NBA power rankings 2022-23: Lakers, Kings join the loaded West, Bulls slipping in East

The Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings have made the Pacific division and Western conference more competitive with their recent play. The Lakers are two games back of being .500 after starting the season 2-10 behind the insane play of Anthony Davis, while the Kings are 13-9 and have one of the league's best offenses. Both organizations may have been criticized for some of their moves, but their big men are leading the way. Davis has vaulted himself into the MVP conversation, while Domantas Sabonis is putting up his most efficient offensive season yet. With the emergence of the Lakers and the Kings, the pursuit for a playoff spot and the fight for the play-in tournament just got more crowded.

In the Eastern conference, the Chicago Bulls find themselves in a conundrum. This team clearly isn't ready to compete for a championship and it doesn't look like Lonzo Ball is going to be back on the court any time soon. Is it time to blow up this core and rebuild? The Bulls showed some life with wins over the Celtics and Bucks but then promptly lost to the Thunder before letting Devin Booker and the Suns cook them. Chicago sits at 9-14 and might hit the reset button soon.

Two key players are coming back in Philadelphia and Miami respectively, which should elevate both contenders. James Harden is set to return for the 76ers, while Jimmy Butler is back for the Heat. Let's see how these teams respond with that injection of talent.

Here's a look at the updated power rankings for the 2022-23 season.

  
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