NBA Week 4 power rankings: Rockets surge, Clippers tumble

The NBA season is a month in and we already have a solid sense of who teams are, and what they can become.

That has become most evident with the Houston Rockets, who lost two tough games against the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons to open their season, but have since course corrected. The Rockets offense, in particular, has been stellar, with Kevin Durant drawing so much gravity away from other Houston players.

Alperen Şengün has been solid, and the team is also getting contributions from role players like Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard.

On the other end of the spectrum, we also know that the Indiana Pacers, facing their rash of injuries, simply won’t have the offense capable to compete against even the most mediocre competition.

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings after Week 4 of the 2025-26 regular season:

USA TODAY Sports NBA power rankings

Note: Records and stats through Nov. 16. Parentheses show movement from last week’s rankings

NBA Week 4 power rankings: Top 5

1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 13-1 (—)

2. Denver Nuggets, 10-2 (—)

3. Detroit Pistons, 11-2 (—)

4. Houston Rockets, 9-3 (+4)

5. Los Angeles Lakers, 10-4 (+2)

Though their recent competition has been mostly average, Detroit has the NBA’s longest active winning streak (nine games). Kevin Durant (35 points) shined in a tough overtime victory Sunday, Nov. 16 against the Magic and has Houston’s offensive rating (123.4 points per 100 possessions) ranked No. 1 in the NBA – up from last season (114.9; 12th). And LeBron James is ramping up practices and may return to the Lakers as soon as Tuesday.

NBA Week 4 power rankings: Nos. 6-10

6. New York Knicks, 8-4 (+1)

7. San Antonio Spurs, 9-4 (-3)

8. Cleveland Cavaliers, 9-5 (-3)

9. Minnesota Timberwolves, 8-5 (—)

10. Atlanta Hawks, 9-5 (+9)

Dropping a pair to the Warriors knocks the Spurs down some, and we have to question De’Aaron Fox’s decision not to throw it in to Victor Wembanyama Friday, Nov. 15, with the game on the line. The Cavaliers officially are having point guard issues, with Darius Garland’s (toe) extended absence. In games that Trae Young did not start or finish, the Hawks are now 8-2 and have won five in a row, prompting the question of whether it’s time to move on from the four-time All-Star.

NBA Week 4 power rankings: Nos. 11-15

11. Golden State Warriors, 9-6 (+1)

12. Toronto Raptors, 8-5 (+5)

13. Milwaukee Bucks, 8-6 (-3)

14. Phoenix Suns, 8-6 (+4)

15. Philadelphia 76ers, 7-5 (-1)

Things are odd for the Warriors; Stephen Curry went from dropping 49 Friday, Nov. 14 to just 9 on Sunday, and the locker room already feels tense with Draymond Green’s recent comments about ‘personal agendas.’ The Raptors are quietly taking down some East heavyweights, have a balanced team and rank second in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.17). And the Suns have been a surprise on offense without Kevin Durant, as Dillon Brooks is averaging 23.6 points in the five games since he returned from a right groin injury.

NBA Week 4 power rankings: Nos. 16-20

16. Boston Celtics, 7-7 (—)

17. Miami Heat, 7-6 (-4)

18. Orlando Magic, 7-7 (+4)

19. Portland Trail Blazers, 6-7 (-4)

20. Chicago Bulls, 6-6 (-9)

Boston is hanging around and center Neemias Queta is bolstering the team’s perimeter shooting in a peculiar way: with precise and effective screens. The Heat will get Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo back soon, and they miss Adebayo’s presence badly; prior to Adebayo’s injury, Miami ranked 14th in defensive rebound percentage (69.8%). Over the five games since then, they rank 28th (61.0%). Losers of five consecutive and six of their last seven, the Bulls are in free fall.

NBA Week 4 power rankings: Nos. 21-25

21. Utah Jazz, 5-8 (+2)

22. Los Angeles Clippers, 4-9 (-2)

23. Memphis Grizzlies, 4-10 (-2)

24. Dallas Mavericks, 4-10 (+2)

25. Charlotte Hornets, 4-9 (-1)

Lauri Markkanen has been stellar for the Jazz, who may opt to capitalize on his value and move him. The Clippers continue to be the most underperforming disappointment of the season and are worst in the NBA at protecting the ball, turning it over 16.9% of their possessions. And the Mavericks might not have the record to show for it, but they’ve been more competitive recently, with No. 1 overall rookie Cooper Flagg (19.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game over his last four) settling into a rhythm.