Album of the Week: “Decemberunderground” AFI (2006)
It’s the last month of 2025, and it’s a time when the calendar feels heavy. After all, we’ve been writing 2025 for more than 300 days. This is about to be it.
The NBA calendar has four phases for all of those front-office wannabes. It can be broken up nicely by season. In the winter, you have trade season. In the spring, the focus is on the draft. In the summer, you have free agency. And here we are in the fall, where rosters are finalized to start the regular season — call it the G League final cut, if you will.
We’re coming to the last few weeks of autumn. We have a decent sample size of on-court first impressions that many of you first started getting excited about way back in June. And now is a good time to check in on those impressions, as November generally is a month with remote trade activity — not that this stops haphazard Photoshops and faulty trade machines from showing up on your timeline, asking, “Who says no?”
Fine print: these Power Rankings won’t just rank every team. We’ll retain the tiers that teams will be promoted into and relegated out of. There will be five tiers each week:
- Top Contenders – Locked at five, these are the class of the league
- In a Good Place – Could be one team, could be seven teams
- The Bubble – Not to be confused with Walt Disney World. The middle of the pack
- Not the Tier to Fear – Not playing the worst ball in the league, but with a lot of work to do
- Basement Floor – Bringing up the rear
What to expect from Power Rankings:
- These are my subjective rankings. I will consider a variety of objective measures, but it’s my final call.
- These rankings are not just a review of the past week — we are projecting forward as well, so it is a balance of the two.
- These are subjective, but not biased. There are no agendas in the Power Rankings, and we strive for an inclusive meritocracy
- The one quality that these rankings possess: “Ruthless aggression.”
- Enjoy the games, and enjoy the rankings, please!
For Week 7 of The Athletic NBA Power Rankings, we will explore new faces in new places for each team. Win-loss records and other statistical data are through Sunday’s action.
Tier 1: Top Contenders
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-1)
Last ranking: 1
In the last week: W vs MIN, W vs PHO, W at POR
Offensive rating: 118.9 (sixth place)
Defensive rating: 103.6 (first place)
New face: SF Brooks Barnhizer
The defending champions got Jalen Williams back just as they lost center Isaiah Hartenstein. They’re still not at full strength yet, but they keep rolling along, adding a win over Western Conference finals foe Minnesota while avenging their lone loss in Portland. Oklahoma City ran it back with 14 of its 15 standard contracts from last season, and the lone new player on a standard contract (first-round rookie center Thomas Sorber, replacing 2024 first-round pick Dillon Jones) is out for the season because of a torn ACL. Barnhizer is Oklahoma City’s second-round pick on a two-way contract and is basically an Alex Caruso in training.
2. Detroit Pistons (16-4)
Last ranking: 2
In the last week: W at IND, L at BOS, L vs ORL, W at MIA
Offensive rating: 117.1 (10th place)
Defensive rating: 111.3 (fifth place)
New face: SG Duncan Robinson
The Pistons needed to replace their two best 3-point shooters in Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason. They came away with Robinson, who split the difference in shooting quality while the rest of the Pistons get busy in the paint. Robinson has actually played more minutes through Detroit’s first 20 games than any other player, and he is a 40 percent 3-point shooter who also finds a way to contribute defensively (one of four Pistons with at least 20 steals).
3. Denver Nuggets (14-5)
Last ranking: 3
In the last week: W at MEM, L vs SA, W at PHO
Offensive rating: 123.9 (first place)
Defensive rating: 114.2 (15th place)
New face: SF Cameron Johnson
Johnson got off to a slow start, and his volume is down substantially now that he isn’t the primary option in a Brooklyn offense devoid of relative talent. But Johnson is back to shooting better than 40 percent from 3 while being a solid fit overall. And Johnson is especially important while Denver deals with injuries to Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun, both because of Johnson himself as well as the depth that the Johnson transaction allowed the Nuggets to acquire.
4. Houston Rockets (13-4)
Last ranking: 4
In the last week: W at PHO, W at GS, W at UTA
Offensive rating: 122.3 (second place)
Defensive rating: 110.3 (second place)
New face: SF Kevin Durant
Durant missed return games in Phoenix and Golden State, which allowed the Rockets to show that their strong play goes beyond him. Then Durant came back after Thanksgiving and picked up where he left off. This is the first time in 14 years that Durant is under 50 percent from the field (he’s close enough at 49.8), and he is averaging his fewest points (24.6) since his rookie season. He’s in his 19th season, and the bigger picture is that he fits what Houston needs next to All-Star Alperen Şengün and the emerging Amen Thompson.
5. Los Angeles Lakers (15-4)
Last ranking: 5
In the last week: W vs LAC, W vs DAL, W vs NO
Offensive rating: 118.9 (fifth place)
Defensive rating: 114.9 (17th place)
New face: C Deandre Ayton
I tried to ask Ayton where he’s grown the most since training camp started with the Lakers. Let’s just say he’s really locked in. Ayton already has more 20-10 games this season than he had all of last season while converting a career-high 71 percent of his field goals and blocking his most shots per game (1.1) in five years. It’s a very specific role for Ayton, and he has been solid within it for a Lakers team that just had its most wins in a month (11-2) since January 2021.
Tier 2: In a Good Place
6. New York Knicks (13-6)
Last ranking: 11
In the last week: W at BRK, W at CHA, W vs MIL, W vs TOR
Offensive rating: 120.5 (third place)
Defensive rating: 113.1 (12th place)
New face: SG Jordan Clarkson
Guerschon Yabusele was the one who got the money, and Landry Shamet has had bigger games, but Clarkson has quietly contributed to New York’s bench. He actually has more dunks already this season (four) than all of last season in Utah (three), and while his 3-pointer hasn’t been there (30.9 percent), Clarkson has been one of seven Knicks to average double figures scoring (10.5 points per game). Overall, Clarkson has been an adequate replacement for Cameron Payne.
7. San Antonio Spurs (13-6)
Last ranking: 9
In the last week: W at POR, W at DEN, L at MIN
Offensive rating: 118.0 (seventh place)
Defensive rating: 113.5 (13th place)
New face: C Luke Kornet
Victor Wembanyama hasn’t played in more than two weeks while dealing with a calf strain. That has thrust Kornet into a key role, and the Spurs are 5-2 with Kornet starting at center. There’s nothing flashy about Kornet (outside of the Kornet Kontest, of course), as he just sets good screens on offense while blocking shots on defense. That’s all San Antonio needs until Wembanyama returns.
8. Miami Heat (13-7)
Last ranking: 7
In the last week: W vs DAL, W vs MIL, L vs DET
Offensive rating: 115.7 (13th place)
Defensive rating: 110.9 (third place)
New face: SF Norman Powell
Anyone who thought Powell was a product of the talent he played with in LA can put some respect on his name. Powell has given Miami a shot in the arm offensively, bursting through with a career-best 24.7 points while getting to the free-throw line 6.4 times per game. His 3-point efficiency has continued to be devastating, as he is making 44.4 percent of his 6.8 3-point attempts per game. Tyler Herro is back, so now Powell has to show that he can maintain his prolific output while sharing the floor with him. Herro is starting at shooting guard with Davion Mitchell remaining at point guard, which has shifted Powell to small forward and Andrew Wiggins to power forward.
9. Toronto Raptors (14-7)
Last ranking: 6
In the last week: W vs CLE, W vs IND, L at CHA, L at NY
Offensive rating: 116.1 (11th place)
Defensive rating: 111.5 (sixth place)
New face: SF Brandon Ingram
We’re taking some liberties here with calling Ingram a new face, since he was traded to Toronto in February and is just now playing in games for the Raptors after recovering from a sprained ankle. But Ingram is indeed here and looking like a thin DeMar DeRozan from the midrange. A nod to top offseason acquisition Sandro Mamukelashvili, Toronto’s top bench scorer at 10.3 points on 53.6 percent shooting from the field and 40.4 percent shooting from 3.
Desmond Bane has played well recently, but he’s still trying to find his shooting stroke from 3-point range. (Bob DeChiara / Imagn Images)
10. Orlando Magic (12-8)
Last ranking: 16
In the last week: W at PHI, W at DET
Offensive rating: 117.3 (ninth place)
Defensive rating: 112.4 (eighth place)
New face: SG Desmond Bane
Bane just broke through for his first 30-point game with the Magic in a massive road win. The player Bane was traded for, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, hasn’t had a 30-point game since leaving Washington in 2022. And yet, Bane didn’t make a 3 in his 37-point outing at Detroit. It continues to be a strange season for Bane, who is shooting only 31.6 percent from 3, but he is healthy, and the Magic are good with a chance to be better if Bane can keep progressing whenever Paolo Banchero gets back.
11. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-8)
Last ranking: 12
In the last week: L at SAC, L at OKC, W vs BOS, W vs SA
Offensive rating: 117.6 (eighth place)
Defensive rating: 112.9 (10th place)
New face: C Joan Beringer
The Timberwolves ran it back more than any other team in the NBA, with first-round rookie Beringer (37 minutes) and two-way contract small forward Johnny Juzang (22 minutes) representing the only appearances all season from players who weren’t on the roster last season. You would take the 18 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks that Beringer has in his 37 minutes. But he also has a foul for every four minutes he plays as well.
Tier 3: The Bubble
12. Boston Celtics (11-9)
Last ranking: 15
In the last week: W vs DET, L at MIN, W at CLE
Offensive rating: 119.1 (fourth place)
Defensive rating: 114.9 (18th place)
New face: PG Anfernee Simons
Simons went from being a 20-point-scoring starter in Portland to leading the Celtics’ bench scoring by a mile at a relatively meager 13.7 points per game. He has kept it simple for the slowest team in the NBA by cooking from 3, making decent decisions and not being a complete traffic cone defensively. In the meantime, reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard continues to show why he was given the starting job over Simons, as he dropped 42 points in Cleveland on zero days’ rest.
13. Atlanta Hawks (13-8)
Last ranking: 13
In the last week: L at WAS, W vs CLE, W at PHI
Offensive rating: 115.2 (15th place)
Defensive rating: 113.1 (11th place)
New face: PG Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Alexander-Walker was long prized as a key free agent this offseason, and the Hawks snagged him for a deal that included a $15.9 million 2028 player option. The Trae Young injury opened up a starting role, and Alexander-Walker is now the second player in his family averaging at least 20 points per game. The fact that Alexander-Walker has also held up defensively while getting more buckets (and free throws) than ever is going to earn him some Most Improved Player consideration.
14. Phoenix Suns (12-9)
Last ranking: 8
In the last week: L vs HOU, W at SAC, L at OKC, L vs DEN
Offensive rating: 115.8 (12th place)
Defensive rating: 113.5 (14th place)
New face: SF Dillon Brooks
Jalen Green was the headline acquisition in the Kevin Durant trade, but the Suns’ issues of keeping Devin Booker’s backcourt partner on the floor have extended to a third straight season. Fortunately, Brooks is here to happily take shots and be an all-around irritant to opponents. It’s been a very Dillon Brooks season, featuring more points than ever, more free-throw attempts than ever, more field goal attempts than ever, more steals than ever and his most fouls in six seasons. The Suns aren’t necessarily at their best with Brooks on the floor, and this was a bad week for Phoenix against stiff competition. But Brooks’ overall presence has certainly been notable.
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (12-9)
Last ranking: 10
In the last week: L at TOR, L at ATL, L vs BOS
Offensive rating: 115.7 (14th place)
Defensive rating: 112.6 (ninth place)
New face: PG Lonzo Ball
Tough week from Cleveland, as it got blanked by three conference opponents. The Cavaliers didn’t lose their ninth game last season until late January, which is also when they had their first three-game losing streak of the season. Ball is not here to score as Ty Jerome did last year, and while he has been an effective defender and connector, it is hard to see how Ball’s 30.4 percent shooting from the field helps Cleveland’s offense over the course of the season.
16. Golden State Warriors (11-10)
Last ranking: 18
In the last week: W vs UTA, L vs HOU, W vs NO
Offensive rating: 113.0 (22nd place)
Defensive rating: 111.8 (seventh place)
New face: SF Will Richard
As you may recall, the Warriors didn’t exactly participate in the offseason until they resolved Jonathan Kuminga’s contract situation right before training camp. They signed Al Horford, but Horford has played only 12 of 21 games and is dealing with sciatic nerve irritation now. De’Anthony Melton is in the final stages of his ACL recovery and could debut this week. So we’ll go with second-round rookie Richard, the only one of the 11 Warriors who has started a game this season who wasn’t on the team last season. Richard has been impressive with his 3-and-D profile to begin his NBA career.
17. Philadelphia 76ers (10-9)
Last ranking: 14
In the last week: L vs ORL, W at BRK, L vs ATL
Offensive rating: 114.8 (16th place)
Defensive rating: 115.6 (20th place)
New face: SG VJ Edgecombe
Edgecombe’s October had him looking like a Rookie of the Year front-runner, debuting with 34 points in a comeback win at Boston and then having a 26-point performance against the Magic as part of a 4-0 start for the 76ers. Edgecombe had only one 20-point game in November, though, as he has hit the rookie wall early. The good news is that Edgecombe is back from a calf injury and continues to be Tyrese Maxey’s backcourt mate.
Tier 4: Not the Tier to Fear
18. Memphis Grizzlies (9-12)
Last ranking: 21
In the last week: L vs DEN, W at NO, W at LAC, W at SAC
Offensive rating: 111.1 (25th place)
Defensive rating: 114.5 (16th place)
New face: SG Cedric Coward
Leave it to the Grizzlies to have their rookie lead them in minutes played. Coward isn’t just playing and starting. He has been impactful on and off the ball for Memphis while chipping in with 6.0 rebounds per game. The Grizzlies are coming off their best week of the season.
The Blazers have struggled without Jrue Holiday in the last eight games. (Troy Wayrynen/ Imagn Images)
19. Portland Trail Blazers (8-12)
Last ranking: 20
In the last week: W at MIL, L vs SA, L vs OKC
Offensive rating: 113.8 (19th place)
Defensive rating: 116.3 (22nd place)
New face: PG Jrue Holiday
Holiday is very much missed. Portland is only 2-6 without the 35-year-old point guard, who was enjoying an opportunity to have the ball in his hands again (career-high 8.3 assists per game) before suffering a multi-week calf injury. Holiday’s injury has come at the same time as Shaedon Sharpe’s calf injury, though Sharpe has returned as a bench player while Jerami Grant lives at the free-throw line.
20. Milwaukee Bucks (9-12)
Last ranking: 19
In the last week: L vs POR, L at MIA, L at NY, W vs BRK
Offensive rating: 114.3 (18th place)
Defensive rating: 116.3 (21st place)
New face: C Myles Turner
It took a visit from the Nets for the Bucks to break a two-week losing streak that has them under .500 entering December. The missed time for Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t exactly led to a major scoring bump for Turner, who takes fewer shots inside the 3-point line than ever before now. It’s not that Turner has been bad. It’s just that he’s not going to do a whole lot more than what his role allows him to do, on both ends of the floor.
21. Chicago Bulls (9-10)
Last ranking: 17
In the last week: L at NO, L at CHA, L at IND
Offensive rating: 113.5 (21st place)
Defensive rating: 116.8 (23rd place)
New face: SF Isaac Okoro
Okoro has been a starter for the Bulls, and he has shot the 3 well. But he is starting for defensive purposes, and the defense has cratered in Chicago. Now, Okoro has been dealing with a back injury while the Bulls dropped under .500 for the first time this season.
22. Charlotte Hornets (6-14)
Last ranking: 25
In the last week: L vs NY, W vs CHI, W vs TOR
Offensive rating: 114.6 (17th place)
Defensive rating: 118.8 (24th place)
New face: SF Kon Knueppel
The Hornets didn’t get Cooper Flagg, but they have the league’s highest-scoring rookie out of Duke! Knueppel is at 18.4 points per game while making 3.5 3s per game at 41.3 percent. No rookie has ever made more than 3.0 3s per game, and no rookie has ever made 40 percent of 3s and 90 percent of free throws for an entire season (minimum 100 attempts each). Based on his first quarter this season, Knueppel has a chance to make history.
23. Utah Jazz (6-13)
Last ranking: 22
In the last week: L at GS, W vs SAC, L vs HOU
Offensive rating: 112.6 (23rd place)
Defensive rating: 120.0 (27th place)
New face: C Jusuf Nurkić
We’ll have all season to discuss Ace Bailey, who is being brought along slowly as a starter, averaging a meager 21.8 minutes per game. For now, let’s take a look at Nurkić, who is starting in the wake of Walker Kessler’s season-ending shoulder injury. Nurkić is on a $19.4 million expiring contract, and the Jazz have used him as a pivot facilitator heavily. The result has been a career-high 4.1 assists per game, but Nurkić is also averaging a career-worst 2.7 turnovers per game to go with awful shooting percentages (45.1 percent field goals, 24.1 percent 3s, 57.1 percent free throws).
24. Dallas Mavericks (6-15)
Last ranking: 24
In the last week: L at MIA, L at LAL, W at LAC
Offensive rating: 106.0 (30th place)
Defensive rating: 111.1 (fourth place)
New face: SF Cooper Flagg
All is well that ends well, and Flagg went to Intuit Dome and was the best New Balance athlete on the floor Saturday, outscoring a desperate Kawhi Leonard 35-30 in a game Flagg’s depleted and otherwise rudderless team won by four points. Flagg also did it without making a single 3-pointer, mixing in an array of left-handed finishes with a surplus of free throws. It was a remarkably bad month for Dallas, but this is a top-five defense that is getting healthier (slowly, maybe not so surely) and has lost three more clutch-time games than any other team in the league. Flagg ensures that the arrow could go up as soon as December.
25. Indiana Pacers (4-16)
Last ranking: 28
In the last week: L vs DET, L at TOR, W vs WAS, W vs CHI
Offensive rating: 106.6 (29th place)
Defensive rating: 115.3 (19th place)
New face: C Jay Huff
When I did my team position rankings in October, I thought Huff would be the starter in Indiana over Isaiah Jackson. I directly compared him to a poor man’s Myles Turner. Now the Pacers are 2-2 in Huff starts after back-to-back wins, and Huff has a six-game streak of multiple blocks. And he’s basically to blocks what Carmelo Anthony was to rebounds.
Tier 5: Basement Floor
26. LA Clippers (5-15)
Last ranking: 23
In the last week: L at LAL, L vs MEM, L vs DAL
Offensive rating: 113.6 (20th place)
Defensive rating: 119.4 (25th place)
New face: PF John Collins
What’s interesting about the complete and total failure of the Clippers is how much age is a factor. The Clippers traded Norman Powell to acquire Collins. That means that the Clippers made one transaction to get younger, bigger and more athletic. They even “replaced” Powell with a younger player in Bradley Beal. It’s not about age. It’s about talent, fit and availability. Beal’s not available anymore, and while Collins has played in every game and is now starting, the fit has been perilous.
27. Sacramento Kings (5-16)
Last ranking: 27
In the last week: W vs MIN, L vs PHO, L at UTA, L vs MEM
Offensive rating: 109.1 (27th place)
Defensive rating: 119.5 (26th place)
New face: PG Russell Westbrook
Dennis Schröder was brought in on a three-year contract to be the starting point guard on a team that once had De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell on the roster at the same time, only for Schröder to lose the starting job to an 18-year veteran signed at the end of the preseason. Individually, Westbrook has been fine, but the point guard indecision is one of the factors in what has been the worst 20-game start for the Kings in 15 years.
28. New Orleans Pelicans (3-18)
Last ranking: 29
In the last week: W vs CHI, L vs MEM, L at GS, L at LAL
Offensive rating: 109.6 (26th place)
Defensive rating: 120.0 (28th place)
New face: PG Jeremiah Fears
Fears and fellow lottery pick Derik Queen are second and fourth in minutes for the Pelicans this season. Both rookies are starting, and they very much look like rookies, but the flashes are there for a New Orleans team going nowhere. Fears has a lot to learn about playmaking for others, but he only turned 19 in October, and he can already get to the paint and make the NBA 3.
29. Brooklyn Nets (3-16)
Last ranking: 26
In the last week: L vs NY, L vs PHI, L at MIL
Offensive rating: 111.6 (24th place)
Defensive rating: 122.4 (29th place)
New face: SF Michael Porter Jr.
Porter got to Brooklyn and unsurprisingly established himself as a top bucket. He is averaging 24.3 points per game, his first season over 20 points per game, and adds 3.0 assists per game as well. Porter’s offensive efficiency hasn’t been hurt too much in Jordi Fernandez’s system. But Porter has missed a couple of games because of back tightness, which will always be a red flag for him considering his history, and the Nets’ record means that they have little incentive to play Porter if he is not at full strength.
30. Washington Wizards (2-16)
Last ranking: 30
In the last week: W vs ATL, L at IND
Offensive rating: 107.8 (28th place)
Defensive rating: 122.4 (30th place)
New face: PG CJ McCollum
McCollum is still a bucket, and the Wizards finally got a win in November on the strength of 46 points and 10 3s against the Hawks. But with a chance to start a winning streak, McCollum had only 11 points on 13 shots in Indiana. It will be interesting to see where McCollum, a 2026 free agent, winds up. His 10-year streak of scoring at least 20 points per game is in jeopardy, as he is at 17.8 points per game while taking a relative back seat in Washington’s offense.