Tracking the Power Rankings

[O_V]

Biggest difference between this team and the mid-80s Jordan teams is that there's no Barkley sixers, there's no Isiah Pistons, there's no big three Celtics. There's two really, really great teams at the top along with San Antonio. But the Spurs are perfectly equipped to be able to compete and beat them.

Make no mistake, any team that starts playing really, really well as soon as the playoffs start is capable of beating any other team. This year's team peaked a little early. We'll see if they can keep it up for the next 40 games.

 

[Quentin_Compson]

Sorry, one more thing of note is that the current nba favours younger teams with fresh legs, speed and quick reactions more than the old days.

In the 80s to the 00s, older players who are slower but got that old man strength has an advantage as the game was a grind it down type of game.

So in some ways the spurs may have an advantage over a few contenders with the exception of the thunder.

Also, depth is probably more important in the playoffs than it used to be. I think depth (and Carlisle being great at employing it) was an underrated factor in the Pacers' Finals run last season.

 

[SpursFan86]

Biggest difference between this team and the mid-80s Jordan teams is that there's no Barkley sixers, there's no Isiah Pistons, there's no big three Celtics. There's two really, really great teams at the top along with San Antonio. But the Spurs are perfectly equipped to be able to compete and beat them.

Make no mistake, any team that starts playing really, really well as soon as the playoffs start is capable of beating any other team. This year's team peaked a little early. We'll see if they can keep it up for the next 40 games.

I mean...

2023 - 2024 Thunder: 57 wins, 7.36 SRS (2nd in the league)
2024 - 2025 Thunder: 68 wins, 12.70 SRS (1st in the league, highest SRS rating of all-time)
2025 - 2026 Thunder: on pace for 63-64 wins, 10.63 SRS (1st in the league, think this would be knocking on the door of top 5 SRS of all-time)...worth pointing out this is with them having quite a few injuries this year

I'd argue that this Thunder team has been about as dominant as a team can look over a 2-3 year stretch If you want to argue that it's solely a result of the league being "weak" or something then go for it I guess, but the point is that they're definitely shaping up to be one of those all-time great teams that people discuss in the future.

I still think we have a decent-ish shot at beating them (would peg it somewhere in the 30-40% range probably) because I agree we match up as well as you can against them. But the idea that anyone could knock them off or that there's not a juggernaut standing in our way is a little misguided IMO.

 

[O_V]

I mean...

2023 - 2024 Thunder: 57 wins, 7.36 SRS (2nd in the league)
2024 - 2025 Thunder: 68 wins, 12.70 SRS (1st in the league, highest SRS rating of all-time)
2025 - 2026 Thunder: on pace for 63-64 wins, 10.63 SRS (1st in the league, think this would be knocking on the door of top 5 SRS of all-time)...worth pointing out this is with them having quite a few injuries this year

I'd argue that this Thunder team has been about as dominant as a team can look over a 2-3 year stretch If you want to argue that it's solely a result of the league being "weak" or something then go for it I guess, but the point is that they're definitely shaping up to be one of those all-time great teams that people discuss in the future.

I still think we have a decent-ish shot at beating them (would peg it somewhere in the 30-40% range probably) because I agree we match up as well as you can against them. But the idea that anyone could knock them off or that there's not a juggernaut standing in our way is a little misguided IMO.

I don't recall where I said that they were a result of the league being weak. I seem to remember calling them a great team. I didn't minimize them at all. When they weren't playing well, I'm the one that got shit for saying that Shai is an amazing, amazing player and he's better than everybody else in the league. McCain was my number one pick last year and he's turned out to be a really good reclamation project for them. He's going to be a contributor to an increasingly dangerous Thunder team as well.

The teams that I mentioned that Jordan had to go through were ALL in the Eastern Conference. It was a gauntlet. The Spurs have one real test, maybe two if Denver can get healthy and pointed in the right direction. But even you have to admit that's a far easier road than bad boy Pistons AND Bird Celtics AND Barkley Sixers.

Lastly, as great as OKC is the Spurs have beat the fucking brakes off of them this year, and every single matchup was before the stretch where the Spurs are playing really good basketball.

The Spurs stand an excellent chance of meeting OKC healthy and rested. Instead of being beat up, like Jordan's early teams always were by the time they got to the conference finals.

I agree that because they're a young team, there's probably going to be stumbling blocks in the playoffs, but if there's any team ever that's built to go to the finals and win it in their first try, it's this team with this superstar.

 

[bozhemoi]

I mean...

2023 - 2024 Thunder: 57 wins, 7.36 SRS (2nd in the league)
2024 - 2025 Thunder: 68 wins, 12.70 SRS (1st in the league, highest SRS rating of all-time)
2025 - 2026 Thunder: on pace for 63-64 wins, 10.63 SRS (1st in the league, think this would be knocking on the door of top 5 SRS of all-time)...worth pointing out this is with them having quite a few injuries this year

I'd argue that this Thunder team has been about as dominant as a team can look over a 2-3 year stretch If you want to argue that it's solely a result of the league being "weak" or something then go for it I guess, but the point is that they're definitely shaping up to be one of those all-time great teams that people discuss in the future.

I still think we have a decent-ish shot at beating them (would peg it somewhere in the 30-40% range probably) because I agree we match up as well as you can against them. But the idea that anyone could knock them off or that there's not a juggernaut standing in our way is a little misguided IMO.

I would 100% say the league is flat and relatively weak right now, absolutely, and I've been watching the NBA for a long time. OKC is not a historical team by any measure. They'd get pummeled by the Warriors or the Heatles or others in the recent past.

 

[scott]

Week of 3/9/2026. Spurs are 47-17.

Will update the table at end of week after everyone has updated.

Let's see if we've done enough for ESPN to leap us in front of the team we have an 8 game lead over in the standings

NBA.com: 1 (unchanged) - https://www.nba.com/news/power-rankings-2025-26-week-21
NBC Sports: 1 (unchanged) - https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/...main-on-top-but-celtics-trying-to-crash-party
ESPN: 2 (up from 4) - https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...all-30-teams-month-left-thunder-spurs-celtics
CBS:
USA Today: 2 (up from 3) - https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...r-rankings-thunder-spurs-pistons/89085193007/
Bleacher Report:
NYT/The Athletic: 1 (up from 2) - https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7100970/2026/03/09/nba-power-rankings-spurs-knicks-celtics/

Updated, ESPN still can't find it in them to put us at #1

 

[bozhemoi]

ESPN is still mad at us for not sending Kawhi to the Lakers.

 

[Quentin_Compson]

I would 100% say the league is flat and relatively weak right now, absolutely, and I've been watching the NBA for a long time. OKC is not a historical team by any measure. They'd get pummeled by the Warriors or the Heatles or others in the recent past.

Pretty sure you would have or indeed have said the same thing about the Warriors or Heatles or others in the recent past. Watching anything for a long time doesn't automatically mean anything.

 

[scott]

W21 completely in the books. Can't argue with any of these.