The Detroit Pistons continue to make the case why they’re the class of the East. The Oklahoma City Thunder have righted the ship after flirting with mediocrity for a little while. The Los Angeles Clippers are very much looking like a force to be reckoned with.
Welcome to the seventh edition of the Sportscasting 2025-26 Bi-Weekly NBA Power Rankings.
Those teams mentioned above certainly impressed but the likes of New York and Minnesota have disappointed, too. How doomed are the Golden State Warriors?
You can read about all of it here to find out.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-8) [Prev. Rank: 1]
Normal service has resumed in Oklahoma City from a winning standpoint, victorious in six of their last seven. Jalen Williams has suffered a strained hamstring and may be out through the All-Star break. Considering Williams’ struggles to find his best form after wrist surgery, all the winning in the world isn’t going to change my opinion that there’s very little to separate them from the rest of the top tier.
2. Denver Nuggets (30-15) [PR: 2]
A week or two away from mission accomplished, the Nuggets have kept swimming in the absence of Nikola Jokic, Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun. Aaron Gordon is back and so is Jonas Valanciunas. That hasn’t slowed down Peyton Watson, though, who is averaging 23.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks so far in January.
To top it all off, he’s done so shooting 50.8% from the field including 48.4% from beyond the arc.
3. Detroit Pistons (32-10) [PR: 3]
It’s been a relatively light couple weeks for the Pistons playing just five games but they won four of them. There was a statement win mixed in there, too, defeating the Celtics 104-103 in a thriller where Tobias Harris put the finishing touches with a stop on Jaylen Brown for the final possession.
4. San Antonio Spurs (31-14) [PR: 4]
San Antonio appears to be righting the ship after entering a bit of a funk, winning four of their last five games. They will be disappointed about dropping a contest against the Rockets after leading by as many as 16, though. Victor Wembanyama had a rough one, shooting just 5-for-21 from the field.
On a positive note, he is back in the starting lineup and has played at least 30 minutes in three of the last four contests.
5. Houston Rockets (26-16) [PR: 5]
Despite the comeback effort against the Spurs, the Rockets have still been a middling team over the last while, reflected by ranking 19th in net rating over the last couple weeks.
Defense is supposed to be such a staple of this team but the offensive struggles have left Ime Udoka with some tough choices. Reed Sheppard is at the front of the line when it comes to that, providing a major spark with his floor spacing and underrated drives but also being a huge negative on the defensive side.
6. Boston Celtics (27-16) [PR: 8]
The Celtics, despite a loss, further solidified their merit as the second-best team in the East with a thrilling affair against the Pistons that came down to the final shot.
More than what they’ve done on the court, it’s Joe Mazzulla’s sound bites that have been making the rounds after losses to the Pacers and Pistons. Tell us how you really feel about the refereeing of late, Joe.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (27-18) [PR: 7]
Minnesota looked to be in the ascendancy winning six of seven but have followed that up by losing four straight. Anthony Edwards returned from rest for his ailing foot to drop 55 in a loss to the Spurs. He followed that up with 38 in a loss to the Jazz. Tack on a loss to the Bulls on their home floor and it’s been a week to forget.
8. New York Knicks (26-18) [PR: 6]
The offense should get back on track soon enough but the defense becomes a bigger concern everyday. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns aren’t going to turn into great defenders overnight which is going to leave this team compromised to a meaningful degree on a nightly basis.
Some frustration with head coach Mike Brown may be boiling over on the court so they’ll need to right the ship soon.
9. Los Angeles Lakers (26-17) [PR: 9]
Wins over Toronto and Denver were huge after losing five of six. Having stopped the bleeding with that, the Clippers delivered a bit of a reality check.
One thing we know with this Lakers team is that they know how to win close games. What we don’t know is a path to making their defense tangibly better. They now rank 23rd in defensive efficiency and you’re not going to go very far when you can’t reliably get stops.
10. Toronto Raptors (27-19) [PR: 10]
The injury bug came for the Raptors in a big way over the last couple weeks. Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, Ja’Kobe Walter and Collin Murray-Boyles all missed multiple games. Immanuel Quickley had to sit out a couple contests but then returned with a career-high tying 40 points on just 13 field goal attempts and 11-for-11 shooting at the line.
Despite being 4-4 over the last eight games, Toronto is right at the Knicks’ heels for third in the East. They have already won more road games than they did all of last season and have won more games against plus-.500 teams than all of last season.
11. Philadelphia 76ers (24-19) [PR: 11]
These power rankings usually cover a two-week timeline but sometimes something so significant it eclipses everything else happens and with the Sixers it means zooming in on their win over the Rockets.
Not only was it a thrilling overtime victory, Joel Embiid was able to play 46 minutes and log a 32-15-10 triple-double. With the Knicks coming up Saturday, another dominant Embiid appearance may just get Sixers fans trusting this remixed process with Tyrese Maxey at the helm.
12. Phoenix Suns (27-17) [PR: 13]
This team really is a plucky bunch, now boasting the league’s sixth best defensive rating. They’ve won six of their last eight games and the only two losses were to the Pistons and Heat by a combined nine points. Now up to fifth in the West, they may be here to stay in the top six after the Warriors’ catastrophic injury news.
While it may have been debatable a month ago, it’s increasingly looking like Devin Booker is a lock to be in the All-Star Game.
13. Los Angeles Clippers (20-24) [PR: 22]
The Clippers are now 14-3 over their last 17 and just took down the Lakers (again). Things looked ugly for awhile but conversations regarding the Thunder getting the No. 1 pick in the draft were premature.
Kawhi Leonard is at an all-world level while John Collins has been huge in his role the last couple weeks. When Leonard sat for a couple games, Jordan Miller stepped up in a big way. There was a lot of noise when Kevin Durant passed Dirk Nowitzki for sixth on the all-time scoring list but James Harden more quietly passed Shaquille O’Neal for ninth, too.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers (25-20) [PR: 14]
Beating the Sixers twice in consecutive games might be something crucial we look back on at the end of the season. It’s helped them move Cleveland into a tie with Philadelphia and stake a greater claim to a guaranteed playoff berth.
Cleveland is still missing that little bit extra to really believe in them, though, the in again out again Darius Garland the biggest reason why. It’s an interesting thought experiment on which of the Clippers or Cavaliers is worth believing in more. For now, this is where I land.
15. Portland Trail Blazers (23-22) [PR: 19]
Don’t look now but the Blazers have won nine of their last 11 games. Led by Deni Avdija, this is a team that has multiple people stepping up to the plate on any given night. Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan are all finding ways to impact games.
Jrue Holiday recently returned to the lineup while Caleb Love has been one of the pleasant surprises of the season.
16. Orlando Magic (23-20) [PR: 15]
In what was supposed to be an easier stretch of the season facing the likes of the Wizards, Nets, Pelicans, Grizzlies and Hornets, the Magic have only gone 3-4. Over the last five games, both their offense and defense has been bottom five, making it seem like this team is destined for a Play-In Tournament appearance.
This was also an unusual week for the Magic, having to travel to Germany to play a couple games against the Grizzlies. All that travel surely took a toll on performance. Credit to Anthony Black, who made the most of the trip with the likely dunk of the season.
17. Golden State Warriors (25-21) [PR: 12]
Golden State’s picture was starting to look ever so rosy as they won 12 of 16 games and six of seven on a crucial home stand. When Jimmy Butler tore the ACL in his right knee, the Warriors’ hopes of contention immediately ended and even a playoff spot will take some serious doing.
It will be interesting to see how the Warriors try to pivot from this impossible situation.
18. Miami Heat (23-22) [PR: 16]
Forget about the culture and the head coach for a moment, the Heat are just a mediocre team. The offense’s appeal of hardly setting screens has become easily found out and teams are relishing defending it more and more. Miami ranks 19th in offensive efficiency.
Tyler Herro is battling a rib issue now after missing the first couple months with a toe problem. Unless Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available, this season looks headed nowhere fast.
19. Chicago Bulls (22-22) [PR: 20]
With how mediocre they’ve been, I did not see the Bulls beating the Clippers and Wolves in their last two games. Tre Jones deserves his praise over the last while, averaging 14.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.4 steals over the last couple weeks. Jalen Smith has intrigued as well, flirting with double-doubles over the same span.
Josh Giddey is due to return soon enough so we’ll see how that impacts the on-court situation of some moving forward.
20. Atlanta Hawks (21-25) [PR: 17]
Without its own pick, Atlanta has every reason to try and stay competitive while growing its young group. They also have the added bonus of knowing they’ll collect the Pelicans’ first-round pick this summer.
Jalen Johnson continues to put up gaudy numbers while Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu make their own leaps. Unless Kristaps Porzingis can find his way to full health the remainder of the season, the goal posts will understandably shift to next season.
21. Milwaukee Bucks (18-25) [PR: 18]
Another fortnight, another patient wait for Giannis Antetokounmpo to sort out his future with the only NBA franchise he’s known. On the court, they’ve lost four of five and are increasingly looking rudderless.
Doc Rivers decided to change the starting lineup, moving one of their best performers in Kevin Porter Jr. to the bench. The next time these Power Rankings chime in will be after the trade deadline so this saga will be over one way or another at least until the summer.
22. Memphis Grizzlies (18-24) [PR: 21]
The will he, won’t he of it all now has Ja Morant seemingly doing what he can to remain in Memphis. The front office may have already made up its mind as far as being open to trading him is concerned, but perhaps now it’ll take a bit more sway.
On the outside looking in for the Play-In Tournament, Morant will need to be special alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. to make a big run in the second half of the season.
23. Dallas Mavericks (19-26) [PR: 23]
Dallas has found a way to win four straight games, which may be a bit of a concern when considering winning may not be the primary motive this season. The Mavs don’t have their own pick for a while so it would be silly to not prioritize another top draft pick to slot alongside Cooper Flagg in a stacked draft class.
Jason Kidd also recently suggested the Mavs might get extremely cautious when it comes to Kyrie Irving’s return from a torn ACL.
24. Charlotte Hornets (17-28) [PR: 25]
Would you believe me if I told you the Hornets have the third-best offense in the league over the last couple weeks? Well, that’s the reality as LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel have played some of their best basketball.
If there is something to doubt, it’s the way Ball might feel about how he’s being managed in back-to-back scenarios by being brought off the bench. They did against the Cavs and Ball finished with just two points on 1-of-15 shooting.
25. Utah Jazz (15-30) [PR: 24]
After winning two in a row, the Jazz quickly rectified their tanking efforts by losing 11 of 14. That and some wins for both the Hornets and Mavs has them in a pretty good position for the lottery. That’s the main reason Lauri Markannen and Keyonte George aren’t getting the shine their play deserves.
26. Brooklyn Nets (12-30) [PR: 26]
What a dud of a performance against the Knicks. Brooklyn, too, appears to be intensifying its tanking efforts with 11 losses in 13. Michael Porter Jr. is the best thing about that team right now and he may even sneak into an All-Star spot.
27. Sacramento Kings (12-33) [PR: 30]
With Keegan Murray out and Domantas Sabonis in trade rumors, the bright spot to focus on in Sacramento is among the bigs. Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell are benefiting as far as playing time is concerned and are learning and growing from it.
28. Washington Wizards (10-33) [PR: 27]
Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr are back to being the ones to watch in Washington as it appears increasingly likely Trae Young will be shelved until next season. Things are headed in a better direction, even if we don’t know it’s the best one right now.
29. Indiana Pacers (10-35) [PR: 28]
Indiana bounced back from a miserable 13-game losing streak by winning four of five. They’ve since lost three straight and look headed down a dark alley without a weapon once again.
30. New Orleans Pelicans (10-36) [PR: 29]
The Pelicans may be terrible but it’s at least worth noting that Zion Williamson has now played as many games (30) as he did all of last season. It’s a pity he looks nowhere near a player a franchise can build around, making his potential trade interest down the line intriguing to follow in terms of assessing how other teams view him.
