The Complex NBA Power Rankings (Week 8)

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It's a beautiful late June day in New York City. After getting bumped offline for 36 when its servers literally melted the night of Game 7 of the Finals (#linwillalwaysbebetterthanrussell was the hashtag that did it), Twitter is back in action. "Broadway" Jeremy Lin shows up for the Knicks' victory parade wearing a mink coat, his new signature Nike shoes, his game shorts—and nothing else. He looks a little bleary and worse for wear and tear, but it's understandable: the G-Unit spontaneously reunited during Paul McCartney's set at 'Melo and LaLa's party in the Hamptons the night before, and things got a little out of hand. All things considered though, it's a pretty damn good day for the Most Famous Athlete on the Planet...

Bwahahahahahahahaha! It could never happen, right? (And just for the record, there are only two Knicks fans on the staff that write the Power Rankings.) RIGHT?!? So yeah, this strange NBA season got infinitely stranger last week, when a mild-mannered Taiwanese-American dude from frickin' Harvard had one of the two or three most spectacular debuts in league history. Of course some other stuff happened too, but yes Linsanity is for real—for now at least. Don't worry, the Knicks didn't jump that much, the Thunder, Bulls, and Heat are still the class of the League, and the Bobcats are this close to being relegated to the ACC. All that and more in this week's Complex NBA Power Rankings.

30. Charlotte Bobcats

Record: 3 - 24
Last Week's Rank: 30
Last Week's Results: L @ Boston 84-94, (Tue); L vs. Chicago 64-95, (Fri); L vs. LA Clippers 86-111, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Philadelphia, Monday (2/13); @ Minnesota, Wednesday (2/15); @ Toronto, Friday (2/17)

What can you possibly say about the Bobcats that hasn't been said before? How about that Adele racked up more Grammys last night than Charlotte has Ws all season? Ok, how about this one. We could listen to her album from beginning to end, while MJ can't bear to watch his own team play an entire game. Plain and simple, they're awful. —Jose Martinez

29. New Orleans Hornets

Record: 4 - 23
Last Week's Rank: 28
Last Week's Results: L vs. Sacramento 92-100, (Mon); L vs. Chicago 67-90, (Wed); L vs. Portland 86-94, (Fri)
This Week: vs. Utah, Monday (2/13); @ Milwaukee, Wednesday (2/15); @ New York, Friday (2/17)

Unlike the rest of the NBA's bottom feeding teams, the Hornets play hard—and that's the problem. The team is so void of talent that even with maximum effort and Will Ferrell serving as the team's hypeman, the Hornets have lost 17 of their last 18 games. New Orleans will likely be without their best player this week as Jarrett Jack nurses a busted knee and Chris Kaman has his coach perplexed with a mysterious ankle injury, “I don't know where Chris got hurt,” said Monty Williams, “I'm not going to get too detailed about that, but I don't know where he got hurt.” Adding fake injuries to the rash of real ones won't do much to help the Hornets as they kickoff a six-game road trip on Wednesday. —Sean Evans

28. Washington Wizards

Record: 6 - 22
Last Week's Rank: 29
Last Week's Results: W vs. Toronto 111-108, (Mon); L vs. New York 93-107, (Wed); L vs. Miami 89-106, (Fri); W @ Detroit 98-77, (Sun)
This Week: @ Portland, Tuesday (2/14); @ LA Clippers, Wednesday (2/15); @ Utah, Friday (2/17)

Hey, whataya know? My "Wizards will win one game this week" prediction not only came true, but Washington actually scored 2 Ws! So, instead of riding the train for a second week in a row, I'm gonna go in the completely opposite direction and say that this team will go winless in this coming week's match-ups. Two steps forward, two steps back. —Jose Martinez

27. Detroit Pistons

Record: 8 - 21
Last Week's Rank: 27
Last Week's Results: W @ New Jersey 99-92, (Wed); W vs. New Jersey 109-92, (Fri); L vs. Washington 98-77, (Sun)
This Week: vs. San Antonio, Tuesday (2/14); @ Boston, Wednesday (2/15); vs. Sacramento, Friday (2/17); vs. Boston, Sunday (2/19)

Hey, Pistons fans: We were ready! We were ready to come out this week and apologize for bashing you all season. You were riding high off the strength of a four-game winning streak. Your team looked like they actually cared for once. And it was pretty clear you were going to get to double-digit wins before the All-Star break. Things were looking up. And then, you came out on Sunday and lost to the Wizards by 21 at home. So...so much for that! Nah, we're just kidding. Way to finally put together some wins. And, hey, a few more and you might actually climb out of last place in the Central Division. Wouldn't that be nice?—Chris Yuscavage

26. New Jersey Nets

Record: 8 - 21
Last Week's Rank: 25
Last Week's Results: L vs. Chicago 87-108, (Mon); L vs. Detroit 92-99, (Wed); L @ Detroit 92-109, (Fri); L vs. San Antonio 89-103, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Memphis, Wednesday (2/15); @ Indiana, Thursday (2/16); @ Chicago, Saturday (2/18)

The Nets have lost six in a row and dropped two straight to the Pistons in that stretch. Deron Williams getting frustrated and spitting gum out and smacking it into the stands has been the highlight of most games these days. Hova's trying to swag 'em out in the meantime with new silverware and top shelf champagne in hopes it'll translate on the court. No wins 'til Brooklyn. —Angel Diaz

25. Toronto Raptors

Record: 9 - 20
Last Week's Rank: 23
Last Week's Results: L @ Washington 108-111, (Mon); L vs. Milwaukee 99-105, (Wed); W vs. Boston 86-74, (Fri); L vs. LA Lakers 94-92, (Sun)
This Week: vs. New York, Tuesday (2/14); vs. San Antonio, Wednesday (2/15); vs. Charlotte, Friday (2/17)

Toronto just doesn't have enough to get it done in a professional basketball game. Their fourth quarter struggles continued against the Lakers yesterday (even with Calderon's career high 30 points) and they lost to the fucking Washington Wizards in OT. The Raptors flat out suck. They're better off playing hockey. —Angel Diaz

24. Sacramento Kings

Record: 10 - 17
Last Week's Rank: 26
Last Week's Results: W @ New Orleans 100-92, (Mon); L @ Minnesota 84-86, (Tue); W vs. Oklahoma City 106-101, (Thu); L vs. Phoenix 84-98, (Sat)
This Week: @ Chicago, Tuesday (2/14); @ New York, Wednesday (2/15); @ Detroit, Friday (2/17); @ Cleveland, Sunday (2/19)

What kind of team beats the 21-6 Thunder only to lose to the 13-15 Suns the very next game? The Kings. Going .500 this week isn't bad for a squad that was 5-15 at the end of January. The fact that there's no clear leader on the Kings both helps and hurts the youngest team in the NBA. Players like Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton, or DeMarcus Cousins can step up on any given night but then there's those other evenings when no one really takes initiative and they lose games that were within reach. #growingpains —Ralph Warner

23. Golden State Warriors

Record: 10 - 14
Last Week's Rank: 22
Last Week's Results: L vs. Oklahoma City 116-119, (Tue); W @ Denver 109-101, (Thu); vs. W Houston 106-97, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Phoenix, Monday (2/13); vs. Portland, Wednesday (2/15); @ Oklahoma City, Friday (2/17); @ Memphis, Saturday (2/18)

The Warriors were able to pick up two out of three games this week which is quite impressive for a squad that's been struggling to find some kind of consistency all season. Victories this week came through the Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry tandem which hasn't been able to gel much this year as Curry has battled a nagging ankle injury. Steph went off for a season high 36 points in Golden State's victory over Denver and Monta dropped 33 as the team rolled past Houston on Sunday. Not bad for a team whose last All-Star was Latrell "I'll Choke A Bitch" Sprewell back in 1997. —Ralph Warner

22. Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 10 - 16
Last Week's Rank: 19
Last Week's Results: L @ Miami 91-107, (Tue); W vs. LA Clippers 99-92, (Wed); L vs. Milwaukee 112-113, (Fri); L vs. Philadelphia 84-99, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Indiana, Wednesday (2/15); vs. Miami, Friday (2/17); vs. Sacramento, Sunday (2/19)

Did you hear that? That was the sound of Anderson Varejao's wrist—and the Cavs' bleak playoff chances—cracking on Friday night. Say what you want about Varejao (Sideshow Bob!), but the guy always gives the cliche 110 percent on the court every night and he has really helped inject a lot of energy into a team that wasn't expected to do much at all this season. With him sidelined for at least a month—and with the team's leader Kyrie Irving suffering a concussion that cost him two games last week and could cost him more in the future—we wouldn't be surprised to see Cleveland slip down this list in the coming weeks. Then again, we really didn't expect them to be this high at any point this season to begin with. So, who knows? Maybe they'll continue to surprise us.—Chris Yuscavage

21. Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 12 - 15
Last Week's Rank: 20
Last Week's Results: L vs. Phoenix 105-107, (Tue); W @ Toronto 105-99, (Wed); W @ Cleveland 113-112, (Fri); L vs. Orlando 94-99, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Miami, Monday (2/13); vs. New Orleans, Wednesday (2/15); @ Orlando, Friday (2/17); @ New Jersey, Sunday (2/19)

Believe it or not, the Bucks—who are four games below .500 right now—are just a half a game out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. So you'd think there would be a sense of optimism surrounding the team. Unfortunately, Brandon Jennings put a damper on that last week when he came out and publicly admitted that he's thinking about leaving Milwaukee when his rookie contract expires in 2014. Yep, he's already thinking about 2014! And while we don't necessarily blame him for thinking about what life might be like outside of Wisconsin, we also think the Bucks might be able to surprise some people this season if they can put together a strong second half. Provided, of course, they can stop thinking about the future and focus on the task at hand.—Chris Yuscavage

20. Phoenix Suns

Record: 12 - 15
Last Week's Rank: 21
Last Week's Results: W @ Atlanta 99-90, (Mon); W @ Milwaukee 107-105, (Tue); L vs. Houston 89-96, (Thu); W @ Sacramento 96-84, (Sat)
This Week: @ Golden State, Monday (2/13); @ Denver, Tuesday (2/14); vs. Atlanta, Wednesday (2/15); @ LA Lakers, Friday (2/17); vs. LA Lakers, Sunday (2/19)

It wasn't perfect but this was a damn good week for the old men we call the Suns. Phoenix had their first winning week since the beginning of January and one of those victories came against a legit contender, the 18-10 Hawks. The key to their success came from Steve Nash, who averaged 15 points and 12.5 assists during the week of his 38th birthday. Damn, but can he last? Oh yeah, they got blue pills for that. Ayo! —Ralph Warner

19. Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 13 - 15
Last Week's Rank: 18
Last Week's Results: W vs. Sacramento 86-84, (Tue); L @ Memphis 80-85, (Wed); L vs. Dallas 97-104, (Fri); L vs. New York 98-100, (Sat)
This Week: @ Orlando, Monday (2/13); vs. Charlotte, Wednesday (2/15); @ Houston, Friday (2/17); vs. Philadelphia, Sunday (2/19)

Hey, remember when the Timberwolves were a .500 team? That was a fun couple of days. They actually got their heads entirely above water with a two-point win against Sacramento before losing their next three (at Memphis, and at home to the Mavs and the Jeremy Lin Experience). The struggle will likely continue next week, with road matchups against Orlando and Houston, and home games against the Bobcats and Philly. 2-2 should be a strong possibility, but that'll still leave them looking up at .500. Oh, and congrats to Kevin Love for the All-Star berth. At 25.6 points and 13.9 rebounds per, that spot was basically guaranteed. —Russ Bengtson

18. New York Knicks

Record: 13 - 15
Last Week's Rank: 24
Last Week's Results: W vs. Utah 99-88, (Mon); W @ Washington 107-93, (Wed); W vs. LA Lakers 92-85, (Fri); W @ Minnesota 100-98, (Sat)
This Week: @ Toronto, Tuesday (2/14); vs. Sacramento, Wednesday (2/15); vs. New Orleans, Friday (2/17); vs. Dallas, Sunday (2/19)

Mike D'Antoni is an offensive genius. Those were the words of Jeremy Lin after dropping 38 (count 'em!) on Kobe and the Lakers. It's safe to say, D'Antoni's job is safe (for now) and let's give him credit for being the only coach to give Lin a real shot (he was desperate, but still). The Knicks have won five in a row and overtaken the Bucks for the eighth spot in the East. Oh, and they're doing this without STAT & Melo. It's not a coincidence that D'Antoni's offense looks great with a capable PG running the show. Now the big questions are how will Melo and Stoudemire fit in? Will Carmelo still be a ball-stopper? Those are great problems to have if you ask me. People are quick to forget when Melo got Billups in Denver, they went to the Western Conference Finals. I don't see how finally having a point guard isn't going to make Amar'e and Melo more dangerous. For all those skeptics, replace Jared Jeffries and Bill Walker in the starting line-up with Amar'e and Anthony and watch them cook. That kid Lin might just be the real deal. —Angel Diaz

17. Memphis Grizzlies

Record: 14 - 14
Last Week's Rank: 17
Last Week's Results: L vs. San Antonio 84-89, (Mon); W vs. Minnesota 85-80, (Wed); W vs. Indiana 98-82, (Fri); L vs. Utah 98-88, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Houston, Tuesday (2/14); @ New Jersey, Wednesday (2/15); vs. Denver, Friday (2/17); vs. Golden State, Saturday (2/18)

Memphis snapped their three-game losing streak, but a major loss Sunday night to the Jazz made this week a wash for the Grizzlies. The bipolar bubble team struggles on the road and their bench, while talented, isn't particularly deep. The key for Memphis is to avoid a major low point; they've had three losing streaks of 3+ games already this season. If Memphis goes on a bad run while Zach Randolph recovers in limited minutes, then they'll quickly fall from the postseason fringe. —Sean Evans

16. Boston Celtics

Record: 15 - 12
Last Week's Rank: 15
Last Week's Results: W vs. Charlotte 94-84, (Tue); L vs. LA Lakers 87-88, (Thu); L @ Toronto 74-86, (Fri);W vs. Chicago 91-95, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Detroit, Wednesday (2/15); @ Chicago, Thursday (2/16); @ Detroit, Sunday (2/19)

Boston followed up a tough OT loss to the Lakers by taking a L against the struggling Raptors. That loss was quickly forgotten after they took advantage of a Rose-less Bulls team yesterday. Rajon Rondo benefited the most, dropping a triple-double on CJ Watson and John Lucas. The C's face Chicago again on Thursday and this time Rose should be in the lineup. Let's see if KG and the boys can reach back in the time machine before the break. —Angel Diaz

15. Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 15 - 13
Last Week's Rank: 14
Last Week's Results: L vs. Oklahoma City 107-111, (Mon); L vs. Houston 96-103, (Wed); W @ New Orleans 94-86, (Fri); L @ Dallas 94-97, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Washington, Tuesday (2/14); @ Golden State, Wednesday (2/15); vs. LA Clippers, Thursday (2/16); vs. Atlanta, Saturday (2/18)

Like the Jazz, the Blazers are 4-6 over their last 10. And like seemingly everyone else, they lost last week to the Thunder. Which wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't followed it up with a loss to Houston. At least they scratched out a win against the Hornets before dropping their third game of the week to the Mavs. They start off the new week with a Valentine's Day tilt against the hapless Wizards — a better gift than flowers and a Whitman's sampler. —Russ Bengtson

14. Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 16 - 12
Last Week's Rank: 13
Last Week's Results: L @ Philadelphia 90-95, (Mon); W @ Boston 88-87, (Thu); L @ New York 86-92, (Fri); W @ Toronto 94-92, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Atlanta, Tuesday (2/14); vs. Phoenix, Friday (2/17); @ Phoenix, Sunday (2/19)

This was yet another inconsistent week for the Lake Show. They went .500 while on their East Coast road trip bringing their away record to a dismal 5-10. Even in their victories over Boston and Toronto, the team just didn't seem that impressive, especially in Sunday's game against the Raptors where they had an 18 point lead early on but needed Kobe to hit a jumper with 4.2 seconds left in order to secure a victory. There was also their trip to MSG where Kobe got to know exactly who Jeremy Lin is as the young'n dropped 38 points in New York's upset. Two games against the Suns and one against the Hawks should net L.A. a couple Ws, but nothing has come easy for the Lake Show this year. —Ralph Warner

13. Utah Jazz

Record: 14 - 12
Last Week's Rank: 12
Last Week's Results: L @ New York 88-99, (Mon); L @ Indiana 99-104, (Tue); L vs. Oklahoma City 87-101, (Fri); W @ Memphis 98-88, (Sun)
This Week: @ New Orleans, Monday (2/13); @ Oklahoma City, Tuesday (2/14); vs. Washington, Friday (2/17); @ Houston, Sunday (2/19)

A 1-3 week, and all of a sudden the Utah Jazz's carriage has turned back into a pumpkin. The Jazz dropped three straight — to New York, Indy and OKC — before scoring a much-needed 10-point win Sunday against the Grizzlies. Games against New Orleans, Washington, and Houston next week could flip this week's results around (we don't think they have much of a shot in the rematch with Oklahoma City, either). Gordon Hayward's 10, 3 and 3 averages aren't too shabby, but he's no Jeremy Lin. —Russ Bengtson

12. Denver Nuggets

Record: 16 - 12
Last Week's Rank: 6
Last Week's Results: L vs. Houston 90-99, (Mon); L vs. Dallas 95-105, (Wed); L vs. Golden State 101-109, (Thu); W 113-109 @ Indiana, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Phoenix, Tuesday (2/14); @ Dallas, Wednesday (2/15); @ Memphis, Friday (2/17); @ Oklahoma City, Sunday (2/19)

What the heck is going on in Denver? Four more games, three more losses — the sole win being the sole road game at Indiana. As the Nuggets drop closer to .500, things don't get any easier, either; next week includes road games at Dallas, Memphis and Oklahoma City. With Danilo Gallinari out until March, Denver could be poised for a further slide down the rankings. —Russ Bengtson

11. Houston Rockets

Record: 16 - 12
Last Week's Rank: 16
Last Week's Results: W @ Denver 99-90, (Mon); W @ Portland 103-96, (Wed); W @ Phoenix 96-89, (Thu); L @ Golden State 106-97, (Sun)
This Week: @ Memphis, Tuesday (2/14); vs. Oklahoma City, Wednesday (2/15); vs. Minnesota, Friday (2/17); vs. Utah, Sunday (2/19)

With everyone hyped on this Lin character, casual NBA fans are missing the league's hottest new thing: the Rockets bench. Houston scored an unbelievable 57 points off the pine in a win against the Suns only to top it later in the week with 66 points against Portland. As the Rockets have limited the minutes of their injured starters, Courtney Lee has become a force off the bench, and Chase Budinger is playing like the coldest dude on the team. Despite a letdown Sunday against Golden State, the Rockets improve every week and may be one of the deepest teams in the West. With eight of their next ten games at home, look for Houston to continue its reign as the NBA's quiet dark horse. —Sean Evans

10. Orlando Magic

Record: 17 - 11
Last Week's Rank: 10
Last Week's Results: L vs. LA Clippers 102-107, (Mon); W vs. Miami 102-89, (Wed); L vs. Atlanta 87-89, (Fri); W @ Milwaukee 99-94, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Minnesota, Monday (2/13); vs. Philadelphia, Wednesday (2/15); vs. Milwaukee, Friday (2/17); @ Miami, Sunday (2/19)

After going winless the previous week, the Magic righted their ship somewhat including a win against their Sunshine State rivals. Who would've thought that? As of right now. Dwight Howard is still in a Magic jersey, but a poor showing this week could reignite those "anywhere but Orlando" trade rumors once again. —Jose Martinez

9. Dallas Mavericks

Record: 17 - 11
Last Week's Rank: 11
Last Week's Results: W @ Denver 105-95, (Wed); W @ Minnesota 104-97, (Fri); W vs. Portland 97-94, (Sat)
This Week: vs. LA Clippers, Monday (2/13); vs. Denver, Wednesday (2/15); @ Philadelphia, Friday (2/17); @ New York, Sunday (2/19)

Just when you think Dallas is going to turn their Championship hangover into a full blow drunken stupor, they snap back into the poised, confident team that we remember from last year's playoffs. Lamar Odom looked lively and strong in Dallas' double overtime win against Portland, a promising sign if the Mavs expect to contend in the West. While we're far from saying that this team has regained its contender form, they could make a major statement this week in a marquee matchup with the Knicks in Madison Square Garden and games against the playoff-ready Clips, Nuggets, and Sixers. —Sean Evans

8. Indiana Pacers

Record: 17 - 10
Last Week's Rank: 7
Last Week's Results: W vs. Utah 104-99, (Tue); L @ Atlanta 87-97, (Wed); L @ Memphis 92-98, (Fri); L vs. Denver 109-113, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Miami, Tuesday (2/14); @ Cleveland, Wednesday, (2/15); vs. New Jersey, Thursday (2/16); vs. Charlotte, Sunday (2/19)

Yuck. After putting together a string of impressive performances at the beginning of February, the Pacers stunk up the joint last week. And it culminated in a 20-turnover performance against the Nuggets, a game that they easily could have won if they'd simply taken better care of the ball. The good news, though, is that all will be forgiven if they can find a way to beat the Heat on Tuesday. Of course, that's a big if—but if they can get the W, they should be able to walk through the rest of the week. —Chris Yuscavage

7. Atlanta Hawks

Record: 18 - 10
Last Week's Rank: 8
Last Week's Results: L vs. Phoenix 90-99, (Mon); W vs. Indiana 97-87, (Wed); W @ Orlando 89-87, (Fri); L vs. Miami 107-87, (Sun)
This Week: @ LA Lakers, Tuesday (2/14); @ Phoenix, Wednesday (2/15; @ Portland, Saturday (2/18)

After going 2-2 this week and 1-2 the week before, are we seeing a steady decline in the Hawks? Every team will struggle throughout the course of an NBA season, but in a division as competitive as the Southeast in the Eastern Conference, stringing together a couple losses can prove to be detrimental. With a difficult West Coast trip coming up, can this team turn it around or will the slow decline down the standings continue? —Jose Martinez

6. San Antonio Spurs

Record: 19 - 9
Last Week's Rank: 9
Last Week's Results: W @ Memphis 89-84, (Mon); W @ Philadelphia 100-90, (Wed); W @ New Jersey 103-89, (Sat)
This Week: @ Detroit, Tuesday (2/14); @ Toronto, Wednesday (2/15); @ LA Clippers, Saturday (2/18)

San Antonio is officially contender status. The biggest knock on the Spurs this year has been their inability to win on the road. This week, San Antonio traveled to Memphis, Philly, and New Jersey, won all three and extended their overall winning streak to seven games. If Gary Neal can continue his hot shooting off the bench as Manu Ginobili is reintroduced to the offense, then the Spurs may join the Clippers and Thunder as one of the Western Conference's elite teams. —Sean Evans

5. Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 19 - 9
Last Week's Rank: 4
Last Week's Results: W vs. LA Lakers 95-90, (Mon); L vs. San Antonio 90-100, (Wed); L vs. LA Clippers 77-78, (Fri); W @ Cleveland 99-84, (Sat)
This Week: @ Charlotte, Monday (2/13); @ Orlando, Wednesday (2/15); vs. Dallas, Friday (2/17); @ Minnesota, Sunday (2/19)

Philly had a decent week once again, but got torched by Tony Parker for 37 points and lost a crushing defeat at the hands of Chris Paul two games in a row. Everyone's still waiting for them to hit a wall that might not be there. They have a few tough games coming up, but we're pretty sure Doug Collins will have his team prepared. The next couple weeks leading up to the All-Star is going to be interesting in the Atlantic Division with the Celtics playing better and the Knicks finally getting their floor general (allegedly). —Angel Diaz

4. Los Angeles Clippers

Record: 17 - 8
Last Week's Rank: 5
Last Week's Results: W @ Orlando 107-102, (Mon); L @ Cleveland 92-99, (Wed); W @ Philadelphia 78-77, (Fri); W @ Charlotte 111-86, (Sat)
This Week: @ Dallas, Monday (2/13); vs. Washington, Wednesday (2/15); @ Portland, Thursday (2/16); vs. San Antonio, Saturday (2/18)

Other than a surprising loss to the 10-16 Cavs on Wednesday, this was another solid week for the Clip Show. The team took a big hit when veteran guard Chauncey Billups went down for the entire season with a torn Achilles' tendon. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that this is another sign of the Clippers Curse and that this is the point where everything goes downhill though. The Lob City crew has enough young talent and experience to remain a true contender as they sit a top the Pacific Division and hold the third best record in the Western Conference. Lake, who? —Ralph Warner

3. Miami Heat

Record: 21 - 7
Last Week's Rank: 1
Last Week's Results: W vs. Cleveland 107-91, (Tue); L @ Orlando 89-102, (Wed); W @ Washington 106-89, (Fri); W @ Atlanta 107-87, (Sun)
This Week: @ Milwaukee, Monday (2/13); @ Indiana, Tuesday (2/14); @ Cleveland, Friday (2/17); vs. Orlando, Sunday (2/19)

In their first season together, the Big 3 was more like the Big 2 with the occasional appearance from Chris Bosh. This year, all three of them have played an important role towards the overall success of the Heat. Bosh had actually cooled off in February after a blazing start, but posted a stellar 24 and 11 against Washington Friday. And even when he's off, as he was last night when he shot 4-14, he's still finding ways to contribute, picking up 16 boards in the Heat's 20-point win over the Hawks. If the chemistry can continue to flourish, this team becomes very, very hard to beat. —Jose Martinez

2. Chicago Bulls

Record: 23 - 7
Last Week's Rank: 2
Last Week's Results: W @ New Jersey 108-87, (Mon); W @ New Orleans 90-67, (Wed); W @ Charlotte 95-64, (Fri); L @ Boston 91-95, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Sacramento, Tuesday (2/14); vs. Boston, Thursday (2/16); vs. New Jersey, Saturday (2/18)

The Bulls are hurting a little bit right now. Although they went 3-1 this week, they had to do it largely without Derrick Rose, who sat out two games with a back injury. And Rip Hamilton, who started the season in the starting lineup, has also been sidelined repeatedly with injuries this year and might be stuck on the bench until the All-Star break. But Chicago fans shouldn't be overly concerned...yet. The team still has the second-best record in the NBA and they've got a lot of guys who are usually role players giving them quality minutes right now, which will only help them down the line. But they need to stop the bleeding (literally and figuratively) and get healthy soon if they want to keep pace with the Heat.—Chris Yuscavage

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Record: 21 - 6
Last Week's Rank: 3
Last Week's Results: W @ Portland 111-107, (Mon); W @ Golden State 119-116, (Tue); L @ Sacramento 101-106, W (Thu); @ Utah 101-87, (Fri)
This Week: vs. Utah, Tuesday (2/14); @ Houston, Wednesday (2/15); vs. Golden State, Friday (2/17); vs. Denver, Sunday (2/19)

3-1, all on the road? That's more like it. Despite an out-of-character loss to the Kings, the Thunder scored 100-plus in each of their four games last week, including wins over division rivals Portland and Utah. This week it's four more in-conference games, including another matchup with the Jazz, another against Golden State, and a home game against the slumping Nuggets. The All-Star break can't come soon enough — for the Thunder's rivals, that is. —Russ Bengtson