NBA power rankings for start of January

By Rick Morris

NOTES: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 Milwaukee (2-2)

SECOND TIER

2 LA Lakers (1-1)

THIRD TIER

3 Denver (4-9)

4 Miami (5-4)

5 Boston (6-6)

6 LA Clippers (7-5)

FOURTH TIER

7 Houston (10-10)

8 Toronto (3-8)

9 Utah (12-12)

10 Dallas (9-7)

11 Philadelphia (8-3)

12 Indiana (11-11)

FIFTH TIER

13 Oklahoma City (19-18)

14 Brooklyn (14-13)

SIXTH TIER

15 San Antonio (23-20)

16 Portland (20-22)

17 Orlando (18-15)

18 Phoenix (16-14)

19 Chicago (15-23)

20 Memphis (25-24)

21 Charlotte (21-21)

22 Minnesota (13-19)

23 Sacramento (17-16)

24 Detroit (22-17)

25 New Orleans (26-26)

26 Cleveland (27-28)

27 Washington (24-25)

SEVENTH TIER

28 New York (29-29)

29 Golden State (30-30)

EIGHTH TIER

30 Atlanta (28-27)

BIGGEST RISERS: Denver and Portland (6 spots), Oklahoma City and San Antonio (5 spots), Chicago and Memphis (4 spots), Houston and Utah (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Philadelphia (8 spots), Detroit and Sacramento (7 spots), Phoenix (4 spots), Dallas and Minnesota (3 spots)

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

1 WEST 228

2 EAST 247