Tom Halliburton
The Port Arthur News
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Look for Tom Halliburton’s team-by-team NBA power rankings on the 1st and 15th of each month from Jan. 15 through May 15.
1. Chicago: The Bulls are in position to lock up the NBA's best record for the second year in a row, but is that good?
2. Oklahoma City: The Thunder is trending in the wrong direction. After losing three games in a row for the first time this season, it won two in a row, but then lost at home to the Los Angeles Clippers.
3. San Antonio: Adding Stephen Jackson has made the Spurs even that much more of a strong post-season contender.
4. Miami: Doubts about this team increased after it lost at home to Boston and on the road in Chicago as Derrick Rose had the worst game of his career.
5. LA Lakers: They don't know when Kobe returns from his sore left shin, but it’s OK if Bynum grabs 30 rebounds a game.
6. Indiana: Pacers may have trouble avoiding first-round loss against possible opponents Atlanta and Orlando.
7. LA Clippers: Blake missed a breakaway dunk but that’s about all this team has missed lately.
8. Boston: The Celtics are getting healthier as season comes to a close.
9. Atlanta: The Hawks opened month winning three out of four games, with point guard Jeff Teague leading the way.
10. Memphis: Grizzlies are 3-11 against the four teams ahead of them in the standings yet they look like a strong playoff team.
11. New York: In case anyone in the Big Apple cares, NY is 8-0 at Madison Square Garden under Mike Woodson and 15-3 at MSG since the start of Linsanity.
12. Phoenix: Only problem here is the Suns have the toughest remaining schedule of contenders.
13. Houston: Crazy bunch sweeps rough four-game trip then loses two at home. Go figure.
14. Orlando: Dwight Howard is officially listed out with a herniated disc in his lower back for today’s game at Cleveland.
15. Dallas: Mavs have lost three of their last four and everybody seems to be grumbling except for Brandan Wright.
16. Denver: Afflalo has recovered from a rough first two months of the season to shoot 49 percent since the All-Star break.
17. Utah: Jazz might make top 10 if every foe would shoot as poorly as the Rockets did the other night.
18. Portland: All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge would need arthroscopic surgery on his hip and is out for the year. That may mean the Blazers are sunk.
19. Milwaukee: Bucks are playing their best basketball of the season. Monta Ellis has started to make some shots too.
20. Philadelphia: Their collapse in the last few weeks is simply stunning esxcept for the fans who love to go and boo anyway.
21. Detroit: Ben Gordon has shot the eyes out of the basket in recent games.
22. Minnesota: Timberwolves have some problem with Adelman the Rockets had. They play lots of offense but very pathetic matador defense
23. Cleveland: The only drama around the Cavs now is whether they’re tanking.
24. New Jersey: The Nets remain concerned about whether they can re-sign Williams this offseason. So far, the whole idea is not looking very likely.
25. Golden State: This team does not make much sense and Mark Jackson is struggling to make much sense out of nonsense.
26. Sacramento: Kings’ future in Sacramento remains in doubt, as the Maloofs say they never agreed to details in a tentative agreement with the city to clear a decade-long roadblock to a new arena.
27. New Orleans: At least Tom Benson is taking the team off David Stern’s hands but Jarrett Jack is lost with a foot injury.
28. Toronto: They’re limping to the finish with three guys from the D-league playing big minutes.
29. Washington: What an awful short season this dismal team has endured.
30. Charlotte: Historians are speculating if the Bobcats belong to be called the worst team in the history of the NBA.
