NBA Power Rankings: The Last Trimester

We are now officially in the final third of the NBA regular season. Lowly teams are either giving up or making final pushes for the playoffs, mid-level teams are pushing for prime real estate, and the elite are looking to stay that way. And this week, we have a new number one. Here are our rankings, with commentary by myself and TFT editor Joe Lazauskas

1. Los Angeles Lakers (45-19) – Previous Rank, 7: The Lakers are back. Or at least it appears that way, with a 7 game win streak since the All-Star break. And their complete clobbering of the previous number one Spurs Sunday afternoon has launched them to the top of our rankings. - Matt Berman

2. San Antonio Spurs (51-12) – Previous Rank, 1: It wasn’t easy moving these guys down to the number two spot, especially after this week saw them become the first team in the league to hit the 50 win mark in addition to totally dismembering the Miami Heat. But the Spurs learned Sunday yet again that the Lakers are still capable of mucking up their path to playoff glory. - MB

3. Chicago Bulls (43-18) – Previous Rank, 3: LeBron shunned them this summer, and they responded by sweeping his new super team. We are severely underrating Derrick Rose’s badassery. He’s the Aaron Rodgers of the NBA. - Joe Lazauskas

4. Boston Celtics (45-15) – Previous Rank, 6: I think I’ve seen this plot before. We’ll underrate the Celtics down the stretch, get excited about the young, disciplined Bulls, the super-villains in South Beach, and Madison Square Garden turning a borderline riot when the Knicks play their first home playoff game. And then the Celtics will play tough, smart playoff basketball that makes us say, “Shit, I forgot that the Celtics are built for the playoffs, and I’m legitimately concerned that Kevin Garnett is going to murder someone.” - JL

5. Dallas Mavericks (45-16) - Previous Rank, 5: The Mavs haven’t lost one in eight. This is a deep, deep team and they look to be really gunning for the top spot. - MB

6. Oklahoma City Thunder (38-22) - Previous Rank, 4: The past week was a bit rough on the Thunder, as they had their longest losing streak of the season at 3. But they seem to have broken out of that funk, and even with a hurting Kevin Durant managed to snuff out the surging Grizzlies Friday night. - MB

7. Miami Heat (43-20) - Previous Rank, 2: I know: they’re awful of late against good teams and have about as much chemistry as Glen Beck and Arianna Huffington. But they still have a month and a half to figure out who they are. If they do that, they’ll be absolutely terrifying in the playoffs. – JL

8. Orlando Magic (40-23) - Previous Rank, 8: After the Celtics traded Perkins, no team in the East has a solution for Dwight Howard. However, we’ve seen time and time again that Dwight isn’t enough to win a championship on his own. - JL

9/10. New York Knicks (31-29) – Previous Rank, 9: Thank god they won’t be seeing the Cavaliers in the playoffs. Make no mistake: the idea of facing Carmelo and Amar’e in a 5-game series scares the shit out of the East’s big three. Knicks fans wouldn’t mind watching them taking their talents to South Beach in the first round. - JL

9/10. Denver Nuggets (37-27) - Previous Rank, 14: Since the Carmelo trade, the Nuggets have been playing solid basketball. Danilo Gallinari has been out with a fractured toe, but with Wilson Chandler filling in and the remaining pre-trade Nuggets stepping up, the new look team has really been meshing. And their winning their games as a result. - MB

11. Atlanta Hawks (37-25) - Previous Rank, 12: I’d be shocked if they made it out of the first round; it just wouldn’t feel right if Joe Johnson was playing in May. - JL

12. Portland Trailblazers (35-27)- Previous Rank, 10: Gerald Wallace is going to take some time to really get used to playing on this team, but he’s in the starting line up now and they’ve won seven of their last ten. - MB

13. Philadelphia 76ers (31-30) – Previous Rank, 13: They’re sneakily good and on fire. Their ceiling just feels kind of low, but couldn’t you imagine the Heat completely imploding and losing 3-2 against Philly? Would LeBron just respond by buying an island and hiding out there all off-season, naming his basketball Wilson and screaming at it psychotically? - JL

14/15. New Orleans Hornets (36-28) – Previous Rank, 11: What is going on with Chris Paul? The Hornets managed to put a stop to their six game skid Friday night, but Paul definitely isn’t right, as the Knicks used to their advantage in a crazy blow out win on Wednesday. - MB

14/15. Memphis Grizzlies (34-29) - Previous Rank, 19: The Grizzlies look more and more to be pulling away from their competition for the eighth spot in the West. The double-double machines Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol are certainly to thank. And the addition of Shane Battier sure hasn’t hurt. - MB

16. Phoenix Suns (32-28) – Previous Rank, 15: The playoff aspirations for the Suns look like an uphill battle at this point. But at the same time, it’s never safe to rule out Steve Nash. And, not to mention, Channing Frye has been a buzzer beating machine. – MB

17. Indiana Pacers (27-35) - Previous Rank, 17: We should be thankful for the Pacers incompetence; they’re keeping hope alive for powerhouse teams like the 22-41 Pistons, who are only 5.5 games out of the 8th seed. God help the Eastern Conference. - JL

18. Houston Rockets (32-32) - Previous Rank, 16: Another team with a hard way to go if they want to snatch the eighth seed from Memphis. Kevin Martin and Chase Budinger are going to have to really step up. - MB

19. Charlotte Bobcats (26-36) – Previous Rank, 24: You have to give Michael Jordan credit for developing the greatest D-League team of all-time. - JL

20/21. Utah Jazz (33-30) - Previous Rank, 22: Utah has really been suffering without Deron Williams around. But for now, they haven’t been suffering quite as much as New Jersey has been with him. - MB

20/21. Golden State Warriors (27-34) – Previous Rank, 18: A really close game against the Celtics Friday night was pretty impressive. Monta always seems to be getting better these days.  - MB

22. Milwaukee Bucks (23-37) – Previous Rank, 20: A brutal end of the year schedule dampens their playoff hopes; they can’t be looking forward to their upcoming matchup with the Celtics without Andrew Bogut. – JL

23/24. Detroit Pistons (22-41) – Previous Rank, 30: They seem to have gotten their distracting personal issues worked out, and are back to focusing on basketball. We’ll see if it sticks. - MB

23/24. Los Angeles Clippers (23-40) - Previous Rank, 21: Eric Gordon is hurt again, just two games after coming back from injury in January. And it’s the same wrist. Things are looking bad in Clipperland. Here’s to next year. - MB

25. Sacramento Kings (15-45) – Previous Rank, 25: Marcus Thornton has been let loose in Sacramento. The problem is, it’s unclear right now if the Kings are going to be sticking around the city for long. It’s enough drama to take away from the solid play of both Thornton and DeMarcus Cousins.  - MB

26. New Jersey Nets (19-43) - Previous Rank, 23: We need a Nets reality show right now. Deron Williams is the bachelor, and he’s being courted by a Russian billionaire. Don’t be surprised, Deron, if you wake up roofied with a copy of your signed contract extension on the night stand. - JL

27. Minnesota Timberwolves (15-49) – Previous Rank, 26: Kevin Love keeps doing what Kevin Love does. Which would be 50 straight double-doubles as of Saturday night. That’s one game away from beating the current, post ABA-NBA merger set by Moses Malone. Wilt Chamberlin’s record, on the other hand, looks pretty comfortable at 227 games. - MB

28. Toronto Raptors (17-46) - Previous Rank, 27: At least Raptors fans can enjoy watching Chris Bosh be the 3rd option on a struggling, dysfunctional team. - JL

29. Cleveland Cavaliers (12-49) - Previous Rank, 29: When the Cavaliers play the Knicks, it feels like a video game glitch where the CPU suddenly turns the team into the ’96 Bulls. – JL

30. Washington Wizards (16-45) – Previous Rank, 28: I guess it isn’t surprising that EVERY team that plays in the nation’s capital is poorly run and inefficient. You’d at least think someone in DC would rig some games for the home team, though. - JL

Think we’ve messed something up terribly? Think we’re NBA sages? Sound off in comments.

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