2014 NBA Power Rankings: Week 23

2014 NBA Power Rankings: Week 23 : Just about a week remains in the 2013-14 NBA regular season, and with the entire league taking a break on Monday because of the NCAA tournament title game, it is the perfect time for one final addition of power rankings before the playoffs begin. A lot has changed has since I last updated the rankings shortly after the All-Star break, including former frontrunners Indiana and Portland dealing with some rough patches. With that in mind, here is an updated look at the top five title contenders in the NBA heading into Week 23 of the regular season.

1.      Oklahoma City Thunder (55-21)

Kevin Durant and company may not have the best record in the Western Conference, but after snapping San Antonio’s 19-game winning streak, it’s tough to ignore what the Thunder have been able to do against the Spurs. Oklahoma City is now 4-0 against San Antonio this year, and the Thunder have been responsible for ending the Spurs’ two-longest winning streaks of the season.

2.      San Antonio Spurs (60-17)

Even though their 19-game winning streak came to an end, the Spurs are still cruising to the best record in the NBA. San Antonio has already wrapped up its fourth 60-win season under Greg Popovich, and he has his team playing excellent basketball on both sides of the court. The Spurs currently rank seventh in the NBA in points per game and second in field goal percentage. They are also allowing the fourth-fewest points per game. San Antonio’s record says it is the best team in the NBA, but the team’s 0-4 record against Oklahoma City is a bit concerning. Even though the Spurs would likely have home-court advantage if a showdown with the Thunder were to occur, Durant and company have had San Antonio’s number so far.

3.      Miami Heat (53-23)

It hasn’t been the smoothest second half for Miami, but the two-time defending champs are still in the driver’s seat to land home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference thanks to Indiana’s implosion. Dwyane Wade’s health could end up being the determining factor in whether or not the Heat three-peat, but even without him, they could at least reach the finals the way things look with the rest of the conference. After all, the Heat lead the NBA in field goal percentage and rank in the top 10 in scoring defense. When LeBron James goes in attack mode and Miami gets after it on defense, they are still a force to be reckoned with.

4.      Los Angeles Clippers (55-23)

With Chris Paul and Blake Griffin both playing MVP-caliber basketball, the Clippers currently lead the NBA in scoring and rank third in field goal percentage. They have been particularly tough to slow down at home where they have a league-low six losses. Los Angeles has already wrapped up the Pacific Division and has the third-best record in the NBA. Unfortunately, the third-best record in the NBA is also the third-best record in the Western Conference so the Clippers would likely have to get by Oklahoma City and San Antonio without having home-court advantage in either series. That’s a tall order for any team.

5.      Houston Rockets (51-25)

Houston’s offense has been explosive all year, and the Rockets currently rank second in the NBA in scoring and 3-pointers made per game. At full strength, Houston is a tough matchup for just about any opponent. After all, not many teams have an explosive perimeter scorer like James Harden and an inside presence like Dwight Howard. Throw in Chandler Parsons and plenty of other 3-point gunners, and the Rockets can flat out score. However, Houston has to deal with the loaded Western Conference, and despite owning the fifth-best record in the NBA, the Rockets are at best going to the No. 4 seed come playoff time. Throw in the fact that Howard has been dealing with injuries down the stretch, and Houston’s situation is far from ideal despite having plenty of talented pieces in place.

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