NBA Power Rankings, 12/27/07

1. Boston Celtics- Kevin Garnett is the leading vote-getter in the All-Star voting, and deservedly so. His typical unselfishness has led Boston to 23 wins in their first 26 contests. More importantly, Rajon Rondo is starting to become more involved in the offense in terms of scoring (14.7 PPG in the last six games).
2. Detroit Pistons- Many thought Detroit was finally on their way down after losing to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, but the Pistons have done just the opposite. They are still a title contender, and with rookie Rodney Stuckey finally back from injury, they have even more depth on an already full bench.
3. San Antonio Spurs- The Spurs have remained comfortably in front in the Southwest for the majority of the season so far, even with all of the injuries. I guess it helps that they have been shooting 39.2% from beyond the arc as a team.
4. Dallas Mavericks- Free throws, free throws, free throws. That has been the key to Dallas' success thus far, as the Mavericks are shooting 83.5% as a team from the charity stripe. Also, Dirk Nowitzki appears to be finding his groove after an inconsistent start to the season, scoring 30+ points in three straight up until Wednesday.
5. Phoenix Suns- As usual, the Suns have struggled mightily in defending other team's big men. Tim Duncan dropped 36 on them on Dec. 17th, Chris Bosh went for 42 on the 22nd, and Andrew Bynum victimized the Suns for 28 off 11-of-13 shooting on Christmas. If this trend continues, Phoenix will have the same problems they've had in the playoffs in past years.
6. New Orleans Hornets- Chris Paul's MVP-caliber season has continued, as the 22-year old dished out 15 assists in back-to-back games this week and then went off to score 40 on Wednesday. David West is also keeping up his remarkable year, averaging close to 20 and 10. The Hornets are for real.
7. Golden State Warriors- Monta Ellis has looked Iverson-esque at times this season, particularly in Wednesday's game when he scored 35 against Minnesota. He, Baron Davis, and Stephen Jackson have formed one of the most deadly trios in the league. Six Warriors are averaging double-figures in points per game. This team will be dangerous come April.
8. Denver Nuggets- Allen Iverson deserves to be in the conversation for the MVP award. The little man refuses to slow down, averaging 26.3 points and 7.2 assists per game. He has scored 30 or more points six times this month, including a 51-point performance on the 5th and then four straight 30+ point games from the 15th through the 21st.
9. Portland Trail Blazers- Can anyone stop the Blazers? The youngest squad in the league has reeled off 11 straight wins, most in convincing fashion. Everyone is contributing, and James Jones is now becoming an integral part of the offense. The rotation of Jones, Travis Outlaw, and Martell Webster has been ridiculously successful.
10. Los Angeles Lakers- Andrew Bynum has officially arrived. The 20-year old phenom is averaging a double-double and is developing into an elite center in this league. Also, the addition of Derek Fisher has really brought a veteran influence on this team that has been missing in previous seasons.
11. Orlando Magic- After looking to be in complete control of the Southeast, the Magic find themselves only a game in front of Atlanta in the loss column within a blink of an eye. Orlando is having a lot of trouble getting production out of their bench from anyone not named Keyon Dooling, and Rashard Lewis' sore neck isn't helping.
12. Utah Jazz- Their win over Dallas on Wednesday was huge and maybe a sign of things to come for this struggling Utah squad. Mehmet Okur's injury definitely hurt, but his production even before that was way down anyway. He has not been the same player ever since the playoffs last year. Matt Harpring doesn't look himself, either. That knee is clearly still irking him.
13. Atlanta Hawks- Could this be the year the Hawks finally make it over the hump and make the playoffs? It appears that way, especially with the way Marvin Williams has improved by leaps and bounds this season. Al Horford is also having a very nice rookie campaign, averaging near a double-double. Atlanta has won five straight.
14. Washington Wizards- Caron Butler continues to carry this team, recording a triple-double on Dec. 19th and coming close to one on Wednesday. You also have to appreciate the way Roger Mason is blossoming in Gilbert Arenas' absence. He has always had the talent to play in this league. He just never got the chance until now.
15. Indiana Pacers- With Ike Diogu back, the Pacers may have one of the league's better frontcourts. Mike Dunleavy continues to impress and has compensated for the down year by Jermaine O'Neal. Marquis Daniels has also had some big games in recent weeks, but he has been very inconsistent in terms of offensive production.
16. Toronto Raptors- Chris Bosh has finally shaken off his early-season struggles, but Toronto has lost three in a row and their schedule doesn't get any easier with games at San Antonio, Houston, and New Orleans and then back home at Detroit coming up.
17. Philadelphia 76ers- Quietly, Philadelphia has been one of the hotter teams in the league the past couple of weeks. A lot of that has to do with Andre Iguodala's new-found ability to take over games. It's also icing on top that Willie Green is having the best year of his career, averaging 13.1 points per game and scoring in double-digits in all but two games this month.
18. Cleveland Cavaliers- It looks like Larry Hughes is on his way out the door. He has been a bust of a free agent pick-up since signing with the Cavaliers in the summer of 2005, and it looks like second-year player Shannon Brown might be ready to take his place as an athletic spark and defender.
19. Houston Rockets- As if things couldn't get worse for the Rockets, Tracy McGrady's knee is acting up again. Houston still lacks that fiery player in the locker room to get the team going. They just don't look into it out there. Also, only two players on the club, McGrady and Yao Ming, are averaging double-figures in scoring. Yikes.
20. New Jersey Nets- And the Jason Kidd trade rumors surface for the umpteenth time. Will he stay or will he go? At this point, it would probably be best for New Jersey to trade the aging point guard, as they are not going anywhere in the near future anyway. How much other teams will be willing to give in return for the 34-year old is the question.
21. Milwaukee Bucks- With of the talent on this team, there is no reason why they should be five games under the .500 mark and falling out of the playoff picture heading into January. Charlie Villanueva is still not getting the playing time that he deserves, and Andrew Bogut continues to prove that he did not merit his number one selection in the 2005 draft.
22. Sacramento Kings- Had Kevin Martin not gotten injured, the Kings might actually be close to a playoff spot right now. Still, that's not the case, and Sacramento finds themselves 11-16 and in fourth place in the Pacific. Like Golden State, the Kings have six guys averaging double-figures in points, so there is balance and potential here. Francisco Garcia continues to improve.
23. Charlotte Bobcats- Nazr Mohammed has been a very solid acquisiton for Charlotte so far, averaging 11.3 rebounds per game in his last four. Despite his surprising production, the Bobcats' struggles have continued. Jared Dudley needs to get more playing time. He could be that final piece they have been looking for.
24. Chicago Bulls- Scott Skiles was made the scapegoat for Chicago's horrible start, but it was not his fault. This is just a poor team right now, and a lot of it has to do with John Paxson's poor moves in the draft (trading Tyrus Thomas for LaMarcus Aldridge in 2006 and taking the offensively-challenged Joakim Noah in this past draft).
25. Los Angeles Clippers- Mike Dunleavy needs to get Al Thornton some more floor time. This kid is vastly talented and could help in forming a great trio along with Elton Brand and Chris Kaman in the future. That raises the question, however, as to whether or not the Clippers should trade Brand or risk letting him walk in free agency in the off-season.
26. Seattle Supersonics- Kevin Durant is the clear-cut choice for Rookie of the Year so far, and I expect it to remain that way. Still, outside of himself, no one on the team has consistently produced enough offense for Seattle to win more than eight games through their first 28. However, Wally Szczerbiak is beginning to re-discover his stroke, averaging 19.8 PPG in his last four.
27. Memphis Grizzlies- Can someone please explain to me why Hakim Warrick is not playing more? The 25-year old averaged 12 and five in his second season last year, but he has been forgotten in Marc Iavaroni's rotation so far. Warrick could form a lethal athletic duo with Rudy Gay and could aid Memphis' ailing frontcourt.
28. New York Knicks- In an attempt to shake things up, Isiah Thomas played Eddy Curry only five minutes on Wednesday. It didn't help, as the Knicks lost by 14 to Orlando. Stephon Marbury is still M.I.A., and I have a feeling it is something more than just mourning the death of his father. Jamal Crawford, David Lee, and Zach Randolph are the three players to build around here.
29. Miami Heat- Well, one good thing for New York is that they are not the worst team in the East. Miami takes that honor without question, as Dwyane Wade's bad shoulder coupled with Shaquille O'Neal's geriatric body has led to an 8-21 record and a franchise in disarray. It's hard to believe that this a team that is only two years removed from a championship.
30. Minnesota Timberwolves- Randy Foye will now be out for at least one more month with that bad knee. Fortunately for Minnesota, Sebastian Telfair has been outstanding this season, averaging 10.3 points and 5.6 dimes per contest. And Al Jefferson is now a top 15-20 player in this league. The 22-year old has posted a double-double in each of his last eight games.