.jpg?w=1280 "Power Rankings")
NBA Power Rankings: Oklahoma City Thunder Chasing Warriors' All-Time Record
With Thanksgiving in the rearview and Christmas around the corner, we now have plenty of games, performances and numbers to base our takes on.
It's getting easier to see who the real contenders are (or, at least who's on the second tier below the Oklahoma City Thunder). The tankers are clearly angling for ping pong balls in the lottery. And, as always seems to be the case, there's still a pretty big clump of teams in the middle still figuring things out.
Here, we're going to sort through all 30 with the same criteria that has guided us for years: team and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity.
30. Washington Wizards (3-18)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -15.6
The losses keep rolling in for the Washington Wizards, but that's not the worst thing for a rebuilding team that keeps its first-round pick if it stays in the top eight.
As painful as the games themselves may be right now, this is what Wizards fans should want.
And even better, two of the veterans on the roster are playing well enough that Washington might be able to move them for a little value before the trade deadline.
CJ McCollum is putting up 18.1 points, 3.4 assists and 2.8 threes in just 29.7 minutes. Khris Middleton looks like a solid point forward option for a team in need of a little playmaking off the bench. He's averaging 4.7 assists per 75 possessions.
29. New Orleans Pelicans (3-20)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -10.0
It might be time to officially give up on the Zion Williamson era with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Beyond having the worst record in the conference, we learned this week he will again be sidelined for an extended period of time, this time with an adductor injury.
The difference now is that New Orleans has some intriguing young talents it can pivot to in the absence of Williamson.
Jeremiah Fears is putting up 15.7 points and 2.8 assists in 27.5 minutes. Derik Queen is at 12.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 24.3 minutes.
Trying to force either to find chemistry with Zion, whose availability is almost always a question mark, may not make much sense. Instead, the Pelicans might have to trade the face of the franchise for whatever value he might have right now and start building around the rookies.
28. Sacramento Kings (5-17)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -11.1
The wheels are fully and officially off for the Sacramento Kings.
In Wednesday's 26-point loss to the Houston Rockets, the starters combined for just 33 points on 44 shots. Keegan Murray was 2-of-11. Zach LaVine was 1-of-5.
The lone bright spot may have been rookie big man Maxime Raynaud, who had 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting off the bench. And his performance should probably tell the team's front office and coaching staff about the rest of this campaign.
Whether they can find takers for their veterans or not, it's time to prioritize developmental minutes for players such as Raynaud, Nique Clifford and Murray (though he's already 25).
The roster that was compiled for this season, presumably to compete for a spot in the playoffs, simply isn't anywhere near good enough. And it's time to start preparing for the future.
27. Brooklyn Nets (5-17)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -8.8
Michael Porter Jr. might actually be playing too well for the Brooklyn Nets to keep him on the floor.
Brooklyn needs more losses for better odds at the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, and MPJ was the biggest driver of a mini two-game winning streak this week and a 3-4 stretch since the last edition of the power rankings.
Overall, in his 11 games since Cam Thomas left the rotation with a hamstring injury, Porter is averaging 27.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.7 threes, while shooting 41.4 percent from deep.
26. Indiana Pacers (4-18)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -9.3
Night to night, you can always count on the Indiana Pacers to play with a ton of effort, to defend with a ton of physicality and to move the ball all over the floor.
The lack of talent, with Tyrese Haliburton out for the year and just about every other rotation player taking a turn on the injury report, is just too much to overcome.
25. Charlotte Hornets (6-16)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -5.1
He's cooled off significantly over the last week or so, but Kon Knueppel has already proved himself one of the league's better shooters and a solid all-around wing, to boot.
Around a quarter of the way into his first season, he is averaging 18.1 points, 3.4 threes and 3.0 assists, while shooting 40.7 percent from deep.
And while Knueppel maybe hasn't been quite explosive enough to think he could replace LaMelo Ball as the face of the franchise, the idea isn't quite as absurd as it might have sounded a couple months ago.
24. Milwaukee Bucks (10-13)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -1.8
It's been an eventful few days for the Milwaukee Bucks. On Wednesday, they got what sure looks like a soft launch for a trade request (again) from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Hours later, he left Milwaukee's game after three minutes with another calf strain. And on Thursday morning, we learned he'll be out at least a couple weeks.
The Bucks won Wednesday's contest against the Detroit Pistons, but it's hard to imagine their record getting much better during an extended absence for Giannis. Milwaukee has a point differential around that of an 18-win team when he's off the floor this season.
And as the losses keep piling up, it's hard to imagine his desire to play elsewhere waning. With trade restrictions on a number of players signed last summer set to lapse on December 15, there's a real chance he may have already played his final game for this organization.
23. Los Angeles Clippers (6-16)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -5.0
After the events of this week, which included the Los Angeles Clippers dismissing Chris Paul from the team on a road trip and in the middle of the night, it's worth reliving the last eight or nine months for this organization.
They closed 2024-25 strong, had 50 wins and pushed the Denver Nuggets to a Game 7 in the first round. By the end of the playoffs, "Clippers were the third best team in the league" was a fairly common take. They followed that up with an offseason that was both widely praised and included the signing of CP3 for a presumed retirement tour.
Prospects looked good, and then the league opened up an investigation into alleged cap circumvention. Kawhi Leonard missed much of the early portion of the season with an ankle injury. The losses started piling up. And finally, again, Paul got dumped.
This hasn't been as much a roller coaster as it has a train derailment. And barring some kind of dramatic winning streak in coming weeks, more changes could soon be on the way in L.A.
22. Chicago Bulls (9-12)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: -3.7
The good vibes that followed the Chicago Bulls through their 6-1 start may be totally quashed. They're 1-6 since the last edition of these power rankings dropped and 3-11 in their last 14.
They've been among those rumored to potentially be interested in an Anthony Davis trade (if the Dallas Mavericks ever make him available), but the cost may leave them with a roster cut out for little more than mediocrity.
The smarter approach may be trading whatever veterans can be moved, bottoming out and chasing better lottery odds. Chicago has been in the NBA's purgatory for far too long.
21. Utah Jazz (8-13)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -5.8
For the third time in the last four years, the Utah Jazz are better than the pro-tanking crowd would like. And this time, soon-to-be-traded veterans aren't entirely to blame.
Of course, Lauri Markkanen and his 28.1 points per game are driving a lot of the success, but one of the young players drafted after the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert trades is finally starting to pop, too.
In his third season, Keyonte George is performing like a fringe top-100 player, with averages of 23.1 points, 7.0 assists and 2.2 threes.
Perhaps every bit as encouraging for Jazz fans, this past summer's No. 5 pick, Ace Bailey, is also starting to come around. Despite scoring just five points in Thursday's win over the Brooklyn Nets, he is still averaging 13.0 points and shooting 41.8 percent from deep over his last 13 games.
20. Portland Trail Blazers (9-13)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -1.9
The Portland Trail Blazers have certainly slowed down after their 5-3 start, but they're still in the play-in mix.
And given how bad the bottom of the West is (and the possibility of the Utah Jazz leaning harder into a rebuild), Portland should be able to hang around that part of the standings all year.
There are several role players who deserve credit for that, including defenders like Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan, but the biggest driver is obviously Deni Avdija.
After scoring 27 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field (and 16-of-17 from the line), he is averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists. Perhaps most surprisingly, he's averaging 9.6 free-throw attempts per game, a mark that trails only Luka Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
19. Dallas Mavericks (8-15)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -3.8
Are the Dallas Mavericks suddenly...kind of...good?
They've won three straight (including a road victory over the Denver Nuggets), are 4-3 in their last seven, and were within single digits in three of their last four losses.
And while the return of Anthony Davis certainly helped in the last two wins, the improved play can largely be chalked up to coinciding improvements from two rookies.
During the three-game winning streak, Cooper Flagg is putting up 27.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while Ryan Nembhard is adding 17.0 points and 8.7 assists.
18. Memphis Grizzlies (9-13)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -3.6
The Memphis Grizzlies are 5-2 in their last seven games, and center Zach Edey is the biggest (literally and figuratively) reason why.
In this little stretch, the 23-year-old is putting up 15.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. If you shorten the sample to just the last four games, those numbers climb to 19.3, 16.5 and 2.8.
And for the entire season, Memphis is now plus-23.5 points per 100 possessions when Edey is on the floor without the currently injured Ja Morant (and plus-19.1 when Edey and rookie Cedric Coward play without Morant).
If it wasn't already clear that the Grizzlies might want to seriously consider moving Morant and start the organization's next era, Edey's recent play could make it unavoidable.
17. Golden State Warriors (11-12)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: 0.5
The Golden State Warriors' best players are past their primes. Injuries shouldn't be surprising. And now that they're piling up, they're sliding down the standings and have a below-.500 record more than a month into the season.
What's more, after a solid start to the campaign, Jonathan Kuminga has been thoroughly underwhelming in his three games since returning from injury. He's putting up 9.0 points and shooting 36.7 percent from the field in those contests.
A player who once seemed like a potentially solid trade chip is losing the value he may have once had. And that means the aged Warriors may be sort of stuck.
Given how well Stephen Curry was playing when he was healthy (27.9 points with a 39.1 three-point percentage is unreal for a 37-year-old guard), that's a shame.
16. Philadelphia 76ers (12-9)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: 0.4
The Philadelphia 76ers are below .500 in the 15 games since their 5-1 start, and it now seems clear they're probably never going to get anything close to the old Joel Embiid back.
The big man is averaging 18.5 points in just 24.4 minutes, but he's shooting 44.7 percent from the field, relying more heavily on outside shots and often looks to be trudging through mud on defense.
That shouldn't completely extinguish fans' hopes for the future, though.
Twenty-five-year-old Tyrese Maxey is averaging 32.6 points and 7.2 assists, while shooting 38.7 percent from deep. Quentin Grimes (16.8 points) and VJ Edgecombe (14.4) are both in double figures. And though he hasn't quite recaptured the early magic of his rookie season, Jared McCain is back and has scored at least 14 in four of his last six appearances.
15. Phoenix Suns (13-9)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: 2.9
After they closed out their week with a road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, it's officially safe to say the Phoenix Suns are for real, at least to the extent we can expect them to stay in the playoff (or play-in) race.
And as good as Devin Booker has been sans Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, he's not the only player driving what may be this season's biggest surprise.
Depth and several players being willing to accept less-than-glamorous roles are hallmarks of this team, and three members of the supporting cast, in particular, have to be mentioned.
Dillon Brooks' shot selection and general demeanor can make for a wild ride, but he's averaging 22.3 points. Grayson Allen is putting up 17.9 points and 4.2 assists, while shooting 43.8 percent from deep. And perhaps the biggest breakout is in the form of diminutive point guard, Collin Gillespie, who dropped 28 in the win over L.A. and is up to 13.4 points and 5.0 assists on the season.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers (13-10)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: 2.9
After dropping a home game to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers are 6-7 in their last 13 games and 1-4 in their last five.
Something's definitely amiss. And while injuries and the offseason loss of Ty Jerome are probably good answers (or at least part of the problem), the biggest issue might be that Darius Garland is nowhere near the player he's typically been, even when he's available.
He had six points on 2-of-13 shooting in Wednesday's loss, and his field-goal percentage is down to 34.7 on the season.
Without his shotmaking, and the effect that has on his playmaking (defenders can more comfortably play his passes), Cleveland's offense is far more predictable.
13. Atlanta Hawks (13-10)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: 1.0
With Trae Young out since October 29 (when you count the game he left early with his knee injury), Jalen Johnson has ascended to genuine star status (or at least star production).
During the same stretch, Johnson is putting up 23.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists, while shooting 44.0 percent from deep.
He's been good enough, particularly as a playmaker, to make the idea of a Trae Young trade not only palatable but also maybe even seem like the wisest path Atlanta could take right now.
Moving the longtime franchise centerpiece would allow the Hawks to lean even harder into a defensive identity carried by several lengthy, athletic wings and forwards like Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher.
12. Boston Celtics (13-9)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: 6.4
Even when the Boston Celtics were below .500, their point differential was quietly suggesting a far better team was in there somewhere.
Now, it's starting to reveal itself.
Boston is 9-3 in its last 12 games. And after Thursday's rout of the Washington Wizards, it's all the way up to fifth in the league in net rating.
The surge is a testament to the infrastructure established by Joe Mazzulla, his belief in three-point volume, Jaylen Brown (29.0 points and 4.8 assists) and a supporting cast packed with players willing to embrace their roles.
11. Miami Heat (14-8)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: 4.6
Tyler Herro is back, and it looks like the Miami Heat won't have too much trouble integrating him into the high-octane, low-screen offense that's taken the league by storm.
Miami is 3-2 in his five games, with Herro averaging 23.8 points and 3.0 threes. He's shooting 48.4 percent from three.
And while he may cool off a bit over the course of the season, it does look like he's ready to be a cog in a well-balanced system. He's one of the more dynamic cogs, but a cog, nonetheless.
10. Toronto Raptors (15-8)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: 4.2
The Toronto Raptors are 1-3 in their last four, but two of those losses came against the New York Knicks (on the road) and Los Angeles Lakers. And RJ Barrett has missed this entire stretch.
When he, Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett are all available, the Raptors bring a combination of length and athleticism on both ends of the floor that's tough to top.
With Barnes, specifically, the physical tools and wide-ranging skill set are finally coming together in a way that could eventually generate some All-NBA buzz.
He's piloting the defense and often doing the same on the other end, while shooting 41.5 percent from deep. And right now, no one in the league matches or exceeds each of his averages for assists (5.2), blocks (1.7), threes (1.5) and steals (1.4) per game.
9. Orlando Magic (13-9)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: 4.5
Even after they ended their week with a loss to the Victor Wembanyama-less San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, it's hard to argue things aren't looking up for the Orlando Magic.
Orlando is 9-3 in its last 12 games, and the stretch coincides almost perfectly with the departure of Paolo Banchero from the rotation (due to a groin injury).
He may well be the Magic's most naturally talented player, but without Banchero's high-volume, often inefficient offense, the ball is flying around a little more. The team-wide shot selection is better. And good decisions are being made more often (and more quickly).
This isn't necessarily a suggestion Orlando is better without Paolo (though numbers have suggested that for years). But at the very least, the coaching staff may have to find a way to better integrate his game on a roster that could use more of his passing and less of his scoring.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (14-8)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: 4.8
They haven't really been talked about this way, but Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle have played like one of the best duos in the league this season.
Ant's numbers aren't all that shocking. His averages of 28.8 points and 3.9 assists are gaudy, but his playoff runs might have forecast a campaign like this. It's Randle returning to the All-Star form he showed with the New York Knicks that really takes this one-two punch to the next level.
The point forward is putting up 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and a team-high 5.9 assists. And when he's on the floor with Edwards, Minnesota is plus-8.4 points per 100 possessions.
7. Los Angeles Lakers (16-5)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: 3.1
The biggest individual moment to arise from Thursday's road win over the Toronto Raptors was undoubtedly LeBron James sacrificing his double-digit scoring streak for a game-winning assist to Rui Hachimura.
But the more important takeaway, at least as it relates to the Los Angeles Lakers' future, is that Austin Reaves is playing at an MVP level.
No, that doesn't mean he's going to seriously threaten Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić or even his teammate, Luka Dončić, for that award, but he is playing like an MVP.
He had 44 points and 10 assists on Thursday. He's at 28.9 and 6.8 for the season, with a higher average plus-minus than Luka.
And getting that kind of production out of a player who entered the league as a 23-year-old undrafted free agent is organizationally transformational.
With LeBron clearly entering the final phase of his career (after shooting 4-of-17 from the field on Thursday, he's at 41.3 percent for the season), the Lakers already have a star No. 2 alongside Dončić. They might also have one of the league's most interesting potential trade chips in a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal.
Either way, Reaves has opened up paths that simply wouldn't have been there without him.
6. San Antonio Spurs (15-6)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: 4.6
Victor Wembanyama, despite missing the last two weeks and change with a calf injury, has generated most of the buzz surrounding the San Antonio Spurs this season.
During his absence, though, his supporting cast has made it clear this team's success goes far beyond the Frenchman.
De'Aaron Fox, who's now played in more total games than Wemby, is averaging 25.0 points and 6.3 assists. Devin Vassell is shooting 38.9 percent from deep. And even if those two weren't around, it looks like the Spurs still have enough talent at the guard spots (between Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle) to be just fine.
Assuming the Spurs can get and keep all of their regulars in the rotation for a while, they could start to look awfully scary, awful fast.
5. Detroit Pistons (17-5)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: 5.2
The Detroit Pistons suffered one of their worst losses of the season on Wednesday, dropping a game to a Milwaukee Bucks team that lost Giannis Antetokounmpo three minutes into it.
But on nights like that, it's worth remembering that on this date just two years ago, Detroit was 2-18. And it finished that season with a total of 14 wins.
Progressing from that point to this one, in just 24 months, is almost unheard of. And the Pistons have a bona fide star duo to thank for the turnaround.
Just over a month into the 2025-26 campaign, Cade Cunningham is putting up 27.6 points and 9.2 assists, while Jalen Duren is averaging 19.0 points and 11.5 rebounds.
4. New York Knicks (14-7)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: 7.1
The New York Knicks have hovered somewhere between good and great for most of this season, but one thing as been missing for most of it: Karl-Anthony Towns' typical shooting.
Heading into Wednesday's win against the Charlotte Hornets, KAT's three-point percentage was at just 33.0, while his effective field-goal percentage was nearly seven points shy of 2024-25's.
New York still winning in spite of that was probably a testament to the strength of the rest of the starting five.
And after they held down the fort for a month and change, Towns may finally be breaking out. After going for 35 points on Wednesday, he is averaging 25.2 points and shooting 40.0 percent from deep over his last six games.
3. Houston Rockets (14-5)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: 11.7
Since the last edition of the power rankings came out, the Houston Rockets slipped out of the top spot in offensive rating, but they stopped at second place.
And their unique combination of bludgeoning offensive rebounding and high-end three-point shooting continues to make them one of the toughest outs in the league.
Houston is first (by a lot) in offensive rebounding percentage and tied for second in three-point percentage. And all the extra possessions and points that come out of those two categories have the Rockets playing like a title contender.
2. Denver Nuggets (15-6)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: 9.1
The Denver Nuggets are tough to figure out.
On the one hand, they just set a franchise record with eight straight road wins. Nikola Jokić is averaging a triple-double again. And they have gritty wins against the Minnesota Timberwolves (a team that owned them for the last couple years) and Houston Rockets.
On the other hand, they have four straight home losses, with three of those coming against sub-.500 teams and the other at the hands of the Victor Wembanyama-less San Antonio Spurs. Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun are both out with injuries. And in any given game over the last couple weeks, you might catch a quarter or two of truly dreadful defense.
The inconsistency may simply be a product of the absence of two starters, but it's at least fair to wonder if Denver is going to cruise control through another regular season.
Well, at least the team as a whole might. Jamal Murray, individually, has never looked more locked in to start a campaign. After going for 52 points on 19-of-25 shooting (and with only five free-throw attempts), he is up to 24.7 for the season.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-1)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: 15.1
Basketball Reference's Playoff Probabilities Report ("...based on 10,000 simulations of the remainder of the season) has the Oklahoma City Thunder's best-case scenario at 77 wins. Dunks and Threes gives them a chance to get to 73 wins.
And FanDuel's NBA sportsbook now has the odds for OKC getting to 70 wins at plus-102 (essentially, a coin flip).
In other words, if you weren't ready to accept the possibility of the Golden State Warriors' single-season win record going down, you might as well get there.
History is very much in play. The Thunder are dominating opponents without being at full strength at any point this season. And perhaps most importantly, regardless of who's available and which opponent is on the other side of the floor, every OKC player who gets an opportunity takes it seriously.
You can tune into just about any stretch of any Thunder game, and you're almost guaranteed to see good effort and good execution. Pairing that with an MVP-level talent like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes OKC the favorite every time it takes the floor.
