The NBA Playoffs have been an exciting matchup between tough teams this year and so far with all the second round series tied at 1-1, no team has fully taken hold as the best in the playoffs, but as far as rankings go, the Miami Heat are still on top and the Bulls easily are second if Derrick Rose returns.
The San Antonio Spurs appeared to be the best if not the second best team left in the playoffs after they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in four games, but their series against the Warriors has shown that there are some prime weaknesses on that team, including stopping Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. The Spurs easily could be down 2-0 in their series had the Warriors not blown a 16 point lead in Game 1 and now as the series shifts to California, the whole team will be on its heels.
The Heat looked lose in Game 1, but following their dominating performance in Game 2, Miami is clearly the best team left of the bunch. The Bulls have been without some of their best players in Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich, leaving Nate Robinson and Jimmy Butler to make up for their loss, while Joakim Noah is playing with pain in one of his feet. The return of Rose and the other players would give the Bulls the second ranking behind the Heat and if they can win another game against Miami on Friday, there is a chance Rose could return for Game 4.
The Heat have dealt with adversity over the past two seasons and they do not get scared when they lose the first game of a series, as they did last season against the Thunder. LeBron James is leading the team in scoring, rebounding and assists, while Robinson has been tops in scoring for the Bulls while also leading in assists. Deng has been in the hospital where he has lost 15 pounds and it appears that Hinrich will also remain out for Game 3, making a Rose return even more necessary for the Bulls.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are weaker without point guard Russell Westbrook, but the play of Kevin Durant has kept things from getting away from OKC. The Grizzlies are a tough team and after evening things up, Marc Gasol and company will be looking to take control in Memphis. Westbrook was injured against the Houston Rockets when rookie Patrick Beverley crashed into his knee and now he will be out for the rest of the playoffs, missing games for the first time in his NBA career.
The Thunder have not been lost without Westbrook due to the play of Durant, while Reggie Jackson has done a solid job of stepping in. The New York Knicks looked dominant after going up 3-0 on the Celtics, but after Boston forced Game 6, many wondered if the Knicks could hold on. They did, and after losing Game 1 to the Pacers, they rebounded to win Game 2 at MSG to tie things up. The Warriors have been one of the most impressive teams with Curry and Thompson and they surprised everyone by beating the Nuggets in the first round and could be a dark horse finals contender.
Power Rankings:
Miami Heat
Chicago Bulls (with Rose back)
San Antonio Spurs
OKC Thunder
NY Knicks
Warriors
Indiana Pacers
Memphis Grizzlies
