NBA Power Rankings: Final 2013-14 Regular Season Rankings
By Seth Klein
11. Chicago Bulls: No Derrick Rose. Luol Deng traded. No problem! D.J. Augustin, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, and of course Joakim Noah, helped lead the Bulls to a 21-9 record after the All-Star break and the No. 4 seed in the East.
Apr 19, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets forward Paul Pierce (34) goes up and scores against the Toronto Raptors in game one during the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. The Nets beat the Raptors 94-87. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
12. Golden State Warriors: A tough playoff series with the Clippers is on tap for the Warriors and not having Andrew Bogut could be detrimental to their chances. Coach Mark Jackson may have his job on the line with this one.
13. Phoenix Suns: The Suns epic turnaround was not only inspiring to watch, but may have prompted new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to introduce a 16-team tournament style playoff structure in the future. Despite racking up 48 wins, the Suns failed to make the playoffs in the tough Western Conference. That record would have garnered them the No. 4 seed in the East. Change is a-comin’.
14. Brooklyn Nets: It took a while, but the Nets finally came together. Winning 10 of 13 games in January set them up for success the rest of the season. They may be “dinosaurs”, but you can never count out Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in the playoffs, and they certainly showed that in their Game 1 victory in Toronto.
15. Washington Wizards: After missing out on five straight postseasons, the Wizards — led by John Wall — finally made the leap. The Wiz will face a tough road test in Chicago, but they have the talent to beat the Bulls.
16. Minnesota Timberwolves: Injuries marred the Wolves’ season from the start and that was too much to overcome in the West. Minnesota will have one last chance to impress Kevin Love before he hits free agency next summer.
17. Charlotte Bobcats: The Bobcats made the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history. It was also only the second time they finished a season over .500. An early playoff exit is likely, but things are looking up for the soon-to-be “Hornets”.
18. New York Knicks: It was a case of too little too late for the Knicks. The team went 16-7 in March and April, but a 2-11 February doomed their playoff chances. With Phil Jackson now running the show and Carmelo Anthony now a free agent, it should be interesting to see what happens this summer in Manhattan.
19. Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks made the playoffs despite a 38-44 record. Such is the Eastern Conference. A playoff matchup with the Pacers is in store, and it’s very likely the Hawks won’t make it past the first round for the third straight season.
20. Denver Nuggets: It seems like the Nuggets were cursed this year. Danilo Gallinari never made it back from ACL surgery, JaVale McGee played just five games, Nate Robinson tore his ACL, and Ty Lawson missed a slew of games with various injuries. On a positive note, Kenneth Faried averaged 18.8 points and 10.1 rebounds after the All-Star break.