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Cappers Picks NBA Power Rankings – April 9th, 2013

Larry’s NBA Power Ratings

It was always something with John Wall. Unrealistic expectations. Clowns for teammates. Lack of coaching. Injuries. Something. Now the kid is finally showing what he can do.

This past week’s 37-point throwdown against the Pacers cemented Wall as a legit top-five point guard in the league and has at long last given Wizards fans reason to make the trek downtown to the Verizon Center. For the first time in a long time there is optimism surrounding the Wizards and something to look forward to.

To the rankings:

1. HEAT (60-16) – They really have to win the title after all this, no?
2. SPURS (57-20) – Why don’t we just scrap the rest of the regular season and let San Antonio and Oklahoma City play one game at a neutral site, winner getting the No. 1 seed.
3. THUNDER (56-21) – The Thunder have lost that new car smell with their erratic play over the last month.
4. KNICKS (51-26) – Things can change quickly in the NBA, and it’s unlikely the Knicks and Heat will be quite the same when and if they meet in the Eastern Conference finals in a month or so. But if they do, it could be more competitive than we thought just a few weeks ago.
5. NUGGETS (53-24) – An ACL can tear in less time than it takes to say Danilo Gallinari, and now the Nuggets will have to soldier on without their best offensive player.
6. GRIZZLIES (52-25) – With four tough games (Houston, Clippers, Dallas, Utah) left, it will be interesting to see how many minutes the Gizz’s core plays. Lionel Hollins can either go hard for seeding or keep his troops somewhat fresh for Round 1.
7. CLIPPERS (51-26) – Season sweep on the Lakers. You could have taken some serious coin from your brother-in-law if you offered that bet in late October.
8. NETS (44-32) – Keep an eye on Joe Johnson, whose role in the offense has grown smaller with each game.
9. PACERS (48-29) – No shame in losing to OKC, but that mail-in job in Washington was a head-scratcher. Soon-to-be Central champs were outscored 201-160 in the two games in their worst week since early November.
10. WARRIORS (44-33) – Enough of everyone getting minutes as Mark Jackson has already shortened his rotation and is in full playoff-prep mode.
11. ROCKETS (43-34) – Either Houston or Golden State will avoid OKC and/or SA in the first round. Houston has an easier schedule down the home stretch.
12. BULLS (42-34) – Getting the feeling that Derrick Rose has never had any intention of playing this season. [ad-6571516]
13. HAWKS (42-36) – Atlanta starters were absolutely toasted in the last 3 games – losses to San Antonio, Philadelphia and New York.
14. JAZZ (41-37) – They seemed meaningless games at the time, but Utah’s Nov. 7 and Dec. 9 wins have given the Jazz tie-breaker rights over the Lakers and just might get Utah into the playoffs.
15. CELTICS (40-37) – The recently-injured gang’s all back: Garnett, Pierce, Bradley. But it’s likely to be a brief playoff run, and Celtics Nation will be left wondering how far they could have gone had Rondo stayed healthy all year and Sullinger continued his rapid development.
16. LAKERS (40-37) – From this point on every game is a playoff game for the Lakers.
17. MAVERICKS (38-39)
18. BUCKS (37-39)
19. TRAIL BLAZERS (33-44)
20. 76ERS (31-45)
21. RAPTORS (29-48)
22. WIZARDS (29-48)
23. TIMBERWVOLES (29-47)
24. HORNETS/PELICANS (27-50)
25. KINGS/SONICS (27-50)
26. PISTONS (26-52)
27. CAVALIERS (24-52)
28. SUNS (23-54)
29. MAGIC (19-59)
30. BOBCATS (18-59)

By Lawrence Paul

Lawrence Paul is back in the saddle as a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog. He's got an AMAZING knack for predicting when a team will have a letdown! Stick with our resident gambling experts sports betting tips all season long!