Oct 14, 2026 · 1h 37m
NBA contenders reveal widening gaps between regular-season wins and playoff ceilings
Preseason Power Rankings, Part 5 | Group Chat
The rankings expose which teams have sustainable strengths and which remain vulnerable when playoff opponents target their weaknesses.
- 1Houston’s defensive identity is promising, but its offense still needs more reliable creation and shooting.
- 2Denver remains dangerous through Nikola Jokić, yet an aging, expensive roster is narrowing its championship window.
- 3Cleveland and Boston can dominate the regular season, but both face questions about postseason adaptability and secondary creation.
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The Denver discussion turns from lineup fit to the possibility that the roster’s aging, expensive structure is shrinking Nikola Jokić’s championship window.
The brief
Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and J. Kyle Mann rank teams 10 through 6, using the crowded second tier to test regular-season strength against playoff viability.
Houston’s defense and young core make it a credible No. 10, but the Rockets still need Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün to solve an offense short on dependable creation and shooting.
The Lakers hope Luka Dončić can sharpen their identity, though building a functional defense around him—and meeting JJ Redick’s demands—remains the central challenge.
Denver may still be the most dangerous team here, but its aging, expensive roster increasingly asks Nikola Jokić to make every imperfect piece work.
Boston and Cleveland own high floors, yet their rankings turn on harder questions: who creates under pressure, how size is used, and whether familiar offenses can survive playoff adjustments.