Category: Basketball

When Zach Edey has been on the court this season, the Memphis Grizzlies have outscored their opponents by 17.7 points per 100 possessions. When Edey is off the court, the Grizzlies get outscored by 8.2 per 100 — that's a 25.9 points per 100 swing with him on the court.

Which is why this is such bad news in Memphis: Edey will be out at least a month due to a stress reaction in his left ankle, the team announced Thursday. This is the same ankle on which Edey had offseason surgery, which caused him to miss the first 13 games of the season.

Edey's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPN’s Shams Charania, "This is a management plan to optimize Zach's long-term health in consultation with the Grizzlies and medical experts. Following this step, the short- and long-term prognosis for Zach is excellent."

This is a rough blow for a Memphis team that had gone 7-2 in its last nine and started to string together some wins, and is expected to get Ja Morant back soon from the calf strain that sidelined him.

With Edey out, expect Jock Landale to become the starting five for a while, with Jaren Jackson Jr. spending more time at center as well.

In the same announcement, the Grizzlies said that wing John Konchar will have surgery to repair a UCL tear in his left thumb. The team did not provide a timeline for his return, but this injury usually keeps players out at least a month.

Saturday in Las Vegas, it appears likely Victor Wembanyama will make his return to the court after missing a dozen games due to a calf strain. If it feels like there have been more calf strains — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ty Jerome, Ben Sheppard — it's because there have been. Tom Haberstroh broke down the numbers at Yahoo Sports, working with Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes.

In the first 20 games of the 2025-26 season, we've seen a substantial increase in calf injuries (excluding contusions caused by blunt force), according to leading injury expert Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com. This time last season, there were 18 calf injuries at the 20-game mark. This season, it's up to 25 incidents, representing an increase of nearly 40%.

More significant, however, is the elongated recovery timeline of these injuries. Per Stotts' data, the number of games lost due to calf injuries, through 20 games played, skyrocketed from 36 to 108. A tripling of last season's total.

A little more than a week ago, John Holinger of The Athletic (formerly part of the Memphis front office) asked whether the strains of the NBA Cup schedule had exacerbated the rise in soft-tissue injuries. While that has been a topic discussed in league circles, the article largely flew under the radar — until Thursday, when the NBA released a lengthy statement pushing back on the premise of Hollinger’s article, with NBA spokesman Mike Bass' name attached.

"John Hollinger's premise that the NBA Cup has led to a denser schedule resulting in more player injuries is simply not supported by the data. Hollinger wonders if 'the league turned the early-season travel dial a little too high' and posits that teams are facing 'an unnaturally heavy schedule cycle.' The reality is the NBA played roughly the same number of games through 42 days this season (308) as last season (307).

"Further, those numbers are consistent with pre-Cup years (308 games in 2022 and 313 games in 2021). The Cup has objectively not led to a denser league-wide schedule in the early part of the season.

"Hollinger additionally claims the NBA is seeing an 'uptick in early-season soft-tissue injuries' and that 'the league keeps getting worse at keeping those stars healthy.' Through the season's first six weeks, the number of injuries forcing star players to miss games is the lowest in the past six seasons, down more than 25 percent year-over-year. While several star players have not played this season due to injuries sustained last season, the suggestion that any increase in games missed this season is related to the schedule's first six weeks is patently misleading."

Hollinger's response summed up the general reaction to the NBA's statement: Why did the league release this in the first place?

The NBA's point that injuries to stars from last season — specifically, Achilles injuries to Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton — are part of the number problem is correct. However, the league statement does not address the facts noted at the start of this piece, that calf injuries — and soft-tissue injuries in general — are up. And because of what everyone saw with Tatum and Haliburton, teams are far more cautious about bringing back players from calf and other injuries.

Injuries are always part of the NBA season. Now, due to improved science and teams being risk-averse considering the nine-figure investments in their biggest stars, teams are willing to keep players out longer and make sure they are fully healed before a player returns. It's what's best for the players and the teams, but it means seeing less of some stars.

What gap year? The Boston Celtics are 15-9 and the No. 3 seed in a tight Eastern Conference behind the MVP-ballot play of Jaylen Brown this season.

Now it looks more and more like the Celtics could have Jayson Tatum back from his torn Achilles in time for a playoff push. Tatum posted a video on Wednesday of his return to playing one-on-one.

Tatum also posted "soon" on his Instagram stories.

While the Celtics will want to protect Tatum from himself, a return this season appears increasingly likely, with coach Joe Mazzulla saying the timeline is ultimately up to Tatum. Here is what Mazzulla said after Wednesday's practice, via NBC Sports Boston.

"It's all up to him," Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said... "At the end of the day, his health is the most important thing, his process is the most important thing.

"You trust him, trust the team that's around him ... and then you just kind of go from there. So it kind of just all starts (with) where him and his team think he's at."

In an Eastern Conference where no team has run away and hid (although the Knicks are starting to look like they could), why not Boston? The Celtics, with Tatum back and strong play from Brown and Derrick White — with Neemias Queta holding down the paint and Jordan Walsh emerging on the wing — would be as big a threat as anyone in the conference.

What gap year? The Boston Celtics are 15-9 and the No. 3 seed in a tight Eastern Conference behind the MVP-ballot play of Jaylen Brown this season.

Now it looks more and more like the Celtics could have Jayson Tatum back from his torn Achilles in time for a playoff push. Just seven months after he tore his Achilles, Tatum posted a video on Wednesday of his return to playing one-on-one.

Tatum also posted "soon" on his Instagram stories.

While the Celtics will want to protect Tatum from himself, a return this season appears increasingly likely, with coach Joe Mazzulla saying the timeline is ultimately up to Tatum. Here is what Mazzulla said after Wednesday's practice, via NBC Sports Boston.

"It's all up to him," Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said... "At the end of the day, his health is the most important thing, his process is the most important thing.

"You trust him, trust the team that's around him ... and then you just kind of go from there. So it kind of just all starts (with) where him and his team think he's at."

In an Eastern Conference where no team has run away and hid (although the Knicks are starting to look like they could), why not Boston? The Celtics, with Tatum back and strong play from Brown and Derrick White — with Neemias Queta holding down the paint and Jordan Walsh emerging on the wing — would be as big a threat as anyone in the conference.

When he wakes on Feb. 6, the day after the NBA Trade Deadline has passed, Ja Morant will almost certainly still be a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

There are a few reasons for this. For one, as NBC Sports’ Grant Liffmann said in a recent video, Memphis decision-maker Zach Kleinman tends to hold on to his assets rather than trade them — especially when it would likely have to be a swap of bad contracts.

It would have to be that kind of swap because of the bigger issue facing a Morant trade: There is not much of a market for him. As evidence, look at what The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote about the Rockets and their president Raphiel Stone's potential interest in Morant.

Stone, who values this young core greatly and has frequently resisted the temptation to reach for overpriced roster shortcuts. Case in point, league sources say they're not interested in pursuing Memphis' Ja Morant despite having lost veteran point guard Fred VanVleet for the season with a torn ACL.

The challenge in trading Morant is that availability remains the best ability. Morant has missed the Grizzlies' last 10 games with a calf strain (notably, Memphis is 7-3 in those 10 games), and he hasn't played 65+ games since his rookie season. Interested teams would also need to ask how Morant would fit culturally in their locker room.

If Morant gets traded — and this is true of other point guards rumored to be available such as Trae Young and LaMelo Ball — it is more likely something that happens during the offseason. At the deadline, there just isn't expected to be the needed market to get a deal done. The bigger short-term question in Memphis may be whether Morant can fit in with and accentuate what has worked for the Grizzlies with him out.

Welcome to the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will review each team's updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, I'll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our teams.

The charts below are also great for exploring on your own. You can track the minutes over the last three, five, and ten games, and for the entire season, to see which trends stand out to you.

All of this data was made accessible by Kyle Bland, who is incredibly talented and also incredibly generous, so make sure to give him a follow to check out all of his baseball data as well.

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Top 200 Rankings: Jamal Murray is on a heater

Nikola Jokić isn’t the only Nugget who has provided elite fantasy value recently.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Atlanta Hawks

Kristaps Porzingis made his return last week but then sat out on Saturday. It seems like he's going to be monitored a bunch as he recovers from this illness. Trae Young also claims he will return in December, but we don't know exactly when. With Young out, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been tremendous and has been a top-40 player over the last two weeks, averaging 26.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals. The rest of the rotation has been rather consistent.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics' rotation has been pretty consistent for much of the season, despite, obviously, not having Jayson Tatum for perhaps all of the year. Neemias Queta has been quietly pretty good of late, averaging 13 points, 9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 blocks over his last five games, which is a top-90 player. The Celtics are well-coached, so they will remain feisty, but this is really a three-man team with those top three guys.

Brooklyn Nets

Cam Thomas has been cleared for on-court work and could return to the lineup next week. That could shake things up, but, in the meantime, Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton are carrying much of the load for the Nets. Brooklyn has now gotten three rookies into the rotation regularly with Danny Wolf, Ben Saraf, and Egor Dëmin. Wildly, Wolf has maybe been the best of late, averaging 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in his last six games. Who knows if he'll remain in the rotation, but he should.

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets continue to battle injuries, with LaMelo Ball dealing with an ankle injury, Collin Sexton fighting a thigh injury, and Moussa Diabaté battling a knee injury. That has led to increased usage for Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges, both of whom have been top-100 players. There is little else to like here. Even without Diabaté in the last game, Ryan Kalkbrenner had six points and six rebounds with two blocks in 25 minutes.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have really struggled of late, and injuries are certainly part of that. Tre Jones is battling an ankle injury, and Kevin Huerter has been fighting a hamstring injury since the start of the month. Isaac Okoro is close to returning from his back injury, and Jalen Smith could also be back soon from his hamstring injury. That could mean fewer minutes for Patrick Williams and Julian Phillips, but the only guys who have really been fantasy relevant are Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis,Nikola Vučević, and Coby White, when he plays.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jarrett Allen, Max Strus, and Sam Merrill are all still battling injuries but could return this weekend or next week. In Allen's absence, Evan Mobley has been tremendous, averaging 19.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 blocks over his last six. He can be a real force, but the Cavaliers will need some consistency from him. With Darius Garland still battling this toe injury, Jaylon Tyson has gotten extra run as well and been a top-80 player over the last two weeks. Whenever he gets a chance to start, he's been really strong.

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas got news on Wednesday that Dereck Lively II will be out for the remainder of the season after undergoing foot surgery. I recorded a video explaining what could do to the frontcourt rotation, while the backcourt rotation has been that Ryan Nembhard has taken on a larger role as the primary point guard, averaging 14.8 points, 6.8 assists, and 2.5 rebounds over his last six games. That's good for top-90 value over the last two weeks, and he's worth a spot on your bench.

Denver Nuggets

Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun continue to battle injuries, and both will likely be out until the middle of January. We have seen the rotation kind of settle in the meantime. Peyton Watson has stepped into a larger role, as has Tim Hardaway Jr., but the fantasy value hasn't quite been there for these guys consistently. Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray are just good enough to carry this team.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons are at full strength now, which has led to an extended rotation that doesn't seem sustainable.I covered that in a video last week, and not much has changed. We have seen an uptick in production from Ausar Thompson's fantasy value, especially after Tobias Harris missed the last game with an ankle injury. Still, over his last three, Thompson is averaging 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 steals, and was a top 84 player. He needs to keep that going.

Golden State Warriors

All of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Al Horford are battling injuries and could return as early as this weekend. Even with all that happening, Jonathan Kuminga got a DNP-Coach's Decision last week, so you have to think the Warriors are going to find a way to trade him. Over the last week, Pat Spencer has become one of the best stories in the NBA. He went from number one overall pick in the lacrosse draft to trash-talking bench guard in the NBA and has been a top-60 player in fantasy over the last week. That's not going to continue when the veterans come back, but it's a fun story.

Houston Rockets

With Alperen Sengun battling an illness last week and Steven Adams fighting an ankle issue, Clint Capela saw an uptick in minutes, but not much has changed in this rotation. Sengun, Kevin Durant, and Amen Thompson are studs, and Reed Sheppard has cemented himself as a top-100 player over he last few weeks. Beyond that, there are a lot of guys playing around 15-20 minutes per night.

Indiana Pacers

Jay Huff has become a real consistent player in the rotation and has been a top-100 player over the last two weeks. Ethan Thompson has also started the last two games, and while I don't think it'll last, he's at least a name to monitor if he becomes a more consistent member of this rotation. T.J. McConnell is also back down just under 17 minutes per game, which has sapped some of his fantasy value. It's just a down year for the Pacers.

Fantasy Basketball Week 2 Injury Report: Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards headline the list of sidelined stars

The Pacers, Lakers and Thunder are among the teams with lengthy injury reports at the halfway point of Week 2.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers team doesn't have a lot going for it right now. James Hardenbecame the 10th-highest-scoring player in NBA history, but there's not much more happening. Bogdan Bogdanović came back over the weekend after missing almost 10 games with a hip injury. Jordan Miller has been battling a back injury, but could return next week. Still, this team is just Harden, Ivica Zubac, and Kawhi Leonard.

Los Angeles Lakers

Now that the Lakers are healthy, their lineup and rotation have been pretty consistent. DeAndre Ayton has remained a top 100 player since the three studs have been back, but he's now closer to 100. The rest of the offensive load is carried almost entirely by the three headliners in this lineup.

Memphis Grizzlies

It seems that Ja Morant will return as early as this weekend, which could shake up this Grizzlies' rotation. In his stead, Zach Edey has taken on a much larger role in the offense, averaging 16.5 points, 14 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 1.2 assists over his last six games. Cam Spencer has also emerged, not letting his brother have all the fun. Spencer is averaging 14.5 points, 5.5 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals over his last two weeks, which is a top-100 player. It remains to be seen if he can do that with Ja Morant back, but Jaren Jackson Jr. has also fallen back a bit, barely a top-100 player over his last six games and has been ranked 84th on the season, which is a big step down for him.

Miami Heat

Miami is pretty healthy right now, other than Pelle Larsson battling an ankle injury. Still, his minutes were shrinking with Norman Powell and Tyler Herro back. We should also talk about Herro's fit in this new Heat offense, which has been less than ideal. Sure, Herro is still putting up points, but he doesn't seem fully comfortable in this new fast-paced motion offense, and his assist totals are pretty drastically down from years past. That will impact his overall fantasy value. But Powell has just been flat-out better, and I'm not sure that's going to change. The Heat also tried to start Kel'el Ware and Bam Adebayo next to each other, but that doesn't seem to be working.

Milwaukee Bucks

With Giannis Antetokounmpo out, this has kind og become Kevin Porter Jr's offense. He's averaging 27 points, 6.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.8 steals over his last four games while playing over 30 minutes in each one. He needs to be added everywhere. Ryan Rollins has also continued to produce with Giannis out, and Bobby Portis has seen an uptick in usage, which has made him a top-100 player in fantasy since the injury. Jericho Sims is playing more minutes, but he's not doing mich with them right now, and I'm kind of shocked that he's playing more minutes than Myles Turner.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves may be the healthiest and most consistent lineup in the NBA right now. It's been basically the same guys playing the same allotment of minutes all season, except for a handful of games where Anthony Edwards has missed.

New Orleans Pelicans

The injury to Zion Williamson opened up opportunities for Derik Queen, which I covered in a video after his triple-double. We also saw Herbert Jones finally return to the court and score 17 points with six rebounds, four assists, and four steals in 26 minutes. His minutes should tick up as the weeks go on, so he is a name to monitor. Saddiq Bey has also been a top-75 player over the last two weeks, posting 20 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 34 minutes per game, but you have to wonder if Jones' being back cuts into that.

New York Knicks

The Knicks have moved Josh Hart back into the starting lineup, where he has thrived, and left him there with OG Anunoby back. I covered that decision in an article earlier this week. I also recorded a video talking about Anunoby's play and the ripple effects of his return, so you can check that out here.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Isaiah Hartenstein should be back next week as he battled a calf injury, and Cason Wallace is day-to-day after Wednesday's game against the Suns, so we'll need to keep an eye on that. Otherwise, this is a dominant team with a deep rotation thatI covered last week. Lately, only Shai, Chet, and Jalen Williams have been fantasy-viable, but we'll see what happens when Hartenstein returns.

Orlando Magic

Paolo Banchero returned, but Franz Wagner got hurt almost immediately after. Wagner should be out up to a month with an ankle injury, which is relatively good news based on how the injury looked. I covered the ripple effects of the Wagner injury here, and also discussed Banchero’s great game on Tuesday.

Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers have been relatively healthy for the last week, and are getting both Paul George and Joel Embiid in the lineup more regularly. That has led to far less work for rookie VJ Edgecombe, who is averaging just 10.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals over the last two weeks. Meanwhile, Quentin Grimes has actually remained a top-60 player in fantasy during that stretch, in part because of his ability to space the floor. Embiid and George remain top-100 players in fantasy, but it's hard to see them consistently rising inside the top 50 as they used to, unless we get an insane run of health and usage.

Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker injured his groin last week and will be out until at least the end of next week.I recorded a video last week covering what the fallout of that would be, but it's good news for Collin Gillespie. We've also seen Mark Williams step into a larger role and really deliver of late, putting up 13.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game over his last five.

Portland Trail Blazers

Jrue Holiday remains out, Donovan Clingan has battled a leg injury, and Scoot Henderson will be out til the end of December, so that has led to more minutes for guys like Kris Murray and also Robert Williams III. Sadly, Williams III is now dealing with an illness, which could keep him out a game or two; he's been really solid when he has played. Deni Avdija remains a legit star and a should-be All-Star, and Jerami Grant has been a top-50 player over the last two weeks. They and Shaedon Sharpe are carrying this team from a production level.

Sacramento Kings

Dennis Schroeder has been out with a hip injury, and Domantas Sabonis will be out for around a month with a knee injury, which I covered all the repercussions of that in a video here. Zach LaVine is also out on Thursday with a thumb injury, so we'll need to see if that persists. That has left Russell Westbrook to carry a major load for the offense, and he's been a top-15 player in fantasy over the last two weeks. Keegan Murray has also been solid since he's been back, but there's not a lot to like here.

San Antonio Spurs

Dylan Harper returned from injury late last week, and Stephon Castle returned earlier this week, so we've now finally seen the Spurs with all three of their guards healthy. Castle has come back to a role of about 25 minutes per game, but we'll see if that increases, especially since he was lights out on Wednesday, posting 30 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Dylan Harper was great on Monday, but played just 20 minutes on Wednesday with 13 points, three rebounds, three assists, and one steal. De'Aaron Fox may remain the most consistent of the three, with Castle and Harper mixing in good nights depending on the matchup. Of course, Victor Wembanyama is still out, so we can't be quite sure how the usage will change when he returns, which could be as early as this weekend. Devin Vassell has seen his usage drop considerably with all guards healthy, and you have to imagine that drops even more when Wemby comes back.

Toronto Raptors

Brandon Ingram has been on a heater of late, which I covered in a video this weekwhere I also discuss the impact of RJ Barrett's knee injury and Immanuel Quickley's illness on the playing time for guys like Jamal Shead. Those are the only real names to know here, other than Scottie Barnes continuing to play tremendous basketball and Jakob Poeltl continuing to see a minutes restriction due to a back injury.

Utah Jazz

Lauri Markkanen missed some time with an illness, and Jusuf Nurkić had been battling a rib injury, which has led to a few more minutes for Kyle Filipowski. He's averaging 13 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game over the last two weeks, and has been a top-100 player. That's really all there is to say about Utah. Although, I did write about Keyonte George as one of the biggest surprises of the early season.

Washington Wizards

Corey Kispert is out until potentially the end of the month with a fractured thumb, and we might not see Bilal Coulibaly until January with an oblique injury. Alex Sarr is also battling a thigh injury, and Khris Middleton continues to deal with a knee issue, so this team is really banged up. That has led to lots of minutes for other players, but nobody is really delivering other than Kyshawn George and CJ McCollom.

Week 8 in the NBA is underway as the NBA Cup series takes center stage. Now is a good time to look back and rank the top 10 teams with the obvious Oklahoma City Thunder tipping the list off. All Championship odds are courtesy of DraftKings.

Vaughn Dalzell‘s Week 8 NBA Power Rankings

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (24-1)

NBA Finals odds: +120
Points Leader: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32.6)
Rebound Leader: Isaiah Hartentstein (10.7)
Assist Leader: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (6.5)

Oklahoma City is riding a 15-game winning streak and at 24-1 through their first 25 games, it makes you start to think if they can beat the 2015-16 Warriors 73-9 record?

The Thunder went 18-1 without Jalen Williams and hasn't skipped a beat since he's returned. Oklahoma City is loaded again and I think it's about time to bet them to win back-to-back titles. This team is looking like a dynasty.

2. Denver Nuggets (17-6)

NBA Finals odds: +650
Points Leader: Nikola Jokic (29.2)
Rebound Leader: Nikola Jokic (12.3)
Assist Leader: Nikola Jokic (11.0)

Despite injuries to Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun, Denver has stood tall with the third-best record in the NBA. The Nuggets have three consecutive games and four of the past five, plus they are 5-3 without both Gordon and Braun.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have picked up the slack in the meantime. Jokic averages a 29-point triple-double and Murray is posting a career-high 25.0 points per game, which ranks 16th in the league.

3. Los Angeles Lakers (17-6)

NBA Finals odds: +1300
Points Leader: Luka Doncic (35.0)
Rebound Leader: Luka Doncic (9.0)
Assist Leader: Luka Doncic (9.0)

Since LeBron James returned to the Lakers, Los Angeles is 6-2 and he averages 16.2 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.0 rebounds per game. While it's obvious, LeBron isn't what he used to be, he's still made highlight reel plays and dished out game-winning passes rather than keeping his record 10-point streak alive.

This Lakers team has a high ceiling, but it's mostly because of their offensive potential. Los Angeles has the seventh-ranked offensive rating, the fourth-best effective field goal percentage (58%), and second-best true shooting percentage (62.2%) ahead of the Thunder (62.1%) and behind the Nuggets (63%).

4. Houston Rockets (15-6)

NBA Finals odds: +1000
Points Leader: Kevin Durant (25.3)
Rebound Leader: Steven Adams (9.2)
Assist Leader: Alperen Sengun (7.1)

Houston is 10-3 over the last 13 games, ranking fifth in offensive rating and fourth in defensive rating during that span. The Rockets have dealt with injuries to their role players lately, Tari Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith, plus they're without Fred VanVleet for the season. Despite three starters being 23-years-old or younger, Houston has played at one of the slowest tempos (27th) and maintained elite defensive numbers. If they clean up the turnovers (22nd in turnover percentage), then Houston can be a threat to Oklahoma City.

5. Detroit Pistons (19-5)

NBA Finals odds: +2500
Points Leader: Cade Cunningham (27.5)
Rebound Leader: Jalen Duren (11.5)
Assist Leader: Cade Cunningham (9.3)

After the Pistons 13-game winning streak was snapped, Detroit has gone 4-2 since the loss and won four of the past five games. Detroit has remained hot and has the best road record in the East at 8-3.

After 24 games, Detroit is fourth in defensive rating and surprisingly ninth in offensive rating, plus Cade Cunningham is fourth in MVP odds! Cunningham ranks top 11 in points per game (27.5) and assists per game (9.3) — both current career-highs.

6. New York Knicks (17-7)

NBA Finals odds: +1400
Points Leader: Jalen Brunson (28.3)
Rebound Leader: Karl-Anthony Towns (12.0)
Assist Leader: Jalen Brunson (6.3)

New York is on a heater! The Knicks have won four straight and eight of the past nine as they prepare to take on the Magic for a chance to advance in the NBA Cup. New York has only lost to two teams with losing records this season and are 10-2 versus those teams overall. Versus teams with current winning records, the Knicks are 7-5 with recent losses to the Magic and Celtics.

7. San Antonio Spurs (16-7)

NBA Finals odds: +3000
Points Leader: Victor Wembanyama (26.2)
Rebound Leader: Victor Wembanyama (12.9)
Assist Leader: Stephon Castle (7.3)

The Spurs are 4-1 over the last five games and advancing in the NBA Cup after a win over the Lakers. Since losing Victor Wembanyama for 12 games, the Spurs have gone 9-3 compared to 7-4 with him. San Antonio boasts the seventh-best offensive rating over the last 12 games, but ranks 22nd in defensive rating without their franchise player.

Luckily, Wemby could return in the next stage of the NBA Cup versus the Thunder, if not against the Wizards or Hawks next week.

8. Orlando Magic (15-10)

NBA Finals odds: +3000
Points Leader: Franz Wagner (22.3)
Rebound Leader: Paolo Banchero (7.9)
Assist Leader: Jalen Suggs (4.7)

Orlando's season continues to excite fans around the NBA and an upcoming cup matchup with the Knicks shouldn't disappoint. Orlando is 8-3 over the last 11 games and rank top nine in offensive and defensive rating during that timeframe.

Despite being dominant at home with a 10-4 record, the Magic are 5-6 on the road. Only two teams in the top six of the East have losing records on the road — the Magic and Knicks.

9. Boston Celtics (17-7)

NBA Finals odds: +3500
Points Leader: Jaylen Brown (29.1)
Rebound Leader: Neemias Queta (8.2)
Assist Leader: Derrick White (5.3)

Here they come! The longest winning streak in the Eastern Conference belongs to the Boston Celtics at five consecutive wins.

Jaylen Brown has scored 30 points in three straight games and six of the previous seven games. He's now sixth in the NBA with 29.1 points per game, while Derrick White and Payton Pritchard have chipped in a combined 34.6 points per game. Boston's bench has been a bright spot with al the chances to the Celtics rotation. The bench ranks fourth in three-point percentage (39.9%) and could help relieve Brown when his heater cools off.

10. Phoenix Suns (14-11)

NBA Finals odds: +70000
Points Leader: Devin Booker (25.0)
Rebound Leader: Mark Williams (8.4)
Assist Leader: Devin Booker (6.7)

Minnesota's five-game winning streak was snapped against Phoenix and despite wanting to make the Timberwolves my 10th-ranked team — I couldn't do it. The Timberwolves have struggled against teams with winning records (2-8) and have basically feasted on the bottom of the NBA. The Suns beat the Timberwolves in both meetings and haven't had Devin Booker healthy, so I'll roll with Phoenix to end up my top 10.

If the Raptors or Heat didn't lose four straight games, or the Cavaliers were consistent to any degree, then either of those teams would be my No. 10 ranked squad. Golden State at 13-12 has a case to be on this list after two straight wins, but the Suns deserve some respect.

Stock Up

Boston Celtics (17-7)

NBA Finals odds: +3500
Points Leader: Jaylen Brown (29.1)
Rebound Leader: Neemias Queta (8.2)
Assist Leader: Derrick White (5.3)

The Celtics have won seven of the past eight games and 10 of the last 12. Over the last 12 games, the Celtics come in at 18th for defensive rating, but have the NBA's top-ranked offense in that span.

Stock Down

Toronto Raptors (15-11)

NBA Finals odds: +10000
Points Leader: Brandon Ingram (21.5)
Rebound Leader: Jakob Poeltl (8.0)
Assist Leader: Immanuel Quickley (6.2)

After nine straight wins, Toronto has gone 1-6 over the last seven games with four straight losses. Granted four of those losses came against top 10 teams, it's also worth noting that two of those losses came to the Hornets with the lone win over the Trail Blazers. It appears the Raptors have come back down to Earth after a 14-5 start.

Miami Heat (14-11)

NBA Finals odds: +6500
Points Leader: Norman Powell (24.6)
Rebound Leader: Kel’el Ware (10.1)
Assist Leader: Davion Mitchell (7.8)

The Miami Heat have dropped four consecutive games and five of the past six to follow up a season-long six-game win streak. The Heat lost at home to the Kings and at the Mavericks during this losing streak, so the stock is way down on Miami.

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Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

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.

How to sign up for Peacock:

Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.

NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule

Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.

What devices does Peacock support?

You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices