With the NBA trade deadline near, teams hope to improve their chances of a title run.
The NBA nears the trade deadline and teams continue to jockey for home court advantage in the playoffs. The Western Conference race is up in the air, while the Eastern Conference features many "middle of the pack" teams. Some key players whose names have come up frequently in trade talks has been the Chicago Bulls' forward Andres Nocioni, the Memphis Grizzlies' forward Pau Gasol, the Miami Heat's point guard Jason Williams, Sacramento Kings' forward Ron Artest and Indiana Pacers' forward Jermaine O'Neal.
Here's a look at which teams lead the pack in the race toward the 2008 NBA Title.
January 2008 NBA Power Rankings
- Boston Celtics (33-7) – Four of their seven losses have come in the last month, but they're still holding the league's best record. Fatigue seems to be setting in.
- New Orleans Hornets (29-12) - They've won six straight and have shot up to the best record in the West. They're 11-2 since the December Power Rankings.
- Phoenix Suns (30-13) -- Steve Nash has them playing well, but is coach Mike D'Antoni not resting his stars enough for the playoffs? The Suns don't seem to learn from past mistakes.
- Dallas Mavericks (28-13) -- Jason Terry has moved to the bench and Devin Harris has really picked up his game.
- Detroit Pistons (30-13) - The Pistons have struggled a bit as of late, winning just four of their last ten games.
- San Antonio Spurs (27-13) -- San Antonio hasn't been playing its best basketball recently. However, it's not unusual for them to emerge after the All Star break and into the playoffs. They have the same record as last year after forty games, and last year didn't turn out so badly for them.
- Los Angeles Lakers (27-13) -- The Lakers are doing what they can without Andrew Bynum in the lineup, but Chris Mihm is hurt and Kwame Brown is still recovering and doesn't have the hands Bynum has.
- Orlando Magic (27-17) – They've already sunk more three-pointers than they did all of last season. That's quite a change in dynamics for this young team.
- Denver Nuggets (25-16) – Kenyon Martin's back in the lineup and playing well. Though, who knows how long that will last. Marcus Camby may be the most important player on this team. He's second in the league in boards with 14.5 per game and first in blocked shots with 3.9 per game.
- Portland Trail Blazers (25-17) -- Deadly at home, so-so on the road, but analysts are still baffled as to how they've been winning.
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