NBA Power Rankings for 2025-26 season tip-off: Thunder on top; Hawks are contenders

Album of the Week: “Voodoo,” D’Angelo (2000)

How does it feel? Our long national nightmare has returned!

Last year, I presided over these Power Rankings like your new boss who wanted to get to know everyone and get their feet wet while gently making suggestions. But this year, I know all of you, and I’m doing things like Usher in 1997.

I’m not going to trouble you here with niceties. This year’s rankings will be for your entertainment and my entertainment. We will push the envelope so far that the postman will beg for mercy. I hope you have a good time with these, but I’m definitely going to have a good time.

Now, about your NBA teams. Let me be the first to inform you that your team will probably not win the 2026 NBA championship. I’m 96.7 percent sure of that. And the team that does? Asterisk. Get ready to defend your team’s incredible accomplishment on your least favorite social media app. The players will get gaudy championship rings; you get to fend off haters.

But as you know, Power Rankings aren’t about championships. They’re about the friends we make along the way, friends who show up in the comments and my mentions … every single week. I figured that since we’ve been gone so long (thankfully), the season premiere of these Power Rankings should be as explosive as possible.

So I’m giving the people what they want: final standings and postseason predictions for all! We’ll get to how teams are actually playing when the games start, but for now, I went through each team and projected a playoff field. I assessed each team’s offense, defense and intangibles; so I’ll discuss that here. I’m nothing if not vulnerable for you all.

Fine print: These Power Rankings won’t just rank every team; we’ll also retain the tiers that teams will be promoted into and relegated out of. Each week, there will be five tiers:

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

A few housekeeping notes:

These are my subjective rankings. I will consider a variety of objective measures, but it’s my call.

These rankings are not simply 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 1 of The Athletic NBA Power Rankings this season, we will preview the year for each team. Win-loss records and efficiency ratings will show up next week, and the previous ranking is from the offseason Power Rankings special in July, a much more conventional ranking.

Tier 1: Top Contenders

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Last ranking: First

2024-25 season results: 68-14, first in West, won NBA Finals

2026 playoff prediction: First in West, win NBA Finals in six

Someone has to be first in these initial rankings of the season, and trust me, I wanted to find every reason I could to not pick the artists formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics. The easiest reason is something you will hear all season: No NBA champion has repeated since 2018. There have been seven different teams to win the championship over the last seven seasons. Unlike four of the previous five champions, the Thunder showed postseason mortality, needing to win Game 7s against two 50-win teams. I do feel like the opportunity for improvement for important players such as Jalen Williams (already an All-Star and All-NBA performer) and Chet Holmgren (a unicorn-type who missed 50 games) can make the Thunder better around MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But I don’t foresee another record-breaking season from the Thunder. In fact, I’d rather take the field over Oklahoma City. I just don’t like any other team enough to actually pick it. Don’t consider this an endorsement, Oklahoma City. You should be better than every other team.

2. LA Clippers

Last ranking: Seventh

2024-25 season results: 50-32, fifth in West, lost West quarterfinals

2026 playoff prediction: Second in West, lose Western Conference finals vs. Thunder

Speaking of endorsements! That’s enough low-hanging fruit. We can see how the basketball gods will respond to this franchise down the road. In the meantime, I’m going to point out that the Nuggets humiliated the Clippers in Game 7 with a fully healthy Kawhi Leonard and then dedicated their entire offseason of team-building around it. The result is Pacific Ocean’s 11, a nickname that is old but also a whole lot more talented than most of the teams they will play against. The Clippers’ starting lineup should be good, but the second unit could open up sizable margins. If that stays consistent in the regular season, then they could actually get the kind of rest that will allow them to have something left in the tank for the inevitable annual postseason heartbreak that happens every year. Just don’t be too shocked if this time you have to wait a round or two for said heartbreak to occur.

3. Golden State Warriors

Last ranking: Ninth

2024-25 season results: 48-34, seventh in West, lost West semifinals

2026 playoff prediction: Third in West, lose West quarterfinals vs. Rockets

These dudes are old too. In fact, (G)Olden State’s three most important players are older than any other team’s three most important players. But when Stephen Curry (37), Jimmy Butler III (36) and Draymond Green (35) played together last season, the Warriors were 22-5. That’s a 67-win pace over 82 games. Now, those dudes aren’t getting 82 games together. But they’re good, and they found an even older talent in Al Horford (39), who should fit on both ends of the floor. I expect them to win a lot of games, even if I don’t feel so confident in their playoff viability.

4. New York Knicks

Last ranking: Second

2024-25 season results: 51-31, third in East, lost Eastern Conference finals

2026 playoff prediction: first in East, lose NBA Finals vs. Thunder

Here we go, the biased New York Times loves the Knicks. The Eastern Conference suffered some cataclysmic injury luck that has thrown an already underwhelming collective into complete disarray. The only team left standing is the Knicks, a team that upset the defending champion, made the conference finals and still fired its head coach. The one thing Mike Brown can really lean into is that his best players all have healthy appendages to begin the season. This is a very beatable team. How Brown gets them to defend with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns sharing the floor is something we have to see, and the answer can’t just be “Mitchell Robinson.” But the Knicks are the most trustworthy team in a thoroughly untrustworthy conference. I would hope that isn’t a controversial statement.

5. Atlanta Hawks

Last ranking: 13th

2024-25 season results: 40-42, eighth in East, did not make playoffs (eliminated in Play-In Tournament)

2026 playoff prediction: Second in East, lose East semifinals vs. Magic

I am not one to be high on teams led by defenseless small guards. Yet, here I am, because the team Atlanta has built around Trae Young is intriguing. The Jalen Johnson/Kristaps Porziņģis frontcourt could be special on both ends of the floor. Dyson Daniels is a real playmaker who also has enough on-ball utility to provide Young some half-court relief. Zaccharie Risacher has a role that allows him to get better at his own pace. And the bench is strong, with Onyeka Okongwu serving as one of the better reserve bigs in the league and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard providing the necessary complements for the starters. They’re in the East, so I anticipate them to win more games than expected with how complete they can be this season.

Tier 2: In a Good Place

6. Denver Nuggets

Last ranking: Fifth

2024-25 season results: 50-32, fourth in West, lost West semifinals

2026 playoff prediction: Fourth in West, lose West quarterfinals vs. Lakers

The Nuggets have Nikola Jokić, so their ceiling is high. The energy around Denver will be a boost for them in the front office, on the practice floor and in the locker room. But the floor is lower than has been discussed as well. This was the worst defense of any of the teams that made the playoffs last year. Getting more games out of Aaron Gordon should help, but that outlines a key concern: Gordon and new addition Cameron Johnson have durability concerns and the Nuggets are going to be even more vulnerable defensively if those two miss the kind of time they have in years’ past. The Nuggets are always a tough out and they put a real scare into the eventual champion Thunder. But this was also the same team that got swept by the Wizards last season with Jokić playing in both games. We’ll see if they even get to the Thunder this time around.

7. Orlando Magic

Last ranking: Eighth

2024-25 season results: 41-41, seventh in East, lost East quarterfinals

2026 playoff prediction: Third in East, lose Eastern Conference finals vs. Knicks

Play the theme song! I am high on the Magic, especially if they found someone in Orange County who prevents oblique injuries. This was the NBA’s best defense outside of Oklahoma City last season and if the Magic conjured a spell that gives them any level of shooting, then they could be ready to win now. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner could be All-Stars, and Desmond Bane should be an upgrade on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. I’d be more bullish on the Magic if I could trust the health of football player Jalen Suggs.

8. Los Angeles Lakers

Last ranking: 11th

2024-25 season results: 50-32, third in West, lost West quarterfinals

2026 playoff prediction: Fifth in West, lose West semifinals vs. Thunder

Luka Dončić’s fitness level represents this team’s ceiling. The Lakers will get off to fast starts in games because Dončić dominates first quarters. The key is if Dončić is as good in fourth quarters as well. At least he’ll be more comfortable when the season begins, because he’s ready to go, and LeBron James is not. The Lakers might be fine with letting James take his time, because a defense that features all three of Dončić, Austin Reaves and the 40-year-old version of James has, thus far, shown to be road meat. The Lakers won’t hurt for offense between Dončić and Reaves, and the Lakers have a few more defensive options to test out between an actual center (the enigmatic Deandre Ayton), a former Defensive Player of the Year winner (Marcus Smart), and a healthier point-of-attack defender (Jarred Vanderbilt). Plus, we all know the Lakers are going to shoot a dozen more free throws than their opponents and get a coach fined for talking about it.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers

Last ranking: Third

2024-25 season results: 64-18, first in East, lost East semifinals

2026 playoff prediction: Fourth in East, lose East semifinals vs. Knicks

Logic says that the Cavaliers should be the 2026 NBA champions. They were the top seed in the East last season, and they got a former Laker from the Chicago Bulls. The Thunder already outlined this prophecy! But imagine me trusting the Cavaliers. I refuse to do it. I love their Donovan Mitchell-led offense, they have the Defensive Player of the Year in Evan Mobley and Kenny Atkinson is a boss. But the Darius Garland injury is a sobering reminder of how this season’s Cavaliers will be hard-pressed to start as strongly as they did a year ago. And the presence of both Garland and Mitchell simply lowers their ceiling in the postseason. Cleveland is a good team, but I’m not taking the bet that it’s going to break through, even though everything is lined up for the Cavs to make the most of this season, with this being the possible final year of this core together.

10. Houston Rockets

Last ranking: Sixth

2024-25 season results: 52-30, second in West, lost West quarterfinals

2026 playoff prediction: Sixth in West, lose West semifinals vs. Clippers

The Rockets are a glass-half-full, glass-half-empty team. Half full: They were the No. 2 seed in the West! Half empty: They won 52 games, 16 fewer than the No. 1 seed and four more than the No. 8 seed. Half full: they pushed the Warriors to a Game 7! Half empty: They went out sad on their home floor and were down 3-1. Half full: Kevin Durant is here! Half empty: Durant is 37, and you don’t trust anyone else on this team with a pull-up outside of the paint. Half full: Alperen Şengün is an All-Star, and Amen Thompson is going to be the Most Improved Player! Half empty: Fred VanVleet tore his ACL, and this team already was dead last in passes per game. This is a really good team, but don’t be surprised if it plateaus rather than ascends this season.

Tier 3: The Bubble

11. Indiana Pacers

Last ranking: 15th

2024-25 season results: 50-32, fourth in East, lost NBA Finals

2026 playoff prediction: Fifth in East, lose East quarterfinals vs. Cavaliers

Yes, the Pacers will miss Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) and Myles Turner (Bucks). It’s a huge letdown that eliminates Indiana’s ceiling. Indiana has one of the least inspiring center situations in the league, and it’ll be missing Haliburton, the battery pack and late-game killer. But the Pacers play in the right conference, have the right head coach and still boast quality depth at every other non-center position. I expect Indiana to still control the pace of games, get Pascal Siakam in spots to lead the scoring and to play with the kind of edge that marked the second half of its games last season. In the regular season, that should be more than enough to stay afloat. In the playoffs? They’ll likely go out quietly.

12. Minnesota Timberwolves

Last ranking: Fourth

2024-25 season results: 49-33, sixth in West, lost Western Conference finals

2026 playoff prediction: Seventh in West (keep seventh in Play-In Tournament), lose West quarterfinals vs. Clippers

Like the Cavaliers, I spent the offseason thinking that I’d put the Timberwolves into the contender stratosphere to stay. They deserve that after appearing in the last two Western Conference finals. The only team in the West that has won more playoff series over the last two years are the Thunder. If he takes the next step, Anthony Edwards should be in MVP conversations. I came in lower on Minnesota because I’m not sure that Edwards has enough help, especially offensively. Mike Conley shouldn’t be this important on this team at this stage of his career, and Rudy Gobert’s offense against teams with competent centers (re: not the Lakers and Warriors from this postseason) limits Minnesota significantly. I can see the Timberwolves building off of the progress they made after Gobert and Julius Randle got healthy after the All-Star break last season. But I can also see Minnesota being the team that winds up in the Play-In Tournament in a deep conference because of an offense that relies heavily on Edwards doing so much.

13. Philadelphia 76ers

Last ranking: 17th

2024-25 season results: 24-58, 13th in East, did not make playoffs

2026 playoff prediction: Sixth in East, lose East quarterfinals vs. Magic

Last season was as bad as it possibly could get from a win-loss standpoint for the Sixers. They’re fortunate that they got the third pick of the draft out of it. Just like it’s not wise to expect that the Sixers will get 60 games out of Joel Embiid and Paul George, I don’t think it’s accurate to expect a repeat of last year, where Embiid and George combined to play in 60 games. The Sixers have enough offensive talent even if their stars don’t play (just ask Quentin Grimes) and Nick Nurse is going to sell out and get his team to approach 10 steals per game even if it costs the rest of Philadelphia’s defense. There is too much on the line for everyone involved in Philadelphia, with the possible exception of Tyrese Maxey, so don’t be shocked if the 76ers rebound to their usual results of getting to the playoffs and not doing much while they’re there.

14. Memphis Grizzlies

Last ranking: 14th

2024-25 season results: 48-34, eighth in West, lost West quarterfinals

2026 playoff prediction: Eight in West, eliminated in Play-In Tournament by Timberwolves, Spurs

The identity crisis that is the Grizzlies enters another era now that Tuomas Iisalo is running his first training camp. In the past, the Grizzlies were one of the most exciting teams in the league. Ja Morant’s inevitable stretches of unavailability have ruined pretty much every Grizzlies spring since Morant declared that he was fine in the West. Now, the Grizzlies simply are trying to get to the spring. The reason I can’t completely write off the Grizzlies is because Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. win. The two of them have a 129-89 record together over the last six seasons, a 49-win pace. Jackson just got back from surgery, while Morant is dealing with an ankle injury, so the threat of those two missing games is always present. I expect Memphis to be the team everyone wants to see in the Play-In Tournament.

15. Detroit Pistons

Last ranking: 10th

2024-25 season results: 44-38, sixth in East, lost East quarterfinals

2026 playoff prediction: Seventh in East (keep seventh in Play-In Tournament), lose East quarterfinals vs Hawks

The Pistons have one of the best young on-ball stars in Cade Cunningham, and the playoff experience Detroit got should be valuable. So why am I pausing on them taking the next step? Simply put, they lost a lot from last year’s team. Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schröder and Malik Beasley finished fourth, fifth and sixth in postseason minutes, respectively. I guess Beasley could still come back at some point, and Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert are good rotation pieces. But the big question is the reintegration of Jaden Ivey, a fine individual talent who made the Pistons worse on both ends of the floor until his season-ending leg injury in January. When Ivey got hurt, the Pistons were 15-18. Detroit ascended from there. If Ivey proves to be a better fit this season while Detroit gets continued improvement from Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II, then they could take another step this season. More than likely, the Pistons are going to have some mechanical issues with some of the lineups they roll out before the winter. And that’s a concern exasperated by the fact that Ivey will miss the beginning of the season because of a right knee scope.

16. Sacramento Kings

Last ranking: 21st

2024-25 season results: 40-42, ninth in West, did not make playoffs (eliminated in Play-In Tournament)

2026 playoff prediction: Ninth in West, eliminated in Play-In Tournament by Spurs

The Kings being the Bulls West is beyond parody at this point. I’m just waiting for Doug Christie to start a leadership committee. All of the reasons the Kings won’t be good are right there: they’re not going to generate enough 3s, their defense is going to be so optional that Christie is going to want to dust a jersey off and get in the games himself and even in a best-case scenario, their roster is littered with players with a depressing display of playoff-droppers.

But I do expect the Kings to have the kind of talent advantages that will help them win about half of their regular-season games. That’s typically what we’ve seen from teams with Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine over the last several seasons. The Kings aren’t going to lack play-starter options, especially now that Russell Westbrook is joining Malik Monk in the second unit. Sacramento isn’t a playoff team, but its floor is high enough to stay in the mix simply because the Kings have so many scorers with a track record of strong availability.

17. San Antonio Spurs

Last ranking: 20th

2024-25 season results: 34-48, 13th in West, did not make playoffs

2026 playoff prediction: 10th in West (earn eighth in Play-In Tournament), lose West quarterfinals vs. Thunder

A team that went its entire franchise history without missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons through 2019, now has the longest postseason drought in the Western Conference. Victor Wembanyama hasn’t led to a whole lot more victories, as the Spurs have only won 40 games with him. The second-best player in San Antonio is De’Aaron Fox, a highly-paid point guard who isn’t a clear-cut top-10 performer at the position. The third-best Spur has yet to establish himself, though it had better be Devin Vassell. Fox and Vassell play similar positions as the two top-five picks (Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper) San Antonio lucked into after getting Wembanyama. This team has yet to show that it can be competent when Wembanyama is off the floor or out of the lineup. As Wembanyama ascends, this season will show how well the pieces around him fit. I’m less excited about the Spurs than I am about Wembanyama, but I do think they will sneak into the playoffs and give him a chance to play meaningful late-season games for the first time.

18. Toronto Raptors

Last ranking: 23rd

2024-25 season results: 30-52, 11th in East, did not make playoffs

2026 playoff prediction: Eighth in East, eliminated in Play-In Tournament by Pistons, Bucks

What a conflict we have here. The most ethical of the tanking teams in the East a season ago, the Raptors are set to debut Brandon Ingram this season in a lineup that already had a surplus of on-ball players, led by Scottie Barnes. Head coach Darko Rajaković has established an offense where the Raptors live in the paint and get every field goal they can with an assist. Ultimately, this team is too talented in the East to tank. It will be in the mix, and should be healthier than last season. But who is this team playing through? Ingram? Barnes? RJ Barrett? The late-game offensive identity, combined with what may be the league’s highest foul rate, is going to make some high-stakes games tricky at the end.

19. Miami Heat

Last ranking: 18th

2024-25 season results: 37-45, 10th in East (earned eighth seed in Play-In Tournament), lost East quarterfinals

2026 playoff prediction: Ninth in East, eliminated in Play-In Tournament by Bucks

Last season was one of the most forgettable of head coach Erik Spoelstra’s tenure. He had to endure the messy fallout from Jimmy Butler’s final weeks with the franchise, then the packages of losses that came after Butler’s departure. Miami survived the Play-In Tournament just to get slaughtered by the Cavaliers and not even get a lottery pick for its troubles. Now, Miami has contract-year Norman Powell to help bolster the offense, but Tyler Herro isn’t going to begin the season healthy. It’s the least inspiring Heat roster entering a season since Dwyane Wade left the first time, in 2016. I’m not saying this Heat team will start 11-30. But Miami might have consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2003 as well.

20. Milwaukee Bucks

Last ranking: 12th

2024-25 season results: 48-34, fifth in East, lost East quarterfinals

2026 playoff prediction: 10th in East (earn eighth in Play-In Tournament), lose East quarterfinals vs. Knicks

Antetokounmpo or bust! This Milwaukee team has the most Antetokounmpo depth ever. Giannis playing in games, Thanasis enforcing from the bench and Alex on a two-way contract. Unfortunately, the Bucks have a complete lack of depth that will help them win games if Giannis isn’t there. And the threat of Giannis not being there will be an item that hangs over the Bucks all season, especially if they start slow.

This team starting slow is a real possibility too. Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton aren’t here; now it’s Kevin Porter Jr. and Kyle Kuzma. There is a lot of shooting and a lot of size. Giannis might put up audacious numbers. But this wasn’t a special team last year, and how the Bucks create shots and defend consistently without Giannis on the floor is going to be an open question all season.

21. Dallas Mavericks

Last ranking: 19th

2024-25 season results: 39-43, 10th in West, did not make playoffs (eliminated in Play-In Tournament)

2026 playoff prediction: 11th in West, will not make playoffs

I am ready to move forward into a new era of Mavericks basketball, one that does not include Luka Dončić. I am committed to not mentioning Dončić at every possible turn this season. Dallas has Cooper Flagg now instead, and I’m sure Flagg is going to be better defensively than Dončić has ever been. Dallas has Anthony Davis, a player the Mavericks acquired in exchange for Dončić, and maybe Davis stays on the floor and out of the way at power forward.

Perhaps the Mavericks get Kyrie Irving back at some point after ACL surgery, and everyone remembers Irving teaming up with Dončić to get the Mavericks to the NBA Finals just two seasons ago. Klay Thompson is still here, a player who surely wanted to come to Dallas to play with Dončić. And Dallas has all the size you could ask for, and there’s even a chance that Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford find a way to get the same quality looks that they used to get with Dončić. Anyways, as good as Flagg could be, he’s 18 old and being asked to lift a roster that already has one star out indefinitely and another star trying to hold up with spacing issues amidst his own durability concerns. But Dončić is not here, so I will not be mentioning him any longer.

22. Chicago Bulls

Last ranking: 22nd

2024-25 season results: 39-43, ninth in East, did not make playoffs (eliminated in Play-In Tournament)

2026 playoff prediction: 11th in East, will not make playoffs

The Bulls aren’t complete slouches. After the All-Star break, Chicago had a top-10 record, finishing 17-10 while leading the league in pace. Josh Giddey, who actually got a long-term commitment from the Bulls unlike the rest of the restricted free agents, averaged 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists on 50/45.7/80.9 shooting splits after the All-Star break. If you believe the Bulls can be that team all season long, then they’ll be a decent bet to exceed expectations. They get to be in my expanded bubble for that reason. But the Bulls didn’t do anything to improve the roster, unless you feel like Isaac Okoro will reach some unrealized potential while moving to the Central Time Zone.

Tier 4: Not the Tier to Fear

23. Portland Trail Blazers

Last ranking: 24th

2024-25 season results: 36-46, 12th in West, did not make playoffs

2026 playoff prediction: 12th in West, will not make playoffs

How many mentors does Scoot Henderson need?! Henderson’s head coach, Chauncey Billups, is already in the Hall of Fame as a finals MVP. The man Henderson was supposed to replace, Damian Lillard, is back in town to rehab his Achilles tendon and basically be the quarterback Marlon Wayans played in the movie “Him.” And the man Lillard was originally traded for is somehow here too, with Jrue Holiday replacing Anfernee Simons. Holiday is currently the only point guard who is going to play this month, with Henderson nursing a torn hamstring. While I think Portland is going to have a strong defense this season, I have no reason to think that this offense will be set up for success, especially if Deni Avdija isn’t featured the way he was to end last season.

24. New Orleans Pelicans

Last ranking: 26th

2024-25 season results: 21-61, 14th in West, did not make playoffs

2026 playoff prediction: 13th in West, will not make playoffs

Zion Williamson looks to be in fantastic shape, just in time for what is not exactly an inspiring lineup to play with. Sure, Trey Murphy III is good (when available). Herb Jones is a difference-making defender (when available). But there’s no CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram or Jonas Valančiūnas. Instead, it’s Jordan Poole, the comeback of Saddiq Bey and the eventual comeback of Dejounte Murray (currently not available). Lottery picks Jeremiah (Zero) Fears and Derik Queen (currently not available) don’t really look like they’re ready to contribute to winning basketball. And the centers are second-year Yves Missi and free agent Kevon Looney (not available to begin the season). So it’s great that Williamson is ready to go, but what’s left here?

25. Phoenix Suns

Last ranking: 25th

2024-25 season results: 36-46, 11th in West, did not make playoffs

2026 playoff prediction: 14th in West, will not make playoffs

This team missed the playoffs with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal playing and Mike Budenholzer coaching. Now it is surrounding Devin Booker with Jalen Green (injured to begin the season), Ryan Dunn (still needs to show that he can shoot), Dillon Brooks (will gladly shoot) and Mark Williams (hasn’t played all preseason). None of those players are point guards, so once again, Booker has to say, “I’ll do it.” The depressed expectations should decrease the drama in Phoenix, but the wins should be on the decline as well.

Tier 5: Basement Floor

26. Boston Celtics

Last ranking: 16th

2024-25 season results: 61-21, second in East, lost East semifinals

2026 playoff prediction: 12th in East, will not make playoffs

This time last year, the Celtics were raising a banner in front of the Knicks and threatening to break the record for most 3s in a game. Now, the Celtics have been partially dismantled, in one part because of the collective bargaining agreement and another part because of Jayson Tatum’s torn Achilles tendon. I’m looking forward to seeing what undisputed top option Jaylen Brown looks like. But I don’t trust the shot creation of this Boston team at all, and the bloodletting of championship talent that saw the departures of Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford has left the Celtics with some of the worst frontcourt options in the league. They may not be done yet either, as there is likely more salary that needs to be shed by the February trade deadline. If the Celtics can’t create advantages offensively or get stops defensively, then what are they? A sneaky candidate for one of the worst teams in the league, especially if Brown doesn’t hold up.

27. Charlotte Hornets

Last ranking: 27th

2024-25 season results: 19-63, 14th in East, did not make playoffs

2026 playoff prediction: 13th in East, will not make playoffs

The Hornets have the league’s longest active postseason drought, which is saying something. If they don’t get a seven-game series in the spring, then that will be 10 years out. Do you realize how hard it is to miss the playoffs for a decade straight in the NBA? It’s only happened six times, and each time it was an incompetent Western Conference team (Clippers, Mavericks, Warriors, Timberwolves, Suns, Kings). An Eastern Conference team has never pulled it off. That’s the history the Hornets are fighting against this season. And it has to be LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges to break that history. If you believe in that trio’s decision-making, shot selection and durability, then I’ll send an invoice.

28. Brooklyn Nets

Last ranking: 30th

2024-25 season results: 26-56, 12th in East, did not make playoffs

2026 playoff prediction: 14th in East, will not make playoffs

Brooklyn went to the NBA draft like LeBron James at a Miami Heat pep rally. How many first-round draft picks did they use? Not one! Not two! Not three! The Nets used all five of their picks, only one of which came in the lottery, and three of those picks were used on point guards. The lone lottery pick, Egor Demin, is off to a delayed start because of a plantar fascia tear. Now, I’m excited to see how Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr. commit to getting all the buckets they can get this season. But I’ll be shocked if anyone else on this team averages a dozen points per game.

29. Washington Wizards

Last ranking: 29th

2024-25 season results: 18-64, 15th in East, did not make playoffs

2026 playoff prediction: 15th in East, will not make playoffs

Washington has Khris Middleton, CJ McCollum and a bunch of whippersnappers drafted in the 2020s in their rotation. There’s a real chance that the entire roster will be made up of players 25 and under come March. The Wizards actually look like they may have some defensive building blocks in Bilal Coulibaly and Alexandre Sarr, and lottery guards Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson could develop into key pieces for the next relevant Wizards team. But Washington doesn’t have anywhere close to the kind of offensive talent that makes it think it’s done rebuilding. The losses will be plentiful and they will hope for better lottery luck than they got last season.

30. Utah Jazz

Last ranking: 28th

2024-25 season results: 17-65, 15th in West, did not make playoffs

2026 playoff prediction: 15th in West, will not make playoffs

I’m not sure if the Jazz will be the worst team in the league, but they were last season, and they’re the only team in the West with clear punt priorities, regardless of what Austin Ainge says. The good thing for Utah is that it has the right head coach in Will Hardy. But like another former Spurs assistant in his first head coaching job, Hardy is still in the midst of a process. When Hardy has a full complement of offensive talent, he can scheme up some great looks. But getting players not named Lauri Markkanen to hit those looks is an ongoing project, and Utah has been toothless on defense, showing a severe lack of steals or awareness that other teams are capable of making 3-pointers. The question with the Jazz isn’t going to be whether they tank or not. It’s how long they hold onto some of their talented veterans while they do it.

Click here to read article