Ending March 11th

Total Pro Sports – What a Disaster!! Oh the Carnage!! Oh the Humanity!!!  I doubt that there has never been a case like this in the TPS NBA Power Rankings.  As a result of their five-game losing streak and their dwindling chances to attain a playoff berth all but gone, the Suns have dropped like a stone 11 spots in the rankings.  Their cataclysmic fall has led to a shake-up in the rankings as eight teams have been catapulted at least one spot in the rankings.

Some may ask, why did I drop them so far form the 11th spot to the 22nd?  They are still and have a better record than most of the teams above them.  The reason is that the Suns are no longer relevant in the playoff picture; hence have no bearing on the other teams this season.  Whatever they gain will be for naught because they are out of the playoff picture.  Their wins will mean nothing. On the other hand you still have other teams that have a shot of making a difference.  So why not focus on their gains and bury Phoenix right away.

Focusing back on the more relevant teams, King James still keeps his crown as the Cleveland Cavs still hold the number one spot.  The biggest gainer has been the Utah Jazz going up 3 spots and might have an opportunity to squeeze in the top five.  The Celtics have slipped yet again as they have been limping to the end having lost four players to injury which include their starting point guard, the star forward and his back up.   Watch out for the Bobcats as they have climbed up 2 spots and are breathing heavily behind the back of the Bull, Bucks and Nets for the last playoff spot in the East

Lets take a look at the rest of the league and this week’s NBA Power Rankings. 

Rank	Team	Record	Change	Comment
1		50-13	-	King James still reigns supreme even though his legacy is a tad tarnished by losing to the Celtics.  The Cavs are the first team in the East to reach 50 wins and have already clinched a playoff spots
2		50-13	-	The other 50 win team in the league would be number one, but that big loss at Portland held them back.  They also have a tough three game stretch against HOU, SA and DAL
3		46-17	1	Boston is walking wounded after losing not only Garnett, but also Rajon Rondo, Tony Allen and Big Baby Davis.  Perfect time for the Magic to strike at that number 2 playoff spot.
4		49-15	2	The Celts have four big time contributors down (KG, Rondo, Tony Allen and Glen Davis) and will have a tough stretch facing MIA, MIL and CHI on the road.
5		43-20	-	The Spurs are still hanging tight in the top five, but they better watch out for Utah and they have two tough ones coming up against the Lakers and the Rockets
6		41-23	3	They’re 12 win run has bumped them up knocking The Blazers down two spots
7		42-23	-	Big games against the Lakers and Spurs will determine whether the Rockets will keep the 7th spot.  Also they are desperately clinging at that 3rd place seeding with the Jazz nipping at their heels.
8		40-23	2	They did great beating the Lakers big-time at home, but they not strong enough to hold Utah back.  The sheer force has knocked them down a couple spots.
9		39-23	1	Portland better watch their backs.  The Hornets’ stingers are inching closer as they are only half a game behind 5th place in the West
10		40-25	2	They lost three in a row, one against the lowly Sacramento Kings, and holding their seventh place spot by a thread with only a half-game lead ahead of the Mavericks.
11		39-25	1	SThe Mavericks can rest easy now that the Suns have virtually given them the final playoff spot by dropping 5 in a row.
12		36-28	1	Thank Phoenix’s tanking for the Hawks’ rise to one spot in the rankings.  They have a three game home stand, but 2 of their opponents are the Jazz and the Blazers
13		34-29	1	The Heat should also thank the Suns for basically tanking their season.  They gain a spot and they may gain another facing a hobbling Celtic team and winnable game at Philly.
14		32-30	1	Everyone wins with Phoenix’s demise and the Pistons look to go even further with three winnable games against NY, TOR and MEM
15		30-31	3	The only reason Philly went up is because of Phoenix’s drop and the teams under them are far worse.
16		29-35	1	The Bulls have snatched the final playoff seed from the Bucks earning them a jump up one spot in the rankings
17		28-36	2	The Spurs ended their win streak at six, but the Bulls better watch out.  The Cats are still hungry and are only a game behind for the last playoff berth.  They also have two winnable games against the T-Wolves and Raptors.
18		28-35	4	They’re half a game behind the Bulls, but seem to be losing ground fast, and a bunch of wild bobcats following close by.
19		30-37	3	It’s hunting season for the Bobcats and it looks like the special for tonight is deer. The Bucks lost two big games against the Bulls and Knicks and have Charlotte gaining on them.
20		28-38	-	They have a 2 game gap from the last playoff spot, but their next three games are at home and the are winnable against ATL, TOR and POR
21		26-37	-	It doesn’t bode well for the Knicks playoff hopes as they go on the road facing Detroit, Minnesota and Cleveland
22		34-30	11	Stick a fork in them.  They’re done.  After losing five in a row, the Suns are 5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks and the last berth in the West.  There is nowhere to go but down.
23		23-41	-	They’re playoff hopes are shot after losing five in a row, but they stand pat at 23 since the rest suck worse than they do.
24		21-42	-	Don’t mind us, we’re just waiting for the lottery
25		18-46	2	The Thunder have shown signs of live winning two in a row without their star Kevin Durant
26		18-45	1	Losing Randy Foye to injury is bad, but it doesn’t really matter with where the Wolves stand. Does it?
27		16-46	1	Get ready for a major beat down as many team will be using you as fodder for their run to the playoffs.
28		15-49	-	I would say something, but it is not nice to speak ill of the dead.
29		14-50	2	Sactown got a morale booster by beating the Denver Nuggets and putting Nocioni in the starting lineup has woke them up a bit.
30		15-49	1	The Wizards are probably waiting for the lottery as well as Gilbert Arenas has decided to sit out the season.  But how are they going to pay the top pick.  They are already over the salary cap and that pick will put them over the luxury tax threshold.

There you have it—a ranking of the best of the best and the worst of the worst in the NBA.  Hope you have enjoyed reading it as I have enjoyed writing it. Be sure to check back next week with our NBA Power Rankings for week 16. And you can also check out my other work on my site JT’s  Hoops Blog.