Cavs On Top of Latest Power Rankings

A LayupDrill.com Exclusive

As we enter the final days of the NBA regular season, some things are growing more and more clear to me. For one, the Celtics are not the favorite to come out of the East. Injuries are Boston’s worst enemy right now.

Second, the difference between the No. 2 seed in the West (Nuggets) and the No. 6 (Hornets) is only two games, and it will probably change up five times between now and the end of the season.

Finally, the Lakers are not going to have home court throughout the playoffs yet again, so Kobe better be ready to play Lebron in Cleveland in a game seven, if it gets that far. But that is getting ahead of ourselves, for now, check out the next to last Power Rankings of the season.

The Pretenders:

16. Charlotte Bobcats - Charlotte isn’t going away from the playoff chase just yet. After surprising the Lakers last night, Gerald Wallace and company are now only 1 game behind the slumping Bulls for the eighth seed.

I am not expecting Charlotte to shock the world and beat Lebron in the first round, but there might be some electricity in North Carolina with King James knocking out the Cats with M.J in attendance.

15. Detroit Pistons - The Pistons look like a 41-41 team all day. One game they look like they are legit contenders, the next, they don’t seem interested in being on the floor. A potential first round match with Orlando should get their attention though, as they have had success against the Magic in the past.

14. Philadelphia 76ers - Don’t look now, but Philly is only one game out of the No. 5 spot in the East, breathing heavy down the necks of the Miami Heat. Philly would much rather see Atlanta in the first round than Boston. Note to Sixers management: Make sure you re sign Andre Miller in the off season.

13. Miami Heat - The Wade for MVP talk has somewhat cooled, especially with the recent play of the King in Cleveland. Miami should focus on closing out the regular season on a good note, and make certain they avoid the champs in the first round.

12. Dallas Mavericks - Dallas is stuck in the eighth spot out West, and can only hope that the Lakers get complacent the rest of the way, knowing that it is virtually impossible for them to catch the Cavs for best record overall.

11. Atlanta Hawks - Atlanta has also shown glimpses of promise this year, including a victory last week over the Lakers. Unfortunately, they have not been as consistent with big game wins as fans may hope, as judged by the Spurs coming in ATL and knocking them down a notch.

As long as they take care of business the rest of the way, they will be hosting a playoff series for the first time in a long time.

10. Utah Jazz - I still believe that the Jazz are the most dangerous team in the West in the first round for the No. 2 seed. A Nuggets/Jazz series would go the full seven games, with each team winning on their home court.

Deron Williams has been playing as good as any point guard in the league recently, and Jerry Sloan seems to have his team peaking for a surprise playoff run.

9. New Orleans Hornets - The Hornets are another team on the rise, thanks to the MVP play of Chris Paul, and the increased production of late from David West. A Spurs/Hornets first round series would have a West Finals feel to it.

8. Houston Rockets - The Rockets have one goal this season, get out of the first round. While no player will admit it, if they can simply get into the Western Conference Semifinals without Tracy Mcgrady, that will be the icing on the cake to convince Rockets management and fans that there really can be life without T-Mac.

7. Portland Trailblazers - Lost in the MVP talk of Lebron, Kobe, and Wade is the play of Chris Paul and Brandon Roy. In any other season, Roy would get some consideration for leading the young Blazers to another 50 win season. They will be a very tough out in the postseason.

6. Boston Celtics - The C’s have never been ranked this low since our site launched, but honestly, Boston has never been in a situation like they are now. Kevin Garnett’s injury was probably more serious than anyone in the Celtics management wanted to believe, and fans can only hope that everyone will be healthy by the first round.

5. San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs have had a stranglehold on the No. 2 seed in the West all season, until this past week. The gap between San Antonio and everyone else is no longer wide, and a Spurs first round exit would not be as shocking as if you brought that notion up a few months ago.

4. Denver Nuggets - I like this Nuggets team a lot, but I still think they are missing…something. Whether it is a force in the paint to take the pressure off J.R. Smith, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, or possibly more bench scoring, I think Denver will get out of the first round, but could run into trouble after that.

3. Orlando Magic - Orlando still has one more big game on their schedule this regular season. The Cavs and Magic will play a game that will mean nothing regarding playoff position for Cleveland, but could help the Magic edge out Boston for the No. 2 seed, and also send a message to the Cavs that Orlando will be a force in the playoffs.

2. Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe’s crew has slipped a notch in the past few weeks. In our last update, we said the Lakers hold on the top spot was not as strong as it had been since the All-Star break, and after tripping a few games on their most recent road trip, it’s clear that they need to “Circle the Wagons” and re-focus for the playoff run.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers - The Cavs have won 13 games in a row, and Lebron James has now separated himself from the rest of the pack.

Cleveland will have home court advantage throughout the playoffs, and seem near unbeatable on their floor right now. This is a much different Cavs team than the one that lost to the Lakers earlier in the year. They are better, and that’s scary.