NBA power rankings for mid-January

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Rankings for start of January in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 San Antonio (1)

2 Boston (2)

3 Los Angeles Lakers (5)

4 Chicago (7)

5 Miami (4)

6 Atlanta (10)

7 Orlando (9)

8 Oklahoma City (6)

9 Utah (8)

10 New Orleans (13)

11 Dallas (3)

SECOND TIER

12 Denver (12)

13 Portland (14)

14 New York (11)

THIRD TIER

15 Phoenix (19)

16 Houston (15)

17 Memphis (16)

18 Golden State (21)

19 Charlotte (23)

20 Los Angeles Clippers (25)

21 Indiana (17)

22 Philadelphia (18)

23 Milwaukee (20)

24 Detroit (24)

25 Toronto (22)

26 Washington (28)

27 New Jersey (26)

28 Minnesota (27)

29 Sacramento (30)

30 Cleveland (29)

BIGGEST RISERS: Los Angeles Clippers (5 spots), Atlanta and Charlotte (4 spots), Phoenix (4 spots), Chicago, Golden State and New Orleans (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Dallas (8 spots), Indiana and Philadelphia (4 spots), Milwaukee, New York and Toronto (3 spots)

RANKINGS BY DIVISION – 1 POINT PER RANKING SPOT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM, LOWEST SCORE IS BEST

1 Southwest (55)

2 Southeast (65)

3 Northwest (70)

4 Pacific (85)

5 Atlantic (90)

6 Central (102)

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 West (210)

2 East (257)