NBA Power Rankings with LeBron James' 76ers, Victor Wembanyama's Spurs Rising

Now over two weeks into the 2026-27 NBA campaign, we have enough games to start rolling out more informed takes.

The Philadelphia 76ers are no longer just a theoretical juggernaut. Calling Luka Dončić's start MVP worthy doesn't do it justice. Victor Wembanyama is starting to look like Wilt Chamberlain. And that barely scratches the surface of what we saw this week.

With every team's recent performance in mind, and based on team and individual numbers, championship chances and plenty of subjectivity, here's how the entire league stacks up right now.

ATL | BKN | BOS | CHA | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN | NOP | NYK | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX | POR | SAC | SAS | TOR | UTA | WAS

The Chicago Bulls are now the sole owners of the worst net rating in the NBA (by a pretty wide margin). And their biggest source of hope is really struggling to adjust to NBA defenses.

Caleb Wilson leads the Bulls in scoring at 19.5 points per game, but he's shooting just 40.9 percent from the field. After going 2-of-12 in Wednesday's loss, he's been under 50 percent in six of his eight games.

Most rookies go through some growing pains, but those numbers are a little alarming. In coming weeks, Wilson may need to cut down a bit on his off-the-dribble attempts, and Chicago's playmakers need to create some easier looks for him.

The Sacramento Kings are going to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. They should be aggressively pursuing trades to unload Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine.

Those are the obvious and not-so-fun aspects of this season that would typically drive fans away.

But this team also has one of the most entertaining players in the league in rookie guard Darius Acuff, whose aggression in hunting his own shot is early 2000s-esque, and yet somehow not off-putting.

Acuff is averaging 25.6 points on 23.6 attempts, but it's not like there are a ton of significantly better scoring options on the roster. And in his last four games, Acuff is also putting up 9.3 assists.

On paper, the Milwaukee Bucks have a handful of talented players who should at least make this team scrappy (like they were in Wednesday's matchup with the Boston Celtics, when they erased a 22-point deficit before eventually losing), but they don't have a clear alpha.

And outside of a few stretches here and there, the talent hasn't coalesced for winning basketball.

Still, players like Tyler Herro (22.3 points, 3.9 assists and a 42.6 three-point percentage) and Jaime Jaquez (16.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 28.5 minutes) are at least establishing a little trade value in the event Milwaukee chases more assets for the post-Giannis era.

Grading Every NBA Team's Starting Lineup 🔠

Every Team's Biggest Problem Right Now 😬

In the year the Utah Jazz were supposed to turn the corner and start winning games again, Jaren Jackson Jr. was lost after four games for 6-8 weeks with a torn MCL, Darryn Peterson has lagged behind his draft-class peers and Jusuf Nurkić has yet to appear in a game.

And the Jazz, perhaps unsurprisingly, have not been able to live up to lofty preseason expectations.

On the bright side, aside from ho-hum scoring efficiency, Keyonte George (22.0 points and 5.9 assists) is following up his 2025-26 breakout well. And while Peterson is shooting just 35.4 percent from the field, his 3.8 assists in 30.3 minutes per game suggests he may be ready for real playmaking duties earlier than expected.

The Los Angeles Clippers nearly secured an overtime win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday, but Klay Thompson's buzzer-beating three gave them their third straight loss.

And with each passing week, it gets harder to find reasons for optimism.

L.A. doesn't have its own pick this summer, and that's not even the result of the punishment for circumventing the salary cap (the Clippers are still paying off the Paul George trade). Rookie Keaton Wagler is shooting 30.9 percent from the field. And there's no firm return timetable for their potential leading scorer, Brandon Ingram.

Darius Garland (20.9 points and 6.6 assists) is having a solid campaign, but he's not the kind of player who can singlehandedly lift a roster this shallow.

The Brooklyn Nets had a solid little 2-2 week to separate themselves from the dregs of the net rating column.

Michael Porter Jr. (21.4 points and 7.4 rebounds, with a 38.9 three-point percentage) and Julius Randle (21.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists) have been the obvious factors for mild competitiveness, but they had some young help in Wednesday's win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Danny Wolf made his third appearance of the season, totaled 12 points, five rebounds and three assists in that contest and moved his season long plus-minus to plus-26.

He also looked like exactly the kind of skilled big who could create a bit and take some pressure off MPJ and Randle on offense.

The Charlotte Hornets went 0-4 since the last edition of the power rankings dropped, and that's not even the worst news of the week.

Kon Knueppel made his season debut on Wednesday, but he had to leave after just six minutes due to soreness in the leg that kept him out till this point of the season.

In 2025-26, Charlotte's net rating, offensive rating, effective field-goal percentage and turnover percentage all improved when Knueppel was on the floor. And if this season's net rating is any indication, his impact as a shooter and secondary creator is sorely missed.

They do get a bit of a pass with Paolo Banchero being out for their last six games, but it's probably past time to worry about the Orlando Magic in a more general sense.

Beyond falling to 2-6 after a blowout loss to the uninspiring Phoenix Suns on Thursday, the Banchero-Franz Wagner pairing has never totally worked. There's almost too much overlap in their games, and a plus-1.5 net rating over the duo's four-plus seasons together doesn't scream contender.

If the Magic don't turn things around quickly and dramatically whenever Banchero does return (ideally, in late November), one or both forwards could become the most intriguing trade candidates in the NBA.

The Phoenix Suns were in dire need of a win on Thursday, so it's a good thing the reeling Orlando Magic came to town.

And on closer examination of their schedule, the Suns' tough start may not be as bad as the raw wins and losses suggest.

Every team Phoenix has lost to is above .500 right now. It's only victory was over a winning team too.

There are real concerns about the shot selection of Jalen Green and defensive shortcomings of Green, Devin Booker and Miles Bridges. Mark Williams being out has put a spotlight on the lack of depth at the 5.

But it's OK to withhold judgment on this mix till we see it get a few more opportunities against teams like Orlando.

The Miami Heat need a Klay Thompson buzzer beater in overtime to sneak past the woeful Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The next night, they got run out of the gym by the shorthanded Golden State Warriors.

And although we're less than a month into this campaign, Heat fans have to be hovering a finger around the panic button.

The offense is ho-hum, largely because the two best players (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo) don't really fit together. And that's not even the biggest problem.

A team that was supposed to be dominant defensively, with Giannis, Bam and Davion Mitchell, is getting lit up to the tune of 117.7 points per 100 possessions (a defensive rating that puts Miami in the bottom five).

The good vibes generated by Tyrese Haliburton's return were short-lived, as he's now missed the last five games with a hamstring strain and the Indiana Pacers went through a five-game losing streak that actually started before Haliburton went down.

The good news is that Indiana beat the red-hot Memphis Grizzlies on the road to close this week. And Pascal Siakam (21.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists) and Andrew Nembhard (19.0 points and 6.9 assists) are both playing well.

When Haliburton returns (the original timeline, which started in late October, was at least two weeks), the Pacers should be able to get back on track.

The Washington Wizards will clearly be better than last season's team (really, the last several seasons'), but comfortably making the playoffs will require much better shooting.

The roster is shooting just 29.4 percent from deep, and the numbers are no better for the leaders than they are for the role players. Trae Young, Anthony Davis and AJ Dybantsa's combined three-point percentage is 29.1.

At the very least, Young and Dybantsa should be better. If they're not, defenses will be able to sag off their on-ball opportunities, crowd the paint and make offense a chore for the Wizards.

Last week's New Orleans Pelicans blurb started by declaring them to be "better than their record suggests," and they backed me up on that this week.

After starting the season 0-4, New Orleans is back to .500, with two of the wins in the current streak coming against quality opponents (the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies).

They got back on track with a balanced attack that includes Zion Williamson (21.5 points and 2.5 steals), Dejounte Murray (18.2 points and 5.6 assists), Trey Murphy III (14.9 points), Jeremiah Fears (13.6 points and 4.5 assists) and Derik Queen (13.4 points and 3.0 assists), but the real X-factor may be Saddiq Bey.

In just 26.6 minutes per game, Bey is averaging 16.4 points and 1.8 threes.

Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks returned to earth a bit this week.

After averaging 26.8 points and shooting 55.7 percent from the field in his first five games, Flagg put up 18.0 and shot 26.3 percent over his last two (both losses).

But it'd be silly to put too much stock into two off nights from a 19-year-old, especially when Dallas is still plus-8.1 points per 100 possessions when he shares the floor with Kyrie Irving.

Life without Kawhi Leonard has proven difficult for the Toronto Raptors.

After a blowout loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, Toronto is now 2-4 without Kawhi. And surprisingly, it's the defense that's letting them down.

The Raptors, despite rankings 25th in three-point percentage, have a top-seven offense thanks to Scottie Barnes' and RJ Barrett's slashing and team-wide dominance of the offensive glass. But in their four losses, they're giving up 124.3 points per game.

Jalen Johnson has been banged up, and the Atlanta Hawks' offense has been uninspiring, but Nickeil Alexander-Walker has more than backed up last season's breakout and has this team over .500.

After going for 26 in Atlanta's win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Alexander-Walker is up to 21.7 points in 30.5 minutes, while shooting 40.7 percent from deep this season.

When Johnson rejoins him in the rotation full time, and if Kingston Flemings continues to look more NBA-ready than expected (he had 14 points in his first career start on Wednesday), the Hawks should be able to stay in the mix for a top-six finish throughout the season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' offense is generally fine. Donovan Mitchell (22.5 points and 5.5 assists, with a 41.1 three-point percentage) and Evan Mobley (18.8 points and 3.5 assists, with a 48.6 three-point percentage) are playing well on that end, and the team is ninth in points per 100 possessions.

But Cleveland is still among the more disappointing teams in the league in this early portion of the season, thanks to a bottom-10 defense that may be getting worse.

Perhaps their two best defenders, Peyton Watson (hamstring) and Jarrett Allen (knee) are dealing with minor injuries that could keep them out (or at least slow them down) for the next few games.

The Denver Nuggets' 23rd -ranked defense figures to be a problem throughout this season, but there are reasons for optimism.

Nikola Jokić, despite a slow-by-his-standards start, is averaging 23.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks. Jamal Murray is putting up 25.4 points, while shooting 50.9 percent from deep. And Trevon Brazile, Bryce Hopkins and Marvin Bagley have infused more energy into the second unit than this team has had in years.

Jokić's scoring efficiency is still well below his career norms, and he has to offer at least some resistance on defense, but the foundation of a 50-win team is still in place.

The Golden State Warriors have now rattled off six straight wins, and Stephen Curry and Yaxel Lendeborg suddenly look like one of the most dynamic duos in the entire NBA.

In Thursday's blowout win over the Miami Heat, Curry hit six threes and tallied 29 points, bringing his average to 29.9. Lendeborg added 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals, bringing his well-rounded averages to 21.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals.

The team is somehow losing the minutes when both are on the floor, but it's hard to imagine that lasting with the way both are producing and with how well their games mesh. Lendeborg's slashing is an ideal complement to Curry's shooting, which in turn pulls attention away from those Lendeborg drives.

The Memphis Grizzlies lost their last two games, but their combined deficit in those contests was five points. And their net rating actually went up this week.

Yes, four of their six wins have come against the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings, but the foundation of a good team is clearly in place here.

Ty Jerome (27.4 points and 5.3 assists), Cameron Boozer (16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists) and Cedric Coward (14.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and a 50.0 three-point percentage) are all winning players. And there's enough depth in place to survive random absences from any of the above.

The Oklahoma City deserve a mountain of credit for their resilience over the last two seasons.

Despite almost constant injury struggles, OKC just keeps winning.

And while role players like Ajay Mitchell (17.8 points and 3.5 assists), Aday Mara (6.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 19.0 minutes) and Bennett Stirtz (12.0 points per game over his last three) deserve plenty of credit, it's obviously Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who's carrying them.

In the five games since Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren all went down, SGA is putting up 31.6 points and 4.8 assists, while shooting 38.9 percent from deep. And he's gotten to at least 42 points and 12 free-throw attempts in each of his last two outings.

The Portland Trail Blazers may not be ready to join the contenders' tier just yet, but it's getting harder and harder to deny their status as an obvious playoff team.

Deni Avdija's (23.4 points, 6.4 assists and 6.3 rebounds) slashing has looked like a perfect complement to Damian Lillard's (20.1 points and 4.1 assists) shooting, and neither is above 32 percent from deep. If one or both start hitting threes, Portland could look even better.

But the real key to their success may be the three-and-D role playing of Toumani Camara (47.1 percent from deep), Jrue Holiday (42.5 percent) and Donovan Clingan (46.7 percent).

The Detroit Pistons ended their week with a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, but things are clearly looking, in spite of the absence of Jalen Duren for all but two games.

Cade Cunningham (24.0 points and 7.6 assists) is the most obvious reason why, but Duncan Robinson deserves a spotlight too.

In his age-32 season, Robinson is averaging a career-high (by far) 19.0 points, while shooting 47.9 percent from deep.

For a team that relies so heavily on defense, size and scoring inside, Robinson's gravity as an off-ball mover and catch-and-shoot threat has been vital.

After starting their 2026-27 campaign with three straight losses, the New York Knicks have worked their way back to .500.

And Jalen Brunson (25.6 points and 5.1 assists) and Karl-Anthony Towns (19.9 points and 13.6 rebounds in 31.2 minutes, while shooting 42.9 percent from three) are both looking like the superstars who led the Knicks to the title just five months ago.

But there's still some cause for mild concern. New York's bench, with the exception of Landry Shamet, isn't producing much. And Mikal Bridges is averaging just 6.3 points on 7.1 shots per game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped eight spots in last week's power rankings, mostly due to the anticipated absence of Anthony Edwards, who's out for a couple months after an arthroscopic knee surgery.

As it turns out, that was too pessimistic a view of Edwards' supporting cast, who've gone 3-2 since Edwards left the rotation, just closed out this week with a win over the Houston Rockets and now have the best net rating in the league.

The surge is due to stout defense and a balanced attack from Ayo Dosunmu (19.8 points and 4.6 assists), LaMelo Ball (19.2 points, 5.6 assists and 39.1 three-point percentage), Jaden McDaniels (17.6 points and 4.2 assists), Jonathan Kuminga (13.6 points and 3.2 assists, with a 46.2 three-point percentage) and Bones Hyland (13.4 points and 4.2 assists, with a 41.4 three-point percentage).

Even in today's high-paced and high-volume-three-point-shooting era, with officiating that heavily favors offenses, Luka Dončić's offensive numbers are almost unfathomable.

After another 40-point outing on Wednesday, Luka is averaging 38.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists and a would-be- record 5.9 threes.

And while it's fair to wonder if Luka's heliocentric dominance will translate to playoff success, there's no question it's leading to wins now.

On the season, the Los Angeles Lakers are plus-20.1 points per 100 possessions with Dončić on the floor and minus-15.4 when he's off.

Things aren't perfect for the Boston Celtics. They got walloped by the Houston Rockets this week. And their three-point accuracy (12th in percentage) and volume (10th in makes per game) aren't as moving as they've been in the past.

But the Celtics and their fans can take solace in at least this: The Paul George and Jayson Tatum duo is working.

Tatum is putting up 27.0 points and 7.9 assists, while George is at 21.3 points and 5.0 assists with a 41.4 three-point percentage. And both have looked capable of carrying the offense while the other is off the floor.

The Houston Rockets cooled off this week, going 2-2 and losing a game to the Anthony Edwards-less Minnesota Timberwolves, but they still look like one of the deepest, most well-rounded teams in the NBA.

Houston has seven players averaging double-figures (with Marcus Smart nearly there at 9.8 points). It has six players averaging at least 2.5 assists. It has Kevin Durant to get tough buckets when the offense bogs down. And it has a fringe MVP candidate in Alperen Şengün.

The Rockets' star center is averaging 22.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks.

Right when it looked like Luka Dončić might completely run away with the MVP race, Victor Wembanyama had a single-game performance the likes of which we haven't seen since the 1960s .

In Wednesday's win over the Dallas Mavericks, Wemby totaled an eye-popping 52 points, 24 rebounds, eight blocks, two steals and, for good measure, two assists. And he packed all of that into 34 minutes.

Even at 22 years old, a night like this one is clear evidence that Wembanyama is already in the "best in the world" mix. And with 20-year-old Dylan Harper having his own breakout with 18.6 points and 4.6 assists, the Spurs have a real argument to be No. 1 here.

It's still early, and six of their eight victories have been by single digits, but the Philadelphia 76ers are bucking a trend that's hovered around the NBA for nearly two decades.

The last superteam that was largely assembled in one offseason and came together this quickly was the 2007-08 Boston Celtics (the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors were already a superteam before Kevin Durant joined).

And the similarities between that team and this one are obvious. Boston won with defense. Philly is top three on that end. Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett made sacrifices and deferred to Paul Pierce to make the offense work. Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and LeBron James are doing the same with Tyrese Maxey.

And the further we get into this season, the easier it is to imagine the Sixers ending the season the same way the 2008 Celtics did; raising a trophy.