Updated: May 1, 2012, 1:21 pm ET

NBA Power Rankings Week 15

4/9/12 – Slow and steady wins the race. The San Antonio Spurs are the proverbial tortoise. Now they’re first in the Western Conference and tied in the loss column with the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls finally get Derrick Rose back but lose to the surprising New York Knicks. Meanwhile the Philadelphia 76ers may open up a spot not just for the Knicks but also the Milwaukee Bucks. The Phoenix Suns are making a case while the Utah Jazz may be starting to fade. The NBA, 15 weeks in . . .

NBA Power Rankings Week 15

Team Rank Last Standing Comments
1
 3 40-14 The Spurs take their 11-game win streak into Utah Monday night.
2
 4 40-15 Making sure Dwyane Wade is fully healthy come playoffs may be more important than catching the Bulls in the standings.
3
 1 41-15 Bad week for the Thunder, losing three straight before a gimme at home against the Raptors.
4
 2 43-14 The Bulls have also lost three of their last four. They’ll get another crack at the Knicks and HEAT this week.
5
 5 35-22 Kobe Bryant is nursing a shin injury. If he isn’t playing, the Lakers have a problem.
6
 6 34-22 Other than their loss to the Lakers, the Clippers have been reeling off win after win.
7
 7 32-24 The Celtics find a Rajon Rondo/Avery Bradley pairing that works . . . with veteran All-Star Ray Allen off the bench.
8
 10 32-23 No one is looking at the Grizzlies and saying that’s the matchup we want in the playoffs.
9
 11 34-22 The Pacers have predictably climbed to the third seed in the East. Now they just have to hold onto it . . .
10
 12 34-23 The Hawks have been winning lately but against lottery teams. This week they visit both the Celtics and Magic.
11
 9 33-23 If “trust” is a vital part of winning in the postseason, the Magic may not last long.
12
 16 31-25 The Rockets are very impressive.
13
 8 31-26 The Lamar Odom experiment comes to an end.
14
 15 29-27 The Knicks are gutting out victories which may be their best and only way to win.
15
 13 30-26 Denver should get Danilo Gallinari back shortly. They’ve been positively mediocre without him.
16
 19 28-28 The Bucks win four, hit .500 and are just one game behind the sinking Sixers.
17
 17 29-27 The Suns will get four tough road games this week (Wolves, Grizzlies, Rockets and Spurs).
18
 14 29-27 How did it get this bad?
19
 18 29-28 The Jazz are banged up but need to get some consistent W’s on the board.
20
 20 27-30 The Blazers have just nine games left before what should be their offseason.
21
 21 25-32 The wheels have fallen off and there’s no lottery pick to be had.
22
 22 21-37 Brook Lopez shuts down what has been a disastrous non-season.
23
 23 21-35 The Pistons can play spoiler this week with games against the Magic, Bucks and Bulls.
24
 24 22-33 Coach Mark Jackson preseason had defense and playoffs in the to-do list but neither happened.
25
 25 20-37 The Raptors are a lot better this year defensively but finding scoring hasn’t been easy.
26
 28 15-41 Coach Monty Williams still has this beaten-down bunch competing.
27
 26 19-38 The Kings give up 104 points a night.
28
 27 18-36 The Cavs never recovered from losing Anderson Varejao.
29
 29 12-44 The only other Wizards to join John Wall in all 56 games so far – Jordan Crawford and Chris Singleton.
30
 30 7-47 Too bad the season is only 66 games. The Bobcats are near-historically bad.
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