As the 23rd week of the 2022-23 NBA regular season begins, the competition for a spot in the postseason is heating up like crazy. Some previously successful teams are struggling while some previously average teams are rising quickly. With each team having around 10-12 games left to play, the contender will surely fight fiercely for a higher position. It is safe to assume that we will witness even more captivating and unpredictable NBA games in the upcoming weeks. Let's take a look at where all 30 teams are in our NBA Power Rankings as we enter Week 23 of this season.

Our NBA Power Rankings do not see any change at the top this week. The Philadelphia 76ers successfully hold on to the top spot as the Milwaukee Bucks maintain their second-place ranking. The Phoenix Suns, however, fall out of the top five, having been replaced by the Cleveland Cavaliers at the third spot. Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings retain fourth place even as the Boston Celtics return to the top five.

Aside from the Suns, the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors also had significant tumbles in the past week. The Nets, in fact, fell out of the top 10 for the first time in a while.

Although the Bucks still are not at the top of our NBA Power Rankings this week, they still hold the best win-loss record in the league. Meanwhile, the Nuggets continue to lead the Western Conference, though the Kings and Grizzlies are gaining some ground. The Sixers, Celtics, and Cavs complete our top five teams when it comes to win-loss records.

The Sixers are still the hottest team in the league, boasting an eight-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers continue to skid, having lost six games in a row. How about the other teams, though? Where does each team stand when it comes to the most current NBA Power Rankings?

Remember that our NBA Power Rankings take into account various factors, including overall win-loss records, recent performances, net rating differentials, and streaks or slumps.

Previous 2022-23 NBA Power Rankings: Week 22 | Week 21 | Week 20 | All-Star Edition | Post-Trade Deadline | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2

Now without further ado, let's look at our 2022-23 NBA Power Rankings entering Week 23 of the new season.

1. Philadelphia 76ers (no change)

The Sixers are still red-hot. They've won their last eight games and have, in fact, lost just once this month. The dynamic duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden has just been unstoppable. Proof? They also have the best net rating of any team in their last 10 games (13.6). That's more than 4.0 points more than the next closest team on the list.

2. Milwaukee Bucks (no change)

The Bucks may not be the hottest team in the league, but they still have the top win-loss slate. They've won three of their last four to ensure that. Those included wins over the Kings and Suns, too. Not too shabby, eh? Also, it looks like Giannis Antetoukounmpo might be everyone's new favorite to be the regular season MVP.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers (+2)

The Cavs have won six of their last eight games. Most of those weren't against elite teams, though they did defeat the Celtics in OT. A loss to the Sixers a few days ago, however, brought them back to earth. Still, the Cavs have the second-best net rating over the team's last 10 games. That augurs well for how they'll finish the regular season.

4. Sacramento Kings (no change)

The Kings have won eight of their last 10 and have the third-best net rating of the last 10 games. They have also looked like the most consistently dangerous West team in that stretch. We doubt they'll catch up to the Nuggets at the top of the West, but finishing as the second seed should be more than doable for this upstart team right now.

5. Boston Celtics (+1)

Celtics fans haven't been jumping for joy at how their team has been playing. After all, they've gone 5-5 this month and aren't exactly striking fear into any opponent. Still, these are the Celtics. They still have an elite pairing in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They still have a fighter's chance of finishing second in the East.

6. New York Knicks (+6)

It's been a bit of a see-saw March for New York. They began with a three-game win streak, which was snapped by a three-game slide. Now they're back among the top teams after another three-game winning run. What's more impressive? They've beaten the Lakers and Nuggets in that stretch. They might extend that run, too, as they face the Wolves, Heat, and Magic this week.

7. Memphis Grizzlies (+2)

Dillon Brooks may be a friggin' villain in the eyes of many. Still, he's helped Grizzlies win five of their last six games. That gave the team some much-needed cushion as the Suns were borderline threatening their top-three spot. Still, the more games Ja Morant misses, the wider the room for uncertainty grows in Memphis.

8. Denver Nuggets (no change)

The Nuggets may have won two of their last three, but don't forget that they lost four in a row before that. This team still has an MVP favorite in Nikola Jokic. However, outside of him, nobody is scaring any team they face. They should beat the Wizards this week before a titanic tussle against the Bucks over the weekend.

9. Phoenix Suns (-6)

The Suns aren't looking sharp. They've lost four of their last five. Those include key losses to the Kings, Warriors, and Thunder. Now, Phoenix is so far away from the top three and is just 2.5 games away from the play-in seeds. Things can go south quickly if the Suns can't right the ship.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (no change)

The Thunder kids are getting good quite quickly. They've won seven of their last nine games and are closing in on a top-six spot in the West. Remember that this was a team that wasn't even among the top 10 a few weeks ago. A huge trip to SoCal against both Los Angeles teams awaits this week.

11. Brooklyn Nets (-4)

The Nets are on a three-game skid, and they have a tough schedule this week. They face the Cavs twice before finishing the week in Miami. We foresee more Ls coming their way. We have them falling out of the East's top six very soon.

12. Chicago Bulls (+2)

The Bulls have won four of their last five and boast the fifth-best net rating of the last 10 games. They've beaten the likes of the Nuggets, Wolves, and Heat in that stretch. They also very nearly upended the Kings at home. DeMar DeRozan is also averaging 35.3 points over his last three games. Wow.

13. Miami Heat (+6)

The Heat is inconsistent, but they've strung together a 6-3 record over their last nine games. That's enough for them to creep into the East's seventh spot and put some separation between them and the Hawks. We fully expect the Heat to overtake the Nets anytime this week.

14. Los Angeles Clippers (-1)

The Clippers have actually done well over their last six games, but the loss to the Magic pulls them down one spot in our NBA Power Rankings. We're also not very confident they'll come out unscathed when they have a back-to-back against OKC this week.

15. Los Angeles Lakers (-4)

The Lakers have struggled over their last five games, where they've gone 2-3. The bright side is that they have the seventh-best net rating over their last 10 contests. Still, a tough schedule awaits this week as they face the Suns and Thunder. Losing both may pull the Lakers out of the West's top 10.

16. Toronto Raptors (+9)

The Raptors have won three of their last four. Those included double-digit wins over the Nuggets, Thunder, and Wolves. A seven-point loss to the Bucks yesterday shouldn't dampen their spirits too much. They should also keep on winning as they face the Pacers and Pistons this week.

17. Atlanta Hawks (-2)

Losing three of their last four games was enough to pull the Hawks down two spots in our NBA Power Rankings. The lone win against the Warriors was impressive, but it was quickly offset by their sorry loss to the Spurs.

18. Dallas Mavericks (-1)

The Mavs snapped a three-game skid by recording back-to-back wins over the Spurs and Lakers. The latter one was pretty huge, too, as it put the Mavs back among the top six teams in the West. Still, this is such a volatile team. They could win all three games this week but also lose all three just as easily.

19. Golden State Warriors (-3)

Wins over the Bucks and Suns a couple of weeks ago were nice. However, losing to the Clips, Hawks, and Grizzlies in succession just means the champs have cooled off once more. We still think they should make the playoffs, but they're also just one more slump away from slipping out of the West's top 10.

20. Indiana Pacers (-3)

It's really tough to gauge this Pacers team. On one hand, they've gone 6-4 this month. On the other hand, they have a -1.1 net rating in that same time span. That just means that their wins aren't truly indicative of this team's quality. In layman's terms, the Pacers actually suck, but they've been lucky this month.

21. Utah Jazz (+1)

The Jazz aren't giving up without a fight. They may be technically in 11th place in the West but they've also won three of their last four games. Couple that with the Lakers' recent woes, and we have an extremely tight race for the conference's play-in spots. It'll be a tough stretch this week, though, as Utah takes on the Kings (twice), Blazers, and Bucks.

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22. Minnesota Timberwolves (-4)

The Wolves went from 34-32 in early March to 35-37 really quickly. They are still in the playoff race, but they're also teetering on the edge of elimination. It is also worrying to see Anthony Edwards' injury status. That doesn't bode well for the Wolves' playoff hopes at all.

23. New Orleans Pelicans (-2)

The Pelicans are mathematically still in the playoff race, though nobody really expects them to make it. I mean, Zion Williamson ain't coming back this season, and well, the duo of Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum just isn't cutting it. Trey Murphy III's 41-piece on the Blazers last week was hella good, though.

24. Washington Wizards (-1)

The Wiz have lost seven of their last nine games and are shooting their way out of the playoff race. Keep in mind that those two wins in that stretch were both against the Pistons. They basically couldn't beat anyone except for Detroit. That won't inspire any kind of confidence at all.

25. Orlando Magic (-1)

We want to frame the Magic in a positive light, but they're 3-10 this month. They've had some nice wins against the Heat and Clippers, sure, but they also lost by 18 points to the Spurs. How messed up is that, right?

26. Houston Rockets (+2)

Don't look now but the Rockets are having their best month of the season so far. Remember that they haven't had a winning month yet. Well, at .500 in March, maybe the Rockets are finally due, right? Yes, it's way too soon, but they've actually looked entertaining AND dangerous.

27. Portland Trail Blazers (-1)

A six-game slump has just prevented any sort of improvement from the Blazers these past couple of weeks. This just feels so weird because for a few days this season, the Blazers actually had the best record in the West. Now, they probably won't even make the play-in.

28. San Antonio Spurs (+1)

The Spurs have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games. They even recorded wins over the Jazz, Hawks, and Nuggets in that stretch. Sure, they're tanking for Wembanyama, but they don't have to suck all the time, right?

29. Charlotte Hornets (-2)

The Hornets have lost seven of their last nine games. That includes all of their last four assignments. That wasn't unexpected, but it's still quite disappointing.

30. Detroit Pistons (no change)

The Pistons finally snapped their 11-game slump last week with a win over the Pacers. And then they followed that victory with a quick three-game slide for good measure. Be patient, Detroit fans. There's always light at the end of a tunnel, even if it's a very long tunnel.