NBA Power Rankings: Lakers Close Out 2009 on Top

As 2009 winds down, the NBA is starting to give us a clear picture of what the intriguing storylines are for the rest of the season.

Can the Lakers keep up the torrid pace? Can the Celtics stay healthy until June? Can the Hawks maintain their place as one of the top three teams in the East? Can the Nuggets or Mavericks possibly beat the Lakers?

These questions and more will be answered...well, probably around late May/early June.

But until then, here's a sampling of how the NBA shapes up right now. These power rankings are the result of a poll taken by Featured Columnists from Bleacher Report's NBA community. Enjoy.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

With the return of Pau Gasol, the Lakers are looking pretty unbeatable right now. They're 14-1 since he's been back, and although their bench has been pretty thin, when you've got a starting five like they do, it's hard to be too upset about that.

2. Boston Celtics

Slip ups like the one last week against Philadelphia are bound to happen, and they serve to keep the Celtics grounded. Simply put, the Celtics are playing sound basketball on both ends of the floor, and while the clock might be ticking, they're looking like the team to beat in the East.

3. Orlando Magic

Vince Carter is making Magic fans go "Turko-who?" Okay, maybe not, but that was too good to pass up. The Magic have been holding their own without Jameer Nelson, and with his imminent return, I am very much looking forward to their Christmas-day showdown with the Celtics.

4. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks offer an eye-popping collection of above the rim theatrics, momentum changing defense, and some solid outside shooting. The one thing working against them is their relative lack of experience on the big stage, but they're getting harder and harder to ignore in the East.

5. Dallas Mavericks

A gutsy win sans Dirk against the Cavaliers showed us what we had only suspected: Dallas might be the deepest team in the league. While they clearly can't depend on Tim Thomas to drop 20 points per game, having him, J.J. Barea, Jason Terry, and Rodrigue Beaubois (who has been reduced to almost an afterthought) backing up the starting five, they're a tough team to beat.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers

Shaq seems to be doing more harm than good, but that doesn't mean he's not a great option off the bench. If he can prove himself against the Dwight Howards, Kendrick Perkins, and Andrew Bynums of the world (which is why he was brought in), then he'll prove to be a solid addition. The Cavs have the shooters in Delonte West, Mo Williams, and Anthony Parker, but they could use a stronger presence on the boards.

7. Denver Nuggets

With Chauncey Billups out, the delicate machinations that is the Denver Nuggets seems to be a little off. Ty Lawson is a promising young rookie, but he hasn't shown the ability to lead the way Billups has, and it can't be too comforting for the Nuggets faithful knowing that their playoff hopes ride on the shoulders of a 33-year-old point guard.

8. Phoenix Suns

Channing Frye and Amare Stoudemire have proven to be a pretty capable frontcourt duo, and if Steve Nash keeps up his age-defying season, then the Suns are looking pretty good. They don't have the best of records against good teams though, but they are a team that's fun to watch and capable of outscoring anybody on any given night.

9. Houston Rockets

Houston has continued to keep themselves relevant despite not having a single player over 6-10. Credit coach Rick Adelman, as well as Luis Scola and Carl Landry, for playing very well down low, and Aaron Brooks and Trevor Ariza are performing better than could be expected. If the Rockets can turn T-Mac into any sort of talent, they could surprise a lot of people as the season rolls on.

10. Utah Jazz

The pieces are the same as they've been for the past few years, but they just aren't playing the same. Andrei Kirilenko is a shadow of his former self, and Carlos Boozer seems more interested in finding his next fat contract than in locking down the paint, but the Jazz aren't a pushover by any means. Yet without a big change, it's hard to imagine them being anything but first-round fodder.

11. Portland Trailblazers

They started the decade as the Jail Blazers and go out as the Ail Blazers, but they are still an exciting team to watch. They run a very efficient halfcourt set, but it would be a shame if they ran off Andre Miller or Jarryd Bayless in favor of Steve Blake. Their main weakness is at the point guard, despite the fact that they have two competent players there. If they can hover in the background while people get healthy, they could make a splash late in the season.

12. San Antonio Spurs

How's that Richard Jefferson signing working out now? You know, the one that was supposed to help them contend with the Lakers? With a frountcourt that is the envy of every single team in the league (Tim Duncan, Matt Bonner, Antonio McDyess, and DeJuan Blair) the Spurs really need to get some contributions from the Roger Mason/Richard Jefferson/Manu Ginobili trio to get back on track.

13. Miami Heat

The weight of carrying the Heat on his shoulders looks like it's starting to wear down D-Wade, as he's having back spasms and other such issues. He's also way behind his usual jump shot accuracy, and there simply isn't enough talent around him to pick up the slack. Mario Chalmers is still a work in progress, and Michael Beasley can't string together a few good games to save his life.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder

If Kevin Durant is having a good game, the Thunder are capable of beating almost anybody. But when he's not shooting well, like he has the last few games, the Thunder are dependent on Jeff Green, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook for their scoring punch, which can be a mixed bag. They're still one of the 10 most exciting teams in the league to watch, and it should be a lot of fun to watch this team mature together.

15. New Orleans Hornets

With Chris Paul's return to awesomeness, the Hornets aren't quite the pushover they once were, but that doesn't say much. The team was surprisingly spunky in his absence, but they just aren't the threat that they were even last season. Okafor isn't getting it done, David West looks to be a has-been, and Peja can't be trusted to handle the scoring load. Chris Paul is always a delight to watch, but otherwise it's startling to see how quickly the Hornets declined.

16. Sacramento Kings

Don't look now people, but the Kings are a pretty fun team to watch. Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin are a potent scoring duo, and it's a blast to watch those two figure out how to play around each other. I don't know how many wins it will translate to, but with a significant expiring contract in Kenny Thomas, the Kings could add another piece and set them up for a pretty exciting future.

17. Memphis Grizzlies

Another team that's sliding under the radar, but they're a pretty good team without Iverson to hog the spotlight and shot attempts. Marc Gasol is turning into a great true center on both ends of the floor, and there's more than enough firepower on the floor with Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo. Even Mike Conley Jr. is looking pretty sharp lately. As the last place team in the Southwest conference, the Grizzlies would be the sixth seed in the East. So...yeah...how about that?

18. Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks looked to have lost a few dynamic playmakers in the offseason, with the departure of Richard Jefferson and Ramon Sessions, but it's becoming clear that they might have lost both of those two right in time. Kurt Thomas has been a steady presence in the frontcourt, and with a healthy Bogut and Michael Redd, along with Brandon Jennings doing his thing and Luke Ridnour providing a spark, they could be a feared team come playoff time.

19. Toronto Raptors

Toronto's defense seems to have gone the way of the dodo, and the Chris Bosh era looks to be headed that way too. That being said, they are still in the playoff hunt, and it's not like they don't have talent. If DeMar DeRozan can start dropping 20 with consistency, the Raptors could be a run-and-gun team capable of outscoring anyone they need.

20. Los Angeles Clippers

The talent is there everywhere but the small forward (wonder if there's any big free agent small forwards coming up?), but they just don't have the chemistry, or the motivation. Baron Davis seems to be an odd wheel out, with his aversion to passing the ball, and a perfectly capable scorer in Eric Gordon on the squad.

If Blake Griffin comes back healthy, the Clips should be able to move Kaman or Camby in a trade, maybe for a pass-first point guard, but I'm not holding out any hope for them to do anything that resembles a smart move.

21. Chicago Bulls

It's clear that last year's playoff series with the Celtics might have been the apex of this current group, because the Bulls have been flat out underwhelming this season. Derrick Rose has been slowed by an injury, and with Ben Gordon gone, they lack a true go-to scorer.

Luol Deng doesn't seem to be capable of it, and the Bulls are struggling to put points on the board. If they could hold a team to 90-95 points per game (instead of 98.4), they might be better off, but right now it's just not working.

22. Detroit Pistons

They spent all their vaunted cap space a year too early on two guys who are one-dimensional (neither of those are defense, by the way), so is it any wonder they're struggling.

Now, they are the sixth best defensive team in terms of opponents scoring, but they are pretty much living and dying by Ben Gordon's jumper every night. They're also really banged up, with Gordon and Hamilton missing significant stretches, but they are a big move away from being close to relevant.

23. Charlotte Bobcats

Take it from me; no team has been more inconsistent this year in terms of day-to-day play. One day they're only scoring 59 against the Celtics, the next they're beating the Hawks or the Nuggets.

From a gambling standpoint, I've lost far too much money on Larry Brown's crew to believe in a win or loss under any circumstances. Defensively, they're good at holding teams to low points, but they're struggling to score them as well.

24. New York Knicks

Uhh...what is supposed to get LeBron to the Knicks again? A second point guard being sat out in as many years? No draft pick next year? Your best player (David Lee) on a one-year deal? A coach who wouldn't know a defensive game plan if it smacked him in the mouth? They've managed to pull out some decent wins, but the only reason the Knicks aren't in the cellar is because the Nets are so close and so bad.

25. Indiana Pacers

They're a feisty team, as we saw when they battled the Spurs pretty well without Danny Granger. If Granger could stay healthy (which he apparently can't) the Pacers could be a pretty good team. Roy Hibbert has been a slow starter, but he's starting to put it together. Can the Pacers as a team pull it together? Probably not this year.

26. Washington Wizards

As the losses pile up, it becomes even more apparent that the Zards need to be blown up. It's ironic, because the two players who most need to go, Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison, have huge contracts, so no one will take them on; while the best one, Caron Butler is the easiest to move. Jamison needs to stop jacking up threes, DeShawn Stevenson might be the worst player in the NBA and Gilbert shouldn't be playing point guard, and that's just the beginning.

27. Philadelphia 76ers

The Allen Iverson experiment is bringing them some interest, but the 76ers are just not good, and I'm sure there will be more drama down the road with the return of Louis Williams. They've got two good players in Igoudala and Speights, but they can't do much with Elton Brand's contract and Iverson's ego weighing them down.

28. Golden State Warriors

They still run, they still gun, but they're not nearly as much fun. Monta Ellis is turning the ball over so much that it's negating his scoring prowess. Nellie is all but quitting on the team, and while Radmanovic has been okay for them, they're hurting from Jackson's departure on both ends of the floor.

29. Minnesota Timberwolves

It's sort of sad how bad the Wolves are, with Jonny Flynn, Al Jefferson, and Kevin Love as an exciting young core, but they just don't seem to mesh well. Along with the Nets, the Wolves are putting the 76ers team that won nine games on notice, and that might be the most exciting part about watching the T-Wolves.

30. New Jersey Nets

What hasn't gone wrong for the Nets. Devin Harris has missed a lot of time, Chris Douglas-Roberts had swine flu and now an ankle sprain, and they just can't get any luck going.

It's sad, because it's overshadowing Brook Lopez's case for the youngest, best true center in the league. The Nets dumped all of their big three in as many years, and the guys they're trying to rebuild around just aren't getting it done.

I don't think they're quite as bad as their record, and they've got two first-rounders to look forward to in the 2010 draft. So that's something.

The Bleacher Report NBA Power Rankings are done by averaging individual feature columnist's tallies. Weekly contributors are: Alex McVeigh (Dallas), Rich Kurtzman (Denver), Denton Ramsey (Houston Rockets), Jose Salviati (LA Clippers), Keith Schlosser (NY Knicks), Curtis Finchum (Oklahoma City), Brandon Ribak (Orlando Magic), Bryan Toporek (Philadelphia 76ers), Shaun Ahmad (Washington Wizards) and DeMarco Williams (NBA Lead).