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
SPURS         72 27 11785 10965  0.112 50.988    2  0.690    2  0.653    2  0.749    2 0.5605   14  3.974    1  0.748    5  0.750
THUNDER       75 20 11299 10243  0.098 48.144    1  0.855    1  0.818    1  0.800    1 0.5747   25  3.934    2  0.595    1  1.005
NUGGETS       56 32 10655 10260  0.019 43.502    7  0.355    7  0.335    7  0.287    6 0.5325    5  4.023    3  0.544   15  0.030
HEAT          43 40 10037  9847  0.008 41.269   17  0.056   17  0.039   15  0.080   17 0.5031    2  4.061    4  0.537   20 -0.377
KNICKS        66 31 11352 10551  0.040 47.906    4  0.491    4  0.457    3  0.736    4 0.5440   24  3.935    5  0.533    2  0.938
CAVALIERS     60 40 11744 11461  0.062 51.470    8  0.313    8  0.297   10  0.196    8 0.5271   10  3.996    6  0.307   14  0.085
HAWKS         48 40 10316 10223  0.034 44.838   11  0.160   11  0.139   13  0.108   12 0.5120    8  4.009    7  0.290   18 -0.075
HORNETS       45 39  9730  9364 -0.005 40.783   16  0.086   16  0.064    6  0.385   16 0.5056   21  3.946    8  0.241    7  0.529
PISTONS       67 29 11126 10434  0.018 46.783    3  0.511    3  0.480    4  0.480    3 0.5470   27  3.921    9  0.209    4  0.751
TIMBERWOLVES  55 39 10975 10770  0.048 48.015   10  0.263   10  0.241   12  0.122   10 0.5232   13  3.979   10  0.148   13  0.096
TEAM           W  L    PF    PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
LAKERS        57 35 10562 10467  0.045 47.251    6  0.355    6  0.342   11  0.148    7 0.5315   17  3.971   11  0.132   11  0.164
CELTICS       59 30 10164  9513  0.010 43.044    5  0.406    5  0.380    5  0.470    5 0.5377   29  3.899   12  0.090    3  0.850
RAPTORS       49 40 10171  9951  0.020 44.597   12  0.155   13  0.129    9  0.204   11 0.5124   23  3.937   13  0.013    8  0.395
TRAIL BLAZERS 44 44 10083 10165  0.015 44.804   18  0.035   18  0.021   18 -0.001   18 0.5014   15  3.974   14 -0.002   16  0.001
JAZZ          22 60  9642 10333 -0.062 41.258   26 -0.587   26 -0.613   26 -0.583   26 0.4427    1  4.081   15 -0.017   29 -1.150
PELICANS      26 56  9473  9842 -0.041 40.943   23 -0.460   24 -0.488   21 -0.249   23 0.4544    7  4.017   16 -0.029   23 -0.470
MAGIC         49 42 10393 10355  0.043 46.902   13  0.154   12  0.132   17  0.045   13 0.5118   19  3.956   17 -0.051   12  0.141
BULLS         31 51  9537  9964 -0.056 40.773   22 -0.302   22 -0.325   22 -0.423   22 0.4676    3  4.043   18 -0.061   27 -0.786
CLIPPERS      42 41  9450  9362 -0.030 40.413   19  0.004   19 -0.020   14  0.081   19 0.4981   22  3.942   19 -0.083   10  0.244
76ERS         50 44 10745 10857  0.034 48.624   14  0.142   14  0.126   19 -0.080   14 0.5099   16  3.972   20 -0.090   17 -0.070
TEAM           W  L    PF    PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
ROCKETS       54 34 10041  9628  0.000 42.826    9  0.286    9  0.263    8  0.240    9 0.5263   30  3.899   21 -0.142    6  0.622
WARRIORS      38 46  9620  9676 -0.005 42.108   20 -0.094   20 -0.115   20 -0.161   20 0.4886   18  3.967   22 -0.199   19 -0.124
SUNS          46 42  9875  9813  0.042 45.189   15  0.112   15  0.094   16  0.048   15 0.5088   26  3.923   23 -0.214    9  0.311
MAVERICKS     26 56  9358  9810 -0.056 40.842   24 -0.463   23 -0.486   23 -0.428   24 0.4535   11  3.996   24 -0.318   24 -0.538
GRIZZLIES     25 57  9403  9896 -0.057 40.863   25 -0.501   25 -0.529   27 -0.585   25 0.4505    6  4.021   25 -0.342   28 -0.827
PACERS        19 63  9219  9874 -0.060 41.322   29 -0.677   29 -0.708   24 -0.500   29 0.4336    9  4.001   26 -0.364   25 -0.637
WIZARDS       17 65  9257 10240 -0.092 41.184   30 -0.793   30 -0.824   30 -0.822   30 0.4267    4  4.040   27 -0.476   30 -1.168
KINGS         22 60  9102  9922 -0.070 41.332   27 -0.596   27 -0.615   28 -0.665   27 0.4425   12  3.990   28 -0.585   26 -0.744
BUCKS         32 50  9072  9581 -0.069 40.713   21 -0.282   21 -0.301   25 -0.550   21 0.4702   20  3.953   29 -0.659   22 -0.442
NETS          20 62  8686  9505 -0.082 41.167   28 -0.675   28 -0.697   29 -0.803   28 0.4358   28  3.901   30 -1.172   21 -0.433

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        57 35 10562 10467  0.045 47.251    6  0.355    6  0.342   11  0.148    7 0.5315   17  3.971   11  0.132   11  0.164
CLIPPERS      42 41  9450  9362 -0.030 40.413   19  0.004   19 -0.020   14  0.081   19 0.4981   22  3.942   19 -0.083   10  0.244
WARRIORS      38 46  9620  9676 -0.005 42.108   20 -0.094   20 -0.115   20 -0.161   20 0.4886   18  3.967   22 -0.199   19 -0.124
SUNS          46 42  9875  9813  0.042 45.189   15  0.112   15  0.094   16  0.048   15 0.5088   26  3.923   23 -0.214    9  0.311
KINGS         22 60  9102  9922 -0.070 41.332   27 -0.596   27 -0.615   28 -0.665   27 0.4425   12  3.990   28 -0.585   26 -0.744

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
THUNDER       75 20 11299 10243  0.098 48.144    1  0.855    1  0.818    1  0.800    1 0.5747   25  3.934    2  0.595    1  1.005
NUGGETS       56 32 10655 10260  0.019 43.502    7  0.355    7  0.335    7  0.287    6 0.5325    5  4.023    3  0.544   15  0.030
TIMBERWOLVES  55 39 10975 10770  0.048 48.015   10  0.263   10  0.241   12  0.122   10 0.5232   13  3.979   10  0.148   13  0.096
TRAIL BLAZERS 44 44 10083 10165  0.015 44.804   18  0.035   18  0.021   18 -0.001   18 0.5014   15  3.974   14 -0.002   16  0.001
JAZZ          22 60  9642 10333 -0.062 41.258   26 -0.587   26 -0.613   26 -0.583   26 0.4427    1  4.081   15 -0.017   29 -1.150

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         72 27 11785 10965  0.112 50.988    2  0.690    2  0.653    2  0.749    2 0.5605   14  3.974    1  0.748    5  0.750
PELICANS      26 56  9473  9842 -0.041 40.943   23 -0.460   24 -0.488   21 -0.249   23 0.4544    7  4.017   16 -0.029   23 -0.470
ROCKETS       54 34 10041  9628  0.000 42.826    9  0.286    9  0.263    8  0.240    9 0.5263   30  3.899   21 -0.142    6  0.622
MAVERICKS     26 56  9358  9810 -0.056 40.842   24 -0.463   23 -0.486   23 -0.428   24 0.4535   11  3.996   24 -0.318   24 -0.538
GRIZZLIES     25 57  9403  9896 -0.057 40.863   25 -0.501   25 -0.529   27 -0.585   25 0.4505    6  4.021   25 -0.342   28 -0.827

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     60 40 11744 11461  0.062 51.470    8  0.313    8  0.297   10  0.196    8 0.5271   10  3.996    6  0.307   14  0.085
PISTONS       67 29 11126 10434  0.018 46.783    3  0.511    3  0.480    4  0.480    3 0.5470   27  3.921    9  0.209    4  0.751
BULLS         31 51  9537  9964 -0.056 40.773   22 -0.302   22 -0.325   22 -0.423   22 0.4676    3  4.043   18 -0.061   27 -0.786
PACERS        19 63  9219  9874 -0.060 41.322   29 -0.677   29 -0.708   24 -0.500   29 0.4336    9  4.001   26 -0.364   25 -0.637
BUCKS         32 50  9072  9581 -0.069 40.713   21 -0.282   21 -0.301   25 -0.550   21 0.4702   20  3.953   29 -0.659   22 -0.442

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          43 40 10037  9847  0.008 41.269   17  0.056   17  0.039   15  0.080   17 0.5031    2  4.061    4  0.537   20 -0.377
HAWKS         48 40 10316 10223  0.034 44.838   11  0.160   11  0.139   13  0.108   12 0.5120    8  4.009    7  0.290   18 -0.075
HORNETS       45 39  9730  9364 -0.005 40.783   16  0.086   16  0.064    6  0.385   16 0.5056   21  3.946    8  0.241    7  0.529
MAGIC         49 42 10393 10355  0.043 46.902   13  0.154   12  0.132   17  0.045   13 0.5118   19  3.956   17 -0.051   12  0.141
WIZARDS       17 65  9257 10240 -0.092 41.184   30 -0.793   30 -0.824   30 -0.822   30 0.4267    4  4.040   27 -0.476   30 -1.168

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        66 31 11352 10551  0.040 47.906    4  0.491    4  0.457    3  0.736    4 0.5440   24  3.935    5  0.533    2  0.938
CELTICS       59 30 10164  9513  0.010 43.044    5  0.406    5  0.380    5  0.470    5 0.5377   29  3.899   12  0.090    3  0.850
RAPTORS       49 40 10171  9951  0.020 44.597   12  0.155   13  0.129    9  0.204   11 0.5124   23  3.937   13  0.013    8  0.395
76ERS         50 44 10745 10857  0.034 48.624   14  0.142   14  0.126   19 -0.080   14 0.5099   16  3.972   20 -0.090   17 -0.070
NETS          20 62  8686  9505 -0.082 41.167   28 -0.675   28 -0.697   29 -0.803   28 0.4358   28  3.901   30 -1.172   21 -0.433

DIVISION             W   L   PCT  RNK RATING
NORTHWEST DIVISION 252 195 0.564    1  0.145
ATLANTIC DIVISION  244 207 0.541    2  0.109
SOUTHEAST DIVISION 202 226 0.472    3 -0.042
SOUTHWEST DIVISION 203 230 0.469    4 -0.061
PACIFIC DIVISION   205 224 0.478    5 -0.109
CENTRAL DIVISION   209 233 0.473    6 -0.160

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

Predict score:








Team Strength vs. Time Plot:






posted: Wed May 27 05:30:16 2026
games through: Tue May 26 2026

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