BANG NBA Power Rankings: More than 70 games in, there”s the Warriors and… and… and… well, who”s finishing second?


BANG NBA Power Rankings/

1. Warriors. (Previous rank: 1). RPI rank: 1. Hollinger title odds: 46.3%.

-Comment: For this edition of the power rankings, I”ll measure every other top-10 team against the Warriors, because that”s how the playoffs are shaping up. There”s the Warriors, stampeding through the final month of the schedule. Then there”s everybody else, all wondering if they have enough to topple Stephen Curry & Co…

2. Cleveland. (Previous rank: 2.) RPI rank: 9. Hollinger title odds: 18.1%.

-Comment: The Cavaliers are not only the deserving No. 2 on the power list, they”re the team most likely to give the Warriors fits in a playoff series. First, the Warriors have beaten every team in the league this season… except Cleveland with LeBron James in the line-up. (He missed the Warriors” home victory in January.) Second, Cleveland has won its last 15 home games with a healthy LeBron, including that 110-99 victory over the Warriors last month. If these two teams meet in the NBA finals, it could come down to Game 7 at Oracle Arena.

3. Atlanta. (Previous rank: 3.) RPI rank: 3. Hollinger title odds: 6.4%.

-Comment: Two teams on very separate late-season paths. Since walloping the Warriors in Atlanta on Feb. 6, the Hawks have gone 14-9… while the Warriors have gone 21-4. Yes, the Warriors probably would love to see the Hawks knock off Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals.

4.San Antonio. (Previous rank: 7.) RPI rank: 7. Hollinger title odds: 8.6%.

-Comment: Warning sign for the Warriors–Kawhi Leonard is shooting 52.6% and averaging 19.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in March and the Spurs are 11-3 in that span. San Antonio could creep into the 4/5 first-round match-up, which could lead to a dangerous second-round meeting with the Warriors.

5.Memphis. (Previous rank: 4.) RPI rank: 4. Hollinger title odds: 0.7%.

-Comment: The big, burly Grizzlies should”ve been the Warriors” biggest threat this season, but they”re 12-10 since the All-Star break and lately look like they”re playing in very thick–and brick-inducing–mud.

6. Houston. (Previous rank: 5.) RPI rank: 3. Hollinger title odds: 2%.

-Comment: The Rockets have James Harden and Dwight Howard, but now they”ve lost point guard Patrick Beverley for the season. Houston just seems to match up terribly with the Warriors, who swept the season series and probably would sweep a playoff series, too.

7. LA Clippers. (Previous rank: 6.) RPI rank: 5. Hollinger title odds: 11.6%.

-Comment: At their best and most efficient, the Clippers can compete with the Warriors, which they proved in last season”s first-round victory, featuring Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. I wouldn”t expect the Clippers to win a series against the Warriors this season, but they could certainly make it nasty.

8. Portland. (Previous rank: 8.) RPI rank: 6. Hollinger title odds: 2.5%.

-Comment: Chugging along, even without key players, the Trail Blazers are holding onto the fourth seed… and they”re the West playoff team with almost no chance to win a game at Oracle.

9. Oklahoma City. (Previous rank: 9.) RPI rank: 11. Hollinger title odds: 0.4%.

-Comment: Even after losing Kevin Durant for the season, Russell Westbrook is pushing the Thunder in a last gasp attempt chase down Dallas for the seventh slot–the loser gets the eighth slot and a first-round date with the Warriors. Dallas and OKC know this is a big deal.

10. Chicago. (Previous rank: 10.) RPI rank: 10. Hollinger title odds: 1.4%.

-Comment: The Bulls and San Antonio are the only opponents to register victories at Oracle so far this season. That game was with Derrick Rose, who is hurt now, and I don”t think the Bulls are getting out of the East, anyway. But that”s something to remember if they do.

Dropped out: Nobody.

Others considered: Dallas (8 RPI), Toronto (12 RPI), New Orleans (13 RPI).

Warriors direction: If I haven”t made it clear enough by all previous 10 comments, they”re the prohibitive favorites to win the title in June and it may come down to a Curry vs. LeBron showdown. Think ESPN/ABC would like that?One stat: The Warriors 51-7 in games that Andrew Bogut has played, as noted by”s John Schuhmann. If everybody stays healthy, the Warriors are odds-on.

MVP race: Oh, and as I”ve written recently, I believeCurry is the clear favorite to win the MVP, too.

Warriors” upcoming schedule: At LA Clippers on Tuesday, host Phoenix on Thursday, at Dallas on Saturday, at San Antonio on Sunday.

-Notes:We re listing two formula-based tallies for a guide, but the actual rankings are all our own. The RPI (relative percentage index) is computed based on winning percentage, schedule strength and opponents schedule strength. We re listing the teams RPI ranking. Hollinger Playoff and Championship Odds were devised by now-Memphis executive John Hollinger when he worked at ESPN. Rankings and stats are through Monday”s games.


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