1.) 
Oklahoma City Thunder (21–1)
OKC keeps winning. It’s still early, but in the back of some people’s minds, a 74-win season almost feels like a small possibility..
2.) 
Detroit Pistons (17–4)
Battle-tested and pulling through, the Pistons entered the season as an Eastern Conference contender. Now, “favorite” feels more accurate as Detroit is running through the East with ease.
3.) 
Houston Rockets (13–5)
Houston is a team on a mission and absolutely capable of winning a championship this season. Health will be a major factor for the Rockets moving forward.
4. ) 
Toronto Raptors (15–7)
The Raptors remaining competitive in December is one of the biggest surprises of the early NBA season.
5.) 
Denver Nuggets (14–6)
Jamal Murray dropped 37 earlier in the week, though it came in a loss to the Spurs. If Murray stays on this trajectory alongside Jokic—and when Aaron Gordon comes back soon from his hamstring injury—the Nuggets could be the best team in the league outside of OKC.
6.) 
Miami Heat (14–7)
Miami has been overachieving. A team that looked destined for the play-in is now firmly in the playoff mix. The question is whether they can sustain this pace or if it’s fool’s gold.
7.) 
San Antonio Spurs (14–6)
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.
8.) 
Orlando Magic (13–8)
The Magic have gotten hot after a rough 1–4 start. They’ve gained traction quickly, but their schedule gets brutal this week with matchups against the Spurs, Heat, and Knicks.
9.) 
New York Knicks (13–7)
The Knicks are heating up, and with Josh Hart back, they’re starting to look like the top-tier team they were expected to be.
10.) 
Minnesota Timberwolves (13–8)
Minnesota pushed OKC to the limit before rattling off three straight wins. After reaching the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back years, the Wolves remain a dangerous team you can’t overlook.