NBA power rankings for start of December

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Start of season rankings are in parentheses.

FIRST TIER

1 Miami (2)

2 New York (10)

3 San Antonio (4)

4 Memphis (6)

5 Oklahoma City (3)

6 Brooklyn (14)

SECOND TIER

7 LA Clippers (5)

8 Golden State (23)

9 Atlanta (13)

10 Philadelphia (15)

11 Chicago (9)

THIRD TIER

12 Boston (8)

13 Milwaukee (19)

14 LA Lakers (1)

15 Houston (16)

16 Utah (18)

17 Indiana (7)

18 Denver (12)

19 Dallas (11)

20 Minnesota (20)

21 Charlotte (30)

FOURTH TIER

22 Phoenix (25)

23 Portland (17)

24 Orlando (27)

25 Detroit (26)

26 Sacramento (28)

27 Toronto (24)

28 Cleveland (21)

29 New Orleans (22)

FIFTH TIER

30 Washington (29)

BIGGEST RISERS: Golden State (15 spots), Charlotte (9 spots), Brooklyn and New York (8 spots), Milwaukee (6 spots), Philadelphia (5 spots), Atlanta (4 spots), Orlando and Phoenix (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: LA Lakers (13 spots), Indiana (10 spots), Dallas (8 spots), Cleveland and New Orleans (7 spots), Denver and Portland (6 spots), Boston (4 spots), Toronto (3 spots)

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

1 ATLANTIC 57

2 SOUTHWEST 70

3 PACIFIC 77

4 NORTHWEST 82

5 SOUTHEAST 85

6 CENTRAL 94

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 WEST 229

2 EAST 236

Lounge on YouTube: Mini-Episode #219 – NFL Week 13 fantasy football

By Rick Morris

Here is the 219th mini-episode of THE FDH LOUNGE with THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER.  In this one, we preview the NFL Week 13 fantasy football landscape.

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Lounge on YouTube: 2012 NFL Week 13 picks

By Rick Morris

Here is Mini-Episode #218 of THE FDH LOUNGE, a preview of the NFL Week 13 slate with FDH Lounge Dignitary Kyle Ross.

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NCAA Week 14 picks

By Rick Morris

NOTE: 2-3 last week, 40-25 for the season

Alabama -7 ½ over Georgia

Nebraska -3 over Wisconsin

Baylor +5 over Oklahoma State

TCU +6 over Oklahoma

Texas +10 ½ over Kansas State

NFL Week 13 power rankings

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Previous weeks’ rankings in parentheses, Week 1 to present.

TOP TIER

1 Houston (2-2-3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-1-1)

2 Atlanta (7-3-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-3-2)

3 New England (3-1-7-9-4-4-7-7-7-7-5-3)

4 San Francisco (10-4-1-5-3-3-6-6-6-6-6-5)

5 New York Giants (5-9-5-3-7-7-5-5-5-5-7-7)

6 Chicago (8-7-9-7-6-5-3-3-3-3-2-6)

7 Green Bay (1-5-4-4-8-11-4-4-4-4-4-4)

8 Baltimore (6-6-6-6-5-6-8-8-8-8-8-8)

9 Denver (21-12-14-17-15-18-10-9-9-9-9-9)

SECOND TIER

10 Seattle (11-17-17-13-17-15-9-10-11-11-10-10)

11 Indianapolis (24-26-25-29-27-20-25-21-13-12-12-12)

12 Tampa Bay (26-23-19-23-25-25-23-27-18-14-13-13)

13 Pittsburgh (9-10-8-11-13-9-12-11-10-10-11-11)

THIRD TIER

14 Cincinnati (18-21-20-15-11-13-24-25-25-24-20-18)

15 Minnesota (30-28-29-22-14-8-11-12-14-16-14-15)

16 New Orleans (19-19-23-30-30-27-27-24-27-26-15-14)

17 Washington (29-20-21-25-18-21-16-19-22-22-25-21)

18 Dallas (16-8-12-10-16-17-21-17-20-20-16-16)

19 Miami (27-30-28-31-29-19-13-13-12-13-18-23)

20 San Diego (12-15-11-14-12-14-18-16-17-15-17-17)

21 St. Louis (28-27-26-27-21-16-20-22-26-25-22-25)

22 Detroit (17-14-18-20-22-23-22-26-19-17-19-22)

23 Tennessee (13-16-22-18-24-30-26-18-21-27-21-19)

24 Buffalo (14-24-24-19-20-24-19-23-23-21-26-24)

FOURTH TIER

25 Carolina (15-18-13-21-23-29-29-29-29-28-28-28)

26 New York Jets (20-13-15-16-19-22-17-20-24-23-24-20)

27 Arizona (23-22-16-8-9-10-14-15-16-19-27-26)

28 Philadelphia (4-11-10-12-10-12-15-14-15-18-23-27)

29 Cleveland (32-32-32-32-32-32-31-31-30-30-30-30)

30 Oakland (25-29-31-26-28-28-28-28-28-29-29-29)

31 Jacksonville (31-31-30-28-31-31-32-32-32-32-32-31)

32 Kansas City (22-25-27-24-26-26-30-30-31-31-31-32)

BIGGEST RISERS: Cincinnati, Miami, St. Louis and Washington (4 spots), Carolina (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: New York Jets (6 spots), Tennessee (4 spots), Green Bay and San Diego (3 spots)

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

1 NFC North 50

2 NFC South 55

3 NFC West 62

4 AFC North 64

5 AFC South 66

6 NFC East 68

7 AFC East 72

8 AFC West 91

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 NFC 235

2 AFC 293