NBA Basketball Power Ratings
Our staff has developed NBA basketball power ratings with up to date rankings and how we as handicappers see these teams. We will list our NBA team rankings on a week by week basis and as much as possible. You can check this page for up to date NBA power ratings from Cappersinfo Sports Handicapping. Thanks for visiting and don’t forget to check out all the free sports picks in the forums and free picks monitor, other sports betting information, and NBA basketball predictions for sports handicappers!
Cappersinfo Current NBA Power Rankings
(As of Games Completed 1/10/12)
1: Miami Heat (8-1) – The Heat have really been great this season, as they are running up and down the court and getting the job done against some of the best teams in the game. The additions of rookie Norris Cole and Shane Battier have really made the difference, as this is now a team that legitimately can go seven or eight deep on the average night, which finally gives some much needed help to LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.
2: Chicago Bulls (8-2) – The Bulls are seemingly just lurking around and playing .800 basketball, and they have done so with having already played some games on the West Coast and a total of seven out of 10 on the road in total. Chicago still has a lot of home games, and the United Center is where this team really played some great ball last season. Derrick Rose is well on his way to contending for another MVP award this season, and the pieces around him are still tremendous.
3: Oklahoma City Thunder (8-2) – We still really aren’t all that sure that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are going to win a championship together, as they just seem to clash too much with one another to make it work. That being said, there are plenty of great pieces to the puzzle in the Sooner State, and men like Kendrick Perkins and James Harden can be the glue for this very talented squad. It really is championship or bust in this, the third year in which the Thunder have really been expected to compete.
4: Portland Trail Blazers (6-2) – A bit high for the Blazers? It’s possible, but we really love the way that this team looks on paper this year. LaMarcus Aldridge is the real deal, and he and Gerald Wallace make up a great frontcourt. Adding Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford in the offseason were both big, big moves, as both really helped out for the untimely loss of Brandon Roy to retirement due to his bad knees. Remember that we haven’t even talked about Greg Oden yet on this team, and if he can come back this year and make a positive impact on the team, this Portland club could be frightening.
5: Indiana Pacers (6-3) – The Pacers picked up David West in the offseason, and that has really changed the whole dynamic of this team. He is playing great ball, and Indiana has proven that it can win games in a big time way against the contenders in the Eastern Conference. There is still some growing that needs to be done, but whereas other teams with good records right now we don’t quite buy, this Indiana team is one of the few that we do trust for the duration of the year, especially in an awful division that really only sports the Bulls and a bunch of bad teams.
6: Los Angeles Clippers (4-2) – You’re reading that right. The Clippers are the third best team in the Western Conference in our eyes right now. They are 4-2 on the campaign, and though they haven’t really gotten into the toughest parts of their schedule yet, they have a big opportunity this week to take down the Heat and the Lakers at Staples Center. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are going to have to be wooed to stay in Tinseltown, and wins like those would get the job done.
7: Orlando Magic (7-3) – We really don’t believe that the Magic are that great of a team, but it is hard to argue with what they have been able to accomplish this season, even amidst all of the garbage talk about Dwight Howard getting traded. Ryan Anderson has proven to be a stud, and suddenly, JJ Redick might have some trade value as well with his hot start to the year. This team might need a makeover, but the pieces are there to make a run if GM Otis Smith doesn’t obliterate the team via poor trades again like he did last year.
8: Atlanta Hawks (7-3) – Who knew that getting rid of Mike Goodson would be so good for this team? Atlanta was able to get out of the first round of the playoffs last year, and all of a sudden, it has some great wins this season, including the only one against the Heat. Of course, losing Jamal Crawford is going to sting, as the depth just isn’t there for this team. It could come back to really hurt down the line, but for now, we are buying what the Hawks are selling.
9: San Antonio Spurs (6-3) – Without Manu Ginobili in the lineup, we just aren’t all that sure about how good the Spurs really are. It is clear that Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan’s days are winding down in the NBA, but the likes of George Neal and DeJuan Blair are really starting to take over the team. Don’t be shocked if San Antonio hits the gas pedal and really gets going at some point in the near future.
10: Dallas Mavericks (4-5) – We know that the defending champs have to be better than this. They are clearly better than a .500 team, and we know that it is going to take time to get guys like Lamar Odom and Vince Carter on the same page with Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and the rest of the returners. Dirk will get this team on his back at some point, and Odom will eventually shoot better than around 20 percent from the field, so don’t count Dallas out quite yet.
11: Philadelphia 76ers (6-2) – Sure, we’re probably being hard on the 76ers, but we just don’t see it this year. As you can tell, we still haven’t mentioned the likes of the Celtics or Knicks yet, showing just how bad the Atlantic Division really is. This five game winning streak is nice, but it really hasn’t included a lot of great teams on it. Beware of backing Philly right now.
12: Denver Nuggets (6-4) – Denver is still a team that is void of legitimate stars, but we love its depth, and that could prove to be a real problem for the rest of the West later on this season. With the Knicks not doing all that great right now either, there is a real question as to who got the better end of that deal with Melo, as the rest of these pieces that came back to the Nuggets are proving to be real assets to the team, and they fit right in with the high octane pace that Denver loves to run
13: Los Angeles Lakers (6-4) – Sorry, Kobe. We just don’t buy what you are selling this year. Andrew Bynum is a beast, but Pau Gasol is overrated, Kobe Bryant is old, and the rest of this team just flat out stinks. There’s no way that Head Coach Mike Brown is going to make this work. The Lakers are just barely over .500, and that’s after playing seven home games and going 0-3 on the road. This week’s “road game” is against the Clippers, but it could be a harsh reminder that the Clip Joint is the team to watch in Tinseltown this year and not the Lakers.
14: New York Knicks (5-4) – The Knicks need a point guard and need one badly. Mike Bibby just isn’t going to cut it. Iman Shumpert might prove to be the answer, but if the rookie doesn’t really bring the team together, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire might find that their talents are wasted on a team that is really void of good coaching and a lot of role players, most of which were shipped off to Denver to bring Melo to the Big Apple.
15: Utah Jazz (5-3) – The Jazz got off to a rough start this season, but they do have some awesome potential now that all of the drama from the season that was with Jerry Sloan abruptly retiring and Deron Williams basically being thrown out of town. Again, this is another team with no real stars, but a lot of potential, and if Al Jefferson can keep this team in line, the playoffs are a real possibility.
16: Boston Celtics (4-4) – We just don’t see it for the C’s this year. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett are old, and aside from that, Rajon Rondo and Brandon Bass aren’t going to carry the team every single night. Sure, Boston will make the playoffs on sheer talent, just because there are so few good teams in the East, but that doesn’t mean that it has the ability anymore to play with the big boys in either conference.
17: Memphis Grizzlies (3-5) – We would really love to see the Grizzlies get back in the playoffs this year with a healthy Rudy Gay, but there is just something right now that makes this team look not all that great. We can’t quite put our finger on it, but the team just isn’t coming together yet, which is why it has a losing record. Get all of the injuries worked out though, especially the recent one to Mike Conley, Jr., and all of a sudden, Memphis may get on a roll.
18: Phoenix Suns (4-4) – An aging Phoenix team is going to be good enough to get some wins this year just off of its style of play, but beyond Steve Nash and the sudden burst that Marcin Gortat is bringing to the table, there really isn’t all that much to get excited about. Even if the Suns get into the playoffs, their days of competing for an NBA title are clearly over for the time being.
19: Cleveland Cavaliers (4-4) – The Cavs were a wreck last year, but we knew that they had to have at least a little bit of talent around LeBron James and that they weren’t really a team that was capable of losing 50 games in a 66 game season. Kyrie Irving is giving the city of Cleveland some new hope, while the likes of Anderson Varajeo and Antawn Jamison, who are now healthy, are helping out as well. This could be a playoff team again.
20: Golden State Warriors (2-6) – We see some talent here for the Warriors, but we also know that the time might be here to deal Stephen Curry. Curry has been injured, and he and Monta Ellis just don’t work on the court together well. David Lee is one of the most underappreciated big men in the league as well. Golden State has to pick up some more wins this year as the season wears on, especially if it really thinks that it can land Dwight Howard at the trade deadline.
21: Toronto Raptors (4-5) – Anyone remember that Andrea Bargnani was the first pick in the NBA Draft all those years ago? About as many people probably remember that as they remember that the Raptors are only a half-game behind the Celtics in the Atlantic Division…
22: New Orleans Hornets (3-6) – The Hornets have been given a tough deck to play with this year. Chris Paul basically forced their hands to trade him, and the package that they would have gotten of great players and picks from the Lakers was denied by the league. Now, with the deal done with the Clippers, arguably the best piece to the deal, that of Eric Gordon tore his ACL and is out for the season. Yikes.
23: Minnesota Timberwolves (3-6) – If Ricky Rubio really does turn out to be the real deal for the T’Wolves, they might not be a Top 5 team in next year’s NBA Draft as it expected to be the case. (Of course, they don’t have that pick at their disposal… New Jersey does) Rubio has gotten off to a great start and is dishing out assists left and right. Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, and JJ Barea can really help this team out as well, and it is only a matter of time until Derrick Williams does the same sort of thing. Minnesota really might have the pieces to the puzzle there to do some damage in the future if GM David Kahn doesn’t screw it up.
24: New Jersey Nets (2-8) – Eventually, Brook Lopez is going to come back into the lineup, and when he does, maybe this team can compete just a bit. However, Deron Williams might request out by then, and considering the fact that he is free at the end of the season, the Nets would probably be forced to trade him and to abandon the idea of trading for Dwight Howard. That ankle injury to Lopez really killed this franchise, as the deal for Howard probably would have been done already otherwise.
25: Houston Rockets (2-6) – Head Coach Kevin McHale really walked into the Lion’s Den with the Rockets. The team isn’t phenomenal as it is, but Houston already basically had traded Kevin Martin and several others, which really had to screw with the team’s chemistry. The defense for this team is just non-existent, and if that remains the case, it doesn’t matter how many points the likes of Chase Budinger and Luis Scola can put on the board.
26: Sacramento Kings (3-6) – Paul Westphal is out, and DeMarcus Cousins should be as well. About the only thing that the Kings did right this year was stay in Sacramento instead of moving to Anaheim, so we at least give the Maloof brothers some credit for that.
27: Milwaukee Bucks (2-6) – We know that the Bucks aren’t the best team in basketball by any stretch of the imagination, but when did this team go from one that was at least in the back end of the playoffs basically every year to a total train wreck? Andrew Bogut’s talents have been completely wasted. We want to see Bango dunk from the top of a ladder in a playoff game yet again, but we know that we are going to have to wait for that for at least another season in spite of the fact that the East is absolutely garbage.
28: Charlotte Bobcats (2-7) – Doesn’t it seem odd that Michael Jordan is probably still the best basketball player in the Charlotte organization? Seriously, name a member of the Bobcats right now off the top of your head. What? You can’t name one either? No wonder why this team is already six back in the Southeast Division…
29: Detroit Pistons (2-7) – A lesson in NBA contracts: The Bulls signed Richard Hamilton this year after Detroit let him go. The Pistons gave Ben Gordon a massive deal two years ago after Chicago decided that he was only a scorer and was a liability in every other facet of the game… Now, a lesson in the NBA Draft… When Chicago had the top pick in the NBA Draft in a weak draft, it took Derrick Rose. When Detroit had the No. 2 pick in a significantly better NBA Draft, it didn’t take Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh or Carmelo Anthony… It took Darko Milicic. And you wonder why Chicago is 8-2 and Detroit is 2-7…
30: Washington Wizards (0-8) – John Wall has forgotten how to shoot the basketball, and the rest of the Wizards are simply too incompetent to be able to put the ball in the basket. This team needs a total makeover around Wall right now, and there just aren’t the players anywhere near in place to do it. This is, without a doubt, the worst team in the NBA.
