How they rank

*--* RANKINGS, COMMENTS THROUGH SATURDAY *--*

*--* SO MUCH FOR THE PRELIMINARIES 1. CLEVELAND (64-15) On bright side for Lakers, maybe they can win another one there. (T1) 2. LAKERS (63-17) Good news: Haven’t played their best. Bad news: Haven’t played their best. (T1) 3. BOSTON (60-19) Oh, and I take back everything I said about Rondo, Davis, Powe, House . . . (T3) 4. ORLANDO (58-22) You’d like chances vs. Celtics at home -- but home loss to Knicks ends that. (T3) CAN STILL DREAM 5. PORTLAND (52-28) Lakers now biggest fans, hoping they get No. 2 or 3, out of their bracket. (T7) 6. HOUSTON (52-28) Curse of T-Mac: Can’t get to next level with him, or without him. (T7) 7. DENVER (53-27) Must be better than they looked here Thursday, but that’s not good enough. (T5) 8. SAN ANTONIO (51-28) Why they’re great/doomed: Two days after he’s yanked, Duncan plays 31 minutes. (T5) 9. DALLAS (48-31) Take a number: Shaq’s way down their list, which starts with Dallas native Bosh. (11) 10. NEW ORLEANS (48-31) Would they win 48 in still-balanced West with LeBron in CP3’s place? (T7) 11. UTAH (47-33) Wasn’t point of finishing first getting to play small fry in first round? (10) BEEN DOWN SO LONG, LOOKS LIKE UP 12. ATLANTA (46-34) Door prize: Heat, 76ers vie for No. 5 to play Hawks, not Magic, in first round. (12) 13. MIAMI (41-38) What a duel: Heat just lost six of nine. (14) 14. PHILADELPHIA (40-39) What a duel: Meanwhile, 76ers lost four in row. (15) 15. CHICAGO (40-40) Back in playoffs: Next, hoping to trade for star who wants to play with Rose. (16) 16. DETROIT (39-41) Rebuilding or not, won’t like first-round loss after six Eastern finals in a row. (17) COMERS/GOERS 17. PHOENIX (44-36) Lucky him: Gentry gets job next season with blindfold and last cigarette. (13) 18. CHARLOTTE (35-45) At their pace after Diaw arrived, would have gone 42-40, made playoffs. (18) 19. MILWAUKEE (33-47) For sale: High-priced Jefferson, Ridnour, perhaps even Redd. (22) 20. OKLAHOMA CITY (22-58) Welcome back: Livingston played 19 minutes in Miami, just went 27-27-17-18-24. (21) 21. NEW JERSEY (33-47) Lopez, No. 10 pick, making a lot of top threes in voting for top rookie. (23) 22. INDIANA (35-45) O’Brien: Dunleavy may be out until midseason. Who knows where he’ll be then? (19) 23. NEW YORK (31-49) Eclipsed by Marbury, Krypto-Nate antics, big-time prospect Wilson Chandler. (24) 24. MEMPHIS (23-56) Good sign for talented kids: Hollins has them playing hard to end, going 6-3. (26) 25. MINNESOTA (24-56) Owner wants McHale back as coach only, passes over McHale guys in GM search. (27) WHERE DID WE GO WRONG? OH YEAH, NOV. 1 26. TORONTO (30-49) Will entertain offers for Bosh, who’s likely to walk in a year. (20) 27. GOLDEN STATE (29-51) Quiet week, but then Jackson, Ellis, Crawford and Maggette are out. (25) 28. WASHINGTON (19-61) If they played round-robin with Kings, Clippers, would anyone ever win? (28) 29. CLIPPERS (19-61) You hope Randolph, a big playful kid too long, followed Adenhart tragedy closely. (29) 30. SACRAMENTO (16-63) At least no one will forget them: Before this, worst record in town was 24-58. (30) *--*