NBA Power Rankings: Grizzlies in top 10, Kings jump up

1. Golden State Warriors (41-4) Last week: 1 – Monday night’s game between the Warriors and the Spurs was supposed to be one of the best regular-season matchups in the history of the NBA. Instead, the Warriors blew the doors off the Spurs. They’re still the best.

2. San Antonio Spurs (38-7) Last week: 2 – The Spurs went in to Golden State at a league-best plus-14.4 in point differential. The Warriors beat them by 30. So yeah, consider that a wake-up call. They still get three more cracks at them though.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (33-13) Last week: 3 – Their seven-game winning streak was snapped by the Nets in Brooklyn, and they also lost backup guard Andre Roberson for at least three weeks with a sprained knee.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (31-12) Last week: 4 – The first-place Cavs fired their head coach David Blatt last week. The firing make the Cavs front office and LeBron James look a lot worse than Blatt does, though. We’ll have to see how the team responds to Ty Lue as the new head coach.

5. Toronto Raptors (29-15) Last week: 5 – With all the drama going on in Cleveland, the Raptors came dangerously close to passing them in the power rankings this week. If they continue to build on that eight-game winning streak, you can bank on it.

6. Los Angeles Clippers (28-16) Last week: 6 – Really, Blake Griffin? Punching a member of your equipment staff and injuring your hand? So Clippers it literally hurts. They can never just play basketball. Too much drama out in L.A.

7. Atlanta Hawks (27-19) Last week: 7 – The Hawks went 2-2 on their four-game road trip, which included an inexcusable loss to the Suns. I don’t care that it came on a three-pointer at the buzzer, the Hawks have to win that game. Looks like Jeff Teague’s ankle still isn’t right, either.

8. Miami Heat (24-21) Last week: 8 – An awful stretch for the Heat was snapped with a five-point win over the Bulls, but it doesn’t take away the fact they lost four straight games by double digits, three of which 19-plus, and haven’t hit the 90-point marker over their last five games.

9. Chicago Bulls (25-19) Last week: 9 – The Bulls are taking us all on a roller coaster ride this season. Three losses over their last four games has Pau Gasol saying the team is “undisciplined”. Oh, and Derrick Rose is hurting again – it’s the back and hamstring now.

10. Memphis Grizzlies (26-20) Last week: 11 – Hey, look! A big game from Jeff Green! Green dropped 30 in an overtime win over the Magic Monday night. He’s good for those once in a blue moon… and then will disappear again. Story of his career.

11. Dallas Mavericks (25-21) Last week: 10 – The fact that Zaza Pachulia was almost voted into the All-Star Game is very, very scary. But the big man is having a solid year for the Mavericks, averaging a double-double, 10.4 points and 10.7 rebounds.

12. Detroit Pistons (24-21) Last week: 12 – This one is hard to figure out: After beating the Rockets on the road to begin a four-game road trip, the Pistons lose to a bad Pelicans team and a mediocre-at-best Nuggets team. At least they closed it out with a nice win in Utah. Andre Drummond is a sure-fire All-Star this season.

13. Boston Celtics (25-21) Last week: 13 – It’s too bad the Celtics can’t play the Wizards anymore. They beat them for the fourth time this season – and third by 20-plus points. Big man Kelly Olynyk is up to 43.9-percent from three-point range. Send that mean to the thee-point contest!

14. Houston Rockets (25-22) Last week: 15 – Tough timing for the Rockets to have to go in to San Antonio after the Spurs were just blown away by the Warriors, but they’re playing solid basketball after a big win over the rival Mavericks last week.

15. Indiana Pacers (23-21) Last week: 14 – The Pacers are 2-6 over their last eight games, and both wins have come against the lowly Suns. Currently the 8th seed, it’s a big week for them against the Clippers and Hawks, with the Cavs waiting next Monday.

16. Sacramento Kings (20-24) Last week: 21 – We said last week that the Kings were the non-playoff team with the best chances of turning it around. And look at them now? DeMarcus Cousins is averaging a whopping 34.4 points and 13.6 rebounds in January, and more importantly has the Kings in the playoff picture.

17. New York Knicks (22-24) Last week: 17 – Kevin Durant recently called Kristaps Porzingis a unicorn, in that he can do it all at seven feet tall. Porzingicorn has a nice ring to it. The Knicks are playing .500 basketball lately.

18. Charlotte Hornets (22-23) Last week: 22 – Gutsy, gutsy double-OT win over the Kings in Sacramento, which included a 56-point performance by DeMarcus Cousins. They’ve won three straight and look to be gaining some momentum as they await Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s return.

19. Washington Wizards (20-22) Last week: 18 – Officially out on this Wizards team after the effort displayed against the Celtics after four full days off. Sure, they could squeak into the playoffs – but what’s the point?

20. Utah Jazz (19-25) Last week: 19 – The Jazz haven’t beat a team aside from the Lakers or Nets since Jan. 9 and now find themselves out of the playoff picture. They’ve got six straight home games to climb back to .500.

21. Portland Trail Blazers (20-26) Last week: 21 – How’s this for consistency: Damian Lillard’s monthly scoring averages are 24.7 (Nov.), 24.9 (Dec.), and 24.6 (Jan.). His 7.4 assists in January are one assist higher than that of November.

22. Orlando Magic (20-23) Last week: 16 – Uh oh. The Magic’s disappearing act continues as they’ve lost six in a row and 10 of their last 11. They now find themselves in 12th place in the East. The new year has not been kind.

23. Milwaukee Bucks (19-27) Last week: 23 – Jason Kidd returns to the bench for the Bucks after missing time recovering from hip surgery. Hopefully he’s seen enough from a different perspective that can help them string together some wins.

24. New Orleans Pelicans (16-28) Last week: 25 – The Pelicans were oh-so-close to a 4-0 week, and maybe if Anthony Davis didn’t leave the game with a concussion against the Rockets that would have happened. The hope is now is for no post-concussion symptoms.

25. Denver Nuggets (17-28) Last week: 24 – Denver is 5-5 over their last ten games after a 1-9 stretch. They remain in the running, well, kinda, for that eighth seed, but they’ll need to play some inspired basketball in the second half.

26. Minnesota Timberwolves (14-32) – Last Week 27 − Kevin Garnett and Ty Lue are good friends, but that doesn’t mean KG was happy with giving Lue his first win as a head coach. Not much he can do about it at this stage in his career though.

27. Brooklyn Nets (12-33) Last week: 28 – The Brooklyn Nets are basically the Brooklyn Lopez’ featuring Thaddeus Young and the ghost of Joe Johnson. Every once in a while Lopez puts the team on his back and they pull off a win.

28. Los Angeles Lakers (9-37) Last week: 26 – Can no longer give these guys the benefit of the doubt. The young talent is there, but it’s just too young right now and not going to be tapped into until next season. See: Bryant, Kobe.

29. Phoenix Suns (14-31) Last week: 29 – The Suns had lost 15 of their last 16 games before their upset over the Hawks last weekend. They will certainly be sellers up until the trade deadline.

30. Philadelphia 76ers (6-39) Last week: 30 – The 76ers will host the Warriors this weekend, and you have to wonder if the Warriors will rest their entire starting lineup . . . and still win by 20.