players were available for both games.

The problem is that having all three play well in the same contest has been exceedingly rare.

Chicago has gotten at least two of the three to a 20-plus game score ("a rough measure of a player's productivity for a single game") in just nine games this season, and they're 7-2 in those games (15-24 in all other games).

21. Portland Trail Blazers (23-25)

Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: +0.6

The avalanche of 40-point performances this season may be numbing us a bit, but outbursts like Damian Lillard's 60-pointer Wednesday should still force the NBA world to pause and reflect for a moment.

Lillard was 21-of-29 from the field, 9-of-15 from three and 9-of-10 from the line for the most efficient 60-point game in league history, per StatMuse. And he trails only Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, James Harden and Elgin Baylor in total career 50-point games.

And oh by the way, another one of those 50-point performances came about two weeks ago and started a truly absurd run for Lillard (who's posting career highs in points per game, free throws per game, threes per game and true shooting percentage).

Over his last eight games, Lillard is averaging 39.5 points, 8.5 assists and 5.1 threes while shooting 54.4 percent from the field, 42.3 percent from three and 94.7 percent from the line.

20. Toronto Raptors (22-27)

Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: +0.6

The Toronto Raptors are one of the most confounding teams in the NBA.

They're five games below .500, but they're also in the top half of the league in net rating. Advanced metrics suggest each of the five starters is playing like a top-100 player, but they're tied for 380th among five-man lineups in plus/minus when all of them are on the floor.

It seems like they need to do something at the trade deadline, but they could also probably justify a little more time for the positionless basketball experiment, especially since the standings are so tightly packed in the middle.

After closing the week with back-to-back wins over two teams that are over .500 (the New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings), Toronto is within a game of the play-in tournament.

19. Atlanta Hawks (25-24)

Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -0.6

The Atlanta Hawks had a 2-2 week that included a loss to the woeful Charlotte Hornets, but on balance, things are looking up.

Atlanta is 6-2 in its last eight games, and the team seems to be figuring out the division of labor between Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.

For the season, the Hawks are plus-4.0 points per 100 possessions when both are on the floor and minus-5.2 when either or both are off.

Perhaps more importantly, after shooting 31.2 percent on threes when sharing the floor with Murray through his first 26 games, Young is canning a near-league-average 35.6 percent of his triples when sharing the floor with Atlanta's other primary ball-handler.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves (25-25)

Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: +0.1

The Minnesota Timberwolves had a bad loss to the rebuilding Houston Rockets on Monday, but they finished the week with a win and there are a couple of positive trends developing for the team.

First, despite some understandable hand-wringing over disappointing performances like Monday's, Minnesota is now .500 and 9-4 in its last 13 games.

And while the Rudy Gobert-Karl-Anthony Towns pairing wasn't a seamless fit, some chemistry appears to be developing for Gobert and KAT's replacement, Kyle Anderson.

When the point forward plays with Gobert, the Timberwolves' defense is more switchable and versatile, and they outscore their opponents by 8.8 points per 100 possessions (a 94th percentile net rating).

17. Oklahoma City Thunder (23-25)

Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: +0.9

Just when it looked like the Oklahoma City Thunder were ready to make a real push for a top-six spot in the West, they had a 1-2 week that reminded us that they're the second-youngest team in the NBA.

Still, at plus-8.5, OKC is second in the West in January net rating, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (who should probably have been named an All-Star starter) remains one of the league's most consistent No. 1 options.

After scoring at least 34 in each of his games this week, SGA has 28 30-point performances this season. Only Luka Dončić (33) has more.

16. Utah Jazz (25-26)

Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +1.3

It feels like we might be on the verge of the Utah Jazz leaning a bit harder into their rebuild.

They're 6-10 since Christmas, and veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote this week that "There's a 'rising belief' around the NBA that the Jazz will be open to listening on any players on their roster besides Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler at the trade deadline."

That approach would make sense. Markkanen and Kessler are Utah's top two rotation players in box plus/minus and both are under 26 years old. And veterans Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk and Malik Beasley have all shown enough at various points this season to warrant some real trade interest around the league.

If Utah can add to the stockpile it generated with the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trades last summer, and then use that to build around Markkanen and Kessler over the next few years, CEO Danny Ainge could have them back in the hunt for a title sooner than people may have expected when the teardown started.

15. Phoenix Suns (25-25)

Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: +1.4

They closed the week with a loss to the Luka Dončić-less Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, but the Phoenix Suns had managed a bit of course correction before that.

After losing 12 of 14 games from December 20 to January 16, Phoenix rattled off four straight wins thanks in large part to the returns of Chris Paul and Cameron Johnson.

Since Johnson came back from injury, he's putting up 18.3 points and 3.3 threes. And CP3 has had double-doubles in each of his three games back.

With Devin Booker's return seemingly close, and the team back to .500 and within striking distance of home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, the Suns may have a run in them yet.

14. Golden State Warriors (24-24)

Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: -0.4

The Memphis Grizzlies had a 94.9 percent win probability about halfway through the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, but the defending champs won the final five minutes 20-9, overcame a late Stephen Curry ejection and pulled their record back to even.

On the year, Golden State is 18-6 at home and appears to be leaning into a philosophy that could eventually push it outside the play-in range.

After avoiding the three-man lineup of Curry, Jordan Poole and Donte DiVincenzo for the first three quarters of Wednesday's win, coach Steve Kerr deployed the trio for four minutes in the fourth quarter and won those minutes 14-3. Had Curry not been ejected, the trio may have closed the game.

And while any lineup with all three of those guards on the floor might be stretching the idea of small ball to its absolute limits, there may not be a defense in the league that has an answer for it.

The sample is small, but the Warriors are plus-23.9 points per 100 possessions when Curry, Poole and DiVincenzo are all on the floor.

13. New Orleans Pelicans (26-23)

Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +2.3

After missing 29 games with a toe injury, Brandon Ingram returned to the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He went 4-of-18 from the field, was minus-19 in 26 minutes and unable to stem a tide that's been washing over the New Orleans Pelicans for weeks.

Zion Williamson has now missed New Orleans' last 12 games, and it's just 3-9 in those contests.

If the Pelicans are going to maintain a spot in the West's top four, even with the parity in the middle of the conference, they need Zion back soon.

According to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein, the return is still weeks away.

12. Brooklyn Nets (29-19)

Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +3.0

His basic line against his former team on Wednesday looked fine enough. Ben Simmons had 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, grabbed five boards and handed out five assists.

But he was a minus-16 in a four-point loss. He got stonewalled and forced into a travel by reserve forward Georges Niang in the post early in the fourth quarter, was clowned by Philadelphia 76ers fans all game and was on the bench when the Brooklyn Nets authored a furious rally that came up just short.

Most importantly, he continued to look borderline terrified of scoring on several possessions.

Then, in Thursday's loss to the Detroit Pistons, he had zero points on 0-of-3 before leaving the game with knee soreness.

In Kevin Durant's absence, no one expects Simmons to make up for the missing 29.7 points all by himself, but he has to be more of a threat than this.

11. Dallas Mavericks (26-24)

Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +0.3

The Dallas Mavericks lost Luka Dončić early in the first quarter of Thursday's game against the Phoenix Suns, and the rest of the team showed plenty of mettle the rest of the way.

Dallas came out on top, and Spencer Dinwiddie did a heck of a Luka impression along the way. He had 36 points on 10-of-18 shooting, hit 11 free throws and handed out nine assists.

On the season, he's now averaging 24.7 points and 9.5 assists per 75 possessions when Dončić is off the floor, which should maybe be a clue to the coaching staff and front office that he could perhaps handle a bit more playmaking responsibility.

10. Los Angeles Clippers (27-24)

Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +0.2

The Los Angeles Clippers were coming off a rough stretch ahead of the last edition of the power rankings, but they're starting to look an awful lot like a contender as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have been more consistently available.

L.A. went 4-0 this week, with convincing road wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.

And during this streak, both have played in every game. Kawhi is putting up 29.5 points and PG is at 24.8. On the season, the Clippers are plus-10.6 points per 100 possessions when both are on the floor.

9. New York Knicks (27-23)

Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +1.8

Julius Randle dropped some exclamation points on an already strong All-Star resume on Thursday.

In a nationally televised game on the heels of TNT's announcement of the All-Star starters, Randle led the New York Knicks to a road win over the East-leading Boston Celtics with 37 points, nine rebounds and two assists.

With New York on the verge of a top-six spot that would keep it out of the play-in tournament and Randle averaging 24.8 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists, he has a good shot to make the final 12-man roster.

8. Miami Heat (27-22)

Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: 0.0

It's been a slow, fairly arduous climb (as evidenced by the mediocre season-long net rating) from when the Miami Heat were three games below .500 in early December, but a 2-0 week has them outside the play-in picture and within striking distance of the East's top four.

In Tuesday's win over the conference-leading Boston Celtics, Bam Adebayo ably took over Jimmy Butler's primary scorer's role with 30 points, 15 rebounds and two steals.

And while the random absences for Butler are a concern (he missed Tuesday's contest with lower-back tightness), the development of his younger co-stars should inspire a little confidence. So far this season, Miami is plus-4.1 points per 100 possessions when Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Cody Martin play without Butler.

7. Sacramento Kings (27-20)

Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: +3.0

He closed his week with a bit of a dud and a loss to the Toronto Raptors, but Domantas Sabonis is putting together a bona fide MVP candidacy and a case to start the All-Star Game.

No, he won't catch Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid and Luka Dončić in the discussion for the league's top individual honor, but Sabonis is sixth in Basketball Reference's MVP Tracker ("based on a model built using previous voting results").

And his season-long averages of 18.4 points, a league-leading 12.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists are Jokić-esque.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers (30-20)

Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +4.7

For the first time in his career, Donovan Mitchell is an All-Star starter, and it'd be pretty tough to go against him getting that nod.

After going for 24 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in Tuesday's loss to the New York Knicks, Mitchell is now averaging 28.3, 4.8 and 4.0.

When he's on the floor, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a point differential around that of a 52-win team.

There may be at least some cause for concern over some recent absences, though.

After missing Thursday's win with groin soreness, Mitchell has now been out of four of Cleveland's last five games. For the season, Cleveland is 4-5 when he doesn't suit up.

5. Milwaukee Bucks (31-17)

Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +1.6

Over his last four games prior to his recent five-game absence, Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 17.0 points and shot 36.0 percent from the field.

In his first two games back, he's putting up 31.0 points on 56.7 percent shooting. So, it's maybe not all that surprising that the Milwaukee Bucks won both of those games.

Still, after four straight seasons as one of the game's most efficient scorers, Giannis is merely average in effective field-goal percentage this season, and the Bucks continue to hover around the bottom five in offense.

Giannis is phenomenal, but this campaign may be an illustration of how important it is to have a No. 2 option like Khris Middleton (who just played his ninth game of 2022-23) alongside him.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (31-17)

Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +4.5

At the time last week's power rankings were published, the Memphis Grizzlies were riding an 11-game winning streak and a wave of confidence few teams could match.

Then, in Friday's nationally televised showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers, seemingly half the Grizzlies got into a verbal kerfuffle with Shannon Sharpe (yes, the Hall of Fame tight end-turned-TV analyst) and haven't won since.

The Grizzlies went 0-4 this week, when they had a chance to make up some ground on the first-place Denver Nuggets (who've been without Nikola Jokić lately and dropped two games of their own since the last power rankings).

There is still a pretty comfortable cushion between Memphis and the third-place Sacramento Kings, but this stretch shows the Grizzlies' still-top-ranked defense is gettable when it's on the road.

3. Philadelphia 76ers (31-16)

Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +4.1

The Philadelphia 76ers have found a rhythm and are officially in the race for the East's top seed.

After a disappointing loss to the Houston Rockets on December 5, Philadelphia was an underwhelming 12-12. Since then, it's 19-4.

And after somehow flying under the MVP radar for much of the first half of the season, it's time to start taking Joel Embiid's MVP case seriously.

His 33.4 points per game trail only Luka Dončić for the scoring title, and Philadelphia is inching closer and closer to a top-five defense with Embiid as the anchor.

2. Boston Celtics (35-15)

Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +5.7

A three-game losing streak that started against the Orlando Magic on Monday has the Boston Celtics looking mortal again.

And there may be a bit of a trend developing in their losses.

The league-average three-point percentage in 2022-23 is 36.0. When Boston is above that, it's 22-4. When it's below, as it was in Thursday's loss to the New York Knicks, the Celtics are 13-11.

1. Denver Nuggets (34-15)

Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +4.2

The Denver Nuggets had a ho-hum 2-2 week, but Nikola Jokić missed both of the losses with hamstring tightness, Jamal Murray missed the most recent one with management for the knee injury he suffered in 2021, and Michael Porter Jr. missed the last three games for personal reasons.

This sudden bout with unavailability coinciding with a road trip is far from ideal, but there are some bright spots.

Despite a dreadful season-long plus-minus when Jokić is off the floor, this team has still demonstrated a bit more competence without the two-time MVP than it had in 2021-22 and 2020-21.

The Nuggets are a survivable 3-4 when Jokić doesn't play. And for the entire year, Murray is averaging 25.6 points, 6.7 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 3.3 threes per 75 possessions when Jokić is off the floor.

Stat of the Week

Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. are the top-three overall draft picks on the Houston Rockets' roster, but center Alperen Şengün (the 16th pick in Green's draft) may be the team's best and most interesting prospect.

With his unique combination of old-school (post moves, hook shots, etc.) and new-school (passing) big-man skills, Şengün is averaging 19.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks over his last nine games.

And a lot of those points are coming from good, old-fashioned hook shots.

His 72 hook shots made leads the NBA this season and puts him on pace for 128 (if he doesn't miss any more games). Last season's leader in hook shots made topped out at 106.

After years of wondering whether post-ups and traditional center play were dead, players like Şengün are bringing them back.

The Correct Western Conference All-Star Backcourt Starters

Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were picked third and 11th overall in the 2018 draft. Nearly five years later, they should both be starting the All-Star Game, though only Dončić is.

Luka is the no-brainer, with averages of 33.0 points (only second to Joel Embiid), 8.9 rebounds and 8.4 assists that have him in the MVP conversation. It's that second backcourt spot that might have people riled up.

There were arguments for Stephen Curry (who was named), Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, but the correct call was SGA.

Significant advantages in steals, blocks and scoring efficiency put Gilgeous-Alexander clear of Morant (though voters disagree with me on that front).

And outside Dončić, the only guards SGA trails in Dunks and Threes' estimated plus-minus (one of the game's most trusted catch-all metrics) are Lillard and Curry. Shai has played eight more games than the former and 11 more games than the latter.

He's also third in the league in total points scored, second in 30-point games and fourth in games with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists (behind only Dončić, LeBron James and Nikola Jokić).

And in case you're still not convinced, look at his counting stats on the defensive end.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 4.0 defensive rebounds and 1.7 steals. And despite standing just 6'6", he's also notching 1.1 blocks per game. Prior to 2022-23, Charles Barkley (who did it twice) and Draymond Green were the only three-point era players who matched or exceeded all three of those marks for an entire season.

Statistics via Basketball Reference, NBA.com, Dunks and Threes, PBP Stats and Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise noted.