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At Bangthebook.com every week we will announce our own top ten in the NBA Power Rankings. The Rankings reflect the play from the previous week as well as the standings as we progress towards the NBA Championship! 

Updated: 3/8/10

1. Orlando Magic—the Magic are responsible for the biggest jump this week as they propel to the top spot in the rankings. Barnes and Carter are more of a scoring threat then once thought. Beating the Lakers in a close game was all the proof we needed that they deserve a week at #1.  

2. Dallas Mavericks—the Mavericks are the hottest team in the league and are about to enter a stretch against some of the weakest teams in the NBA. The winning streak should continue and the mavericks are having such an easy time of it they are resting healthy players.  

3. Cleveland Cavaliers—the Cavs are now looking like a mash unit as Shaq and Lebron have both missed recent time. Losing to Milwaukee showed just how vulnerable the Cavs can be without King James.  

4. LA Lakers—Kobe is recently battling a stomach ailment but it does not give the Lakers an excuse for dropping games to both Miami and Orlando. The Lakers are still among the elite in the game but need to fix their road woes. 

5. Denver Nuggets—the Nuggets keep winning with the latest being a blow out of Portland. The Nuggets are one of the best teams on their home floor and it is about time they started getting credit for it.  

6. Utah Jazz—the Jazz went on a crazy winning streak but it still wasn’t enough to crack the top four in the West. They can play with anyone in the West but need to jockey for better seeding down the stretch.  

7. Phoenix Suns—the suns seem to be reborn with the play of Stoudemire. The Suns are on a 14-4 run and not trading him looks like they best move a team did not make at the deadline. They need a healthy Nash to finish strong. 

8. Oklahoma City Thunder—the Thunder finished off a tough road stretch to include four games in five nights with a solid win. That is a sign of maturity for a young team that is looking to make noise in the playoffs this year.  

 9. Atlanta Hawks—the Hawks seem like they need a reason to play better as they struggle with sub .500 teams and refuse to play defense. The seeding in the East is shaping up and if there is ever a time for them to shape up its now. 

10. Boston Celtics—the Celtics signed 37 year old Michael Finley after his release. Not exactly the move a team is looking for as they try to get younger. The Celtics need clutch shooting to escape the Wizards and things are looking bleak in Beantown.

3/1/10

1. LA Lakers—Kobe came back to the lineup and did what he did best and hit a game winning shot. The offense is still not in sync yet sans Kobe, but a big win over Denver put a stranglehold on the top spot in the West. 

2. Cleveland Cavaliers—the Cavs rebounded after the three game losing streak and look like they are the treat of the East again. Shaq hurt his thumb and could be out for the rest of the regular season, now looks like a perfect time to bring Big Z back to the team.  

3. Utah Jazz—the Jazz slipped a few spots in the rankings with some tough losses. Those losses can be accounted for since Deron Williams missed some time with an injury. With him in the lineup the Jazz are one of the best teams in the league, but they need to play consistent defense. 

4. Orlando Magic—the Magic are holding steady in the higher rankings in the East but need to find consistency to stay there. One minute they have a nearly flawless game and then the next game they tank it in the fourth quarter.  

5. Dallas Mavericks—the Mavericks are looking even better now that Caron Butler is getting comfortable with the system that is in place. The key is Jason Kidd and how he can make players better and keep his team in the hunt. His performance in Atlanta was stunning. 

6. Oklahoma City Thunder—the Thunder are not going anywhere. The winning streak and the scoring streak is over but this team is still a contender. What might be more surprising is the play of Westbrook has he is proving to be very valuable to this team.  

 7. Denver Nuggets—the Nuggets loss to the Lakers was not what they wanted but since the own the season series they still feel confident against the top teams in the West. There is still some time to make a run at home court advantage.  

8. Phoenix Suns—the suns lost a game against the Spurs, but you can tell they were looking ahead to a big game with Denver. Nash will make sure that the team is focused and won’t have the mental mistakes that cost them in San Antonio. 

9. Atlanta Hawks—the Hawks are refusing to quit and continue to play run n gun basketball. It is catching up to them and they are losing the games when they refuse to play any defense. They won’t improve as a team until they play defense.. 

10. Boston Celtics—the Celtics are clinging to a spot in the power rankings and hit an all time low after losing to the worse team in the league. The talks of championships are gone nowadays in Boston.

2/23/10

1. Utah Jazz—they may not be the best team in the NBA overall but right now they are playing like it. After the break and even amid a trade some of the players hated the Jazz won four in a row on the road where they had not played well earlier in the season. 

2. LA Lakers—still no Kobe but the Lakers are holding the fort while the superstar gets healthy. They are playing better defense than they have all year but missed Kobe down the stretch when they lost to the Celtics. 

3. Cleveland Cavaliers—The Cavs are hurting all of a sudden after being big winners after the trade deadline. They lost three straight and the team needs to shake this funk. Lack of confidence as hurt them and Mike Brown in the past.   

4. Oklahoma City Thunder—the Thunder are for real and its time to give them credit. Durant maintained his streak of scoring 25 plus in each game and the Thunder have not lost in over a week. Westbrook is a big help to Durant’s success.  

 5. Denver Nuggets—The Nuggets have to figure out how to keep a tough intensity against bad teams. They beat Cleveland on the road and thumped the Celtics only to drop an inexcusable sandwich game against the Wizards. 

6. Orlando Magic—the Magic are going to make a run at the top spot in the East but its obvious it’s all about Dwight Howard. The Cavs-Magic rivalry is starting to be a good one to watch.  

7. Toronto Raptors—the Raptors have come out of nowhere to jump into the top ten for the first time this year. It helped by winning 10 out of the last 12. That could change when they start facing tougher teams on the road; stay tuned for the real Raptors team. 

8. Boston Celtics—the trade deadline passed and it seemed to reassure the Celtics. They played a good road trip beating LA and Portland and even though they lost at Denver they started winning with defense again. 

9. Dallas Mavericks—the Mavericks are emerging as the real winners of the trade deadline. Beating Orlando on the road showed they can play against big men now and they are stepping it up on defense. The true test will be against the Lakers this week. 

10. Atlanta Hawks—the Hawks are playing out of a spot in the top ten as well as a good playoff spot. They blew a 17 point lead in Golden St and now face hot Utah. This could be the beginning of the end for this crew.

2/9/10

1. Cleveland Cavaliers—The Cavs are playing solid basketball and they have turned up the heat on the defensive side of the basketball. Shaq is regaining his from on the offensive side of the floor and working well with James. 

2. Utah Jazz—the hottest team in the West is the Utah Jazz and they did it with a shake up on offense. During the winning streak that have beat some very good teams like Denver and have a big game with the Lakers on Wednesday. 

3. Denver Nuggets—The Nuggets keep winning and have to do it without their often injured star players. They lost to the Jazz with Billups and Anthony but played tough. They will both return later in the week for a tough stretch. 

4. LA Lakers—the Lakers are off a big win against the Spurs, but the health of Kobe Bryan is a key for this club. They have to think that Denver has their number this year.  

5. Orlando Magic—the Magic lost a game to the Wizards but they are playing better than ever. The thumped the Celtics prompting Doc Rivers to proclaim them better than the Celtics. Vince Carter looks like the Vince of old and put up 48 against New Orleans. 

6. Atlanta Hawks—the Hawks still need to figure out a way to win on the road. They have played improved defense and with one of the league’s best offense they can stay in the top ten all year and have a shot at the East. 

7. Oklahoma City Thunder—the Thunder has shown that they belong in the top ten. They have moved up to be a factor in the playoffs in the West and they are starting to apply some defense with that explosive offense. 

8. Portland Blazers—the Blazers are struggling as they play one of the toughest parts of the schedule they will face all year. They need Brandon Roy back in uniform to right the ship and get back to the winning ways.  

9. Boston Celtics—it’s time to get nervous if you’re a fan of the Celtics. It was easy to blame poor play on injuries but losing two bitter games to the Magic shows there is more to worry about. Those trade rumors will get louder in Boston.  

10. San Antonio Spurs—the Spurs are showing their age and not winning the close games. They were trounced by the Lakers and lost a close one in Portland. Their hold on the ten spot is slipping and they need to get back to playing sound basketball.

2/2/10

1. LA Lakers—Kobe Bryant became the all team leading scorer in Lakers history and his team looked impressive on the road trip to include a buzzer beater by Kobe. They dropped the last game to Memphis but come home as the best in the West. 

2. Cleveland Cavaliers—The Cavs are still winning as the streak reached eight games. Playing at home helps and the Cavs are getting more scoring from the likes of guys like Daniel Gibson instead of just Lebron. 

3. Denver Nuggets—The Nuggets are starting to separate themselves from the pack as they are the clear cut #2 team in the West. A big win over the Spurs in San Antonio could be a sign of the changing of the guard.  

4. Orlando Magic—the Magic are back after they were given up for dead. They beat the hawks and the Celtics in an impressive come from behind win. They are on the heels of the Cavs as the second best team in the East. 

5. Utah Jazz—the Jazz have won 10 of eleven and they are making a statement in the West. More impressively is that they are doing it without injured superstar Carlos Boozer as Milsap has emerged as a star in the NBA. 

6. Atlanta Hawks—the Hawks got through a tough road trip with some decent wins but what might be most impressive is the season sweep of the Boston Celtics. They still have to learn to play consistent defense.  

7. Oklahoma City Thunder—this team is here to stay and with wins like they had over Denver it is shown that they will make the playoffs. It is time to start mentioning Kevin Durant in the same breath as Kobe and Lebron. 

8. Dallas Mavericks—Dallas is in reverse as they have not lost three straight and are reeling. They need to find a way to start playing defense or it will be a very long season for the Mavericks.

9. Boston Celtics—Kevin Garnett is back but that has not translated into wins for the Celtics. They lost a big lead in Orlando and were swept on the season by the hawks. They continue to fade and if they don’t pull out of it soon they could be in trouble. 

10. Memphis Grizzlies—the Grizzlies are for real this year and the big win over Kobe and the Lakers proved it. They now have to get prepared to take on Lebron James but the Grizzlies have the talent to sneak into the playoffs with a great home record. 

1/25/10

1. Cleveland Cavaliers—The Cavs lost Mo Williams at the point but that did not slow them down one bit. A big win against the Lakers and a last minute victory over the Heat shows just how deep they are.  

2. LA Lakers—the Lakers are struggling a bit on the road with losses in Cleveland and of all places Toronto. However they are still just one of seven teams with a winning record away from home. They need to clamp down on defense away from home. 

3. Denver Nuggets—The Nuggets made the biggest jump this week as they got healthy and put a nice winning streak together. Carmello is banged up again but if this team gets healthy they are potentially the best in the West. 

4. Atlanta Hawks—the Hawks can win at home but the real test will be on the current road trip they are taking. They passed the first test by beating the Rockets and are easily one of the top teams in the East. 

5. Boston Celtics—the Celtics seem to be sleep walking through the regular season as they deal with injuries. KG came back and his defense play should spark the play of others. They need help from Glenn “don’t call me Big Baby” Davis and other role players to get that swagger back. 

6. Dallas Mavericks—Dallas had a decent road trip only stumbling in a loss to the Sixers and finishing with a record beating in the Garden. They are easily one of the top three teams in the West but they have to figure out how to stay consistent.  

7. Orlando Magic—the Magic finally started to win a few games and its no surprise that this started when they played some consistent defense. They need to look good against Boston and Atlanta after losing to Memphis this week if they want to stay a top team in the East. 

8. Portland Blazers—the Blazers finished just 2-2 on a recent trip and that would seem like a bad thing but without Brandon Roy that is actually pretty good. Losing in the first home game after the trip won’t help.  

9. Utah Jazz—it took them awhile to get going but the Jazz look great of late. They have whipped the Spurs and play great at home. They beat the Suns and have won six straight in Salt Lake. They have a true test with a tough home stretch but a winning record could vault them higher in the rankings. 

10. Memphis Grizzlies—did you know that the Memphis Grizzlies have won eleven games in a row at home? They are a playoff contender and if they can improve the road play they will easily make it in.

1/19/10

1. LA Lakers—the Lakers are healthy and back together again and winning. Pau Gasol does not get the respect he deserves but he is one of the best big men in the game and the Lakers are 20-3 when he plays. 

2. Cleveland Cavaliers—The Cavs are rolling right along but they just don’t seem to have the intensity on any given night unless they are playing a top team. Lucky for them the Lakers are on deck this week.  

3. Boston Celtics—the Celtics are fading losing game after game and at home without a healthy lineup. Rasheed is back but they will need KG back in the lineup to stay this high in the rankings. 

4. Atlanta Hawks—the Hawks are showing they are not all about offense as they are starting to show some presence in the paint. They lost a close one to OKC on MLK day but are one of the elite teams in the East passing up Orlando. 

5. Portland Blazers—the Blazers keep in winning close game after close game without their best players. They dropped one to Washington but Brandon Roy should be back in the lineup any day now to right the ship.  

6. Dallas Mavericks—Dallas is looking great this year but remain inconsistent after getting trounced by the Raptors they bonded together and dumped the Celtics in Boston. The only problem will be staying like that for the rest of the year and beating the Lakers.

7. Denver Nuggets—It seemed like the Nuggets just needed to get healthy. With Carmello in the lineup the offense gets better and with Billups in the lineup the defense gets better. As long as they are both there this is a top ten team.  

8. San Antonio Spurs—the Spurs seem to just be willing to give away games as the rest Tim Duncan and lose games that are winnable on the road. A well rested Tim Duncan is great for the playoffs but not for the seeding. 

9. Orlando Magic—the Magic are losing because the defense is sleeping in these games on a west coast trip. It looks like Vince Carter will be hurt all year and the Magic need to return to the Magi Kingdom to get some wins. 

10. Oklahoma City Thunder—this team is a playoff team and deserves some respect. They won a big road game against Atlanta and Kevin Durant continues to put up numbers every night.

1/13/10

1 Cleveland Cavaliers—The Cavs are becoming an offensive machine putting up big numbers night in and night out and getting some scoring punch from everywhere on the floor. This West coast trip is huge for them. 

2. Boston Celtics—the Celtics are putting some solid wins together although they have not had a complete team in months. It was announced that KG will be out for another few weeks and as long as they do not play Atlanta they will do fine. 

3. .LA Lakers—the Lakers are starting to show signs of vulnerability and now Kobe has back spasms that he has to deal with. Now the team has to get through the Texas triangle trip and that is never easy for any team in the NBA.  

4. Dallas Mavericks—Dallas is looking great this year but remain inconsistent not getting up for lesser opponents. They have the Lakers again this week and get them banged up and this is a chance to get revenge for a blowout loss earlier this season.

5. Orlando Magic—the Magi survived a big losing streak last week and seem to have regained form by juggling the lineup and moving players around. If they can get through this west coast trip at .500 they will be back on pace in the East. 

6.  Portland Blazers—the Blazers showed that they can defend their home court against the toughest opposition. They had a good win against the Lakers and kept it close with the Cavs. When fully healthy they are one of the best in the west. 

7. San Antonio Spurs—the got back on point from a defensive angle and put it to the Lakers winning by 20. That could be just the kind of win that gets them headed to the top of the standings in the West. 

8. Phoenix Suns—as long as they have that offense the Suns will be a contender. They are on a road trip that may have some potholes if they look past some of the bad teams. If this team plays defense they could be scary. 

9. Atlanta Hawks—if they played the Celtics every night they would be just fine. They play well against the elite but struggle against the basement teams. When they learn to play in all situations they will be on of the best in a talented east. 

10. Denver Nuggets—Billups went down and then Carmello. Billups came back and Carmello will soon follow but the real trick for this team will be learning how to play defense.  

1/6/10

1. LA Lakers—the Lakers are sitting atop the NBA world but there is a question about how long it may last. Injuries are starting to mount up and although Artest is back Gasol is out. Kobe will have to pick up the workload.  

2. Cleveland Cavaliers—Lebron James and company seem to be cruising right along and expect for a minor blip they have been winning nightly. A trip to the west coast could test the mettle of this team. 

3. Boston Celtics—is anyone healthy on the Boston Celtics? This is Doc’s hardest season to coach because all of his stars are out with injuries. KG has to get healthy along with Pierce and Rondo. 

4. Orlando Magic—the Pacers were the latest team to trip up the Magic. They seem to struggle in back to back games but are still the elite of the east. 

5. Dallas Mavericks—Dallas wanted to prove they could play with the best but failed miserably when they were blown out by the Lakers. They will get another chance to make up for the loss this week. 

6.  Portland Blazers—this team is doing it with mirrors. They have so many injuries that at times this year they have struggled to even put a team on the court. Plenty of role players and good coaching is getting them wins. 

7. Phoenix Suns—the Suns look better than ever. They are excused for the loss to Memphis since they just got by the Lakers and the Celtics and were primed for a letdown. Nash is looking better than ever. 

8. San Antonio Spurs—up to this point the Spurs have deserved a shot in the power rankings. This week they have a very tough schedule and a tough road trip that could change all of that. 

9. Atlanta Hawks—they made the cut but they are dropping like a rock. They are finding out very fast that you have to play defense if you want to play with the big boys in the NBA. 

10. Denver Nuggets--The Nuggets are another top team that is winning as they deal with injuries. They will need to get healthy to stay in the top ten or keep looking for “phantom calls”. 

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