NBA power rankings for start of January

By Rick Morris

 

Previous rankings are in parentheses.

 

TOP TIER

1 Golden State (2)

2 Toronto (3)

3 Portland (4)

4 Atlanta (10)

5 Memphis (1)

6 Washington (9)

7 Dallas (7)

8 Chicago (11)

9 Houston (6)

10 LA Clippers (8)

SECOND TIER

11 Cleveland (13)

12 Phoenix (12)

13 San Antonio (5)

THIRD TIER

14 New Orleans (18)

15 Milwaukee (14)

16 Brooklyn (20)

17 Oklahoma City (22)

FOURTH TIER

18 Miami (16)

19 Denver (17)

20 Sacramento (15)

FIFTH TIER

21 Indiana (19)

22 Utah (23)

23 Boston (24)

24 Orlando (21)

25 Charlotte (28)

SIXTH TIER

26 LA Lakers (27)

27 Detroit (29)

SEVENTH TIER

28 Philadelphia (30)

29 Minnesota (25)

30 New York (26)

 

BIGGEST RISERS: Atlanta (6 spots), Oklahoma City (5 spots), Brooklyn and New Orleans (4 spots), Charlotte, Chicago and Washington (3 spots)

 

BIGGEST FALLERS: San Antonio (8 spots), Sacramento (5 spots), Memphis, Minnesota and New York (4 spots), Houston and Orlando (3 spots)

 

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

 

1 SOUTHWEST 48

2 PACIFIC 69

3 SOUTHEAST 77

4 CENTRAL 82

5 NORTHWEST 90

6 ATLANTIC 99

 

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 WEST 207

2 EAST 258