Power Rankings: How all 30 teams measure up

The Spurs and Knicks lead their respective conferences in the Power Rankings ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Remember when the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors met in the Finals four years in a row?

In the eight years since, there have been eight different Finals matchups. And the 16 conference championships since 2019 have been won by 13 different franchises, almost half the league.

At the start of every season, it’s difficult to pick against the teams that just got to the Finals four months earlier. But every year, new teams emerge.

In

last year’s GM Survey

, the San Antonio Spurs got just one vote to finish in the top four in the West. Then they won 62 games and beat the defending champs on the road in Game 7 of the conference finals.

The New York Knicks were one of the two favorites in the East, but only one GM thought they’d win their first championship in 53 years.

The 2026-27 season begins Tuesday. Expect the unexpected.

Teams of the Preseason

Make It Last Forever:

Boston (4-0) — Jaylen Brown is gone and the Celtics haven’t skipped a beat.

Something Just Ain’t Right:

Sacramento (0-5) — And the numbers were

worst

with their best players on the floor.

* * *

Week 1 Team to Watch

Detroit

—

The Pistons will be tested early, playing their first four games against the Celtics, Heat, Sixers and Knicks. They host the Celtics on Tuesday afternoon and then hit the road.

Previously…

Mid-summer rankings:

Knicks lead the way in the East

|

Spurs and Thunder rule the West

The archive:

NBA.com Power Rankings

OffRtg

:

Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)

DefRtg

Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)

NetRtg

Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)

The league averaged 110.2 points scored per 100 possessions and 103.8 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes in the preseason (not including games against non-NBA teams). The team stats below are for games against NBA teams only.

A rest-advantage game (or rest-disadvantage game) is one where one team played the day/night before, but the other (the team with the advantage) did not. Teams were 158-143 (.525) in rest-advantage games, 84-72 (.538) at home and 74-71 (.510) on the road, last season.

NBA.com’s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man’s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann,

contact him via Bluesky

.