NBA Power Rankings: 28-30

Another month in this marathon we call an NBA season has come to an end. So at the end of February, where do the best teams rank in the league? Who are the best teams? Those answers, and more, are provided to you in this edition of the NBA Power Rankings!

28. New York Knicks -

Rec (L10): 3-7 Margin of Victory against L25%: -6.27 SOS (L25%): .509

When you look at their season as a whole, they don't seem any worse than the rest of the bottom feeders in the NBA. However, when you look at them game by game and see the manner in which they lose games and some of the efforts the put out there, it just makes you want to throw up. And I say that as a Knicks fan who hates to watch these guys play, because they really have no heart. I think Stephen A. Smith said it best when he said that the main indictment on Isiah Thomas isn't his collection of talent, but it's the fact that he wasn't able to look at these guys mannerisms and styles of play to see whether or not they had the hear to be winners. Thomas has won at every level of basketball, including 1 national championship at Indiana and two NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons. So you would think that if anyone had the ability to determine whether or not a player played with heart, it would be Isiah "Zeke" Thomas, who was always the smallest person on the court, but who also had the biggest heat and more toughness than anyone did. Unfortunately, for his job and the Knicks fans, Thomas can't measure heart as well as one would expect him to.

29. Memphis Grizzlies -

Rec (L10): 1-9 Margin of Victory against L25%: -10.73 SOS (L25%): .510

Well, apparently everything but the team towel boy was available for trade in Memphis. This team gave away Pau Gasol to the Lakers and then they gave away some more players to the New Jersey Nets. They are now 1-9 in their last 10 and they are relying on the play of their only star, Rudy Gay, and using the word star with him may be a little premature. They don't make a whole lot of money at the gate, so they won't be in the free agent market this off-season, so their only hope of getting better is to get lucky in the draft. But they haven't had a good draft pick since Pau Gasol, so I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that either.

30. Miami Heat -

Rec (L10): 0-10 Margin of Victory against L25%: -10.71 SOS (L25%): .556

If two years ago you were to tell me that the NBA Finals of MVP of 2006 was going to be 0-10 and losing games by an average of 10 points over a span of 10 games, I would have laughed at you. That's how good Dwyane Wade was looking. And he still looks good. His PER is one of the best in the league, and he certainly was deserving of his spot in the All-Star starting lineup. But he's not winning games, which leads me to believe that this is not the same Dwyane Wade. The Wade of old took over games, and he did whatever was necessary to win. This Wade looks a step too slow, and a bit to meek, especially late in games. I hope he can get over all of the injuries he has had and come back healthy for the start of next season. But with the Olympics coming up this Summer, chances are that he is going to want to play, and that might be the nail in the coffin for Miami's 2008-2009 season, as well.