NEOSI Top 10 NBA Power Rankings: January 4th

9. Miami Heat (20-13)
Last Week: 10

The Heat have moved up to third in the conference, but what is head-scratching is they are 10-11 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 10-2 vs the West. They’re going to have to take care of teams within their conference in the playoffs, but there’s still over half a season to play.

10. Indiana Pacers (19-14)
Last Week: 5

The Pacers fell to the Bucks and Bulls on back-to-back nights, and have dropped to sixth in the East. They are a streaky team that can get going in a hurry, but they have a tough four-game road trip coming up starting in Miami, heading to Orlando, New Orleans, and Houston.

Who Fell Off?

Dallas Mavericks (19-15) : Last week we had the Mavs at ninth, and although they pulled off a great win against the Warriors without Curry, they followed that up by losing two in a row.

Just Missed the Cut

Detroit Pistons (18-16) : The Pistons are right on the edge of the top eight for a playoff-berth, just a half-game behind the Celtics.

Boston Celtics (18-15) : Aside from their loss to Kobe in his final visit to Boston, the Celtics have been hot lately. If the playoffs started today, it would be a rematch of last year’s series against the Cavs.

Orlando Magic (19-15) : The Magic have been stumbling, as of late, getting blown out by the Cavs, yet again. They still are seventh in the East, which is a bit ahead of schedule compared to the national media’s expectations coming into the season.

We’ll talk to you next week, as the Cavs get ready to head on a six-game road trip following Monday night’s matchup against Toronto.

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