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NBA Power Rankings: Respect for the Magic

Written by Steve Janus

nba-power-rankings-janus-011509 (1) The Cleveland Cavs are perfect at home (19-0) and now have the NBA’s best overall record at 30-6. They do have a tough road schedule ahead, but what I’m really excited for is their match up with the Lakers in L.A. next Monday. Bet on the Cavs tonight!

(2) Are the Lakers slowing down? I don’t think it’s fair to say that quite yet. They have lost 2 of their last 6 games. Most NBA teams would be more than happy with that. They are in the middle of the toughest part of their schedule this year, playing at Houston, at San Antonio then back in L.A. against Orlando and Cleveland. The Lakers are 1-1 so far in this rough stretch. Walking away from these four games with a 2-2 record would be considered a victory for L.A. in my opinion.

(3) Orlando is starting to pull away from the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA’s Southeast division. They have the NBA’s best record on the road at 15-5 and are currently on a 5-game winning streak. It’s past time to start seeing the Magic as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference.

(4) You know the Celtics are good when they can lose 4-straight, then come back to win three games in a row and extend their lead in the division back to 8.5 games over the Pistons. The C’s aren’t invincible, but remember that even Superman has his weaknesses. Don’t be surprised if Boston is back on top of the power rankings by the end of the month.

(5) With a win over the Lakers on Wednesday night, the Spurs cemented a spot in the top five of our NBA power rankings this week. They are clinging to a 1 game lead over New Orleans in the division, but they play 14 of their next 17 games on the road, including a brutal 8-game trip.

(6) The Hornets have been spectacular at times, including an 11 point win over the Lakers in L.A., but they’ve been amazingly inconsistent. After beating the Lakers, the Hornets dropped a game at Utah, then beat the Clippers in New Orleans, then lost to the Knicks in New Orleans, then beat the Mavs in Dallas. What?

(7) Things were going great for the Nuggets, but then Carmelo Anthony fractured his right hand and will miss 3-4 weeks at least. I guess we will find out if Denver is deep enough to compete without their best player over the next month, won’t we?

(8) The Phoenix Suns have won 5 of their last 6 games, and are playing smarter basketball. With the veterans on this team, the only question is why it has taken so long for this to happen. Shaq continues to put up solid numbers nightly, but offensive production has been light from the rest of the team.

(9) Portland remains just 2.5 games back of the Denver Nuggets in the Northwest, but the Trail Blazers have been awful on the road this year. At just 9-11 they have the 2nd-worst road record of any team in 2nd place in their division (The Hawks are worse yet at 8-11). The Blazers are 2 point favorites at New Jersey tonight.

(10) Rounding out the top ten we have the Houston Rockets at 24-16. Houston is just 5-5 over their last 10 games, but they are still hanging around in the Southwest Division, just 2.5 games back of the 1st place Spurs and only 1.5 games back from the 2nd place Hornets.

Just missed the top ten: Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavs, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, Toronto Raptors

Room for some serious improvement: Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks

The Bottom of the Barrell: Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, L.A. Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder

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Written by Steve Janus on January 15, 2009 · Filed Under NBA Betting Articles, News & Previews

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