Thunder Lead ESPN’s Early NBA Tier Rankings
thunder-lead-espn-early-nba-tier-rankings
ESPN has sorted all 30 NBA teams into seven performance tiers one month into the 2025-26 season, placing the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder alone at the top.
Tier 1: Clear Favorite
Oklahoma City (13-1) sits on a projected 76-6 pace with a league-best plus-15.4 point differential. The Thunder boast the NBA’s top defense by 6.6 points per 100 possessions, even while Jalen Williams has yet to appear and several rotation players have missed time. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is duplicating last season’s numbers, and Chet Holmgren is averaging a career-high 19.3 points on elite efficiency.
Tier 2: Legitimate Title Contenders
Four clubs clear ESPN’s championship probability threshold: the Denver Nuggets (10-2), Houston Rockets (9-3), New York Knicks (8-4) and Cleveland Cavaliers (9-5). Denver owns the second-best point differential despite newcomer Cam Johnson’s shooting slump. Houston has offset Fred VanVleet’s absence with rookie guard Reed Sheppard and awaits Dorian Finney-Smith’s return. New York and Cleveland remain the East’s safest bets if fully healthy, with the Cavaliers monitoring Darius Garland’s status.
Tier 3: Conference Finals Threats
The Los Angeles Lakers (10-4), Minnesota Timberwolves (8-5), San Antonio Spurs (9-4), Detroit Pistons (11-2) and Atlanta Hawks (9-5) have one elite side of the ball and one average. Minnesota ranks fifth in offense but has slipped on defense, while the Lakers sit fourth in effective field-goal percentage despite limited availability for LeBron James and Luka Doncic. San Antonio and Detroit lean on recent No. 1 picks Victor Wembanyama and Cade Cunningham, and Atlanta has gone 8-2 since Trae Young’s knee sprain.
Tier 4: Stalled Prospects
The Golden State Warriors (9-6), LA Clippers (4-9) and Orlando Magic (7-7) opened below projections. Injuries have hit the Clippers hardest: Bradley Beal is out for the season with a hip fracture, Chris Paul has slipped from the rotation and Kawhi Leonard has already missed time with an ankle issue.
Tier 5: The Muddled Middle
Seven teams hover near .500: Portland Trail Blazers (6-7), Miami Heat (7-6), Milwaukee Bucks (8-6), Philadelphia 76ers (7-5), Toronto Raptors (8-5), Boston Celtics (7-7) and Chicago Bulls (6-6). Milwaukee remains a potential postseason spoiler behind Giannis Antetokounmpo despite a negative point differential.
Tier 6: Play-In Hopefuls
Memphis Grizzlies (4-10), New Orleans Pelicans (2-11), Sacramento Kings (3-11), Phoenix Suns (8-6), Dallas Mavericks (4-10) and Charlotte Hornets (4-9) chase the final postseason berths. Devin Booker’s All-NBA form and Collin Gillespie’s steady play have kept Phoenix competitive, while Dallas and Memphis weigh lottery pivots amid front-office turmoil and Ja Morant’s discontent.
Tier 7: Draft-Focused Rebuilders
The Utah Jazz (5-8), Washington Wizards (1-12), Brooklyn Nets (2-11) and injury-struck Indiana Pacers (1-12) occupy the bottom tier, eyeing a 2026 draft headlined by prospects Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer. Utah, which owes a top-eight-protected pick to Oklahoma City, may prioritize keeping that selection.
Source: ESPN
