The 2025-26 NBA regular season ended in anticipation of a thrilling western conference playoff race. MVP front-runner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are again the favorites to make a deep run to the championship while the young Spurs want to prove they can compete and beat the best veteran teams. No one should underestimate the resurgence of Denver or Houston. Oklahoma City remains the team everyone wants out in order to have a fair chance at the finals. Four talented squads will advance to the second round. Time to break down which four have the best chance.
#8 Phoenix Suns v. #1 Oklahoma City Thunder
There will be a lot of pressure on Devin Booker (1) to lead Phoenix against the reigning NBA champion Thunder.
Even if Jordan Ott doesn’t win coach of the year, he will be heavily considered. Nobody expected Phoenix to make the playoffs after a massive roster overhaul less than a year ago. Despite the changes, the Suns physical play on both ends of the court makes them a threat.
However, Phoenix drew the reigning NBA champion Thunder. Oklahoma City has the deepest roster of any playoff team and will pick apart whatever the Suns throw at them.
Prediction: Thunder win series 4-0
#7 Portland Trailblazers v. #2 San Antonio Spurs
Portland faces an uphill battle against the deep, talented Spurs.
If San Antonio had to face the winner of Golden State v. Los Angeles and not Portland v. Phoenix (which was the former), that would be a more interesting series. The Spurs return to the playoffs means a lot of the star-studded talent will face growing pains and make a lot of unusual mistakes they wouldn’t make in the regular season.
San Antonio is lucky they get the Trailblazers. Like the Spurs, Portland hasn’t made the postseason in a long time. Despite a few veterans on each team, this series should heavily favor the San Antonio because of how both teams mirror playoff inexperience with each other and how the Spurs have a deeper, more talented team. This should be a fast series.
Prediction: Spurs win series 4-1
#6 Minnesota Timberwolves v. #3 Denver Nuggets
Center Nikola Jokic makes Minnesota’s defense look silly when they played this season.
Talk about a tilt in rivalry. If this matchup took place three years ago, Minnesota would have had the edge with how their bigs could smother Denver’s star players. After some roster tweaks the last few years, the Timberwolves don’t have that advantage. It will cost them in this round.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic should have one of the best series of his life versus Minnesota center Rudy Gobert. Despite a 12 game winning streak, coach David Adelman made sure to limit the minutes of star point guard Jamal Murray and forward Aaron Gordon. Having both at full health is important to counter Minnesota forward Julius Randle and the guard duo of Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards.
The Timberwolves have been a streaky team most of the year bogged down by a terrible free throw percentage and turnover issues. Denver is a veteran championship team that knows how to do the little things well and not give their opponents chances to attempt many comebacks. This could be a fast series.
Prediction: Nuggets win series 4-1
#5 Houston Rockets v. #4 Los Angeles Lakers
Houston’s Kevin Durant (left) and Los Angeles’ Luka Doncic (right) shared a Christmas day moment in an eye-opening Rockets win.
On paper, this should be one of the best first round series in either conference. In reality, it’s all Lakers. Los Angeles dominated the regular season series against Houston no matter who played. More importantly, the Rockets younger core struggled against a swarming Lakers defense in the last two matchups. Poor shooting combined with the return of Los Angeles star point guard Luka Doncic makes this a less than ideal matchup for Houston.
A sliver of hope for coach Ime Udoka’s roster lies in one Laker missing the first round. Austin Reaves will be out as his grade two oblique muscle strain has not fully healed. That means Los Angeles has to rely more on scoring inside the three point line and playing a more physical style than they’re used to. That still favors them since the younger Rockets are not used to this style and played poorly against whatever the Lakers used against them most of the season. At least Houston can steal a game or two more than many expected with the loss of Reaves.
Prediction: Lakers win series 4-1
Regular season western conference playoffs and play-in predictions record: 6-4
The east was the last conference to seal both playoff and play-in spots. Eight spots were determined the final game of the regular season. Atlanta and Toronto are young teams that exceeded expectations and will use this postseason to learn how to improve for future playoff appearances. Cleveland and Detroit hope to take the next step forward and make a deep playoff run. Boston and New York are considered the top teams in the east and favorites to make the conference finals. Expectations aside, four talented and competitive teams must advance to the second round. Time to break down which four have the best chance.
#5 Toronto Raptors v. #4 Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell (45) should have a career series against the younger, inexperienced Raptors
Toronto should get a round of applause for how well they did this season. I don’t think anyone had them as a top six team in the eastern conference. Their reward is the 52 win Cavaliers who had a league high 41 different starting lineups.
Cleveland is the better team in every facet. From touting the better offense and defense to having more experience and long-time veteran stars, it would be shocking if the Cavaliers were bounced out of the first round.
Prediction: Cavaliers win series 4-1
#8 Orlando Magic v. #1 Detroit Pistons
Orlando will go as far as star forward Paolo Banchero (5) can take them.
Orlando’s inconsistency makes one wonder how much Detroit will be pushed in this series. Star point-guard Cade Cunningham won’t have a minutes restriction since he returned from a collapsed lung, but the rest of the Pistons roster plays well even if he needs rest. The Magic aren’t a good rebounding team and still face serious questions on what their identity is outside of star players Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane. Detroit is better coached and more disciplined.
Prediction: Pistons win series 4-1
#7 Philadelphia 76ers v. #2 Boston Celtics
Depth players like center Neemias Queta (88) will be key for Boston to get past Philadelphia.
One of the most underrated first round series. Philadelphia doesn’t have the depth Boston does, but they play hard and split the regular season series. While center Joel Embiid’s health depends on how far this series goes, the 76ers have a solid starting core around point-guard Tyrese Maxey. Forwards Paul George and Emoni Bates, center Andre Drummond and guards Cameron Payne and VJ Edgecombe will make this a longer series than most anticipate.
Regardless of Philadelphia’s talent, Boston’s the superior team and star forward Jayson Tatum is back at full health. The Celtics championship mentality means they will go all-out in almost every round compared to the hot-and-cold 76ers.
Prediction: Celtics win series 4-2
#6 Atlanta Hawks v. #3 New York Knicks
Dyson Daniels (5) versus Jalen Brunson (11) will be a great one-on-one matchup.
This is the best first round series in either conference. Atlanta was red-hot the last two months of the season after trading star point guard Trae Young to Washington D.C. Since his hiring, coach Quin Snyder finally has the Hawks all in-sync with each other and playing their best basketball. Forwards Jalen Johnson and Jonathan Kuminga have elevated Atlanta’s ceiling and their style of play. Guards C.J. McCollum and Dyson Daniels can do almost everything on both sides of the court.
New York is out of their lull and are the favorite to make conference finals. Had the Knicks drawn Toronto in round one, they would easily make round two given the number of stars and veterans on the team. However, the Hawks have played them well the last four years and get under New York’s collective skin.
One thing the Knicks did well was bulk up the roster with more scoring depth. The trade for point-guard Jose Alvarado gives New York more scoring opportunities when Jalen Brunson needs rest. Jordan Clarkson, Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet are quality depth players that give the Knicks the edge to win what should be a long series.
Prediction: Knicks win series 4-3
Regular season eastern conference playoffs and play-in predictions record: 6-4
This will be an interesting first round in the western conference. There are thrilling rivalries and new teams ready to gain playoff experience. The President’s trophy winner Colorado Avalanche will face everyone’s best no matter the round. Dallas and Edmonton again have pressure to make it back to the conference championship while Minnesota will face more criticism if they can’t get past the first round. Anaheim and Utah look to upend everyone’s predictions while Los Angeles and Vegas make another push to return to the championship round. Most teams have their hands full against deep rosters wanting a conference finals appearance. It is time to break down and predict which four teams have the best chance of advancing to the second round.
#6 Anaheim Ducks v. #5 Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton gets another first round opponent from southern California. However, this time it is not Los Angeles.
This may be the easiest series to predict in either conference. The reigning western conference champion Oilers may not have former MVP forward Leon Draisaitl, but that won’t stop them against a young, inexperienced Anaheim team grateful to be back in the playoffs. Edmonton’s speed, scoring depth and massive advantages on special teams means this will be a fast series with or without Draisaitl.
Prediction: Oilers win series 4-0
#4 Minnesota Wild v. #3 Dallas Stars
The first official matchup of the NHL playoffs should be one of this year’s best.
Commissioner Gary Bettman must fix the playoff seeding at some point. It’s unfair that one of the central division’s three best teams has to be eliminated against a rival in the first round. Both Dallas and Minnesota look like complete teams that could give any opponent in the other three divisions fits. Sadly, one has to go home.
Most likely, that team is the Wild. Minnesota struggles to get depth scoring past their first two lines. The Stars are also the more experienced playoff team and defend better in front of the net. The Wild are more physical, but Dallas is more determined to get back to the championship round after fizzling out the last two years in the conference finals.
Prediction: Stars win series 4-2
#8 Los Angeles Kings v. #1 Colorado Avalanche
Colorado will play a nasty, physical series with Los Angeles.
Wonderful news for Los Angeles: they finally get a first round playoff opponent that isn’t Edmonton. Terrible news for Los Angeles: it’s against the NHL’s best Colorado Avalanche. The Kings finally figured out how to fix their offense with interim coach D.J. Smith, but that won’t be enough against what many believe are the most complete team in either conference. Coach Jared Bednar is back behind the bench after taking a puck to the face recently, and MVP front-runner Nathan MacKinnon is a nightmare once he sees open ice. The Kings have one of the NHL’s best defenses, but their lack of scoring and defensive depth will show the longer this series goes. At least franchise legend Anze Kopitar will end his fantastic career in the postseason playing against a Stanley Cup finals favorite.
Prediction: Avalanche win series 4-1
#7 Utah Mammoth v. #4 Vegas Golden Knights
Utah’s Vezina finalist Karel Vejmelka will be series MVP if the Mammoth get past Vegas.
This is my favorite western conference matchup. On paper, Vegas is the superior team with championship experience, a Stanley Cup winning coach and a deeper roster. However, Utah presents a lot of challenges to the Golden Knights.
Coach John Tortorella went 7-0-1 after Vegas hired him almost three weeks ago. The Golden Knights could be back to their dominant levels of years past. However, the Mammoth are a big test. Goaltender Karel Vejmelka is a Vezina finalist and took a big step forward being one of the NHL’s better players this season. Vejmelka handled a larger workload better than expected once backup/partner Connor Ingram went to Edmonton. Like a few teams in both conferences this round, Utah has a younger, talented scoring core unfamiliar with the playoffs. Despite these obvious disadvantages, Utah’s core was exceptional against quality opponents and wound up being the best team in the central division after the three headed hydra of Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota. That is certainly a big deal.
The Golden Knights’ coaching switch from Bruce Cassidy to John Tortorella came at the best time for them. Tortorella is dealing with disciplined veterans who know how to cleanly block shots, play more aggressive and defend better in front of the net. Even tenured Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny isn’t used to being in the postseason, and there will be a lot of growing pains top to bottom for Utah. While it’s obvious Vegas will win this series, the Mammoth will make the Golden Knights earn every win and learn a lot of valuable lessons this series.
Prediction: Golden Knights win series 4-2
Regular season western conference playoffs prediction record: 6-2
The NHL’s eastern conference was the first to have every playoff spot clinched, and seeding was final after Tuesday evening. With Florida out of the playoff picture, many wonder if Carolina and Tampa Bay can finally return to the conference championships or go further. Many believe the Hurricanes or the Lightning will make the finals. Elsewhere, Montreal, Ottawa and Philadelphia improved this season but drew difficult first round opponents. Boston and Pittsburgh have the capabilities to make deep playoff runs.The Buffalo Sabres didn’t just return to the Stanley Cup playoffs, they did so by dominating the last four months and won the Atlantic division. Only four teams will advance to the second round. Time to break down which four have the best chance.
#8 Ottawa Senators v. #1 Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina’s depth players like defenseman Jalen Chatfield (5) will determine how fast this series ends.
Two of the NHL’s hottest teams should have a fun first round series. Ottawa and Carolina mirror each other in several ways. From hard-hitting goal scorers to questions in net all season, the Senators and Hurricanes are a great test for each other.
In this case, the more veteran team should win this series. This is the second postseason appearance for coach Travis Green’s roster, and it’s against a finals favorite opponent. Carolina’s one of the most complete NHL teams and have a lot more depth in every position. Ottawa’s defense has improved, but their penalty kill remains one of the league’s worst. The Hurricanes’ better defense and offensive firepower might be too much for the younger Senators the longer this series goes.
Prediction: Hurricanes win series 4-1
#7 Boston Bruins v. #2 Buffalo Sabres
Boston and Buffalo should have an energizing, physical first round series against each other.
Congratulations to Buffalo for snapping their 14 year playoff drought. No NHL team had gone that long missing the postseason. It is still bizarre to see the Sabres this good after they started the first two months of the 2025 regular season playing sub-.500 hockey.
Still, Buffalo is a serious threat for any team wanting to reach the finals. Boston is a good test for the most inexperienced NHL playoff team. The veteran Bruins also surprised viewers with their scoring depth and shutdown defense. Although star forward David Pastrnak has been in a goal drought this month, Boston had a top 15 (11th) offense and a top ten (ninth) power-play. Despite those accomplishments, it’s the Sabres offense that will swarm the Bruins defense each game, much like they did almost every other opponent since mid-December. Boston’s playoff experienced offense has more advantages against a bend-but-don’t-break Buffalo defense. That latter matchup favors Boston in an inevitable long series.
Eastern conference upset prediction: Bruins win series 4-2
#4 Montreal Canadiens v. #3 Tampa Bay Lightning
Montreal’s defense faces a tough task of stopping one of the NHL’s premier offenses and power-plays in Tampa Bay.
This series closely resembles the Ottawa-Carolina series. We see two great teams with the potential to make this the best first round series. One team is led by a young, talented core of hard-hitting scorers while the other is filled with championship veterans and a respected Stanley Cup winner behind the bench. Both teams pushed each other around in their regular season matchups.
Unlike the Senators though, the Canadiens were great almost the entire season. However, they’re still an inexperienced playoff team. The Lightning may not have captain and franchise star defenseman Victor Hedman (due to a leave of absence), but they want to rid their memories from the last few disastrous postseason trips. A younger Montreal in the first round is a perfect opponent to get back to their championship winning ways. This series should go longer than Ottawa-Carolina, but the result will be the same.
Prediction: Lightning win series 4-2
#6 Philadelphia Flyers v. #5 Pittsburgh Penguins
The Battle of Pennsylvania will have a lot of new faces, like Philadelphia’s Trevor Zegras
Talk about an unexpected first round series matchup! Neither team was expected to make the playoffs for a number of reasons. Coaching was a big factor. After a decade of Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh moved on and hired Dan Muse. Muse instantly turned things around for both the defense and special teams. Defenseman Erik Karlsson plays like the former Norris trophy winner older fans remembered. Forward Anthony Mantha led the team with 32 goals after he was poached in free agency from Washington. Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust added depth scoring and made the power-play more dangerous.
Philadelphia’s coach Rick Tocchet made sure the offense took a few steps forward while the defense retained its identity and stability. It was important free agent addition Trevor Zegras had a breakout season and Matvei Michkov grew in his sophomore year. The Flyers offense benefitted from both of them helping out forwards Owen Tippett, Christian Dvorak and long-time veteran Travis Konecny to get on the scoreboard almost every game.
This series should go the distance since neither team has a complete edge in any one area except special teams. Pittsburgh has the edge on offense, but Philadelphia has the edge on defense. Special teams easily favor the Penguins since the Flyers were dead last on the power-play. However, this is an intense in-state rivalry, meaning anything could happen any given night. Regardless of what the rosters look like, Pittsburgh is the more determined team and has a more experienced roster that will get them past any hardships the younger, energetic Philadelphia throws at them.
Prediction: Penguins win series 4-3
Regular season eastern conference playoffs prediction record: 3-5
Miami center Bam Adebayo has a moment of joy with a teammate during his historic 83 point game March 10th.
It has been a rough time to watch Miami Heat basketball the last few years. The ugly trade fiasco between star forward Jimmy Butler and the front office scared off a lot of top talent who may have wanted to play in the city. Owner Pat Riley went from someone who was cool and players wanting the attention of, to being called an egotistical and rigid cheap-skate. Regardless of which side is correct, anyone with working eyes knew Miami remained one of the most agonizing teams to watch on any given night. Coach Erik Spoelstra is the one holding everything together. His only player who could gain recognition among casual fans would be center Bam Adebayo. And so he did.
Adebayo has been a roller coaster center throughout much of his league tenure. He’s a stalwart on defense who makes opposing players take more shots outside the paint, but his offense is inconsistent. In fact, his offense (or lack thereof) has led to NBA fans and viewers calling him Scam Adebayo whenever he has gone close to scoreless in important regular and post-season games. Bam Adebayo is a C-rate player many NBA stars don’t fear or have to worry about countering. Which is why his 83 point game March 10th against Washington has brought a wild range of emotions.
At least with Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 and Kobe Bryant’s 81, it made sense they could have a historical game at some point. After all, both were considered the NBA’s best players in those timeframes. To this day, any all-time great list or statistic that has Chamberlain on it is viewed favorably and admirably. Bryant will stay revered for another few decades given how many people respected and applauded his dedication to professional basketball. But Bam? It is as confusing as it is almost unbelievable.
This is not to say Bam Adebayo isn’t deserving of our accolades. He is in every way. He wants to compete, and playing one-on-one with his girlfriend, the best women’s basketball player on the planet A’ja Wilson, has paid off. It’s how it happened and the timeframe that matters more.
Let’s start at the beginning of his record setting night. The Washington Wizards have been dreadful all season and were realistically eliminated from play-in contention two and a half months ago. Coach Brian Keefe, feeling he had nothing to lose, decided rookie center Alex Sarr and the Wizards defense would foul Adebayo at every possible chance and send him to the free throw line. The plan was out-of-the-box different and would have a chance to stick…if Adebayo didn’t average 75% accuracy at the free throw line. Had this been against Milwaukee and Giannis Antetokounmpo, this would be a winning formula. We would laud Keefe for creativity. Instead, Keefe opted for this formula against the Heat center, and Bam Adebayo had a monster night. He attempted an NBA record of 43 free throws and made another NBA record 36. No player had ever attempted 40 before March 10th. It should have been clear then that Washington should not have fouled Adebayo at all after the first quarter. Alas, they did not adjust their game plan. He ended up with 31 of Miami’s 40 points before the second quarter.
What was bizarre about Keefe’s coaching in this game was how he rarely changed anything. Rookie Alex Sarr has been a solid candidate for rookie of the year so far, but he couldn’t contend with Adebayo that night. A coach who pays attention to details would have forced another player to beat them and score more consistently. The only Heat player who came close to scoring 20 points was…journeyman forward Simone Fontecchio. Miami’s guards did next to nothing while their bigs had a performance for the ages. Brian Keefe should or could have played all his centers and forwards at the same time.
The fact Washington didn’t adjust raises a lot of questions. Commissioner Adam Silver and various companies and executives have started more conversations on how to limit tanking. The average viewer wouldn’t be crazy to suggest that the Wizards intentionally lost that game. This also happened at a time when Silver is trying to preserve what he can of the sports’ ratings. As mentioned in previous power rankings, things look more grim by the day for the NBA. There are so many issues and Silver seemingly has no idea what to do. This is a game that could define Silver’s tenure more than we’d like to admit.
Possibly the wildest thing about Bam Adebayo’s 83 point performance is how sports media’s coverage had no idea how to cover this. It came out five nights later that the 150-129 win in Washington D.C. was on the same day as Bam’s now-deceased grandmother’s birthday. How was that buried despite ESPN and basketball fanatics staying on top of stats for almost everything? Granted, sports journalism isn’t the same now as it was 20 years ago (I should know), but it still stuns how there are more people than expected who are baffled rather than celebratory.
It was a battle between unstoppable force Bam Adebayo (13) versus movable object in a double digit win in Washington March 10th.
Here are the final 2025-26 NBA regular season power rankings.
#30 Washington Wizards (last ranking: 29)
NBA Twitter made jokes that ever since Washington re-named their team from the Bullets to the Wizards, everything has gone downhill. Seriously, seeing the list of most embarrassing moments in franchise history, it’s hard to argue against that. I would also add a 16 game losing streak this season to the franchise’s ongoing fiascos.
#29 Brooklyn Nets (last ranking: 26)
We might remember how bad a lot of teams were this season but Brooklyn might be the most forgettable. I can’t think of a single positive the Nets had. How is it possible for a team based in New York City to be so irrelevant and forgettable? That is a wild accomplishment from owner Joe Tsai.
#28 Indiana Pacers (last ranking: 28)
I don’t think anyone had Indiana being a bottom three NBA team this season at any point. Sure, they would probably be bad without star guard Tyrese Haliburton but wow they’re terrible without him. Everything that could have gone wrong this season, did. The worst part is that all of this would have been fine if the Pacers won that NBA finals game seven in Oklahoma City.
#27 Sacramento Kings (last ranking: 30)
Sacramento failed to be a playoff contender this year but there were bright spots. Forward DeMar DeRozan has been one of them. After an exciting March 16th win against Utah, DeRozan became the oldest player to post a 40 point and ten assist game at 36 years and 220 days old. DeRozan has had a lot of bad luck before he landed with the Kings, but to his credit, he has always been a solid and dependable player.
#26 Utah Jazz (last ranking: 25)
It didn’t look like it most of the season, but Utah took a few steps forward with their young talent. Star point guard Keyonte George impressed viewers before he landed on IR. Center Kyle Filipowski will be a pillar in the Jazz’s success the next five years and guard Isaiah Collier was the focal point of a league high-passing offense.
#25 Dallas Mavericks (last ranking: 24)
Dallas won three games in March and five total since the All-Star break. The Mavericks went from play-in team to irrelevant fast despite number one overall pick Cooper Flagg playing better each game. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Dallas’ unstable front office puts the blame on Jason Kidd and fires him after the season ends.
#24 Memphis Grizzlies (last ranking: 23)
If you wanted to know how far Memphis has fallen in not even three seasons, take a look at the team stat leaders. There is not one recognizable name anyone who watched the Grizzlies two years ago would recognize. To make it worse, former second overall draft pick Ja Morant has played a total of 79 games in three seasons. The NBA board of governors will vote for which cities get new franchises, and it would not be a surprise if the Grizzlies relocate–again–because of the few resources and talent available.
#23 New Orleans Pelicans (last ranking: 27)
New Orleans had a solid March compared to a lot of other teams. However, it didn’t mean much because the Pelicans were eliminated from play-in contention. If this is their last season in Louisiana, it ended with a bizarre whimper.
#22 Chicago Bulls (last ranking: 21)
Say what you want about guard Josh Giddey, but he plays hard no matter how depleted the talent is. If Chicago wants to compete next season, they will need Giddey to stay and lead what will be a rookie dominated roster.
#21 Milwaukee Bucks (last ranking: 22)
Whatever people think about Milwaukee’s issues this season, it appears everyone is united in how the organization should move on and replace coach Doc Rivers. Rivers had a longer coaching career than he should have despite a lot of highlight moments and games. The Bucks need someone who can get the best out of Antetokounmpo and the roster around him again.
#20 Golden State Warriors (last ranking: 14)
With all the teams locked in for the play-in and playoffs, coach Steve Kerr made the right move keeping star point guard Steph Curry out this long. The Warriors needed to see who could play well without any veteran stars. Golden State can still build off of forward Draymond Green and guard Brandin Podziemski playing well almost every game, but they still need to see how consistent Kristaps Porziņgis can be. One plus has been the emergence of guard Pat Spencer. He could be a valuable bench player once Steph Curry returns.
#19 Portland Trailblazers (last ranking: 17)
Center Donovan Clingan took a big step in his second NBA season. Clingan quickly discovered that while he isn’t a scorer, he is a good rebounder, defender and perimeter player. Portland has a bright future because of how Donovan Clingan does all the uncomfortable work few players want to do.
#18 Los Angeles Clippers (last ranking: 19)
This feels like the last season we could see Los Angeles make a playoff run. The Clippers are second to last in rebounds and last in assists. They like defense and free throws, but are average at best. Los Angeles hasn’t played well against most playoff favorites lately and that is a clear sign a rebuild is coming.
#17 Miami Heat (last ranking: 15)
The Heat had a hot start to March with five wins in their first six games in the month. They have one win in the last three weeks. Every time viewers think they have a clear grasp with what’s going on in Miami, something unexpected happens. Good luck figuring this team out.
#16 Orlando Magic (last ranking: 16)
Throughout Orlando’s disappointing season, one stat has stood out like a sore thumb. Franchise star power forward Paolo Banchero leads the Magic in rebounds with 8.3. He cannot do it alone. Orlando is 20th in total rebounds and struggle getting second chance opportunities on offense while giving opponents second plus scoring chances. The Magic need to find a quality rebounder in free agency or the draft.
#15 Charlotte Hornets (last ranking: 18)
Since the five game winning streak, Charlotte has cooled off a bit. They’re still a dangerous team learning how to play well against quality opponents. What has helped is better shooting accuracy and bench players buying into coach Charles Lee’s system. The Hornets might not go far in the playoffs this year, but they will be an interesting team to watch next season.
#14 Phoenix Suns (last ranking: 12)
Despite forward Dillon Brooks being out of the lineup, Phoenix has played a lot of playoff teams hard. In six of their last seven losses, the Suns have lost by single digits. Phoenix has over-performed and will be a tough out in the playoffs.
#13 Toronto Raptors (last ranking: 11)
While Atlanta keeps winning, Toronto and Philadelphia are fighting for the sixth seed. Fortunately for the Raptors, they have at least six winnable games and only a couple against serious playoff teams the next few weeks. If Toronto wins the games they should, it’s possible all six eastern conference spots will be locked up by next week.
#12 Philadelphia 76ers (last ranking: 13)
ESPN broke a stat that star center Joel Embiid has missed as many games as he’s played since Philadelphia drafted him 11 years ago. One day we will find out about the extent of Embiid’s leg and knee injuries, and we won’t be surprised he missed that many games.
#11 Atlanta Hawks (last ranking: 20)
There were predictions Atlanta could play better and have better game plans after Trae Young was traded to Washington but wow, the Hawks look almost unstoppable. Atlanta dominating the NBA in assists and assists-to-turnovers shows how bought in this young roster is with coach Quin Snyder. Wild how the Hawks and Orlando Magic switched season fates in the eyes of many analysts.
#10 Houston Rockets (last ranking: 7)
Remember when I wrote last month that the Kevin Durant leaks at the All-Star game was a much bigger deal than just jokes? It has shown with how Houston has played. The Rockets were humiliated in two critical games against the Lakers, were upset by the depleted Warriors and Bulls, and were crushed against San Antonio and Denver. Houston clearly won’t have home court advantage, but what could be worse is how coach Ime Udoka and viewers are realizing both guard Amen Thompson and forward Alperen Sengun aren’t the long-term answers on both sides of the ball. There are a lot of things to say about Durant outside of his championship tenure in Golden State, but one that’s gaining traction is team killer. Whether that’s fair or not, the results wouldn’t deny it.
#9 Minnesota Timberwolves (last ranking: 10)
Minnesota deserves some leniency for how they’ve played recently after Anthony Edwards was out for an inflamed right knee injury. The Timberwolves may have a bumpy start to the playoffs, but their depth is getting quality minutes most teams wouldn’t allow. Minnesota’s trade for Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu is again paying off, much to Bulls fans’ chagrin.
#8 Cleveland Cavaliers (last ranking: 9)
As of this writing, Cleveland is finally playing like they did last season. If the Cavaliers keep playing like this heading into the playoffs, there is no doubt they’ll have a longer postseason run than last year.
#7 Los Angeles Lakers (last ranking: 8)
The nine game winning streak was a great show of March dominance, but I’m not convinced Los Angeles is an elite or top tier team right now. The Lakers have to play a critical end of their schedule the next week and a half, and that will show if they’re actually ready for the playoffs. We shouldn’t forget that Los Angeles has struggled on defense most of this season. Can this team win at least two series in shootout fashion? Their first round opponents will be either Houston, Denver or Minnesota. It looks more like no than yes.
#6 Denver Nuggets (last ranking: 6)
A lot of viewers don’t know how good Phoenix has been this season because the NBA doesn’t know how to flex games. The Suns are well coached and even without star players, their defense flusters a lot of opponents. Last week, Denver center Nikola Jokic shredded them in Arizona for one of their most important wins of the season. A 23 point, 17 rebound, 17 assist game may not be seen as impressive as an 83 point game, but you cannot deny that Jokic is the most complete center we’ve seen in at least two decades.
#5 New York Knicks (last ranking: 5)
New York is finally out of their slump and are one of the hottest NBA teams to start April. The biggest factor might be everyone coming back from IR and being healthy at the same time. If the Knicks stay healthy, they’re an easy pick to make the conference finals.
#4 Boston Celtics (last ranking: 4)
There’s no take right now that should say anything about Boston panicking. The return of star forward Jayson Tatum gives the Celtics plenty of time to play their stars together before the postseason. Everyone in that organization wants this right now if that means a deep playoff run.
#3 Detroit Pistons (last ranking: 1)
J.B. Bickerstaff is doing his best coaching right now with point guard and former MVP favorite Cade Cunningham lost for the season. The number wins without Cunningham shows how determined and improved top to bottom the Pistons are. While there are serious doubts Detroit can keep this going the last week and a half of the season and most of the playoffs, we should remember that the Pistons played well without Cunningham during most of their 15 game winning streak months ago. Detroit isn’t bowing out of the playoff race anytime soon.
#2 San Antonio Spurs (last ranking: 3)
With Cade Cunningham out of the MVP conversation, the should-be favorite pivots to San Antonio center Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama’s taken such a massive leap in his third year that it has elevated both the team and future expectations. The Spurs have just two losses in the last 57 days. That is not possible without Wembanyama dominating almost every game. What does it say about how great the French phenom is that we now view elite, veteran point guard De’Aaron Fox as underrated to the Spurs success?
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder (last ranking: 2)
Oklahoma City lost only one game in a month. Most of the struggles the Thunder had to start 2026 were taken care of and worked through. Outside of one matchup in the western conference, Oklahoma City looks the favorite to return to the finals and repeat their title.
Thunder star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets around Magic forward Tristan de Silva in a five point win on March 17th. The win made Oklahoma City the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season.
Toronto captain Auston Matthews is out the rest of the season with a torn MCL after a collision against Anaheim’s captain Radko Gudas during March 12th’s 5-4 comeback win.
Player safety in physical contact sports will always be hotly debated by well, everyone. It is a fact. On one hand, foundations for physical contact sports like American gridiron football, Canadian ice hockey, MMA and boxing are necessary because of their evolution, their popularity and their elevation of competition. On the other, there has to be a good amount of player safety left intact. Most people like a balance of hard contact where safety is emphasized. We know that can be difficult in high pressure situations and with split-second decisions.
Within the NHL, the most recent example is Anaheim’s captain Radko Gudas’ leg-on-leg collision with Toronto captain and elite goal scorer Auston Matthews during a March 12th comeback home win. Anyone who understands the game and watched the collision knew Gudas was in the wrong and Matthews was seriously hurt. Hockey, unlike other major sports does not completely prohibit player fighting as long as it is controlled. It’s not the first time Radko Gudas has done something like this. He is a scrappy defenseman who needs to play physical since he isn’t a well-known goal scorer, which makes the loss of Matthews to a struggling Maple Leafs team even worse. Fortunately, Toronto did find a way to rally the last period of the game and pull out a win. It was their first since early February, and it tied the NFL Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks for total wins in a month and a half.
Despite the rally, there was a big problem after Auston Matthews was carried to the locker room: none of his teammates stood up for him and there were no fights. Why? For those who watch any professional team sport, you know that there are players who will get in each others’ faces should there be threats or actual injuries. Toronto had nothing the remainder of that period. In fact, the Maple Leafs only pulled out a win because their coach, Craig Berube, a former enforcer and Stanley Cup champion himself, ripped into them during intermission for how little passion they showed and for not jumping on their opponents for some fights once play resumed. That is unbelievable given how hockey teams work and who is on Toronto’s roster.
If a team cannot get fired up for the loss of their own team captain and Olympian, that says what viewers need to know about the team’s current direction. Last year the Maple Leafs were up 2-1 in their second round series against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers before a game four meltdown. Since that loss, Toronto has been a shell of its former self. Forward Mitch Marner bailing for Las Vegas was seen as a relief and a way for the Leafs to turn the page on inconsistent play. Now it seems Marner might have held a lot of things together.
What is really strange now is how Toronto has become one of the weakest willed teams with little fight. Berube was a perfect hire for this roster. He had everyone buy in and take the next few steps to being a championship caliber team…and then they weren’t. It felt like a switch flipped. The Maple Leafs have 77 points and are all but eliminated from playoff contention. They’re easily the worst team in the competitive and stacked Atlantic division. Even before captain Auston Matthews was lost for the season, he had multiple goalless streaks almost every month. William Nylander doesn’t play with the same passion, and former captain John Tavares looks old. The defense isn’t bad but goaltenders Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz are giving up more than three goals a game. This was a premier net-minder tandem a year ago.
If Marner was the canary in the coal mine, this year’s 2025-26 roster are the miners. General manager Brad Treliving previously showed Canada how much control he shouldn’t have when he was the general manager in Calgary. The Maple Leafs executives are more than likely to begin a massive re-build that will last two different decades. Again. Berube will unfortunately get the blame and likely lose his job despite being a proven leader and winner wherever he has been. Then stars like William Nylander and Matthews will be dealt for picks. You can’t blame the latter for leaving either. If players don’t stand up for you without being yelled at to do so, then there’s no reason to keep playing with them. A lot of viewers questioned why he was named captain over Tavares before the season began anyway. It hasn’t worked out.
There is a joke that ever since the NHL expanded past six teams, Toronto “died” after their last championship in 1967. Too bad that joke is more accurate than many want to admit. The Leafs are not a tough team and the organization has grown mentally and internally softer by the decade. That has led to what most people define as, “The Maple Laughs Curse”. Whatever one may think of whether this is hyperbole or honesty, this is one thing physical contact sports are great at reinforcing: a team has to be tough and fortified in every aspect if they desire victory on every level. Even if a few things are off or someone’s not paying attention, a loss is all but guaranteed. Defenseman Radko Gudas didn’t expose anything unknown about Toronto. He brought both clarity to Maple Leafs ownership on where to go next and turned to another page in the long chapter of championship drought.
Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube goes off on his players during a loss to Washington on December 19th, 2025. Berube has tried to get his roster to play better, more complete hockey all season after a second round exit last postseason.
Here are the final 2025-26 NHL regular season power rankings.
#32 Vancouver Canucks (last ranking: 32)
The only good thing this season for Vancouver is how they get three first round picks in the upcoming draft. They have their original pick, Minnesota’s first from the Quinn Hughes trade, and their 33rd overall pick that gets bumped to 32nd with Ottawa’s pick forfeited. Now they need to hire the right people to develop whoever they pick in the next draft.
#31 Chicago Blackhawks (last ranking: 29)
General manager Kyle Davidson quickly realized his roster didn’t have the depth to compete with actual playoff caliber teams and went to work planning for future at the end of January. The Blackhawks aren’t a bad team as the standings suggest. They’re just young and on the rise with little depth. Unlike San Jose, the defensive weaknesses stand out and weigh down a great season for a young, superstar number one overall pick.
#30 Calgary Flames (last ranking: 30)
Nazem Kadri, who was traded to Colorado at the beginning of March, still leads Calgary with a middling 41 points. How any team has let the Flames score the last few months is beyond me.
#29 New York Rangers (last ranking: 28)
Everyone expected New York to unload almost all their talent at the trade deadline. The Rangers not only didn’t do that, they went on a few winning streaks after. Then they followed up with a dismal 2-1 home loss to Ottawa where they tied a franchise worst ten shot attempts. That loss eliminated them from playoff contention and is the fastest they’ve been eliminated from postseason contention in the salary cap era. What a memorable 100 year anniversary for New York!
#28 St. Louis Blues (last ranking: 31)
Unlike the eastern conference, the west is wide open for whichever teams want the wild card spots. St. Louis oddly remains in competition for at least the eighth seed. After all the offensive issues and lack of depth on special teams, the Blues have gotten points in eight of their last ten (including six wins). It would be mind-numbing to see one of the worst scoring NHL teams somehow clinch a playoff spot and give the number one seeded central division winner another hard time.
#27 Seattle Kraken (last ranking: 21)
A bottom ten defense spoiled one of the most complete years of play in franchise history. Seattle had some quality wins against Tampa Bay and Carolina, but did almost nothing else last month. The Kraken will kick themselves for wasting a golden opportunity to clinch a wildcard spot.
#26 Toronto Maple Leafs (last ranking: 13)
Toronto was done after they had to be yelled at in the locker room to fight Anaheim players for injuring their captain and ending his season. If a Stanley Cup winning coach has to scream at adult men to play tougher and more physical, then everything from the game to the season is lost. The cherry on top is it being in the Maple Leafs’ own building. If ownership and management were smart (massive if here), everyone should be purged at the end of the regular season.
#25 Winnipeg Jets (last ranking: 20)
Winnipeg looked all but done a month ago. Like St. Louis, they’ve hung in long enough to be a threat for one of the two wildcard spots. Of all the eighth seed options, the Jets would be the most dangerous team to get in.
#24 Nashville Predators (last ranking: 26)
Nashville is a good example of why you don’t write off a team on the fringe of the playoffs early. A five game winning streak was enough the past two weeks to get them a point behind the eighth seed. If the Predators can win four of their six upcoming matchups against the Pacific division (four on road, two at home), they’ll get that last spot.
#23 New Jersey Devils (last ranking: 23)
In many ways, it’s hilarious both New Jersey and Toronto are in the same place this late in the season. Sheldon Keefe did a great job with the Maple Leafs before he was fired. Keefe’s struggles with the Devils have been head scratching after they were one of the NHL’s best teams before Thanksgiving weekend. It’s possible Sheldon Keefe returns next season, but if things don’t look better by next calendar year, he will likely be out of New Jersey.
#22 Florida Panthers (last ranking: 12)
No pun intended but the Panthers really are a different breed of cat. That is why a number of analysts telling us Florida should have traded star players like goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky had no idea what they were talking about. General manager Bill Zito wouldn’t make that move unless he knew something of equal value would be sent back. Injuries de-railed their season and still the Panthers put up 75 points in one of the most cluttered eastern conference years this century. The other 15 eastern teams are lucky injuries came in the way of a probable championship three-peat.
#21 Los Angeles Kings (last ranking: 17)
Los Angeles fired coach Jim Hiller and Anze Kopitar became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer after a March 14th win in New Jersey. The Kings are lucky it’s not too late to catch fire and be the hardest team to beat in the playoffs. The defense carried Los Angeles further into the season just for them to be a fringe playoff contender. Now the offense and power-play have to do their part and get them into a high spot in the pacific.
#20 San Jose Sharks (last ranking: 19)
It’s gotten to where even the NHL on TNT analysts said they don’t know what the argument would be for center Macklin Celebrini not winning league MVP at this point, even if San Jose doesn’t make the playoffs. The Sharks are one point back of Los Angeles and five back of Las Vegas despite being a bottom four defensive scoring team. Celebrini leads the team in every important statistic on offense while the second best player is Will Smith. That’s incredible from the sophomore standout.
#19 Utah Mammoth (last ranking: 22)
It is both impressive and unexpected that Utah is the best team in the central division after the dangerous trio of Minnesota, Colorado and Dallas. The Mammoth are playing their best hockey at the most important time of the season. Whichever team draws Utah in round one will have their hands full and should have one of the better series in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
#18 Washington Capitals (last ranking: 8)
I don’t think people realize how important the trade deadline move of John Carlson to Anaheim was. Carlson was assumed by many analysts to stay with Washington for his entire career like captain and NHL great Alex Ovechkin. This move not only sets back the Capitals on every side of the puck, but it could lead to Ovechkin having an earlier retirement. Ovechkin was mulling retirement when asked a month ago, which was progress after he said at least a year ago that he would retire once his current contract ended. This could be a move we go back and look at years (and decades) from now wondering what might have happened for Washington had they not traded their star defenseman.
#17 Vegas Golden Knights (last ranking: 7)
Anyone who thinks the goaltending position is starting to look overrated and overpaid should pay attention to Vegas. The Golden Knights should be one of the NHL’s best teams with their deep roster. However, there is no solid number one in net and that will be their undoing in the playoffs. Vegas leads the NHL in time spent trailing after last weekend with over 1900 minutes, and the lack of consistently good goaltending cost Bruce Cassidy his job. Cassidy’s firing interestingly gave John Tortorella another chance to coach an NHL team.
#16 Philadelphia Flyers (last ranking: 16)
There was a lot of debate if coach Rick Tocchet was holding Philadelphia back on offense before the mid-season break. Turns out the Flyers simply needed the time off more than any other team. They’re 7-2-1 in their last ten games and Philadelphia’s improved play will determine which eastern conference teams clinch what seeds.
#15 Edmonton Oilers (last ranking: 11)
Make no mistake, the loss of star forward Leon Draisaitl for the rest of the regular season is massive. Not only does it mean captain Connor McDavid has to carry Edmonton the rest of the regular season, it also means every team on their schedule will play them harder to expose every flaw on both sides of the puck. While the Oilers benefit from playing in the weakest NHL division, a few losses mixed with some winning streaks from Los Angeles and San Jose could quickly bump Edmonton out of the playoff picture.
#14 Anaheim Ducks (last ranking: 24)
I’m mixed on Anaheim’s success this season. On the one hand, their season is a success given how many viewers didn’t see the Ducks making the playoffs. Coach Joel Quenneville again showed why he is still one of the league’s all-time best coaches. On the other, the Pacific division was awful and Anaheim was better off at third or fourth place if Vegas and Edmonton had better goaltending and Los Angeles and Seattle had better offenses. A lot more teams will break down Ducks film this summer and prepare for them better.
#13 Detroit Red Wings (last ranking: 10)
Dylan Larkin’s injury had massive repercussions for not only Detroit, but the entire eastern conference playoff picture. Ironically, his first game back in a home loss against Ottawa will stand out most. The Senators played two back-to-back road games and came into Little Caesar’s Arena down star defenseman Thomas Chabot. Larkin returned for the Red Wings, but Ottawa was the team that claimed victory. Detroit being one of, if not the biggest loser in the playoff race this late in the season shows yet again how much work lies ahead for general manager Steve Yzerman.
#12 Ottawa Senators (last ranking: 25)
Despite how hot Ottawa was in March, it cost them defensemen Thomas Chabot (broken forearm) and Nick Jensen. Rookie Carter Yakemchuk was called up and had an impressive NHL debut against Detroit, but that’s a dicey situation for a rookie to be in late in the season. The Senators will miss their best defensemen the next couple of weeks against some of the conference’s best playoff teams. This is where goaltenders Linus Ullmark and James Reimer must play some of their best hockey.
#11 New York Islanders (last ranking: 9)
The play of rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer has elevated teammates Bo Horvat, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anthony Duclair. There are still issues with the Islanders’ offense, but they are getting better at the right time. Oh, and they’re close to the playoffs. That means Mathew Barzal is heating up. New York will be a rough out in the playoffs if they clinch.
#10 Columbus Blue Jackets (last ranking: 27)
Buffalo and Ottawa may have dominated March in the Atlantic, but Columbus ran the month in the Metropolitan. The biggest reason for the Blue Jackets renewed success is coach Rick Bowness finally stabilizing the goaltending depth. Outside of who’s in net, defenseman Zach Werenski remains Columbus’ most important player. Werenski should be the favorite to win the Norris (best defenseman) trophy in a few months.
#9 Pittsburgh Penguins (last ranking: 15)
Nagging injuries for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin interestingly made defenseman Erik Karlsson the best Penguins player and one of the hottest in March. Pittsburgh’s schedule is easier compared to what Detroit, Ottawa and Boston have to end the season. It would be a genuine surprise if the Penguins didn’t make the playoffs with Karlsson leading the way.
#8 Boston Bruins (last ranking: 14)
Amazing how wrong everyone can be on a team or group of players, present company included. Forward Morgan Geekie has thrived in Boston ever since he was traded from Carolina. Pavel Zacha is more efficient with the Bruins than with the Devils and defenseman Victor Arvidsson has rejuvenated his career. How did general manager Don Sweeney pull it off?
#7 Minnesota Wild (last ranking: 3)
Minnesota is easily the worst of the top three central division teams after a sub-.500 March. Injuries and lack of depth at forward and center doom the Wild to another first round exit. Still, credit coach John Hynes for how well he has done getting the most out of Minnesota’s lower lines. It would be hard for another coach to do what he has done with a hot-and-cold roster.
#6 Montreal Canadiens (last ranking: 6)
He won’t win MVP, but forward Cole Caufield becoming the first Canadien to score 40+ goals in a season since Vincent Damphousse during the 1993-94 season is a big deal. If you’re new to the NHL or a budding fan of ice hockey, Caufield is one of the more underrated scorers. What a time to watch this many skilled, talented players all in one timeline.
#5 Buffalo Sabres (last ranking: 18)
I don’t like breaking the numbering rule on here but what Buffalo has done this season is nothing short of miraculous. The conversation around the Sabres’ turnaround has been hard to pinpoint, but there is one good place to start: the play of goaltender Alex Lyon. Lyon was a free agent signing last offseason and started Buffalo’s good fortune by holding Edmonton to just three goals in a 4-3 OT win (he didn’t finish the game due to injury, so the win went to Colton Ellis). That started a ten game winning streak and where they are today.
#4 Dallas Stars (last ranking: 5)
Dallas had the potential to be the number one team in these rankings until the last two weeks. The Stars have seven losses in their last ten games despite being the second best team in the western conference and clinching a playoff spot. Dallas could have some anxiety before the postseason starts but that kind of thinking could cost them home-ice advantage against Minnesota. If the Stars lost that advantage, it could drastically affect which team wins the west. Right now, coach Glen Gulutzan has to show he was the right hire.
#3 Carolina Hurricanes (last ranking: 4)
Until Carolina proves they can make exorcise their past playoff demons, they’ll be second fiddle to Tampa Bay in the east for another postseason. The Hurricanes are peaking at the right time, but their March 24th road loss in Montreal after a dominant first period is why many analysts are still wary about picking them to win a championship under coach Rod Brind’Amour.
#2 Tampa Bay Lightning (last ranking: 2)
Of the last ten Stanley Cup winners:
Nine were in the top ten on five-on-five goals for percentage
eight were in the top 12 for five-on-five xGF%
all were top 12 in five-on-five save percentage
nine were top 12 in power-play and penalty-kill percentage
nine were in the top half in power-play percentage
Tampa Bay is the only team that checks all of these heading into the playoffs. It is a another reason the Lightning are favored to make the Stanley Cup finals.
#1 Colorado Avalanche (last ranking: 1)
Colorado flipped a switch after their 2-1 shootout loss to Dallas on March 18th. The Avalanche were sleep-walking and needed to wake up. Although star defenseman Cale Makar is out for a few weeks with an upper body injury, I’m not sure there’s a team in the west that can beat Colorado four times if this is how Jared Bednar’s team plays moving forward.
Colorado woke up after a 2-1 home shootout loss to Dallas March 18th and haven’t looked back since. The Avalanche were the first team to clinch a playoff spot.
This article contains multiple opinions that have been supported and given the green light by the editor, promoter and owner of this website. These views contain the true thoughts and happiness of the writer regarding one of America’s top sports teams.
The 2025-2026 NFL season was unlike any other. Every week was wild and there were few consistencies. Both Super Bowl participants from the prior season struggled almost every week they played. Three of the eight divisions had at three teams that could make a deep run in the playoffs. The number of comebacks defied expectations.
Yet one consistency remained: Seattle played like the best team even in a loss. In the game that wound up being the Seahawks worst loss and lowest moment of the year, the offense turned the ball over five times against Los Angeles on November 16th. Still, Seattle was yards away from sweeping the Rams despite kicker Jason Myers missing a 61 yard field goal attempt. Every franchise painfully longs for that consistency in a landmark Super Bowl year.
So what made the Seahawks second Super Bowl championship a contender for the best or most special moment in franchise history? Was it the dominant defense in a second year head coach’s tenure? How about playing almost every important game in the NFL’s most feared stadium? Maybe it was beating almost a dozen teams that won at least eight games during the season, with at least eight of them against teams with double digit wins? Could it have been because Seattle was in the top ten of almost every major statistic on all three sides of the ball?
The Seahawks got to claim division rival San Francisco’s home locker room as their own throughout Super Bowl week. Just another reason Seattle had the best and most special season in franchise history.
All of those are a yes, but there was a lot more to appreciate. The Seahawks dominated/won every game they were supposed to. Quarterback Sam Darnold exorcised his “ghosts” against pivotal teams from Minnesota, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New England. The offensive line was the best since the 2005 Super Bowl run. Two thorough beatdowns of the 49ers wounded the northern California franchise…which had to host and watch their pacific northwest division rivals win a Super Bowl in their home stadium. For all the traveling Seattle does each season, it was poetic that the furthest they had to travel in the last month of the season was to Santa Clara, California (twice).
The other two division rivals fared no better. Arizona was the only NFC West team the Seahawks swept. Los Angeles went from thinking Seattle would be easy to beat to having two postgame meltdowns in their losses at the Emerald City. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald not only out dueled Rams head coach Sean McVay when it mattered most, but he made Los Angeles spiral mentally top to bottom. There’s a chance star receiver Puka Nacua is in a similar situation as former receiver Antonio Brown with his rapidly deteriorating mental acuity. Outside linebacker Jared Verse admitted once the Seahawks got the edge early in the conference championship, the Rams defense had no idea how to flip things around. Now the Rams must figure out what has to be fixed on every side of the ball compared to how things were in mid-January.
When it came to Super Bowl hopefuls, Seattle played some of their best football of the season. A closer game than many expected against Jacksonville ended as a double digit win because of turnovers and Jaguar special teams mistakes. The Seahawks defense treated Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud IV like a punching bag in a dominant October 20th Monday night 27-19 win. A run heavy, one-sided performance in San Francisco lit up the final week of the regular season. If any team wanted to beat the Seahawks, they needed every one dialed in with some luck and maybe bad officiating to get a close win. That almost never happened.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald created a helmet tree at the beginning of the 2025-26 season to create more winning motivation. More teams could try and replicate something like this next year.
Maybe the sweetest thing about this Super Bowl win is that unlike 2013-14, it was completely unexpected. Unlike the Super Bowl 48 season, every serious sports analyst (including the ones here on jdsportscorner) had Mike Macdonald’s team as a wild card team at best. Most believed the defense and special teams were great, but the offense was a big question mark with a rookie left guard as the highlight new player. “Everyone” knew Sam Darnold may have won 14 games with the Vikings the year before, but he didn’t show up in games where the stakes were raised. The losses of talented pass catchers D.K. Metcalf, Noah Fant and offensive captain Tyler Lockett meant third year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be the main receiver. Outside of Smith-Njigba and maybe second year tight-end AJ Barner, who could step up at wide receiver or tight-end and put opposing secondaries on their heels? This was an objective, reasonable and well-thought out take and question many analysts had.
This is why general manager John Schneider earned the Executive of the Year award. Drafting receiver Tory Horton (even though he was on injured reserve half the season) was an underrated, perfect pick. The trade for receiver and returner Rashid Shaheed changed the season’s trajectory. The signing of veteran, division rival Cooper Kupp did wonders for everyone on the roster who could catch a pass. Kupp played his best in every important game. Then the running game finally broke out with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet splitting carries and responsibilities throughout the season. When one faltered, the other came in and put the offense back on track.
There were franchise and league records set in this dominant Super Bowl run. Seattle’s average playoff win margin was 18.3, the highest since their twin Buccaneers in 2003. The Seahawks had the most road wins for any team in Levi’s Stadium history with nine. They trailed for only 95 seconds the entire postseason, the best since 1991 Washington and easily the best this century. Seattle became the first Super Bowl champion to not have a turnover the entire playoffs. Defensive coordinator Aden Durde became the first British coach to win a Super Bowl. Head coach Mike Macdonald became the first head coach to win a Super Bowl as the primary defensive play-caller. Macdonald won a championship in dominant fashion on his first trip to the playoffs as a head coach like another NFC west rival head coach did. That coach was Bill Walsh. Mike Macdonald is also the third head coach to lead a number one scoring defense as a coordinator, lead a number one scoring defense as a coach and win the Super Bowl as a head coach. The other two? Bill Belichick and Chuck Noll.
Even before the season ended, teams like Baltimore and Las Vegas were trying to find the next Mike Macdonald
All of this speaks volumes to how much care and consideration have been put into the Seahawks under current owner Jody Allen. Personally, my favorite thing with Seattle this year is how all the players don’t just like, love and care about each other, but they also like, love and care about the whole fanbase. When I was in Nashville for Seattle’s 30-24 win against the Titans on November 23rd, I saw firsthand how the players and coaches love and enjoy interacting with regular people. A guy next to me was promised by cornerback Tariq Woolen he’d sign his hat and shirt. Woolen, jokingly hoping to not get caught, was more than thrilled to talk with us and interact with those around us. I found out live that AJ Barner purposely loves finding fans after games just to interact with them. The first thing Barner did after exiting Nissan Stadium was to head over and say hello to fans, sign things and chat with those in nearest proximity to him. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams, punter Michael Dickson and kicker Jason Myers instantly lit up seeing the fans near the locked gate near the team buses. There were even parents of players like tight end Elijah Arroyo who took pictures with fans even before leaving for the airport. Then there’s me, the person writing this article, and fan-guy for the day who chanted for Mike Macdonald to be coach of the year. We saw Macdonald smile and fight temptation to turn around and say something. Unfortunately, he kept his composure. Macdonald probably got a lot of that this season in King County, Washington. He probably never expected that in Nashville, Tennessee.
From easier, regular season wins to the Super Bowl parade, star players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba to rookies like Grey Zabel didn’t think for a second they were better than anyone else outside the field or inside the building. In fact, when Zabel struck a conversation with Williams during a game late in the regular season on how to improve against an opposing guard, the veteran listened to his teammate. Many learned after that moment that both players helped and talked with each other throughout the season, suggesting how they could improve and what to keep in mind. The coaches, higher management, personnel and security turned words to actions on practicing what they preach, and it showed with the players every day.
Speaking of higher management, Seattle’s ownership could change by the end of the 2026-2027 season. If that is the case and say, things don’t improve (I knocked on wood after writing this), it makes this dominant Super Bowl win even more special. The Allens turned an afterthought team into one of the NFL’s most coveted organizations, continually changing how the game is played. The NFL also has made the Seahawks a team to promote on at least three different continents both in and outside the U.S. If you don’t believe ownership has changed much, then check out the image below.
Paul Allen’s ownership turned the Seahawks into a bona fide winner after the NFL re-aligned divisions in 2002. Seattle has only had one last place season in their 24 year history as an NFC team. Their stadium is fully paid off and generates surplus revenue for the public. That stadium is also the envy of the NFL, and several owners have tried to replicate the designs. The Seahawks also have one thing few teams claim in the sport: a total monopoly over their region and nearby out-of-state markets. That doesn’t happen if Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen didn’t buy the team in 1997.
It wouldn’t be a memorable, unforgettable season without a few cherries on top. Seattle dominating, winning and being the NFL’s face of the season means more on a special anniversary. This year, both the Buccaneers and Seahawks celebrated their 50th NFL anniversary. While both teams have many differences, they both won two titles each in their first 50 years of existence. Most teams can only dream of just playing in one Super Bowl. It’s incredible both franchises have accomplished this much after a rough few decades last century.
More milestones stand out for Seattle more than for Tampa Bay. On the 20th anniversary of a painful, controversial Super Bowl 40 loss, the Seahawks soared back and won their second title. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won that controversial Super Bowl 20 years ago, lost one of their best head coaches in franchise history, imploded in the wildcard round, face a major roster re-build over the next few seasons, and had the lowest grade and worst rated owner in what’s likely the final release of the NFLPA’s franchise report cards. Over a decade ago in what many still consider the best Super Bowl played, Seattle lost after an agonizing set of plays to New England. Not only did the Seahawks get to settle the score, but they capped off an odd season for the Patriots. New England started their season with a week one loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, led by former Seattle head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith. They ended their season with a Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks. When retired Patriot and Buccaneer great Tom Brady enjoyed calling national games in Seattle to the point he didn’t want to pick a Super Bowl winner, it should have shown more viewers how much he respects and to a degree, appreciates the franchise.
Finally, while many don’t know this, another factor making this a particularly special season, especially for those in the organization, was how many beloved people were lost throughout the year. For anyone who either didn’t have the chance to watch the victory parade or didn’t know, a lot of players and front office staff lost their fathers throughout the season. While it is saddening that a good number of parents didn’t get to see their sons become world champions, best believe they would be proud of how dominant, relentless and determined they were throughout the year. Maybe Seattle can do what they have not done before and follow up with a repeat championship. Perhaps there are a lot more moments for that victory than this one. Still, it will never take away how great this second Super Bowl win was and the plethora of once-in-a-lifetime moments and memories.
Be honest, you know you expected a goal-line reference at some point while reading the article. One does not simply lie on this website.
Lakers forward LeBron James (23) scores against Grizzlies center Jock Landale (31) and forward Santi Aldama (7) in the second of two home wins against Memphis January fourth.
After heavy conversations, debates and layered takes on NBA expansion, commissioner Adam Silver finally spoke about a realistic timeline to add two more teams. Right now, there are two cities in serious contention that Silver admitted are in the league’s sights; Las Vegas and Seattle. Las Vegas is a major economic jolt to every major U.S. sports league right now, and not just because it’s the gambling center and mouthpiece for what gaming websites want. There is commitment to building state-of-the-art stadiums, quality entertainment and scant oversight when it comes to taxes and federal rules. It’s also warm and one of the fastest growing areas in the country. Then there’s Seattle. The pacific northwest city desperately wants the SuperSonics to return with stable ownership. Seattle wants to make sure the new iteration of the Sonics will not have a chance to leave the state of Washington again.
While these are the main two featured cities, it wouldn’t be crazy if a few more cities throw in some bids for an NBA team. Notable cities of interest might be:
Louisville– A serious choice because of Kentucky’s contributions to the game of basketball. It’s impossible to go through the sports’ history without mentioning the state. Anyone who has watched Louisville or the University of Kentucky teams knows about the raucous atmospheres and how hard it is for opposing teams to play there.
Kansas City– Another state that shares similar history, die-hard fans and great teams is Kansas. Kansas City would be a great place to have an NBA team. Like Louisville, there are not many pro-sports teams located in the Sunflower State. The one in Kansas City, will have a new stadium built by 2030. Denver and Oklahoma City are the only teams around or near the Great Plains area that fans can root for, and both are extremely popular, boasting some of the best NBA fandoms. Kansas City would be a good addition to create some new, fresh rivalries.
Vancouver– Despite the Seattle choice, another team in Canada makes sense and sticks out more. When the Grizzlies were born in Vancouver, former commissioner David Stern and the NBA front office didn’t make expansion easy. In fact, many people on all sides say the league never gave the city a chance to develop a team or even compete. The Grizzlies didn’t last long and relocated to the United States. It’s time to give the city a second and fairer chance.
A second Ohio city– a second Ohio team also makes sense. If Louisville is rejected, Cincinnati becomes an attractive option. While the city stretches both the Ohio and Kentucky borders, it also boasts two professional sports team with strong rivalries in and out of state. Another city that could be considered is Columbus. The state capital is a growing metropolis that is a clean, fun place to be, easy to invest in and is full of passionate sports fans. While college football is the dominant sport, the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets team has held its own. It certainly helps that the Blue Jackets have their own stadium and the new team could strike an agreement to play home games there. That is something a good number of the other expansion options don’t have. Finally, basketball is also rising in popularity and would be a positive, long-term investment. This coupled with teams that create new rivalries would be fun.
The next issue for commissioner Adam Silver is how these teams would be created. Fortunately for the NBA, this one can be easily solved given how some teams are on the brink of collapse and should be moved to other markets. For those who read last month’s rankings, the most notable team here is the New Orleans Pelicans. Going back two decades ago when they were named the Hornets, the NBA once owned the team and finalized a lot of the roster moves. The infamous Chris Paul-Los Angeles Lakers trade backfired because the league stepped in and said it wasn’t fair. Once the new Pelicans had a new owner, the NBA eased off. Owner Gail Benson inherited a shaky foundation that is now in shambles, mostly because their former number one overall pick Zion Williamson epically failed.
Many will say Williamson’s career derailment from injuries, pornography obsessions and terrible weight/body management is the final nail in the coffin for New Orleans. While he seems to be the catalyst for the Pelicans inevitable move, the even bigger argument for possible relocation is the failure of Louisiana never finding a long-term passionate fan-base to support or attend games the franchise played. That is bizarre given how the city, state and surrounding areas love the NFL’s Saints. Ownership and executive management never gave fans something to appreciate or tap into the excitement of, outside of former center Anthony Davis’ MVP season. Terrible roster construction, bad coaching hires and mediocre performances in critical games have doomed the franchise.
New Orleans isn’t the only team that could move. For years, Sacramento was fought over by the California legislature, the state of Washington, and the NBA. Ownership remains a problem and it looks like the Kings will attempt another full-scale rebuild. Fortunately both the NBA and the fandom in Sacramento County are united in keeping the team. Still, one has to wonder when one or both get tired enough to finally rid themselves of what appears to be a never-ending dumpster fire.
Other teams that could be considered would be Portland, Brooklyn and Memphis. New owner Jody Allen announced the TrailBlazers would be for sale in 2025. Whoever purchases the team could decide to move it to another pacific northwest city if Seattle or Vancouver missed out on a team in the future. Brooklyn will always be the inferior New York team given how the city and state favors the Knicks at every opportunity. Moving back to New Jersey or another east coast state wouldn’t be the worst idea, especially with yet another painful rebuild in progress. Memphis though, is the most interesting and possible option.
The Grizzlies are on the verge of going for a full re-build. When Memphis played Orlando in early January, former Grizzlies star shooting guard Desmond Bane said that when he talked to his former teammates throughout the first few months of the season, former coach Taylor Jenkins was missed and there was a lack of proper structure among coaches and players. Bane made it clear that he’s not the only one who misses (former coach) Taylor Jenkins. The fluid forward and guard is competing with the Magic for a top six seed and despite the team’s struggles, have a lot more positives and opportunities than Memphis provides. Controversial star point guard Ja Morant has made it known throughout the season he doesn’t have the same passion playing the game anymore and has suffered more injuries (his most recent was a UCL injury that lasted at least three more weeks). The roster is banged up and lacks considerable of talent compared to when they played Los Angeles in the playoffs three years ago.
Off the court, Memphis has serious problems. They’re the least valuable franchise in the NBA and more importantly, don’t own the building in which they play, FedEx Forum. The new mayor has recognized these issues and is trying to get a stadium deal in place by 2029. However, the league and their unpredictable, impulsive owners could pull the plug early and dip. That would be a shame since the Grizzlies have been named by both the NBA and serious sports outlets like Sports Illustrated as the best small market team in U.S. men’s professional basketball. The franchise is also deeply imbedded with the city’s diverse communities. Should there be serious talks of a relocation, it would deal a lot of damage to the NBA on wanting to have another team in the south.
For now, only one team looks to be an easy pick on relocation. Maybe both new teams and locations are named years apart. Some cities are more deserving than others. Then again, it wouldn’t be a shock if the other 29 teams (excluding New Orleans) stand firm and nothing changes. Expansion should then be the next serious conversation, and the cities above would be great additions. There’s nothing wrong with an even 32 teams. It would fix a lot more issues than it would create.
Commissioner Adam Silver would love to expand the NBA to 32 teams if possible.
Here are the second power rankings of the calendar year. Like the NHL rankings, some have tiebreakers based off how teams perform on a neutral site.
#30 Sacramento Kings (last ranking: 27)
You have to give Sacramento their flowers for being one of the top clown show organizations in the NBA. First owner Vivek Ranadivé makes his daughter Anjali the general manager of the minor league affiliate Stockton. It turns out that was a terrible move because reportedly Anjali couldn’t stop being intimate with former player Jeremy Lamb and convicted murderer Chance Comanche. Fast-forward to this season and the Kings have re-invented how to tank for the draft lottery. Masterful gambits.
#29 Washington Wizards (last ranking: 30)
January was a necessary month for Washington’s young, rising core. A nine game losing streak, especially after winning three out of four to start the new year, would demoralize any young roster. The Wizards kept a lot of those losses close, and were rewarded with two wins in a row against play-in contending teams and an early February upset victory against Detroit. That’s something this team can build off of after the All-Star break.
#28 Indiana Pacers (last ranking: 19)
The trade deadline addition of Ivica Zubac shows how much Indiana is focused on next season. Combined with what will be a high first round draft pick, the Pacers should have an obvious rebound next year. In hindsight, the only move they probably regret is letting Myles Turner walk last offseason.
#27 New Orleans Pelicans (last ranking: 30)
With the trade of Jose Alvarado to New York, New Orleans officially went from a decent, talented roster even when forward Zion Williamson’s hurt, to a roster led by two, 10+ year veteran centers being the best players (outside of Williamson). It will take divine intervention to keep the Pelicans in Louisiana.
#26 Brooklyn Nets (last ranking: 28)
It has been a brutal start to 2026 for Brooklyn. The Nets had a seven game losing streak, released Cam Thomas and now center Nic Claxton is on IR. Michael Porter Jr. is the only player averaging more than 20 points a game and he is also out right now. At least Brooklyn keeps their first round pick after the regular season ends.
#25 Utah Jazz (last ranking: 26)
On one hand, trading for Jaren Jackson Jr. was a plus for Utah. Jackson Jr.’s season is done after he needed surgery on his left knee to remove a PVNS growth. Jaren Jackson Jr. will keep the Jazz competitive and is a good scoring piece. On the other hand, the NBA fining Utah and Indiana for trying to tank and not stay competitive should have warranted more punishment. It will be interesting to see if any other teams learn from this controversy.
#24 Dallas Mavericks (last ranking: 25)
If there was a dark horse NBA team that could be dealt to Vegas and surprise no one, it would be the Dallas Mavericks. Remember that owner Miriam Adelson wanted more casinos and gambling in the current stadium. With an imminent re-build looming, a new hope with number one overall pick Cooper Flagg and a heavily upset fanbase that remains hurt over star point guard Luka Doncic being traded unexpectedly, the Mavericks leaving and being named an expansion option would make a lot of sense.
#23 Memphis Grizzlies (last ranking: 21)
The most dreadfully dumb story of the NBA season has to be when Memphis majority owner Robert Pera reportedly got furious and threatened to buy out the team’s minority owners after a woman he met didn’t believe he owned the team and thought Justin Timberlake did (via Pablo Torre on the Dan LeBatard Show). Every horrid thing audiences have seen with the Grizzlies on the court somehow didn’t spark the same reaction from Pera. What a time to be an NBA team owner!
#22 Milwaukee Bucks (last ranking: 23)
The biggest sports scandal since the Luka Doncic trade should be Giannis Antetokounmpo partnering with gambling company Kalshi. So many viewers bought into Antetokounmpo finally wanting out of Milwaukee, only to find out Kalshi let people bet on if he’d go to a specific franchise or stay with the Bucks. It feels sinister when a league superstar floats the idea of a trade and then partners with a betting app after the trade deadline ends. The NBA must do something about this, and soon.
#21 Chicago Bulls (last ranking: 20)
It’s amazing to see how aggressively dim Chicago’s front office is. The Bulls traded Nikola Vučević, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, Guerschon Yabusele, and Nick Richards for small name players and a lot of second round draft picks. Not only did the Bulls fail to land a first round pick from any of their trades, but they did so knowing there’s a full re-build coming. Who will be their core and star players in the later draft rounds? Talk about incompetence!
#20 Atlanta Hawks (last ranking: 18)
The Trae Young trade to Washington could be one of the best moves this season. Young is a great player to lead the Wizards young core and make sure they develop well. The Hawks getting C.J. McCollum to compliment forward Jalen Johnson will make opponents second guess who to defend. Johnson deserved the All-Star nod by how he’s led Atlanta in almost every serious statistic.
#19 Los Angeles Clippers (last ranking: 22)
Only Los Angeles could make a run back into play-in and playoff contention and then decide to move on from point-guard James Harden near the trade deadline. To be fair, Harden wanted out and couldn’t handle how weird he feels the organization has gotten. This again shows the Clippers cannot sustain long-term success.
#18 Charlotte Hornets (last ranking: 26)
Ok. THIS is what I pictured when the regular season started. Scoring and shooting percentages are up, the Hornets are great at the free throw line, and forward/guard Kon Knueppel is a favorite for rookie of the year. I wouldn’t be surprised if Charlotte has a higher play-in spot by the next rankings.
#17 Portland Trailblazers (last ranking: 17)
Portland has been blown out in six of their last seven losses. Only one was in the western conference. The Trailblazers had a nice January, but one wonders if not having a veteran head coach is starting to factor into some of these losses. Portland is a streaky team, and that is actually better than what many thought they’d be at the beginning of the season. However, it again highlights how not firing Billups after the end of last season was a terrible idea.
#16 Orlando Magic (last ranking: 9)
Orlando not playing up to their potential this season has been a big storyline. The Magic have a subpar offense and their defense hasn’t improved. In a less-talented eastern conference, it’s shocking Orlando hasn’t delivered and grabbed a top five seed. The Magic will kick themselves if Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton come back next season and play their teams into top seeds.
#15 Miami Heat (last ranking: 15)
Forward Andrew Wiggins has been a good complimentary player on both sides of the court. The big surprise is ten year veteran Norman Powell being the main scorer on offense and playing better each game. It’s unknown if both players can keep playing this well for the next season and a half. One wonders what is Miami’s plan.
#14 Golden State Warriors (last ranking: 10)
Credit to Golden State for playing better and harder than most anticipated after Jimmy Butler tore his right ACL last month and Steph Curry injured his right knee. There’s no more Jonathan Kuminga drama after he was traded to the Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis. It’s up to the Warriors bench and role players to find ways to win, improve their talents and develop properly in a tight play-in race.
#13 Philadelphia 76ers (last ranking: 16)
It appears Philadelphia found another guard to compliment Tyrese Maxey. V.J. Edgecombe should be a rookie of the year candidate and is one of the most important rookies on a current playoff team. Edgecombe’s averaging 15 points a game and is second in team scoring, rebounding, assists, steals per game and third in field goal percentage. He has a bright future ahead.
#12 Phoenix Suns (last ranking: 14)
It’s wild how Dillon Brooks has become one of the more complete NBA players. Brooks went from a hot-and-cold, crass-mouthed star in Memphis to being a big reason Phoenix is only two games back from the western conference’s sixth seed. It’s tempting to say Brooks could have hit his ceiling again, but it’s clear the Grizzlies let go of a great player and miss his contributions.
#11 Toronto Raptors (last ranking: 15)
Outside of close wins against Oklahoma City and Philadelphia, most of Toronto’s wins have come against play-in teams at best. One could say the Raptors are taking care of business by beating the teams they should, but they need to have more quality wins against other playoff caliber teams.
#10 Minnesota Timberwolves (last ranking: 8)
Not only did Minnesota get a steal from the Bulls with Ayo Dosunmu, but they wound up getting point guard Mike Conley back after trading him for Dosunmu. It would be a shock if the Timberwolves don’t spike up the rankings and standings by next month with the quality defensive depth added at the trade deadline. Thank you, Bulls.
#9 Cleveland Cavaliers (last ranking: 12)
The Darius Garland for James Harden and Dennis Schröder trade is a huge gamble. Emphasis on huge. Harden has come up short in multiple playoff trips but is the better player than both Garland and Schröder, even though Schröder has the needed championship experience. We will see how this trade works out in the next two postseasons.
#8 Los Angeles Lakers (last ranking: 7)
It gets ever harder to not say forward LeBron James isn’t the best NBA player of all time. James recorded his first triple double of the season in a 124-104 home win against Dallas last Thursday. This was without star point-guard Luka Doncic. Performances like that have to be appreciated because no one knows the next time we’ll see it again from LeBron.
#7 Houston Rockets (last ranking: 5)
Originally, I wrote about how Houston seems to be on the cusp of being an elite team but has to figure out how to get better play from their centers. Then the Kevin Durant drama (nicknamed the KD Files) exploded Sunday afternoon when Twitter users found at least one burner account he’s had over the last decade and leaked group chat conversations. This could potentially wind up as the biggest story of the NBA season given what social media users have seen. If accurate, this could possibly both end Durant’s time with the Rockets and destroy his legacies (in and outside of basketball). It’s astonishing and disturbing Kevin Durant didn’t learn anything from his previous Twitter controversies.
#6 Denver Nuggets (last ranking: 6)
Nikola Jokic got to return and play for a few games before the All-Star break. Jokic was out a whole month and sometimes that makes people forget how special he is. There might not be another dominant center in the last 20 years like Nikola Jokic has been, and we need to start treasuring that. Go look at what categories he leads in Denver if you want to appreciate how unique he is to the Nuggets.
#5 New York Knicks (last ranking: 3)
There was a point in January where New York lost all but two games. Ten wins in the last 12 games (including an eight game winning streak) smooths over some of the January issues. The Knicks first game coming out of the All-Star break is against Detroit. The Pistons pulverized New York in their last two matchups. It’s important the Knicks start strong against Detroit and Houston if they’re serious about a long playoff run.
#4 Boston Celtics (last ranking: 5)
There is no doubt Boston would be the NBA’s best team if star forward Jayson Tatum played the entire first half of the season. Viewers would see the Celtics as the easy champion favorites. Boston is still a top five team because of forward Jaylen Brown’s breakout, MVP-caliber year. The addition of Nikola Vučević makes the Celtics more of an underrated playoff threat.
#3 San Antonio Spurs (last ranking: 13)
This insane Victor Wembanyama stat came out over two weeks ago. Whichever the next three champions in the NBA finals are, will both be lucky and have earned it. That’s how close we are from Wembanyama dominating all of professional basketball.
#2 Oklahoma City Thunder (last ranking: 1)
Oklahoma City was an easy lock for the top spot with their league leading number of wins a few weeks ago, but their 18-13 record after starting 24-1 is an eye opener. The Thunder still dominate most NBA teams but a lot of serious playoff contenders have dragged Oklahoma City back down to earth. Maybe the All-Star break helps the Thunder rest up and play fresh again.
#1 Detroit Pistons (last ranking: 4)
Wow. If anyone was told two years ago that Detroit would have the best winning percentage in the 2025-26 season, they would’ve laughed it off and thought it was impossible. I don’t know who wins MVP if it’s not Pistons star point guard Cade Cunningham. J.B. Bickerstaff has firmly cemented himself as one of the NBA’s best coaches in this turnaround. Now Detroit’s biggest test the next few months is if they can switch to a playoff mindset and play smarter. The Pistons still have a young roster and will need all the experience possible.
Detroit’s star point-guard Cade Cunningham should be the top MVP candidate this season.
The Super Bowl features the best team in each conference. Seattle and New England mirror each other in their running games, solid quarterback play and total defense. Both offensive and defensive lines play better each week and the secondaries know when to shut down receivers. It is now time to reveal which team has the best chance of winning the Vince Lombardi trophy and why.
#1 Seattle Seahawks v. #2 New England Patriots
The NFC’s top seed and the AFC’s second seed both excel in running the ball, executing deep-ball plays and have a lot of speedy playmakers. These combinations may result in one of the best games of the year. It is an unexpected sequel to the championship matchup from 11 years ago. Although both head coaches have defensive-first philosophies (the first since Super Bowl 51), the names in this re-match are different.
Like the last time these teams met in Super Bowl 49, both the winner of this game and the champion of the 2025-26 season will be determined by which team’s defense makes the bigger plays and forces the quarterback to make more mistakes. Pass rush is the most important factor because of how well both teams run the ball. Seattle has better depth at the edge-rusher positions and at defensive tackle. One big disadvantage could be veteran linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence against left tackle Will Campbell. Lawrence is one of the best and smartest outside linebackers who is feared by several tackles. He finds ways to beat and get past them. Campbell was surprisingly the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft. He was picked higher than many predicted despite his shorter arms and wingspan. The Patriots have had a drop-back success rate of 39.8% and a rushing success rate of 31.7% in their three playoff games. That would have ranked second-to-last and last if it were during the regular season. Seattle’s front wall of Lawrence, Byron Murphy II, Jarran Reed, Brandon Pili, Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and Leonard Williams ranked eighth in sacks and were third against the run. Any pass rush where the front four can generate tons of pressure without assistance is dangerous for any opposing offense. Believe they will take advantage of New England’s weaknesses almost every snap.
If Patriots quarterback Drake Maye finds open receivers and hangs in the pocket long enough to read the field, he’ll have to beat a deep Seahawks secondary. Receivers Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins, and tight-ends Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry give most secondaries problems. They bring a lot of experience and precise route running. Seattle can easily counter with their defensive back depth that features Devon Witherspoon, Quandre Diggs, Coby Bryant, Josh Jobe, Julian Love, Ty Okada, Tariq Woolen, Shaquill Griffin, and defensive rookie of the year Nick Emmanwori. It will be hard for Maye to find a receiver who isn’t in double coverage every passing play.
On the opposite end, the Patriots front seven struggled to sack opposing quarterbacks throughout the season, but stepped up and averaged four in their last three playoff games. They’re sixth best against the run. However, New England hasn’t faced an offensive line like the Seahawks. Seattle’s whole line is healthy and has received high ratings against end rushers. The runningback tandem of Kenneth Walker III and George Holani will be a problem since the Patriots face a mismatch at the line of scrimmage.
The Seahawks passing attack has been one of the NFL’s best this season. Tight-ends A.J. Barner, Eric Saubert and Elijah Arroyo could dominate the middle of the field against the Patriots linebackers. Receivers like the 2026 Offensive Player of the Year and league leader in yards Jaxon Smith-Njigba, former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp and deep-field threat Rashid Shaheed could be too much for New England’s Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones. Smith-Njigba got the better of Gonzalez the last time they played and both Smith-Njigba and Kupp don’t give away routes or hints at the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Sam Darnold has had brutal games against the Patriots in the past, and with head coach Mike Vrabel having a similar playbook as his predecessor, there are valid reasons to believe Darnold could have a turnover filled game. Despite the valid takes, there is no doubt Vrabel will have his hands full against these receivers when he calls defensive plays.
As in every Super Bowl, coaching will determine who wins this game. Both Mike Vrabel and Mike Macdonald know how to make adjustments, listen to their players and get creative with play-calling. Although Vrabel is one of the best head coaches to come from the Bill Belichick tree, Macdonald gets the nod here. New England had the easiest schedule (via every NFL schedule predictor) in the regular and postseason. A season split versus the Buffalo Bills were the hardest games the Patriots played. Seattle played 12 teams that won eight games or more. Of those wins, three were against division winners and two versus division rivals with at least 12 wins in three attempts (each). The Seahawks maintained some of the NFL’s best stats despite playing some of the most complete teams start to finish.
Even the special teams units favor Seattle. The veteran, All-Pro caliber trio of kicker Jason Myers, punter Michael Dickson and returner Rashid Shaheed could tilt the game towards the Seahawks favor or get them a win in the final seconds. New England’s rookie kicker Andy Borregales will have more pressure to play perfect against one of the NFL’s best special teams.
Finally, Seattle’s stats after a bye week are resounding. Mike Macdonald is undefeated and the Seahawks have outscored opponents 99-37. They have never allowed more than 17 points as a defense or scored fewer than 20 points as an offense in those games. New England simply does not have enough talent or firepower to win this game.
Super Bowl 60 Winning Prediction: Seahawks win Super Bowl 31-17 and take home their second Vince Lombardi Trophy
Three games remain. Four teams with two in each conference. The remaining two in the NFC are the west wildcard Los Angeles Rams and the west division winning and conference leading Seattle Seahawks. Both teams have potent offenses, solid quarterbacks, hard-hitting defenses, and intelligent coaches. It is time to determine who will advance to the Super Bowl.
#5 Los Angeles Rams v. #1 Seattle Seahawks
Another division rivalry in the conference finals will make this one of the best and most memorable games of the 2025-26 season.
Conference championship games featuring division rivalries are some of the best and most memorable playoff games in NFL history. Casual viewers can remember which year a team won a Super Bowl because of a rare, divisional matchup in this round. It’s also more fun if the teams split their regular season series.
Los Angeles hasn’t played well throughout the playoffs. Chicago struggled to get pressure and sack opposing quarterbacks during the regular season, but had success against the Rams. Los Angeles’ defense has faltered since Thanksgiving weekend, giving up 20+ points in five of their last seven games. Poor defensive performances put a lot of pressure on the offense to win a lot of shootouts. That’s not a winning formula.
Coincidentally, Seattle has solidified their claim as the NFL’s best team. Head coach Mike Macdonald is undefeated when his team faces an opponent they have already played that season. The Seahawks depth on the defensive line and secondary will keep this a lower scoring game than the last matchup in Lumen Field. An almost fully healthy offensive line and the return of running back George Holani off injured reserve makes Seattle’s offense more dangerous and adds more pressure on defensive coordinator Chris Shula’s predictable defense.
Better play from quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and runningback Kenneth Walker III (9) has Seattle one win away from the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks have more advantages than the Rams. Los Angeles will again play in a colder, outdoor climate. Seattle’s offense has taken better care of the football, posting an NFL best plus seven turnover ratio since their first game against the Rams in week eleven. More importantly, the Seahawks are more fresh and rested compared to a battle-weary Los Angeles roster. This will stand out in the second half, especially if the game is close. Seattle has also played a division rival their last two games. That means the Seahawks are dialed in to play physical and nasty on every side of the ball. Los Angeles hasn’t played a mean opponent in a month. A fresher, nastier and more physical team on every side of the ball may be too much for the Rams to handle.
Finally, this conference finals game will be in Seattle. One could argue that while the Seahawks are undefeated in conference finals games played at home, Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay is also undefeated in conference championship matchups. However, McVay has never had to coach the Rams in a sold out Lumen Field in the postseason. This is also the ninth game since 1970 in the conference championship or later to feature the NFL’s top offense versus the NFL’s top defense. The top defensive team is 7-1 in the first eight matchups. Both Seattle and quarterback Sam Darnold have been plagued by Los Angeles getting the last laugh too many times. This is the weekend head coach Mike Macdonald flips the narrative, reclaims the Seahawks dominance of the West and wins the NFC George Halas trophy.
Prediction: Seahawks win the NFC championship 30-24 and advance to Super Bowl LX
JD's Sportscorner 
