NBA power rankings for start of season

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Final 2011-12 regular season rankings are in parentheses.

FIRST TIER

1 LA Lakers (5)

2 Miami (3)

3 Oklahoma City (2)

SECOND TIER

4 San Antonio (4)

5 LA Clippers (8)

6 Memphis (16)

THIRD TIER

7 Indiana (7)

8 Boston (10)

FOURTH TIER

9 Chicago (1)

10 New York (17)

11 Dallas (11)

12 Denver (13)

13 Atlanta (9)

14 Brooklyn (24)

15 Philadelphia (15)

16 Houston (12)

17 Portland (20)

18 Utah (14)

19 Milwaukee (18)

20 Minnesota (21)

FIFTH TIER

21 Cleveland (27)

22 New Orleans (28)

SIXTH TIER

23 Golden State (22)

24 Toronto (26)

25 Phoenix (19)

26 Detroit (25)

27 Orlando (6)

28 Sacramento (23)

29 Washington (29)

SEVENTH TIER

30 Charlotte (30)

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

1 SOUTHWEST 59

2 NORTHWEST 69

3 ATLANTIC 71

4T CENTRAL 82

4T PACIFIC 82

6 SOUTHEAST 100

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 WEST 200

2 EAST 253