We’re officially a week into the 2025-26 NBA regular season and a couple of teams have already surprised us.
In a highly competitive West, the San Antonio Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama, remain one of the few undefeated teams in the league alongside the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder, who opened with back-to-back double-overtime games, are picking up where they left off last season with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
In the East, the Philadelphia 76ers have rushed to a strong start, getting immediate contributions from their No. 3 pick, VJ Edgecombe (24.5 PPG), and sixth-year guard Tyrese Maxey, who is leading the league with an average of 37.5 points.
In our first iteration of Power Rankings this season, our NBA insiders break down their biggest observations from opening week and what to expect next week as teams try to find their footing or build on their momentum.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Kevin Pelton, Michael C. Wright, Ohm Youngmisuk, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram) think teams belong this season.
Previous rankings: Preseason
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
It’s been a competitive, painful, but still undefeated October for the defending champs. Alex Caruso suffered a concussion in the season opening double-overtime win over the Rockets. Cason Wallace missed the double-overtime win over the Pacers with a left knee issue. Isaiah Joe and Nikola Topic are still sidelined because of preseason injuries. Jalen Williams hasn’t been cleared from his offseason wrist surgery. Chet Holmgren missed the Kings game with a back issue. But Gilgeous-Alexander keeps scoring — 35, 55, 30, 23 and 31 points — and the Thunder keep winning despite a depleted rotation. Second-year guard Ajay Mitchell has been the early-season beneficiary, averaging 18.7 points through five games. — Anthony Slater
After an opening night loss to the Knicks, the Cavs have won three in a row and look poised to be one of the top teams in the conference yet again. Cleveland’s defense has carried the team through the early part of the schedule while its offense is still down a few key players but keep an eye on Evan Mobley. He has started the season with the highest usage rate of his career, a concerted effort from the Cavs to give him even more offensive responsibilities. — Jamal Collier
The Warriors had four 20-point scorers in Monday’s win over the Grizzlies — and Stephen Curry wasn’t among them. That’s only happened six times in the Curry era. Three of those 20-point scorers: Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, the best signal yet that this older team might be able to sustain the grind of an 82-game season through a leap from its youth. Kuminga, in particular, has impressed with his activity. He has 37 rebounds in five games, prompting Steve Kerr to say: “The way he’s rebounding, the way he’s attacking the rim, that’s what makes him special. When he’s playing to that talent, to that ability, it changes our team.” Kerr labeled Kuminga a permanent starter Tuesday night. — Slater
It’s expected, but the Knicks look a bit disjointed on the offensive end. Perhaps playing the Heat and Celtics — two of the peskier and active defensive teams to start the season — has led to the inefficient offensive play. But they need to start building some sweat equity rather quickly. Can Karl-Anthony Towns shake off a quad injury to become the unguardable force he needs to be to unlock everything else for OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges? He’s shooting just 40% (39 from 3 on six attempts). When asked how long it would be before he’s 100%, he deflected: “As long as we win, I don’t care. That’s the last thing on my mind.” — Vincent Goodwill
Could this be the season that Jamal Murray finally joins Nikola Jokic in the All-Star Game? Murray is off to a spectacular start, averaging 30.3 points and 6.0 assists on .530/.429/.923 shooting splits. The new All-Star format that designates eight spots for international players should increase Murray’s chances as a Canadian. Murray, who got off to a sluggish start last season, reported to training camp in phenomenal shape, which has been reflected in his aggressiveness attacking the paint. He is shooting 61.3% on 10.3 shots in the paint per game, compared to 56.1% on 6.6 paint attempts last season. — Tim MacMahon
Off to its first 3-0 start since the 2019-20 season, San Antonio is finally thriving in the minutes when Wembanyama isn’t on the floor, and that’s mainly because of the addition of veteran Luke Kornet. Kornet played 35 minutes in the Spurs’ overtime win over New Orleans on Friday, finishing with a game-high 12 boards. Meanwhile, rookie Dylan Harper is coming off a breakout performance against Brooklyn with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while logging a team-best plus-33 rating. And all of that has been without De’Aaron Fox and Jeremy Sochan, who are close to returning from injury. — Michael C. Wright
The Clippers’ early-season offense has outpaced their initial defense, with the team boasting the No. 9 offensive rating through their 2-2 start, but just the 16th ranked defensive rating. Small sample size, of course, but it’s worth paying attention to because L.A. finished last season with the third-best defensive rating in the league, but was only 15th in offensive rating. They’ll get a chance to get their defense back on track against New Orleans on Friday — the Pelicans had the No. 28 offensive rating through their first three games. — Dave McMenamin
Giannis Antetokounmpo is off to a historic start for the 2025-26 season and looks as if he’s going to will the Bucks into contention by himself. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after opening the season averaging 36 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists while shooting 68% from the field. But after a pair of wins to start the season, the Bucks were tested with the projected top two teams in the East, losing to Cleveland while Milwaukee was short-handed Sunday and then defeating the Knicks behind Antetokounmpo’s 37 points. — Collier
What a difference a year makes. A week into last season, Joel Embiid’s status was up in the air, and Philadelphia was beginning what ultimately would be a doomed dirge of a march through the 2024-25 campaign. Now, the 76ers have possibly the league’s most explosive backcourt in Maxey and Edgecombe. Embiid is playing (albeit on a minutes limit), Paul George (knee) and Jared McCain (thumb) aren’t far away from returning and the 76ers are leading the East with a pristine 4-0 record. — Tim Bontemps
Anthony Edwards, one of the NBA’s most durable stars over the past few years, is out for two weeks with a hamstring injury. It couldn’t come at a much more manageable point in the schedule, however, between playing the Lakers without Luka and LeBron and six games against Charlotte, Brooklyn, Utah and Sacramento during a two week stretch. — Bontemps
Without Fred VanVleet, Houston continues its by-committee approach to facilitation on offense with mixed results. New addition Kevin Durant mentioned the club’s 0-2 start left players and the coaching staff “pissed off,” but added he appreciates that energy and urgency so early in the season. Expect Houston to continue experimenting with different lineups, but it’s already clear the Rockets need to tamp down minutes for veteran Steven Adams, 32, who averaged 31 minutes over the first two contests. That many minutes for Adams is unsustainable over the course of a long season. — Wright
The Lakers have taken the old basketball maxim, “Don’t be worried if I’m coaching you hard, be worried if I’m not coaching you hard, because that means I don’t care,” to the extreme with new center Deandre Ayton. The former No. 1 pick, signed as a free agent after reaching a buyout agreement with the Trail Blazers, said his teammates have resorted to bullying tactics to motivate him. “They be on my a**,” Ayton said. “They be trying to get me ticked off before these games just to get me rolling.” It’s worked so far. He’s averaging 15.8 points on 60% and 9.3 rebounds through L.A.’s first four games. — Dave McMenamin
The Bulls are one of the last undefeated teams left in the NBA, starting 3-0 for the first time in four years. Even more encouraging for Chicago is that its three wins have all come against projected playoff teams in the East — Detroit, Orlando and Atlanta — thanks to a bench unit that is third in the league in scoring and a surprising defense that ranks second in defensive efficiency behind Oklahoma City. The last time the Bulls started this fast was the 2021-22 season, which is also the only time they have made the playoffs in the last decade. — Collier
The absence left behind by Malik Beasley and Jaden Ivey’s injury has hurt the Pistons, despite their record. The Pistons only shot above league-average from 3-point range (32%) in only one game against Houston. “We’re still learning. It’s a bit of a different group that’s playing out there together. It’ll smooth out, it’s been choppy at times.” said coach JB Bickerstaff. Ausar Thompson looks ready for more responsibility on offense, despite his game still rounding out. He terrorized the Celtics on Sunday with 21 points and 12 rebounds (five offensive). — Goodwill
Despite the federal investigation into gambling, betting and poker hitting home when Terry Rozier was arrested last week while the team was in Orlando, the Heat rallied and won three straight games. After going 0-6 in the preseason, the Heat have exploded, scoring 146 and 144 points in blowout wins over the Grizzlies and Hornets while also beating the Knicks. Bam Adebayo is off to a terrific start, doing everything the Heat need him to do with Tyler Herro out. And while Norm Powell sat out the win over the Hornets with a sore groin, he is averaging 24 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals. It’s early but the Heat are playing together, know their roles and look revitalized after dealing with all the Jimmy Butler III drama and the aftermath last season. — Ohm Youngmisuk
The Grizzlies rebounded from a 32-point loss to Miami with a 25-point triumph over the Pacers on Saturday, propelled by a 27-point effort from Cedric Coward, who tied for the second-most made 3-pointers all-time by a rookie without a miss (6-of-6 from deep). Coward brings physicality and versatility, and has quickly become a force that will only improve as he gains experience. Point guard Ja Morant shot 44% from the field over his first three games and 2-of-12 from range. That will improve, but a glut of injuries to key players continues to slow Memphis’ rounding into form. — Wright
The Magic opened the season with big expectations, but after beating Miami in the season opener, they’ve dropped three straight games. Orlando blew a 14-point lead and let a 111-107 loss slip away to Atlanta on Friday. Desmond Bane is averaging 19 points so far, but is shooting just 27.3% from 3. It’s very early, but Orlando is shooting only 29.1% from behind the arc. Getting Jalen Suggs back, though, for the start of the season was a big boost. After surrendering 136 points in Philadelphia on Monday, the Magic hope to find their defense and outside shooting on this five-game road swing. — Youngmisuk
Amazingly, the Hornets were one bad quarter from a 3-0 start. Only getting outscored 39-25 in the final 12 minutes on Saturday against Philadelphia. A blemish on their opening week where they blewout Brooklyn and Washington. The Hornets are winning with two rookies (No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel and second-rounder Ryan Kalkbrenner) in their starting five and despite a shoulder injury to starter Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball is off to an outstanding start, averaging 28.3 PPG, 9.7 APG and 8.3 RPG while shooting 41.9% on 3s. — Kevin Pelton
The Hawks’ season is off to a slow start. Toronto demolished the Hawks on opening night, exposing their interior defense and urgency. Then, the Hawks were without Kristaps Porzingis (flu-like illness) and Zacharie Risacher (ankle) for two straight games, going 1-1 without them. Jalen Johnson (ankle) also joined them on the sideline in that loss to OKC last Saturday. The Hawks, though, did show mettle and their depth in a much-needed win at Orlando last Friday. Back to full strength on Monday night in Chicago, the Hawks had offensive moments and Porzingis bounced back with 27 points. However, they need to improve their defense and rebounding on this four-game road swing. Hawks are currently in a stretch where they play nine of their first 14 on the road. — Youngmisuk
Amidst the fallout from head coach Chauncey Billups’ arrest on gambling-related charges, the Blazers have shown they can compete for the postseason in a 2-2 start. In Tiago Splitter’s debut as acting head coach, Portland beat Golden State at home, and they took advantage of the Lakers’ injuries Monday to reach 2-2. The Blazers have the West’s sixth-best point differential and have gotten strong play from sixth man Jerami Grant, averaging 22.5 PPG as a reserve for the first time since 2020. Portland’s defense has been predictably stout with the addition of Jrue Holiday, ranking sixth on a per-possession basis. — Pelton
The Mavericks have averaged 1.25 points on the 64 half-court possessions when D’Angelo Russell brought the ball up the court, compared to 0.94 points on the 299 half-court possessions initiated by anybody else, according to GeniusIQ. Coach Jason Kidd clearly had hesitations about relying on Russell, as indicated by the veteran sitting out the entire second half of a loss to the Wizards, but those numbers are hard to ignore with a roster that has a glaring lack of ballhandling and playmaking while Kyrie Irving (knee surgery) is sidelined. — MacMahon
The Raptors opened their season with a blowout win in Atlanta, during which they scored 86 points in the paint. But it’s been all downhill since, as the league’s 21st-ranked defense has hemorrhaged points en route to a three-game losing streak. Even Dallas, which has the least efficient offense in the NBA, scored 139 points against the Raptors.
Toronto needs to find a fix fast because the schedule doesn’t get any easier. Over the next week, Toronto plays four tough opponents in Houston, Cleveland, Memphis and Milwaukee. — Zach Kram
We’re a week into the season, and the Celtics are — largely — what we thought they would be: a competitive team, but one that is going to struggle to keep up with more talented teams, particularly offensively after they offloaded this summer. Jaylen Brown, who is averaging 29.7 points per game, is already dealing with a nagging hamstring issue, which won’t help matters, either. — Bontemps
Center Walker Kessler, who will be a restricted free agent next summer after the Jazz didn’t sign him to an extension of his rookie deal before the deadline, is determined to prove that he can be an offensive weapon. He’s off to a strong start, averaging 16.7 points and 3.3 assists through three games, both of which would be career highs by significant margins. Kessler, who led the league in offensive rebounding with 4.6 per game last season, envisions himself as a big man who can stretch the floor. He has made three of his four 3-point attempts this season after going 11-of-56 from long range in his first three years in the league. — MacMahon
The Pacers have battled — most notably in a double-overtime loss to the Thunder in a Finals rematch — but ultimately suffered so many injuries that their season has gone sideways from the start. It’s not just Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles; opening night starters Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin also got hurt, as did key reserves T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin and Johnny Furphy. One bright spot: Mathurin scored 62 points in two games before spraining the big toe on his right foot. — Kram
The defensive personnel and discipline are a predictable problem, particularly without Keegan Murray, who is expected to be sidelined deep into November. They tried a rookie, Nique Clifford, in Murray’s spot for the opener in Phoenix, but Clifford suffered a hamstring injury. They tried Keon Ellis against the Lakers. He fouled out in 18 minutes. In their lone win, they actually closed with Russell Westbrook essentially as the power forward guarding Lauri Markkanen. Head coach Doug Christie is searching, but there don’t seem to be many defensive answers for the Kings right now. — Slater
During opening week, Collin Gillespie averaged 10.3 points, 5.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game as the Suns’ backup point guard, nearly doubling his averages from a season ago. There should be minutes to be had while Jalen Green sits due to a right hamstring strain that has sidelined him since the preseason. The third-year vet is one of several young players, along with Ryan Dunn, Mark Williams, Oso Ighodaro, Khaman Maluach, Koby Brea and Rasheer Fleming — and even Green — who will be important player development targets for first-year coach Jordan Ott’s burgeoning program. — Dave McMenamin
One of the most surprising results of the first week was Washington’s 117-107 win in Dallas. The Wizards likely won’t win many games this season, but this game showed how they want to build for the future: Second-year guard Kyshawn George scored 34 points on 11-for-15 shooting (7-for-9 from distance) while rookie Tre Johnson added 17 points off the bench. With 16.3 points per game and 42.9% shooting on 3-pointers, Johnson, the no. 6 pick in the 2025 draft, has made an instant impact offensively. — Kram
A pair of competitive losses to start the season, including taking the unbeaten Spurs to overtime, were followed by a 32-point home loss Monday to the previously winless Celtics. The key difference: Zion Williamson missed that game due to a bone contusion in his left foot after totaling 54 points, 19 rebounds, 12 assists and eight steals in the Pelicans’ first two games. New Orleans needs that production because its 25th-ranked defense can’t stop anybody. Williamson wasn’t initially on the team’s injury report, hopefully an indication that he’ll return soon. — Pelton
It’s been an expected start for the Nets, with Sunday’s loss at San Antonio being an example of their early-season struggles that are likely to continue for the start of the season. Cam Thomas is leading the team, averaging 24.2 points per game, but not doing much else. To be fair, the Nets are a bit light on offensive options besides Thomas and Michael Porter Jr.. The defense is a major issue, last in efficiency. Their lack of size is an issue on the glass and protecting the rim. The lack of experience on the roster was bound to show early. — Goodwill