Inside the NBA: The Times’ rankings

RANKINGS, COMMENTS THROUGH SATURDAY?

JUST AS EVERYONE CALLED IT

1. CHICAGO (59-20) Unless they play Spurs, Bulls home throughout playoffs. (2)

2. SAN ANTONIO (61-19) Ginobili looked like MVP candidate at 47% to Dec. 15, at 41% since. (5)

3. MIAMI (55-24) Celtics, who outclassed them early, there today to see who’s best now. (3)

CAN SOMEONE WAKE THE OLD GUYS?

4. BOSTON (55-24) Oops: Shaq lasts five minutes in return, now out with calf pull. (4)

5. LAKERS (55-24) Insisted they didn’t care about any race, then proved it. (1)

OTHERS INCLUDE . . .

6. OKLAHOMA CITY (53-26) Thunder 10-3 with Perkins, with win in Denver over new archrivals. (6)

7. DENVER (49-31) Looking at OKC in first-round test of which is the West comer now. (8)

8. ORLANDO (50-29) After winning 59 and 59, this is a step backward, to this point. (9)

9. DALLAS (54-25) Made Lakers’ finish look OK, going 9-9 as Terry, Barea tangled. (7)

10. PORTLAND (47-33) If Lakers let them win to duck them in first round, good thinking. (11)

11. NEW ORLEANS (46-33) Surprise: In playoffs with new coach, usual undermanned roster. (12)

12. MEMPHIS (45-34) May turn corner if they keep Randolph this season, Marc Gasol next. (10)

13. PHILADELPHIA (41-39) Shocker: Back In playoffs with new coach, old players who played dead. (15)

ALSO-RANS/REST OF EAST RACE

14. ATLANTA (44-36) Gave Joe Johnson $120 mill to stay in contention. This is contention? (14)

15. HOUSTON (42-38) Lost Yao, hung in. Now to see if doofus owner understands that. (13)

16. NEW YORK (41-38) Disaster ends on uptick: 4-0 run makes them 13-12 with Anthony. (17)

17. PHOENIX (38-41) Sarver down to trading Nash or trying to rebuild around him at 37. (16)

18. INDIANA (37-43) Bulls’ appetizer in first playoff since ’06 with Carlisle, Jermaine O’Neal. (18)

19. GOLDEN STATE (35-44) Surpassed all expectations . . . except those of new owner Joe Lacob. (20)

WHERE WAS LOCKOUT WHEN THEY NEEDED IT?

20. CLIPPERS (31-50) Been down so long, this looks like up: 26-29 after 5-21 start. (19)

21. UTAH (37-43) West institution at season’s start. Nobody at end. (21)

22. MILWAUKEE (33-47) Ensemble teams can’t have three best players miss major time. (23)

23. CHARLOTTE (32-47) Basic Larry Brown year three after overachieving in first two. (22)

24. DETROIT (28-51) Davidson’s widow accomplishes lone goal, selling rudderless team. (24)

25. NEW JERSEY (24-55) Prokhorov era starts with new star, usual 25 or so wins. (25)

26. SACRAMENTO (23-56) Would look better with Kyrie Irving, Dr. Phil. (26)

27. WASHINGTON (22-58) Now that it’s over: Andray the Sleeping Giant at 25-12 this month. (28)

28. TORONTO (21-58) Would look better with Steve Nash. (27)

29. MINNESOTA (17-63) Would look better with Ricky Rubio, Dwight Howard. (29)

30. CLEVELAND (17-63) Supporting cast shows LeBron should’ve been 2006-7-8-9-10 MVP. (30)