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New NBA Power Rankings as Boston Celtics Rise, 76ers Slide, and Injuries Pile Up
Another week of NBA action is done, and the injuries just keep piling up.
The latest additions to the league's growing list of absences are MVP candidate Stephen Curry and Rookie of the Year candidate Caleb Wilson.
At this point, the league looks more like a war of attrition than it maybe ever has. And that will obviously impact this week's rankings.
Of course, that's not the only factor. Based on the criteria that's guided us for yearsโteam and individual numbers, recent performance, championship chances and plenty of subjectivityโthis is how the entire league stacks up now.
30. Chicago Bulls (1-9)
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Previous Rank: 30
Net Rating: -15.1
The Chicago Bulls aren't just losing games. They're doing it in pretty spectacular fashion.
Less than a month into the season, they already have three losses of at least 30 points. On Wednesday, they led the San Antonio Spurs by 22 in the second quarter, had coughed up that entire lead by the 8:05 mark in the third and wound up losing by five.
Now an eighth of the way through what's shaping up to be an awfully trying campaign, Chicago's top four scorers (Caleb Wilson, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey) are shooting a combined 41.7 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from deep.
29. Milwaukee Bucks (1-11)
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Previous Rank: 28
Net Rating: -14.5
Some writers (including this one) thought there was enough veteran talent and know-how that came over from the Miami Heat to at least make the Milwaukee Bucks moderately competitive.
Surely, we thought, a team with a perennial 20-point-per-game scorer like Tyler Herro, a well-rounded forward like Jaime Jaquez, a three-and-D center like Myles Turner and an emerging playmaker like Ryan Rollins wouldn't get totally embarrassed every night.
But oh, we were wrong. We were very, very wrong. Herro is scoring alright, but he's clearly part of the problem on defense. Turner looks older, slower and completely checked out.
And though there's at least one bright spot (Brayden Burries' feel for the game and absurd offensive rebounding abilities look legit), Milwaukee looks destined for the relegation zone right now.
28. Sacramento Kings (1-10)
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Previous Rank: 29
Net Rating: -12.1
It probably doesn't even matter whether the Sacramento Kings can finally find realistic suitors for Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis.
Their presence on the roster clearly isn't leading to wins. And more importantly, it's not getting in the way of Darius Acuff's ascension.
If you carve the first four games of the season off Acuff's averages, the rookie is putting up an eye-popping 28.9 points, 8.7 assists and 3.9 threes, while shooting 39.1 percent from deep.
Outside of him, Kings games are a tough watch. But with each passing week, it looks more and more like Sacramento may have a long-term franchise cornerstone.
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27. Utah Jazz (1-11)
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Previous Rank: 27
Net Rating: -11.7
Even the biggest skeptics of the Utah Jazz's offseason hype could not have seen this coming.
There was always a chance they weren't going to live up to their new, lofty expectations, but we're nearly a month into this campaign, and Utah has just one win.
If there's a silver lining, it's that another onslaught of injuries has opened up more time and scoring opportunities for the young combo of Darryn Peterson and Ace Bailey.
Over their last four games, Peterson is averaging 23.0 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 39.4 percent from deep. Bailey is adding 15.0 points, 1.8 threes, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
26. Charlotte Hornets (4-8)
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Previous Rank: 24
Net Rating: -11.7
The Charlotte Hornets may have expected to take a slight step back this season after trading LaMelo Ball, but they certainly couldn't have anticipated Grayson Allen being their best player.
Thanks in large part to the injuries that have piled up on this roster (Kon Knueppel has played a grand total of one minute, and Brandon Miller is now out too), Allen not only leads the Hornets in 2026-27 wins over replacement player; he has more (a lot more) than the rest of the roster combined.
There's still a chance everything looks better when Knueppel is back. Another late-season surge isn't impossible. But it wouldn't be at all surprising to learn that some in Charlotte's front office are having some seller's remorse over that LaMelo deal.
25. New Orleans Pelicans (4-8)
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Previous Rank: 18
Net Rating: -7.1
At our last check-in with the New Orleans Pelicans, they were .500, coming off a four-game winning streak and rocking a respectable plus-2.3 net rating.
One week, four losses and three blowouts later, the Pelicans are suddenly 25th in net rating and looking dreadful on the defensive end.
If this keeps up much longer, relegation zone or not, New Orleans may need to think about finally ending the Zion Williamson era, trading the vets and throwing as many developmental minutes at Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen as possible.
24. Los Angeles Clippers (2-8)
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Previous Rank: 26
Net Rating: -5.8
The Los Angeles Clippers ended their week with a blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns.
And though it's becoming increasingly clear that they need someone (like, oh say, Keaton Wagler) to provide a little playmaking in addition to Darius Garland, they also aren't winning his minutes.
These numbers are still prone to wild, early-season swings, but L.A. is minus-17.3 points per 100 possessions when Garland is on the floor and plus-21.1 when he's off.
Right now, lineups anchored by Brook Lopez and filled out with aggressive defenders are giving the Clippers a much better shot at competitiveness than the ones led by Garland.
23. Brooklyn Nets (3-8)
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Previous Rank: 25
Net Rating: -5.2
This week, the Brooklyn Nets gave us a pretty vivid example of how dramatically things can swing in today's three-point-heavy NBA (especially for a bad team).
Sunday, they lost by 37 to the Dallas Mavericks and shot 11-of-39 from deep. In their very next game, the Nets beat the New Orleans Pelicans by 34 and hit 20 of their 41 three-point attempts.
Sometimes, it really is just a make-or-miss league. And when the Nets can get two or three players to join Michael Porter Jr. in doing some damage from the outside (like Egor Dรซmin did on Wednesday, when he hit four threes and scored 22 points), the Nets are close enough to passable on the other end to be competitive.
22. Orlando Magic (4-7)
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Previous Rank: 23
Net Rating: -4.8
They came against two of the absolute worst teams in the league (the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz), but the Orlando Magic ended their week with back-to-back wins. And Franz Wagner is starting to look more capable of carrying an offense like an alpha.
Over his last three games, Franz is putting up 33.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
And though he won't produce at quite that level when Paolo Banchero comes back, if Wagner can maintain some of the confidence he's building now, the Magic could go on a little run (though Banchero's return is likely still several weeks away).
21. Washington Wizards (4-9)
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Previous Rank: 19
Net Rating: -5.5
The Washington Wizards got off to an encouraging start this season. They arrived at last week's version of the power rankings with a positive net rating. And Anthony Davis has generally looked like the younger, healthier version of himself.
But he and Trae Young haven't injected as much winning attitude into the organization as many expected them to.
They put up a spirited effort in Thursday's loss to the Detroit Pistons, but they've now dropped six straight and have their next two contests against above-.500 Western Conference foes.
If they keep losing while Davis keeps producing (he's up to 25.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks for the season), expect trade rumors to start swirling around him.
20. Indiana Pacers (4-8)
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Previous Rank: 20
Net Rating: -1.9
After starting the week 0-2, the Indiana Pacers needed a win on Wednesday. They got it against the Washington Wizards.
And though that wasn't really a juggernaut opponent, that contest may have laid out the blueprint for survival without Tyrese Haliburton (who's still recovering from a hamstring strain).
Andrew Nembhard did his best Haliburton impression, leaned into playmaking more than scoring and kept the bigs involved throughout the night. Nembhard had 10 dimes, while Pascal Siakam (28 points on 17 shots) and Ivica Zubac (20 points on 15 shots) led the team in field-goal attempts.
It was an old-school, guard-sets-up-everyone-else approach that could help Indiana at least stay competitive until Haliburton returns.
19. Phoenix Suns (5-6)
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Previous Rank: 22
Net Rating: -6.8
It helps that they closed out their week with back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Charlotte Hornets, but the Phoenix Suns also beat the Houston Rockets this week.
And their superstar is starting to play like one.
Over his last six appearances (a stretch that includes four Suns wins), Devin Booker is averaging 27.7 points, 4.8 assists and 1.7 steals, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from deep.
18. Toronto Raptors (5-7)
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Previous Rank: 16
Net Rating: +1.7
The Toronto Raptors are 2-6 in their last eight, and those two wins came against the Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks.
Surprise, surprise. This team is a lot worse when their best player is out. And that means more for the Raptors than it does for most other squads.
Kawhi Leonard's health has been one of the league's biggest red flags for years. Toronto staying close enough to the top of the East to seriously contend will require them to not only win games without Leonard, but to win a lot of them.
This almost certainly won't be his last extended absence, and the Raptors have to win at a higher pace during the next one.
17. Miami Heat (5-6)
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Previous Rank: 21
Net Rating: -4.6
It's taken a while, and there are still some pretty serious concerns about the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led offense (that still ranks in the bottom half of the league), but the Miami Heat are finally getting some traction.
They've won five of their last seven games. Davion Mitchell (16.5 points and 8.5 assists), Klay Thompson (14.4 points) and Pelle Larsson (11.4 points and 3.5 assists) are all averaging double-figures and shooting at least 40 percent from deep.
And when Giannis is on the floor with all three of those shooters, Miami is (small-sample alert!) plus-25.6 points per 100 possessions.
16. Golden State Warriors (8-4)
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Previous Rank: 12
Net Rating: +7.3
The Golden State Warriors ended their week with a loss, but it was on the road and against the Houston Rockets, who look like a bona fide contender. That's not what could dampen the team or its fans' spirits.
That unfortunate distinction goes to Thursday's news that Stephen Curry suffered an oblique tear and will be reevaluated (though won't necessarily return) in two weeks.
On the season, Curry is averaging 27.8 points and 3.9 assists in just 26.3 minutes. He's a legitimate MVP candidate. And without him, the Warriors' good start could crater.
It doesn't have to, though. Golden State doesn't have to keep winning at its current pace. It can merely survive Curry's absence, thanks in large part to rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who's putting up 21.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists, while shooting 42.6 percent from deep.
If he keeps this team afloat for the next month or so, he could have Rookie of the Year wrapped up by December.
15. Dallas Mavericks (7-5)
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Previous Rank: 17
Net Rating: +0.8
The Dallas Mavericks ended their week with a blowout loss to the Anthony Edwards-less Minnesota Timberwolves. And their last three wins came against the Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers.
But they also have quality wins over the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat (a team that's slowly rounding into form).
And more importantly, their sophomore sensation is already looking like a soon-to-be-perennial MVP candidate.
The Timberwolves held Cooper Flagg to 12 points on Thursday, but he's averaging 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.2 steals.
14. Atlanta Hawks (7-5)
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Previous Rank: 15
Net Rating: +2.1
The Atlanta Hawks are off to a solid start in terms of wins and losses.
When Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are both on the floor, they're outscoring opponents by 3.5 points per 100 possessions.
Aaron Wiggins (14.9 points) looks like a solid addition. CJ McCollum's willingness to go to the bench looks like a win for the second unit. And Kingston Flemings has shown real upside since moving into the starting five.
But there's still plenty to prove here. All seven of their wins are against below-.500 Eastern Conference teams. And Johnson and Dyson Daniels shooting a combined 18.2 percent from deep is a real concern.
13. Memphis Grizzlies (7-4)
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Previous Rank: 11
Net Rating: +5.8
The Memphis Grizzlies' 6-0 start was fun. There's still plenty of reason for long-term optimism. Cameron Boozer already looks like one of the game's better playmaking bigs.
But after losing to the Denver Nuggets in Memphis on Wednesday, the Grizzlies have now dropped four of their last five. And it's becoming increasingly clear that Boozer may be the bellwether of this team.
During the six-game winning streak, he averaged 17.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists, while shooting 35.9 percent from deep. Since then, he's at 14.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists, with a 20.0 three-point percentage.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers (6-6)
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Previous Rank: 14
Net Rating: +2.1
The Cleveland Cavaliers, fresh off their 2026 Eastern Conference Finals appearance, fell below .500 this week.
At least on podcasts and social media timelines, the sky was falling in Cleveland. It was time to somehow break up the Donovan Mitchell-Evan Mobley-Jarrett Allen core. James Harden was washed.
But the Cavs proved on Wednesday that they can still hit a contender-like gear when properly motivated. They beat the New York Knicks (in Madison Square Garden) behind 32 points from Harden. And all four of the above shot at least 50 percent from the field.
One game doesn't suddenly fix this team. There are still concerns about the fit between Harden and Mitchell. There's still an argument to trade one of the bigs. But Wednesday was a good reminder of the ceiling this group can get to on offense.
11. Denver Nuggets (6-4)
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Previous Rank: 13
Net Rating: +0.7
The Denver Nuggets have scratched and clawed their way to a near-50-win pace through 10 games, but the load being carried by Nikola Jokiฤ and Jamal Murray has never looked heavier.
Murray is off to an absurd start, averaging 26.2 points and 5.9 assists, while shooting 51.3 percent from deep. Jokiฤ is way off his typical pace, but he's still adding 23.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 9.0 assists.
But after that, there may not be a single Nugget who can be counted on for consistent nightly production. And this offseason's big signing, DeMar DeRozan, is shooting 41.0 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from deep, while doing little to change the years-long reality of the dreaded "non-Jokiฤ minutes."
10. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-4)
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Previous Rank: 10
Net Rating: +4.2
A 39-point win over the Wizards on Saturday did wonders for the Oklahoma City Thunder's season-long net rating, but their injury-induced weaknesses were on display in back-to-back losses to close out the week against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain have done a solid job of filling Jalen Williams' shoes on the offensive end, but there's still more pressure on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander without Williams around.
And more importantly, on the other end, without Williams, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace, OKC isn't the turnover-generating machine it typically is.
Starting this coming week with games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings should get the Thunder back on track, but this version of the team is going to struggle against stiffer competition.
9. Portland Trail Blazers (8-3)
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Previous Rank: 9
Net Rating: +7.1
We're roughly a seventh of the way into the Portland Trail Blazers' 2026-27 campaign, and they're still in the top four in the West with a roster that looks brilliantly tailored to the strengths of its top two players.
Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard, first of all, complement each other well. The former's slashing is pulling defenses away from Lillard. Lillard's shooting is making Avdija's driving lanes more accessible.
And all around them, Portland boasts tons of defense, shooting and tenacity.
8. Detroit Pistons (8-3)
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Previous Rank: 8
Net Rating: +7.2
It'll be hard for anyone to join the tier of MVP candidacy currently occupied by Luka Donฤiฤ and Victor Wembanyama, but Cade Cunningham's superstar performance on Thursday should firmly put him in the next one.
In a double-overtime road win over the Washington Wizards, Cade tallied 52 points on 16-of-25 shooting, handed out 11 assists and didn't commit a single turnover.
He was scoring like Luka, while controlling the game like a prime Chris Paul. And while it's fair to point out that the numbers were enhanced by two overtimes and a less-than-stellar Washington defense, it's harder to nitpick in the context of Cade's whole season.
With his running mate, Jalen Duren, missing all but two games this season, Cunningham has carried Detroit to an 8-3 record while averaging 25.0 points, 7.9 assists and 2.0 threes.
7. New York Knicks (6-5)
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Previous Rank: 7
Net Rating: +6.7
The New York Knicks' record is still underwhelming, but it's way too early to press the panic button.
They're still top 10 in the league in both offense and defense. And four of their five losses have come against teams that entered the season considered to be title contenders (or fringe title contenders).
If they have a losing record over their upcoming four-game road trip when they play the Pacers without Haliburton, the Raptors (presumably) without Kawhi (twice) and the Timberwolves without Ant, then we can start to worry.
6. Philadelphia 76ers (10-3)
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Previous Rank: 1
Net Rating: +1.5
Their 10-3 record is more important than all the caveats that came with it, but this new title contender showed its vulnerability this week.
The Sixers started this stretch with a 24-point loss to the uninspiring Cleveland Cavaliers. And on Tuesday, they got annihilated by the Boston Celtics in Jaylen Brown's first matchup against Jayson Tatum.
Following the disappointing stretch, Philadelphia's ho-hum net rating now ranks 15th in the league. And Joel Embiid has failed to shoot better than 50 percent from the field in 10 of his 11 appearances.
5. Los Angeles Lakers (11-2)
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Previous Rank: 5
Net Rating: +8.0
The Los Angeles Lakers just keep winning. And Luka Donฤiฤ just keeps scoring.
Even after a couple "down" games (by his absurd standards), Luka is averaging 38.6 points, 10.8 free-throw attempts, 7.6 assists, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals, while shooting 40.8 percent from deep and 86.6 percent from the line.
And these obviously aren't empty stats. L.A. is first in the West, and its net rating with Donฤiฤ on the floor (plus-19.0) is miles better than the one without him (minus-11.8).
4. Houston Rockets (9-3)
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Previous Rank: 3
Net Rating: +9.4
The Houston Rockets had a bit of a lull earlier this month, when they lost back-to-back games against the Timberwolves and Suns, but they bounced back with victories over above-.500 Denver and red-hot Golden State.
And the further we get into this season (while acknowledging plenty can still change over the next several months), the more it looks like this might be the one Western Conference team with a serious shot to keep San Antonio out of the Finals.
Houston has a ferocious defense led by Amen Thompson. It has two players averaging over 20 points in Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant. It has three more over 13 in Jabari Smith Jr., Thompson and Fred VanVleet. And it has another three over eight with Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason and Marcus Smart.
There's a good enough balance of scoring, experience level and size here to buy the Rockets as a very real threat to make a deep playoff run.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-3)
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Previous Rank: 6
Net Rating: +13.4
The Minnesota Timberwolves have more than adjusted to life without Anthony Edwards, and LaMelo Ball is a big reason why.
After going for 22 points and nine assists in 25 minutes on Thursday, Ball is now averaging 18.6 and 6.3 in 27.5 minutes, while shooting 40.6 percent from deep.
His playmaking is lifting his teammates. And surrounding him with their defense has helped him lookโand playโfar more committed on that end.
He and the Wolves have suddenly won five straight and have the best net rating in the league. And it's easy to imagine them as real contenders when Edwards returns.
2. San Antonio Spurs (10-2)
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Previous Rank: 2
Net Rating: +11.0
Luka is averaging 38.6 points, and remarkably, may not be having quite as good a season as San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama.
After another undefeated week and a 10th straight victory, Wemby is now on pace for the highest single-season box plus/minus of all time. And his more basic numbers look legitimately Wilt-like.
In just 30.0 minutes per game, Wembanyama is putting up 30.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.4 blocks, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals. And his raw plus-minus of plus-225 leads the entire NBA.
1. Boston Celtics (10-2)
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Previous Rank: 4
Net Rating: +11.7
This was a statement week for the Boston Celtics.
They went 4-0 and won all four of those games on the road. Two of the wins were over the Hornets and Bucks, but those victories came by an average of 29.5 points.
And most importantly, they went into Philadelphia and squashed the 76ers in Jaylen Brown's potential revenge game.
Brown and Philly will get other shots at the Celtics, but right now, replacing Brown with Paul George (a player better able to play a complementary role) and making Jayson Tatum the clear alpha looks like it was the right call.
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