As the NBA takes a break from the season for its All-Star weekend, I am taking a break from the weekly routine. I've decided to use my list this week to show where I think the NBA teams will stand at the end of April. I've decided to take the guesswork out of deciding which teams will be bound for the postseason and what teams will be missing out. Take a look at my end-of-the-year rankings today.
BIGGEST RISE: Boston from 5th to 1st.
BIGGEST FALL: Indiana from 22nd to 28th.
(Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking from CheChe23's previous week. —RTW)
| CheChe23's Power Rankings: February 13, 2008 | |||
| TEAM | RK (LW) | W-L | COMMENT |
 | 1 (5) | 66-14 | Maybe Garnett will be out for a while, but it doesn't seem like it's bothering the Celtics. And don't knock the fact that Boston is playing in the East because they are 16-0 against Western competition. These guys will only be satisfied if they enter the playoffs with the best record in basketball. |
 | 2 (6) | 56-26 | Dallas needs to win a couple of tough games to make it into the playoffs with the No. 1 overall seed in the Western Conference for the second year in a row. Sitting with 17 losses today, losing just seven games the rest of the year would be more of an accomplishment than their 67 wins of a season ago. |
 | 3 (7) | 55-27 | The Lakers will fall short of the best record in the West, but Kobe Bryant will take the MVP for where he takes the Lakers. The Pau Gasol trade may go down as one of the worst trades of all-time if the Lakers can make it to the NBA Finals. |
 | 4 (2) | 54-28 | Utah's offense along with their no-joke defense will get the Jazz to the top of the standings when the season ends. It's hard to imagine the Jazz finishing ahead of the Spurs and Pistons, but Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are finally finding the space to work with Kyle Korver spreading the defense. |
 | 5 (9) | 53-29 | San Antonio lost 24 games last year before winning the title, can they do it again losing 29? The Spurs are seeking a Championship title, not a regular season crown. |
 | 6 (1) | 53-29 | Detroit finished 53-29 last season and will fall somewhere near there again this year. The Pistons rank sixth even though they are the second best team in the Eastern Conference, but they've got their sights set on upsetting Boston and reaching the NBA finals for the third time in the last five years. |
 | 7 (3) | 52-30 | Shaq should return soon, but it might take this team a while to get adjusted. This team won't be worried about losing a few games, but by doing so they might just miss out on having home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. |
 | 8 (5) | 51-31 | The Hornets won't be seen as the West's elite this season, but it won't be long before we're seeing N.O. as the No. 1 team. Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler and David West have developed into a solid Big Three. A playoff appearance will be nice for Hornets experience. |
 | 9 (13) | 50-32 | Carmelo Anthony should do his best to audition for second half MVP, but the Nuggets weren't able to stay healthy enough to win the Northwest. If Denver can get healthy by playoff time -- Anthony, Iverson and Camby will have to play giant killer starting from round one. |
 | 10 (12) | 49-33 | The Magic will need to get Jameer Nelson a better wingman than J.J. Redick. Orlando's big three of Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu are good enough to get the Magic out of round one, but what about round two? |
OUTSIDE THE TOP 10:
11. Toronto Raptors (49-33): Toronto is playoff bound thanks to Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon, but they could make a run once they're playing in the post season thanks to T. J. Ford, Jorge Garbajosa, Carlos Delfino and Jamario Moon.
12. Houston Rockets (48-34): Houston has won 11 of their last 12 and are on pace to close in on the eighth and final playoff spot. If Houston can stay healthy, they should be a scare for anyone come playoff time.
13. Golden State Warriors (45-37): The Warriors will end up as the one left out when all is said and done as a result of the deep and talented Western Conference. It will take big wins during a tough April schedule in order for Golden State to outlast Houston.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers (45-37): LeBron will enter the playoffs knowing that this team won't make it as far as they did a year ago. James will finish as an MVP-candidate for his statistical greatness. But Cleveland lacks that supporting star and solid leadership at point which will result in a quick exit from the playoffs.
15. Portland Trail Blazers (44-38): The Blazers need to make another unthinkable run during their March push for the playoffs if they want to make their unthinkable first half mean something. Don't be surprised if the Blazers fall back to earth, the team has long term goals.
16. Washington Wizards (40-42): Washington is expected to get Gilbert Arenas back in March and they need him. The Wizards have lost eight straight games, they are sliding down the playoff ladder.
17. Chicago Bulls (36-46): The Bulls are lucky that they play a weak schedule to close out the year. And coupled by the fact that a losing record can still make the playoffs in the East -- it's almost hard to NOT make it to the post-season.
18. Sacramento Kings (35-47): If the Kings can finish with 35 wins, they should consider their season a big success. The future is bright in Sacramento with Martin, Garcia and Salmons.
19. Atlanta Hawks (32-50): It will either be New Jersey or Atlanta who makes the final playoff spot for the East. Or should I say first in line to get swept by the Celtics.
20. New Jersey Nets (32-50): New Jersey will try to deal their two best players before the trade deadline, which could entirely alter their final two months of the season.
21. Charlotte Bobcats (30-52): Charlotte won't be happy finishing outside of the playoffs. If the Bobcats can come together during the month of March, they'll look to get past Atlanta and New Jersey for the final playoff spot.
22. Indiana Pacers (30-52): Indiana needs Jermaine O'Neal to return in a hurry, Indiana's playoff hopes are in jeopardy.
23. Philadelphia 76ers (29-53): Philadelphia sits right on the fence between playoffs and lottery, how they finish February will tell how they will finish the year.
24. Milwaukee Bucks (25-57): The Bucks have won games this year, they are already up to 19 wins. But this team and its current roster is still far from being a playoff contender even in the lousy East It doesn't help that they can't stay healthy (first Redd, now Villanueva).
25. New York Knicks (24-58): New York would benefit from making a deal before the deadline, but I don't imagine any NBA GM's trading for a player on the Knicks roster -- well, maybe Chris Wallace.
26. Los Angeles Clippers (23-59): Los Angeles is remembering what it was like with Shaun Livingston and Elton Brand. Oh, the glory days.
27. Miami Heat (18-64): I'd say the Heat could win another eight or nine games this season (SEA, SAC, ATL, NY, MIL, CHA, IND, MEM) now that they have Marion and Wade connecting on alley-oops, which could take them out of the cellar.
28. Seattle Sonics (18-64): Seattle's rebuilding year was pretty much a waste of time. No time was wasted for Kevin Durant to start making his impact on the National Basketball Association.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-65): Minnesota is doing a great job of winning games on the floor, but not on the scoreboard -- exactly what a young team wants that is seeking solid game experience and a lottery spot at the same time.
30. Memphis Grizzlies (16-65): If Memphis moves Mike Miller before the February 21 trade deadline, this team is headed for the NBA's worst record for the second straight year. But they could be headed there regardless.
Most Valuable Player
1. Kobe Bryant -- Bryant's been an All-Star MVP, All-Defensive selection, All-NBA selection, a scoring champion and even the prep player of the year, but never one season's Most Valuable. If his Lakers are going to end up where they are expected, Bryant will lead them into the playoffs as the league's best player.
2. Carmelo Anythony -- Depending on how well the Nuggets finish the season, Anthony could be named this year's most valuable. Since returning from his ankle injury, Anthony has averaged 31.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.2 apg, shooting 55% from the floor. And Melo outdid LeBron on Sunday after scoring his career high (49) the night before.
3. LeBron James -- If LeBron can put his Cavs ahead of Orland and Toronto and near Boston and Detroit, he'll be a clear candidate for MVP. LeBron's numbers this season are a thing of beauty. He's leading the league in scoring with 30.1 ppg to go along with averaging almost 8.0 rebounds per game and 7.2 assists.
Rookie of the Year
1. Kevin Durant -- Durant has led all rookies in scoring from the start of the season (19.4 ppg). KD needs to raise his percentages (40.2% from the floor and 28.7% from three) and he needs to be more aggresive on the glass (just 4.1 rpg). But the ROY race has been a one man contest since the beginning.2. Jamario Moon -- So much for the draft, the Raptors have a rookie of the year candidate that wasn't even picked. You'll get a first hand glimpse at the runner-up for ROY when he competes in the dunk contest this weekend. Moon's numbers haven't been stellar, but at 8.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, he's making people take notice.
3. Al Horford -- Horford posted his first 20 rebound game as a pro last week and has up'd his average to nearly 10.0 rebounds per game. Horford has put in a solid 30 minutes per night for the Hawks, who will be playoff bound for the first time since the lock-out season.
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