NBA Power Rankings 2012: Miami Heat Take Top Spot, Magic Stay In Top Ten

As All-Star weekend in Orlando rapidly approaches, both the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic hold on to their lofty perches in the top ten on Tom Ziller's NBA Power Rankings. The Heat knocked Chicago out of the top spot after an impressive road trip, which saw them win three games in three nights. Of the No.1-ranked Heat, Ziller writes:

The Heat are on quite the little string, sweeping a five-game road trip (all with double-digit wins) that included a back-to-back-to-back ... then busting up a solid Orlando club by 12 on Sunday. Thursday's game against the Knicks will be must-watch stuff.

While the Heat may have blown out the Magic on Sunday afternoon in Miami, Stand Van Gundy's club continues along in Ziller's top ten. The Magic have dealt all year with rampant Dwight Howard rumors but continue to win as the mid-way point of the season approaches. The story, of course, continues to be Howard:

The Magic are plugging along until the trade deadline, when a decision on Dwight Howard will be needed. Boosters in L.A. and Brooklyn who want Orlando to make a move will be reminding us often of what happened to Cleveland and Toronto when their stars walked as free agents.

For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Magic, visit Orlando Pinstriped Post, SB Nation's Magic blog. For more on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier, SB Nation's Heat blog. For all your pro basketball news, be sure to follow along at SB Nation's NBA new hub.

NBA Power Rankings 2012: Miami Heat And Orlando Magic Both Crack Top Ten Of SB Nation Power Rankings

The latest edition of Tom Ziller's SB Nation NBA Power Rankings are out and both Florida teams have cracked the top ten. The Magic, riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak last week, jumped eight spots to No. 10. While the Magic had a bounce back week on the floor, the Dwight Howard rumors continued to swirl - Ziller on his new No. 10-ranked team:

The Dwight Howard saga continues, but fear not: it's been much, much quieter than the Carmelo Anthony ordeal was last season. You can actually get away with not thinking about it on most days ... for now. The trade deadline is March 15.

The Heat, however, are securely moving forward with their trio of superstars now healthy and humming. Ziller has Miami as the No. 2 team in the league, with only the Chicago Bulls ranked higher. Ziller writes that there's still a long way to go before we really know what this team is all about.

At times, the Miami of this year looks like it is from a completely different planet than the one which hosted the Heat last season. Other times, this team looks exactly the same: massively talented, overwhelmingly predictable. But Dwyane Wade has been injured a good chunk of the campaign, so we should see if things come together in a revolutionary style over the next couple of months.

For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Magic, visit Orlando Pinstriped Post, SB Nation's Magic blog. For more on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier, SB Nation's Heat blog. For all your pro basketball news, be sure to follow along at SB Nation's NBA new hub.

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