The Detroit Pistons have surged into the elite tier of NBA power rankings following a nine-game winning streak, joining Oklahoma City and Denver at the top. Golden State and Toronto also made significant jumps amid a week of notable team performances and injuries. Analysts highlight the Pistons' resilience despite missing key players like Cade Cunningham in recent victories.
Pistons' Impressive Rise
The Detroit Pistons, now 11-2, have won nine consecutive games, including victories over the Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls, and Philadelphia 76ers. Despite missing at least five rotation players in each of their last three games, including Cade Cunningham for the past two, the Pistons extended their streak with strong second-half play. They are now 7-2 in games where they trailed by double digits, a marked improvement from last season's 8-33 record in such situations. Paul Reed contributed 28 points on 11-for-13 shooting against Chicago and has averaged 8.2 deflections per 36 minutes, leading the league among players with at least 100 minutes.
Top Teams Hold Steady
Oklahoma City Thunder (13-1) remain No. 1, with a +15.4 net rating, the third-best in NBA history for a team's first 14 games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a career-best true shooting percentage of 65.2% and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.04. Denver Nuggets (10-2) sit at No. 2, winning seven straight despite injuries to Christian Braun (out at least six weeks) and Cam Johnson. Nikola Jokić scored 55 points on 18-for-23 shooting in a win over Minnesota.
Houston Rockets (9-3) hold third, going 9-1 since an 0-2 start, with Kevin Durant hitting key shots in an overtime win over Orlando. New York Knicks (8-4) round out the top four, leading the league in shooting-opportunity differential at +8.5 per game.
Notable Movements and Injuries
Golden State Warriors (9-6) jumped five spots after sweeping San Antonio, where Stephen Curry scored 95 points across two games, including 14-for-33 from three. Toronto Raptors (8-5) rose four spots with a 7-1 stretch, featuring strong bench play from Jamal Shead and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Injuries impacted several teams: Jalen Williams (wrist) out for Thunder; Darius Garland (toe) reinjured for Cavaliers; Paolo Banchero (groin) sidelined Magic. The league averages 114.7 points per 100 possessions offensively.