NBA Power Rankings Week 21: Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics Still Among Top Three?
The 2011 NBA Playoffs are nearly upon us. On April 16th, 16 teams will fight for a world championship, with teams like San Antonio, Boston, Chicago and the Lakers as the favorites this year.
The final weeks of the season are likely to feature the league's elite teams fighting for better seeding and the league's worst beginning to plan for the offseason.
A plethora of trades before this year's deadline had teams scrambling to build a rhythm and adjust before playoff time. The Celtics have had their ups and downs since trading starting center Kendrick Perkins and, as a result, have allowed both the Bulls and Heat to be in contention for first place in the East.
Meanwhile, the No. 1 spot in the West will likely stay with the Spurs, as the second-place Lakers are seven games behind in the conference standings with just 13 games remaining.
Are the Spurs in fact the league's best? Has the mojo in Boston gone down recently? Are the Washington Wizards actually trying to lose or are they just that bad?
Join B/R and myself in ranking all 30 NBA teams with just under a month left in the 2010-2011 regular season.
No. 30: Cleveland Cavaliers (13-55)
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Which other team would it be?
Since the end of the LeBron James era, the Cavaliers have been tough to watch, to say the least. A 26-game losing streak seals the deal for the Cavaliers as the league's worst team.
With a 2-7 record this month, the team looks like it will be in this rut for a long time.
There is plenty of promise with a talent like J.J. Hickson, who has been performing well for the Cavaliers. Last month, he averaged 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds a game. Granted, his team has the worst record in the league at 13-55, but the 22-year-old still deserves his credit.
No. 29: Washington Wizards (17-51)
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The Wizards might not have the second-worst record in the league, but one win in 32 road games is simply atrocious.
They have nine wins since January, with one of the wins being their first road victory against the league-worst Cleveland Cavaliers.
John Wall and Nick Young are the only things going right for the Wizards.
No. 28: Sacramento Kings (16-51)
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DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings have had a season to forget.
This time last season, the Kings had seven more wins than they do now. They own the West's worst record at 16-51. Winners of two of their last 10, the 28th spot belongs to the Kings, without the crowns, of course.
No. 27: Minnesota Timberwolves (17-53)
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At least they have Kevin Love.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a tough season for the most part. Their best month of the season featured four wins, which came back in December.
Love, on the other hand, has been playing arguably the best basketball of any frontcourt player in the league, averaging just over 20 points and 15 rebounds a game.
No. 26: Toronto Raptors (19-49)
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The Raptors may be one of the worst teams in the league standings-wise, but they may just be better than what they seem.
They are a young team still rebuilding, with nine of their 15 players under the the age of 25.
Not to say they haven't been bad, as their only road win of the new year came back on January 5th, but they are better than the numbers suggest.
No. 25: Detroit Pistons (25-45)
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It's a never-ending headache for Pistons head coach John Kuester and company, with a complete letdown of a season in Detroit.
With a roster that features as much talent as it does, there's no reason the Pistons should find themselves with under 30 wins for a second year in a row.
They have won three of their last nine games, with all three wins coming at home.
No. 24: New Jersey Nets (22-46)
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The Nets look far more dangerous with Deron Williams in the backcourt, but he is now out for three games.
Although a more talented team, the Nets have gone on a roller-coaster ride since acquiring Williams. The 11 games with the former Utah point guard have featured two three-game losing streaks, with a five-game win streak in between.
The Nets will try and break the three-game skid when they host the Indiana Pacers Monday night.
No. 23: Charlotte Bobcats (28-41)
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Who knows? Maybe if Michael Jordan suited up, the Bobcats could get something going.
Once 26-32 and in contention for the eighth seed in the East, the Bobcats have lost nine of their last 11 games.
No. 22: Indiana Pacers (30-40)
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They might technically be a playoff team, but they have plenty to improve upon.
The Pacers, led by a top scoring threat in Danny Granger, are the eighth seed in the East. They are also losers of seven of their last 10.
They score the ball as well as any team in the league, but they lack defensive efficiency and suffer from turnovers. There is much to polish on the Pacers squad.
No. 21: Golden State Warriors (30-40)
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Monta Ellis and the Golden State Warriors may not have the wins to back it up, but talent is not something the team lacks.
Winners of three of their last 10, the Warriors have struggled mightily. They have lost their last four games in a row, three of which were by double digits.
Ellis' scoring numbers have taken a hit as well, averaging 16.3 a game in this skid compared to his 24.4 points per game on the season overall, eighth-best in the NBA.
No. 20: Milwaukee Bucks (28-41)
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Only in the Eastern Conference can a team 13 games below .500 still be in playoff contention with 13 games to go.
Currently, the Bucks are a game-and-a-half out of the eighth seed, and they are winners of five of their last 10.
Is Carlos Delfino the answer for the Bucks? He has logged over 42 minutes in each of his last two contests, averaging 28 points and 9.5 rebounds per game on 65.4 percent shooting. Both games were Bucks wins.
No. 19: Los Angeles Clippers (27-44)
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Who doesn't like Blake Griffin? He flies, scores and grabs rebounds like there's no tomorrow.
Blake Griffin, the new kid on the block in L.A., has the Clippers giving the Lakers a bit of a scare for the "most fun team to watch in L.A." label.
The Clips are certainly not a playoff contender in the Western Conference, but there is plenty of promise with them in the next few seasons.
The team has lost three of its last four, and the Clippers have two of their next four games against the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.
No. 18: Utah Jazz (36-34)
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No Jerry Sloan or Deron Williams...the Jazz have problems.
Once 31-26, the Jazz are losers of eight of their last 13 and they can't seem to get it going on the offensive end. There is a lack of ball distribution and the team just seems out of rhythm on both ends of the floor.
Losing one of the better point guards in the game and a Hall of Fame coach in Sloan has a once-playoff team on the outside looking in.
No. 17: New York Knicks (35-34)
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Carmelo Anthony is as good as advertised, make no mistake about it.
As was the case with LeBron James and the Miami Heat, the issue is that it takes time to gel as a unit. The Knicks have yet to establish a consistent game plan on both ends of the floor, leading to losses in five of their last six games.
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets are playing arguably the best basketball of any team now that they are without Anthony and point guard Chauncey Billups.
No. 16: Phoenix Suns (35-33)
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Could you imagine what the Suns would look like without Steve Nash?
Not too pretty a sight, that's for certain.
Marcin Gortat has been finding his groove on the inside, while Nash continues to be Nash. Without much help from the supporting cast, the Suns have continued to be on the outside looking in for this season's playoffs.
With the Suns only two games out of the West's eighth seed, there is still hope, as they will try and continue the two-game win streak. Another game with 10-or-more assists would give Nash his third consecutive game with over 10.
No. 15: Houston Rockets (37-34)
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ESPN's Marc Stein sums it up best when talking about the Houston Rockets: "They have nine losses after leading in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter or OT."
Their problem has been finishing and imposing their pace late in games.
There aren't many teams playing better basketball than the Houston Rockets at the moment, as they are currently tied for the longest active win streak in the league with four in a row.
Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry have been on a tear as of late, combining for 62 points in their most recent win. Lowry added 10 rebounds in the effort.
No. 14: Memphis Grizzlies (38-32)
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The Grizzlies have been inconsistent as of late, but they may give some of the West's best teams a hard time in the postseason if they can hold the No. 8 seed.
They are young, but they feature a talented roster in Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, Tony Allen and Zach Randolph. All four are capable of big nights while playing solid defense in the half-court set.
Look for the Grizzlies to pick up the pace and hold the eighth seed in the West.
No. 13: Philadelphia 76ers (36-34)
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It may come as a surprise to some, but the 76ers have been clicking on all cylinders as of late.
The 76ers feature a young, athletic backcourt in Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala, while also boasting size inside with veteran Elton Brand and forward Thaddeus Young.
They have won 13 of their last 20 and they play an important game against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. The 76ers currently hold the East's sixth seed in the playoffs, trailing the Hawks by just four games.
No. 12: New Orleans Hornets (40-31)
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Chris Paul has been red hot for the Hornets at the right time, averaging 17.1 points and 11.1 assists in his last 10 games.
If Paul can continue his success, look for the Hornets to try and creep up in the playoff seeding in the last few weeks.
The Hornets have won three of their last five.
No. 11: Atlanta Hawks (40-30)
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The Hawks may own the East's fifth-best record, but they have looked out of sync in the last few weeks.
Kirk Hinrich seems to be a good fit for the team, netting 15 points and six assists in his most recent outing.
If Al Horford can continue to play at an All-Star level and give the Hawks the extra edge defensively, expect big things from this Atlanta Hawks team. With four wins in 10 games this month, the Hawks have allowed under 100 points in each of the four wins.
Simply put, when the Hawks play defense, they win games.
No. 10: Portland Trail Blazers (40-30)
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Just cracking the top 10 are the Portland Trail Blazers, as they have been playing championship-level basketball as of late.
Despite losing at the Lakers by four, the Trail Blazers have wins against the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic this month. Both games against the Heat and Magic were on the road.
They have won three of their last four, and they look as good as any team in the league as of late.
No. 9: Denver Nuggets (41-29)
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Believe it or not, it was tough not to put these new-look Nuggets even higher on the board.
Losing 'Melo and Billups has brought in a whole new light in Denver, with the Nuggets winning nine of their last 12 games. It could be said that the Nuggets are playing as well as any team in the league in recent weeks.
It speaks highly of the Nuggets organization, as they saw the chemistry that was building in New York and decided to keep it going in Denver. Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Nene Hilario can be credited for helping move this team in the right direction.
No. 8: Oklahoma City Thunder (45-24)
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Whatever is brewing in Oklahoma City is only getting hotter, with the league's leading scorer in Kevin Durant leading the way.
Acquiring Kendrick Perkins couldn't have been more helpful, as now the Thunder complement one of the more talented backcourts in the league with a presence in the frontcourt.
They have won eight of their last 10 games, and all three with Perkins in the lineup. Watch out, here comes the Thunder.
No. 7: Orlando Magic (44-26)
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Stan Van Gundy never looks too pleased, but his Magic have plenty to smile about going into the postseason.
Currently fourth in the East, the Magic have won two in a row and they are coming off a win against the streaking Denver Nuggets.
Dwight Howard has been just short of sensational in his last 10 outings, posting an average of over 16 rebounds and 20.9 points per game.
No. 6: Dallas Mavericks (49-21)
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The Mavericks are one of the few teams contending for the NBA title, but they have been playing poorly as of late.
This month they are 2-5 against teams over .500 and they are 0-3 against the Spurs, Trail Blazers and the Lakers.
With the playoffs just around the corner, Nowitzki and Jason Terry have to pick up wins. A six-game road trip in the next few weeks could be a chance for the Mavs to regain momentum going into the postseason.
No. 5: Miami Heat (48-22)
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The Heat might have had their share of troubles and "cries" in the past couple of weeks, but they are back to playing top-brand basketball.
They have won five of their last six since the five-game losing streak earlier in the month. The Heat are scary offensively in transition behind James and Wade, but they are even scarier when they play defense.
With the sixth-best defense in the league, expect big things from the new "Big Three" if there is more emphasis on the defensive end this postseason.
No. 4: Chicago Bulls (49-19)
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Derrick Rose has fans, analysts and all league followers turning heads, as the swagger in his step is louder than ever. Rose's numbers are not only career-best figures, but his team is also tied for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Before the season began, who would've thought the Bulls were legitimate title contenders?
They recently held an eight-game winning streak, before recently losing to the Pacers in overtime. Continuing to surprise people, look for Rose and the Bulls to continue adding to the win column.
No. 3: Boston Celtics (49-19)
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The new-look Celtics haven't heard the end of it since trading away starting center Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder, but they don't look as bad as some may perceive.
The C's have certainly lost a step, but they are still 8-4 since acquiring Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green from the Thunder. Head coach Doc Rivers is starting to reduce the Big Three's playing time. As a result, they have had struggles as of late.
Allen has helped the scoring load as of late, putting in 20 points on 53-percent shooting in his last outing in a comeback win against the Hornets.
The East-leading Celtics will need stepped-up play from Rondo and the Big Three to win games in the final weeks, with Rose and the Bulls now tied for the conference lead. Still owners of the league's best defense, expect Pierce and company to pick up the slack before the postseason begins.
No. 2: Los Angeles Lakers (50-20)
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The Black Mamba has things working in Los Angeles, as the Lakers look unflappable as of late.
The Lakers have won 12 of their last 13 games, with their only loss coming to the Miami Heat, which is also their only loss since the All-Star break.
They have won their last four games and they look to keep the streak going against the Suns, Clippers and Hornets in their next three games.
No. 1: San Antonio Spurs (56-13)
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It's difficult for head coach Gregg Popovich to break into a smile. As you can see, he still doesn't look that pleased.
Despite the intensity of Popovich, the Spurs have everything to smile about, as they are the best team in the league by six-and-a-half games. They may be the only team in the league to finish with 60 wins as well.
These aging Spurs look as put together as any team in the league, led by veterans in Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and the ever-reliable Tim Duncan. There is no question that Popovich and company are pleased with the way the season has turned out thus far.
Luis Batlle is a featured columnist for the Boston Celtics and a journalism student at Towson University.
