NBA standings 2026-27: Rockets, Grizzlies and Trail Blazers start unbeaten
Nine days into the 2026-27 NBA season, the Rockets, Grizzlies and Trail Blazers remain unbeaten, while the Thunder, Spurs and injuries reshape the Western Conference race.
The NBA standings are taking shape early in the 2026-27 season, and three teams remain unbeaten after nine days and 68 games. The Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers are all still perfect, while the Oklahoma City Thunder suffered their first loss on Wednesday. Analysts caution that the table is still early, but the first results are already shifting the picture in the West.
Unbeaten start and early standout records
The Rockets are 4-0 (or 5-0 by the time of the latest report), with wins over the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs in Austin among their two victories against teams with winning records. The Grizzlies have four wins, including results against the Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. The Trail Blazers are 3-0 after beating the Los Angeles Lakers, who had been 4-1, on Tuesday.
NBA.com noted that Houston is only the 31st team to win its first five games since the 2004-05 season, when the league expanded to 30 teams. Of the 30 earlier 5-0 teams, 29 reached the playoffs. The exception was last season's Chicago Bulls, who started 5-0 and then finished 26-51.
Spurs and Thunder face early questions
The San Antonio Spurs have started slowly, losing their opener to Oklahoma City and a close game to Houston before beating Dallas and Sacramento to get back to .500. Coach Mitch Johnson has used a three-guard group that includes Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle and Fred VanVleet's former teammate De'Aaron Fox, a lineup change that commentators say makes the team look different from last season.
The Thunder's outlook has also changed. Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace were both injured this week, with injuries that could sideline them for the entire season, according to The New York Times. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the team's key player, and Ajay Mitchell has scored 59 points in the two games since Williams' injury.
Injuries reshape rotations across the league
Several teams have been forced to adjust. Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves is expected to be out for at least two months after right knee surgery, a development described by the New York Times as a significant blow. Ayo Dosunmu is starting in his place, and Terrence Shannon Jr. is averaging 23.2 minutes this season, up from 12.5 last season. Kawhi Leonard's absence has created a larger role for Ja'Kobe Walter with the Raptors, and the Pacers are short on guards with Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell out.
What we know so far
Early results suggest the West is more open than many expected, with Houston, Portland, Memphis and Los Angeles all in contention while San Antonio works to find its rhythm. NBA.com cautioned that large leads still matter: teams leading by 20 or more points have won 19 times in 20. With only about 5.5 percent of the regular season played, the standings are expected to change considerably over the next few weeks.
Next up, the Grizzlies visit the Trail Blazers on Thursday in a matchup of unbeaten teams, and the Rockets open their NBA Cup schedule in Dallas on Friday.
Sources: ESPN, The New York Times, NBA.com.
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