NBA Power Rankings: The Sweet 16 of the NBA
In the spirit of March Madness, I look to answer the question of what the Sweet 16 would look like in the NBA.
I have broken the NBA into four regions, just like the college bracket, and have ranked teams No. 1 to No. 4 in each quadrant.
With the East region playing the West and the Southwest playing the Southeast region in the Final Four, the NBA playoffs would have a very interesting look.
East Region
1 of 20
1. Boston Celtics
2. Chicago Bulls
3. New York Knicks
4. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Philadelphia 76ers
2 of 20
The 76ers' season is already a success, regardless of what happens the rest of the way.
From here on out, Philadelphia's focus is on how high they can climb up the Eastern playoff ladder.
If they go into the playoffs as anything higher than a No. 6 seed, Doug Collins should be immediately given the key to the city.
3. New York Knicks
3 of 20
Don't forget that the Miami Heat started out this year as a .500 team. Remember what happened the next 20 games after they began to figure things out?
The Knicks are a mess right now, but Carmelo and Amare's team may peak at the absolute perfect time.
2. Chicago Bulls
4 of 20
The Bulls appear to be more and more of a contender each day.
A No. 1 seed for Derrick Rose's team would be a great slap in the face to LeBron James.
1. Boston Celtics
5 of 20
They still deserve the No. 1 seed in the East region, but are not immune to a Chicago Bulls, Elite Eight, defeat.
Shaquille O'Neal can not come back soon enough for the Celtics.
West Region
6 of 20
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Portland Trailblazers
4. Denver Nuggets
4. Denver Nuggets
7 of 20
The post-Carmelo roster for the Denver Nuggets is designed perfectly for the regular season. With this much depth and this much teamwork, they should win 70 percent of their games.
However, in the playoffs, you need a closer and an elite all-star to make a deep run. The Nuggets lack this.
3. Portland Trailblazers
8 of 20
Portland has looked very tough since the acquisition of Gerald Wallace.
LaMarcus Aldridge is one of the best big men in the NBA, Brandon Roy is slowly coming back to full strength and Wallace adds defensive toughness.
The Trailblazers will be a tough first round matchup for the Dallas Mavericks.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
9 of 20
Between Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammed, the Thunder now are getting all they need at the center position to reach the Final Four.
Pair this with the defense of Serge Ibaka and the offense of Kevin Durant, plus Russell Westbrook and you can see why the Thunder are now legitimate title contenders.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
10 of 20
The San Antonio Spurs may have the best record in the NBA, but the Los Angeles Lakers are the best team.
The No. 1 seed was never in question.
Southwest Region
11 of 20
This is the region of death:
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Dallas Mavericks
3. Memphis Grizzlies
4. Houston Rockets
4. Houston Rockets
12 of 20
Houston is making a late charge this season.
They may not make the actual playoffs, but they edge out the Phoenix Suns to gain the No. 4 seed in the Southwest.
3. Memphis Grizzlies
13 of 20
Memphis has a great young foundation to build on for the future.
However, there is a large gap between the Grizzlies and the top teams in the Southwest region.
Food for thought, where would Memphis finish this year if they were in the more fitting for their location Eastern Conference?
2. Dallas Mavericks
14 of 20
Dallas has dropped off a little bit recently. If they can get back to the way they were playing before the All-Star break, they are a threat to reach the Final Four.
1. San Antonio Spurs
15 of 20
In the playoffs, Tim Duncan will be allowed to play more minutes.
Believe it or not, the Spurs will be better in the postseason than they have been in the regular.
Southeast Region
16 of 20
1. Miami Heat
2. Orlando Magic
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. New Orleans Hornets
4. New Orleans Hornets
17 of 20
It remains a mystery to me how the New Orleans Hornets are still in the playoff picture.
Chris Paul needs a new team around him, either in New Orleans or somewhere else.
3. Atlanta Hawks
18 of 20
The Atlanta Hawks are in the purgatory of the NBA.
They are not championship contenders like Boston, Miami, Orlando and Chicago, but they don't have the same type of optimistic future outlook like the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers. This team seems destined to live the playoff life of the Gilbert Arenas era Wizards teams.
2. Orlando Magic
19 of 20
No team in the Eastern Conference has a player to guard Dwight Howard.
The Magic will be in the mix to make the Final Four.
1. Miami Heat
20 of 20
What we learned from the Heat's brutal 11 game stretch is they are not a dominant team, but they are still a very good team capable of beating anyone.
The Heat are the deserving No. 1 seed in the Southeast region and will be around deep into the playoffs.
