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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Fantasy NBA FanDuel DFS Values (Jan. 27)

Earlier today, I posted some value plays that I like on DraftKings and now I turn my attention to FanDuel.

While both sites create their salaries independently of each other, there will always be plenty of overlap as recent and expected production and matchups drive the majority of my recommendations.

View image | gettyimages.com

With that said, here are some FanDuel values (salaries of $7,000 or less) for Tuesday's NBA games:

PG - Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls (at GS), $7,000: On a night with six games, there are seven point guards with a higher price than D-Rose. Rose has scored less than 30 fantasy points in three of his past four games, but he has averaged slightly more than 35 FanDuel points (35.08) over his past eight games. Over that eight-game span, Rose is averaging 22.63 points, 5.75 assists and steal in nearly 33 minutes per game.

PG - D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons (vs. CLE), $6,000: In his first start since Brandon Jennings (Achilles) was lost for the season, Augustin scored 35 points with eight assists and finished with 49.8 fantasy points. Duplicating Sunday's numbers is unrealistic, but Augustin gets a decent matchup against Kyrie Irving and should be able to score 30 fantasy points to reach 5x value.

PG - Beno Udrih, Memphis Grizzlies (at DAL), $3,900: Depending on the status of Mike Conley, who is questionable with a wrist injury, Udrih could see expanded minutes. Against the Magic last night, Udrih scored 31.9 fantasy points with 15 points, five assists and four steals. Since this game doesn't tip off until 8:30 PM, it's possible that we won't have a definitive answer on Conley's status before the 7 PM lineup lock.

* FanDuel's $250K NBA Slam: $250,000 in prizes including $25,000 to 1st in tonight's NBA Slam tourney ($25 entry).

SG - Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards (at LAL), $6,000: More of a tournament play based on his inconsistency, Beal has 40-point upside in a plus matchup against the Lakers. Even with Kobe Bryant, the Lakers are one of the worst teams in the league, but the Wizards are only eight-point favorites tonight as one of the potential concerns with Beal is that this game turns into a blowout and he sits the fourth quarter.

SG - Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers (vs. WAS), $3,500: Clarkson has actually started at point guard in each of the past two games and the combo guard should continue to get the start at the point. Clarkson has played 29 and 27 minutes in those starts, respectively. While the production has left a lot to be desired in those two starts, punting at shooting guard with a minimum-salary player starting at point guard isn't necessarily a bad idea.

SF - Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards (at LAL), $5,100: Pierce has played at least 30 minutes and scored a minimum of 27.1 fantasy points in each of his past three games. While he lacks upside, Pierce should be able to reach value in a favorable matchup against the Lakers.

SF - James Ennis, Miami Heat (vs. MIL), $3,600: Luol Deng would have been one of my favorite plays at small forward, but he missed shoutaround and is doubtful with a sore calf. In the last game that Deng missed (Jan. 21st), Ennis (28 minutes, 20.4 FanDuel points) played more minutes and was more productive than Danny Granger (20 minutes, 8.2 FD points) and is a solid value play.

PF - Nene Hilario, Washington Wizards (at LAL), $5,700: Over his past five games, he has averaged 28.8 fantasy points per game, which would put him above 5x salary for tonight. Nene has averaged a robust 1.04 fantasy points per minute during that stretch. In addition, the Lakers rank in the bottom 10 in the league in rebounding differential.

C - Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat (vs. MIL), $6,000: Playing 25 minutes off the bench on Sunday, Whiteside did maximum damage with his allotment of minutes by posting the rare triple-double with blocked shots. In his past eight games, Whiteside has played at least 24 minutes in four games and he has a double-double (or a triple-double) in all four of those games.

C - Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers (at DET), $5,100: Before Sunday's modest performance (two points, six rebounds), Mozgov had three consecutive double-doubles with at least 27 fantasy points in each game. Meanwhile, the Pistons have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing centers over the past three weeks based on stats from Rotogrinders.

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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)

Also, check out our Fantasy Basketball Rest-of-Season Rankings

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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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NBA Predictions for the 2013-14 Season

With NBA preseason under way and the start of the regular season only a few weeks away, Kyle Baillargeon makes his predictions for NBA awards and playoffs below:

2013-14 NBA Postseason Award Winners

MVP - LeBron James, Miami Heat

I wouldn't be surprised to see Derrick Rose here if he leads the Bulls to one of the best records in the league, if only because MVP voters have shown that they tend to grow tired of giving the award to the same person over and over again.  That said, LeBron is the clear frontrunner for MVP.  The Heat will be in the championship hunt once more, but Dwyane Wade isn't getting any younger, and this team still looks pretty thin outside of LeBron.  I expect James to have the best statistical season of his career, with his fith MVP to boot.

Most Improved Player - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Leonard already started to make the leap last year, especially in the playoffs.  With the Duncan/Manu/Parker era winding down in San Antonio, Leonard stands to become the face of the franchise's next era of basketball.  Entering his third year in the league, he has plenty of room for improvement and could very well become a household name before the season is over.

Sixth Man of the Year - Tyreke Evans, New Orleans Pelicans

Evans could certainly start in New Orleans, but a backourt rotation of Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon, and Evans could be devastating.  The big question would be if Evans is willing to sit to start each game. But if he can get over that, then he would be a huge contributor off the bench.

Don't be surprised, however, if a member of the Brooklyn Nets winds up with this award.  The expectation is that one of either Paul Pierce or Andrei Kirilenko will come off the bench this year.  If it turns out to be Pierce, then the award will be his.

Rookie of the Year - Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings

McLemore will have plenty of opportunity to light it up on the court, and that's what he does best.  Greivis Vasquez will be looking his way often.  The Kings still have work to do to become a contender, but McLemore will prove himself to be a great piece to the puzzle.

Defensive Player of the Year - LeBron James, Miami Heat

James is so good at everything, that it seems easy to overlook how dominant he is on the defensive end.  One of his personal goals has been to win the award, and hopefully voters will finally recognize what many smart observers in the league already know: LeBron James is unquestionably THE best defender in the league.

NBA Finals Predictions

Eastern Conference Finals - Miami over Chicago in 7 games

As long as LeBron James is at the height of his powers, there is no reason to believe that anyone will stop Miami.  This Chicago team will have an overwhelming defense, and combined with a returning Derrick Rose could very well go on to a number one seed in the East.  I fully expect both teams to pummel their competition all the way to one of the biggest heavyweight battles the NBA has seen in years.  This one could go either way, but ultimately the tie-breaker goes to the team with the greatest player of the last 25 years.

Western Conference Finals - San Antonio over Los Angeles Clippers in 6 games

It might be a little overzealous to send the Clippers to the WCF in Doc Rivers' first year at the helm, but this team does have Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, along with a good bench.  Once Doc figures out his rotation, and as long as the team buys in to playing legitimate defense, the Clippers could knock on the door of the title.  That said, the Spurs will not go down without a fight.  Greg Popovich is smart enough to understand exactly what his team needs and when, and his team should be healthy and well-rested leading into the playoffs.  He knows he needs to save the firepower for the playoffs, and they should be able to make it through the tough Western Conference one more time in their Big Three era.  Once these two squads meet, Popovich's knowledge of his own team, combined with Tim Duncan's front-court dominance and Tony Parker's ability to go toe-to-toe with Chris Paul, will lead the Spurs to victory.

NBA Finals - Miami over San Antonio in 7 games

It may seem like a cop-out to go with the repeat in the Finals, but after last year's amazing seven-game set, is anyone going to complain about seeing it again?  As stated before, it wouldn't make sense to pick against LeBron James.  He is the best in the world and will lead the Heat to victory again.

Soon, we will release our 2013-14 fantasy basketball rankings.

Visit our NBA home or follow us on Twitter (@HitTheBoards) for updates.

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.

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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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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.

Rajon Rondo has second triple-double of season

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo had his second triple-double of the season in today's win over the Bulls, who were without point guard Derrick Rose.

Rondo finished the game with 32 points and 15 assists, both of which were season highs, and had 10 rebounds.

Before this afternoon's game, Rondo was only averaging 8.2 points, 9.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game in the month of February.

Since entering the league in 2006, Rondo has nine triple-doubles, which ties him for third during that span with Clippers point guard Chris Paul. Only Jason Kidd (32) and LeBron James (23) have more triple-doubles since the 2006-07 season.

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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