The calendar year is about to close and NBA action is about to heat up. Not only is the trade deadline a little more than a month away, but we finally have a new No. 1 atop these power rankings. The Oklahoma City Thunder have dominated basketball for a full season and then some, but they have hit a recent skid, losing four of their last seven — which came after a 16-game winning streak. The Thunder still have reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the young core remains intact, so it’s not time to sound the alarms. It’s clear, however, that there are at least some challengers capable of playing with OKC. Read the full USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings after Week 9 of the 2025-26 regular season at the link in our bio. #NBA #GoSpursGo #ThunderUp #Detroitbasketball #NewYorkForever #MileHighBasketball