Here are my NBA Power Rankings as of Friday, January 9, 2015. Enjoy!
#1. Golden State Warriors (28-5): They've won five straight games, which is fantastic, but it should be noted that all five games were at home. Prior to this homestand, they lost back-to-back games in Los Angeles against the Clippers and Lakers. Clinching home court advantage is a must for this team if they want to go to the NBA Finals.
#2. Atlanta Hawks (27-8): If there's any doubt about this team's record being inflated due to playing in the East, that doubt should be erased after they won @Portland, @Los Angeles Clippers, and vs. Memphis during this past week.
#3. Portland Trail Blazers (28-8): They have weathered the storm quite well with Robin Lopez out. I'm impressed.
#4. Memphis Grizzlies (25-10): This team needs Zach Randolph back. They have some decent options to fill in like Kosta Koufos and Jon Leuer, but neither guy is a great long-term replacement.
#5. Dallas Mavericks (26-11): I think it's time we start calling the Mavericks contenders. They are that good.
#6. Los Angeles Clippers (26-12): For all the talk about how they are "underachieving" and "overrated", here they are hanging with the best teams in the NBA, ranked #6 in my power rankings. This is not a team that anybody should sleep on. They're more than just "exciting", they're a very good basketball team.
#7. Chicago Bulls (25-11): Bizarre loss against the Jazz. Going into that game, the Bulls had won three straight games.
#8. Houston Rockets (25-11): I'm not giving up on Josh Smith. I think there's a way they can make him an effective part of their team.
#9. Toronto Raptors (24-11): DeMar DeRozan comes back next week. That's huge given the fact that they have lost four straight games.
#10. Washington Wizards (24-11): On their Southwest road trip, they went 2-3, which actually isn't bad.
#11. Phoenix Suns (22-16): We all keep thinking this team will fall apart, or at least give up the #8 seed in the West, but I gotta hand it to them, they won't give it up without a fight. As for the three-guard rotation of Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, and Isaiah Thomas, it seems to be working out ok.
#12. San Antonio Spurs (21-15): They need Kawhi Leonard back. Pretty simple. I don't see them getting back to the NBA Finals if they don't have at least a top four seed in the West and in order to finish that high, they'll need Leonard back fairly soon.
#13. Cleveland Cavaliers (19-17): They need LeBron James back, but thankfully the East is so weak that they are in virtually no danger of missing the playoffs. Also, the teams ahead of them in the East are also unproven, so Cavaliers fans shouldn't panic. As for trading Dion Waiters, I think getting J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert in return makes them slightly better, but I think they wanted to rid themselves of Waiters' attitude more than anything.
#14. Milwaukee Bucks (19-18): One would think the mysterious issues of Larry Sanders and Jabari Parker's season-ending injury would derail this team, but if anything this team has welded together even more tightly. Jason Kidd is doing a great job.
#15. New Orleans Pelicans (17-18): The fact that they are a sub .500 team with Anthony Davis on their roster just shows how deep the Western Conference is.
#16. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-19): I still think this team makes the playoffs, but according to John Hollinger's playoff odds, they have 26% odds of making the playoffs. This team needs to start playing with a sense of urgency and they didn't play with one when the Kings thumped them this week. As for Dion Waiters, I think he could be a good fit, providing them with an extra scoring punch off the bench.
#17. Detroit Pistons (12-23): They've won seven straight games since cutting ties with Josh Smith. They've beaten the Mavericks and Spurs during this stretch. These guys are morphing into a playoff team right before our eyes. It's crazy.
#18. Brooklyn Nets (16-19): Deron Williams is now out indefinitely with a rib fracture. This team is falling apart.
#19. Denver Nuggets (16-20): I said I was wrong about them going .500 and then they win three straight games. Perhaps they'll get close to where I projected them to get.
#20. Sacramento Kings (15-20): This team plays uninspired basketball and then goes out and destroys the Thunder. Ok, then.
#21. Miami Heat (15-21): This team is falling apart. It's no wonder LeBron left.
#22. Indiana Pacers (14-23): They're hanging on the best they can, but ultimately they don't have what it takes to make the playoffs. Roy Hibbert might need to go, too.
#23. Charlotte Hornets (14-24): As disappointing as this team has been, they are only 2 games back of the #8 spot in the Eastern Conference. Perhaps there is hope for them.
#24. Utah Jazz (13-23): Trey Burke is looking like a player. I still have concerns about how all their parts fit together, but as of now, the Jazz should plan on locking him up long-term.
#25. Boston Celtics (12-21): Trading Jeff Green might not be a bad idea.
#26. Orlando Magic (13-25): I still want to see what this team can do at full strength with Aaron Gordon in the lineup. He was one of the rookies I was really high on entering the draft.
#27. Los Angeles Lakers (11-25): The Kobe Bryant/Swaggy P show is entertaining, but it doesn't produce a lot of wins. Especially when it's just Swaggy P out there.
#28. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-29): This team will really strike gold if they can land center Jahlil Okafor out of Duke in the draft. Andrew Wiggins is already looking like he's going to be a star.
#29. Philadelphia 76ers (5-29): We know they suck, but unlike the Knicks, they haven't mortgaged off horrible contracts.
#30. New York Knicks (5-34): It's really hard to find something positive to say about this team, but perhaps newly acquired guard Langston Galloway will give them something to feel optimistic about. Obviously, getting rid of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert was a good move. They need to get rid of as much cap space as possible and trading them away was a start.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord
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