Week 24 NBA Rankings

1. Boston Celtics (66-16) (1) For what its worth, even when Rivers rested the starters, the C's still went 8-1 down the stretch. The key to them advancing in the playoffs though, will be the continued maturity of Rondo and Perkins.
2. Detroit Pistons (59-23) (3) Going into the postseason, the Pistons will get a much-needed boost off the bench from Stuckey, Affalo and Maxiell, three youngsters who have blossomed into excellent talents.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (57-25) (6) Clinching the #1 was important only for homecourt advantage, but it'll be tough working Bynum back into the flow with a tough Denver squad on their hands.
4. New Orleans Hornets (56-26) (2) The biggest knock on this team is their inexperience, but nonetheless, if Paul can elevate his game and if they can find a way to get a road game, they may have just enough to squeeze past Dallas.
5. San Antonio Spurs (56-26) (5) If the Utah game is any indication, the defending champs look primed to defend their title in a stacked Western Conference.
6. Houston Rockets (55-27) (7) They deserve all the credit in the world for finishing in the top 5 in the West, but it'll be tough handling Deron Williams in the first two games with Rafer on the sidelines.
7. Phoenix Suns (55-27) (4) They have the swagger with Shaq and they've beaten the Spurs twice since acqiring him, but are the Suns tough enough to take them out this year and redeem themselves from last year's heartwrenching defeat?
8. Utah Jazz (54-28) (8) They're a different team on the road than they are at home, but those 17 road wins do include a few impressive ones, such as Detroit, Boston and NO.
9. Dallas Mavericks (51-31) (10) Overall, it isn't the 67-win explosion from last year, but the Mavs appear to be peaking at just the right time.
10. Denver Nuggets (50-32) (11) They're a dangerous 8 seed just b/c of the talent AI and Carmelo have, but if they can get production out of Smith and Kleiza as well, they could give LA fits.
11. Orlando Magic (52-30) (9) Having Big Dwight's probably enough to get them a round, but beyond that, the Magic's streaky backcourt will be their undoing against the Pistons.
12. Golden State Warriors (48-34) (12) Nellie's well on his way to burning bridges with another superstar when he benched Baron Davis for the entire second half of the Phoenix game, which the Warriors lost, sealing their season.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (45-37) (13) A repeat run to the Finals is very unlikely, as LeBron may have to work even harder this year to get them there.
14. Washington Wizards (43-39) (14) Well, DeShawn wanted LeBron, now he gets a full seven games of him. Lets hope his whole career isn't defined by a buzz-quote.
15. Toronto Raptors (41-41) (16) I might pick the Raptors to upset the Magic, except for the fact that their backcourt is just as streaky.
16. Philadelphia 76ers (40-42) (15) Its too bad that the Sixers, as well as they've played, get the daunting task of facing the playoff-savvy Pistons. Any other matchup and I'd have them penciled in for an upset.
17. Portland Trail Blazers (41-41) (17) They tailed off after the early hot-streak, but the Blazers have to feel optimistic about an 11-game improvement and Oden's eventual return.
18. Atlanta Hawks (37-45) (18) About the only intrigue the Hawks bring to their 1st round matchup is how Joe Johnson fares against his old team.
19. Sacramento Kings (38-44) (20) I have to give Artest credit. No blowups this year and the coach actually wants him back.
20. Indiana Pacers (36-46) (19) They couldn't overcome all the injuries and felonies in the world to get back to the postseason, but at least Dunlevy finally matured into a good player.
21. New Jersey Nets (34-48) (21) Until they get leaders with more heart than Carter and Jefferson, the Nets will continue to fall short of expectations.
22. Chicago Bulls (33-49) (22) Winning the lotto might be about the only way Paxson saves his job.
23. Charlotte Bobcats (32-50) (23) While Paul and Williams have become dominant players after three years, Felton is just barely holding onto his starting job on a mediocre ballclub.
24. Milwaukee Bucks (26-56) (24) The Krystowiak experiment bombed badly, so it's no surprise they dumped him.
25. New York Knicks (23-59) (25) With the season over, day 1 of the Knicks' overpublicized coaching search is underway.
26. Los Angeles Clippers (23-59) (26) Elton already put up close to his prime numbers in just six games and should be back in top form after an offseason of rest.
27. Minnesota Timberwolves (22-60) (28) If they can get Brook Lopez in the draft, along with Jefferson and Gomes, they'll have a pretty good young front line.
28. Memphis Grizzlies (22-60) (27) Once again, huge mistake to fire Iavaroni. You can't make a young team better by constantly shuffling coaches.
29. Seattle Supersonics (20-62) (29) With the season in ruin and the team on their way out, Durant's 42-point performance may have helped him clinch ROY honors.
30. Miami Heat (15-67) (30) You know if Wade and Marion aren't at the Heat games, they're pretty much everywhere on South Beach.