- The Thunder, just months removed from their first NBA title since relocating to Oklahoma City, are the first team to five victories.
- The Warriors already have big wins against the Lakers, Nuggets and Clippers.
- The Bulls, 76ers and Spurs, non-playoff teams last season, are all undefeated.
The first week of the NBA season is in the books and, already, the balance of power has started to shift – at least everywhere but the top.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, just months removed from their first NBA tittle since relocating from Seattle, are the first team to five victories and look very much like a threat to become the first team to repeat as champions since 2018.
But there have been surprises in the middle of the pack, where teams like the Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs – each of whom missed the postseason last year – are all undefeated.
Here are USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings after Week 1 of the 2025-26 regular season:
NBA power rankings — Week 1
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-0)
Last week: 1st
2. Golden State Warriors (4-1)
They did lose an unexpected game to the Trail Blazers, but the Warriors otherwise have massive wins against the Lakers, Nuggets and Clippers, the last of which came as Stephen Curry struggled from 3, hitting just 2-of-8 attempts.
Last week: 11th
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-1)
Their offensive production hasn’t quite been what it was last season – the Cavs posted an NBA-best offensive rating of 121.0 last year and are at 114.1 through four games – but Cleveland’s 21-point victory over the Pistons on the road showed what it can do on both ends.
Last week: 5th
4. Denver Nuggets (2-1)
Aaron Gordon has had a monster start this season, but Denver blew its late lead against the Warriors, and Nikola Jokić has struggled from deep to start the season, shooting just 12.5% from 3.
Last week: 2nd
5. New York Knicks (2-2)
The Knicks had looked like a legitimate contender in the East before losses to the Heat (in which they gave up 31 fast break points) and the Bucks (in which they scored just 40 second-half points) knocked them back a bit. New York is still every bit a threat, but it might need some time to settle under new coach Mike Brown.
Last week: 4th
6. San Antonio Spurs (4-0)
If Victor Wembanyama keeps this pace, he’ll be firmly in the MVP conversation. More importantly for the Spurs, his defense has completely altered the way teams play San Antonio, which has the NBA’s best net rating (+15.6). Still, the competition the Spurs have faced hasn’t been the toughest.
Last week: 14th
7. Houston Rockets (1-2)
They lost their first two games of the season, but they came against the defending champion Thunder and a very good Pistons team. And those losses were by five combined points. Still, with Fred VanVleet out for the season, the point guard position is showing it may be an issue.
Last week: 3rd
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2)
The defense, surprisingly, has been the weak spot, and players have bemoaned effort as the culprit. Things may get a little worse, at least in the short term; star guard Anthony Edwards has been dealing with a hamstring tweak and may miss some time.
Last week: 7th
9. Milwaukee Bucks (3-1)
Giannis Antetokounmpo is on a mission, averaging 36.3 points per game through four. He’s playing hyper-efficient ball, helping the Bucks erase a 14-point, second quarter deficit Tuesday against the Knicks.
Last week: 16th
10. Los Angeles Clippers (2-2)
It was a bad sign when the Jazz beat the brakes off of the Clippers in the opener, but Los Angeles officially has a turnover problem. They rank dead last in turnover rate, committing one nearly every five possessions.
Last week: 6th
11. Los Angeles Lakers (2-2)
They’re already dealing with injuries to their two biggest players, though the issues facing LeBron James (sciatica) and Luka Dončić (finger, leg) appear to be minor. Austine Reaves’ scoring has picked up, but is it enough to keep L.A. afloat?
Last week: 8th
12. Detroit Pistons (2-2)
Not having Malik Beasley and a slow start to Duncan Robinson’s perimeter shooting has Detroit’s deep game struggling. Ausar Thompson has shined with Jaden Ivey (knee) out, but the Pistons need more offense.
Last week: 10th
13. Philadelphia 76ers (4-0)
They have found something in rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, who has paired excellently with Tyrese Maxey. The best news for Philadelphia is that its solid play has come with Joel Embiid mostly limited. The bad news is that Embiid is still dealing with health issues, though his 25-point showing Tuesday was a positive development.
Last week: 20th
14. Chicago Bulls (3-0)
Arguably the most surprising undefeated team, the Bulls have relied on defense – both in the paint and along the perimeter – to pick up some big wins. Chicago beat the Pistons, Magic and Hawks, each of whom are expected to contend for playoff spots in the East, and have the NBA’s second-best defensive rating (104.4).
Last week: 19th
15. Miami Heat (3-1)
The Heat have completely revamped their offense, pushing tempo and spreading the ball. Miami leads the NBA in pace, generating 109.13 possessions per 48 minutes and is tied with the Grizzlies for bench points per game (53.3).
Last week: 21st
16. Memphis Grizzlies (2-2)
Cedric Coward has shown, thus far, that Memphis will be thrilled with its decision to trade Desmond Bane. Still, the Grizzlies rank 23rd in defensive rating (117.6) and gave up 146 to the Heat.
Last week: 15th
17. Boston Celtics (1-3)
They started the season 0-3 and lost two of those games after they held double-digit leads. Boston has struggled in second quarters and is clearly missing the injured Jayson Tatum, as well Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, the latter two of whom the Celtics traded. Wednesday night’s test against the Cavaliers will be telling.
Last week: 9th
18. Atlanta Hawks (1-3)
After an excellent offseason, Atlanta’s slow start should be measured with caution; the Hawks have already faced chaos in their lineup with injuries. Trae Young is tied for third in assists per game (9.5) and the Hawks should stabilize once everyone is on the floor.
Last week: 17th
19. Dallas Mavericks (1-3)
No. 1 overall rookie Cooper Flagg got banged up Monday night and had his worst game, arguably, in years, scoring only 2 points. The struggle has been the offense. The Mavericks rank dead last in offensive rating (103.8), and the experiment of having Flagg play point guard while Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL is off to a rough start.
Last week: 18th
20. Orlando Magic (1-3)
Arguably the most disappointing team to start the season, the Magic still cannot hit 3 pointers. Desmond Bane, a career 40.9% shooter from beyond the arc, is hitting 3s at just a 27.3% clip. Paolo Banchero has also struggled to find his rhythm, converting shots at just a 39.4% rate.
Last week: 13th
21. Toronto Raptors (1-3)
On a three-game losing streak after winning their opener against the Hawks, the Raptors have been pushing tempo, but Toronto is stuck playing an old-fashioned style not suited to the modern game; the Raptors rank just 27th in 3-point attempts per game (29.3).
Last week: 22nd
22. Indiana Pacers (0-3)
Indiana simply won’t be able to overcome injuries like this. It’s not only Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles: Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell are all banged up already.
Last week: 12th
23. Portland Trail Blazers (2-2)
Facing the fallout from having their head coach indicted and arrested on a federal gambling probe, the Trail Blazers have bounced back nicely. They are aggressive on defense and force a lot of turnovers and they even played the Timberwolves and Clippers tough, losing both by 11 combined points.
Last week: 26th
24. Utah Jazz (2-1)
The sample size is tiny, but the Jazz might be a tougher out than people expect. They rank fifth in offensive rating (120.5), 13th in defensive rating (113.4) and fifth in net rating (+7.1).
Last week: 30th
25. Charlotte Hornets (2-2)
This feels like a team that has evolved. There’s much more shooting, and LaMelo Ball, while still prone to the mental blunder, has become more efficient, seeing a 6.5% jump in his effective field goal percentage (55.9%).
Last week: 29th
26. Phoenix Suns (1-3)
Blowout losses against the Clippers and Nuggets showed just how far this team is from competing for a playoff spot.
Last week: 24th
27. New Orleans Pelicans (0-3)
Though they haven’t won a game yet, their losses against the Grizzlies and Spurs were close. Zion Williamson is back to attacking the paint, but it seems like coach Willie Green is still tinkering with lineups.
Last week: 27th
28. Sacramento Kings (1-3)
This is a roster that does have some talent, but the lineup combinations don’t seem to make much sense at all. Eight different players have already made at least one start.
Last week: 23rd
29. Washington Wizards (1-3)
They held a 19-point lead and led through much of the game Tuesday night against the 76ers, but blew the lead and the game. Alex Sarr looks like a bright spot, but that seemingly won’t be enough.
Last week: 25th
30. Brooklyn Nets (0-4)
The Nets look like a team headed for a long – very long – season. They rank dead last in net rating, with an abysmal -16.3 mark and are allowing teams to score 130.5 points per game.
Last week: 28th