NBA Power Rankings

Alright hoops fans, gather round the computer. It is time for another edition of my NBA Power Rankings.



1. Los Angeles Lakers (11-3)/Previous Rank: 2



I can't stand the Lakers, but I'm not stupid. The defending champs have looked frighteningly good in recent weeks. Now that Pau Gasol is back, Phil Jackson's team is without a weakness. Kobe continues to do his thing, and Ron Artest has finally established himself as a key contributor in Phil Jackson's triangle offense.



2. Orlando Magic (12-4)/PR: 9



That's a big jump for Stan Van Gundy's team, who have come up with two impressive road victories at the Celtics and Hawks. A home loss to the Heat notwithstanding, the Magic are playing the best basketball of any Eastern Conference team right now. The outstanding play of veteran Anthony Johnson in the win over Atlanta is a good sign for a team that is once again without Jameer Nelson.



3. Phoenix Suns (13-3)/PR: 3



After a one-year hiatus, the Suns have returned to their tremendously exciting brand of fast-paced basketball. Steve Nash belongs in the early MVP discussion, and he isn't the only player who has been rejuvenated this season. Amare Stoudamire and Grant Hill also look more healthy and motivated than they have in years. It remains to be seen if the Suns will be able to finally achieve success in the playoffs with this run-and-gun style. But for now, let's just sit back and enjoy the show.



4. Atlanta Hawks (12-4)/PR: 5



That was a putrid second-half performance by the Hawks on Thanksgiving night against Orlando, but I still believe that this is one of the league's best teams. No team has had a louder statement win than the Hawks had last Friday night in Boston. I continue to be amazed by the offensive efficiency of Jamal Crawford, who continues to make me pine for the days when he was a Golden State Warrior.

5. Denver Nuggets (12-4)/PR: 6

As long as Carmelo Anthony continues to play insanely good basketball, the Nuggets will be a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference. Melo put up 50 points in yesterday's win over the Knicks. The one cause for concern? Despite Melo's brilliant 50-point performance, the Nuggets had to scratch and claw their way to victory at home against the lowly Knicks.

6. Dallas Mavericks (12-4)/PR: 7

Rick Carlisle's team suffered a tough home loss to the Warriors last week, but rebounded nicely with consecutive road thrashings of Houston and Indiana. And while all of the MVP talk is centered around LeBron, Kobe, Carmelo, and D-Wade, Dirk Nowitzki continues to make a strong case that he belongs in the conversation.

7. Portland Trail Blazers (12-6)/PR: 10

The Blazers had a horrendous home loss to the Grizzlies last night at the Rose Garden, but prior to last night's debacle they had been playing terrific basketball. The Brandon Roy-Rudy Fernandez duo has been thriving, and Greg Oden continues to play very well. That's surely a sign of the apocalypse.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (11-5)/PR: 4

I love the Big Diesel, but let's face the facts. Without Shaq, the Cavs played beautifully, and their offense moved in a more free-flowing fashion. When Shaq returned from injury last night in Charlotte, the Cavs looked thoroughly flustered on the offensive end, as LeBron and company made awkward attempts to involve Shaq. The result was an embarrassing loss to the Bobcats. LeBron James continues to show why he is the best player on the planet, and J.J. Hickson has been a nice surprise off the bench. But 16 games into the season, the Shaquille O'Neal experiment has not worked out as planned.

9. Boston Celtics (12-4)/PR: 1

An eight-point drop for the Celtics? Look, I still think Boston has a great shot at winning the championship, but they have to be penalized for their lazy play as of late. The Celtics were beaten soundly at home against the Hawks and Magic, struggled in an eventual home win against the Sixers, and needed overtime to defeat the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The C's have won three straight, but for a team as good as Boston, style points count. Things are looking up for Doc Rivers' team, however, thanks to an impressive second half performance against Toronto last night, a game that featured a spectacular dunk by Paul Pierce over Chris Bosh, a dunk that wins the title of posterization of the year so far.

10. Miami Heat (9-6)/PR: 8

This Heat team is a total enigma to me. Erik Spoelstra's team showed tremendous grit and spirit in a road win at Orlando on Wednesday, only to look lethargic in a home loss to the Wizards last night. Thus, I remain unconvinced that Miami is a legitimate contender in the East. Jermaine O'Neal has had some nice games recently, but for the most part the great Dwayne Wade remains stranded without much help.

11. Oklahoma City Thunder (9-7)/PR: 18

I love watching this team play. We all know about the outstanding young trio of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook, but the Thunder have another superb young player in James Harden. The rookie from Arizona State is having a terrific season, and Scott Brooks' team looks like they have what it takes to make the playoffs. Last week's road win at Utah, one of the toughest places to play in the NBA, was particularly impressive.

12. San Antonio Spurs (8-6)/PR: 12

That's four straight wins for the Spurs. Does this mean that they have finally become the championship-caliber team that we all expect them to be? Perhaps. I still need to see more before I say that the Spurs have arrived, but I don't think Spurs fans should be too worried. By January, San Antonio should be firmly back on the championship path.

13. Utah Jazz (8-7)/PR: 21

On Thanksgiving night against the Bulls, the Jazz demonstrated why they are still an immensely dangerous team. When Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, and company are firing on all cylinders, they are awfully tough to beat.

14. Milwaukee Bucks (8-6)/PR: 13

Rookie sensation Brandon Jennings has cooled off recently, but he is simply experiencing some growing pains. Jennings will be just fine. The bigger worry for Scott Skiles' team is the play of Michael Redd, who has been plagued with injuries this season. Redd looks completely out of sync on the court. Once an elite player in this league, Redd is no longer a factor on the Bucks.

15. Houston Rockets (8-8)/PR: 11

The fairy tale may be coming to an end for the injury-depleted Rockets. After all, it was only a matter of time before this team started to feel the effects of being without Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and Ron Artest. Still, it's foolish to count a Rick Adelman-coached team out. This team still may have some more gas left in the tank.

16. Sacramento Kings (7-8)/PR: 16

When the Kings lost Kevin Martin to injury,I declared them officially dead. I couldn't have been more wrong. Tyreke Evans is playing beautiful basketball in his rookie year, as is Donte Greene, the supremely athletic second-year player out of Syracuse. It's too early to start thinking about playoffs for the Kings, but Paul Westphal's team deserves a great deal of credit for their surprising start to the season.

17. Toronto Raptors (7-10)/PR: 14

Jay Triano's team is slowly sliding down the path toward irrelevance. They have talent (Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani), but lack chemistry. You might as well start the Chris Bosh free agency countdown.

18. Indiana Pacers (6-8)/PR: 20

Danny Granger is a star, and Dahntay Jones continues to surprise me with his productive play on both ends of the floor. However, I'd like to see Jim O'Brien give Tyler Hansbrough more playing time. Hansbrough is considered by many to be a laughingstock in the NBA, but I haven't given up on him just yet. He has more talent than people realize, and he plays with a tenacity that might translate to success in the pros. The Pacers aren't going anywhere, so they have nothing to lose by playing Hansbrough more minutes.

19. New Orleans Hornets (7-9)/PR: 22

The Hornets have stayed above water in the absence of Chris Paul thanks to the inspired play of Darren Collison. The rookie out of UCLA has done a nice job filling in for CP3. However, I expect New Orleans to eventually fade from relevance this season. There is simply too much dysfunction.

20. Chicago Bulls (6-8)/PR: 17

The long circus road trip has been a total disaster for the Bulls, who have looked especially lifeless in losses to the Lakers and Jazz. Making matters worse, Derrick Rose has yet to blossom into the dominant star that we all expect him to be. Right now, there isn't much to be happy about in Chicago.

21. Charlotte Bobcats (6-9)/PR: 24

The Bobcats have finally started to show some progress on offense, thanks in large part to the spectacular play of Gerald Wallace. Wallace led the Bobcats to a stunning, dominating win over the Cavaliers last night. In an otherwise dismal season, Gerald Wallace provides a glimmer of hope for a struggling franchise.

22. Washington Wizards (5-9)/PR: 25

The return of Antawn Jamison and the addition of Earl Boykins have rejuvenated Flip Saunders' team, who just convincingly defeated the Heat in Miami. However, the loss of Mike Miller to injury is a big blow for the Wizards. Miller was playing great basketball before he suffered a strained calf injury.

23. Golden State Warriors (5-9)/PR: 26

My beloved Warriors showed signs of progress this past week. With assistant coach Keth Smart at the helm, the Warriors beat the Mavs in Dallas and hung with the Spurs for three quarters in San Antonio. Monta Ellis has been amazing, and the return of Ronny Turiaf from injury should give the W's some much-needed energy.

24. Los Angeles Clippers (7-10)/PR: 23

7-10 isn't awful, but let's get real here: Does anybody expect the Clips to be competitive this season. At this point I think we would all understand if Blake Griffin decides to stay injured.

25. Philadelphia 76ers (5-11)/PR: 15

With talented guys like Andre Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert, and Thaddeus Young, the Sixers should be better than 5-11. They have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league this season.

26. Detroit Pistons (5-11)/PR: 19

With all of the Allen Iverson talk this past week, Joe Dumars had to be reminded of that ill-advised Allen Iverson-Chauncey Billups trade last year. If Dumars could take a mulligan, and if Detroit still had Billups, they would be in much greater shape than they are now.

27. Memphis Grizzlies (6-10)/PR: 29

Now that Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo have been given larger roles in the absence of Iverson, the Grizzlies have been improving. I'm most fascinated to see the development of Hashhem Thabeet. The jury is still out on how Thabeet will fare in the NBA.

28. New York Knicks (3-13)/PR: 28

Mike D'Antoni's team put up strong efforts against the Celtics and Nuggets, but let's face it: This is one seriously bad basketball team. The good news? At least they beat the Nets.

29. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-15)/PR: 27

All of the focus has been on the futility of the Nets, but the T'Wolves have been just as bad, losing fourteen straight games. I feel horrible for first-year head coach Kurt Rambis. After spending years as an assistant to Phil Jackson, losing on such a consistent basis has to be mightily difficult for Rambis.

30. New Jersey Nets (0-16)/PR: 30

Wow. That's all that needs to be said.