120 Proof’s 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings
Last call for dynasties.
In 2004, when the Lakers clinched their Finals berth to face the Pistons, my friend Brent shipped off to Navy boot camp.
No phone. No TV. Just weeks of push-ups, water torture, and patriotic ignorance.
That Lakers team was no Cinderella story — they were a dynasty on a victory lap. Champions in 2000, 2001, and 2002, and they still had Shaq and Kobe; a hydra made of ego and dunks. In the offseason they’d added Gary Payton and Karl Malone — future Hall of Famers on minimum contracts because rings shine brighter than money. The talent was absurd. Vegas practically laughed, setting the line at Pistons +500.
A few weeks after the Finals ended, Brent finally calls home, voice all gravel and confidence. Big Laker fan, so naturally, he opens with:
“Hey, did they sweep the Pistons?”
I pause. “Brent… you might want to sit down.”
“They lost in five.”
He laughs. “That’s hilarious. So it was a sweep, right?”
Sometimes you can have every stat, every storyline, every reason to believe — and still be spectacularly, cosmically wrong.
So, in the spirit of Brent’s misplaced certainty, we present our 120 Proof Ball 2025–26 NBA Power Rankings: a toast to all the wrong predictions waiting to happen.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2024–25 Record: 68–14 (1st West, 1st Northwest), Playoffs: NBA Champions
Offensive Efficiency: 119.2 (3rd) Defensive Efficiency: 106.6 (1st) Pace: 100.9
What Changed:
Not much—by design. OKC’s front office is running the kind of continuity program that makes analytics majors weep with joy. They re-signed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren long-term, turning the league’s youngest title core into the most stable. Rookie Nikola Topic looked like a future rotation piece in Summer League, and Ajay Mitchell may force his way onto the depth chart by Christmas. No blockbusters, no meltdowns—just another season of controlled ascent.
What They Want:
Validation through boredom. They already climbed the mountain and found there’s no oxygen at the top, just a to-do list. This season isn’t about discovery—it’s about endurance. They want sixty wins again, another deep run, and to survive the sophomore fatigue that comes when the league finally studies your tricks in 4K. Holmgren’s health remains the only variable anyone still pretends to worry about.
Our Take:
The miracle isn’t that they won—it’s that they did it early. OKC arrived ahead of schedule, collecting rings before the roster hit its prime. What happens when they do? The numbers say “repeat,” but the real threat is philosophical: this is a dynasty built by interns who haven’t even maxed out their muscle yet.
2. Denver Nuggets
2024–25 Record: 50–32 (5th West, 2nd Northwest), Playoffs: Lost in Western Conference Semifinals (to Oklahoma City)
Offensive Efficiency: 118.9 (4th) Defensive Efficiency: 115.1 (21st) Pace: 100.7
What Changed:
After a year of fatigue and thin rotation, Denver rebuilt the bench around Nikola Jokić’s endurance. Bruce Brown returned to the fold, Tim Hardaway Jr. arrived for extra spacing, and Jonas Valančiūnas was signed to handle the bruising minutes Jokić shouldn’t. It’s not a reset—it’s maintenance. Michael Malone stays in charge, still preaching continuity and controlled chaos, but now with veterans to plug the leaks.
What They Want:
Retribution without reinvention. The loss to OKC stung not because Denver collapsed but because they were out-younged and out-sprinted. This season is about restoring pace control—reclaiming that deliberate tempo that makes every possession feel like a chess clock. Jamal Murray’s health is critical, Porter’s defense remains a riddle, and Jokić’s brilliance is the constant gravitational pull.
Our Take:
A championship team is almost always top ten in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Last year, Denver was elite on one side and charitable on the other. Bruce Brown’s return helps balance that equation—his on-ball defense and switch versatility bring back the edge they lost. This team isn’t chasing innovation; it’s chasing rhythm. Expect efficiency, patience, and just enough vengeance to make every Thunder game feel like a court summons.
3. Houston Rockets
2024–25 Record: 52–30 (2nd West, 1st Southwest), Playoffs: Lost in Western Conference Finals
Offensive Efficiency: 114.9 (12th) Defensive Efficiency: 110.3 (5th) Pace: 99.0
What Changed:
Houston decided patience was overrated. They lit their rebuild on fire, roasted marshmallows over it, and invited Kevin Durant to tell ghost stories. Clint Capela arrived to mop up the glass, Dillon Brooks and Dorian Finney-Smith to menace the perimeter, and Fred VanVleet to steer the offense—until his knee gave out in April. The torn right ACL ends his season before it starts. That hands the keys to Reed Sheppard, a second-year guard with a porn-star moustache and a pre-med brain. He’s undersized, quick, and sees passing lanes like Neo sees code. What he lacks in mass he replaces with instinct, and what he lacks in experience he replaces with audacity.
What They Want:
To prove that defense wasn’t just a VanVleet personality trait. The Rockets built their reputation on snarling rotations and mid-air deflections, but now their backcourt weighs a combined 370 pounds with shoes on. Sheppard’s defensive timing keeps the structure intact, while Durant’s mid-range gravity gives the offense adult supervision. The question isn’t whether the kid can shoot—it’s whether the rest can still snarl while admiring his aim.
Our Take:
The moustache isn’t vanity—it’s prophecy. It’s Reed Sheppard, and by extension Houston, declaring they’re done waiting for permission to grow up. The Rockets’ defense still hunts blood; the offense finally has a god to pray to. If the kid can keep them honest at the point of attack while Durant engineers the late-game kills, Houston won’t just be back—they’ll be unbearable.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
2024–25 Record: 49–33 (4th West, 2nd Northwest), Playoffs: Lost in Western Conference Finals
Offensive Efficiency: 115.2 (11th) Defensive Efficiency: 109.5 (7th) Pace: 98.1
What Changed:
Minnesota doubled down on adulthood. Julius Randle arrived in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, giving Anthony Edwards the perfect sparring partner: another alpha who loves contact and doesn’t need permission to shoot. The front office kept Naz Reid, added Donte DiVincenzo to chase guards around screens, and quietly deepened the bench with veteran glue in Joe Ingles. Rookie Rob Dillingham brings instant offense — or instant chaos, depending on the possession. The Wolves didn’t overhaul; they reinforced.
What They Want:
They’ve been to back-to-back Western Conference Finals and are tired of being the league’s favorite “almost.” Edwards is entering his take-no-prisoners phase — the charisma of a movie star with the shot diet of a slasher flick. The goal isn’t just to stay in the mix; it’s to take the last step before everyone hits free agency or fatigue. This version of Minnesota is built to prove last year wasn’t a fluke — that it’s a floor, not a ceiling.
Our Take:
Minnesota didn’t fix their spacing — they just traded finesse for force. Randle lives where Gobert breathes, and only Ant seems unbothered by the congestion. Randle’s three-pointer (31% last season, down to 29% in the playoffs) inspires prayer more than confidence, but his rebounding and toughness give this team a new spine. DiVincenzo, meanwhile, might be the best contract in basketball — paid like a role player, plays like a starter. He brings IQ, grit, playoff scars, and just enough shooting to make all the adults in the room look smarter. Gobert remains the human metronome of their scheme — slow, steady, occasionally booed, always effective. The offense now has more second options than excuses. If health holds and egos align, they’re the rare team that could threaten the top tier without rewriting the script. They’ve come close enough to smell it, and they’re starting to look like a group that’s done waiting its turn.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
2024–25 Record: 64–18 (1st East, 1st Central), Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals
Offensive Efficiency: 121.0 (1st) Defensive Efficiency: 111.8 (9th) Pace: 100.3
What Changed:
Not much—and that’s a compliment. The Cavaliers spent the offseason cleaning the edges rather than the core. They moved on from Isaac Okoro and Lonzo Ball, bringing back familiar names like Larry Nance Jr. and Tristan Thompson to stabilize depth behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Sam Merrill remains the spacing specialist, and Thomas Bryant provides honest size at backup center. Darius Garland and Max Strus both missed time late last year, but neither injury lingers.
What They Want:
Peace and progress. Cleveland wants proof that last season wasn’t a blip—a validation that their chemistry, not their competition, drove the 64 wins. Donovan Mitchell is still the closer, Mobley the keystone, and Garland the system’s metronome. They’re playing for internal growth now: another leap from Mobley, a healthy backcourt, and a defense that can bend without breaking in May.
Our Take:
They check the boxes champions check—top-tier offense, top-ten defense, and a young nucleus still trending upward. The youth knows Donovan Mitchell’s timeline, and they’ve stepped up to meet it early. Windows don’t stay open forever, and Cleveland’s decided not to wait for theirs to close.
6. Los Angeles Lakers
2024–25 Record: 51–31 (3rd West, 2nd Pacific), Playoffs: Lost in Western Conference Semifinals
Offensive Efficiency: 117.6 (7th) Defensive Efficiency: 110.1 (6th) Pace: 98.9
What Changed:
The Lakers didn’t rebuild — they ran a Vegas job. When casino magnate Miriam Adelson and her son-in-law Patrick Dumont bought the Mavericks, the league’s unwritten rule kicked in: always fleece the new guy. Los Angeles did it with style, swiping Luka Dončić in a trade that looked less like business and more like a smash-and-grab. Mark Cuban, demoted to minority-owner emeritus, watched from the VIP lounge as LeBron smiled like a man who just robbed the cage. Luka’s in purple and gold now, Ayton’s still negotiating with gravity, and the Lakers have once again turned audacity into a business model.
What They Want:
LeBron wants to go out as emperor, not exile. Luka wants to prove the empire’s his now. The Lakers, as always, want myth and margin — titles, headlines, and global rights to their own nostalgia. It’s a tug-of-war between ages: one man trying to immortalize himself, the other trying to escape orbit.
Our Take:
LeBron and Luka are mirror images — two heliocentric stars built to do everything and cursed to look overburdened while doing it. In the playoffs, when coasting dies and effort costs full price, that weight shows. This pairing could actually save them from themselves: sharing the creative load, cutting the miles, buying each other time. The only catch is ego. Someone has to stomach running with the second unit, and neither was born to be Robin. Still, if they can alternate gravity without resentment, this could be the rare Lakers team that survives its own mythology.
7. Los Angeles Clippers
2024–25 Record: 44–38 (6th West, 3rd Pacific), Playoffs: Lost in First Round
Offensive Efficiency: 113.2 (15th) Defensive Efficiency: 111.6 (13th) Pace: 97.5
What Changed:
The ghosts stayed, the shame deepened, and somehow the payroll grew. The Clippers walked into the offseason with no Paul George, a scandal surrounding Kawhi’s secret $28 million “consulting gig,” and a new arena that feels like an aging tech billionaire’s midlife crisis rendered in brushed aluminum. And yet—Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez, and John Collins all arrived, like expensive furniture in a house built on a sinkhole. On paper, they’re better. In reality, the foundation’s cracked.
What They Want:
Redemption, or at least distraction. Beal’s still the kind of investment that looks good until you check the quarterly results in May. Lopez brings credibility, Collins brings bounce, and Kawhi brings subpoenas. Ballmer keeps pretending the rules don’t apply to him, and maybe they don’t. The team’s oldest in the league, the window’s sealed shut, and the all-star game at Intuit Dome in February will feel like a trial exhibit if the league waits until after to announce Kawhi’s punishment.
Our Take:
They’re not rebuilding, they’re relapsing. The Clippers are the rare franchise that cheats to lose, and the only people still buying the act are the ones holding season tickets. Their slogan might as well be “better late than never”—a perfect eulogy for a dynasty that never was.
8. New York Knicks
2024–25 Record: 49–33 (4th East, 2nd Atlantic), Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals
Offensive Efficiency: 115.5 (10th) Defensive Efficiency: 111.9 (11th) Pace: 98.6
What Changed:
New York swapped out Tom Thibodeau’s defensive boot camp for Mike Brown’s group therapy session. The Knicks didn’t just change systems—they changed tones. Brown arrives preaching joy and communication to a roster that learned success through bruises. The irony’s rich: just as Karl-Anthony Towns shows up—a man who’s never met a soft foul he couldn’t draw—they hire a coach who believes love conquers turnovers.
What They Want:
Harmony, or the closest thing Manhattan allows. Brunson’s still the engine, Towns the new toy, and the goal is to build an offense where the ball moves faster than the tabloids. If Mike Brown can convince this group to share oxygen and spotlight, the Knicks could finally feel like something other than a fever dream held together by caffeine and media rights.
Our Take:
They traded the man who beat discipline into them for one who hugs it out, and it might actually work. Towns will get cleaner looks, Brunson will get relief, and the Garden might remember what joy sounds like. But if things go sideways, Brown will discover that in New York, “player-friendly” lasts exactly one losing streak.
9. Orlando Magic
2024–25 Record: 41–41 (7th East, 1st Southeast), Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals
Offensive Efficiency: 108.9 (27th) Defensive Efficiency: 109.1 (2nd) Pace: 96.5
What Changed:
Orlando traded the training wheels for horsepower. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four picks went to Memphis for Desmond Bane — a transaction that screamed impatience in the best way. KCP was a glue guy from another era, a bubble champion who did everything right but rarely loudly. Bane is the evolutionary model: broader, younger, more dangerous. He brings gravity to an offense that’s spent too long orbiting potential. The rest of the roster stayed steady — Mo Wagner re-upped, Tyus Jones brings sanity off the bench, and the defense still hums like a monastery choir. Only now, there’s someone ready to preach from three.
What They Want:
To turn structure into style. They already know how to suffocate you; now they want to score before the buzzer sounds. Jones’s calm and Franz Wagner’s spacing should unclench the offense, while Banchero evolves from brute-force scorer into orchestrator. It’s a delicate translation: from silence to song without losing reverence.
Our Take:
Orlando still plays basketball like a Gregorian chant — slow, precise, beautiful in its austerity. But every now and then you hear rhythm in the background, a beat that doesn’t belong to defense. The monks are humming. If they ever learn to dance without losing faith, the East is in trouble.
10. Atlanta Hawks
2024–25 Record: 46–36 (6th East, 1st Southeast), Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals
Offensive Efficiency: 116.2 (9th) Defensive Efficiency: 112.0 (12th) Pace: 100.1
What Changed:
Atlanta turned volatility into curiosity. They flipped Dejounte Murray for picks, brought in Kristaps Porziņģis fresh off a title run, and quietly stole sharpshooter Luke Kennard from Memphis. That last move might be the smartest—Kennard will be the safety valve Trae Young never had. Together with Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 pick, the Hawks might finally balance their scoring addiction with some adult shot selection.
What They Want:
To grow up without slowing down. Trae will never be a defensive asset, but the front office has built insulation around him—length, discipline, and now a frontcourt that can score without needing constant attention. Jalen Johnson’s development remains the hinge: if he breaks out, this roster makes sense; if he plateaus, it’s still a puzzle missing edge pieces.
Our Take:
Porziņģis gives them gravity, Kennard gives them spacing, and Trae gives them heartburn. But there’s real potential here—a two‑man game between Kristaps and Kennard could turn second units into target practice. Atlanta still isn’t built for a deep playoff run, but for the first time in years, the blueprint feels coherent.
11. Golden State Warriors
2024–25 Record: 48–34 (5th West, 3rd Pacific), Playoffs: Lost in Western Conference Semifinals
Offensive Efficiency: 116.0 (10th) Defensive Efficiency: 111.3 (10th) Pace: 99.2
What Changed:
The old dynasty finally exhaled. Draymond’s gone, Klay’s fading, and Jimmy Butler arrived like a fever dream in blue and gold. The roster’s weird—Al Horford’s the closest thing to a center, and most nights he’ll be sharing the floor with shooters half his age. It’s chaos, but it’s curated chaos, the kind Kerr can still turn into music.
What They Want:
To squeeze one more masterpiece out of muscle memory. Kuminga has to graduate from promise to reliability, Butler needs to stay healthy, and the system must survive without its spiritual core in Draymond. Kerr’s peace-and-love approach has weathered almost everything, but now he’s coaching entropy.
Our Take:
If anyone can make this work, it’s this superstar and this coach. Butler gives Steph the first real co‑closer he’s had since KD—and he finally gets the kind of space he’s been dreaming about since Miami, where his kick‑outs found undrafted shooters praying the ball went in. Kerr and Curry can still make chaos look like choreography, but if the injury bug starts biting, this house of cards folds fast. The Warriors are daring physics to blink first—and the league’s watching to see if genius can still outrun gravity.
12. San Antonio Spurs
2024–25 Record: 34–48 (13th West, 4th Southwest), Playoffs: Missed
Offensive Efficiency: 111.3 (23rd) Defensive Efficiency: 114.1 (16th) Pace: 101.7 (6th)
What Changed:
Gregg Popovich finally handed over the keys, and longtime assistant Mitch Johnson now steers the ship. The front office got impatient with the “slow build” model, shipping out vets like Chris Paul and Kelly Olynyk to pair Victor Wembanyama with a real co-star. Enter De’Aaron Fox — the first true speed guard the franchise has seen since the last time they handed the car keys to the French: the Tony Parker era. Fox turns their methodical spacing drills into fast-break detonations, while Wemby continues his casual defiance of anatomy. The Spurs added Luke Kornet and Bismack Biyombo for functional size and rim protection, but this team now runs on pace, length, and nerve.
What They Want:
A leap, not a miracle. Fox’s arrival means San Antonio is done apologizing for its youth. The organization wants to see Wembanyama become the problem every scouting report opens with — the kind of defensive force that erases schemes, not just shots. Offensively, the bet is that Fox’s drive-and-kick game creates easy reads and lets Wemby freelance. The rest of the roster — Sochan, Vassell, Branham — are learning to orbit those two without clogging the lane or the hierarchy. For a franchise built on patience, this is as close to a gamble as they get.
Our Take:
It’s Year Three of the experiment, and the lab is starting to look like an empire in progress. Wemby finally has a guard who can match his tempo and a coach unafraid to let the kids play fast. They’re not chasing banners yet, but they’ve upgraded from “promising concept” to “weekly migraine for contenders.” Give it one more year of scar tissue and shot creation, and this team starts turning potential into schedule losses.
13. Detroit Pistons
2024–25 Record: 44–38 (8th East, 4th Central), Playoffs: Lost in First Round
Offensive Efficiency: 114.6 (14th) Defensive Efficiency: 112.5 (10th) Pace: 100.3
What Changed:
Detroit finally built a team that looks like a team — spacing, defense, and an actual plan. Then they layered on some volatility. Tobias Harris brings grown-man steadiness to a locker room otherwise full of experiments, while Caris LeVert still brings shot creation without much shot judgment. Duncan Robinson’s gravity flickers like bad Wi-Fi, and Paul Reed adds energy behind Jalen Duren — built like a Greek god and twice as reliable. The roster’s better, louder, and maybe finally balanced — which is new territory for Detroit.
What They Want:
To evolve from respectable to dangerous. The front office believes Cade Cunningham can scale from “steady hand” to “top-15 star” if surrounded by real spacing. They’ll stay a half-court team by design, and Harris fits that tempo perfectly, but Monty Williams has to keep the gears meshing — Cade’s patience, Duren’s muscle, and the streak shooters orbiting them.
Our Take:
Last year they were the underdog that caught teams napping; this time, opponents won’t be scheduling their load-management days in Detroit. Cade looks ready for primetime, and Duren looks like he was carved for it. But he’s flanked by a mix of mercenaries and experiments. LeVert can win you a quarter or lose you a month; Robinson can shoot you into or out of relevance. The Pistons defend well enough to stay close — the question is whether anyone besides Cade knows how to close.
14. Memphis Grizzlies
2024–25 Record: 41–41 (8th West, 3rd Southwest), Playoffs: Lost in First Round
Offensive Efficiency: 113.2 (18th) Defensive Efficiency: 111.0 (12th) Pace: 100.1
What Changed:
Memphis used to be the ultimate Ewing Theory team — they won when Ja Morant didn’t play. For two straight seasons, his absences turned into chemistry experiments that worked; the ball moved, the defense locked in, and the roster played like a pickup team that knew the value of sharing. But last year, that magic died. Without Ja, they were simply undermanned, and now they’ve lost Desmond Bane — the steady perimeter ballast who once made their chaos coherent. With Bane gone, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s been imported to keep the spacing breathable and the effort honest. Jock Landale and rookie Zach Edey give them some size and stubbornness, with Landale in particular looking overdue for real minutes. He’s the kind of big who doesn’t jump, just arrives where the shot’s going to miss — the quiet machinery that keeps teams running when the stars are still posing for the highlight reel.
What They Want:
A return to balance. For all of Morant’s electricity, Memphis needs to remember how to run an offense instead of a mixtape. The Bane trade leaves them light on shooting and trust, so the new additions will have to grow into those roles quickly. If Ja’s maturity and conditioning finally catch up to his talent, this could again be one of the league’s toughest outs. If not, they’ll spend another year trying to recapture a chemistry that’s already moved on.
Our Take:
This roster once had edge, hunger, and identity — now it has potential, if it can remember why it mattered. The “Ewing Theory” magic is gone; the real test is whether Ja can lead like someone who’s learned from it. He doesn’t have to be the whole offense, just the adult version of his highlight reel. Memphis isn’t rebuilding yet — it’s recalibrating, hoping the same core that once made them fearless can make them disciplined.
15. Dallas Mavericks
2024–25 Record: 38–44 (10th West, 4th Southwest), Playoffs: Missed
Offensive Efficiency: 113.7 (19th) Defensive Efficiency: 111.2 (15th) Pace: 98.9
What Changed:
Dallas didn’t just lose a superstar — it lost its gravitational field. Luka Dončić’s trade to Los Angeles left the Mavericks without an identity, and both Jason Kidd and GM Nico Harrison are still pretending they’ve got one. The front office’s offseason overhaul brought in Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and D’Angelo Russell to restore credibility and stretch the floor, while rookie Cooper Flagg offers the first defensive compass this franchise has had since Tyson Chandler. Kyrie Irving remains the league’s most unpredictable spiritual advisor, and the fans’ patience has worn thin. The “F Nico” chants at American Airlines Center aren’t about spite — they’re about exhaustion.
What They Want:
They want relevance back. Anthony Davis has to be the adult in the room — a defensive anchor and offensive hub who can last more than 65 games. They want Flagg to learn on the fly, to give the fanbase something to believe in beyond another summer of transactions. They want Kyrie to buy into structure long enough for the team to develop one. Above all, they want to stop feeling like a casino pit running out of chips.
Our Take:
They built a team around Anthony Davis’s health, Kyrie Irving’s focus, and Klay Thompson’s legs — what could go wrong? D’Angelo Russell thrived under LeBron’s gravity, but those open looks don’t exist here. The Lakers didn’t hesitate to include him in the trade — that wasn’t negotiation, that was housekeeping. His 34% shooting in last year’s playoffs and a defensive rating north of 120 made the decision easy. In Dallas, he’ll have to create instead of orbit — and that’s where confidence turns to quicksand. Still, there’s a real defensive backbone, and Flagg might already be their most grounded player. The Mavericks have enough talent to flirt with the postseason, but faith is a finite resource. This isn’t a rebuild; it’s a credibility test, and the clock’s already ticking on both Kidd and Nico.
16. Miami Heat
2024–25 Record: 37–45 (11th East, 3rd Southeast), Playoffs: Missed Play-In
Offensive Efficiency: 113.4 (19th) Defensive Efficiency: 112.1 (13th) Pace: 97.9
What Changed:
The Jimmy Butler era finally hit its expiration date — not with drama, just fatigue. He’d carried thin rosters through deep playoff runs on nothing but nicotine and willpower, but the tank finally hit empty. Miami didn’t blow up — it reset. Norman Powell and Terry Rozier bring instant offense and zero reverence, Wiggins arrives as a buy-low bounce-back candidate, and Spoelstra gets a roster that runs instead of broods.
What They Want:
To remember how to play without waiting on Jimmy’s moods. Miami’s back to being a program, not a pilgrimage. Rozier drives the tempo, Herro finishes possessions, and Bam Adebayo runs the connective tissue in between. They don’t have a true point guard, but they don’t need one — the ball moves, the floor breathes, and the shooters can finally see daylight.
Our Take:
We’re officially boosting them above the consensus — this team is a sleeper. They’ve shed the weight of expectation and kept the spine of Spoelstra’s identity: defense, discipline, and disdain for being counted out. Powell and Rozier give them real firepower, Herro and Bam balance it with IQ, and Wiggins… quietly fills every statistical crack. They won’t win the press conferences, but they’ll win nights you didn’t see coming. Miami’s done chasing ghosts — they’re here to start a new haunting.
17. Milwaukee Bucks
2024–25 Record: 45–37 (5th East, 2nd Central), Playoffs: Lost in First Round
Offensive Efficiency: 115.1 (11th) Defensive Efficiency: 112.4 (14th) Pace: 97.9
What Changed:
Milwaukee’s 2021 championship feels farther away than it should. Damian Lillard arrived last year to much fanfare, but the marriage soured before the honeymoon ended. The Bucks traded away Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen, gambled their defensive soul, and five months later paid an unprecedented $113 million to waive Lillard’s remaining contract under the stretch provision. Doc Rivers, who’s somehow turned one ring into lifelong job security, remains at the helm. Kyle Kuzma replaces Khris Middleton’s offense, Myles Turner replaces Brook Lopez’s discipline, and Giannis remains the axis of their universe.
What They Want:
To prove they can still win ugly. This team no longer overwhelms with cohesion or smarts—it survives on Giannis’s relentlessness and Lillard’s ghost still haunting the balance sheet. The front office bet the future to chase one last window, and the bill came due faster than expected.
Our Take:
Giannis is still everything right about basketball—ferocious, joyful, unrelenting—but the franchise around him lost its compass. The 2021 squad was a masterclass in balance; this one’s an experiment in improvisation. Milwaukee deserves respect for chasing greatness, but the cost of doing business in the Lillard era will echo for years.
18. Philadelphia 76ers
2024–25 Record: 24–58 (13th East, 5th Atlantic), Playoffs: Missed
Offensive Efficiency: 111.3 (22nd) Defensive Efficiency: 115.7 (25th) Pace: 100.1
What Changed:
The Sixers rebooted The Process with the same cast and a few new stunt doubles. Joel Embiid’s knee rehab became a summer-long guessing game, Paul George came back on a short deal with bonus clauses written in pencil, and the front office went bargain hunting for supporting actors who could survive a close-up. Andre Drummond returns as a nostalgia piece, Quentin Grimes adds spacing, and rookies V.J. Edgecombe and Jared McCain bring fresh legs to a roster that mostly needs fresh cartilage.
What They Want:
Relevance, and maybe redemption. Nick Nurse keeps preaching pace and accountability, but that depends on who’s ambulatory. If Embiid and George can play 120 combined games, they’re a playoff team. If not, it’s Maxey and the interns again — high-scoring box scores, low-stakes basketball. The franchise keeps pretending this is a new chapter, but the set pieces haven’t moved since 2018.
Our Take:
The Process didn’t die; it just keeps getting rebooted with higher salaries and worse knees. Embiid and George are two superstars who can’t seem to sync up with the calendar, and Nurse is coaching like he’s stuck between eras. Maxey’s the only part of the movie that still feels unscripted — energetic, joyful, alive. Everyone else looks like they’re trapped in the sequel to a film that should’ve ended with a parade.
19. Sacramento Kings
2024–25 Record: 40–42 (10th West, 4th Pacific), Playoffs: Missed (Play-In)
Offensive Efficiency: 115.7 (13th) Defensive Efficiency: 114.9 (22nd) Pace: 101.3
What Changed:
The Kings didn’t just lose De’Aaron Fox — they lost what made them fast. Two seasons ago, they led the league in pace, catching defenses mid-sentence and lighting the beam before opponents had set their feet. But last year the rhythm died. Fox missed time, teams walled off Sabonis in transition, shooters went cold, and the handoff offense turned predictable. This summer they doubled down on half-court creation, swapping Fox’s jet fuel for Dennis Schröder’s steering wheel and adding Zach LaVine to pair with DeMar DeRozan — two stars who operate from the same midrange postcode. The ball still finds Sabonis, but now the breaks are literal.
What They Want:
Validation that patience wasn’t a mistake. Mike Brown’s offense hums when Sabonis gets touches early and the ball zips, but last season they slipped from novelty to normalcy — no longer a surprise, just a team that can’t string stops together. LaVine and DeRozan are supposed to raise the ceiling; instead, they’ve raised the average shot distance. The real intrigue is Maxime Raynaud, a 7-footer from Stanford with touch and timing — the kind of big who could give Sabonis a breather without the offense imploding.
Our Take:
The Kings want to be the Bulls, but they forgot to hire rebounders. LaVine’s not built for front-court grunt work, DeRozan’s allergic to closeouts, and Sabonis can’t keep patching every leak. Šarić brings finesse without force, Eubanks tries, and the rookies will learn by fire. Sacramento’s offense will hum — for 40 minutes. Then, when fatigue and physics hit, the beam will fade the same way it did in Chicago: in the play-in.
20. Boston Celtics
2024–25 Record: 59–23 (1st East, 1st Atlantic), Playoffs: Lost in NBA Finals
Offensive Efficiency: 119.7 (2nd) Defensive Efficiency: 111.0 (10th) Pace: 99.6
What Changed:
The champagne dried faster than expected. Jaylen Brown returned to a locker room missing its heartbeat — Jayson Tatum, sidelined indefinitely with a fractured foot. Jrue Holiday’s departure for Portland stripped away their on-ball defender and adult supervision. In his place comes Anfernee Simons, a scorer with less defense, less patience, and far less playoff mileage — but also more creation. He’s younger, healthier, and eager to prove he belongs in the conversation that once defined this team. Al Horford’s minutes are now rationed like wartime sugar, and Kristaps Porziņģis left for Atlanta. It’s not a teardown, but it’s the kind of reshuffle that makes you wonder if the window quietly slid shut while everyone was celebrating.
What They Want:
Survival with dignity. Brown will chase an All-NBA berth, Simons will try to prove he’s more than empty calories, and Joe Mazzulla will have to coach without a roster that naturally hides his inexperience. The Celtics have enough shooting to win any random Wednesday, but without Tatum’s gravity, every game starts a little uphill.
Our Take:
Boston built its empire on balance — two stars, two-way wings, rim protection, and poise. Now they’re missing half the equation. Pride alone will win them games, but pride alone doesn’t box out. The Simons trade adds a spark, maybe even a little danger, to an offense that had grown predictable. This season’s Celtics are the basketball version of an aging band touring on name recognition: still capable of hits, just not the same harmonies. They’ll fight to stay relevant, and that fight might be the only thing keeping them from freefall.
21. Portland Trail Blazers
2024–25 Record: 32–50 (12th West, 4th Northwest), Playoffs: None
Offensive Efficiency: 110.7 (24th) Defensive Efficiency: 114.9 (21st) Pace: 98.2
What Changed:
Portland got serious about adulthood. Damian Lillard’s homecoming turned tragic with a torn Achilles — the kind of injury that erases not just a season but a timeline. Then came the bittersweet trade: Anfernee Simons out, Jrue Holiday in. The move cost them youth and shot-making, but it finally gave them structure. Holiday’s leadership and defense are everything this roster’s lacked since Dame’s first departure. Add rookies Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen to solidify the paint, and suddenly the Blazers look less like a daycare and more like a basketball team. Scoot Henderson now gets to learn next to the kind of veteran every young guard dreams about — one who plays defense like it’s a moral duty and offense like it’s craft, not chaos.
What They Want:
Credibility. The Blazers don’t need a miracle season; they need habits that outlast the box score. Holiday gives them defensive structure, and Chauncey Billups finally has a locker room that listens. If they can keep the veterans upright and Scoot learns to attack without dribbling through time zones, this team could sniff .500 and scare the careless.
Our Take:
Jrue Holiday is the grown-up in a room that’s been eating sugar packets since 2019. Losing Simons hurts — his buckets covered a lot of structural sins — but this roster needed discipline more than firepower. Holiday’s arrival resets the culture, replacing volume with purpose. This isn’t about banners or revenge arcs. It’s about finally becoming a team other rosters take seriously on a Tuesday night. And for Portland, that’s a revolution.
22. Toronto Raptors
2024–25 Record: 32–50 (12th East, 5th Atlantic), Playoffs: Missed
Offensive Efficiency: 111.7 (24th) Defensive Efficiency: 113.2 (15th) Pace: 99.4
What Changed:
Not much, and that’s either the point or the problem. Brandon Ingram arrives as a high-usage scorer who can close games, but his method — slowing the tempo, isolating, letting the clock exhale — might clash with Toronto’s collective rhythm. R.J. Barrett’s still hunting consistency, Immanuel Quickley’s more opportunist than orchestrator, and Scottie Barnes remains the long-term cornerstone still defining his borders. Jakob Poeltl keeps the machine steady but rarely forces the issue. The Raptors look different on paper, but on the floor it’s still familiar math: solid, cautious, and a touch too procedural.
What They Want:
To find out whether patience still counts as strategy. Toronto’s front office has always favored the long view — development over disruption. But the question now isn’t about growth; it’s about gear. Can this group generate easy offense when the defense is set? Can Barnes make others better and still be the one they turn to? Ingram can close possessions, but can he close seasons?
Our Take:
Toronto feels like a team caught between confidence and caution. They’re organized, well-coached, defensively sound — everything that wins 40 games and loses 42. The playmaking’s functional, not fluent; the scoring is deliberate, not dynamic. Barnes still has star gravity, just not escape velocity yet. The Raptors’ patience may one day look prophetic, but right now it’s a chess game with no clock — precise, admirable, and missing urgency.
23. Phoenix Suns
2024–25 Record: 36–46 (13th West, 5th Pacific), Playoffs: Missed
Offensive Efficiency: 113.4 (17th) Defensive Efficiency: 117.6 (27th) Pace: 99.8
What Changed:
The stars left, the cap didn’t. Durant’s in Houston, Beal’s in L.A., and Devin Booker’s still here—at least on paper. The extension bought Phoenix time, not belief. Grayson Allen and Dillon Brooks now headline a rotation that looks like a defensive focus group, while Jalen Green tries to reinvent himself under brighter scrutiny. Rookie Khaman Maluach brings length and optimism, but both need years the Suns don’t have.
What They Want:
To act like this is still a plan. The Suns can’t tank; they don’t control their picks. They can’t spend; they’ve maxed out their cap. So they chase wins, keep Booker smiling for the cameras, and hope that by February, some contender mistakes his loyalty for permanence. If Booker’s still in orange after the deadline, it’s not faith—it’s timing.
Our Take:
This is a team without exits — unless they build one. Booker’s the last asset with real value, and both he and the suns know it. Trading him isn’t betrayal; it’s rehabilitation. Phoenix needs youth, picks, and time. Booker deserves relevance, competition, depth. Move him to a contender, restock the shelves, and call it what it is: the final payment on the Durant-Beal debt. For once, everybody walks away better.
25. Indiana Pacers
2024–25 Record: 50–32 (6th East, 2nd Central), Playoffs: Lost in first round
Offensive Efficiency: 115.4 (9th) Defensive Efficiency: 113.3 (13th) Pace: 100.8
What Changed:
Everything that matters. Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles tear took the heart out of one of the NBA’s most watchable offenses. Last season, he made Indiana hum — first in the league in assists, second in pace, ninth in offense. This year, the music stops. Andrew Nembhard inherits the controls, Pascal Siakam gets more touches than he probably wants, and Thomas Bryant will quietly hold the paint while James Wiseman tries once again to look like an NBA player instead of a geological survey.
What They Want:
Survival, morale, and retention. This is a gap year disguised as a rebuild. Siakam’s extension will test his patience, Mathurin’s shot selection will test everyone else’s, and the front office’s job is to convince the roster that the next chapter isn’t a rerun of the Paul George era: all promise, no permanence.
Our Take:
Indiana isn’t bad — they’re incomplete. Without Halliburton, they’re an orchestra with no conductor. If Nembhard grows into a steady hand and Siakam stays engaged, they can still play competent basketball. The Pacers own their own pick outright, which means there’s zero incentive to chase play-in purgatory. The smart play is to keep the engine idling, stack developmental minutes, and let the losses pay dividends in June. For now, Indiana isn’t trying to win the race — they’re pulling safely to the shoulder, waiting for Halliburton to heal and the lottery balls to bounce their way.
26. New Orleans Pelicans
2024–25 Record: 21–61 (14th West, 4th Southwest), Playoffs: Missed
Offensive Efficiency: 111.2 (25th) Defensive Efficiency: 115.8 (22nd) Pace: 99.6
What Changed:
Everything but the direction. Zion’s gone, the coaching carousel spun again, and in came Dejounte Murray and Jordan Poole — two guards who both need the ball and the spotlight. That’s not a backcourt, that’s a custody battle. Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones are the adults in the room, doing the same quiet two-way work they’ve done for years, while José Alvarado keeps holding this thing together with grit and caffeine. Meanwhile, the frontcourt looks like a garage sale: Kevon Looney for competence, Hunter Dickinson and Derik Queen for size, Yves Missi for curiosity.
What They Want:
At this point, realism. The Pelicans aren’t rebuilding so much as resetting their expectations. They’ve got a roster that can steal games when the shooting clicks, but none of the balance that wins over time. The hope is that Trey Murphy keeps blossoming into a full-time star, that Murray remembers he’s supposed to make other people better, and that Poole learns there’s a difference between confidence and delusion.
Our Take:
This isn’t a team — it’s a post-credits scene. New Orleans has plenty of names, few fits, and a lottery ticket disguised as a roster. They own their 2026 first-round pick and still hold swap rights from the Lakers deal, which means there’s no incentive to chase moral victories. The best-case scenario is player development wrapped in plausible deniability. José Alvarado will keep pressing full court like it matters, Herb Jones will keep guarding everyone else’s mistakes, and the Pelicans will keep pretending this is progress. The only upside to this circus is that the tent comes with lottery tickets.
27. Chicago Bulls
2024–25 Record: 39–43 (10th East, 3rd Central), Playoffs: Lost in Play-In
Offensive Efficiency: 113.1 (18th) Defensive Efficiency: 114.5 (21st) Pace: 97.9
What Changed:
Mostly the tenants. DeRozan’s out, LaVine’s out, and Josh Giddey just moved in next to Coby White hoping the lease includes purpose. Matas Buzelis, the hometown prospect, headlines the youth movement, while Nikola Vučević and Kevin Huerter hang signs that read “Open for Business” above a store that’s been closing for years. The Bulls aren’t rebuilding; they’re renovating the same space for the fifth time.
What They Want:
Foot traffic. The front office keeps chasing that faint echo of relevance — just enough wins to fill the lower bowl and justify inertia. The plan, such as it is, revolves around development disguised as competitiveness: let White cook, let Giddey pass, let Buzelis learn under the neon hum of expectations no rookie deserves.
Our Take:
Walking into a Bulls game feels like visiting a dead mall that still plays 90s hits through the PA. You remember what it used to be — the banners, the bravado — but now it’s kiosks and nostalgia. There are signs of life: White’s steadiness, Buzelis’s flash, Giddey’s vision. But none of it changes the fact that this team is running a boutique in a boarded-up wing of the NBA. Until Chicago commits to either tearing it down or building it back up, it’ll stay what it is: clean floors, empty stores, and echoes of Jordan selling you the memory of glory.
28. Brooklyn Nets
2024–25 Record: 24–58 (13th East, 4th Atlantic), Playoffs: Missed
Offensive Efficiency: 110.9 (25th) Defensive Efficiency: 114.7 (21st) Pace: 99.2
What Changed:
The ghosts are gone — Durant, Kyrie, Harden — and Brooklyn is finally living within its means again. In came Michael Porter Jr., still allergic to consistency but gifted enough to accidentally win a few games. Terance Mann’s defense and effort feel like culture glue, and Nic Claxton keeps patrolling the paint like someone who never got the memo this is a rebuild. Cam Thomas remains the walking heat check, equal parts entertainment and entropy.
What They Want:
Peace, progress, and proof that competence can still be a culture. The Nets actually have all their picks again, plus a few extra from Phoenix and Dallas, so they don’t need to fake hope anymore. Their youth movement — Thomas, Clowney, Demin, and Ziaire Williams — gives them more intrigue than embarrassment. They’re bad, but not broken.
Our Take:
After years of drama addiction, Brooklyn’s gone cold turkey. There’s something quietly noble about a franchise that’s not pretending anymore. Cam Thomas will drop 40 when no one’s looking, Claxton will keep contesting everything that moves, and fans will keep talking themselves into next year’s lottery. It’s not winning basketball, but it’s honest basketball — and after what they’ve been through, that’s progress worth toasting.
29. Washington Wizards
2024–25 Record: 18–64 (15th East, 5th Southeast), Playoffs: Missed
Offensive Efficiency: 105.8 (30th) Defensive Efficiency: 118.0 (27th) Pace: 101.8
What Changed:
The front office finally hit the red button. Out went Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, and every last pretense of competing. In came Marvin Bagley III, Khris Middleton, Reggie Jackson, and the annual shipment of rookies and second-chance hopefuls. It’s less a roster than a basketball recycling program. Middleton can still get a bucket, Reggie can still cook for four minutes at a time, and Alex Sarr is the new seven-foot science experiment. Everyone else is here to learn, survive, or get traded.
What They Want:
Peace, mostly. The Wizards haven’t had an identity since the Gilbert Arenas incident, and this year won’t fix that. They control all their picks for the first time in forever, so this is the rare honest tank — no hidden swaps, no salary-dump guilt. Middleton and Reggie will try to keep the kids calm while silently wondering what sins they’re atoning for.
Our Take:
Reggie Jackson’s resting expression already looks like he’s watching Wizards film — disbelief with a hint of pain. Middleton deserves better, Sarr deserves patience, and the fans deserve hazard pay. Washington isn’t just bad; they’re aggressively, structurally bad. A full teardown without the dignity of pretending otherwise.
30. Utah Jazz
2024–25 Record: 21–61 (14th West, 5th Northwest), Playoffs: Missed
Offensive Efficiency: 112.1 (23rd) Defensive Efficiency: 120.3 (30th) Pace: 100.6
What Changed:
Utah traded away the last traces of competence. Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, John Collins, and Kelly Olynyk are gone, replaced by lottery-ticket rookies Ace Bailey, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski. The front office keeps stockpiling picks like a survivalist hoarding canned beans — twelve first-rounders through 2031 — while trying to convince everyone this is a plan. The one thing they should have locked up, Lauri Markkanen, they’re reportedly low-balling with what they call a “team-friendly star contract,” a phrase that means exactly nothing and communicates everything.
What They Want:
They’ll say “patience.” They mean tanking. The roster is an endless science fair of youth and redundancy. Walker Kessler is supposed to be their defensive anchor, Keyonte George their budding lead guard, and Markkanen their placeholder superstar — until he realizes the placeholder part. Will Hardy returns to preside over another season of moral victories and empty seats.
Our Take:
This franchise was two Jordan hero shots away from two titles, and now it’s a think tank with sneakers. They’re not rebuilding — they’re evaporating. Letting Markkanen twist in contract limbo tells the league everything: Utah doesn’t reward success, it arbitrages it. Once you become the team that turns competence into cap flexibility, no one trusts your vision again. This isn’t the purposeful pain of a tank; it’s suicide by spreadsheet. We’re putting them dead last because they earned it — not by losing games, but by forgetting why they should want to win them.
The Kids’ Table Took Over
For twenty years, the league ran on inheritance. You bet on the names you already knew—LeBron, Steph, Durant, Kawhi, Giannis, Jokic, Tatum—and you cashed out on predictability. The rule was simple: the kids might impress you, but the grown-ups still owned June.
Not anymore.
Oklahoma City didn’t ask for the crown; they built one. Minnesota stopped being a meme and started playing for blood. Houston torched its rebuild and came back with Durant like a phoenix that learned cap management. Even Orlando and Detroit’s toddlers are punching above their weight class.
Meanwhile, the old guard’s still forcing windows open that nature already shut. The Lakers are bartering with time. The Warriors are negotiating with nostalgia. The Bucks are mortgaging tomorrow for one more yesterday. And the Clippers—God love them—are trying to outspend time itself, buying stars like it’s a cheat code for entropy.
This isn’t a youth movement—it’s a coup. The future stopped waiting its turn. These kids don’t need mentoring or myth; they’ve seen the throne and skipped straight to the coronation.
The balance of power shifted quietly, then all at once. And if you squint hard enough at the standings, you can already see it—the end of an era, the beginning of another, and the old kings counting rings like relics.
The kids aren’t coming. They’re here.
Sometimes next doesnt wait its turn — just ask those 2004 Lakers.
Todd / 120 Proof Ball
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