30. Washington Wizards (1-13, Last Week: 30): Well, the Wizards still stink. They’ve managed only one win this season, and even if John Wall returns, they have a huge uphill battle ahead of them.
29. Toronto Raptors (4-13, Last Week: 29): The Raptors finally got a victory over the Phoenix Suns after a six game losing streak. However, a six game losing streak is nothing to glance over.
28. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-13, Last Week: 26): With Kyrie Irving out due to a finger fracture since November 19, the Cavaliers can’t seem to catch a break. They did manage a victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and took the Portland Trail Blazers to overtime on Saturday, before losing.
27. Sacramento Kings (4-12, Last Week: 24): The Kings remain winless on the road (0-6) and give up an average of 100.5 points per game.
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26. New Orleans Hornets (4-11, Last Week: 27): The Hornets managed a huge victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
25. Detroit Pistons (5-13, Last Week: 28): The Pistons haven’t exactly turned the corner, but they did go 2-2 last week; including a 117-77 beat-down over the Phoenix Suns.
24. Orlando Magic (6-10, Last Week: 25): Well the Magic still aren’t great, but they were able to get the best of Dwight Howard and the Los Angeles Lakers–at least temporarily.
23. Portland Trail Blazers (7-10, Last Week: 6-7): The Trail Blazers lost four in a row before edging out a one-point overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
22. Phoenix Suns (7-11, Last Week: 22): The Suns have lost three in a row, but have also had a tough road trip with five consecutive games on the road with another tough one approaching, against a tough Memphis team on Tuesday. A drubbing by Detroit on Wednesday definitely didn’t help their cause.
21. Minnesota Timberwolves (7-8, Last Week: 23): Kevin Love has returned and is averaging 21.7 points and 15.3 rebounds per game, but the Timberwolves are still struggling a bit.
Next Page: Which teams are stuck in mediocrity?
20. Charlotte Bobcats (7-8, Last Week: 11): The Bobcats’ brush with the top 10 was short lived, as the team lost all three games last week. The most notable loss was a 114-69 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
19. Dallas Mavericks (8-9, Last Week: 16): The Mavs have had a tough stretch recently, getting drubbed by the Lakers, and then losing big (101-78) to the Chicago Bulls during a recent three-game losing streak.
18. Denver Nuggets (8-9, Last Week: 9): The Nuggets haven’t earned a victory since our last “Power Rankings,” and are currently in the middle of a three-game losing streak–all on a recent West Coast road trip including stops in Utah, Golden State, and Los Angeles (Lakers).
17. Los Angeles Lakers (8-9, Last Week: 14): Well, it’s official. These Lakers are bi-polar. After smashing a Denver Nuggets team on Friday with 61 points off the bench, the Lakers regressed and gave away what should have been an easy victory over the Orlando Magic. Much needs to be done in Los Angeles to get the Lakers playing up to expectations.
16.Indiana Pacers (8-9, Last Week: 21): The Pacers continue to hold down the fort while Danny Granger is sidelined due to injury. A last-second victory over the Lakers on Tuesday is the highlight of their road trip so far.
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15. Utah Jazz (9-9, Last Week: 17): The Jazz remain undefeated at home (6-0) but have had twice as many games on the road, where they are just 3-9.
14. Houston Rockets (8-8, Last Week:18): The Rockets have won four of their last five games, including victories over Chicago and New York. However, they suffered a significant defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder (120-98) in James Harden’s return to his former city and team.
13. Boston Celtics (9-8, Last Week: 12): Losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets (in which players were ejected for their respective roles in a skirmish) prove that the Celtics aren’t quite the powerhouse they’ve been known for being in the Eastern Conference–at least not yet.
12. Chicago Bulls (8-7, Last Week: 19): The Bulls continue to truck along as they await the return of their superstar point guard–Derrick Rose. Luol Deng and Joakim Noah have picked their team up as of late.
11. Milwaukee Bucks (8-7, Last Week: 15): The Bucks remain low-key and mediocre in the Eastern Conference.
Next Page: It’s definitely not lonely at the top.
10. Philadelphia 76ers (10-7, Last Week: 14): Even with no timetable for Andrew Bynum’s return, the Sixers have continued to play well despite his absence. Jrue Holiday is playing at an All-Star level, and Evan Turner has helped carry the load as well.
9. Golden State Warriors (10-6, Last Week: 10): The Warriors are currently on a three-game winning streak, and Stephen Curry has had 20 points in each of those victories (with over 10 assists in two of those). David Lee exploded for 31 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in the Nuggets’ victory over Denver last Thursday. Klay Thompson has also provided a scoring burst, averaging 22.3 points per game during the three-game streak. The Warriors appear to be a problem for the rest of the league.
8. Los Angeles Clippers (10-6, Last Week: 8): The Clippers followed up a recent four-game losing streak with two solid victories, but don’t appear quite as solid as they did earlier in the season.
7. Atlanta Hawks (9-5, Last Week: 6): The Hawks won six straight games before falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a close battle. Nonetheless, the Hawks are a team to be reckoned with in the East.
6. New York Knicks (12-4, Last Week: 5): The Knicks remain extremely hot, but an overtime loss in Brooklyn gives their New York counterparts the edge here.
5. Brooklyn Nets (11-5, Last Week: 7): The Nets got beat by the Miami Heat on Saturday, but won five straight prior to that. Notable victories during that stretch were over the Clippers, Knicks, and Celtics. The move to Brooklyn appears to have given the franchise energy, as the team plays extremely hard at home and has gone 7-1 in their new arena thus far.
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4. Memphis Grizzlies (12-3, Last Week: 2): The Grizzlies suffered an overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs, but remain a powerhouse in the Western Conference. Their mix of a capable transition game, half-court game, and overall team defense gives them a solid chance against anybody.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (14-4, Last Week: 4): The Thunder are currently in the midst of a five-game winning streak, and also have the highest points-per-game average at 105.1. In addition to this, the Thunder defeated their former sixth man–James Harden–and his team quite handedly on Wednesday, 120-98.
2. Miami Heat (12-3, Last Week: 3): The Heat are currently on a six-game winning streak, and Dwyane Wade is healthy enough to put up 34 points–as he did on Saturday against the Nets. When Wade is able to produce like that, the Heat are an extremely dangerous team.
1. San Antonio Spurs (12-3, Last Week: 1): The Spurs remain atop the list here. Why? Although they lost a game to the Miami Heat, they did so in a close game without four of their key players: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Danny Green. Tim Duncan has turned back the clock is leading this team with 18.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. The Spurs usually manage to end the regular season at the top of the standings, only to lose in the first or second round of the playoffs. If Duncan can keep up his production, however, the Spurs could finally get back to the promise land this season.