1.) 
Oklahoma City Thunder (17–1)
The dominant defending champs are running roughshod over everyone, looking every bit like the league’s most complete team.
2.) 
Detroit Pistons (15–2)
The Pistons are overachieving so far, showing poise and depth early in the season as they continue their surprising hot start.
3.) 
Denver Nuggets (13–4)
A steady, well-balanced opening stretch for Denver — the Nuggets look solid, composed, and right on track for another strong campaign.
4. ) 
Toronto Raptors (13–5)
One of the most exciting early-season stories, Toronto has the East favorite Cavaliers completely figured out. They swept Cleveland 3–0 in the season series, with every win coming by double digits.
5.) 
Los Angeles Lakers (12–4)
The King has returned. With LeBron James back in the lineup and the team clicking early, the Lakers look primed to outperform preseason expectations.
6.) 
Houston Rockets (11–4)
Houston is firing on all cylinders. Even without superstar Kevin Durant on Monday night, the Rockets went on the road and crushed a red-hot Phoenix Suns team by more than 20.
7.) 
Cleveland Cavaliers (12–7)
Cleveland has stumbled specifically against Toronto, losing all three matchups early. They won’t see the Raptors again in the regular season, but a potential playoff meeting could spell trouble for the East favorites.
8.) 
Miami Heat (12–6)
Another pleasant early-season surprise. Miami’s offense is flowing, Bam Adebayo is off to a fantastic start, and the return of Tyler Herro — who looked 100% in his comeback — helped lift the Heat to yet another win.
9.) 
San Antonio Spurs (11–5)
No Wemby, no problem. The Spurs are an impressive 3–1 without their superstar, though there’s still some hesitation moving them higher until Victor Wembanyama returns.
10.) 
New York Knicks (10–6)
The Knicks have been up and down, working through some early-season inconsistencies, but they remain one of the East’s best teams and a legitimate postseason threat.