The Times’ NBA rankings
| RANKINGS, COMMENTS THROUGH SATURDAY |
| LeBRON STILL HASN’T LEFT THE BUILDING | |
| 1. CLEVELAND (28-10) | This is hard to believe, but if it lasts, LeBron will have consecutive MVPs. (1) |
| 2. LAKERS (28-8) | Not the same without healthy Gasol or right index finger for Kobe. (2) |
| 3. BOSTON (25-9) | Showing how worried they are about age, injuries, Rivers benches limping KG. (4) |
| 4. ORLANDO (25-12) | Everyone who said they’d miss Turkoglu finally right as they go 0-4. (3) |
| 5. DENVER (23-14) | Don’t ever leave us again: 3-5 without Billups, beat Cavaliers in return. (9) |
| 6. DALLAS (25-12) | Slumping Nowitzki (“I was a decoy for a month”) has 26 in win at San Antonio. (6) |
| 7. PHOENIX (23-14) | Oops: With 37 of last 52 at home, where they started 10-0, they’re 4-4 since. (8) |
| 8. SAN ANTONIO (21-13) | 17-6 run would look better if they didn’t go 2-6 vs. winning teams. (5) |
| 9. ATLANTA (23-13) | Got Smith to stop taking threes, but he’s still not their missing post player. (7) |
| BOSH HASN’T LEFT THE BUILDING, EITHER | |
| 10. PORTLAND (23-15) | Lakers arrive in nick of time after 0-2 run, McMillan-Miller argument. (11) |
| 11. HOUSTON (21-16) | Losing steam, trying to deal for Bosh, knowing he can walk this summer. (10) |
| 12. OKLAHOMA CITY (20-16) | One of those old West All-Stars better move over: Durant averaging 30 since Dec. 1. (12) |
| 13. UTAH (20-17) | Will Larry Miller heirs dump Boozer to save money if this is all there is? (14) |
| 14. TORONTO (19-18) | Good news: Calderon back. Better news: They’re 10-5 with Jarrett Jack starting. (16) |
| 15. MIAMI (18-16) | At crossroads, just won at Phoenix to start five-game Western trip. (15) |
| 16. NEW ORLEANS (18-16) | Must not know they’re history: At 13-16, just won five in a row. (18) |
| 17. MEMPHIS (18-18) | Still going: 17-10 since 1-8 start, won at Phoenix, Portland. (13) |
| 18. CLIPPERS (16-18) | Win over Lakers alerts world to the fact they still exist. (17) |
| 19. MILWAUKEE (15-18) | Went 3-0 after 4-15 nose dive. Better yet, still No. 7 in East birdbath. (22) |
| 20. CHARLOTTE (16-19) | New one even for him: Brown says he has to have backup power forward. (23) |
| 21. NEW YORK (15-21) | Laughingstock days over: 14-12 since their 1-9 start. (20) |
| 22. SACRAMENTO (15-21) | Lame duck GM Petrie gets new deal after spectacular job turning them around. (21) |
| FANS LEAVING THE BUILDING OR SHOULD BE | |
| 23. CHICAGO (15-20) | Team Ostrich has head in sand, hoping to avoid firing Del Negro during season. (19) |
| 24. GOLDEN STATE (11-24) | Warriors push Ellis as All-Star, vow not to trade him before then. (28) |
| 25. WASHINGTON (12-22) | Showing real problem, management still hoping to avoid breaking them up. (29) |
| 26. PHILADELPHIA (11-25) | Anyone want Iguodala? Brand? Anyone but Louis Williams? (24) |
| 27. DETROIT (11-24) | Charlie “Big Tweet” Villanueva averages 17 in November, 12 in December. (25) |
| 28. MINNESOTA (8-30) | After 3-19 start, 5-11 with Love, the Human Double-Double, starting. (27) |
| 29. INDIANA (11-25) | Whole rotation finally there as Granger returns -- in loss to Timberwolves. (26) |
| 30. NEW JERSEY (3-33) | On 7-75 pace. Weren’t they supposed to win a few with Harris, Yi? (30) |
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
