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
THUNDER       62 16 9299 8387  0.063 37.697    1  0.781    1  0.784    1  0.787    1 0.5718   26  3.929    3  0.535    1  1.039
SPURS         60 20 9570 8920  0.083 39.776    2  0.674    2  0.677    2  0.688    2 0.5632   14  3.986    1  0.727    5  0.648
CELTICS       53 25 8942 8347  0.033 37.546    4  0.444    4  0.438    3  0.564    4 0.5431   29  3.900   12  0.168    2  0.961
PISTONS       57 22 9269 8656  0.024 37.730    3  0.531    3  0.534    4  0.558    3 0.5524   25  3.938    8  0.354    3  0.763
HORNETS       43 36 9201 8790 -0.007 37.399   16  0.090   16  0.081    5  0.511   16 0.5077   21  3.948    7  0.355    4  0.666
KNICKS        52 28 9353 8832  0.031 38.662    5  0.372    5  0.368    6  0.462    5 0.5357   22  3.947    9  0.304    7  0.621
NUGGETS       51 28 9619 9244  0.014 38.131    6  0.347    7  0.348    7  0.314    6 0.5341    5  4.028    2  0.578   14  0.050
CAVALIERS     50 29 9447 9106  0.016 38.275    8  0.320    8  0.324    8  0.299    8 0.5313    7  4.014    5  0.488   12  0.109
HAWKS         45 34 9357 9149  0.010 38.478   11  0.174   11  0.168    9  0.284   11 0.5160    8  4.012    6  0.462   13  0.106
ROCKETS       49 29 8953 8577  0.017 37.636    9  0.309    9  0.310   10  0.271    9 0.5298   28  3.907   19 -0.090    6  0.632
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
TIMBERWOLVES  46 32 9164 8907  0.009 37.808   10  0.214   10  0.209   11  0.176   10 0.5205   17  3.981   11  0.192   11  0.159
RAPTORS       43 35 8920 8746  0.018 38.348   13  0.134   13  0.131   12  0.172   13 0.5126   23  3.941   14 -0.018   10  0.361
CLIPPERS      40 38 8891 8779 -0.004 37.889   18  0.023   19  0.020   13  0.160   18 0.5022   24  3.938   15 -0.044    9  0.365
LAKERS        50 28 9102 8990  0.006 38.192    7  0.345    6  0.353   14  0.129    7 0.5337   11  3.994   10  0.212   15  0.045
SUNS          43 35 8807 8682  0.026 38.688   12  0.146   12  0.143   15  0.116   12 0.5139   27  3.921   23 -0.175    8  0.407
HEAT          41 37 9419 9237  0.025 38.506   17  0.075   17  0.073   16  0.104   17 0.5067    2  4.057    4  0.519   20 -0.311
TRAIL BLAZERS 40 39 9130 9174  0.000 38.952   19  0.020   18  0.022   17  0.023   19 0.5012   15  3.985   13  0.057   17 -0.012
MAGIC         43 36 9124 9103  0.014 39.196   14  0.119   14  0.121   18 -0.035   14 0.5108   18  3.970   17 -0.077   16  0.006
76ERS         43 36 9169 9204  0.000 38.988   15  0.115   15  0.119   19 -0.072   15 0.5106   16  3.982   16 -0.050   19 -0.094
WARRIORS      36 42 8957 8981  0.032 39.287   20 -0.053   20 -0.060   20 -0.087   20 0.4935   19  3.965   22 -0.156   18 -0.019
TEAM           W  L   PF   PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
PELICANS      25 54 9073 9429 -0.019 39.272   24 -0.460   24 -0.461   21 -0.239   23 0.4562    9  4.002   20 -0.112   22 -0.367
BULLS         29 49 9058 9482 -0.009 39.380   22 -0.292   22 -0.292   22 -0.414   22 0.4699    3  4.041   18 -0.085   27 -0.743
MAVERICKS     25 53 8879 9315 -0.039 38.536   23 -0.458   23 -0.453   23 -0.450   24 0.4556   12  3.988   25 -0.399   24 -0.501
GRIZZLIES     25 54 9082 9481 -0.034 39.025   25 -0.474   25 -0.474   24 -0.484   25 0.4548    6  4.016   24 -0.283   26 -0.685
PACERS        18 60 8777 9418 -0.032 39.364   29 -0.670   29 -0.673   25 -0.520   29 0.4358   10  3.999   26 -0.409   25 -0.631
BUCKS         31 47 8640 9114 -0.032 38.905   21 -0.254   21 -0.246   26 -0.525   21 0.4746   20  3.949   29 -0.675   23 -0.374
JAZZ          21 58 9251 9945 -0.032 39.918   26 -0.579   26 -0.580   27 -0.623   26 0.4448    1  4.074   21 -0.113   30 -1.132
KINGS         21 58 8763 9572 -0.046 39.790   27 -0.597   27 -0.592   28 -0.699   27 0.4441   13  3.988   28 -0.650   28 -0.749
NETS          19 59 8287 9031 -0.034 39.562   28 -0.648   28 -0.646   29 -0.729   28 0.4393   30  3.899   30 -1.130   21 -0.329
WIZARDS       17 61 8817 9722 -0.054 39.374   30 -0.747   30 -0.748   30 -0.768   30 0.4322    4  4.039   27 -0.447   29 -1.089

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
CLIPPERS      40 38 8891 8779 -0.004 37.889   18  0.023   19  0.020   13  0.160   18 0.5022   24  3.938   15 -0.044    9  0.365
LAKERS        50 28 9102 8990  0.006 38.192    7  0.345    6  0.353   14  0.129    7 0.5337   11  3.994   10  0.212   15  0.045
SUNS          43 35 8807 8682  0.026 38.688   12  0.146   12  0.143   15  0.116   12 0.5139   27  3.921   23 -0.175    8  0.407
WARRIORS      36 42 8957 8981  0.032 39.287   20 -0.053   20 -0.060   20 -0.087   20 0.4935   19  3.965   22 -0.156   18 -0.019
KINGS         21 58 8763 9572 -0.046 39.790   27 -0.597   27 -0.592   28 -0.699   27 0.4441   13  3.988   28 -0.650   28 -0.749

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       62 16 9299 8387  0.063 37.697    1  0.781    1  0.784    1  0.787    1 0.5718   26  3.929    3  0.535    1  1.039
NUGGETS       51 28 9619 9244  0.014 38.131    6  0.347    7  0.348    7  0.314    6 0.5341    5  4.028    2  0.578   14  0.050
TIMBERWOLVES  46 32 9164 8907  0.009 37.808   10  0.214   10  0.209   11  0.176   10 0.5205   17  3.981   11  0.192   11  0.159
TRAIL BLAZERS 40 39 9130 9174  0.000 38.952   19  0.020   18  0.022   17  0.023   19 0.5012   15  3.985   13  0.057   17 -0.012
JAZZ          21 58 9251 9945 -0.032 39.918   26 -0.579   26 -0.580   27 -0.623   26 0.4448    1  4.074   21 -0.113   30 -1.132

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         60 20 9570 8920  0.083 39.776    2  0.674    2  0.677    2  0.688    2 0.5632   14  3.986    1  0.727    5  0.648
ROCKETS       49 29 8953 8577  0.017 37.636    9  0.309    9  0.310   10  0.271    9 0.5298   28  3.907   19 -0.090    6  0.632
PELICANS      25 54 9073 9429 -0.019 39.272   24 -0.460   24 -0.461   21 -0.239   23 0.4562    9  4.002   20 -0.112   22 -0.367
MAVERICKS     25 53 8879 9315 -0.039 38.536   23 -0.458   23 -0.453   23 -0.450   24 0.4556   12  3.988   25 -0.399   24 -0.501
GRIZZLIES     25 54 9082 9481 -0.034 39.025   25 -0.474   25 -0.474   24 -0.484   25 0.4548    6  4.016   24 -0.283   26 -0.685

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
PISTONS       57 22 9269 8656  0.024 37.730    3  0.531    3  0.534    4  0.558    3 0.5524   25  3.938    8  0.354    3  0.763
CAVALIERS     50 29 9447 9106  0.016 38.275    8  0.320    8  0.324    8  0.299    8 0.5313    7  4.014    5  0.488   12  0.109
BULLS         29 49 9058 9482 -0.009 39.380   22 -0.292   22 -0.292   22 -0.414   22 0.4699    3  4.041   18 -0.085   27 -0.743
PACERS        18 60 8777 9418 -0.032 39.364   29 -0.670   29 -0.673   25 -0.520   29 0.4358   10  3.999   26 -0.409   25 -0.631
BUCKS         31 47 8640 9114 -0.032 38.905   21 -0.254   21 -0.246   26 -0.525   21 0.4746   20  3.949   29 -0.675   23 -0.374

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
HORNETS       43 36 9201 8790 -0.007 37.399   16  0.090   16  0.081    5  0.511   16 0.5077   21  3.948    7  0.355    4  0.666
HAWKS         45 34 9357 9149  0.010 38.478   11  0.174   11  0.168    9  0.284   11 0.5160    8  4.012    6  0.462   13  0.106
HEAT          41 37 9419 9237  0.025 38.506   17  0.075   17  0.073   16  0.104   17 0.5067    2  4.057    4  0.519   20 -0.311
MAGIC         43 36 9124 9103  0.014 39.196   14  0.119   14  0.121   18 -0.035   14 0.5108   18  3.970   17 -0.077   16  0.006
WIZARDS       17 61 8817 9722 -0.054 39.374   30 -0.747   30 -0.748   30 -0.768   30 0.4322    4  4.039   27 -0.447   29 -1.089

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
CELTICS       53 25 8942 8347  0.033 37.546    4  0.444    4  0.438    3  0.564    4 0.5431   29  3.900   12  0.168    2  0.961
KNICKS        52 28 9353 8832  0.031 38.662    5  0.372    5  0.368    6  0.462    5 0.5357   22  3.947    9  0.304    7  0.621
RAPTORS       43 35 8920 8746  0.018 38.348   13  0.134   13  0.131   12  0.172   13 0.5126   23  3.941   14 -0.018   10  0.361
76ERS         43 36 9169 9204  0.000 38.988   15  0.115   15  0.119   19 -0.072   15 0.5106   16  3.982   16 -0.050   19 -0.094
NETS          19 59 8287 9031 -0.034 39.562   28 -0.648   28 -0.646   29 -0.729   28 0.4393   30  3.899   30 -1.130   21 -0.329

DIVISION             W   L   PCT  RNK RATING
NORTHWEST DIVISION 220 173 0.560    1  0.162
ATLANTIC DIVISION  210 183 0.534    2  0.101
SOUTHEAST DIVISION 189 204 0.481    3 -0.004
SOUTHWEST DIVISION 184 210 0.467    4 -0.039
PACIFIC DIVISION   190 201 0.486    5 -0.077
CENTRAL DIVISION   185 207 0.472    6 -0.123

Home field advantage amounts to:
     0.139 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: Tue Apr  7 05:30:10 2026
games through: Mon Apr  6 2026

Back to Dolphin rankings main page.