The Complex NBA Power Rankings (Week 11)

Record: 4 - 31
Last Week's Rank: 30
Last Week's Results: L @ Detroit 94-109, (Wed); L @ San Antonio 72-102, (Fri); L vs. New Jersey 101-104, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Orlando, Tuesday (3/6); vs. Utah, Wednesday (3/7); vs. New Jersey, Friday (3/9); @ Oklahoma City, Saturday (3/10)

You can forgive Bobcats fans if they feel sorry...for you that is! While partisans of other squads are talking Player Efficiency Ratings and other nerdy stuff, Charlotte fans get to follow a team that just might go down in history. At 4-31, the 'Cats are winning games at a brisk .114% clip, just a shade better than the '72-'73 Sixers' .110 winning percentage. Given the truncated season, Charlotte has a very real chance of notching the fewest wins in league history as well. So go ahead Miami, Chicago, OK City, etc., get hyped about your teams' title chances. Someone wins an NBA championship every year, but a team as bad as this year's Bobcats? That's once in a generation baby. —Jack Erwin

Record: 8 - 28
Last Week's Rank: 29
Last Week's Results: L @ Milwaukee 118-119, (Tue); L vs. Orlando 95-102, (Wed); W vs. Cleveland 101-98, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Golden State, Monday (3/5); vs. LA Lakers, Wednesday (3/7); vs. Portland, Saturday (3/10)

On Wednesday, the Lake Show come into Washington to face the JaVale McGee Show. With all of McGee's antics over the course of the season, is it safe to assume that there will be a bounty to put on Kobe's magical mask? —Jose Martinez

Record: 9 - 28
Last Week's Rank: 28
Last Week's Results: L @ Chicago 95-99, (Tue); L vs. Toronto 84-95, (Wed); W vs. Dallas 97-92, (Fri); L vs. Indiana 84-102, (Sat)
This Week: @ Portland, Monday (3/5); @ Sacramento, Wednesday (3/7); @ Denver, Friday (3/9); @ Minnesota, Saturday (3/10)

New Orleans does everything, they execute in the half court, they run the floor and they play hard. They do everything that is, except win. New Orleans looked downright formidable in a close game against Chicago and actually beat the defending champion Mavericks. While this is a lost season in New Orleans (and we all knew it would be) the future might be bright for Monty Williams and NOLA. The Hornets are a healthy Eric Gordon and rookie sensation away from competing in the West. -Sean Evans

Record: 12 - 25
Last Week's Rank: 27
Last Week's Results: L @ Houston 85-88, (Tue); W @ New Orleans 95-84, (Wed); L vs. Memphis 99-102, (Fri); W @ Golden State 83-75, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Orlando, Monday (3/5); vs. Houston, Wednesday (3/7); @ Detroit, Saturday (3/10); vs. Milwaukee, Sunday (3/11)

Before the break some reports were saying that Andrea Bargnani should be due to return after the break. That's not the case, Toronto's big man hasn't played since January 25 with a calf injury (those things can be tricky). The Raptors have been playing decent by their standards, starting the second half with a .500 record. All this with every contender that needs a starting PG salivating at the chance to land Jose Calderon. It'll be interesting to see if Colangelo blows up this 12-win team or if they decide to stand pat and wait on Andrea's return. —Angel Diaz

Record: 12 - 26
Last Week's Rank: 26
Last Week's Results: L vs. Philadelphia 69-97, (Tue); W vs. Charlotte 109-94, (Wed); L @ Memphis 83-100, (Sat)
This Week: vs. LA Lakers, Tuesday (3/6); vs. Atlanta, Friday (3/9); vs. Toronto, Saturday (3/10)

Want to read something good about the Pistons? Go check out Grantland's oral history of the Malice at the Palace. Otherwise, we got nothing for ya! Unless you want to read about more losses, more letdowns, and more disappointment. Yeah, we didn't think so. —Chris Yuscavage

Record: 12 - 25
Last Week's Rank: 24
Last Week's Results: W vs. Utah 103-96, (Tue); L vs. LA Clippers 100-108, (Thu); L @ LA Lakers 107-115, (Fri); L @ Phoenix 88-96, (Sun);
This Week: @ Denver, Monday (3/5); vs. New Orleans, Wednesday (3/7); vs. Dallas, Friday (3/9); vs. Atlanta, Sunday (3/11)

This quote from interim head coach Keith Smart pretty much sums up Sacramento's season: “Sometimes we score and don't defend and sometimes we defend and don't score.” In other words, they suck. They can't simultaneously do the two things required to win basketball games: play good defense and have effective offense. The Kings score 94 PPG and allow a league's worst 102. You didn't have to be classmates with Jeremy Lin to get the math or figure out why the Kings are the laughing stock of the Pacific division. —Ralph Warner

Record: 12 - 26
Last Week's Rank: 25
Last Week's Results: W @ Dallas 93-92, (Tue); L @ Boston 94-107, (Fri); W @ Charlotte 104-101, (Sun)
This Week: @ Miami, Tuesday (3/6); vs. LA Clippers, Wednesday (3/7); @ Charlotte, Friday (3/9); vs. Houston, Saturday (3/10)

Deron Williams dropped 57 and went 21-21 from the foul line. Yeah, it was against the Bobcats, but the Nets have been looking like a ball club since the All-Star break. D-Will is showing off for Dallas or he's doing it for Howard, either way it's working. They might actually be good if they get Dwight even though they'll have to trade the franchise for him. But wait, Brooke Lopez (who's been on a tear since his return) was seen in crutches after he rolled his right ankle on that surgically repaired foot, not a good look for the trade situation. Jersey has a rough couple games coming up against MIA and Lob City, pray for them. —Angel Diaz

Record: 13 - 22
Last Week's Rank: 22
Last Week's Results: L vs. Boston 83-86, (Tue); L @ New York 103-120, (Wed); L vs. Chicago 91-112, (Fri); L @ Washington 98-101, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Utah, Monday (3/5); @ Denver, Wednesday (3/7); @ Oklahoma City, Friday (3/9); vs. Houston, Sunday (3/11)

We knew Cleveland was destined for a collapse after some early-season success. When Anderson Varejao went out with a broken wrist back in early February, we called it. But, we didn't think things would get this bad this quickly (losing to the Wizards, guys?). And, unfortunately, they're probably only going to get worse with the Jazz, Nuggets, Thunder, and Rockets on deck. Oh well. Is it too early to start talking about the impact that Robert Griffin III is gonna have on the Browns?—Chris Yuscavage

Record: 14 - 20
Last Week's Rank: 23
Last Week's Results: L @ Indiana 78-102, (Tue); W @ Atlanta 85-82, (Wed); L @ Philadelphia 83-105, (Fri); L @ Toronto 83-75, (Sun)
This Week: @ Washington, Monday (3/5); vs. Memphis, Wednesday (3/7); vs. Dallas, Saturday (3/10); @ LA Clippers, Sunday (3/11)

The young, talented and extremely inconsistent Warriors had one major problem lead them to a 1-3 record this week: A lack of scoring. Despite having an average of 97 PPG this season, Golden State was only able to muster an average of 82 points over four games. Their lack of offense is partially due to Steph Curry being sidelined with a strained tendon in his right foot but Mark Jackson admitted that the team should be able to carry on saying, "Monta Ellis is good enough to lead us and we're good enough to win." Mr. "Hand down, man down" is known for emphasizing the importance of defense but all the D in the world doesn't mean much if you can't score. Ayo! —Ralph Warner

Record: 14 - 23
Last Week's Rank: 21
Last Week's Results: W vs. Washington 119-118, (Tue); L @ Boston 96-102, (Wed); L @ Atlanta 94-99, (Fri); L @ Orlando 98-114, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Philadelphia, Monday (3/5); vs. Chicago, Wednesday (3/7); vs. New York, Friday (3/9); @ Toronto, Sunday (3/11)

Three weeks ago, the Bucks looked like a team that had a pretty good chance of making the playoffs. Now? Well, let's just say that they might want to keep a very close eye on the upcoming NCAA Tournament. They're about to have another lottery pick on their hands and they better start deciding how they want to use it.—Chris Yuscavage

Record: 18 - 19
Last Week's Rank: 16
Last Week's Results: L @ Denver 95-104, (Wed); L vs. Miami 93-107, (Thu); L vs. Minnesota 110-122, (Sat)
This Week: vs. New Orleans, Monday (3/5); @ Minnesota, Wednesday (3/7); @ Boston, Friday (3/9); @ Washington, Saturday (3/10)

So much for the whole bipolar thing. The Portland Trail Blazers lost, lost and lost again last week, with two in-division losses bracketing a 14-point beating by the Heat. What's worse is that the Blazers gave up 104, 107 and 122 points. While it seems unlikely opponent's scoring will continue to increase exponentially against the Hornets at the Rose Garden, it appears that the Blazers have more to figure out than Raymond Felton's BMI. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 17 - 19
Last Week's Rank: 19
Last Week's Results: L @ Sacramento 96-103, (Tue); W vs. Houston 104-83, (Wed); W vs. Miami 99-98, (Fri); L @ Dallas 96-102, (Sat)
This Week: @ Cleveland, Monday (3/5); @ Charlotte, Wednesday (3/7); @ Philadelphia, Friday (3/9); @ Chicago, Saturday (3/10)

The Jazz went .500 last week, which would be good if a) they weren't already two games below .500, and b) they didn't have to see Deron Williams score a career-high 57 points as a New Jersey Net. At least they survived the Heat—the Jazz watched LeBron James nearly single-handedly dismantle their double-digit lead before passing on the potential game-winner in favor of an open Udonis Haslem. Haslem missed, the Jazz survived. Games at Cleveland and Charlotte this week could very well get them back to .500, although the following games at Chicago and Philadelphia could put them right back where they started. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 17 - 20
Last Week's Rank: 20
Last Week's Results: W vs. Minnesota 104-95, (Thu); W vs. LA Clippers 81-78, (Fri); W vs. Sacramento 96-88, (Sun)
This Week: @ Oklahoma City, Wednesday (3/7); vs. Dallas, Thursday (3/8); vs. Memphis, Saturday (3/10)

The time off during the All-Star break seems to have rejuvenated the veteran Phoenix Suns who had their first perfect week of basketball this season. Yeah, the victories over the so-so Timberwolves and the terrible Kings aren't really anything to brag about but the W against the Clippers was pretty impressive. Phoenix, who typically allows 96 PPG, held Lob City to a measly 78. With a tough schedule against contenders like OKC, Dallas, and Memphis on the horizon, the old men out West will need to eat all their Wheaties and have some Ensure on deck if they plan on extending this winning streak. —Ralph Warner

Record: 18 - 19
Last Week's Rank: 15
Last Week's Results: W vs. Cleveland 120-103, (Wed); L @ Boston 115-111, (Sun)
This Week: @ Dallas, Tuesday (3/6); @ San Antonio, Wednesday (3/7); @ Milwaukee, Friday (3/9); vs. Philadelphia, Sunday (3/11)

Is Jeremy Lin the future? The boy turns the ball over like a damn fool. Giveaways are the Knicks worst enemy and until they fix that, it's going to be a long second half in the city. Despite 22 TOs the Knicks fought valiantly against Boston yesterday and Melo and Amar'e are starting to play like stars again. This next few weeks are going to be the toughest stretch of the season for New York. Hopefully, that "mini-training camp" this past week pays dividends in the long run. —Angel Diaz

Record: 19 - 17
Last Week's Rank: 18
Last Week's Results: W @ Cleveland 86-83, (Tue); W vs. Milwaukee 102-96, (Wed); W vs. New Jersey 107-94, (Fri); W vs. New York 115-111, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Houston, Tuesday (3/6); @ Philadelphia, Wednesday (3/7); vs. Portland, Friday (3/9); @ LA Lakers, Sunday (3/11)

The Celtics have been here before. Going into the break, they dropped five straight and people started to question whether they should start rebuilding. Rondo has been dealing with trade rumors all year and they still start the second half of the season with four wins in a row. He also dropped a triple-double on the Knicks that mere mortals such as ourselves have only seen accomplished two other times (Big O and Wilt). The line? 18 points, 17 boards, 20 dimes. We dare Boston to trade that. Shit is only going to get realer, let's see if the old-timers can survive this week. —Angel Diaz

Record: 19 - 19
Last Week's Rank: 17
Last Week's Results: W @ LA Clippers 109-97, (Tue); L @ LA Lakers 85-104, (Wed); L @ Phoenix 95-104, (Thu); W @ Portland 122-110, (Sat)
This Week: vs. LA Clippers, Monday (3/5); vs. Portland, Wednesday (3/7); vs. LA Lakers, Friday (3/9); vs. New Orleans, Saturday (3/10)

At the rate they're going, the Timberwolves might be able to tread water right into second place in the Northwest. Both the Jazz and the Blazers have dropped below .500—the Blazers courtesy of a 122-110 Wolves win behind a season-high 42 points from Kevin Love—although three straight wins have the Nuggets back up to 21-17, with easier games to come. Then again, as long as Ricky Rubio keeps on setting 'em up, and Love keeps knocking 'em down, .500 should be the floor, not the ceiling. Things stay familiar this week, as they play the Lakers, Clippers and Blazers again, along with the Hornets. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 21 - 17
Last Week's Rank: 11
Last Week's Results: W vs. Toronto 88-85, (Tue); L @ Utah 83-104, (Wed); L vs. Denver 105-117, (Fri); vs. LA Clippers, Sunday (3/4)
This Week: @ Boston, Tuesday (3/6); @ Toronto, Wednesday (3/7); @ New Jersey, Saturday (3/10); @ Cleveland, Sunday (3/11)

The Rockets have had an unpredictably successful season so far—but don't get it twisted—they need to out hustle and out work every team they play in order to win. This week Houston looked downright lazy in losses to Utah and Denver and had their hearts broken in an overtime loss to the Clippers Sunday night in a game that had 24 lead changes. Kyle Lowry and Co. have 7 of their next 8 games on the road. If effort continues to be a question mark, then Houston could easily slip off of the playoff bubble in a highly competitive Western Conference. —Sean Evans

Record: 21 - 17
Last Week's Rank: 14
Last Week's Results: W vs. Portland 104-95, (Wed); W @ Houston 117-105, (Fri); W @ San Antonio 99-94, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Sacramento, Monday (3/5); vs. Cleveland, Wednesday (3/7); vs. New Orleans, Friday (3/9); vs. Memphis, Sunday (3/11)

Three games, three wins—just what the Nuggets needed. Capping things off with a big win at San Antonio (as Ty Lawson missed a triple-double by a single rebound) was just the icing on the cake. And next week should see them put a little more distance on their non-Thunder Northwest counterparts, with games against Sacramento, Cleveland, New Orleans and Memphis. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 22 - 15
Last Week's Rank: 12
Last Week's Results: L vs. Golden State 82-85, (Wed); W vs. Milwaukee 99-94, (Fri); W vs. Oklahoma City 97-90, (Sat)
This Week: @ Indiana, Tuesday (3/6); @ Miami, Wednesday (3/7); @ Detroit, Friday (3/9); @ Sacramento, Sunday (3/11)

With their win over the tough Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, will people finally take notice of the team in Atlanta? While they remain in a tight race for second place in the Southeast Division with the Magic, the Hawks have a good chance of winning all their games this coming week. Yeah, we see that they're playing Miami. But the Heat should be the ones doing all the sweating because they're 1-2 this season against the Josh Smith & Co. —Jose Martinez

Record: 22 - 16
Last Week's Rank: 10
Last Week's Results: W @ Detroit 97-68, (Tue); L vs. Oklahoma City 88-92, (Wed); W vs. Golden State 105-83, (Fri); L vs. Chicago 96-91, (Sun)
This Week: @ Milwaukee, Monday (3/5); vs. Boston, Wednesday (3/7); vs. Utah, Friday (3/9); @ New York, Sunday (3/11)

Philly is still hanging around the top half of the East with a .500 start to the second half. They lost to two contenders in the Thunder and the Bulls, though. Not having a go-to-guy down the stretch cost them both games and that's going to be more apparent come playoff time. On the flip side, the Sixers play true team ball and excellent defense, a testament to Doug Collins. They play Boston on Wednesday, time to man up. —Angel Diaz

Record: 22 - 16
Last Week's Rank: 5
Last Week's Results: L vs. New Jersey 92-93, (Tue); L @ Memphis 85-96, (Wed); L @ New Orleans 92-97, (Fri); W vs. Utah 102-96, (Sat)
This Week: @ Oklahoma City, Monday (3/5); vs. New York, Tuesday (3/6); @ Phoenix, Thursday (3/8); @ Sacramento, Friday (3/9); @ Golden State, Saturday (3/10)

No team in the NBA came out of the break worse than the Mavs. Not only did Dallas drop games to the lowly Nets AND Hornets this week, but Lamar Odom continued his soap opera season, apologizing to his teammates for his highly scrutinized absence from the team. The Mavericks have had other bad stretches this season and have, so far, been able to regain their championship form. Dallas fans should take solace in their team's win Sunday night against Utah with a season-high 40 points from Dirk and a strong second half from Odom. —Sean Evans

Record: 23 - 12
Last Week's Rank: 9
Last Week's Results: W vs. Golden State 102-78, (Tue); W @ New Orleans 102-84, (Sat)
This Week: @ Chicago, Monday (3/5); vs. Atlanta, Tuesday (3/6); @ Miami, Saturday (3/10)

Last week was like a vacation for the Pacers. They only played two games and those games were against the Warriors and Hornets, so we're not even sure they actually count as two full games. But we hope they enjoyed it because they've got a much tougher road this week. And what they do against the Bulls, Hawks, and Heat will tell us a lot about where they're at as a team right now. Win two out of three? We'll consider 'em Eastern Conference contenders. But, lose two out of three? They're back on the pretenders list. The vacation is over, fellas. Time to get back to work. —Chris Yuscavage

Record: 22 - 15
Last Week's Rank: 13
Last Week's Results: W vs. Dallas 96-85, (Wed); W @ Toronto 102-99, (Fri); W vs. Detroit 100-83, (Sat)
This Week: @ Golden State, Wednesday (3/7); @ Phoenix, Saturday (3/10); @ Denver, Sunday (3/11)

The Grizz have officially kicked in the damn door on the Western Conference playoff picture. The hottest team in the West has won 10 of their last 12 games and looked damn good doing it. It would probably surprise the casual NBA fan to learn that the Grizzlies have as many wins as the Mavs and Clippers and they're about to welcome back their best player. Zach Randolph could return as early as this week and with 7 of their next 9 games against teams below .500, Memphis might be the next team to be labeled “title contender.” —Sean Evans

Record: 22 - 13
Last Week's Rank: 6
Last Week's Results: L vs. Minnesota 97-109, (Tue); W @ Sacramento 108-100, (Thu); L @ Phoenix 78-81, (Fri); W @ Houston 105-103, (Sun)
This Week: @ Minnesota, Monday (3/5); @ New Jersey, Wednesday (3/7); @ San Antonio, Friday (3/9); vs. Golden State, Sunday (3/11)

It was a mediocre week for the Lob City crew as they dropped games to teams like the .500 Timberwolves and 17-20 Suns. Going 2-2 for the week has put the Clippers into a tie for the Pacific Division lead with the Lake Show. Was it just an off week or something more? Hmmm...we say their change of luck probably has something to do with the way the front office has treated Clipper Darrell. Karma's the baddest bitch. Trina, who? —Ralph Warner

Record: 23 - 14
Last Week's Rank: 8
Last Week's Results: W vs. Minnesota 104-85, (Wed); W vs. Sacramento 115-107, (Fri); W vs. Miami 83-93, (Sun)
This Week: @ Detroit, Tuesday (3/6); @ Washington, Wednesday (3/7); @ Minnesota, Friday (3/9); vs. Boston, Sunday (3/11)

Don't make Kobe Bryant angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry. After having his nose broken and suffering a concussion in the All-Star Game, the Black Mamba turned into the Black Jason and started slaying all opponents in his way. Bryant scored 30-plus points and shot 54.3% from the field in three games this week. The highlight of the week and arguably the pinnacle of the season thus far came in Sunday's victory over Miami. It was the first time the Lake Show was able to beat the Heat since the Big Three got together in the summer of 2010 (though Chris Bosh did not play on Sunday due to a death in the family). The Lakers are now tied with the Clippers atop the Pacific Division and the trade rumor drama seems to have calmed down a bit. What a difference a mask makes. —Ralph Warner

Record: 24 - 14
Last Week's Rank: 7
Last Week's Results: W @ Washington 102-95, (Wed); L vs. Oklahoma City 102-105, (Thu); W vs. Milwaukee 114-98, (Sat)
This Week: @ Toronto, Monday (3/5); @ Charlotte, Tuesday (3/6); @ Chicago, Thursday (3/8); vs. Indiana, Sunday (3/11)

The Magic are repprtedly pursuing the Warriors' Monta Ellis in an effort to convince Dwight Howard to stay in Disney World. While that's a deal looking toward the team's long-term goals, how does it affect their short-term priorities? Orlando is in need of a bonafide scorer who wants the rock and is not scared to shoot it 20 times per game. If the team can learn to adapt to Ellis' style of play early (provided they, you know, actually get him), this team should be scary come playoff time. —Jose Martinez

Record: 25 - 11
Last Week's Rank: 4
Last Week's Results: L vs. Chicago 89-96, (Wed); W vs. Charlotte 102-72, (Fri); L vs. Denver 99-94, Sunday (3/4)
This Week: vs. New York, Wednesday (3/7); vs. LA Clippers, Friday (3/9)

It took over two months for Los Spurs to lose two home games, but they dropped a pair this week. San Antonio ran into a buzz saw from Chicago in their first game after the break and lost a close one Sunday night to the Nuggets. Manu Ginobili didn't look particularly sharp in his return to the team Sunday but showed flashes of brilliance with a couple highlight-worthy passes. This week was a minor setback but the Spurs are still one of the NBA's elite teams. With eight of their next ten games against playoff-caliber opponents we'll see how long they can stay that way. —Sean Evans

Record: 28 - 9
Last Week's Rank: 1
Last Week's Results: W @ Portland 107-93, (Thu); L @ Utah 98-99, (Fri); L @ LA Lakers 83-93, (Sun)
This Week: vs. New Jersey, Tuesday (3/6); vs. Atlanta, Wednesday (3/7); vs. Indiana, Saturday (3/10)

With back-to-back losses last week, is it time for the Heat to start hitting the panic button? Hell no! A Tuesday showdown with New Jersey should get the team back on track. Sorry, Nets fans. Chris Bosh returns to the Heat today after missing three games due to the death of his grandmother, and unlike last year when the team performed adequately even with his ghost performances, Miami looks like they need CB to be the well-oiled machine (II) that they were throughout the early parts of this season. —Jose Martinez

Record: 29 - 8
Last Week's Rank: 2
Last Week's Results: W @ Philadelphia 92-88, (Wed); W @ Orlando 105-102, (Thu); L @ Atlanta 90-97, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Dallas, Monday (3/5); vs. Phoenix, Wednesday (3/7); vs. Cleveland, Friday (3/9); vs. Charlotte, Saturday (3/10)

Well, the Oklahoma City Thunder will easily become the first Western Conference team to hit the 30-win mark this season, either on Monday at home against the Mavs or—well, let's just assume they'll do it Monday. They had what qualifies as a rough week last week, going 2-1 with close wins over the Sixers and Magic and a seven-point loss to the Hawks, only breaking 100 in the comeback win against Orlando. Next week it's all home cooking, against the aforementioned Mavericks along with the Suns, the Cavs and the hapless Bobcats. Poor Bobcats. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 31 - 8
Last Week's Rank: 3
Last Week's Results: W vs. New Orleans 99-95, (Tue); W @ San Antonio 96-89, (Wed); W @ Cleveland 112-91, (Fri); W @ Philadelphia 96-91, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Indiana, Monday (3/5); @ Milwaukee, Wednesday (3/7); vs. Orlando, Thursday (3/8); vs. Utah, Saturday (3/10)

Did you hear that loud gasp coming out of Chicago on Wednesday night? That was the sound of millions and millions of Bulls fans holding their breath as Derrick Rose laid writhing in pain on the floor in San Antonio holding his knee. Fortunately, though, he turned out to be just fine. And so did the Bulls, who won all four of their games this week to start the second half of the season off right. And, as long as D-Rose stays healthy, we have no reason to believe that that success won't continue.—Chris Yuscavage