By NBA insiders | ESPN, 2026-04-08 19:00:00
2025-26赛季NBA常规赛终于接近尾声，本周日全部30支球队都将出战，宣告这一征程正式落幕。
每个新赛季都承载着极高的期待，有些球队达成甚至超越了目标，而另一些球队则与去年10月设定的初始蓝图相去甚远。
俄克拉荷马城雷霆队本赛季稳居夺冠热门之列，再次统治了西部联盟，随着他们将目光投向卫冕，他们已准备好在季后赛走得更远。达拉斯独行侠队在去年赢得状元签并选中库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 后，在与这位新秀球星度过了一个惨淡的首个赛季后，开始展望下个赛季。
在东部，底特律活塞队超出了所有人的预期，而就在两个赛季前，他们还以全联盟最差战绩垫底。波士顿凯尔特人队在杰森·塔图姆 (Jayson Tatum) 因跟腱伤势缺阵近一年后，已稳稳回到了季后赛的版图之中。
在常规赛最后的日子里，我们的NBA内幕专家在最后一期实力榜中，深度剖析了每支球队是否达到了季前赛的预期。
注：球队排名基于我们的评委小组（ESPN的安东尼·斯莱特 (Anthony Slater)、戴夫·麦克梅纳明 (Dave McMenamin)、贾马尔·科利尔 (Jamal Collier)、迈克尔·C·莱特 (Michael C. Wright)、欧姆·永米苏克 (Ohm Youngmisuk)、蒂姆·邦坦普斯 (Tim Bontemps)、蒂姆·麦克马洪 (Tim MacMahon)、文森特·古德威尔 (Vincent Goodwill) 和扎克·克拉姆 (Zach Kram)）认为各支球队应属的位置。
往期排名： 季前 | 10月29日 | 11月5日 | 11月12日 | 11月19日 | 11月26日 | 12月3日 | 12月10日 | 12月17日 | 12月24日 | 12月31日 | 1月7日 | 1月14日 | 1月21日 | 1月28日 | 2月4日 | 2月11日 | 2月25日 | 3月4日 | 3月11日 | 3月18日 | 3月25日 | 4月1日
跳转至球队：
亚特兰大 | 波士顿 | 布鲁克林 | 夏洛特 | 芝加哥 | 克利夫兰
达拉斯 | 丹佛 | 底特律 | 金州 | 休斯顿 | 印第安纳
快船 | 湖人 | 孟菲斯 | 迈阿密 | 密尔沃基 | 明尼苏达
新奥尔良 | 纽约 | 俄克拉荷马城 | 奥兰多 | 费城 | 菲尼克斯
波特兰 | 萨克拉门托 | 圣安东尼奥 | 多伦多 | 犹他 | 华盛顿
1. 俄克拉荷马城雷霆 (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 63胜16负
- 上期排名： 1
- 下场比赛： 客战快船（4月8日），客战掘金（4月10日），主战太阳（4月12日）
杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams) 本赛季缺席了46场比赛。以赛亚·哈尔滕施泰因 (Isaiah Hartenstein) 缺席了33场。亚历克斯·卡鲁索 (Alex Caruso) 缺席了24场。谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 缺席了12场。切特·霍姆格伦 (Chet Holmgren) 缺席了11场。对于一支将再次以60多胜的姿态横扫常规赛的球队来说，这算得上是严重的伤病减员了。虽然这并不像开季24胜1负、内幕人士预测要冲击73胜纪录时那样具有历史意义，但这台机器继续在最重要的时刻展现肌肉，并以卫冕热门的身份进入季后赛。雷霆在过去两个赛季的战绩为130胜30负。 – 安东尼·斯莱特
2. 圣安东尼奥马刺 (San Antonio Spurs)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 60胜19负
- 上期排名： 2
- 下场比赛： 主战开拓者（4月8日），主战独行侠（4月10日），主战掘金（4月12日）
新秀迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 在6月的入队新闻发布会上就定下了基调，宣称球队的季后赛荒“很快就会改变”。马刺队的胜场数比上赛季增加了25场以上，这是队史上第三次实现单赛季20胜以上的跨越。与此同时，健康的维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 贡献了多次MVP级别的表现，成为了这支默契度与日俱增的球队的定海神针。除了文班亚马，德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和哈珀组成的后场三人组是圣安东尼奥最强劲的人才储备。随着季后赛临近，缺乏经验仍是外界的一个担忧，但主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 保持着轻松的心态，开玩笑说：“无知便是福。”现在的悬念是，马刺是否已成为真正的争冠者。 – 迈克尔·C·莱特
3. 底特律活塞 (Detroit Pistons)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 57胜22负
- 上期排名： 3
- 下场比赛： 主战雄鹿（4月8日），客战黄蜂（4月10日），客战步行者（4月12日）
人们很容易忘记，在马利克·比斯利 (Malik Beasley) 因赌博调查离队后，外界曾预测活塞会陷入挣扎。但凯德·坎宁安 (Cade Cunningham) 晋升为MVP候选人，杰伦·杜伦 (Jalen Duren) 再次实现飞跃，奥萨尔·汤普森 (Ausar Thompson) 则让自己成为了真正的最佳防守球员竞争者。特拉詹·兰登 (Trajan Langdon) 和J.B.比克斯塔夫 (J.B. Bickerstaff) 预见到了这一切吗？也许吧，但这原本只会在“最理想情况”的清单上。本赛季季后赛的期望值也随之水涨船高。赢下一轮系列赛就足够了吗？还是说，曾经落魄的活塞已经到了必须打进分区决赛或更远才算合格的地步——前提是坎宁安已从肺部穿孔的伤势中完全康复？ – 文森特·古德威尔
4. 波士顿凯尔特人 (Boston Celtics)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 54胜25负
- 上期排名： 4
- 下场比赛： 客战尼克斯（4月9日），主战鹈鹕（4月10日），主战魔术（4月16日）
说情况比波士顿预想的还要好，这都有些保守了。是的，乔·马祖拉 (Joe Mazzulla) 一直期待这支球队保持竞争力，“过渡年”这个词在这里已被彻底抹去。凯尔特人不仅极具竞争力，而且塔图姆在去年5月跟腱受伤近一年后已经回归且表现出色，锁定东部第二席位已是指日可待。 – 蒂姆·邦坦普斯
5. 丹佛掘金 (Denver Nuggets)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 51胜28负
- 上期排名： 7
- 下场比赛： 主战灰熊（4月8日），主战雷霆（4月10日），客战马刺（4月12日）
伤病，尤其是前锋阿隆·戈登 (Aaron Gordon) 和佩顿·沃特森 (Peyton Watson) 反复出现的腿筋拉伤，打断了掘金队的赛季节奏，也是丹佛防守令人失望的主因。掘金队达到了50胜的里程碑，并依然是西部冠军的有力竞争者，这主要是因为他们拥有全联盟最顶级的进攻，由久经沙场的冠军成员尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic) 和贾马尔·穆雷 (Jamal Murray) 驱动，两人都打出了职业生涯最佳的数据赛季。戴维·阿德尔曼 (David Adelman) 在上赛季作为代理主帅赢得七场季后赛胜利后，本赛季作为正式主教练的处子赛季表现出色。 – 蒂姆·麦克马洪
6. 纽约尼克斯 (New York Knicks)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 51胜28负
- 上期排名： 5
- 下场比赛： 主战凯尔特人（4月9日），主战猛龙（4月10日），主战黄蜂（4月12日）
没有任何一支球队，甚至包括卫冕冠军雷霆，在赛季开始前像尼克斯这样有着如此明确的预期：不进总决赛即是失败。迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 被请来是为了扩大轮换、培养替补并减少对首发的依赖。这几点都做到了。卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns) 正处于舆论风口浪尖，杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson) 依然是他们的核心，但不知为何，他们表现得起伏不定，时而令人惊艳，时而令人困惑。他们拥有联盟前三的进攻和第七的防守，但质疑声依然存在。6月已在地平线上，但5月正发出召唤，季后赛将揭开一切真相。 – 古德威尔
7. 克利夫兰骑士 (Cleveland Cavaliers)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 50胜29负
- 上期排名： 8
- 下场比赛： 主战老鹰（4月8日），客战老鹰（4月10日），主战奇才（4月12日）
尽管常规赛表现不稳，让骑士队处于东部第四的位置，但2025-26赛季是否会被视为成功，将取决于接下来的几个月。克利夫兰做出了几乎可以肯定是本赛季NBA最大的豪赌，送走了26岁的后卫达柳斯·加兰 (Darius Garland)，换来了36岁的詹姆斯·哈登 (James Harden)——这是一个赢在当下的举动，虽然缩短了他们的争冠窗口，但这种操作有可能通过一次深入的季后赛之旅来抹平常规赛的波折。 – 贾马尔·科利尔
8. 休斯顿火箭 (Houston Rockets)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 50胜29负
- 上期排名： 10
- 下场比赛： 主战费城（4月9日），主战森林狼（4月10日），主战灰熊（4月12日）
凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant) 的加盟为这支球队带来了乐观情绪，在上赛季首轮出局后，他们相信自己只需一个进攻引擎就能在季后赛大有作为。然而，老将弗雷德·范弗利特 (Fred VanVleet) 在训练营前于巴哈马的一次非正式训练中遭遇前交叉韧带 (ACL) 撕裂，导致火箭队失去了真正的控球后卫。更糟糕的是，中锋斯蒂芬·亚当斯 (Steven Adams) 遭遇了赛季报销的脚踝伤势，休斯顿整个赛季都在利用委员会制来分担进攻组织。这在某些时候看起来很生硬，但在赛季末有所改善。伤病困扰为里德·谢泼德 (Reed Sheppard)、阿门·汤普森 (Amen Thompson) 和塔里·伊森 (Tari Eason) 等年轻球员提供了更多历练机会，加速了他们的成长，这最终可能在季后赛中发挥作用。 – 莱特
9. 亚特兰大老鹰 (Atlanta Hawks)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 45胜34负
- 上期排名： 11
- 下场比赛： 客战骑士（4月8日），主战骑士（4月10日），客战热火（4月12日）
当特雷·杨 (Trae Young) 在赛季第五场比赛受伤后，老鹰队变成了杰伦·约翰逊 (Jalen Johnson) 的球队。约翰逊成长为球星，尼基尔·亚历山大-沃克 (Nickeil Alexander-Walker) 超出了所有人的预期，老鹰队顺势而为，交易走了杨和克里斯塔普斯·波尔津吉斯 (Kristaps Porzingis)，同时引进了CJ·麦科勒姆 (CJ McCollum) 和乔纳森·库明加 (Jonathan Kuminga)，打造了一支更适合主教练奎因·斯奈德 (Quin Snyder) 体系的球队。自2月22日以来，他们取得了18胜3负的战绩。尽管老鹰队最高可能排到第五，考虑到自10月以来他们发生的巨大变化，这已是相当了不起的成就，但目前对他们并无硬性预期。他们本赛季余下的表现都是锦上添花，因为他们的目标是让约翰逊和这群年轻人获得季后赛经验，并希望他们拥有的来自新奥尔良的无保护首轮签最终能变成一个顺位极高的签位，从而在2026-27赛季为核心阵容增添关键拼图。 – 欧姆·永米苏克
10. 洛杉矶湖人 (Los Angeles Lakers)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 50胜29负
- 上期排名： 6
- 下场比赛： 客战勇士（4月9日），主战太阳（4月10日），主战犹他（4月12日）
在经历了一个梦幻般的3月（湖人取得15胜2负冲至西部第三，同时卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic) 的MVP呼声日益高涨）之后，湖人在上周四经历了一个充满阴霾的日子。在被雷霆狂胜43分的比赛中，东契奇遭遇左腿筋二级拉伤，奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves) 遭遇左斜肌拉伤——这些伤势将使两名球员都缺阵数周，让球队的季后赛前景陷入严重危机。这些不合时宜的伤病掩盖了湖人本赛季的坚韧，二年级教练JJ·雷迪克 (JJ Redick) 随队不断调整，而勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 在第三选择的角色上表现出色。 – 戴夫·麦克梅纳明
11. 明尼苏达森林狼 (Minnesota Timberwolves)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 47胜32负
- 上期排名： 9
- 下场比赛： 客战魔术（4月8日），客战火箭（4月10日），主战鹈鹕（4月12日）
在连续两个赛季打进西部决赛后，明尼苏达经历了一个奇怪的赛季。森林狼在常规赛结束时将再次获得前六的席位，但随着超级巨星安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 和杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 的受伤，很难预见他们能重复去年的季后赛表现。森林狼必须先跨过丹佛和圣安东尼奥这两座大山，才能重返分区决赛。 – 邦坦普斯
12. 夏洛特黄蜂 (Charlotte Hornets)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 43胜37负
- 上期排名： 15
- 下场比赛： 主战活塞（4月10日），客战尼克斯（4月12日）
在经历4胜14负的开局，加上拉梅洛·鲍尔 (LaMelo Ball) 和布兰登·米勒 (Brandon Miller) 的伤病后，这看起来又是一个平庸的黄蜂赛季。但夏洛特此后上演了史诗级的逆转。自1月2日以来，黄蜂取得了32胜14负。鲍尔正享受着职业生涯最好的赛季，4号秀康·克努佩尔 (Kon Knueppel) 更是一个惊喜，有望成为首位领跑全联盟三分球命中数的新秀。米勒保持健康，迈尔斯·布里奇斯 (Miles Bridges) 扮演了定海神针般的老将角色，穆萨·迪亚巴特 (Moussa Diabate) 在篮板端拼抢积极，而科比·怀特 (Coby White) 则是完美的替补火力点。最理想的情况是黄蜂避开附加赛，挤进第六或第五顺位，让他们的年轻核心获得急需的季后赛经验。 – 永米苏克
13. 多伦多猛龙 (Toronto Raptors)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 44胜35负
- 上期排名： 12
- 下场比赛： 主战热火（4月9日），客战尼克斯（4月10日），主战篮网（4月12日）
多伦多整个赛季都在季后赛席位的竞争行列中，现在猛龙只需完成最后的工作，在与费城、夏洛特、奥兰多和迈阿密的竞争中脱颖而出，锁定东部前六。至少，猛龙本赛季通过锁定胜率过半的战绩超出了预期——但如果能以直接晋级者而非附加赛炮灰的身份进入季后赛，他们看起来会更出色。 – 扎克·克拉姆
14. 费城76人 (Philadelphia 76ers)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 43胜36负
- 上期排名： 16
- 下场比赛： 客战火箭（4月9日），客战步行者（4月10日），主战雄鹿（4月12日）
一年之隔，天差地别。十二个月前，费城正结束一个惨淡的赛季，而那个赛季原本是以争冠为目标的。因此，76人本赛季是在极低的预期中开始的——但他们给出的回应是很有可能锁定东部前六。乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid) 终于在季后赛前保持健康，在去年仅出战19场后，本赛季场均贡献26.9分。此外，核心后卫泰雷塞·马克西 (Tyrese Maxey) 在爆发的新秀VJ·艾奇科姆 (VJ Edgecombe) 身边打球，场均砍下职业生涯新高的28.4分。 – 邦坦普斯
15. 菲尼克斯太阳 (Phoenix Suns)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 43胜36负
- 上期排名： 13
- 下场比赛： 主战独行侠（4月8日），客战湖人（4月10日），客战雷霆（4月12日）
太阳队在交易走杜兰特的交易中换来了杰伦·格林 (Jalen Green) 和狄龙·布鲁克斯 (Dillon Brooks)，尽管这两名球员因伤合计缺席了70多场比赛，但球队仍能以超过五成的胜率完赛并晋级季后赛，这非常了不起。德文·布克 (Devin Booker) 一如既往地高效，首年执教的乔丹·奥特 (Jordan Ott) 表现出色，格雷森·阿伦 (Grayson Allen) 是联盟最佳替补得分手之一，而科林·吉莱斯皮 (Collin Gillespie) 也赢得了进步最快球员的关注。 – 麦克梅纳明
16. 洛杉矶快船 (LA Clippers)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 41胜38负
- 上期排名： 14
- 下场比赛： 主战雷霆（4月8日），客战开拓者（4月10日），主战勇士（4月12日）
很难想象还有比快船更糟糕的开局了：NBA对科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard) 与Aspiration的营销合约进行可能规避工资帽的调查；布拉德利·比尔 (Bradley Beal) 因左髋部骨折赛季报销；与球队标志性人物克里斯·保罗 (Chris Paul) 闹得不可开交的“分手”；以及开局6胜21负的战绩。快船并没有屈服于这些境遇，而是凭借泰伦·卢 (Tyronn Lue) 稳定的执教锁定了附加赛资格，他在球队于交易截止日送走核心球员伊维察·祖巴茨 (Ivica Zubac) 和哈登后，迅速融入了本内迪克特·马图林 (Bennedict Mathurin) 和加兰等年轻才俊。 – 麦克梅纳明
17. 奥兰多魔术 (Orlando Magic)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 43胜36负
- 上期排名： 18
- 下场比赛： 主战森林狼（4月8日），客战芝加哥（4月10日），客战凯尔特人（4月12日）
对于魔术队来说，这是一个极其令人沮丧的赛季，因为他们去年夏天全力引进了德斯蒙德·贝恩 (Desmond Bane)，希望能成为东部顶尖球队。相反，魔术队再次遭遇伤病潮，弗朗茨·瓦格纳 (Franz Wagner)、杰伦·萨格斯 (Jalen Suggs)、保罗·班凯罗 (Paolo Banchero) 和安东尼·布莱克 (Anthony Black) 都各自缺席了不同阶段的比赛。球队缺乏稳定性，但瓦格纳和布莱克已经回归并正在为他们渴望的季后赛之旅蓄力。考虑到季前的高预期，成为附加赛球队将是一个遗憾。但就目前而言，以任何形式进入季后赛并寄希望于爆冷击败高顺位种子，都能在球队思考休赛期如何改进之前，冲淡本赛季的一些苦涩。 – 永米苏克
18. 迈阿密热火 (Miami Heat)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 41胜38负
- 上期排名： 17
- 下场比赛： 客战猛龙（4月9日），客战奇才（4月10日），主战老鹰（4月12日）
热火队以13胜6负开启赛季，进攻端打得有声有色，但此后他们一直未能找到稳定性。泰勒·希罗 (Tyler Herro) 仅出战31场。当迈阿密在3月初取得七连胜（其中包括巴姆·阿德巴约 (Bam Adebayo) 史诗般的单场83分大爆发）时，看起来埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉 (Erik Spoelstra) 可能已经稳住了局面，但迈阿密在过去12场比赛中输掉了9场，跌至东部附加赛区的底部。尽管如此，斯波尔斯特拉通常总能在每年的这个时候，尤其是在附加赛中，压榨出球队的每一分潜力。 – 永米苏克
19. 波特兰开拓者 (Portland Trail Blazers)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 40胜39负
- 上期排名： 19
- 下场比赛： 客战马刺（4月8日），主战快船（4月10日），主战国王（4月12日）
如果开拓者本周能再赢两场，他们将实现五个赛季来首次胜率过半。对于一支正处于动荡过渡期的球队来说，这是一个积极的进步。主教练昌西·比卢普斯 (Chauncey Billups) 在开赛首周因FBI逮捕而无限期离职，所有权也在过去一个月内易主。然而，开拓者下周将有机会通过附加赛杀入季后赛。 – 斯莱特
20. 金州勇士 (Golden State Warriors)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 37胜42负
- 上期排名： 20
- 下场比赛： 主战湖人（4月9日），客战国王（4月10日），客战快船（4月12日）
1月19日那个夜晚改变了这版勇士队的一切——那是吉米·巴特勒三世 (Jimmy Butler III) 右膝前交叉韧带 (ACL) 撕裂的夜晚。管理层原本围绕斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry)、巴特勒和德雷蒙德·格林 (Draymond Green) 三人组构建了库里时代的最后篇章。失去了巴特勒，勇士队根本没有足够的进攻火力来维持竞争力。库里在缺阵27场后回归，看起来状态犀利，或许在接下来的几周里能有一两个让球迷兴奋的时刻。但对于这支勇士队来说，季后赛之旅注定短暂，他们将在今年夏天尝试围绕38岁的库里重新调整阵容。 – 斯莱特
21. 密尔沃基雄鹿 (Milwaukee Bucks)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 31胜48负
- 上期排名： 23
- 下场比赛： 客战活塞（4月8日），主战篮网（4月10日），客战费城（4月12日）
在经历了一个功能失调、漫无目的且伴随着与超级巨星扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 持续冲突的赛季后，雄鹿队九年来首次无缘季后赛。正如老板韦斯·埃登斯 (Wes Edens) 上个月对ESPN所言，这将开启队史上最具里程碑意义的一个夏天，球队已准备好要么与阿德托昆博签下另一份续约合同，要么交易掉这位当家球星。 – 科利尔
22. 达拉斯独行侠 (Dallas Mavericks)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 25胜54负
- 上期排名： 25
- 下场比赛： 客战太阳（4月9日），客战马刺（4月10日），主战芝加哥（4月12日）
库珀·弗拉格曾热切期待能立即为一支季后赛竞争者效力。然而，他在独行侠队的新秀赛季与此相去甚远。达拉斯的阵容缺陷在3胜8负的开局中暴露无遗，加速了总经理尼科·哈里森 (Nico Harrison) 的离职。安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis) 在交易截止日作为薪资清理被送走前，一直饱受伤病困扰。凯里·欧文 (Kyrie Irving) 的回归被推迟到下赛季，独行侠正蹒跚迈向另一个乐透签，这让他们有机会选中一位年轻才俊与弗拉格长期搭档。弗拉格是唯一的亮点，他达到甚至超越了人们的高预期。 – 麦克马洪
23. 芝加哥公牛 (Chicago Bulls)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 30胜49负
- 上期排名： 21
- 下场比赛： 客战奇才（4月9日），主战魔术（4月10日），客战独行侠（4月12日）
芝加哥本周迈出了一步，在经历了六个赛季的徒劳后彻底清洗了管理层，并在又一次平庸的表现后提供了前进的道路。公牛队连续第四个赛季、也是过去九年里第八次无缘季后赛，在交易截止日也没能找到任何可以被称为基石的新球员，而且球队在即将到来的选秀中的乐透概率也处于中游。尽管如此，无论公牛选择谁来执掌篮球运营，都将拥有一张白纸和按自己意愿建队的灵活性。 – 科利尔
24. 新奥尔良鹈鹕 (New Orleans Pelicans)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 26胜54负
- 上期排名： 22
- 下场比赛： 客战凯尔特人（4月10日），客战森林狼（4月12日）
新奥尔良以六连败开启赛季，当战绩达到2胜10负时，高层决定解雇教练威利·格林 (Willie Green)，任命助教詹姆斯·博雷戈 (James Borrego) 为临时主帅。明星前锋扎恩·威廉姆森 (Zion Williamson) 职业生涯仅第三次出战60场或以上，得分排名队内第二，仅次于特雷·墨菲三世 (Trey Murphy III)。在这个最终被定性为失败的赛季中，年轻天才杰里迈亚·菲尔斯 (Jeremiah Fears)、德里克·奎因 (Derik Queen) 和米卡·皮维 (Micah Peavy) 展现出了亮点。鹈鹕并非在摆烂，但对于一支寻求带着动力进入休赛期的球队来说，胜利确实难求。 – 莱特
25. 孟菲斯灰熊 (Memphis Grizzlies)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 25胜54负
- 上期排名： 24
- 下场比赛： 客战掘金（4月8日），客战犹他（4月10日），客战火箭（4月12日）
麻烦的迹象在赛季仅进行六场时就已显现，当时孟菲斯因贾·莫兰特 (Ja Morant) 与教练图奥马斯·伊萨洛 (Tuomas Iisalo) 在赛后的言语冲突，以“有害球队行为”为由对其处以禁赛。莫兰特因各种伤病仅出战20场，随后球队在3月宣布其赛季报销，他在孟菲斯的前景仍不明朗。灰熊还因伤让布兰登·克拉克 (Brandon Clarke)、扎克·埃迪 (Zach Edey)、桑蒂·阿尔达马 (Santi Aldama)、小斯科蒂·皮蓬 (Scotty Pippen Jr.) 和肯塔维奥斯·考德威尔-波普 (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) 提前休战。球队还在2月交易走了明星前锋小贾伦·杰克逊 (Jaren Jackson Jr.)，发出了再次重建的信号。 – 莱特
26. 萨克拉门托国王 (Sacramento Kings)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 21-59
- 上期排名： 27
- 下场比赛： 主战勇士（4月10日），客战开拓者（4月12日）
基根·穆雷 (Keegan Murray) 在训练营期间撕裂了拇指韧带。多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯 (Domantas Sabonis) 在赛季初期遭遇半月板部分撕裂，随后需要手术。扎克·拉文 (Zach LaVine) 因手指问题接受了赛季报销的手术。国王队的这个赛季因伤病等各种原因而崩盘。球队预想的首发阵容甚至从未同场竞技过一秒钟。马克西姆·雷诺 (Maxime Raynaud) 作为二轮秀入选了最佳新秀阵容，但萨克拉门托的长期前景看起来很暗淡。国王队需要在5月的乐透抽签中获得好运，并在6月的选秀中精准命中。 – 斯莱特
27. 犹他爵士 (Utah Jazz)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 21胜59负
- 上期排名： 26
- 下场比赛： 主战灰熊（4月10日），客战湖人（4月12日）
盐湖城的这个赛季并不愉快，但一切都在爵士队的计划之中。他们摆烂得如此明目张胆，以至于被联盟罚款50万美元，但他们已准备好在被视为“选秀大年”的今年获得一个前五签位。爵士在交易截止日大动作频频，通过送出以选秀权为主的筹码换来了两届全明星大前锋小贾伦·杰克逊，明确表示下赛季的目标是尽可能保持竞争力。三年级后卫基昂特·乔治 (Keyonte George) 作为优秀进攻组织者的崛起至关重要，为爵士提供了另一位基石球员，与劳里·马尔卡宁 (Lauri Markkanen) 以及下赛季回归的杰克逊并肩作战。 – 麦克马洪
28. 印第安纳步行者 (Indiana Pacers)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 18胜61负
- 上期排名： 29
- 下场比赛： 客战篮网（4月9日），主战费城（4月10日），主战活塞（4月12日）
在泰雷塞·哈利伯顿 (Tyrese Haliburton) 跟腱撕裂和迈尔斯·特纳 (Myles Turner) 离队后，这注定是步行者的一个小年，但预期并没有这么糟糕。然而，接连不断的早期伤病意味着印第安纳以1胜13负开局，在那一刻，将所有注意力转向2026年乐透和2026-27赛季就变得合情合理了。步行者本赛季最大的事件将是5月10日的选秀乐透，届时他们将得知自己是获得了一个前四保护签，还是在赛季中期关于祖巴茨的交易中将一个顺位稍后的签位送给了快船。 – 克拉姆
29. 布鲁克林篮网 (Brooklyn Nets)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 20胜59负
- 上期排名： 28
- 下场比赛： 主战步行者（4月9日），客战雄鹿（4月10日），客战猛龙（4月12日）
选择并使用五名首轮秀确实是一个雄心勃勃的尝试，但这本就是篮网的一个全面重建赛季。预期很低，但篮网高层应该对主教练约迪·费尔南德斯 (Jordi Fernandez) 充满信心，因为至少他让球员们打得很努力。但除了选秀，并没有太多值得期待的东西。新秀们各有闪光时刻，但很难保持稳定性。叶戈尔·德明 (Egor Demin) 是未来的控卫人选吗？诺亚·克洛尼 (Noah Clowney) 展现出足够成为建队基石的潜力了吗？抑或是因为缺乏一个真正的核心来让年轻人的比赛变得更轻松，所以现在还很难下定论？ – 古德威尔
30. 华盛顿奇才 (Washington Wizards)
- 2025-26赛季战绩： 17胜62负
- 上期排名： 30
- 下场比赛： 主战芝加哥（4月9日），主战热火（4月10日），客战骑士（4月12日）
奇才队在赛季中期出人意料地决定通过交易特雷·杨和安东尼·戴维斯来加速重建，但这并未影响他们本赛季的走向：杨仅为华盛顿出战5场，而戴维斯一场未打，华盛顿正朝着全联盟最差战绩迈进。完成摆烂将让奇才在乐透之夜占据有利位置，届时乒乓球的跳动将决定这个赛季到底有多成功。 – 克拉姆
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: Did your team meet or miss its season expectations?
NBA Power Rankings: Did your team meet or miss its season expectations?
The end of the 2025-26 NBA regular season is finally here, with the campaign officially coming to a close this Sunday with all 30 teams playing.
Every new season comes with high expectations, with some teams meeting or exceeding those goals and others falling far from the original game plan set in October.
The Oklahoma City Thunder held on as the favorites this season, dominating the Western Conference once again, and they’re set to make a deep run in the playoffs with their attention turned toward a repeat championship. The Dallas Mavericks, after winning the lottery last year and drafting No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, look toward next season after a dismal first season with their rookie star.
In the East, the Detroit Pistons have exceeded all expectations, only two seasons after sitting at the bottom of the standings with the league’s worst record. The Boston Celtics, almost a year after losing Jayson Tatum to an Achilles injury, are firmly back in the postseason picture.
Ahead of the final days of the regular season, our NBA insiders break down whether each team met or missed preseason expectations in our last edition of this season’s power rankings.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Michael C. Wright, Ohm Youngmisuk, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram) think teams belong.
Previous rankings: Preseason | Oct. 29 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 12 | Nov. 19 | Nov. 26 | Dec. 3 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 17 | Dec. 24 | Dec. 31 | Jan. 7 | Jan. 14 | Jan. 21 | Jan. 28 | Feb. 4 | Feb. 11 | Feb. 25 | March 4 | March 11 | March 18 | March 25 | April 1
Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
- 2025-26 record: 63-16
- Previous ranking: 1
- Next games: @ LAC (April 8), @ DEN (April 10), vs. PHX (April 12)
Jalen Williams has missed 46 games this season. Isaiah Hartenstein has missed 33. Alex Caruso has missed 24. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has missed 12. Chet Holmgren has missed 11. That’s a whole lot of injury attrition for a team that will again steamroll to a win total in the mid-60s. It hasn’t been quite as historic as that 24-1 start indicated when insiders were predicting a run at the 73-win record. But this machine continues to flex its muscles in the biggest moments and enters the playoffs as the favorite to repeat. The Thunder are 130-30 the past two seasons. – Anthony Slater
2. San Antonio Spurs
- 2025-26 record: 60-19
- Previous ranking: 2
- Next games: vs. POR (April 8), vs. DAL (April 10), vs. DEN (April 12)
Rookie Dylan Harper set the tone at his introductory news conference in June, declaring the franchise’s postseason drought is “going to change pretty quick.” The Spurs bettered their win total from the previous season by more than 25 games, marking the third 20-win improvement in franchise history. A healthy Victor Wembanyama, meanwhile, produced several MVP-level performances anchoring a squad that increased chemistry with each outing. Beyond Wembanyama, the backcourt trio of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Harper is San Antonio’s most potent group of talent. Inexperience remains an outside concern as the playoffs approach, but coach Mitch Johnson kept it light and joked, “Ignorance is bliss.” The question now is whether the Spurs are legitimate contenders. – Michael C. Wright
3. Detroit Pistons
- 2025-26 record: 57-22
- Previous ranking: 3
- Next games: vs. MIL (April 8), @ CHA (April 10), @ IND (April 12)
It’s easy to forget the projections that the Pistons would struggle after losing Malik Beasley because of a gambling investigation. But Cade Cunningham elevated into an MVP candidate, Jalen Duren took another huge leap, and Ausar Thompson turned himself into a true Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Could Trajan Langdon and J.B. Bickerstaff have predicted this? Maybe, but it would’ve been on the “best case scenarios” list. Playoff expectations have also been raised this season. Will one playoff series win be enough? Or have the formerly miserable Pistons gotten to the point where a trip to the conference finals or better will suffice, assuming Cunningham is fully recovered from his punctured lung? – Vincent Goodwill
4. Boston Celtics
- 2025-26 record: 54-25
- Previous ranking: 4
- Next games: @ NYK (April 9), vs. NO (April 10), vs. ORL (April 16)
To say things have gone better than Boston could’ve hoped for is an understatement. Yes, Joe Mazzulla was always expecting this team to be competitive, and the words “gap year” were stricken from the record here. Not only have the Celtics been competitive, but Jayson Tatum is back and playing well, almost a year after his Achilles injury last May, and locking up the second seed in the East is within reach. – Tim Bontemps
5. Denver Nuggets
- 2025-26 record: 51-28
- Previous ranking: 7
- Next games: vs. MEM (April 8), vs. OKC (April 10), @ SA (April 12)
Injuries, especially recurring hamstring strains for forwards Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, have interrupted the Nuggets’ season and been major factors in Denver’s disappointing defense. The Nuggets hit the 50-win milestone and loom as a legitimate contender to win the West primarily because they have the league’s best offense, powered by proven champions Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, who are having the best statistical seasons of their careers. David Adelman has had an outstanding rookie season as a head coach after winning seven playoff games in the interim role last season. – Tim MacMahon
6. New York Knicks
- 2025-26 record: 51-28
- Previous ranking: 5
- Next games: vs. BOS (April 9), vs. TOR (April 10), vs. CHA (April 12)
No team, not even the defending champion Thunder, had such defined expectations coming into the year as the Knicks. Finals or bust. Mike Brown was brought in to stretch the rotation, develop the bench and lessen the dependency on the starters. Check, check and check. Karl-Anthony Towns is under fire, Jalen Brunson is still their go-to guy, and yet somehow, they’ve been an up-and-down bunch that can dazzle one night and puzzle the next. They boast a top-three offense and are seventh in defense, yet there are still questions. June is on the horizon, but May beckons as all will be laid bare in the postseason. – Goodwill
7. Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2025-26 record: 50-29
- Previous ranking: 8
- Next games: vs. ATL (April 8), @ ATL (April 10), vs. WAS (April 12)
Despite an uneven regular season that has the Cavs in position to finish as the No. 4 seed in the East, whether 2025-26 will be seen as a success will depend on the next few months. Cleveland took what is almost certainly the biggest gamble of the NBA season and traded away 26-year-old guard Darius Garland for 36-year-old James Harden – a win-now move that shortens its window for contention but the kind of move that could erase an up-and-down campaign with a deep playoff run. – Jamal Collier
8. Houston Rockets
- 2025-26 record: 50-29
- Previous ranking: 10
- Next games: vs. PHI (April 9), vs. MIN (April 10), vs. MEM (April 12)
Kevin Durant’s arrival provided optimism for an organization that believed it was an offensive engine away from making a serious postseason run after last season’s first-round exit. But veteran Fred VanVleet suffered a torn ACL at an unofficial workout in the Bahamas ahead of training camp that left the Rockets without a true point guard. Making matters worse, center Steven Adams suffered a season-ending ankle injury, and Houston spent the entire season utilizing a committee approach to facilitating the offense. It looked clunky at times, but it improved near the end. The injury woes provided more repetitions for younger players such as Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason, hastening development, which could ultimately help in the playoffs. – Wright
9. Atlanta Hawks
- 2025-26 record: 45-34
- Previous ranking: 11
- Next games: @ CLE (April 8), vs. CLE (April 10), @ MIA (April 12)
When Trae Young got hurt in the fifth game of the season, the Hawks turned into Jalen Johnson’s team. Johnson emerged as a star, Nickeil Alexander-Walker exceeded all expectations, and the Hawks pivoted, trading Young and Kristaps Porzingis while adding CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga to make a team better suited to coach Quin Snyder’s system. They’ve gone 18-3 since Feb. 22. But even though the Hawks could finish as high as fifth, which would be quite the achievement given how much they’ve changed since October, there are no expectations for now. Whatever they do the rest of this season is gravy as they seek to get Johnson and this young group playoff experience before hoping that the unprotected first-rounder they own from New Orleans ends up as a very high pick and a potentially key player to add to the core for 2026-27. – Ohm Youngmisuk
10. Los Angeles Lakers
- 2025-26 record: 50-29
- Previous ranking: 6
- Next games: @ GS (April 9), vs. PHX (April 10), vs. UTAH (April 12)
After a fantastic March during which L.A. went 15-2 to shoot up to No. 3 in the West while Luka Doncic’s MVP campaign picked up steam, the Lakers experienced a day that will live in infamy last Thursday. During a 43-point drubbing by the Thunder, Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and Austin Reaves suffered a left oblique strain – injuries that will knock both players out of the lineup for weeks and put the team’s hopes of a postseason run in serious jeopardy. The untimely injuries have overshadowed a resilient season for the Lakers, where second-year coach JJ Redick adjusted with the group and LeBron James thrived in a third-option role. – Dave McMenamin
11. Minnesota Timberwolves
- 2025-26 record: 47-32
- Previous ranking: 9
- Next games: @ ORL (April 8), @ HOU (April 10), vs. NO (April 12)
Coming off back-to-back seasons that ended in trips to the Western Conference finals, it has been a strange campaign for Minnesota. The Timberwolves will once again be a top-six seed at the end of the regular season, but with injuries to superstars Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, it’s difficult to see a repeat performance from last postseason. The Wolves will have to go through Denver and San Antonio first to get back to the conference finals. – Bontemps
12. Charlotte Hornets
- 2025-26 record: 43-37
- Previous ranking: 15
- Next games: vs. DET (April 10), @ NYK (April 12)
After a 4-14 start, with injuries to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, it looked like another forgettable Hornets season. But Charlotte has pulled off an epic turnaround since. The Hornets are 32-14 since Jan. 2. Ball is enjoying his best season as a pro, and No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel has been a revelation while on track to be the first rookie to lead the league in 3-pointers made. Miller is healthy, Miles Bridges has been a steadying vet, Moussa Diabate is relentless on the glass, and Coby White has been the perfect punch off the bench. The best-case scenario is the Hornets avoid the play-in, squeeze into the sixth or fifth seed and get their young core some much-needed playoff experience. – Youngmisuk
13. Toronto Raptors
- 2025-26 record: 44-35
- Previous ranking: 12
- Next games: vs. MIA (April 9), @ NYK (April 10), vs. BKN (April 12)
Toronto has been in the mix for a playoff spot all season, and now the Raptors just need to complete the job by beating out Philadelphia, Charlotte, Orlando and Miami for a top-six spot in the East. At a minimum, the Raptors have outperformed expectations by securing a winning record this season – but they’d look a lot better as automatic playoff entrants rather than play-in fodder. – Zach Kram
14. Philadelphia 76ers
- 2025-26 record: 43-36
- Previous ranking: 16
- Next games: @ HOU (April 9), @ IND (April 10), vs. MIL (April 12)
What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, Philadelphia was wrapping up an abysmal season that began with championship expectations. As a result, the 76ers entered this season with expectations in the basement – but they have responded with what likely is going to be a top-six seed in the East. Joel Embiid is finally healthy for the postseason and averaging 26.9 points after having played only 19 games last season. Plus, lead guard Tyrese Maxey, playing alongside breakout rookie VJ Edgecombe, is averaging a career-high 28.4 points. – Bontemps
15. Phoenix Suns
- 2025-26 record: 43-36
- Previous ranking: 13
- Next games: vs. DAL (April 8), @ LAL (April 10), @ OKC (April 12)
For the Suns to trade away Kevin Durant in a deal that brought Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, have those two players combine to miss more than 70 games because of injuries, and still finish with an above-.500 record and qualify for the postseason is remarkable. Devin Booker was as effective as ever, first-year coach Jordan Ott was outstanding, Grayson Allen was one of the best bench scorers in the league, and Collin Gillespie earned Most Improved Player consideration. – McMenamin
16. LA Clippers
- 2025-26 record: 41-38
- Previous ranking: 14
- Next games: vs. OKC (April 8), @ POR (April 10), vs. GS (April 12)
It’s hard to imagine a worse start than what the Clippers had: an NBA investigation into Kawhi Leonard’s marketing deal with Aspiration for possible salary cap circumvention; a season-ending left hip fracture for Bradley Beal; a messy divorce with franchise icon Chris Paul; and a 6-21 record out of the gate. Rather than succumb to those circumstances, the Clippers have qualified for the play-in tournament thanks to the steady coaching of Tyronn Lue, who has integrated young talent in Bennedict Mathurin and Darius Garland on the fly after the team parted with core players in Ivica Zubac and James Harden at the trade deadline. – McMenamin
17. Orlando Magic
- 2025-26 record: 43-36
- Previous ranking: 18
- Next games: vs. MIN (April 8), @ CHI (April 10), @ BOS (April 12)
It has been a terribly frustrating season for the Magic after they went all-in to acquire Desmond Bane last summer in hopes of being a top team in the East. Instead, the Magic once again dealt with injuries to Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black, who each missed different chunks of the season. There has been no consistency, but Wagner and Black are back playing and ramping up for what they hope will be a postseason run. Being a play-in team would be a disappointment after the lofty preseason expectations. But at this point, getting into the postseason in any form and hoping to upset a higher seed would wash some of the bad taste from this season before the team figures out what improvements must be made in the offseason. – Youngmisuk
18. Miami Heat
- 2025-26 record: 41-38
- Previous ranking: 17
- Next games: @ TOR (April 9), @ WAS (April 10), vs. ATL (April 12)
The Heat started the season 13-6 and had an offense that was humming, but they have not been able to find consistency since. Tyler Herro has played in only 31 games. It looked like Erik Spoelstra might have steadied the ship when Miami won seven straight in early March, a span that included Bam Adebayo’s historic 83-point explosion, but Miami has lost nine of its past 12 games to sink to the bottom of the East play-in standings. Still, Spoelstra usually has a way of getting every ounce of effort from his team at this time of the year, especially in the play-in. – Youngmisuk
19. Portland Trail Blazers
- 2025-26 record: 40-39
- Previous ranking: 19
- Next games: @ SA (April 8), vs. LAC (April 10), vs. SAC (April 12)
If the Blazers can get two more wins this week, they’ll finish above .500 for the first time in five seasons. That’s a positive step forward for a franchise that has been transitioning through turbulence. The head coach, Chauncey Billups, was placed on indefinite leave after an FBI arrest in the opening week of the season, and ownership changed hands in the past month. However, the Blazers will have a chance next week to get into the playoffs through the play-in bracket. – Slater
20. Golden State Warriors
- 2025-26 record: 37-42
- Previous ranking: 20
- Next games: vs. LAL (April 9) @ SAC (April 10), @ LAC (April 12)
Everything changed for this version of the Warriors on Jan. 19 – the night Jimmy Butler III tore his right ACL. This front office had built the final chapter of the Stephen Curry era around the trio of Curry, Butler and Draymond Green. Without Butler, the Warriors just don’t have near enough offensive firepower to keep up. Curry is back from a 27-game absence, looks sharp, and maybe can have a moment or two the next couple of weeks that excite NBA fans. But it’ll be a short postseason run for a Warriors team that’ll try to rearrange the roster around the 38-year-old Curry this summer. – Slater
21. Milwaukee Bucks
- 2025-26 record: 31-48
- Previous ranking: 23
- Next games: @ DET (April 8), vs. BKN (April 10), @ PHI (April 12)
The Bucks missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years after a dysfunctional and meandering season that included an ongoing conflict with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. It sets up what will be one of the most monumental summers in franchise history, as owner Wes Edens laid out to ESPN last month, as the team is prepared to either sign Antetokounmpo to another extension or trade its franchise player. – Collier
22. Dallas Mavericks
- 2025-26 record: 25-54
- Previous ranking: 25
- Next games: @ PHX (April 9), @ SA (April 10), vs. CHI (April 12)
Cooper Flagg eagerly anticipated the opportunity of immediately playing for a playoff contender. However, that’s far from how his rookie season with the Mavs materialized. Dallas’ roster flaws were immediately evident during a 3-8 start, expediting GM Nico Harrison’s exit. Anthony Davis had persistent injury problems before being moved at the trade deadline in a salary dump. Kyrie Irving’s return was put on hold until next season as the Mavs limp toward another lottery pick, allowing Dallas to draft a young talent to pair with Flagg long term. Flagg has been the one bright spot, meeting or even exceeding high expectations. – MacMahon
23. Chicago Bulls
- 2025-26 record: 30-49
- Previous ranking: 21
- Next games: @ WAS (April 9), vs. ORL (April 10), @ DAL (April 12)
Chicago took a step forward this week, cleaning house in its front office after six seasons of futility and providing a path forward after another lackluster showing. The Bulls missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season and eighth time in the past nine years, didn’t find any new players at the deadline who can credibly be called foundational, and the team’s lottery odds for this upcoming draft will be in the middle of the pack. Still, whomever the Bulls elect to run their basketball operations will have a clean slate and the flexibility to build a team in their own image. – Collier
24. New Orleans Pelicans
- 2025-26 record: 26-54
- Previous ranking: 22
- Next games: @ BOS (April 10), @ MIN (April 12)
New Orleans started the season on a six-game losing streak, and the brass decided to fire coach Willie Green once the Pels reached the 2-10 mark, inserting assistant James Borrego as interim coach. Star forward Zion Williamson played 60 games or more for just the third time in his career and finished second on the team in scoring, behind Trey Murphy III. In what turned out to be a lost season, bright spots emerged in young talents Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen and Micah Peavy. The Pels weren’t tanking, but wins were hard to come by for a team now looking to go into the offseason with momentum. – Wright
25. Memphis Grizzlies
- 2025-26 record: 25-54
- Previous ranking: 24
- Next games: @ DEN (April 8), @ UTAH (April 10), @ HOU (April 12)
Signs of trouble emerged just six games into the season when Memphis suspended Ja Morant for conduct detrimental to the team because of a postgame exchange between the point guard and coach Tuomas Iisalo. Morant played just 20 games due to various injuries before the team shut him down for the season in March, as his future in Memphis remains uncertain. The Grizzlies also shut down Brandon Clarke, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope due to injuries. The team also traded star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. in February, signaling yet another rebuild. – Wright
26. Sacramento Kings
- 2025-26 record: 21-59
- Previous ranking: 27
- Next games: vs. GS (April 10), @ POR (April 12)
Keegan Murray tore a thumb ligament during training camp. Domantas Sabonis partially tore a meniscus early in the season and later needed surgery. Zach LaVine had season-ending surgery for a finger problem. This Kings’ season spiraled for a variety of reasons, including the injuries. The team didn’t have its projected starting lineup together for even one second. Maxime Raynaud emerged as an All-Rookie find out of the second round, but the long-term outlook looks bleak in Sacramento. The Kings need to get lottery luck in May and nail the selection in June. – Slater
27. Utah Jazz
- 2025-26 record: 21-59
- Previous ranking: 26
- Next games: vs. MEM (April 10), @ LAL (April 12)
This has not been a pleasant season in Salt Lake City, but things are going as planned for the Jazz. They tanked so blatantly that the franchise was fined $500,000, and it’s positioned to land a top-five pick in what is considered a loaded draft. The Jazz made a splash at the trade deadline, taking a swing by landing two-time All-Star power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. for a package headlined by draft picks, making it clear that the goal is to be as competitive as possible next season. Third-year guard Keyonte George’s emergence as an excellent offensive creator was critical, providing the Jazz another foundation player alongside Lauri Markkanen and Jackson when he returns next season. – MacMahon
28. Indiana Pacers
- 2025-26 record: 18-61
- Previous ranking: 29
- Next games: @ BKN (April 9), vs. PHI (April 10), vs. DET (April 12)
This was always going to be a down year for the Pacers following Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles tear and Myles Turner’s departure, but expectations weren’t this bad. Yet a spate of early injuries meant Indiana started the season 1-13, and at that point, it made sense to turn all attention to the 2026 lottery and the 2026-27 campaign. The biggest event of the season for the Pacers will be the May 10 draft lottery, when they’ll learn whether they’ve landed a protected top-four pick or lost a lesser selection to the Clippers as part of the midseason trade for Ivica Zubac. – Kram
29. Brooklyn Nets
- 2025-26 record: 20-59
- Previous ranking: 28
- Next games: vs. IND (April 9), @ MIL (April 10), @ TOR (April 12)
Selecting and playing five first-round picks was certainly an ambitious endeavor, but this was a full rebuild season for the Nets. Expectations were low, but the Nets’ brass should feel confident in head coach Jordi Fernandez because, if nothing else, he has coaxed his guys into playing hard. But there’s not much to look forward to except for the draft. The rookies have each had their moments, but sustainability has been hard to find. Is Egor Demin the point guard of the future? Has Noah Clowney shown enough to build around? Or is it hard to judge because there’s no true anchor to make the game easier for the young guys? – Goodwill
30. Washington Wizards
- 2025-26 record: 17-62
- Previous ranking: 30
- Next games: vs. CHI (April 9), vs. MIA (April 10), @ CLE (April 12)
The Wizards’ surprising midseason decision to accelerate their rebuild by trading for Trae Young and Anthony Davis didn’t affect their course this season: Young played just five games for Washington and Davis didn’t play any, as Washington is on track for the worst record in the NBA. Completing the tank would give the Wizards pole position on lottery night, when the ping-pong balls will determine just how successful this season was. – Kram
By NBA insiders | ESPN, via ESPN