NBA power rankings for the start of January

By Rick Morris

NOTES: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 Cleveland (2-3)

2 Golden State (1-1)

3 San Antonio (3-2)

SECOND TIER

4 Houston (9-4)

5 Toronto (5-5)

THIRD TIER

6 LA Clippers (4-6)

7 Utah (11-7)

8 Oklahoma City (10-9)

9 Boston (8-10)

10 Charlotte (12-11)

11 Memphis (7-8)

FOURTH TIER

12 Washington (23-17)

13 Atlanta (13-18)

14 Milwaukee (15-12)

15 New York (19-13)

16 Chicago (6-15)

17 Sacramento (24-22)

18 Denver (20-21)

19 Orlando (21-20)

20 Indiana (14-14)

21 Detroit (18-16)

22 New Orleans (22-25)

23 Portland (17-19)

FIFTH TIER

24 Minnesota (25-26)

25 Los Angeles Lakers (16-23)

26 Miami (27-24)

27 Phoenix (26-27)

28 Dallas (29-29)

29 Philadelphia (30-30)

30 Brooklyn (28-28)

BIGGEST RISERS: Atlanta, Sacramento and Washington (5 spots), Denver and New Orleans (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Indiana (6 spots), Detroit (5 spots), Portland (4 spots), Memphis (3 spots)

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

1 WEST 225

2 EAST 240