Heisler’s Wednesday Power Rankings

As the drama builds for the ultimate honor that Sheridan Power Rankings (Wednesday Edition) can confer, the leader going into the last week is….

What leader?

I can’t think of anyone who should be No. 1, or at least who deserves to have it to itself, so I have a five-way tie for No. 1.

No one has led anything lately.

Chicago has the best record, plays the best ball night-in and night-out and would be an easy pick… if Derrick Rose didn’t keep making U-turns every time they try to get him back on the floor.

Happily for the Heat, they are healthy. Their guys just can’t play well enough for Coach Erik Spoelstra to settle on a rotation.

San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich is resting regulars in the middle of a torrid race for No. 1 in the West. Of course, he did that so his old guys could be fresh for the next night’s game, hosting the Lakers, who routed them, rested or not, before revenge came last night.

Oklahoma City’s Scott Brooks confirmed he’s going to try to win the West title Tuesday in Los Angeles, before the Clippers, who trailed by 10 in the second quarter, held his team to 25 points in the second half and won by 15.

The Lakers don’t look much different than they have all season, don’t have Kobe Bryant at the moment, but are winning some games.

And those are the elite teams.

Happily, we don’t have to sort these teams out, even if we do it all season to kill time. We have the playoffs for that.
As you can tell, if we’re not yet in the presence of greatness, it’s going to be interesting.

RANK	TEAM	THE RUNDOWN	LAST
1	SPURS (44-16)	LAST WEEK: 4-1 Another SH Power Rankings (Wednesday Edition) No. 1 flops: The day after their promotion to top dog, Lakers came into town and beat them by 14 after leading by 26.	1
1	THUNDER (44-17)	LAST WEEK: 2-2  Beyond doubt, they’re the best young team in West (for whatever that’s worth.) Unfortunately, they lost the season series, 2-1, to Spurs, who are still on their tail, Pop or no Pop.	3
1	BULLS (46-15)	LAST WEEK: 2-1   If it’s too soon to panic, stay tuned: Back after three weeks, Rose has only a “day-to day” foot injury—but it’s seventh different one he’s been treated for this season (ankle, groin, back, toe, elbow, shin.)	5
1	HEAT (43-17)	LAST WEEK: 3-1  Something besides their rotation is “tightening up,” as Spoelstra drops Anthony, Cole out of rotation after losing two to Celtics, once to Bulls.	6
1	LAKERS (39-23)	LAST WEEK: 3-1  Gave Peace a Chance: Pretty or not, they’re 29-12 since starting 10-8. The former Ron Artest, thought to be former NBA player, just averaged 17—and shot 52%!–as they shocked the world, winning four in a row without Kobe.	7
6	PACERS (40-22)	LAST WEEK: 5-0  No one expects much in their second playoff appearance in six years—only because 37 wins got them in last spring, for five games vs. Chicago—but they’re hottest team in East, on 15-4 roll.	8
7	CLIPPERS (38-23)	LAST WEEK: 4-0  Just won 12 of 14, trying to overtake Lakers. Unfortunately, Lakers won the season series, 2-1, and went on a roll, themselves.	9
8	GRIZZLIES (36-25)	LAST WEEK: 3-2  Drive to catch Clippers ends when Marc Gasol leaves with bruised knee, leaving them two games behind Clips, who won season series. Now they’re on track to meet in first round, with Games 1-2-6-7 in Staples.	4
9	HAWKS (36-25)	LAST WEEK: 2-2  One for all and all for one: With Big Al cleared—well, to lift weights—trying to return for playoffs, five Hawks are averaging in double figures this month, inclding backup four Ivan Johnson.	10
10	CELTICS (36-26)	LAST WEEK: 3-2 Love that Atlantic: If not for winning their, uh, rebuilding division, they’d be looking at being on the road in the first round.	2
11	KNICKS (32-29)	LAST WEEK: 3-1 You walk into the room with your pencil in your hand, you see Melo averaging 30 this month and you say, “Who is that man?” Yes, something is happening with the Knicks and you don’t know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?	15
12	NUGGETS (34-27)	LAST WEEK: 3-1  Must read: Lee Jenkins’ SI profile on JaVale with Mom, uh, discussing circumstances of his birth and even MWPeace cutting JVM up (“I don’t think he watches tape. I think he plays video games and he could possibly have an Atari.”)	14
13	MAGIC (36-25)	LAST WEEK: 2-1 Dwight’s already mad at Magic for quote, telling Stan he wanted him fired–after publicly zinging coach for years. How will D12, out with quote, bad back, feel about losing on road in first round?	11
14	MAVERICKS (34-28)	LAST WEEK: 2-2 Remember their run after starting 0-4, when they won 20 of 27? They’re 14-17 since. Dirk’s free throw attempts down to 11-year low 5.6 a game	13
15	SUNS (32-29)	LAST WEEK: 2-2  As one GM put it, just getting this bedraggled bunch, now tied for No. 8 with Rockets, close to playoffs makes Alvin Gentry one of the coach of the year leaders.	16
16	JAZZ (32-30)	LAST WEEK: 2-2  Missing piece of puzzle: Second-year two Gordon Hayward, who looked promising but deferential, steps up, averaging 18 this month, shooting 49%, knocking down 18 of 36 threes in nine games.	17
17	ROCKETS (32-29)	LAST WEEK: 0-4 One of the season’s biggest surprises, which just won eight of 11 with Lowry, Kevin Martin both missing all but one of them, picked a bad time to lose four in a row.	12
18	BUCKS (29-31)	LAST WEEK: 1-2 No longer have a chance to catch the Knicks but look who just dropped onto their radar….	18
19	SIXERS (31-30)	LAST WEEK: 1-3  Bloom’s off Collins’ miracle after players he inherited from 27-55 team went 41-41 last season, started this one 20-9. They’re 11-22 since as Bucks close in… with season series 1-1 and tie-breaker in Milwaukee next week.	19
20	WOLVES (25-38)	LAST WEEK: 0-5  Beasley says he wants to go back to starting next season. With Woofies more inclined to move his $8.2 mill salary, the question is for whom. Could be Lakes, who wanted him at trade deadline.	20
21	BLAZERS (28-34)	LAST WEEK: 1-3  Who are Chad Buchanan, Kaleb Canales, Luke Babbitt and Johnny Flynn? Portland’s interim GM, interim coach, interim small forward and interim point guard, respectively.	21
22	PISTONS (23-38)	LAST WEEK: 2-2  Been down so far, this almost look like up. At least they got a new owner after horrific interregnum following death of Bill Davidson that hung over them for better part of two seasons.	22
23	HORNETS (19-42)	LAST WEEK: 4-0  They’re staying? Stern fleeces, er, gets $366 mill from Saints owner Tom Benson, so other 29 owners who bought Shinn out and covered losses since, get their money back. Hornets go 4-0, with joy presumably overwhelming good sense.	28
24	CAVALIERS (20-40)	LAST WEEK: 1-4  If you’re going to tank, don’t just paddle around out there: Cavaliers, who were 16-23 on March 11, now tied for fourth-lowest win total after dropping 17 of 21.	23
25	WARRIORS (22-38)	LAST WEEK: 0-4  Just discovered new direction: down: Five losses in a row drop them into a three-way tie for fifth-worst record with Nets and Raptors, trailing (you know what I mean) Kings and Cavs at 20 Ws, Wiz at 15, incomparable Bobcats at 7.	24
26	NETS (22-40)	LAST WEEK: 1-2 Dynamic, if largely absentee owner Prokhorov, makes his semi-annual visit, gets update on ever-longer odds of keeping DWill–but Avery reports he and the Big Russkie remain united in their vision! Yeah, like “OK, so we’re starting over.”	25
27	RAPTORS (22-40)	LAST WEEK: 2-2  Remember their glory days when they anguished about losing Vince or Bosh as free agents? These days, they don’t even have anyone worth anguishing about.	27
28	WIZARDS (15-46)	LAST WEEK: 1-2  Randy Wittman after temps James Singleton, Cartier Martin lead win over Orlando: “We might have to go to all 10-day contracts next season.”	29
29	KINGS (20-41)	LAST WEEK: 1-2  Former Donald Sterling Award to be named for Maloofuses, who never wanted to stay and just defied Stern, pulling out of NBA-endorsed arena deal–too late to apply to move. Now for yet another season from hell.	26
30	BOBCATS (7-53)	LAST WEEK: 0-4  After losing 17 in a row, must split their last six to avoid becoming fourth posting fourth single-figure victory total in NBA history…. On a positive note, there’s only one week of this left.	30