By Law Murray | The Athletic, 2026-04-06 17:02:23
本周推荐专辑：“Tha Carter III,” Lil Wayne (2008)
称他们为“四月婴儿”吧，因为他们太愚蠢了。本赛季的实力榜已接近尾声，我知道很多人喜欢看那些被打脸的预测，所以请允许我来一个不那么极端的。
预测很有趣。我把自己看作一名篮球气象员。我试着给你们一个预报。但我实际上只能在事后告诉你为什么预报准或不准，然后再回去继续预测天气。
我知道，当我们这些野心勃勃的预言家出错时，你们中的许多人会感到兴奋。如果你想做一个季节性的煎蛋卷，你就必须打破一些鸡蛋。因此，本期实力榜我们将回顾我曾认为这些球队会达到的高度，并评估哪些地方出了错，哪些地方做对了。
细则： 这些实力榜不仅仅是对每支球队进行排名。我们将保留球队晋级和降级的阶层。每周将分为五个阶层：
- 顶级争冠者 (Top Contenders) – 固定为五支，他们是联盟的佼佼者
- 处境良好 (In a Good Place) – 可能是一支球队，也可能是七支
- 徘徊区 (The Bubble) – 不要与沃尔特迪斯尼世界的复赛园区混淆。处于中游水平
- 无需畏惧的阶层 (Not the Tier to Fear) – 表现不是联盟最差，但还有很多工作要做
- 垫底区 (Basement Floor) – 敬陪末座
对实力榜的预期：
- 这些是我主观的排名。我会考虑各种客观衡量标准，但最终由我决定。
- 这些排名不仅仅是对过去一周的回顾——我们也在展望未来，所以它是两者的平衡。
- 这些是主观的，但没有偏见。实力榜中没有私人恩怨，我们力求建立一个包容的精英管理体系。
- 这些排名具备的一个特质：“无情的侵略性”。
- 请享受比赛，也请享受排名！
在第25周的《The Athletic》NBA实力榜中，我们将回顾第一周对每支球队的预测。胜负记录和其他统计数据截至周日的比赛。
第一阶层：顶级争冠者
1. 俄克拉荷马城雷霆 (62-16)
上期排名： 2
过去一周： 胜底特律，胜湖人，胜犹他
进攻效率： 117.6（第七位）
防守效率： 106.0（第一位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第一，总决赛六场夺冠
雷霆在背靠背且零休息的情况下险胜活塞，随后他们向洛杉矶湖人队明确展示了什么叫等级森严。俄克拉荷马城又完成了一个不败周，成为首支拿到60胜的球队，即便马刺在最后一周全胜，雷霆只要再赢两场就能锁定整个季后赛的主场优势。他们将无法达到去年的胜场数，而且可能不会像一年前那样净胜对手超过1000分。但他们正处于预期的位置。
2. 圣安东尼奥马刺 (59-19)
上期排名： 1
过去一周： 胜芝加哥，胜勇士，胜快船，负丹佛
进攻效率： 118.6（第五位）
防守效率： 110.2（第三位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第十（通过附加赛获得第八），西部首轮负于雷霆
我原以为马刺会挤进季后赛；而现在他们接近于成为整个分部的头号种子。虽然外星人霸主维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 在攻防两端都展现了毁灭性的力量，但马刺本赛季还需要更多球员站出来才能成为一支伟大的球队。米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 在协调所有后卫（全明星达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和替补新秀迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)）协同作战方面也做得非常出色。本赛季，文班亚马缺阵时圣安东尼奥取得了11胜5负的战绩，而且全赛季在文班下场的时间里，马刺仅净负17分。去年，文班亚马缺阵时马刺的战绩为13胜23负，且在他下场时净负328分。
3. 底特律活塞 (57-21)
上期排名： 3
过去一周： 负俄克拉荷马城，胜多伦多，胜明尼苏达，胜费城
进攻效率： 116.9（第十位）
防守效率： 108.6（第二位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第七（通过附加赛保住第七），东部首轮负于老鹰
我原以为活塞本赛季会因为人员流失以及不得不处理杰登·艾维 (Jaden Ivey) 回归后的定位问题而陷入平庸。相反，艾维在赛季中期被交易，活塞成为了东部最新一支在这一年里暂时统治分部的球队。尽管凯德·坎宁安 (Cade Cunningham) 在肺部塌陷受伤前表现出色，但底特律今年的强大是因为它建立了一种以强硬和破坏性防守为核心的身份，并贯穿了整个赛季。阵容深度雄厚，化学反应强烈，年轻球员也得到了提升。
4. 波士顿凯尔特人 (53-25)
上期排名： 4
过去一周： 负亚特兰大，胜迈阿密，胜密尔沃基，胜多伦多
进攻效率： 119.9（第二位）
防守效率： 111.7（第四位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第十二，无缘季后赛
这是我本赛季最大的失策。原因很简单——我不相信杰伦·布朗 (Jaylen Brown) 的身体能扛住，我认为除了布朗之外的任何轮换伤病都会让凯尔特人陷入险境，而且我觉得波士顿会在交易截止日成为卖家。当时我觉得杰森·塔图姆 (Jayson Tatum) 在球队失去竞争力后将永远无法回归。相反，布朗承担了繁重的工作量，场均得分接近30分；内米亚斯·克塔 (Neemias Queta) 证明了他可以分担德里克·怀特 (Derrick White) 的压力，在超过70场首发中支撑起防守；佩顿·普里查德 (Payton Pritchard) 在安芬尼·西蒙斯 (Anfernee Simons) 被交易前作为首发表现出色；而塔图姆回归后依然能砍下30分、摘下两位数篮板并拿到三双。只有马刺队能与凯尔特人媲美，拥有八名出场次数达到65场的球员。向乔·马祖拉 (Joe Mazzulla) 致敬。
5. 丹佛掘金 (50-28)
上期排名： 8
过去一周： 胜犹他，胜圣安东尼奥
进攻效率： 120.8（第一位）
防守效率： 116.0（第21位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第四，西部首轮负于湖人
19天前，掘金在孟菲斯输了球，那是尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokić) 回归后他们唯一一次输给季后赛圈外的球队。自那以后他们还没输过，现在丹佛正处于赛季最长的连胜中，正好赶上迈尔斯·马龙 (Michael Malone) 被解雇一周年。丹佛已经追平了上赛季的胜场总数，虽然防守依然糟糕，但这是联盟最强的进攻。丹佛目前排名西部第四，但洛杉矶湖人队的伤病让他们处于一个三周前看起来不太可能的位置，那就是进入西部对阵表的2-3名一侧。
第二阶层：处境良好
6. 休斯顿火箭 (49-29)
上期排名： 10
过去一周： 胜纽约，胜密尔沃基，胜犹他，胜金州
进攻效率： 117.2（第八位）防守效率： 112.2（第六位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第六，西部半决赛负于快船
当然，火箭在金州浪费了15分的领先优势，球队苦主斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry) 威胁要再次上演“所有权”时刻。但火箭凭借凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant) 和阿尔佩伦·申京 (Alperen Şengün) 的精彩配合在旧金山取胜，并以赛季最佳的六连胜结束了这一周。我曾认为火箭更接近西部季后赛的中游而非领先地位，事实也确实如此。他们更多是处于平台期而非上升期。但换个角度看：他们在这一年的这个阶段表现得足够好。
7. 克利夫兰骑士 (49-29)
上期排名： 5
过去一周： 胜犹他，负湖人，胜金州，胜印第安纳
进攻效率： 118.1（第六位）
防守效率： 114.0（第14位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第四，东部半决赛负于尼克斯
好吧，骑士确实是东部第四！而且根据纽约尼克斯队的情况，他们还有机会更进一步。骑士将带着一支完全不同的队伍进入季后赛，因为他们用达里厄斯·加兰 (Darius Garland) 换来了詹姆斯·哈登 (James Harden)，这一举动真正考验了多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell) 在季后赛环境下的突破能力。哈登不是来背负任何人的，他是来提高下限并提供支持的。在米切尔、哈登、埃文·莫布利 (Evan Mobley) 和贾勒特·阿伦 (Jarrett Allen) 中，米切尔是唯一能够持续在进攻端接管比赛的球员。骑士本赛季的开局不如上赛季，但他们正处于改变季后赛风评的好位置。
丹特·迪温琴佐 (Donte DiVincenzo) 所在的森林狼和康·克努佩尔 (Kon Knueppel) 所在的黄蜂在本周的排名中互换了位置。Matt Blewett / Imagn Images
8. 夏洛特黄蜂 (43-36)
上期排名： 16
过去一周： 胜布鲁克林，胜菲尼克斯，胜印第安纳，胜明尼苏达
进攻效率： 118.7（第四位）
防守效率： 113.4（第12位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第十三，无缘季后赛
黄蜂看起来曾有望成为首支连续10个赛季无缘季后赛的东部球队。但自1月22日以来，只有圣安东尼奥马刺队的胜率更高。没错，拉梅洛·鲍尔 (LaMelo Ball) 领衔的夏洛特黄蜂在过去75天里赢下了77%的比赛。他们在第五名的老鹰和第十名的热火之间展开了激烈的争夺，六支球队在负场数上仅相差四场。但黄蜂拥有如此多年轻的火力，以年度最佳新秀候选人康·克努佩尔 (Kon Knueppel) 为代表，以至于现在很难想象他们不出现在七场制的系列赛中。
9. 纽约尼克斯 (50-28)
上期排名： 7
过去一周： 负休斯顿，胜孟菲斯，胜芝加哥
进攻效率： 118.8（第三位）
防守效率： 112.3（第八位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第一，总决赛负于雷霆
我曾说过尼克斯是一个完全不可信的分部中最值得信赖的球队。好吧，在过去的六个赛季里，东部出现了六支不同的头号种子。展望未来，你可以相信尼克斯不会成为这些头号种子之一。他们再次被超越了。这种稳定性值得我们所有人赞赏。尼克斯在赛季最后一周保持了合理的健康，迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 确实带领这支球队打出了联盟前十的防守和前五的进攻。但纽约还有工作要做，以压制骑士并保住第三的位置。
10. 亚特兰大老鹰 (45-33)
上期排名： 12
过去一周： 胜波士顿，胜奥兰多，胜布鲁克林
进攻效率： 115.1（第13位）
防守效率： 112.7（第九位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第二，东部半决赛负于魔术
我曾非常看好一支围绕特雷·杨 (Trae Young) 和克里斯塔普斯·波尔津吉斯 (Kristaps Porziņģis) 组建的老鹰队。那是次失败，主要是因为这两个人总共只在一起打了51分钟。但亚特兰大的转型非常精彩。只有雷霆和马刺在全明星赛后拥有更好的战绩，而且老鹰大胜对手的程度甚至超过了雷霆。这归功于防守。在戴森·丹尼尔斯 (Dyson Daniels)、尼基尔·亚历山大-沃克 (Nickeil Alexander-Walker)、奥涅卡·奥孔古 (Onyeka Okongwu) 和全明星杰伦·约翰逊 (Jalen Johnson) 面前运球和传球是极其危险的。他们的最后一周很有趣，因为他们要与潜在的首轮对手纽约和克利夫兰进行三场比赛。
第三阶层：徘徊区
11. 洛杉矶湖人 (50-28)
上期排名： 6
过去一周： 胜华盛顿，胜克利夫兰，负俄克拉荷马城，负达拉斯
进攻效率： 117.0（第九位）
防守效率： 115.7（第20位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第五，西部半决赛负于雷霆
湖人经历了一个惊人的三月，他们一定会希望统计在那时就停止。相反，他们去了俄克拉荷马，眼睁睁看着自己的努力因为卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Dončić) 和奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves) 遭遇为期数周的软组织损伤而付诸东流。对于这两个人来说，这是一个不幸的结果，尽管并不完全令人意外。东契奇多年来一直饱受软组织损伤的困扰，而里夫斯的赛季曾因小腿受伤而中断，导致他缺席了整个一月。由于这支阵容的构成，这两个人不得不承担如此繁重的任务。注意力重新回到了勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 身上，湖人应该仍然能够得分。但在这支球队中，马库斯·斯玛特 (Marcus Smart) 的重要性超过了他应有的水平。洛杉矶的排名不会低于第五，但湖人很难坚持到东契奇或里夫斯在本赛季再次穿上球衣。
12. 费城76人 (43-35)
上期排名： 13
过去一周： 负迈阿密，胜华盛顿，胜明尼苏达，负底特律
进攻效率： 114.7（第15位）
防守效率： 114.9（第17位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第六，东部首轮负于魔术
托拜厄斯·哈里斯 (Tobias Harris) 在费城嘲讽76人要打附加赛，这很有意思，我不撒谎。然而，在赛季最后一周开始前，76人排名东部第六。保罗·乔治 (Paul George) 禁赛归来后看起来像个全明星。乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid) 需要补充点维生素，但至少他大部分时间都在场上。全明星泰瑞斯·马克西 (Tyrese Maxey) 也回归了。费城整体看起来不像一支特别的球队，但次优的选择是在关键时刻拥有顶尖的可用人才，而76人在季后赛前已经接近拥有这一点。
13. 明尼苏达森林狼 (46-32)
上期排名： 9
过去一周： 胜达拉斯，负底特律，负费城，负夏洛特
进攻效率： 115.1（第14位）
防守效率： 112.1（第五位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第七（通过附加赛保住第七），西部首轮负于快船
明尼苏达仍然没有锁定前六。他们很可能会锁定，但在预测他们的赛季时，我坚持将森林狼排除在西部顶尖行列之外是正确的。我说过我不确定安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 是否能在进攻端获得足够的帮助，而现在森林狼在进攻排名中处于中游。我只能说，无论森林狼在季后赛发生什么，我都不会感到惊讶。森林狼可能会走得很远，这不会让我震惊。但考虑到杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 膝盖伤势出现的糟糕时机，他们三年来第一次首轮出局也不会让我意外。
14. 多伦多猛龙 (43-35)
上期排名： 11
过去一周： 负底特律，负萨克拉门托，胜孟菲斯，负波士顿
进攻效率： 114.5（第16位）防守效率： 112.3（第七位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第八，在附加赛中被活塞、雄鹿淘汰
猛龙的最终排名不会低于附加赛，这对于去年的球队来说已经是一项成就了。但目前，多伦多在大部分时间处于东部前六后，正面临参加附加赛的可能。多伦多拥有两名全明星球员，布兰登·英格拉姆 (Brandon Ingram) 和斯科蒂·巴恩斯 (Scottie Barnes)，猛龙在关键时刻的表现也很稳健，而一年前他们在这些比赛中表现糟糕。猛龙最终会落位何处将非常引人注目。
15. 奥兰多魔术 (42-36)
上期排名： 18
过去一周： 胜菲尼克斯，负亚特兰大，胜达拉斯，胜新奥尔良
进攻效率： 114.0（第18位）防守效率： 114.0（第15位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第三，东部决赛负于尼克斯
魔术看起来像是一支需要新主教练的球队。尽管在弗朗茨·瓦格纳 (Franz Wagner) 完成全明星赛后首秀的那一周取得了3胜1负，贾马尔·莫斯利 (Jamahl Mosley) 的帅位或许依然不稳。这就是魔术问题的根源。他们认为瓦格纳、杰伦·萨格斯 (Jalen Suggs) 和保罗·班凯罗 (Paolo Banchero) 的核心是主力阵营，而用所有那些首轮选秀权换来德斯蒙德·贝恩 (Desmond Bane) 是最后一块完美的拼图。在常规赛中，这些家伙在一起打球的时间不够长，无法维持一种身份。现在，魔术正处于激烈的附加赛竞争中。在季后赛证明自己很简单，但很难想象这支球队足够强大到能做到这一点。
16. 迈阿密热火 (41-37)
上期排名： 17
过去一周： 胜费城，负波士顿，胜华盛顿
进攻效率： 115.4（第12位）防守效率： 113.4（第11位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第九，在附加赛中被雄鹿淘汰
对热火来说，好消息是不会出现输球赛季。自2003年以来，迈阿密从未连续出现输球赛季。但迈阿密的问题是，东部有九支球队的胜场数比它多。这支球队每年都预订了附加赛的名额。当吉米·巴特勒 (Jimmy Butler) 在那些春季冲刺阶段留在队中时，情况还不错。但迈阿密需要很多帮助才能确保获得一个七场制的系列赛席位。
17. 菲尼克斯太阳 (43-35)
上期排名： 14
过去一周： 胜孟菲斯，负奥兰多，负夏洛特，胜芝加哥
进攻效率： 114.3（第17位）防守效率： 112.9（第10位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第十四，无缘季后赛
太阳确实有些气喘吁吁，在过去的12场比赛中输掉了8场。但我本以为太阳会非常糟糕。乔丹·奥特 (Jordan Ott) 在很多层面上都表现出色，但最主要的一点是他让这支球队打得非常努力，并打出了联盟前十水平的防守。太阳本赛季并没有太多的资源来变得更好，但围绕破坏性防守和大量三分尝试建立的身份已经足以确保一个成功的赛季。我们将看看这是否足以在附加赛中幸存，但无论如何，这个赛季对菲尼克斯来说都是一个意想不到的成功。
18. 波特兰开拓者 (40-38)
上期排名： 19
过去一周： 胜快船，胜新奥尔良
进攻效率： 112.9（第21位）防守效率： 113.5（第13位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第十二，无缘季后赛
保持波特兰的怪异。这里的篮球肯定符合这一点。在19支胜率超过五成的球队中，只有开拓者的净胜分为负。没有球队场均失误比他们更多。然而，在洛杉矶取得一场令人印象深刻且关键的胜利后，波特兰掌控了争夺第八种子的主动权。开拓者周五晚上还有一个关键的主场比赛，对手同样是快船。蒂亚戈·斯普利特 (Tiago Splitter) 值得极大的赞誉，他基本上成了西北地区的乔·马祖拉，在昌西·比卢普斯 (Chauncey Billups) 执教揭幕战后，带领这支球队拿到了40胜。
19. 洛杉矶快船 (40-38)
上期排名： 15
过去一周： 负波特兰，负圣安东尼奥，胜萨克拉门托
进攻效率： 116.6（第11位）防守效率： 115.2（第19位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第二，西部决赛负于雷霆
我们都知道情况如何。快船仍在为11月初到12月中旬那段22场输掉19场的恶劣表现买单。正因为如此，他们不得不围绕科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard) 重组核心。他们做得很好，让自己处于拥有胜率过半战绩并有机会冲击季后赛的位置，但由于主场输给开拓者导致五连胜终结，他们也让局势变得非常紧张。现在，快船需要在俄勒冈赢回那场比赛，否则他们的附加赛之旅可能演变成需要连赢两场，仅仅为了获得被雷霆提前终结赛季的权利。
第四阶层：无需畏惧的阶层
20. 金州勇士 (36-42)
上期排名： 20
过去一周： 负圣安东尼奥，负克利夫兰，负休斯顿
进攻效率： 113.8（第19位）防守效率： 114.1（第16位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第三，西部首轮负于火箭
我知道勇士会因为阵容老化而承担后果。快船因为组建的阵容受到了所有批评，但勇士更糟，而我对他们的预测错得更离谱。这大部分归结于金州无法从吉米·巴特勒三世 (Jimmy Butler III) 的前交叉韧带撕裂中恢复过来，以及斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry) 因为膝盖问题缺席了整个二月和三月。德雷蒙德·格林 (Draymond Green) 在没有这两名球员的情况下过得很艰难。艾尔·霍福德 (Al Horford) 只打了43场比赛，但这仍然比乔纳森·库明加 (Jonathan Kuminga) 和克里斯塔普斯·波尔津吉斯 (Kristaps Porziņģis) 加起来（33场）还要多。不过库里回来了，所以他在附加赛中仍然是一个需要对付的麻烦。
21. 密尔沃基雄鹿 (31-47)
上期排名： 24
过去一周： 胜达拉斯，负休斯顿，负波士顿，胜孟菲斯
进攻效率： 112.2（第25位）防守效率： 118.1（第26位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第十（通过附加赛获得第八），东部首轮负于尼克斯
我曾看低雄鹿。我本该坚持立场，看得更低。我太尊重扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 拖着这群人进季后赛的能力了。也许阿德托昆博也想看到这一点。但即使有阿德托昆博，雄鹿也不够好。而没有他时，他们打着空洞、毫无灵魂的篮球，仿佛没人想待在那儿。甚至连安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis) 当年在鹈鹕说“伙计们，就这样了！”的时期都比现在更有威胁感。
在库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 出生那天（2006年12月21日），勒布朗·詹姆斯在输给底特律的比赛中得到26分和10个篮板。2026年4月5日，勒布朗砍下30分9篮板15助攻，而弗拉格狂砍45分。Kevin Jairaj /Imagn Images
22. 达拉斯独行侠 (25-53)
上期排名： 23
过去一周： 负明尼苏达，负密尔沃基，负奥兰多，胜湖人
进攻效率： 109.7（第29位）防守效率： 115.1（第18位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第十一，无缘季后赛
说到安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis)，我本赛季有一些惨痛的失策。但这一个不是。你们中有些人真的把独行侠当成一支严肃的球队。转播合作伙伴之所以给独行侠这么多镜头，唯一说得通的原因是库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 是票房保障。但这支球队注定会是一团糟。戴维斯以29场比赛得到587分结束了他的独行侠生涯。卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Dončić) 仅在2026年3月一个月里得到的得分就超过了这个数字！丹吉洛·拉塞尔 (D’Angelo Russell) 本应是凯里·欧文 (Kyrie Irving) 回归前的过渡，而拉塞尔所做的只是在送走戴维斯的同一笔交易中为自己赢得了一个位置。欧文没有回来，这本不该让人感到意外。弗拉格表现很好，但那种方式让你整个赛季都为他感到难过。德雷克·莱夫利二世 (Dereck Lively II) 在感恩节前就报销了。杰森·基德 (Jason Kidd) 本人都可以首发出任这支球队的控卫，我不在乎他已经53岁了。这是一个混乱的赛季，但我早预料到了。
23. 芝加哥公牛 (29-49)
上期排名： 22
过去一周： 负圣安东尼奥，负印第安纳，负纽约，负菲尼克斯
进攻效率： 112.2（第24位）防守效率： 117.8（第23位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第十一，无缘季后赛
我觉得今年公牛终于会跌出附加赛的考虑范围。虽然经历了一些倒霉的交易，但芝加哥做到了。公牛甚至可能正好以第11名完赛，因为他们本周在华盛顿和达拉斯面临着严峻的摆烂竞争。
24. 孟菲斯灰熊 (25-53)
上期排名： 21
过去一周： 负菲尼克斯，负纽约，负多伦多，负密尔沃基
进攻效率： 112.8（第22位）防守效率： 117.8（第24位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第八，在附加赛中被森林狼、马刺淘汰
我曾太看好贾·莫兰特 (Ja Morant) 和小贾伦·杰克逊 (Jaren Jackson Jr.) 能支撑灰熊再战一个赛季的想法。灰熊在莫兰特和杰克逊共同出战的比赛中仅取得7胜13负，而现在他们不再是队友了。杰克逊去了犹他，而莫兰特在1月1日之后只打了三场比赛。更糟糕的是，勒布朗·詹姆斯说这支球队需要搬迁。毕竟，这就是忧郁布鲁斯。
25. 新奥尔良鹈鹕 (25-54)
上期排名： 25
过去一周： 负波特兰，负萨克拉门托，负奥兰多
进攻效率： 113.0（第20位）防守效率： 117.4（第22位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第十三，无缘季后赛
这是另一个球队位置与我一周前预测完全一致的例子。而且这还是在蔡恩·威廉森 (Zion Williamson) 本赛季“仅”缺席18场比赛的情况下。甚至在最近，德章泰·默里 (Dejounte Murray) 燃起的那一点火星也基本熄灭了，鹈鹕遭遇了八连败。这是新奥尔良本赛季第四次至少七连败。而且鹈鹕甚至还没有在摆烂。
第五阶层：垫底区
26. 萨克拉门托国王 (21-58)
上期排名： 29
过去一周： 胜多伦多，胜新奥尔良，负快船
进攻效率： 110.4（第26位）防守效率： 120.4（第28位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第九，在附加赛中被马刺淘汰
就像灰熊一样，我曾太看好萨克拉门托能维持近年来展示出的竞争力，尽管我至少通过预测国王在附加赛中无法获得季后赛席位而保留了乐观。我知道国王防守会很差，所以这并不意外。但我曾觉得进攻端会有很多选择，从而提高球队下限。但这根本没起作用。失败的一大部分原因是基根·穆雷 (Keegan Murray) 和多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯 (Domantas Sabonis) 没能在一起打过一场比赛。但国王这个赛季的失败归结于所有相关人员完全缺乏方向。
27. 印第安纳步行者 (18-60)
上期排名： 26
过去一周： 胜芝加哥，负夏洛特，负克利夫兰
进攻效率： 110.3（第27位）
防守效率： 118.3（第27位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第五，东部首轮负于骑士
这是一个彻头彻尾的糟糕预测。在没有泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿 (Tyrese Haliburton) 和迈尔斯·塔纳 (Myles Turner) 的情况下，步行者注定会退步。当这种脆弱的基础设施被第一周影响安德鲁·内姆哈德 (Andrew Nembhard)、本尼迪克特·马图林 (Bennedict Mathurin) 和奥比·托平 (Obi Toppin) 的伤病进一步削弱时，败局已定。步行者开局就落后了，尽管帕斯卡尔·西亚卡姆 (Pascal Siakam) 表现英勇，但印第安纳以2胜16负开局，在感恩节前就彻底没戏了。他们经历了本该由凯尔特人经历的过渡年。他们把马图林变成了伊维察·祖巴茨 (Ivica Zubac)，所以下赛季他们将拥有一套像样的首发阵容。但为了在过渡年得到祖巴茨所付出的代价，他们最好能抽中状元签。
28. 布鲁克林篮网 (19-59)
上期排名： 27
过去一周： 负夏洛特，负亚特兰大，胜华盛顿
进攻效率： 108.5（第30位）
防守效率： 118.1（第25位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第十四，无缘季后赛
如果你已经读到了实力榜回顾的这个部分，惊喜已经没有了。篮网很烂，正如预期的那样。我甚至说过，如果除了卡姆·托马斯 (Cam Thomas)（已被篮网和雄鹿裁掉）和小迈克尔·波特 (Michael Porter Jr.) 之外还有人场均得分上双，我会感到震惊。所以，向场均12.3分的诺亚·克洛尼 (Noah Clowney) 致敬！
29. 犹他爵士 (21-58)
上期排名： 30
过去一周： 负克利夫兰，负丹佛，负休斯顿，负俄克拉荷马城
进攻效率： 112.7（第23位）
防守效率： 121.2（第29位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 西部第十五，无缘季后赛
犹他与国王并列，不仅拥有西部最差战绩，还是联盟第四差。犹他面临着更艰巨的摆烂任务，但对于一支宣称自己不在摆烂的球队来说，他们证明了行动远比言语响亮。犹他确实有一些实质性的进步，特别是基昂特·乔治 (Keyonte George)。劳里·马尔卡宁 (Lauri Markkannen)、小贾伦·杰克逊 (Jaren Jackson Jr.) 和沃克·凯斯勒 (Walker Kessler) 的前场组合在下赛季可能会很有趣。但这从头到尾就是一次摆烂。
30. 华盛顿奇才 (17-61)
上期排名： 28
过去一周： 负湖人，负费城，负迈阿密，负布鲁克林
进攻效率： 109.9（第28位）
防守效率： 121.3（第30位）
第一周对2026年季后赛的预测： 东部第十五，无缘季后赛
我说过三月份奇才的整个阵容可能都由25岁及以下的球员组成。上个月为华盛顿出战的25岁或以上的球员只有：34岁的安东尼·吉尔 (Anthony Gill)、26岁的双向合同球员利基·布莱克 (Leaky Black) 以及27岁的特雷·杨 (Trae Young)（打了五场）。奇才让阿德巴约 (Bam Adebayo) 砍下了83分，然后在周六的重赛中，虽然让阿德巴约只出手了六次，却依然让热火拿到了152分。这是一场教科书级的摆烂，但现在在安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis) 的注视下，至少华盛顿要拿到选秀状元签了。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：NBA Power Rankings: Nuggets are contenders, and were our first-week predictions correct?
NBA Power Rankings: Nuggets are contenders, and were our first-week predictions correct?
Album of the Week: “Tha Carter III,” Lil Wayne (2008)
Call ’em April babies, ’cause they fools. We are nearing the end of this season of Power Rankings, and I know many enjoy a freezing cold take, so allow me a more lukewarm one.
Predictions are fun. I consider myself a basketball meteorologist. I’m going to try and give you a forecast. But I’m really going to be able to tell you after the fact why the forecast was precise or not, and then go back to trying to tell you the weather.
I know many of you get excited when the more ambitious of us prognosticators are wrong. And if you want to make a seasonal omelet, you have to break some eggs. So these Power Rankings will be the one where we look at what I thought these teams would be and assess what went wrong and what went right.
Fine print: These Power Rankings won’t just rank every team. We’ll retain the tiers that teams will be promoted into and relegated out of. There will be five tiers each week:
- Top Contenders – Locked at five, these are the class of the league
- In a Good Place – Could be one team, could be seven teams
- The Bubble – Not to be confused with Walt Disney World. The middle of the pack
- Not the Tier to Fear – Not playing the worst ball in the league, but with a lot of work to do
- Basement Floor – Bringing up the rear
What to expect from Power Rankings:
- These are my subjective rankings. I will consider a variety of objective measures, but it’s my final call.
- These rankings are not just a review of the past week — we are projecting forward as well, so it is a balance of the two.
- These are subjective, but not biased. There are no agendas in the Power Rankings, and we strive for an inclusive meritocracy
- The one quality that these rankings possess: “Ruthless aggression.”
- Enjoy the games, and enjoy the rankings, please!
For Week 25 of The Athletic NBA Power Rankings, we will revisit Week 1 for each team. Win-loss records and other statistical data are through Sunday’s action.
Tier 1: Top Contenders
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16)
Last ranking: 2
In the last week: W vs DET, W vs LAL, W vs UTA
Offensive rating: 117.6 (seventh place)
Defensive rating: 106.0 (first place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: First in West, win NBA Finals in six
The Thunder edged the Pistons on zero days’ rest, then they made it very clear to the Los Angeles Lakers that there are levels to this. Oklahoma City finished another week without a loss, became the first team to 60 wins and can lock up home-court advantage throughout the playoffs by getting two wins even if the Spurs sweep their final week. They will fall short of last year’s win total, and they’re probably not going to outscore opponents by more than 1,000 points as they did a year ago. But they are right where they are supposed to be.
2. San Antonio Spurs (59-19)
Last ranking: 1
In the last week: W vs CHI, W at GS, W at LAC, L at DEN
Offensive rating: 118.6 (fifth place)
Defensive rating: 110.2 (third place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 10th in West (earn eighth in Play-In Tournament), lose West quarterfinals vs. Thunder
I thought the Spurs would sneak into the playoffs; they’re close to being the top seed in the entire conference. And while alien overlord Victor Wembanyama has been a devastating force on both ends, the Spurs needed more players to emerge to be a great team this season. Mitch Johnson did a wonderful job of getting all of his guards (All-Star De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and reserve rookie Dylan Harper) to work in concert with one another as well. This season, San Antonio went 11-5 with Wembanyama out of the lineup and has only lost the lineups with Wembanyama off the floor by 17 points all season. Last year, the Spurs were 13-23 with Wembanyama out while getting outscored by 328 points with Wembanyama off the floor.
3. Detroit Pistons (57-21)
Last ranking: 3
In the last week: L at OKC, W vs TOR, W vs MIN, W at PHI
Offensive rating: 116.9 (10th place)
Defensive rating: 108.6 (second place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Seventh in East (keep seventh in Play-In Tournament), lose East quarterfinals vs Hawks
I thought the Pistons would level off this season because of the players they lost, and having to figure out what to do with Jaden Ivey back and healthy. Instead, Ivey was traded midseason, and the Pistons became the latest team in the East to assume a temporary domination of the conference for a year. And as good as Cade Cunningham was before his collapsed lung, Detroit has been great this year because it built an identity around physical and disruptive defense that was maintained throughout the season. The roster is deep, the chemistry is strong, and young players have improved.
4. Boston Celtics (53-25)
Last ranking: 4
In the last week: L at ATL, W at MIA, W at MIL, W vs TOR
Offensive rating: 119.9 (second place)
Defensive rating: 111.7 (fourth place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 12th in East, will not make playoffs
By far my biggest miss of the season. It’s really simple — I didn’t trust Jaylen Brown to hold up physically, I thought any rotation injury besides Brown would put the Celtics in a perilous spot, and I thought Boston would be a trade deadline seller. Then I felt like Jayson Tatum would never return with his team out of contention. Instead, Brown absorbed a heavy workload and averaged nearly 30 points per game, Neemias Queta showed that he could help Derrick White anchor the defense for more than 70 starts, Payton Pritchard thrived as a starter until Anfernee Simons was traded, and Tatum is back to scoring 30 points, grabbing double-digit rebounds and posting triple-doubles. Only the Spurs matched the Celtics with eight players reaching 65 games played. Respect to Joe Mazzulla.
5. Denver Nuggets (50-28)
Last ranking: 8
In the last week: W at UTA, W vs SA
Offensive rating: 120.8 (first place)
Defensive rating: 116.0 (21st place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Fourth in West, lose West quarterfinals vs. Lakers
The Nuggets went to Memphis and lost 19 days ago, their only loss to a team out of the playoff picture since Nikola Jokić came back. They haven’t lost since, and now Denver is on its longest win streak of the season, just in time to mark the first anniversary of Michael Malone’s dismissal. Denver has matched last season’s win total, and while its defense is still bad, this is the best offense in the league. Denver is fourth in the West right now, but the injuries to the Los Angeles Lakers put it in a spot that seemed unlikely three weeks ago, and that’s getting into the 2-3 side of the West bracket.
Tier 2: In a Good Place
6. Houston Rockets (49-29)
Last ranking: 10
In the last week: W vs NY, W vs MIL, W vs UTA, W at GS
Offensive rating: 117.2 (eighth place)Defensive rating: 112.2 (sixth place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Sixth in West, lose West semifinals vs. Clippers
Of course, the Rockets blew a 15-point lead in Golden State with franchise tormentor Stephen Curry threatening to add another moment of ownership. But the Rockets drew up a great play with Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün to win in San Francisco and cap the week with a season-best six-game win streak. I had the Rockets closer to the middle of the West playoff picture than leading it, and that’s where they are. They certainly plateaued more than ascended. But glass half full: They’re playing well enough for this time of the year.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (49-29)
Last ranking: 5
In the last week: W at UTA, L at LAL, W at GS, W vs IND
Offensive rating: 118.1 (sixth place)
Defensive rating: 114.0 (14th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Fourth in East, lose East semifinals vs. Knicks
Well, the Cavaliers are fourth in the East! And they have a chance to go higher, depending on what happens with the New York Knicks. Cleveland will bring a different kind of team into the playoffs, as it swapped out Darius Garland for James Harden, a move that really puts it on Donovan Mitchell to break through in a postseason setting. Harden isn’t here to carry anyone. He’s here to raise the floor and support. Mitchell is the one player out of himself, Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen who is going to be able to consistently take over offensively. Cleveland didn’t get off to the same kind of start this season as last season, but the Cavs are in a good spot to change their playoff narrative.
Donte DiVincenzo’s Timberwolves and Kon Knueppel’s Hornets have flipped spots in this week’s rankings. Matt Blewett / Imagn Images
8. Charlotte Hornets (43-36)
Last ranking: 16
In the last week: W at BRK, W vs PHO, W vs IND, W at MIN
Offensive rating: 118.7 (fourth place)
Defensive rating: 113.4 (12th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 13th in East, will not make playoffs
The Hornets looked on track to become the first East team to miss the playoffs for 10 straight seasons. But since Jan. 22, only the San Antonio Spurs have a better win percentage. That’s right, LaMelo Ball’s Charlotte Hornets have won 77 percent of their games over the last 75 days. They’re in a tight battle that sees six teams separated by four games in the loss column between the fifth-place Hawks and 10th-place Heat. But the Hornets have so much youthful firepower, highlighted by Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel, that it is hard to imagine them not being in a seven-game series at this point.
9. New York Knicks (50-28)
Last ranking: 7
In the last week: L at HOU, W at MEM, W vs CHI
Offensive rating: 118.8 (third place)
Defensive rating: 112.3 (eighth place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: first in East, lose NBA Finals vs. Thunder
I said that the Knicks are the most trustworthy team in a thoroughly untrustworthy conference. Well, six different teams have been the top seed in the East over the last six seasons. And going forward, you can trust that the Knicks won’t be one of those top seeds. They got passed over again. That’s the kind of consistency we should all appreciate. The Knicks are reasonably healthy going into the final week of the season, and Mike Brown did get this group to be a top-10 defense and a top-five offense. But New York has work to do to hold off the Cavaliers and stay in third.
10. Atlanta Hawks (45-33)
Last ranking: 12
In the last week: W vs BOS, W at ORL, W at BRK
Offensive rating: 115.1 (13th place)
Defensive rating: 112.7 (ninth place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Second in East, lose East semifinals vs. Magic
I was high on a Hawks team built around Trae Young and Kristaps Porziņģis. That was a failure, mostly because those two played a total of 51 minutes together. But the pivot Atlanta has undergone has been spectacular. Only the Thunder and Spurs have better post-All-Star break records, and the Hawks blow teams out even worse than the Thunder have been. And it’s because of the defense. Dribbling and passing around Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Onyeka Okongwu and All-Star Jalen Johnson is perilous. They have an interesting final week, as they face potential first-round opponents New York and Cleveland for three games.
Tier 3: The Bubble
11. Los Angeles Lakers (50-28)
Last ranking: 6
In the last week: W vs WAS, W vs CLE, L at OKC, L at DAL
Offensive rating: 117.0 (ninth place)
Defensive rating: 115.7 (20th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Fifth in West, lose West semifinals vs. Thunder
The Lakers had an amazing March, and they’re going to wish the count stopped there. Instead, they went to Oklahoma and saw their work go down the drain because of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves suffering multi-week soft tissue injuries. It’s an unfortunate result for those two, though not wholly surprising. Dončić has been plagued by soft tissue injuries for years, while Reaves’ season was interrupted by a calf injury that cost him all of January. Those two had to play and do as much as they did due to the makeup of this roster. The attention shifts back to LeBron James, and the Lakers should still be able to score. But this is a team in which Marcus Smart is more important than he ever should be. Los Angeles can’t drop any lower than fifth, but it will be difficult for the Lakers to play long enough for Dončić or Reaves to get back in uniform again this season.
12. Philadelphia 76ers (43-35)
Last ranking: 13
In the last week: L at MIA, W at WAS, W vs MIN, L vs DET
Offensive rating: 114.7 (15th place)
Defensive rating: 114.9 (17th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Sixth in East, lose East quarterfinals vs. Magic
Tobias Harris taunting the 76ers about the Play-In in Philadelphia was a nice touch, I can’t lie. However, the 76ers are sixth in the East headed into the final week of the season. Paul George returned from his suspension looking like an All-Star. Joel Embiid needs some vitamins, but at least he’s mostly playing. All-Star Tyrese Maxey is back as well. Philadelphia hasn’t looked like a special team overall, but the next best thing is having the top available talent when it matters, and the 76ers are close to having that for the playoffs.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (46-32)
Last ranking: 9
In the last week: W at DAL, L at DET, L at PHI, L vs CHA
Offensive rating: 115.1 (14th place)
Defensive rating: 112.1 (fifth place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Seventh in West (keep seventh in Play-In Tournament), lose West quarterfinals vs. Clippers
Minnesota still hasn’t clinched a top-six seed. It likely will, but I was right to keep the Timberwolves out of the top of the West when predicting their season. I said I wasn’t sure Anthony Edwards was going to have enough help offensively, and here the Timberwolves are in the middle of the rankings offensively. All I can say is, nothing will surprise me with what happens to Minnesota in the playoffs. The Timberwolves could make a run, and it wouldn’t shock me. But neither would their first early exit in three years, especially considering the difficult timing of Jaden McDaniels’ knee woes.
14. Toronto Raptors (43-35)
Last ranking: 11
In the last week: L at DET, L vs SAC, W at MEM, L at BOS
Offensive rating: 114.5 (16th place)Defensive rating: 112.3 (seventh place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Eighth in East, eliminated in Play-In Tournament by Pistons, Bucks
The Raptors will finish no lower than the Play-In, which would have been an accomplishment for last year’s team. But for now, Toronto is staring at the possibility of being in the Play-In after being in the top six in the East for most of the season. Toronto has two All-Stars, Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes, and the Raptors have been solid in clutch time after being awful in those games a year ago. It will be fascinating to see where the Raptors wind up.
15. Orlando Magic (42-36)
Last ranking: 18
In the last week: W vs PHO, L vs ATL, W at DAL, W at NO
Offensive rating: 114.0 (18th place)Defensive rating: 114.0 (15th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Third in East, lose Eastern Conference finals vs. Knicks
The Magic looked like a team that was going to need a new head coach. And perhaps Jamahl Mosley is still on the hot seat despite a 3-1 week that saw Franz Wagner play his first games since the All-Star break. That’s the root of the problem with the Magic. They thought the core of Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero was the main group, and that trading all of those first-round picks for Desmond Bane was the right kind of final puzzle piece move. In the regular season, these guys don’t play together enough to maintain an identity. Now, the Magic are in the middle of a tough Play-In race. Making a statement in the playoffs is simple, but it’s hard to think that this team is strong enough to be able to do it.
16. Miami Heat (41-37)
Last ranking: 17
In the last week: W vs PHI, L vs BOS, W vs WAS
Offensive rating: 115.4 (12th place)Defensive rating: 113.4 (11th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Ninth in East, eliminated in Play-In Tournament by Bucks
The good news for the Heat is that there won’t be a losing season. Miami hasn’t had consecutive losing seasons since 2003. But Miami’s problem is that there are nine teams in the East with more wins than it has. This team books the Play-In on an annual basis. It was nice when Jimmy Butler was on the team during those spring break runs. But Miami needs a lot of help to secure a seven-game series.
17. Phoenix Suns (43-35)
Last ranking: 14
In the last week: W at MEM, L at ORL, L at CHA, W at CHI
Offensive rating: 114.3 (17th place)Defensive rating: 112.9 (10th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 14th in West, will not make playoffs
The Suns are certainly wheezing a bit, losing eight of their last 12 games. But I expected the Suns to be dreadful. Jordan Ott has been magnificent on so many levels, but the primary one is that he got this team to play hard and defend at a top-10 level. There aren’t and weren’t that many resources for the Suns to be better this season, but having an identity around disruptive defense and heavy doses of 3-point attempts has been enough to secure a winning season. We’ll see if it is good enough to survive the Play-In, but this season was an unexpected success for Phoenix anyway you look at it.
18. Portland Trail Blazers (40-38)
Last ranking: 19
In the last week: W at LAC, W vs NO
Offensive rating: 112.9 (21st place)Defensive rating: 113.5 (13th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 12th in West, will not make playoffs
Keep Portland Weird. The basketball certainly qualifies. Of the 19 teams with winning records, only the Trail Blazers still have a negative point differential. No team averages more turnovers per game. And yet, Portland controls its own destiny for the eighth seed after an impressive and helpful win at LA. The Blazers have a big game at home against those same Clippers on Friday night as well. Tiago Splitter deserves a ton of credit for basically being Pacific Northwest Joe Mazzulla, taking this team to 40 wins after Chauncey Billups coached the season opener.
19. LA Clippers (40-38)
Last ranking: 15
In the last week: L vs POR, L vs SA, W at SAC
Offensive rating: 116.6 (11th place)Defensive rating: 115.2 (19th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Second in West, lose Western Conference finals vs. Thunder
We all know how this one went. The Clippers are still paying for the rancid stretch that saw them lose 19 of 22 games between the beginning of November and the middle of December. They had to reset the core around Kawhi Leonard because of that. They’ve done well to put themselves in a position to have a winning record and a shot at the playoffs, but they also made things very stressful by having a five-game win streak snapped at home against the Trail Blazers. Now, the Clippers need to get that win back in Oregon, or their visit to the Play-In could come down to needing two wins just for the right to have their season ended early by the Thunder.
Tier 4: Not the Tier to Fear
20. Golden State Warriors (36-42)
Last ranking: 20
In the last week: L vs SA, L vs CLE, L vs HOU
Offensive rating: 113.8 (19th place)Defensive rating: 114.1 (16th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Third in West, lose West quarterfinals vs. Rockets
I knew the Warriors were going to have consequences for being old. The Clippers got all the criticism for the roster they put together, but the Warriors were worse, and I was more wrong on them. Most of this came down to Golden State being unable to recover from Jimmy Butler III’s ACL tear and Stephen Curry missing all of February and March with his own knee problem. Draymond Green has had a rough time without either of those players. Al Horford played only 43 games, which is still more than Jonathan Kuminga and Kristaps Porziņģis combined for (33). Curry is back, though, so he’s still going to need to be dealt with in the Play-In.
21. Milwaukee Bucks (31-47)
Last ranking: 24
In the last week: W vs DAL, L at HOU, L vs BOS, W vs MEM
Offensive rating: 112.2 (25th place)Defensive rating: 118.1 (26th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 10th in East (earn eighth in Play-In Tournament), lose East quarterfinals vs. Knicks
I was low on the Bucks. I should have stood on business and been even lower. I had too much respect for Giannis Antetokounmpo dragging this group to the playoffs. Perhaps Antetokounmpo wanted to see that as well. But the Bucks weren’t good enough even with Antetokounmpo. And without him, they played empty, soulless basketball, as if no one wanted to be there. Even the Anthony Davis “That’s All Folks!” Pelicans had more threatening moments.
On Cooper Flagg’s birthday (Dec. 21, 2006), LeBron James had 26 points and 10 boards in a loss to Detroit. On April 5, 2026, LeBron had 30-9-15 while Flagg poured in 45 points. Kevin Jairaj /Imagn Images
22. Dallas Mavericks (25-53)
Last ranking: 23
In the last week: L vs MIN, L at MIL, L vs ORL, W vs LAL
Offensive rating: 109.7 (29th place)Defensive rating: 115.1 (18th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 11th in West, will not make playoffs
Speaking of Anthony Davis, I had some brutal misses this season. This was not one of them. Some of you really had the Mavericks as a serious team. The broadcast partners having the Mavericks on as much as they were only gets a pass because Cooper Flagg is box office. But this team was always set up to be a hot mess. Davis ended his Mavericks tenure with 587 points in 29 games. Luka Dončić scored more points than that in March 2026 alone! D’Angelo Russell was supposed to be the bridge to Kyrie Irving’s return, and all Russell did was earn a spot in the same trade that sent out Davis. Irving didn’t make it back, which should not have been a surprise. Flagg was good but in a way that made you feel sorry for him all season long. Dereck Lively II was done by Thanksgiving. Jason Kidd himself could have started at point guard for this team, I don’t care that he’s 53. It was a mess of a season, but I saw it coming.
23. Chicago Bulls (29-49)
Last ranking: 22
In the last week: L at SA, L vs IND, L at NY, L vs PHO
Offensive rating: 112.2 (24th place)Defensive rating: 117.8 (23rd place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 11th in East, will not make playoffs
I felt like this was the year the Bulls finally dropped out of Play-In consideration. It took some ill-fated trades, but Chicago got it done. The Bulls may even finish 11th on that dot since they have serious tank competition this week in Washington and Dallas.
24. Memphis Grizzlies (25-53)
Last ranking: 21
In the last week: L vs PHO, L vs NY, L vs TOR, L at MIL
Offensive rating: 112.8 (22nd place)Defensive rating: 117.8 (24th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Eight in West, eliminated in Play-In Tournament by Timberwolves, Spurs
I was too high on the idea that Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. would keep the Grizzlies afloat for one more season. The Grizzlies only went 7-13 in games that Morant and Jackson played together, and now they’re no longer teammates. Jackson is in Utah, while Morant played three games after Jan. 1. To make matters worse, LeBron James said the team needs to move. These are the blues, after all.
25. New Orleans Pelicans (25-54)
Last ranking: 25
In the last week: L at POR, L at SAC, L vs ORL
Offensive rating: 113.0 (20th place)Defensive rating: 117.4 (22nd place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 13th in West, will not make playoffs
Here’s another one where the team is right where I said they would be with one week to go. And that’s with Zion Williamson missing “only” 18 games this season. Even recently, that little spark Dejounte Murray started is pretty much gone, with the Pelicans losing eight in a row. It’s New Orleans’ fourth losing streak of at least seven games this season. And the Pelicans are not even tanking.
Tier 5: Basement Floor
26. Sacramento Kings (21-58)
Last ranking: 29
In the last week: W at TOR, W vs NO, L vs LAC
Offensive rating: 110.4 (26th place)Defensive rating: 120.4 (28th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Ninth in West, eliminated in Play-In Tournament by Spurs
Much like the Grizzlies, I was too high on the thought of Sacramento maintaining the level of competence they showed in recent years, though I at least couched my optimism by having the Kings also fail to earn a playoff berth in the Play-In Tournament. I knew the Kings would be bad on defense, so no surprise there. But I felt like there would be so many options offensively that the floor would be higher. It just didn’t work. A large part of the failure was Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis not being able to play a single game together. But this Kings season comes down to an utter lack of direction for all involved.
27. Indiana Pacers (18-60)
Last ranking: 26
In the last week: W at CHI, L at CHA, L at CLE
Offensive rating: 110.3 (27th place)
Defensive rating: 118.3 (27th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: Fifth in East, lose East quarterfinals vs. Cavaliers
An all-out rotten prediction here. The Pacers were already going to take a step back without Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner. When that fragile infrastructure was dented further by Week 1 injuries affecting Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin, epitaphs were written. The Pacers fell behind the count early and despite a valiant season from Pascal Siakam, Indiana started 2-16 and was cooked by Thanksgiving. They had the gap year that I thought the Celtics would have. They turned Mathurin into Ivica Zubac, so they are going to have a worthy starting lineup next season. But they better win the lottery for what it cost Indiana to secure Zubac in a gap year.
28. Brooklyn Nets (19-59)
Last ranking: 27
In the last week: L vs CHA, L vs ATL, W vs WAS
Offensive rating: 108.5 (30th place)
Defensive rating: 118.1 (25th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 14th in East, will not make playoffs
If you have reached this point in the Power Rankings review, the surprises are gone. The Nets are bad, as expected. I actually said I’d be shocked if anyone besides Cam Thomas (since waived by the Nets and the Bucks) and Michael Porter Jr. averaged a dozen points for this team. So shout out to Noah Clowney, who is at 12.3 points per game!
29. Utah Jazz (21-58)
Last ranking: 30
In the last week: L vs CLE, L vs DEN, L at HOU, L at OKC
Offensive rating: 112.7 (23rd place)
Defensive rating: 121.2 (29th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 15th in West, will not make playoffs
Utah is in a tie with the Kings for not only the worst record in the West but also the fourth-worst record in the league. Utah has the tougher tank mission ahead, but for a team that declared itself not to be tanking, they showed that actions speak much louder than words. There has been real development in Utah, specifically Keyonte George. A front line of Lauri Markkannen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler could be intriguing next season. But this was a tank all along.
30. Washington Wizards (17-61)
Last ranking: 28
In the last week: L at LAL, L vs PHI, L at MIA, L at BRK
Offensive rating: 109.9 (28th place)
Defensive rating: 121.3 (30th place)
2026 playoff prediction from Week 1: 15th in East, will not make playoffs
I said that the entire Wizards roster could be made up of players 25 and under in March. The only players who suited up for Washington aged 25 or older last month: 34-year-old Anthony Gill, 26-year-old two-way contract Leaky Black, and 27-year-old Trae Young (for five games). The Wizards gave up 83 points to Bam Adebayo, and then in a rematch Saturday, held Adebayo to six field goal attempts and still gave up 152 points to the Heat. A master class of tank, but under the watchful eye of Anthony Davis now, so at least Washington is getting the top pick in the draft.
By Law Murray, via The Athletic