1. San Antonio Spurs (50-16)
Third Quarter rank: 4
Second Quarter rank: 4
First Quarter rank: 7
Preseason rank: 7
The Spurs surprised everyone again and by now we should know better than to underestimate this organization. Yes, it’s a true organizational effort. The San Antonio Spurs are one of the best organizations in all of sports and have consistently in the conversation of championship contenders for well over a decade now. How about these facts – they had THREE separate win streaks of 10 or more wins this season and are a tidy 37-7 since February 1. If Popavich didn’t decide to“forfeit” two games this season, they would have finished with over 50 wins. As it stands, they have secured home court advantage throughout the playoffs in the Western Conference and they should be saluted for their efforts. The team is healthy and primed for a deep run in the playoffs this season. Don’t sleep on the team from the Alamo City.
2. Chicago Bulls (50-16)
Third Quarter rank: 1
Second Quarter rank: 2
First Quarter rank: 2
Preseason rank: 3
Next to the San Antonio Spurs, the Chicago Bulls have been the most remarkable team in the NBA. For them to finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference two years in a row despite almost 150 games lost due to injury or illness in the span to various players is a great accomplishment. Tom Thibodeau is arguably the best coach in the NBA in only his second season as a head coach. He has done a fantastic job getting his team to buy in to his plans and vision for the organization. The team had a dip in the month of April, but they’re getting healthy for what seems like the first time all year. Keep sleeping on the Bulls if you want to.
3. Miami Heat (46-20)
Third Quarter rank: 2
Second Quarter rank: 1
First Quarter rank: 4
Preseason rank: 2
Continuing the theme of surprise, it still surprises me that for all of their talent, this team still couldn’t finish with the best record in either the NBA or in their own conference for the second season in a row. They actually took a step back by finishing with the fourth best record overall after finishing with the third best record last season. LeBron James has played out of his mind and Dwyane Wade continues to be a top 2 shooting guard in this league. Chris Bosh however, remains the X-factor for their trio of stars. Bosh is still the picture of inconsistency. Coming into the season he stated that his goal was to average 10 rebounds per game; he’s going to finish the year averaging a hair under 8 per. He actually went two months after the All Star break with only THREE double digit rebound games! That’s inexcusable. Their bench remains another weak spot. As talented as James and Wade are, they can’t do everything. That being said, the road to the NBA Finals in the Eastern Conference goes through Miami.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (47-19)
Third Quarter rank: 3
Second Quarter rank: 3
First Quarter rank: 1
Preseason rank: 4
The Thunder were on their way to finishing with the best record in the NBA and then April 2nd happened. They played the Bulls on April 1st and dominated them from beginning to end and looking like the best team in the league. That win came after the Thunder manhandled the Heat and Lakers in the previous week. After the victory over the Bulls, OKC was 40-12. The Thunder would go on to finish the season a pedestrian 7-7 and every loss was against a team that qualified for the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Limping into the playoffs, figuratively and literally isn’t what the Thunder had in mind for their postseason run. Metta Ron World Artest Peace delivered the People’s Elbow to James Harden and may have put the Thunder’s title aspirations in serious jeopardy. Harden has been cleared to play, but if he’s not his usual self then forget about the Thunder representing the West in the NBA Finals.
5. Indiana Pacers (42-24)
Third Quarter rank: 7
Second Quarter rank: 12
First Quarter rank: 13
Preseason rank: 13
The Pacers probably have the best playoff position of any team in the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Their first round opponent, the Orlando Magic, is in a tailspin and will be missing its best player for the duration of the Playoffs. If Indiana somehow doesn’t make it out of the first round it would be a disaster of epic proportions. The team has been careful not to take their opponent lightly, but they have to be excited that they basically have a first round bye. That excitement will vanish once they square off against Miami in the second round; barring any miraculous upsets, that is.
6. Los Angeles Lakers (41-25)
Third Quarter rank: 5
Second Quarter rank: 9
First Quarter rank: 3
Preseason rank: 8
The Lakers playoff fortunes were altered with one erratic elbow thrown by Metta Ron World Artest Peace. He’s been banished by Sith Lord Stern for six playoff games. World Artest Peace was playing his best basketball of the season until he decided to unleash that ‘bow to Harden’s melon. Now he’ll be tweeting from the crib in street clothes until a first round Game 7 at worst or a second round Game 3 at best. Regardless of which team the Lakers play, the absence of Metta Ron is going to be a big problem. Kobe can’t do everything on his own even though he tries. Bynum and Gasol have to be consistent down in the post and somehow the Laker bench has to step up. It’s go time.
7. Memphis Grizzlies (41-25)
Third Quarter rank: 9
Second Quarter rank: 11
First Quarter rank: 15
Preseason rank: 5
The Western Conference nominee for the team no one wants to face in the playoffs has been playing well going into the postseason. They should have a nice battle with Lob City in the first round but I think their experience will be their trump card over the Clippers in the first round. After that, a second round rematch with the Spurs is on deck and I think the Alamo City team has some serious payback on their minds after the beatdown the Grizz put on them last year. The sky is the limit if they can get past that round. But, the Clippers are in the way first.
8. Los Angeles Clippers (40-26)
Third Quarter rank: 11
Second Quarter rank: 6
First Quarter rank: 9
Preseason rank: 10
The Clippers made it interesting, finishing just a couple of wins away from winning the Pacific Division. Alas, it was not to be. However, the fact that they’re even in the playoffs is a big deal and credit Chris Paul for putting the team on his back. The path to the Finals is going to be extremely difficult for this bunch, but they’ll have some spectacular highlights at the very least.
9. Boston Celtics (39-27)
Third Quarter rank: 15
Second Quarter rank: 16
First Quarter rank: 21
Preseason rank: 6
The 2011-2012 season was a wild ride for Boston. Just look at where I had them in my power rankings for proof. Combine their excellent play after the All Star break with Philadelphia losing their division lead and almost falling out of the playoffs and you’ve got another Atlantic Division crown for the Celtics. This year might have been the only time they ever cared about that though since Atlantic Division teams have been trying their best to avoid Chicago and especially Miami in the first round. Doc Rivers has done a fantastic job keeping this team focused in spite of all of the injuries, trade rumors, and heart surgeries (2!) that they’ve had to overcome this season.
10. Denver Nuggets (38-28)
Third Quarter rank: 12
Second Quarter rank: 14
First Quarter rank: 11
Preseason rank: 16
Time to play Good News/Bad News. The Good News is that the Nuggets went an impressive 16-2 against Eastern Conference teams this season. The Bad News is that they were below .500 against Western Conference teams this season. Unless Sith Lord Stern allows Denver to switch conferences for the playoffs, it looks like the Nuggets have a tough hill to climb. But back to the Good News– JaVale McGee will get to play at least 4 nationally televised games in the next few weeks. Be prepared for something classic.
11. New York Knicks (36-30)
Third Quarter rank: 16
Second Quarter rank: 15
First Quarter rank: 18
Preseason rank: 9
Depending on who you ask, the Knicks may be the Eastern Conference nominee for the team no one wants to face in the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony is suddenly playing well since the, um, voluntary departure of Mike D’Antoni. Mike Woodson has stepped in and done an admirable job with this team. Like a lot of teams this time of year, the Knicks have to be mindful of the health of their team. They’ve got a couple of important players that are old and hurting in Baron Davis and Amar’e Stoudamire. Those two guys will be incredibly important if the Knicks have any plans of advancing past the first round of the playoffs. #Linsanity sure was fun while it lasted, wasn’t it?
12. Atlanta Hawks (40-26)
Third Quarter rank: 10
Second Quarter rank: 10
First Quarter rank: 6
Preseason rank: 14
The Hawks thought they were going to get a major boost when Al Horford announced he would return for the first round of the playoffs. And then he backed off and said he was still going to be sidelined due to the pectoral injury he sustained early in the season. They will also be without the services of Zaza Pachulia for an undetermined amount of time. The Hawks have what it takes to advance past the first round, but we knew that already.
13. Dallas Mavericks (36-30)
Third Quarter rank: 8
Second Quarter rank: 5
First Quarter rank: 14
Preseason rank: 1
The defending champs made it to the playoffs to defend their crown, so clap for them. They’ll have to do so from the 7th position out West which requires them to potentially topple the Thunder, the Lakers, and the Spurs to get back to the Finals to defend their title. Looks like a long, hard road ahead for the Mavs.
14. Utah Jazz (36-30)
Third Quarter rank: 17
Second Quarter rank: 17
First Quarter rank: 8
Preseason rank: 21
The Jazz exceeded expectations this season and fought hard to qualify for the playoffs. Their reward is a first round date with the team that tied for the best record in the NBA. Al Jefferson and Paul Milsap are going to have to play out of their minds if the Jazz hope to duplicate what Memphis pulled off last year. Good luck.
15. Philadelphia 76ers (35-31)
Third Quarter rank: 14
Second Quarter rank: 7
First Quarter rank: 12
Preseason rank: 15
They started the year so promising and then fell off a cliff and almost didn’t make it into the playoffs. Then they corrected course and snagged the 8th seed and even declared that they wanted to play the Bulls versus playing the Heat, even though the Bulls have had the best record in the NBA for two straight seasons. However, in that time, the Sixers have gone 3-3 against the Bulls while going 1-11 (including the playoffs) against the Heat. So, I don’t blame them. But there’s an old saying about exercising caution with your wishes…
16. Orlando Magic (37-29)
Third Quarter rank: 6
Second Quarter rank: 8
First Quarter rank: 5
Preseason rank: 11
This team is D.O.A. If they make it out of the first round, Van Gundy deserves a raise equal to twice his salary. But since they most likely won’t, pour out a little Diet Pepsi for Stan Van Gundy and his tenure in Orlando. He did a lot of good with this franchise that has unfortunately been spoiled over the last few months due to Dwight’s Indecision. Speaking of Dwight, it’s interesting that he flew across country to Los Angeles to get his sore back checked out, got surgery on it, and will miss the entire playoffs and won’t be with the team during their playoff run to rehab in L.A. I’m not saying he wasn’t hurting, I just think the timing is interesting. By the way, the stat line in his last game before being shut down for the season: 20 points, 22 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal in 44 minutes. Interesting.
The Best of the Rest
Third Quarter rank: 18
Second Quarter rank: 23
First Quarter rank: 22
Preseason rank: 18
It was a good run in Phoenix for Steve Nash. Trips to the Western Conference Finals, a couple of MVP Awards, and he almost pulled a group of no-names to the playoffs this season. Salute that man. Time for Nash to go ring chasing as the sun officially sets out in Phoenix.
18. Houston Rockets (34-32)
Third Quarter rank: 13
Second Quarter rank: 13
First Quarter rank: 16
Preseason rank: 19
In a way, they exceeded expectations by playing extremely hard and being in the playoff chase for a good portion of the season. They collected wins against three out of the top four teams in the NBA, but it was a loss against the Miami Heat that officially pulled the plug on Houston’s playoff dreams. The end came earlier than that though, when the Rockets picked the wrong time to go on a six game losing streak in the last month of the season. Yet another season that the Rockets will finish above .500 and miss the playoffs while getting a mid-first round pick. H-Town isn’t happy.
19. Milwaukee Bucks (31-35)
Third Quarter rank: 19
Second Quarter rank: 20
First Quarter rank: 23
Preseason rank: 23
They had an opportunity to make the playoffs and promptly crapped the bed. The future should be better since there will be a chance to slide into the spot that Orlando will most likely vacate next season.
20. Detroit Pistons (25-41)
Third Quarter rank: 25
Second Quarter rank: 25
First Quarter rank: 26
Preseason rank: 26
The Pistons showed some improvement, which I guess is to be expected when you start your season 4-20. Props to them for turning things around going .500 the rest of the way. Look for them to compete with Milwaukee to attempt to take advantage of the expected slide of the Magic.
21. Portland Trailblazers (28-38)
Third Quarter rank: 21
Second Quarter rank: 18
First Quarter rank: 10
Preseason rank: 12
LaMarcus Aldridge ended his season prematurely when he had surgery on his hip. The season was already over for all intents and purposes long before the surgery, but that bit of news can’t exactly cause Blazer fans to grin like a Cheshire Cat. It’s going to be expensive for Portland to keep Nic Batum, but he’s worth holding onto in my opinion. The Blazers are back to square one.
22. Minnesota Timberwolves (26-40)
Third Quarter rank: 20
Second Quarter rank: 19
First Quarter rank: 20
Preseason rank: 24
Witness the Ricky Rubio effect – the Timberwolves were 21-20 when Rubio went down with a season ending knee injury. They went 5-20 after his departure. And people wanted to say Kevin Love was their MVP. Hopefully, the young Spaniard makes a full recovery so that the Timberwolves can continue to benefit from his talents.
23. New Jersey Brooklyn Nets (22-44)
Third Quarter rank: 27
Second Quarter rank: 26
First Quarter rank: 28
Preseason rank: 22
Hello Brooklyn. Good bye, Deron Williams. It’s going to be interesting to see how things shake out for the Brooklyn Nets. But as always, regardless of the outcome, things will always be gravy for minority owner Shawn Carter.
24. Toronto Raptors (23-43)
Third Quarter rank: 26
Second Quarter rank: 27
First Quarter rank: 25
Preseason rank: 28
I don’t know what to say about these guys. It seemed like they competed down the stretch, but finished 10 games below .500. Perhaps the draft or maybe a free agent can turn things around for the Raptors. Well, maybe the part about the draft might shake out.
25. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-45)
Third Quarter rank: 24
Second Quarter rank: 22
First Quarter rank: 19
Preseason rank: 30
Kyrie Irving was fantastic for the Cavs this season and is a good player to build around. Although it may be problematic for Cleveland that every time the Bulls showed up on their schedule, Irving seemed to get some sort of flu…
26. New Orleans Hornets (21-45)
Third Quarter rank: 29
Second Quarter rank: 29
First Quarter rank: 27
Preseason rank: 27
In spite of everything, the Hornets played hard throughout the year. There was no tanking going on and it couldn’t happen if they wanted to. They trimmed fat on their roster, got a new owner that isn’t David Stern, and if they somehow manage to get Anthony Davis in the lottery then we’ll all have proof that the NBA is indeed rigged. Just kidding. I think.
27. Washington Wizards (20-46)
Third Quarter rank: 28
Second Quarter rank: 28
First Quarter rank: 30
Preseason rank: 20
Believe it or not, but the Wizards ended the season on a six game win streak including a victory over the Bulls in Chicago and two wins against the Heat including one in Miami. It was a great way to say farewell to Andray Blatche.
28. Golden State Warriors (23-43)
Third Quarter rank: 22
Second Quarter rank: 21
First Quarter rank: 17
Preseason rank: 17
In order to keep their lottery pick, the Warriors had to finish with at least the 7th worst record in the NBA. From March 24 until yesterday, the Warriors went 4-17. Mission accomplished. I look forward to them blowing yet another lottery pick.
29. Sacramento Kings (22-44)
Third Quarter rank: 23
Second Quarter rank: 24
First Quarter rank: 24
Preseason rank: 25
Demarcus Cousins was a solid player for them when he wasn’t doing dumb things on the court. Tyreke Evans has become expendable in just a few seasons after being named Rookie of the Year. Isaiah Thomas was much better than expected. And I seem to remember that the Kings had a player that they referred to as Jimmy. Or Jammer. Something like that.
-1. Charlotte Strugglecats (7-59)
Third Quarter rank: 30
Second Quarter rank: 30
First Quarter rank: 29
Preseason rank: 29
Michael Jordan owned the league as a player and one example of this is when he led the Chicago Bulls to the all time best win percentage for a season at .878 in the 1995-1996 season. Now, he owns a team in the league that just set the all time worst win percentage for a season at .106. Mountain high, valley low. #SuperDoodyFace.
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