NBA Power Rankings: No Kidding, Mavs on Top

The Mavericks are riding an eight-game winning streak, and with quality wins over the Lakers, Magic, Hawks, and Suns during that stretch, they find themselves at the top of this week's rankings. While some may question their win-by any-means-necessary style, you can't argue with the results. And the way the team's upcoming schedule looks, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the current streak extend well into the double-digits.

As for everyone else? Read on to see where your favorites landed this week.

1. Mavericks (40-21) | Prev.: 2
It's getting difficult to find a consistent flaw with this team outside of three point shooting. And this is a team with Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki. Brendan Haywood makes them significantly different inside, Butler is thriving in a fill-in-the-blanks role, and Dirk Nowitzki is the quietest MVP dark horse candidate you'll ever see. Is Dallas the Denver of last year? -- Matt Moore
2. Lakers (46-15) | Prev.: 1
Twiddled their thumbs for a half, then baked the Nuggets like they were brownie mix. Kobe's still in a slump, which makes their winning percentage all the more impressive. Rack up another short winning streak, then coast their way into the playoffs, penciled in for June. Zero worries for the Lakeshow. -- MM
3. Magic (41-20) | Prev.: 3
Dwight Howard may not be an MVP candidate just because LeBron owns the award no questions asked, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been beyond brilliant this season. Howard is tops in the league on the boards, in blocking shots and in scoring efficiently, and he's one of two reasons Orlando sits in the top five in team defense (with Stan Van Gundy sharing credit). For all the concern about his offense, D-12 leads the Magic in scoring. Whether he's a candidate for the league's top individual award is semantics. In concrete terms, Howard is dominant. (And don't look now, but Orlando has a pretty light schedule in March, after the team meets the Lakers in a Finals rematch this weekend.) -- Tom Ziller
4. Cavaliers (47-14) | Prev.: 5
Shaq's out until the playoffs ... which is no big deal, considering that's the reason the team traded for him in the first place. Besides, Zydrunas Ilgauskas will probably be back a few weeks before then, so the Cavs' front line will be just fine as the team prepares for the postseason. -- BP

5. Suns (38-24) | Prev.: 7
Okay, so they can't beat the Spurs. So what? Team's still liquid heat right now, and Amar'e is playing more and more like that guy we knew back in 2005. If they can somehow manage to avoid the Spurs in the playoffs, they've got a great shot at pushing for the second round (or better). They have the highest range of outcome for any Western Conference team. Just like always. -- MM
6. Nuggets (39-21) | Prev.: 4
Back-to-back road losses to the Lakers and the Suns took a little of the luster off of Denver's recent hotness, but there's really nothing to worry about. The Nuggets are as dangerous a team as there is in the West, and will be playing deep into the postseason as expected. -- BP

7. Thunder (36-23) | Prev.: 8
Kevin Durant continues to be the story here. After seeing his 25-point scoring streak come to an end against (who else?) the Spurs, he's back at it with three straight since then, including a 39-point, 10-rebound destruction of the Kings. As a side note, I agree with Durant on the whole ankle injury thing, but the fact that he's on Nike's payroll does take his credibility on the subject down a few notches. -- BP

8. Hawks (38-21) | Prev.: 11
Atlanta has passed Boston for third in the East despite slumps starring Jamal Crawford (shooting 37 percent in the team's last 10 games) and Mike Bibby (34 percent over the same span), and the Hawks don't play a team with a winning record for another two weeks. Since Cleveland and Orlando seem relatively safe at No. 1 and No. 2, it seems likely Boston will avoid Atlanta this spring. That's a minor victory when the Raptors and Cavs show up on the docket, but it's a victory for Boston nonetheless, because the way things look right now, the Hawks would kill 'em. -- TZ

9. Celtics (37-21) | Prev.: 6
The Big Three are back together, but it was newbie Nate Robinson, who provided the spark this week to help erase the memory of the two recent losses. Instead of teaching Robinson all the Celtics plays, Coach Doc Rivers let Robinson teach the Celtics the favorite play he used with the Knicks. And it worked Tuesday, which brought a much-needed smile to everyone's face. -- Tim Povtak

10. Jazz (38-22) | Prev.: 9
Deron Williams and Baron Davis: brothers in comedy, and in bad basketball. The two joked around in Baron's latest silly video, and then each made unconscionable mistakes late in Monday's game between their respective teams. Davis turned it over with his team up two and under 20 seconds left, and Williams was fouled on the other end with a chance to tie ... but then missed two free throws. -- BP

11. Spurs (34-24) | Prev.: 15
Uh-oh. We woke the beast.-- MM

12. Blazers (36-27) | Prev.: 12
Marcus Camby's rebound average is slightly down since joining the Blazers, but his blocks are up, and his assists have remained constant. More importantly, he seems to be getting comfortable in the team's overall defensive scheme, and the Blazers have won four out of their last five because of it. -- BP

13. Bucks (30-29) | Prev.: 13
The team's six-game win streak came to an end, but only after dropping an overtime contest in Atlanta to the Hawks. Brandon Jennings may no longer be in the Rookie of the Year conversation (Stephen Curry might have overtaken him for the number two spot behind Tyreke Evans), but I doubt he or the franchise will care while they're in the middle of the playoffs, and the Kings and Warriors are at home watching. -- BP

14. Bulls (31-29) | Prev.: 14
Chicago is firmly in the playoff picture, but the news that Joakim Noah will miss at least three weeks to recover from plantar fasciitis in his left foot makes that position slightly more precarious than it was yesterday. -- BP

15. Heat (30-31) | Prev.: 17
Dwyane Wade's back, just in the nick of time as Miami fights for its postseason life. The middle of the Eastern Conference has picked up the pace since the New Year, and the Heat enter March clinging to the eighth seed after a quick start to the season. One decent, .500-ish East team will get left out of the playoffs, and the Heat's future with Wade could lie in the balance. (That Miami struggles as Wade sat is of no aid to Pat Riley's cause.) -- TZ

16. Rockets (30-29) | Prev.: 18
Kevin Martin is fitting in, and he and Brooks are combining for an absolutely devastating backcourt. But the cost of this season may have been too much on the squad, as the consistent defensive effort isn't there, Shane Battier is having a down year, and oh, yeah, they still miss Yao Ming. A bizarrely satisfying year that may still feel a bit empty. More than they could have expected, less than what they wanted. Like just having a half-cup of soup for lunch. -- MM

17. Raptors (31-28) | Prev.: 10
With Chris Bosh on the sideline nursing a sore ankle, the Raps have lost four straight, which should open his eyes to what kind of supporting cast he has. It's the same kind of view that Dwyane Wade – another free agent to be – gets when he looks at his team from the bench. -- TP

18. Hornets (31-30) | Prev.: 16
Darren Collison is either going to be the best back-up point guard in the league next year or a middle-of-the-road starter. His assist rate is off the charts, and the kid just knows how to find his way to the bucket. If the Hornets can just get Chris Paul back, they might be able to pick off one of the weak members of the Western herd for a playoff spot. That's how well Collison and fellow rookie Marcus Thornton are playing. -- MM

19. Grizzlies (30-30) | Prev.: 19
Well, it was a nice four months while it lasted. This actually works out pretty well for Memphis. They get some more buzz without unrealistic expectations, they can nab a mid-round draft pick (and hopefully not screw it up this time), continue to gel, and hope that the chemistry stays okay even with the losses piling up. At some point the defense has to turn around, right? Right? Guys? -- MM

20. Bobcats (28-30) | Prev.: 20
Charlotte, currently the bubble East team on the outside looking in, will have chances to make up ground. The Bobcats play the Heat (currently a half-game ahead) twice over the next six weeks. Charlotte has the same opportunity to make up ground against the Bulls (two games ahead), with a pair in April (including a showdown in N.C. the final day of the regular season). The Bobcats also draw the Bucks (1-1/2 in front) once, on April 2. A playoff berth, even as LeBron's sacrificial lamb, would be a great start to Michael Jordan's reign as controlling owner. -- TZ

21. Clippers (25-35) | Prev.: 23
Hey, they're playing so well they probably won't have a top lottery pick! ... I'm sorry, Clippers fans. Again. As usual. -- MM

22. Wizards (21-36) | Prev.: 24
Somehow, the remainder of this season has become all about Andray Blatche. Even zealots had given up on 'Dray at some point in the past couple years, chalking up another loss to missed opportunity and the strangling need for actual consistent production. Eddie Jordan had given up on Blatche, and the Wizards were just never equipped to nurture the young maelstrom. So, in this way, the expulsion of talent -- Arenas, Jamison, Butler and Haywood all -- has served as a reboot for Blatche's career, and Flip Saunders has let him blossom. The last six weeks of 2009-10 will define what expectations Blatche takes into the future, and whether the Wizards have an actual piece to build around. -- TZ

23. Sixers (22-37) | Prev.: 21
The Iverson experiment officially ended in failure this week, and that didn't come as any surprise. Although they had played some good games without him, the Sixers should be embarrassed by the way they laid down at home like scolded puppies against the Magic Monday night. Elton Brand is on the sideline again nursing a sore Achilles. -- TP

24. Pistons (21-39) | Prev.: 22
Losers of four in a row, but two came against Denver and Boston, and by just five points apiece! Sorry, but moral victories are all these guys have until this brutal season comes to its merciful end in Detroit. -- BP

25. Kings (20-40) | Prev.: 28
Anyone getting a 2006-2007 Trailblazers/2008-2009 Thunder feeling about this team? Lose a lot of games, stay competitive in a bunch of them, one emerging superstar, steady roster of guys, high probability for an impact pick? There are a lot of things to be satisfied with, even if the final Ws and L's aren't so hot. -- MM

26. Pacers (20-40) | Prev.: 25
The Pacers' season has been over for some time now. But going 2-8 in their last 10 games isn't fun for anyone, especially after most recently hanging around for a half against the Lakers before falling behind by 30 before the game was finished. -- BP

27. Warriors (17-42) | Prev.: 27
Don Nelson said this week he's 'proud' of how this team is competing down the stretch. You should be, Don. Their coach has mailed it in all season and they're still giving their best. -- MM

28. Knicks (20-39) | Prev.: 26
This has become a two-team race between the Knicks and Nets to see who can smell up the gym the worst. Both teams have created enough salary cap room to try with all their might to land a star or two this summer. Several players are going to get very rich this summer when these two start slinging their money around in desperation after the biggest stars tell them no thanks. -- TP

29. Timberwolves (14-47) | Prev.: 29
David Kahn reiterated his belief that one day, Ricky Rubio will indeed play for the Timberwolves. Unfortunately, there's little more than speculation fueling that opinion. -- BP

30. Nets (6-53) | Prev.: 30
This team has crossed the border between bad and so-bad that it actually has become a little loveable. Their latest attempt at getting fans in the stands to watch them play is to offer free tax service for anyone who actually pays for a ticket. With so much room under the salary cap this summer, they will be the most improved team in the league next season. -- TP