Larry’s NBA Power Ratings
Say what you want about the NBA, but you can’t say that the pecking order changes all that much.
The Lakers are down a lot and the Celtics are down a bit, and the Knicks have opened some eyes. But at the top of the heap we still can find the usual suspects – Oklahoma City and Miami, last year’s finalists, both fighting boredom.
If this was baseball, both teams would already be thinking about their pitching rotations for the playoffs.
To this week’s rankings:
1. Thunder (19-4) – Westbrook has resisted all efforts to make him into a distributor. He’s shoot-first – and still is fourth in the league in assists (8.7).
2. Spurs (19-6) – Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson. Is the surly Gregg Popovich the third-best coach in NBA history? Four NBA title are hard to ignore.
3. Knicks (18-5) – Best start for the Knicks since Spike Lee was in diapers. It’d be just his luck if the Mayans screwed up everything and the world ends on Friday.
4. Heat (15-6) – Is LeBron really the nice guy that those SmartPhone commercials make him out to be? Check engine light: Wade shooting just about 30 percent on 3-pointers.
5. Clippers (17-6) – LA has been a good cover team this season (14-9) and also a reliable Over play (also 14-9).
6. Warriors (16-8) – Golden State opened a lot of eyes with that 6-1 Eastern road trip that included victories over Miami, Atlanta and Brooklyn.
7. Grizzlies (15-6) – O.J. Mayo has developed into an offensive force in Dallas, but Memphis is actually scoring more points this season without him.
8. Hawks (14-7) – After their worst game of the year (home loss to Golden State), Hawks get a much-needed boost from schedule-maker (Tuesday at Washington).
9. Bulls (13-9) – Tough week ahead for the Bulls (Memphis, Boston, New York, Atlanta), but Tom Thidodeau has tightened the screws and the defense has produced 5 wins in the last 6.
10. Timberwolves (12-9) – And now Ricky Rubio is added to the mix. Maybe that will keep Kevin Love happy.
11. Nets (13-10) – Brook Lopez’s return (from injury) gives the Nets a huge boost – he had 18, 10 and two blocks against the Bulls.
12. Pacers (13-11) – Indiana staying competitive until it gets Danny Granger back in a few months. This franchise really needs a superstar.
13. Celtics (12-11) – Courtney Lee has been a huge bust and is now coming off the bench. With Jason Terry starting, reserves struggle to score. [ad-6571516]
14. Nuggets (13-12) – Denver is fortunate to catch San Antonio on Tuesday after the Spurs take on OKC on Monday night.
15. Jazz (13-12) – Word is the Jazz are shopping either Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson. Should be plenty of takers for Jefferson, who is as reliable an 18/10 big as there is in the league.
16. Lakers (11-14)
17. 76ers (12-12)
18. Trail Blazers (11-12)
19. Mavericks (11-13)
20. Magic (10-13)
21. Rockets (11-12)
22. Bucks (12-10)
23. Suns (9-15)
24. Pistons (7-19)
25. Bobcats (7-16)
26. Kings (7-16)
27. Cavaliers (5-20)
28. Raptors (6-19)
29. Hornets (5-18)
30. Wizards (3-18)
