We are nearly a month into the 2025-26 NBA season, and fans are starting to get a clearer idea about who could be the contenders and pretenders this year. So who are the best of the best as we near the start of the year-end holiday season? We look to answer that question as we run down the best and worst teams right now with our updated NBA power rankings for Nov. 19, 2025.
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The Indiana Pacers had a year to remember in 2024-25 as they reached the Finals for the first time in over two decades. Top star Tyrese Haliburton also shut up all his doubters and played like a superstar in the playoffs. However, they won't have him all year after suffering a torn Achilles in the Finals, and they lost Myles Turner to the Bucks in free agency.
The Pacers were expected to struggle, and the pundits were right. Even at their best, they were a back-15 defensive team. However, without a high-level offense, they are not competitive whatsoever so far this season. It hasn't helped that the good players they do have have dealt with injuries this season.
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Despite a new head coach, the Washington Wizards and prospects Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly were terrible last season. In the summer, DC shipped out Jordan Poole for an aging but still good CJ McCollum , and they also added former Bucks star Khris Middleton.
It has made no difference, and the Wiz are among the worst teams in the NBA again. They are the worst team in the league on defense, and they aren't much better on offense. The only positive is that Sarr has played well in his second season in the league.
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In June's draft, the Brooklyn Nets had four first-round picks, but opinions on the players they took are mixed. However, BYU's Egor Demin has the potential to be an even better version of Ben Simmons at his best, and France's Nolan Traore is an exciting playmaker Nets fans could quickly grow to love.
While new addition Michael Porter Jr. has played well in Brooklyn, he and Cam Thomas have not been able to stop the Nets from being one of the worst teams in the league. Their defense is among the worst in the game, and their offense is averaging just 110.5 points per game.
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Injuries absolutely decimated the New Orleans Pelicans last season. In response, they traded Brandon Ingram and moved on from CJ McCollum this summer. But as always, any chance of being competitive this year will rest on the injury-prone body of Zion Williamson .
Unfortunately, Williamson has played just five games this season, and New Orleans has been unsurprisingly terrible. It cost head coach Willie Green his job, and they are headed to being a lottery team again this year.
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Like the Mavericks , the Sacramento Kings have a good roster, on paper. They have two multi-time All-Star guards, a top-notch big man in Domantas Sabonis , and impact veteran guards like Dennis Schroder and Malik Monk . But heading into the season, some around the game felt Sactown could be a big disappointment this season.
Those analysts are looking very right. Despite an impressive array of talent, Doug Christie is overseeing one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. They are terrible on defense and, despite all the scoring talent, they are also bottom five in the league on offense. They are sure to be one of the first sellers this season.
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On paper, the Dallas Mavericks have a rock-solid team. Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson are future Hall of Famers who can still play at a high level, and Cooper Flagg is one of the most hyped rookies of the last 20 years.
However, the absence of Kyrie Irving has been noticeable as Dallas has been so bad that it cost general manager Nico Harrison his job after the first few weeks of the season. It hasn't helped that Davis has missed a bunch of games already. The Mavs are headed toward being early sellers before the deadline.
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While LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller put up some impressive scoring numbers last season, it did not help make the Charlotte Hornets a competitive team. In the new season, Miles Bridges has returned to being the borderline All-Star he was two years ago. Unfortunately, even with rookie Kon Knueppel playing well so far this season, it hasn't stopped the Hornets from being among the East's worst right now.
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The Memphis Grizzlies were always going to be a bit different after firing Taylor Jenkins late last season and replacing him with assistant Tuomas Iisalo. They also began their offseason with the summer's first blockbuster trade as they sent veteran guard Desmond Bane to the Magic.
So far, things have been rough in Memphis. The ongoing drama between Ja Morant and Iisalo has been a drag on the team for the last few weeks, and all have suffered for it. After just a month, the Grizzlies are in evaluation mode for their roster, as some significant changes could be on the way following an unimpressive start.
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The Los Angeles Clippers will look to quiet the off-court noise after a scandal about how they originally acquired Kawhi Leonard emerged this summer. It certainly helps that Tyron Lue is one of the best coaches in the NBA , and they have some good veteran talent.
Unfortunately, the Clippers have been one of the biggest surprises this season for the wrong reasons. While James Harden has been very good, they badly miss Norman Powell , and Kawhi Leonard remains as unreliable as ever at staying healthy. LA is in big trouble.
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Last year, Will Hardy and his team took another step back as the Jazz finished dead last in the 2024-25 NBA standings . Making matters worse, they didn't land the top overall pick in the NBA Draft, and President Danny Ainge still hasn't used his horde of draft picks to make a blockbuster trade.
Hopes are not high in Salt Lake City, but they aren't making things as easy for opponents with Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George off to very nice starts. However, with Walker Kessler now out for the season, the lack of help after their big two is why the Jazz haven't shown signs they won't be a losing team again in 2025-26.
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The Orlando Magic dealt with major injuries to key players throughout last season, but battled through with their elite defense. They badly lacked another playmaker and three-point shooting, so that's why they made a blockbuster trade for Desmond Bane in the summer.
Yet, despite the addition of Bane, Orlando remains a middle-of-the-road team on offense so far this season (115 points per game). Fortunately, they are still playing high-level defense, or they would be under .500 instead of hovering around it. Either way, the Magic have disappointed this season.
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The Portland Trail Blazers have a roster with some rock-solid, respectable veterans and youngsters with high upside, including Shaedon Sharpe . However, a dark cloud was immediately placed over their season from the start when head coach Chauncey Billups was implicated in a wild poker game rigging scheme .
Despite the off-court drama, Portland has given fans hope. Former lottery pick Deni Avdija has taken a huge step forward in his sixth season (26 PPG) — third in Portland. That, along with a strong start for fellow lottery pick Shaedon Sharpe, is why the Trail Blazers are a tough out each night.
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Jayson Tatum's season-ending injury in Game 5 of the semifinals completely altered the trajectory of the Boston Celtics this season. Plus, trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis , and letting Al Horford walk to cut costs, was always going to hurt.
While they are a bottom-10 scoring team in the NBA (113 PPG), Joe Mazzulla has gotten elite defense from his team (109.2). It is why they are competitive every night and continue to hover around .500 this season.
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The Milwaukee Bucks made some big changes in the summer. They moved on from future Hall of Famer Damian Lillard , but, in an attempt to keep top star Giannis Antetokounmpo happy, they made one of the boldest moves of the offseason by luring Myles Turner away from Indiana.
So far, the Greek Freak is doing his usual and playing at an MVP level (31 points, 10 boards, and 6 assists). However, he is not getting enough from his teammates, and it's why the Bucks are hovering around .500 heading into Thanksgiving week.
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Late last season, the Chicago Bulls surprised many around the league by actually getting better after moving Zach LaVine . Josh Giddy flourished under head coach Billy Donovan, and Coby White had a breakout season. The big question is whether it was a hot streak or proof that they are a team on the rise in the East?
To begin the season, Chicago looked like it could be the breakout team of 2025-26. However, over the last couple of weeks, they have fallen back to earth and lost five of six at one point. However, White has yet to play this season, so there is still a lot of potential in a Bulls team that is one of the best scoring clubs in the NBA.
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Outside of the 76ers , the Phoenix Suns were the league's biggest letdown in 2024-25. It got head coach Mike Budenholzer fired, and it is why trading Kevin Durant was a must to begin the offseason. In the deal that sent him to Houston , they got back talented young scorer Jalen Green and glue-guy Dillon Brooks .
Under new head coach Jordon Ott, Brooks has been outstanding and is averaging 22 points a game. Along with Devin Booker back as the centerpiece of the offense, Phoenix has gotten off to a surprisingly good start this season.
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The Miami Heat will be drama-free this year, with the Jimmy Butler drama far behind them. In this offseason, they looked to fill that scoring void when they made a trade for All-Star Norman Powell, and he has been outstanding to begin his career in South Beach.
While Miami would like to have a better record, and their usually tough defense has struggled a bit more this year, the Heat have been pretty good despite All-Star Tyler Herro having yet to take the floor. Once they are healthy, the three-headed monster of Powell, Herro, and Adebayo could be a big problem in the East.
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Entering last season's playoffs, the Golden State Warriors were seen as a serious dark horse to go all the way. However, Stephen Curry's first-ever hamstring injury came at the worst possible time, and they were ousted early in the postseason.
The Warriors have been solid and are playing top-10-level defense. However, after a quick start, Jonathan Kuminga has cooled off, and they lack another reliable scorer. For the first time in a long time, Golden State is a better team on defense than offense (115 PPG).
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The New York Knicks took another big step closer to a title last season. They were tested early in the playoffs, but went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately, they couldn't overcome the Pacers for a second straight year, and it likely cost coach Tom Thibodeau his job.
There were always going to be early-season bumps for the Knicks with a new head coach. They are still working out the kinks on offense, and Mike Brown is trying to get more use out of his bench. However, New York has still had a solid start to the season. There are already big signs of how good they can be on offense. It's only a matter of time before they get on a heater.
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The Philadelphia 76ers were the biggest disappointment in the NBA last season as injuries to their top two players destroyed any plans to be an NBA Finals contender. The only positive from the lost campaign was that Tyrese Maxey confirmed he is a legitimate star in the league and is worth building around.
That has continued in 2025-26, and the sixth-year talent is second in the league in scoring. Joel Embiid is working his way back to elite form, and Paul George just got back on the court. Philly seems back to being a playoff team in the East.
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Led by the face of the franchise, Trae Young , the Atlanta Hawks were a handful for opposing defenses last season. Unfortunately, they were terrible on defense. To start 2025-26, there was reason for hope due to the emergence of youngsters Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels last season, plus the additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker this summer.
Interestingly enough, they have been able to survive the loss of young because of their defense. They are giving up just 114 points a game, and it's why they have one of the best records in the East right now.
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If the Toronto Raptors can stay healthy, they have a team that can be a force on offense, especially with Brandon Ingram on the roster. Nevertheless, if head coach Darko Rajaković can't get them to play solid defense, they won't be able to make much noise out East this year.
Well, over the first month, the Raptors are playing rock-solid defense, and it has made a huge difference for a team with top-10-level offense. It is the main reason why they are fighting for a top-four spot in the East early in the season.
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Although it took longer than many expected, the Minnesota Timberwolves maintained their place as a top team out West last season. Unfortunately, the eventual champion Thunder ended their campaign in the conference finals for a second straight year.
In 2025-26, the Wolves remain a strong and well-balanced team. Unlike last year, Julius Randle has played like an All-Star from the start, and players like Donte DiVincenzo and Jaden McDaniels have chipped in a lot. The Wolves would be higher in the standings if not for playing in the tougher of the two conferences.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers were a dominant team in the East last season. Coach Kenny Atkinson was given one of the league's better defenses and added the offensive efficiency they lacked.
After a slow start, the Cavs have started to get hot, and it's mostly due to some fantastic play from top star Donovan Mitchell . He is fifth in the league in scoring and has spearheaded a top-10 offense in the NBA.
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The assumption at the start of the season was that the San Antonio Spurs were a team primed for a breakout season. Victor Wembanyama was back healthy from his blood clot scare — and taller. Plus, he had the best team he has ever had around him in the NBA. But no one expected him and his teammates to be this good.
Wemby is playing like an MVP candidate in year three, but De'Aaron Fox has been the All-Star-level wing man he needed. Furthermore, sophomore Stephon Castle has played well, and rookie Dylan Harper has looked good. San Antonio has been one of the NBA's best stories over the first month.
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There are big expectations for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. They got a full training camp with young superstar Luka Doncic , and head coach JJ Redick was better than expected in a big learning curve rookie season. Plus, they still have one of the greatest players of all time in LeBron James .
Despite James taking to the court for the first time this week and Doncic missing several games, the Lakers have gotten off to a nice start due to some absurd play by Austin Reaves . He and his Slovenian teammate are top ten in the league in scoring — Doncic leads the NBA in PPG.
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The Houston Rockets were one of the best stories in the NBA last season, as they evolved into an elite team in the West with strong defense and the emergence of Alperen Sengun as a new star in the league. In the summer, the Rockets landed league legend Kevin Durant in a trade, but lost floor general Fred VanVleet to a season-ending injury.
Despite being without their floor leader, the Rockets are the best scoring team in the game (124 PPG) because of the dynamic combo of Durant and Sengun. Plus, their defense remains as sound as ever, and it's why they are among the elites in a deep Western Conference.
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When you have the best player on the planet, the Denver Nuggets will always be a very competitive squad. Yet this season is different than recent years after shockingly firing Michael Malone late in the campaign last year and replacing him with David Adelman.
So far, Adelman has been able to maintain the high standard set by Malone, and Denver has been one of the best teams in the league to begin the season. On offense, they remain elite, and to the surprise of no one, Nikola Jokic is playing out of his mind and is averaging a triple-double after a month of play.
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The Detroit Pistons were the top feel-good story in the league last season as they went from the worst team in the league to a formidable playoff squad. Well, they have now become one of the best in the NBA in year two for veteran head coach JB Bickerstaff.
Led by some high-level defense and All-NBA play from Cade Cunningham , Detroit owns the best record in the East. However, the biggest story for the Pistons in 2025-26 is the emergence of Jalen Duren . The big man posting 20 points and 12 rebounds a game so far has been one of the best centers in the game this year.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder were the best team in the NBA throughout last season. Posting 68 wins with elite defense and reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way. Things haven't changed one bit in the new season.
Yet, while they are still one of the best defensive teams in the league, they have gotten even more efficient on offense. And All-Star Jalen Williams hasn't even played yet this season. OKC is a scary team.
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