A few weeks into the season and we're starting to get a clearer picture of where teams stand, and at the top of these rankings it is as expected with Oklahoma City and Denver. But then things get interesting.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
(10-1, last week No. 1)
Why does it feel like the Thunder took a step forward this season, coming off a title? It's how they approached the season. "Offensively, we've tried to look at the season as if we lost in the second round, if we lost Game 7 against Denver. How would we be approaching this?" Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "Rather than allowing the fact that we won it to bias us coming in, it was kind of more if we didn't win it and we fell short, how would we have been looking at this? And we tried to look at it like that. So we're pushing ourselves to evolve." Has it worked? Well, the Thunder set NBA regular season records for scoring margin (+12.87) and wins by double digits (54) last season, this season the scoring margin is at +13.5 and six of their 10 wins are by double digits.
2. Denver Nuggets
(7-2, last week No. 3)
Nuggets coach David Adelman nailed it when he said of Nikola Jokic, "I'll keep saying, just enjoy this. You know, while you get to have it." The three-time MVP is off to his best start ever, averaging 25.2 points, 13 rebounds and 11.9 assists a game. With better spacing around him, he is shooting 76.8% on two-pointers this season, and his true shooting percentage so far this season of 73.3 would have led the league a season ago. Behind him, the Nuggets are in the top three in offensive and defensive rating this season.
3. San Antonio Spurs
(7-2, last week No. 2)
Back-to-back losses for the Spurs in back-to-back "meh" games from Victor Wembanyama. The book is out on him: The Suns and Lakers were physical with him when he tried to get position in the paint, and doubled him at times on the perimeter to get the ball out of his hands. The Spurs needed someone to take advantage of the spaces Wemby creates on the court, so the return of De'Aaron Fox on Saturday could not have come at a better time. He drives and cuts into those open spaces, putting the offense in another gear, and is clutch. It all showed when he dropped 24 in his return.
4. Detroit Pistons
(8-2, last week No. 9)
Detroit has won six in a row and found its formula: A top-three defense and a lot of Cade Cunningham. While it's Cade who gets the headlines, it's the improvement of the defense that makes what is happening with the Pistons sustainable and makes them a postseason threat. Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff gives a lot of credit for the defense to the rim protection of Isaiah Stewart: "He's the best rim protector in the league. His timing, anticipation, always being early to the spot. It's a fearlessness, right?"
5. Los Angeles Lakers
(7-3, last week No. 5)
LeBron James is not with the Lakers on their current five-game road trip (which they started 0-1 with an ugly loss in Atlanta), but he could return not long after they return to Los Angeles (which includes a key NBA Cup game against the Clippers on Nov. 25, a matchup you can catch on Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock). LeBron is known as one of the game's legendary clutch players, but behind Luka Doncic, this team is 5-0 in clutch games this season. That's a promising sign (although those stats tend to balance out over the course of a long season).
6. Houston Rockets
(6-3, last week No. 4)
This ranking is probably going to prove too low for Houston. No Fred VanVleet, but the Rockets still have the top-ranked offense in the NBA. They have won six of their last seven games behind that offense, including an impressive 22-point comeback against the Bucks on Sunday, where we learned the Rockets have two closers: Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun. Also, because the rumors have popped up: The Rockets have no interest in Ja Morant (if anything, they want an FVV-style floor general and that is not Morant).
7. Cleveland Cavaliers
(7-3, last week No. 12)
Through seven games, the Cavaliers had a 112 offensive rating, bottom five in the league and nearly 10 points per 100 possessions off last season's pace. Then Darius Garland returned, Donovan Mitchell continued to be dominant, and in the last three games the Cavaliers are 3-0 with a 130.8 offensive rating. Cleveland is finding its footing. Also, let's not forget what De'Andre Hunter did to Josh Giddey over the weekend.
8. New York Knicks
(6-3, last week No. 14)
New York has found its footing at Madison Square Garden, going 4-0 so far on a seven-game home stand. Karl-Anthony Towns, in particular, has looked better, although going through a soft part of the schedule helps (he scored 33 on the Wizards and 28 on the Nets). Towns is getting to the rim more (42% of his shots are inside the restricted area this season) and he's playing with more of an edge. Interesting NBA Cup game to close out this homestead on Sunday against the Heat.
9. Milwaukee Bucks
(6-4, last week No. 8)
Sunday's loss to Houston ended the week on a sour note for Milwaukee because it was a reminder of the team's biggest issue: It cannot get consistent stops. The Bucks have the 23rd-ranked defense in the league overall, and allowing the Rockets to score 40 in the fourth quarter decided that game. The week started on a much better note with Giannis Antetokounmpo's game-winner against Indiana.
10. Chicago Bulls
(6-3, last week No. 7)
Josh Giddey is looking like an All-Star, maybe even an All-NBA player — and suddenly his contract this summer was a steal. As evidence, I present this: He is now the first Bull since Michael Jordan to have back-to-back triple-doubles (doing it against the Knicks and 76ers). That second one came on the night Nikola Vucevic drained the game-winner off a Giddey assist, but it was the Bulls' defense holding Philly scoreless for the final 4:26 that gave them a chance to beat the 76ers last week.
11. Miami Heat
(6-4, last week No. 13)
Norman Powell has now scored more points through his first six games with the Miami Heat (144) than any player in franchise history through six (yes, including that LeBron James guy, who had 122). Maybe the best sign of how well the Heat are playing is that they won two games in a row without Bam Adebayo (toe sprain). Tough week ahead with a home-and-home against Cleveland, then facing New York.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves
(6-4, last week No. 15)
The Timberwolves kept their heads above water, going 2-2 while Anthony Edwards was out (they are 2-1 since his return, but the wins are over the Jazz and Kings, so not exactly a big test). For all the talk of needing a point guard (and the Ja Morant rumors), the Timberwolves have the fourth-ranked offense in the NBA. That has not been the side of the court that has been the issue early; it's the fact that their defense fell from sixth a season ago to 17th this season, giving up 4.5 more points per 100 possessions.
13. Philadelphia 76ers
(6-4, last week No. 6)
Last week proved to be a bit of a reality check for the 76ers, who faced some of the best of the East — Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit — and dropped all three games. The good news is Jared McCain is back (a thumb injury and surgery kept him out of training camp and the start of the season), which may take some of the load off Tyrese Maxey, who has been brilliant (averaging 33.2 points and 8.2 assists a game) but is playing a league-leading 41.1 minutes a night.
14. Golden State Warriors
(6-5, last week No. 10)
You want high praise for rookie Will Richard, the No. 56 pick last June, who had a 30+ point game for the Warriors last week? Look at the role Steve Kerr said he fills on the team — the same one he has said Jimmy Butler fills — and who Kerr compared him to: "I've said this to you guys a million times. Who are those stabilizers in our run over the last decade? It's Andre Iguodala. It's Shaun Livingston. It's David West. You need them at different positions because [Stephen Curry] and [Draymond Green] need stability around them to get them organized and to help them navigate the game and to get Steph the ball. So Will Richard checks all those boxes. The whole team, the whole organization, recognizes this — which means everybody's on notice. Take care of the ball, because we've got people who will do that. And they're ready to step in."
15. Toronto Raptors
(5-5, last week No. 20)
It's concerning that when Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley share the court, the Raptors have a -10.5 net rating. The Raptors are picking up wins because when their pressure defense works and turns their opponents over — letting the Raptors get out and run — they are a force. It's just that the success of that pressure defense has been very inconsistent.
16. Portland Trail Blazers
(5-4, last week No. 11)
At the top of the list of positives in Portland: This team has beaten Denver and Oklahoma City this season. The Trail Blazers' pressure defense can be hit-and-miss — it was a miss against Luka Doncic and the Lakers last week — but it's hitting more often than not. Portland is on the road this week, visiting Orlando, New Orleans, Houston, and Dallas.
17. Boston Celtics
(5-6, last week No. 17)
Remember when Jaylen Brown said he was "sacrificing" for the team last season? He wasn't kidding. Brown has demonstrated that he can handle being the No. 1 option, averaging 28 points per game with an impressive 61 true shooting percentage — he is playing at an All-NBA level. All of last season he scored 30+ nine times, he's already done it six times this season. Brown has proven the doubters wrong. The only challenge Brown faces is his hairline. The biggest challenge Boston faces is that there is not enough around him — especially not enough shooting. Boston is second in the league in 3-point attempts a game but 27th in shooting percentage (32.7%).
18. Orlando Magic
(4-6, last week No. 18)
The Magic's continued offensive struggles are grabbing the headlines (and they should), but those of us high on Orlando coming into the season pictured an improved offense on top of an already elite defense. That defense hasn't shown up this season. The Magic have a defensive rating of 114.1, well off their 109.1 rating from last season (in the last five games, the Magic's defensive rating is 109.1, but that is still ninth in the league). If the Magic aren't locking teams down, nothing else matters, although Desmond Bane taking just one 3-pointer Sunday vs. Boston is an issue.
19. Phoenix Suns
(5-5, last week No. 21)
Give new head coach Jordan Ott his flowers — this team is better than expected and part of it is that they play hard every night. You'd like to think that's a given in the NBA, but Suns fans who watched the past two seasons will tell you that it is not. Devin Booker is looking like an All-NBA player, averaging 29.3 points a game while shooting 41% from 3-point range and dishing out 7.2 assists a game. Booker is getting real help from Grayson Allen, averaging 16.3 points a game.
20. Atlanta Hawks
(5-5, last week No. 22)
The Hawks have kept their heads above water, going 3-2 since Trae Young went out (and they won the game he left in the first quarter, too). One thing I have come to love watching from the Hawks is when Mo Gueye and Onyeka Okongwu are both in off the bench — Atlanta has a +8.5 net rating in those minutes. The Hawks are out on the road for 6-of-7, swinging through the Western Conference.
21. Charlotte Hornets
(3-6, last week No. 19)
Since Brandon Miller went out injured, the Hornets are 2-5, and the last three of those games also came without LaMelo Ball, who had an ankle impingement. This roster simply lacks the depth to survive without its stars, especially with three rookies starting: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Kon Knueppel, and Sion James. Rough week ahead, hosting the Lakers, then a home-and-home against the Bucks, then the Thunder.
22. Memphis Grizzlies
(4-7, last week No. 23)
Cedric Coward may be the steal of the Desmond Bane trade. He fell to No. 11 in the draft because he played just six games at Washington State due to a shoulder issue (which also kept him out of Summer League), but he has been a revelation, averaging 15 points and 5.8 rebounds a game, shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc, and he's better than most rookies on the defensive end. He's done as well as he could filling in the absences of Scottie Pippen Jr. and Ty Jerome that this team feels so acutely. Starting Tuesday, Memphis has nine of its next 11 games on the road.
23. Los Angeles Clippers
(3-6, last week No. 16)
Back-to-back home losses to Miami and Oklahoma City last week highlighted how much teams are trying to run on the Clippers, the league's oldest team. "Our half-court defense is pretty good, so teams are going to play fast against us," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. "They're going to try to beat us up and down the floor, because, you know, we are an older, slower team." Those two home losses also highlight something else: Last season, LAC was 30-11 at home – the 4th-best home record in the NBA. That has not been the case this season, where the Clippers are 3-3 at Intuit Dome (and 0-3 on the road). Dropping both ends of a home-and-home with Phoenix by double digits last weekend was ugly.
24. Sacramento Kings
(3-7, last week No. 24)
When Domantas Sabonis was out last week, it was fun to see Russell Westbrook hop in the hot tub Time Machine and put up the 204th triple-double of his career. The positives for Kings fans are that the team has played the toughest schedule in the league so far, things will get easier, and eventually Keegan Murray will return from thumb surgery (this team needs him badly).
25. Utah Jazz
(3-6, last week No. 25)
Losing Walker Kessler for the season to shoulder surgery is a real blow, both to the Jazz and him because this is a contract year. Jusuf Nurkic is starting now, but the Utah offense doesn't feel sharp with him out there. Is it too early to talk about the Lauri Markkanen trade market? Not really.
26. Dallas Mavericks
(3-7, last week No. 26)
Dallas' mistake integrating Cooper Flagg wasn't simply asking him to play out of position as a point guard, it was asking the rookie to do that while not putting the right players around him to make it work (there is a serious lack of shooting on this roster: Dallas is 25th in 3-point attempts a game and 29th in 3-point shooting percentage). Flagg is going to be great — he's averaging 13.9 points and 6.6 rebounds a game — just give him time and a better-fitting roster. Along those lines, Klay Thompson was moved to the bench last week in a move Jason Kidd said was temporary, but likely will not be.
27. New Orleans Pelicans
(2-7, last week No. 30)
Hamstring injuries are literally an annual occurrence now for Zion, who has missed time each of the past four seasons due to a hamstring issue, and is out again. New Orleans is 2-1 without him during this stretch (and the lone loss was to the Spurs on a night Trey Murphy III put up 41). As noted by Dan Feldman at Dunc'd On, three of the Pelicans' first six losses were by 30+ points, an NBA record for fastest to that number (the record had been nine games by the 90-91 Nuggets, who went on to win 20 games for the season). The record for fewest games to four 30+ point losses is 17, for those who want to keep track
28. Indiana Pacers
(1-9, last week No. 27)
There may not be enough sage to burn in Indianapolis to ward off whatever evil spirits have befallen this team and the rash of injuries (Rick Carlisle has played hardship signing Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in late-game clutch minutes this week, a sign of where things stand). On the bright side, Andrew Nembhard made his return over the weekend, although his shot looked rusty (33% across two games).
29. Brooklyn Nets
(1-9, last week No. 29)
No Cam Thomas for the next 3-4 weeks due to a hamstring strain. Losing one of the few pure shot creators on the team, as well as a guy scoring 21.4 points a game for the 25th-ranked offense in the league, is not good. Also, because the rumors have started: Brooklyn needs to find a young star on the rise, and that is not Ja Morant.
30. Washington Wizards
(1-9, last week No. 29)
Bilal Coulibaly returned for four games and averaged 10.5 points a game, although his shot was off (38.6% from the floor), and then he missed a couple more games with a leg issue. While Coulibaly was out, Kyshawn George proved he was too good to bench, which means Bub Carrington's minutes may get squeezed. Be sure to check out Eric Samulski’s feature on George from last week here at NBC Sports.
How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
Vaughn Dalzell
Raphielle Johnson