AthlonSports.com - Power Rankings

NBA Power Rankings

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0600

Led by Steve Nash, the Phoenix Suns are making noise out West. They've rebounded from the disappointment of missing last year's playoffs and currently find themselves tied with the L.A. Lakers atop the Pacific Division.

NBA Power Rankings

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0600

The first week of NBA action is in the books, and the Boston Celtics have risen to the top of our rankings thanks to stellar point guard play from Rajon Rondo, strong leadership from the Big Three and the best defense in the league.

NBA Power Rankings: Preseason

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:59:13 -0500

As the tip to another NBA season approaches, we find new faces in new places including Ron-Ron in L.A., Shaq in Cleveland, RJ in San Antonio, Rasheed in Boston and Vinsanity in Orlando. Which new arrivals will have the biggest impact on their new teams? Find out in the preseason edition of our NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:58:48 -0500

The playoffs are almost here, and the final edition of our power rankings is in for the 2008-09 regular season. Not much has changed over the past few months as the Cleveland Cavaliers and L.A. Lakers have taken turns at the top.

NBA Power Rankings

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:42:06 -0500

We're just over one week from the start of the NBA playoffs, and things are starting to take shape in each conference. The seeding is another matter, however, as several teams continue to jockey for more attractive playoff spots.

NBA Power Rankings

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:10:07 -0500

Playoff positioning is underway in the NBA, and the Denver Nuggets are surging in the West. With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Spurs, Nuggets, Rockets and Trail Blazers are each within at least two games of the No. 2 seed.

NBA Power Rankings

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:43:11 -0500

The Cavs and Lakers are still jostling for the top spot in this week's power rankings, but the Houston Rockets also made a surge. Led by Ron Artest and Yao Ming, the Rockets have asserted themselves as a legitimate threat to come out of the West.

NBA Power Rankings

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:25:58 -0500

With less than a month remaining in the regular season, the same two teams — the L.A. Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers — continue to jockey for the top spot in our weekly power rankings.

NBA Power Rankings

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:49:30 -0500

We're just about six weeks away from the beginning of the playoffs, and several teams have caught fire including the Jazz, Magic, Hornets and Bobcats. With positioning for the postseason on the line every night, we have more than one shake-up in this week's power rankings.

NBA Power Rankings

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 02:06:19 -0600

Two of the NBA's big three fell on Sunday with the Lakers and Celtics suffering rare defeats, but the Cavaliers held on for a hard-fought 88-87 win in Atlanta. The win was Cleveland's 45th of the season, but more importantly, it earned the Cavs the No. 1 spot in this week's power rankings.

NBA Power Rankings

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:50:41 -0600

Winners of four straight games, the Cleveland Cavaliers are healthy and on top in the East. They're racking up the style points, too, as LeBron James hit shots from all over the gym Friday night in Milwaukee. He finished with 55 points on the evening and collected the seventh 50-point effort of his young career.

NBA Power Rankings

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:17:42 -0600

The first half of the season has come and gone, and three teams — the Lakers, Celtics and Cavaliers — stand above the rest. Several others are flying under the radar, however, and we think Denver, Philadelphia and Utah, among others, are worth monitoring with the playoffs officially on the horizon.

NBA Power Rankings

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:04:32 -0600

No. 1 this week is a no-brainer as the Lakers scored two huge road wins in Boston and Cleveland and saw Kobe Bryant rack up 61 points against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

NBA Power Rankings

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:24:59 -0600

After setting a franchise record 19-game winning streak, the Celtics dropped six of eight games between Dec. 25 and Jan. 9. Many wondered if the team would ever recover, but Doc Rivers righted the ship, and the Celtics are winners of 11 straight games. For this reason and more, Boston is once again No. 1 in our power rankings.

NBA Power Rankings

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0600

Andrew Bynum's improved play has given the Lakers yet another weapon in their loaded arsenal. Showcasing his enormous potential Wednesday night against the Clippers, Bynum poured in a career-high 42 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. He's also helped his team ascend to the top spot of our weekly power rankings once more.