NBA Power Rankings: Complete Picture of NBA Landscape
Roughly one-fourth of the way through the season now, it's time to take a look at which teams are jostling for the playoffs and which teams appear to be lottery bound. It's too early to call any definite decisions on either outcome at this point, but let's take a look at which teams are impressing and which are disappointing as we approach Dec. 15, the beginning of NBA trading.
1. Oklahoma City
The Thunder have the league's longest active win streak at eight games. While only three of the eight games came against teams with winning records, things are starting to get cooking in OKC.
2. Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis has been the chic pick for No. 1 by most power-rankers this year, and at 14-4, they should be. With the way Zach Randolph has been playing, the time to take Memphis seriously is now. With a well-balanced team, it appears the pieces are in place.
3. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs have won their last four and now are tied with OKC for the best record in the Western Conference. Gregg Popovich may have been fined $250,000, but will that keep him from resting his starters for when it counts? Tim Duncan has been vintage Duncan.
4. New York Knicks
The Knicks still have yet to lose at home and still have the East's best record. Can they stick on top when Amar'e Stoudemire returns? The way they disposed of the Heat, winning by 20 in Miami, it appears they have a legitimate chance of doing so.
5. Miami Heat
An embarrassing loss to the Washington Wizards and getting blown out by the Knicks two nights later does little to inspire confidence, but the Heat are still 13-5 and still have the best trio in the league.
6. L.A. Clippers
After starting out the season 8-6, the Clippers have reeled off six straight wins and now sit just a game behind the hot Grizzlies and 2.5 games behind the Spurs and Thunder. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are about as good a one-two tandem as you can find, so the Clippers could make a run with Chauncey Billups back in the fold.
7. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have been a bit of a surprise. A better team without Joe Johnson, they're getting contributions from all over and have won nine of their last 10, including their last three. With Josh Smith likely to be dealt, can it last?
8. Brooklyn Nets
Mikhail Prokhorov guaranteed a championship within five seasons, and at 11-8 that isn't likely to happen this year, but the Nets have one of the better starting fives in the NBA. Adding some depth over the offseason could position them nicely next season.
9. Boston Celtics
Boston has been a disappointment this year, and Rajon Rondo's suspension did not help matters. With Rondo back in the fold can the 11-9 Celtics get something going? They still need frontcourt depth and starting Kevin Garnett at center doesn't seem like a winning proposition.
10. Golden State Warriors
At 13-7, the Warriors are a team on the rise. They've won three straight over the Wizards, Nets and Pistons and face the Bobcats, Magic and Hornets as three of their next five games (the other two being against the Heat and Hawks), so more wins are likely. They're still doing it without Andrew Bogut, too, who seems like he might just never be healthy.
11. Chicago Bulls
The 11-8 Bulls have held their own without Derrick Rose, but with reports of Rose being ready to return to practice, could the Bulls be priming for something bigger?
12. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers are 11-9 and are doing so without their best player, Andrew Bynum, who has yet to play a game. Jrue Holiday has broke out in a major way, but can Philly do much more than compete for the playoffs without the newly acquired Bynum? Doubtful.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves
Ricky Rubio is due to possibly return this week according to Minnesota's official Twitter account, so their season is about to officially begin. Kevin Love isn't playing his best ball, but the Timberwolves desperately need Rubio back in the fold to right the ship after winning just four of their last 10.
14. Denver Nuggets
Denver has been one of the more disappointing teams this season, as many figured their depth would keep them near the top of the Western Conference. Instead, they are under .500 and still trying to figure it out. Ty Lawson has been horrible, but had 23 points and six assists in the loss to the Knicks on Sunday (Dec. 9), so maybe the extension he signs begins to pay dividends.
15. Houston Rockets
The Rockets are a game under .500 but have managed wins this season over Chicago, New York and the L.A. Lakers. With the way Chandler Parsons has been playing, this team could surprise as they continue to develop chemistry.
16. Utah Jazz
The Jazz are the best team no one is talking about. With Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap both in contract years, no one really knows what is going to happen in Utah. Enes Kanter didn't seem to care, hitting his first six shots in the win over the Lakers. Kanter will make the loss of Jefferson seem insignificant.
17. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have some nice pieces in place, and Brandon Jennings is playing great ball. At 10-9, the Bucks may make a run if Ersan Ilyasova finds his groove, as he is finally seeming to be.
18. Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavs are .500 without Dirk Nowitzki. With the way O.J. Mayo has played, how much better can they be when they add the Diggler to the mix?
19. L.A. Lakers
The Lakers have been the most disappointing team in the league. Firing Mike Brown only helped things slightly, and fans are still calling for Phil Jackson to return. Steve Nash is still out and Pau Gasol is fighting knee tendinitis. Is there hope for L.A.?
20. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are a game below .500, but are without Danny Granger for who knows how long. Until there is word of Granger's return, it's hard to imagine Paul George leading Indiana alone. He's good, but he's not that good—yet.
21. Orlando Magic
The Magic have been a little better than expected, but they are still four games below .500 with a mostly healthy crew. I don't think the Magic expect Al Harrington and Hedo Turkoglu's returns to make them a playoff team.
22. Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard has been the league's best rookie and LaMarcus Aldridge is a top power forward, but it takes more than two pieces to make a good NBA team. Portland is still several pieces away from being anything more than the 8-12 team they are right now.
23. Phoenix Suns
The Suns aren't the same team without Steve Nash. Marcin Gortat has been underachieving, possibly because of the trade chatter surrounding his name. Michael Beasley has been horrible, and the only good things going on in Phoenix is the emergence of Markieff Morris and the inspired play of Goran Dragic.
24. Sacramento Kings
Sacramento continues to disappoint. They have an impressive array of talent, but none of them are playing to expectations, and they're platooning two below-average point guards in Aaron Brooks and Isaiah Thomas. In short, the Kings are lottery bound.
25. Charlotte Bobcats
Bobcats fans will take improvement as it comes. A 7-12 record normally isn't much to get excited about, and the team has lost seven straight. The 114-69 loss to Oklahoma City on November 26 was especially embarrassing. But hey, seven wins is as many as they had the entire 66-game season last year; so yes, it's still improvement.
26. Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is about to get Kyrie Irving back in the fold. With the way Anderson Varejao is playing, that could equate to some wins after winning just four of their first 21 games this season.
27. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are 7-15 but still have a lot of promise for the future. Andre Drummond has been impressive and posted his second career double-double on December 5 with 15 points and 12 boards against the Warriors. But just having Drummond emerging and Greg Monroe continuing to develop won't do much for them this season. Lottery bound.
28. New Orleans Hornets
The Hornets can't be much better than 5-14 without Eric Gordon. Gordon still has no timetable on his return. At least Ryan Anderson and Anthony Davis are going to be an amazing frontcourt in a few season's time.
29. Toronto Raptors
Toronto is just a disaster. Kyle Lowry is the most underrated point guard in the NBA, and Jonas Valanciunas has looked impressive, but their underwhelming array of replacement-level players aren't going to do much more than win about 20 percent of their games, as they have done so far. They need more from DeMar DeRozan.
30. Washington Wizards
The Wizards won one over the Heat, but it was only their second victory of the year and they are still without John Wall. One Wizards fan offered to pay someone to take his tickets, so things are that bad. Someone had to replace the Bobcats as the laughing stock, right?
