10. Memphis Grizzlies (13): The hottest team in the NBA continues to streak, as the Grizz have won three straight, including an overtime win against the Thunder on Tuesday night. Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay could have easily been all-stars in the East; so when the day comes that the NBA finally realizes that it makes sense for Memphis (IN TENNESSEE) to be considered apart of the East, Gay and Randolph will be consistent all-stars.
9. Atlanta Hawks (8): They have yet to play a team above .500 this month, and might not have the opportunity to do so until after the all-star break. That means losses to Charlotte and Philly cannot be a regular occurrence if they want to fend off Orlando for homecourt advantage in the first round. Although Joe Johnson is getting paid like the team’s best player and Josh Smit thinks he’s the best player, Al Horford is actually the one who has been coming up huge for this Hawks team – averaging 17/12 in his last three games.
8. Orlando Magic (9): Dwight Howard is finally turning into the manimal on offense that everyone has waited so long for him to become. His 31-point/13-rebound performance in a 14-point win against the defending champs yesterday afternoon was a testament to how much his game has grown.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder (7): People discredit this team because they aren’t the most ideal defensive team. This team’s average age is 24.5 years old – that’s a ridiculously young team. It’s obvious that they have great chemistry and that all of their minds are on the right track; if they keep that up, they will become a great defensive team, especially once that get that true anchor down low.
6. Dallas Mavericks (5): It was tough to knock Dallas out of the top-five, but considering the quality of the Mavs’ wins this past week, in addition to a buzzer-beating loss to Denver, it wouldn’t be prudent to bump them up any higher, and with the Lakers beating Boston and New York on back-to-back days, the Mavs had nowhere to go but down. However, Peja Stojakovic has settled in Big D nicely, as he hung 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting in a 106-102 win over Houston on Saturday. Great, just what Dallas needs, more lethal shooters.
NEXT: 5-1
