NBA Power Rankings: 1 holiday ? for every team

The NBA Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore’s basketball editors.

In the spirit of the holidays, here’s a look at one potential gift for each team that could provide some extra cheer during the festive period.

1. Minnesota Timberwolves (20-6)

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Healthy Jaden McDaniels. The versatile T-Wolves forward missed the first two games of the season with a calf injury and then eight more with an ankle sprain. A healthy McDaniels boosts their once unlikely title hopes.

2. Boston Celtics (21-6)

Previous: 1

Overtime VR simulator. Extra basketball has been Boston’s kryptonite this year, with Tuesday’s heart-wrenching loss to the Warriors dropping them to 0-3 in OTs. An immersive experience might just help them out.

3. Philadelphia 76ers (19-8)

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All-Star nod for Tyrese Maxey. The fourth-year guard is continuing his ascension, averaging a career-high 26.1 points per game. He deserves to make it to February’s event alongside teammate Joel Embiid.

4. Milwaukee Bucks (20-7)

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Golden game ball. Milwaukee won’t have to worry about making sure Giannis Antetokounmpo always gets his milestone memento after a record-breaking game if they simply gift him a lustrous version as a stand-in for every contest this season.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-8)

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Dance partner. The Thunder have a war chest of draft picks and some movable contracts. If they want a star to pair with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they have the assets to make it happen.

6. Denver Nuggets (19-10)

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Fast-forward button. The Nuggets are waiting for the playoffs to kick into high gear but still remain a premier team. Health permitting, the defending champs should remain a contender.

7. Los Angeles Clippers (17-10)

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Lightning in a bottle. The Clippers need to bottle up their fantastic play amid a nine-game winning streak. Oft-discussed guard James Harden is averaging 19.8 points, 9.9 assists, and five rebounds over that stretch.

8. Orlando Magic (16-10)

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Third scorer. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have taken a leap, but the Magic don’t have anyone else scoring over 15 points per game. They’ll need someone in order to truly cement themselves in the East.

9. Sacramento Kings (16-10)

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Layups package. Only 27.6% of the Kings’ shots come at the rim, which is the third-lowest rate in the NBA. If Sacramento wants to have success in 2024, they’ll need to get higher-percentage shots nearer to the basket.

10. Dallas Mavericks (16-11)

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Ice bath. Luka Doncic’s 35.3% usage rate is the 27th-highest in NBA history. So far, the only game Luka has missed this season was for the birth of his child.

11. New York Knicks (16-11)

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More Immanuel Quickley. Of the Knicks’ 14 lineups to play 20-plus minutes together, Quickley is featured in the four best ones, yet the offensive maestro plays just 24 minutes a game.

12. New Orleans Pelicans (16-12)

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Continued good health for Zion. The Pelicans star has played 30 or more games in a season just once, but he’s already at 23 appearances this year with few concerns. That’s an encouraging sign in New Orleans.

13. Los Angeles Lakers (15-13)

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A contributing Jarred Vanderbilt. The handy forward was supposed to be a huge help after his return from injury but has scored just seven points in seven games on the year. He needs to be competent offensively to see the floor.

14. Houston Rockets (13-12)

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Portable home court. The Rockets are nearly unstoppable in Houston, winning 11 out of 13 games – but they have just two road wins. Replacing their opponent’s court with the Rockets’ hardwood could bring some away victories.

15. Phoenix Suns (14-13)

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Healthy Big Three. The trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal has played a total of 24 minutes together over two games. Getting all three players available has been the biggest challenge this season.

16. Cleveland Cavaliers (16-12)

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Playoff Donovan Mitchell. With Darius Garland and Evan Mobley sidelined for multiple weeks, the Cavaliers will need their star to step up like he does in the playoffs. Stuck in the middle of the conference, Cleveland can’t afford to fall behind.

17. Miami Heat (16-12)

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A younger Lowry. Kyle Lowry, 37, has started 25 games this season, which is more than any other Heat player. Miami needs another guard to take some minutes from the six-time All-Star.

18. Indiana Pacers (14-12)

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Comically large stop sign. Indiana has played some of the most entertaining basketball this season while allowing opposing players to score 35 or more 13 times. That’s unsustainable. A giant sign might be better defensively.

19. Golden State Warriors (13-14)

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Vintage Klay Thompson mixtape. The Warriors star needs to channel his old self if Golden State hopes to remain competitive. Thankfully, his last four games (averaging 26.5 points) are a good sign he can turn back the clock.

20. Brooklyn Nets (13-14)

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Whistle. The Nets don’t get free points at the line, averaging a meager 20 free-throw attempts per game. When the 3-pointers aren’t falling, the Nets need to find a way to manufacture points.

21. Atlanta Hawks (12-15)

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Stickum spray. Only four teams are worse at securing defensive rebounds than Atlanta. Maybe the Hawks should start spraying their hands to make the ball stick a bit more.

22. Chicago Bulls (12-17)

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Mercy for this core. The Bulls tried surrounding DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic with solid pieces, but it simply didn’t work. It’s time to move the vets and start stockpiling for the future.

23. Toronto Raptors (11-16)

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Ophthalmologist appointments. The Raptors need to have their eyes checked after opening the season with the second-worst free-throw percentage (72.8%) and third-worst clip from deep (33.9%) in the league. Rec specs for everyone.

24. Memphis Grizzlies (7-19)

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Ja Morant to stick around. He returned from his 25-game suspension Tuesday and drained a game-winning buzzer-beater. Now that their star is back, the Grizzlies can start to claw their way up the standings.

25. Utah Jazz (10-18)

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Memory loss. Forget this team’s hot start to begin last season, this is a tank-friendly roster that has been kept together far too long. Pull the plug and start over, Danny Ainge.

26. Portland Trail Blazers (7-19)

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Better looks for Scoot. Blazers rookie Scoot Henderson is shooting 37.3% from the field and 23.5% from deep, mainly playing as a reserve since returning from injury in November. Time to look for some bunnies.

27. Charlotte Hornets (7-19)

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Lottery-ball machine. It’s another lost season for Charlotte, which has only won 40-plus games twice in the last 10 seasons. With LaMelo Ball sidelined, the 7-18 Hornets might as well start practicing their lottery-ball skills.

28. Washington Wizards (4-22)

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Eye masks. Give them to the fans so they can avoid watching the Wizards play and sleep well until next season. This team is last in defensive rating for a reason.

29. San Antonio Spurs (4-22)

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GPS. While the Spurs excel in passing (28.9 assists per game), they also struggle to take care of the ball – ranking third in turnovers. Having direction on where to move it would help.

30. Detroit Pistons (2-25)

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Lump of coal. This bad basketball team is on the verge of losing the most consecutive games in NBA history. The Pistons are 30th in point differential, 29th in offense, and 27th in defense, per Cleaning the Glass. They deserve nothing.