NBA Power Rankings: Did the Miami Heat Surpass the Chicago Bulls?

NBA Power Rankings change on a week-to-week basis, but the constant has been the Oklahoma City Thunder near or at the top of the pack throughout the 2011-12 NBA regular season.

Both the Eastern and Western Conference remain wide open in terms of postseason seeding, and we've seen some serious volatility between performances this year due to the expedited schedule.

The New York Knicks continue to struggle, Dwight Howard calls out his teammates again and the Boston Celtics aren't over the hill just yet.

30. Charlotte Bobcats

Record: 3-18

D.J. Augustin has been sidelined with a toe injury, and the lack of talent on the Charlotte roster is really showing itself this year.

This team needs so much work at a variety of positions, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Bobcats win fewer than 15 games this season.

29. Sacramento Kings

Record: 6-14

Although Sacramento has some talented players in the fold, the team has to learn how to work as a cohesive unit in order to make it work.

The real concern with the Kings is the lack of ability on the defensive end as the club can't trade score for score and expect to win with any regularity.

28. Detroit Pistons

Record: 4-17

Brandon Knight, Jonas Jerebko, Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe are nice pieces for the rebuilding project in Detroit, but it's time to blow up the remaining parts of the roster.

The team is getting absolutely nothing from "big time" free-agent signings Ben Gordon ($55 million) and Charlie Villanueva ($35 million) and there is no reason to think that will change at any point in the near future.

27. New Orleans Hornets

Record: 4-16

Chris Kaman is on the trade block as the team gives more playing time to its youthful players like the promising Gustavo Ayon, but the lack of offensive production is really hurting.

Eric Gordon's injury really hurts the club this year, but the best way to achieve long-term success is to bottom out and build from the ground up.

26. Washington Wizards

Record: 4-16

Ball movement remains a major issue in Washington when the passes aren't coming from John Wall, and the idea of having both Nick Young and Jordan Crawford on the same team is the definition of duplicity at a position.

Randy Wittman will experiment with a plethora of different combinations on the floor to see how the attack shakes out, and it would be a shock if this roster remains the same by the time the trade deadline rolls around.

25. New Jersey Nets

Record: 7-14

Brook Lopez is on the comeback trail, and he's certainly going to help the recent struggles the Nets have endured on the offensive end.

However, there are very real concerns about what kind of approach the club is taking on the defensive end as New Jersey ranks dead last in defensive efficiency entering Monday's action.

24. Toronto Raptors

Record: 7-14

Dwane Casey is going to make sure the Raptors play his brand of basketball, and that means a renewed commitment to shutting the opposition down at the defensive end.

Toronto faces a serious struggle to produce offensively without Andrea Bargnani in the lineup, and it'll be very interesting to see if and how the team can replace what he brought to the table.

23. Golden State Warriors

Record: 6-12

The Warriors have nearly $20 million invested in the combination of Andris Biedrins, Kwame Brown and Earl Barron, and it's pretty obvious that the team is wishing it had saved the amnesty clause instead of wasting it on Charlie Bell.

Golden State can certainly score, but Mark Jackson's attention to detail at the defensive end hasn't translated into production at this juncture of the season.

22. Phoenix Suns

Record: 7-12

Steve Nash and Marcin Gortat are just about the only things going well for the Suns right now, and Alvin Gentry has been understandably frustrated with his team this season.

The lack of production from the second unit is something that can't afford to happen in a season where depth is so pivotal to success, and Nash is beginning to voice his frustration with the lack of talent around him.

21. New York Knicks

Record: 7-13

The look on Tyson Chandler's face in the picture here is an accurate depiction of New York's season to date, and it's been everything but what was expected before the year began.

Apparently everybody in the front office overlooked the fact that Mike D'Antoni's offense needs a point guard to facilitate, and although Baron Davis will help, he's not the savior, and the Knicks' struggles are much deeper than just the point position.

20. Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 8-11

Kyrie Irving was one of the least hyped first overall draft picks in recent history, but he's standing out as a man among boys in his rookie class.

The constant comparisons between he and LeBron James have already grown tiresome, but there is no question that general manager Chris Grant is thrilled with his decision.

19. Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 8-11

Brandon Jennings is establishing career-high marks virtually across the board, and the Bucks will need him to continue that pattern with Andrew Bogut sidelined indefinitely.

The complementary pieces around Jennings have been less than inspiring at times, and it'll be interesting to see how Scott Skiles adjusts his rotation against the more talented opposition around the league going forward.

18. Utah Jazz

Record: 11-7

Utah had a lot of people excited about a surge earlier this season that had the team playing very well, but the squad has returned to Earth and the expectations should be kept in check.

The club is capable of doing big things down low with Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, but the lackluster play from the backcourt is going to limit the ceiling of this group tremendously.

17. Orlando Magic

Record: 12-8

The alarms were sounding in last week's rankings when many believed the Magic were ranked far too low, but it's the same pattern with this team that we've seen before.

A hot start leads some to belief that the parts around Dwight Howard are more talented than they really are, and then a midseason slide exposes the weaknesses on the roster.

With a lousy second unit, Orlando would be a lottery team with anyone else but Howard in the middle.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 9-11

Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love have already developed a tremendous chemistry with one another, and it's easy to see why fans are excited about the future of their team for the first time in a long while.

The Timberwolves have to keep improving, and if Minnesota acquired a starting-caliber center alongside Love on the low block as well as a sharpshooter at the 2-guard position, things would get really interesting with this club in a hurry.

15. Boston Celtics

Record: 9-10

Remember when almost everyone was ready to call the Celtics a team that would be drafting in the lottery? That talk was very obviously premature.

Paul Pierce is proving to his doubters that he's still got plenty left in his attack, and it should be fun to watch what this veteran team can do when all of its pieces are healthy.

14. Memphis Grizzlies

Record: 10-9

Although the loss of Zach Randolph to a torn MCL hasn't had a disastrous impact, inconsistency has been a major issue for this team early and often.

The Grizzlies need to get out and run more often up and down the court to take advantage of the athleticism within the starting lineup in order to sustain success for the duration of the campaign.

13. San Antonio Spurs

Record: 12-9

January was an extraordinarily difficult stretch for the Spurs to be playing without Manu Ginobili, but the club will get a major boost when he returns to action from a broken hand.

The production Gregg Popovich has received from his second unit has been impressive given the makeup of the roster, and this is one team nobody should count out once the postseason rolls around.

12. Houston Rockets

Record: 12-8

The Rockets are rolling of late, and a major reason has been the downright dominant play from free-agent addition Samuel Dalembert in the middle.

A team that seems to always be on the fringe of a playoff berth, Houston could very well earn a position to play beyond the regular season and continue to turn some heads in the process.

11. Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 12-9

A 2-7 road record leaves a lot to be desired for Kobe Bryant and crew, but Bryant is having more success with a torn wrist ligament than anyone predicted he would.

He's enjoying an unbelievable season statistically and is averaging over 30 points per game, but Bryant's personal stats are meaningless to him unless it results in the continual winning of games for the Lakers.

The Lakers have to get more from the other guys on the roster outside of Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum in order to improve offensively.

10. Dallas Mavericks

Record: 13-8

When the season began, just about everybody was ready to call it a slam dunk that the Mavericks wouldn't be making any noise in the postseason this year.

While the club certainly has a lot of work to do if it wants to have a chance at advancing to the NBA Finals for the second straight year, Dallas is still a talented bunch despite almost half of the roster changing in a very short time.

9. Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 12-8

The depth of the Trail Blazers roster is something that other teams are undoubtedly envious of, but the team hasn't played up to lofty expectations after a hot start.

A major issue holding the team back from its potential is the inability to close out winnable games, and recent losses to both Detroit and Golden State illustrate that point perfectly.

8. Los Angeles Clippers

Record: 11-6

Chemistry isn't something that comes easily in the NBA, and with how many moving parts the Clippers had during the lockout-shortened offseason, it's no wonder the team is still building that element of the attack well into the season.

Having said that, the team has beaten some formidable opponents of late, and there is a lot to like about the composition of this group if everyone can stay healthy all season.

7. Atlanta Hawks

Record: 15-6

It's impressive how well the Hawks have fared without Al Horford in the lineup, and the emergence of Jeff Teague as a first-year full-time starter is a major reason as to why that has been the case.

Additionally, both Joe Johnson and Josh Smith have been playing out of their minds all season long.

There hasn't been enough said about the veteran additions made in the offseason to deepen the attack off the bench.

6. Indiana Pacers

Record: 13-6

A frontcourt combination of David West and Roy Hibbert has the Pacers attacking down low, and this is one team nobody should be sleeping on moving forward.

Larry Bird has done a phenomenal job shaping the roster, and it wouldn't be surprising whatsoever to see the Pacers come away with a top-four seed for the playoffs.

5. Denver Nuggets

Record: 14-6

No, the Nuggets don't have a superstar on the roster, but it doesn't matter when the team is getting production from a variety of players on both ends of the floor.

George Karl very clearly enjoys coaching the post-Carmelo Anthony Nuggets a lot better than he did with Anthony in the fold, and there are currently six members in the fold averaging double-digit scoring.

4. Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 14-6

Despite being without both Spencer Hawes and Nikola Vucevic of late, the Sixers have continued their success, and it doesn't appear they'll be slowing down anytime soon.

One of the deepest teams in the league, Philadelphia is really benefiting from a healthy Andre Iguodala on both ends of the court and the veteran is opening up a lot of opportunities for his teammates.

3. Chicago Bulls

Record: 17-5

The loss of Luol Deng to a torn wrist ligament hurts the Bulls on both ends of the floor, but Chicago has enough talent to remain a legitimate title contender even if Deng is forced to miss extended time.

Derrick Rose is a leader by example in every facet of the game, and it's worth noting that three of the five losses have come against very good teams in Atlanta, Indiana and Miami.

Unfortunately for the Bulls, those are the teams to beat consistently if anyone will buy into Chicago as a title favorite.

2. Miami Heat

Record: 15-5

We've seen a different LeBron James since Dwyane Wade returned from his ankle injury, and it appears as if James is no longer deferring constantly to his teammate late in the game.

With how well Chris Bosh is playing this season, it's going to be extremely difficult to beat Miami on any given night when every member of their Big Three is healthy.

James knows the only way to quiet the criticisms is with multiple championship rings, and there is no question both Wade and Bosh are hungry and driven as well.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Record: 16-3 

People have to stop talking about the dynamic between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Durant recently asked the question of why people are so fascinated about who is better between he and Westbrook, and he makes a very good point in saying it doesn't really matter considering they're on the same team.

In other words, it's about the name on the front (Thunder), not the name on the back of the uniform.

There is no "beef" between the two players, and those still attempting to drum one up and stir the pot should really give it a rest.

Although most of the attention is paid to Durant and Westbrook, it's the incredible improvement of James Harden that has really pushed Oklahoma City over the top.

Harden is averaging 16.9 points per game despite not even averaging 10 shots per game.