Sports
NHL trendspotting: Which first-month shock teams will stay red hot or ice cold?
A month into the NHL season, the playoff race is already shifting in unexpected ways. While many of the highest postseason chances belong to the usual suspects — as do the lowest (sorry, San Jose Sharks) — some are the property of rising teams surging ahead of schedule, versus others who’ve stumbled hard out of the gate.
Using playoff odds, season stats, Elo ratings and other indicators of team quality, we can see which clubs have overachieved or underwhelmed the most relative to preseason expectations.
Some of these early sources of curiosity (for good or bad) look built to last. But others? Not so much.
Let’s dive into the biggest surprises to see which look real, and what they say about the league’s shifting balance of power.
Pleasant surprises
Year 1 of Joel Quenneville’s tenure behind the bench in Anaheim has been nothing less than a rousing success early, with the Ducks ranking No. 1 in goals per game and No. 4 in goal differential overall. To say that’s a massive departure from their usual norm is an understatement; this team had previously ranked no better than 24th in scoring or 21st in goal differential in any season since 2018-19.
But the forward corps of Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry has been among the most productive teammate trios in the league (with 49 combined points), while former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba has solidified the blue line and Lukas Dostal has supplied strong goaltending.
Suddenly a team that hadn’t made the playoffs or posted a winning record in any of the previous seven seasons holds one of the best records in the NHL, with a 61% probability to make the playoffs.
Chance to continue: Moderate.
Because hockey is so prone to randomness in small samples, 12 games is a bit early to render a full verdict on the Ducks officially being back; they still rank No. 26 in the Elo ratings, for instance, which move slowly but are optimized to predict future games.
But it’s already clear that this team is better than it has been in a long time. (Case in point: a traditionally offense-starved team is generating far more chances than in recent years.) With the league’s third-youngest roster, it finally feels as if the Ducks are building toward something sustainable.
The Pens were written off so completely before this season that their main questions were when or if Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson would be traded — and whether Evgeni Malkin might just retire after the season. There didn’t seem to be any way that a team that had been the oldest in hockey — and sixth-worst by goals-per-game differential — in 2024-25 could actually contend a season later.
But that’s exactly what has happened to start 2025-26, as Sid the Kid has continued to play at an elite level at age 38, Malkin and Karlsson have rediscovered what once made them great, newcomers Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha have added scoring punch and the tandem of Arturs Silovs and Tristan Jarry has stood out in net.
Remarkably, Pittsburgh ranks in the top five in goal differential — a first for the club since 2020-21 — and they have a 56% chance at returning to the playoffs after a three-year absence.
Chance to continue: Low to moderate.
As great a story as the fountain-of-youth Penguins have been to start the season, there are some warning lights flashing that they might not be able to keep it up all season. The first is, obviously, age: The team still ranks as the league’s fifth-oldest roster, with a number of veterans playing key roles. Among their top 12 players by goals above replacement, eight of them — Malkin, Crosby, Karlsson, Mantha, Jarry, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell — are age 30 or older this season.
Plus, the team is reliant on a few unsustainably high percentages, including a league-high power-play success rate of 35.9% and both the NHL’s fifth-highest team shooting percentage (13%) and second-best save percentage (.909). Strip away those, and this is a team outside the top 20 in zone-time percentage and share of total scoring chances in their games.
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Arturs Silovs makes terrific glove save for Penguins
Arturs Silovs makes terrific glove save for Penguins
Given a fresh start with a new name this season, the Mammoth are skating full speed into what seems like a bright franchise future.
The team currently ranks top 10 in points percentage and goals-per-game differential, with the league’s 11th-best offense and defense. Prime-age (or younger) cornerstones Nick Schmaltz, Logan Cooley, Mikhail Sergachev, Dylan Guenther and Clayton Keller are all on pace for the best seasons of their careers by goals above replacement (GAR), while newcomers JJ Peterka and Nate Schmidt are also making a difference.
The Mammoth have the league’s best defense in terms of fewest shots allowed per game, and they could be even scarier if they ever get their goaltending in order. Right now, Utah has a 69% chance to make the playoffs for only the second time since 2011-12 (if we include their previous era as the Arizona Coyotes).
Chance to continue: High.
The Mammoth are no fluke. If anything, they should probably be doing even better than their .643 points percentage suggests.
The team ranks seventh in the share of shot attempts in their games, eighth in the share of scoring chances and sixth in the share of expected goals. Furthermore, Utah has done it against the league’s third-hardest schedule by average opponent Elo rating — which improves to 27th-hardest going forward.
The netminding duo of Karel Vejmelka and Vitek Vanecek have been mediocre so far, ranking 25th in save percentage as a team, but the skaters have been producing chances and playing airtight defense.
It’s easy to view Utah as a team that more established opponents would not be excited to face in a first-round series.
As we wrote when talking about the teams with the most to prove this season, the Red Wings have teased a playoff return too many times to be given the full benefit of the doubt this early.
That said, Detroit’s players are starting to click, with Dylan Larkin playing like a long shot MVP contender to lead a group that also includes Alex DeBrincat and the burgeoning trio of Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider and Emmitt Finnie.
Nothing about the Wings’ résumé jumps off the page. Even after their improvement, they still rank only 15th in goals-per-game differential, but that would be their best mark since the second-to-last season of their 25-year playoff streak that ended after the 2015-16 season.
Chance to continue: Moderate.
With a 59% playoff chance, the Red Wings are still on the skate-blade’s edge of making the playoffs — and their middle-of-the-road rankings don’t make it seem like that stressful ride will change much over the rest of the season.
But there are reasons to think Detroit can shore up their chances a bit more from here. In terms of expected goals (a measure of controlling play that filters luck out of shooting and save percentages), they rank No. 9 in the share predicted to go their way in games. There’s also hope for better goaltending, as veterans Cam Talbot and John Gibson have a better track record than their average-at-best performances this season suggest.
Finally, the schedule should get a bit easier from here, going from fourth-hardest so far to 16th-hardest going forward.
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Moritz Seider tallies goal vs. Sharks
Moritz Seider tallies goal vs. Sharks
Not-so-pleasant surprises
After a remarkable late-season run to the playoffs under new coach Jim Montgomery last season — during which the Blues somehow produced a better record (21 wins, nine losses) over the final 30 games of the regular season than the Cup-winning 2018-19 team did (20-10) — St. Louis appeared poised to build on that success this season.
But at 5-8-3 so far, the Blues hold the league’s second-worst record and they also sit last in goals allowed per game and goals-per-game differential, having lost the most playoff probability since opening night (minus-34%) of any team.
All of the team’s top skaters — Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, Dylan Holloway, Colton Parayko, Cam Fowler — have undershot GAR expectations by significant margins, while goaltender Jordan Binnington has been one of the worst netminders in the NHL. (His best act of protecting the puck might’ve been swiping Alex Ovechkin‘s 900th goal from the ice and into the back of his pants before having to return it.)
Chance to continue: Low to moderate.
Perhaps surprisingly for a team that has performed so badly over the season’s first month, St. Louis is not in terrible shape. The Blues still have a 32% playoff probability, owing to how the rest of the West basement hasn’t exactly been impressive either, and there’s a good chance the Blues start winning more games soon.
The team has been one of the unluckiest in the league by PDO, which measures which teams are unduly benefiting (or not) from shooting and save percentages. Cut through that noise, and St. Louis ranks No. 7 in their share of total scoring chances in games, 11th in their share of expected goals and fourth in offensive zone time percentage.
If they can get better goaltending — right now, Binnington and Joel Hofer combine to rank 31st in save percentage — the Blues are very capable of turning things around.
The Flames have been on parallel tracks with the Blues for a while, for whatever reason, complete with similar late-season changes that landed the two teams in a tie for the West’s final playoff spot in 2024-25 (which St. Louis won on a tiebreaker). Now, they have the two biggest losses of playoff chances in the league to start 2025-26.
The only difference is that Calgary’s goaltenders — Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley — have actually done an admirable job under the circumstances this season, playing behind a defense that allows 30.5 shots per game and with some of the league’s worst goal support — the Flames’ 2.06 goals-per-game rate ranks last in the league.
This team needed either more scoring punch or a more stingy approach at the other end, but so far it has received neither.
Chance to continue: Moderate.
The Flames are in a less enviable position than the Blues because their dip in playoff odds has already landed them at 18%, roughly half as likely as the Blues’ chances. They’re also starting from a position of little hope for an offensive turnaround; the team ranked 29th in goals per game last season, and added little of note over the summer, so they’re banking on whatever positive regression is still left in Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Blake Coleman and Yegor Sharangovich.
Otherwise, Calgary does have a few factors in its favor: It looks better by scoring-chance and expected-goals shares than its bad record would indicate, and the Flames will go from facing the No. 1 most difficult schedule to No. 30 from here, the biggest scheduling easement in the league.
A few weeks ago, we wrote about how the Rangers were under some of the most pressure of any team to prove that last season’s disaster was a one-off from a franchise that typically has been the model of consistent quality over the previous two decades.
But their start in 2025-26 has done little to dispel the idea that something is fundamentally wrong with the Broadway Blueshirts.
New York currently ranks 20th in goals-per-game differential — which would be only their third season ranking so low since the 2005 lockout — and the way they’ve done it is downright bizarre. By goals per game, they have the best defense in the league, yet also the second-worst offense. A similar feat hasn’t been done since the 1963 Chicago Blackhawks finished first on defense and sixth (hey, it was the Original Six era) on offense.
Chance to continue: Low.
Like St. Louis, the Rangers have reasonably decent playoff odds (41%) despite currently sitting near the bottom of the pile in the East standings. They have too much offensive talent on hand — Artemi Panarin, J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad, among others — to sit last in scoring, after six consecutive seasons ranking 16th or better at that end. Though they might not finish first in goals allowed per game either, that extreme is a lot more fitting with this team’s track record than the 31st-ranked offense.
In terms of controlling play, the Rangers rank fourth in scoring-chance share, fifth in expected-goals share and seventh in offensive zone-time share. When they start improving upon their league-worst 7.8% shooting percentage, the Rangers should start winning more games, and their playoff chances will rise.
Before the season, the Wild signed Kirill Kaprizov to the richest contract in NHL history (which kicks in next season) because the data said he was as indispensable as any star: Since 2020-21, he’d driven roughly one-third of Minnesota’s offense, and in 2024-25 the team scored like a borderline top-10 team when he played and cratered without him. The logic around Kaprizov’s value still seems sound; he’s currently on pace for 45 adjusted goals and 105 adjusted points.
But while he’s holding up his end, the goaltending, defense and depth scoring aren’t, as Minnesota ranks just 20th in goals per game, despite Kaprizov’s production, to go with a No. 25 ranking in goals allowed per game and No. 29 in goals-per-game differential.
It’s now looking as if the Wild committed a lot to one player who hasn’t been able to overcome the rest of the team’s flaws to start the season.
Chance to continue: Moderate to high.
Minnesota is a confusing mixed bag so far in 2025-26. On the positive side, the Wild are a top-six team by share of offensive zone time, which would seem to suggest the potential for better results when their 98.9 PDO — 25th in the league — gets straightened out. (PDO is a highly luck-driven stat that tends to regress to the mean of 100.0 over time.)
But the Wild also haven’t done much with all that zone time, ranking 23rd in scoring-chance share and 25th in expected-goals share, perhaps indicating the need for tactical adjustments from coach John Hynes.
Also on the negative side: The Wild play a slightly tougher schedule from here, and with 24% playoff chances, they have little margin for error.
The 2026 NBA trade deadline is right around the corner (Feb. 5, 3 p.m. ET) and teams are hitting the midseason mark as the pace is starting to pick up around the league.
The biggest name to kick off this trade season was Trae Young, as the four-time All-Star is now a Washington Wizard after eight seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. But the trade buzz doesn’t stop there, as Ja Morant, star guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, is officially available as the team is entertaining trade offers, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
As for the actual standings, keep your eyes on the race for the top six seeds and the play-in in both conferences, as teams have just over 40 games left in the regular season and only a few clear runaways for the top spots.
With 23 days left until the trade deadline and just about three months left in the regular season, here are where our NBA insiders rank all 30 teams in this week’s power rankings.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Kevin Pelton, Michael C. Wright, Bobby Marks, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram) think teams belong.
Previous rankings: Preseason | Oct. 29 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 12 | Nov. 19 | Nov. 26 | Dec. 3 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 17 | Dec. 24 | Dec. 31 | Jan. 7
Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS
Positive news: Nikola Topic, the Serbian guard drafted No. 12 by the Thunder in 2024, announced that he’s back on the court after completing a recent round of chemotherapy treatment. Topic was diagnosed with testicular cancer just before the regular season, stepping away from basketball right when it appeared his NBA career was about to begin. Topic sat out his rookie season rehabbing an ACL tear but had been cleared for his preseason debut in early October, scoring 10 points in 31 minutes. Days later, the cancer diagnosis was announced. — Anthony Slater
The injury bug has hit the Pistons. Cade Cunningham has sat out the past two games, and Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris were out because of injuries. But Detroit is now riding a robust four straight days off to recover before playing Phoenix on Thursday. The Pistons’ 30-point beatdown of the Knicks sent shockwaves around the league about their postseason prospects. Important to note before the deadline: The Pistons have a $14 million trade exception they can use before it expires in July — they should be looking for shooting help and perhaps a secondary scorer next to Cunningham. If there’s a short-term impact player they can acquire who can keep their books in order for the future, they will certainly explore it. — Vincent Goodwill
The dog days of the NBA season have fallen upon San Antonio and its trio of guards in De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper, who have struggled in recent games. When the Spurs defeated Oklahoma City on Christmas Day, they had already traveled more than 13,000 miles (more than twice the leaguewide average at that point), spending 26 of 34 days on the road, only to start January with three consecutive back-to-back sets. San Antonio knows a break is on the horizon, but it must continue to fight to maintain its standing near the top of the West. — Michael C. Wright
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2025-26 record: 27-13
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Previous ranking: 7
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Next games: @ DAL (Jan. 14), vs. WAS (Jan. 17), vs. CHA (Jan. 18), vs. LAL (Jan. 20)
Tim Hardaway Jr. has been a tremendous bargain on a veteran’s minimum deal, averaging 13.8 points while shooting career bests of 46.3% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range. Hardaway has benefited from playing with NBA assists leader Nikola Jokic, who has fed Hardaway on 18.7% of his buckets this season. But Hardaway has also been a huge factor in the Nuggets remaining competitive during Jokic’s absence, averaging 16.7 points and shooting 42.6% on 3s since the three-time MVP injured his knee. — Tim MacMahon
Rudy Gobert is having a great season and is once again making himself a contender to finish high in Defensive Player of the Year voting. But Gobert sat out Tuesday night’s game against the Bucks because of a one-game suspension for flagrant foul points, and will sit out more time this season for suspensions for every additional flagrant foul he accrues — something that could become a problem for a Minnesota team that relies on his defensive impact. — Tim Bontemps
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2025-26 record: 25-14
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Previous ranking: 6
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Next games: @ SAC (Jan. 14), @ GS (Jan. 15), vs. PHX (Jan. 17), vs. DAL (Jan. 19)
The Knicks were relieved when they welcomed back Josh Hart after he sat out eight games because of an ankle injury that occurred on Christmas Day. During his absence, the Knicks went 3-5 and sported the third-worst defensive rating. Hart’s 18 points and six rebounds in their 123-114 win over Portland signaled a return to normalcy — somewhat. Owner James Dolan stated last week that he expects a Finals run with this roster. But over the past few weeks, sources say the Knicks are looking for a backup big and takers for free agent signing Guerschon Yabusele. — Goodwill
On Saturday, it was Jaylen Brown expressing frustration with the referees after losing to the Spurs. On Monday, it was Joe Mazzulla just repeating “illegal screen” in response to every question after a close loss to the Pacers. The result, though, is the same. And now Boston has dropped three of its past four games and has gone from having a chance to secure second place in the East to being in third, with the Raptors and Sixers closing in quickly. — Bontemps
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2025-26 record: 24-16
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Previous ranking: 10
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Next games: @ DET (Jan. 15), @ NYK (Jan. 17), @ BKN (Jan. 19), @ PHI (Jan. 20)
Phoenix guard Jalen Green, who has been limited to only two games all season because of a right hamstring strain, is nearing a return. He announced as much while replying to Devin Booker‘s Instagram story this week, writing “we right there” in regard to his comeback. The Suns have been a Cinderella story so far, starting the season 24-15 (ESPN Bet set their over/under win total at 31.5 in the preseason). — Dave McMenamin
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2025-26 record: 23-14
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Previous ranking: 5
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Next games: vs. OKC (Jan. 15), vs. MIN (Jan. 16), vs. NO (Jan. 18), vs. SA (Jan. 20)
Rockets coach Ime Udoka made a salient point after a recent loss, pointing out the team’s overreliance on superstar forward Kevin Durant. “You take a 37-year-old out of the game for [three] minutes, and you lose a 13-point lead, 11-0 run. [We] don’t play with any aggression or confidence. [We were] mentally weak.” Call that Udoka’s way of lighting a fire under supporting cast players such as Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, who is back in the lineup after a three-game absence, along with Reed Sheppard. — Wright
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2025-26 record: 24-17
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Previous ranking: 12
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Next games: @ IND (Jan. 14), vs. LAC (Jan. 16), @ LAL (Jan. 18), @ GSW (Jan. 20)
Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles were the surprise standouts over the weekend in a comeback win over Philadelphia. But that victory was sandwiched between losses to Boston and Philadelphia — the two teams closest to Toronto in the standings — which helped reaffirm the Raptors’ place in the Eastern Conference hierarchy. Barring an improvement before the trade deadline, they profile as fringe contenders but still a step below the conference’s top teams. — Zach Kram
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2025-26 record: 22-16
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Previous ranking: 11
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Next games: vs. CLE (Jan. 14), vs. CLE (Jan. 16), vs. IND (Jan. 19), vs. PHX (Jan. 20)
The next couple of weeks could be pivotal for the 76ers, who play nine of their next 10 games at home beginning Wednesday. Philadelphia will then have only 13 of its final 34 games at home after that, meaning this is an opportunity to try to pull into the top four in the East and is a necessary stretch to capitalize on before spending a lot of time away from home late in the season. — Bontemps
The Cavs are coming off a disappointing loss to the Jazz at home, where De’Andre Hunter, their prized acquisition from last year’s trade deadline, was benched for the fourth quarter. He scored two points in 17 minutes, both season lows, and coach Kenny Atkinson said after the game that Hunter was going through a prolonged slump. It has resulted in one of the worst starts to a season in his seven-year career — averaging 13.9 points on 42.5% shooting, both his lowest marks since his rookie season, while shooting a career-worst 30% from 3. — Jamal Collier
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2025-26 record: 24-14
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Previous ranking: 9
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Next games: vs. CHA (Jan. 15), @ POR (Jan. 17), vs. TOR (Jan. 18), @ DEN (Jan. 20)
With JJ Redick declaring that Rui Hachimura will come off the bench upon his return from a right Achilles issue, wading back into action on a minutes restriction, the question is whether he’ll stay there. Jake LaRavia has enjoyed his best month as a Laker in January with Hachimura out. In his first six games of 2026 — all as a starter — LaRavia averaged 13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 51.7%, including 37.8% from 3. — McMenamin
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2025-26 record: 22-19
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Previous ranking: 16
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Next games: vs. NYK (Jan. 15), vs. CHA (Jan. 17), vs. MIA (Jan. 19), vs. TOR (Jan. 20)
Offseason signing De’Anthony Melton is beginning to take a firm grip of the Warriors’ shooting guard position. Melton sat out the first six weeks of the season while completing the later stages of his ACL rehab. He was on a strict 20-minute limit upon his return and hasn’t been cleared for back-to-backs. But Steve Kerr recently bumped Melton’s limit up to 25 minutes and has been regularly closing games with him on the court. Stephen Curry recently called Melton a “prototypical” starting shooting guard after he had 22 bench points in a win. Kerr said the expectation is Melton will get cleared for 30-plus minutes and, once he does, Kerr said he planned to use all 30 — an indication that he will be the eventual starter. — Slater
The Magic head to Berlin and London for a pair of games against Memphis, and although Berlin is 4,900 miles from Orlando, the game is essentially home for brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner. After tearing his left ACL last December, Moritz returned in the team’s win Sunday against New Orleans, scoring eight points. Meanwhile, after sitting out 16 games because of a sprained left ankle, Franz is nearing a return. With its loss to Philadelphia last week, Orlando is now 10-12 against teams above .500. — Bobby Marks
Before losing Tuesday against the Lakers, the post-Trae Young era had seen Atlanta win three straight games, including victories over Denver and Golden State on the road. The addition of CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert should help a roster that has been hit hard with injuries.
In the Lakers loss, the Hawks were without Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard, Zaccharie Risacher and had just 10 active players. An area of concern that could get addressed closer to the trade deadline is a lack of size in the frontcourt. Atlanta has allowed the eighth-most points in the paint and rank 25th in rebounding percentage. — Marks
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2025-26 record: 21-19
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Previous ranking: 13
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Next games: vs. BOS (Jan. 15), vs. OKC (Jan. 17), @ GS (Jan. 19), @ SAC (Jan. 20)
Tuesday’s win against Phoenix ended a three-game losing streak for Miami, and all three of those losses (Minnesota, Indiana, Oklahoma City) were by double digits. Before scoring 127 against the Suns, the Heat ranked second to last in offensive efficiency since Dec. 1. They ranked 13th in the first six weeks of the season. Bam Adebayo‘s offensive production is worth watching. Since Dec. 1, Adebayo has ranked fifth on the team in scoring (14.5) and is shooting 28% on 3-pointers. — Marks
The Blazers’ five-game winning streak, which was ended Sunday by the Knicks, was the team’s second longest since February 2021. During the run, Portland produced impressive wins at San Antonio and back-to-back at home against Houston. The bigger loss Sunday was Deni Avdija, who left late in the game because of back soreness and was sidelined Tuesday at Golden State. Avdija told reporters he was optimistic that he won’t miss long after feeling his back “give up on me” while landing on the rebound. On the plus side, Jrue Holiday played Sunday for the first time since suffering a hamstring strain in mid-November. — Kevin Pelton
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2025-26 record: 16-23
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Previous ranking: 17
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Next games: vs. WAS (Jan. 14), @ TOR (Jan. 16), @ WAS (Jan. 19), @ CHI (Jan. 20)
Don’t look now, but the Clippers have won 10 out of 12 games since mid-December, including two against the East-leading Pistons. Third-year guard Jordan Miller, a 2023 late second-round pick out of the University of Miami, has been a bright spot during that stretch. He has averaged 6.2 points on 55.1% shooting (45% from 3) in 14.2 minutes off the bench, giving the injury-riddled Clips a lift so Kawhi Leonard and James Harden don’t have to do everything. — McMenamin
Since Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from injury, the Bucks are 5-4, a solid but unspectacular mark for a team trying to dig itself out of a massive hole. Milwaukee still hasn’t recorded a three-game winning streak this season, one of only six teams in the league (Pacers, Hornets, Kings, Wizards and Jazz) that have failed to do so, according to ESPN Research. And as a result, the Bucks still haven’t gained any ground in the standings. They begin another week stuck in 11th place and outside of the play-in tournament. — Collier
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2025-26 record: 18-21
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Previous ranking: 19
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Next games: vs. UTAH (Jan. 14), @ BKN (Jan. 16), vs. BKN (Jan. 18), vs. LAC (Jan. 20)
Matas Buzelis has proved to be Chicago’s biggest bright spot so far this season. With Josh Giddey injured and Coby White playing in only two of the past six games, Buzelis has stepped into more of a scoring role and flourished. Since Dec. 31, Buzelis is averaging 19.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.8 blocks on 47.9% shooting. Chicago does have a favorable schedule over the next week, with games against Utah, Brooklyn (twice) and the Clippers. After their loss against the Rockets on Tuesday, the Bulls have now been 18-21 through 39 games for the fourth consecutive season. — Collier
Losers in six of their plast eight games, the Grizzlies are hoping recent news of their willingness to trade star guard Ja Morant won’t cause too much of a distraction. Memphis initiated a soft reset of the franchise last March when it fired longtime coach Taylor Jenkins and traded Desmond Bane three months later to Orlando. And with the Grizzlies now entertaining potential offers for Morant, a full roster teardown could be on the menu with the team shifting its focus to developing younger players such as Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey, Cedric Coward and Cam Spencer to play alongside Jaren Jackson Jr.. — Wright
On Thursday, LaMelo Ball came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season in the second game of a back-to-back and responded well, topping 30 points for only the third time all season. But Saturday’s 55-point blowout win over the Jazz overshadowed that, as it was a historically lopsided outcome. Per the Dunc’d On Daily Duncs, only three teams in NBA history have won by so many points in a season in which they won fewer than 36 games. The Hornets are on pace for 29 losses, though their minus-0.6 point differential is now better than the 24-14 Lakers. — Pelton
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2025-26 record: 15-25
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Previous ranking: 23
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Next games: vs. DEN (Jan. 14), vs. UTAH (Jan. 15), vs. UTAH (Jan. 17), @ NYK (Jan. 19)
Forward Naji Marshall has been one of the bright spots of a difficult season in Dallas. He’s averaging career bests of 13.6 points and 54% shooting, and his production has increased to 16.9 points on 58.6% shooting in his 17 starts. He has been especially productive attacking off the dribble, shooting 60.7% off of drives. According to NBA Advanced Stats, only Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have a higher field goal percentage among the players who rank in the top 50 in points off of drives. — MacMahon
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2025-26 record: 14-25
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Previous ranking: 25
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Next games: @ CHI (Jan. 14), @ DAL (Jan. 15), @ DAL (Jan. 17), @ SA (Jan. 19), vs. MIN (Jan. 20)
Lauri Markkanen‘s availability is a pretty strong indication of how competitive the Jazz will be on a night-to-night basis. Utah is 8-6 with its star in the lineup since Dec. 1, and Markkanen is averaging 27.9 points on .507/.383/.856 shooting splits in that span. The Jazz lost all six games that Markkanen sat out. — MacMahon
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2025-26 record: 11-26
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Previous ranking: 26
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Next games: @ NO (Jan. 14), vs. CHI (Jan. 16), @ CHI (Jan. 18), vs. PHX (Jan. 19)
All of the good vibes from December seem to have dissipated for the Nets, who have lost seven of eight since Dec. 29. After being the best defense in December, Brooklyn slipped to 26th in January (118.8 defensive rating). The rumors will continue to swirl around Michael Porter Jr‘s availability before February’s trade deadline, but there’s a bright spot amid the slide: Egor Demin has been hot from 3-point range this month, shooting 53% on over six attempts a game. — Goodwill
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2025-26 record: 10-30
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Previous ranking: 28
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Next games: vs. NYK (Jan. 14), vs. WAS (Jan. 16), vs. POR (Jan. 18), vs. MIA (Jan. 20)
After an extended stretch outside Doug Christie’s rotation, reserve guard Malik Monk has reappeared in the past three games and produced to a great degree. Monk played 26 and 32 minutes against the Rockets and Lakers, respectively, scoring 15 and 26 points in a pair of surprising upset wins. This is happening at a potentially useful time for Sacramento. The Kings explored Monk’s trade market this past summer and offered him to the Warriors in a variety of constructions for Jonathan Kuminga, league sources said. Golden State has continually declined. There’s no indication that will change, but Monk is expected to remain available to the rest of the league in the lead-up to the deadline, and this recent mini-surge could provide a tiny boost to his value. — Slater
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2025-26 record: 9-31
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Previous ranking: 30
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Next games: vs. TOR (Jan. 14), vs. NO (Jan. 16), @ DET (Jan. 17), @ PHI (Jan. 19)
Last week was the best of Indiana’s season so far, with wins over Charlotte, Miami (by 24 points) and Boston (holding them under 100 points for the first time this season). Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam both averaged 21 points in that stretch, while youngsters Jarace Walker and Johnny Furphy also added positive contributions. Excellent 3-point shooting helped as well, as Indiana has made at least 40% of its 3s in six games in a row. — Kram
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2025-26 record: 10-28
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Previous ranking: 27
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Next games: @ LAC (Jan. 14), @ SAC (Jan. 16), @ DEN (Jan. 17), vs. LAC (Jan. 19)
Don’t expect Trae Young to play for Washington anytime soon, despite joining the Wizards in a trade last week. The four-time All-Star remains sidelined because of a leg injury, and ESPN’s Marc Spears reported that the Wizards don’t yet have a return timeline scheduled. Given that the Wizards have been surprisingly competitive of late — with a 7-8 record since a 3-20 start — and are focused on ensuring they keep their top-eight-protected pick in the 2026 draft, there’s an incentive to keep Young out a while longer. — Kram
The Pelicans ended their second nine-game losing streak of the season Friday against a Washington team playing without newly acquired Trae Young, getting 30-plus points from both Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson, plus a triple-double from Derik Queen against his hometown team. New Orleans was competitive again in a loss Sunday at Orlando but has still sunk to the bottom of the NBA standings with just nine wins at the midpoint of a schedule that has done the Pelicans no favors. The Wizards were the only team New Orleans has played since Christmas that is currently outside the play-in. — Pelton
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced the schedule of Australia’s tour of Pakistan, comprising three T20 internationals (T20I) matches set to be played towards the end of this month.
All three matches will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on January 29, January 31 and February 1. Australia’s T20I squad will arrive in Lahore on January 28, the cricket board announced.
The PCB said that toss for each match will take place at 5:30pm (local time), with play set to begin at 6pm.
“The series serves as crucial game time for both sides ahead of the all-important ICC Men’s T20I World Cup 2026, where Pakistan are placed in Group A and Australia in Group B,” it added.
This will be Australia’s third tour of Pakistan since March-April 2022, when they played Tests, ODIs and a T20I in the country. The side also played three matches of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan. Their only previous T20I at the Gaddafi Stadium came on April 5, 2022, when they won by three wickets.
PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmed Syed said the board was looking forward to hosting Australia in Lahore.
“We are excited and look forward to hosting Australia for the three-match T20I series here in Lahore. The tour marks a blockbuster beginning of the year for Pakistan cricket fans, and I urge them to turn out in numbers during the series to support both the teams as they put the final touches to their T20 World Cup preparations,” he said.
He added that the Gaddafi Stadium has become a familiar venue for Australia, having hosted a Test, five ODIs and a T20I involving the visitors since March 2022.
Series schedule:
1st T20: Thursday, January 29 — 6pm
2nd T20I: Saturday, January 31 — 6pm
3rd T20I: Sunday, February 1 — 6pm
The Pakistan Cricket Board has unveiled the ODI and T20I squads of the Pakistan Women’s team for the upcoming tour to South Africa, starting February 10 in Potchefstroom.
Fatima Sana will continue to lead the side in both formats as Pakistan build towards the ICC Women’s T20I World Cup 2026 in June.
Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, and Tasmia Rubab are part of both the squads, while uncapped batter Saira Jabeen and right-arm fast bowler Humna Bilal have earned their maiden T20I call-ups.
Opening batters Ayesha and Gull, along with left-arm pacer Tasmia and wicketkeeper-batter Najiha Alvi, have been called up to the 15-member ODI squad after missing out on the ODI World Cup selection.
Diana Baig, Najiha, Sadaf Shamas and Syeda Aroob Shah are just part of the 50-over squad, while Humna, Saira, Tuba Hassan and Eyman Fatima are in the T20I squad only.
During the tour, mentor Wahab Riaz will be assisted by a seasoned set of coaches, including Imran Farhat (batting coach), Umaid Asif (fast bowling coach), Abdur Rehman (spin bowling coach) and Abdul Majeed (fielding coach).
The T20Is will be played in Potchefstroom, Benoni and Kimberley from February 10 to 16, with all being day-night fixtures.
Pakistan will warm up for the ODI series with a 50-over game at Kimberley, followed by the three ODIs at Bloemfontein, Centurion and Durban from February 22 to March 1.
The second ODI will begin in the afternoon and will also be played under lights, while the warm-up, first and third ODIs will be day games.
T20I squad:
Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza (wicket-keeper), Humna Bilal, Muneeba Ali (wicket-keeper), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Saira Jabeen, Sidra Amin, Tasmia Rubab, and Tuba Hassan
ODI Squad:
Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wicket-keeper), Najiha Alvi (wicket-keeper), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah and Tasmia Rubab
Pakistan Women’s tour of South Africa Schedule:
1st T20I – February 10 – JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom (day/night)
2nd T20I – February 13 – Willowmoore Park, Benoni (day/night)
3rd T20I – February 16 – Kimberley Oval, Kimberley (day/night)
50-over warm-up match – February 19 – Kimberley Oval, Kimberley (day)
1st ODI – February 22 – Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein (day)
2nd ODI – February 25 – SuperSport Park, Centurion (day/night)
3rd ODI – March 1– Kingsmead Stadium, Durban (day)
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