March 9, 2026, 5:06 a.m. CT
In the early stages of March, the NBA is entering its stretch run. We’re seeing teams separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Specifically, a couple of teams out West as the East’s best team, record-wise, has started to run out of gas.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have kept up with each other’s hot streaks. It’ll be fun to see which team blinks first. Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons look more and more human. A few bad losses have folks eyeing other East teams.
One being the Boston Celtics. In the biggest story of the week, Jayson Tatum has returned from a torn Achilles. He obviously looked rusty. But he has a month to get more comfortable. If he resembles his old self, the veteran squad will easily become the NBA Finals favorite.
Every week, Thunder Wire will release updated 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings. Here is the Mar. 2-8 edition:
Previous Rankings:Â 30
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The Kings remain the league’s worst teams. They’re the first to hit 50 losses. To show you how big a dumpster fire things have gotten in Sacramento, Russell Westbrook recently berated reporters. It went viral as he antagonized the group for criticizing the team. Which is totally fair considering how bad they’ve been. It wasn’t that long ago when they were one of the best teams with a bright future. What a fall.
29. Indiana Pacers (15-49)
Previous Rankings:Â 28
The Pacers continue to fall in the standings. They’ve lost nine in a row. Not much else to say about this group. Only one month is left for a miserable season. The highlight was Pascal Siakam’s All-Star berth. Aside from that, though, Indiana has been one of the worst teams. With March Madness around the corner, they’ll get a chance to watch blue-chip prospects with the hopes of adding one to their group.
Previous Rankings:Â 27
Arguably the busiest team at this past trade deadline, the Wizards finally had the chance to open up one of their new toys. Trae Young debuted for Washington in a loss to the Jazz. He had 12 points and six assists as he knocked off the rust from an extended absence. We’ll see how many more games he plays, but his addition is about the future. The other big addition, Anthony Davis, feels like he’s going to miss the rest of the season.
27. Brooklyn Nets (16-47)
Previous Rankings:Â 29
Snapping a 10-game losing streak, the Nets had their most impressive win this season. They served the ginormous upset over the Pistons. Michael Porter Jr. had 30 points and 13 rebounds. Brooklyn has been one of the worst teams this season. And that’s by design. He’s been an awesome decision with a career year. It’ll be interesting to see if they can parlay it and flip him for a draft pick package this offseason.
26. Utah Jazz (19-45)
Previous Rankings:Â 26
The Jazz are all about losing. Been the case all season. Barring something wild, they’ll keep their top-eight protected pick. With that pressure off their shoulders, they can look forward to some of their young players going off. Ace Bailey did that with 32 points in a win over the Wizards. He was Utah’s top pick last year. And while he’s had a mixed rookie year, he showed off his potential as a high-end scorer.
Previous Rankings:Â 22
Sidelines for almost a month with a foot sprain, Cooper Flagg returned in a loss to the Magic. He had 18 points and six assists. Just in time to play in Boston, too. He likely won’t win Rookie of the Year because of the time missed. Regardless of that, he’s lived up to his hype. The 19-year-old feels like he’s on the track to NBA superstardom. Dallas has fallen in the standings. But it’s the type of medicine it needs to properly build around him.
24. New Orleans Pelicans (21-45)
Previous Rankings:Â 24
Well, you saw Stephen A. Smith and the Pelicans’ social media manager beef. It transferred to the airwaves as the ESPN personality went after the franchise. Pretty sad times in New Orleans. Feels like they’re one of the forgotten teams in the league. Even with Zion Williamson’s career resurrection, it just hasn’t mattered. Will be interesting to see what they do in the offseason. Specifically with him. Feels like a divorce would be the best for both sides.
Previous Rankings:Â 23
The writing is on the wall. Ja Morant will miss at least two more weeks with an elbow injury. He’s seldom played this season with various injuries. This time feels different, though. You can decode this latest absence as the Grizzlies trying to ensure he’s healthy in the offseason. Speaking of divorce, those two sides feel like they’re about to go through one. Memphis has flipped the page to a rebuild. The last thing left is to move on from Morant. They also lost Zach Edey to another ankle surgery. That’s so scary for a seven-footer.
22. Chicago Bulls (26-38)
Previous Rankings:Â 25
As one of the best head coaches who squeezes every drop of juice out of his roster, not even Billy Donovan can make this group work. The Bulls are a weird mix of veterans and buy-low candidates. The only real pieces they have are Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. Chicago completely reworked its roster at the trade deadline. Feels like it’s ready for a fresh start around those two. For the next month, though, expect plenty of Collin Sexton ball.
Previous Rankings:Â 21
As their NBA All-Star deals with a back injury that won’t heal, Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant combined for 65 points in a win over the Grizzlies. Considering what the standings are, feels like the Trail Blazers are locked in the play-in tournament. Which is good news in a vacuum. That was Portland’s goal, considering it’s been irrelevant for years. But a meh last few months have really cooled off any chance of a playoff run.
20. Milwaukee Bucks (27-36)
Previous Rankings:Â 16
Well, a lot of the Bucks’ hard work has been erased. A four-game losing streak has caused the pessimists to come out. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points in a win over the Jazz to get back on the right side of things. The two-time MVP winner is leaving it all out on the floor. While we don’t know what his long-term future holds, he can at least say he went all out for Milwaukee if things go sideways. That’s all you can really ask for if you’re the old and expensive roster.
19. LA Clippers (31-32)
Previous Rankings:Â 17
The Clippers will forever remain a tease. You saw that exemplified in their loss to the Spurs. Up by 25 points, it felt like LA was about to deliver its best win of the season. Kawhi Leonard has played some of his best basketball. At his old NBA home, he was about to get a resume victory. Instead, they completely melted in the second half. A couple of mental mistakes boiled over into frustration. Even if the Clippers have had one of the best turnarounds ever, the fact that they fell into such a deep hole to begin with shows how flimsy the franchise is.
18. Golden State Warriors (32-31)
Previous Rankings:Â 20
The Warriors remain without Stephen Curry. Most teams would fold with their top two stars out. But the veteran group has figured out how to get wins. You saw that in their upset over the Rockets. It was a group effort as Golden State glued together its C squad. The good news is, help has arrived. Kristaps Porzingis should be good to go the rest of the way as he deals with an illness. At worst, they should be a postseason team. That’s all you can really hope for in the twilight stage of the NBA’s latest dynasty.
17. Philadelphia 76ers (34-29)
Previous Rankings:Â 13
The Sixers continue to navigate a couple of key absences. It’s something they should be used to by now. Joel Embiid has missed time with an oblique injury. Paul George continues to serve his suspension. Now Tyrese Maxey is out with a finger injury. It’s really tough to panic over Philadelphia’s recent slide. The biggest takeaway is that the team is in a bad spot if those three guys are out. Simple as that. The East gives them some grace. They should make the postseason. But beyond that, health will be the top swing factor.
16. Orlando Magic (35-28)
Previous Rankings:Â 15
In a grumpy year, the Magic have found some momentum. They’ve won four in a row. Finally. The offense has figured things out. At least to the extent where they’re not a bottom-third team. A blowout win over the Timberwolves is one of their best games of the year. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane combined for 55 points. While Orlando’s seeding situation is kinda a lost cause, a deep playoff run is still on the table. Just needs everybody to be on the same page.
15. Miami Heat (36-29)
Previous Rankings:Â 19
Don’t look now, but the Heat are back to being a high-powered offense. They picked up an impressive win over the Hornets. Tyler Herro had 33 points and nine assists. Entering the stretch run, Miami is playing some of its best basketball. That’s exactly where you want to be at this point in the year. Think a lot of that has to do with Herro finally looking like an NBA All-Star. Injuries have hampered him, but he’s looked awesome for a while now.
14. Atlanta Hawks (33-31)
Previous Rankings:Â 18
Some NBA seasons flash in a blink. Others feel like they take decades to finish. The Hawks are in the latter. It’s been a wild season filled with insane roster turnover. All that happening, they’ve remained in the postseason picture. Wild stuff. Atlanta has won six in a row. Jalen Johnson had 35 points in a win over the Sixers. He’s taken full advantage of being handed the keys to the franchise. Been a fun couple of weeks for them.
Previous Rankings:Â 11
The Raptors continue to be a weird team. Even Zach Lowe is perplexed by their ceiling and goals. It’s been a fun year in Toronto. Been a while since it’s had a competitive squad. But there’s only so much you can do when Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram are your best players. Those questions are for another day, though. For now, the Raptors have done an amazing job at getting everything they can from their roster.
12. Phoenix Suns (37-27)
Previous Rankings:Â 14
After being out for nearly a month, Devin Booker returned. It coincided with the Suns getting back on the winning side of things. He had 32 points in a win over the Pelicans. As long as he’s healthy, Phoenix will have a puncher’s chance on most nights. Elsewhere, Dillon Brooks was arrested on a suspected DUI. Never want to read that headline. He continues to be out with a broken hand. Just a dumb and needless distraction for a team filled with god vibes this year.
11. Charlotte Hornets (32-33)
Previous Rankings:Â 12
Climbing back to .500, the Hornets have had one of the best turnarounds. They’ve been one of the NBA’s best teams since the New Year. A blowout win over the Celtics cemented their status as scary. Kon Knueppel had 20 points. He should cruise his way to Rookie of the Year as one of the best outside shooters already. Charlotte has been red-hot for a few months now. Feels like they’ll be the popular upset pick in this year’s playoffs.
Previous Rankings:Â 6
Even though the Rockets keep winning, the eye tests just aren’t there. They’ve been too inconsistent this season to take them as a serious contender. A bad loss to the short-handed Warriors and Spurs are some confirmation bias to that. I don’t know. Alperen Sengun has been bad this season. Despite his All-Star berth. And injuries to Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams kinda wreck their identity. I like some of Houston’s pieces, but there are just too many question marks to put them in the same tier as the true title contenders.
9. Denver Nuggets (39-25)
Previous Rankings:Â 7
Getting blown out by the Knicks at a historic clip, the Nuggets seeing their ideal starting lineup suit up for the first time together in months had some rain in their parade. Doesn’t help that Jamal Murray also twisted his ankle. You could’ve excused Denver’s subpar regular season to injuries. But a bottom-10 defense has folks worried about its title hopes. Really depends on where they land in the standings. Being outside of the top four is a real possibility after most penciled you in as one of the league’s three best teams.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (39-25)
Previous Rankings:Â 10
You can’t give up on the Lakers. The talent is too tantalizing. They’ve won five of their last six. And even if the advanced stats paint this as a mediocre squad, the top-end talent grabs headlines. Luka Doncic has been in quite a streak. He dropped 44 points in a win over the Pacers. He then had 35 points in a resume win over the Knicks. Feels like he’s on his way to win the scoring title. Let’s see how Los Angeles plays the rest of the way. Most folks are ready to pull the plug. But I’m not there yet.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (39-25)
Previous Rankings:Â 8
Quite the busy week about the Cavaliers. We learned some thing on how the new-look squad stacks up against the East’s best. They picked up one of their best wins over the Pistons. James Harden had 18 points and seven assists. No wonder Cleveland apparently isn’t scared of them in a playoff matchup. They then drop a loss to the Celtics with Tatum back. Feels like Cleveland is sandwiched in the middle between those two teams. Could make a playoff run if the bracket breaks right for it.
Previous Rankings:Â 5
The Knicks may be one of the most polarizing teams in the league. Losses to the Thunder and Lakers have folks cooling off on their title odds. But a blowout win over the Nuggets has those same folks back to believing they can get over the hump this time. At the very least, New York has shown it can put up a fight against the superior Western Conference. That should spell well for their chances out East to at least make a run to the NBA Finals. Jalen Brunson badly wants to taste playoff success.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (40-24)
Previous Rankings:Â 9
The calendar has flipped to March. Which means the Timberwolves are ready to get serious about things. They’re known as regular-season trolls. But when the lights are the brightest, Anthony Edwards has shown out. Minnesota has won five of its last six games. Edwards scored 41 points in an easy win over the Grizzlies. We’ll see how the playoffs look, but their hot streak has the Timberwolves smackdab in the middle of the third-seed chase.
4. Boston Celtics (43-21)
Previous Rankings:Â 4
The return has finally arrived. Jayson Tatum took a batch of super soldier serum to return in less than a year from when he tore his Achilles. His potential return has been one of the biggest NBA storylines. We’ve finally reached the end as he returned in a win over the Mavericks. He had 15 points and 12 rebounds in a win. Baby steps. If he can look anywhere close to his previous All-NBA self by the playoffs, Boston has a real shot to be the East favorite. He’s arguably the biggest wildcard in the league.
3. Detroit Pistons (45-18)
Previous Rankings:Â 1
Panic time. The Pistons have lost four in a row. To some bad and middling teams, too, like the Nets and Heat. For the Detroit doubters, you’re seeing their concerns materialize. While Cade Cunningham has been awesome and an All-NBA talent, he hasn’t proven to be the type of NBA superstar to efficiently carry an entire offense. Besides Jalen Duren, nobody else on their roster will scare you. Despite their gaudy record all year. Surely things will turn around to secure the first seed. But remains to be seen how much that’ll matter for a team that hasn’t even won a playoff series together.
2. San Antonio Spurs (47-17)
Previous Rankings:Â 3
The Spurs are peaking at the right time. Playoff experience is overrated. They’ve won 16 of their last 17 games. That includes being undefeated in February. Not only are they winning, but they’re dominating the competition. They beat the Pistons once again without breaking a sweat. Victor Wembanyama had a monstrous 38 points and 16 rebounds. They mounted a 25-point comeback in a win over the Clippers. They then blew out the Rockets. San Antonio has looked like the best team in the league for a while.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (50-15)
Previous Rankings:Â 2
To be the champion, you gotta beat the champion. Even with the Spurs being red-hot, the Thunder have kept pace. They got a decent cushion for the first seed. They’re the first team to cross 50 wins. Which could decide a hypothetical playoff series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the cusp of making NBA history. He’s only two games away from breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record for most consecutive 20-point games at 126. The reigning MVP is the biggest reason why OKC has survived being one of the most injured teams in the league this season.