NBA Power Rankings: Top 10 Teams at the All-Star Break
Will Carmelo Anthony finish the season in the Mile High City or Madison Square Garden?
Have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh learned to play together yet?
Will the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics stay healthy?
Can the Orlando Magic figure things out in time for the playoffs?
Does Dallas have enough fire-power alongside of Dirk Nowtizki to make a serious postseason run?
These are just a few of the major questions that will unfold in the second half of the season.
But for now, here is the NBA All-Star break top 10 power rankings.
More than a simple listing of the teams in order of their first-half record, the following power ranking considers recent trends and performance as well.
10. Portland Trailblazers
1 of 10
The Portland Trailblazers continue to flirt with being an upper-level NBA team.
The Trailblazers' (32-24) season will hinge on how well Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby will come back after the Break.
LaMarcus Aldridge (pictured), over the last ten games, scored nearly 28 ppg and grabbed 9 rpg.
If he can keep this up, the Blazers may be able to fight through and get to the post-season in good shape.
9. Memphis Grizzlies
2 of 10
The Good News: Zach Randolph (pictured) is playing at a very high level. He is averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds per game.
The Bad News: Rudy Gay's injury (partially separated shoulder) could put him on the shelf for a month or more.
If the Grizzlies (31-26) can make some significant shifts on the fly, they will surprise some people in the second half, just like they did in the first half of the season.
8. Oklahoma Thunder
3 of 10
Kevin Durant is making a strong case to win this year's MVP award, scoring 29 points and grabbing seven rebounds per game.
Russell Westbrook is the perfect "Robin" to Durant's "Batman." He is legitimately one of the best all-around guards in the league, averaging 22 ppg, 5 rpg, and 9 apg.
The Thunder (35-19) finished the first half winning seven of their last ten.
They will have a chance to set the stage for the rest of the season, as they open the second half playing the Clippers, Spurs, Magic and Lakers.
7. Orlando Magic
4 of 10
The Magic are a great example of how hard it is to make major mid-season roster revisions.
Incorporating Hedo Turkoglu, Quentin Richardson and Arenas has not been a simple task.
And yet, Orlando (36-21) is competing and figuring it out at the same time.
Even with the new players arriving, the Magic's success rides on Dwight Howard's very broad shoulders.
Howard's first half numbers (23 ppg and 14 rpg) are more than solid, but if he can elevate his game further down the stretch, Orlando can beat any team in the league.
6. Los Angles Lakers
5 of 10
Kobe Bryant still has it, but the question is: Do the rest of his Lakers teammates?
The two-time defending champs are having an uneven first half of the season.
Los Angeles (38-19) has a solid record, but they have hit more than one rough patch that results in a mini-slump.
Pau Gasol needs to be a beast (and he can be) in the second half of the season if the Lakers are going to make a serious attempt at three-peating.
5. Chicago Bulls
6 of 10
By adding some nice pieces around Derrick Rose, the Bulls have put themselves in a place to be right in the thick of the Eastern Conference race.
Chicago (38-16) finished the first half by winning ten of its last twelve games.
Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer give the Bulls a legit inside game that presents their opponents with nightly challenges.
Rose is having a career year (24 ppg, 4 rpg, and 8 apg). If he can extend that just a little more, who knows what will happen in the postseason.
4. Boston Celtics
7 of 10
The Celtics would have been a little higher on this list if they hadn't stumbled down the first-half stretch.
Boston (40-14) lost four of their last nine games and the injury bug is buzzing around the team.
Paul Pierce (pictured at the All-Star game) is day-to-day. Delonte West might be coming back soon, and Shaq is a huge question mark (in more ways than one).
The Celtics have as much depth as anyone in the league. They will need it as they make it through the second half.
3. Dallas Mavericks
8 of 10
Not that the Mavericks didn't know this already, but Dallas discovered how valuable Dirk Nowitzki is to their success.
When he was hurt, the Mavericks (40-16) lost seven of nine games.
Since Dirk has returned, they have gone 14-4.
The addition of Peja Stojakovic and the return of Roddy Beaubois will give the Mavs added depth and more weapons to make a run in the West.
2. Miami Heat
9 of 10
Even though the Miami Heat don't have the No. 2 record in the NBA (41-15), they are as hot as almost any team in the League.
LeBron and friends won ten of their last eleven games.
While the Heat are more dependent on three players' production than any other team in the league, Miami Thrice is delivering and aren't looking back.
1. San Antonio Spurs
10 of 10
The San Antonio Spurs are the best NBA team at the 2010-11 All-Star Break.
The Spurs not only have the best record (46-10) in the league, they are just flat-out playing the best ball in the first half.
Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker are at the tops of their games.
Popovich is a master at managing minutes.
And George Hill and Richard Jefferson are playing at a very high level.
If the Spurs stay healthy, they will be the team to beat in the West...and maybe in the NBA Finals!
