1. LA Lakers (50-20): Remember when they were 38-19 at the All Star break? That was thirteen games ago, and the Lakers have lost just once since then. They’ve caught and subsequently passed the Mavericks in the standings and now own the two seed out West. On a long home-stand now, LA should bolster their record as they did last week with wins against the Magic, T-Wolves, and Blazers. Andrew Bynum, who got suspended two games for a flagrant foul on Michael Beasley, has been one of the best players in the league over the past month. In his last ten games Bynum is averaging 13 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks. Kobe Bryant’s ankle injury scare seems to have been nothing more than a scare. He’s fine, and so is LA.
2. San Antonio Spurs (56-13): The Spurs got crushed last Monday by the Heat. That wasn't much of a surprise though. The Heat are playing better, had revenge on their minds, and need every win they can get. The Spurs are basically coasting toward the playoffs. Gregg Popovich and company still won at Dallas and cruised to an easy victory over the Bobcats last week. It is slightly worrisome how poorly the Spurs played when Tony Parker was sidelined. I’m not sure this is a team that can be successful in the playoffs without all hands on deck.
3. Chicago Bulls (49-19): We all thought this team would be good, but 30 games over .500? Impressive. Derrick Rose probably has the MVP sewn up, though I still advocate for Dwight Howard.
4. Boston Celtics (49-19): Boston has to fear the Bulls right now. I’m sure to start the year they thought they’d be battling the Heat for the East's top seed. And I’m sure the Celtics liked that idea, knowing they are tougher and grittier than Miami. The Bulls represent a near mirror image for Boston. Chicago has the Celtics' former defensive mastermind as their head coach, a young star point guard, an All Star power forward, and role players that buy into the system. If Boston and Chicago meet in the East Finals, it’s going to be a war.
5. Dallas Mavericks (49-21): Who would you take in a Finals series where the Heat met the Mavs? I’m not sure, but we probably won’t have to worry about that happening because both teams share a basic softness that limits their long-term prospects. Both are flashy, explosive offensive teams that lack the ability to close out games. Dallas had a sizeable lead over the Lakers in the race for the two seed, but threw it away with their worst stretch of ball all year. If the Mavericks were going to beat the Lakers in the playoffs, they needed home court. Now that looks highly unlikely.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder (45-24): A new team joins the league’s elite six? You bet. The Thunder replace the Heat because of their improved strength in the post. Kendrick Perkins makes their interior defense exponentially better, and Nazr Mohammed adds even more size. Now Kevin Durant never has to play power forward, and the Thunder’s perimeter defenders can funnel their men towards Perkins,Serge Ibaka, and Mohammed. OKC certainly has a legitimate shot to beat the Spurs in the second round. With their recent additions the Thunder can play low scoring games and win, which is vital in the playoffs.
7. Miami Heat (48-22): Full disclosure, I’m never sure where to put this team. They have two of the best five players in the league with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Chris Bosh is a nice offensive option, but he’s nothing more than a top-25 player in the league, not a superstar like I once thought. Miami has beaten the Lakers and Spurs, but has yet to defeat Boston or Chicago. They’re built to run less talented teams off the court and put up a nice regular season record. They're not built for the grinding style of the playoffs.
8. Orlando Magic (44-26): The Magic own this spot. They’re considerably worse than everyone ahead of them on my list, yet they would be heavily favored in a series against anyone else in the league. I can definitively say this is the eighth best team in the league. Congrats Orlando.
9. Denver Nuggets (41-29): They’ve lost two straight but are still playing really good basketball and nearly beat Miami a few nights ago. Unfortunately, the Nuggets are slated to face the Thunder in the 4-5 matchup of the first round. That’s a tall order, and even if they're swept, it shouldn’t diminish how well Denver has played without Carmelo Anthony.
+1. Tyler Hansbrough: No, he’s not on this list because he’s dominating the tournament for the Tar Heels. He’s actually in the NBA now. No really, I swear. He plays for the Pacers. And he’s playing really well lately. Averaging a solid 11 points and 5 rebounds this year, Hansbrough has taken off in the last month. He’s putting up 21 and 8 over his last ten games. Well done Psycho-T.
--from Adam
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