1. *San Antonio (40-12)—The Spurs are the team with the best fundamentally sound big man in the game, exciting guard play, and strong defense. The Spurs are early favorites with their consistent play.
2. *Phoenix (41-13)—A definite surprise here, but they are one of the most exciting teams to watch. Steve Nash is the perfect man to run the offense, as the Suns are loaded with young athletic talent. Will they flameout come playoff time like other high offense, no defense teams (Dallas Mavericks)?
3. *Seattle (35-15)—Another surprise here as well. Ray Allen is finally getting the attention that he deserves. Second-year point guard Luke Ridnour has upped his game. The Sonics are getting solid production from their reserves up front too.
4. Dallas (35-16)—Dirk Nowitzki is probably the best shooting big man in the league. The signing of Eric Dampier has made up for his lack of defense. If Josh Howard can begin to play consistently, the Mavericks could be dangerous.
5. Sacramento (33-20)—Where have all the All-Stars gone? Traditional powerhouse Sacramento was not represented in Denver for the first time since 1989. Maybe it’s because they have been playing worse as a whole from last year.
6. Houston (32-21)—Tracy McGrady is doing what Steve Francis could not: carrying the Rockets. The Rockets are also getting good play from their role player. All that’s left is for Yao to hopefully take it to the next level.
7. Memphis (30-23)—Memphis is solid but not spectacular in any one area. Pau Gasol will be needing help down the stretch if Memphis is to go far.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (26-24)—Kobe Bryant’s ankle seems to be healed, but the Lakers will need more than that to stay in the eighth seed. Lamar Odom’s style doesn’t mesh well with Kobe’s, which is causing problems. A possible trade for Peja Stojakovic might solve things.
9. Minnesota (27-27)—The Timberwolves have been a disappointment all season. Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell aren’t playing near last season’s levels, and KG is showing signs of wear. Fans are counting on new coach Kevin McHale to get them in a playoff spot.
10. Denver (24-29)—The early loss of Voshon Leonard hurt. K-Mart was brought in to defend and rebound, but his rebounds and blocked shots are down from last year. Denver looks to be out unless something can spark their play.
11. Los Angeles Clippers (23-30)—Outside of Elton Brand, the Clippers have a lot of young talent and potential that just needs time to develop. But hasn’t that been the case for the last five years?
12. Portland (21-30)—With all the internal and external problems this team has, no wonder it’s near the bottom of the standings. One bright spot is the recent surprising play of center Joel Pryzbilla.
13. Utah (17-35)—After starting strong, the Jazz have gone off-key. Injuries have hampered star Andrei Kirilenko. The high-priced acquisition of Carlos hasn’t proved itself.
14. Golden State (15-38)—High-flying Jason Richardson is having a good year, but the Warriors are banking on Mike Dunleavy to take them to the next level. It could be a while.
15. New Orleans (11-42)—The poor Hornets went from playoffs to last place. Baron Davis’ injuries have killed this team. Even if they were still in the East, it wouldn’t matter.
