When we look at the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to take the next step and win an NBA championship, but seven other teams will look to have something to say about that.

There are plenty of storylines in the Western Conference other than in OKC. Can James Harden make the Thunder pay for trading him? Will the Clippers and Grizzlies show the hate for each other that we expect? Can the Lakers beat the Spurs without Kobe Bryant? Will the Spurs get things figured out and make a run at their fifth ring? And will the Nuggets and Warriors break the scoreboard with what promises to be a fast-paced and exciting series?

Those questions and plenty more will answered over the course of the next couple of months.

Feb 20, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) drives to the basket during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the Thunder 122-119. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

As the postseason begins gets set to begin this Saturday, here’s a look at everything you need to know about each first round series.

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 Houston Rockets

Season Series: OKC 2-1

How they matchup:

Oklahoma City- 60-22

Points per game: 105.7 (third in NBA)

Rebounds per game: 43.6 (sixth)

Assists per game: 21.4 (21st)

Points allowed per game: 96.5 (ninth)

Field goal percentage: 48.1% (third)

Three-point percentage: 37.7% (third)

Free-throw percentage:  82.8% (first)

Houston- 45-37

Points per game: 106.0(second)

Rebounds per game: 43.4 (seventh)

Assists per game:  23.2 (sixth)

Points allowed per game:  102.5 (28th)

Field goal percentage: 46.1% (ninth)

Three-point percentage: 36.6% (eighth)

Free-throw percentage:  75.4% (17th)

What to expect: This should be an exciting series filled with a lot of up and down action as it features two of the three top scoring teams in the league.

The storyline here is James Harden against his old team, but Harden’s first taste of leading a team into the playoffs as a franchise player will likely be a quick one.

The Rockets are a nice story but they have their issues at the defensive end of the floor.

The difference between the two teams is that the Thunder can get stops when they need them.

Prediction: Oklahoma City in five

Apr 2, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. New York won 102-90. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Both players are pure scorers off the bench who are instrumental to their team’s success this season. Both players deserve the award, but only one can get it. The way Smith has been playing recently, he is making a late push to win the coveted award.

Here’s a comparison of these two players’ stats:

Smith: 17.7 PPG (22^nd in NBA), 39 FG%, 37.3P%, 82 FT%, 5.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 17.11 PER.  Knicks 46-26

Crawford: 16.7 PPG (30^th in NBA), 44 FG%, 37.3P%, 87 FT%, 1.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 16.93 PER. Clippers 49-26

Crawford had a better first half of the season and it was well thought from basketball fans that he would inch out Smith for the award. As the season is coming to an end, Smith is playing his best ball of the season and is making a late push.

Smith, who was is the most Eastern Conference Player of the Week, is averaging 25.0 PPG while shooting 48 percent from the field is one of the main reasons why the Knicks have won nine straight.

He has been an erratic shooter all season and the numbers show how much better Crawford is shooting from the field. The voters will have a tough choice to make but its undeniable how much both players mean their respective teams.

Smith’s Knicks have been rattled by injuries and he is the only Knick who has played in all 72 games. Crawford has missed three games for the Clippers.

Smith and Crawford are both elite sixth men off the bench and will be looking to cash in on their next contracts. Both have the talent to be starters in this league but it’s fair to say they are flourishing in their current roles.

Crawford has been great for the Clippers, but Smith has the Knicks playing their best ball at the end of the season and should get the nod over Crawford when it’s all said and done.

To say that this five-game west coast trip, which concludes Monday night in Utah, has been brutal would be an understatement.

Playing without Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire the Knicks lineup is a joke right now and couldn’t hang with a talented Clippers team. With J.R. Smith the main scoring option, naturally the Knicks shot only 35.8 percent from the floor as a team. New York made only 29 shots from the floor, but 12 of them came from behind the arc.

March 17, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) shoots a basket against the defense of Los Angeles Clippers power forward Lamar Odom (7) during the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately they allowed the Clippers to shoot 45.8 percent for the game, which along with getting outrebounded 51-39 proved to be their downfall.

With that being said, let’s take a look at how each Knicks player graded out during another awful loss.

Raymond Felton (16 points, 7-of-15 shooting, 9 assists, 3 rebounds)

Felton’s line is decent, but he was a non-factor for most of the game. He started very slow and built his stats up when it was far too late. Defensively he struggled once again, although to his credit it was against Chris Paul, but the trend continues where the Knicks don’t get anything valuable from their point guard. Felton logged 41 minutes and the Knicks didn’t get enough out of him. Grade: C-

Iman Shumpert (5 points, 2-of-6 shooting, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal)

It was another frustrating day for Shump as he played only 17 minutes and had very little impact on the game. It would have been nice to see him on Paul during crunch time, but Mike Woodson continues to show little faith in the second-year guard in crunch time. Grade: C-

Chris Copeland (13 points, 5-of-11 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists)

Cope drilled three of his four attempts from downtown and shot 45 percent from the field, finishing with 13 points. He got 26 minutes in his third consecutive start and played well at the offensive end of the floor, but continues to be brutal defensively. He’s part of the reason the Knicks got crushed on the glass as it almost seems illogical that a 6’8″ forward can’t rebound. Add that in with the bad fouls he continues to make and you see the holes in his game. But his offense is worth having him on the floor with the Knicks so shorthanded. Grade C+

Kurt Thomas (2 points, 1-of-5 shooting, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal)

Thomas scored only two points in his 16 minutes but did a decent job on the Clippers bigs, even though it looked like he tweaked something in his leg in the second half.  Grade: B-

Kenyon Martin (4 points, 2-of-6 shooting, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block)

Because of the injuries, K-Mart is playing way too many minutes as he logged 28 more on Sunday. He struggled offensively, but he is there to play defense and rebound, where he was decent against the Clippers as the combination of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan combined for only 20 points on 10-of-19 shooting. Grade: B-

Steve Novak (9 points, 3-of-3 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 steal)

Novak managed to get three triples to fall and was the only Knick to log a positive plus-minus, at plus-nine. Grade: B

March 17, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) controls the ball against the defense of New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) during the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Camby (1 point, 0-of-6 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal)

The 38-year-old didn’t bring much to the table on a day he was needed to help out with the Clippers size.  He failed to make a field goal and finished with one point, four boards and no blocks in 22 minutes. Grade: D

Jason Kidd (11 points, 4-of-7 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals)

Kidd made some shots for a change, including 3-of-5 attempts from three-point range. But when Kidd finishes with only one assist in 25 minutes, which means he hasn’t been very effective. Grade: C

Pablo Prigioni (2 points, 1-of-2 shooting, 1 assist, 1 rebound)

Prigioni continues to fall out of Woodson’s rotation as he didn’t get into the game until the second half, but he and Kidd played pretty well together. Grade: C

J.R. Smith (17 points, 4-of-20 shooting, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal)

Smith had a team-high 17 points, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he played well as the Knicks sixth man did not. He was a miserable 4-for-20 from the floor, which included making only 1-of-7 shots from behind the arc. He also was lousy defensively when he drew the assignment of guarding Paul. With the Knicks as banged up as they are, Smith is the primary scoring option and that’s bad news for the Knicks as he tries to do too much when the Knicks are healthy. When they are injured he tries to do even more. A performance like this at both ends of the floor is simply unacceptable.  Grade: F

Tyson Chandler: DNP (strained neck)

James White: DNP (coach’s decision)

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The Knicks ‘Big Three” will once again be on the sidelines together as it is expected that both Carmelo Anthony (knee) and Tyson Chandler (knee) will miss the game as well.

Mar. 3, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) reacts on the court against the Miami Heat during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Both Anthony and Chandler are officially listed as questionable due to knee injuries, but Knicks had coach Mike Woodson told reporters after Saturday’s practice in Los Angeles that he’s planning as if neither player will be available for Sunday’s game.

“Yes, we went through shootaround thinking that (Chandler and Anthony will not play),” Woodson said (via ESPNNewYork.com).”We got these (other players) in uniform ready to play.”

If Anthony and Chandler are out, Woodson may opt to start a front line of Chris Copeland, Kenyon Martin and Kurt Thomas. Those three started on Thursday against Portland.

‘Melo got his knee drained on Thursday in New York and rejoined the team Saturday in Los Angeles. He has missed four of the Knicks’ past seven games, and missed large portions of two others because of the knee problem.

Chandler suffered a left knee contusion late in the first half of New York’s loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. He missed Thursday’s loss to the Blazers and sat out of practice on Saturday.

This five-game west coast trip has been disastrous for the Knicks, who have lost the first three games by an average of 22.5 points per game and now only have a one-game lead over the Brooklyn Nets in the Atlantic Division.

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What will your favorite team do?

Check back often as I will continuously update the rumors throughout the day and keep you posted as every trade goes down.

Make sure you join in on the conversation by commenting below.

11:25 pm: Marcus Morris dealt to Suns

The Rockets have traded Marcus Morris to the Suns for a second-round pick, as Morris is reunited with his twin brother, Markieff. The pair were taken out of Kansas with back-to-back lottery picks in 2011.

Jan 23, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings power forward Thomas Robinson (0) reacts after dunking the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Phoenix Suns defeated the Sacramento Kings 106-96. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

My Take: Decent pickup for Phoenix but long-term for Houston they save an extra $1.6 million for next season. But they have dealt their top two power forwards so rookies Terrance Jones and Robinson will get the opportunity to shine as Houston tries to hold onto the final playoff spot.

11:15 pm: Thomas Robinson dealt to Rockets

The first deadline deal actually went down Wednesday night and it was a bit of a surprise as the Sacramento Kings quickly gave up on the No. 5 pick in last summer’s draft by sending Robinson to the Rockets.

The deal looks like this:  Houston sends Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich and Toney Douglas to the Kings for Robinson, Francisco Garcia and Tyler Honeycutt. Sacramento also will receive $1 million in cash.

My Take: Patterson was playing well at times for Houston, but I love them getting Robinson. It may not look like it now, but T-Rob still has a chance to be a dominant player in this league. With the Rockets already having some good young talent in place, it doesn’t hurt to add a talented player like Robinson with upside. For the Kings this was nothing but a cost cutting move.

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Of course the opposite is true as well, as some trades just don’t work out.

May 6, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Baron Davis (85) reacts on the court against the Miami Heat during the first half of game four in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 89-87. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Every deadline there are a few head scratchers that make you wonder exactly what one of the teams was thinking.

Here’s a look at some deals that backfired in a big way.

5. 2005- New Orleans Hornets trade Baron Davis to Golden State for Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis

Davis had some injury risks at the time, but he was by far the most talented player involved in this deal and the Hornets got nothing for him. Davis went on that season to lead the Warriors to an upset over the Dallas Mavericks in the first-round of the playoffs in what turned out to be one of the more exciting playoff series’ of all time.

4. 2011- Boston Celtics trade Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic and a future first-round pick 

Danny Ainge has been known to roll the dice, but he crapped out on this one. It’s not that Perkins was a great player in Boston, but he was a vital part of a championship team that Ainge dismantled. Looking back, the Celtics are still trying to replace Perkins size and toughness. While Green is a nice player, this didn’t work out well for Boston. Perkins made it to the finals with the Thunder last season, while neither Green nor Krstic were playing in the league.

3. 2011- Charlotte Bobcats trade  Gerald Wallace to Portland for Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks, and two first-round picks

One of Michael Jordan’s plenty of mistakes in Charlotte as the Bobcats got nothing for Wallace, as Przybilla, Cunningham, and Marks is a very weak return for at the time the best player in franchise history. Take this deal one step further and realize that the Blazers were able to turn Wallace into Damian Lillard and you realize how very little MJ got for a player of Wallace’s caliber.

Feb 15, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Team Shaq guard Kyrie Irving (2) of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives against Team Chuck during the first half of the rising stars challenge during the 2013 NBA All-Star weekend at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

2. 2011- Los Angeles Clippers trade Baron Davis and a first round pick to Cleveland for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon

The Clippers are accustomed to making bad moves, but this has to be near the top of the list. They were so anxious to get Davis’ contract off the books that they included what turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick in the deal. That pick turned out to be Kyrie Irving. The sad part is that the amnesty clause was being discussed at that time as possibly being included in the new CBA, which is exactly what the Cavs did with Davis. To their credit, the Clippers did rebound by acquiring Chris Paul, but that didn’t excuse the fact that this was an awful deal,

1. 2003- Milwaukee Bucks trade Ray Allen, Kevin Ollie, Flip Murray and a first-round pick to Seattle for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason

The Bucks dumped perhaps the greatest shooter in NBA history to avoid the luxury tax to acquire an aging Payton and a decent player in Mason. Allen is a future Hall of Famer, while Payton played exactly 28 games in a Bucks uniform before leaving as a free agent that summer.

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That is the question.

With the NBA trade deadline only a day away, teams around the league are putting together their final blueprints in order to prepare for the stretch run.

The best part about trade deadlines in any sport is the fact that it allows every fan to play general manager, at least for one day.

With that being said, that’s exactly what we are doing here as I take a trip around the FanSided Network, asking NBA editors exactly what they would do if they were the general managers of their respective franchise.

Let’s get right into it and feel free to comment on what moves you would make for your favorite team.

Feb 11, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith (5) prepares to enter the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Hawks beat the Mavs 105-101. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Celtics: Michael Sykes, Hardwood Houdini

For the Celtics, I’ve used the trade machine to construct a monster three team deal between the Hawks, Celtics, and Milwaukee Bucks.

In the deal, the Celtics acquire Josh Smith–who will likely be moved–but they also take in Lou Williams, Luc Richard Mbah Moute, and John Henson. Lou Williams’ deal is probably going to be a snag if that ever game into fruition because he makes $5 million per year over the next three. He’s not a player who fits well into Doc Rivers defensive constructs, but he’ll add a scoring punch that Boston definitely needs.

The Hawks will bring in Samuel Dalambert along with Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger, and Drew Gooden. They’ll get an expiring contract with two rookie deals in this to make cap space to go after Dwight Howard and/or Chris Paul. They’ll have to bring in Gooden, who has a pretty hefty contract making around 7 million over the next three years, but after getting rid of Smith it shouldn’t be too much of a hit.

The Bucks will get Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, Jason Terry, and Fab Melo. They’ll get a lot of help that from Jeff Green on a team that is lacking quality wing players other than Mike Dunleavy and Monta Ellis–if you really can count him as a wing player. They’ll bring in a young, raw center and two versatile veterans in Jason Terry and Brandon Bass.

Brooklyn Nets: Jonah Mars, From Russia With Dunk

The Brooklyn Nets have been one of the most talked-about teams during this trade period, but chances are still probably greater that they will not make a move than that they will.

However, one of the biggest rumors they have been involved with is a trade for Josh Smith. In my proposed trade, Smith would come to Brooklyn, the Nets will send MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, and draft picks to Milwaukee, and the Bucks send Brandon Jennings and Beno Udrih to Atlanta.

This trade makes sense for all teams involved. The Nets need a skilled power forward to come in and be able to score this season, which neither Reggie Evans nor Humphries have been able to do. The question for Brooklyn is if they will be able to re-sign Smith in the offseason. The trade makes sense for Atlanta because they acquire someone who can become a franchise point guard in the future. The move only works for the Hawks if they can re-sign Jennings, which they should be able to do if they agree to this trade.

It makes sense for Milwaukee because Jennings has made it clear he does not want to play there much longer and they will get some value for him. The Bucks have been interested in Humphries in the past and they will be able to give Brooks more playing time. The Nets have a lot of draft picks they can trade to the Bucks to help them in the future. Maybe one first and one second-round pick from Brooklyn will sweeten the deal for Milwaukee.

The Nets don’t need to make a trade and chances still are that one will not happen.

Feb 19, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic shooting guard J.J. Redick (7) reacts during the first quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls: Caleb Nordgren, Pippen Ain’t Easy

The Chicago Bulls trade Richard Hamilton, Marco Belinelli and a first-round pick (via CHA) to the Orlando Magic for J.J. Redick.

The Bulls desperately need shooting and Redick’s one of the best in the business. He’s having a career year on the worst team he’s ever played for and his efficiency and passing numbers are somehow up despite the lack of surrounding talent. The Bulls once almost acquired Redick in 2010, and they could really use him now.
Cleveland Cavaliers:  Zachary Kolesar, Right Down Euclid

For the Cavaliers, they would likely be a part of a multi-team trade, as they make a valuable trade partner due to their vast cap space. That would mean they would ship off the expiring contracts of Daniel Gibson, Luke Walton and Omri Casspi. Teams aren’t going out looking for these guys, but it would be a good way for the Cavs to dump off some money before the trade deadline. If they’re going to be involved in a straight-up trade, I would expect them to move a guy like Marresse Speights for a low first rounder. Ever since joining Cleveland Speights’s stock has skyrocketed, as he has seen more minutes on the depleted Cleveland bench.
Denver Nuggets: Michael Waterloo, Nugg Love

From everything I’ve heard the Nuggets are staying pat. I don’t mind that. However, dealing Timofey Mozgov would make sense to me. He’s third on the depth chart and produces when he played. He just is buried behind Kostas Koufos and JaVale McGee. His contract expires at the end of the season and he can be signed for cheap.

The Nuggets could look to Boston who still need a big. They likely will lose him anyway so taking a first or a second or even a project like Fab Melo would make sense for the Nuggets.

J.J. Redick for Mozgov and Wilson Chandler makes sense but Redick wants to stay in Orlando and is planning on re-signing this offseason.

Feb. 10, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) goes up for a shot as Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) and point guard Chauncey Billups (1) defend during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Clippers won 102-88. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Raymond Felton

It was a solid overall game for Felton, who hit half of his 18 shots for 20 points, also adding 5 assists and 2 steals. Even though he performed well, the 18 shots is a few too many for Felton to be taking nightly as he’s not getting Amar’e Stoudemire (9 shots) or Tyson Chandler (3 shots) involved enough. Nonetheless, those things are able to be fixed and any time you can shoot efficiently with a handful assists from the point, it’s hard to discount the effort.

Grade: B+

Jason Kidd

Kidd was not on his game in this one. With the 33 and change minutes in which he was on the floor, he recorded just one assist while knocking down only 1 shot out of his 4 attempts as well.  It’s going to be tougher for him to be totally facilitating the offense with Felton and Shumpert now back, but with those type of minutes, he needs to show some more consistently. He wasn’t able to get much going and his 3 steals is the only thing keeping him from an F.

Grade: D

J.R. Smith

Smith’s poor shooting was probably the biggest detriment to the Knicks in this game. Going just 1-9 from the field with a -18 differential in the game, the hole he created with his misses were just too much to overcome. It’s not a terrible thing for J.R. to shoot only 9 times since he’s under 40% FG on the season in his 15 attempts per game, but when he can only muster together one make out of those, it becomes a terrible thing.

Grade: F

Carmelo Anthony

Feb. 10, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) looks to pass around Los Angeles Clippers small forward Grant Hill (33) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Clippers won 102-88. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Carmelo Anthony was classic Carmelo Anthony, dropping 40+ points for the 5^th time this season in a game where he personally couldn’t have done much more. He was extremely efficient, hitting 14-26 FG and 9-9 FT for 42 points including 5-11 from down town and also added on 8 boards. Unfortunately, his effort came without a reward, as it wasn’t enough to make up for the majority of the Knicks subpar performance.

Grade: A

Amar’e Stoudemire

Amar’e was basically a non-factor in this one and wasn’t very impressive in his minutes. His -19 differential was even worse than that of J.R. Smith, and Stat didn’t do much to make up for his 3 turnovers and lack of interior presence. He was all right in the shots he took, going 4-9, but he never seemed like he was having any impact on the game and needs to find a way to get more involved.

Grade: C-

Tyson Chandler

Although he didn’t do much offensively, it wasn’t wholly his fault that the opportunities weren’t there for him as he went 3-3 for just 6 points.  It’s discouraging that he never even got to the free throw line as you’d like to see him become more of an aggressive offensive threat in the paint.  He joined Blake Griffin as the only other player in the game to get double digit rebounds (11) which is a plus, but again, the lack of offensive balance for the Knicks is still an issue.

Grade: C+

Iman Shumpert

Shumpert was another Knick that was basically a non-factor this game. He only played a hair over 20 minutes and didn’t do anything in that time really, shooting just 1-4 and producing basically nothing else in terms of offensive or defensive stats. Jamal Crawford went off for 27 points as well as the Knicks continue to get burned by guards, something they absolutely need to improve on.

Grade: D

Feb. 10, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) goes up for a shot against the New York Knicks during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Clippers won 102-88. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Role Players

The Knicks bench was sadly highlighted by the combined 15 points from Smith and Stoudemire, while the rest of the bench barely saw any game action and were ghosts on the court when they did. There were only 26 total points scored from everyone besides Anthony and Felton along with very minimal contribution in any other facets, which is just unacceptable. As a team, the Knicks looked horrible and the Clippers were just too much for Felton and Anthony to conquer all on their own over a full game.

Grade: F

The Knicks are a deep and talented team, evident by their bench scoring 82 points last week in a beat down of the Sacramento Kings. Add to that the resurgence of Amar’e Stoudemire, whose play as of late gives the Knicks one of the best second units in all of basketball.

But are they the best?

Here’s a look at the five best benches in the NBA.

Feb 4, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

5. Denver Nuggets: George Karl goes nine, sometimes 10 deep on a regular basis and the Nuggets get consistent production from the likes of: Andre Miller, Corey Brewer and JaVale McGee. That trio was a plus-3.2 per 100 possessions through January. Now that Wilson Chandler is back, it gives the Nuggets just another weapon off what has turned into a very deep and talented second unit.

4. New York Knicks: The Knicks only come in at No. 4 mostly due to the fact that they haven’t been healthy, as key reserves Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace are still out with injuries. But it hasn’t been all rosy for the Knicks bench this season.  They are averaging 39.4 points (5th best in the NBA), has the most three-pointers made and a well-rounded second-best defensive efficiency rating. But they are 18th in rebounding and 12th in overall efficiency. J.R. Smith, even though he is having a great season, often prevents this bench from being as good as it is capable of being.

However the past 10 games, which coincides with Stoudemire’s improved play, the Knicks’ bench averages a league-best 44.5 points a game, 15.4 rebounds (seventh) and are the third most efficient around. But there are still better benches in the NBA. While the Knicks have gotten production from STAT, Smith Steve Novak and Pablo Prigioni, they still have Kurt Thomas, Ronnie Brewer, James White and Chris Copeland who have been unable to provide consistent production on the season.

But the Knicks bench is rolling now and if I revisit this topic a month or two from now, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were right near the top.

3. Dallas Mavericks: Surprised? Don’t be. The Mavs second unit, which features the likes of: Vince Carter, Brendan Wright, Elton Brand, Jae Crowder and plenty of others produces on a nightly basis. The Dallas bench ranks third in points, second in rebounds, third in steals and third in efficiency. Simply put, that is outstanding production. Even though the Mavs have disappointed and are eight games under .500, their bench has performed very well.

2. San Antonio Spurs: It’s the same old story from the Spurs bench.  They get production one through 13 on the roster. You ever wonder why they are among the best teams in the NBA every year? It’s because of their depth. This year their bench ranks among the leaders in points, rebounds, steals and both offensive and defensive efficiency. In addition they lead all second units in assists by over two assists per game.

1. Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers were a team without depth last season and were swept by the Spurs in the second round of the playoffs as a result. That is not the case this season as the Clippers have the most dangerous second unit in the game. The Clippers second unit of Eric Bledsoe, Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes, Lamar Odom and Ronny Turiaf could be a starting unit for some NBA teams.  When they are on the floor together, the Clippers are a plus-14.5 per 100 possessions. Also throw Grant Hill in the mix and the Clippers have by far the best bench in the league. Because of their depth, they have been able to hang in there without Chris Paul in the lineup.

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Just like last season, Danny Ainge must decide whether or not to break up the Celtics core, but sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that the Clippers and Celtics are engaged in talks surrounding KG.

The offer from the Clippers reportedly would include point guard Eric Bledsoe and forward Caron Butler, which isn’t ideal for the Celtics, but if they decide to deal Garnett, they may not do better for a couple of reasons, the biggest of those being that general manager’s around the league fear that KG will retire before his contract expires in 2015.

Sources tell Sporting News that the #Clippers have contacted the #Celtics about Kevin Garnett. Offer would include Caron Butler and Beldsoe.

— Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney) February 3, 2013

It would be hard for some team to mortgage the future for an aging vet such as KG if they aren’t sure they would get him for two-plus seasons.

Jan 22, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett (5) looks ahead in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Bledsoe is an attractive trade piece, but with Rajon Rondo signed long-term, he’s not ideal for Boston.

Garnett is almost a perfect fit for the Clippers though.

They could save his legs by handing him a reduced role, but at the same time make the Clippers’ front line even stronger. Plus he would bring much needed veteran leadership to a team on the cusp on contending for a championship.

The one problem for the Clippers is that KG has a no-trade clause and would have to approve any deal.

That’s not likely, even with the attraction of a chance to play for a championship.

How would a Garnett trade affect the New York Knicks?

Well that’s simple. Any trade that would take one of the top players out of the Atlantic Division and send them out west is huge for the Knicks, especially a guy like Garnett that has killed the Knicks in the past.

However don’t get too excited.

My gut feeling on Garnett is that he isn’t going anywhere unless the Celtics are blown away by an offer and that isn’t likely to happen.

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Jan 22, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving (2) shoots over Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (9) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

With that being said, some teams are in a lot better shape at the midseason point than others.

With that being said, let’s take a look at my latest NBA Power Rankings as we have hit the hallway point of the season.

30. Charlotte Bobcats (10-32): The Bobcats continue to struggle despite Kemba Walker’s stellar play, losing eight of their past 10 games. Last Week’s Ranking-30

29. Cleveland Cavaliers (11-32): Kyrie Irving is an All-Star and has averaged 23.8 points, 6.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game as the Cavs have won two of their past five, but there isn’t much to get excited about other than Irving in Cleveland right now. Last Week’s Ranking-28

28. Orlando Magic (14-28): Arron Afflalo has struggled and so has the Magic, who have dropped 8-of-10. Last Week’s Ranking-26

27. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-22): No team can complain about injuries until they look at what has happened this season to the ‘Wolves. All of the injuries have finally caught up with them and the playoff dreams appear all but gone in Minnesota. Last Week’s Ranking-21

26. Los Angeles Lakers (17-25): Things have gotten so bad for the Lakers; it is almost hard to put it into words. Clearly nothing is working in Lakerland and changes need to be made as they have lost 8-of-10. Last Week’s Ranking-19

25. Sacramento Kings (16-27): The Kings have won only three of their past 10, with those wins coming against Cleveland, Washington and Charlotte. Not much to get excited about except a potential move to Seattle. Last Week’s Ranking-25

24. Washington Wizards (9-31): Even though he has come off the bench, the Wizards are a different team with John Wall. They have gone 4-3 since his return after going 5-28 without him. Since his return, Wall has averaged 14.0 points and 6.9 assists with a 21.04 PER. Last Week’s Ranking-29

Jan 18, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA;Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday (11) sets up a play during the third quarter against the Toronto Raptors at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers defeated the Raptors 108-101 in OT. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

23. Phoenix Suns (15-28): Lindsey Hunter is 2-0 as the Suns interim coach and the latest win came against the Clippers, but this team has a long ways to go. Last Week’s Ranking-27

22. Philadelphia 76ers (17-25): The Sixers get some good news in the fact that they have an All-Star in Jrue Holiday, who has been fantastic. The bad news is that they continue to lose games, dropping 8-of-10. Last Week’s Ranking-20

21. Toronto Raptors (16-27): The Raptors are a better team than their record indicates and despite winning only 4-of-10, they are a team heading in the right direction. DeMar DeRozan’s buzzer beater against the Magic on Thursday could get this team back on a roll. Last Week’s Ranking-22

20. Detroit Pistons (16-26): The Pistons have won 6-of-10 and are playing decent basketball at the moment, led by Greg Monroe, who has averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game the past five. Last Week’s Ranking-24

19. Houston Rockets (22-22): No team has fallen as fast as the Rockets, who were a Top 10 team only two weeks ago. Losing 8-of-9 with the only win coming against the Bobcats will do that to you. Last Week’s Ranking-15

18. Boston Celtics (20-22): The Celtics teased us by winning six straight games, but have followed that performance by dropping five in a row, prompting many to believe that changes are coming in Beantown. Last Week’s Ranking-13

17. New Orleans Hornets (14-28): The Hornets…err I mean Pelicans…are playing very well, winning 7-of-10 with the losses coming to the Knicks, Spurs and Warriors. Greivis Vasquez could me the most underappreciated player in the NBA. The point guard is having a great season, averaging 14.3 points and 9.2 assists per game. Last Week’s Ranking-23

Jan 18, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) celebrates making a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Thunder defeated the Mavericks in overtime 117-114. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

16. Portland Trail Blazers (21-21): After a nice stretch of good basketball for over a month, it was bound that the Blazers lack of depth would catch up to them eventually as the Blazers have lost 6-of-10.However their starting five can matchup with anyone. Last Week’s Ranking-18

15. Dallas Mavericks (18-24): The Mavs have won 4-of-5, with their only loss coming against the Thunder in overtime. With Dirk Nowitzki starting to play better, Dallas could contend for a playoff spot. Last Week’s Ranking-17

14. Atlanta Hawks (24-18): The Hawks have won 3-of-5, but the loss of Lou Williams really hurts. Last Week’s Ranking-14

13. Milwaukee Bucks (22-18): The Bucks have won 4-of-5 and Ersan Ilyasova is starting to resemble the player from last season, averaging 14.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals during that stretch. Last Week’s Ranking-16

12. Utah Jazz (23-19): The Jazz have been great as of late, winning 8-of-10 overall. In addition, they keep taking care of business at home, with a 14-4 record on the season. Last Week’s Ranking-12

11. Chicago Bulls (25-16): Lookout for Jimmy Butler. The second-year player has averaged 14.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game while playing great defense as the Bulls have gone 4-1 during their past five games. Last Week’s Ranking-10

10. Indiana Pacers (26-17): The Pacers have the 29^th worst offense in the NBA, but they keep winning because they have the best defense in the league. Last Week’s Ranking-8

9. Brooklyn Nets (26-16): The Nets have gone 12-2 during their past 14 games and keep moving up in the rankings. They would be higher, but only six of their 26 wins on the season have come against teams currently over .500. Last Week’s Ranking-11

8. Memphis Grizzlies (27-14): The Grizzlies have won 6-of-10 and the recent trade of Marreese Speights doesn’t necessarily help them now, but should allow Memphis to hold onto Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph. Last Week’s Ranking-9

7. New York Knicks (26-14): Despite a big win in Beantown on Thursday, it has been a rough go for the Knicks as of late. New York has gone only 8-9 during their past 17, but they should get point guard Raymond Felton back this weekend and they enter an easier part of their schedule with only five of their next 15 games against teams currently over .500. Last Week’s Ranking-5

6. Golden State Warriors (26-15): The Warriors keep showing us they are for real, this time by beating the Thunder and Clippers in back-to-back games. Yet somehow Stephen Curry isn’t an All-Star? Last Week’s Ranking-7

Jan. 23, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (left) and shooting guard Dwyane Wade (right) react during the second half against the Toronto Raptors at American Airlines Arena. Miami won 123-116. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

5.  Denver Nuggets (26-18): This is more like what we thought we would see from the Nuggets this season. They are the fourth highest scoring team in the league and have gone 15-6 during their past 21 games. Their best players have been starting to play much better, most notably point guard Ty Lawson, who has averaged 17.4 points, 7.4 assists and 1.0 steals during the past five games. In addition, the Nuggets are an impressive 16-3 at home this year. Denver is for real and will be a threat in the west the rest of the season. Last Week’s Ranking-6

4. Miami Heat (27-12): LeBron James is showing why he is the best player in the world. During the last five games, the three-time MVP has averaged 29.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.0 blocks and 2.4 steals while shooting 61.9 percent from the field. The Heat still have some holes to fill but they will be tough to stop if LeBron keeps playing at this level. Last Week’s Ranking-4

3. Los Angeles Clippers (32-12): The Clippers four week run at No. 1 comes to an end and most of that is due to Chris Paul missing five of the Clippers’ past seven games. The Clippers have lost three straight as a result, but there is no reason to panic at the moment. Last Week’s Ranking-1

2.  San Antonio Spurs (34-11): It’s hard not to put the Spurs at No. 1, especially after winning six in a row and 15 of their past 18 overall. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are heading to the All-Star Game, but the Spurs have been getting contributions from everyone, most notably Tiago Splitter, who has a PER over 20. They are a Top 5 team in both offensive and defensive efficiency and a real threat to win another title. Last Week’s Ranking-3

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (33-10): The Thunder are back up to the top spot where they belongs the NBA’s best tem. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have been outstanding, but Durant is the likely MVP of the league at this point. KD has averaged 34.5 points per game during the month of January and in the past four games has dropped 52, 37, 32 and 33. Last Week’s Ranking-2

Biggest Climber: Hornets (+6)

Biggest Faller: Lakers (-7)

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We are at the halfway point of the NBA season, so that means there likely won’t be a whole lot of movement from just a couple of weeks ago.

January 11, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors power forward David Lee (10) looks on during the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Trail Blazers 103-97. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

With that being said, here’s a look at my latest NBA MVP Ladder.

Honorable Mentions: Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Zach Randolph, Tony Parker, James Harden, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook

5. David Lee, Golden State Warriors: Lee has to get some love for the success of the Warriors so far. Lee has 25 double-doubles on the season and ranks seventh in rebounding (10.8 RPG) and 11th in scoring (19.6 PPG). He is a big reason why the Warriors have the seventh best record in the NBA. Previous Ranking- Not Ranked

4. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks:  Anthony still has an MVP resume, ranking second in the NBA in scoring at 29.2 PPG, while ranking fourth in the league in PER (25.29). However while that is no doubt impressive, his MVP candidacy has taken a hit as of late as the Knicks have gone only 7-9 in their past 16 games. Previous Ranking-4

3. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers: Paul slips a spot after missing three games last week, but his MVP resume is still impressive, ranking third in the NBA in PER (26.11), while averaging 16.6 points per game while also ranking second overall in assists with 9.7 per night. He also leads the NBA in steals with 2.6, while leading the Clippers to the best record in the NBA. Previous Ranking-2

2. LeBron James, Miami Heat: LeBron leads the league in PER (30.3) and is fourth in the league in scoring (26.3 PPG), 10th in assists (7.0 APG) and is also pulling down 8.1 rebounds per game. As much as James is having an MVP-type season again, the Heat aren’t as good (at this point) as they were a season ago and must become a better road team. Previous Ranking-3

1.  Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder: Durant’s January, in which he has averaged a whopping 32.3 points per game, has just helped his MVP case. He’s the NBA’s leading scorer, averaging 29.5 points per game and is playing on a team that is an NBA-best 33-9. He’s second in the NBA in PER (29.15) and is also averaging 7.5 rebounds and a career-best 4.2 assists per game. His case gets even stronger due to the fact that he is shooting 51.6 percent from the floor, 40.4 percent from three and 90.9 from the free-throw line. Just like last season, the MVP could end up being a two-horse race between LeBron and Durant when it is all said and done. Previous Ranking-1

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There’s a lot of movement this week and a very tight battle for the top spot overall. Where does your team rank?

Jan 11, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Charlotte Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) goes to the basket against Toronto Raptors guard Landry Fields (2) at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Bobcats 99-78. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s get right into it.

30. Charlotte Bobcats (9-29): Michel Kidd-Gilchrist has the makings of a future star, but after snapping their lengthy losing streak, the Bobcats have lost five in a row again. Last Week’s Ranking-29

29.  Washington Wizards (7-29): Bradley Beal is also a youngster that has the makings of a future NBA star and the Wizards have gone 2-1 since John Wall returned to the lineup. Last Week’s Ranking-30

28. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-31): Kyrie Irving is something special and the Cavs have some young pieces, but they aren’t ready to win yet. Last Week’s Ranking-28

27. Phoenix Suns (13-28): The Suns have trouble scoring the ball but it doesn’t help that they are also only 26^th in the league in terms of defensive efficiency. Last Week’s Ranking-26

26. Orlando Magic (14-24): The Magic snapped a 10-game losing streak and have made it know they are looking to make deals. J.J. Redick has been playing very well and could be the first to go.  Last Week’s Ranking- 27

25. Sacramento Kings (15-24): DeMarcus Cousins has been brilliant, averaging 20.7 points over his last 10 games and recording eight double-doubles and the Kings have split their past 10 games. But there isn’t much else to get excited about in Sacramento except a potential move to Seattle. Last Week’s Ranking-21

24. Detroit Pistons (14-25): The Pistons beat the Hawks and Heat and have won 6-of-10 but have dropped their past two. It will be interesting to see Andre Drummond get more minutes and see what he and Greg Monroe can do together.  Last Week’s Ranking-19

Nov 4, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Andrew Bynum (33) looks on against the New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

23. New Orleans Hornets (13-26): The Hornets have a bright future and are showing why, winning 7-of-10, which is impressive considering they won only six of their first 29. The backcourt of Greivis Vasquez and Eric Gordon has been outstanding and a big reason for the sudden turnaround. Last Week’s Ranking-25

22. Toronto Raptors (14-25): The Raptors should be coming back to earth after dropping three in a row, ending a string of which they won 10-of-13. Last Week’s Ranking-17

21. Minnesota Timberwolves (16-20): Finally the injuries have caught up with the Timberwolves, who have lost five in a row. The latest Kevin Love hand injury is a back breaker. Last Week’s Ranking-20

20. Philadelphia 76ers (16-23): Andrew Bynum says he could be back around the All-Star break, which is great news for the Sixers as they need him badly, dropping eight of their past 10 games. Last Week’s Ranking-24

19. Los Angeles Lakers (17-22): Kobe Bryant has been outstanding at both ends of the floor, but the Lakers have lost 7-of-10 and are 26^th in the NBA in points allowed per game. Last Week’s Ranking-23

18. Portland Trail Blazers (20-19): The Blazers have dropped four straight after playing so well for the last month. A playoff run will be unlikely with the worst bench in the NBA, despite their starting five playing very well. Last Week’s Ranking-12

17. Dallas Mavericks (17-23): The Mavs have turned things around lately, winning four straight. But to get back into playoff contention, Dallas must get better defensively, allowing the 27^th most points in the NBA. Last Week’s Ranking-22

16. Milwaukee Bucks (20-18): The Bucks keep hanging in there in the Eastern Conference, but there is just something about this team that makes it hard to believe in them. Last Week’s Ranking-15

Jan 11, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Avery Bradley (0) shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

15. Houston Rockets (21-19): The Rockets have been fun to watch and have been hanging around  but they have lost five straight which means they drop from the Top 10 for the first time in weeks. They are turning the ball over almost 15 times per game, which is the worst mark in the league. Last Week’s Ranking-9

14. Atlanta Hawks (22-16): The Hawks are coming back to earth rapidly, winning only three of their past 10. Last Week’s Ranking-14

13. Boston Celtics (20-18): The Celtics have won six of 10 and things have looked better for Boston since Avery Bradley returned although his recent rib injury could be a concern. Last Week’s Ranking-16

12. Utah Jazz (21-19): Utah is back to playing well, as their season has been filled with stretches of good play and bad play. They have won 6-of-10 and are 12-4 at home on the season. Last Week’s Ranking-18

11. Brooklyn Nets (23-16): The Nets have turned things around by winning 8-of-10, but they have only two wins against over .500 teams since the end of November. Last Week’s Ranking-13

10. Chicago Bulls (22-15): Without Derrick Rose, the Bulls season has been quite odd. They have won 7-of-10 but have done most of their damage on the road where the Bulls are 11-5 on the season, compared to only 11-10 at home. Last Week’s Ranking-11

9. Memphis Grizzlies (24-13): The Grizzlies keep winning because they are second in the NBA in defensive efficiency, but the offense must get much better as they rank only 22^nd in the league in offensive efficiency. A three-game losing streak doesn’t help at all either.  Last Week’s Ranking-4

8. Indiana Pacers (24-16): The Pacers have won 7-of-10 as well and have done so without the services of Danny Granger all season. Paul George has upped his play and the Pacers are No. 1 in the NBA in both rebounding and defensive efficiency. Last Week’s Ranking-6

7. Golden State Warriors (23-14): The Warriors are third in the NBA in rebounding and still a threat in the Western Conference, but that can’t get by without Stephen Curry, who is out with an ankle injury. Last Week’s Ranking-5

Jan 17, 2013; London, United Kingdom; New York Knicks forward Amar

6. Denver Nuggets (24-17): I said all season that the Nuggets fortunes would turn around once the unkind schedule gave them some home games. After barely playing any games at home throughout the middle of December, the Nuggets are now 15-2 at home and rolling, winning 9-of-12 overall. Last Week’s Ranking-10

5. New York Knicks (25-13): The Knicks are getting healthier by the day and should expect Raymond Felton back in the next week or so. Iman Shumpert made his season debut Thursday against the Pistons, the same day that Amar’e Stoudemire turned in his best performance since returning January 1. This is a deep and dangerous team. Last Week’s Ranking-7

4. Miami Heat (26-12): Back-to-back road wins over the Warriors and Lakers were needed for a team that has gone only 10-9 away from home this season. However they have to find a way to add some quality size to repeat.  Last Week’s Ranking-8

3. San Antonio Spurs (30-11):  Manu Ginobili is out for about two weeks, which is bad news. However the good news is that Tony Parker is averaging 19.4 points and 7.2 assists per game and Tim Duncan’s 17.2 points and 9.6 rebounds are the highest totals in each category that Duncan has posted in three years. Last Week’s Ranking-3

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (31-8): The Thunder have won five in a row and 8-of-10 overall.  They are the NBA’s most efficient team in terms of offense and the sixth most efficient defensive team. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are playing at a very high level and it was very difficult not to put them back in the top spot. Last Week’s Ranking-2

1. Los Angeles Clippers (31-9): The Clippers rank in the top five in the NBA in both offensive and defensive efficiency and continue to win. Their deep bench allows Vinny Del Negro to limit the minutes of both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Despite losing to the Magic, the Clippers maintain the top spot as they beat the Grizzlies, Rockets and Timberwolves without the services of Paul. The Clippers are the first team this season to stay in the No. 1 spot for four consecutive weeks. Last Week’s Ranking-1

Biggest Climber: Jazz (+6)

Biggest Faller: Rockets, Blazers (-6)

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There has been a lot of movement since the calendar switched to 2013, as some of the top teams have slumped as of late and some of the middle of the pack teams are starting to make their move.

Where does your favorite team land?

Let’s not waste time and jump into this week’s rankings.

Dec 28, 2012; Washington, DC, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn talks with guard J.J. Redick (7) during the second half at the Verizon Center. The Wizards defeated the Magic 105 – 97. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA Today Sports

30. Washington Wizards (5-28): The Wizards are 2-2 against the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder and 3-26 against the rest of the NBA. But even a win against the Thunder won’t stop Washington from slipping back into the basement. Last Week’s Ranking: 29

29.Charlotte Bobcats (9-25): The Cats have gone 2-3 over their past five to climb out of the cellar for the first time in three weeks. Last Week’s Ranking-30

28. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-28): The Cavs managed a win over Atlanta, but losing Anderson Varejao for two months is something they can’t recover from. Last Week’s Ranking-28

27. Orlando Magic (12-23): Ten consecutive losses for the reeling Magic and counting. However there is a bit of good news as Orlando and that is they get Charlotte and Washington upcoming in the next week. Last Week’s Ranking-26

25. Phoenix Suns (12-25): Despite point guard Goran Dragic playing pretty well, the Suns have won only 1-of-11. It could be time to blow this team up. Last Week’s Ranking-25

25. New Orleans Hornets (10-25): Since Eric Gordon returned, the Hornets have gone 4-1, including wins over the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. Gordon hasn’t been great but the Hornets have started winning. Overall they split their past 10 games and have won three in a row. Last Week’s Ranking-27

24. Philadelphia 76ers (15-22): The Sixers have lost five in a row and 8-of-10,but despite Jrue Holiday  playing well, no one  else is  a  Sixers uniform is contributing enough. Last Week’s Ranking-19

Jan 10, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) on the bench against the Sacramento Kings during the overtime period at Sleep Train Arena. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings 117-112 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

23. Los Angeles Lakers (15-20): Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol are out and the Lakers have lost five straight. Just when you start to think it is starting to get better in Lakerland, things just get much worse. Last Week’s Ranking-18

22. Dallas Mavericks (14-23): The Mavs have won only 2-of-12 and those victories came against Washington and Sacramento. Dirk Nowitzki is  starting to round into shape but there isn’t enough talent around him and O.J. Mayo isn’t playing as well as he was early in the season. Last Week’s Ranking-24

21. Sacramento Kings (13-23): The Kings appeared to be turning the corner but a three-game losing streak shows that they aren’t ready. Maybe it  is time for a shake up here also because things aren’t working. Last Week’s Ranking-23

20. Minnesota Timberwolves (16-16): Kevin Love’s latest setback just crushes the Wolves, who have been dealing with tons of injuries all season long. Last Week’s Ranking-14

19. Detroit Pistons (13-23): Greg Monroe has been playing well and the Pistons have won 6-of-8 and both losses have come in overtime. Last Week’s Ranking-22

18. Utah Jazz (19-18): The Jazz have too much talent to be constantly hovering around the .500 mark, but four wins in five games could get them hot again. Last Week’s Ranking-20

17. Toronto Raptors (13-22): The Raptors were 4-19 at one point in the season and have since gone 9-4 behind the spectacular play of point guard Jose Calderon. Last Week’s Ranking-17

16. Boston Celtics (18-17): Are the Celtics starting to put things together? Four consecutive wins is a good sign. Last Week’s Ranking-21

15. Milwaukee Bucks (18-16): The Bucks need one more piece to take this team from average to above average. That piece may already be on their roster in Ersan Ilyasova, who has underachieved to this point of the season. Last Week’s Ranking-12

Jan 08, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) shoots a foul shot during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Nets defeated the Sixers 109-89. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

14. Atlanta Hawks (20-14): The Hawks make a big drop after losing four in a row, including losses to: Cleveland, Detroit and Minnesota. They have had trouble with opposing big men and have dropped 5-of-6 overall. The Hawks were a surprise the first quarter of the season and could be coming back to earth. Last Week’s Ranking-9

13. Brooklyn Nets (20-15): The Nets have seemed to figure it out under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo, who will be the coach for the remainder of the season. Brooklyn has won 7-of-10 and if Deron Williams-and Gerald Wallace for that matter- start playing well eventually, the Nets could once again be a major factor in the Eastern Conference. Last Week’s Ranking-16

12. Portland Trail Blazers (20-15): LaMarcus Aldridge and J.J. Hickson have been outstanding down low and rookie point guard Damian Lillard has been quite the spark for the Blazers, who have won 11 of  their last 14. Their lack of a bench will kill them in the end, but right now the Blazers are playing very well. Last Week’s Ranking-15

11. Chicago Bulls (19-14): Despite a loss to the Bobcats at home two weeks ago, the Bulls have a 15-6 record inside the Eastern Conference- only the Knicks have a better mark. When Derrick Rose returns, the Bulls will be a tough out in the postseason. Last Week’s Ranking-13

10. Denver Nuggets (21-16): The Nuggets finally got some games at home and have responded by winning 10 of their past 13. Andre Iguodala is getting more comfortable in his new surroundings and the Nuggets are poised to take off and be a threat in the Western Conference like many predicted before the season began. Last Week’s Ranking-11

January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) talks with small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

9. Houston Rockets (21-15): James Harden has scored at least 25 points in 14 straight games and the Rockets show no signs of slowing down at the moment. Last Week’s Ranking-8

8. Miami Heat (23-11): The Heat can’t rebound the basketball and show no intensity at the defensive end of the floor. Even worse, they are only 7-8 on the road. It may not be time to panic just yet, but there are some concerns with the defending champs. Last Week’s Ranking-5

7. New York Knicks (23-12): After a great start, the Knicks have come back to earth, going only 5-7 over their past 12. But they have had to deal with a ton of injuries, so they are still legitimate contenders right now. They stay ahead of Miami because they punished the Heat twice by 20. Last Week’s Ranking-6

6. Indiana Pacers (22-14): Roy Hibbert has been lousy but the Pacers have reeled off 12 wins in their past 15 games, including three consecutive wins over Milwaukee, Miami and New York. Defense and rebounding have been the keys to the Indiana turnaround as they rank first and second in rebounds and points allowed per game. While Hibbert has not been good, Paul George is starting to realize his potential and has been outstanding as of late. Last Week’s Ranking-10

5. Golden State Warriors (22-12): The Warriors continue to play well although recent losses to the Clippers and Grizzlies knock them down a couple of pegs. Last Week’s Ranking-3

4. Memphis Grizzlies (23-10): The Grizzlies have been rumored to be shopping Rudy Gay and others, but as long as they are contending, I can’t see them making a deal. After a less-than-spectacular December, Memphis looks back on track by winning 4-of-5. Last Week’s Ranking-7

3. San Antonio Spurs (28-10): Tim Duncan and Tony Parker have been outstanding and the Spurs just keep rolling, winners of nine of their past 11. Last Week’s Ranking-4

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (27-8): A shocking loss to the Wizards keep the Thunder out of the top spot for now, but despite winning only six of their past 10, Kevin Durant,  Russell Westbrook are serious contenders. Last Week’s Ranking-2

1. Los Angeles Clippers (28-8): Chris Paul is making a case for the MVP and the Clippers keep on winning impressively. After losing consecutive games to see their 17-game win streak come to an end,  the Clippers are right back at it by reeling off three in a row. They hold onto the top spot for a third consecutive week. Last Week’s Ranking-1

Biggest Climber: Celtics (+5)

Biggest Faller: Timberwolves (-6)

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It’s time to take a look at the leading contenders for the NNBA’s highest honor in my weekly MVP ladder.

First let’s look at those who just missed the cut.

January 4, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) reacts after scoring a three point basket against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mentions: David Lee, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Zach Randolph, Stephen Curry

Now for the Top 5.

5. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe is having another fantastic season, leading the NBA in scoring at 30.5 points per game. He is also pulling down 5.2 rebounds and dishing out 4.7 assists per night. Even more impressive is the fact that Kobe is shooting a career-high 48.3 percent from the floor. He only clocks in at No. 5 though because his Lakers are only 15-17 on the season.

4. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

Anthony certainly has been MVP-like all season long- when he has been healthy. Despite being second in the NBA in scoring at 28.9 points per game and pulling down 6.3 rebounds per game, Anthony drops a couple of spots mostly based on the fact that he has missed six games on the season due to injury and in turn the Knicks are 5-5 during their past 10 games. However the Knicks are 22-10 on the season and a legitimate contender based on the play of Anthony. He will be in contention for the MVP all season if he keeps this up.

3. LeBron James, Miami Heat

The reigning MVP is at it again. LeBron has been scorching hot as of late, but only clocks in at No. 3 thanks to Miami losing two road games this week to the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and a home loss to the Chicago Bulls. However James is averaging career highs in field-goal percentage (54.5) and three-point percentage (40.4), and he ranks fourth in the league in scoring with 26.6 points per game. James leads the league with a PER of 30.25. With the Heat in contention for a second consecutive championship, LBJ will be in contention for a second straight MVP.

2. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

Jan 4, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; OKlahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Philadelphia 76ers guard Dorell Wright (4) during the second half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

It was hard not to put CP3 at the top spot, especially after leading the Clippers to a 17-game win streak, but he sits at No. 2 for now. His numbers aren’t the greatest but that is due in part to only playing 32.9 minutes per game as of late. But they certainly aren’t bad numbers as Paul has averaged 16.7 points, 9.3 assists and a league-high 2.7 steals. His 25.9 PER is outstanding and according to 82games.com, he has held opposing point guards to a PER of only 11. No player has had the impact on his team that CP3 has.

1. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Durant gets the top spot after averaging 28.3 PPG (third in NBA). But here are the three most impressive things about his potential claim to the MVP. First, Durant has a 7.1 win shares according to Basketball-Reference. No player in the NBA can top that. Next, are the outstanding shooting percentages. He is shooting 51.3 percent from the field, 42.5 percent from three-point range and 90.5 percent from the free-throw line, all career highs. No other player in the NBA can boast a line of 50-40-90. Finally there is the fact that he has led the Thunder to a league-best 25-7 on the season. Add up Durant’s resume right now and there is nothing about it that doesn’t scream out MVP.

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With that being said, I am back with my first power rankings of the new year.

Where does your favorite team rank?

Let’s not waste any time and get right into my weekly NBA Power Rankings.

Dec. 29, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Tristan Thompson (13) drives to the net as Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson (7) defends during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

30. Charlotte Bobcats (8-23): Between last season and this season, the Bobcats were sitting on seven wins for 41 straight games without getting to No. 8, but they finally got there with a win over the Bulls. But one win doesn’t erase 18 consecutive losses, nor is it enough to get Charlotte out of the basement. Last Week’s Ranking-30

29. Washington Wizards (4-26): The Wizards broke an eight-game losing streak with a win over the Magic, but since have lost three in a row. Last Week’s Ranking-29

28. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-26): The Cavs are hard to watch and have dropped 9-of-11. On a good note, Tristan Thompson has been playing well with double-doubles in five of his last six games. Last Week’s Ranking-26

27. New Orleans Hornets (7-25): The Hornets put an end to an 11-game skid with wins against the Magic and Bobcats, but have since dropped games to Atlanta and Houston. The return of Eric Gordon should help some. Last Week’s Ranking-28

26. Orlando Magic (12-20): The Magic have come back down to earth, losing seven straight after winning 4-of-5 in the middle of December. Last Week’s Ranking-21

25. Phoenix Suns (12-21): Their win vs. Philadelphia put an end to a six-game skid. They have scored over 100 points only three times since the beginning of December and don’t have a single player averaging 15 points per game. Last Week’s Ranking-24

January 2, 2013; Cleveland, OH USA: Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) brings the ball up court against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric P. Mull-USA TODAY Sports

24. Dallas Mavericks (13-20): The Mavs are reeling and have won only two of their past 10. The biggest problem is that they are 28^th in the NBA in points allowed, giving up an average of 103.3 per game. Last Week’s Ranking-22

23. Sacramento Kings (12-20): The Kings have split their past 10 games and are playing better basketball of late, despite the DeMarcus Cousins soap opera. They beat Golden State, Portland, New York and Boston during that stretch. Last Week’s Ranking-27

22. Detroit Pistons (12-22): The Pistons have won three straight in a season filled with streaks. Wins against the Heat and Bucks look impressive. Detroit is a good rebounding team and a decent defensive team. Now they need to get consistent production on the offensive end. Last Week’s Ranking-25

21. Boston Celtics (14-17): I keep waiting for the Celtics to turn it on, but it may not happen. On their recent west coast trip they lost games by 29 to the Clippers, 18 to the Warriors and 22 to the Kings.  Overall they have lost four in a row, which also includes a double-digit loss to the Grizzlies. Last Week’s Ranking-15

20. Utah Jazz (16-17): The Jazz have been disappointing so far and have lost seven of 10. They can’t win on the road, posting a 6-13 mark, compared to going 10-4 on the season at home. Last Week’s Raking-18

19. Philadelphia 76ers (15-18): The Sixers have also dropped seven of their past 10 and sit a season-low three games under the .500 mark. The defense has been pretty good, but they are another team who has problems scoring the ball, eclipsing the 100 point mark only four times in the past 17 games. Last Week’s Ranking-20

January 2, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Raptors guard Jose Calderon (8) dribbles the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

18. Los Angeles Lakers (15-16): Kobe Bryant is calling his team old and they are. But unless they figure out how to play defense and get some production from their bench, which is doubtful, the Lakers will never be nothing more than a mediocre team. Last Week’s Ranking-14

17. Toronto Raptors (12-20): The Raptors make a huge jump this week, because they are as hot as any team in the NBA. They have won three in a row and 8-of-9 overall. A softer schedule has helped, but Jose Calderon’s play has been the difference as the Raptors are 10-6 when he starts and only 2-14 when he doesn’t. Last Week’s Ranking-23

16. Brooklyn Nets (17-15): The Nets struggles really started when Brook Lopez got injured. In the four games since P.J. Carlesimo took over for Avery Johnson, the Nets have won three, including a win over the Thunder. In that span, Lopez has averaged 24.3 points and 8.0 rebounds. Last Week’s Ranking-19

15. Portland Trail Blazers (16-15): The Blazers have won seven of 10 and J.J. Hickson has been a big part of that. He is averaging 12.3 points and 10.8 rebounds on the season and LaMarcus Aldridge is playing at an All-Star level once again, giving the Blazers a formidable frontcourt. Last Week’s Ranking-16

14. Minnesota Timberwolves (16-15): The Wolves are still hanging in there, but Kevin Love’s recent finger injury could be a cause of concern. Last Week’s Ranking-17

13. Chicago Bulls (17-13): You just can’t excuse losing to the Bobcats-at home nonetheless. Overall they have lost 3-of-5 with the wins coming against Washington and Orlando. Last Week’s Ranking-12

12. Milwaukee Bucks (16-14): They lost to the Cavs and Pistons, but managed to beat Brooklyn and Miami. The Bucks need to find more consistency, but are an impressive 9-4 against the current top eight teams in the Eastern Conference. Last Week’s Ranking-13

Jan 2 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) goes up for a shot under the basket against Washington Wizards center Kevin Seraphin (13) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Washington 89-81. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

11. Denver Nuggets (18-16):  Fifteen of the Nuggets first 18 games in 2013 are at home, where they are 10-2 on the season. We will know a lot more about George Karl’s team by the end of the month as they could be poised to make a serious run. Last Week’s Ranking-11

10. Indiana Pacers (19-13): The Pacers are a great defensive team, but their inconsistencies offensively will continue to hold this team back until they figure it out. Roy Hibbert has been a big part of the offensive woes, finally getting his field goal percentage up to 40 percent on the season. But he responded with a 0 point, 1 rebound effort in Saturday’s loss to the Hawks. Hibbert must be better for the Pacers to be a legitimate threat. Last Week’s Ranking-10

9. Atlanta Hawks (20-10): The Hawks won’t go away partially because they can win on the road, putting together the best road mark in the Eastern Conference at 9-5. Last Week’s Ranking-9

8. Houston Rockets (18-14): The Rockets keep on winning, having won 7-of-10. A lot of that has to do with James Harden, who has averaged 29.3 points during the past 10 games. Houston is the top scoring team (105.8 PPG) in the NBA and rank seventh in both assists (22.8 APG) and rebounds (43.6 RPG). Not bad for the youngest team in the league. Last Week’s Ranking-7

7. Memphis Grizzlies (20-9): The Grizzlies are only 8-7 since the beginning of December. My only concern with them is that they play their starters more minutes than any team in the NBA, almost 35 per night. It could affect their legs in the long run. Last Week’s Ranking-8

6. New York Knicks (22-10): The Kicks big win against the Spurs aside, they still have won only four of their past nine games. Injuries played a big role in that as now Raymond Felton is down for 4-6 weeks, but the return of Amar’e Stoudemire could help. If the Knicks get back to playing defense the way they did against the Spurs, then they are as dangerous as anyone in the NBA.  Last Week’s Ranking-5

5. Miami Heat (22-8):  You have to worry about the defending champs on the defensive end of the floor as they have given up the 19^th most points in the NBA (98.6). That defense did not look good in back-to-back losses at Detroit and Milwaukee. In addition, the Heat are only 7-6 away from home on the season. Last Week’s Ranking-2

January 2, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors power forward David Lee (10) shoots the ball against Los Angeles Clippers power forward Lamar Odom (7) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 115-94. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

4. San Antonio Spurs (26-9): The Spurs have been swept by the Knicks this season, but stay ahead of New York as they had won seven in a row before Thursday night’s beatdown. They have won 7-of-10 overall and are third in the NBA in scoring (105.2 PPG) and first in assists (25.3 APG). Last Week’s Ranking-4

3. Golden State Warriors (22-10): Mark Jackson’s Warriors could be in it for the long haul. They are doing it with an improved defense and have won 17 of their past 22 games, reaching the 20 win mark before January 1 for the first time since the 1980-81 season. Last Week’s Ranking-6

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (24-7): The Thunder just keep on winning, large in part to having the NBA’s most efficient offense, scoring 110.1 points per 100 possessions. Serge Ibaka is playing the best basketball of his career and the Thunder keep rolling. Last Week’s Ranking-3

1. Los Angeles Clippers (25-8): Sure the Clippers have lost back-to-back games, but after reeling off 17 wins in a row it is hard not to keep them in the top spot. During that streak they won by an average of 15.2 points per game. That’s impressive enough. Last Week’s Ranking-1

Biggest Climber- Raptors (+6)

Biggest Faller- Celtics (-6)

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Who will finish the calendar year as the top ranked team?

Let’s not waste any time and find out.

Dec 19, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New Orleans Hornets forward Anthony Davis (23) is defended by Los Angeles Clippers center Ryan Hollins (15) at the Staples Center. The Clippers defeated the Hornets 93-77. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

30. Charlotte Bobcats (7-21): Sixteen straight losses and counting for the woeful Bobcats. Last Week’s Ranking-30

29. Washington Wizards (3-23): The Wizards have lost eight in a row and their leading scorer Jordan Crawford is shooting under 40 percent on the season. That should tell you all you need to know about the hapless Wizards. Last Week’s Ranking-28

28. New Orleans Hornets (6-22): New Orleans has won only one of their past 12 and has the second worst offense in the NBA, averaging only 91.2 points per game. Last Week’s Ranking-29

27. Sacramento Kings (9-19): They have some talent but DeMarcus Cousins and company have once again turned this team into a sideshow comedy act. Last Week’s Ranking-25

26. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-23): The Cavs are only 3-6 since Kyrie Irving’s return and have lost by double-digits in four of those. Last Week’s Ranking-27

25. Detroit Pistons (9-22): Andre Drummond is coming into his own, posting double-double in two of Detroit’s past three games. Other than that the Pistons are going nowhere fast so I would look for young guys like Drummond to start getting more minutes. Last Week’s Ranking-26

24. Phoenix Suns (11-18): After a tough loss to the Knicks, the Suns are back on a three-game skid and no one on this team is averaging more than 14.1 points per game (Goran Dragic). Last Week’s Ranking-18

23. Toronto Raptors (9-20): The Raptors are just hard to watch and there isn’t much to get excited about this team right now, but they have split their last 10 games. Last Week’s Ranking-24

22. Dallas Mavericks (12-17): Dirk Nowitzki is back but the Mavs have won only three of their past 10. The Mavs will be better with Dirk, but how much better? Last Week’s Ranking-19

Dec 21, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday (11) shoots a layup during the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers defeated the Hawks 99-80. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

21. Orlando Magic (12-16): It has been hard to get a read on this Magic team all season. They have beaten some good teams, but lost to Toronto and New Orleans this week. Last Week’s Ranking-17

20. Philadelphia 76ers (14-15): The Sixers lost all four games without Jrue Holiday in the lineup, but while they have won 2-of-3 with him back, this team still has its share of problems. Last Week’s Ranking-23

19. Brooklyn Nets (14-14): Deron Williams has been awful and got his second coach killed in his career. Had Williams looked in the mirror and played better, Avery Johnson may still have a job. It has been Williams who is a big reason why the Nets have lost 11-of-14. A new coach won’t change that around unless he plays better. Last Week’s Ranking-20

18. Utah Jazz (15-15): The Jazz have split their past 10 and now it seems like they are a team destined to spend the season around the .500 mark. They will stay there unless they start shooting the ball better, which has been their weakness in their losses. Last Week’s Ranking-10

17. Minnesota Timberwolves (13-13): Minnesota has lost 4-of-5, but those losses came to the Knicks, Heat and Rockets. They were in each of those games and also managed to put an end to the Thunder’s win streak. This team just needs to get healthy. Last Week’s Ranking-13

16. Portland Trail Blazers (14-13): LaMarcus Aldridge has picked things up and the Blazers have been red hot because of it, winning 8-of-11 games in the month of December. Last Week’s Ranking-22

December 22, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12), shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24), and small forward Metta World Peace (15) walk back onto the court during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena. The Lakers defeated the Warriors 118-115 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

15. Boston Celtics (14-14): It is kind of late in the season for this Celtics team to be still sitting at .500, but they are a team that does nothing particularly well. I keep waiting for them to get hot, but maybe they never will. Last Week’s Ranking-16

14. Los Angeles Lakers (14-15): Kobe Bryant has scored 29 or more points in 13 straight games and leads the NBA in scoring. With Steve Nash and Pau Gasol back, the Lakers had won five in a row before getting thumped by Denver. Don’t look now but the Lakers are starting to roll. Last Week’s Ranking-21

13. Milwaukee Bucks (15-12): The Bucks have won 7-of-10 and are starting to make people pay attention to them. Last Week’s Ranking-14

12. Chicago Bulls (15-12): The Bulls just went through a rough stretch of their schedule and came away 5-4 through it. Even without Derrick Rose, the Bulls could hang in there and steal home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Last Week’s Ranking-9

11. Denver Nuggets (16-14): The Nuggets have won 6-of-10 and looked very impressive in beating the Lakers. They are starting to come into their own and would be even better if they could tighten up the defense. They are 26^th in the NBA in points allowed, surrendering 101.2 per contest. They simply can’t outscore teams every night. Last Week’s Ranking-12

10. Indiana Pacers (16-12): On one hand, the Pacers play the best defense in the league, allowing only 89.9 points per game. On the other hand, they haven’t beaten any good teams all season. Last Week’s Ranking-11

9. Atlanta Hawks (17-9): The Hawks have won only five of their past nine, but Josh Smith, Al Horford and Lou Williams have all been playing great and the hawks show no signs of slowing down. Last Week’s Ranking-8

Dec 26, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin (7) reacts to a call against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Rockets won 87-84. Mandatory Credit: Greg Smith-USA TODAY Sports

8. Memphis Grizzlies (18-8): The Grizzlies take a huge drop after going only 6-6 in the month of December. Last Week’s Ranking-5

7. Houston Rockets (16-12): The Rockets have won their last five and 7-of-8 overall. In addition, they are the highest scoring team at 105.3 points per game. A lot of that has to do with their backcourt of James Harden and the much-improved Jeremy Lin, who has been shooting 55 percent from the floor during the Rockets streak. Last Week’s Ranking-15

6. Golden State Warriors (19-10): The Warriors have gone 10-4 in December and have a ton of weapons to keep it going. But the next three weeks their schedule is brutal so we will find out more about Mark Jackson’s team soon. Last Week’s Ranking-7

5. New York Knicks (21-8): The Knicks have split their past six games and have a banged up Carmelo Anthony. They also have point guard Raymond Felton on the shelf for 4-6 weeks, so their depth will be tested. Last Week’s Ranking-3

4. San Antonio Spurs (22-8): They get it done at both ends of the floor, ranking as the fourth-best offensive team and fifth-best defensive team in terms of efficiency. After losing 4-of-5, the Spurs have reeled off three wins in a row. Last Week’s Ranking-6

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (22-6): They saw their 12-game win streak come to an end by losing two in a row and they needed overtime to beat the Mavs, but Russell Westbrook outscored the Mavericks by himself in the extra period and got the Thunder back on track. Last Week’s Ranking- 1

2. Miami Heat (20-6): Remember when the Heat didn’t seem interested in the regular season? They still may not be, but they have won 8-of-9 and are in late season form. Last Week’s Ranking-4

1. Los Angeles Clippers (23-6): The Clippers are the NBA’s best road team (9-3) and have the league’s best point differential (+10.3 per game). In addition they may be the NBA’s deepest as they have been getting production from everyone. Their 15 consecutive wins is the 10^th longest win streak of all time. Last Week’s Ranking-2

Biggest Climber: Houston (+8)

Biggest Faller: Utah (-8)

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There has been a lot of movement this week, but the top teams look pretty similar to the way they did one week ago.

Dec. 19, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA: Charlotte Bobcats guard Kemba Walker (15) reacts in the first half against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Where does your favorite team land?

Let’s waste no time and find out as here are my Week 8 NBA Power Rankings.

30. Charlotte Bobcats (7-18): Michael Jordan’s squad is back where they spent all of last season- in the basement. The ‘cats have lost 13 in a  row and it is not going to get any better. Charlotte finishes the year with the Golden State, Denver, Miami, Brooklyn and Chicago. If they don’t beat New Orleans on December 29, there is a good chance the Bobcats won’t win again in 2012. Last Week’s Ranking-28

29. New Orleans Hornets (5-20): The Hornets got Anthony Davis back but it hasn’t helped them win games. They have won only one out of their past 10 and have lost nine in a row. They are also only 2-18 over their past 20. That name change can’t happen quickly enough. Last Week’s Ranking-27

28. Washington Wizards (3-20): This is the second straight week the Wizards have moved up a spot, but it isn’t because anything they have done, but the Bobcats and Hornets have been that much worse. On a good note, Bradley Beal is starting to improve, but that’s about it in D.C. Last Week’s Ranking-29

27. Cleveland Cavaliers (5-22): The Cavs lone win during their past 11 games came against the Lakers. Kyrie Irving and Anderson Varejao are sensational, but there is little else to get excited about right now. That could change if rookies Tyler Zeller and Dion Waiters keep progressing slowly. Last Week’s Ranking- 26

26. Detroit Pistons (7-21): The Pistons have lost six in a row and have won only once in their past nine- to a Cavs team without Kyrie Irving. Last Week’s Ranking-24

25.  Sacramento Kings (8-17): They did beat the Warriors and have gone 4-6 in their past 10, but when they lose they often get drilled. Keep an eye on Jimmer Fredette, whose play has picked up as of late. Last Week’s Ranking- 23

Dec 14 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young (21) dunks during the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

24. Toronto Raptors (8-19): Last week they were in the basement and looked like the worst team in the NBA but have since won 4-of-5 even though Kyle Lowry has been injured. In his place Jose Calderon has been brilliant at times. Last Week’s Ranking-30

23. Philadelphia 76ers (12-14): Huge drop for the Sixers as they have won only two of their past 10. They are getting decent contributions from the likes of Nick Young, Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner, but this team needs Andrew Bynum and Jrue Holiday healthy and at least in the case of Bynum, that may never happen. Last Week’s Ranking-14

22. Portland Trail Blazers (11-12): They have split their last 10 and have gone 3-2 in their past five. The problem in Portland is depth, which prevents them from turning in consistent efforts on a nightly basis. They have a very good starting five, but very little behind it. Last Week’s Ranking- 21

21. Los Angeles Lakers (12-14): The Lakers have won 3-of-5 and are showing some signs of turning things around, but they  have lost to Orlando and Cleveland in the past 10 games and beat Charlotte by only one after trailing by double digits in the second half. We will know more about Mike D’Antoni’s team once Steve Nash returns, but right now it’s hard to take them seriously. Last Week’s Ranking-22

20. Brooklyn Nets (13-12): It’s been an ugly couple of weeks for the Nets, who learned on Wednesday that New York still belongs to the Knicks. Overall the Nets have won only two of their past 10 and those were against Detroit and Toronto. Deron Williams is struggling and if he doesn’t figure things out soon, the Nets will continue to struggle. Last Week’s  Ranking-12

19. Dallas Mavericks (12-13): The Mavs got good news in the fact that Dirk Nowitzki could be back soon and they have hung around the .500 mark without him. O.J. Mayo has been great and if Dirk can play like he is capable of,  then the Mavs could go on a little run. Last Week’s Ranking-16

18. Phoenix Suns (11-15): Last week I said the Suns had too much talent to lose the way they have been losing and they responded by winning 4-of-5.  They are tough to beat at home, posting a 9-5  record, too bad they have only won twice on the road. Last Week’s Ranking-25

Dec 19, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics small forward Paul Pierce (right) drives to the hoop against Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Alonzo Gee (33) and power forward Tristan Thompson (13) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

17. Orlando Magic (12-13): The Magic have won 4-of-5 and have gone 7-3 during their past 10 games. They are doing it with solid team defense as Orlando has allowed the sixth fewest points in the league (94.2). Last Week’s Ranking-20

16. Boston Celtics (13-12): Paul Pierce’s huge 40-point night on Wednesday hopefully is a sign of things to come for this Celtics team, who through 25 games have been nothing short of mediocre. Last Week’s Ranking-11

15. Houston Rockets (13-12): The Rockets backcourt of James Harden and Jeremy Lin are sharing the ball more now and it shows in the results. The youngest team in the NBA has won 4-of-5 and have swept the Knicks on the season. Now they just have to figure out how to do it more consistently. Last Week’s Ranking-18

14. Milwaukee Bucks (13-11): The Bucks have only two players (Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis)averaging over 11 points this season and have only three in double-figures. In addition they have allowed more points than they have scored, but their defense is pretty good, especially the interior defense where Larry Sanders deserves some early Defensive Player of the Year recognition. If they find some more offense they could be dangerous. Last Week’s Ranking-13

13. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-11): They got Ricky Rubio back to pair with Kevin Love so now we will see if this Minnesota tem is for real. They have won 6-of-9, but also have lost two in a row. Despite all of the injuries, the ‘Wolves have stayed above .500 in a very tough Western Conference. Last Week’s Ranking- 15

12. Denver Nuggets (14-12): The up-and-down roller coaster ride of a season for the Nuggets continues, as this week Denver is red hot. Denver has won 4-of-5 to get back over .500 and if Andre Iguodala ever figures thins out, this team will be scary. Also as I mentioned a week ago, they have played only 8-of-26 games at home. They are 7-1 at the Pepsi Center this year, so once the schedule evens out, the Nuggets should take off. Last Week’s Ranking-19

Dec 15, 2012; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) drives during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace. Pacers won 88-77. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

11. Indiana Pacers (14-12): The Pacers have been on a tear, winning four of their past five and 11-of-15 overall. They finally found some offense to go along with David West, as Paul George has averaged 20.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.4 steals per game in the month of December. Throw in George Hill’s impressive play and you can see why Indiana has been winning. If Roy Hibbert ever decides to contribute, this Pacers team could be a contender again in the Eastern Conference. Last Week’s Ranking- 17

10. Utah Jazz (14-13): Utah remains a hard team to figure out, but they stay in the Top 10 this week. They have gone 5-3  in their past eight, and are 9-2 at home, but have to put together more consistent wins. If they don’t, this could be their last week in the Top 10. Having said that, I still like their talent. Last Week’s Ranking- 9

9. Chicago Bulls (14-10): The Bulls are putting themselves in good shape in the Eastern Conference. Even without Derrick Rose, Chicago has won 8-of-11. A lot of credit has to go to Joakim Noah, who is playing great basketball, averaging 13.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Last Week’s Ranking- 10

8. Atlanta Hawks (15-8): The Hawks have cooled off some, but remain one of the better teams in the east. That is thanks to great team defense and guys like Al Horford, Josh Smith and Lou Williams playing great basketball. Also note that all but two of the Hawks losses have come to teams ranked ahead of them. Other than losses to the Cavs and Rockets this season, they have beaten every team they are supposed to beat. Last Week’s Ranking- 8

7. Golden State Warriors (17-9): Despite allowing 131 points in a loss to the Kings, the surprising Warriors have been getting it done on the defensive end. Almost everyone on the team not named David Lee has improved defensively, but Lee is carving out an All-Star season at the offensive end of the floor, averaging 19.8 points and 11.2 rebounds.  Last Week’s Ranking-6

6. San Antonio Spurs (19-8): The Spurs have lost 4-of-5, including a statement game to the Thunder on Monday. Having said that it was a tough and long road trip and Tony Parker and Time Duncan have been outstanding. You just don’t see a Gregg Popovich team lose 4-of-5 very often. Last Week’s Ranking-2

5. Memphis Grizzlies (17-6): Memphis has cooled off a bit, going only 6-4 during their past 10, but as long as they have  healthy Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph to go along with the likes of Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, then this team will pretty much be around this spot all season. Memphis has great depth and are still very dangerous in the Western Conference. Last Week’s Ranking-5

Dec. 17, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) reacts after being called for a flagrant foul on Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin (not pictured) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

4. Miami Heat (16-6): Are the Heat just coasting through the regular season with their eyes on the playoffs? It’s likely. The only troublesome thing with this team is they lack focus and intensity on the defensive end at times, something that is likely contributed to simply looking forward to the postseason already.  Last Week’s Ranking-7

3. New York Knicks (19-6): The Knicks just keep getting it done and are a team that will be in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Since their loss in late November to the Brooklyn Nets, the nicks have lost only twice since- to the Bulls and Rockets, both without the services of Carmelo Anthony. With Amar’e Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert coming back soon, this Knicks team will be scary good. Last Week’s Ranking-3

2. Los Angeles Clippers (19-6): The Clippers are on quite the roll, winners of 11 in a row after an odd four-game skid in late November. Before that they had won six in a row, so this is a team on a serious roll. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are dominating and this is one of the deeper teams in the NBA. Paul has been so good at running the Clippers’ offense, he hasn’t needed to score, having  not scored over 20 points in the last 10 games. That speaks volumes for how well this team is playing. Last Week’s Ranking-4

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-4): Back-to-back weeks in the top spot for the Thunder, who are riding a 12-game winning streak. They have won 15 of their past 16 and quite honestly I have run out of good things to say about Scott Brooks’ team. They are simply that good right now. Last Week’s Ranking-1

Biggest Climbers- Denver and Phoenix (+7)

Biggest Faller- Philadelphia (-9)

Let’s not waste any time and get right into this week’s power rankings.

Nov 18, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wachovia Center. The Sixers defeated the Cavaliers 86-79. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

30. Washington Wizards (0-9): Jordan Crawford leads the woeful Wizards in scoring with 12.2 points per game. Enough said. Last Week’s Ranking-29

29. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-8): Six straight losses and now Kyrie Irving is out four weeks. It’s going to be another long year in Cleveland. Last Week’s Ranking-25

28. Sacramento Kings (2-8): The Kings have lost five straight, can’t shoot the basketball, and have as many suspensions as wins (two each). Last Week’s Ranking-24

27. Detroit Pistons (2-9): After an 0-8 start, they have won 2-of 3, including wins against the Sixers and Celtics. Last Week’s Ranking-30

26. Orlando Magic (3-7): Do you think the Magic are happy they didn’t deal Dwight Howard for Andrew Bynum? A string of five straight losses was halted with against the Pistons, but things could have turned out worse. Last Week’s Ranking-27

25. Toronto Raptors (3-7): DeMar DeRozan and Jose Calderon are playing his best basketball of their career, but this team needs Kyle Lowry healthy and Andrea Bargnani playing at a higher level. Last Week’s Ranking-28

24. Houston Rockets (4-7): Despite James Harden and Omer Asik off to good starts with their new team, the Rockets have won only two of their past nine games. Last Week’s Ranking-17

23. Phoenix Suns (4-7): The Suns had a brutal schedule over the course of the past week with games against Denver, Chicago, Miami and the Lakers. Give them credit for getting one win. Last Week’s Ranking-23

22. New Orleans Hornets (3-5): Anthony Davis has been everything he was advertised and more. But New Orleans has lost three straight and aren’t playing good team defense, allowing 109 points per game in the losing streak. Last Week’s Ranking-16

21. Indiana Pacers (5-7): The Pacers lead the NBA in defensive efficiency, but their offense is brutal. Danny Granger is out for three months and even though he had a good game Monday night, Roy Hibbert hasn’t been himself after signing his big contract, I just don’t know where the points will come from on a consistent basis. Last Week’s Ranking-20

November 16, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Atlanta Hawks small forward Josh Smith (5) drives in against Sacramento Kings small forward John Salmons (5) during the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

20. Atlanta Hawks (5-4): Josh Smith isn’t quite playing like the J-Smoove we have seen over the past couple of seasons. Too many missed jumpers and free-throws so far. Al Horford and Lou Williams have been pretty good though. Last Week’s Ranking-15

19. Charlotte Bobcats (5-4): The Cats are competing and have two excellent building blocks in Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who are both off to great starts. Don’t look now, but Charlotte has won four of its last five, including a nice win Monday against the Bucks. Last Week’s Ranking-26

18. Portland Trail Blazers (5-5): The Blazers have some nice pieces with Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum just to name a few and have put together a nice three game win streak. Last Week’s Ranking-22

17. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-4): Their promising start to the season could be derailed by injuries already as Chase Budinger, J.J. Barea and Brandon Roy have joined Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio as Wolves that are out of the lineup. Last Week’s Ranking-10

16. Dallas Mavericks (6-6): O.J. Mayo is playing his best basketball of his career, which helps lessen the blow that Dirk Nowitzki’s rehab isn’t going as well as Dallas may have hoped. Considering the Mavs have lost 5-of-7, they need every bit of Mayo as they can get right now. Last Week’s Ranking-11

November 15, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) dunks the ball during the second half against the Miami Heat at the Pepsi Center. The Heat won 98-93. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

15. Golden State Warriors (6-5): A few other rookies are getting all of the attention, but don’t overlook Harrison Barnes, who is getting better by the game. Despite losing Brandon Rush for the year and still seeing Andrew Bogut banged up, the Warriors won three of four during the week, including an overtime victory against Dallas on Monday in which Steph Curry was tremendous. Last Week’s Ranking-21

14. Denver Nuggets (5-6): Kenneth Faried is a beast, but Ty Lawson, JaVale McGee and Danilo Gallinari have all been disappointments on the NBA’s most disappointing team early on. Monday’s win against the Grizzlies was big and could possibly get George Karl’s team on a roll. This is the best offensive rebounding team in the NBA which is a strength. It has to be considering how poor Denver has shot the ball so far. Last Week’s Ranking-7

13. Philadelphia 76ers (6-4): Bowling? Really? Do you think the Sixers would rather have Andre Iguodala back right now? Last Week’s Ranking-9

12. Chicago Bulls (5-5): After a very nice start, the Bulls are not playing Tom Thibodeau basketball, allowing four consecutive opponents to score over 100 points. Last Week’s Ranking-8

11. Utah Jazz (6-6): Al Jefferson is starting to come alive and the Jefferson-Paul Millsap-Derrick Favors frontcourt is something to be feared. Last Week’s Ranking 18

10. Boston Celtics (6-5): Rajon Rondo is on some kind of pace when it comes to dishing the ball, but is there anything else going on in Beantown right now to get excited about? Last Week’s Ranking-13

9. Brooklyn Nets (6-2): The Nets have been on a five-game tear, but those wins have come against Boston without Rajon Rondo, Orlando (twice), Cleveland and Sacramento. Brook Lopez is improving and the Nets are playing well, but we have to see them beat some better teams before we say they are for real.  Last Week’s Ranking-12

8. Los Angeles Lakers (5-5): The Lakers have rebounded to get to .500, but none of those wins have come against good teams. But Mike D’Antoni is ready to take over and Steve Nash should be back in a week or so. Then we will see this team likely start rolling. Last Week’s Ranking-19

7. Milwaukee Bucks (6-3): Milwaukee is off to their best start in over 10 years and are riding a three-game win streak. Two of those wins came against a couple decent teams in Philadelphia and Indiana. The Brandon Jennings-Monta Ellis backcourt has been great, winning despite a not-so-stellar frontcourt.  Last Week’s Ranking-14

6. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-3): Kevin Durant’s first career triple-double is a sign that the Thunder are moving the ball better as a team. They won three of four games during the week but lost to the only good team they played in Memphis. Last Week’s Ranking-6

5. San Antonio Spurs (8-3): After their rare collapse against the Knicks, the Spurs bounced back nicely against Denver, but ended up falling Monday night to the Clippers. Manu Ginobili is starting to play well, which they need with Kawhi Leonard out of the lineup for a couple of weeks. Last Week’s Ranking-3

Nov 19, 2012; San Antonio, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) brings the ball up court against during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT

4. Miami Heat (8-3): They lost to Memphis but won 3-of-4 during the week, rebounding from that to beat Denver and Phoenix. Their size is an issue against some of the bigger Western Conference teams, but it’s the same talented Miami team with LeBron James and Chris Bosh off to fantastic starts. Last Week’s Ranking-4

3. Los Angeles Clippers (8-2): The Clippers are No. 4 in offensive efficiency and No. 2 in defensive efficiency. Jamal Crawford was somehow snubbed off the All-Star ballot, but he has proven to be the missing piece in Vinny Del Negro’s offense. They have beaten the Grizzlies, the Spurs (twice), the Lakers, Heat and Bulls. Chris Paul is playing at a MVP-level again and there are very few better in the league at closing out games.  Last Week’s Ranking-5

2. New York Knicks (7-1): New York is doing it with defense, good shooting and efficiency. They are taking care of the basketball and making teams pay at both ends of the floor. They are the first team in history to win their first six games and get outrebounded in each one. However it is hard to find anything else negative about a 7-1 start.  Last Week’s Ranking-1

1. Memphis Grizzlies (8-2): This is the best start Memphis has got off to, even though they gave away one to Denver on Monday, snapping their eight game win streak and 15 game home win streak (dating back to last season). Even when they’ve made the playoffs the past three years, it hasn’t been because they have gotten off to hot starts, which is something new to this franchise. They already have wins over the Knicks, Thunder and Heat and if anyone thinks Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and company aren’t for real, think again. Last Week’s Ranking-2

Biggest Climber- Lakers (+11)

Biggest Fallers- Nuggets, Timberwolves, Rockets (-7)

1. Los Angeles Lakers –

2. Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant is the best pure scorer in the universe. He isn’t even in his prime and he can average 30 points a game this season. Russell Westbrook is a freak athlete at the point guard position and maybe a summer with Team USA helped him become a better point guard. The Thunder are an elite team and will be one of the best all year.

3. Los Angeles Clippers – The second team in LA will be a force this season. Chris Paul is now in his prime has an awesome team around him. If Blake Griffin stays healthy, Paul will make him into an elite big man. The Clippers are no longer a laughing stock.

4. San Antonio Spurs – You would be foolish to count out the Spurs this year. Gregg Popovich is the best coach in the league and the Spurs will not let the Lakers and Thunder just run away with the West.

5. Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets are loaded with young talent at every position this season. If George Karl can get this team to play together and maximize their potential, the Nuggets will be a threat in the West.

6. Memphis Grizzlies – The Grizzlies will always be consistent and win games in the West. They have a great starting five that is very balanced. They have a scorer in Rudy Gay, defender in Tony Allen, floor general in Mike Conley, and two great post players in Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Memphis is no joke.

7. Dallas Mavericks – Two years removed from their championship season, the Mavericks are a different team. They still have Dirk Nowitzki so they won’t be a pushover and he won’t have that championship hangover like last season. They have new faces in Darren Collison and o=O.J. Mayo in the backcourt that give them speed. The Mavs are different but are still good.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves – The Timberwolves are loaded with young, but inexperienced talent. Ricky Rubio showed when healthy he is a playmaker while Kevin Love is one of the league’s best players. With Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko added to the roster, this team will take the next step this season.

9. Sacramento Kings – Like the T’wolves, the Kings have a lot of young talent. That might have reached with their Jimmer  Fredette pick a year ago but they are still a very talented team. DeMarcus Cousins seems to be growing up and he and Thomas Robinson can be the next big dominant duo down low. Tyreke Evans will have to step it up if the Kings have playoff dreams.

10. Golden State Warriors – Do the Warriors get over the hump or are they still the Warriors? They finally have a solid nucleus of players in Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, David Lee and Andrew Bogut. Can Mack Jackson really coach? The Warriors will have an interesting season.

11. Portland Trailblazers – Portland is a sleeper team this year. LaMarcus Aldridge is having himself quite a career up there in Portland and is heavily underrated. Damian Lillard is apparently the real deal at point guard. I still think this team will take a few years to compete.

12. Utah Jazz – The Jazz will be quiet this season. They lack star power and big playmakers. Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson are great but can they put this Jazz team on their back? I don’t see it at all.

13. New Orleans Hornets – Rebuilding begins now in NOLA but it might be sooner rather than later when the Hornets play in some serious ball games. They got lucky with landing Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers. They still have Eric Gordon and when he is healthy, he is one of the best shooting guards in the league. The Hornets will grow together.

14. Phoenix Suns – The post-Steve Nash era begins now for the Suns, and it might be a little rough. Goran Dragic will have to show he can handle the starting role as point guard and Michael Beasley will finally have the main scorer title for the first time in his career. The Suns will not be the Suns of the past we are used to watching.

15. Houston Rockets – Sorry Jeremy, I had to do it to you. I can’t see the Rockets being very good this year. Linsanity will stop, Omir Asik is the most overpaid player in history, and I just feel bad for Kevin Martin. Sorry Houston, there is going to be a lot of problems this year.

Oct 21, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) drives against Sacramento Kings shooting guard Marcus Thornton (23) during the preseason game at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-US PRESSWIRE

First Place – Los Angeles Lakers

Starters:

PG – Steve Nash

SG – Kobe Bryant

SF – Metta World Peace

PF – Pau Gasol

C – Dwight Howard

This has to be the best team on paper in the league, if not; it is certainly in the top 3. Steve Nash put up 12 points and 10 assists on a bad Phoenix team with no real scoring options to pass to. At 38 years old, Nash could possibly post his best career assists numbers with this star-studded squad. Kobe Bryant was second in the league in scoring last year even with all his nagging injuries. We know what he brings to the table, as he will go down as one of the best players ever when it is all said and done. Kobe will take all the trash talk and doubters as his fuel. He knows this is his window to tie or possibly pass Michael Jordan in the ring race so I think he will do whatever it takes to win.

Metta World Peace is not the Peace of old but he still has it on defense. Being the fifth option on offense will help him focus more on defense where the Lakers need him most. Pau Gasol is a top five power forward and knows what it takes to win in L.A. He now knows he will not be traded and got the Kobe approval over the summer. Gasol playing right next to Dwight Howard is a nightmare for any team. Howard is the best center in the league and is just a flat out beast. He has so many other great players around him now that he doesn’t need to be everything for this franchise as he was in Orlando. Dwight is going to do him, which is averaging 20 and 10 while being the best defensive big man in the league.

Key Bench Players: Antawn Jamison, Steve Blake, Devin Ebanks, and Jodie Meeks.

It’s hard to obtain a fierce bench when you have the huge names in your starting lineups like the Lakers do. They don’t need these guys to come off the bench and score 15 a night. They need them to come in for hustle plays, rest for the starters, and honestly, just don’t play stupid basketball. They will know their role and will be fine.

Team MVP: Kobe Bryant – The Lakers go wherever Kobe takes them. It’s still his team and he is looking to build to his legacy. He will be the MVP if he trusts his star teammates and sacrifices in order to win his sixth ring.

The Lakers are looking to avoid a season like the Heat had in 2010-2011. They want to avoid the early season chemistry problems and start dominating early. With Nash running the show, I don’t think this will be a problem. Lakers win this division without much trouble.

Second Place – Los Angeles Clippers

Oct 22, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) during the game against the Golden State Warriors at the Staples Center. The Clippers defeated the Warriors 88-71. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Starters:

PG – Chris Paul

SG – Chauncey Billups

SF – Caron Butler

PF – Blake Griffin

C – DeAndre Jordan

The Clippers will start the season with a full training camp and another year of chemistry under their belt. Chris Paul has no trade rumors around him and looks to show the league there isn’t much debate who the best point guard in the NBA is. Paul does it all and is easily the leader for this Clippers team. Billups is coming off an injury but when he was healthy he did what he does best last year- hit big shots. Billups has the brain of a point guard so he knows where to be at all times. He is smart and brings championship experience to this Clippers squad. Most teams that try to have two natural point guards on the floor at the same time fail, but not these two veterans.

Caron Butler is a very solid player. I don’t think he is a top tier player, which some people think he is. He is an above average forward who is on the perfect team for him. This season will be all about the Blake show. Griffin has exploded on the scene and taken the league by storm. His injury in the Olympics might have people worried but he should be 100 percent as the season rolls around. Knee injuries are now a scare for Griffin but if he is healthy there aren’t many better players around the rim in the league. If he develops a consistent outside shot he might become the most dangerous offensive big man in the NBA. DeAndre Jordan is also a great compliment to Blake, as he doesn’t have much of an offensive game but is known for his defense and rebounding. Great duo down low for the Clippers.

Key Bench Players:  Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill, and Eric Bledsoe

The additions of Odom, Crawford, and Hill were perfect the Clippers. Odom is a small-risk and big-reward player. His love and comfortbility level in L.A. is well documented and if he is anywhere close to what he was when he was with the Lakers, it’s a good signing. Crawford is now a journeyman who still supplies a spark off the bench while Hill brings the veteran presence to this young team. Bledsoe is a solid backup point guard and is learning from the best.

Team MVP: Chris Paul – This is the golden age of elite point guards and CP3 might just be the overall best one. He is the motor to this team and the unquestioned leader. He will push this franchise to places it has never seen before.

The Clippers are tired of being the Lakers little brother in L.A. Before CP3 got there, it would be a slap in the face to the Lakers to consider the Clippers a family member. Times have changed and the Clippers are now very much relevant. They aren’t in the class of the Lakers, Thunder and Spurs, but the Clippers will be better than last year and will compete with the best of them. My bold prediction is that Mike D’Antoni will eventually coach this team. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin can be a better due than Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire once were under coach D’Antoni.

Third Place: Sacramento Kings

Starters:

Oct 21, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-US PRESSWIRE

PG – Isaiah Thomas

SG – Marcus Thornton

SF – Tyreke Evans

PF – Jason Thompson

C – DeMarcus Cousins

The Kings are young and growing together. The ball will be in the young and overlooked Isaiah Thomas’ hands. Last pick of the draft means nothing for him as he opened eyes with his play and earned his spot as the starting point guard. His backcourt partner, Marcus Thornton, broke out last season averaging 18.7 points per game. This team’s best outside player, hands down is Tyreke Evans. He was masterful his rookie season averaging 20 points a game, but the last two season his PPG has slipped to 17 and 16 respectively. Evans needs to play like his rookie self if the Kings have any chance of making some noise in the West. It takes years for a player to figure the ins-and-outs of the NBA; to give up on Evans would be foolish.

The Kings frontcourt is young but they have extremely raw talent. Jason Thompson, just like the rest of their starters, is young and still learning the game. I believe Thompson will split minutes and possibly lose his job during the season to Thomas Robinson. Robinson is a pure beast and has a motor that doesn’t stop. He is physically ready for the NBA but now needs to translate it to the NBA hardwood. Both of these big men will have to make way for DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins had a huge leap in his sophomore season averaging a double-double at 18 and 11. I believe his attitude is no longer a problem and he will be one of the best centers in the league after this season. Cousins is for real.

Key Bench Players: Aaron Brooks, John Salmons, Thomas Robinson, Travis Outlaw, and Chuck Hayes

Aaron Brooks and John Salmons have had stints in the NBA where they were impact players. They are now in perfect roles with the Kings, where they can be huge sparks off the bench, especially if the starters don’t bring their A game every night. Outlaw and Hayes are good role players as well.

Team MVP: DeMarcus Cousins – Cousins will take the reigns as the team’s best player this season. I see Cousins ditching the attitude problem, taking Robinson under his wing, and averaging over 20 and 12 this season.

The Kings have a tough task in front of them for a long time with the Clippers and Lakers in their division. The Kings can fight for a low playoff spot this season if they play together as a team. They will go through growing pains and hopefully this helps them mature and doesn’t destroy this young team.

Fourth Place: Golden State Warriors

Oct 19, 2012; Portland, OR, USA; Golden State Warriors shooting guard Stephen Curry (30) speaks with Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson in the first quarter of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-US

Starters:

PG – Stephen Curry

SG – Klay Thompson

SF – Harrison Barnes

PF – David Lee

C – Andrew Bogut

On paper, the Warriors have a pretty solid starting lineup. Curry is one of the NBA’s best pure shooters but he needs to stay healthy if the Warriors have any chance of making noise in the West. Curry had a glass ankle last season, playing in only 26 games. He has to stay on the court for the Warriors this season. Thompson showed he can really shoot the rock and progressed as the year went on. Curry’s injuries were maybe a blessing in disguise as this lead to Thompson learning the game better by picking up some of Curry’s minutes. If he avoids the sophomore slump, the Warriors have a deadly shooting backcourt.

Barnes was a coveted prospect out of Ames High School and one of the best players in the country at North Carolina. I believe he received too much pressure as a freshman when he was named to the preseason All-American team. Barnes will have not as much pressure in Golden State as all he needs to do is play hard and learn the game. He is expected to make rookie mistakes but his upside is huge. David Lee has been a model of consistency and is in the prime of his career. A double-double machine but not a franchise player, you can count on Lee to give you numbers night in and night out. Bogut came into his own at the end of his Bucks career but was riddled with injuries. If he is healthy, you don’t have to worry about the production from the Warriors frontcourt with Lee and Bogut out there.

Key Bench Players: Brandon Rush, Richard Jefferson, Jarret Jack, Andris Biedrins, and Carl Landry.

The Warriors bench is filled with great role players. Brandon Rush has established himself as a great sixth man and spot starter. The Kansas product has developed a nice three-point shot. Jack is a solid backup point guard and is great to have with the uncertain health of Steph Curry. Jefferson brings the veteran presence but doesn’t bring the production anymore. Biedrins and Landry are a nice duo off the bench for the frontcourt and should contribute as expected.

Team MVP: Klay Thompson: I think Thompson comes into his own this season and steps up the scoring due to Monta Ellis no longer being on the team. The boy can play and will help Mark Jackson’s team win games.

The Warriors, like the Kings, are a young team on the rise. David Lee and Andrew Bogut know the game but Curry, Barnes, and Thompson are just beginning. If these three come up together, they can shoot the lights out of the ball. Mark Jackson will get the best out of his team night in and night out but it might take a year or two for them to seriously compete. The Warriors are slowly on their way and the development of their three young guns is key for the present and the future.

Fifth Place: Phoenix Suns

Oct 19, 2011; Tulsa, OK, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic (1) drives around Oklahoma City Thunder center Hasheem Thabeet (34) during the first half of a preseason game at the BOK Center. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-US PRESSWIRE

Starters:

PG – Goran Dragic

SG – Wesley Johnson

SF – Michael Beasley

PF – Luis Scola

C – Marcin Gortat

Dragic is a solid point guard in the league but he is no Nash. No one is, but these are the shoes Dragic has to fill. He has learned from Nash before and held his own in Houston. Wesley Johnson has extreme raw talent but didn’t figure it out in Minnesota. I think he has great upside and maybe a switch in teams so early in his career will inspire him. You would have to say that Michael Beasley is the best player on this Suns team. He needs to take that step to the next level in his career if he ever wants to justify his second overall selection in the draft.

Luis Scola moves from the sinking ship Rockets to the still afloat boat that is the Phoenix Suns. Scola has an awesome skill set and is the definition of a European player. He will give the Suns a consistent season. Gortat had a career year, as do most centers that play with Steve Nash. He now needs to play tougher and become a leader on this Suns team.

Key Bench Players: Sebastian Telfair, Shannon Brown, Markieff Morris, Jarred Dudley, and Kendall Marshall.

Telfair has been a bust but the Suns will give him decent playing time. The high draft selection of UNC product Kendall Marshall is a clear message on where this team wants to go with the future of their franchise. Brown has never been the same since he left the Lakers but provides a spark off the bench. Morris has to fight for minutes, as he needs to justify his first round selection. Dudley is probably the best and most consistent player of this Suns bench and will contribute as he has throughout his career.

Team MVP:  Michael Beasley – This might be Beasley’s last chance of being an efficient starter in the NBA. The Heat had to give up on him, but it wasn’t his fault as they formed their Super Team. The Timberwolves are building for their future and chose to go ahead with Derrick Williams and Kevin Love. It hasn’t been pretty for B-Easy, but he should be able to shine in the desert.

The Suns shouldn’t have high expectations as they are in the rebuilding phase. Long gone are the days of Nash and Stoudemire with D’Antoni on the sideline. This Suns team needs to take their time and learn the game together but it’s going to be rough as they play in a pretty stacked division. They need Johnson, Marshall, and Morris to develop nicely this year and coexist with the veterans still on the team. A high draft pick can form a nice young nucleus for the Suns moving forward.

Apr 22, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Randy Foye (4) shoots over Atlanta Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich (6) during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-US PRESSWIRE

The sign-and-trade – which would likely involve a combination Dan Gadzuric, and perhaps Josh Harrellson, Jerome Jordan, or Toney Douglas – would be huge for the Knicks. Not only would it not cost them much in terms of valuable, pivotal players, but the ability to keep the mini-MLE would be a huge advantage in trying to attract another free agent. But who?

It’s been said the Knicks will undoubtedly match the Houston Rockets’ offer to Jeremy Lin, and they plan to re-sign Steve Novak and J.R. Smith (though it’s been quiet on those fronts), but there are several positional holes left on the roster.

On one hand, if the sign-and-trade for Kidd goes through, the Knicks may be bare upfront. Harrellson and Jordan are supposed to be on the Knicks’ Summer League roster, and could play minutes off the bench if they appear ready. However, without them, the Knicks’ really would only have Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire as rotation bigs. Jared Jeffries could be re-signed (and has expressed interest), but there hasn’t been any evidence that the Knicks are working towards that.

Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports claims the Knicks and Miami Heat are currently front-runners to land Marcus Camby. The Heat could offer Camby a role as starting center, but they currently have their eyes mainly set on Ray Allen. While Camby wouldn’t start for the Knicks, he and Tyson Chandler would tighten the Knicks’ center rotation and form a formidable defensive duo that would keep the Knicks from falling into any defensive lapses while one of them sits.

Shooting guard is also a weakness of the Knicks’. Iman Shumpert would surely be the starting two-guard, but may not return until December or January while he recovers from a torn ACL. As mentioned, J.R. Smith is still a free agent. Landry Fields is likely Toronto-bound, and while the Knicks recently acquired James White, a wing player from the Euroleague, they may look for a guard in free agency who’s more ready to contribute.

The Knicks have been linked to Randy Foye as a possible addition. Foye can play both guard positions, and would be a good fit next to either Lin or Kidd, off the bench or starting. For his career Foye boasts a career average of 36% from beyond the arc, and the Knicks are well aware of his scoring prowess after he knocked down four three-pointers en route to a 28-point performance when the Los Angeles Clippers visited MSG in April. Likewise, though Foye has never averaged over three assists per game in a season, he’s capable of running an offense when thrust into the position. In the 2010-11 season, he averaged four assists per game as the Clippers’ starting point guard, and his per-36 numbers for his career all hover around five assists per game.

However, this is all assuming the Knicks keep their mini-MLE by trading for Kidd. If they are forced to sign him, the Knicks could try a similar sign-and-trade for Camby with Houston (a team looking to cut costs) or the Clippers for Foye. If they look to add pieces through the veteran’s minimum, perhaps former-Knick Ronny Turiaf could be an option upfront. A number of cheap options could be had at the shooting guard position.

The details of Jason Kidd’s deal and Ray Allen’s decision will both be pivotal factors in the Knicks’ free agency crusade.

Billups had been warning teams with cap space not to claim him, giving him the opportunity to have his choice of possible destinations; the Clippers, it appears, did not get this memo.  It will be interesting to see how this situation shakes down for the former Knick point guard, but the Clippers are confident that he will play, and be productive for the team going forward.

The Clippers have has an active day, pursuing Chris Paul–another former Knick target– earlier this afternoon, however the trade fell apart after David Stern vetoed another possible deal for the All-Star point guard.

Hottest Seats:

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Blake Griffin had the game of his life, but the Knicks happily had the game. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

With two victories over the weekend against the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, the Knicks have managed to pull themselves up to being tied for seventh in the East.  Our 3-1 record on the road trip was, amazingly (and depressingly), the best we’ve done on the road since 1998.  Yes, during it we beat two of the league’s weaker teams (the Kings & Clips), and the Warriors were missing one of their best players (our former fan-fave, David Lee).  However, keep in mind that previously we had been losing to those weaker teams, even ones missing top players (the Sixers without Andre Iguodala, and the Rockets without Yao Ming and Aaron Brooks).  The results were so different than the early part of the season, that it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s Memorex.  So who are we?

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Is this the look Mike D'Antoni gives his players when they ask him a question about defense? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Another post from new Buckets writer Joshua Sage, saying we shouldn’t be blinded by our last three wins ‘cuz they only further proved we need a new coach who preaches defense:

The New York Knicks defeated the LA Clippers Saturday night, led by Danilo Gallinari and Amar’e Stoudemire in the final quarter. Now that bit of good news will be the only thing on most New Yorkers’ minds today. I, on the other hand, will be spending some time thinking of reasons why the Knicks haven’t fired Mike D’Antoni yet.

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Kobe bites his shirt! Does that mean he's worried the Lakers won't be on top this year? Nah, probably he just forgot to eat dinner. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

With the season beginning tonight, it’s time to rank how strong all the teams are at this point.  This isn’t who will be strongest at the end of the season or who will have the best regular season.  This measures how strong each team is right NOW.  If a team engaged in a seven game series today with any of the teams listed below them, I’m saying they’d win.  So yeah, injuries count big time.  And chemistry.  And like, how good they are.  It’s basically a highly complex formula that you mere mortals wouldn’t understand.  Either that or it’s all based on pure opinion.

1. Los Angeles Lakers — Even with the recovering Kobe shooting 28% this pre-season they’d still beat everyone.  Hell, he only shot 24% in Game 7 of Finals.

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Could Phil Jackson, the Zen Master himself, get fired this season? Of course not, you idiot, but where do the rest of the coaches in the league stand? (Source: Yarbarker.com)

I seem to be in a major ranking/grading/evaluating the whole NBA-mode, so today we’re gonna check out which coaches might not make it through the season.  Every year it seems like about six coaches are fired in the middle of the 82 game grind.  And a few more who made it through the grist then are shown the exit during the summer.  But we just finished one summer, so we ain’t talking about the next one yet.  Just this upcoming season.  Who’s Bulletproof?  Who’s on the Hot Seat?  And where does everyone else stand and why?  Well, you’re lucky ‘cuz we’s about’s ta answer these questions fer ya.

Bulletproof (again, for this upcoming season only):

Doc Rivers – Celtics

George Karl – Nuggets:  He might quit if it’s too grueling, but ya can’t fire a guy coming back from cancer.  Ya just can’t.  If you disagree, grow a heart, dude.

Phil Jackson – Lakers

Gregg Popovich – Spurs

Jerry Sloan – Jazz

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Many view Kevin Durant as the Second Coming. We see him and the Thunder more likely coming Third through Sixth. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

On Wednesday we discussed what the Eastern Conference Playoff picture looks like, and today we go west, young man.  We’d already previously examined how much teams improved/regressed during the off-season, but now we’re talking about how they stack up against each other.  Meaning, we gave Orlando a zero for their summer and the Wizards a +2, but now we’re here to tell you that yes, of course Orlando is still gonna be far better.  For those who haven’t seen those posts on off-season grades, click the following links to see what we had to say about the Northwest, Atlantic, Central, Southeast, Pacific and Southwest Divisions.  Also, we’re only gonna be talking about the regular season here.  So even though we don’t think the Celts will be a top two team record-wise, it doesn’t mean we think they’re incapable of making it through the gauntlet again.  Lastly, some teams will be put in clusters ‘cuz they’ll likely end up with similar records and what does a victory or two here and there matter amongst friends?

#1 – Lakers

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Instead of Phoenix having Amar'e Stoudemire as their starting power forward, they've now got this guy. No, not LeBron, the guy he's dunking on: Hakim Warrick. (source: Yardbarker.com)

Today we go west, young man, to examine the summer moves of the Pacific Division teams: the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers & Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.  We already did the Eastern Conference, so click on the following links to check out our reviews on the Atlantic, Central and Southeast.  Our last two posts will be on the Southwest and Northwest. For the newbies to this series, the rules are again listed below, but the rest of y’all can skip down to the team listings.

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Uh oh, LeBron can't even open his eyes to look at Jay-Z here. Is that a poor omen for NJ? You tell us. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Yes, just a few weeks ago we had a poll asking what you thought our chances were of landing LeBron, but now we’ve got a broader question where we allow you to >gasp< think about other possible cities he might end up in. Plus, c’mon, if you said a 60% chance in that poll, it’s not like you’ll ever know if you were right, regardless of where he goes. So no more being wishy-washy. Pick a side. No one argues with their friends whether there’s a 21% shot or 74% shot the Lakers will win Game 6; we just make the call, Lakers or Celtics in 6 or 7 games, and fight over why.

No one (possibly even LeBron) knows where the King’s gonna go.  Now’s your shot to permanently make your prediction for bragging rights.  Don’t mess up.

Clipper fans held a rally to convince LeBron to come to LA. If they really wanna convince him, they'd be better off with a coup d'etat and beheading Donald Sterling. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

ESPN reported that music mogul David Geffen is interested in buying a controlling interest of the Los Angeles Clippers.  It would be a brilliant move by Geffen because unlike say Michael Jordan’s recent purchase of the Charlotte Bobcats or the impending sale of The Washington Wizards, this is a franchise that could have a huge financial turnaround under the right owner.  Or rather simply just a new owner.

The Clippers are the NBA’s laughingstock not simply because of their godawful history, but more because of their even worse, notoriously cheap owner, Donald T. Sterling.  All franchises (except it seems the Lakers) go through tough times.  Not long ago, the Portland Trailblazers were nicknamed the Jailblazers, had the league’s highest payroll, and seemed to be going nowhere.  Now with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge (and perhaps Greg Oden if he can ever remain healthy), they have a relatively promising future.  By contrast, the Clippers may have a nice core too, but few prognosticators would feel 100% confident predicting a better tomorrow for them.  This is almost solely due to Sterling’s reluctance to open his wallet.

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Adam Sandler and Kate Beckinsale have held the trophy more than 14 franchises combined. (source: Yardbarker.com)

As we prepare for the 62nd championship round, one thing is clear: when it comes to winning the whole enchilada, the rich keep getting richer.

-Out of 30 franchises, only 16 have ever take home the trophy.

-Boston (17) and the Lakers (15) have combined to win (32) more than half of the championships.

-By contrast, the next franchises on that list, the Bulls (6) and Spurs (4), won all their rings during one time period and one superstar’s tenure (a certain Michael Jeffrey Jordan and Timothy Salierius Duncan — okay, I made up Dunc’s middle name; anyone know if he’s got a real one?).

-After that we’ve got 3 three-peaters (copyright Pat Riley) with the Pistons, Warriors and Sixers. Followed by 2 two-timers (Knicks and Rockets). For you Knick fans, that means if LeBron comes to NYC and wins 4 titles, that means we jump to #3 on the list!

For the rest of my post, click here for the main FanSided page.

Evaluating players before the draft is not easy, but at least you know who you are talking about. Predicting who is going to get picked when is harder. Everyone has their own ranking system, but the big question is whether a team is going to pick the best player available or pick the player who best addresses the team’s needs.

The other question is, what on earth was that GM thinking? The most recent “what was he thinking” award goes to the Minnesota Timberwolves, for using the 5th and 6th draft picks on point guards (Jonny Flynn and Ricky Rubio), followed by having one of them (Rubio) make noises that he would never play for the Wolves, and creating a situation where the other, Flynn, felt unsure of the team’s commitment to him, and for good reason.

So for me to say who will make which pick is guesswork, because every year there are inexplicable decisions made, and there are players drafted in the top 20 whose name you hear when he is selected, but then never again. Comparing mock drafts, I have seen players’ names move twenty spots or more.

Mostly, I’m seeing mocks that describe players, not why they will be picked or what the team is thinking. I already wrote about the players likely to be drafted in the first round, so instead, lets’ discuss what the team should do, not what they will do, because many teams have a weird tendency to pick the same type of player over and over regardless of the results. (Lakers trying to find a point guard, Bulls drafting post players, Houston drafting 3’s, Warriors drafting skilled bigs, etc.) Redundancy makes sense for some teams, but for others it’s stupid. I’ll take those case by case.
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Back in 2001, Earl Barron played for Memphis. Both he and the Knicks thought they had a promising decade ahead of them. They were wrong. But perhaps now we can combine forces and make the Tens be OUR decade. (source: Yardbarker.com)

For those who don’t know, though I’m a born and bred New Yorker, I’ve spent the last decade-plus in Los Angeles.  While here, I’ve adopted the Clippers as my sad, pathetic little brother to encourage.  That resulted in my creating the site FullyClips.com for the FanSided Network here before I got promoted up to the big leagues and was given the Knicks’ site.  For my first post on this site, I did a piece on The Smackdown Battle For Title Of The Past Decade’s Worst NBA Franchise.  Much to Isiah Thomas’ chagrin, I gave the award to Donald Sterling’s Clippers.  Although to be fair to Isiah, he only had a few years of being in charge to screw up the Knicks, versus Sterling had the entire decade (& more).  I’m sure if Isiah had a larger time frame in which to work his (black) magic, he could’ve stunk up the joint just as poorly as The Donald did.

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(source: Yardbarker.com) Like a little girl in puppy love, New York hopes we're the one LeBron's eyeing.

Seems ESPN has launched ESPN NewYork.com today and decided to promote it by rehashing the ol’ Will LeBron James Go To New York story.  There’s a surprisingly large amount of Nothing New, mixed in with Shameless Sensationalizing, Idiotic Conclusions Based On Personal Feelings, and just Awful Math.  That said, there were maybe a couple of Intriguing Bits to me, but it might all feel redundant to y’all.  Without further ado:

Idiotic Conclusions:

The worst part was where the sportswriters speculated the percent chance of LeBron going to one team or another.  Let’s start with Mark Stein saying there’s a 10% chance that LeBron will go to Dallas.  10%???  10% means 1 in 10!  You’re going out tonight and your choosing between your ten favorite restaurants — that gives each one a really good shot at being chosen.  Thankfully, of the four other Dallas writers, they all only gave it a 1-3% chance.  I like Stein’s writing a bunch, but his thesis his based on this you-can-substitute-LeBron’s-name-with-anyone statement:

I firmly believe LeBron likes the thought of playing with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, trusts Mark Cuban to be an owner who will always spend whatever it takes to contend and loves the city of Dallas and Cowboys football

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Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks

As we discussed after the recent Knicks/Hawks game, JJ has a nice relationship with Coach Mike D’Antoni from their time together in Phoenix, plus the Knicks have somehow managed to look competitive this year in the three games he played against us.  When JJ was on those D’Antoni Suns teams, although he was huge for them, at the time he was considered to be at best their fourth most important player (after Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudamire & Shawn Marion).  Joe rightly felt he could be more, a centerpiece, and he wanted to be paid accordingly.  Having achieved all that with the Hawks, he now has reached the point most vets get to: the main thing he wants now is the chance to play for a championship.  He is even one of the few stars who has literally put his money where his mouth is and has stated he’d be willing to take a bunch less money to be on such a team.

Now don’t misunderstand: he knows he has a very good thing going with the Hawks and that they are a really, really good team.  He’s not gonna just leave them to play on a mid-level Knick team.  So ignore this quote in the NY Daily News:

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Bosh revealed that he’s not necessarily interested in playing anywhere that he’s not the clear-cut franchise player.

“That’s a good question,” Bosh said when asked by ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher if he’s bothered by the widespread perception that he’s determined to follow either LeBron James or Dwyane Wade by signing on with one of the teams they choose starting July 1.

“It’s funny you say that, because I was thinking about it. I was just looking at what people say and it’s like, ‘Chris is going to go here and play with him or this, this and that.’ I’m like, ‘Wait a minute.’ I feel like I should be built around. And maybe that’s just my ego talking, but I feel that I’m a very good player in this league and I’m only going to get better. So … maybe we should be getting somebody [in Toronto].”

Bosh would probably be outta Toronto in a sec if one of the three teams in home state Texas were in the running

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We were up by 5 points with about two minutes to go in regulation, and it looked like we’d have a nice win.  But then we let ‘em score 6 unanswered points, with the last five happening in a mere 18 seconds.  Yikes.  Al Harrington hit only one of two free-throws to tie it up.  Then Harrington got a layup and a foul, meaning a chance to give us a  nice three-point game with 32 seconds left.  But again Harrington missed the gimme.  And in less than 7 seconds we let ‘em score and tie it up.  And while Harrington could’ve iced the game if he’d hit those two free-throws, if it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t have even been there in the first place.

Big Al shot a nice 12-of-21 from the field for 37 points.  He hit 5-of-8 three-pointers.  Yet somehow from the closer range of the free-throw line, and with no defenders, he shot about the same, 66%, missing 4 freebies.  The overtime was also odd, ‘cuz all game long it was just an offensive fest.  Washington rang up from 26-30 points in each quarter (we ranged from 24-31).  Yet in the five minute overtime, they managed only 4 points.  And we had only 6.  And we only got those last two points with seconds left, thanks to David Lee.  Of note, TMac, who had another solid game with 23 points, did not play at the end of regulation or during overtime (I’m unsure if this was due to his knee hurting or a lack of conditioning).

TMac's been great about driving to the hole rather than settling for the jumper... when he's able to make it on the court

Last thought about that game.  As some of you know, I used to write a Clippers blog (even though I’m a New Yorker, I currently live in Los Angeles and have pathetically adopted the Clips as my secondary team).  As a result, it was bizarre noticing this version of the Wizards had five, count ‘em, five former Clippers.  The day of the game they signed former Clip prodigy (before a devastating accident), Shaun Livingston (who sadly had a costly turnover for the Wiz late in the game), plus newly acquired Al Thornton, James Singleton, Quinton Ross and Earl Boykins.  I mean knowing how bad the Clips are/have always been, how dumb do you have to be to acquire five of ‘em?  And not even just any five, but five who pretty much always came off the bench.  So you’re not just choosing players from a bad team, you’re choosing players who couldn’t get much playing time even when they were on an awful team?  Moving on…

Saturday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, we remained competitive for most of the game, even taking a lead into the fourth quarter.  Once again, Al Harrington was unstoppable.  31 points on 18 shots.  Again he was on fire from three-world, hitting better than 50% at 6-of-11.  And again, oddly, he was worse with free throws, making only 3-of-6.  McGrady had his first terd of a game, 0 points and 2 assists in only 15 minutes before having to sit out the whole second half due to knee pain (yikes!).  The thing that really killed the Knicks though was the rebounding disparity.  The Grizz used their superior length to outrebound us by 20 rebounds.  Pathetically, we allowed former Knick Zach Randolph to get a career high in rebounds with 25.  Our team, combined, managed to get just 32 boards.  Yup, one man almost outboarded our whole frickin’ team.

Comedian Tracy Morgan (from TV's "30 Rock"), watching the Knicks get whupped on the boards, ain't laughing

Last thoughts:

-D’Antoni has started regularly playing new acquisition Bill Walker, ‘cuz he’s been impressed with his athleticism.  Walker does have potential, so it’s nice to see him get some run so we can determine if he can be a piece down the road.

-Sergio Rodriguez didn’t have that non-stop energy in Saturday’s game.  Maybe he was tired from the back-t0-back, or just from being on a team where he often didn’t play at all to now getting big minutes and needing to initiate everything.

"Oh my God, your jaw is so strong & square! I must touch it!"

-As much crap as we’ve given Chris Duhon here over the last few months, we oughta comment that the dude has been pure class since not only losing his starting gig, but also losing all minutes whatsoever.  He’s gone beyond being a professional about it.  Always the first guy jumping up and cheering, and he seemed as thrilled as anyone when the Knicks pulled out the Wiz game.  He even issued a statement acknowledging that he sucked and that he was given MORE than enough of a chance to right things but he couldn’t, so he thinks it’s a good move to go another direction.  And I used to think a classy guy meant someone who didn’t eat with their fingers.

-Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, despite being the only key players who’ll definitely be here next year, remain marginalized in the offense, usually getting at best the fourth or fifth shot attempts.  And mostly getting those off of broken-down plays rather than having plays run specifically for them.  This is a very, very bad trend.

Chandler rarely gets the ball 'cuz he takes low percentage shots like this. Oh wait, he drove past his man for an easy dunk. ...Hmmm, then I dunno why he don't get the rock more.

And New Yorkers are buying into this hook, line & worm (why is it supposed to be sinker — I mean when a fish really falls for it he goes after the worm, much like an alcoholic with a bottle of tequila).  Darren Rovell who discuses the business side of sports tweeted yesterday that “Knicks 2010/11 tickets went on presale last Thursday. They’re on record pace, having sold 770 new tickets so far.”  Record pace???  Do fans realize we haven’t signed ANYONE yet?  If we end up looking like we’re gonna suck, even one-legged Tracy McGrady will look to leave town.  So this is a two-part look at what to realistically expect.  Part II will be sometime next week.

Let’s look at this first based on the available teams.  First, here are the ones who’ll be competing for poaching rights:

New York Knicks: $18.64 million in 2010-11 payroll
Miami Heat: $26.07 million in 2010-11 payroll
New Jersey Nets: $26.63 million in 2010-11 payroll
Chicago Bulls: $31.85 million in 2010-11 payroll
Los Angeles Clippers: $33.53 million in 2010-11 payroll

Sacramento Kings: $34.0 million in 2010-11 payroll

The Washington Wizards and Minnesota Timberwolves could also conceivably get in on the bidding, but they seem unlikely to join the chase.  I doubt Sacramento will even seriously look into trying to grab a big name and instead will prefer to build up a bit more from the ground up through draft picks.  It’s also kinda erroneous to list Miami as only having about $26 million.  Well, first the reason I list them even that low is ‘cuz I assume there’s no way they pick up James Jones’ $4.6 million option.  However, what makes them even lower is that their payroll includes Dwayne Wade’s $17.15 million contract that he’s said he’s gonna opt out of.  In other words, they’ll have less than $10 million in committed contracts!  So they could pay a max salary to both Wade & LeBron and still have say $10 million to offer to say Carlos Boozer.

Next let’s look at what each of the five teams has to offer (I’m excluding Sac).

The Knicks:

1. the second most cap space (after Miami),

2. the mass market of New York to provide much richer endorsement deals and better national exposure,

3. Perhaps the allure of playing at Madison Square Garden, aka “The Mecca of Basketball”,

4. An open and willing wallet (& now a well-respected GM in Donnie Walsh to make you feel they’ll spend wisely),

5. Coach Mike D’Antoni has a good rep as a “player’s coach” and as an assistant coach on Team USA he’s actually worked with most of these guys before.

Cons: 1. David Lee could likely be gone, meaning they’d be coming to a team with literally only Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler (oh yeah, plus Eddy Curry in the trainer’s room),

2. Perhaps a feeling that you’d have to sorta start from nothing.

The Heat:

1.For Wade it’s the only team he’s known(&he’d get more $), and for others it might feel less risky to jump with someone else to a brand new team rather than to join someone on their current team,

2. No income taxes in Florida,

3. Perhaps Pat Riley?,

4. A solid young player in Michael Beasley, and

5. The weather (& yes, that is a real factor for players).

Cons: 1.For some players it might actually be less appealing to join “Wade’s team” rather than go with him to a new place where it could be “our team” (kinda like how it’s usually better for a young couple to move into a new place rather than say just the gal moving into the guy’s place ‘cuz then it’ll always feel like “his place.”),

2.The fact that the Heat/Riley haven’t really looked for help for Wade since the championship year might make some concerned (including Wade) that this isn’t a franchise that will do whatever it takes to win the trophy.

The Nets:

1. Jay-Z is part-owner (& you bet that’s a factor for this hip-hop idolizing generation),

2. Will be moving to Brooklyn, giving it that New York mass market appeal, plus a chance to sorta “recreate” this franchise from the ground up in this new location,

3. Potentially a stud rookie (like John Wall),

4. Some decent players in the spots that are often toughest to fill: Brook Lopez at center and Devin Harris at point.

Cons: 1. They will be coming off a season where they were either the historically worst team ever or darn close to it,

2. It’ll be at least one year, if not two or more, until the team does actually make it to Brooklyn and the crowds ain’t been stellar in Jersey,

3.Uninspiring coach and front office,

4. If the NY angle is exciting, why wouldn’t ya just go to the Knicks?

The Bulls:

1.A chance to play alongside a franchise player in Derrick Rose, as well as solid pieces like Joakim Noah and Luol Deng,

2. Get to play in the house that Jordan built,

3. For Wade a chance to go home,

4.Good media market and good city.

Cons: 1. You’re playing in the house that Jordan built so you’ll likely always be second in the city’s heart to him,

2.Not enough $ to get a second max player so you’d have to feel that the addition of you alone can turn this team into a contender,

3. Questionable coach in Vinny Del Negro, and a timid front office that’s proven to be afraid to go all in (like by refusing to give up Luol Deng for Pau Gasol).

The Clippers:

1.Best nucleus of players with Baron Davis at point, potential all-star second-year player Eric Gordon at shooting guard, Blake Griffin at power forward, and Chris Kaman at center.  Throw in LeBron James at small forward and they could be contenders ‘cuz you could make a legit argument that the Clips would be stronger at every position than the Cavs supporting cast,

2. The huge market of Los Angeles,

3. The warm weather and Hollywood connections/glamor of LA,

4. A chance to do the impossible and turn a cursed laughingstock into a champion.  Even Jordan couldn’t have saved the Clips,

5. The chance to out-do Kobe Bryant in his own arena.

Cons: 1. It’s the Clippers,

2. Cheapskate owner Donald T. Sterling, so basically what you see is what you get — don’t expect any help walking through that door,

3.The injury curse — Wade gets hurt enough as it is, if he joined the Clips his torso would probably fall off his legs,

4. It’s Kobe’s arena and it’s a Laker town, even LeBron bringing the Clips three championships in a row still might not catapult him and the team to town favorite,

5. It’s the Clippers.

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With a few of them likely to sit out this summer so they don’t injure themselves before they get a new contract (in other words the guys the Knicks would chase after: LeBron, Wade, Bosh, plus A’mare Stoudamire who made the pool too), it does provide some openings.  Not to mention that say a banged up Kobe might need to take the summer off to get his body healthy again.  Of course, included in those free agents-to-be are none other than David Lee, so he himself might have to bow out.  Oh, and another thing in Lee’s favor is that once again the Knicks’ coach Mike D’Antoni will be one of the assistant coaches on the USA team.  It’s always nice having someone on the inside to help plead your case.

Anyway, the remaining invitees include the Denver Nuggets’ Chauncey Billups, LA Lakers’ Lamar Odom, plus a who’s-who of all the young and upcoming players in the NBA according to ESPN: the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant (pretty much a lock to make the final roster since he almost made it last time and he’s only gotten better), Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose,

Minnesota‘s Al Jefferson and Kevin Love; Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo of Memphis; Philadelphia‘s Andre Iguodala; Boston‘s Kendrick Perkins; Indiana‘s Danny Granger; New York‘s David Lee; New Jersey center Brook Lopez; Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook; Portland‘s LaMarcus Aldridge; Charlotte‘s Gerald Wallace; and Clippers guard Eric Gordon.

The Americans will choose a group from the roster to take part in their minicamp in Las Vegas in July. They are expected to play an exhibition game in New York before heading to Turkey for the world championships, which they haven’t won since 1994.

2. Chris Duhon’s shot is starting to come back, but whenever it does briefly return he then seems to follow it with some ill-advised jumpers.  It’s like a shooter who gets hot and then keeps trying harder and harder shots, looking for a heat check.  Except Duhon (who’s been like 3 for 912 over the last few games) has been in such a rut that if he hits just one shot he seems to think he must be on fire.  Weird.  Going from passing up open shots and layups to forcing looks ‘cuz he thinks he might be feeling it.

Duhon: "Who cares if I'm surrounded by 4 Wizards? I hit my last shot, so I'm shooting this one!"

(more…)

The NBA announced Nate Robinson will be in this year’s slam-dunk contest, defending his title. Actually, although this is just a fun little side-show, Nate has a chance to make history. He’s already won the contest twice (as have many other players), but no one has ever won it THREE times. Who’d've thunk the Knicks would have a chance at historical greatness this year? Yeah, yeah, so they might not even make it to the playoffs, but if Krypto-Nate wins, ain’t nobody able to take that away from us. …Okay, okay, so nobody would even want to take such a frivolous award away, but we’ll take what we can get.

The dunk contest will have one new part to it this year. And no, it’s not that LeBron will participate (even though he promised he would last year). Hold on a sec, there’s an article about him being a scaredy-cat… right here.  If only he was like Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly in the “Back To The Future…s” so that if we called him chicken, he’d have to compete to prove he wasn’t yeller (that’s “yellow” in cowboy-speak, in honor of the third “Back” being set in the Wild West — man, this is a long, dumb tangent).  Oh yeah, so the new component is that so far only three players are in the dunk contest (Nate, Gerald Wallace of the Charlotte Bobcats, and Shannon Brown of the Lakers).  However, during halftime of the rookie/sophomore game, two players (Eric Gordon of the Clippers and DeMar DeRozen of the Toronto Raptors) will have a dunk-off to see who gets the final spot.  Yeah, it’s nothing too exciting.

Y’know, I just had an idea.  If they really wanted to do something like that, they should have dunk-offs between every team, now, leading up to the All-Star game.  It’d be pretty fun if during halftime of the regular season games now, each of the two teams submitted one player and they have a dunk-off.  Whoever wins goes onto the next level.  Think of how much fun and drama that would create!  Highlights on Sports Center every night as we get closer and closer to All-Star weekend, winnowing out the weak from the strong.  Then fans would come into the All-Star Weekend with favorites who they’ve been watching.  Like as someone who lives in LA, all the Laker games are shown on tv, so I’ve seen them a bunch.  And Shannon Brown is a phenomenal athlete who’s had some crazy dunks.  But for the rest of the world, they don’t know Shannon Brown from James Brown.  However if they got to watch him compete in dunks week after week, he’d get a huge following and people would turn on the dunk contest just to see how their boy Shannon’s doing.

Man, I sure can babble.  This was just supposed to be a two-sentence thing, followed by video highlights to get you psyched up.  Well, let’s get to that now.  A couple of my faves in this mix, beside the dunks from the contests, include the 5’8″ Nate blocking 7’6″ Yao Ming, him crossing-over Jose Calderon so badly that Calderon literally ends up on his butt, and another move where he steps back, totally freezing Steve Blake, then zooms right past him.

Enjoy.

**Great NYT article on David Lee’s improved jump shot:

For the previous 15 games before Saturday, Lee had been as brilliant on the perimeter as he had been at the rim, his rapid evolution on full display. Since Dec. 6, Lee had converted 53 percent of his jumpers from 16 to 23 feet, and 75 percent of his shots from 10 to 15 feet, according to an analysis provided by HoopData.com.

In 35 games, Lee had converted more perimeter shots (86) than he did all of last season (82). He had hit 66 shots in the 16-to-23-foot range, compared with 51 last season and only 18 in 2007-8.

…  Lee’s accuracy rate from 16 to 23 feet was in the low 30s every season until this one. He was shooting 45 percent (66 of 146) in that range this season, well above the league average for power forwards (40.5 percent) and for centers (40.4), according to HoopData.com.

Another interesting thing they note is that Lee was a point guard early on in high school, so he’s got a pretty good handle (in the Houston game he caught one rebound, dribbled up the court, did a nice move on his man, and got a layup) plus he’s one of the Knicks’ better passers.

**On a sad note, the NY Post reports that David Lee’s grandfather is deathly ill.  As a result, Lee may have to leave the team momentarily.  They also mention:

Lee’s grandfather, E. Desmond Lee, made a fortune in coat hangers and became a well-known St. Louis philanthropist, donating $50 million to various charities in the city.

How do you make a fortune in coat hangers?  Did he have some unique design?  Was he the one who invented the part on them fancy hangers that clamps down on your pants & holds ‘em in place?  I’m curious.  Someone do some research on this.  Maybe I can make a fortune in like toothpicks or something.