30. Charlotte Bobcats (30): Luckily for the Bobcats, even if they do fail to match the ’72-’73 Sixers’ nine-win season, their ’11-’12 record will always be accompanied by an asterisk. Phew.
29. Washington Wizards (29): Five straight losses has them sitting pretty with a 12-44 record on the season. At least there’s a good chance that they could land the first pick and Anthony Davis in the 2012 NBA Draft.
28. Cleveland Cavaliers (24): It feels like 2011 all over again. The Cavaliers continue to struggle game after game and have locked themselves in for another top draft pick in 2012. Now they need to worry about their 2011 first-rounder making it through the season intact.
27. Sacramento Kings (25): Another awful season has passed for the Kings, who are currently on a four-game losing streak as the end nears. No wonder the Maloofs are ready to call it quits on Sacramento.
26. Minnesota Timberwolves (18): The loss of Ricky Rubio was a death sentence for a team that was on the verge of making the playoffs at one point. Even with Kevin Love carrying them on his back, there doesn’t appear to be enough gas left in the tank.
Next Page: NBA Power Rankings: 25-21
25. New Orleans Hornets (28): It’s too bad that the Hornets didn’t start this season off as well as they’ve been playing lately. They might have been in the playoff race. Instead, they were one of the first teams to be mathematically eliminated.
24. Toronto Raptors (26): The Raptors reflected a glimmer of hope with a three-game winning streak, and followed it with two straight losses. It’s a good thing that Canada has hockey to fall back on.
23. Detroit Pistons (23): Considering how awful the beginning of their season was, it’s promising to see that they’re only eight games behind the eighth seed in the East. Too little, too late, though.
22. Golden State Warriors (22): David Lee and Klay Thompson are carrying the Warriors down the home stretch, but wins are still rare. Stephen Curry’s health issues took a huge toll on this team and it’s showing in their 22-33 record.
21. New Jersey Nets (27): Since the emergence of Gerald Green, the Nets have been playing like a completely different team. The playoffs aren’t technically out of reach, but Deron Williams’ “checked-out” status doesn’t help.
Next Page: NBA Power Rankings: 20-16
20. Portland Trail Blazers (20): LaMarcus Aldridge is doing everything in his power to keep the Blazers’ playoff hopes alive, but the 3.5-game gap might be too big to bridge with so many road games ahead of them.
19. Denver Nuggets (14): They’ve managed only 15 wins against Western foes this season, putting them ahead of only the Kings and Hornets in that category. With that being said, they’re lucky to still be in possession of the eighth seed.
18. Philadelphia 76ers (13): After a strong start to their season, the 76ers are plummeting down the standings. After an embarrassing Easter-day loss to the Celtics, they can really feel the Bucks breathing down their necks for the final seed in the East.
17. Dallas Mavericks (12): It’s becoming more and more apparent that this isn’t the same Dallas team that crushed the Lakers on their way to rings last season. They’ve won only four of their last ten games and keep getting routed against average teams. Inconsistency could be the death of this team.
16. Utah Jazz (17): Not that the Jazz haven’t played well as of late, but their inconsistency and tough schedule this upcoming week makes it hard to believe that they’ll get any closer to securing a playoff spot.
Next Page: NBA Power Rankings: 15-11
15. Phoenix Suns (16): Nash and Co. are doing their best to stay in it. A big win against the Lakers helped them continue to close in on a struggling Nuggets team. The road ahead will be rocky, though.
14. New York Knicks (19): Even with Jeremy Lin currently out of the picture, Carmelo Anthony is keeping the Knicks in the playoff race. A hard-fought overtime win against the Bulls proves that they can still be competitive against the best.
13. Orlando Magic (7): It seemed at first like Dwight Howard’s commitment to the Magic would rally the rest of the team. Instead, the big man’s eagerness to stir up drama has Orlando caught in a downward spiral. Superman needs to hire a new PR agent, ASAP.
12. Milwaukee Bucks (21): Since the acquisition of Monta Ellis, the Bucks have been a different club. They’re playing like a team on a mission and are within a game of being in the playoff picture.
11. Houston Rockets (15): One way or another, the Rockets are consistently notching wins and are in the thick of the playoff race. Even after a rough loss to the Pacers, they bounced back and claimed victories over the Bulls and Lakers. They won’t go down without a fight.
Next Page: NBA Power Rankings: 10-6
10. Los Angeles Lakers (5): The Andrew Bynum drama is putting a real damper on their late-season push for playoff positioning. If they hope to make a legitimate postseason run, Mike Brown needs to put his foot down and take control of this team. A healthy Kobe would help, too.
9. Indiana Pacers (10): Just when it looked like the Pacers had finally hit their stride, they put up a futile effort against the Celtics and raised questions about how they’ll fair in a seven-game series against the NBA’s best. Still, winning seven of their last ten has to count for something.
8. Memphis Grizzlies (11): The Grizzlies have battled through some tough times this season and continue to win against top-notch teams. The real test, however, lies ahead as the finish line comes within sight.
7. Los Angeles Clippers (6): I had almost forgotten all about Caron Butler before he began putting on nightly firework shows for the Clippers. There’s plenty of star power on this team, but whether or not they can succeed in a hostile playoff environment is a completely different question.
6. Atlanta Hawks (11): The Hawks are coming down the final straight-away at full speed, even without Al Horford. Zaza Pachulia has stepped in and played well and the team is feeding off of his energy.
Next Page: NBA Power Rankings: Top 5
5. Boston Celtics (8): Big wins against the Heat, Pacers and 76ers have the Celtics riding a huge wave of momentum. Unfortunately, losses against top contenders like the Spurs and Bulls leave room for doubt.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (1): In one week, the Thunder dropped three games and lost the grasp that they had on the Western Conference crown. Don’t think for a second, though, that they won’t be ready for the playoffs.
3. Miami Heat (3): As expected, the Heat are playing well down the stretch but are struggling against playoff-caliber teams. An impressive win against the Thunder keeps them near the top of the rankings, though.
2. Chicago Bulls (2): Even after a tough overtime loss to the Knicks, the Bulls still have a two-game lead in the East and should have a healthy Derrick Rose back by the time the postseason tips off.
1. San Antonio Spurs (4): The Spurs are riding an 11-game winning streak and have put themselves in position to end the season atop the Western Conference. Oklahoma City who?