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         51 19 8326 7833  0.087 35.166    2  0.597    2  0.606    2  0.578    2 0.5593   13  3.989    1  0.645    6  0.511
HEAT          38 31 8294 8065  0.021 33.804   14  0.131   14  0.123   10  0.198   14 0.5117    2  4.041    2  0.540   19 -0.145
CAVALIERS     42 27 8221 7926  0.030 33.767    7  0.270    7  0.267    7  0.326    7 0.5270    7  4.014    3  0.523   12  0.130
NUGGETS       42 28 8449 8154  0.030 34.294    8  0.247    9  0.243    8  0.274    8 0.5247    5  4.021    4  0.509   16  0.039
THUNDER       55 15 8294 7524  0.053 33.878    1  0.721    1  0.724    1  0.690    1 0.5697   26  3.925    5  0.429    1  0.951
PISTONS       49 19 7984 7471  0.010 32.184    3  0.500    3  0.502    3  0.507    3 0.5506   22  3.949    6  0.367    3  0.647
KNICKS        46 25 8323 7855  0.030 34.384    5  0.355    5  0.349    5  0.475    5 0.5362   20  3.954    7  0.361    4  0.589
HAWKS         38 31 8147 8046 -0.013 33.233   15  0.104   15  0.102   14  0.137   15 0.5106    6  4.016    8  0.345   17 -0.071
TIMBERWOLVES  43 27 8318 8046 -0.012 33.291   10  0.243   10  0.242    9  0.205   10 0.5246   10  3.999    9  0.325   13  0.085
HORNETS       35 34 7991 7744  0.002 33.234   17  0.012   17  0.008    6  0.367   17 0.5009   21  3.950   10  0.232    7  0.502
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
LAKERS        44 25 8029 7931  0.004 33.731    6  0.325    6  0.329   13  0.139    6 0.5331   12  3.990   11  0.212   15  0.067
CELTICS       46 23 7894 7380  0.007 32.573    4  0.377    4  0.371    4  0.498    4 0.5384   30  3.900   12  0.112    2  0.884
PELICANS      24 46 8103 8369 -0.029 34.273   24 -0.390   24 -0.392   21 -0.150   24 0.4612    8  4.010   13  0.028   23 -0.327
MAGIC         38 30 7855 7765  0.029 33.835   13  0.161   13  0.161   16  0.099   13 0.5151   19  3.961   14  0.021   11  0.178
TRAIL BLAZERS 34 36 8066 8209  0.022 35.286   19 -0.008   19 -0.004   19 -0.115   19 0.4987   11  3.996   15 -0.010   20 -0.221
RAPTORS       39 29 7752 7605  0.006 33.146   12  0.175   12  0.174   11  0.154   12 0.5172   25  3.936   16 -0.051    8  0.358
JAZZ          20 49 8085 8640 -0.029 34.580   26 -0.502   26 -0.497   26 -0.540   26 0.4495    1  4.068   17 -0.053   30 -1.026
BULLS         28 41 7996 8300 -0.020 34.207   22 -0.222   22 -0.219   23 -0.326   22 0.4762    4  4.027   18 -0.058   26 -0.595
WARRIORS      33 36 7936 7899  0.033 34.570   20 -0.016   20 -0.022   18  0.006   20 0.4976   18  3.963   19 -0.059   14  0.071
CLIPPERS      34 35 7824 7786  0.024 34.347   18  0.002   18  0.001   15  0.118   18 0.4998   24  3.938   20 -0.075   10  0.310
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
GRIZZLIES     24 44 7869 8066 -0.044 32.850   23 -0.380   23 -0.384   22 -0.271   23 0.4621    9  4.009   21 -0.100   25 -0.442
76ERS         37 32 7954 8012 -0.007 33.867   16  0.081   16  0.089   20 -0.131   16 0.5079   17  3.974   22 -0.143   18 -0.120
ROCKETS       41 27 7741 7478  0.016 32.983    9  0.245    8  0.244   12  0.142    9 0.5247   28  3.903   23 -0.227    5  0.512
SUNS          39 30 7756 7684  0.024 34.258   11  0.175   11  0.175   17  0.045   11 0.5175   27  3.919   24 -0.244    9  0.335
MAVERICKS     23 47 7928 8292 -0.035 34.554   25 -0.423   25 -0.419   24 -0.406   25 0.4570   16  3.980   25 -0.387   24 -0.425
WIZARDS       16 52 7668 8418 -0.062 33.794   29 -0.683   29 -0.681   30 -0.705   29 0.4343    3  4.031   26 -0.416   29 -0.993
BUCKS         28 40 7565 7902 -0.029 33.701   21 -0.214   21 -0.208   25 -0.410   21 0.4778   23  3.947   27 -0.559   21 -0.261
PACERS        15 55 7791 8417 -0.051 34.831   30 -0.704   30 -0.712   28 -0.634   30 0.4300   14  3.987   28 -0.576   28 -0.692
KINGS         18 52 7751 8451 -0.021 35.615   27 -0.583   27 -0.579   27 -0.633   27 0.4436   15  3.980   29 -0.614   27 -0.653
NETS          17 52 7339 7981 -0.001 35.526   28 -0.595   28 -0.591   29 -0.663   28 0.4419   29  3.901   30 -1.041   22 -0.284

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        44 25 8029 7931  0.004 33.731    6  0.325    6  0.329   13  0.139    6 0.5331   12  3.990   11  0.212   15  0.067
WARRIORS      33 36 7936 7899  0.033 34.570   20 -0.016   20 -0.022   18  0.006   20 0.4976   18  3.963   19 -0.059   14  0.071
CLIPPERS      34 35 7824 7786  0.024 34.347   18  0.002   18  0.001   15  0.118   18 0.4998   24  3.938   20 -0.075   10  0.310
SUNS          39 30 7756 7684  0.024 34.258   11  0.175   11  0.175   17  0.045   11 0.5175   27  3.919   24 -0.244    9  0.335
KINGS         18 52 7751 8451 -0.021 35.615   27 -0.583   27 -0.579   27 -0.633   27 0.4436   15  3.980   29 -0.614   27 -0.653

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       42 28 8449 8154  0.030 34.294    8  0.247    9  0.243    8  0.274    8 0.5247    5  4.021    4  0.509   16  0.039
THUNDER       55 15 8294 7524  0.053 33.878    1  0.721    1  0.724    1  0.690    1 0.5697   26  3.925    5  0.429    1  0.951
TIMBERWOLVES  43 27 8318 8046 -0.012 33.291   10  0.243   10  0.242    9  0.205   10 0.5246   10  3.999    9  0.325   13  0.085
TRAIL BLAZERS 34 36 8066 8209  0.022 35.286   19 -0.008   19 -0.004   19 -0.115   19 0.4987   11  3.996   15 -0.010   20 -0.221
JAZZ          20 49 8085 8640 -0.029 34.580   26 -0.502   26 -0.497   26 -0.540   26 0.4495    1  4.068   17 -0.053   30 -1.026

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         51 19 8326 7833  0.087 35.166    2  0.597    2  0.606    2  0.578    2 0.5593   13  3.989    1  0.645    6  0.511
PELICANS      24 46 8103 8369 -0.029 34.273   24 -0.390   24 -0.392   21 -0.150   24 0.4612    8  4.010   13  0.028   23 -0.327
GRIZZLIES     24 44 7869 8066 -0.044 32.850   23 -0.380   23 -0.384   22 -0.271   23 0.4621    9  4.009   21 -0.100   25 -0.442
ROCKETS       41 27 7741 7478  0.016 32.983    9  0.245    8  0.244   12  0.142    9 0.5247   28  3.903   23 -0.227    5  0.512
MAVERICKS     23 47 7928 8292 -0.035 34.554   25 -0.423   25 -0.419   24 -0.406   25 0.4570   16  3.980   25 -0.387   24 -0.425

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     42 27 8221 7926  0.030 33.767    7  0.270    7  0.267    7  0.326    7 0.5270    7  4.014    3  0.523   12  0.130
PISTONS       49 19 7984 7471  0.010 32.184    3  0.500    3  0.502    3  0.507    3 0.5506   22  3.949    6  0.367    3  0.647
BULLS         28 41 7996 8300 -0.020 34.207   22 -0.222   22 -0.219   23 -0.326   22 0.4762    4  4.027   18 -0.058   26 -0.595
BUCKS         28 40 7565 7902 -0.029 33.701   21 -0.214   21 -0.208   25 -0.410   21 0.4778   23  3.947   27 -0.559   21 -0.261
PACERS        15 55 7791 8417 -0.051 34.831   30 -0.704   30 -0.712   28 -0.634   30 0.4300   14  3.987   28 -0.576   28 -0.692

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          38 31 8294 8065  0.021 33.804   14  0.131   14  0.123   10  0.198   14 0.5117    2  4.041    2  0.540   19 -0.145
HAWKS         38 31 8147 8046 -0.013 33.233   15  0.104   15  0.102   14  0.137   15 0.5106    6  4.016    8  0.345   17 -0.071
HORNETS       35 34 7991 7744  0.002 33.234   17  0.012   17  0.008    6  0.367   17 0.5009   21  3.950   10  0.232    7  0.502
MAGIC         38 30 7855 7765  0.029 33.835   13  0.161   13  0.161   16  0.099   13 0.5151   19  3.961   14  0.021   11  0.178
WIZARDS       16 52 7668 8418 -0.062 33.794   29 -0.683   29 -0.681   30 -0.705   29 0.4343    3  4.031   26 -0.416   29 -0.993

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        46 25 8323 7855  0.030 34.384    5  0.355    5  0.349    5  0.475    5 0.5362   20  3.954    7  0.361    4  0.589
CELTICS       46 23 7894 7380  0.007 32.573    4  0.377    4  0.371    4  0.498    4 0.5384   30  3.900   12  0.112    2  0.884
RAPTORS       39 29 7752 7605  0.006 33.146   12  0.175   12  0.174   11  0.154   12 0.5172   25  3.936   16 -0.051    8  0.358
76ERS         37 32 7954 8012 -0.007 33.867   16  0.081   16  0.089   20 -0.131   16 0.5079   17  3.974   22 -0.143   18 -0.120
NETS          17 52 7339 7981 -0.001 35.526   28 -0.595   28 -0.591   29 -0.663   28 0.4419   29  3.901   30 -1.041   22 -0.284

DIVISION             W   L   PCT  RNK RATING
NORTHWEST DIVISION 194 155 0.556    1  0.144
ATLANTIC DIVISION  185 161 0.535    2  0.094
SOUTHEAST DIVISION 165 178 0.481    3 -0.010
SOUTHWEST DIVISION 163 183 0.471    4 -0.022
PACIFIC DIVISION   168 178 0.486    5 -0.074
CENTRAL DIVISION   162 182 0.471    6 -0.112

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

Predict score:








Team Strength vs. Time Plot:






posted: Thu Mar 19 05:30:10 2026
games through: Wed Mar 18 2026

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