Mar4

NBA Power Rankings 14.0

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Here are the NBA Power Rankings through March 4th

1. Miami Heat (43.14) – The Heat have continued their incredible streak, which is now at 14 straight wins. The Heat are running away with the East right now and are making the case for the best record in the NBA. Regardless of record though, they are the best team right now. (SC)

2. San Antonio Spurs (47-14) – The Spurs have fought through injuries all season but Tony Parker is the one player that the team couldn’t afford to be out for any extended period of time. They have a big enough cushion and a deep enough roster to overcome him being out 4 weeks but home court advantage throughout the playoffs might have gone down with Parker. (CC)

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (43-16) – The Thunder are the biggest beneficiary of the Tony Parker injury. They have a clear path to the #1 seed in the West. The game against the Lakers on Tuesday could be a first round preview. It could be one of the best first round matchups of all time. (CC)

4. Los Angeles Clippers (43-19) – The Clippers have to start winning meaningful games before anyone takes them seriously as a title contender. Lobs and dunks can only get you so far and if the team fizzles out in the first or second round, I doubt any of their fans will find consolation in the season highlight reel. (CC)

5. Indiana Pacers (38-22) – The Pacers have gotten a lead on the Knicks for the 2 seed in the East and have continued to play well, winning two straight. If they can get Danny Granger to be effective again, they could be a serious threat to the Heat in the East. (SC)

6. Memphis Grizzlies (39-19) – The Grizz rebounded well after that tough loss to the Heat on Friday. They are the NBA’s hottest team outside of the Heat and are gaining ground on the Clippers for the #3 seed in the West. They likely won’t catch the Thunder or the Spurs but they are more of a contender at this point than Lob City. (CC)

7. New York Knicks (35-21) – The Knicks came close to ending the Heat’s 14 game winning streak on Sunday but couldn’t finish. They continue to be a streaky team, but should be pleased that Jason Kidd had his best game since November. (SC)

8. Denver Nuggets (38-22) – The Nuggets can score with anyone in the league and have a plethora of options offensively. After Wilson Chandler’s breakout performance against the Thunder that just gives this team another weapon down the stretch heading into the playoffs. Ty Lawson is slowly becoming one of the best point guards in the league. (CC)

9. Chicago Bulls (34-26) – Joakim Noah had a game for the ages this week, getting 23 points, 21 rebounds and 11 blocks in a Bulls win against the 76′ers. (SC)

10. Golden State Warriors (33-27) – Steph Curry’s performance in Madison Square Garden was one for the ages. He is playing out of his mind lately even though the team is struggling. The Warriors are still a relatively young team and making the playoffs is a huge step forward for this group. (CC)

11. Brooklyn Nets (34-26) – The Nets are only 3 games behind the Knicks in the Atlantic, but this team still hasn’t proved to be a title contender. They get on hot streaks but still haven’t proven they can consistently beat the best teams. (SC)

12. Atlanta Hawks (33-25) – The Hawks couldn’t hold on for a win against the Lakers on Sunday but they finished off the month of February strong and are in position for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs at this point. (SC)

13. Houston Rockets (33-28) – Same ole, same ole with the Rockets. Talented offensively but would probably give up 100+ to some college teams. They could be a difficult matchup for the Spurs or the Thunder in the first round, making this year’s playoffs must see TV for basketball fans. (CC)

14. Boston Celtics (31-27) – The Celtics have the Heat, Knicks and Thunder all on the schedule in the next month but for the most part have an easy March. 7 of the 15 teams the Celtics play in March are under .500 this season.

15. Utah Jazz (32-27) – The Jazz haven’t played well lately and with the Rockets and Lakers nipping at their heels, they have a lot of pressure to perform for the rest of the season. This will probably be the last shot with this group as there are a number of players, including Paul Milsap and Al Jefferson that won’t be here next year. (CC)

16. Los Angeles Lakers (30-30) – Kobe has been in Kobe-mode these last few weeks. He single handedly clipped the Hawks’ wings Sunday night in Los Angeles. The team is finally playing together and everyone has accepted their roles. This team, like the Rockets, will be a tough out for any the West’s top seeds in the playoffs. (CC)

17. Milwaukee Bucks (29-28) – It’s early, but it looks like the JJ Redick trade paid off for the Bucks. Since the Bucks acquired Redick, they have gone 3-1 and Redick has played well off the bench. (SC)

18. Portland Trailblazers (27-31) – The Blazers are struggling lately. They are falling further and further out of the playoff picture with every loss. Eric Maynor was a nice addition at the deadline but he wasn’t the only piece the team needed to acquirer to make a playoff push. (CC)

19. Dallas Mavericks (26-33) – Even with Dirk playing well, the Mavs still don’t have the look of a playoff team. They are just too inconsistent and don’t have the veteran leadership that has willed this team along in the past. (CC)

20. Toronto Raptors (23-37) – Since getting hot after the Rudy Gay trade, the Raptors have cooled off fast with four straight losses. There is still time, but the Raptors need to improve their play fast if they want to make the playoffs. (SC)

21. Cleveland Cavaliers (20-39) – The Cavaliers have seen improvement in the Kyrie Irving era, but they’re likely going to go another year without a playoff appearance. They have a young team though and experience now is important for them. (SC)

22. Philadelphia 76′ers (23-35) – The 76′ers have to be relieved that February is over. It’s been a rough year for them but this past month was especially bad, with the 76′ers going 3-8 over that month. (SC)

23. Detroit Pistons (23-39) – The Pistons have had some bad moments this year but one of the worst had to be this past week, when they lost to a Spurs team without Tony Parker by 39 points. (SC)

24. Phoenix Suns (21-39) – The Morris twins looked really good on the court together against the Hawks. If the Suns can get more performances like that from the duo then finally Robert Sarver might have said yes to a move that made sense. This team still has a long way to go though. (CC)

25. New Orleans Hornets (21-39) – The Hornets are lottery bound again but have shown signs of improvement this season which was all any of their fans were looking for. This team has a solid core to build around and should be much improved next season. (CC)

26. Sacramento Kings (21-40) – The Kings are a train wreck and are a late season return of Kevin Love from being the worst team in the Western Conference. Kevin Johnson is trying to keep them in Sacramento but he might be better off letting this group go and try to get an expansion team in a few years. (CC)

27. Washington Wizards (19-39) – While the Wizards have had a bad season, they have found encouragement in the way of Bradley Beal’s play lately. After starting slow, Beal has picked up his play in the past month. (SC)

28. Minnesota Timberwolves (20-36) – Half of their team is injured so this is what you can expect. Look out for this team next season if they can get healthy. The only positive from the team being this bad is that some of the young guys are getting some much needed reps. (CC)

29. Orlando Magic (16-44) – The Magic, believe it or not, have set themselves up to be major players in the draft as well as in free agency over the next two to three seasons. They have a lot of young pieces and will be fine in the post-Howard era. (CC)

30. Charlotte Bobcats (13-46) – The Bobcats are still bad. They’ve lost 6 straight and will once again be the worst team in the league. It’s time to get some younger players minutes. (SC)