April ESPN Power Rankings

[The Solution 0]

Power Rankings: Mavs finish No. 1 with Bulls best in East

By Marc Stein

ESPN.com

 

 

Your 26-week odyssey with the committee (of one) is now complete.

It has been your ritual for 24 straight regular-season Mondays and twice before that during training camp: Click here to get a (human) pulse-take on the NBA.

 

Yet there are no huge surprises, I'm afraid, in the final batch of weekly Power Rankings until camps commence in the fall. The Dallas Mavericks, ESPN.com's reigning No. 1 for 11 successive Mondays, probably would have retained the top spot even with a home loss Sunday to San Antonio. But it's a moot point now, with the Mavs securing their 16th No. 1 ranking of the season by rallying for a 91-86 triumph that will be remembered most for spawning a new NBA rivalry: Duncan vs. Crawford.

 

Read on to see where your team ranks -- our order for the top three in the East is bound to rankle Detroiters

 

RANK (LAST WK) TEAM REC. COMMENT

1 (1) Mavericks 66-14 Only twice since 2000 has the team with the best record won it all. But you figure Mavs will take their chances after one of the most extraordinary regular seasons ever.

2 (2) Spurs 58-22 Two more wins get Spurs to 60. Either way, SA draws the hottest lower seed in Round 1 for the third successive spring: Denver again after Kings and Nuggets previously.

3 (3) Suns 61-19 Fast fact: Suns have three 60-win seasons in club history and the PG for two of them was Nash. Bonus plan: A stress-free week awaits with the No. 2 seed clinched.

4 (6) Bulls 49-32 A win Wednesday over Nets gives Bulls their first 50-win season since MJ's Bulls went 62-20 in 1997-98 . . . and no Pistons, Heat or Cavs until the conference finals.

5 (7) Rockets 51-29 It's not just T-Mac and Yao: The franchise hasn't won a series since 1997. But this will be the first time since '97 that Rockets have home-court advantage in Round 1.

6 (5) Raptors 47-33 A mere 1-1 finish clinches the best record in franchise history. Better yet: Raps will finally get some national TV time in the playoffs so America can see how fun they are.

7 (4) Pistons 51-29 Not sure yet if Pistons will finish as the East's lone 50-win club. But we definitely messed up big-time omitting Prince from our list of DPOY candidates. Apologies, Tay.

8 (11) Heat 44-36 Who would defending champs rather see in Round 1? Few would have predicted this before the season, but it's certainly true now: LeBron's Cavs over Chicago.

9 (11) Nuggets 43-37 Facing Spurs in Round 1 can't feel like the biggest prize, but Nuggets uncorked their best ball all season -- starting 8-0 in April -- during their roughest schedule stretch.

10 (8) Jazz 49-31 Difference of opinion: Sloan says this 2-7 slide has ''kind of destroyed a little bit of a great season.'' Owner Larry Miller's view, via the Salt Lake Tribune: Jazz ''suck.''

11 (12) Warriors 40-40 If Warriors find a way to lock up the playoff spot they can now taste, word is they'll rename the arena again and officially change Nellie's nickname to ''The Oracle.''

12 (10) Cavaliers 48-32 Good gig if you can get it: Larry Hughes will get a $2 million bonus for the second straight season as long as Cavs win 49, even if 49 wins only gets them a No. 5 seed.

13 (15) Nets 39-41 Nets not only can still sneak up to a sixth seed in the season's final hours, but a 2-0 finish would quietly give the much-maligned Titanic two teams at .500 or better.

14 (14) Lakers 41-40 This won't be the first losing season in Phil Jackson's career. But it is Phil's first-ever losing record since the All-Star break: 11-16 in spite of all those 50s from Kobe.

15 (17) Magic 38-42 So they probably won't go ''all the way,'' as Dwight Howard optimistically proclaimed in training camp. But at least Magic didn't slip all the way out of the top eight.

16 (13) Clippers 39-41 After back-to-back seasons with the best record in town, Clips can no longer make it three. They can't even make the playoffs now without help from Golden State.

17 (20) 76ers 34-46 Friends in Philly tell me you can't try to improve your pick and keep fans on your side. Tell us, locals: Do you prefer the league's 10th-best record (17-10) since the break?

18 (19) Wizards 40-40 Every year you hear of the Team No One Wants To Play in Round 1. Meet this spring's banged-up opposite, with Wiz close to going sub-.500 for first time since 10-11.

19 (16) Hornets 37-43 Looks like Hornets heard us when they took Clips to OT and improved to 7-0. But it was their only OT game all week and losing the other two ended their season.

20 (22) Bobcats 33-48 Bobs, like Sixers, believe late-season success means more to them than worrying about draft position. Tell us, locals: How meaningful did you find this late 7-3 rush?

21 (18) Pacers 35-45 On Super Bowl Sunday, Pacers were 26-21 and riding a 6-1 surge. Since Peyton prevailed, Pacers are 9-24 and now out of the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

22 (26) Kings 33-47 Doubtful that Musselman will see this as a consolation, but last-place Kings winning at Clippers on Sunday might be what puts Muss' old team (Warriors) in the playoffs.

23 (25) Trail Blazers 32-48 The ROY trophy will be Roy's and this might already be his team. But Blazers still need a lot more, obviously, given Roy's health history and all the youth around him.

24 (24) SuperSonics 31-50 Good thing Sonics are spending one more year in Seattle because this is no way to leave town: 50 losses is the most for this franchise since the 1985-86 season.

25 (21) Knicks 32-48 Can't ignore all the injuries, true, but the numbers don't make for pleasant reading: Knicks are just 3-14 since Isiah's extension and only nine W's better than last season.

26 (23) Timberwolves 32-48 Industry insiders say the Gatorade commercial will almost certainly stay in circulation during the playoffs. Everything else KG-related? Two losses shy of 50, stay tuned.

27 (28) Bucks 27-53 It had to be painful going 5-22 without Redd and slumping to the league's third-worst record. But it won't sting nearly as much if injury-riddled Bucks land a top-three pick.

28 (27) Hawks 29-51 One more Bucks loss or Hawks win clinches the league's fourth-worst record for Atlanta. Hawks' draft pick, remember, goes to Phoenix unless it's in the top three.

29 (29) Celtics 23-57 As a certain Sports Guy reminds, Sam Mitchell is winning in Toronto as a lame duck. Doc and his C's need that top-two pick way more than he needs an extension, frankly.

30 (30) Grizzlies 20-60 In Canada, Grizz avoided 60 losses only twice . . . one was a 59-loss season and the other was the lockout season. But this was the first 60-loss season in Memphis.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking

[The Solution 0]

Power Rankings: Mavs finish No. 1 with Bulls best in East

By Marc Stein

ESPN.com

 

 

Your 26-week odyssey with the committee (of one) is now complete.

It has been your ritual for 24 straight regular-season Mondays and twice before that during training camp: Click here to get a (human) pulse-take on the NBA.

 

Yet there are no huge surprises, I'm afraid, in the final batch of weekly Power Rankings until camps commence in the fall. The Dallas Mavericks, ESPN.com's reigning No. 1 for 11 successive Mondays, probably would have retained the top spot even with a home loss Sunday to San Antonio. But it's a moot point now, with the Mavs securing their 16th No. 1 ranking of the season by rallying for a 91-86 triumph that will be remembered most for spawning a new NBA rivalry: Duncan vs. Crawford.

 

Read on to see where your team ranks -- our order for the top three in the East is bound to rankle Detroiters

 

RANK (LAST WK) TEAM REC. COMMENT

1 (1) Mavericks 66-14 Only twice since 2000 has the team with the best record won it all. But you figure Mavs will take their chances after one of the most extraordinary regular seasons ever.

2 (2) Spurs 58-22 Two more wins get Spurs to 60. Either way, SA draws the hottest lower seed in Round 1 for the third successive spring: Denver again after Kings and Nuggets previously.

3 (3) Suns 61-19 Fast fact: Suns have three 60-win seasons in club history and the PG for two of them was Nash. Bonus plan: A stress-free week awaits with the No. 2 seed clinched.

4 (6) Bulls 49-32 A win Wednesday over Nets gives Bulls their first 50-win season since MJ's Bulls went 62-20 in 1997-98 . . . and no Pistons, Heat or Cavs until the conference finals.

5 (7) Rockets 51-29 It's not just T-Mac and Yao: The franchise hasn't won a series since 1997. But this will be the first time since '97 that Rockets have home-court advantage in Round 1.

6 (5) Raptors 47-33 A mere 1-1 finish clinches the best record in franchise history. Better yet: Raps will finally get some national TV time in the playoffs so America can see how fun they are.

7 (4) Pistons 51-29 Not sure yet if Pistons will finish as the East's lone 50-win club. But we definitely messed up big-time omitting Prince from our list of DPOY candidates. Apologies, Tay.

8 (11) Heat 44-36 Who would defending champs rather see in Round 1? Few would have predicted this before the season, but it's certainly true now: LeBron's Cavs over Chicago.

9 (11) Nuggets 43-37 Facing Spurs in Round 1 can't feel like the biggest prize, but Nuggets uncorked their best ball all season -- starting 8-0 in April -- during their roughest schedule stretch.

10 (8) Jazz 49-31 Difference of opinion: Sloan says this 2-7 slide has ''kind of destroyed a little bit of a great season.'' Owner Larry Miller's view, via the Salt Lake Tribune: Jazz ''suck.''

11 (12) Warriors 40-40 If Warriors find a way to lock up the playoff spot they can now taste, word is they'll rename the arena again and officially change Nellie's nickname to ''The Oracle.''

12 (10) Cavaliers 48-32 Good gig if you can get it: Larry Hughes will get a $2 million bonus for the second straight season as long as Cavs win 49, even if 49 wins only gets them a No. 5 seed.

13 (15) Nets 39-41 Nets not only can still sneak up to a sixth seed in the season's final hours, but a 2-0 finish would quietly give the much-maligned Titanic two teams at .500 or better.

14 (14) Lakers 41-40 This won't be the first losing season in Phil Jackson's career. But it is Phil's first-ever losing record since the All-Star break: 11-16 in spite of all those 50s from Kobe.

15 (17) Magic 38-42 So they probably won't go ''all the way,'' as Dwight Howard optimistically proclaimed in training camp. But at least Magic didn't slip all the way out of the top eight.

16 (13) Clippers 39-41 After back-to-back seasons with the best record in town, Clips can no longer make it three. They can't even make the playoffs now without help from Golden State.

17 (20) 76ers 34-46 Friends in Philly tell me you can't try to improve your pick and keep fans on your side. Tell us, locals: Do you prefer the league's 10th-best record (17-10) since the break?

18 (19) Wizards 40-40 Every year you hear of the Team No One Wants To Play in Round 1. Meet this spring's banged-up opposite, with Wiz close to going sub-.500 for first time since 10-11.

19 (16) Hornets 37-43 Looks like Hornets heard us when they took Clips to OT and improved to 7-0. But it was their only OT game all week and losing the other two ended their season.

20 (22) Bobcats 33-48 Bobs, like Sixers, believe late-season success means more to them than worrying about draft position. Tell us, locals: How meaningful did you find this late 7-3 rush?

21 (18) Pacers 35-45 On Super Bowl Sunday, Pacers were 26-21 and riding a 6-1 surge. Since Peyton prevailed, Pacers are 9-24 and now out of the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

22 (26) Kings 33-47 Doubtful that Musselman will see this as a consolation, but last-place Kings winning at Clippers on Sunday might be what puts Muss' old team (Warriors) in the playoffs.

23 (25) Trail Blazers 32-48 The ROY trophy will be Roy's and this might already be his team. But Blazers still need a lot more, obviously, given Roy's health history and all the youth around him.

24 (24) SuperSonics 31-50 Good thing Sonics are spending one more year in Seattle because this is no way to leave town: 50 losses is the most for this franchise since the 1985-86 season.

25 (21) Knicks 32-48 Can't ignore all the injuries, true, but the numbers don't make for pleasant reading: Knicks are just 3-14 since Isiah's extension and only nine W's better than last season.

26 (23) Timberwolves 32-48 Industry insiders say the Gatorade commercial will almost certainly stay in circulation during the playoffs. Everything else KG-related? Two losses shy of 50, stay tuned.

27 (28) Bucks 27-53 It had to be painful going 5-22 without Redd and slumping to the league's third-worst record. But it won't sting nearly as much if injury-riddled Bucks land a top-three pick.

28 (27) Hawks 29-51 One more Bucks loss or Hawks win clinches the league's fourth-worst record for Atlanta. Hawks' draft pick, remember, goes to Phoenix unless it's in the top three.

29 (29) Celtics 23-57 As a certain Sports Guy reminds, Sam Mitchell is winning in Toronto as a lame duck. Doc and his C's need that top-two pick way more than he needs an extension, frankly.

30 (30) Grizzlies 20-60 In Canada, Grizz avoided 60 losses only twice . . . one was a 59-loss season and the other was the lockout season. But this was the first 60-loss season in Memphis.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking