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NBA Week 19 Power Rankings – Lakers Sitting Pretty, Red-Hot Mavs Movin’ On Up
NBA basketball betting enthusiasts looking to make a big splash on tonight’s full slate of pro basketball action in the NBA sportsbook, will enjoy this look at my weekly NBA power rankings.
The L.A. Lakers and Cleveland are still on top of the league power rankings, but the Lakers have plenty of Western Conference company in the top five, while the Orlando Magic are hot on Cleveland’s heels in the Eastern Conference.
1. Los Angeles Lakers 46-15
L.A. is by far the best team in the league and has been on ‘cruise control’ for the better part of the last month or so as they get set for the upcoming postseason. L.A.’s latest win, a 122-99 shellacking of Indiana, was a game I called ‘spot-on’ in the NBA locker room for pro basketball bettors on Tuesday.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers 47-14
The Cavaliers are firing on all cylinders and could get even better because of the loss of aging center Shaquille O’Neal as his minutes will go to some younger, more active frontcourt player at least for the time being. Still, I don’t see Cleveland beating Orlando in the East this season – again.
3. Dallas Mavericks 40-21
Dallas has won a league-high seven consecutive games and – with the addition of Caron ‘Tough Juice’ Butler – now has the added toughness I’ve always said they’ve been missing. I know the Nuggets are really good, but I’m thinking the Mavs are the second best team in the West now.
4. Orlando Magic 41-20
Dwight Howard has averaged nearly 25 points per game since the annual all-star break – and the offensively-loaded Orlando Magic suddenly have the look of a team that can beat anyone in the Eastern Conference – again.
5. Denver Nuggets 39-21
Back-to-back losses to L.A. and Phoenix haven’t dampened the Nuggets’ belief that they can challenge the Lakers for the conference crown, but I think it’s clear the Nuggets are missing something … probably a power forward with a brain.
6. Utah Jazz 38-22
The Jazz have gone 2-2 SU over their last four games but can score the ball with any team in the league, have one of the game’s greatest coaches ever – and still don’t play enough defense to stop running water half of the time. Still, I’d be wary of the facing the dangerous Jazz in the playoffs.
7. Phoenix Suns 38-24
Speaking of wary, the Suns have won seven of eight and totally define a team no on wants to face in the playoffs. Phoenix has a pair of all-stars in Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire and a slew of capable veteran players that can score the ball with their collective eyes closed.
8. Atlanta Hawks 38-21
One minute the Hawks look like they can beat any team in the NBA and the next, they look like a high school team that insists on driving their head coach crazy by not sticking to the script or playing with their heads.
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9. Oklahoma City 36-23
The young Thunder have won three straight and eight of 10 while racking up wins over Portland, Dallas, Phoenix and San Antonio along the way. Yeah NBA gamblers, this team is for real.
10. Boston Celtics 37-21
So what the Celtics beat Detroit on Tuesday night. Even in victory, their offense looked mostly uninspiring and stagnant against a Pistons team that isn’t very good. If you don’t know it right now, the Celtics are in trouble and aren’t better than either Cleveland or Orlando at this points – and possibly Atlanta too.
11. Portland Trail Blazers 36-27
The Blazers have won two straight and four of five but all of their latest wins have come against either mediocre or poor opponents. Still, Portland could give some teams problems down the line after acquiring Marcus Camby and getting Brandon Roy back recently.
12. San Antonio Spurs 34-24
The Spurs have won two straight and three of its last four games overall, but I’m still wary about this team as they’ve failed to live up to their potential all season long. At this point, the Spurs aren’t even one of the five best teams in their own conference.
13. Chicago Bulls 31-29
Back-to-back losses to Indiana and Atlanta have left the Bull reeling a bit heading into tonight’s games. The loss of starting center Joakim Noah is clearly affecting Chicago in a big way right now.
14. Milwaukee Bucks 30-29
Who would have ever thought that Andrew Bogut would turn out to be a better player than Greg Oden? Well, it’s true, he is. The Bucks may have had their six-game winning streak snapped by Atlanta in overtime the last time out, but the Bucks look like a solid playoff team right now.
15. Toronto Raptors 31-24
The Raptors have lost four straight heading into Wednesday night, but have several talented players on their roster. To bad Chris Bosh won’t be one of them following the end of Toronto’s 2009-10 season.
16. Charlotte Bobcats 28-30
I’ve always been a huge Larry Brown fan, but even when we were both in Philadelphia a few years back, I told hoops fans that he was often his own worst enemy. The Bobcats are ranked first in defense and 28th in scoring, because Brown doesn’t let the Bobcats get out and run very often. Oh, and his ‘I don’t like rookies’ mantra is severely outdated.
17. New Orleans Hornets 31-30
The Hornets have gone 1-4 SU over the last five, but overall, I’ve been very impressed with GM turned head coach Jeff Bower and rookie point guard Darren Collison who has looked much better than his understudy Jrue Holliday who was taken a lot higher in the draft by the woeful Sixers.
18. Miami Heat 30-31
All I can say about the Miami heat is ‘God bless Dwyane Wade’. Wade has had to carry a bunch of mediocre teammates for three straight seasons now and has done it without complaining. However, I’m sure Wade is thinking that enough is enough right about now. ‘Either get me some help or get me the hell outta here’ should be Wade’s mantra entering the offseason.
19. Memphis Grizzlies 30-30
The Grizzlies have alternated wins and losses over their last eight games but have nothing to be ashamed of in what has been an absolute breakout season for the franchise. By the way, it looks like Memphis made the right call on Allen Iverson now doesn’t it?
20. Philadelphia 76ers 22-37
Where’s Dr. J., Moses Malone and Charles Barkley when you need them? One of the league’s most respected franchises has fallen completely apart. The Sixers will likely blow up their roster and start over from scratch or somewhere near it, before the start of next season.
21. Houston Rockets 30-29
I don’t care what anyone says, I think the Rockets have been one of the hardest-playing teams in the league all season long. This team has overachieved despite losing its best player, but should be better off in the long run. The addition if veteran Kevin Martin was a stroke of genius, but the loss of Carl Landry was a killer in my estimation.
22. L.A. Clippers 25-35
I don’t care what their record is, I’ve actually been impressed by the Clippers this season (at least for a while). This team has had a bit too much to overcome as far as injuries are concerned but a healthy Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon could help them turn things around as early as next season.
23. Washington Wizards 20-34
Who needs Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison when you’ve got Andray Blatche? Washington’s former reserve forward has gone ballistic since the team moved its former starts in a couple of trade deadline fire sales and the Wizards play has improved dramatically. Washington has gone a respectable 3-3 SU over the last six games.
24. Detroit Pistons 21-39
The Pistons have lost four straight and have some serious soul searching to do as a franchise this offseason. I often wonder if Joe Dumars is still kicking himself for trading Joe Dumars.
25. Golden State Warriors 17-42
Rookie combo guard Stephen Curry is extremely gifted. Unfortunately, the Warriors’ two best players, Curry and Monta Ellis, are almost identical type of players … and is anyone else sick of Don Nelson’s coaching style by now? Let’s see, we’ll shoot the ball as soon as we can and play absolutely no defense whatsoever. Yup, sounds like a winning strategy to me – not!
26. Sacramento Kings 20-40
So what the Kings are 20 games under .500 right now? I’ve got mad love for this ‘team of the future’ and ageless head coach Paul Westphal. Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi should be outstanding cornerstones for this franchise for years to come.
27. Indiana Pacers 20-40
Indiana’s 20-40 record is nothing like Sacramento’s identical record pro basketball betting enthusiasts. The Kings are young and on the rise. Indiana is young as well, but this team has more veterans and should not be underachieving at such a high rate no matter how you look at it.
28. New York Knicks 20-39
The Knicks are an absolute mess and have gone backwards during Mike D’Antoni’s tenure with the ballclub. All I can say is that the Knicks and ‘Mr. Seven Seconds or Less’ had better be praying that LeBron James takes his multi-faceted game to New York next season.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves 13-44
Minnesota has lost three straight and nine of its last 10 games overall. See what happens when you have consecutive lottery picks and idiotically use them both on point guards? Maybe it’s me, but I say the T-Wolves deserve every loss they absorb.
30. New Jersey Nets 6-53
New Jersey is trying its best to surpass the 1972-73 76ers as the worst team in league history and apparently have an excellent chance at completing their task. Still, the Nets have some excellent pieces to build on in the near future, starting with center Brook Lopez, (19.1 ppg) who should have been an all-star this season if you ask me.
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