NBA Power Poll #21

1. Los Angeles Lakers (55-21): Even after a tough loss Sunday to a hot Nuggets team, they're still 17-2 since the All Star break.  More concerning was that Andrew Bynum tweaked his knee (shocker).  The team says he's fine, but as a Laker follower, I'll believe that when I see it.  The Lakers now trail the Spurs by 2 1/2 games.

2. Chicago Bulls (56-20): The key to the Bulls' success has been their stellar record against a weak division.  They've gone 14-1 against Central foes Indiana, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Cleveland; those teams are a combined 107-199 on the season.

3. Miami Heat (54-23): The Heat have caught and passed the Celtics in the standings, and they seem likely to hold onto the two seed with the Celtics banged up.  That would be huge for a team that clearly needs a mental edge against Boston.  Chris Bosh has picked up his game lately, and he needed to.  This team won’t go very far if the big three plays as a big two.

4. San Antonio Spurs (58-19): They finally righted the ship Sunday against the Suns, but they have to be concerned after losing six straight games.  That's the longest losing streak in the Tim Duncan era.  Backing into the playoffs is never a good way to go, and with a game left to play at the Lakers, the Spurs might still lose the one seed.

5. Boston Celtics (53-23): Shaquille O'Neal finally got back in the lineup after missing two months with a sore Achilles and promptly left the game in the second quarter with a leg injury.  Who knows if he aggravated the same injury, but either way, it’s clear Shaq just can’t stay on the court at this point in his career.  The Celtics are going to be in trouble in the playoffs.  Their post rotation consists of Nenad Kristic, Kevin Garnett, Jeff Green, Glen Davis, Jermaine O’Neal, and Troy Murphy.  There isn’t one guy in that group with the combination of physicality, bulk, and height to battle the better teams inside.

6. Oklahoma City Thunder (50-26): Despite a two-game losing skid, the Thunder have been playing really well lately.  James Harden has really filled the departed Jeff Green's scoring void, averaging 17 points per game since the All Star break.

7. Denver Nuggets (47-29): I’m starting to think this team is more than just a nice story, that they might be able to give the Thunder a really tough time in the first round.  If they were playing the Mavericks in a series, I might even pick them to win.  They are incredibly quick at point guard where Ray Felton and Ty Lawson share duties.  Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith are talented and very athletic wing players who both can shoot the three and guard the opponents’ best player. Danilo Gallinari can really do everything; he’s a poor man’s Dirk Nowitzki, which is still really good.  Al Harrington, Nene, and Kenyon Martin create a strong, versatile post rotation as well.  Deep and talented across the board, this team has a lot of parts I really like.

8. Dallas Mavericks (53-24): This team showed me their true colors when they played the Lakers a few nights ago.  In a game that would have gone a long way toward taking the two seed, the Mavs got their doors blown off, and then lost their cool committing ridiculous fouls against LA.  The Lakers are clearly in the Mavericks' heads, and in that game it was obvious that Dallas just can’t matchup with Showtime.

9. Orlando Magic (48-29): I don’t know which is a bigger lock: that the Magic will beat the Hawks in the first round or that they'll lose to the Bulls in the second.  I’ll guarantee both.

+1. Kris Humphries: Not only is this Net dating Kim Kardashian—which by itself would be enough to claim this spot—he’s having a really solid year.  For his career he’s averaged just 6 points and 5 rebounds per game, but this season he’s bumped those numbers to 10 and 10.

--from Adam