NBA Playoffs 2012: How D-Rose's Injury Affects the Power-Rankings

Derrick Rose's torn ACL during Game 1 of the Chicago Bulls-Philadelphia 76ers NBA playoff series has just shaken up the basketball world.

The Eastern Conference number one seed Bulls survived 27 games without Rose during the regular season; That being said, Chicago is not nearly as strong a team without the reigning MVP.

There is no doubt that every team in the Eastern Conference playoffs will be aiming to capitalize on the Bulls' new-found weakness at the point guard position. Rose brought so much to the table and made his teammates look good while also filling up the score sheet nightly.

Title contenders like the Heat, Pacers, Magic, and especially the 76ers will be glad to see Rose in a suit and tie over the next few games, rather than that white and red Bulls' jersey that strikes fear into so many players' hearts.

Rose's injury will undoubtedly provide an interesting few weeks for us basketball-crazed fans. Without further ado, may I present to you the most up-to-date NBA playoff power rankings available, right here on Bleacher Report... 

16. Utah Jazz

Personally, I believe the Utah Jazz have the potential to turn it on during the playoffs.

Tyrone Corbin's team is filled with young talent like Enes Kanter, Derrick Favors, Jeremy Evans, Alec Burks, and Gordon Hayward. However, it just so happens that the Jazz are playing the San Antonio Spurs in the first round, a team with a surplus of playoff experience.

The Spurs may have gotten knocked out last year by the young-gun Grizzlies, but the Jazz don't have quite the spark as Memphis had during the 2011 playoffs. Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap will provide consistency for Utah, but it won't be enough to get past Gregg Popovich and his San Antonio Spurs.

15. Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic have gone through more turmoil than they deserve over the course of the 2012 NBA season. The Dwight Howard drama drew attention away from the solid basketball that the Magic played; then again, Dwight Howard was also the guy who kept the Magic playing playoff-caliber basketball.

He absolutely dominated the paint, providing an inside presence both on offense and on defense. Without Howard, the Magic aren't much more than a three-point shooting team who are capable of going on a big scoring run once in a while.

There aren't many players on Stan Van Gundy's squad who can play adequate defense on the number three seed Indiana Pacers, and quite frankly, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Magic get swept. Frank Vogel and his boys will be bringing the brooms and it's unlikely that Orlando will be able to keep up without their star Dwight Howard.

14. Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks may have the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference, but their title chances are slim. The Hawks have always been overlooked, and deservedly so.While they may have been the face of consistency in the 2000s, Atlanta hasn't been considered a true threat in quite a long time.

In fact, it's rare that the Hawks even get past the 1st or 2nd rounds, and this year probably won't be any exception.The team is led by Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, two players with perennial-all-star potential, but they don't have much depth besides that. Not including Josh Smith and his occasional highlight-reel dunks, the Hawks aren't that exciting a team to watch.

The Hawks may give them a scare, but don't look for the Atlanta pulling off an upset against the Boston Celtics, who have been playing some great basketball as of late.

13. Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are one of those teams that don't have any singular star that provides for them on a nightly basis. However, that doesn't mean that they're not one of the dark horses in the Western Conference.

Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari, Arron Afflalo, and Al Harrington all averaged around 15 points per game in the regular season and it's quite plausible that one (or all) of these players will step up during the playoffs. The Nuggets will be playing Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round and it should be one of the better match ups if the Nuggets play like they did all season.

Again, with the exception of recently-acquired Javale McGee, the Nuggets aren't the most exciting team to watch, but they certainly do have the potential to knock off the aging Lakers if George Karl plays his cards right.

12. Philadelphia 76ers

The young Philadelphia 76ers limped into the playoffs on a losing streak, but the future is looking brighter for them. With Derrick Rose done for the rest of the year, the Sixers are going to be looking to capitalize on a great chance to get to the second round.

They have a staff of great young players who have all shown sparks of brilliance this season. With Andre Iguodala's stifling defense, Thaddeus Young's slash-and-crash style of play, Lou William's scoring off the bench and a ton of role players filling in between, the 76ers have shown the makings of a true playoff team.

If Iguodala manages to shut down Luol Deng and the rest of the team can draw some fouls on Joakim Noah, the Sixers may just have what it takes to knock off the No. 1-seeded Chicago Bulls.

11. New York Knicks

The New York Knicks refuted everything that sports analysts and fans alike had been saying about their playoff chances in Game 1 versus the Miami Heat. It was a pretty appalling performance, with the Knickerbockers being held to only 67 points. In the second quarter, in fact, Carmelo Anthony and his boys only scored 13 points while Lebron led the Heat to 30.

The loss turned out to be a combination of the Heats' fantastic defense and the Knicks horrid offense. However, the future is not so bad for the Knicks. Game 1 was a wake-up call for Carmelo Anthony, and maybe now he'll start playing some defense.

J.R. Smith played well off the bench and if the rest of the team can start contributing more efficiently, New York might have a chance. With the support of the world famous fans at Madison Square Garden, everyone's favorite underdogs may just be able to prove the doubters wrong and put off Lebron's ring hunt for another year.

10. Dallas Mavericks

The reigning NBA champs have shown signs of age, but don't count them out just yet.

The Mavericks aren't favorites this year, but they weren't last year either, in the season where Dirk Nowitzki brought Dallas it's first championship in franchise history. However, the fact that the Mavs are playing the title favorite Oklahoma City Thunder is holding Dallas back.

Dirk Nowitzki may be a volume scorer, but Kevin Durant scores in masses. On any given night, Durant or his partner in crime Russell Westbrook can blow up for over 40 points. The Mavericks have some youth in Rodrigue Beaubois and Ian Mahinmi, but neither are true threats at this point in their careers.

Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and of course Dirk Nowitzki will be the Mavericks' go-to men in the series, but they will not have what it takes to last more than five games against the young OKC Thunder.

9. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are undoubtedly one of the most exciting teams in NBA. While that didn't translate to wins for DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin last year, the addition of Chris Paul has made the Clippers a much more dangerous team.

Paul is a top candidate for Most Valuable Player and it's obvious why. CP3 makes everyone around him better, and makes "Lob City" a fantastic place to watch NBA basketball. The Clippers will be playing the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, a matchup which should be one the most exciting, even in the first round.

Everyone will be watching to see how far the Clippers can make it and if they can finally become the best team in Los Angeles.

8. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies pulled off an amazing upset last year, and have since improved tremendously. Led by Rudy Gay, Mike Conley and Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies will be looking to quell the threat the LA Clippers will bring in every game.

It will be up to Randolph and Marc Gasol to bang it out down low against DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin and come out on top in terms of rebounding. That will be the key to their first-round matchup. If they can get past the Clippers, the young Grizzlies will be a lot more confident moving forward.

Memphis has flown under the radar this season, but clinching the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference may prove that they are the real deal and a serious title threat.

7. Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls slipped seven spots down the power rankings in the span of one second. That second in which Derrick Rose ended his season with a torn ACL may just have destroyed any hope of a championship trophy back in Chicago.

Then again, the Bulls have proven to be a solid team this season without their star point guard. Rose missed 27 games in the regular season and the Bulls won 50 in total; not too bad considering that Rose is a premier player in the NBA who cannot be replaced.

Center Joakim Noah brings excellent energy any time he's on the court, and Luol Deng is one of the most underrated players in the league. Kyle Korver can get very hot very fast, and Taj Gibson is a defensive force. Add in Carlos Boozer getting his jumpers to fall and you've got a pretty tough team on your hands, even without the reigning MVP.

The Bulls should be able to get past the 76ers in the first round, but it certainly will not be an easy road from there.

6. Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics came into the 2012 playoffs as one of the hottest and most debated teams in the NBA. With the exception of Rondo, the Celtics' core includes three players over the age of 34; Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

Boston struggled early in the season, but they began clicking after the All-Star break, getting some great wins against some very strong teams including the Miami Heat. Point guard Rondo is one of the premier distributors in the league and he really ties Doc Rivers' game plan together with his passing.

The Celtics will be playing a beatable team in the Atlanta Hawks in the first round and will be looking to make an extensive playoff run. Watch out for Paul Pierce and the Celtics, who are renowned for turning it on during the postseason.

5. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have had a very controversial 2012 season. 

Kobe Bryant led the league in scoring and was a bright spot for LA, who lost an amazing coach in Phil Jackson over the offseason.

Andrew Bynum was a player who exceeded and fell short of some expectations. His game improved tremendously and he is without a doubt the best center in the playoffs. However, his maturity seems to have regressed, similarly to his teammate Metta World Peace.

The Lakers have had their fair share of non-basketball issues, but they still had a solid season considering the circumstances. If Mike Brown is able to control his players and forget about what goes on off the court, the Lakers can make a deep playoff run, and possibly even return to the NBA Finals, a place where they've enjoyed great success in their franchise's history.

4. Indiana Pacers

Frank Vogel has done an excellent job this season and I absolutely love the way the Pacers have been playing. I like to think of the Pacers' team as a basketball version of Moneyball and of Frank Vogel as Brad Pitt.

The Pacers are one of the best teams in the NBA, yet they don't have a star player; what they do have is 10 solid players and a man who deserves the 2012 Coach of the Year award. Every player on the Pacers has a role and every player executes it well. I honestly can't say that Indiana has been led to the No. 3 seed by any one player.

What I can say is that Roy Hibbert, Danny Granger, George Hill, Tyler Hansbrough, Darren Collison, Leandro Barbosa and David West have made the Indiana Pacers one of the scariest teams in the playoffs. Watch out for the dark horse Pacers, as they have the potential to knock off some of the strongest teams in the league this postseason.

3. San Antonio Spurs

Once again, the San Antonio Spurs have managed to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference when everybody believed that their era was over.

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker led the Spurs to a lot of success in the 2000s, but it seems as though their work is not done quite yet. Gregg Popovich is another candidate deserving of the Coach of the Year award as he has led an old team to the No. 1 seed in a league where young players dominate.

I certainly hope that the Spurs do not face another Grizzlies-type disaster this year against the No. 8-seeded Jazz because they deserve to go deep into the playoffs. Tony Parker has played the best basketball of his life this season at the ripe old age of 29 and he is not ready to quit, even after three championships.

The Spurs want another ring and they won't let anything, not even age, get in the way of their goal.

2. Miami Heat

The Miami Heat proved to the LeBron-James-hating world why they are the best team in the Eastern Conference and why they deserve a chance.

Sure, they may have come out of last season empty-handed after prancing around on stage and declaring that they would win six championships last preseason, but they played some damn good basketball Saturday night. The Heat dominated the New York Knicks, overpowering them in every aspect of the game.

Holding Carmelo Anthony, one of the purest scorers the league has ever seen, to just 13 is something to be proud of in itself. But holding the entire Knicks team to 67 points in a game and 13 points in the second quarter is making a statement.

The Miami Heat are in it to win it, and it's LeBron James' time to prove the sports world wrong.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

There's only one team better than the Miami Heat and that's the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are deserving of All-NBA first team selections and the way they play every single game shows why.

Durant and Westbrook bring so much energy and excitement to the NBA by doing absolutely everything. Both have become very well-rounded players, efficient in scoring baskets as well as sharing the ball and playing lock-down defense.

The effectiveness of big-men Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins in the post, as well as shooting guard James Harden creates one of the most dominant six-man rotations the NBA has seen. Scott Brooks received the Coach of the Year award in 2010 and since then, he's only gotten smarter and gutsier. Brooks makes great decisions on the floor and commands his squad like very few others.

Add in an electric atmosphere known as the OKC Thunder fan base and you've got a team that will not be stopped in the 2012 NBA postseason.