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NBA Power Rankings: Heat remain consistent, Warriors showcase potential with Draymond Green set to return

Chinmay Vaidya updates his 2022 NBA power rankings.

Milwaukee Bucks v Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry talks to Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 12, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California.
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

We’ve got less than 15 games left in the 2021-22 NBA regular season, which means the playoff picture is starting to round into shape. That also means the power rankings will start to reflect the standings more, as teams get locked into their seeding.

The Miami Heat remain the consistent force in the Eastern Conference. With the 76ers, Nets and Bucks all having letdown moments, the Heat continue to play great basketball. Victor Oladipo is back, as is Markieff Morris. Miami’s rotation is becoming whole at the right time and this team looks destined for the top seed in the conference.

On the other side of the country, the Golden State Warriors will be getting a major piece back when Draymond Green returns Monday. The Warriors already gave fans a taste of what they could become when they demolished the defending champions Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night. Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins played up to their potential, while Jordan Poole looked like a star. And this was all done with Stephen Curry taking a backseat. This team showed why it was considered unbeatable just a few years ago.

The usual contenders round out the top 10, but the Dallas Mavericks continue to impress despite being limited around Luka Doncic. The rotation guys have taken on bigger roles, which usually works out poorly in the long run. We’ll see if Dallas can do some damage in the playoffs or if this is just a regular season mirage.

Here’s a look at the updated power rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 21

Rank Team Previous Rank
Rank Team Previous Rank
1 Miami Heat 1
2 Golden State Warriors 4
3 Memphis Grizzlies 5
4 Milwaukee Bucks 2
5 Phoenix Suns 7
6 Philadelphia 76ers 3
7 Chicago Bulls 6
8 Dallas Mavericks 10
9 Boston Celtics 9
10 Utah Jazz 8
11 Denver Nuggets 12
12 Cleveland Cavaliers 11
13 Brooklyn Nets 15
14 Minnesota Timberwolves 13
15 Toronto Raptors 17
16 Los Angeles Clippers 14
17 New Orleans Pelicans 16
18 Atlanta Hawks 18
19 Charlotte Hornets 19
20 Los Angeles Lakers 20
21 Washington Wizards 21
22 Indiana Pacers 22
23 New York Knicks 23
24 San Antonio Spurs 24
25 Sacramento Kings 28
26 Portland Trail Blazers 25
27 Detroit Pistons 27
28 Orlando Magic 26
29 Oklahoma City Thunder 29
30 Houston Rockets 30