New Delhi, Oct. 19 -- the Thunder lead the league, while Victor Wembanyama's Spurs sit close enough that location changes the hypothetical matchup.

The Oklahoma City Thunder rank first at +8.1 in Fiddle's Yahoo Sports preseason power ratings, published October 16. San Antonio follows at +7.4. Boston is third at +4.8, leaving a much larger gap between second and third than between the top two.

These are not official NBA rankings, and the word "Vegas" in the headline should not be read as a single, universally agreed sportsbook assessment. Fiddle builds his own ratings from regular-season win totals, title odds, injury news and the opening games already priced, then makes manual adjustments. They combine market information with an analyst...