For the last week of the season I take a look back on my first power rankings list. On November 13, the Boston Celtics held the top spot and today they hold the same position in my final rankings. There were eight teams in the first top 10 that managed to hold their top 10 status throughout the season, while the Hornets (12th) and Lakers (16th), each led by MVP candidates, replaced the Magic (9th) and Bulls (10th). Just for comparison I've linked ESPN's Marc Stein week one power rankings so that you can see how far the NBA has come in five and a half months. Thanks for reading my rankings every Wednesday, I had fun writing them -- stay tuned for my posts during the playoffs. Without further ado, here is the final "CheChe23's NBA Power Rankings" for 2008.
BIGGEST RISE: New York Knicks from 29th to 23rd.
BIGGEST FALL: Phoenix Suns from 5th to 7th.
(Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking from CheChe23's previous week. —DC)
| CheChe23's Power Rankings: April 9, 2008 | |||
| TEAM | RK (LW) | W-L | COMMENT |
 | 1 (2) | 62-15 | The Celtics have a very legit chance at winning the NBA title this year. One thing people said the Celtics lacked was a point guard to bail out Rajon Rondo -- they answered that by signing Sam Cassell. I've heard that the Celtics bench won't be able to get it done -- the Boston bench alone could make the playoffs in the East: Big Baby Davis, Leon Powe, Tony Allen, James Posey and Eddie House. Combined that with the KG, Pierce and Allen and what does it all that mean? It's only a matter of time now before Boston wins its first title since 1986. |
 | 2 (1) | 54-23 | I'll take the Hornets to finish the year with the best record in the Western Conference. For one, the Hornets all know that if they finish first, in all likelihood Chris Paul will have better odds of landing the MVP. Two, because they don't want to be the second seed and have to face the seventh seeded Mavericks in round one. |
 | 3 (4) | 53-21 | San Antonio plays Phoenix tonight, Los Angeles on Sunday and finishes the season against Utah. All of those games will hold huge significance on the playoff seeding, first round outcomes and possibly the future NBA champion. |
 | 4 (3) | 55-21 | Detroit is looking at a match-up with the Raptors or Sixers in the first round of the playoffs. The Pistons could easily win the NBA championship with the studs you are familiar with and a bench you might be unfamiliar with and they'll enter the playoffs with the same reputation they love having and have thrived off of in the past. I'm just not sure they've ever entered the playoffs facing such fierce competition. |
 | 5 (6) | 53-24 | Utah started their own little "playoff preview" schedule with a 26 point win against San Antonio and a 11 point victory over New Orleans last night. Utah has four games left, two at home and the Jazz are well aware of the importance of finishing the season unblemished. The Jazz currently sit one game back of Houston for outright home court advantage -- it should be heated on Monday when the two teams face head-to-head. |
 | 6 (7) | 52-26 | Kobe has MVP prove-it games against New Orleans on Friday and San Antonio on Sunday. Depending on the outcome of the weekends games -- the Western Conference (and the MVP) could be won by Los Angeles (and Kobe Bryant). |
 | 7 (5) | 52-26 | With losses to Denver and Dallas this month and a tough schedule ahead, the Suns could lose out on their chance at playing the first round in Arizona. It's hard to say the importance in winning their final four games, it looks like Phoenix is stuck in the sixth spot. Wins won't come easy because San Antonio, Houston and Golden State (Phoenix hosts Portland in their final game) all have something to play for. |
 | 8 (8) | 52-25 | Houston might be considered the easiest team to match-up with in the first round. With five games left, Houston will try to out-win Utah for home-court in the first round. |
 | 9 (11) | 48-29 | With three wins in four games this month, Dallas has crept back into the top 10. Dirk Nowitzki played one of his best games of the season on Sunday leading the Mavericks past the Suns on 32 points and 12 rebounds showing his knee isn't holding him back. Dallas played April last season with no purpose and entered the playoffs stale and tight. Maybe they'll have the opposite outcome in the post season as they enter the playoffs after having the opposite April they had from last year. |
 | 10 (11) | 47-31 | "We're under big-time pressure," Allen Iverson said about his team after losing in double-overtime Sunday to the lowly Sonics. A match-up against the Warriors on Thursday wil be the NBA's version of a tournament play-in game. It might take the Nuggets a win on the last game of the season to make it to the playoffs -- lucky for them they play Memphis. |
OUTSIDE THE TOP 10:
11. Golden State Warriors (47-31): Golden State hasn't proved that they deserve to play in the playoffs losing games against San Antonio, Dallas and New Orleans this month. A match-up with Denver on Thursday will draw a big audience on TNT and has big implications on the eighth seed in the West.12. Orlando Magic (48-29): Losing to New York after handling Cleveland only makes me wonder what the Magic will do to finish out the season. More importantly, what they'll do in the postseason.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (43-35): The Cavs finish the season against Detroit. But the Eastern Conference playoffs won't pair Cleveland and Detroit together unless the two make it to the Championship series.
14. Philadelphia 76ers (39-38): With the way that Orlando has played, Philadelphia could easily come away a winner in the opening round series against the Magic.
15. Washington Wizards (40-37): The Wizards have five games left and four are against playoff teams. If they want to improve their seeding, they'll have to do it against the playoff teams they hope to upset.
16. Toronto Raptors (38-39): Toronto is 4-6 in their last 10 and has started April 0-3. The Raptors will need to win four of five for a shot at not having to face Detroit in a first round series. The two teams match-up on Sunday in what could be a second seed vs seventh seed preview.
17. Portland Trail Blazers (39-39): Portland played spoiler to the Lakers last night and could do the same to the Mavericks on Saturday or Suns next Wednesday. It is good to see Brandon Roy on the floor again after missing four games with a strained groin. Roy could be leading this team on a Western Conference title charge at this time next season.
18. Atlanta Hawks (36-42): After losing last night to the Pacers, the Hawks are in jeopardy of choking away their playoff spot.
19. Indiana Pacers (34-44): Philadelphia, Charlotte, Washington and New York remain on the schedule and are all must wins if Indiana hopes to make an upset trip to the playoffs.
20. New Jersey Nets (32-45): New Jersey didn't do enough over their last 10 games (4-6) to make a playoff run. It's too little too late now.
21. Sacramento Kings (36-41): Funny thing about Sacramento is that they are helping Golden State in their playoff pursuit. The Kings beat the Nuggets Saturday and lost to the Warriors last night.
22. Chicago Bulls (30-47): Chicago never imagined that they'd be finishing out the season with nothing to play for. Or at least not in this fashion.
23. New York Knicks (22-56): New York has a lot to look forward to with incoming president Donnie Walsh. Wilson Chandler's season-high 23 points and eight rebounds Sunday gave Knick fans a player to look forward to.
24. Charlotte Bobcats (30-48): The Bobcats showed they aren't hustling when the Celtics out-rebounded Chatlotte 54-35 and had just six steals to Boston's 13 on Saturday.
25. Los Angeles Clippers (22-52): Elton Brand has picked up right where he left off from last year. The Clippers will be back in the playoff hunt next year.
26. Milwaukee Bucks (26-51): If it wasn't a long enough season, the Bucks had to play the Celtics last night and will play them again on Friday, this time in Boston.
27. Memphis Grizzlies (21-57): One thing Memphis can do without the lumbering legs of Pau Gasol is get up and down the court. Memphis has outputs of 114, 101 and 113 in three of the last four games.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (19-53): Al Jefferson might be wearing down. In the first 67 games this year Big Al recorded 49 double-doubles, but over the last 10 games he's had just three.
29. Seattle Sonics (17-57): On Sunday, Seattle scored 151 points in Kevin Durant's best game of his career. In the win, Durant stamped his Rookie of the Year resume with a career best 37 points and a career best nine assists.
30. Miami Heat (13-61): Miami area columnists are already touting Memphis' Derrick Rose as the savior of the Heat franchise. Even after what I saw from Rose in the tourney, there is no way I'd pass on Michael Beasley if I owned rights to the No. 1 overall pick. The team with the worst record has a 25% chance of landing the top pick, a 46.5% chance of one of the first two picks and a 64.3% chance of landing one of the first three picks.
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