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       5 0 591 554 -0.132  2.097    1  0.159    1  0.183    5  0.130    1 0.5753   30  3.861   29 -0.521    1  0.781 P
76ERS         4 0 517 495 -0.122  1.750    2  0.129    2  0.141   12  0.017    2 0.5664    3  4.065    2  0.416   24 -0.383 P
WARRIORS      4 1 604 576  0.122  2.641    3  0.122    3  0.133    6  0.125    3 0.5648   20  3.969   14  0.016    6  0.235 P
CAVALIERS     3 1 476 451  0.164  2.165    4  0.103    4  0.101    3  0.135    4 0.5629   15  3.987   12  0.118    7  0.152 P
SPURS         4 0 484 418 -0.383  1.266    5  0.102    5  0.097    9  0.076    9 0.5339   28  3.895   28 -0.403    2  0.556 P
BUCKS         3 1 489 465  0.071  2.006    6  0.093    6  0.085    7  0.092    7 0.5486   12  4.014    7  0.220   15 -0.037 P
BULLS         3 0 353 332 -0.342  1.054    7  0.091    7  0.081   15 -0.013    5 0.5541   18  3.974   19 -0.094   11  0.068 P
HEAT          3 1 526 463  0.027  1.908    8  0.085    8  0.072    1  0.171    8 0.5395    5  4.061    1  0.549   22 -0.206 P
NUGGETS       2 1 391 362  0.178  1.591    9  0.072    9  0.055    4  0.134    6 0.5490    8  4.036    5  0.376   19 -0.107 P
KNICKS        2 2 442 442  0.462  2.720   10  0.067   10  0.053    8  0.090   10 0.5269   27  3.919   25 -0.272    5  0.453 P
TEAM          W L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
PISTONS       2 2 440 455  0.238  2.460   12  0.042   11  0.018   20 -0.052   14 0.5051   24  3.957   22 -0.221   10  0.116 P
TIMBERWOLVES  2 2 456 479  0.081  2.168   11  0.047   12  0.017   17 -0.017   13 0.5059   16  3.983   18 -0.053   12  0.020 P
CLIPPERS      2 2 430 436  0.049  2.075   14  0.032   13  0.007   13  0.010   11 0.5123   29  3.882   30 -0.535    3  0.554 P
JAZZ          2 1 371 347 -0.213  1.218   13  0.039   14  0.002   16 -0.014   15 0.4995   14  4.000   13  0.036   18 -0.064 P
TRAIL BLAZERS 2 2 482 459  0.115  2.177   15  0.014   15 -0.005   11  0.027   12 0.5060   10  4.025    8  0.209   21 -0.156 P
LAKERS        2 2 472 471 -0.026  1.956   16 -0.007   16 -0.009   14 -0.004   16 0.4981   13  4.014   11  0.123   20 -0.130 P
GRIZZLIES     2 2 488 502 -0.084  1.914   17 -0.010   17 -0.013   18 -0.047   18 0.4827    2  4.071    4  0.383   28 -0.477 P
HORNETS       2 2 513 499 -0.041  1.985   18 -0.023   18 -0.030   21 -0.055   17 0.4917    6  4.060    6  0.314   27 -0.424 P
CELTICS       1 3 446 431  0.123  2.090   19 -0.039   19 -0.060    2  0.138   19 0.4806   26  3.921   21 -0.217    4  0.492 P
ROCKETS       1 2 372 349 -0.099  1.300   20 -0.041   20 -0.064   10  0.049   20 0.4699   19  3.973   17 -0.039    8  0.137 P
TEAM          W L  PF  PA  SCHED  ELOSS  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING  RNK RATING
SUNS          1 3 467 516  0.118  2.341   21 -0.046   21 -0.068   25 -0.118   21 0.4688    7  4.042   10  0.156   25 -0.392 P
KINGS         1 3 442 458 -0.021  2.010   22 -0.067   22 -0.091   19 -0.051   23 0.4627   25  3.954   24 -0.237    9  0.134 P
RAPTORS       1 3 486 500 -0.017  2.036   23 -0.069   23 -0.096   22 -0.075   25 0.4577    1  4.079    3  0.397   29 -0.547 P
HAWKS         1 3 452 490 -0.097  1.957   24 -0.095   24 -0.102   26 -0.144   24 0.4607   11  4.020   15  0.011   23 -0.300 P
MAGIC         1 3 454 478 -0.108  1.925   25 -0.108   25 -0.102   24 -0.103   22 0.4643   22  3.967   23 -0.222   13  0.015 P
PACERS        0 3 348 383  0.104  1.693   26 -0.121   26 -0.117   23 -0.078   27 0.4427   17  3.976   20 -0.151   14 -0.005 P
WIZARDS       1 3 484 518 -0.165  1.897   27 -0.126   27 -0.124   30 -0.204   26 0.4486    9  4.031   16  0.011   26 -0.418 P
MAVERICKS     1 3 432 472 -0.324  1.617   28 -0.138   28 -0.124   28 -0.163   28 0.4397   23  3.967   27 -0.284   17 -0.042 P
PELICANS      0 3 328 370  0.051  1.668   29 -0.147   29 -0.131   27 -0.157   30 0.4074   21  3.967   26 -0.275   16 -0.039 P
NETS          0 4 457 522  0.225  2.543   30 -0.159   30 -0.147   29 -0.185   29 0.4236    4  4.064    9  0.206   30 -0.577 P

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
WARRIORS      4 1 604 576  0.122  2.641    3  0.122    3  0.133    6  0.125    3 0.5648   20  3.969   14  0.016    6  0.235 P
CLIPPERS      2 2 430 436  0.049  2.075   14  0.032   13  0.007   13  0.010   11 0.5123   29  3.882   30 -0.535    3  0.554 P
LAKERS        2 2 472 471 -0.026  1.956   16 -0.007   16 -0.009   14 -0.004   16 0.4981   13  4.014   11  0.123   20 -0.130 P
SUNS          1 3 467 516  0.118  2.341   21 -0.046   21 -0.068   25 -0.118   21 0.4688    7  4.042   10  0.156   25 -0.392 P
KINGS         1 3 442 458 -0.021  2.010   22 -0.067   22 -0.091   19 -0.051   23 0.4627   25  3.954   24 -0.237    9  0.134 P

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       5 0 591 554 -0.132  2.097    1  0.159    1  0.183    5  0.130    1 0.5753   30  3.861   29 -0.521    1  0.781 P
NUGGETS       2 1 391 362  0.178  1.591    9  0.072    9  0.055    4  0.134    6 0.5490    8  4.036    5  0.376   19 -0.107 P
TIMBERWOLVES  2 2 456 479  0.081  2.168   11  0.047   12  0.017   17 -0.017   13 0.5059   16  3.983   18 -0.053   12  0.020 P
JAZZ          2 1 371 347 -0.213  1.218   13  0.039   14  0.002   16 -0.014   15 0.4995   14  4.000   13  0.036   18 -0.064 P
TRAIL BLAZERS 2 2 482 459  0.115  2.177   15  0.014   15 -0.005   11  0.027   12 0.5060   10  4.025    8  0.209   21 -0.156 P

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         4 0 484 418 -0.383  1.266    5  0.102    5  0.097    9  0.076    9 0.5339   28  3.895   28 -0.403    2  0.556 P
GRIZZLIES     2 2 488 502 -0.084  1.914   17 -0.010   17 -0.013   18 -0.047   18 0.4827    2  4.071    4  0.383   28 -0.477 P
ROCKETS       1 2 372 349 -0.099  1.300   20 -0.041   20 -0.064   10  0.049   20 0.4699   19  3.973   17 -0.039    8  0.137 P
MAVERICKS     1 3 432 472 -0.324  1.617   28 -0.138   28 -0.124   28 -0.163   28 0.4397   23  3.967   27 -0.284   17 -0.042 P
PELICANS      0 3 328 370  0.051  1.668   29 -0.147   29 -0.131   27 -0.157   30 0.4074   21  3.967   26 -0.275   16 -0.039 P

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     3 1 476 451  0.164  2.165    4  0.103    4  0.101    3  0.135    4 0.5629   15  3.987   12  0.118    7  0.152 P
BUCKS         3 1 489 465  0.071  2.006    6  0.093    6  0.085    7  0.092    7 0.5486   12  4.014    7  0.220   15 -0.037 P
BULLS         3 0 353 332 -0.342  1.054    7  0.091    7  0.081   15 -0.013    5 0.5541   18  3.974   19 -0.094   11  0.068 P
PISTONS       2 2 440 455  0.238  2.460   12  0.042   11  0.018   20 -0.052   14 0.5051   24  3.957   22 -0.221   10  0.116 P
PACERS        0 3 348 383  0.104  1.693   26 -0.121   26 -0.117   23 -0.078   27 0.4427   17  3.976   20 -0.151   14 -0.005 P

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          3 1 526 463  0.027  1.908    8  0.085    8  0.072    1  0.171    8 0.5395    5  4.061    1  0.549   22 -0.206 P
HORNETS       2 2 513 499 -0.041  1.985   18 -0.023   18 -0.030   21 -0.055   17 0.4917    6  4.060    6  0.314   27 -0.424 P
HAWKS         1 3 452 490 -0.097  1.957   24 -0.095   24 -0.102   26 -0.144   24 0.4607   11  4.020   15  0.011   23 -0.300 P
MAGIC         1 3 454 478 -0.108  1.925   25 -0.108   25 -0.102   24 -0.103   22 0.4643   22  3.967   23 -0.222   13  0.015 P
WIZARDS       1 3 484 518 -0.165  1.897   27 -0.126   27 -0.124   30 -0.204   26 0.4486    9  4.031   16  0.011   26 -0.418 P

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
76ERS         4 0 517 495 -0.122  1.750    2  0.129    2  0.141   12  0.017    2 0.5664    3  4.065    2  0.416   24 -0.383 P
KNICKS        2 2 442 442  0.462  2.720   10  0.067   10  0.053    8  0.090   10 0.5269   27  3.919   25 -0.272    5  0.453 P
CELTICS       1 3 446 431  0.123  2.090   19 -0.039   19 -0.060    2  0.138   19 0.4806   26  3.921   21 -0.217    4  0.492 P
RAPTORS       1 3 486 500 -0.017  2.036   23 -0.069   23 -0.096   22 -0.075   25 0.4577    1  4.079    3  0.397   29 -0.547 P
NETS          0 4 457 522  0.225  2.543   30 -0.159   30 -0.147   29 -0.185   29 0.4236    4  4.064    9  0.206   30 -0.577 P

DIVISION            W  L   PCT  RNK RATING
NORTHWEST DIVISION 13  6 0.684    1  0.211
CENTRAL DIVISION   11  7 0.611    2  0.077
ATLANTIC DIVISION   8 12 0.400    3  0.020
PACIFIC DIVISION   10 11 0.476    4 -0.015
SOUTHWEST DIVISION  8 10 0.444    5 -0.148
SOUTHEAST DIVISION  8 12 0.400    6 -0.205

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

Predict score:








Team Strength vs. Time Plot:






posted: Wed Oct 29 05:30:12 2025
games through: Tue Oct 28 2025

Back to Dolphin rankings main page.