NBA Basketball Power Ratings

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (61-19) – Despite wrapping up the number one seed throughout the entire postseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost two straight games. Of course, both of those games were without MVP candidate LeBron James, who has been “resting” for the postseason. The Cavaliers also have a home game with the Orlando Magic and a trip to Atlanta, where James will most likely sit as well. James is scoring 29.7 points per game and dishing out 8.6 assists per game. The Cavaliers are 33-7 at home and 23-16 on the road. The Cavaliers will host either the Toronto Raptors or Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.  

2. Los Angeles Lakers (56-23) – The Lakers, like the Cavaliers have struggled down the stretch, but also have their conference wrapped up. The Lakers will have to go on the road to Cleveland, if the two teams meet in the NBA Finals. Los Angeles has played their last two games without top scorer Kobe Bryant. In those two games, the Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets and then came back and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night. The Lakers are getting 27.1 points and 5 assists per game from Kobe. The Lakers will host the Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trailblazers or San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. Los Angeles is 33-6 at home and 23-17 when playing on the road.

3. Orlando Magic (56-23) – The Orlando Magic will be heading into the postseason playing pretty solid basketball, winning their last three and eight of their last ten. The Magic have locked up the # 2 seed in the Eastern Conference postseason, and will host the Charlotte Bobcats, or possibly the Miami Heat in the first round. Orlando picked up wins this week; all at home over Memphis, Washington and New York. The Magic are led by superman, Dwight Howard, who is scoring 18.4 points per game, and grabbing 13.5 rebounds per game. Orlando has played well at home, winning 33 of 40 this season, while also winning 23 of 39 on the road.

4. Dallas Mavericks (53-27) – The Dallas Mavericks are currently one game ahead of Denver and Utah in the Western Conference playoff chase. The Mavericks will travel to Los Angeles (Clippers), before hosting the San Antonio Spurs in the final game of the season. Dallas has wrapped up the Southwest Division standings; four games ahead of San Antonio. Dirk Nowitzki is leading the Mavericks with 24.9 points per game, while the Mavericks as a team are scoring 101.6 points per game. Dallas has played almost just as well on the road as they have at home; 27-13 at home and 25-14 on the road.

5. Denver Nuggets (52-28) – After struggling late in the season, the Denver Nuggets found their groove, winning four straight games. Denver’s streak was halted Saturday night by the San Antonio Spurs, as Carmelo Anthony was ejected. The Nuggets are now tied with the Utah Jazz for the lead in the Northwest Division. Denver is also one game behind the Mavericks for the second seed in the Western Conference. The final couple games for Denver will make the difference between the two seed, and possibly the fifth seed in the postseason. Denver plays the San Antonio Spurs late on Saturday night, then hosts Memphis on Monday and plays at Phoenix on Tuesday.

6. Utah Jazz (52-28) – The Utah Jazz with just two games to play are right in the hunt for the Northwest Division title, as well as the # 2 seed in the Western Conference. Utah took advantage of the Denver loss on Saturday to move into a tie for the divisional lead. Utah will play at Golden State on Tuesday and then host the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday to finish the regular season. Utah has won 32 of 40 at home this season, so hosting in the postseason would be beneficial to the Jazz. Utah has been winning games with their stellar defense; allowing just 98.9 points per game.  

7. Phoenix Suns (51-28) – The Phoenix Suns, are also in the middle of the Western Conference playoff picture and could finish anywhere from # 2 to # 7. The Suns will host the Houston Rockets on Sunday, Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, and then finish the season in Utah on Wednesday night. Therefore, the final three games are huge for the Suns and their postseason fate. The Suns are looking to improve their road record, as they have won just 21 of 40. Phoenix leads the NBA with 110.1 points per game, led by Amare Stouemire’s 23 points per game.

8. Oklahoma City Thunder (49-30) – The Thunder picked up a huge win Friday night to move them out of the eight seed in the Western Conference, and up to sixth. The Thunder wants to avoid starting the playoffs in Los Angeles, against the Lakers. Oklahoma City is trying to fend off both San Antonio and Portland down the stretch, and will see a favorable schedule, Sunday at Golden State, Monday at Portland and Wednesday at home against Memphis. Kevin Durant leads the team with 30 points per game, leading the entire NBA. As a team, the Thunder are scoring 101.2 points per game.  

9. Atlanta Hawks (51-29) – The Atlanta Hawks have been eliminated from winning the Southeast Division, and will be the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference postseason. Atlanta picked up back-to-back wins over the weekend; over Toronto and at Washington. The Hawks are led in scoring by sharp shooting Joe Johnson, who is putting up 21.2 points per game. The Hawks are 33-7 at home, but just 18-22 when playing on the road. Atlanta will play at Milwaukee on Monday, and then finish the season Wednesday, at home, with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland is expected to sit leading scorer LeBron James for that game. 

10. Boston Celtics (49-30) – The Celtics, winners of the Atlantic Division will be the three seed when the postseason begins next week. Despite playing without Kevin Garnett on Saturday, the Celtics picked up a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The game became heated late in the game, and could be a postseason re-match on the way. Boston is 24-16 when playing at home, and 26-14 on the road. Paul Pierce leads the team in scoring with 18 points per game, while point guard Rajon Rondo is dishing out just under 10 assists per game. 6

11. Portland Trailblazers (48-31) – The Trailblazers are currently the 8th seed in the Western Conference and if the postseason started today, they would start their first round series at the Los Angeles Lakers. Portland is just ½ game behind San Antonio and a game behind Oklahoma City. The Trailblazers will face a tough test on Sunday, when they play the Lakers in Los Angeles. Following the Lakers, Portland will host both the Oklahoma City Thunder (Monday) and Golden State Warriors (Wednesday). Portland is 25-14 at home this season, and 23-17 on the road.  

12. San Antonio Spurs (49-31) – The San Antonio Spurs moved ½ game ahead of Portland with their 104-85 win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. San Antonio is trying to get out of the 8th seed, to avoid taking on Los Angeles in the first round. The Spurs have two games remaining, Monday at home with Minnesota and Wednesday in Dallas. The Spurs are led by Tim Duncan and his 17.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. San Antonio is scoring 101.1 points per game, and allowing just 96.1 as a team. 11

13. Milwaukee Bucks (45-35) – At ten games above .500, the Milwaukee Bucks appear to be heading towards the fifth or sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are just ½ game ahead of the Miami Heat for the fifth seed. Milwaukee took a loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics on Saturday night in a much heated affair between the two teams who may face-off again in the postseason. Milwaukee has played real well at home, winning 28 of 40 games, while they have won 17 of 40 on the road.  

14. Miami Heat (44-35) – The Miami Heat have three games to play; at New York, at Philadelphia and with New Jersey, in an effort to pass Milwaukee for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.  The Heat took a seven point loss at the hands of the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, after beating Philadelphia Wednesday. The Heat’s Dwyane Wade is scoring 26.4 points per game and dishing out 6.6 assists per game. The Heat are scoring just 96.2 points per game as a team, but their defense is yielding just 94.2.  

15. Charlotte Bobcats (43-37) – The Bobcats, at 43-37, appear to be heading for the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference postseason. Charlotte would start their postseason in Orlando against the Magic. The Bobcats picked up a four point win over Detroit Saturday night, after falling to Houston Friday night. Charlotte will play at New Jersey on Monday, then host the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, in a game the Bulls will need for their postseason chances. Charlotte has played real well at home, winning 31 of 40, but struggled on the road going just 12-28.   

16. Houston Rockets (41-38) – The Houston Rockets are going to finish the 2009-2010 season above .500, but fail to make the postseason. Houston has won three straight games; over Memphis, Utah and Charlotte to move to 3 games above .500. The Rockets will play two straight road games on Sunday and Monday at Phoenix and Sacramento, and then finish the season at home on Wednesday with the New Orleans Hornets. Houston is led in scoring by Kevin Martin, and his 20.9 points per game. The Rockets are 23-17 at home this season, while going 18-21 on the road.

17. Memphis Grizzles (40-40) – At 40-40, the Memphis Grizzles are seeking to finish the season above .500 for the first time since the 2005-2006 season. Memphis will play at Denver on Monday and Oklahoma City on Wednesday for their final two games. Their last home game on Saturday was a 120-101 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Grizzles finished the season 23-18 at home, and are currently 17-22 on the road. Memphis is scoring 102.5 points per game, but allowing 103.6.   

18. Toronto Raptors (38-41) – Tied with the Chicago Bulls for the final postseason position in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors will play their final three games with some urgency. The urgency starts Sunday when they host the Bulls. Following Chicago, Toronto will play at Detroit on Monday and host the New York Knicks on Wednesday. Even if the Raptors win their final three games, they will finish no better than .500. Toronto has lost its last four games, including a 107-101 road loss at Atlanta on Friday night. The Raptors are playing without All Star Forward Chris Bosh, who leads the team with 24 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.  

19. Chicago Bulls (38-41) – Much like Toronto; the Bulls are looking to limp into the postseason. The Bulls will play Sunday at Toronto, and then host Boston on Tuesday, and play at Charlotte on Wednesday. Chicago took a terrible 127-116 overtime loss on Friday at New Jersey to remain in a tie. The Bulls are led by second year stud Derrick Rose, who is scoring 20.4 points per game. Chicago has struggled on the road, winning just 15 of 39 games, while going 23-17 at home.

20. New Orleans Hornets (35-45) – Missing point guard Chris Paul; the New Orleans Hornets are on the verge of having their worst season since 2004-2005 when they won just 18 games. Paul led the team with 10.7 assists per game before going down to an injury. The Hornets have lost five straight games, including Friday’s 114-103 loss to the Utah Jazz. The Hornets are 23-17 at home, while going 12-28 on the road. New Orleans will finish the season Sunday with Minnesota, and then Wednesday at Houston.  

21. Indiana Pacers (32-48) – The Indiana Pacers have found a groove, winning their last four games and eight of their last ten. Unfortunately for the Pacers it was too late, finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference. Indiana picked up wins over Houston, New York, Cleveland and New Jersey this week. The Pacers are led by Danny Granger’s 24.4 points per game and Troy Murphy’s 10.3 rebounds per game. Indiana will finish the season Monday with Orlando, and then on the road Wednesday at the Washington Wizards.  

22. New York Knicks (28-51) – The New York Knicks are going to finish under .500 for the ninth straight season. None of that means anything for the Knicks faithful if they can garner LeBron James from free agency this summer. The Knicks also will not be able to top their 2008-2009 season where they won 32 games. New York made 16 three point field goals on Friday, but fell by 15 at Orlando. The Knicks, as a team are scoring 101.9 points per game, but the defense is allowing just fewer than 106 per game. New York will host Miami on Sunday and Washington on Monday, before finishing the season on the road Wednesday in Toronto.  

23. Los Angeles Clippers (28-52) – The second team in Los Angeles, will once again finish under .500. The Clippers will finish with their best record since the 2006-2007 season when they won 40 games. Los Angeles picked up their 28th win on Saturday night, topping the Golden State Warriors. In the win, guard Baron Davis left the game with a sprained wrist. Chris Kaman is the Clippers leading scorer, with 18.5 points per game, for a team that is scoring 95.6. Los Angeles is seeking an above .500 record at home, as they are currently 20-19. They will face a tough task to finish above .500, as they host Dallas on Monday and the Lakers on Wednesday.   

24. Philadelphia 76ers (27-53) – Philadelphia is set to finish one of the most disappointing seasons among all NBA teams. Their 27 wins are the lowest in the last 10 years, beating the previous low of 33 in 2003-2004. The 76ers are led by Andre Iguodala’s 17.3 points per game. Philadelphia picked up a win Saturday night on the road in Memphis. The road win was their 15th of the season, to just 12 home games. 24

25. Detroit Pistons (26-54) – The Detroit Pistons, at 26-54, are set to finish one of their worst seasons in franchise history. It will also be the second straight year the Pistons finish below .500. Detroit picked up a road win on Friday night over the Miami Heat, but fell Saturday in Charlotte. Detroit is led by Richard Hamilton’s 18.1 points per game. The Pistons are 17-23 at home, and 9-31 on the road. Detroit will look to spoil the Raptors playoff chances on Monday at home, and then finish their season on the road, Wednesday in Minnesota.  

26. Sacramento Kings (25-55) – Sacramento, at 25-55, are going to finish ahead of last season’s 17 win season. The Kings will finish under .500 for the fourth straight season. The last time Sacramento finished above .500 was during the 2005-2006 season when they won 44 games. The Kings will finish the season Monday and Tuesday with a home game against the Rockets, and a trip to the Staples Center to face the Lakers.

27. Golden State Warriors (24-54) – Golden State picked up a win for their head coach Don Nelson, who moved to # 1 in career wins as a NBA coach. The Warriors, at 24-54 are nearing their worst finish since 2001-2002 when they won just 21 games. Since that year, the Warriors have only been above .500 twice. Golden State is allowing the most points per game in the NBA; with 112.5. The Warriors have won 17 of 39 at home, but just 7 of 39 on the road. Golden State will play at Los Angeles Clippers (Saturday) and then host Oklahoma City (Sunday) and Utah (Tuesday) to finish the season.

28. Washington Wizards (25-55) – The Washington Wizards have 25 wins on the season, six more than they picked up during last season. After four straight winning seasons, Washington has finished under .500 for two straight years. The Wizards picked up a ten point win over Boston on Friday, but dropped a home game to Atlanta on Saturday night. The Wizards will finish the season on Monday at the Madison Square Garden against the Knicks, and then a home game on Wednesday, with the Indiana Pacers.  

29. Minnesota Timberwolves (15-64) – Minnesota will finish with the worst record in the Western Conference, and second worst overall. The Timberwolves have lost four straight games and nine of their last ten overall. Minnesota’s last win came on March 31st over Sacramento. The Timberwolves are led in scoring by big man Al Jefferson, and his 17.9 points per game. Minnesota is allowing 107.4 points per game, while scoring just 98.2. The Timberwolves finish the season with two of their last three on the road. On Sunday they will play at New Orleans, followed by a trip to San Antonio on Monday. Their final regular season game will come on Wednesday, when they host the Detroit Pistons. 29