ESPN Grades All 30 NBA Teams: Report Cards Based on Preseason Expectations
ESPN released report cards for all 30 NBA teams, grading each franchise on whether it met preseason expectations during the regular season. The grades use a simple system: did teams exceed, meet, or fall short of where experts thought they'd finish.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps handed out letter grades to every NBA team after the regular season ended. The grading system focuses on one key question: did each team meet, exceed, or fall short of what experts predicted before the season started.
The report cards honor Kevin Pelton, a former ESPN analytics expert who pioneered this type of team evaluation. Rather than just looking at wins and losses, the grades measure teams against their own expectations.
Some teams earned top marks for surprising everyone with better-than-expected seasons. Others got failing grades for disappointing fans despite high hopes. The grades separate true contenders from teams that might look good on paper but struggled when it mattered.
Yahoo Sports also released similar rankings, with at least one team earning an A grade for an exceptional season that exceeded all expectations.
The timing matters because NBA playoffs are starting soon. These grades help identify which teams are peaking at the right time and which ones limped to the finish line.
These grades show which teams are ready for deep playoff runs and which ones missed the mark. For fans, it reveals whether their team had a successful season or needs major changes before next year.
NBA playoffs begin, where these regular season grades will be tested in knockout games.
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