NBA Power Rankings: Knicks No. 2 behind OKC as new season begins, injuries already impacting Lakers
We have a fresh set of Power Rankings with the 2025-26 NBA season set to tip off on Tuesday
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1 min read
You eat with your eyes first. It's why Michelin Star restaurants spend so much time on meticulous presentation that half the diners probably don't even notice. It's why the waiter tantalizingly describes in intricate detail exactly what's on the plate, where it came from and how it's intended to be eaten. A large part of the experience, before you even take a bite, is the anticipation.
You see where I'm going with this.
Prior to the tipoff of the 2025-26 NBA season on Tuesday night, it's time to delve into the nooks and crannies of the 30-course tasting menu that awaits us. Some dishes will look a lot better than they end up tasting -- and vice versa -- but so much of the joy of sports fandom comes from being surprised, and in order for that to happen we need a baseline.
That's what the preseason NBA Power Rankings are here to accomplish. A lot has changed since our last set during the early days of this summer's free agency period, mostly due to injuries and a few late signings, so be sure to cruise through and see where your team currently stands.
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All we know is that this list will be completely different by the end of the season, and that's why it's fun. Let's do this.
Biggest Movers
5
Raptors
10
Grizzlies
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | There's really not much we can say. The Thunder won 68 games and the title -- and they could be even more dangerous this season. The only knock on them to start the year is Jalen Williams' injury, but Mark Daigneault has proven time and time again that he will pull someone off the bench who more than adequately fills the gap. It's not hyperbole to say that 70-plus wins is in play. | -- | 0-0 |
| 2 |  | Armed with a new, movement-heavy offense from Mike Brown, the Knicks should be in the hunt for the East's top seed throughout the season. By empowering Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby -- among others -- the pressure should be at least somewhat lifted off of Jalen Brunson's shoulders. If they can stay around average defensively, New York should win a lot of games. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 3 |  | This could be the best supporting cast Nikola Jokić has ever seen, and that should have defensive minds throughout the NBA contemplating another line of work. Cam Johnson will be a seamless fit as a floor-spacer and sneaky creator, while the additions of Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas suggest the Denver offense might not completely drown when Jokić is on the bench. We'll see how the defense looks, but this team could lead the NBA in scoring. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 4 |  | Sure they lost Ty Jerome, and Darius Garland is injured to start the year, but there's not much reason to think the Cavs won't be able to at least come close to replicating their magical 64-win run from last season. Donovan Mitchell is as reliable as they come, and Evan Mobley still has another level to hit offensively. Mostly, you have to trust Kenny Atkinson's system to make creative use of whichever players he has available. And when everyone's healthy -- look out. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 5 |  | The way the Wolves ended last season is probably closer to their true selves than how they started it, with Julius Randle finally looking comfortable, and Anthony Edwards leading a top-three offense to complement their stout defense. Losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker hurts, and it means they'll need Rob Dillingham and/or Terrence Shannon Jr. to step up -- both definite possibilities. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 6 |  | Fred VanVleet's injury is brutal, but it gives us an extended look at Amen Thompson as a primary creator -- and playing next to Kevin Durant significantly aids that effort. Reed Sheppard could also seize his moment, as we'll have to see if the Rockets miss the late-game organization and steady hand that VanVleet brings. Mostly, though, we're excited for the jumbo lineups Ime Udoka will throw out there. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 7 |  | Old guys rule! Or at least the Clippers hope so, as Chris Paul, Brook Lopez and Bradley Beal join Kawhi Leonard and James Harden on a team that becomes quite dangerous if it all comes together. Even with load management factored in, the Clippers should be an excellent regular-season team, particularly thanks to the acquisition of John Collins, who was sneaky good for Utah last season when he was permitted to play. | -- | 0-0 |
| 8 |  | Orlando got exactly what it needed this offseason in Desmond Bane, a secondary creator who doubles as a low-maintenance knock-down spot-up shooter. Factoring in another expected leap from franchise players Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the Magic could realistically make a run at the No. 1 seed in the East. Injuries are always an issue, but this is a deep team full of capable NBA players. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 9 |  | Steve Kerr seems as confident going into this season as he has since the last Kevin Durant roster, and with good reason. The success to end last season, their belief that they would have beaten the Wolves in the playoffs had Steph Curry not been injured, and the offseason additions of Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton make the Warriors a dangerous and hungry bunch. The question is how often Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green will take the floor together given their collective age would rank highly on the list of oldest living Americans. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 10 |  | Many are predicting a Pistons regression (like, maybe a handful of wins -- not back to 68 losses), but Cade Cunningham is a genuine superstar and if Ausar Thompson makes the leap he seems primed for, it's hard to see them slipping that much in this season's Eastern Conference. A lot depends on Duncan Robinson assuming the majority of Malik Beasley's crucial role from last season, since he ... uh ... probably won't be back any time soon. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 11 |  | Without LeBron James, the Lakers' early season begins and ends with Luka Dončić, who -- if you haven't heard -- is in possibly the best shape of his life. The rest of the roster abounds with question marks outside of Austin Reaves, but Dončić is a top-10 offense unto himself. Defense, however, will be a different story with some perimeter targets and new addition Deandre Ayton patrolling the paint. | 3 | 0-0 |
| 12 |  | The Hawks were designated offseason darlings for their shrewd acquisitions, and Trae Young finally has a cast around him that leaves no excuses for another trip to the Play-In. Kristaps Porziņģis gives Atlanta a stretch-five and rim-protector, while Jalen Johnson returns healthy to wreak the same kind of havoc he was inflicting before last season's injury issues. There's star power, depth, and potential for rapid development. This should be fun. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 13 |  | The theoretical Mavericks are a problem. The real-world Mavericks, with a rookie forward (albeit an incredible one) as the primary playmaker and a double-big frontcourt, have to prove how this is all going to work. Kyrie Irving's eventual return obviously makes the pieces fit much better, but that's a ways off. For now, Dallas remains an enigma until we see how it unfolds. | 4 | 0-0 |
| 14 |  | Even if you put the Giannis trade rumors aside, the Bucks are as hard to predict as any team in the East. With Damian Lillard gone, Antetokounmpo's next highest-paid teammates are now Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma. Not exactly confidence-inspiring, but then you remember that Giannis is one of the four best basketball players in the world. So, in a disaster if an Eastern Conference, they could realistically end up with any seed from No. 3 to No. 8. | 4 | 0-0 |
| 15 |  | Anyone doing any sort of preseason rankings or predictions has to take a 15-minute mental break when it's time for the Sixers entry. On paper, they could be a top-three seed. If things break a certain way, however, they could miss the playoffs (again). As NBA fans, at least we can all agree that we want to see a healthy season from Joel Embiid -- whatever that looks like for him these days. | -- | 0-0 |
| 16 |  | Unprecedented levels of preseason excitement were realized as Victor Wembanyama dunked, pivoted and Eurostepped his way back into the hearts of NBA enthusiasts. His training at a Shaolin temple this summer clearly did the trick, as he looks as ferocious and inevitable as any dominant young prospect we've ever seen -- in a body that is now officially listed at 7-foot-4. Oh yeah, and the Spurs actually have a pretty good roster around him once De'Aaron Fox returns. If any team is going to make a leap into the Western Conference playoff picture, it's San Antonio. | 3 | 0-0 |
| 17 |  | Sure, we may not know who's going to play the bulk of the frontcourt minutes, but we definitely know that Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are serious ballers who won't allow a team to be bad. Boston simply may lack the depth to make any real noise, but the not-so-quiet whispers of a potential Jayson Tatum return make things a whole lot more interesting. | 4 | 0-0 |
| 18 |  | Tanking doesn't really seem to be in the cards for Indiana, despite the absence of Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season. They'll play hard and they have an identity, but how far can that get them? It's time for players like Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith to prove they can handle larger roles, while Pascal Siakam must remain his usual, steady self. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 19 |  | Probably not GREAT when all three of your point guards and two of your centers are injured to start the season, and it will put even more pressure on Jaren Jackson Jr. to basically do it all on both ends of the floor. Memphis has a knack for getting the most out of its (sometimes little-known) bench mob, so we'll see if that's the case this time around. At full strength they could be a contender, but we'll need to see it first. | 10 | 0-0 |
| 20 |  | Tyler Herro's injury is a serious blow, but this roster is full of interesting players next to three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo. We don't quite know what to make of them yet, but Erik Spoelstra has earned the benefit of the doubt that Miami will compete and stay in the mix in a weak Eastern Conference. | -- | 0-0 |
| 21 |  | If you had Toronto's starting five (Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl) on your fantasy team, you'd be buzzing heading into this season. In reality, however, it's hard to see how the pieces are going to fit together offensively, and how they're going to cobble together a passable defense. That being said, the talent is there, and -- especially in this era of tankdom -- you have to credit a team for going for it. | 5 | 0-0 |
| 22 |  | Skinny Zion! Trey Murphy! Poole Party! Healthy Herb! There's a lot to be excited about as a Pelicans fan, particularly given how depressing things were last season. Williamson's health is the obvious X-factor, and they might be asking a lot of players like Jordan Hawkins, Saddiq Bey (remember him?), Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen (when healthy). Perhaps when Dejounte Murray comes back New Orleans will get spicy, but until then the Pels simply can't contend in the West. | 3 | 0-0 |
| 23 |  | Portland hopes that its fourth-ranked defense after the All-Star break was no mirage, and that the acquisition of Jrue Holiday will provide steadiness and mentorship for its young core. Offensively, though ... yeah it's gonna be rough. The Blazers will need a serious leap from Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and/or Scoot Henderson (when he returns) in order to score enough points to get where they want to be in the West. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 24 |  | Bulls fans who think they won the Josh Giddey-Alex Caruso trade were happy to see their prodigal son return this offseason, and he'll steer a roster that has "Play-In" sealed onto its jerseys in red wax. Matas Buzelis provides legitimate cause for excitement, but other than that it looks like the same ol' Bulls being rolled out there once again. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 25 |  | Looking at the Kings roster feels like you put your contact lenses in the wrong eyes. If you squint really hard you can kind of see something, but overall it's just messy, unfocused and frustrating. Now with Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray both out to start the season, it's even worse than we imagined. Things could go south really quickly for Sacramento this season, and there are strong enough personalities on the team that things could get quite volatile chemistry-wise. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 26 |  | Jalen Green being out to start the season might be a blessing in disguise, as it will give Devin Booker full control of the show as the Suns attempt to get their footing. Counterpoint: Who the hell is going to score besides Devin Booker? Another 70-point outburst might not be out of the question, while Phoenix is going to have to rely on its defense (*cough* 27th in the NBA last season *cough*), at least until Green returns and perhaps much longer. | 2 | 0-0 |
| 27 |  | Let's just take the optimistic approach and say LaMelo Ball is healthy all season. Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Kon Knueppel and Center-by-Committee certainly looks like a unit that could make a Play-In push in the depleted Eastern Conference. The bench isn't terrible, either, with Collin Sexton, Tre Mann and veteran Grant Williams. Are we saying the Hornets are going to be this year's Pistons? Probably not, but there's more reason for hope than in recent years. | -- | 0-0 |
| 28 |  | What an odd assortment of basketball players the Wizards have assembled, and it's going to be quite an experiment to watch unfold. The idea is presumably to eventually trade CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton, but even if that happens this roster is full of young talent that needs reps to develop. How coach Brian Keefe doles out minutes will be interesting to monitor. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 29 |  | Oh you're not tanking anymore? That's cute. Unfortunately, winning is still difficult even if you're not actively trying to lose. Lauri Markkanen is going to be trade bait all season long, while he plays alongside a roster full of teammates who either don't have or were very recently granted legal permission to consume alcohol. Last season Utah allowed an NBA-worst 119.4 points per 100 possessions, and there's no reason to think that number will improve given this roster. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 30 |  | If watching Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas get buckets is your love language, be sure to tune into a lot of Nets games this season. This is arguably one of the tankiest NBA teams that has ever tanked, so winning appears to be their enemy, but the development of their five 2025 first-round picks (Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf) will at least be something to follow. | -- | 0-0 |
