Power Rankings (As of December 15)

How appropriate that my first (real) post is power rankings! I don't mean to be cliche, but I thought the first thing I should do is get a feel for the NBA landscape.

I've broken the league up into tiers. There are six tiers, each with five teams grouped together. This isn't an exact science, but I'll try keep it this way and I think it makes it easier to see how things have shaken out thus far. It should be noted that these rankings are based completely on my opinion of how good each team is, not necessarily success (although that obviously plays some role).



Don't be afraid to comment on what you disagree with (or agree with if you want to make me feel good). So, here we go:

Tier 1 - The Contenders
1. LA Lakers (+8.5) - They sure look like the defending champs. Andrew Bynum has been fantastic and Ron Artest seems to have fit in seamlessly. However, of their first 22 games, only five have come on the road. And of their five road games, they've only won one (at Golden State) in regulation. Cause for concern? I'd say no. There's too much talent and too much depth there. As long as they are playing at a high level, I have to keep them at the top spot.

2. Boston (+9.6)- You'll notice I put each team's point differential in parenthesis next to their name. You'll also notice there isn't one higher than Boston's. I like this stat as an indicator of dominance because high totals generally indicate lots of blowouts. The impressive thing about the Celtics is that their individual stats are relatively unimpressive. No 20 PPG scorer. No 10 RPG guy. Ray Allen leads the team in shot attempts with 12. But the best stat: They've been able to limit Kevin Garnett to only 30 minutes a game, and still have the best record in the league.

3. Orlando (+5.8) - Not quite as good as Boston or LA, but still playing really well. They haven't missed a beat with Jameer Nelson out because Jason Williams has played so well. Vince Carter has given them the shot creator on the outside they so badly needed. Add that to Dwight Howard and The Barrage of Shooters (six guys shooting 38% or better from range) and suddenly this team becomes really tough to guard. The only problem is when Howard's in foul trouble, the whole plan falls apart and it becomes the Vince Carter Show (not a good thing).

4. Denver (+7.0) - In my opinion, only one of the three teams above can realistically win the title. Denver still isn't good enough defensively, but crazier things have happened. Carmelo is my vote for MVP at the quarter-way mark, and they are getting great production across the board. This team is definitely going to be a tough out come playoff time, but unless the Lakers get hit by injuries, you won't see the Nuggets in the Finals.

5. Cleveland (+5.3) - I hate this team. I think Mo Williams is overrated. I think the Shaq acquisition was a terrible idea. I don't like the combinations of bigs they throw out there. They don't run enough. I think Mo Williams is overrated. But can I say for certain that this team can't win the title? No. LeBron is too good. You always hear of stars making their teammates better, but can you think of a better example of that than the Cavs the last 5 years? I can't imagine this team would win 20 games without LBJ. But they're coming off a 66-win season and on pace to win 58 more this year. Damn.

Tier 2 - The Pseudo-Contenders
6. Dallas (+4.9) - Despite getting hit by the injury bug early, the Mavericks have maintained a 60-win pace, partly because of surprising production from guys like Kris Humphries, Rodrigue Beaubois, and Tim Thomas (yes, that Tim Thomas). But this team isn't ready to compete with the big boys. And Dirk isn't quite good enough to drag them there. The best this team can hope for is a top four seed and loss in the Western Semis.

7. Atlanta (+8.4) - This team has been a model for rebuilding a team around a young nucleus and letting them mature. The Hawks have improved their win-loss record in each of the last four seasons and will probably make it a fifth, and at the heart of it all has been Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, and Al Horford. This year they finally have the depth to become a really good team. Unfortunately, they are missing that transcendent player who takes them to a championship level.

8. Phoenix (+3.2) - They're back where they belong atop the league in scoring, and it's a nice story. But this isn't the elite team they were a few years ago and they will have to make a decision about Amare Stoudemire this summer. This core isn't getting any younger, at what point do they realize they need to start over?

9. Utah (+2.4) - This is my team to watch in the coming months. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are both having great seasons, but two losses to Minnesota this month are puzzling. Whether or not they can make the jump and become a contender depends on how well they improve defensively.

10. San Antonio (+4.4) - My preseason pick to win it all. I thought with the addition of Jefferson, this team had four dynamic scoring options that would make them as tough on the offense end as they would be on the defensive end. I thought with young guys Hill, Mason, and Blair, they could go nine or ten deep off the bench. I thought Tim Duncan had one more great year in him. I still won't count them out though, and they have played well as of late. But it's clear they aren't close to the level of the top two teams.

Tier 3 - Not Ready Yet
11. Portland (+4.1) - I refused to jump on their bandwagon to start the season. I just didn't see how a team whose two best players are Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge would be title contenders. I'll agree that they may have the deepest team in league in terms of talent. But deep teams don't win you championships unless they're headlined by one or two superstars. Having said that (Curb anyone?), this team is probably too good to be in the "Not Ready Yet" tier. The Blazers have always played really well at home, making them a scary first round opponent for anyone. And they do have enough pieces to play just about any style of basketball. But they aren't better than any of the five teams above, so for now they will stay here.

12. Houston (+1.8) - The "Moneyball" team of pro basketball. A team seemingly full of role players has played extremely well because GM Daryl Morey is inventing new stats that tell us Shane Battier is actually a really good player. This is going to be a new fad in the NBA, I'm telling you. Dallas is doing the same thing. The interesting thing is that they are keeping Tracy McGrady sidelined even though reports say he's healthy. I'm excited to see where this goes.

13. Oklahoma City (+1.7) - If would have started blogging before the season, I would have told you that this team would make the playoffs. Well, I didn't. But my adopted team for the 2009-2010 season has made themselves Western Conference playoff picture and don't look to be going anywhere. I would write more, but I have a feeling the OKC Thunder will be subjects of many of my posts.

14. Miami (-0.7) - This is one of many teams secretly pretending to care about this season. But they have to for economic reasons. You would think that a team with a top five player and someone as entertaining as Dwyane Wade would be better than 19th in attendance, but people in Miami just aren't going to Heat games. They have to keep the city interested just enough before they make a splash this off-season (how about Chris Bosh?) and can sell people not just on Wade, but on the team.

15. New Orleans (-3.8) - You might wonder why I have them so high. Remember, I'm basing this ranking on how good I think each team is. And I (call me crazy) think New Orleans is a better team than Milwaukee and Sacramento. And Chris Paul has missed eight games, skewing their numbers a bit. The surprising contributions from rookies Marcus Thornton and Darren Collison have offset some of the disappointing performances from their veterans. I still think this team can and should make the playoffs in the West, but I would say that about nine other teams. Should be an interesting race for the final two spots.

Tier 4 - The Fringe Teams
16. Milwaukee (+0.9) - After a fast start, they've come back down to Earth, mainly due to a 2-8 road record. But now Michael Redd is back and trying to work himself in alongside a suddenly potent Jennings-Bogut combo. Fortunately for them, after the top five the East is wide open and the Bucks' fast start has them leading the charge.

17. Sacramento (-0.5) - I'm starting to really like this team. I saw them in person earlier this year in Dallas and was immediately sold on Tyreke Evans. The kid makes plays and can single-handedly keep his team in the game. They have some other young pieces that make them intriguing and a team to keep an eye on. They won't make the playoffs, but with Evans this team suddenly has a future.

18. Detroit (-1.3) - I questioned the direction this team was going after using their cap space this summer on Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, but they've managed to stay afloat in the East without their two best players. I'd say this was a playoff team if I had any faith that the Ben Wallace/Kwame Brown center combo could keep up this production.

19. LA Clippers (-3.4) - There's a lot of talent here being wasted by a poor head coach. I'm not sure they're going anywhere until Dunleavey goes first, but if he does, this would be the ideal spot for LeBron next year. An aging, but still capable point guard. A big man who can score from the post. Two young building blocks in Griffin and Gordon. A chance to play in LA. What else do you want?

20. Toronto (-4.6) - Everyone's saying that it's all but certain that Bosh leaves after this year. Can you blame him? He's playing with a team that gives up more points than anyone other than Golden State and has $90 million tied up Turkoglu, Bargnani, and Calderon over the next three years, leaving them no room to get better.

Tier 5 - The Salvagable Seasons
21. Charlotte (-0.9) - You may not have noticed, but the Bobcats have made themselves a player in the Eastern Conference playoff picture thanks to an early-season trade for Stephen Jackson. He's become their leading scorer and paired with Gerald Wallace to form one of the most interesting wing combinations in the league. They could vie for a playoff spot, but their 1-10 road record is a classic red flag.

22. Memphis (-3.0) - Many, including myself, thought throwing Zach Randolph's me-first playing style would clash with Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo. But after a 1-8 start, these three along with Marc Gasol have had wins in Portland and Miami, as well as against Dallas and Cleveland, on their way to a now respectable 10-14 record. Put this team in the East and they'd be fighting along with Milwaukee, Detroit, and Toronto for those final playoff spots.

23. Washington (-3.5) - I can't quite figure out how a team with one of the best scoring trios in the league, along with a center having a career year, can't even muster a .350 winning percentage in the Eastern Conference. In what was supposed to be a comeback year, the Wiz have gotten off to a slow start and have dug themselves in a hole they might not be able to get out of. But there's too much talent on this team to write them off already.

24. Philadelphia (-4.3) - Would you write off a team with Allen Iverson on it? Yeah yeah, he's 34 going on 50. And yeah he hasn't exactly fit in with his last two teams. But there's still a lot to like about this team, like the young trio of Igoudala, Young, and Williams. They have a ways to go if they are going to recover from a 6-18 record, but I'll say it again, it's the Eastern Conference.

25. Chicago (-8.7) - As badly as they have played, I struggled to even put them in this tier. They aren't just losing ballgames, they are getting clobbered. The margin of victory by Bulls opponents in their last 10 losses: 26, 35, 2, 32, 14, 2, 19, 24, 29, 15. That's eight double-digit losses and four by twenty points or more. You think that calls for a coaching change?

Tier 6 - The John Wall Contenders
26. Indiana (-3.9) - They're going to struggle to score while Granger's out, and if he comes back when they're ten or fifteen games under .500, then they might be finished. On second thought, they probably already are finished.

27. New York (-3.2) - Unfortunately for New York fans, they aren't even contenders for Mr. Wall, because Utah owns this pick. However, the Knicks have picked it up lately, managing a 5-5 record in their last ten games. Not that it matters, only six of their current players are under contract for next season, only two of which play significant minutes. Honestly, I can't give you one legitimate reason to watch this team.

28. Golden State (-4.7) - Monta Ellis is quietly having a really good season. There's nothing else to like here though. If the Suns play with "organized chaos", then the Warriors play with "unorganized chaos". This team isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

29. Minnesota (-10.8) - Johnny Flynn has played well enough to at least ease the pain of botching the Ricky Rubio situation. That hasn't translated to success however, with Monday's win over Utah just it's fourth of the season. If the Wolves do land the first pick in next year's draft, it will be interesting to see if they ruin their shot at another franchise point guard.

30. New Jersey (-10.8) - No, they won't win less than ten games. They aren't that bad. And Brook Lopez looks like one of the best young centers in the NBA. Am I talking positive about a 2-23 team? Okay, let me remind you that they can't score. They are last in the league in points per game, field goal %, and three-point %.