29. (+0) Los Angeles Clippers are 3-15 and have lost two games since the last power rankings. The team continues to lose and Blake Griffin continues to shine with spectacular highlights. The Clippers will have another chance at getting the first pick in next year’s draft with all the losses they are piling up.
28. (+0) Philadelphia 76ers are 4-13 and have lost three of their last four games. When Doug Collins accepted the head coach position he knew the job was not going to be easy. Elton Brand’s 16 points and 7 rebounds plus Andre Iguodala’s 15 points a game are not good enough to keep the team winning consistently.
27. (-4) Minnesota Timberwolves are 4-13 and have lost three straight games. Kevin Love’s 19 points and 15 rebounds and Michael Beasley’s 21 points per game are not enough to keep up with poor team defense. The Timberwolves are giving up 110 points per game. One of their many point guards, Jonny Flynn continues to recover from hip surgery. On the other hand, the Timberwolves are leading the league in rebounds.
26. (-7) Sacramento Kings are 4-11 and have lost their last three games. They lost to the worst team in the league on Thanksgiving Day, making the Clippers look like a great team. Like the Nets, the Kings are struggling from offense as they are only reaching 94 points a game and allowing 100 points scored.
25. (+3) Toronto Raptors are 6-11 and moved up two spots because two teams had a bad week. The Raptors are still struggling without Chris Bosh and the team does not have a go-to-player who they can rely on in the clutch.
24. (+2) Houston Rockets are 5-11 and have continued to struggle without the services of Aaron Brooks and Yao Ming. The team is relying heavily on Kevin Martin’s 23 points and Luis Scola’s 22 points and 10 rebounds per game.
23. (-2) New Jersey Nets are 6-11 and have lost two of their last four games this past week. This is one of many young teams in the league, and Brook Lopez’s 18 points and Devin Harris’ 17 points a game are not enough for the Nets to reach the century mark, as the team is only averaging 93 points a game.
22. (+3) Washington Wizards are 5-10 and are a below average team that can compete on a high level but are missing a dominant post presence. The team is averaging 98 points a game but they are giving up 105 points to their opponents. John Wall is making a case for Rookie-of-the-Year with his 18 points and 9 rebounds per game.
21. (-4) Cleveland Cavaliers are 7-9 and are struggling to find their identity without LeBron James. They are led by Mo Williams’ 15 points per game but are only scoring 95 points and allowing 100 points scored on them.
20. (+4) Detroit Pistons are 6-11 and I am not sure how they moved four spots up. The teams is giving up 100 points per game and only putting up 95 points for themselves but are led by Rodney Stuckey’s 16 points per game.
19. (+3) Charlotte Bobcats are 6-11 and are led by Stephen Jackson’s 19 points per game. The team has had bad losses like the 99-95 loss to the New York Knicks last week. The team is struggling on offense with 96 points per game and on defense by giving up 97 points per game.
18. (-2) Milwaukee Bucks are 6-10 and have not lived up to the team who was supposed to compete with the Chicago Bulls for the Central Division. The Bucks are struggling heavily on offense, putting up only 90 points per game. The team is allowing 91 points per game.
17. (-3) Golden State Warriors are 8-9 and thus far the team is not outscoring its opponents. The team is led by Monta Ellis’ 25 points and Stephen Curry’s 20 points per game. The team is averaging 101 points a game but are allowing 106 points scored by their opponents.
16. (+2) Memphis Grizzlies are 7-10 and are slightly better than the Warriors. This team is averaging the same amount of points as the Warriors but this team is only giving up 102 points. The Grizzles are led by Rudy Gay’s 22 points per game.
15. (-2) Phoenix Suns are 8-9 and have had a tough time playing without Amare Stoudemire. The Suns are relying heavily upon Jason Richardson’s 19 points and Steve Nash’s 19 points and 10 assist per game to keep the team in the playoff picture.
Next: Teams that are actually .500 and better
14. (-2) Portland Trailblazers are 8-8 and are dealing with injuries like they did last season. Joel Przybilla had a knee surgery and is day-to-day while Greg Oden is out for the season once again. The Blazers are even on offense and defense, averaging 96 points and giving up 96 points per game. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge lead the team with 19 points apiece.
13. (+2) New York Knicks are 9-9 and just came off a five-game winning streak. The Knicks are benefitting a whole lot with the addition of Amare Stoudemire, who recently said he was never taught defense. The Knicks seem like they don’t teach defense either since they are giving up 107 points per game. Stoudemire leads the Knicks with 22 points and 9 rebounds per game.
12. (+0) Denver Nuggets are 10-6 and are the team they have been for the past few years. They are scoring 103 points and giving up 101 points per game. Carmelo Antony leads the team with 25 points per game.
11. (+9) Indiana Pacers are 8-7 and have been one of the surprising teams of the season thus far. The Pacers defeated the Miami Heat 93-77 this past week in Miami. The Pacers also beat the Lakers in Los Angeles this past Sunday. The team is averaging 100 points and allowing 96 points scored per game. The team is led by Danny Granger’s 22 points per game. Roy Hibbert is having a great season thus far, averaging 16 points and 9 boards per game. UCLA product Darren Collison is also adding 14 points and 4 rebounds per game.
10. (+0) Miami Heat are 9-8 and have had dropped three of their last four games. The Heat were blown out of the water by the Pacers in a 93-77 loss that was followed by another loss in Orlando. The team signed Erik Dampier this past week, in hopes that he can be the missing component in their video game fantasy team… (Insert your joke here.) The team is averaging 100 points a game and giving up only 93 points on defense. LeBron James leads the team with 23 points followed by Dwayne Wade’s 21 points and Chris Bosh’s 17 points per game.
9. (+0) Atlanta Hawks are 11-7 and have had balanced scoring among their starting five. Joe Johnson leads the starters with 18 points followed by Al Horford’s 16 points, Josh Smith’s 16 points, Jamal Crawford’s 14 points and Mike Bibby’s 11 points. The Hawks are giving up 99 points a game and scoring 100 points of their own.
Next: Teams that Can Make Some Noise
8. (-2) Chicago Bulls are 9-6 and have had an up and down season thus far. The Bulls had a great game against the Los Angeles Lakers in a losing effort last week. The Bulls are the second best rebounding team behind the Minnesota Timberwolves and ahead of the Lakers. The team is led by Joakim Noah’s 14 boards a game. Derrick Rose leads the team with 26 points and 8 assists per game. This team is averaging 102 points per game and giving up 99 points per contest.
7. (-2) Oklahoma City Thunder are 11-6 and have had a slow start but are picking up steam. The Thunder are averaging 102 points per game but are giving up 103 a game. The team is led by the league’s leading scorer, Kevin Durant and his 28 points per game. Russell Westbrook is adding 24 points and 8 assists, while Jeff Green is adding another 18 points per game for the exciting young Thunder.
6. (+1) Dallas Mavericks are 12-4 and have been winning big games despite only scoring 97 points per game. The Mavericks are winning games on the defensive end as the team is only giving up 92 points per contest. The team is led by Dirk Nowitzki’s 26 points and 8 boards a game. Jason Terry is adding 17 points and 5 assists. The Mavericks are the only team with depth that can match the Lakers but the first match-up between the two teams will have to wait until the New Year.
5. (+3) Utah Jazz are 13-5 and have been playing catch up in many of their games. The latest comeback win was against the Lakers after trailing 33-17 after one quarter. This team does not panic once they are down. This is the reason why Jerry Sloan is one of the best coaches in the league. The Jazz as a team are averaging 100 points a contest and only giving up 97 points to their opponents. The team is led by All-Star point guard Deron Williams’ 21 points and 10 assists. Paul Milsap, who is replacing Carlos Boozer, is averaging 19 points and 9 assists a contest.
4. (-1) New Orleans Hornets are 12-4 and continue to be a strong contender in the West. This team does not have a powerful offense but the team is averaging 96 points a game. The Hornets are winning games on the defensive end by allowing just 91 points per game. David West leads the team with 18 points and 7 boards. Chris Paul is adding 16 points and 10 assists.
Next: And The Contenders
3. (-1) Boston Celtics are 12-4 and have been looking good despite some minor injuries to key players. The Celtics are continuing to play great defense as the team is only giving up 93 points a contest and outscoring its opponents by seven points per game. Paul Pierce leads the team with 20 points followed by Ray Allen’s 17 points per game. Kevin Garnett is averaging 15 points and 9 boards while surprisingly Shaquille O’Neal is averaging 12 points and 7 rebounds per game. Rajon Rondo is not the best scorer on the team but he is extremely talented dishing the ball around to the four future Hall-of-Famers since he is averaging 14 assists per game.
2. (+2) Orlando Magic are 12-4 and have regrouped after starting the season with a blow-out loss in Miami. The team is an excellent defensive team as they are giving up only 92 points per game and outscoring opponents by seven points. The team is led by MVP candidate Dwight Howard’s 22 points and 12 rebounds per game. Jameer Nelson is adding 15 points and 7 assists while Vince Carter is adding 14 points per game. The team is getting balanced production by the supporting cast as well. The Magic are definitely the best team in the East this week.
1. (+0) San Antonio Spurs are 14-2 and just came off winning 12 straight games. The team has been performing well during the long winning streak while averaging 107 points per game but giving up only 99 points to their opponents. Manu Ginobili leads the team with his 21 points per game while Tony Parker is adding 19 points and 7 assists, despite the off-court issues he has had of late. Tim Duncan is putting up 14 points and 9 boards a game and Richard Jefferson is adding his 15 points to the mix. Now that the team has lost a game, the challenge is to see if they can continue the excellent team performance after defeating the New Orleans Hornets on Nov. 28 and be an elite contender like they have been throughout the years.