NBA power rankings, 2026-27 preseason
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (+7.4), No. 2 San Antonio Spurs (+5.5), No. 3 Detroit Pistons (+5.5). Each number is points per game against an average team, from last season's margin.
Before opening night on Oct 20 this ranking is last season's point margin per game, a third of it pulled back to average because rosters changed over the summer. It is not a forecast of this season's record. From Week 2 it counts this season's games.
All 30 teams, Oct 19-25
Built from last season| # | Team | Power | Sched. | This week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oklahoma City Thunder Last season 64-18 Last season: outscored teams by 11.1 points a game. This week: at SAS Tue, vs DEN Thu, vs LAC Sun | +7.4 | - | at SAS Tue, vs DEN Thu, vs LAC Sun |
2 | San Antonio Spurs Last season 62-20 Last season: outscored teams by 8.3 points a game. This week: vs OKC Tue, vs HOU Fri, at DAL Sat | +5.5 | - | vs OKC Tue, vs HOU Fri, at DAL Sat |
3 | Detroit Pistons Last season 60-22 Last season: outscored teams by 8.2 points a game. This week: vs BOS Tue, at MIA Fri, at PHI Sun | +5.5 | - | vs BOS Tue, at MIA Fri, at PHI Sun |
4 | Boston Celtics Last season 56-26 Last season: outscored teams by 7.7 points a game. This week: at DET Tue, vs NYK Fri | +5.1 | - | at DET Tue, vs NYK Fri |
5 | New York Knicks Last season 53-29 Last season: outscored teams by 6.4 points a game. This week: vs PHI Tue, at BOS Fri, vs ORL Sun | +4.3 | - | vs PHI Tue, at BOS Fri, vs ORL Sun |
6 | Houston Rockets Last season 52-30 Last season: outscored teams by 5.2 points a game. This week: vs DAL Wed, at SAS Fri, at ATL Sat | +3.5 | - | vs DAL Wed, at SAS Fri, at ATL Sat |
7 | Denver Nuggets Last season 54-28 Last season: outscored teams by 5.2 points a game. This week: at OKC Thu, vs NOP Sat | +3.5 | - | at OKC Thu, vs NOP Sat |
8 | Charlotte Hornets Last season 44-38 Last season: outscored teams by 4.8 points a game. This week: at BKN Wed, vs ATL Fri, vs MIA Sat | +3.2 | - | at BKN Wed, vs ATL Fri, vs MIA Sat |
9 | Cleveland Cavaliers Last season 52-30 Last season: outscored teams by 4.1 points a game. This week: at PHI Thu, vs BKN Sat | +2.7 | - | at PHI Thu, vs BKN Sat |
10 | Minnesota Timberwolves Last season 49-33 Last season: outscored teams by 3.4 points a game. This week: at MIA Wed, at ORL Fri, vs TOR Sun | +2.3 | - | at MIA Wed, at ORL Fri, vs TOR Sun |
11 | Toronto Raptors Last season 46-36 Last season: outscored teams by 2.8 points a game. This week: vs CHI Wed, at WAS Fri, at MIN Sun | +1.9 | - | vs CHI Wed, at WAS Fri, at MIN Sun |
12 | Atlanta Hawks Last season 46-36 Last season: outscored teams by 2.5 points a game. This week: at ORL Wed, at CHA Fri, vs HOU Sat | +1.7 | - | at ORL Wed, at CHA Fri, vs HOU Sat |
13 | Miami Heat Last season 43-39 Last season: outscored teams by 2.4 points a game. This week: vs MIN Wed, vs DET Fri, at CHA Sat | +1.6 | - | vs MIN Wed, vs DET Fri, at CHA Sat |
14 | Los Angeles Lakers Last season 53-29 Last season: outscored teams by 1.7 points a game. This week: vs GSW Wed, vs LAC Fri, at UTA Sun | +1.1 | - | vs GSW Wed, vs LAC Fri, at UTA Sun |
15 | Phoenix Suns Last season 45-37 Last season: outscored teams by 1.5 points a game. This week: at POR Wed, vs GSW Sat | +1.0 | - | at POR Wed, vs GSW Sat |
16 | LA Clippers Last season 42-40 Last season: outscored teams by 1.2 points a game. This week: vs SAC Wed, at LAL Fri, at OKC Sun | +0.8 | - | vs SAC Wed, at LAL Fri, at OKC Sun |
17 | Orlando Magic Last season 45-37 Last season: outscored teams by 0.6 points a game. This week: vs ATL Wed, vs MIN Fri, at NYK Sun | +0.4 | - | vs ATL Wed, vs MIN Fri, at NYK Sun |
18 | Philadelphia 76ers Last season 45-37 Last season: outscored by 0.2 points a game. This week: at NYK Tue, vs CLE Thu, vs MIL Sat, vs DET Sun | -0.1 | - | at NYK Tue, vs CLE Thu, vs MIL Sat, vs DET Sun |
19 | Portland Trail Blazers Last season 42-40 Last season: outscored by 0.3 points a game. This week: vs PHX Wed, at SAC Fri | -0.2 | - | vs PHX Wed, at SAC Fri |
20 | Golden State Warriors Last season 37-45 Last season: outscored by 0.6 points a game. This week: at LAL Wed, vs MEM Fri, at PHX Sat | -0.4 | - | at LAL Wed, vs MEM Fri, at PHX Sat |
21 | New Orleans Pelicans Last season 26-56 Last season: outscored by 4.5 points a game. This week: vs IND Wed, at UTA Fri, at DEN Sat | -3.0 | - | vs IND Wed, at UTA Fri, at DEN Sat |
22 | Chicago Bulls Last season 31-51 Last season: outscored by 5.2 points a game. This week: at TOR Wed, at MIL Fri, vs WAS Sat | -3.5 | - | at TOR Wed, at MIL Fri, vs WAS Sat |
23 | Dallas Mavericks Last season 26-56 Last season: outscored by 5.5 points a game. This week: at HOU Wed, at IND Fri, vs SAS Sat | -3.7 | - | at HOU Wed, at IND Fri, vs SAS Sat |
24 | Memphis Grizzlies Last season 25-57 Last season: outscored by 6.0 points a game. This week: vs UTA Wed, at GSW Fri, at SAC Sun | -4.0 | - | vs UTA Wed, at GSW Fri, at SAC Sun |
25 | Milwaukee Bucks Last season 32-50 Last season: outscored by 6.2 points a game. This week: at WAS Wed, vs CHI Fri, at PHI Sat | -4.1 | - | at WAS Wed, vs CHI Fri, at PHI Sat |
26 | Indiana Pacers Last season 19-63 Last season: outscored by 8.0 points a game. This week: at NOP Wed, vs DAL Fri, at BKN Sun | -5.3 | - | at NOP Wed, vs DAL Fri, at BKN Sun |
27 | Utah Jazz Last season 22-60 Last season: outscored by 8.4 points a game. This week: at MEM Wed, vs NOP Fri, vs LAL Sun | -5.6 | - | at MEM Wed, vs NOP Fri, vs LAL Sun |
28 | Brooklyn Nets Last season 20-62 Last season: outscored by 10.0 points a game. This week: vs CHA Wed, at CLE Sat, vs IND Sun | -6.7 | - | vs CHA Wed, at CLE Sat, vs IND Sun |
29 | Sacramento Kings Last season 22-60 Last season: outscored by 10.0 points a game. This week: at LAC Wed, vs POR Fri, vs MEM Sun | -6.7 | - | at LAC Wed, vs POR Fri, vs MEM Sun |
30 | Washington Wizards Last season 17-65 Last season: outscored by 12.0 points a game. This week: vs MIL Wed, vs TOR Fri, at CHI Sat | -8.0 | - | vs MIL Wed, vs TOR Fri, at CHI Sat |
Power is points per game against an average team. Sched. is strength of schedule so far, 1 the hardest.
How the ranking works
- Rating: every game's point margin, capped at 25 either way and with 2.5 points taken off the home side, solved so a team's rating is its average margin plus the average rating of the teams it played. That second half is its strength of schedule.
- Recent form: the last ten games, each margin adjusted the same way for the opponent.
- Efficiency: points per scoring attempt (field goal attempts plus 0.44 of free throw attempts), scored minus allowed, times the league's attempts per game.
- Power score: 50% rating, 20% form and 30% efficiency, in points per game against an average team on a neutral floor.
- The 2025-26 start: last season's point margin per game, with a third of it pulled back to average because rosters change. It counts as ten games of this season, so it fades as the games pile up.
Change is against last week's ranking, built the same way from the games before last week. Every number comes from final scores and box scores; nobody sorts the list by hand.
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Common questions
How are these NBA power rankings made?
From final scores alone, in four parts: each game's margin adjusted for the opponent and home floor, strength of schedule, the most recent games and shooting edge. The power score is points per game against an average team, and nobody hand-sorts the order.
When do they update?
The ranking rolls every Monday, when the new fantasy week begins. Each week keeps its own page, so you can see how a team moved.
Is the power score a prediction?
No. It measures how teams have played so far, in points. A team ranked first has played best on that measure; it says nothing certain about the next game.
Why is it based on last season?
Before opening night on Oct 20 this ranking is last season's point margin per game, a third of it pulled back to average because rosters changed over the summer. It is not a forecast of this season's record. From Week 2 it counts this season's games.
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By the Parlae deskRanking updated Oct 16, 2026 at 8:20 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number