Our new edition of the NBA Standings is here! See if anything has shaken up the NBA rankings in the Eastern and Western conferences, as we look at the top teams leading the way to the playoffs.
March Madness is still in full swing, but I haven't forgotten about the NBA betting in the slightest.
Lets see how the rankings have changed. Check out our top fives and see if they can help you make your NBA picks going forward.
Here are my top fives in each conference.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Chicago Bulls (38-10 SU, 28-19 ATS)
This injury thing is getting a little ridiculous for the Chicago Bulls (Derrick
Rose and Rip Hamilton are banged up again) but a sign of a great team is one
that can fill in the missing pieces and still win games. Over the last 10 days
the Bulls have beaten Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia and New York.
Miami Heat (33-11 SU, 22-22 ATS)
The Miami Heat rank in the top ten in both scoring and points
allowed, which of course is always a good situation to be in if you're after
balance. They have quite a tricky schedule coming up though, including a
showdown you won't want to miss against Kevin Durant and the Thunder.
Orlando Magic (29-18 SU, 25-21 ATS)
So the Magic just managed only 59 points against the Bulls.
59! They've lost three of their last four, but those losses came to three of
the best teams in the league in Chicago, Miami and San Antonio. Expect better
with two very winnable home games on tap next.
Indiana Pacers (25-18 SU, 20-23 ATS)
I'm sticking to my guns and keeping the Pacers in the
rankings, even though they're 2-6 (3-5 ATS) over their last eight games.
Another bad week and they're destined to be left out.
Boston Celtics (24-21 SU, 19-25 ATS)
Boston's humungous road trip comes to an end on Friday and
Doc Rivers gets rewarded with a home game against the Wizards a couple days
later. That's an awesome way to celebrate being back at TD Garden. There are,
however, still lingering questions about depth considering Chris Wilcox is out
for the season and Jermaine O'Neal can't seem to stay healthy.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Oklahoma City Thunder (34-11 SU, 25-20 ATS)
In unusual fashion for the Oklahoma City Thunder, they've alternated wins
and losses over their past seven contests. Three of their next four games are
at home though, including that matchup with the Heat this coming Sunday.
San Antonio Spurs (29-14 SU, 25-17-1 ATS)
San Antonio's second unit is more talented than a few
tarting lineups out there in the NBA. That's helped Gregg Popovich rest his
older guys ahead of another possible run at the title. The San Antonio Spurs are 3-1 SU and
ATS over their previous four.
L.A. Lakers (28-17 SU, 21-24 ATS)
The Lakers saw their winning streak come to a crashing halt
with a weird home loss to Utah, in which Kobe made only 3-of-20 shots. They did
make a couple moves before the deadline, picking up Ramon Sessions and Jordan
Hill and dropping Derek Fisher. Let's see how it all works out.
L.A. Clippers (26-18 SU, 22-22 ATS)
Bringing in Nick Young to score the basketball was a good
move for a team that's really struggling offensively. You'd think with Chris
Paul running the show that things would be different, but the Clippers haven't
topped the century mark in six consecutive games.
Dallas Mavericks (27-20 SU, 23-23 ATS)
The Grizzlies fell off a
little bit so I'm plugging Dallas back in. The Mavs have won four in a row,
including two impressive victories over San Antonio and Denver. A lot of credit
should go to the less-heralded guys such as Rodrigue Beaubois, who's logged
double-digit scoring in five straight.