NBA Power Rankings: Early title favorites, rising contenders and relegation zone candidates

Nearly two weeks into the NBA season, who has the best shot to win it all? I’ll answer that question at the start of every month this season with my NBA Power Rankings here on Yahoo Sports.

I’ve ranked all 30 teams in the order I’d pick them to win the title while also accounting for recent performance. That means the undefeated Grizzlies don’t rank first, but it does mean they’ve taken a big jump from where they were in the preseason. Let’s get to it starting with the league’s worst teams:

East: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards

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West: Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • LA Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz

RELEGATION ZONE CANDIDATES

30. Sacramento Kings

Record: 0-6 | Previous rank: 30

The Kings are winless. They didn’t even win a preseason game. They’ve gotten pounded every single night and have very little hope of winning more than one or two of their next 13 games, which means breaking the NBA’s worst losing streak to begin a season (0-18) is certainly on the table for Sacramento.

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For Kings fans to stay sane this year, they can’t be worried about the score at the final buzzer. It has to be about the development of rookie point guard Darius Acuff. Straight out of the gates, Acuff is averaging 26.3 points per game, but he’s doing it on 24 shots per game. Over the course of the year, Kings fans should obviously root for more epic scoring performances from their rookie guard, but they also need to see him improve his scoring efficiency, develop as a playmaker, and show some heart as a defender. Acuff needs to prove he can be somebody who can impact winning. Or else he’s going to earn a…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/nba-power-rankings-early-title-favorites-rising-contenders-and-relegation-zone-candidates-155327428.html

Author : Kevin O'Connor

Publish date : 2026-11-02 15:53:00

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