Sports
A New Contender Rises in the East as the Oklahoma City Thunder Remain the Favorites to Repeat
The 2025-26 NBA season is already a month in, and while we don’t want to press the panic button on any of these squads, some franchises are already in full-tank mode or making wholesale changes.
The 
Dallas Mavericksfired General Manager Nico Harrison, and the 
New Orleans Pelicans let go of head coach Willie Green. We have four teams that have yet to eclipse two wins through the first 15 or so games.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are several familiar and new juggernauts staking their claims as championship contenders amid some terrific starts to the year by their stars.
In celebration of the first month of the season, GIVEMESPORT put together a power ranking of all 30 teams, separating them into eight categories: tankers, no man’s land, Play-In at best squads, teams that can make the playoffs, teams that can win a series, dark-horse contenders, title contenders, and championship favorites.
Our ranking is not only based on how these teams are playing right now, but how they project going forward. Here’s how they all stack up.
The tankers
30. Brooklyn Nets
29. Washington Wizards
28. Indiana Pacers
27. New Orleans Pelicans
26. Sacramento Kings
Some of these teams expected to be in this category going into the season. The 
Indiana Pacers likely weren’t one of them, but Rick Carlisle has his own first round pick in a stacked 2026 NBA Draft. When Tyrese Haliburton returns next season, this team will be a contender again.
Staying in the East, the 
Washington Wizards are off to a disappointing 1-13 start despite having some intriguing young talent, while the 
Brooklyn Nets are still figuring out which players will be on their roster in the long term.
Lastly, the New Orleans Pelicans’ bet on Zion Williamson has not paid off so far and the 
Sacramento Kings are in a familiar place near the bottom of the Western Conference.
No man’s land
25. Charlotte Hornets
24. Dallas Mavericks
23. Utah Jazz
We listed the Dallas Mavericks as a dark-horse contender heading into this regular season. That projection doesn’t look so great right now for a franchise that is 4-12 and has fired their GM.
For now, the Mavericks are still looking to compete, but tanking is a feasible option, especially with Kyrie Irving out till sometime in 2026.
The 
Charlotte Hornets have two of the best rookies in the entire NBA in Kon Kneuppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner, but they are running into some familiar health and chemistry issues with their feature stars.
Lastly, the 
Utah Jazz are technically in the Play-In right now, but Lauri Markkanen is playing out of his mind, so we don’t think that’ll last long. Still, the All-Star forward’s trade value is certainly high right now!
Play-In squads at best
22. Memphis Grizzlies
21. Los Angeles Clippers
20. Portland Trail Blazers
Trade rumors are swirling for Ja Morant amid a 5-11, but the 
Memphis Grizzlies still have the upside to sneak into the playoffs, especially as Cedric Coward continues to develop. Thursday’s 137-96 win over the Kings was finally a good sign for an offense that has been among the worst in the league early on this season.
Meanwhile, the 
Los Angeles Clippers look old, slow and are injured. Derrick Jones Jr. and Kawhi Leonard are both out for the time being while Bradley Beal‘s season is already over. Ty Lue’s team is missing Norman Powell now more than ever.
Staying on the coast, the 
Portland Trail Blazers have now lost four straight, and still look a year away from being a consistent feature in the Western Conference playoffs.
Deni Avdija, however, certainly has a chance to make his first All-Star team.
Can make the playoffs
19. Chicago Bulls
18. Milwaukee Bucks
17. Philadelphia 76ers
16. Boston Celtics
15. Phoenix Suns
A number of these teams got off to red-hot starts and have cooled off a bit since, namely, the 
Chicago Bulls, 
Milwaukee Bucks, and 
Philadelphia 76ers.
Honing in on each team, Bulls’ efficiency has come back down to earth after drowning opponents from deep the first few games, the Bucks now will have to stay afloat without all-world star Giannis Antetokounmpo for a few weeks, and the 76ers are still integrating their injury-prone stars back into the rotation around a surging Tyrese Maxey.
As for the 
Boston Celtics and 
Phoenix Suns, both these squads are in the top 12 in both offensive and defensive rating and led by All-Star wings who can certainly keep up this production as the year goes on.
Who knew that a team with Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen on it could be this likable?
Can win a playoff series
14. Miami Heat
13. Toronto Raptors
12. Atlanta Hawks
11. Orlando Magic
10. Golden State Warriors
In terms of long-term projections, the 
Miami Heat are pretty underrated in our rankings given that they are still waiting for Tyler Herro to make his season debut, and Bam Adebayo has already missed six games.
Fortunately, Norman Powell and company are thriving in Erik Spoelstra’s new-look offense as they wait for their stars to return. Meanwhile, in the North, the 
Toronto Raptors are finally taking advantage of a roster that on-paper has the talent to return to the postseason.
Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Scottie Barnes are one of the more underrated trios in the league. Staying on the topic of underrated, Jalen Johnson is a dark horse MVP candidate for an 
Atlanta Hawks team that is young, athletic, and has the potential to be a defensive nightmare in the playoffs.
Shifting to the last two teams, the 
Orlando Magic and 
Golden State Warriors can both jump up a tier with a few more encouraging performances, but these squads are running into familiar weakness.
In the Magic Kingdom, that weakness is three-point frequency and efficiency, while in the Bay Area it’s offensive creativity outside of Stephen Curry and containing elite opposing big men.
Dark-horse contenders
9. San Antonio Spurs
8. Detroit Pistons
These are two young teams off to a hot start that are likely to get more respect in other power rankings. We just need to see a little more from both of them to be truly convinced and coming in at No. 8 and No. 9 is still a huge compliment.
Nonetheless, the 
Detroit Pistons are currently the top seed in the Eastern Conference at 13-2, largely thanks to improvements from Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson.
The Pistons are the second-best defensive team in the NBA right now, behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, with their main weakness also being three-point efficiency, which still ranks relatively low.
As for the 
San Antonio Spurs, they’ll have to manage the next few weeks without Victor Wembanyama, but this is a scary team on both ends when fully healthy.
Title contenders
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. New York Knicks
4. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Houston Rockets
As the teams ahead of them in the standings dominate in the headlines, the 
Minnesota Timberwolves, 
Cleveland Cavaliers, and 
New York Knicks are all in fine shape a month into the season.
Jaden McDaniels offensive jump this year has been a very encouraging sign for Chris Finch’s team, while the two other Eastern Conference giants are managing injuries to key players at the moment.
The Knicks’ tendency to struggle against young athletic squads is something to keep an eye on as there are plenty of franchises that fit that archetype now in the conference.
Meanwhile, the 
L.A. Lakers finally debuted LeBron James this season, and the all-time great forward might be the third option with the form that Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are currently in. Which is not a bad thing. Also, Deandre Ayton has thrived with his new team through his first 14 games.
Lastly, there’s the 
Houston Rockets, who have the best offense in the NBA, thanks in large part to the addition of Kevin Durant. KD is still KD even in his 19th season, and the attention he consistently draws has made life a lot easier for Alperen Sengün and company.
Championship favorites
2. Denver Nuggets
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
We were adamant about the two favorites for the Larry O’Brien Trophy going into the season, and nothing has changed two months in. Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are both in peak form right now and taking advantage of their improved supporting casts.
Ajay Mitchell and Chet Holmgren have both taken giant steps up this season, while Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Tim Hardaway Jr. have been sharp through the first month.
In terms of improvements, the Thunder are still waiting for Jalen Williams to return from offseason wrist surgery, and the Nuggets are being patient with Cameron Johnson‘s slow start.
Overall, both these teams are ascending and led by all-time greats, both of them rank in the top 5 in offensive and defensive rating, and at the moment, both are on a collision course to meet in an epic Western Conference Finals.
