1. Lakers(9-4)- They Lakers are clearly the best team in the league right now.  With the best one-two punch in the league in Mike Rando and Andrew Vandini, the Lakers are nearly impossible to beat.  Aside from Rando and Vandini, the Lakers also have Chris Nee and Mike Baryski, who can provide points on a consistent basis.  The Lakers are extremely talented in shooting the three-ball, a talent that is very uncommon in the league today.  All of the previously mentioned players can knock down the open three on a consistent basis.  However what makes the Lakers great is not their strengths, but their lack of weaknesses.  There is nothing that this team doesn’t do well.  They can shoot from all ranges, play strong defense, and rebound effectively.  With one week to go, the Lakers have gotten hot at the right time and they’re going to be the team to beat going into the playoffs.

2. 76ers (11-2)- The 76ers are one of the best teams in the league; however, they struggled last week in their game against the Lakers, a game in which they lost in an 86-54 blowout.  Despite the loss, the 76ers remain one of the more dominant teams in the league.  They can both score, defend, and rebound effectively.  Star players Matt Ryan and Brendan Donovan will try to lead this team to victory this weekend when they play the Celtics, the only other team to beat them this year, and the Wizards.

3. Rockets (10-3)- The Rockets, led by Tom Demarais and Chris Hoyt, have remained an elite team all year long.  The Rockets superb team play makes this team so difficult to beat.  They pass extremely well, but their best strength is definitely the fast break.  Hoyt runs the fast break to perfection, and along with Demarais and Matt Cotter and Robbie Alessandro, they run any other team into the ground.

4. Spurs (9-4)- The Spurs are also one of the better teams in the league, but like the 76ers, they suffered a tough loss to the Lakers last weekend in a 68-53 loss, a game in which star player Matt Lavanchy went down with an ankle injury.  It is unclear how serious the injury is, but expect Lavanchy to be on the court this weekend no matter what.  With games against the Knicks and Celtics this weekend, the Spurs will be looking to get back on track with only one week until playoffs.

5. Mavericks (8-4-1)- The Mavericks, led by Cam and Craig Hanley, started out the season as one of the early favorites, but recently they have stumbled, only winning one of their last four games.  Don’t be fooled though, the Mavericks are definitely still a team to be reckoned with.  The Mavericks tout both a strong defense and a formidable offense, especially sharpshooter Jimmy Smith.  The Mavericks look to have an easy weekend ahead of them: they are playing the Nuggets and the Nets, so hopefully they can turn their season around, especially with playoffs around the corner.

6.  Celtics (8-4-1)- “It’s gonna be a tough weekend, but it’s gonna be a gut check,” said Celtics player Zach Morey.  Truer words could not have been said.  Since key player Dan King’s injury, the Celtics have been extremely inconsistent.  However recent rumors have surfaced that King is planning to return to the Rec scene this weekend with just one week left before playoffs.  Hopefully this late season boost can catapult the Celtics to victory.

7. Wizards (6-7)- The Wizards have found ways to win this year when the opposition least expected it.  Strong play from team leaders Kyle Donnelly and Colton Mitchell have lead this team to the success it has seen this year. Despite being undersized and undermanned most games, the Wizards have found success against some of the better teams in the league, most notably the Mavericks.  Despite some underdog victories, the Wizards are far from elite, and they need to improve on many aspects of the game, especially defense.  The Wizards have let up 60+ points on six occasions so far this year, and they need to bring that number down if they want to be successful.

8. Knicks (5-8)- The Knicks have struggled all year long. They haven’t been able to string together two wins since January 28th, clearly demonstrating their inconsistent tendencies.  Tim Sullivan and Mike LaVita head this team, but they have yet to show that they can take this team deep into the playoffs.  Although the Knicks are strong on the fastbreak, they lack in other areas, most importantly rebounding.  Despite having big man Winston Ho in the paint, the Knicks often struggle to get boards, most likely due to the fact that Ho cannot play the entire game, and when he is on the bench, that’s when the Knicks struggle.  If they can find some balance to their game and play more consistently, the Knicks have a chance to be the sleeper in the playoffs.

9. Magic (4-8-1)- The Magic are, to put it simply, a middle-of-the-pack team.  Their best  player, Jake Mich, is an extremely talented player, but teams are starting to figure out how to shut down the big man.  Last week the Sonics tripled-teamed Mich, essentially shutting him down, all be it in a losing effort.  If an elite team decides to use this strategy, the Magic won’t stand a chance.

10. Sonics (2-11)- The Sonics are improving as the season progresses; however, they are still struggling with inconsistency.  This past weekend, the Sonics were leading the Mavericks by 20 points with 10 minutes to go, but they couldn’t finish, losing 62-61.  Despite the loss, this game shows the league that the Sonics have the potential to be a dangerous team.  Star player Brad Webber can go off at any time and guard Brendan Chaisson always turns in a consistent game.  We’ll see if the Sonics can continue to improve in their games next week against the Lakers and the Knicks.

11. Nets (3-10)- With the return of Nolan Murray, the Nets have begun to turn their season around.  After Murray went down in their first game of the season against the Sonics, the Nets struggled, losing their next nine games.  Since the return of Murray the Nets have won two of their last three games and they are steadily improving.  Strong play from wingmen Colin Murray and Matt Brownsword and big man Dave Driscoll have aided Murray in turning the Nets around.  Next week’s games against the Wizards and the Mavericks will provide some indication as to whether or not the they are for real.

12. Nuggets (1-11-1)- The Nuggets have continuously struggled all season long.  Their sole win came in the third game of the season to the lowly Nets, and since then, they have lost nine games and tied the Celtics.  Star player and team leader Aidan Lancaster carries this team, until the sixth shift (that’s when he gets tired).  The rest of the team which includes: Charlie Love, Craig Nevin and Nick Ferguson, all provide solid play; however, it has not been enough so far.  Hopefully, the Nuggets can turn their season around in next week’s games against the Mavericks and Magic.