NBA Power Ranking: MLK Edition

Before we get to the numbers in this week's MLK edition of the Power Rankings, here is a quick recap of the teams in the Association broken up into thirds. 

The Top Third
Everybody can be great. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
There is hope for the Nets to be great! Just not this year. The top 10 continues to be dominated by the Lakers. Lots of movement within the top third with Denver making an impressive jump but the song remains the same as far as the teams in this elite status.

The Middle Third
The time is always right to do what is right. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Bulls sneak into the middle third while the Clippers are perched at the exit. The Thunder are the cream of the middle tier crop and are certainly doing things right.

The Bottom Third
All progress is precarious. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
MLK meant that fixing one problem isn't the end because another problem will follow. The bottom third teams are fraught with problems, but progress in not only precarious, but precious. Moving from the 28th spot to the 25th is progress so take heart Piston fans

1. LA Lakers (Last Week: 1)
The Lakers are at full strength (albeit not fully healthy), playing with a mission and rolling over teams. Their vice grip on the No. 1 position does not appear to be loosening at all.

2. Cleveland (Last Week: 2)
Except for a loss on a ridiculous shot by a player riding a 10-day contract, the Cavs had a perfect week. Shaq's early season commission to get "the King a Ring" remains on track.

3. Denver (Last Week: 8)
Carmelo Anthony is the dagger and Chauncey Billups is the catalyst, but this team doesn't have a perfect week without Kenyon Martin. He has led the Nuggets in rebounding in the team's last six games.

4. Boston (Last Week: 3)
Four wins and six losses since the last second loss to the Clippers. Anyone worried in Beantown? Somehow, I doubt it.

5. Atlanta (Last Week: 6)
Wins over Boston and Phoenix this week propelled them to the top team in the Southeast division. Jamal Crawford is developing into the type of closer defending teams must keep the ball from if they are up by a point and hope to win.

6. Dallas (Last Week: 4)
Tough week in Dallas for both the Cowboys as well as the Mavericks. The basketball team dropping games to the Raptors and Lakers. Dirk Nowitzki drops his 20,000th point though; amazing accomplishment for anyone, much less a player who looked lost early in his NBA career.

7. Orlando (Last Week: 5)
The road was not kind to the Magic this week. Will Jameer Nelson ever be the player he was in 2008-2009? I will miss seeing superman in the dunk contest.

8. Portland (Last Week: 9)
This team continues to fly under the radar; why are they still this good without Oden? They are shaping up to be the proverbial "team you don't want to see in the playoffs." 

9. San Antonio (Last Week: 7)
Manu Ginobili is clearly on the downside of his career. We might not see Tim Duncan's downside for another year or two.

10. Phoenix (Last Week: 10)
Steve Nash has led or tied for the lead in all but one game this season for the Suns. This team shouldn't be this good and Nash shouldn't be this dominating at 35. Both, however, are.

11. Oklahoma City (Last Week: 12)
The Thunder have figured it out. They are young, exciting and winning basketball games. Their last four losses are by a combined total of only 13 points! Last two losses by a combined total of only two points.

12. Utah (Last Week: 13)
Sundiata Gaines. Wow. That miraculous shot earned the confident PG a second 10-day contract. The Salt Lake Tribune called his shot the "shot of a lifetime." Rough label to stick on a 23-year-old just starting his NBA career.

13. Houston (Last Week: 11)
Aaron Brooks and Chuck Hayes go for career highs in points and rebounds with 43 and 17, respectively. Teams that give up as many points as they score (Rockets are 100.6 PF and 100.3 PA) generally are .500 clubs. The difference for the Rockets seems to be desire. They know how to win. Never underestimate the heart of a champion, right?

14. Memphis (Last Week: 16)
Nine wins, two losses in last 11 games. The NBA's surprise team? Sure looks like it. The Pau Gasol trade was one-sided, but Mar Gasol is proving it wasn't THAT one-sided.

15. New Orleans (Last Week: 14)
Emeka Okafor and David West seem to have figured out how to co-exist. When they figure out how to compliment each other this team will be dangerous!

16. Toronto (Last Week: 17)
When Chris Bosh leaves, will this franchise go the way of the Vancouver Grizzlies?

17. Miami (Last Week: 15)
No team in the Association has a greater dependency on a single player than the Heat do on Dwayne Wade. He leads the club in points, assists, and steals.

18. Charlotte (Last Week: 19)
Larry Brown is doing this with smoke and mirrors. Smoke=Stephen Jackson, mirror=Gerald Wallace. Jackson, the outcast, has found a home in Charlotte. Brown should receive consideration for what would be his second Coach of the Year award.

19. Chicago (Last Week: 21)
Has any NBA head coach been closer to fired than Vinny Del Negro after the fiasco that was the loss to Sacramento on Dec. 21? Since then, the club has gone 8-5. Del Negro's seat is still warm but the Bulls have certainly rebounded.

20. LA Clippers (Last Week: 18)
The Clippers are a classic mid-tier team. They lose to teams above them, then beat teams below them. With Blake Griffin officially out until next year the balance of this season will be a preparation for next year and a likely return to the lottery game show.

21. New York (Last Week: 21)
The Nate Robinson blue-light showcase continues in New York. Without LeBron or Dwight Howard in the Slam Dunk contest on All-Star weekend, the light will shine brightly on Robinson.

22. Milwaukee (Last Week: 23)
Talk of ROY award has slowed for Brandon Jennings but 19, 4, and 6 for any player is an amazing rookie campaign. A late season push might be enough to wrestle the award away from ROY leader...

23. Sacramento (Last Week: 20)
...Tyreke Evans. 20, 5, and 5 and the poise of a veteran. Evans and crew have returned passion to the capital city. 

24. Indiana (Last Week: 27)
Danny Granger, Troy Murphy, and Earl Watson are providing the scoring, rebounding, and passing and growing into a powerful three-some. Too bad the Pacers won't be able to watch that group grow together past this year.

25. Detroit (Last Week: 28)
The once proud Pistons have rebounded from their 11 game losing streak with a 3-1 week. Will be interesting to see what GM Joe Dumars does with this squad in the offseason.

26. Philadelphia (Last Week: 26)
The second A.I./A.I. marriage seems to be working a lot better than the first time around. Why can't Elton Brand fit into this group?

27. Washington (Last Week: 25)
With gun-gate behind them, sort of, the Wizards went back to playing basketball this week. Is there a better team on paper with a worse record than the Washington Wizards? If so, I don't know who.

28. Golden State (Last Week: 24)
Monta Ellis is making shots from the tunnel and Corey Maggette is playing great basketball, but this team can't seem to win consistently.

29. Minnesota (Last Week: 29)
The Timberwolves went from losing games they were never in to losing games they actually competed in. Its not much, but it's progress.

30. New Jersey  (Last Week: 30)
The NBA's version of a train wreck continues to draw stares and pile up losses. Can they get the six more wins they need this season to avoid the tag of worst ever?

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), Bryan Toporek (Philadelphia 76ers), Shaun Ahmad (Washington Wizards) and DeMarco Williams (NBA Lead).