The NBA is officially back this week after over four months of an offseason. The 2026-2027 season will bring more exciting storylines, with a revamped Eastern Conference and a fierce rivalry brewing in the Western Conference between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. With the season starting Tuesday October 20, all 30 teams are beginning a marathon of the regular season to see who will get into the postseason, let alone who will be at the top of the mountain come June.
The NBA has yet to have a team repeat as champions since the 2018 Golden State Warriors. Will the New York Knicks repeat as champs or will another team be crowned? For the opening week of the season, since I haven’t followed the preseason storylines as much to provide a detailed analysis, I decided to rank each division in the NBA and have a short analysis of each team and where they would rank in the hierarchy along with their schedule for the week. Here we go!
NBA Power Rankings by Division
1. Northwest Division
Yes, the Northwest division. This division has all five teams that now have postseason aspirations. This division also includes three of the best five players in the entire league which includes the two-time reigning MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, three-time MVP in Nikola Jokic, and the man who has drawn comparisons to Michael Jordan in Anthony Edwards. The Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets will all be strong contenders this season.
Let’s also not forget about the Portland Trail Blazers who are now a rising young team with Damian Lillard making his return and Ja Morant playing on the squad. Then there is the Utah Jazz, after years of losing to acquire draft picks, are my favorite to see the biggest jump in win difference from last season.
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder: This team did fail to return to the NBA Finals last year, but they still have the reigning MVP with a young, deep core who has ranked as the top team in defensive efficiency the past two years.
(7) Minnesota Timberwolves: This team has been a consistent regular in the playoffs including some deep playoff runs. Can they finally get over the hump? They are hoping that a healthy LaMelo Ball can get them over the top. Still, a step below the Thunder and Spurs.
(9) Denver Nuggets: As long as Jokic is on the roster, the Nuggets will always find a way to stay relevant and be a contender in the West. They are hoping DeMar DeRozan can provide them with a spark off the bench, which hasn’t been great since their 2023 title run.
(17) Portland Trail Blazers: This team was one of the rising teams last year that was able to get into the playoffs last season. Let’s see how Morant, Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Scoot Henderson coexist with a small backcourt.
(18) Utah Jazz: This season will be about determining who their franchise player will be. A full season of Jaren Jackson Jr. should help the Jazz not be a bottom defensive team.
2. Atlantic Division
This division is probably the most top-heavy and where the most improvement occurred among teams in the offseason. There are the defending champs Knicks, who are looking to defend their title. Then you have the Philadelphia 76ers with their superteam by adding Jaylen Brown and LeBron James.
Then, there are the Toronto Raptors who will be reuniting with 2019 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. Let’s not forget about the Boston Celtics, who always find a way to be dominant in the regular season. The lone team that isn’t expected to be in the playoffs is the Brooklyn Nets, who will be at least better and will have some interesting pieces.
(3) New York Knicks: This team will have the swagger to defend their title and is built for the postseason. Will the distractions of the contract extensions affect the harmony of the team? Will this team be considered an old core now? Nevertheless, they are the kings until they are taken out.
(4) Philadelphia 76ers: Expect this team to struggle with chemistry early on in the regular season and manage minutes. However, you can’t deny the talent level and how dangerous they will be in a series. Superteams, though, have been hit or miss. Let’s see how it looks.
(6) Toronto Raptors: Leonard will be back where he helped win a title in his lone season in Canada. It might be a bit too optimistic to declare them a favorite, let alone top-three favorites. But the “We the North” vibes are back and Toronto will be a lethal defensive unit.
(13) Boston Celtics: I might regret this ranking since they are a team that always overachieves in the postseason. However, will Jayson Tatum return to pre-injury form? Can Paul George bounce back after two down years in Philly? The pecking order is there, and it’s a filled-out roster; however, the talent level has dropped off, and they are in a tougher conference. A new name will have to step up this year to keep Boston in contention.
(27) Brooklyn Nets: This team will be very feisty and interesting this upcoming season. Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. alone won’t get you into the postseason, but the Nets will be a team that gets unexpected wins here and there and won’t be a pushover.
3. Central Division
This division will be pretty much decided between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons who were the teams that finished at the top of the conference the past two seasons.
The Indiana Pacers, who despite a down year last year, were only 16 months and one game from being the NBA champs, will be back in NBA postseason contention. The Chicago Bulls might not win a lot of games this year, but are going to be pretty exciting with Josh Giddey, Caleb Wilson, and Matas Buzelis running the floor. Then the Milwaukee Bucks, well it has been a great run, but are expected to be in the first year of a rebuild.
(8) Cleveland Cavaliers: The duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden will definitely show up in the regular season and could end up clinching the top seed in the conference as they did a couple of years ago. Still, it won’t matter unless they get the job done in the playoffs.
(10) Detroit Pistons: The Pistons have come along from just a few seasons ago and were an awesome story last year. I am expecting a modest regression, at least in the regular season. Cade Cunningham at least proved he can be a superstar on a contending team.
(15) Indiana Pacers: The Pacers are back. I am not expecting a big bounce back just yet. Let’s see how Tyrese Haliburton looks before increasing the expectations.
(24) Chicago Bulls: This team might not be contending for anything meaningful this year. However, expect them to be a contender for a couple of things though. The top team in pace and having the most highlights on League Pass. The Bulls might only win 25-33 games but they will be putting on a show regardless.
(29) Milwaukee Bucks: Good luck, Taylor Jenkins. Jenkins is an exceptional coach, but Milwaukee is in for a rough year. Increase those stats, Tyler Herro. Get that trade value up. Let’s see who will be a keeper and who will be a trade target at the deadline.
4. Southeast Division
Just a few years back and perhaps even further, this division has been the joke of the NBA. There isn’t a super dominant team in the division, unless Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat have something to say about that. Nevertheless, this division doesn’t consist of any bottom-feeding teams like previous seasons.
The Orlando Magic are looking to bounce back after a couple of underwhelming seasons. The Heat have their new superstar in Giannis, but are also thin in depth. Finally, there are the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards who are looking to be in the mix of the play-in tournament.
(11) Miami Heat: Giannis will be making his Heat debut this week and the frontcourt of him and Bam Adebayo will be insane. The rest of the team’s depth will be questionable.
(12) Orlando Magic: This team of Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Desmond Bane is looking to bounce back from a couple of subpar seasons. If things don’t work out, expect some changes.
(16) Atlanta Hawks: This Hawks team will be insane defensively and will give teams a nightmare offensively, especially on the perimeter. Will they be able to improve off last season’s regular season finish?
(19) Charlotte Hornets: The Hornets lost their best playmaker but added a lot more depth in the process. I don’t think they’ll imitate their hot end to the second half of last season but they won’t nose dive in the standings either.
(23) Washington Wizards: There will be the most buzz in the nation’s capital in probably over a decade. The tanking era should be over as they have the top overall draft pick in AJ Dybantsa, along with Trae Young and Anthony Davis. The ceiling is high enough to sneak into the postseason but that’s a tall task.
5. Southwest Division
This division has arguably the best team in the NBA with the NBA’s brightest young star in Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs are looking to build off last season’s surprise finals appearance and start their run of dominance.
The Houston Rockets are also one of the West’s contenders and there are the Dallas Mavericks who will have Kyrie Irving returning along with Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg. Then there are two rebuilding teams with intriguing young talent in the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans.
(2) San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs are going to be on a mission looking for vengeance after last year’s finals loss. Wembanyama is only 22 years old and is already the NBA’s best defender by a mile. Yeah, the Spurs are going to be a force to reckon with for at least a decade.
(5) Houston Rockets: I believe the Rockets underachieved last year despite winning 52 games. The Rockets will have depth and returning role players in Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet. The biggest X-factor will be Kevin Durant and how many games he plays.
(22) Dallas Mavericks: Flagg will be returning after showing superstar potential last season as a rookie along with Irving who will play his first game in over 18 months. If Dallas can stay healthy, they might be a contender to make the playoffs and see the biggest increase in win difference from last season.
(25) Memphis Grizzlies: Morant is gone, and now this is Cameron Boozer’s team. This team could be an overachiever but let’s keep expectations modest for now. The team is definitely deep with plenty of talent.
(26) New Orleans Pelicans: This team feels like they are arguably the most directionless team in the NBA. Perhaps new head coach Jamahl Mosley can get the most out of this roster, which only won 26 games last year. Also, health will always be a concern with this team.
6. Pacific Division
To think only three seasons ago, this division had all 5 teams with a record of 46-36 or higher and all teams qualifying for the NBA play-in. The year before all five teams made the NBA postseason and consisted of the deepest division. Now, it looks like they will hold the title as the weakest division in the NBA.
The only real contender in the division is the Los Angeles Lakers. As currently constructed, they could make a deep run, but will rely heavily on Luka Doncic, a top-three player who has struggled to stay healthy and is missing James. The Warriors feel like a sinking ship with their core still relying on a 39-year-old Stephen Curry. The Phoenix Suns were last year’s pleasant surprise but can they repeat the success? Then the Los Angeles Clippers are coming off the worst offseason in NBA history and the Sacramento Kings are, well, the Kings.
(12) Los Angeles Lakers: Doncic could be in for an MVP-like season as the main character for this Lakers squad. However, his health will determine how this Lakers squad will perform as a whole. Expect another big year from Austin Reaves.
(20) Phoenix Suns: Can they repeat last year’s success? The start of the season missing Mark Williams will not exactly help, especially since the Suns were ninth in defensive efficiency last season. Let’s see how Devin Booker and Jalen Green coexist which we didn’t get a strong sample size of.
(22) Golden State Warriors: This Warriors team feels like a sinking ship. Brandin Podziemski got his big contract extension for five years, but do they really have confidence that he can be a big piece on a contending team? I don’t like the direction of where this team is heading.
(28) Los Angeles Clippers: Here we go. The Clippers are starting the season off with some key pieces missing. Look for a lot of offensive opportunities for Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler. At least they have the nicest arena in the NBA.
(30) Sacramento Kings: Man, such a shame about Ben Simmons‘ injury. This is already looking like another dark season in Sacramento. The Kings are probably the most cursed franchise in the NBA.
Main Image: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images
