THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

MARK HEISLER’S NBA RANKINGS AND COMMENTS

Team (record): Comment (last week’s rank)

1 LAKERS (16-2): They’re good enough to win 72, but they aren’t interested enough. (1)

2 SACRAMENTO (15-5): Looks like Lakers didn’t bomb them back to ‘expansionism,’ the way Shaq said. (2)

3 SAN ANTONIO (14-4): Not yet proven in prime time: Spurs are 8-0 vs. East, 6-4 vs. West. (3)

4 MINNESOTA (13-5): Garnett’s points and shots are on pace to decline for second season in a row. (6)

5 DALLAS (12-8): No wonder they wanted Mailman: Juwan’s game’s priciest reserve at $18 mill. (9)

6 NEW JERSEY (12-7): 56 wins won East last season, but it won’t take that many this time. (5)

7 MILWAUKEE (11-6): George Karl (honest): ‘We’re near the point of panic but not there yet.’ (4)

8 DETROIT (12-6): Good news for them, bad news for NBA: They look as good as anyone in East. (12)

9 TORONTO (12-8): Sometimes he steps up: Vince gets 42 in rally vs. Nuggets, shoots 15 free throws. (7)

10 PHOENIX (12-9): No, really: I predicted something like this except I thought they’d be 9-12. (10)

11 PORTLAND (10-9): Attn. Trader Bob: Bonzi says they have ‘too many people.’ He means 6-5 ones. (11)

12 NEW YORK (11-9): Nice guy Don Chaney succeeds Ratso Rizzo Van Gundy: This isn’t going to be pretty. (13)

13 BOSTON (11-7): Pitino says he roots for O’Brien. Beats ‘Gee, looks like I was the problem.’ (14)

14 INDIANA (12-11): Coming: Jermaine averaged 13 points, 9.8 rebounds last season, 17-10 now. (15)

15 UTAH (9-11): Mailman trade alert over. Now that they’re written off, time to go back to work. (19)

16 ORLANDO (11-10): Now they’re talking about scoping Hill’s ankle as he goes on injured list. (18)

17 CHARLOTTE (9-10): Baron’s in top 20 in scoring, assists steals, three-pointers and minutes. (16)

18 CLIPPERS (9-10): 1-6 vs. Jazz, Blazers, Rockets, Warriors, Sonics, Nuggets, teams they have to beat. (17)

19 PHILADELPHIA (8-12): Fairy tales can come true but not twice in a row: Last season started 16-4. (8)

20 SEATTLE (9-14): Countdown to backing up the truck: Nate zings GP for no-showing vs. Lakers. (20)

21 HOUSTON (7-14): Right on time: When Stevie Franchise went out, Rox turned into pumpkin. (21)

22 DENVER (7-13): Four guards--Nick, AJ, Posey, McCloud--start in Boston. Surprise, they lose. (22)

23 GOLDEN STATE (8-13): Everyone’s upset at everyone else as the clock ticks down for Dave Cowens. (23)

24 CLEVELAND (8-12): It’s now or never: Z returns, says he’s ‘ready as I’m ever going to be.’ (25)

25 MIAMI (3-14): Through the looking glass: Pistons, Nets atop East. Last week Heat was last. (27)

26 ATLANTA (7-14): Hanno Mottola to Kukoc, who gets 24 vs. Cavs: ‘Welcome back to the team.’ (24)

27 WASHINGTON (7-12): Mike: I have to listen to my body. It wants to know what he’s doing here. (26)

28 MEMPHIS (5-14): Brilliant: Drew 13,737 in Vancouver in lame duck season. Now draw 13,497. (28)

29 CHICAGO (4-15): In retrospect maybe it is players, not organizations, who win titles. (29)

GAME OF THE WEEK

LAKERS AT CLIPPERS

When--Friday. Time--7:30. TV--Fox Sports West.

Turner’s schedule is awful (76ers at Hawks, MJ’s zillionth appearance) so this is as good as anything else. The Lakers have lost one game on this floor in eight months, but the Clippers can dream.