It may feel like the 2026-27 NBA regular season just tipped off yesterday, but, believe it or not, after yesterday's slate of games, every team has now played at least ten of their regular season games. That means that we are over 10 percent through the regular season schedule. Still plenty of time for a team off to a slow start to right the ship, and for a frontrunner to come back down to Earth.

The NBA standings are far from solidified, but they are starting to take form. So, let's take a look at how they are shaping up.

Eastern Conference standings as of Nov. 12

Eastern Conference playoff race

If the playoffs started today, the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawksm New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers would all be guaranteed playof spots. The Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat would need to win won of two play-in games to join them. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic would need to win both play-in games to grab the eighth and final seed.

Western Conference standings as of Nov. 12

Western Conference playoff race

For the Western Conference, the top six seeds in the playoffs right now would be the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Golden State Warriors. The four play-in teams would be the Oklahoma City Thunder (that feels bizarre to type out), Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Denver Nuggets.

The battle for the the throne

Heading into the season, the Western Conference was viewed as a two-horse race. The Spurs are holding up their end of the bargain. However, injuries have taken the Thunder from a juggernaut to one that is just really freaking good. Taking their place in the marathon is the Lakers, who, behind the brilliance of Luka Dončić, have the most wins in the entire NBA (11). The Spurs have the higher net rating (+9, compared to the Lakers' +4.8, per Dunks & Threes). However, according to that website, the Spurs have also played the third-easiest schedule in the league thus far (the Lakers have had the tenth). We're only a couple of weeks away from watching these two teams square off (November 27). Hopefully, they are both still rocking and rolling when that time comes.

We owe the West an apology

Heading into the season, many people (myself included) anticipated the Eastern Conference finally surpassing the West in its number of quality teams. However, with teams like the Blazers, Mavericks, Warriors, and Grizzlies exceeding expectations, coupled with the Heat, Raptors, Cavaliers, Pacers, and Magic off to a slow start, this just has not been the case. As of right now, the West has double (10) the number of teams with an over .500 record than the East does (5). Looks like the kings are still the kings, and we're not talking about the boys in Sacramento!

Hat tip to the Hawks

With so many new toys emerging out East, it felt like no one wanted to talk about the Hawks this offseason, despite them winning more playoff games against the defending champs than anyone else in the league. Well, why so many teams are struggling, they just keep chugging along. As it stands, they are 13th in offensive rating, 14th in defensive rating, and 15th in net rating. Nothing special, but at 7-5 they are currently slated to host a playoff series, and as of right now, it seems like just being solid will be enough to keep them there in this conference.