Power Rankings, Week 11: Spurs power past Thunder for No. 1
Oklahoma City's recent struggles drop it from No. 1 for the first time all season as the Top 10 undergoes changes aplenty.
Tristan Thompson and David Fizdale give their thoughts on whether the Spurs are just a bad matchup for the Thunder.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will not be spending all 25 weeks of the season in the top spot in the Power Rankings. After a 24-1 start to their season, the Thunder are 3-4 over their last seven games.
That, in itself, might not have been enough to knock the champs down a notch. Oklahoma City is still three games and 5.3 points per 100 possessions ahead of every other team in the league. But three of those four losses have come to the same team, and the two last week were by a total of 35 points.
So as we head into 2026, we have a new No. 1.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
- Right Way: Nicolas Batum (LAC) was a plus-66 in three games last week.
- Wrong Way: Bennedict Mathurin (IND) was a minus-56 in four games last week.
Teams of the Week
- Make It Last Forever: LA Clippers (3-0) — Better late than never?
- Something Just Ain’t Right: Philadelphia (0-3) — The Sixers haven’t been better when they’ve been healthy.
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East vs. West
Schedule strength through Week 10
- Toughest: 1. Sacramento, 2. Utah, 3. Orlando
- Easiest: 1. Detroit, 2. Oklahoma City, 3. Denver
- Schedule strength = Cumulative opponent record.
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Movement in the Rankings
- High jumps of the week: LA Clippers (+5), Utah (+3), Brooklyn (+3)
- Free falls of the week: Dallas (-7), New Orleans (-4), Portland (-4)
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Week 11 Team to Watch
- Cleveland — The Cavs have started to play better, but they haven’t been able to put wins together, and they’ve hit a critical juncture in their season. They’re two games into a stretch where they’re playing 11 of 13 against teams currently over .500, with a visit to San Antonio on Monday followed by home games against the Suns, Nuggets and Pistons.
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Previously…
- Last week: Where things stand as Christmas games loom
- The archive: NBA.com Power Rankings
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
The league has averaged 114.9 points scored per 100 possessions and 100.8 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes this season.
NBA.com’s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man’s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, contact him via Bluesky.
