2014-15 NBA Power Rankings Week 18

Long live the new King. Highlights, photos, recap & reactions from today's big OT win on http://t.co/VBY18eSOmU. pic.twitter.com/91utdhnqTx
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 2, 2015

King James. That was the headline.

Not in reference to LeBron James, but by the Houston Rockets twitter account in reference to James Harden.

Ouch.

A kick below the belt?

Wait, that happened too.



The Cavs were without point guard Kyrie Irving (and the Rockets, of course, were still without Dwight Howard), but the battle between the Cavs and Rockets and Harden and LeBron went into overtime.

LeBron put together a strong line overall with 37 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks, but he was awful from the free-throw line. Making only three of his 11 free throws, it was the first time in his career that he shot at least 10 free throws and made three or less.

Meanwhile, Harden (or should I say, King James?) posted a nearly identical line by scoring 33 points (including 15-of-18 free throws) and adding eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.

With the win over the Cavs, the Rockets are tied with the Pelicans for the league's longest active winning streak of five games.

Houston will open this week with a tough back-to-back on Tuesday (at Atlanta, 47-12) and Wednesday (vs. Memphis, 42-16). Only three teams have a better winning percentage than the Rockets (.695) and the Hawks and Grizzlies are two of those teams.

Jimmy Butler latest Bull to miss multiple weeks

Since his MVP-winning 2010-11 season, Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has played a total of 95 games over the past three-and-a-half seasons.

Unfortunately, there's a chance that Rose, who had surgery on his meniscus last week, won't play any more regular-season games this season.

With a timetable of four to six weeks, however, he is expected to return at some point and he's already rehabbing his knee. If he doesn't play during the rest of the regular season, D-Rose should return at some point during the playoffs.

Making matters worse for the Bulls, they will be without Jimmy Butler as well.

Butler is expected to miss the next three to four weeks with an elbow sprain, but it looks as though he will avoid surgery.

Butler and Rose are the team's top-two scorers -- 20.2 and 18.4 points per game, respectively -- and no player has averaged more minutes per game than Butler (38.9/G), who is also one of the league's best perimeter defenders.

In addition to the loss of Butler and Rose, the Bulls are expected to be without Taj Gibson for another week. Gibson is averaging a career-high 13.0 points in 28.7 minutes per game as well as 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

Russell Westbrook: Three consecutive triple-doubles

Already without Kevin Durant (foot), the Thunder were without point guard Russell Westbrook on Sunday after having facial surgery.

That said, it doesn't look as though he'll miss much more time.

Russell Westbrook won't miss much time with surgery. "If he had a playoff game (Sunday), he could play," league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 28, 2015

Before missing Sunday's game, Westbrook had three consecutive triple-doubles. During that three-game span, Westbrook averaged 33.0 points, 12.67 rebounds and 10.67 assists per game.

No player has more triple-doubles this season than Westbrook (five). Coincidentally, the two players tied for second -- Rajon Rondo and Michael Carter-Williams (three each) -- have both been traded during the season.

Here are my Week 18 NBA Power Rankings:

1. Golden State Warriors (Record 46-11, Last Week 1)
2. Atlanta Hawks (Record 47-12, Last Week 2)
3. Memphis Grizzlies (Record 42-16, Last Week 3)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (Record 37-24, Last Week 4)
5. Houston Rockets (Record 41-18, Last Week 7)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (Record 39-19, Last Week 9)
7. Los Angeles Clippers (Record 39-21, Last Week 10)
8. San Antonio Spurs (Record 36-23, Last Week 6)
9. Dallas Mavericks (Record 39-22, Last Week 8)
10. Oklahoma City Thunder (Record 33-27, Last Week 12)
11. Toronto Raptors (Record 37-22, Last Week 5)
12. Chicago Bulls (Record 37-23, Last Week 11)
13. New Orleans Pelicans (Record 32-27, Last Week 16)
14. Indiana Pacers (Record 25-34, Last Week 17)
15. Washington Wizards (Record 34-26, Last Week 14)
16. Phoenix Suns (Record 31-29, Last Week 13)
17. Milwaukee Bucks (Record 32-27, Last Week 15)
18. Detroit Pistons (Record 23-36, Last Week 18)
19. Charlotte Hornets (Record 24-33, Last Week 19)
20. Brooklyn Nets (Record 24-33, Last Week 20)
21. Miami Heat (Record 25-33, Last Week 21)
22. Utah Jazz (Record 23-35, Last Week 23)
23. Boston Celtics (Record 23-34, Last Week 25)
24. Orlando Magic (Record 19-42, Last Week 22)
25. Sacramento Kings (Record 20-37, Last Week 24)
26. Los Angeles Lakers (Record 16-42, Last Week 28)
27. Denver Nuggets (Record 20-39, Last Week 26)
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (Record 13-45, Last Week 27)
29. Philadelphia 76ers (Record 13-46, Last Week 29)
30. New York Knicks (Record 12-46, Last Week 30)

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2014-15 NBA Power Rankings Week 13

Winners of just two of their past seven games, the Chicago Bulls are in a mini-slump, but one positive is that Derrick Rose is starting to turn the corner in his return.

Averaging more than 35 minutes per game in his past three outings, Rose has notched back-to-back double-doubles (only has three on the season) and has averaged 28.0 points and 8.3 assists per game during that three-game span.

In his first 28 games this season, Rose averaged just 16.96 points and 4.86 assists per game on less than 29 minutes per game.

Meanwhile, Pau Gasol has played really well over his past 10 games.

To begin the season, Gasol had 15 double-doubles in his first 21 games and then had only two double-doubles in his next nine games. Since then, Gasol has seven double-doubles in his past nine outings.

With 23 double-doubles on the season, Gasol is tied with DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis for second in the league behind Nikola Vucevic (24).

Over the past 10 games, Gasol is averaging 22.7 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.

Atlanta Hawks extend winning streak to 12 games

Pulling a trick out of Gregg Popovich's book, the Atlanta Hawks sat their entire starting lineup (in waves) against the lowly Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics in back-to-back games to kick off last week.

It's not as though they needed their starters as the Hawks won both of those games by at least 14 points.

With their squad at full strength, the Hawks faced two tougher foes -- Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls -- in back-to-back at the end of the week, although the results were the same. Atlanta won those games by 21 and eight points, respectively.

During that four-game road trip last week, the Hawks averaged 106.75 points (with a minimum of 105) while holding their opponents to 91.5 points (maximum of 99) per game.

On Monday, the Hawks will host the Detroit Pistons, who have won 11 of 13 games since parting ways with Josh Smith. The toughest game of the week will be Friday's tilt against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are extremely dangerous with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook back at full health.

That said, their next seven games and nine of their next 10 games are all at home.

Russell Westbrook's triple-double aided by "execution"

Against the Warriors on Friday night, Russell Westbrook recorded his ninth career triple-double.

Westbrook finished the game with 17 points, 17 assists, 15 rebounds as well as four steals. Among active NBA players, Rajon Rondo is the only other player in the league with a 15/15/15 triple-double.

After the game, Westbrook attributed his and the team's offensive success to "execution."



As part of the short interview, Westbrook goes on to tell The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel, author of the "Mr. Unreliable" column on KD, that he doesn't like him.

Here are my NBA Power Rankings heading into Week 13:

1. Atlanta Hawks (Record 33-8, Last Week 2)
2. Golden State Warriors (Record 32-6, Last Week 1)
3. Portland Trail Blazers (Record 30-11, Last Week 3)
4. Memphis Grizzlies (Record 29-11, Last Week 4)
5. Houston Rockets (Record 28-13, Last Week 6)
6. Washington Wizards (Record 28-13, Last Week 10)
7. Chicago Bulls (Record 27-15, Last Week 5)
8. Toronto Raptors (Record 26-14, Last Week 7)
9. Dallas Mavericks (Record 28-13, Last Week 8)
10. San Antonio Spurs (Record 26-16, Last Week 9)
11. Los Angeles Clippers (Record 27-14, Last Week 11)
12. Cleveland Cavaliers (Record 21-20, Last Week 15)
13. Oklahoma City Thunder (Record 20-20, Last Week 13)
14. Phoenix Suns (Record 24-18, Last Week 12)
15. Milwaukee Bucks (Record 21-19, Last Week 17)
16. New Orleans Pelicans (Record 20-20, Last Week 14)
17. Detroit Pistons (Record 16-25, Last Week 24)
18. Denver Nuggets (Record 18-22, Last Week 18)
19. Miami Heat (Record 18-22, Last Week 19)
20. Charlotte Hornets (Record 16-25, Last Week 20)
21. Brooklyn Nets (Record 17-24, Last Week 16)
22. Sacramento Kings (Record 16-24, Last Week 21)
23. Indiana Pacers (Record 15-27, Last Week 22)
24. Orlando Magic (Record 15-29, Last Week 23)
25. Utah Jazz (Record 14-27, Last Week 26)
26. Boston Celtics (Record 13-25, Last Week 25)
27. Los Angeles Lakers (Record 12-29, Last Week 27)
28. Philadelphia 76ers (Record 8-32, Last Week 28)
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (Record 7-32, Last Week 29)
30. New York Knicks (Record 5-36, Last Week 30)

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2014-15 NBA Power Rankings: Week 3

The NBA season is young and there are plenty of surprises. One example, the Kings have more wins than the Spurs and Cavs.

Combined.

With that said, here are my Week 3 NBA Power Rankings:

1. Memphis Grizzlies (Record: 6-1, Last Week: 6): I tend to be higher on the Grizzlies than most, but they are often underrated and currently lead the NBA in scoring defense (87.6 PPG).

2. Golden State Warriors (Record: 5-1, Last Week: 1): Leading the NBA in scoring, Stephen Curry had a double-double (28 points, 10 assists) with five steals on Sunday, but he also had 10 turnovers as well. That is a league high in turnovers this season.

3. Houston Rockets (Record: 6-1, Last Week: 7): Averaging 25.4 points per game (like last year), James Harden is averaging career highs in boards (6.7/G) and assists (7.1/G) through seven games.

4. Toronto Raptors (Record: 6-1, Last Week: 12): The Raptors lead the NBA in scoring offense (107.4 PPG) and scoring differential (+11.5).

5. Chicago Bulls (Record: 5-2, Last Week: 5): After averaging a league-low 93.7 PPG last year, the Bulls are scoring 104.3 PPG (sixth in NBA) this season as Jimmy Butler leads the team with 19.6 PPG (13.1/G last year).

6. Miami Heat (Record: 5-2, Last Week: 9): Chris Bosh has scored 20-plus points in all seven games this season. In his previous four seasons with the Heat, Bosh never scored 20-plus in more than five games, which he did in 2010.

7. Washington Wizards (Record: 5-2, Last Week: 11): With a current W/L percentage of .714 early in the season, the Wizards are off to a great start. If they manage to win 60 percent (or more) of their games, it will be the first time the franchise has done so since the 1978-79 season.

8. Los Angeles Clippers (Record: 4-2, Last Week: 8): The Clippers lead the league in turnover differential (-7.8) and A/TO ratio (2.13). Chris Paul has 63 assists and just five turnovers through six games.

9. San Antonio Spurs (Record: 2-3, Last Week: 2): Based on NBA futures from Vegas, the Spurs still have the best odds (6/1) among Western Conference teams to win it all ...

10. Cleveland Cavaliers (Record: 2-3, Last Week: 3): ... and while the Cavs are trying to build chemistry and play unselfishly, they are still the favorites to win it all (3/1).

11. New Orleans Pelicans (Record: 3-2, Last Week: 13): Among players getting 20-plus minutes per game, no player has a higher PER (Player Efficiency Rating) than Anthony Davis (34.89) — Golden State's Stephen Curry (29.89) is second.

12. Sacramento Kings (Record: 5-2, Last Week: 15): There are a number of reasons why the Kings are off to a strong (surprising) start. Through Sunday's games, they lead the NBA in rebounding (47.4/G) and get to and make more free throws than any other team (30.1 FTM/G, 37.3 FTA/G).

13. Dallas Mavericks (Record: 4-3, Last Week: 4): The Mavs currently lead the NBA in Offensive Rating (number of points scored per 100 possessions) with 112.0.

14. Portland Trail Blazers (Record: 4-3, Last Week: 14): The starting lineup of LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Damian Lillard, Robin Lopez and Wesley Matthews is the league's highest-scoring quintet (46.9 PPG).

15. Brooklyn Nets (Record: 4-2, Last Week: 21): While the Mavs lead the league in Offensive Rating; the Nets are second at 109.5.

16. Phoenix Suns (Record: 4-3, Last Week: 10): Coming off a tough three-game schedule (Grizzlies, Kings and Warriors), the Suns face the Nets, Bobcats and Clippers this week, all quality opponents. Then the schedule gets a lot softer from 11/17-12/2 with only one of their nine opponents having a winning record. Excluding the Raptors, the other eight teams they will face during that stretch have a combined 11-41 record.

17. Charlotte Bobcats (Record: 3-4, Last Week: 19): Kemba Walker's win-loss splits: (Wins) 19.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 7.3 APG, 2.0 SPG and (Losses) 12.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.3 SPG.

18. Oklahoma City Thunder (Record: 2-5, Last Week: 18): Mark Cuban wonders if the Thunder should shut down stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for the rest of the season? Hmmm, what could he gain from that?

19. Boston Celtics (Record: 3-3, Last Week: 24): The Celtics (25.0/G) and Rajon Rondo (11.2/G) lead the NBA in assists per game.

20. Atlanta Hawks (Record: 2-3, Last Week: 20): Jeff Teague leads the NBA in drives per game (14.0), but he only has a 33.3 percent field-goal percentage on drives.

21. Utah Jazz (Record: 3-4, Last Week: 25): Among qualified rookies, Jazz point guard Dante Exum leads rookies in PER (15.14).

22. New York Knicks (Record: 2-5, Last Week: 16): Carmelo Anthony has failed to score more than 20 points in four consecutive games and is a combined 26-of-84 (30.95 percent) during that stretch.

23. Minnesota Timberwolves (Record: 2-4, Last Week: 23): Not only did the team lose (trade) Kevin Love in the offseason, but now they will be without Ricky Rubio (ankle) for 6-8 weeks. Rubio was averaging a career-high 10.0 assists per game and shooting 42.6 percent from the field (previous career high is 38.1 percent).

24. Milwaukee Bucks (Record: 3-4, Last Week: 27): Brandon Knight is averaging 17.57 points, 6.43 rebounds and 7.29 assists per game. Only three players are averaging 17/6/7: Harden, Curry and Knight.

25. Detroit Pistons (Record: 2-4, Last Week: 26): The Pistons currently rank last in the league in points per shot (1.09).

26. Denver Nuggets (Record: 1-5, Last Week: 17): The Nuggets are 0-for November and The Manimal is averaging just 27 minutes per game this season.

27. Orlando Magic (Record: 2-5, Last Week: 28): One of the team's few bright spots, Nikola Vucevic is averaging career highs across the board: 18.6 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.1 BPG.

28. Indiana Pacers (Record: 1-6, Last Week: 22): Four Pacers are averaging more than 12.0 PPG — Chris Copeland (16.7), Donald Sloan (15.1), Roy Hibbert (12.6) and Solomon Hill (12.0). Casual fans probably only recognize one name on that list, which shows how injuries have impacted this team.

29. Los Angeles Lakers (Record: 1-5, Last Week: 29): This should come as no surprise, but Kobe Bryant has a league-high 37.7 usage rate aside from Russell Westbrook (42.9 percent).

30. Philadelphia 76ers (Record: 0-7, Last Week: 30): With few positives to the start of the season (successful tanking progress aside), Tony Wroten (23.4 PPG, 6.8 APG, 2.7 SPG) has been a fantasy must-start with Michael Carter-Williams out.

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Consensus NBA Power Rankings, Final Rankings

With the NBA regular season over and the playoffs beginning this weekend, this will be our last edition for this season of our NBA Consensus Power Rankings.

Therefore, it makes sense to get the NBA Finals predictions from our rankers.

John Trifone: Heat over Spurs in seven games

The NBA Finals matchup appears a little less predictable than it has in recent years.

The East had been looking like a two-horse race for much of the season, but both the Pacers and Heat have been mediocre at best for the last quarter of the year. The Nets, as well as the Bulls, have emerged as a possibility to challenge for the Conference. The Raptors are the forgotten team, and most disrespected three seed in recent memory, but they, too, could be considered as in the mix.

The West has some terrific first-round match-ups, and although the Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, and maybe Rockets are favorites to come out of it, it really wouldn't be all that surprising if any of the other four teams were to make a run. Earlier in the year, I predicted that the Warriors would make the Conference Finals, but with Andrew Bogut out, that's a pretty big blow to their chances.

For my Finals matchup, I'm going to go way out on a limb and take the Heat and Spurs for the second year in a row. For a team like the Pacers to falter the way that they have, that shows real concern. I don't feel that's the case for the Heat, though. Miami hasn't been taking the end of the regular season seriously, and I'm confident that they will turn it on for the playoffs. San Antonio, on the other hand, has been the best team in the NBA for the majority of the year. The West is a real powerhouse, and although it's a lot tougher to predict than the East, I'll take the team that has been the most consistent, and done it before.

In the Finals, I'm going to take Miami to three-peat in seven games. I think it's a really even series, and I might actually favor the Spurs, but I'm less confident that they will make the Finals than I am with Miami. So I'm taking a repeat of last year with Miami in seven.

Sean Beazley: Spurs over Bulls in five games

I've changed my NBA finals pick multiple times during the year, and I am going to do it again heading into the playoffs. I am going to go with the chalk in the West and say that San Antonio will beat Chicago in five. The Spurs have the best coach in the NBA. They have by far the most depth, and their nucleus has the most experience. The Bulls are the best defensive team in basketball, and I think both the Heat and Pacers slip up before the Eastern Conference Finals.

Dan Yanotchko: Spurs over Heat in six games

I think this year's NBA Finals, will be a rematch of last year's epic showdown between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are still alive and kicking, as most thought that last year would be their final in real contention, but they had a league-best 62 wins this year. The Miami Heat are limping into this year's playoffs, although most are speculating that they are sandbagging, and just waiting for the playoffs to start. This year, I think Miami is too banged up with Dwyane Wade not at 100%, and the Heat just do not have an inside big man to deal with San Antonio's length. This is the year that Tim Duncan makes that bunny lay up, and gets ring number 5 for the best coach in the league Gregg Popovich. Spurs will win in 6 games.

Kevin Hanson: Heat over Spurs in six games

There is quite a bit of intrigue with the NBA playoffs this year. The West is stacked; so much so that I wouldn't be surprised to see any of the eight teams emerge and represent the West in the Finals. Despite missing the playoffs in the West, the Suns have an identical record as the Raptors and Bulls, who are the third and fourth seeds in the East, respectively. As John noted earlier, it seemed to be a given that we would see a Heat-versus-Pacers Eastern Conference Finals, but that is no longer a lock with how those teams have struggled down the stretch.

While Kevin Durant deserves to win league MVP, LeBron James is still the best player in the NBA and the Heat know exactly what's needed to close the deal to emerge from the East as back-to-back league champions. (On a side note, I have the Bulls — not the Pacers — getting to the Eastern Conference Finals.) Perhaps in a bit of a surprise, I have the Grizzlies "upsetting" the Thunder and Clippers to advance to the Western Conference Finals as Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley have the Grizz playing well at the right time. Unfortunately, I see the Grizzlies losing a Game 7 at The Alamo as the Big Fundamental, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili get another shot for a title.

As much as I dislike (yet respect) Popp, I'll be rooting for Duncan and the Spurs. That said, I expect the Heat to make it a three-peat and win in six games.


- Check out our final 2013-14 NBA Power Rankings this season.

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Triple-Double for Joakim Noah vs. Pistons

Once again, Bulls center Joakim Noah recorded a triple-double, the third in his past 11 games.

Against the Pistons on Wednesday, Noah finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists plus two blocked shots.

Noah now has reached double-digit assists in five of his past 13 games.

Over the past month (Feb. 6th - Mar. 5th), Noah has averaged 13.31 points, 11.46 rebounds, 7.15 assists, 1.77 blocks and 1.00 steals per game.

Bulls center Joakim Noah gets another triple-double

Coming off a relatively quiet performance against the Mavs on Friday, Chicago's Joakim Noah bounced back with a triple-double against the Knicks.

Noah finished the game with 13 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 14 assists, but he also added two blocks and two steals as the Bulls extended their winning streak to four games. (The Knicks have now lost six games in a row.)

Not only is it uncommon for a center to get a triple-double, but this was Noah's second triple-double in his past nine games. Of the 18 players with at least one triple-double this season, Noah is the only center.

In addition, Noah now has double-digit assists in four of his past 11 games.

To state it differently, Noah has as many games with double-digit assists (four) as the rest of the Bulls team combined this season. The others are D.J. Augustin (two), Kirk Hinrich (one) and Luol Deng (one), who is now in Cleveland.

Over his past 12 games, Noah has averaged 13.92 points, 12.17 rebounds, 6.92 assists, 1.83 blocks and 1.00 steals per game.

Only Indiana's Lance Stephenson (four) and Golden State's Stephen Curry (three) have more triple-doubles than Noah this season. Portland's Nicolas Batum and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant also have two of them.

Consensus NBA Power Rankings, Week 18

Entering the 2013-14, the LeBron James-led Miami Heat were clearly the favorites to emerge out of the Eastern Conference in the playoffs.

Along with the Pacers (and the Nets to a lesser degree), the Bulls were one of the teams that seemed most likely to pose a threat to the Heat's potential opportunity for a three-peat.

Perception changed earlier in the season when Derrick Rose went down with another knee injury.

Via Sam Smith with the team's website, here are comments from Rose about the possibility of returning at any point this season for the Bulls and playing for team USA in the summer:

“For sure, if my leg is feeling healthy I’m all in,” Rose said about the USA Basketball invite for this summer’s pre World Cup tournament. ”Of course I want to play for that team. Playing for that team, I think, helped the year I won MVP, just getting in a groove. I’m excited if I am able to play in it.

“I haven’t even had a chance to think about it, to tell you truth,” Rose said about holding open the possibility of a return this season or in the playoffs. “I’m just worrying about my next stage in this process and that’s running. Right now I’m not. I’m on the Alter G (anti gravity treadmill) right now, running on that and hopefully I’ll be running without it pretty soon.

“I haven’t even asked; we haven’t even talked about it (a return schedule),” said Rose. “I just come every day, six days a week and try to do all my work and see how far it’s going to take me when I step back on the court.”

On Sunday, the LeBron-less Heat beat the Bulls by 14 points, but the Bulls aren't a team that should necessarily be counted out.

Even though they rank last in the NBA in scoring offense (92.5 points per game), only the Pacers (90.9 PPG allowed) have a stingier defense than the Bulls (92.3 PPG).

One of the league's most underrated players is Joakim Noah, who has been playing great lately.

Since January, Noah has averaged 13.54 points, 13.08 rebounds, 5.96 assists, 1.92 blocks and 0.88 steals per game. In his past seven games, he has double-digit assists in three of them and even had a triple-double earlier this month.

Compared to our power rankings last week, the Bulls have moved up from 13.00 to 10.50, which is just outside the top 10 in our power rankings. The Suns are currently 10th with an average ranking of 10.25.

- See our full 2013-14 NBA Power Rankings

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2013-14 NBA Consensus Power Rankings, Week 5

This morning, Bulls point guard Derrick Rose had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and he will miss the remainder of this season.

After tearing his right ACL in the 2012 playoffs, Rose missed all of last season.

"Sometimes with athletes in sports, luck has a lot to do with it," Luol Deng said (via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "It’s just bad luck. It’s not going to change anything. He’s still going to be Derrick. He still is going to work hard and come back even better. I really believe that he was better coming back from that ACL. It’s unfortunate that it happened. I have no doubt he’s going to come back and play great."

Based on odds from sportsbook.com, the Bulls (20/1) still have the third-lowest odds to win the NBA Championship among teams in the Eastern Conference behind the Heat (2/1) and Pacers (9/2).

With a .500 record one month into the season, the odds of a championship in Chicago seem much longer than that without Rose.

The Bulls are currently the 13th-ranked team in our consensus NBA power rankings for Week 5.

- See our full power rankings here

2013-14 Consensus NBA Power Rankings, Week 1

Earlier this offseason, Kyle Baillargeon, one of our NBA contributors, made his preseason prediction for which team will win the NBA Finals next June.

It should come as little surprise that Kyle predicted that LeBron James and the Miami Heat will win their third NBA title in as many seasons.

After all, the Heat are prohibitive favorites to win the title. Sportsbook.ag has the odds set for the Heat at 12/5. The next closest are the Thunder and Clippers, who have 7/1 and 8/1 odds, respectively.

Among Eastern Conference teams, the Bulls are next at 9/1 followed by the Nets (12/1) and Pacers (14/1). The Spurs and Rockets also have 12/1 odds.

There are only three other franchises that have won three consecutive championships: Celtics, Lakers and Bulls. So pulling off a "three-peat" would put LeBron and the franchise in rarified company.

Regardless of conference, which team poses the greatest threat to a Miami Heat "three-peat" this season?

John (follow on Twitter): Chicago Bulls

I'll buy into the hype and say that the Chicago Bulls pose the greatest threat to the Heat's chances to "three-peat."

The physical play that the Bulls are notorious for is something with which Miami struggles, and getting Derrick Rose back healthy is an obvious game-changer for Chicago. They are a good young team with enough size and depth to be legit championship contender.

Heading into the start of the season, I'd give the Bulls the best chance to knock off the Heat.

Kevin (follow on Twitter): Chicago Bulls

While Kevin Durant is the second-best player in the league and the Thunder have the second-lowest odds to win it all, I think the Heat's stiffest competition resides in the East. Deciding between the Pacers and Bulls is tough, however.

The Bulls get back Derrick Rose, who is the only player not named LeBron to win the MVP award in the past five years. Coach Tom Thibodeau has the team playing tough hard-nosed defense and they hung tough last year despite injuries.

On the other hand, the Pacers have one of the league's best defenses as well and Paul George is one of the best players and defenders in the league and should be more of a household name than he is. In addition, they get back Danny Granger, who led them in scoring two seasons ago, and added Luis Scola.

For the purpose of answering this (technically my own) question, I will say it's the Bulls since they will get one of the top three to five players in the league back.

[On a side note, I love the fact that there appears to be some real animosity brewing within the Eastern Conference.]

Dan (follow on Twitter): Indiana Pacers

To me, the "Heatles" are on the inside track to have a three-peat, (trademarked by Pat Riley, funny enough), but they still do have one obstacle standing in their way. The Indiana Pacers pose the biggest threat to the Heat, as they have the best possible matchup against LeBron and crew.

The Pacers have the most effective big man in Roy Hibbert that counters the Heat's small-ball lineup, and also they will benefit from having their best scorer in Danny Granger back this year. If any team has learned to beat Miami, it will be the Pacers, as hopefully they will keep Dwyane Wade from referring to himself as four, as he calls himself "three" right now.

Sean (follow on Twitter): Houston Rockets

While I do think the Heat are the favorites to win another championship this year, if I had to bet the Hear or the field, I would take the field all day.

I think any team that is ranked in my top 10 has a legit chance at winning a title. I am going to go with Houston. I know a lot of people don't like Dwight Howard, but he is the missing piece that the Rockets needed. Howard is still the best defensive player in the game, and a matchup nightmare in particular vs. the Heat.

The Rockets also have the ability to win games draining three's. Houston was second in the NBA last year in both scoring, and three pointers made.

To view where all 30 NBA teams appear in our initial 2013-14 NBA Consensus Power Rankings, click here.

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Carlos Boozer has 22 points and 19 rebounds

For the fourth time in the past five games, Bulls power forward Carlos Boozer finished with a double-double. In fact, he was only one rebound shy of a 20-20 game.

Boozer scored 22 points tonight and finished with a season-high 19 rebounds, eight of which were offensive rebounds.

Despite having a performance of four points and three rebounds in the middle of the team's five-game road trip, Boozer is averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds during that span.

As a comparison, Boozer averaged only 11.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in his first seven games of the season.

Eastern Conference Preseason Predictions for the 2012-13 NBA Season

With NBA training camps opening up, it's time for preseason predictions.  Kyle Baillargeon takes a team-by-team look into his crystal ball of all 30 NBA teams.

Here is how Kyle sees the Eastern Conference playing out:

1. Miami Heat - 64-18

The champs are back and they brought Ray Allen with them for this round.  Allen will find himself open far more often than he did last year, and he'll make the most of it.  Miami may even make a run for 70.

2. Boston Celtics - 61-21

Retooled and reloaded, the Celtics have been seemingly at the end of their run for the last three years. But they keeping coming back, ready to contend. This squad is bigger up front and could have the best four-guard rotation in the league.

3. Philadelphia 76ers - 50-32

Adding Bynum is huge for Philly, so long as he stays healthy.  Will the team miss Iguodala, though?  If Evan Turner plays to his potential, then the answer to that question is no.

4. Indiana Pacers - 48-34

With more teams going small at the center position, Roy Hibbert is somewhat of an anomaly.  The Pacers were built to succeed in a short season, but how will this team fare over 82 games?

5. Milwaukee Bucks - 44-38

The dropoff is steep in the Eastern Conference, and this number of wins says more about how bad the rest of the conference is as opposed to how good the Bucks are. Jennings, Ellis and crew should have no problem making the playoffs, where they'll hope to make some noise.

6. Brooklyn Nets - 41-41

A tough team to determine, considering the general overhaul.  Deron Williams and Joe Johnson is one of the strongest backcourts in the game.  And don't underestimate how the move to Brooklyn could positively effect the team's psyche.

7. Chicago Bulls - 40-42

It's going to be a long year for the Bulls, though they did play decently for stretches without Rose last year.  The team is not completely devoid of talent, but they just can't expect to contend without their star.  Rose may be ready sometime after the All-Star break, but the Bulls may be better off tanking the season and hoping for a high pick.

8. Atlanta Hawks - 40-42

The Hawks are in a quasi-rebuilding mode, as they still have enough talent to sneak into the playoffs.  However, if they start to slide downhill in the middle of the season, don't be surprised to see Josh Smith on his way out sooner rather than later.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers - 36-46

Irving is the real deal, and this team could surprise people in the east.  They'll definitely be an exciting team, which is all you can ask for right now in Cleveland.

10. Toronto Raptors - 35-47

Valanciunas was considered by many as one of the top prospects out of his draft, and now he gets to show Toronto what they waited for. There's not a whole lot else to be excited for in Toronto, as it seems as though they based their entire offseason on trying to get, and subsequently failing to get, Steve Nash.

11. New York Knicks - 35-47

It's tough to make heads or tails of what the Knicks are trying to accomplish.  Carmelo and Amare don't seem to work entirely well together.  Jason Kidd would have been a great addition if he were five years younger.  Meanwhile, Rasheed Wallace should be a wonderful influence on whatever young players the Knicks have.

12. Detroit Pistons - 33-49

Detroit may have themselves a bright future, but they'll have to make sure they don't waste their cap space after this season like they did a few years ago.  In a perfect world, everyone will stay healthy, they'll show some signs of real potential, and they'll get a high pick.

13. Washington Wizards - 33-49

John Wall is not Derrick Rose or Kyrie Irving, but he is still ultra talented.  This is his team, and he needs to raise his game.  If he does, then he and Bradley Beal could make for a great young backcourt.

14. Charlotte Bobcats - 25-57

The Bobcats did a great job of not screwing up their pick this year, and MKG is a great talent.  Kemba Walker has the keys to the squad now, and he can definitely make things happen on occasion.  This team is still a ways away, but hopefully their front office will make it a streak of good draft picks next year.

15. Orlando Magic - 13-69

Not many good things to say about Orlando.  They didn't get much for the best center in the league.  They would have been smart to stick with Van Gundy, however.

Later today, we will post Kyle's predictions for the Western Conference.

Follow our basketball tweets and/or like us Facebook to keep track of our updates.

NBA Consensus Power Rankings, Week 13

When the Bulls host the Nuggets on Monday night, it is likely that point guard Derrick Rose (groin) will miss another game and perhaps a few more.

Through the first 50 games of this lockout-shortened season, Rose has missed a total of 16 games. Not surprisingly, the Bulls have a better winning percentage with Rose than they do without him.

That said, the Bulls have won 75 percent (12-4) in the 16 games they have played without the league's reigning MVP.

After Sunday night's win over the Heat, the only other team that has won at least 75 percent of their games is Oklahoma City. The Thunder are 37-12 (.755) while the Heat, who have the league's third-best record, are 35-12 (.745).

Here are some stats about this week's NBA Consensus Power Rankings:

- Biggest jump from last week: Utah Jazz (+3.17)
- Biggest drop from last week: Portland Trail Blazers (-1.67)
- Team with widest difference between high and low ranker: Houston Rockets (5)

[See our full NBA Consensus Power Rankings.]

Each week, we respond to one roundtable question and here's this week's question: At this point, who is your NBA Coach of the Year?

John (follow on Twitter): Gregg Popovich

For coach of the year, I'm going to go with Gregg Popovich. The Spurs had something of a dynasty years ago, but have declined in recent years. Coming into the season, the Spurs were largely written off due to their aging group and the shortened season. The Spurs have been anything but what they were projected to be, though, currently three games out of first in the Western Conference. With their experience and talent, San Antonio is a legitimate threat to make the NBA Finals. Given the circumstances of the season, Pop has done a great job this year. Other coaches also deserve recognition and consideration, but ultimately, I feel the Spurs have over-acheived the most.

Kevin (follow on Twitter): Tom Thibodeau

For me, it's a two-man race between Chicago's Kevin Thibodeau and Philadelphia's Doug Collins. The 76ers have surprised almost everyone as they have led the Atlantic Division from start to finish (or this point in the season). With a young, athletic team, the Sixers play great defense, are unselfish and don't turn the ball over, all of which is attributrable to Collins in some way.

That said, the Bulls have been without Rose for 16 games (as noted above), but Luol Deng, Richard Hamilton and others have also missed a considerable amount of action due to injury. Considered the best (or one of the best) defensive coaches in the league, Thibodeau has led the Bulls to a league-high 40 wins and has become the fastest coach in NBA history to reach 100 career wins.

Dan (follow on Twitter): Tom Thibodeau

For me, I am going with Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls as he has done a masterful job this year. To me, it was close between Gregg Popovich and Thibodeau as I think Erik Spolestra has one of the easiest jobs out there. At the end of the day, the Bulls have already clinched a playoff spot, and have posted the league's best record 'while having to play without Derrick Rose for a significant amount of time.

To see where all 30 teams fall in our power rankings going through Week 13, click here.

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Luol Deng (wrist) may miss a few games

Bulls small forward Luol Deng may miss a few games due to his wrist, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

"I hate talking about my wrist, but I'm going to talk with the medical staff and [coach Kevin Thibodeaux]," Deng said. "The past few games, it has escalated a little bit. We have to kind of bring it down again. I've been trying to avoid it and everything but it's a tough one."

But he's not considering surgery.

"I said it from the start: I'm not taking that route," he said. "Mostly it's going to be rest. It's definitely better than when I first did it and when I first came back. But there was a period of time when it felt great. The last few games, the pain is kind of high again. I have to control it and monitor it.

"I just have to find ways to adjust my game. I've proved I can play with it. Some days it's going to feel great. Some days it's going to feel terrible. We just have to bring it down."

Deng was only one-for-nine from the field in 39 minutes last night and 14-for-41 in his last four games.

NBA Consensus Power Rankings, Week 9

With the NBA All-Star Weekend now behind us, the top three teams in the NBA going into the second half are separated by only one-half game in the standings.

Based on NBA futures (from Sportsbook.com), however, the Miami Heat are the clear favorites to win it all.

Here are the odds to win the NBA Championship: Heat 6/5, Thunder 4/1 and Bulls 5/1. Coincidentally, that is the order of our top three teams in our Consensus NBA Power Rankings.

The No. 4 team in this week's rankings, San Antonio, has 15/1 odds to win it all while the Clippers (8/1), Lakers (10/1), Knicks (10/1) and Mavs (12/1) all have better odds.

Interestingly enough, the Knicks have a losing record (17-18) through the first half, but the surprising emergence of Jeremy Lin has the enthusiasm of Knicks' fans at Linsane levels. It's hard to imagine tickets for a regular-season game involving a team with a losing record going for more than tickets for the NBA Finals in the previous year, but that is what happened with Thursday's matchup between the Heat and Knicks.

When it comes to the Atlantic Division, the Sixers were the feel-good story at the beginning of the year as a surprise team. With a five-game losing streak to end the first half, they are getting little respect from oddsmakers.

Sportsbook has the 76ers at 50/1 to win it all.

While nobody should expect them to win it all, they have much higher odds than division foes with losing records: the Knicks (as noted above) and the Celtics (25/1).

Here are some more stats about this week's NBA Consensus Power Rankings:

- Biggest jump from last week: Portland Trail Blazers (+2.50)
- Biggest drop from last week: Memphis Grizzlies (-2.50)
- Team with widest difference between high and low ranker: Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers (5)

[See our full NBA Consensus Power Rankings.]

Each week, we respond to one roundtable question and here's this week's question: Out of the Knicks' remaining 31 games, how many will they win? (Over-Under: 18.5 games)

John (follow on Twitter):

In looking at the Knicks final 31 games, I'm going to take the under on 18.5 wins. I actually think it's reasonable to think they might get close, even 18 wins, but I'm not taking them to win more than that down the stretch. Jeremy Lin is coming back down to earth a bit, but he's not going to be facing the freak athleticism that Miami has every game. I think Lin will settle in to being a good point guard, which will help the Knicks stay firmly in playoff contention. Depending on how they gel after getting back some key players from injury, most notably Carmelo Anthony, I think the Knicks have the potential to make some noise in the playoffs. I'd also give them a 60-percent chance or so of jumping Philadelphia and winning the division.

Sean (follow on Twitter):

I'm gonna go with under 18.5 games. I think the Knicks will finish 16-15. The Knicks definitely have the pieces to be a good team, but I am selling because of one thing ... Defense. Amar'e/Melo have yet to "buy in" defensively, and that will be costly down the stretch. Mike D'Antoni looks like a deer in headlights too often. The Knicks will need a major shake up to contend with either Chicago or Miami.

Kevin (follow on Twitter):

Their first game after the break may not be so tough: Cleveland at home on February 29th. That said, the first half of March will likely dictate whether they go over or under that total. Six of their first nine games in March are on the road. Only two of those nine games are against teams with losing records (but both are on the road): Boston and Milwaukee. If they go 5-5 to start the second half, they will have a realistic shot to finish 19-12 (or .613). However, they do have a challenging start to April (at Indiana, at Orlando, vs. Chicago and at Chicago) as well. I think the Knicks, who were 17-18 in the first half, finish the season above .500 but will win 18 games or less in the second half.

[Note: Dan will return from a cruise through Central America today and won't participate in our consensus rankings this week, but it will be business as usual next week.]

To see where all 30 teams fall in our power rankings going through Week 9, click here.

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NBA Consensus Power Rankings, Week 8

Over the weekend, John Trifone wrote about the odds to win the Western Conference and Eastern Conference based on futures from Sportsbook.com.

The team that he liked (likes) the most is the San Antonio Spurs, who have 5/1 odds to win the Western Conference.

San Antonio is a dangerous team. As John put it yesterday, "Many, including myself, had written off the Spurs going into the season, as a team that was just too old to be a factor in the shortened season," but they are "poised to prove everyone wrong."

Not only are they are a 10-game winning streak, point guard Tony Parker is quietly having a great season. He's playing as well as anyone in the month of February: 25.8 points, 7.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 8.8 free throw attempts per game this month.

That said, the Spurs are still fourth in our power rankings and the top three teams have been there the entire season (although the order has not always been the same): Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls.

Here are some more stats about this week's NBA Consensus Power Rankings:

- Biggest jump from last week: New York Knicks (+4.50)
- Biggest drop from last week: Denver Nuggets (-4.00)
- Team with widest difference between high and low ranker: Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors (4)

[See our full NBA Consensus Power Rankings.]

Each week, we respond to one roundtable question and here's this week's question: Of the teams currently seeded 9th (or lower), which team has the best chance to make the playoffs?

John (follow on Twitter): Portland Trail Blazers

I think that the Eastern Conference is actually set the way it is. There may be some swapping of position, but I don't see one of the teams on the outside looking in making a serious run at the playoffs. Milwaukee had a chance, but when Bogut went down and Jeremy Lin showed up in New York, I think that pretty much sealed it for the Bucks. I'd also be very surprised to see any of the other bottom feeders in the East get in. The West is a little more open, with some pretty decent teams currently out of the playoffs. Utah, Portland, and Minnesota all have a reasonable chance to dislodge either Memphis, Houston, or Denver. I'd give Portland the best shot at it. They're playing relatively mediocre ball at the moment, just 4-6 in their last 10 games and only a game above .500 for the season, but they have the talent to make a push down the stretch. Denver has severely cooled off since over-achieving in the first month of the season and is currently the eight seed, although they are actually tied with Houston and Memphis in record. Portland is just a game back from all three teams, so they are certainly right in the mix. I think LaMarcus Aldridge and Company have the best chance of any team currently on the outside looking in to make the playoffs.

[Note: John sent this to me before the Nuggets lost a thriller in Oklahoma City last night.]

Kevin (follow on Twitter): Minnesota Timberwolves

One of the teams that I think could surprise some folks is the Minnesota Timberwolves. They are a deep team -- only three players are averaging more than 30 minutes per game this season: Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour. They have 12 players that are averaging more than 15 minutes per game. While Love is a double-double machine, Rubio has been the biggest difference from last year to this year. He is averaging 8.5 assists per game, which ranks fifth in the NBA, and 2.3 steals per game, which is tied for second in the league with Chris Paul.

[Note: Dan is on a cruise through Central America and won't participate in our consensus rankings this and next week. Sean had to travel unexpectedly and will miss this week only.]

To see where all 30 teams fall in our power rankings going through Week 8, click here.

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Trifone: A Look at the NBA Odds (Futures)

A little over a week ago, I was reviewing some of the odds to win the Western Conference, and saw the Spurs at 12-1. At the time, I think they had won six in a row, and were right in the mix with the Clippers for the No. 2 seed. I thought it was a fantastic bet.

Since then, the Spurs have won another four in a row, including a road win at the aforementioned Clippers. Tony Parker is quietly, or maybe not so quietly, having an MVP season, putting up another 30-point game to go along with 10 assists, while Chris Paul had 21 points and 6 assists. Many, including myself, had written off the Spurs going into the season, as a team that was just too old to be a factor in the shortened season.

It also appeared as though their window to win another title had passed.

The last time the Spurs won the Championship was 2007, and Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili haven't gotten any younger. The Lakers and the Celtics had once again become the class of the league, and then when Lebron went to Miami and Durant and Westbrook started to emerge as the most athletic team in the league, the Spurs seemed to be falling out of contention. And yet, it would seem that they are poised to prove everyone wrong.

They are currently on a 10-game winning streak, with Tony Parker playing as well as he ever has. The Spurs will be able to limit the minutes of their aging players down the stretch, and their experience, combined with their infusion of youth (with guys like DeJuan Blair and Gary Neal making an impact), make San Antonio a dangerous team.

If the Lakers fail to acquire Dwight Howard by the trade deadline, I think this year's Western Conference Finals will come down to the Spurs and Thunder. The West is certainly more wide open than the East, which seems destined to come down to the Bulls and Heat, but the Spurs are showing they may have one more championship run in them.

Win the streak aside, they are playing better ball this year than anticipated, and they have put themselves in a great position. They can certainly lock up home court against all but the Thunder, but even if they fail to do so, they have shown that they have the experience to win on the road in the past. Even this year, they are above .500 away from home, and have some impressive road wins against the likes of Memphis, Philadelphia, and the Clippers.

Current odds on the Spurs to win the West are 5-1 (on Sportsbook.com), which I feel is a decent bet. I loved them at 12-1; I think 5-1 is a more accurate number, but still a solid bet on a team that's playing great basketball. San Antonio is 15-1 to win the title, but truth be told, I don't think any of the listed odds for the NBA Championship are great. The Heat are going to be huge favorites, and justifiably so, as I see LeBron getting his first ring at season's end.

I think the real money to be made here is being able to pick the Western Conference Champ, and the Spurs at 5-1 look to have the most attractive odds.

(FYI: the Thunder are 1.6-1 or +160, and with a league as deep as it is, I don't like the bet on a team that hasn't been there before. While the Thunder may be the most likely to go, the odds to bet it just aren't good enough. I'd take a flyer on the Lakers or Clippers at 4.5-1 before putting money on OKC to win the West.)

As far as the Eastern Conference goes, I really don't see a lot of good value. The Heat are 1-2 to win the conference (-200), meaning you have to give odds if you want to take them to make the Finals. After Miami, the Bulls are 2-1 to get there, and Chicago really seems to be the only other realistic option. The next closest team is 12-1. The Heat and Bulls are such heavy favorites that it makes taking one of those long shots a pretty foolish bet, and given that the odds reflect this, I don't really care for the bet on Miami or Chicago either. I could see a team like the Knicks or Sixers potentially upsetting Chicago, but I can't see them beating the Heat as well. Because of this, I'm not a fan of any of the bets in the Eastern Conference.

For my thoughts on the futures' bets in college basketball, click here.

[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]

Derrick Rose out vs. Nets

When the Bulls face the Nets this afternoon, they will be without point guard Derrick Rose again.

It will be the 10th game this season that Rose has missed and fifth in a row.

"I'm feeling decent," Rose said, per KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "We're just trying to be smart, make sure the pain is totally gone."

"Derrick did a little bit more, but we’re going to wait and see how he feels (Sunday)," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He’s getting closer and closer. He’s responding well to everything, his treatment, his increased workload. We just want to be patient."

After today, the Bulls have two more games, both at home, before the All-Star break: Monday (vs. Atlanta) and Wednesday (vs. Milwaukee). They don't return to action until Tuesday, February 28th.

It would make sense to let Rose use the next 10 days to recover instead of risking it against the Hawks or Bucks.

NBA Consensus Power Rankings, Week 6

For the first time this year, we have a tie at the top of our NBA Consensus Power Rankings.

Although the Miami Heat had one of our four first-place votes (and three third-place votes), the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder are tied for first. However, all three teams are within one game of each other in the NBA standings and are in a different tier from the rest of the NBA.

At the other end, the Bobcats are a consensus choice for last in our power rankings, but the Pistons, Hornets and Wizards are all bad, really bad, as well.

Fortunately for the teams at the bottom, the potential rookie class is stronger in 2012 than last year's rookie crop.

[In our NBA mock drafts, which we released over the weekend, both Brendan Donahue (see his mock) and I (see my mock) had Kentucky power forward Anthony Davis going first overall.]

Here are some more stats about this week's NBA Consensus Power Rankings:

- Biggest jump from last week: Los Angeles Clippers (+4.75)
- Biggest drop from last week: Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets (-2.75)
- Team with widest difference between high and low ranker: Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets (5)

[See our full NBA Consensus Power Rankings.]

Each week, we respond to one roundtable question and here's this week's question: Who is the NBA MVP so far this season?

John (follow on Twitter): There are a few solid candidates for MVP through this point in the season. It's mostly the usual suspects, with some of the favorites being Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, or even Kevin Love. However, in my opinion, the MVP through this point of the season is LeBron James. Although Miami is pretty stacked, Dwyane Wade has had a nagging injury that has kept him out for much of the season. Still, LeBron has the Heat just a game out of the No. 1 seed in the East behind on the Bulls. In their one meeting this season, the Heat were able to eek out the win behind a 35-point effort from LeBron. In addition to being the best player on what I feel is the best team in the league, Lebron's statistics are incredible. He's averaging over 29 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7 assists per game. He's not far off from averaging a triple-double, which is pretty amazing. There's still plenty of season left, but I have a feeling LeBron will continue playing at a high level and lock up the MVP at the end of the season. The bigger question is going to be if he can shrug off last season's Finals and lead the Heat to a title.

Sean (follow on Twitter): My No. 1 team has the league's MVP on it, and that is the Bulls Derrick Rose. In terms of value, Rose is the No. 1 player in the league. The Bulls would not be where they are without Rose.

Dan (follow on Twitter): So far the MVP of the season has to go to the old warhorse in Kobe Bryant. Byrant is maintaining an unbelievable pace right now, as he is averaging 38 minutes per game, and also leading the league with 29.4 points per game. Kobe is doing all of this after losing Lamar Odom, Phil Jackson, and playing with a pulled ligament in his wrist. It has been impressive to watch Kobe develop his game, and the return of the mamba as he is fueled by all the slights this year.

Kevin (follow on Twitter): In the history of the NBA, only three players have averaged at least 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists: Oscar Robertson (four times during the '60's), Michael Jordan (1988-89 season) and LeBron James (so far this year). Plus, he's tied for 10th in the NBA in steals per game (1.7). With the Heat also one of the top three teams in the NBA, there is absolutely no doubt that LeBron is the clear frontrunner for the award so far this year.

To see where all 30 teams fall in our power rankings going through Week 6, click here.

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NBA Power Rankings, Week 5

Not only is there a new No. 1 team, but there is also a new No. 30 team in our NBA Consensus Power Rankings.

The Oklahoma City Thunder moved up to No. 1 this week from No. 2 last week. The Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat keep the top three unchanged in terms of teams at the top.

Meanwhile, the Charlotte Bobcats have been absolutely horrible. How horrible?

They got a triple-double out of rookie Kemba Walker this weekend and still lost to the Wizards, who were the 30th-ranked team in rankings last week.

Here are some more stats about this week's NBA Consensus Power Rankings:

- Biggest jump from last week: Indiana Pacers (+4.00)
- Biggest drop from last week: Orlando Magic (-6.25)
- Team with widest difference between high and low ranker: Pacers, Mavericks Clippers (6)

[See our full NBA Consensus Power Rankings.]

Each week, we respond to one roundtable question and here's this week's question: Will the New York Knicks make the playoffs?

John (follow on Twitter): While I no longer have any confidence that the Knicks will win the division, I do still believe they will make the playoffs. About a week ago, it was looking as though the Celtics would be a sub-500 team and that they may miss the playoffs. Right now, they've won four in a row and leveled their record at 9-9. It is still plenty early, but with the talent that they have, I expect them to make the playoffs. The Knicks have been awful of late, just 1-9 in their last 10 games. However, like the Celtics, I expect the Knicks to figure a few things out and make the playoffs. Right now, the Knicks are in tenth in the East, but are in the mix with Milwaukee, Cleveland, New Jersey, and Toronto for the last seed. Each of those teams are within 2.5 games of one another, and it is far too early to pronounce the Knicks dead. They have been disappointing, for sure, but there is still too much talent on that team to not make the playoffs in the East, where the bottom of the conference is less than impressive to put it kindly. I think the Knicks and Celtics will be the 7/8 seeds come playoff time.

Sean (follow on Twitter): The Knicks will make the playoffs this year, just because the Eastern Conference is filled with garbage teams. I think D'Antoni should be fired, and will be soon and then the new regime will straighten this team out and they will finish with the 7th or 8th seed this year. Melo/Amare combo is not working. I think they will need to split the duo to compete with the big boys in the East.

Dan (follow on Twitter): The Knicks will make the playoffs this year, as per usual the East is a weak field from teams 5-8. The Knicks have not been playing well as of late, but they just have too much talent to be on a prolonged losing streak. Right now the Knicks would be in a dogfight for the 8th and final spot, but I know that Boston and New York will make the playoffs over these reamaining teams, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Cleveland, and Toronto.

Kevin (follow on Twitter): While I do think the Knicks will ultimately make the playoffs, I think they sneak in with a .500 (to slightly sub-.500) record. Not only are the Knicks off to a horrible start, but their only win against a team with a winning record was at home against a Spencer Hawes-less 76ers team. Five of their other six wins this year have come against teams ranked 25-30 in our Power Rankings: Sacramento, Washington, Detroit and Charlotte twice. Baron Davis can't return too soon for these woeful Knicks.

To see where all 30 teams fall in our power rankings going through Week 5, click here.

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Related: Our End-of-season NFL Consensus Power Rankings

NBA Consensus Power Rankings Through Week 3

While the same three teams are in the top three spots of our NBA Consensus Power Rankings, they are in reverse order from last week: (1) Chicago Bulls, (2) Oklahoma City Thunder and (3) Miami Heat.

With an ankle injury sidelining Dwyane Wade indefinitely, things may continue to get worse for the Heat before they get better. Miami has lost three straight games and their next three games are against teams in the top seven in our rankings: Spurs (9-4), Lakers (9-5) and Sixers (9-3).

"I've got to step it up a little more offensively and defensively," James said (via Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel), "revert back to some of the ways when I was back in Cleveland, when I knew for the most part I had to be the No. 1 option offensively."

On the other hand, the bottom four teams in our rankings have remained exactly the same: (27) Charlotte Bobcats, (28) New Jersey Nets, (29) Detroit Pistons and (30) Washington Wizards.

Here are some stats about this week's NBA Consensus Power Rankings:

- Biggest jump from last week: Houston Rockets (+4.50)
- Biggest drop from last week: Portland Trail Blazers (-7.00)
- Team with widest difference between high and low ranker: Dallas Mavericks (9)

[See our full NBA Consensus Power Rankings.]

Over the past four seasons, the Celtics have finished first in the Atlantic Division and finished with at least 50 wins and a .610 winning percentage in each season. During that four-year span, the Celtics have a combined record of 234-94 (.713 winning percentage). This year has not gone nearly as well so far as the Celtics have lost seven of their first 11 games.

Each week, we respond to one roundtable question and here's this week's question: Will the Celtics finish above or below .500 this season?

John (follow on Twitter): The Celtics are off to a slow start, and I certainly found it amusing when Pacer fans started chanting "AARP" when they had the ball in a recent game in Indiana. The Celtics will get better, though. They don't look to be a real threat to win it this year, but they still have enough talent to be a playoff team. I won't put them much over .500, as they will likely only play hard enough to get into the playoffs. They are a team that will benefit more from resting than they would trying to move up a spot or two. Still, I have them finishing somewhere over the .500 mark, good enough for third in the division behind the Knicks and Sixers.

Sean (follow on Twitter): I believe Boston will finish above .500, but I am starting to think they will not finish as high as I thought they would originally. The Celtics are 4-7 this season, and the only four wins they have are versus the Wizards (twice), Nets and Pistons, who are the bottom three teams in my power rankings. The 4th-worst team in my rankings, the New Orleans Hornets, beat the Celtics this year. Jason Terry hit the nail right on the head during his halftime interview this week when he basically said Rondo is the only player playing with any energy. Later that game, Jeff Van Gundy was ripping the Celtics for the same thing. The Celtics have too much talent not to finish above .500 especially in the Eastern Conference where there are a lot of teams worse than them.

Dan (follow on Twitter): The Celtics will not finish this season above .500, as the compressed format goes against their age. The Celtics big three have all missed time this year, and they have no depth off of the bench to speak of. The Celtics starting rotation right now consists of (when healthy) Garnett, Allen, Pierce, Rondo, and Jermaine O'Neal, and they can only maybe go 7-8 deep with Bass, Wilcox, and Dooling. The Celtics are just too old to string back-to-back nights and three games in four nights trips into multiple wins. I do expect the Celtics to grab one of the final playoff spots, but they will need to add depth at the trade deadline.

Kevin (follow on Twitter): Through 11 games, all four of the Celtics wins have come against the bottom three teams in our Power Rankings. With the Thunder up next on their schedule (Monday), let's count that as a loss, which would drop the Celtics to 4-8. Their schedule in April is tough: only four of their 15 opponents have a losing record. In those four games against teams with a losing record, the Celtics are on the road in three of them. Let's say they go 6-9 in April (although you could argue that's optimistic). Assuming a loss to the Thunder on Monday and a 6-9 April record, that puts their record outside of January 17th to March 31st at 10-17. In other words, the Celtics need to win 24 of those 39 games to finish above .500. Long story short: Celtics will NOT finish above .500 this year.

To see where all 30 teams fall in our power rankings going through Week 3, click here.

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Related: Our End-of-season NFL Consensus Power Rankings