NBA WIZARD 2012-2013 POWER RANKING: WEEK 8

RK LAST WK

1 (1) LA CLIPPERS  25-6

2 (2) OKLAHOMA  23-6

3 (5) SAN ANTONIO  24-8

4 (3) MIAMI  20-8

5 (7) GOLDEN STATE  21-10

6 (4) MEMPHIS  19-8

7 (6) NEW YORK  21-9

8 (8) ATLANTA  19-9

9 (11) INDIANA  17-3

10 (9) CHICAGO  16-12

11 (12) HOUSTON  16-14

12 (10) DENVER  17-15

13 (14) MILWAUKEE  16-13

14 (17) LA LAKERS  15-15

15 (13) BROOKLYN  16-14

16 (19) PORTLAND  15-14

17 (15) MINNESOTA  14-13

18 (18)  BOSTON  14-16

19 (16) UTAH  15-17

20 (21) PHILADELPHIA  14-17

21 (26) DETROIT  11-22

22 (25) SACRAMENTO  11-19

23 (24) TORONTO  11-20

24 (22) DALLAS  12-19

25 (20) ORLANDO  12-18

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (23) PHOENIX  11-20

27 (29) NEW ORLEANS  7-23

28 (28)  CLEVELAND  7-25

29 (27) CHARLOTTE  7-23

30 (30) WASHINGTON  4-24

NBA WIZARD 2012-2013 POWER RANKING: WEEK 7

RK LAST WK

1 (2) OKLAHOMA  19-4

2 (3) LA CLIPPERS  17-6

3 (1) SAN ANTONIO  19-6

4 (4) NEW YORK  18-5

5 (5) MIAMI  15-6

6 (6) MEMPHIS  15-6

7 (8) GOLDEN STATE  16-8

8 (7) ATLANTA  14-7

9 (9) CHICAGO  13-9

10 (10) BROOKLYN  13-10

11 (12) MILWAUKEE  12-10

12 (14) DENVER  13-12

13 (15) INDIANA  13-11

14 (19) MINNESOTA  12-9

15 (11) UTAH  13-12

16 (18) LA LAKERS  11-14

17 (13) BOSTON  12-11

18 (20) HOUSTON  11-12

19 (25) PORTLAND  11-12

20 (16) PHILADELPHIA  12-12

21 (17) DALLAS  11-13

22 (21) ORLANDO  10-13

23 (27) PHOENIX  9-15

24 (30) TORONTO  6-19

25 (23) SACRAMENTO  7-16

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (24) CHARLOTTE  7-16

27 (22) DETROIT  7-19

28 (28) CLEVELAND 5-20

29 (29) WASHINGTON  3-18

30 (26) NEW ORLEANS  5-18

NBA WIZARD 2012-2013 POWER RANKING: WEEK 6

RK LAST WK

1 (3) SAN ANTONIO  17-4 

2 (4) OKLAHOMA CITY  17-4

3 (8) LA CLIPPERS  14-6

4 (5) NEW YORK  15-5

5 (1) MIAMI  13-5

6 (2) MEMPHIS  14-4

7 (9) ATLANTA  12-5

8 (7) GOLDEN STATE  13-7

9 (12) CHICAGO  11-8

10 (6) BROOKLYN  11-8

11 (16) UTAH  12-10

12 (11) MILWAUKEE  10-9

13 (13) BOSTON  11-9

14 (12) DENVER  10-11

15 (17) INDIANA  10-11

16 (10) PHILADELPHIA  11-9

17 (18) DALLAS  10-10

18 (15) LA LAKERS  9-12

19 (21) MINNESOTA  9-9

20 (14) HOUSTON  9-10

21 (23) ORLANDO  8-12

22 (25) DETROIT  7-15

23 (26) SACRAMENTO  7-12

24 (20) CHARLOTTE  7-12

25 (22)  PORTLAND  8-12

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (29) NEW ORLEANS  5-14

27 (24) PHOENIX  7-15

28 (28) CLEVELAND  4-17

29 (30) WASHINGTON  2-15

30 (27) TORONTO  4-17

NBA WIZARD 2012-2013 POWER RANKING: WEEK 5

RK LAST WK

1 (3) MIAMI  12-3

2 (2) MEMPHIS  12-3

3 (1) SAN ANTONIO  12-4

4 (4) OKLAHOMA CITY  12-4

5 (5) NEW YORK  12-4

6 (7) BROOKLYN  11-5

7 (12) GOLDEN STATE  10-6

8 (6) LA CLIPPERS  10-6

9 (8) ATLANTA  9-5

10 (15) PHILADELPHIA  10-7

11 (13) MILWAUKEE  8-7

12 (16) CHICAGO  8-7

13 (10) BOSTON  9-8

14 (20) HOUSTON  8-8

15 (11) LA LAKERS  8-9

16 (17) UTAH  9-9

17 (19) INDIANA  8-9

18 (18) DALLAS  8-9

19 (9) DENVER  8-9

20 (14) CHARLOTTE  7-8

21 (23) MINNESOTA  7-8

22 (21) PORTLAND  7-10

23 (24) ORLANDO  6-10

24 (22) PHOENIX  7-11

25 (26) DETROIT  5-13

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (25) SACRAMENTO  4-12

27 (27) TORONTO  4-13

28 (28) CLEVELAND  4-13

29 (29) NEW ORLEANS  4-11

30 (30) WASHINGTON  1-13

NBA WIZARD 2012-2013 POWER RANKING: WEEK 4

RK LAST WK


1 (2) SAN ANTONIO  11-3

2 (1) MEMPHIS  9-2

3 (4) MIAMI  10-3

4 (6) OKLAHOMA CITY  10-4

5 (3) NEW YORK  9-3

6 (5) LA CLIPPERS

7 (7) BROOKLYN  8-4

8 (14) ATLANTA  8-4

9 (20) DENVER  8-6

10 (11) BOSTON  8-6

11 (9) LA LAKERS  7-7

12 (15) GOLDEN STATE  8-6

13 (8) MILWAUKEE  6-5

14 (18) CHARLOTTE  7-5

15 (12) PHILADELPHIA  8-6

16 (13) CHICAGO  6-6

17 (17) UTAH  7-7

18 (10) DALLAS  7-7

19 (21) INDIANA  6-8

20 (22) HOUSTON  6-7

21 (16) PORTLAND  6-7

22 (24) PHOENIX  6-8

23 (19) MINNESOTA  5-7

24 (26) ORLANDO  5-8

25 (28) SACRAMENTO  4-9

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (27) DETROIT  3-11

27 (25) TORONTO  3-11

28 (29)  CLEVELAND  3-10

29 (23) NEW ORLEANS  3-9

30 (30) WASHINGTON  0-11

NBA WIZARD 2012-2013 POWER RANKING: WEEK 3

RK LAST WK

1 (6) MEMPHIS  8-1

2 (1) SAN ANTONIO  8-2

3 (3) NEW YORK  7-1

4 (2) MIAMI  8-3

5 (4) LA CLIPPERS

6 (5) OKLAHOMA CITY  8-3

7 (9) BROOKLYN  6-2

8 (10) MILWAUKEE

9 (14) LA LAKERS

10 (15) DALLAS  6-5

11 (16) BOSTON  6-5

12 (8) PHILADELPHIA  6-4

13 (7) CHICAGO  5-5

14 (23) ATLANTA 4-4


15 (20) GOLDEN STATE 5-5

16 (24) PORTLAND  5-5
17 (19) UTAH  5-6

18 (22) CHARLOTTE 4-4

19 (12) MINNESOTA  5-4

20 (11) DENVER  4-6

21 (17) INDIANA  3-7

22 (18) HOUSTON 4-6

23 (13) NEW ORLEANS  3-5

24 (24) PHOENIX  4-7

25 (28) TORONTO  3-7

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (25) ORLANDO  3-6

27 (30) DETROIT  2-9

28 (27) SACRAMENTO  2-8

29 (26) CLEVELAND 2-8

30 (29) WASHINGTON 0-8

NBA WIZARD 2012-2013 POWER RANKING: WEEK 2

RK LAST WK


1 (2)  SAN ANTONIO  6-1

2 (1)  MIAMI  5-2

3 (3)  NEW YORK  4-0

4 (6)  LA CLIPPERS  5-2

5 (4)  OKLAHOMA CITY  5-2

6 (18)  MEMPHIS  5-1

7 (7)  CHICAGO  4-2

8 (17)  PHILADELPHIA  4-2

9 (14)  BROOKLYN  3-2

10 (11)  MILWAUKEE  3-2

11 (27)  DENVER  4-3

12 (20)  MINNESOTA  4-2

13 (15)  NEW ORLEANS  3-2

14 (16)  LA LAKERS  3-4

15 (9)  DALLAS  4-3

16 (19)  BOSTON  3-4

17 (5)  INDIANA  3-4

18 (10)  HOUSTON  3-3

19 (23)  UTAH  3-4

20 (13)  GOLDEN STATE  3-4

21 (24)  PHOENIX  3-4

22 (25)  CHARLOTTE  2-3

23 (26)  ATLANTA  2-3

24 (8)  PORTLAND  2-4

25 (12)  ORLANDO  2-4

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (21)  CLEVELAND  2-5

27 (28)  SACRAMENTO  2-5

28 (22)  TORONTO  1-5

29 (29) WASHINGTON  0-5

30 (30)  DETROIT  0-7

NBA WIZARD 2012-2013 POWER RANKING: WEEK 1

RK LAST WK


1  MIAMI  2-1

2  SAN ANTONIO  3-0

3  NEW YORK  2-0

4  OKLAHOMA CITY  1-1

5  INDIANA  2-1

6  LA CLIPPERS  2-1

7  CHICAGO  2-1

8  PORTLAND

9  DALLAS  2-1

10  HOUSTON  2-1

11  MILWAUKEE  2-0

12  ORLANDO  2-0

13  GOLDEN STATE 2-1

14  BROOKLYN  1-0

15  NEW ORLEANS  2-1

16  LA LAKERS  1-3

17  PHILADELPHIA  1-1

18  MEMPHIS  1-1

19  BOSTON  1-2

20  MINNESOTA  1-1

21  CLEVELAND  1-2

22  TORONTO  1-2

23  UTAH  1-2

24  PHOENIX  1-2

25  CHARLOTTE  1-1

26  ATLANTA  0-1

27  DENVER  0-3

28  SACRAMENTO  0-3

29  WASHINGTON  0-2

30  DETROIT  0-3

NBA WIZARD: 2012-2013 SEASON PREDICTIONS

2013 NBA Champion

Miami

NBA Finalists

Oklahoma City

Miami

East Finalist

Miami

Boston / New York

West Finalist

LA Lakers

Oklahoma City

East Playoff Teams

Miami

Boston

Indiana

Brooklyn

Philadelphia

New York

Chicago

Milwaukee / Orlando

West Playoff Teams

LA Lakers

San Antonio

LA Clippers

Denver

Memphis

Dallas

Oklahoma City

Golden State / Houston

MVP

Lebron James

Kevin Durant 

Top Scorer

Kevin Durant

Carmelo Anthony

Lebron James

Kobe Bryant

James Harden

Rookie of the Year

Anthony Davis

Damian Lillard

Sixth Man of The Year

Ray Allen

Kevin Martin

Lou Williams

Best Defensive Player

LeBron James

Dwight Howard

Serge Ibaka

Most Improved Player

James Harden

Paul George

Klay Thompson

Coach of the Year

Doug Collins

Eric Spoelstra

Mike Woodson

Doc Rivers

New All-Stars

Monta Ellis

Kyrie Irving

Brook Lopez

All-NBA 1st Team

Deron Williams

Dwight Howard

Kobe Bryant

Kevin Durant

LeBron James

All-NBA 2nd Team

Chris Paul

James Harden

Carmelo Anthony

Dwyane Wade

Kevin Love

All-NBA 1st Defensive Team

Andre Iguodala

Serge Ibaka

Rajon Rondo

Chris Paul

LeBron James

Dwight Howard

All-Rookie 1st Team

Damian Lillard

Jonas Valanciunas

Harrison Barnes

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Anthony Davis

NBA WIZARD 2012 DRAFT PREDICTION (THE LOTTERY)

(1) NEW ORLEANS HORNETS 
Anthony Davis is the concensus number one pick and there is absolute no doubt who the Hornets will draft with their first pick.
 
(2) CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
The Charlotte Bobcats will trade this pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers because the Bobcats are not high on Thomas Robinson and would like to use the second pick to get multiple assets.  I expect the Cavs to trade their 4th and 24th picks to the Bobcats for the 2nd overall pick.  The Bobcats will then use the 4th pick to draft Harrison Barnes.  Jordan doesn't want to be blamed for not drafting Thomas Robinson and is hoping the Wizards pick him so that drafting  Barnes is an easier decision.  Regardless of what happens, the Bobcats will use the 4th pick to draft Barnes.

(3) WASHINGTON WIZARD 
The Washington Wizards need a wing scorer to pair along with John Wall, so their choice will come down to Harrison Barnes and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.  I think the Wizards should pick Harrison Barnes, because they already have Trevor Ariza, who is similar to MKG, but I don't think the Wizards are high on Barnes.  I believe the Wizards will pick MKG

(4) CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
The Cavs will use the 2nd pick that they will acquire via trade from Charlotte to draft Bradley Beal.  They are in love with Beal.

(5) SACRAMENTO KINGS
The Kings have two options.  The first would be to trade Tyreke Evans and their 5th picks to the Rockets for Kyle Lowry and the Rocket's 12 and 16 picks.  I wouldn't make this trade.  The likely scenario would be to use the pick themselves.  For as much as they like Drummond, Thomas Robinson will be available at five, so there is no way I see them passing up a sure thing.  Robinson will average a double-double as a rookie (10ppg and 10rpg), so picking him at five should be a no-brainer.

(6) PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
The Blazers are considering three players, Andre Drummond, Dion Waiters and Damian Lillard.  Will they take a risk on a raw center like Drummond, or will they pick a guard?  I think the Blazers will take Dion Waiters with the sixth pick, because the Blazers have another pick at 11, and there will be a few quality big men available.  Despite that, it wouldn't surprise me if the Blazers use this pick on Andre Drummond.

(7) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
The Warriors are considering trading this pick because they don't believe their two choices -- Andre Drummond and Damian Lillard -- will be available at this spot, but fortunately for them, both of those players could be available at seven, if the Blazers select Waiters.  Here is exactly how this selection will go for the Warriors.  Drummond would be the Warriors first choice if he's available, if not, Oakland native Damian Lillard will be their pick at seven.

(8) TORONTO RAPTORS
The Raptors will take whichever player the Warriors don't select however, their first choice would be to take Damian Lillard.  However, if Drummond is still on the board, the Raptors will gladly select him with the eighth pick.

(9) DETROIT PISTON
The Pistons are going to draft big with this pick and the decision will come down to two Tar Heels, John Henson and Tyler Zeller and maybe Myer Leonard.  When all is said and done, I believe the Pistons will select Tyler Zeller with the ninth pick.

(10) NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
The Hornets will pick Austin Rivers with the 10th pick, you can pretty much book it!  Don't get caught up with the narrative that Eric Gordon and Rivers cannot play together, because neither is a pure point guard.  This is simply not the case.  The Gordon-Rivers backcourt will immediately be one of the best and most dynamic in the league from day one!  This team is definitely making the playoffs next year and will be a contender in two seasons, once Anthony Davis adds 20 pounds to his skinny 225-pound frame.

(11) PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
This pick will depend on what the Blazers do at six.  This pick will also infuence what the Blazers do with their sixth pick, which is why I'm expecting them to select Waiters over Drummond at six.  The Blazers know that a quality big will be available at 11 and they could have a choice between Tyler Zeller if the Pistons pass on him, or his teammate John Henson, whom I believe will be available.  The Blazers will select John Henson with the 11th pick.

(12) HOUSTON ROCKETS
The Rockets have made it known that they are going to draft a big, no matter what the draft landscape looks like at this point, so selecting Myer Leonard makes sense here.  The Blazers could pull a fast one and select Leonard instead of John Henson, but I doubt that will be the case.  I believe Leonard will be available at twelve and I expect the Rockets to select him.

(13) PHOENIX SUNS
The Phoenix Suns would love to select Austin Rivers with this pick, but he should be off the board by 13, so I expect them to select the best player available and on my board that player would be Kentucky's Terrence Jones.  He's not Rivers, but his energy and intensity should more than make up for being a less talented player.

(14) MILWAUKEE BUCKS
The Bucks will have two options here, Jeremy Lamb and Terrence Ross and to be honest, either player will be a good pick at 14.  I think Jeremy Lamb will be the better outside shooter and that is something the Bucks desperately need, which is why I expect Lamb to be the last lottery selection.

OTHER NEWS

ROCKETS
The Rockets are hoping to trade their 12th and 16th picks and Kyle Lowry to the Sacramento Kings for Tyreke Evans and the King's 5th pick.  They would then use the 5th pick on Andre Drummond.  If they acquire the 5th from Sacramento, their dream would be to package the 5th and 18th picks along with whomever the Magic want for Dwight Howard.

OKC
The Oklahoma City Thunder are very interested in Bradley Beal and are believed to be offering James Harden.  Many believe that Michael Jordan -- the Bobcats owner -- is not interested in spending money and will not commit the $12-14 million average that Harden will be asking now that he's a free agent.  However, if the Thunder are willing to take back the Bobcats' Tyrus Thomas (3year/$26 million), this deal will get done.  In actuality, even if Harden is paid $14 million, if you remove Thomas salary, the Bobcats would only be adding an additional $5 million to their payroll.  And if you take into account the $4 million Beal will make next season, the Bobcats would only be adding $1 million to their payroll.  In a nutshell, Beal and Tyrus Thomas will make a combined $12 million next season, so giving Harden a salary starting at $12 million would pretty much be a wash.

LAKERS
The Lakers have made Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace available, but I don't think they'll have any takers, especially for Pau's 2years/$39 million contract.  If anything, I see the Lakers trading Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard, before Pau.  His age and contract makes him very difficult to move.  The one trade that I will make if I were the Lakers, would be to trade Pau to the Hawks for Josh Smith and a few draft picks.

CLIPPERS
A trade to bring Odom to the Clippers is being discussed and looks very likely, but the Clippers want to include Mo Williams.  A third team will have to be included to facilitate such a trade, because the Mavericks are in no position to take on Williams' $8.5 million salary.

NBA WIZARD 2012 NBA FINALS PREDICTION

2012 NBA FINALS

(2) OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER  (47-19)  VS.  (2) MIAMI HEAT  (46-20)

The dream series has finally arrived.  Kobe vs. Lebron never materialized, so Durant vs. Lebron will be the most imposing personal matchup since Jordan vs. Drexler in the 1992 NBA Finals.  However, there are many other intriguing factors in this series.  Miami's "big 3" vs. OKC's "big 3" will be the second deciding factor next to Lebron vs. Durant, because regardless of what happens between Lebron and Durant, the other two stars, (Bosh and Wade) vs. (Westbrook  and Harden) will be very key in determining the winner of this series.  The final determining factor, or the X-factor, will come down to what I call "the Others."  For Miami, (Haslem, Alexander, Chalmer and Battier), for OKC (Ibaka, Perkins, Collison and Sefolosha).  With that said, let's start with the Durant vs. Lebron Matchup, which I believe will be the key to this series.

Durant vs. Lebron
For their careers, Lebron has a 12-4 record against Durant, but keep in mind, most of this came when the Thunder weren't that good.  The gap has closed over the years, as evident by the team's 1-1 record this season, but for argument sake, I felt it was worth pointing out the 12-4 record.

The reason I wanted to point this out, is to show that Lebron has dominated his personal matchup against Durant.  In this year's post season, Lebron is averaging 30.8ppg, 9.6rpg, 5.1apg on 50.8 percent shooting while Durant is averaging 27.8ppg, 7.9rpg, 4.2apg on 50.5 percent shooting.  I anticipate Lebron winning this matchup, even though it will probably be by a hair.  I don't expect Lebron to dominate this matchup, but I certainly expect him to win it.  The reason this is important, is because if you go back 20 to 30 years, the NBA champion has always had the best player in the series.  To be honest this is the key reason I believe the Heat will win the championship.  I don't see how OKC wins, if Lebron ends up being the best player in the series.  Then again, there are other factors, that could sway this series.

Miami's Big 3 vs OKC Big 3 
Well, we can't discuss the big 3's of both teams without including Lebron and Durant and I've already stated who I believe will win that matchup.  However, that leaves (Bosh and Wade) vs. (Westbrook and Harden).  On the face, it looks like OKC has this matchp won, simply because both Westbrook and Harden are very healthy, unlike Wade (drained knees) and Bosh (abdominal strain).  The problem with this, is Westbrook has been inconsistent despite being healthy, whereas despite health issues, Wade numbers have been slightly better.  In the Post season, Westbrook is averaging 21.7ppg, 5.1rpg and 5.1apg on .436 percent shooting, while Wade is averaging 22.9ppg, 5.0rpg and 4.1apg on .47 percent shooting).  Their numbers are fairly similar, but it obvious that Wade's are slightly better.  In order for OKC to win the "big 3" matchup, Harden will have to completely outplay Bosh to the tune of a 22ppg average or higher, with Bosh averaging less than 15ppg in the series and I simply don't see this happening.

The Others
Without question, OKC wins this matchup hands down.  The addition of Ibaka, gives the Thunder a "big 4" and once you add his production to Perkins (the paint clogger), Sefolosha (the perimeter defender) and Collison (the banger), it makes it very easy to pick the OKC others.  I like Chalmers, Haslem and Battier, but I don't see them outplaying OKC's others.

Conclusion
I'm picking Lebron to win the Durant-Lebron matchup and I'm picking Miami's "big 3" over OKC's "big 3," but the others could determine this series, or perhaps not.  In order for Lebron to win his personal matchup and for Miami's "big 3" to win that matchup, two things will have to happen.  One, Lebron and Wade will have to outplay Durant and Westbrook.  Two, OKC's others will have to be ineffective on the defensive end against Miami.  Obviously Perkins, Ibaka, Sefolosha and Collison are known for their defense and if they play well, Durant and Westbrook will end up winning their respective matchups between Lebron and Wade.  In order for Wade and Lebron to win this matchup, which is what I am predicting, OKC others will have to be somewhat ineffective on defense.

I simply don't see how Miami loses this series if Lebron and Wade outplays Durant and Westbrook, which is why I am picking the Heat to win this series.

Heat in 6

NBA WIZARD 2011-2012 NBA PLAYOFF (CONFERENCE FINALS PREDICTION)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(2) MIAMI HEAT  (48-18)  VS.  (4) BOSTON CELTICS  (39-27)
The Boston Celtics will definitely pose a threat to the Miami Heat and this is not going to be an easy series, but I still expect the Heat to advance to the Finals.  Bosh pretty much missed the entire series against the Pacers and will probably be out the first two games of this series, but I expect him to rejoin the team by game 3 in Boston.  The good news is, the Heat have been a much better defensive team without Bosh and his absence has created more touches for Lebron and Wade and they did not disappoint in the last series.  I expect them to continue their onslaught, especially because Boston really doesn't have the post presence to stop them.  The key for the Heat will be whether Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller and Shane Battier can make open shots.  Chalmers in particuler will have to average over 12ppg and shoots over 50 percent from the field, this series will be over in 5, if he struggles, it could easily go 6 games.

The Celtics will need Ray Allen and Rondo to combine for over 30ppg and 15 or more assist for the Celtics to have any chance of winning this series.  Pierce and Garnett will also have to combine for 40ppg and 15 or more rebounds.  If that happens, the Celtics could upset Heat, but that's simply not going to happen.


Heat in  6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) SAN ANTONIO SPURS  (50-16)  VS.  (2) OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER  (47-19)
I always felt that the Thunder would run into problems if they were ever to face the Spurs, and now the inevitable matchup between the two best teams in the West has come to fruition.  The Spurs have a solid inside game with Duncan leading the way.  They are also an excellent 3-point shooting team and with Manu and Parker, possess two of the game's best drivers in the paint.  To cap it all off, they are still an excellent defensive team and are led by coach Popovich, the winner of this year's NBA Coach of the Year Award.

The Thunder simply have too much to overcome.  For starters, Durant, Westbrook and Harden will have to average over 70 point per game for the Thunder to have any chance of winning this series.  Two , Perkins and Ibaka will have outplay the Spurs bigs led by Duncan, which will also be a tall, if not impossible order.  In terms of in-game adjustments, there is no one better than coach Popovich, which will ultimately be the deciding factor, because I expect him to out-coach the Thunder's Scott Brooks.

Spurs in 6

NBA WIZARD 2011-2012 NBA PLAYOFFS (SEMI FINALS PREDICTIONS)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(2) MIAMI HEAT  (48-18)  VS.  (3) INDIANA PACERS  (42-24)
I expect this series to go 6 games, with the Miami Heat defeating the Pacers in Indiana in game 6.  The Pacers do have a size advantage inside with David West and Roy Hibbert, but the two players only average a combined 25.6ppg and 15.4rpg during the regular season.  I believe Miami will overcome this if Wade and Lebron average 60ppg in this series, which I believe they will.  In order for the Pacers to win this series, Danny Granger and Paul George will have to average a combined 40ppg in this series, but this will be highly unlikely with Lebron and Wade guarding both players.

Heat in 6

(4) BOSTON CELTICS  (39-27)  VS.  (8) PHILADELPHIA 76ERS  (35-31)
Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are in the final year of their contract, so one can expect this to be the Celtics last run with their current collection of aging stars.  This is predominantly the reason why I'm picking the Celtics to win this series and to seriously challenge the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.  Kevin Garnett seems to have turn back the clock and along with Rondo, will not allow the Celtics to lose more than 2 games, even with Paul Pierce ailing and not being a 100 percent.  I expect this series to go 5 maybe 6 games, but the Celtics are known to have letdowns at times, which is why I'm picking this series to also go 6 games.  The Sixers only chance of winning this series is to score over 100 points in 4 games each, because if they do, they will probably beat the Celtics every time.  If the Celtics allow the Sixers to score over a 100 points in a game, that would mean that their defense was inadequate for the night, and they win by defense not offense.

Celtics in  6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) SAN ANTONIO SPURS  (50-16)  VS.  (5) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS  (40-26)
The Spurs are on an absolute roll and look unbeatable, and I don't expect the Clippers to slow them down.  The only way the Clippers can win this series is if CP3 and Blake Griffin combine to average 55 or more points per game, which will not happen.  This series will convince Griffin to work on his biggest weakness - his inconsistent jump shot - because that is the only shot the Spurs are going to allow him to get.  I don't expect to see lob-cities or CP3 being left open on pick-and-roll plays, which is why I expect this series to go 5 games.  I expect the Spurs to win the first two in San Antonio, steal one game in L.A and to eventually end the series in game 5 when they return home.

Spurs in  5

(2) OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER  (47-19)  VS.  (3) LOS ANGELES LAKERS
OKC like the Spurs are on a mission and the Lakers just happens to be an obstacle in their way.  The Lakers have no answer for Russell Westbrook, which is the key reason they will lose this series.  You add that to Paul Gasol's inconsistent play and you'll have to agree unless you're a Lakers fans, that L.A. have no chance of winning this series.  Well, they probably could if their three stars play out of their minds.  If Kobe, Gasol and Bynum combine to average over 65ppg and 25 or more rebounds while making over 50 percent of their shots, then the Lakers can extend this series and possibly win it in 7 games.  Obviously I do not expect the Lakers trio to average 65-25 on 50 percent shooting, which is why I'm picking this series to go 5 or 6 games.  Realistically, I expect the Thunder to end the series in L.A. in game 6.

Thunder in  6

NBA WIZARD 2011-2012 PLAYOFF (FIRST ROUND) PREDICTIONS

EASTERN CONFERENCE


(1) CHICAGO BULLS  (50-16)  VS  (1) PHILADELPHIA 76ERS  (35-31)

REGULAR SEASON SERIES
BULLS                     76ERS
2               WINS              1                                     
89.0           PPG           89.7
37.0           3-PT%        22.9
15.3           TO               9.7

Players from the Sixers took a hit for saying they wanted to play the Chicago Bulls in the First Round, because they felt they matched up better with the Bulls than the Heat.  For one, Rose is injured, so the Bulls may not be at full strength.  Secondly, the Heat destroyed the Sixers during  the regular season, so of course the Sixers wanted no part of the Heat.  That said, the playoffs is a totally different animal and the Bulls are a serious championship contender and not a pretender like the Sixers, so I expect a very quick series.  If Rose plays at 80 percent, this series will be over in 5 games.  If Rose doesn't play, or even if he subpar performances, the series would probably go 6 games at the very most.

Bulls in  5


(2) MIAMI HEAT  (46-20)  VS  (7) NEW YORK KNICKS  (36-30)

REGULAR SEASON SERIES
HEAT                       KNICKS
3          WINS                      0
98.0     PPG                    87.3
47.3     FG%                    39.0
24.4     3-PT%                  37.3
44.7     PTS IN PAINT      26.7

Chances are you fall in one of two categories - a Knicks fan or a Heat hater -- if you are predicting a Knicks upset in this series.  If you are not in one of those categories, then there's a high probability that you were mesmarized by the play of Carmelo Anthony in the month of April, during which time Carmelo averaged 29.8ppg and 7.3rpg on .495 shooting to lead the Knicks to a 8-4 records in the 12 games he played.
The only problem is Carmelo will be guarded by Lebron James, the league's best perimeter defender and he too will have to exert a ton of energy trying to guard Lebron.  In order for the Knicks to pull an upset, Carmelo will have to average the kind of numbers he did in April.  Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler will have to dominate the paint offensively and more importantly on the defensive end.  The Knicks will have to shoot over 40 percent from the 3-point line.  And lastly, the Knicks will have to make the Heat a jump shooting team and limit their transition opportunities.  Basically, the Knicks have to do too many things right and I just don't see that happening.

Heat in  6

(3) INDIANA PACERS  (42-24)  VS  (6) ORLANDO MAGIC  (37-29)                                                   
REGULAR SEASON SERIES
PACERS               MAGIC
1               WINS          3
91.0          PPG        94.8
25.8          3-PT%      39.3
88.2          FT%         66.3
41.5          REB         39.0

You can pretty much throw out the stats from the regular season  and don't even attempt to use them as a measuring stick, because without Dwight Howard, the Orlando Magic is a completely different team.  The Magic get their points in three ways.  First, by Dwight Howard dominating the paint.  Second, from dribble penetration from point guard Jameer Nelson and both of the first two ways leads to their third and favorite way to score, which is from the 3-point line.  With Dwight out, the Magic will miss the constant double-teaming he demanded, which led to wide open 3-pointers.  Their only hope of getting wide open 3s now, will have to come from dribble penetration, mainly from Jameer Nelson.  Nelson will have to average at least 30ppg and 10apg on 50 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3s.  If he average those numbers, the Magic have a chance, but I'll put the likelihood of that happening at less than 10 percent.

Pacers in  5

(4) BOSTON CELTICS  (39-27)  VS  (5) ATLANTA HAWKS  (40-36)


REGULAR SEASON SERIES
CELTICS                  HAWKS
2               WINS                1
86.3          PPG              86.3
43.0          FG%              43.5
43.0          REB               41.7
17.3          TO                 17.3

These two teams are very close in most statistical categories, especially when they match up against each other.  During their three regular season matchups, their field goal percentage, rebounds and turnovers are  essentially identical, with both teams scoring 259 points.  Unfortunately for the Hawks, Al Horford - their all-star center from last season -- is out with an injury until next season.  If he were in the lineup, I would've given the edge to the Hawks, but as it stands, I believe the Celtics just have more weapons, which is why I'm picking them to win the series.  The Celtics have one more run in them, so unless Josh Smith averages 30ppg, 8 or more rebounds and shoot over 52 percent from the floor, I cannot see the Hawks winning this series.  However, I do see this series being very close and going the distance.

Celtics in  7


WESTERN CONFERENCE


(1) SAN ANTONIO SPURS  (50-16)  VS  (8) UTAH JAZZ  (36-30)


REGULAR SEASON SERIES
SPURS              JAZZ
3           WINS         1
102.0     PPG      96.5
46.1       FG%      42.8
39.8       3-PT%   27.8
40.5       REB       43.5

If the Jazz are going to win a game in this series, it will have to be game 1, or game 3 when they return home from San Antonio, or else they are going to get swept.  The Spurs are simply on a mission and there is nothing the Jazz can do about it.  I mean, can Devin Harris outplay the Spurs Tony Parker?  Definitely not and that will have to happen for the Jazz to have any chance of upsetting the Spurs.  The Jazz will need a combined 35ppg and 20 or more rebounds from Al Jefferson and Paul Millshap, and Harris will have to outplay Parker, in order for the Jazz to be able to upset the Spurs and that is simply not going to happen.

(2) OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER  (47-19)  VS  (7) DALLAS MAVERICKS  (36-30)

REGULAR SEASON SERIES
THUNDER              MAVERICKS
3                  WINS                  1
95.3              PPG               94.8
43.8              FG%               42.3
44.8              REB                39.8
17.8              TO                  13.5

This series is going to surprise a lot of folks who think the Thunder are just going to walk over the wounded Mavericks.  I expect the Thunder to advance, but rest assure this is going to be a long series.  Jason Kidd is a great player, a future hall-of-famer without question, but he is going to get exposed by the super-quick, super-athletic Russell Westbrook.  Kevin Durant is going to neutralize anything that Dirk will do and soon-to-be Six Man of the Year James Harden and defensive stalwart Serge Ibaka are going outplaythe Mavericks Jason Terry, Vince Carter and Shawn Marion.  The only way the Mavericks win this series is if Dirk and Jason Terry combine for an average of over 50ppg and Shawn Marion completely shuts down the Kevin Durant, the NBA scoring leader for the third straight season.
Ultimately, losing Tyson Chandler and Deshawn Stevenson will simply be too much to overcome.  The defending champions will put up a resiliant fight, but in the end, the Thunder talent and youth will prevail.

(3) LOS ANGELES LAKERS  (41-25)  VS  (6) DENVER NUGGETS  (38-28)


REGULAR SEASON SERIES
LAKERS                     NUGGETS
3                                             1
94.5             PPG                93.5
45.6             FG%                44.3
46.5             REB                 40.0
  9.0             FASTBREAK    21.0

From the looks of things, Metta World Peace is going to miss the entire First Round, which I'm anticipating will go six games.  Imagine if the Lakers swept the Nuggets, that means MWP would miss the first two games of the Semi Finals and that would be devastating.  The Nuggets will lose this series because they simply have no answer for the Lakers two 7-footers.  The Nuggets best chance of winning the series is if coach Karl outsmart the Lakers head coach Mike Brown.  He can accomplish this by forcing the Lakers to play small-ball, but barring foul trouble, I don't see how he'll be able to keep Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum off the floor.

(4) MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES  (41-25)  VS  (5) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (40-26)


REGULAR SEASON SERIES
GRIZZLIES                     CLIPPERS
1                  WINS                   2
90.0             PPG                 94.7
42.4             FG%                 46.1
42.3             REB                 36.3
34.7             PTS IN PAINT  39.3

Maybe it's my love and respect for Chris Paul's game, but if I were a betting man, I would put my money on CP3 leading his team to the Western Conference Semis.  The Clippers would have had home court advantage had they not lost 3 of their last 4 regular season game, but now they just got to earn it the hard way.  The Clippers Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan must dominate their matchup against Zack Randolph and Marc Gasol.  If the Clippers bigs dominate the paint, they will win the series, because if the games are close down the stretch, the Clippers have CP3, one of the top 5 closers in the game.
I understand the Grizzlies have size and they are definitely a though minded team, especially since head coach Lionel Hollins took over, but CP3 is capable of controlling the game in ways that no one can and certainly no one the Grizzlies roster.

NBA WIZARD 2011-2012 POWER RANKING: WEEK 18 (FINAL WEEK)

RK LAST WK

1 (3) SPURS 47-16
The Spurs currently have the NBA's best record, thanks to their 7-game winning streak. I expect the Spurs to make it to the Western Conference Finals and if they are matched up against the Thunder, they would be my favorite to make it to the NBA Finals, especially if they have home court advantage.

2 (1) BULLS 48-16
The Bulls will finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference, but I'm not so sure that's a good thing. The Bulls will play the Sixers and the Celtics in the first two rounds and that could prove to be a very difficult feat, especially with Rose not being completely healthy.

3 (4) HEAT 46-18
Coach Eric Spoelstra decided to concede the best record to the Bulls, when he decided to rest Bosh and Lebron - the consensus MVP for this season - against the Wizards, the team with the second worst record in the league. To be honest, I'm bothered by this new-age concept of resting healthy players. During the Jordan-Magic era, players always played all 82-games if they were healthy, so obviously I don't agree with this new concept of resting healthy players. However, by conceding the best record, the Heat will avoid facing the Celtics until at least the Eastern Conference Finals, and that is if the Celtics can get past the Bulls, which is highly doubtful. Obviously the Knicks and Pacers are formidable opponents, but I expect the Heat to defeat both teams in route to the NBA Finals.

4 (2) THUNDER 46-18
The Thunder could be in some serious trouble if they don't end up with the best record in the Western Conference. If they end up with the best record, they would face the Jazz/Suns in the First Round and the Clippers in the Second round. This path will almost assure them a trip to the Conference Finals. The second best record would mean they would end up playing the Mavericks - the NBA's defending champions and then the Lakers in the Second Round. Either way, I don't see the Thunder getting past the Spurs if they do make it to the Western Conference Finals.

5 (6) PACERS 41-23
The Pacers are a well coached team, so getting past the Dwight Howard-less Magic should be foregone conclusion. Unfortunately, their season will come to an end in their Second Round match-up with the Heat.

6 (7) CLIPPERS 40-24
The Clippers are a very scary team, but I think the playoffs is when they will really miss Chauncey's leadership. They have perhaps the hardest challenge of all the elite teams in the West due to their fourth seeded position, which could end up being fifth. Their Round One matchup against the Grizzlies could easily go seven games and then they would play Spurs/Thunder in the next round, which I don't see them getting past. Chris Paul does make them a very scary team, but for Clippers to make it to the Western Conference, Blake Griffin would have to average 25-12 and shoot over 52 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free-throw line.

7 (5) LAKERS 41-24
I'm sure Ron Artest was trying to send a message by elbowing the Thunder James Hardin, but his action is going to cost him at least a 5-game suspension. I expect the league to suspend him for the team's last regular season game and the first four games of the playoffs. It's really sad, because Artest had been playing really well as of late, but the one good news is the Lakers can still get past the Nuggets - their potential First Round opponent - without Artest.

8 (9) GRIZZLIES 39-25
The Grizzlies 4-game winning streak has propelled them to the fifth seed and only one game behind the Clippers for the fourth seed in the West. In order for the Grizzlies to make it past the First Round, they will need to have home court advantage against the Clippers and they only have two game left to do it. I'm sorry to say, but I expect the Griz to end up right where they are - with the fifth seed - and to end up eventually losing to the Clippers in the First Round.

9 (8) CELTICS 37-27
The Celtics will probably get past the Hawks in Round One, but I'm sure every Celtic to a man, was hoping they would be matched up with the Heat and not the Bulls in the Semis. For the season, the Celtics have a 3-1 record against the Heat, but only a 1-3 record against the Bulls. I expect the "big 3" era to come to an end in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Bulls.

10 (10) HAWKS 38-26
The Hawks have overachieved since losing their starting center Al Horford for the season. However, when the playoffs rolls around, his absence will really be felt. Even if they get past the Celtics, their season will be over once they face the Bulls.

11 (11) NUGGETS 36-28
The Nuggets are a First Round exit no matter who they face. Their First Round opponent will either be the Lakers (1-2), or the Clippers (1-3). There is absolutely no way I see the Nuggets making it past the First Round, but if you're a Nugget fan, you have to be happy with the season they've had.

12 (14) KNICKS 34-30
With the Magic slumping, the Knicks could move up to the sixth seed if they win their next two games and the Magic lose their last two. Of all the First Round matchups, I think the Knicks could upset the Pacers, a team they've beat twice already this season. Obviously if they don't move up and finish the season with the seventh seed, they would be matched up against the Heat, in which case their season would come to an end in the First Round.

13 (12) MAVERICKS 36-29
The Mavericks have a 0-4 record against the Lakers and a 1-2 record against the Clippers, so their obvious choice for a First Round opponent would be the Clippers. Regardless of who they face, I expect them to lose in the First Round. If all the stars are aligned well, the Mavs could upset the Clippers, but there is absolutely no way I see this team getting past the Lakers.

14 (19) JAZZ 34-30
All the Jazz have to do is win their last two games of the season in order to make the playoffs and I believe they have an excellent chance of doing so. The team's biggest challenge of the season will come on Tuesday when they face the Phoenix Sun in Utah. The Jazz currently have a one game lead over the Sun, but if the lose on Tuesday, could find themselves out of the playoffs.

15 (17) SIXERS 33-30
The Sixers are a wounded team and will be lucky to win a game in the playoffs. It wouldn't surprise me if the Bulls sweep the Sixers in the First Round, but at most, the Sixers might win one game.

16 (13) MAGIC 36-28
What a fitting end to a crazy season. Howard will have season ending surgery to repair his injured back and with that, the Magic will definitely have a quick First Round exit. Dwight had only missed a combined seven games due to injuries before this season, but I guess with all the turmoil surrounding the Magic this season, it was only a matter of time before something terrible happened and unfortunately, it all ended with Dwight's injury.

17 (15) SUNS 33-31
If the Phoenix Suns defeat the Jazz in Utah on Tuesday and returned to Phoenix and beat the Spurs, they would make the playoffs. Though that may be a pretty tall order, the Suns biggest challenge would be to beat the Jazz in Utah, because the Spurs might end up resting their stars when they play the Suns in Phoenix. I'm rooting for the Suns, because I predicted the Jazz wouldn't make the playoffs, but the Jazz do have the easier schedule and chance of making the playoffs.

18 (18) BUCKS 30-33
The Bucks have to win their last three game and hope that the Sixers lose their last three in order for them to make the playoffs, and that is simply not going to happen. Unfortunately the Bucks have now become a middle-of-the-road team, not good enough to make it past the First Round and not bad enough to get a high lottery pick, a really though spot to be in if you ask me.

19 (16) ROCKETS 33-32
The Rockets chose the wrong time to have their worst stretch of the season and now they are officially out of the playoffs. The team lost 7 of their last 8 games and their 97-88 loss to the Heat finally closed the door to the playoffs.

20 (20) TRAIL BLAZERS 28-36
Losing Brandon Roy to retirement along with Greg Oden - who was eventually cut - for yet another season ending injury was simply too much for the Blazers to overcome this season. Trading for Jamal Crawford was supposed to fill the void created by Roy's retirement, but that simply didn't pan out.

21 (23) TIMBERWOLVES 26-39
The Wolves are going to join the ranks of the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder as one of the up-and-coming teams of the NBA. Rubio will be back, Love will be back, Derrick Williams will be one year better and the Wolves will have a few new draft picks. This team certainly has a bright future ahead of them.

22 (24) PISTONS 24-40
The Pistons are lottery-bound and will end up finishing at the bottom of the league in most statistical categories. The team is 28th in scoring at 90.5ppg, 27th in rebound at 40.2rpg and 29th in assist at 18.5 per game.

23 (26) WARRIORS 23-41
The Warriors could also join the ranks as a young up-and-coming team next season. This team should have made the playoffs this season, but an assortment of injuries combined with a lack of several trades that could have been made, eventually led to the Warriors not making playoffs this season.

24 (21) RAPTORS 22-42
The Raptors are lottery-bound, but unlike the Warriors and Pistons, the Raptors seem to be a step behind and unless they end up with Anthony Davis, this team could be in the same position come next season.

25 (22) NETS 22-42
It wouldn't surprise me if the Magic decide to start all over and end up trading Dwight Howard to the Nets next season. Even if the Nets do not end up with Howard, I strongly believe the team will be able to re-sign their superstar Deron Williams. A Few lottery picks could easily help the team change course, especially if Anthony Davis happens to be one of those picks.

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (25) HORNETS 20-44
One player is definitely getting an new contract next season and his name is Eric Gordon. The Hornets are 6-3 with Gordon in the lineup this season and could have made a strong push at the playoffs had he played the entire season. With the Hornets now having a new owner in place, the team's future definitely looks bright and less uncertain.

27 (28) KINGS 21-43
The Kings were not about to help the Bobcats end their losing steak in anyway and added to the Bobcats misery by defeating them 114-88 in Charlotte. On a positive note, talks have resume between the Maloofs - the Kings owners - and the city of Sacramento, led my Mayor Kevin Johnson in regards to a new arena being built in Sacramento.

28 (29) WIZARDS 17-46
The Wizards are sporting a 3-game winning streak, which included a win over the Heat. The Wizards faced a Lebron and Bosh-less Heat, but regardless of that, the Wizards are happy to be sporting a 3-game winning steak. The Wizards have had a very disappointing season without question, but to beat the Bulls and Heat in the same week, the season couldn't have finished on a better note.

29 (27) CAVALIERS 21-42
Kyrie Irving has been back with the team for the last 3 games, during which time the Cavs have a 1-2 record. Considering Irving has the Rookie of The Year Award on lock, I would have definitely held him out for the rest of the season, rather then bring him back from his injury.

30 (30) BOBCATS 7-56
The Charlotte Bobcats must win one of their last three games to avoid ending the season with the worst winning percentage in the history of the NBA and the Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic and New York Knicks are the three teams that stand in their way. The Bobcats best chance of avoiding this futility is to beat the Wizards in Washington D.C. If they fail to do so, they'll have to beat an Orlando Magic team with a point to prove and a Knicks team that is playing very well right now. If the Bobcats lose to the Wizards, I believe a new NBA futility record will be set.

NBA WIZARD 2011-2012 POWER RANKING: WEEK 17

RK LAST WK

1 (2) BULLS 46-14
Even with Derrick Rose scoring a career-low 2 points on 1-for-13 shooting, the Bulls were still able to defeat the Heat 96-86 in OT. The Bulls success this season can be directly attributed to their defense. The Bulls are the NBA's best rebounding team at 46.4 per game and their stifling defense allows their opponents only 88.9 points per game, which is the second best in the league.

2 (3) THUNDER 44-16
The Thunder are winners of four of their last five games, but all four wins came against sub .500 teams. The one stat that would concern me if I were a Thunder fan is that Oklahoma City's 1.12 assist per turnover ranks last in the NBA this season.

3 (1) SPURS 42-16
With the Spurs sporting an 11-game winning steak, coach Popovich decided to rest his entire "big 3" core of Parker, Duncan and Ginobili. Well, as expected, the Spurs had their 11-game winning streak snapped by the Jazz followed by another loss in their very next game to the Lakers. Obviously the team won their last two games, but if the Spurs make it to game 7 of the Western Conference Finals and have to play that game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City, coach Popovich will live to regret his decision.

4 (4) HEAT 42-17
Urgency or lack thereof, is the second issue that's haunted the Heat this season, with Lebron taken a backseat when Wade plays being the first. Considering the way the Heat lost to the Mavericks in last year's Final, I expected them to be a lot better this season. Unfortunately, the Heat are playing like they can turn on the switch when the playoffs rolls around and for their sake I hope they're right.

5 (10) LAKERS 39-22
Okay let's be honest, despite the Lakers 4-1 record over their last five games, the team is definitely better with Kobe, who was out nursing a shin injury. The good news is Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace and Andrew Bynum have all stepped up in Kobe's absence. The biggest improvement has been the play of Metta World Peace. He went from 7ppg on less than 39 percent shooting to 17ppg on .516 shooting over the last five games. As for Gasol and Bynum, well they've played well, but I believe the recent play of Metta World Peace is the reason most Lakers fans are excited.

6 (9) PACERS 38-22
The Pacers have quietly handled their business by winning 8 of their last 9 games to solidly the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Point guard Darren Collison missed the team's last four games, which is the only cause for concern, but not to worry Pacers fans because he's expected to rejoin the team within a week.

7 (5) CLIPPERS 37-23
Chauncey Billups was asked on ESPN who he would want taken the last shot and I expected for him to say Kobe, Carmelo or Durant, but he said without a doubt he would want his own teammate Chris Paul taken the last shot. Obviously my first reaction was that of course he's bias, but after careful consideration, I had to agree. I would definitely put the ball in Paul's hand over any player in the league, because he's capable of making a play for his teammates, or getting in the lane an shooting a runner/floater like he did against OKC for the game winner. I don't expect Paul to win the MVP, but he certainly has the Clippers playing a lot better recently. The team is sporting a 3-game winning steak and are winners of 11 of their last 13 games.

8 (7) CELTICS 36-25
The Celtics have gone from looking like an aging team to being serious contenders and most of the credit has to go to Celtics coach Doc Rivers. By moving K.G. to the center position, the Celtics have four shooters in the starting lineup, which is why Rondo has had his way breaking down defenses and raising his assist totals, which now stands at a league leading 11.6 per game. Over the last 10 games Rondo averaged 14.2 assist per game and led the Celtics to a 7-3 record.

9 (8) GRIZZLIES 35-25
The Grizzlies came in winners of 7 of their previous 9 games before stinking up the joint against the New Orleans Hornets. Z-Bo scored a season low 2 points on 1-for-2 shooting and played in only 23 minutes due to foul trouble. I think after the Thunder, Spurs and Lakers, the Grizzlies are right up there with the Clippers and have a great chance of competing for a title. However, I think Z-Bo will need to get back to being a 20-10 machine in order for the Grizzlies to seriously compete for a title.

10 (6) HAWKS 35-25
Both Joe Johnson and Josh Smith are averaging 18.8ppg each to lead the team in scoring, but it's Smith who has taken over the scoring load in recent weeks. Over the Hawks last 10 games Smith averaged 22.9ppg on a very impressive .508 percent shooting. At times it looks like point guard Jeff Teague could be the third option, but then after performances like the last two games when he scored 2 and 3 points respectively, you have to wonder if he can be that guy. Ultimately, the Hawks will have a hard time making it deep into the playoffs without the likes of Al Horford, their starting center who is out for the season.

11 (17) NUGGETS 33-27
The Nuggets have moved up to the seventh seed in the West, because Aaron Afflalo has continue his very impressive play. For the season Afflalo is averaging 15ppg, but over the Nuggets last 10 games, has led the team in scoring at 19.1ppg on .486 percent shooting. Rookie Kenneth Faried has been another bright spot for the Nuggets of late. Faried over the last 10 games is averaging 11.2ppg, 8.9rpg and 1.2bpg on a whopping .565 percent shooting. You can pretty much count the Nuggets in the playoffs if they both continue playing at that pace.

12 (13) MAVERICKS 34-27
Of course I expect the Mavericks to make the playoffs, but just for kicks, they are only 2.5 games ahead of the Suns, the ninth seeded team in the West. In an effort to qualm distraction, Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban decided to place Lamar Odom - the winner of the NBA's Six Man Award last season - on the inactive roster. So far things seem to be working out. The Mavericks were winners of the previous three games before losing to the Lakers, because of two 3-pointers by Pau Gasol in overtime.

13 (12) MAGIC 35-25
Dwight Howard is expected to be out for two weeks due to back spasms. I'm not one to question Diwght's motives, but I'm sure if his heart was in it, he would probably be playing. I expect the Magic to milk whatever they can out the situation and advance as far into the playoffs as they can, and then probably move Dwight before the start of next season. Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy could also be on his way out too.

14 (15) KNICKS 31-29
Even in a loss, the Knicks Carmelo did all he could against the Heat in New York, scoring 42 points on 14-for-27 shooting. Over the Knicks last 10 games Carmelo has averaged 30.2ppg, 6.9rpg on .509 shooting. I think it's fair to say that Carmelo has no problem paying with center Tyson Chandler. I think it's Amare who's ultimately holding the Knkcks back.

15 (14) SUNS 31-29
The Suns are only a game behind the Rockets and look to me like the better team, especially after the their 112-105 win over the Rockets in Houston. The one thing that would concern me if I were a Suns fan is the schedule. Five of their last six games are against plus .500 teams, including the Thunder, Clippers and the Spurs. Good luck coming out of that with a 4-2 record, because that's what it's going to take at the very minimum to wrestle the eighth seed away from the Rockets.

16 (11) ROCKETS 32-28
The Rockets on the other hand have slumped their way into a contentious battle for the eighth seed by losing their last three games. The good news for them is that 3 of their last 6 opponents are plus .500 teams and two of those opponents will be playing them in Houston, so the schedule sure helps them. The ball is in their court, but whether they take advantage of it remains to be seen. I'm not sure they will.

17 (19) SIXERS 31-28
The Sixers will probably make the playoffs by default and that is because even though the team has slump miserable since their hot start early in the season, their 2.5 game lead may be too much for the Bucks to overcome. All the Sixers have to do to make the playoffs is finish with a 4-3 record and make sure one of those wins is comes against the Bucks in Milwaukee.

18 (16) BUCKS 29-31
The Bucks problem is they dug a hole too deep for themselves early on in the season and unfortunately for them, 3 of their last 4 games came on the losing end. The Bucks will pretty much have to run the tables or at least win five of their last six games, including a win over the Sixers in Milwaukee in order for them to make the playoffs.

19 (18) JAZZ 31-30
I can understand losing to the Memphis Grizzlies, but losing to the Hornets, is not something you want to do when you're trying to make the playoffs. Regardless, the Jazz are only 1.5 games behind the Rockets for the eighth and final playoff spot, so they definitely have a good chance. They only have five remaining games, with four of them in Utah and their only road game is against the Trail Blazer, a team they've beaten twice already this season. Quite frankly, of the three teams - Jazz, Suns and Rockets - vying for the eighth seed West, the Jazz has the easiest schedule. However, I'll stick to my early season prediction and say that they will miss the playoff by a hair.

20 (20) TRAIL BLAZERS 28-33
The Trail Blazers can win all of their remaining five games and it wouldn't make a difference, because they will not make the playoffs. Watching the Blazers has to be one of the saddest stories in the NBA this season, considering all the high expectations everyone had in them. Fortunately, the rebuilding process can start sooner than latter, because their season will be over on April 26.

21 (25) RAPTORS 22-39
The Raptors decided to shut down Andrea Bargnani - the team's leading scorer at 19.5ppg - which was a good thing, so I thought. I expected their losses to continue piling up so that they could increase their chances of landing the number one pick in this year's draft, but I guess the Raptors players had other plans as evident by their very impressive 2-game winning streak, with wins against the Celtics and Hawks.

22 (22) NETS 22-39
Say what you want about Chris Humphries and his 72-day marriage to Kim Kardashian, but one thing you can't say and that is Chris Humphries isn't worth his 1-year $8 million salary. Humphries has been the Nets second best player behind Deron Williams. For the season Humphries is averaging 13.6ppg and 11rpg.

23 (21) TIMBERWOLVES 25-36
Not too long ago the Wolves were 25-27, but that was before their current 9-game skid, with Kevin Love missing the last three due to a concussion injury. I expect the Wolves to shut Love down for the remainder of the season, considering the team has only five games left and no chance of making the playoffs. I guess Love will have to settle for his 26ppg and 13.6rpg season average, wow!

24 (24) PISTONS 22-38
Pistons are 28th in the league in both scoring and assist at 90.6ppg and 18.5apg respectively. The surprising stat to me is the team's assist totals. Brandon Knight was suppose to be the next coming of Isiah Thomas, but only managed to averaged 3.8apg in his rookie season. If I had to give him one knock, I would have to say he must improve his assist average dramatically in his next season in order for the Pistons to improve.

25 (27) HORNETS 18-42
Before you scratch your head in shock because of the Hornets 3-game winning streak, I think it needs to be pointed out that the Hornets record is not indicative of how good they would've been had the team had been at full strength this season. Eric Gordon, the high scoring guard whom the Hornets got in a trade from the Clippers missed most of the season. To be exact, he's only played in 7 games this season, including the Hornets last two wins in which Gordon averaged 21.5 points per game.

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (23) WARRIORS 22-37
The Warriors are going to miss the playoffs this season for two reasons, defense and lack of rebounding, which is also bad defense in a way. GSW is the 29th worst rebounding team in the league at 39.1rpg and 28th in opponents points allowed at 101.3 per. With a healthy Bogut next season, both of those numbers should improve dramatically.

27 (28) CAVALIERS 20-39
The Cavaliers may have already found a backup point guard name Lester Hudson, a D-League call up, who has clearly taken advantage of his opportunity. In 11 games with the Cavaliers, Hudson averaged 13ppg 4.1rpg and 3.1apg. Kyrie Irving is expected back this week after being out with a shoulder injury, though I wouldn't count on it with only seven games left.

28 (26) KINGS 20-41
After agreeing to a new arena deal with the city of Sacramento, the Maloofs - the team owners - recently backed out of the deal. There good news is they assured the King fans that they do not intend to relocate the Kings. To me that's all words, because without a new arena deal, I doubt that the Kings will remain in Sacramento beyond next season.

29 (29) WIZARDS 14-46
John Wall is averaging 12.4ppg on .39 percent shooting over the Wizards last five games, including a 2-point 1-for-6 performance against the Bobcats in 26 minutes. Seriously, John Wall? My message to Mr. Wall is, you are way too talented to be so inconsistent and I hope you spend the entire off-season working on your game.

30 (30) BOBCATS 7-52
The NBA's all-time worst record was 9-73 by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers for a .10975 winning percentage. The Bobcats have lost their last 16 games, but could still avoid NBA futility by winning 1 of their last 7 games. If the Bobcats lose their last seven games, they would finish with a winning percentage of .1060, which would be the worst winning percentage in the history of the NBA.

NBA WIZARD 2011-2012 POWER RANKING: WEEK 16

RK LAST WK

1 (3) SPURS 40-14
Two weeks ago, Chicago's head coach Tom Thibodeau was the leading candidate to win the NBA's Coach of the Year, but that was before San Antonio's current 11-game winning steak. Tim Duncan has lead the way on the court with averages of 16.5ppg, 11rpg 1.63rpg during the streak, while coach Popovich has lead his team from the bench. Popovich will win the Coach of the Year Award if the season ended today.

2 (2) BULLS 42-14
Maybe it was rust, or even nerves, but with the Bulls leading by 3 points, Derrick Rose went to the line and missed two free throws against the Knicks in New York. Melo then hit an incredible 3-pointer to send the game to overtime, a game that the Bulls eventually lost. The good news is, Rose was back in the lineup after missing the Bulls previous 12 games. The bad news is it'll take the Bulls a few games to get back to their dominant play.

3 (1) THUNDER 41-15
Kevin Durant was leading the MVP race entering last week, but after a 3-game losing skid, may have dropped in second position behind Lebron, especially because one of those losses came against the Heat in Miami. The bigger issue is the Spurs now have a better record than the Thunder and if those two teams were matched up in the playoffs, the Spurs would be my favorite to win the series, especially if they have the home-court advantage.

4 (4) HEAT 40-15
Well, there's nothing new to report except for the same old story. When Wade doesn't play, Lebron plays like the MVP, but when Wade does play, Lebron takes a back seat and is usually far less aggressive on offense. The Heat have a 10-1 record with Wade out of the lineup this season.

5 (6) CLIPPERS 34-22
The Clippers had been struggling to find an identity since losing Chauncey for the season and definitely needed someone to step up in his absence and they finally might have found that in Randy Foye. Over the Clippers last 10 games, Foye averaged 15.6ppg and led the Clippers to an 8-2 record.

6 (10) HAWKS 34-23
The Hawks are sporting a 3-game winning streak and winners of 4 of their last 5 game. The man of the hour has been Josh Smith. The guy has been playing extremely well as of late. Over the last 10 games, Smith averaged 23.9ppg, 9.5rpg on .481 percent shooting from the field to lead his team to a 7-3 record.

7 (7) CELTICS 32-24
The Celtics are becoming dangerous by the minute! All you have to do is refer back to two recent games and you'll get a pretty good idea on how well the Celtics have been playing recently. A 91-72 blowout win over Miami and a 1-point heart breaking loss to the red-hot Spurs, is a good indication that the Celtics are back and ready to contend for an NBA Championship.

8 (12) GRIZZLIES 32-23
The Grizzlies 97-82 win over the Heat in Miami, was not really indicative of the game, because it felt like they were leading by over 25 for most of that game. Zack Randolph is only averaging 10ppg over the Grizzlies last 10 games, but that was in only 26 minutes per game. The Grizzlies are 7-3 over that stretch and are currently sporting a 2-game winning streak.

9 (8) PACERS 34-22
The Pacers are 7-3 over their last 10 games, which included two very impressive wins over the Heat and the Thunder more recently. Over the last 10 games Danny Granger has led the way and his team in scoring with 21.9ppg and has the Pacers in third place in the Eastern Conference.

10 (5) LAKERS 35-22
It wouldn't be Hollywood if there wasn't drama in L.A. The media went crazy because Mike Brown benched Andrew Bynum for taken an ill-advised 3-pointer, so what was the meaning of that? Absolute nothing! Bynum redeemed himself by scoring a season-high 36-points in the team's very next game to lead the Lakers to a 113-108 win over the Clippers. The bigger issue out of L.A. is Kobe's health. He missed the Lakers last game against the Suns due to a sore shin and is listed day-to-day.

11 (16) ROCKETS
The move by Kevin McHale to put veteran center Marcus Camby into the starting lineup is definitely paying off. The Rockets have moved up to the sixth seed in the Western Conference by winning 3 straight and 7 of their last 10 game.

12 (11) MAGIC 33-23
Stan Van Gundy was on record stating that Dwight Howard asked the Orlando Magic management to fire him, and that was followed by an awkward embraced by Howard during the media session. To be honest I didn't know what to make of it! Obviously Howard's hug, or shoulder embrace didn't change Van Gundy's statement. This entire situation could have been avoided if Howard had forced a trade to New Jersey, but the again, word is coming out of Orlando that Howard would have been traded to the Lakers and maybe he didn't want to end up in L.A. Who knows, who cares? Bottom line this entire situation is a complete mess!

13 (9) MAVERICKS 31-26
The Mavericks look like they are content with one championship, because I really don't see this team even making a serious defense of their title, let alone repeating as NBA champions. Mark Cuban rolled the dice in hopes of signing Dwight Howard and Deron Williams, when they become free agents this summer, but it looks like he might miss out on both players and then what?

14 (17) SUNS 29-27
The Suns are only a game behind the Nuggets for the eighth and final playoffs spot and are now in a 3-team race with the Nuggets and Jazz for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. I keep counting this team out, but Nash - the former 2-time league MVP - is making me more of a believer every day.

15 (14) KNICKS 29-27
Carmelo Anthony has led the Knicks to a 5-2 record since the team lost Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire to injuries. Anthony concluded his week with a monster 43-point performance over the Bulls for a win in a game that included two clutch 3-pointers. One that sent the game to overtime and the other, a go-ahead basket that led to a 1-point win. In Lin and Amare's absence, Carmelo has averaged a beastly 29.9ppg over the Knicks last 7-games.

16 (19) BUCKS 28-28
The Bucks have been surging during the Sixers recent slump and are only one game behind the Sixers for the eighth and final playoff spot. During the Bucks current 4-game winning streak, Monte Ellis is finally beginning to show his worth. Ellis is averaging 22.25ppg during the Bucks current streak.

17 (13) NUGGETS 30-26
Arron Affalo has dominated over the Nuggets last 5 games by averaging 20.4ppg on .514 shooting from the field and .458 from 3s to lead the Nuggets to a 3-2 record. The Nuggets are barely holding on to the eighth seed in the Western Conference, but they might just make the playoffs if Affalo continues to play this well.

18 (18) JAZZ 29-28
The Jazz are only 1.5 games behind the Nuggets for the final spot, so it's still really early to count them out, but I'm going to stick to my early season prediction that they are going to miss the playoffs.

19 (15) SIXERS 29-27
After a brilliant start, the Sixers are falling faster than the stock market during the Great Depression. They are currently only a game ahead of the surging Bucks and are in danger of missing the playoffs, which would be a travesty, especially after starting the season with a 16-6 record. Since then, the Sixers have only won only 13 of their last 34 games, ouch!

20 (20) TRAIL BLAZERS 27-30
The Blazers are 3.5 games out of the playoffs and with 9 games left and momentum, this team has less than a 20 percent chance of making the playoffs. The only reason I give them 20 percent is I believe they could make the playoffs if they won their last 9 games, which I highly doubt.

21 (21) TIMBERWOLVES 25-32
Until 10 games ago, the Timberwolves had a slight chance of making the playoffs. Unfortunately the schedule and simply plain exhaustion finally caught up with this team. After starting with a 23-24 record, the Wolves have since lost 8 of their last 10 games and are currently losers of their last five games. Even if thy win their last 9, the Wolves have less than a 5 percent chance of making the playoffs this season.

22 (22) NETS 21-37
The Nets Gerald Green has found a home and before anyone start feeling sorry for the Nets because they missed out on Howard, I think they should hold off for the summer. This team has everything going for them. The move to Brooklyn New York. Several nice draft picks, a few good young players and cap room with a multi-billionaire owner willing to spend, has the Nets future looking very bright. I really don't see Deron Williams passing all of that up to team up with Nowitzki- the Mavericks aging star - when he could be the star in New York City in the NBA's newest arena.

23 (24) WARRIORS 22-33
The Golden State Warriors have had a very disappointing season to say the least and hanging on to Steph Curry and his bump ankle, rather than trading him for CP3 when they had the chance, basically came back to haunt them. I believe the Warriors give up on making the playoffs when they traded Monte Ellis. The good news is Klay Thompson is developing into a shooting guard and when next season rolls around, the Warriors will be adding hopefully a healthy Steph Curry, Andrew Bogut and an high lottery draft pick.

24 (23) PISTONS 21-35
The Piston have the two hardest positions covered for the future and that would be the center and point guard positions. I expect the Pistons to build around center Greg Monroe and point guard Brandon Knight, and a few lottery picks this summer will only help speed up the rebuilding process for them next season.

25 (26) RAPTORS 20-37
After a nice 4-game stretch in which he averaged 22.8ppg, Bargnani did not play the second half of the Raptors game against Thunder due to tightness in his left calf. I expect Bargnani to miss some games, but it may work out to the Raptors advantage because the more losses they pile up, the higher their chances are of drafting the number overall 1 pick in the draft this summer.

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (25) KINGS 19-38
There's Dwight Howard and then there's DeMarcus Cousin, the enigmatic and often misunderstood second most talented big man in basketball. Sky is the limit for this guy. If he continues to improve and matures and if he seriously commits to playing defense, I believe he could be the best big man in the game even over Dwight Howard. I think his upside is really huge, but whether he has the mental strength to take his game to the next level remains to be seen

27 (28) HORNETS 15-41
I wonder what the NBA conspiracy theorist would say if the Hornets end up with the number 1 overall pick in next year's draft? Well, what most people need to realize is that the Hornets has the third best chance of drafting Anthony Davis - the clear cut one number pick - because they currently own the league's third worst record.

28 (27) CAVALIERS 18-36
Kyrie Irving is expected to miss 3 more games due to a shoulder injury, but I think the Cavaliers should consider shutting Irving down for the rest of the season, because it will only increase their chances of landing Anthony Davis. And because Irving already has the Rookie of the Year Award locked, so there is basically no real incentive to play him, at least I wouldn't.

29 (29) WIZARDS 12-44
John Wall probably can't wait for the season to be over. He's had a very disappointing sophomore season and his Wizards are only better than one team, the Bobcats. I think Wall should really rededicate himself this off-season and reach out to some veterans, because I still believe his upside is off the charts, but he does need some guidance.

30 (30) BOBCATS 7-47
The only think Michael Jordan is looking forward to at this point, would be an announcement that goes something like this: And the number one pick goes to, the Charlotte Bobcats. Every team could use Anthony Davis, but no team needs him as much as the Bobcats. To be honest I truly hope that the Bobcats get him, but if he ended up with the Cavaliers, watch out!

NBA WIZARD 2011-2012 POWER RANKING: WEEK 15

RK LAST WK

1 (2) THUNDER 40-12
Last week Derrick Rose - the league's reigning MVP - endorsed Kevin Durant as the leading candidate to win the MVP Award this year. My first reaction was that Rose is jealous of Lebron and hates all the attention that Lebron gets, which is true, but I do agree that if the season ended today, Kevin Durant will win the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. The Thunder are sporting a 6-game winning steak, led by Durant's 28.7ppg,10.3rpg on .578 percent shooting during that stretch.

2 (1) BULLS 42-12
The Bulls are still hanging on to the NBA's best record and that is with Derrick Rose missing the team's last 10 games. The Bulls have a 7-3 record without Rose over the last ten games, basically because they are the league's best defensive team, thanks to coach Thibodeau - the reigning coach of the year - and leading candidate to win the NBA's Coach of the Year Award for a second straight season.

3 (4) SPURS 36-14
I predicted at the beginning of the season that the Spurs would challenge OKC for the best record in the Western Conference, and despite injuries, the Spurs are only 3 games behind the Thunder for the best record in the West. The Spurs have are playing at a very high level and are currently sporting a 7-game winning streak and winners of 10 of their last 11 games. More importantly, Tim Duncan seems to be getting into playoff shape. Over the Spurs last 3 games, Duncan is averaging 22.3ppg and 10rpg.

4 (3) HEAT 37-14
The Heat are not playing well. Over the Heat last 10 games, Lebron numbers have plummeted from what they were during the first half of the season. His last ten game averages are 22.4ppg 6.7rpg 5.8apg on .492 percent shooting. For a second straight season, Lebron is on the verge of losing another very winnable MVP Award, except this time it will be to Kevin Durant and not Derrick Rose. Not surprisingly, the Heat have a 6-4 record over their last 10 games.

5 (6) LAKERS 33-20
The Lakers have not gotten off to the blazing start I anticipated when they acquired Ramon Sessions - their newly acquired point guard from Cleveland - but in the long run, his value will definitely show. The team is 5-4 since adding Sessions, who is averaging 11.8ppg, 5.6apg on .479 percent shooting field and .483 percent from 3s. Ultimately though, the Lakers will only go as far as Kobe will take them, or if he can truly trust his teammates. At times, trusting his teammates seems to be in question. Over the Lakers last 5 games, Kobe averaged 24.4ppg on 22.6 shot attempts while shooting a miserable .372 field goal percentage.

6 (9) CLIPPERS 31-21
The Clippers may have finally turn the corner and it all started with the performances of their two stars, CP3 and Blake Griffin. Chris Paul led the Clippers to a 5-game winning streak by averaging 21ppg and 11.6apg and Blake Griffin was right behind him with 22.2ppg and 10.4 rebounds over the last 5 games. What I found interesting was that Griffin shot attempts dropped from 16 per game to 13.6 during the winning steak, with a field goal percentage skyrocketing to .662 percent.

7 (14) CELTICS 30-22
Everyone will agree that the Bulls and Heat are the two best teams in the Eastern Conference, but the Celtics is the one team that can beat both of those teams in a series. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce combined to average 42.4ppg and 15.4rpg to lead the Celtics to their current 5-game winning streak. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but the the Celtics streak began when Allen went down with an ankle injury. I truly believe the Celtics will be the dark horse in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Watch out Miami and Chicago! The Celtics are coming.

8 (8) PACERS 31-21
If you take out the Pacers shocking 100-84 loss to the Nets, Danny Granger has been on an absolute tear. Over the Pacers last 4 games not counting the Nets loss, Granger averaged 25ppg on .507 percent shooting. The Pacers are currently the fifth seed in the East and I don't expect them to finish any lower than that.

9 (10) MAVERICKS 30-23
The Mavericks Jason Terry admitted that the Mavs are not the same team and clearly feels under appreciated because the Mavs did not offer him an extension after winning the championship, or even give him "a low ball offer," as he put it. Without Terry, the Mavericks would not have won the championship, so to hear him say this, tells me that even he doesn't feel 100 percent confident that this current Mavericks team will be able to repeat and I tend to agree with him.

10 (7) HAWKS 31-23
Josh Smith has been on a tear recently averaging 25.6ppg over the Hawks last 5 games, but the Hawks are on 2-3 during that stretch. Not to take anything away from Smith, but his 25.6ppg came on 22 shots per game. I like the fact that he's taken on the scoring initiative, but if he's going to take 22 shots a game, his average needs to be over 30 points per.

11 (5) MAGIC 32-21
The Magic are 4-6 over their last 10 games including a 104-101 loss to the Nuggets, a game in which Dwight Howard missed due to back spasms. Howard had the perfect opportunity to end up in New Jersey, but I guess he wanted to keep his consecutive streak of making the playoffs alive, something he wouldn't have done in New Jersey this year. But the promise of Brooklyn and a chance to play with Deron Williams and perhaps another star, was something he shouldn't have passed up.

12 (13) GRIZZLIES 28-22
After 5 losses in 6 games, the Grizzlies have turned things around a little bit by winning 3 of their last 4 games. Basically coach Collins felt obligated to Z-Bo, because of how well he played in last year's playoffs, so when Z-Bo returned from his injury Hollins played him a lot of minutes initially. Over the last 4 games though, Hollins has limited Z-Bo minutes and I agree with that move, at least until Z-Bo is 100 percent healthy and can contribute at a high level.

13 (17) NUGGETS 29-24
The Nuggets will be without their leading scorer Gallinari for another week or two, but that's the least of their problem. They are still the league's highest scoring team at 103.5 points per game which is great, but they are almost the worst defensive team and are 29th in league in opponents points allowed. I expect them to make the playoffs, but I don't expect them to make it pass the First Round in the Western Conference.

14 (18) KNICKS 27-26
The Knicks are winners of 8 of their last 10 games, but they are about to face a very difficult stretch in April. Not only will they be without Amare for 2-4 weeks, but their rising point guard Jeremy Lin will also be out for 6 weeks because of a small meniscus tear. The Knicks will be counting on point guard Baron Davis to fill in for Lin and Carmelo to pick up the scoring slack.

15 (11) SIXERS 29-23
There was a time when the Sixers were one of the top scoring teams early on in the season, but now they are ranked 22nd in scoring at 93.6 points per game. The one positive thing is their defense. Currently they lead the league in opponent points allowed at 87.8 points. Unfortunately their scoring slump has been in direct correlation with the team's record. Over the last 10 games the Sixers have averaged only 88.5 point per game and have a 4-6 record show for it.

16 (15) ROCKETS 28-25
Entering week 15, it appears that the race for the eighth and final playoff spot has become a 3-headed race between the Rockets, Suns and Jazz. Currently the Rockets are the eighth seed in the Western Conference and in an effort to hang on, coach Kevin Mchale inserted newly acquired veteran center Marcus Camby into the starting lineup over Samuel Dalembert. I support the move, because I believe it might just help the Rockets hold on to the eighth seed.

17 (16) SUNS 26-26
What a though time to lose two straight, but in the Suns defense, their last two losses came against the surging Spurs and Clippers. Unfortunately, the month of April will bring up huge challenges for the Suns, because 11 of their last 14 regular season opponents have a .500 or better record, not to mention 8 of their last 14 games will be on the road.

18 (12) JAZZ 27-26
The Jazz has a slightly easier schedule than the Suns to end the season. Nine of the 13 opponents have a .500 or better record, but two of those games are against the Suns in Utah. The schedule favors the Jazz over the Suns, but both teams are still looking up to the Rockets.

19 (21) BUCKS 24-28
I'm sure when the Bucks traded for Monte Ellis, they assumed his addition would guarantee them a playoff berth, but so far that simply hasn't been the case. Ellis is averaging 16.6ppg, 6.1apg on .419 percent shooting in the 9 games he's played and the Bucks are 5-4 during this stretch. The Bucks are currently 2.5 games behind the Knicks for the final spot and hope to gain some ground on the Knicks now that both Amare and Lin will be out for a month.

20 (19) TRAIL BLAZERS 25-28
The Blazers finished the month of March with a 6-11 record and are currently 3 games behind the Rockets for the last playoff spot in the West. Unfortunately, I don't see this team making up any ground in April. I expect the Blazers to miss the playoffs this year and to completely overhaul the team before the start of next season.

21 (20) TIMBERWOLVES 25-29
The Timberwolves Kevin Love is the best power forward in basketball, but the cynic that I am must point out the fact that his 26.5ppg comes on 19.3 shot attempts at a .451 shooting percentage from the field. In order for Love to step into super stardom, he must improve his field goal percentage to around 50 percent and make an extreme commitment on the defensive end.

22 (27) NETS 19-35
The Nets are sporting a 3-game winning streak and not getting Dwight Howard may be a blessing in disguise. The team still has all the draft picks they would have lost in a trade with the Magic, and one of those picks could end up being Anthony Davis, the consensus number one pick in this year's draft. Even if they don't draft Davis, they still have several picks, Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks and Gerald Wallace to dangle in trades.

23 (26) PISTONS 19-33
The Pistons are definitely at the bottom of the pack in just about every statistical category. They are 28th in scoring at 89.9 and 27th in both rebounding and assist with 39.9 and 18.6 respectively. Fortunately for them, they have a decent mixture of veterans and young players, so their future may not be as bad as it looks now.

24 (22) WARRIORS 20-31
Steph Curry ankle! I don't mean to sound cruel, but I'm just sick and tired about hearing about Steph Curry's ankle. I truly believe the Warriors would have traded him, but his gimpy ankle had a lot of teams worried. If the offer still stand and the Celtics are willing to trade Rondo for Curry next season, the Warriors should definitely pull the trigger. If you're a Warriors fan, the draft is the only thing you have to look forward to, because all hopes making the playoffs this season ended about a week ago.

25 (24) KINGS 18-34
A 104-103 win over the Jazz in Utah ended a 4-game skid, but the Kings were back to their losing ways with a 111-99 loss to the Nets in their very next game. The one good news is Cousins continues to improve and over the last 5 games has been an absolute beast. He scored a career-high 38-points against the Rockets in Houston and might had ended up with 40 and the game winner if Marcus Thornton had passed him the ball when he had solid inside position, instead of forcing an ill-advised contested 3-pointer at the end of regulation. Anyhow, Cousins averaged 26.4ppg and 13.6rpg over the Kings last 5 games. Very impressive!

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (25) RAPTORS
Of the bottom 8 teams, the Raptors have perhaps the best overall team stats, thanks to their 15th ranked defense which allows opponents 95.5ppg. Even though they are one of the lowest scoring teams (26th) at only 91.8ppg, they rank 12th in the league in assist at 21.4 assist per game. They could be a surprise team next season if they address their scoring woes this summer.

27 (23) CAVALIERS 17-33
Nothing new to report out of Cleveland except for the stats of Kyrie Irving, the clear-cut favorite Rookie of the Year winner. Irving is averaging 18.9ppg, 5.7apg, 4.0rpg on .471, .419, .872 as in field goal, 3-point and free-throw percentages. His PER is 21.66 and in my opinion, is already a top 7 point guard and he's only a rookie.

28 (28) HORNETS 13-40
After not playing for almost the entire season, I will be shocked to see any team offering Gordon a max-deal this summer. I expect him to re-sign with the Hornets for an average of around $10 to $12 million, which will put Kaman out of contention. I don't expect the Hornets to sign Kaman when he becomes a free agent this summer, because the league - the current owners of the Hornets - clearly want to keep the cap flexibility for the new owners. Look for them to re-build through the draft as they do have a ton of draft picks including theirs from this year.

29 (29) WIZARDS 12-40
If anyone had told me before the season started that Kyrie Irving would have better numbers than John Wall, I would have thought they were crazy. The only category Wall leads Irving is assist at 7.8 a game. I'm not given up on Wall, not by a long shot, because I still think he could be a top 5 point guard in two season, but this season has clearly been a disappointment.

30 (30) BOBCATS 7-43
The Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan was quoted saying he is "100 percent committed to the Bobcats." Of course is! What is he suppose to say? Obviously everyone who knows basketball knows that there are three paths a team can take. Either you really good, so you become a perennial championship contender. Or, you are in the middle of the pack, meaning you pretend to compete for a championship, but deep down you know you're not good enough and most teams are on this path. The last path is to tank a season and hope for a franchise changing player and in the Bobcats case, that player will be Kentucky's Anthony Davis.