NBA power rankings for mid-January

By Rick Morris

NOTES: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 Golden State (1-1-1)

2 Boston (2-4-2)

3 Houston (3-3-3)

4 San Antonio (6-5-5)

5 Toronto (9-7-6)

6 Cleveland (5-2-4)

7 Minnesota (7-14-7)

SECOND TIER

8 Miami (20-18-11)

9 Washington (8-12-9)

10 Detroit (4-6-8)

11 Oklahoma City (18-19-10)

12 Denver (10-9-12)

13 Portland (13-8-13)

14 New Orleans (12-15-15)

15 Milwaukee (16-11-14)

16 LA Clippers (24-23-19)

17 Philadelphia (15-10-17)

18 Indiana (22-16-18)

THIRD TIER

19 Phoenix (25-24-22)

20 Dallas (29-29-23)

21 Chicago (27-30-21)

22 New York (17-17-16)

23 Utah (19-13-20)

24 Charlotte (23-22-24)

25 Brooklyn (26-25-25)

26 Memphis (14-27-27)

27 LA Lakers (21-21-29)

28 Sacramento (28-26-26)

FOURTH TIER

29 Orlando (11-20-28)

30 Atlanta (30-28-30)

BIGGEST RISERS: Dallas, Miami, LA Clippers and Phoenix (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: New York (6 spots), Utah (3 spots)

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

1 WEST 224

2 EAST 240