The Denver Nuggets finally get some love in these rankings, claiming the top spot for the first time since opening week of the season. Despite having claim to the 2nd seed in the West (and being only 0.5 games behind the 1st seeded Golden State Warriors), they will face stiff competition in the first round, with potential matchups including the Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz, or even the deep Los Angeles Clippers. There's no certainty they make it past the opening round thanks largely to their inexperience, but they are still as talented as any team outside the Warriors.
The Thunder will be a dangerous underdog team in the playoffs, but if it weren't for a recent slump, they wouldn't be facing a potential first round matchup against the Warriors. Their remaining schedule is brutal too, with six of their last ten games being against teams fighting for playoff positioning. The team that calls Chesapeake Energy Arena home is in danger of entering the playoffs on a huge downswing if they can't right the ship soon.
Here are the current NBA Power Rankings, as determined by Ric Flair's legendary quote, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man":
