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       68 18 10251  9268  0.067 42.119    1  0.798    1  0.785    1  0.784    1 0.5718   25  3.937    2  0.585    1  0.983
SPURS         66 22 10501  9769  0.061 43.341    2  0.677    2  0.664    2  0.673    2 0.5616   14  3.979    1  0.690    6  0.655
PISTONS       62 25 10165  9499  0.014 41.548    3  0.517    3  0.509    5  0.522    3 0.5494   26  3.934    7  0.310    4  0.734
CELTICS       59 29 10064  9404  0.027 42.543    4  0.429    4  0.415    4  0.527    4 0.5408   30  3.899   12  0.138    2  0.916
KNICKS        58 31 10380  9745  0.041 43.572    5  0.396    5  0.383    3  0.574    5 0.5365   24  3.939    6  0.382    3  0.765
LAKERS        56 31 10049  9910  0.019 43.226    6  0.377    6  0.375   12  0.169    6 0.5348   15  3.975   11  0.164   13  0.175
NUGGETS       56 32 10655 10260  0.035 43.493    7  0.358    7  0.350    7  0.310    7 0.5337    5  4.022    3  0.553   14  0.067
CAVALIERS     55 32 10360 10020  0.008 42.346    8  0.328    8  0.322   11  0.238    8 0.5303    8  4.012    5  0.427   15  0.049
ROCKETS       54 33  9963  9530  0.014 42.169    9  0.302    9  0.292    8  0.302    9 0.5290   28  3.902   19 -0.071    5  0.675
TIMBERWOLVES  53 35 10348 10046  0.022 43.322   10  0.263   10  0.252    9  0.238   10 0.5246   13  3.981    9  0.266   11  0.211
TEAM           W  L    PF    PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
MAGIC         49 40 10220 10146  0.048 45.357   11  0.176   11  0.165   14  0.105   11 0.5149   19  3.960   14  0.021   12  0.190
76ERS         49 40 10228 10260  0.020 44.817   12  0.162   12  0.155   19 -0.009   12 0.5133   17  3.971   16 -0.032   17  0.015
RAPTORS       48 39  9957  9727  0.027 43.245   14  0.158   14  0.138   10  0.238   13 0.5131   23  3.939   13  0.047    8  0.428
HAWKS         48 40 10316 10223  0.042 44.560   13  0.160   13  0.146   13  0.113   14 0.5127    9  4.008    8  0.278   18 -0.052
SUNS          46 42  9875  9813  0.054 45.025   15  0.118   15  0.105   17  0.061   15 0.5097   27  3.922   23 -0.216    9  0.338
HORNETS       45 39  9730  9364  0.007 40.654   16  0.094   16  0.076    6  0.407   16 0.5067   21  3.945   10  0.248    7  0.567
HEAT          43 40 10037  9847  0.021 41.151   17  0.063   17  0.051   15  0.097   17 0.5042    2  4.060    4  0.538   20 -0.344
TRAIL BLAZERS 44 44 10083 10165  0.026 44.619   18  0.040   18  0.032   18  0.007   18 0.5026   16  3.973   15 -0.008   16  0.023
CLIPPERS      42 41  9450  9362 -0.016 40.316   19  0.010   19 -0.006   16  0.095   19 0.4993   22  3.941   21 -0.081   10  0.271
WARRIORS      38 46  9620  9676  0.008 41.987   20 -0.087   20 -0.102   20 -0.153   20 0.4897   18  3.966   22 -0.204   19 -0.102
TEAM           W  L    PF    PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
BUCKS         32 50  9072  9581 -0.055 40.622   21 -0.280   21 -0.287   25 -0.552   21 0.4714   20  3.952   29 -0.676   21 -0.427
BULLS         31 51  9537  9964 -0.043 40.642   22 -0.299   22 -0.312   22 -0.423   22 0.4687    3  4.042   20 -0.077   27 -0.769
PELICANS      26 56  9473  9842 -0.028 40.831   23 -0.461   24 -0.474   21 -0.242   23 0.4556    7  4.016   18 -0.035   23 -0.449
MAVERICKS     26 56  9358  9810 -0.042 40.735   24 -0.464   23 -0.472   23 -0.426   24 0.4547   11  3.995   24 -0.330   24 -0.523
GRIZZLIES     25 57  9403  9896 -0.043 40.756   25 -0.502   25 -0.514   27 -0.587   25 0.4517    6  4.020   25 -0.358   28 -0.816
JAZZ          22 60  9642 10333 -0.048 41.165   26 -0.587   26 -0.597   26 -0.586   26 0.4439    1  4.080   17 -0.033   29 -1.138
KINGS         22 60  9102  9922 -0.056 41.242   27 -0.596   27 -0.600   28 -0.671   27 0.4437   12  3.989   28 -0.604   26 -0.737
NETS          20 62  8686  9505 -0.069 41.039   28 -0.676   28 -0.681   29 -0.813   28 0.4369   29  3.900   30 -1.197   22 -0.429
PACERS        19 63  9219  9874 -0.047 41.201   29 -0.680   29 -0.694   24 -0.502   29 0.4348   10  3.999   26 -0.382   25 -0.623
WIZARDS       17 65  9257 10240 -0.078 41.095   30 -0.795   30 -0.808   30 -0.831   30 0.4279    4  4.039   27 -0.501   30 -1.161

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        56 31 10049  9910  0.019 43.226    6  0.377    6  0.375   12  0.169    6 0.5348   15  3.975   11  0.164   13  0.175
SUNS          46 42  9875  9813  0.054 45.025   15  0.118   15  0.105   17  0.061   15 0.5097   27  3.922   23 -0.216    9  0.338
CLIPPERS      42 41  9450  9362 -0.016 40.316   19  0.010   19 -0.006   16  0.095   19 0.4993   22  3.941   21 -0.081   10  0.271
WARRIORS      38 46  9620  9676  0.008 41.987   20 -0.087   20 -0.102   20 -0.153   20 0.4897   18  3.966   22 -0.204   19 -0.102
KINGS         22 60  9102  9922 -0.056 41.242   27 -0.596   27 -0.600   28 -0.671   27 0.4437   12  3.989   28 -0.604   26 -0.737

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       68 18 10251  9268  0.067 42.119    1  0.798    1  0.785    1  0.784    1 0.5718   25  3.937    2  0.585    1  0.983
NUGGETS       56 32 10655 10260  0.035 43.493    7  0.358    7  0.350    7  0.310    7 0.5337    5  4.022    3  0.553   14  0.067
TIMBERWOLVES  53 35 10348 10046  0.022 43.322   10  0.263   10  0.252    9  0.238   10 0.5246   13  3.981    9  0.266   11  0.211
TRAIL BLAZERS 44 44 10083 10165  0.026 44.619   18  0.040   18  0.032   18  0.007   18 0.5026   16  3.973   15 -0.008   16  0.023
JAZZ          22 60  9642 10333 -0.048 41.165   26 -0.587   26 -0.597   26 -0.586   26 0.4439    1  4.080   17 -0.033   29 -1.138

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         66 22 10501  9769  0.061 43.341    2  0.677    2  0.664    2  0.673    2 0.5616   14  3.979    1  0.690    6  0.655
ROCKETS       54 33  9963  9530  0.014 42.169    9  0.302    9  0.292    8  0.302    9 0.5290   28  3.902   19 -0.071    5  0.675
PELICANS      26 56  9473  9842 -0.028 40.831   23 -0.461   24 -0.474   21 -0.242   23 0.4556    7  4.016   18 -0.035   23 -0.449
MAVERICKS     26 56  9358  9810 -0.042 40.735   24 -0.464   23 -0.472   23 -0.426   24 0.4547   11  3.995   24 -0.330   24 -0.523
GRIZZLIES     25 57  9403  9896 -0.043 40.756   25 -0.502   25 -0.514   27 -0.587   25 0.4517    6  4.020   25 -0.358   28 -0.816

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       62 25 10165  9499  0.014 41.548    3  0.517    3  0.509    5  0.522    3 0.5494   26  3.934    7  0.310    4  0.734
CAVALIERS     55 32 10360 10020  0.008 42.346    8  0.328    8  0.322   11  0.238    8 0.5303    8  4.012    5  0.427   15  0.049
BUCKS         32 50  9072  9581 -0.055 40.622   21 -0.280   21 -0.287   25 -0.552   21 0.4714   20  3.952   29 -0.676   21 -0.427
BULLS         31 51  9537  9964 -0.043 40.642   22 -0.299   22 -0.312   22 -0.423   22 0.4687    3  4.042   20 -0.077   27 -0.769
PACERS        19 63  9219  9874 -0.047 41.201   29 -0.680   29 -0.694   24 -0.502   29 0.4348   10  3.999   26 -0.382   25 -0.623

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
MAGIC         49 40 10220 10146  0.048 45.357   11  0.176   11  0.165   14  0.105   11 0.5149   19  3.960   14  0.021   12  0.190
HAWKS         48 40 10316 10223  0.042 44.560   13  0.160   13  0.146   13  0.113   14 0.5127    9  4.008    8  0.278   18 -0.052
HORNETS       45 39  9730  9364  0.007 40.654   16  0.094   16  0.076    6  0.407   16 0.5067   21  3.945   10  0.248    7  0.567
HEAT          43 40 10037  9847  0.021 41.151   17  0.063   17  0.051   15  0.097   17 0.5042    2  4.060    4  0.538   20 -0.344
WIZARDS       17 65  9257 10240 -0.078 41.095   30 -0.795   30 -0.808   30 -0.831   30 0.4279    4  4.039   27 -0.501   30 -1.161

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       59 29 10064  9404  0.027 42.543    4  0.429    4  0.415    4  0.527    4 0.5408   30  3.899   12  0.138    2  0.916
KNICKS        58 31 10380  9745  0.041 43.572    5  0.396    5  0.383    3  0.574    5 0.5365   24  3.939    6  0.382    3  0.765
76ERS         49 40 10228 10260  0.020 44.817   12  0.162   12  0.155   19 -0.009   12 0.5133   17  3.971   16 -0.032   17  0.015
RAPTORS       48 39  9957  9727  0.027 43.245   14  0.158   14  0.138   10  0.238   13 0.5131   23  3.939   13  0.047    8  0.428
NETS          20 62  8686  9505 -0.069 41.039   28 -0.676   28 -0.681   29 -0.813   28 0.4369   29  3.900   30 -1.197   22 -0.429

DIVISION             W   L   PCT  RNK RATING
NORTHWEST DIVISION 243 189 0.562    1  0.166
ATLANTIC DIVISION  234 201 0.538    2  0.114
SOUTHEAST DIVISION 202 224 0.474    3 -0.026
SOUTHWEST DIVISION 197 224 0.468    4 -0.054
PACIFIC DIVISION   204 220 0.481    5 -0.097
CENTRAL DIVISION   199 221 0.474    6 -0.143

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

Predict score:








Team Strength vs. Time Plot:






posted: Fri May  1 05:30:18 2026
games through: Thu Apr 30 2026

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