Dolphin Ratings - National Basketball Association

Explanation: Each team is listed with its record, overall score differential, and its ratings. Brief explanations of the ratings follow.

Schedule The number in this column is the effective opponent strength of a team. In other words, they would be expected to have the same record had they played all games against an opponent of this predictive rating at a neutral site. Because this calculation depends on the strength of the team in question, it is not possible to rank schedules using these values.
Expected Losses For college teams, this number is the number of losses an average ranked (top 15 hockey; otherwise top 25) team would be expected to have against the team's schedule. For pro teams, this is the number of losses an average team would be expected to have against the team's schedule. Unlike the schedule ranking, this value can be used to rank schedules.
Standard Ranks teams in an order such that a team is "probably better" than all teams ranked lower than it. This calculation uses margin of victory only for computing a team's opponents strengths; the team's rating itself is computed using only wins, losses, and ties relative to its schedule
Median Likelihood Determines the likely ratings for each team, based on its wins, losses, and ties relative to its schedule. This generally produces the same or similar ratings as the standard ranking.
Predictive Both schedule strength and rating vs. schedule strength are determined considering both the wins and losses and the score differentials. This rating contains none of the biases in the standard rating, but does weight recent games slightly more than past games since those are a better indication of the team's current strength. This rating is the best of the first three for seeing how good teams are, and thus is the best for predicting future results.
Improved RPI Rating The improved RPI formula is similar to the standard RPI, except that the schedule strength is carried out to infinite depth instead of ending with opponents' opponents, thus allows for a better comparison of isolated groups of teams than is given by the standard RPI calculation. It is similar to the simple rating, except that all games are given equal weight.
Scoring. This value indicates how many points a team would be expected to score if it played an identical team.
Offense. This combines the predictive and scoring ratings to measure how many points a team scores. The number is the predictive rating of an opponent against whom the team would be expected to score the league average number of points. This does not necessarily rate a team's offensive abilities, as a fast pace in basketball or big-play defense in football can make a team score more points.
Defense. This combines the predictive and scoring ratings to measure how many points a team allows. The number is the predictive rating of an opponent against whom the team would be expected to allow the league average number of points. The same caveat in the predictive-offense rating applies here.

In order to increase early-season stability, the three main rankings, the improved RPI, and the college pseudopoll include priors based on the previous season final predictive ratings and occasionally incorporating preseason predictions of various major publications. The other rankings for college sports do not include priors, and thus can be wildly unstable early in the year. A team whose rankings are affected by this prior is noted with a P following its rankings.

Full Ranking

                                              STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
NUGGETS       25 12 4591 4368  0.030 18.104    4  0.351    4  0.354    6  0.307    4 0.5392    2  4.058    1  0.700   18 -0.086
THUNDER       31  7 4615 4107 -0.036 17.086    1  0.612    1  0.633    1  0.695    1 0.5682   27  3.939    2  0.468    1  0.921
HEAT          20 17 4444 4344  0.056 18.907   14  0.126   14  0.114   10  0.149   14 0.5131    4  4.032    3  0.405   21 -0.107
KNICKS        25 13 4553 4369 -0.002 18.418    6  0.314    6  0.315    8  0.230    7 0.5347    9  4.012    4  0.380   14  0.080
SPURS         26 12 4516 4317  0.034 18.680    3  0.393    3  0.398    5  0.315    3 0.5469   12  3.984    5  0.317    7  0.312
TIMBERWOLVES  25 13 4557 4342 -0.054 17.424    8  0.272    8  0.269    7  0.295    9 0.5314   13  3.983    6  0.294    8  0.296
CAVALIERS     21 18 4652 4568 -0.012 18.959   16  0.077   16  0.066   12  0.092   16 0.5056    7  4.019    7  0.276   20 -0.092
CELTICS       23 13 4232 3980  0.006 17.318    9  0.270    9  0.265    3  0.403    8 0.5331   22  3.957    8  0.265    3  0.540
PISTONS       28  9 4386 4129 -0.045 17.098    2  0.478    2  0.487    4  0.379    2 0.5562   21  3.958    9  0.244    4  0.513
ROCKETS       22 12 4042 3765  0.055 16.705    7  0.302    7  0.303    2  0.440    6 0.5367   26  3.940   10  0.215    2  0.664
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
JAZZ          13 24 4427 4689  0.040 19.736   23 -0.258   23 -0.245   26 -0.342   23 0.4723    1  4.085   11  0.196   30 -0.880
HAWKS         18 21 4619 4655  0.016 19.684   18 -0.055   18 -0.067   17 -0.051   18 0.4951    5  4.029   12  0.188   24 -0.290
TRAIL BLAZERS 18 20 4427 4526  0.078 20.245   17  0.027   17  0.018   20 -0.090   17 0.5026    8  4.017   13  0.082   23 -0.262
76ERS         20 15 4117 4067 -0.032 16.823   13  0.126   13  0.119   15  0.058   13 0.5138   16  3.978   14  0.026   13  0.089
LAKERS        23 12 4072 4080 -0.004 17.362    5  0.324    5  0.326   18 -0.063    5 0.5391   11  3.999   15  0.015   22 -0.141
SUNS          22 15 4248 4159  0.044 18.606   10  0.229   10  0.223    9  0.200   10 0.5252   25  3.944   16 -0.002    5  0.401
MAGIC         21 17 4430 4379  0.053 19.474   12  0.150   12  0.141   14  0.068   12 0.5166   18  3.967   17 -0.017   12  0.152
WARRIORS      20 18 4369 4318  0.041 19.257   15  0.091   15  0.079   11  0.113   15 0.5086   23  3.953   18 -0.043    9  0.270
GRIZZLIES     16 21 4263 4316 -0.014 18.378   20 -0.149   20 -0.151   19 -0.072   19 0.4858   15  3.979   19 -0.096   16 -0.049
BULLS         17 20 4333 4485 -0.078 17.785   19 -0.127   19 -0.127   25 -0.322   20 0.4835    6  4.023   20 -0.114   26 -0.531
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
HORNETS       13 25 4386 4454 -0.056 18.278   26 -0.351   26 -0.355   21 -0.101   25 0.4582   14  3.981   21 -0.116   17 -0.086
RAPTORS       23 15 4333 4251 -0.038 18.142   11  0.187   11  0.178   13  0.076   11 0.5174   29  3.927   22 -0.213    6  0.365
CLIPPERS      13 23 4035 4120  0.085 19.233   22 -0.217   22 -0.217   16 -0.008   22 0.4746   28  3.933   23 -0.267   10  0.251
WIZARDS       10 26 4085 4472 -0.032 18.369   27 -0.476   27 -0.464   29 -0.555   27 0.4457    3  4.036   24 -0.279   29 -0.831
PELICANS       8 31 4464 4784  0.000 20.108   29 -0.623   29 -0.623   27 -0.461   29 0.4328   10  4.011   25 -0.320   28 -0.602
BUCKS         16 21 4193 4279 -0.093 17.371   21 -0.206   21 -0.207   23 -0.209   21 0.4766   20  3.960   26 -0.329   19 -0.089
MAVERICKS     14 24 4299 4443 -0.048 18.698   24 -0.297   24 -0.292   24 -0.222   24 0.4657   24  3.948   27 -0.407   15 -0.037
NETS          11 23 3715 3875 -0.012 17.130   25 -0.348   25 -0.345   22 -0.206   26 0.4567   30  3.913   28 -0.566   11  0.153
PACERS         7 31 4212 4541 -0.043 19.298   30 -0.701   30 -0.707   28 -0.491   30 0.4230   19  3.964   29 -0.590   25 -0.392
KINGS          8 29 4068 4501  0.066 20.501   28 -0.520   28 -0.510   30 -0.628   28 0.4445   17  3.967   30 -0.712   27 -0.544

PACIFIC DIVISION
                                              STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
LAKERS        23 12 4072 4080 -0.004 17.362    5  0.324    5  0.326   18 -0.063    5 0.5391   11  3.999   15  0.015   22 -0.141
SUNS          22 15 4248 4159  0.044 18.606   10  0.229   10  0.223    9  0.200   10 0.5252   25  3.944   16 -0.002    5  0.401
WARRIORS      20 18 4369 4318  0.041 19.257   15  0.091   15  0.079   11  0.113   15 0.5086   23  3.953   18 -0.043    9  0.270
CLIPPERS      13 23 4035 4120  0.085 19.233   22 -0.217   22 -0.217   16 -0.008   22 0.4746   28  3.933   23 -0.267   10  0.251
KINGS          8 29 4068 4501  0.066 20.501   28 -0.520   28 -0.510   30 -0.628   28 0.4445   17  3.967   30 -0.712   27 -0.544

NORTHWEST DIVISION
                                              STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
NUGGETS       25 12 4591 4368  0.030 18.104    4  0.351    4  0.354    6  0.307    4 0.5392    2  4.058    1  0.700   18 -0.086
THUNDER       31  7 4615 4107 -0.036 17.086    1  0.612    1  0.633    1  0.695    1 0.5682   27  3.939    2  0.468    1  0.921
TIMBERWOLVES  25 13 4557 4342 -0.054 17.424    8  0.272    8  0.269    7  0.295    9 0.5314   13  3.983    6  0.294    8  0.296
JAZZ          13 24 4427 4689  0.040 19.736   23 -0.258   23 -0.245   26 -0.342   23 0.4723    1  4.085   11  0.196   30 -0.880
TRAIL BLAZERS 18 20 4427 4526  0.078 20.245   17  0.027   17  0.018   20 -0.090   17 0.5026    8  4.017   13  0.082   23 -0.262

SOUTHWEST DIVISION
                                              STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
SPURS         26 12 4516 4317  0.034 18.680    3  0.393    3  0.398    5  0.315    3 0.5469   12  3.984    5  0.317    7  0.312
ROCKETS       22 12 4042 3765  0.055 16.705    7  0.302    7  0.303    2  0.440    6 0.5367   26  3.940   10  0.215    2  0.664
GRIZZLIES     16 21 4263 4316 -0.014 18.378   20 -0.149   20 -0.151   19 -0.072   19 0.4858   15  3.979   19 -0.096   16 -0.049
PELICANS       8 31 4464 4784  0.000 20.108   29 -0.623   29 -0.623   27 -0.461   29 0.4328   10  4.011   25 -0.320   28 -0.602
MAVERICKS     14 24 4299 4443 -0.048 18.698   24 -0.297   24 -0.292   24 -0.222   24 0.4657   24  3.948   27 -0.407   15 -0.037

CENTRAL DIVISION
                                              STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
CAVALIERS     21 18 4652 4568 -0.012 18.959   16  0.077   16  0.066   12  0.092   16 0.5056    7  4.019    7  0.276   20 -0.092
PISTONS       28  9 4386 4129 -0.045 17.098    2  0.478    2  0.487    4  0.379    2 0.5562   21  3.958    9  0.244    4  0.513
BULLS         17 20 4333 4485 -0.078 17.785   19 -0.127   19 -0.127   25 -0.322   20 0.4835    6  4.023   20 -0.114   26 -0.531
BUCKS         16 21 4193 4279 -0.093 17.371   21 -0.206   21 -0.207   23 -0.209   21 0.4766   20  3.960   26 -0.329   19 -0.089
PACERS         7 31 4212 4541 -0.043 19.298   30 -0.701   30 -0.707   28 -0.491   30 0.4230   19  3.964   29 -0.590   25 -0.392

SOUTHEAST DIVISION
                                              STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
HEAT          20 17 4444 4344  0.056 18.907   14  0.126   14  0.114   10  0.149   14 0.5131    4  4.032    3  0.405   21 -0.107
HAWKS         18 21 4619 4655  0.016 19.684   18 -0.055   18 -0.067   17 -0.051   18 0.4951    5  4.029   12  0.188   24 -0.290
MAGIC         21 17 4430 4379  0.053 19.474   12  0.150   12  0.141   14  0.068   12 0.5166   18  3.967   17 -0.017   12  0.152
HORNETS       13 25 4386 4454 -0.056 18.278   26 -0.351   26 -0.355   21 -0.101   25 0.4582   14  3.981   21 -0.116   17 -0.086
WIZARDS       10 26 4085 4472 -0.032 18.369   27 -0.476   27 -0.464   29 -0.555   27 0.4457    3  4.036   24 -0.279   29 -0.831

ATLANTIC DIVISION
                                              STANDARD   MED LIKELY  PREDICTIVE  IMPRVD RPI    SCORING     OFFENSE     DEFENSE 
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
KNICKS        25 13 4553 4369 -0.002 18.418    6  0.314    6  0.315    8  0.230    7 0.5347    9  4.012    4  0.380   14  0.080
CELTICS       23 13 4232 3980  0.006 17.318    9  0.270    9  0.265    3  0.403    8 0.5331   22  3.957    8  0.265    3  0.540
76ERS         20 15 4117 4067 -0.032 16.823   13  0.126   13  0.119   15  0.058   13 0.5138   16  3.978   14  0.026   13  0.089
RAPTORS       23 15 4333 4251 -0.038 18.142   11  0.187   11  0.178   13  0.076   11 0.5174   29  3.927   22 -0.213    6  0.365
NETS          11 23 3715 3875 -0.012 17.130   25 -0.348   25 -0.345   22 -0.206   26 0.4567   30  3.913   28 -0.566   11  0.153

DIVISION             W   L   PCT  RNK RATING
NORTHWEST DIVISION 112  76 0.596    1  0.227
ATLANTIC DIVISION  102  79 0.564    2  0.135
SOUTHWEST DIVISION  86 100 0.462    3  0.001
PACIFIC DIVISION    86  97 0.470    4 -0.093
SOUTHEAST DIVISION  82 106 0.436    5 -0.117
CENTRAL DIVISION    89  99 0.473    6 -0.143

Home field advantage amounts to:
     0.175 points in main ratings (0.186 for semineutral)
     0.018 points in improved RPI (0.019 for semineutral)
Average of 2.15 points per score

Predict score:








Team Strength vs. Time Plot:






posted: Fri Jan  9 05:30:17 2026
games through: Thu Jan  8 2026

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