The NBA Perception Test to Start 2026

There are passing and failing grades given out in performance; however, those grades should be given out relative to what we PERCEIVED the outcome would be.

When evaluating these teams in the NBA preseason, we all had a perception of where they’d be on and off the court by the start of our new calendar year.

Relative to how we thought about them, let’s see team-by-team if they’re passing how we perceived them to be in this NBA Perception Test to start 2026.

EAST

Detroit Pistons // PASSING

Everyone wants the Pistons to make a trade to contend now with Cade and Jalen Duren, but do you really want to mess up the mojo and accelerate the timeline if you’ve been the #1 seed in the East from end-to-end thus far and look ready to win now as it is?

Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

New York Knicks // PASSING

The NBA Cup Champions haven’t missed a beat. They’re more balanced with bench depth now that Thibs isn’t running the starting lineup into the ground, and they look like they’re on a mission after the postseason disappointment last year.

However, the game against the Pistons this week, how lopsided the outcome was, and Jalen Brunson looking half the size of Cade Cunningham are going to raise concerns about their physicality as they look at other potential opponents in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. That game was the magnum opus for KAT haters.

Toronto Raptors // PASSING

This could all end up being fool’s gold as the Raptors are one of the streakiest teams in the league (starting 1-4, then an 11-1 stretch, then a 1-6 stretch!), but Toronto remains the 4th seed in the East for a team that’s been normally relegated to the play-in at best, and Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes are showing that they’re finally worth the money in their offensive efficiency.

Charlotte Hornets // PASSING

The Hornets are passing in that they in no way wanted to contend this year, but with Eric Collins on the call for Lamelo Ball taking heat check threes, Kon Kneuppel getting compared to Curry, and Brandon Miller dunking everyone into oblivion, there’s never been a more fun 12-win team!

Indiana Pacers // PASSING

This year is the year of Indiana Patience. Get the 1 pick. Get Haliburton back in 2027. They’re passing the test.

Boston Celtics // PASSING

The Celtics are passing for… the opposite reason! We thought the Tatum injury, comparable to Haliburton’s, would put them on the same Pacers timeline, and all it’s done is made Jaylen Brown take even more superhero-level heavy lifting and prove that they’re a sum-of-the-parts operation and may just get Tatum back before the playoffs and be back where they started.

Philadelphia 76ers // PASSING

All it took was making Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe the faces of the franchise, instead of the slow and injured Embiid and George, as a rebrand to make them that much more fun and watchable!

Cleveland Cavaliers // FAILING

With how much the Cavs brought back of the team after being the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference next year and the Pacers and Celtics taking a year off, this was intended to be the year where the Cavs finally put their foot on the gas and took the conference with a fully-healthy Garland, Mobley, and Mitchell core, and it feels like year after year of coming up short in the playoffs and having such little time together fully healthy has almost broken the vibes with their 20-17 start.

Orlando Magic // FAILING

The Bane trade was the win-now, fix-the-offense move for Orlando. Bane and the Magic got off to a slow start. The offense is unpredictable every night because no one can figure out whether Paolo or Franz should be the driver, and it feels like an identity crisis despite the recovery following their run prior to the play-in tournament.

They’re a team with a ton of moving parts that don’t fit the same clock now that Anthony Black has also looked like a sufficient young ball-handler, bringing his athletic tools together, and after the desperation they already showed this offseason, they could be a team that regroups in a major way.

Miami Heat // FAILING

It’s failing because… are we doing this with the Heat again? Look good enough to be a great play-in team with Bam putting up an All-NBA season, and call it a day? There have been quite literally no trades thus far, and I’m assuming that checks notes South Beach would be an ideal landing spot, location-wise, for a superstar for the Heat to finally not be exactly what we think they’d be.

Chicago Bulls // PASSED

They’re in the play-in again. Exactly what they wanted.

Atlanta Hawks // FAILING

The Hawks’ aggression this offseason after getting a #1 pick in a wide-open East only for them to never have Porzingis and be under .500 in a legendary Jalen Johnson season is malpractice, but the biggest failure is that no one will pack up Trae Young’s bags and take him to the airport so they can run an actual defense.

Milwaukee Bucks // FAILING

This guy named Giannis might want to leave.

Brooklyn Nets // FAILING

For a team that runs an entire rotation of rookies, Cam Thomas, and Michael Porter Jr., they’re not losing hard enough.

Washington Wizards // PASSING

The Wizards are losing hard enough. Some may argue TOO hard.

WEST

Oklahoma City Thunder // PASSING

Was the week of Hell from San Antonio, with 3 losses in 10 days, the wake-up call they needed after we wondered if they could break the wins record? The Thunder are still far and away the team to beat, having already won last year—no need to panic.

San Antonio Spurs // PASSING

Ladies and gentlemen, the San Antonio Spurs are early.

Denver Nuggets // FAILING

Unfortunately, this comes down to the bad vibes of the injury report feeling like bad voodoo in Denver.

Houston Rockets // PASSING

The plan of having Kevin Durant as a BONUS piece and surrounding him with a ton of rebounding bullies, Reed Sheppard shooting efficiently, and you’re in the top tier of the west makes you pass with flying colors.

Los Angeles Lakers // FAILING

So 41 41-year-old LeBron, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves make up one of the worst defenses in the league?

Minnesota Timberwolves // FAILING

Anthony Edwards puts the team in a championship window every season, but they have no defense when Rudy Gobert is not on the court and have a losing record against the teams above .500 that they should, in theory, be contending with.

Phoenix Suns // PASSING

Did blowing up the roster of Durant and Beal, who we thought gave them a win-now championship window, to build around Booker, Collin Gillespie, and Dillon Brooks save the vibes?

They feel like they’re playing with nothing to lose in what’s going down as an overachieving season.

Portland Trail Blazers // PASSING

Listen, we thought their season was going to be COOKED after their coach was literally in an FBI gambling investigation the first week of the season. They’ve been in play-in contention all season long, have wins against the Thunder and Nuggets, and Deni Turbo Avdija looks like Israeli Luka. What a year!

Memphis Grizzlies // FAILING

Marketing Ja like a star even despite the Bane trade this offseason, where we thought they’d regroup, only for them to be 15-19 to start the year, with Ja only playing in 18 of those games, is very much “same old Grizzlies.”

Dallas Mavericks // FAILING

Cooper Flagg looks great! How are Anthony Davis and Kyrie doing? Are they playing games?

Los Angeles Clippers // FAILING

…enough said.

Utah Jazz // FAILING

Are they passing because they’re actually very entertaining with Lauri Markkanen and possible all-star Keyonte George, or failing because we thought they wanted to lose every single game and get AJ Dybantsa?

Sacramento Kings // FAILING

We thought they’d be towards the bottom of the Western Conference, but when they have two of the worst defensive lineups in the league and one of the worst offensive lineups in the league with DeRozan, Sabonis, and LaVine, you’re bad, you’re expensive. You’re still in the Kings’ cycle.

New Orleans Pelicans // FAILING

It doesn’t matter if Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears look like the best rookie duo to come together in this draft, and Zion is actually playing basketball games on the court. When you make that trade to give up a first-round pick, and you start the season with only 8 wins to show for it, the season is going to be seen as failing.