http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...s/04/16/power.rankings/index.html?eref=si_nba
NBA Power Rankings
Rank PR Team
1 2 Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
No Finals hangover here. Dirk Nowitzki & Co. played like a team determined to get back to the championship round, racking up win streaks of 12, 13, 17 and nine games en route to one of the best regular-season records in NBA history. Now they just have to finish the job.
2 4 Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
With Steve Nash gunning for a third straight MVP and Amaré Stoudemire returning to his All-Star form, they posted win streaks of 15 and 17 games to threaten the franchise record for victories. But with a thin bench and a suspect defense, they still have to prove their style of play can win in the postseason.
3 1 San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
After a lackluster start, they won 23 of 26 games after the All-Star break to stamp themselves as the NBA's hottest team entering the playoffs. With Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and the rest of their veteran cast, the '03 and '05 champs have their sights set on another alternate-year title.
4 5 Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
Despite the offseason departure of Ben Wallace, they managed to win 50 games for the sixth straight season and maintain their status as the top dog in the East. Chris Webber, signed as a free agent in January after being waived by the Sixers, joined with their veteran crew to make them an even more poten offensive squad.
5 8 Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
They were hit hard by injury for the second straight season, as Yao Ming went down for two months with a broken leg. But thanks to Tracy McGrady and one of the league's stingiest defenses, they managed to stay among the West elite and head into the playoffs as a trendy sleeper pick.
6 9 Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
With Big Ben joining Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng and Ben Gordon, this hard-working crew overcame a headband controversy and their annual grueling Western road trip to post their most victories since Michael Jordan retired in '98. One of the hottest teams down the stretch, the Bulls enter the postseason with legitimate hopes of a Finals berth.
7 28 Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The NBA's most surprising team, Toronto rebounded from last year's 27-55 campaign to win more than 45 games and their first division title. Despite a roster overhaul and a new offense, coach Sam Mitchell turned it around after a 2-8 start while Chris Bosh established himself as an All-NBA-caliber player.
8 11 Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
After an injury-ravaged 2005-06 campaign, they returned to their old place among the West elite behind the stellar play of Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur. However, a late-season slide and a thumb injury to Andrei Kirilenko cast a pall over their once-promising postseason hopes.
9 7 Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
Hoping to build on last season's playoff success, LeBron James and his teammates instead continued their up-and-down play as the James Gang too often was the Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight. Still, they approached 50 wins for the second straight season, and James figures to be as dangerous as ever on the postseason stage.
10 3 Miami Heat
Miami Heat
They showed up for camp fat and happy. Shaquille O'Neal went down with a knee injury. Pat Riley took a leave of absence. Dwyane Wade injured his shoulder. Yet somehow the defending champs won the Southeast Division and, assuming Wade is healthy, enter the playoffs as the East's co-favorite (with the Pistons) in many eyes.
11 13 Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
A blockbuster trade for Allen Iverson and a brawl with the Knicks that resulted in a 15-game suspension for Carmelo Anthony made for an eventful campaign in the Rockies. While the AI/'Melo pairing didn't produce victories right away, it seemed to be coming together down the stretch.
12 24 Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
Don Nelson shook things up with a fast-paced offense and a midseason trade with Indiana for Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson. Along with Baron Davis and Jason Richardson, the newcomers fueled a late surge that had them close to snapping their NBA-long 13-year playoff drought.
13 6 New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
They managed to notch a sixth straight playoff berth amid talk of Jason Kidd's messy divorce and Vince Carter's pending free agency and injuries to Nenad Krstic and Richard Jefferson. The question now is whether team president Rod Thorn will begin rebuilding in the offseason.
14 15 Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
Despite Kobe Bryant's best efforts, they were not able to overcome a seasonlong slew of injuries and took a slight step back from a year ago. Still, Bryant became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to rack up four straight games of 50 or more points en route to his second straight scoring title.
15 10 Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
Owner Donald Sterling finally opened the checkbook, but didn't get his money's worth as they joined their city rivals in failing to build on their surprise success of 2005-06. They picked it up down the stretch behind Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, but it appears to be a case of too little, too late.
16 21 Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
Dwight Howard became an All-Star and Grant Hill finished healthy for the first time in his seven seasons in Orlando, as they returned to the playoffs after a three-year absence. But high expectations from a 13-4 start left fans disappointed, and coach Brian Hill could be on the hot seat.
17 12 Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
Gilbert Arenas emerged as one of the NBA's top scorers -- and personalities -- while leading them to the top of the East during the first half of the season. However, season-ending injuries to Arenas (knee) and fellow All-Star Caron Butler (hand) left them reeling as they headed into the postseason.
18 19 New Orleans Hornets
New Orleans Hornets
Injuries to Peja Stojakovic, David West, Bobby Jackson and Chris Paul wrecked a promising 8-3 start and made for a disappointing finish to their two-year stay in Oklahoma City. But with all expected back next season -- and Tyson Chandler in the middle -- the future looks bright as they get set to head back to New Orleans.
19 14 Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
Ron Artest was no longer around, but they still couldn't avoid controversy as Stephen Jackson's strip club incident set the tone for another frustrating season. A midseason trade for Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy failed to shake it up, and they missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
20 27 Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
After 10 seasons that included a run to the 2001 Finals, the Iverson era ended in a housecleaning that also claimed Webber. After some initial struggles, Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller helped lead a more balanced Philly attack that finished strong and provided hope for a quick rebuilding.
21 22 Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
Oklahoma businessman Clay Bennett paid $350 million to purchase the club, but injuries to Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis doomed them to their fourth lottery trip in five years. With coach Bob Hill on the hot seat and Lewis a free agent, it appears major changes are now in the offing.
22 30 Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
They lost Darius Miles to a preseason knee injury, but promising rookies Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge joined Zach Randolph in helping them take another step forward in their rebuilding plan. Meanwhile, Kevin Pritchard took over as GM after Steve Patterson resigned in March.
23 23 New York Knicks
New York Knicks
Isiah Thomas feuded with Greg Anthony, Bruce Bowen and George Karl, among others, but he restored some of his team's respectability behind improved play from Eddy Curry and David Lee. A late spate of injuries derailed New York's playoff quest, but not before Thomas got a contract extension.
24 17 Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
Led by the underrated Gerald Wallace, they continued their steady progression as a third-year expansion team. With a new coach (Bernie Bickerstaff is expected to retain a front-office role), two first-round picks in the '07 draft and loads of salary-cap space, co-owner Michael Jordan is bullish on his club's future.
25 25 Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
After a 20-20 start, embattled vice president Kevin McHale fired second-year coach Dwane Casey and replaced him with assistant Randy Wittman. He fared worse and the team missed the playoffs for a third straight season, prompting renewed speculation that Kevin Garnett might be traded in the offseason.
26 18 Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
Kevin Martin's improved play was about the only highlight as this veteran-laden club struggled with on-court chemistry issues all season. New coach Eric Musselman did little to make fans forget Rick Adelman as the Kings failed to reach the postseason for the first time in nine years.
27 29 Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
An unsettled ownership situation, a few injuries and more shaky point guard play made for another long season in Atlanta. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith helped them gain their most victories since '02-03, but it wasn't nearly enough to end their seven-year playoff drought.
28 16 Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
Porous defense -- and injuries to Michael Redd, Bobby Simmons, Charlie Villanueva and Andrew Bogut -- crippled their playoff hopes and cost Terry Stotts his job in March. With significant cap room, a lottery pick in the draft and a new coach in Larry Krystkowiak, there is hope for a quick recovery.
29 26 Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
Other than Al Jefferson's development and Gerald Green's Slam Dunk showing at All-Star Weekend, Beantown fans had little to celebrate. A franchise-record 18-game losing streak (while Paul Pierce was out with injury) helped send them to their worst season since the Rick Pitino era.
30 20 Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
A preseason injury to Pau Gasol (foot) all but doomed them from the start, and a prospective sale of the club prevented president Jerry West from doing much about it. Eventually the sale fell through, Mike Fratello was fired as coach and the club was left to count Ping Pong balls.
NBA Power Rankings
Rank PR Team
1 2 Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
No Finals hangover here. Dirk Nowitzki & Co. played like a team determined to get back to the championship round, racking up win streaks of 12, 13, 17 and nine games en route to one of the best regular-season records in NBA history. Now they just have to finish the job.
2 4 Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
With Steve Nash gunning for a third straight MVP and Amaré Stoudemire returning to his All-Star form, they posted win streaks of 15 and 17 games to threaten the franchise record for victories. But with a thin bench and a suspect defense, they still have to prove their style of play can win in the postseason.
3 1 San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
After a lackluster start, they won 23 of 26 games after the All-Star break to stamp themselves as the NBA's hottest team entering the playoffs. With Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and the rest of their veteran cast, the '03 and '05 champs have their sights set on another alternate-year title.
4 5 Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
Despite the offseason departure of Ben Wallace, they managed to win 50 games for the sixth straight season and maintain their status as the top dog in the East. Chris Webber, signed as a free agent in January after being waived by the Sixers, joined with their veteran crew to make them an even more poten offensive squad.
5 8 Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
They were hit hard by injury for the second straight season, as Yao Ming went down for two months with a broken leg. But thanks to Tracy McGrady and one of the league's stingiest defenses, they managed to stay among the West elite and head into the playoffs as a trendy sleeper pick.
6 9 Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
With Big Ben joining Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng and Ben Gordon, this hard-working crew overcame a headband controversy and their annual grueling Western road trip to post their most victories since Michael Jordan retired in '98. One of the hottest teams down the stretch, the Bulls enter the postseason with legitimate hopes of a Finals berth.
7 28 Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The NBA's most surprising team, Toronto rebounded from last year's 27-55 campaign to win more than 45 games and their first division title. Despite a roster overhaul and a new offense, coach Sam Mitchell turned it around after a 2-8 start while Chris Bosh established himself as an All-NBA-caliber player.
8 11 Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
After an injury-ravaged 2005-06 campaign, they returned to their old place among the West elite behind the stellar play of Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur. However, a late-season slide and a thumb injury to Andrei Kirilenko cast a pall over their once-promising postseason hopes.
9 7 Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
Hoping to build on last season's playoff success, LeBron James and his teammates instead continued their up-and-down play as the James Gang too often was the Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight. Still, they approached 50 wins for the second straight season, and James figures to be as dangerous as ever on the postseason stage.
10 3 Miami Heat
Miami Heat
They showed up for camp fat and happy. Shaquille O'Neal went down with a knee injury. Pat Riley took a leave of absence. Dwyane Wade injured his shoulder. Yet somehow the defending champs won the Southeast Division and, assuming Wade is healthy, enter the playoffs as the East's co-favorite (with the Pistons) in many eyes.
11 13 Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
A blockbuster trade for Allen Iverson and a brawl with the Knicks that resulted in a 15-game suspension for Carmelo Anthony made for an eventful campaign in the Rockies. While the AI/'Melo pairing didn't produce victories right away, it seemed to be coming together down the stretch.
12 24 Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
Don Nelson shook things up with a fast-paced offense and a midseason trade with Indiana for Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson. Along with Baron Davis and Jason Richardson, the newcomers fueled a late surge that had them close to snapping their NBA-long 13-year playoff drought.
13 6 New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
They managed to notch a sixth straight playoff berth amid talk of Jason Kidd's messy divorce and Vince Carter's pending free agency and injuries to Nenad Krstic and Richard Jefferson. The question now is whether team president Rod Thorn will begin rebuilding in the offseason.
14 15 Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
Despite Kobe Bryant's best efforts, they were not able to overcome a seasonlong slew of injuries and took a slight step back from a year ago. Still, Bryant became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to rack up four straight games of 50 or more points en route to his second straight scoring title.
15 10 Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
Owner Donald Sterling finally opened the checkbook, but didn't get his money's worth as they joined their city rivals in failing to build on their surprise success of 2005-06. They picked it up down the stretch behind Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, but it appears to be a case of too little, too late.
16 21 Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
Dwight Howard became an All-Star and Grant Hill finished healthy for the first time in his seven seasons in Orlando, as they returned to the playoffs after a three-year absence. But high expectations from a 13-4 start left fans disappointed, and coach Brian Hill could be on the hot seat.
17 12 Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
Gilbert Arenas emerged as one of the NBA's top scorers -- and personalities -- while leading them to the top of the East during the first half of the season. However, season-ending injuries to Arenas (knee) and fellow All-Star Caron Butler (hand) left them reeling as they headed into the postseason.
18 19 New Orleans Hornets
New Orleans Hornets
Injuries to Peja Stojakovic, David West, Bobby Jackson and Chris Paul wrecked a promising 8-3 start and made for a disappointing finish to their two-year stay in Oklahoma City. But with all expected back next season -- and Tyson Chandler in the middle -- the future looks bright as they get set to head back to New Orleans.
19 14 Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
Ron Artest was no longer around, but they still couldn't avoid controversy as Stephen Jackson's strip club incident set the tone for another frustrating season. A midseason trade for Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy failed to shake it up, and they missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
20 27 Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
After 10 seasons that included a run to the 2001 Finals, the Iverson era ended in a housecleaning that also claimed Webber. After some initial struggles, Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller helped lead a more balanced Philly attack that finished strong and provided hope for a quick rebuilding.
21 22 Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
Oklahoma businessman Clay Bennett paid $350 million to purchase the club, but injuries to Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis doomed them to their fourth lottery trip in five years. With coach Bob Hill on the hot seat and Lewis a free agent, it appears major changes are now in the offing.
22 30 Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
They lost Darius Miles to a preseason knee injury, but promising rookies Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge joined Zach Randolph in helping them take another step forward in their rebuilding plan. Meanwhile, Kevin Pritchard took over as GM after Steve Patterson resigned in March.
23 23 New York Knicks
New York Knicks
Isiah Thomas feuded with Greg Anthony, Bruce Bowen and George Karl, among others, but he restored some of his team's respectability behind improved play from Eddy Curry and David Lee. A late spate of injuries derailed New York's playoff quest, but not before Thomas got a contract extension.
24 17 Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
Led by the underrated Gerald Wallace, they continued their steady progression as a third-year expansion team. With a new coach (Bernie Bickerstaff is expected to retain a front-office role), two first-round picks in the '07 draft and loads of salary-cap space, co-owner Michael Jordan is bullish on his club's future.
25 25 Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
After a 20-20 start, embattled vice president Kevin McHale fired second-year coach Dwane Casey and replaced him with assistant Randy Wittman. He fared worse and the team missed the playoffs for a third straight season, prompting renewed speculation that Kevin Garnett might be traded in the offseason.
26 18 Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
Kevin Martin's improved play was about the only highlight as this veteran-laden club struggled with on-court chemistry issues all season. New coach Eric Musselman did little to make fans forget Rick Adelman as the Kings failed to reach the postseason for the first time in nine years.
27 29 Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
An unsettled ownership situation, a few injuries and more shaky point guard play made for another long season in Atlanta. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith helped them gain their most victories since '02-03, but it wasn't nearly enough to end their seven-year playoff drought.
28 16 Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
Porous defense -- and injuries to Michael Redd, Bobby Simmons, Charlie Villanueva and Andrew Bogut -- crippled their playoff hopes and cost Terry Stotts his job in March. With significant cap room, a lottery pick in the draft and a new coach in Larry Krystkowiak, there is hope for a quick recovery.
29 26 Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
Other than Al Jefferson's development and Gerald Green's Slam Dunk showing at All-Star Weekend, Beantown fans had little to celebrate. A franchise-record 18-game losing streak (while Paul Pierce was out with injury) helped send them to their worst season since the Rick Pitino era.
30 20 Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
A preseason injury to Pau Gasol (foot) all but doomed them from the start, and a prospective sale of the club prevented president Jerry West from doing much about it. Eventually the sale fell through, Mike Fratello was fired as coach and the club was left to count Ping Pong balls.
Sad part is, we are the 4th worst team in his rankings and likely won't pick better than 10th. 
