Best in the Business: Ranking the NBA's Top 10 Teams Through Week 18
With the 2010-2011 NBA regular season coming to an end, it's time to rank the best teams in the league. I based my rankings not on just overall rankings, but teams that I think are most dangerous in a seven-game playoff series.
This NBA season has been a special one, with Lebron James and Chris Bosh joining forces with Dwayne Wade in Miami. The Carmelo Anthony saga that finally came to an end just before the trade deadline landing Melo and Chauncey Billups in New York creating a big three with Amar'e Stoudemire.
We have seen Blake Griffin take the NBA by surprise with the jaw dropping dunk show he puts on every night and he has made the Clippers a somewhat relevant team again. Another new surprise in the NBA is second power forward Kevin Love who now has 49 straight double-doubles, although his team (Minnesota Timberwolves) will not be making this list.
Number 10: Portland Trail Blazers
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The Trail Blazers (34-27) relied heavily on LaMarcus Aldridge to lead them to victory while Brandon Roy was out with a knee injury and Aldridge is having a career year, averaging over 22 points per game.
The Trail Blazers are healthy now and newly acquired former All-Star Gerald Wallace should be able to make the Trail Blazers a dangerous team in the playoffs. With Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace, the Blazers are a scary first round opponent.
Number 9: Atlanta Hawks
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The Atlanta Hawks are currently 37-25, good for fifth in the Eastern conference, trailing the Orlando Magic by three games for the fourth spot. The Hawks have their own version of a big three featuring Jo Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford while also bringing the elusive Jamal Crawford off the bench.
Atlanta traded away starting veteran point guard Mike Bibby for the younger Kirk Hinrich in an attempt to push the Hawks deeper into the playoffs, where they have been knocked out by the Magic in the first round the past two years.
Number 8: Oklahoma City Thunder
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The Thunder (38-22) have no problem lighting up the scoreboard, led by the best scorer in the league, Kevin Durant. Oklahoma City plays tough at home as we learned last year in the playoffs where they gave the Los Angeles Lakers a first round scare before the Lakers knocked them out in six.
Newly acquired center Kendrick Perkins should help the Thunder out on the defensive end where they have always struggled. The Thunder must tighten things up on the defensive end before they are considered an elite contender but their scoring ability will keep them in every game.
Number 7: Orlando Magic
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The Magic have ridden MVP candidate Dwight Howard all year. Howard is putting up career numbers with over 23 points per game while grabbing over 13 boards.
The mid-season trades that landed the Magic Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, Gilbert Arenas and Earl Clark have given Orlando mixed results but they still find themselves fourth in the East. The Magic have been very inconsistent outside of Dwight Howard and they must get more out of Turkoglu and Arenas if they want to reach the finals.
Number 6: Miami Heat
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We all know the attention the Heat have gotten this year and they boast a respectable overall record (43-19) but they're only 12-17 against teams with winning records including a humiliating loss to the Spurs last night.
The Heat will have to find ways to close games in the playoffs because it has not appeared to this point that they are completely comfortable with who should take the game winning shots. Even if Lebron and Wade combine for 60 the Heat still must find a way to score around 35 more points.
Number 5: Dallas Mavericks
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Dallas fans will feel that the Mavericks should be ranked higher as they are having a great season at 45-16, good for second in the West, but Dallas always seems to play well in the regular season.
The Mavericks appeared to be in trouble when starting forward Caron Butler was knocked out with a season ending injury, but the Mavs have not missed a beat. I still will take the Lakers over the Mavs in a seven-game series until I have reason to believe otherwise, although this appears to be their year.
Number 4: Chicago Bulls
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The Bulls have been great all year despite All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah missing significant time with injuries. MVP candidate Derrick Rose has done it all for Chicago who appear to be poised for a deep playoff run.
The Bulls still lack a great perimeter scorer but that hasn't mattered as they have been playing the best defense in the league this year. With Noah and Boozer healthy the Bulls are a legit title contender.
Number 3: LA Lakers
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The Lakers have had their high and low points of the year but still have a quality record at 44-19 and who really doubts them in the playoffs?
Pau Gasol needs to play tougher on both ends of the floor and Andrew Bynum must stay healthy and if this happens the Lakers should find themselves on top. This assuming Kobe is his usual playoff Kobe when the playoffs role around, which I think the Black Mamba will be.
Number 2: Boston Celtics
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The Celtics have been their usual self with the best record in the East at 45-15. Rajon Rondo has done an excellent job all year at distributing the ball around to his big three averaging over 12 assists per game.
Boston did trade away veteran center Kendrick Perkins in a move that appears to weaken the Celtics who are now relying heavily on the 39-year-old Shaquille O'Neal and often injured Jermain O'Neal to give them big minutes in the playoffs.
Number 1: San Antonio Spurs
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It's hard to go against the Spurs who have the best record in the league at 51-11. The Spurs dismantled the Heat last night and have been breezing through the competition all year.
The Spurs have the best home record in the league at 29-2 which makes them even more tough in the playoffs as they should have home court advantage throughout.
