THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

*--* No Team (Rec) Comment (last week) 1 LAKERS (16-3) If O’Neal defends like that, he can be MVP without ever crossing half-court. (1) 2 INDIANA (16-4) Lakers so far ahead of field, next best team should be ranked about No. 4. (2) 3 SACRAMENTO (12-5) Kings may get there with Webber, but they aren’t in Lakers’ class now, either. (3) 4 DETROIT (14-7) Could conceivably get to Lakers’ class with Milicic but not before 2006. (4) 5 SAN ANTONIO (11-10) Oops: If the playoffs started today, defending champions wouldn’t be in them. (5) 6 DALLAS (13-7) Cuban has the answer! Suspend Malone and O’Neal and Kobe Bryant (6) 7 HOUSTON (12-7) Yao averaged 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds as a rookie, up to 17 and 9.6 now. (7) 8 MINNESOTA (11-8) Garnett, best who’s never been MVP, in top 20 in everything, as usual. (9) 9 DENVER (13-6) What’s the big surprise? I predicted Nuggets would win about this many. (13) 10 NEW ORLEANS (14-7) Q: Can Baron Davis hold them up single-handed from three-point line? A: No. (8) 11 UTAH (11-7) What’s the big surprise? I predicted Jazz would win about this many. (10) 12 PORTLAND (10-7) Oops: Randolph, the one they’re keeping, busted on way from charity event. (11) 13 TORONTO (11-8) With 220-pound Bosh at center, Red Cross may not even let Raptors play Lakers. (18) 14 PHILADELPHIA (11-10) Coleman on new three-year, $13.5-million deal, on pace for usual 50 games.(16) 15 NEW JERSEY (9-11) In a surprise, Byron Scott survives Nets’ four-game losing streak. (15) 16 MEMPHIS (10-8) Jerry West is still the king: At this point last season, Grizzlies were 2-16. (21) 17 SEATTLE (9-7) That was fast: Murray, who was averaging 21, benched for not playing defense. (12) 18 PHOENIX (8-11) Ownership in dogged no-comment stance, meaning Frank Johnson’s time near. (14) 19 GOLDEN STATE (9-9) If Musselman does this well with Warriors, what would he do with a real team? (17) 20 MILWAUKEE (9-11) Tim Thomas, NBA’s biggest, most talented non-star, still averaging only 17. (19) 21 CHICAGO (5-14) Wait ‘til self-promoting Jerome Williams, aka Junkyard Dog, hears he’s a guard.(24) 22 NEW YORK (7-14) Just being back won’t do it, Knicks need McDyess to be the way he was. (22) 23 CLIPPERS (6-9) Unnoticed at the bottom of the West, they went 6-7 without Elton Brand. (25) 24 BOSTON (7-12) Blowing 29-point lead over Suns at home could start countdown on O’Brien. (20) 25 WASHINGTON (7-12) It’s not good that Juan Dixon and Etan Thomas are outscoring Kwame Brown. (23) 26 MIAMI (5-15) Kind of makes Laker fans miss old days (not): Samaki Walker averaging 4-3. (26) 27 CLEVELAND (5-15) Good news: LeBron James to get another high pick to play with next spring. (28) 28 ATLANTA (6-15) Never really made it back after injury: Theo Ratliff averaging only 7-7. (27) 29 ORLANDO (1-19) Fortunately, in East Magic is only 6 1/2 games out of the last playoff spot. (29)

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