NBA Storylines: January's strength of schedule rankings
NBA••sports
Key Points:
- January is a crucial month for NBA teams with 235 games scheduled and the trade deadline 35 days away, providing teams a key period to evaluate and make roster changes.
- The Oklahoma City Thunder appear more vulnerable entering 2026, while the San Antonio Spurs look like a contender; Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Thunder, and Spurs rank in the top 10 defensively and offensively.
- Strength of schedule varies widely, with Sacramento facing the toughest opponents (cumulative opponent winning percentage .555) and Orlando the easiest (.421); several teams have demanding back-to-back games and travel-heavy schedules.
- Eastern Conference notes highlight the Hawks' unusual winning road record but losing home record, the Celtics' mix of games
