Sports

A New Contender Rises in the East as the Oklahoma City Thunder Remain the Favorites to Repeat

Published

7 months ago

November 22, 2025

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The 2025-26 NBA season is already a month in, and while we don’t want to press the panic button on any of these squads, some franchises are already in full-tank mode or making wholesale changes.

The Dallas Mavericksfired General Manager Nico Harrison, and the New Orleans Pelicans let go of head coach Willie Green. We have four teams that have yet to eclipse two wins through the first 15 or so games.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are several familiar and new juggernauts staking their claims as championship contenders amid some terrific starts to the year by their stars.

In celebration of the first month of the season, GIVEMESPORT put together a power ranking of all 30 teams, separating them into eight categories: tankers, no man’s land, Play-In at best squads, teams that can make the playoffs, teams that can win a series, dark-horse contenders, title contenders, and championship favorites.

Our ranking is not only based on how these teams are playing right now, but how they project going forward. Here’s how they all stack up.

The tankers

30. Brooklyn Nets

29. Washington Wizards

28. Indiana Pacers

27. New Orleans Pelicans

26. Sacramento Kings

Some of these teams expected to be in this category going into the season. The Indiana Pacers likely weren’t one of them, but Rick Carlisle has his own first round pick in a stacked 2026 NBA Draft. When Tyrese Haliburton returns next season, this team will be a contender again.

Staying in the East, the Washington Wizards are off to a disappointing 1-13 start despite having some intriguing young talent, while the Brooklyn Nets are still figuring out which players will be on their roster in the long term.

Lastly, the New Orleans Pelicans’ bet on Zion Williamson has not paid off so far and the Sacramento Kings are in a familiar place near the bottom of the Western Conference.

No man’s land

25. Charlotte Hornets

24. Dallas Mavericks

23. Utah Jazz

We listed the Dallas Mavericks as a dark-horse contender heading into this regular season. That projection doesn’t look so great right now for a franchise that is 4-12 and has fired their GM.

For now, the Mavericks are still looking to compete, but tanking is a feasible option, especially with Kyrie Irving out till sometime in 2026.

The Charlotte Hornets have two of the best rookies in the entire NBA in Kon Kneuppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner, but they are running into some familiar health and chemistry issues with their feature stars.

Lastly, the Utah Jazz are technically in the Play-In right now, but Lauri Markkanen is playing out of his mind, so we don’t think that’ll last long. Still, the All-Star forward’s trade value is certainly high right now!

Play-In squads at best

22. Memphis Grizzlies

21. Los Angeles Clippers

20. Portland Trail Blazers

Trade rumors are swirling for Ja Morant amid a 5-11, but the Memphis Grizzlies still have the upside to sneak into the playoffs, especially as Cedric Coward continues to develop. Thursday’s 137-96 win over the Kings was finally a good sign for an offense that has been among the worst in the league early on this season.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers look old, slow and are injured. Derrick Jones Jr. and Kawhi Leonard are both out for the time being while Bradley Beal‘s season is already over. Ty Lue’s team is missing Norman Powell now more than ever.

Staying on the coast, the Portland Trail Blazers have now lost four straight, and still look a year away from being a consistent feature in the Western Conference playoffs.

Deni Avdija, however, certainly has a chance to make his first All-Star team.

Can make the playoffs

19. Chicago Bulls

18. Milwaukee Bucks

17. Philadelphia 76ers

16. Boston Celtics

15. Phoenix Suns

A number of these teams got off to red-hot starts and have cooled off a bit since, namely, the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers.

Honing in on each team, Bulls’ efficiency has come back down to earth after drowning opponents from deep the first few games, the Bucks now will have to stay afloat without all-world star Giannis Antetokounmpo for a few weeks, and the 76ers are still integrating their injury-prone stars back into the rotation around a surging Tyrese Maxey.

As for the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns, both these squads are in the top 12 in both offensive and defensive rating and led by All-Star wings who can certainly keep up this production as the year goes on.

Who knew that a team with Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen on it could be this likable?

Can win a playoff series

14. Miami Heat

13. Toronto Raptors

12. Atlanta Hawks

11. Orlando Magic

10. Golden State Warriors

In terms of long-term projections, the Miami Heat are pretty underrated in our rankings given that they are still waiting for Tyler Herro to make his season debut, and Bam Adebayo has already missed six games.

Fortunately, Norman Powell and company are thriving in Erik Spoelstra’s new-look offense as they wait for their stars to return. Meanwhile, in the North, the Toronto Raptors are finally taking advantage of a roster that on-paper has the talent to return to the postseason.

Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Scottie Barnes are one of the more underrated trios in the league. Staying on the topic of underrated, Jalen Johnson is a dark horse MVP candidate for an Atlanta Hawks team that is young, athletic, and has the potential to be a defensive nightmare in the playoffs.

Shifting to the last two teams, the Orlando Magic and Golden State Warriors can both jump up a tier with a few more encouraging performances, but these squads are running into familiar weakness.

In the Magic Kingdom, that weakness is three-point frequency and efficiency, while in the Bay Area it’s offensive creativity outside of Stephen Curry and containing elite opposing big men.

Dark-horse contenders

9. San Antonio Spurs

8. Detroit Pistons

These are two young teams off to a hot start that are likely to get more respect in other power rankings. We just need to see a little more from both of them to be truly convinced and coming in at No. 8 and No. 9 is still a huge compliment.

Nonetheless, the Detroit Pistons are currently the top seed in the Eastern Conference at 13-2, largely thanks to improvements from Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson.

The Pistons are the second-best defensive team in the NBA right now, behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, with their main weakness also being three-point efficiency, which still ranks relatively low.

As for the San Antonio Spurs, they’ll have to manage the next few weeks without Victor Wembanyama, but this is a scary team on both ends when fully healthy.

Title contenders

7. Minnesota Timberwolves

6. Cleveland Cavaliers

5. New York Knicks

4. Los Angeles Lakers

3. Houston Rockets

As the teams ahead of them in the standings dominate in the headlines, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks are all in fine shape a month into the season.

Jaden McDaniels offensive jump this year has been a very encouraging sign for Chris Finch’s team, while the two other Eastern Conference giants are managing injuries to key players at the moment.

The Knicks’ tendency to struggle against young athletic squads is something to keep an eye on as there are plenty of franchises that fit that archetype now in the conference.

Meanwhile, the L.A. Lakers finally debuted LeBron James this season, and the all-time great forward might be the third option with the form that Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are currently in. Which is not a bad thing. Also, Deandre Ayton has thrived with his new team through his first 14 games.

Lastly, there’s the Houston Rockets, who have the best offense in the NBA, thanks in large part to the addition of Kevin Durant. KD is still KD even in his 19th season, and the attention he consistently draws has made life a lot easier for Alperen Sengün and company.

Championship favorites

2. Denver Nuggets

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

We were adamant about the two favorites for the Larry O’Brien Trophy going into the season, and nothing has changed two months in. Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are both in peak form right now and taking advantage of their improved supporting casts.

Ajay Mitchell and Chet Holmgren have both taken giant steps up this season, while Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Tim Hardaway Jr. have been sharp through the first month.

In terms of improvements, the Thunder are still waiting for Jalen Williams to return from offseason wrist surgery, and the Nuggets are being patient with Cameron Johnson‘s slow start.

Overall, both these teams are ascending and led by all-time greats, both of them rank in the top 5 in offensive and defensive rating, and at the moment, both are on a collision course to meet in an epic Western Conference Finals.

Sports

Ilia Topuria’s 7-Word Comment to Close Friend After Defeat

Published

15 minutes ago

June 18, 2026

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The UFC world was left stunned last weekend as Ilia Topuria suffered the very first defeat of his professional MMA career, losing via TKO against Justin Gaethje at the UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington D.C.

The ex-lightweight world champion was pulled out by his corner after the fourth round of the headlining event at the White House as he failed to recover from a devastating left-right combination from the veteran American that left him bloodied in the third.

Gaethje’s explosive display was full of hard-hitting punches plus knees and uppercuts. Topuria’s inability to deal with the constant physical beat down meant an upset occurred and the challenger snatched away the lightweight crown to become a first-time undisputed champion in the UFC.

Topuria, who has also held the belt at featherweight, now has to deal with a fight fallout and feeling which he has never experienced as a professional, which is responding to and coping with a loss.

Ilia Topuria’s Close Friend Opens Up About Fighter’s Reaction

In the days since the 31-year-old’s brutal defeat in the American capital, a close friend of his, Pablo Motos, has spoken out to reveal the kind of emotions the fighter is currently experiencing and what his current state of mind is.

Speaking on his ‘El Hormiguero’ chat show, Motos touched on a recent conversation he had with Topuria, stating: “We were talking about something we’re going to do this summer, making jokes, and then he said a phrase I loved.

Ilia Topuria’s Close Friend Provides True Health Update After Brutal UFC Freedom 250 Fight

A lot has been said about Topuria’s health after his war with Justin Gaethje, but a close friend probably knows best, and he’s spoken out.

“He looks at me with his eyes closed and says, ‘Champions, when we fall, we fall hard.’”

Motos then revealed what Topuria’s intentions are in the Octagon and how he wants to go about avenging his world title loss to Gaethje, saying: “They’re already looking toward the future. He was telling me, ‘I’d love to do the rematch in Spain with Gaethje.'”

What Next For Ilia Topuria

Topuria’s desire to jump into a rematch demonstrates that he is keen to rectify his shortcomings against his most recent opponent and reclaim his spot at the top of the lightweight division.

Topuria, who is of Georgian and Spanish descent, has not fought in Spain since the very early days of his professional MMA career, with his last bout in the country coming in a 2016 featherweight title triumph over Jhon Guarin at Mix Fight Events 28 in Valencia.

The 9 Words Ilia Topuria Said to His Agent After Justin Gaethje UFC White House Defeat

Topuria wanted to known just one thing…

It remains to be seen what Gaethje intends to do moving forward after achieving his career-long dream of becoming an undisputed UFC champion at 37.

Should Topuria get his wish and get another crack at Gaethje in his home country, it would surely be one of the most anticipated UFC events of recent times.

Sports

Arsenal Submit Official Bid For Wonderkid

Published

36 minutes ago

June 18, 2026

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Arsenal have placed an official bid to sign wonderkid Jeremy Monga from Leicester City, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Gunners have been linked with a move for the 16-year-old for some time now, with reports of an offer emerging as early as last month.

Monga, who has been compared to Ousmane Dembele and described as a ‘deadly’ finisher, is expected to leave the Foxes this summer following their relegation to League One, despite having broken into the first-team as a 15-year-old.

And Arsenal have shown the keenest interest in him, with talks progressing over the last few weeks between the Gunners and his representatives over a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Now, according to Romano, Arsenal have lodged an official bid to sign the 16-year-old winger. He tweeted: “Arsenal sent official bid to Leicester City to get Jeremy Monga deal done. 16-year-old winger keen on joining #AFC and deal moving quickly now with optimism to sign #LCFC talent, seen as huge prospect for the future.”

More to follow…

Sports

Liverpool Working on Four More Signings After Victor Munoz Agreement

Published

58 minutes ago

June 18, 2026

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Liverpool are said to be pressing ahead with their summer transfer business after their successful Newcastle United transfer hijack. The Reds are now closing in on the signing of Osasuna attacker Víctor Muñoz, who is currently at the World Cup with Spain.

Newcastle were hoping to land the young talent, but while they were trying to lower his fee, the Reds stormed in to agree to his £34.6million release clause, and the deal is as good as done. When Muñoz will agree personal terms remains to be seen, given he is busy at the World Cup with Spain, but Liverpool will be confident of striking a deal, especially with a Spanish boss now in place.

Liverpool are not done there

It was unclear how bold Liverpool would be in this transfer window, given their huge spend and lack of return last summer, but the questions are now being answered. The Reds are already closing in on an exciting young talent in Muñoz, and that is only going to be the start of their business, according to a fresh report.

Football Insider claim Muñoz will be the first of five new signings this summer, with a central midfielder, centre-back, right-back and right-winger all required by Iraola.

The right-winger and centre-back signings will come as no surprise, given the exits of Ibrahima Konate and Mohamed Salah this summer. Meanwhile, many have called for more options in the middle of the park, while Conor Bradley battling his way back from a serious injury issue looks to be forcing the Reds to add more depth at right-back.

Muñoz can play on the right-wing, and he is a right-footer, but he has traditionally played on the left, liking to cut inside.

Shearer’s Reds warning

Former Newcastle United player and manager Alan Shearer

Speaking to Betfair last week, Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer warned that Liverpool need to recruit heavily in this summer’s transfer window. “Liverpool are going to have to go again in the transfer market,” he said. “Mohamed Salah’s gone, so they obviously need someone to replace him.

“They’ve also got Rio Ngumoha, who’s obviously a great talent, but for the future.So Liverpool need several players, I think, if they want to compete again at the very top. And certainly, in wide positions, they’re going to have to strengthen.

“I’m not surprised with who they’re being linked with, like Diomande and Barcola. I guess it’s only a matter of time before that, that would be the position that they announce.”