NBA power rankings for mid-December

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Previous periods’ rankings in parentheses, start of season to present.

FIRST TIER

1 Oklahoma City (3-5)

2 New York (10-2)

3 Miami (2-1)

4 LA Clippers (5-7)

5 San Antonio (4-3)

SECOND TIER

6 Golden State (23-8)

7 Memphis (6-4)

8 Atlanta (13-9)

9 Chicago (9-11)

10 Minnesota (20-20)

11 Brooklyn (14-6)

THIRD TIER

12 Indiana (7-17)

13 Milwaukee (19-13)

14 Denver (12-18)

15 Utah (18-16)

16 Boston (8-12)

17 Portland (17-23)

18 Philadelphia (15-10)

19 LA Lakers (1-14)

20 Dallas (11-19)

21 Houston (16-15)

22 Orlando (27-24)

FOURTH TIER

23 Phoenix (25-22)

24 Toronto (24-27)

25 Sacramento (28-26)

26 Detroit (26-25)

27 Charlotte (30-21)

28 Cleveland (21-28)

29 New Orleans (22-29)

30 Washington (29-30)

BIGGEST RISERS: Minnesota (10 spots), Portland (6 spots), Indiana (5 spots), Denver and Oklahoma City (4 spots), LA Clippers and Toronto (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Philadelphia (8 spots), Charlotte and Houston (6 spots), Brooklyn and LA Lakers (5 spots), Boston (4 spots), Memphis (3 spots)

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

1 NORTHWEST 57

2 ATLANTIC 71

3 PACIFIC 77

4 SOUTHWEST 82

5 CENTRAL 88

6 SOUTHEAST 90

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 WEST 216

2 EAST 249