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NBA Western Conference Power Rankings April 9, 2010

April 9, 2010 By D.J. Schwab Leave a Comment

As the NBA heads into the final week of the regular season, all eight playoff seeds have been clinched but that actual seeding order of the teams is still very much in question. The LA Lakers have the best record in the conference and are one win away from locking up the top seed. At 52-27, Denver has a ½ game lead over Phoenix and Dallas for the second seed. Utah is currently 51-28 and one game back in the fifth spot. Three teams; Portland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City are all tied at 48-30. The way it stands now the Thunder could end up being the number two seed if they win out and the Nuggets could end up in the eighth spot if they lose their last three, so the next few games for all these teams are still extremely important. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.

Los Angeles Lakers (55-23) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 8/5

The Lakers suddenly do not look all that invincible heading towards the playoffs, as they are just 5-5 in their last 10 games and are just 1-4 in their last five. After getting blown out 81-100 by San Antonio on Sunday night they blew another shot to clinch the West by losing to the Nuggets 96-98. Through 78 games Kobe Bryant leads in points per game with 27.1 and assists with five. Pau Gasol is the leading rebounder with 11.2. The final four regular season games for the Lakers are the Timberwolves tonight on the road and then back home against the Trail Blazers on Sunday and the Kings on Tuesday. In their season finale against the Clippers on Wednesday, April 14^th they will be considered the away team.

Phoenix Suns (51-27) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 25/1

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NBA Eastern Conference Power Rankings April 9, 2010

April 9, 2010 By D.J. Schwab Leave a Comment

As the NBA heads into the final week of the regular season, seven teams have clinched a spot in the playoffs and two teams; Chicago and Toronto still battling out for the final berth. As we gear up for a big weekend of action, the only thing we know for sure is that Cleveland will be the number one seed overall with the best record in the NBA and Orlando has clinched the #2 seed. Boston and Atlanta will be the third and fourth seeds as they are currently tied at 49-29 with each having four games left to play to determine their final place. Milwaukee and Miami are tied at 44-34 for the fifth seed and Charlotte is just two games back in seventh place. All three of these teams have four games left to play as well. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland Cavaliers (61-18) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 7/5

With the top spot in the conference already locked up, the Cavaliers have been resting some of their starters, including LeBron James in order to get ready for a long playoff run. The result has been two losses in their last three games including a 113-117 loss to the Celtics on Sunday and a one point 108-109 loss to the Bulls last night. Through 79 games James leads in points per game with 29.7 and assists with 8.6 and Antwan Jamison is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game. The final three regular season games for the Cavaliers are the Pacers tonight and the Magic on Sunday at home, and then on the road against the Hawks on Wednesday, April 14^th.

Orlando Magic (55-23) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 7/1

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NBA Western Conference Power Rankings April 2, 2010

April 2, 2010 By D.J. Schwab Leave a Comment

With less than two weeks to go in the regular season things still remain to close to call in the West. The Los Angeles Lakers are on top and should be the number one seed in the upcoming playoffs. They have a record of 54-21 and a five game lead over red hot Phoenix (49-26) in the Pacific division. Their lead in the conference is 4 ½ games over Dallas and Utah. The Mavericks lead San Antonio in the Southwest by four games. In the Northwest division, the Jazz (50-26), who have won eight out of their last 10 games, leads Denver by a game with Oklahoma City just three back. There are 10 teams in the West with a winning record and Portland is currently in the 8^th spot at 46-30. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the West.

Los Angeles Lakers (54-21) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 7/5

The Lakers had their lowest scoring game of the season in a 75-91 loss to the Thunder last Friday night. Behind Pau Gasol’s 30 points they beat the Rockets 109-101. In their next game Kobe Bryant scored 31 but it was not enough in a 100-108 loss to the Hornets. Wednesday night they fell behind by 10 to the Hawks at the half and went on to lose their second straight 92-109. Through 75 games Bryant leads in points per game with 27.2 and assists with 5.1. Gasol is the leading rebounder with 11.1. Next up for the Lakers are the Jazz tonight and the Spurs on Sunday at home, and then on the road to play the Nuggets on Thursday, April 8^th.

Phoenix Suns (49-26) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 30/1

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NBA Eastern Conference Power Rankings April 2, 2010

April 2, 2010 By D.J. Schwab Leave a Comment

At 59-16, Cleveland continues to roll towards the playoffs winning nine out of their last 10. They have long since clinched the Central division and have a six game lead over Orlando in the East, all but clinching the top spot in the conference. Milwaukee (41-33) continues to play well and currently has the fifth seed. The Magic have clinched a playoff spot and leads Atlanta, who has also clinched a spot by 4 ½ games in the Southeast division. Boston (47-27) has clinched the Atlantic division and will most likely be the third seed. There are seven teams in the East that have a winning record with the Raptors currently holding the 8^thspot at 37-37. The only other team in the playoff hunt is Chicago at 35-39. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland Cavaliers (59-16) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 7/5

The Cavs eight game winning streak came to an end after losing to the Spurs 97-102 last Friday night. They bounced back with a 97-90 win over the Kings led by LeBron James 34 points. They ran their new streak to two by escaping with a 101-98 win over the Bucks . Through 75 games James leads in points per game with 29.7 and assists with 8.5 and Antwan Jamison is averaging 8.3 rebounds per game. Next up for the Cavaliers are the Hawks tonight on the road, the Celtics on Sunday at home, back on the road to play the Raptors on Tuesday, and then home against the Bulls on Thursday, April 8^th.

Orlando Magic (53-22) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 7/1

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NBA Western Conference Power Rankings March 27, 2010

March 26, 2010 By D.J. Schwab Leave a Comment

With less than 10 games to play in the regular season things still remain to close to call in the West. The Los Angeles Lakers are on top and should be the number one seed in the upcoming playoffs. They have a record of 53-18 and an eight game lead over Phoenix (45-26) in the Pacific division. Their lead in the conference is 6 ½ games over Denver, Dallas, and Utah. The Mavericks have lost three out of their last four, but they still lead San Antonio in the Southwest by four games. In the Northwest division, the Nuggets are now tied with Utah (47-25) for the lead and Oklahoma City (43-27) is just three games back. There are 10 teams in the West with a winning record and Portland is currently in the 8^th spot at 43-29. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the West.

Los Angeles Lakers (53-18) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 7/5

Last Friday night six players scored in double figures led by Kobe Bryant’s 22 points and 13 assists in their 104-96 win over the Timberwolves. In a 99-92 win over the Wizards, Pau Gasol led the way with 28 points and 12 rebounds. They won their seventh straight game with a convincing 92-83 victory over the Spurs. Through 71 games Bryant leads in points per game with 27.5 and assists with five. Gasol is the leading rebounder with 11.1. Next up for the Lakers is a four game road trip starting with the Timberwolves tonight, the Rockets on Sunday, the Hornets on Monday, and the Hawks on Wednesday, March 31^st.

Dallas Mavericks (47-25) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 8/1

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NBA Eastern Conference Power Rankings March 27, 2010

March 26, 2010 By D.J. Schwab Leave a Comment

At 57-15, Cleveland continues to roll towards the playoffs winning their last eight straight. They have a seven game lead over Orlando in the East with about 10 games left in the regular season. The Cavs have clinched the Central division, but Milwaukee (39-31) continues to play well winning eight out of their last 10. The Magic have clinched a playoff spot and leads Atlanta, who has also clinched a spot by 3 ½ games in the Southeast division. In the Atlantic division, Boston has also clinched a spot in the postseason and at 46-25 has a 10 ½ game lead over Toronto. There are seven teams in the East that have a winning record with the Raptors currently holding the 8^thspot at 35-35. The only other team in the playoff hunt is Chicago at 33-37. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland Cavaliers (57-15) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 9/5

Lebron James had 29 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in a 92-85 win over the Bulls last Friday night. In a 104-79 romp over the Pistons, six players scored in double figures as the built a 13 point lead at the half and coasted from there. They ran their current winning streak to eight games with a 102-95 win over the Hornets. Through 72 games James leads in points per game with 29.8 and assists with 8.5 and Antwan Jamison is averaging eight rebounds per game. Next up for the Cavaliers are the Spurs tonight on the road, and then back home against the Kings on Sunday and the Bucks on Wednesday, March 31^st.

Orlando Magic (50-22) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 5/1

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NBA Western Conference Power Rankings March 19, 2010

March 19, 2010 By D.J. Schwab Leave a Comment

With less than a month less to go in the regular season things continue to remain close in the West. The Los Angeles Lakers are still on top with a record of 50-18 and have an eight game lead over Phoenix (42-26) in the Pacific division, but their lead in the conference is just 3 ½ games over Denver. The Mavericks 13 game winning streak came to an end, but they still lead San Antonio in the Southwest by five games. In the Northwest division, the Nuggets lead over Utah (44-24) is down to two games with Oklahoma City (41-25) just four games back. There are 10 teams in the West with a winning record and Portland is currently in the 8^th spot at 41-28. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the West.

Los Angeles Lakers (50-18) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 7/5

Last Friday the Lakers held the Suns to just 15 points in the second quarter on their way to a 102-96 win. Against the Warriors, Kobe Bryant scored a team high 29 points and Andrew Bynum added 19 points and 14 rebounds in a tight 124-121 win. They won their fourth straight with a 106-99 win over the Kings. Through 68 games Bryant leads in points per game with 27.7 and assists with 4.9. Pau Gasol is the leading rebounder with 11. Next up for the Lakers are the Timberwolves tonight and the Wizards on Sunday in LA and the Spurs on the road on Wednesday, March 24^th.

Dallas Mavericks (46-22) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 8/1

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NBA Eastern Conference Power Rankings March 19, 2010

March 19, 2010 By D.J. Schwab Leave a Comment

At 54-15, Cleveland is still the best team in the East, but Orlando has gone 9-1 in their last 10 games and has cut their lead in the conference to six games. The Cavaliers have a 16 ½ game lead over Milwaukee (36-30) in the Central division, but the Bucks have gone 8-2 in their last 10. The Magic leads Atlanta by four games in the Southeast division. In the Atlantic division, Boston is 43-24 and has a 9 ½ game lead over Toronto. There are seven teams in the East that have a winning record with the Raptors currently holding the 8^thspot at 33-33. The only other team in the playoff hunt is Chicago at 31-36 but they have lost nine straight. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland Cavaliers (54-15) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 9/5

Last Friday the Cavs held on to beat the 76ers 100-95. Against the Celtics, LeBron James had 30 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in a 104-93 win. They outscored the Pistons by 13 points in the fourth quarter to pull out a 113-101. They increased their current winning streak to five with a 99-94 win over the Pacers. Through 69 games James leads in points per game with 29.9 and assists with 8.6 and Antwan Jamison is averaging 8.1 rebounds per game. Next up for the Cavaliers are the Bulls tonight in Chicago, the Pistons on Sunday at home, and the Hornets on the road on Wednesday, March 24^th.

Orlando Magic (48-21) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 5/1

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NBA Western Conference Power Rankings March 12, 2010

March 12, 2010 By D.J. Schwab Leave a Comment

As we end into the home stretch of the regular season things are starting to heat up in the West. The Los Angeles Lakers are still on top with a record of 47-18 and have a seven game lead over Phoenix (40-25) in the Pacific division, but their lead in the conference is down to just 2 ½ games over Dallas. The red hot Mavericks have won 13 games in a row and lead San Antonio in the Southwest by six games. In the Northwest division Denver’s lead over Utah (42-22) is down to just one game with Oklahoma City 3 ½ games back. There are 10 teams in the West with a winning record with Portland currently in the 8^th spot at 39-28. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the West.

Los Angeles Lakers (47-18) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 7/5

Last Friday the Lakers suffered one of their defeats of the season, getting routed by the Bobcats 83-98. Their losing streak reached three games with a tough two point 94-96 loss to Orlando as Kobe Bryant missed a game tying shot at the Buzzer. Bryant snapped the losing streak with a game winning jumper in a 109-107 win over the Raptors. Through 65 games Bryant leads in points per game with 27.8 and assists with 4.8. Pau Gasol is the leading rebounder with 11.1. Next up for the Lakers are three straight road games starting with the Suns tonight, the Warriors on Monday, and the Kings on Tuesday, March 16^th.

Dallas Mavericks (45-21) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 8/1

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NBA Eastern Conference Power Rankings March 12, 2010

March 12, 2010 By D.J. Schwab Leave a Comment

At 50-15, Cleveland is still the best team in the East, but Orlando has gone 9-1 in their last 10 games and has cut their lead in the conference to just 4 ½ games. The Cavaliers have a 15 game lead over Milwaukee (34-29) in the Central division, but the Bucks have gone 9-1 in their last 10. The Magic, currently on a seven game winning streak lead Atlanta (41-23) by four games in the Southeast division. In the Atlantic division, Boston is 40-23 and has an eight game lead over Toronto. There are eight teams in the East that have a winning record with Miami currently holding the 8^th at 33-32. The only other team in the playoff hunt is Chicago at 31-33. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland Cavaliers (50-15) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 8/5

Last Friday, LeBron James scored 40 points in a 99-92 win over the Pistons. The following night with James out of the lineup, they were stomped by the red hot Bucks 85-92. With James sitting this one out as well, they were able to grind out a two point 97-95 win over the Spurs. Through 65 games James leads in points per game with 30 and assists with 8.5 and Anderson Varejao is averaging 7.8rebounds per game. Next up for the Cavaliers are the 76esr tonight in Philly, back home to play the Celtics on Sunday, the Pistons on Tuesday in Detroit, and then back home against the Pacers on Wednesday, March 17^th.

Orlando Magic (45-20) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 6/1

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