2026’s First NBA Power Rankings! Are the Bulls Still Top-20? ...Middle East

Lame joke alert: I haven’t curated an NBA Power Rankings since last year. Sadly, this is the only time I get to make that joke.

Over the past week, the Chicago Bulls have ridden their fair share of highs and lows, and yet, somehow, even without Josh Giddey and Coby White, they found ways to win. Meanwhile, plenty of other fun storylines are bubbling around the league. You’ll see them all in this week’s NBA Power Rankings, from bad teams playing above their station to contenders dropping games they really shouldn’t.

So, with that said, welcome to Bleacher Nation’s first NBA Power Rankings of the calendar year.

NBA Power Rankings: January 2, 2026

Starting 5

The Oklahoma City Thunder are still sitting atop the NBA Power Rankings, but I wouldn’t say they’re secure there. With three losses to the San Antonio Spurs in one month, their grip on No. 1 is starting to wobble. The only reason the Spurs aren’t in that top spot themselves is their back-to-back losses to the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Christmas Spur-it.The Spurs beat the Thunder for the third time in 13 days. pic.twitter.com/zB08JwEYol

Meanwhile, the No. 1 seed in the East, the Detroit Pistons, land at No. 4 here, ironically because they’ve dropped three of their last four, mostly to teams near the bottom. And this might be Denver’s final week in the top five, with major injuries threatening to send them sliding.

Dark Horses

6. Houston Rockets (21-10)7. Boston Celtics (21-12)8. Los Angeles Lakers (20-11)9. Minnesota Timberwolves (21-13)10. Phoenix Suns (19-14)

The Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics have been on a tear lately. Boston has won six of its last seven, while Houston has rattled off four straight. Both teams are creeping toward the top five, and that’s even more impressive considering each has been without key pieces all year.

The Los Angeles Lakers, on the other hand, have had it rough. They’ve dropped four of their last five, and not a single one of those losses was close. These were blowouts, the kind that even made head coach JJ Redick start asking questions. Without Austin Reaves, the Lakers have lost a step in their offensive firepower and will need to lean on their, well, mostly non-existent defense.

Final pic.twitter.com/EL9hxEjMcP

Fringe Playoff and Play-In Contenders

11. Toronto Raptors (20-15)12. Miami Heat (19-15)13. Orlando Magic (19-15)14. Philadelphia 76ers (18-14)15. Golden State Warriors (18-16)16. Cleveland Cavaliers (19-16)17. Chicago Bulls (16-17)18. Memphis Grizzlies (15-18)19. Portland Trail Blazers (14-20)20. Milwaukee Bucks (14-20)

Yes, your eyes don’t deceive you, the Bulls have climbed up the rankings. Two big losses and a wave of injuries should’ve sent them sliding the other direction. But their win over the Pelicans has kept them moving forward.

The double-big lineup is a radical departure from the three-guard look the Bulls had grown accustomed to. If it continues to work, Billy Donovan could suddenly be spoiled with options for how he wants to close games.

Bulls going big t.co/f11Ia0hWn3

On the other hand, the Miami Heat are inching their way out of the play-in crowd after a strong stretch of wins. They’re on a four-game streak and just knocked off Denver and Detroit, two top-five teams in these Power Rankings, further solidifying their climb.

Kicking off the new year #WINNING ? pic.twitter.com/XVCKXEJocp

Are They Good?

21. Los Angeles Clippers (12-21)22. Brooklyn Nets (10-21)23. Atlanta Hawks (16-19)24. Utah Jazz (12-21)25. Dallas Mavericks (12-23)

The teams worth talking about here are the Los Angeles Clippers and the Brooklyn Nets. Both looked like their seasons were headed off a cliff before they even really began, and then everything flipped.

NET GAINS: The Brooklyn Nets are 7-3 in December after consecutive road wins over the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Brooklyn boasts the NBA’s top defense this month, leading the league in both defensive rating and opponent scoring average. On offense, Michael… pic.twitter.com/U1iPt3XKEJ

Brooklyn put together an unforgettable December, going 7–3 while posting the best defense in the league. The Clippers, who don’t even own their own draft pick, were buried early, too, but they’re now riding a six-game winning streak. Kawhi Leonard is starting to look like his 2019 self, and LA could sneak into the top 20, top 15, or even top 10 in these NBA Power Rankings before we know it.

how many wins straight???add up their jersey numbers ? t.co/ojfHqohlBS

Bottom of the Barrel

26. Charlotte Hornets (11-22)27. Washington Wizards (8-24)28. New Orleans Pelicans (8-27)29. Sacramento Kings (8-26)30. Indiana Pacers (6-28)

There isn’t much to celebrate for the teams down here. The Pelicans had a brief resurgence that fizzled out just as quickly. The Wizards technically have more wins this year than they did at this point over the past two seasons, but not by much.

And then there are the reigning Eastern Conference champions, the Indiana Pacers. They’re mostly healthy again (without Tyrese Haliburton, of course), yet still own the worst record in the NBA. A league-high, 10-game losing streak has them cemented at the very bottom of my NBA Power Rankings.

Hence then, the article about 2026 s first nba power rankings are the bulls still top 20 was published today ( Saturday 03/01/2026 - 01:54 AM ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 2026’s First NBA Power Rankings! Are the Bulls Still Top-20? )

Also on site :

• World Darts Championship live: Luke Littler faces Ryan Searle in first semi-final before Van Veen v Anderson
• Holiday Bowl matches up loyal QBs in Arizona’s Noah Fifita, SMU’s Kevin Jennings
• Will Cubs Pivot to Free Agent Starter Zac Gallen After Whiffing on Imai?