| RANK | TEAM | THE RUNDOWN | LAST |
| 1 | THUNDER (24-6) |
They’re 3-0 since Miami loss when Perkins said guys should “stop looking at articles on ourselves and start just losing ourselves in the team a little bit more.” Those “guys” he was talking about are thought to have initials Russell Westbrook. | 3 |
| 2 | CLIPPERS (25-7) |
Ran table in December, going 16-0 before winning streak ends at 17 in Denver. George Karl says CP3, No. 1 in steals (2.6), is Defensive Player of Year playing alongside Bledsoe (No. 20 at 1.6), Griffin (No. 28, 1.5), Barnes (No. 36, 1.3), Crawford (No. 48, 1.1). | 2 |
| 3 | HEAT (21-8) |
Regains talent: Wade, who was “starting to lose his talent,” according to Sir Charles, averaged 22-4-4, shot 57 percent in December, meaning Heat’s not all LeBron, all the time – yet. | 1 |
| 4 | SPURS (25-8) |
At 36, Duncan, whose scoring average from 2002 to 2011 went 25-23-22-20-19-20-19-19-18-15-13, is back up to 18, playing more minutes than he has since he was a just a pup of 32. | 5 |
| 5 | GRIZZLIES (19-9) |
Oops: 5-6 since 14-3 start with Conley, who shot 53 percent in November, at 34 percent in December and Gay shooting career-low 41 percent. | 4 |
| 6 | WARRIORS (21-10) |
No, really: Warriors, winners of 18 of their last 24 – including nine of 13 on the road – play Clippers home-and-home this week to settle who’s whom in Pacific. You could look it up. | 7 |
| 7 | HAWKS (20-10) |
Real good news: With only Horford, Teague, Lou Williams signed past this season for more than $2.5 million per season, they may win 50 games while GM Danny Ferry creates two max slots to offer Dwight and a friend. | 8 |
| 8 | KNICKS (21-10) |
Lived by the three, gagged by the three: Just went 3-5, making 32 percent from arc while continuing to launch 28 a game. That followed 18—5 start when they were making 41 percent. | 6 |
| 9 | PACERS (18-13) |
With Granger out, Hibbert averaging just 9.5 ppg and under 40 percent from floor, no sure thing to hit water from a boat. But Paul George, David West and George Hill averaged 19-18-16 in December. | 11 |
| 10 | NUGGETS (18-15) |
Emerging from 22 of first 31 on road with third-best road win/home loss ratio in West, Nuggets torch both LA teams, ending Lakers’ hope they were back and Clippers’ win streak. | 10 |
| 11 | ROCKETS (17-14) |
For those who thought Harden was an early season fluke, he’s getting better, averaging 28-5-5 while shooting 47 percent in last 10 games. | 12 |
| 12 | BULLS (16-13) |
Fans keep asking why Bulls cheaped out and didn’t match on Asik – NBA’s No. 4 rebounder – while saving money for Taj Gibson, who’s now struggling. Answer: Because they’re the Bulls. | 9 |
| 13 | BUCKS (16-13) |
Ilyasova, who averaged 16-9 after All-Star break last spring, signed a four-year, $32 million deal and disappeared, gets 24 in loss to Detroit — one of just eight times Skiles has played him longer than 25 minutes all season. | 16 |
| 14 | BLAZERS (16-14) |
Another surprise in West’s Year of the Underdog: Trail Blazers, who were supposed to win 35 max this season, just took seven of nine, including Tuesday’s upset in New York. | 20 |
| 15 | WOLVES (14-13) |
Where’s the Love (cont.): After blasting Wolves’ management, Love’s back at work, shooting 36 percent with cast on right hand that may bother his stroke but hasn’t stopped him from taking 17 shots a game. | 13 |
| 16 | LAKERS (15-16) |
Well, it beats losing: Lakes go 6-2 with three-guard lineup, Pau and Dwight, even if they look like slo-mo replay of D’Antoni’s Suns on offense while sinking to 25th on defense. | 15 |
| 17 | NETS (16-15) |
Just don’t lose many: P.J. Carlesimo is 2-1, succeeding axed Avery Johnson as Nets woo Phil Jackson. CEO Brett Yormark, who tweeted disapproval of team’s effort while Johnson was coaching, keeps his job. | 21 |
| 18 | JAZZ (15-17) |
Jazz went 6-13 on road, where they had to play 19 of first 32. Respectable, at least for them. Unfortunately, they’ve also lost their last three at home. | 17 |
| 19 | SIXERS (15-17) |
Nice little team would be something with 20-10 big man. Unfortunately, Bynum is only cleared to “step up” rehab as GM Tony DiLeo repeats – all together now – There’s No Timetable For His Return. | 19 |
| 20 | CELTICS (14-16) |
Rigor mortis strikes deep: Team that went 22-3, 27-2, 22-5 and 23-4 before Christmas last four full seasons was 14-13 this year before losing by 29 to Clippers, 18 to Warriors, 22 to Kings. | 14 |
| 21 | MAVERICKS (13-19) |
In good news, everyone’s healthy. In bad news, they’ve lost nine of 12 as Dirk, averaging just 22 minutes, notes, “Our basketball IQ obviously went down with J-Kidd (leaving). That’s pretty obvious.” | 18 |
| 22 | PISTONS (12-22) |
Andre Drummond sighting: 6-10 rookie with beaucoup talent but wavering effort level who dropped to them at No. 9 in draft averages 9-11 in 25 minutes off bench in last six games, five of them wins. | 25 |
| 23 | RAPTORS (11-20) |
After starting 6-1 run with Lowry and Bargnani out, Dwane Casey keeps Calderon as starter with Lowry back. In other words, my declaration that Calderon is on way out was, uh, premature. | 24 |
| 24 | MAGIC (12-19) |
Oops: Bottom falls out in 0-6 skid without injured Big Baby, Jameer, Ayon and Moore. But they’ve still won about as many as most thought they would get all season. | 22 |
| 25 | KINGS (11-20) |
4-2 boomlet in nick of time for Smart, about to become sixth coach in eight seasons claimed by the cast of “Lord of the Flies” after Adelman, Musselman, Theus, Natt and Westphal. | 26 |
| 26 | SUNS (11-21) |
Suns don’t know they’re rebuilding: No. 14 in West. With Beasley, Morris, Brown now coming off bench, they don’t have anyone starting who’s younger than 26 amid reports they want Bulls’ Hamilton. | 23 |
| 27 | CAVALIERS (7-25) |
One nice by-product of Anderson Varejao’s injury: A Tristan Thompson breakout. From 8-8, shooting 43 percent in his first 24 games, he is 12-11, shooting 50 percent since. | 27 |
| 28 | HORNETS (7-24) |
Eric Gordon gets 24 in long-awaited return. Monty Williams asks fans not to boo for saying his heart was in Phoenix before Hornets matched Suns’ offer to keep his rear end in Nawlins. | 29 |
| 29 | BOBCATS (8-23) |
Almost ran table in December, too, losing 15 of their 18 in a row before upsetting Bulls on New Year’s Eve to – finally! – top last season’s win total. | 28 |
| 30 | WIZARDS (4-25) |
Black hole for point guards: With Wall out, Crawford didn’t pass, Price was hurt and Livingston waived. Now going back and forth between Garrett Temple and Shelvin Mack, both up from D-League. | 30 |
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Lakers are too high, come on. And nuggets too low. And Griz too low……..right now in the west the scariest teams are Spurs, OKC, and Griz. Clippers next…and then portland probably. In the east…..i mean who?? Miami is asleep………but they just got beat twice. Indiana looks like the scariest team going forward. Who wins the east if not miami? And miami is vulnerable. Chicago if rose is back, but if not……..id say the pacers.
Hey Chris, Here is our power rankings. http://pickandpopdiaries.blogspot.com/2013/01/week-10-power-rankings.html Alot of our thoughts were the same!