THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

*--* EXTREMELY BIG TWO 1. DALLAS (39-9) Advantage: Better defenders and way deeper, less vulnerable to injury. (2) 2. PHOENIX (37-10) Advantage: No one can stop them consistently. (1) TRYING TO MISS BIG TWO IN FIRST ROUND 3. SAN ANTONIO (32-16) They know they’ll get No. 3 seeding. Question is how they’ll be playing at the end. (3) 4. UTAH (31-17) Mehmet Okur, best player no one knows, gets 60 as they beat Spurs and Suns. (4) 5. HOUSTON (29-17) Just keeps getting more and more remarkable: Now 13-6 without Yao. (5) 6. LAKERS (29-19) Blowing fourth-quarter leads is testing Jackson’s fabled serenity. (6) ODDSMAKERS LIKE WEST IN THREE GAMES IN FINALS 7. DETROIT (27-18) Saunders says Webber’s like an old Karl Malone. Yeah, like 50 years old. (9) 8. WASHINGTON (27-19) One-third of 70-points-a-game big three, Jamison, lost for a month. (7) 9. CHICAGO (28-20) Should they wait to see if Garnett is available after season or get Gasol now? (8) 10. CLEVELAND (27-20) They’d be a lot better if defense-oriented Mike Brown let them run. (10) WE JUST TRY TO GET (A LOT) BETTER EVERY DAY 11. INDIANA (26-21) Post-Stephen Jackson rally continues as supposed dupes win six of seven. (12) 12. CLIPPERS (24-22) Who’d have thunk it? Since bottoming out at 11-16, they’re 13-6. (17) 13. DENVER (23-22) Steve Blake started 15-30 on threes, then goes 2-12 over next five games. (11) 14. TORONTO (24-23) The NBA thanks you for finally giving Atlantic Division a winning team. (13) 15. ORLANDO (25-23) Imperfect timing: Amid 12-19 fade, just lost Grant Hill for two weeks. (14) 16. NEW JERSEY (22-25) Kidd’s game hits the skids as he averages 7.5 and team goes 0-2. (16) 17. MINNESOTA (22-25) Maybe it wasn’t Dwane Casey’s fault: Randy Wittman is now 2-5. (15) 18. GOLDEN STATE (22-26) Think what No. 3 offense would be if they could shoot: No. 20 at 34% on threes.(18) 19. MIAMI (22-25) Just warming up (they hope): Shaq gets 47 in four games plus two DNPs. (19) 20. NEW ORLEANS (21-26) Time is back in as Chris Paul returns and they win two of three. (22) 21. NEW YORK (21-28) How exactly does a center averaging 19.4 miss East All-Star squad? (20) MAY BE A GOOD TIME TO PULL THE RIP CORD 22. PORTLAND (20-29) McMillan wants to instill winning spirit. I’d rather instill Oden or Durant. (21) 23. CHARLOTTE (18-29) 11-8 after 7-21 start. At this rate they’ll catch Miami by March 1. (24) 24. SEATTLE (17-30) GM Sund travels amid speculation Bob Hill has had the course. (23) PULLED THE RIP CORD A WHILE AGO 25. SACRAMENTO (19-26) Musselman got that DUI Oct. 21 and things went downhill from there. (25) 26. MILWAUKEE (18-30) Thanks for holding the fort, guys: 2-13 without Redd, who returns this week. (26) 27. MEMPHIS (12-36) Heisley trying to lure new owner with low payroll, good draft choice. (27) 28. PHILADELPHIA (15-33) Trying to beat boredom, local paper runs snippets on top draft prospects. (28) 29. ATLANTA (17-28) Nice career move: Forgotten Joe Johnson passed over for East All-Star squad. (29) 30. BOSTON (12-34) If Pierce stays, he’s: a) world’s most loyal employee; b) out of his mind; or c) both. (30)

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