30. Washington Wizards (4-28, Last Week: 29): The Wizards have dropped their last five games. John Wall is expected to make his season-debut within the next couple of weeks, though.
29. Charlotte Bobcats (9-24, Last Week: 30): The Bobcats finally ended their 18-game losing streak, but two wins after that–even though one came against the Chicago Bulls–doesn’t earn them more than one jump this week in the standings.
28. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-27, Last Week: 28): The Cavs have lost four of their last five; the only win coming against the Bobcats, though. Kyrie Irving is still playing amazing, however.
27. New Orleans Hornets (8-25, Last Week: 27): The Hornets remain in 27th this week, also. Greivis Vasquez is quietly having an outstanding season; averaging 14.0 points, 9.0 assists (with 3.3 turnovers, though), and 4.5 rebounds per game.
26. Orlando Magic (12-21, Last Week: 24): Currently in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, the Magic are facing a four-game road trip starting Monday.
25. Phoenix Suns (12-23, Last Week: 26): The Suns only climb one spot due to other teams’ lackluster play, as they’ve lost eight of their last nine games.
24. Dallas Mavericks (13-21, Last Week: 25): The Mavericks have also lost eight of their last nine.
23. Philadelphia 76ers (15-20, Last Week: 20): The Sixers drop here due to winning only one of their last six games; the singular victory coming against the jumbled Lakers.
22. Sacramento Kings (13-21, Last Week: 21): The Kings went 2-2 last week, but the two wins came against lowly teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors. However, DeMarcus Cousins is averaging 20.8, 13.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists since returning from a team-mandated two-game suspension.
21. Toronto Raptors (12-22, Last Week: 19): The Raptors had been hot lately, but fell to the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder in back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Next Page: Middle Of The Pack
20. Detroit Pistons (13-23, Last Week: 23): The Pistons have won four of their last five games–even defeating solid teams like the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks.
19. Los Angeles Lakers (15-18, Last Week: 10): Just as fast as the Lakers broke the Top Ten last week, they fell nine spots this week. A three-game losing streak and an inability to play consistently has hurt the Lakers as of late. The Lakers do appear to be getting better–but it’s just not translating into wins yet.
18. Boston Celtics (16-17, Last Week: 22): I absolutely hate placing the Celtics above the Lakers, but at least they’re able to win games in their conference–defeating the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks in back-to-back games.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (15-15, Last Week: 16); The Wolves took a big hit as Kevin Love re-fractured his hand–the same hand that kept him out for over a month earlier this season.
16. Utah Jazz (17-18, Last Week: 18): The Utah Jazz remain bad on the road (7-14), but good at home (10-4).
15. Milwaukee Bucks (16-16, Last Week: 11): The Bucks have lost four games in a row, while Brandon Jennings has been playing up-and-down.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (18-15, Last Week: 17): The Blazers have won four of their last five games, including victories over the New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
13. Denver Nuggets (20-16, Last Week: 15): The Nuggets continue their dominance at home (11-2), while ending the Los Angeles Clippers’ 17-game winning streak, and defeating the Utah Jazz. They also showed poise on the road by beating the Lakers.
12. Brooklyn Nets (19-15, Last Week: 14): The Nets have won three in a row–including a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, in Oklahoma City.
11. Chicago Bulls (18-13, Last Week: 13): The Bulls had slid a bit, but a win over the Miami Heat in Miami during a nationally televised marquee matchup boosts the Bulls here.
Next Page: A Tight Squeeze At The Top
10. Indiana Pacers (20-14, Last Week: 12): The Pacers break the Top Ten this week while having an outstanding home record (12-3).
9. Atlanta Hawks (20-12, Last Week: 8): The Hawks fell a spot here due to losses against the Pistons and Celtics.
8. Houston Rockets (20-14, Last Week: 9): The Rockets are currently riding a four-game winning streak and face the struggling Lakers at home on Tuesday.
7. Memphis Grizzlies (21-10, Last Week: 7): The Grizz aren’t dominating quite as much as they were at the start of the season, but are still quietly a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference.
6. New York Knicks (23-10, Last Week: 6): The Knicks are 2-1 since Amar’e Stoudemire’s return. Stoudemire himself hasn’t provided much in a reserve role just yet. They did manage to beat the San Antonio Spurs, however.
5. Golden State Warriors (22-11, Last Week: 5): The Warriors managed to defeat the red-hot Clippers at home on Wednesday, but then got blown out in the rematch in L.A. The most impressive thing about the Warriors this season remains their solid road record at 11-7.
4. Miami Heat (23-9, Last Week: 3): The Heat are still playing well, but a loss against the Bulls last week drops them a spot here.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (26-7, Last Week: 4): The Thunder have the best record in the NBA. However, there are still two teams playing better than them over the past few weeks.
2. San Antonio Spurs (27-9, Last Week: 2): The Spurs have won eight of their last nine games. Had they defeated the New York Knicks instead of being blown out, they probably would have taken the number one spot; but we all know the Spurs play for the playoffs and not December/January. Still, the Spurs have shown some vulnerability to explosive teams this season.
1. Los Angeles Clippers (27-8, Last Week: 1): The Clippers won 17 games straight before suffering back-to-back losses to the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors, respectively. This would have shifted the Clippers down a slot or two, but they followed that by holding off a solid effort by the town-rival Los Angeles Lakers and putting a beating on the Warriors for payback. The Clippers are the most exciting team to watch in the NBA and have put a target on their back as a team. Their chemistry, depth, and commitment to defense have propelled “Lob City” from being solely a high-fly act to becoming a legitimate championship contender.