The NBA is just over halfway through the 2025-2026 season, and the peak of the basketball mountain has started to take shape. With early-season rumblings of a defending champion possibly being able to break one of the most prestigious team records in the sport, A 7’4 Frenchman taking all of social media by storm with his phenomenal play, and many other young players staking their name in other coaches’ minds, the NBA season has been competitive, exciting, and controversial. As the association is gearing up for All-Star weekend, let me show you who I believe are the top teams to look out for when the playoffs roll around.
#1 – Oklahoma City Thunder (36-8, 1st in the West)
What was supposed to be a team of destiny earlier this season is now a team that is still dominant, but not historically. The reigning champions had dominated their opponents early on, starting 24-1 and having an average point differential of +15, showing how the young team could end up being one of the greatest of all time. Then they ran into a bump in the road during the In-season Tournament, facing Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, losing by just two points in a neck-and-neck game.
The Thunder then went 2-3 over the next five games after the loss, two of those losses being once again to the Spurs. Despite the struggle over that stretch, the Thunder have bounced back, getting second-option Jalen Williams back from injury. The Thunder now stand with the best record in the Association and are proving why they were champions just a season ago. The Thunder are first in points per game [ppg] (121.4), first in opponent ppg (108), and top-five in steals (10.1), blocks (5.9), offensive turnovers (11.7), and free throw percentage (82.5%).
Leading the highest scoring offense and the feisty defense is reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 27-year-old is displaying MVP-level play in almost every game, averaging 31.8 ppg (second) and 2.1 stocks per game (steals/blocks). Diving a little deeper into SGA this season, he is having one of the best seasons of all time. SGA has now scored 20 points in 115 straight games, which is the second-longest streak ever, and he is just behind Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 126 games straight. Out of all seasons in the entire NBA, SGA is second all-time in win shares per 48 Minutes (.3443) per Basketball Reference. Keep in mind, when it comes to advanced stats, this is one of the most important ones when it comes to evaluating how good a player actually is, not just as an athlete, but as a winning player. These are almost prime Michael Jordan numbers. That, along with his efficiency ratings and his pure skill when it comes to the eye test, he very well might be the best player in the NBA. Pair a player like SGA with stars like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, you have a pretty good chance of being the best team.
#2 – San Antonio Spurs (30-14, 2nd in the West)
San Antonio has had an alien lurking around the league since it entered the scene in 2023, but it has finally broken out of its shell this season. Victor Wembanyama is that thing. Coming into his third season, following a potential career-threatening injury in which Wemby had deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, he was healed up and ready to break out. That result was the expectation, and he soared above it. In his first nationally televised game this season, Wembanyama had 40 points and 15 rebounds (reb) along with some ridiculous highlights that went viral on social media over the next couple of days. After that, the fans and the Association knew we had a generational star on our hands.
Not only has Wembanyama been on a phenomenal run, but so has his team. Despite Wembanyama missing nearly a month of the season due to a knee injury, players like De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Devin Vassell had all stepped up and continued the success of the team in Wemby’s absence. Second-year guard Stephon Castle has improved upon his rookie of the year campaign, as this season he is averaging 17 ppg, 5 reb, and 7 assists along with very solid perimeter defense. Castle, being in the backcourt with all-star guard De’Aaron Fox, has put defenses on their heels all season, including the Thunder.
Early in the season, some people were wondering who would even be able to compete with the Thunder, but the Spurs have shown not only that they can compete, but they can fully outclass OKC, holding a 3-1 record over the Thunder in head-to-head matchups this season. If you’re playing against the sinister six, you need a Spider-Man, which is exactly what the Spurs have.
#3 – Detroit Pistons (31-10, 1st in the East)
The main attribute of the 2004 Pistons team that won a ring was their physical and imposing defense. Just over 20 years later, the Pistons are looking to get back on top using almost the same exact formula, but tweaked a little bit to fit the modern game. The Pistons sit at first in steals and blocks per game, along with allowing only 110 ppg (third) and forcing opponents to an average field goal percentage of just under 44% (second). These are all similar to the team that was the Bad Boy Pistons, but now Detroit has a primary ball handler who can score at all three levels.
Former number one overall pick Cade Cunningham is making a case for why he is one of the best players in the league this season. Cade is leading his team to not only the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but also title aspirations, which Detroit hasn’t seen in years. Cunningham is an amazing facilitator, averaging just under 10 assists per game (second). Combine his facilitating with his shooting splits and points per game average (25.7), and you have a generator for your offense. Not only is he Detroit’s engine offensively, but he is a very solid perimeter defender as well.
Motor City has already bounced from their league-worst record just a couple of seasons ago, but now they want to take it to the next level. I certainly think they have a good chance of doing so in a mediocre Eastern Conference.
#4 – Denver Nuggets (29-15, 3rd in the West)
Over their last 13 games, the Mile High City hasn’t gotten the luxury of watching arguably the best offensive player of all time, Nikola Jokic, as he has been out due to a knee injury he suffered in a loss to the Miami Heat. Since the injury, the Nuggets have stayed afloat in the standings, holding a 7-5 record over the 12 games Jokic has missed so far. Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and the breakout of Peyton Watson have helped Denver have the best offense statistically, averaging 121.4 ppg (first).
Before he got hurt, Nikola Jokic was having one of the best offensive seasons of all time. Earlier in the article, I mentioned how SGA has the second most win shares per 48 minutes of all time. Well, just in front of him by a whopping .0309 rate (a high number actually in relation to the stat), is Nikola Jokic this season. The Serbian this season is ahead of the likes of 2012 Lebron, 2015 Steph Curry, and 1990 Michael Jordan in this stat by a wide margin.
Not only is Nikola Jokic the most efficient player, but he backs it up with his averages. This season, Jokic is averaging nearly 30/12/11, which is just absurd. To put one game he had this season into perspective and narrow down one performance he had, against the Timberwolves on December 25, 2025, Jokic had 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists, while shooting 71% from the field (15/21) and over 50% from three (4/6). Flat-out insanity.
With Jokic’s injury, young wing Peyton Watson’s role was increased and he has delivered. Over the last 10 games, Peyton Watson has doubled his averages, scoring 22 ppg and shooting nearly 50% from three. Watson is also one of the better defenders in the Western Conference, as over the last 10 games, he is averaging 2.6 stocks per contest. With the momentum Watson has carried over this stretch, it will be interesting to see just how good the Nuggets can really be once Jokic is back on the court.
#5 – Minnesota Timberwolves (27-17, 7th in the West)
Despite being seventh in the stacked Western Conference, I believe the Timberwolves are one of the best teams in the Association for a multitude of reasons. First, star guard Anthony Edwards has been phenomenal this season. The first pick of the 2020 draft has advanced his game tremendously, at all three levels. Currently, Edwards is fourth in ppg (29.9) and is one of the better perimeter defenders in the league. Edwards has also been the most clutch player by a wide margin. On shots within the last five minutes of the game in a five-point margin, Edwards has the highest field goal percentage and most points per minute in that time, and it’s not even close.
Anthony Edwards isn’t the only reason the Wolves are top-three in ppg. Fellow players like Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert have done a very good job of making plays when Edwards is being heavily focused. On the defensive side, the Wolves have been just above average as a team, but there is a big discrepancy between when Rudy Gobert is on the floor and when he is off. When he is playing, the Wolves have a defensive rating of 109.4, which would be first in the league. When he is sitting on the bench, the Wolves have a rating north of 125, which would be dead last. Gobert is sneakily having one of his best all-around seasons, and certainly could get his fifth defensive player of the year award. Although the Wolves haven’t been winning as much over their recent stretch, I think they are still certainly a team to look out for when the playoffs come around.
