NBA Power Rankings: Evaluating all 30 teams with one month remaining

The NBA season is nearing its conclusion, but the matchups are intensifying, highlighted by Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat scoring 83 points—marking the second-highest total in a single game in NBA history—on Tuesday.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, fresh off a decisive victory against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, along with the San Antonio Spurs, continue to dominate the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics, buoyed by Jayson Tatum’s return, are looking to ascend in the Eastern Conference standings.

The recent difficulties faced by the Detroit Pistons have raised questions about their position in the East, while the Western Conference standings, aside from the top two teams, are in constant flux as teams compete for playoff positioning ahead of next month’s postseason.

With just over a month remaining before the play-in tournament, here are the NBA Power Rankings for this week.

Note: Team rankings reflect the opinions of our panel members (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Michael C. Wright, Bobby Marks, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill, and Zach Kram) regarding team placements.

Previous rankings: Preseason | Oct. 29 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 12 | Nov. 19 | Nov. 26 | Dec. 3 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 17 | Dec. 24 | Dec. 31 | Jan. 7 | Jan. 14 | Jan. 21 | Jan. 28 | Feb. 4 | Feb. 11 | Feb. 24 | March 4

Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

• 2025-26 record: 51-15

• Previous ranking: 1

• Next games: vs. BOS (March 12), vs. MIN (March 15), @ ORL (March 17)

The return of Ajay Mitchell was somewhat overshadowed by the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spectacle on Monday night against the Nuggets.

Mitchell had been sidelined for 20 games due to oblique and ankle injuries, but he showcased his abilities in 29 effective minutes off the bench, scoring 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting with a series of impressive drives and self-created jump shots.

Mitchell could emerge as a crucial contributor in the coming months, particularly as Jalen Williams works to reintegrate into the lineup following a recurring hamstring issue. — Anthony Slater

2. San Antonio Spurs

• 2025-26 record: 48-17

• Previous ranking: 4

• Next games: vs. DEN (March 12), vs. CHA (March 14), @ LAC (March 16), @ SAC (March 17)

The Spurs aimed to challenge themselves during their longest homestand of the season against various contending teams with differing styles as they prepare for the playoffs.

Thus far, San Antonio has excelled, achieving victories over Detroit, completing a 25-point comeback against the LA Clippers, and dominating their in-state rival Houston by 25 points.

The challenges continue following a significant win on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics, as the Spurs conclude their homestand this week by hosting the Denver Nuggets on Thursday before facing the rising Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. — Michael C. Wright

3. Boston Celtics

• 2025-26 record: 43-22

• Previous ranking: 5

• Next games: @ OKC (March 12), vs. WAS (March 14), vs. PHX (March 16)

Jayson Tatum has returned, and his initial two games could not have gone better. Not only did the Celtics secure two wins with Tatum back on the court, but he—remarkably—appeared to have missed no time at all, aside from his shooting being slightly off. He shot a combined 12-of-32 in Boston’s victories over the Mavericks and Cavaliers.

Tatum’s comeback has only strengthened the belief that Boston is once again the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. — Tim Bontemps

4. Detroit Pistons

• 2025-26 record: 48-18

• Previous ranking: 3

• Next games: vs. PHI (March 12), vs. MEM (March 13), @ TOR (March 15), @ WAS (March 17)

Challenges have arrived for the Pistons. Despite Cade Cunningham taking a night off and Ausar Thompson missing due to a right ankle sprain, Detroit should not have lost 107-105 to the Brooklyn Nets, but they bounced back with a 138-100 victory over the same Nets on Tuesday.

Thompson’s ankle injury is expected to sideline him for about a week, according to sources, but the Pistons want to ensure he is fully recovered before allowing him to return. He is their most adaptable defender, and his absence was notably felt in their loss to Miami on Sunday.

For a team that generates offense through its defense, any minor decline can have significant repercussions, which is where the Pistons currently find themselves. — Vincent Goodwill

5. New York Knicks

• 2025-26 record: 41-25

• Previous ranking: 6

• Next games: @ UTAH (March 11), @ IND (March 13), vs. GS (March 15), vs. IND (March 17)

While it may not be time to panic following a weekend in Los Angeles, losing to the Lakers and Clippers on consecutive days after one of their most impressive victories of the season—a dominant win in Denver against the often-injured Nuggets—is not ideal.

Mikal Bridges frequently gets overlooked in the offense and went nearly six quarters over the weekend without scoring. His engagement on both ends is crucial to maintaining the defense’s performance over the past two months. Going scoreless against the Lakers and managing only seven points against the Clippers raised some concerns. — Goodwill

6. Minnesota Timberwolves

• 2025-26 record: 40-25

• Previous ranking: 7

• Next games: @ LAC (March 11), @ GS (March 13), @ OKC (March 15), vs. PHX (March 17)

The last ten games leading up to Tuesday night’s clash with the Lakers encapsulate Minnesota’s season quite well.

The Timberwolves achieved an 8-2 record during that span, including a notable win over the Nuggets. However, in their two losses, they fell to a couple of mid-tier Eastern teams—Philadelphia, which was missing key players on the second night of a back-to-back, and Orlando—by 27 points each.

This highlights the inconsistency surrounding the Wolves on a nightly basis, contributing to the difficulty in assessing their position within the Western Conference hierarchy. — Bontemps

7. Houston Rockets

• 2025-26 record: 40-24

• Previous ranking: 9

• Next games: @ DEN (March 11), vs. NO (March 13), vs. LAL (March 16)

Houston’s inconsistency was evident on Sunday as the Rockets experienced their largest defeat of the season against the San Antonio Spurs—marking only the team’s second 25-point loss over the past two seasons. The Rockets allowed 25 points off turnovers and struggled to contain San Antonio guards De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, who combined for 43 points.

Center Alperen Sengun is the Rockets’ second-leading scorer (20.4 PPG) behind Kevin Durant, but his performance has been erratic in March, with his scoring average dropping by nearly six points compared to last month. — Wright

8. Cleveland Cavaliers

• 2025-26 record: 40-25

• Previous ranking: 8

• Next games: @ ORL (March 11), @ DAL (March 13), vs. DAL (March 15), @ MIL (March 17)

The top four teams in the East have established a gap between themselves and the rest of the conference, setting the stage for a playoff seeding battle in the final month of the season.

Cleveland currently holds the No. 4 seed, but the Cavs are just half a game behind the No. 3 seed, which could influence a second-round matchup against Detroit or Boston.

The preference for which side of the bracket they would like to land on could present an intriguing challenge for the Cavs, especially with a relatively light schedule ahead. Following Wednesday’s game against the in-form Magic, the Cavs will face the Mavericks twice before contests against the Bucks, Bulls, and Pelicans. — Jamal Collier

9. Denver Nuggets

• 2025-26 record: 39-26

• Previous ranking: 3

• Next games: vs. HOU (March 11), @ SAS (March 12), @ LAL (March 14), vs. PHI (March 17)

The Nuggets have dropped both games since Aaron Gordon’s return from a hamstring strain, but his performance in Oklahoma City was promising.

Gordon scored 23 points and secured 10 rebounds in 28 minutes during the loss to the defending champion Thunder. Additionally, wing Peyton Watson is nearing a return from his hamstring strain, potentially by the end of the week, according to sources. — Tim MacMahon

10. Los Angeles Lakers

• 2025-26 record: 40-25

• Previous ranking: 10

• Next games: vs. CHI (March 12), vs. DEN (March 14), @ HOU (March 16)

Luke Kennard has scored in double digits in four of the Lakers’ last six games leading up to Tuesday’s matchup against Minnesota—all victories—and L.A.’s trade deadline acquisition is also pursuing a historical achievement.

Only six players in NBA history have completed a season shooting 50% or better from three-point range, and Kennard has a chance to join that group, currently shooting 50% from beyond the arc. He narrowly missed the mark in 2022-23, finishing that season at 49.4%. — Dave McMenamin

11. Miami Heat

• 2025-26 record: 37-29

• Previous ranking: 15

• Next games: vs. MIL (March 12), vs. ORL (March 14), @ CHA (March 17)

Aside from Bam Adebayo’s remarkable 83-point outing on Tuesday—which is a significant highlight—the Miami offense has been characterized by inconsistency.

In the initial 15 games of the season, the Heat ranked eighth in offensive performance before dropping to the bottom ten over the subsequent 30 games. Since the All-Star break, the Heat have gone 8-2, ranking first in offense and points per game, and have moved into a tie for sixth place in the East ahead of Wednesday’s games.

During these ten games, Tyler Herro has averaged 22.2 PPG, shooting 50.3% from the field and 45% from three-point range, as the Heat are one of three unbeaten teams in March. — Bobby Marks

12. Phoenix Suns

• 2025-26 record: 38-27

• Previous ranking: 13

• Next games: @ IND (March 12), @ TOR (March 13), @ BOS (March 16), @ MIN (March 17)

Phoenix has won four out of five games before embarking on a season-long six-game road trip Tuesday in Milwaukee, which they won 129-114.

Devin Booker’s usage rate is at 33.8% in March—his highest for any month this season—as the five-time All-Star has taken full control for the Suns while Dillon Brooks is sidelined with a fractured left hand. They enter Wednesday 1.5 games behind the No. 6 position in the West. — McMen