NBA Power Rankings Jan 23: Hot Teams Beat Best Teams
The top teams in the league are clearly the Cavs, Lakers, and Celtics, but if you're really going to choose the three best teams, you wouldn't quite see all three.
2. San Antonio: Clearly the second-hottest, becoming the second-best in the West, which is an improvement from last year. Odd for a team of almost all vets to do. I guess their young guns (Hill, Mason), are really starting to get it done.
3. Boston: Their current seven-game winning streak doesn't excuse their old losing streak. But it can't hurt.
4. LA Lakers: A solid recent effort to keep their spot as the No. 1 team in the West, including a 40+ game for Andrew Bynum, which is always good to see.
5. Cleveland: A great team with a great winning formula, even with injuries. Just not spectacular going 6-4 over their last 10.
6. Denver: Truly here by default. The only teams that are 7-3 over their last 10 are Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Charlotte.
7. New Orleans: Injuries aside, their play has been decent, but nothing special. A three-game win streak, but another "by default" team in the top 10.
8. Houston: Shocking! Houston is struck by injuries!
9. Portland: While they are not the third in their Conference like the Hawks, they are playing better, and have essentially the same record.
10. Atlanta: When you are third in the Conference, you can't go much lower. You can't play much worse either, if you want to keep that title.
11. Miami: Ok. Certain players playing well, certain players could be playing better, but ok.
12. Philadelphia: What else can you do to a good team playing well?
13. Utah: Lost their last one, but have been playing well without Boozer. When he comes back, look for him to bring Utah back up to the top, especially when the team has got so many young building blocks, and a strong point guard.
15. Charlotte: Good to see win recently, because a lot of the players on that team are very good: Diaw, Bell, Okafor, Felton, Wallace, Morrison, Auguastine, etc.
16. Detroit: Yikes. If they weren't so good the rest of the year, they'd be below the Wolves.
17. Milwaukee: On the plus side, they are in the seventh seed, but then again, they aren't playing well recently.
18. Phoenix: Really should be below the Wolves, who they recently lost to, but have won nine more games, so are thus one team above.
19. Minnesota: Better when they had a bigger winning streak to their name, but no denying that they aren't better recently than every other team below them. And Foye's rookie nickname of "Fourth Quarter Foye," is more true than any other player in the NBA. Nice win seconds ago against the Hornets too.
20. New Jersey: Winning hasn't happened recently, but the good news is...they can still trade VC?
21. New York: Not good enough to be higher, but not bad enough to be lower.
22. Chicago: A three game losing streak isn't bad, and Derrick Rose continues to be a star, but they haven't had a good enough record to have this streak be just a small issue.
23. Indiana: A five game road losing streak doesn't do much good for them, but a four game home winning streak isn't hurting.
24. Oklahoma City: Enjoy it while you can Thunder. You are not in the bottom five, but the good news is, you deserve it. You really deserve it.
25. Toronto: I did it. I put them below the Thunder. Why? The losing streak at seven. The Thunder are 5-5 recently.
26. Golden State: Yipee! Maggette's back! Do they still play horribly? Yes!
27. Sacramento: That thing they did at the beginning of the year—winning, I think it was? Yeah, it's not happening anymore.
28. Washington: I don't care what team it's to, losing by 20 does not get you far.
29. LA Clippers: When you end a big losing streak, try not to lose two in a row to follow it up.
30. Memphis: They are the worst team in the league right now. You may not make an argument any other way, regardless of the Clippers ending their streak, and then losing again.
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