Heisler’s Wednesday Power Rankings

So what was Dwight Howard thinking after the Magic scored 81 points in a loss in Miami, then 59 in one to the Bulls… in Orlando… without Derrick Rose… after his heart-warming decision to opt in?

“I just tied myself to these guys for another season?”

Actually, nobody knows what Howard is thinking, if he’s thinking or who’s doing his thinking, not that that’s anything new.

To recapitulate:

I never thought he was going anywhere before June and he didn’t.

I didn’t think it would be June of 2013, though.

When he opted in, I thought it looked like a master plan to bring him and Deron Williams to Dallas, even if it takes until 2013.

The available evidence sounds more like Dwight panicked, and/or the people around him, notably his parents, didn’t like the way this was going.

The press accepts Orlando’s claim that it was set to deal him to New Jersey for Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks and some draft picks.

I don’t think anyone is that dumb, not even the Magic. My bet is the Magic noted the stirring among Dwight’s people, who were local, as opposed to agent Dan Fegan, who’s Los Angeles-based, then negotiated with the Nets to pressure Dwight into opting in.

Even if there’s no master plan and no one is in charge, Dallas remains the insiders’ tab to get both D-Boyz.

If DWill wants to come home, the Mavs can force the Nets to do a sign-and-trade in July with their ability to create enough cap room to sign him to a max deal otherwise.

With Dallas able to create another max slot in 2013, who’s going to be a better option for Dwight, again?

In the good news for Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy, who noted this will all just start all over again in June: Just one more season, max, to endure this.

RANK	TEAM	THE RUNDOWN	LAST
1	BULLS (38-10)	LAST WEEK: 3-1   That’s some defense: Rose would be in running for back-to-back MVP if things went as expected in 14 games he’s missed, but they won 10, including last week’s vs. Heat, 76ers, Magic.	1
2	THUNDER (34-12)	LAST WEEK: 2-2  In good news, every team in the West is looking up at them. In so-so news, they’ve been a .500 team over last 10 games after having been an .806 team in first 36.	2
3	HEAT (34-11)	LAST WEEK: 3-1  Round up the usual suspect: Falling off Bulls’ pace as Bosh, who averaged 18, shot 49% before the All-Star break, drops to 15 and 45% since.	3
4	SPURS (29-14)	LAST WEEK: 2-1 May have kicked back a little too far: 6-4 over last 10 games, with Lakers cutting their four-game lead to two.	5
5	LAKERS (28-18)	LAST WEEK: 2-2  Just when they thought it was safe to go back into Staples: Sessions big upgrade off bench–over Blake, now starting (?). Lakes were getting “team to beat in West” acclaim until Utah came in and did just that.	6
6	MAGIC (29-18)	LAST WEEK: 1-3 Don’t know whether to laugh or cry: Newest era of good feeling ends when Heat hold them to 82 in loss in Miami and Bulls hold them to 59 in Orlando, mopping them up without Derrick Rose.	4
7	MAVERICKS (27-20)	LAST WEEK: 4-0 I’m totally going to stop disrespecting them (for a week, anyway). 3-9 fade drops them to 23-20, after which they won four in a row, last two in SA, Denver.	13
8	PACERS (26-18)	LAST WEEK: 2-2  So much for their legitimacy: Just lost back-to-back home-and-home to Knicks as starting forwards Granger, West combine for 31, total, shooting 12-40.	8
9	CLIPPERS (26-19)	LAST WEEK: 3-2  With Caron stuck in corner, shooting threes, his scoring average in last three months has gone 16-12-9, his shooting has gone 42-39-31%, freeing teams to load up on CP3, Blake.	12
10	GRIZZLIES (25-19)	LAST WEEK: 1-2  Not that they’ll need time to adjust, but Zach has been back for three games and they’ve lost two, in Sacramento and to Toronto on their own floor.	7
11	SIXERS (26-20)	LAST WEEK: 1-3  Grumbling about Iguodala, who averaged 18-20-19-17 from 2006 to 2010 begins again as he takes this selfless thing a little too far, averaging 11 this month.	9
12	HAWKS (26-20)	LAST WEEK: 2-2  Return of Kirk Hinrich, after season below radar with Wiz, missing 58 games last season with Hawks plus 18 in this one: They’re now 7-4 with him starting in three-guard lineup.	11
13	NUGGETS (25-21)	LAST WEEK: 1-2  If JaVale gets a clue in his debut above .500, they’ve hit jackpot. Otherwise, it’s life as usual for Karl after Melo, AI, GP, Shawn, Sam I Am, Big Dog, J.B. (Just Breathing) Carroll.	10
14	CELTICS (24-21)	LAST WEEK: 2-2 Doc doing always-entertaining, sometimes-even-true “When the playoffs start, it’s 0-0” number. In the meantime, they’re one under .500 since Feb. 9 as two of Big Three on expiring deals count the days ’til Last Hurrah.	14
15	ROCKETS (25-22)	LAST WEEK: 2-2 As much as GM Morey wants blockbuster, he’s in it. In meantime, Camby’s an upgrade since he’s merely ancient while Thabeet was a zero.	15
16	JAZZ (24-22)	LAST WEEK: 4-1  Just went 4-0 with Millsap averaging 19-9 and young big men Favors, Kanter filling in for Jefferson who misses two. Give them a Stockton and a Hornacek and they’d look a lot like Jazz of old.	18
17	BUCKS (21-24)	LAST WEEK: 3-0 Talk about your stealth contenders: You can’t say the trade turned them around because they were already on 4-0 run, but now it’s 6-0 with Monta scoring 18 in romp over former teammates in Oakland.	21
18	KNICKS (22-24)	LAST WEEK: 4-0 Linsanity lives, barely: Headed for Woodson’s bench at next sign he’s overmatched as they junk D’Antoni’s offense, he averages 15, 5.6 assists, shoots 55% as they go 4-0.	22
19	SUNS (23-23)	LAST WEEK: 4-1 Been down so long this looks up to them (cont.): Who says they’re dead-ended, should move Nash, etc.? Team that started 12-19 got one game over .500, 1/2 game out of No. 8.	19
20	WOLVES (23-24)	LAST WEEK: 1-3  2-4 since losing Rubio. When Love, Barea got into it on bench, I flashed back to a friend who’s an ulta-T-Wolves fan, who says Love pads his numbers and teammates don’t dig it.	16
21	BLAZERS (21-25)	LAST WEEK: 1-3  When do real guys arrive? Interim Coach Kaleb Canales, 34, Nate’s former assistant, replaces him, named by Chad Buchanan, their third GM in three years who’s also on interim basis.	17
22	CAVALIERS (17-26)	LAST WEEK: 1-2  Now if they can just get some of them to re-sign: Rookie Tristan Thompson gets 27-12 in long-awaited breakout. Second-year guard Alonzo Gee goes on 19-12-11-16-19-20 tear.	23
23	WARRIORS (18-25)	LAST WEEK: 0-3  Warriors say Bogut has really only been hurt twice, even if he missed 46-13-17-32 games last four seasons. If he plays, they win. In meantime, fans boo owner Lacob for trading their Monta.	20
24	KINGS (17-29)	LAST WEEK: 3-1  Adieu, Anaheim: Just went 3-0, celebrating news that local arena’s finally a done deal, with with Tyreke missing two, coming off bench in one as Thornton scores 91 and rookie point smurf Isaiah Thomas scores 49.	26
25	PISTONS (16-29)	LAST WEEK: 1-2  12-16 since Feb. 3… so how they did start 4-20 again? One, Stuckey was out of shape. Two, they wanted a good lottery slot. Or maybe that’s one.	24
26	RAPTORS (15-31)	LAST WEEK: 2-2  Bayless, non-playmaking point guard still listed behind Jose Calderon, shows there’s something he can do, getting 20-16-28-29. They even win two of them.	27
27	NETS (15-32)	LAST WEEK: 1-3 Next point guard: Gerald Wallace, acquired to give DWill a reason to stay, since Dwight isn’t coming, joins team for home loss to Hornets.	25
28	HORNETS (11-34)	LAST WEEK: 1-2  Mike Dunleavy negotiating for group expected to buy Hornets, expected to run, if not coach team, reportedly gets his guy, Kaman, taken off market.	28
29	WIZARDS (10-34)	LAST WEEK: 1-2  Nene, asked his reaction at being traded to this, ahem, promising young team: “You don’t want to know.”	29
30	BOBCATS (7-37)	LAST WEEK: 1-3  Not all they hoped for: Kemba Walker, No. 9 pick in the draft, shooting 37%, going from 15 points, 32 minutes in February to 9.3 and 22 in March.	30