Contenders
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (29-8)
Clicking on all cylinders, winning 3 straight and 5 of their last 6 (only loss vs. Wizards, go figure). Holding opponents to 91 PPG, while scoring 103.5 PPG during that 6-game stretch. Durant is 22 for 26 in his last 2 games from inside the arc.
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2. Los Angeles Clippers (28-9)
Lost 2 straight road games and their next 3 contests are away from Staples. Big week if they plan on staying at number 2 next week. Welcome back Grant Hill!!
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3. San Antonio Spurs (29-11)
Regardless of who plays, Pops has them prepared to contribute. Spurs have started 12 different players this season. My only concerns with SA are age and health which go hand and hand with this team. Ginobili’s health is worth watching. He has a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and is expected to miss 10-to-14 days.
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4. Memphis Grizzlies (24-11)
With trade rumors surrounding Rudy Gay, it will be interesting to see if they can remain focused. Gay will miss Monday night’s game vs. the Clippers to attend his grandmother’s funeral in Baltimore. They thrive off of defense (2nd in NBA in Opp PPG) and have forced 10 or more turnovers in 138 of their last 139 games.
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5. Miami Heat (24-11)
Rebound, rebound, rebound!!! Their defense is creating missed shots, but they aren’t able to secure the boards. If they are to repeat, they will have to do better than 29th in rebounding (39.1 PPG). 1-2 on their current 6-game road trip with the Jazz, Warriors and Lakers remaining. 4-3 in their last seven games overall.
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6. New York Knicks (24-13)
This observation is easy. Can they play with Amare? My short answer is NOPE! In his return, Amare has grabbed more than 4 rebounds ONCE!! The Knicks are 3-4 since his return and only have one quality win in that stretch vs. SA.
Sleepers
7. Golden State Warriors (23-13)
8. Brooklyn Nets (22-15)
9. Denver Nuggets (23-16)
10. Indiana Pacers (23-15)
11. Chicago Bulls (20-15)
12. Houston Rockets (21-17)
13. Atlanta Hawks (21-15)
14. Portland Trail Blazers (20-17)
15. Boston Celtics (19-17)
16. Milwaukee Bucks (19-17)
17. Utah Jazz (20-19)
Pretenders
18. Philadelphia 76ers (16-22)
19. Los Angeles Lakers (16-21)
20. Dallas Mavericks (15-23)
21. Minnesota Timberwolves (16-18)
22. Orlando Magic (13-23)
23. Detroit Pistons (14-24)
24. Toronto Raptors (14-23)
25. Phoenix Suns (13-26)
26. New Orleans Hornets (11-26)
27. Sacramento Kings (13-24)
28. Charlotte Bobcats (9-27)
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-30)
30. Washington Wizards (6-28)
