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March 5, 2012
Zicarelli's NBA power rankings
By FRANK ZICARELLI, QMI Agency
Frank Zicarelli’s weekly NBA power rankings: 1. Chicago Bulls (31-8) The D in D-Rose stands for dominant. 2. LA Lakers (23-14) Watch out for this group as Kobe has his mojo back. 3. Oklahoma City Thunder (29-8) Kendrick Perkins piling up technicals with alarming regularity. 4. Miami Heat (28-9) Surprise, surprise, Heat said to be in market for a big. 5. San Antonio Spurs (25-12) Canadian PG Cory Joseph sent to D-League for valuable minutes. 6. Orlando Magic (22-14) Jameer Nelson playing with more aggression. 7. LA Clippers (22-13) Jury still out if Lob-City translates into post-season success. 8. Dallas Mavericks (22-16) Emotionally disengaged Lamar Odom clearly pines for a return to L.A. 9. Indiana Pacers (23-12) Surprise team continues to surprise many pundits and foes. 10. Boston Celtics (19-17) Team needs to take full advantage of current run. 11. Memphis Grizzlies (22-15) Marc Gasol playing at a higher level than celebrated sibling Pau. 12. Denver Nuggets (21-17) Poised to make a run after enduring a rough stretch. 13. Houston Rockets (21-17) Need to rebound from a losing weak. 14. Minnesota Timberwolves (19-19) Rick Adelman once again proving his coaching mettle. 15. Philadelphia 76ers (22-16) Still unable to beat good teams in close games. 16. Atlanta Hawks (22-14) Joe Johnson and his hefty contract said to be on trading block. 17. New York Knicks (18-19) That silence you hear is the Linsanity buzz slowly popping. 18. Portland Trail Blazers (18-19) Losing slide has exposed a lot of baggage and turmoil. 19. Utah Jazz (17-19) Big win versus Heat underlined how dangerous this team can be. 20. Phoenix Suns (17-20) One of many teams capable of good things when timing is right. 21. New Jersey Nets (12-26) When D-Will is going off for 50-plus, Nets can be lethal. 22. Golden State Warriors (14-20) Not good when Raptors are able to play lock-down defence. 23. Cleveland Cavaliers (13-22) Anderson Varejao drawing plenty of attention leading up to trade deadline. 24. Milwaukee Bucks (14-23) Team said to be in market for a serviceable big to come off bench. 25. Toronto Raptors (12-25) DeMar DeRozan showing good signs, but needs to be consistent. 26. Sacramento Kings (12-25) Dark clouds over new arena deal appear to have cleared. 27. Detroit Pistons (12-26) There’s capable talent, but no consistency. 28. Washington Wizards (8-28) See above. 29. New Orleans Hornets (9-28) Team has moments when it plays hard, but it’s wins that are hard to get. 30. Charlotte Bobcats (4-31) A team that clearly merits its cellar dweller status. (*records do not include Monday’s results) |