1. San Antonio Spurs (45-9): The Spurs are descending into chaos! They actually lost a game...on the road to a solid 76ers team. Then they rebounded by beating the Wizards so badly that David Stern is reportedly considering making Washington a D-League franchise. Wizard Alert: They actually won a road game! Against the historically bad Cavs...who also won a game this week! Landmark victories all around. Now that's 1-25 on the road for Washington and 1 win out of their last 28 for Cleveland. Sorry Spurs fans that your top spot has been hijacked by the dregs of the league, but that's what happens when you keep winning. I run out of things to say about you.
2. Los Angeles Lakers (38-17): Admittedly, I've been looking for a chance to get my team back toward the top of the rankings, but it’s certainly justified this week. They won four straight road games all against teams over .500 in the Hornets, Grizzlies, Celtics, and Knicks. Obviously the win in Boston was the most impressive, the first true marquee victory of the Lakers' season. Sure they lost at Orlando on Sunday, but that was their third game in four days against top competition. You can't win em' all, but for once, it looks like the Lakers are trying.
3. Boston Celtics (39-14): If it seems like Boston hasn't had their full roster healthy all year it’s because they haven't. Still, they gave the Lake Show all they could handle and beat the Heat for the third time in three tries this year. You can't tell me that Boston isn't in Lebron's head. They manhandled his Cavaliers last year and have been decidedly better than his Heat every time they've shared the court this season. Boston is the toughest, smartest, and when healthy, the deepest team in the league. They know how to make superstars work to get their points, and they know which guys will quit when things get tough (see LeBron James' Cavs-Celts series last year).
4. Miami Heat (39-15): Is LeBron James becoming the Dan Marion of the NBA, a regular season force that puts up great numbers but for whatever reason can't hack it in the playoffs? We saw against Boston again on Sunday that King James is going to have to find a consistent jumper and post-up game in order to exploit matchups. You simply don't drive through the Celtic defense; they are going to make you play half-court offense.
5. Dallas Mavericks (38-16): I don't like putting Dallas this high, not because I don't like them, but because I don't believe they are anything more than a team that beats who they should in the regular season but isn't tough, athletic, or young enough to win in the postseason. They're the bizzaro Celtics: old, deep, and have a lot of very good but not great players. The difference is the Celtics intimidate and play bad-ass defense.
6. Chicago Bulls (36-26): Joakim Noah is set to return after the All Star break. Even though Noah and Carlos Boozer have only shared the court in something like six games this year, the Bulls are still fighting for the top seed in the East. That's why Derrick Rose has to be near the top of any MVP ballot.
7. Orlando Magic (35-21): They got a nice win over a clearly tired Lakers team, but Stan the Van's troops will take what they can get. Dwight Howard was a monster against Andrew Bynum, even flashing touch out to 15 feet. Still, Gilbert Arenas looked useless. You know it’s bad when even mild mannered Mike Tirico says, "Boy, Arenas just can't get past anybody." They don't have a legit second scorer to relieve Howard, and I don't see how they could beat the Heat, Celtics, or Bulls in the postseason. They might not even best Atlanta.
8. Atlanta Hawks (33-20): I finally figured out why Atlanta has a really nice record but often doesn't look all that good. They've had the easiest schedule in the NBA so far this year.
9. Portland Trailblazers (30-24): Brandon Roy is trying to come back twenty days after surgery on both knees. How does everyone but him know that’s a bad idea? The Blazers have amazingly stayed competitive despite all their injuries, but they have exactly zero chance of making a run in the playoffs. Credit LaMarcus Aldridge for carrying this team on his back all year.
+1. Golden State Warriors: You may have forgotten that Oakland possessed an NBA franchise, but this team has some really nice young pieces and got a nice showcase win Sunday night on national television against the Thunder. Monta Ellis is a flat-out scorer, and paired with Steph Curry, the Warriors have one of the better backcourts in basketball. David Lee will never be a great player, but he's a nice starter in this league. If young guys like Ekpe Udoh, Reggie Williams, and Dorrell Wright progress, this team could be in the playoffs next year.
--from Adam
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