Power Rankings: Cutting dead wood from NBA tree

Updated Dec. 28

As David Stern envisions taking the NBA global, LeBron James made an obvious observation last week: There already are too many teams.

I agree, but not necessarily for the same reason that prompted James' remark.

Addition by contraction: The NBA would be a better place without Donald Sterling. (Getty Images)

But fewer teams also means fewer bad franchises that do little but suck money from their more favorably situated competitors.

Imagine a league with less travel, better arenas and greater revenues. You get higher quality games, a friendlier destination for fans and additional funds to pour into the depths of each roster.

How can you not do it?

Well, here's the problem: Who gets the bad news?

Cutting back to 24 teams seems logical. You could stick with the six-division format, trimming one team from each. Or go to four divisions of six, further diminishing the chances of getting an NFC West-type champion stealing a playoff berth from a more deserving club.

Finding six teams to ax is easy. Some choices are no-brainers. Others are tough only in that there are many candidates.

Here are the six I would send packing:

Los Angeles Clippers: The NFL gets along just fine without a team in Los Angeles. The NBA doesn't need 1½. And look at it this way: Is the league better off with or without Donald Sterling? Case closed.

New Jersey Nets: If the Lakers get to divorce themselves from their ugly housemate, then the Knicks should be given the same privilege in regards to their down-on-its-luck cousin from across the river. Even new owner Mikhail Prokhorov would have to admit: No one wants to play for this sad franchise.

Sacramento Kings: The honeymoon is over in the glorified San Francisco suburb. When the only game in town has trouble getting an NBA-quality arena built, the message is clear: Don't let the turnstile hit you in the pocketbook on the way out of town.

New Orleans Hornets: Terrible arena. Terrible support. Terrible history. ... Now that the NBA owns the franchise, there's one fewer reason why a terrible mistake (giving New Orleans a second chance) cannot be corrected.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Oklahoma City got a franchise in large part because, during the Hornets' Katrina-related relocation, it demonstrated it was more worthy of a franchise than New Orleans. If you've read this far, you recognize that doesn't score many points in my buyers' guide.

Memphis Grizzlies: There are many potential directions to go here. Take a team out of Texas? Florida? The Southeast (Atlanta or Charlotte)? The Great North (Minnesota or Milwaukee)? Alas, I've settled upon another city that can't get a sniff from any other major professional sport and is owned by a guy (Michael Heisley) who now has to realize this adventure was misguided.

OK, what does that leave us with? Glad you asked.

Attached to this week's CBSSports.com NBA Power Rankings is one new player apiece from the six folded franchises (drafted in inverse order of these ratings; all selections exempt from salary-cap restrictions) that would help produce the more attractive and competitive product James has helped create. (And you should see the list of guys who didn't make Round 1. In a word: Impressive.)

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Spurs · Trends	1
	Can you win an NBA title with an offense-first team? That's what Popovich is trying to do this season. And he may have a better shot than the Seven-Seconds-or-Less Suns. It would not be celebrated as such, but it would be an incredible accomplishment.
	2	Bulls · Trends	2
	The most consistent team in the league for two years running. Tom Thibodeau is the Dr. Doom of the NBA.
	3	Heat · Trends	3
	To live up to expectations, the Heat have to make such a huge jump, they need rocket fuel to get it done.
	4	Thunder · Trends	5
	The Thunder have had nothing but upside and positive feelings the past two years as they climbed into contention. They're facing their first bout of serious adversity. How they handle it determines whether this team has championship mettle.
	5	Pacers · Trends	9
	You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos.
	6	Lakers · Trends	6
	The Lakers winning the Pacific again would be like the Kansas Jayhawks winning their conference. They have a closet where they just toss the trophies on top of the pile. Looks like Scrooge McDuck's gold.
	7	Clippers · Trends	7
	Uh, anyone else notice that despite all the questions (defense, coaching, shooters, coaching, cohesiveness, coaching), the Clippers are really pretty good?
	8	Celtics · Trends	4
	One more ride, old-timers. One more ride.
	9	Hawks · Trends	11
	Boston and Atlanta began their playoff runs with their cores pitted against one another. It's possible they'll end them as well.
	10	Knicks · Trends	12
	The grind-it-out style of the playoffs means having Carmelo Anthony's super-ISO offense is a whole different thing.
	11	Grizzlies · Trends	8
	The Grizzlies are on the worst-looking five-game winning streak ever.
	12	Nuggets · Trends	10
	Oh, look, Denver, you found your offense under the porch! Good job! Maybe that'll teach you not to be so cavalier with it.
	13	Jazz · Trends	16
	The Jazz hope the first round's title will be "Hidden Tiger, Crouching Millsap."
	14	Mavericks · Trends	17
	I've decided the Mavericks' 2012 season is "Cabin in the Woods." It looks like your standard horror show, but there's so much more going on.
	15	Suns · Trends	13
	If this were Steve Nash's last legitimate playoff run ... #slowclap
	16	76ers · Trends	19
	"Mr. and Mrs. Sixers fans? Hi. Yes, I'm Dr. Easy Schedule. Your team is stable. It's resting comfortably. It was touch-and-go for a while, but we managed to repair the playoff eligibility. It's going to make it. ... You don't look happy?"
	17	Rockets · Trends	15
	Oh, look. The late lottery. There's a new area for the Rockets to explore. #stare
	18	Magic · Trends	14
	The Orlando Magic: The walking, talking reason for the league to enact a "you can trade your playoff spot for a lottery pick" rule.
	19	Bucks · Trends	18
	A pivotal offseason for the Bucks is set to begin. It's extremely unlikely, but imagine if this team lands a top-three pick.
	20	Timberwolves · Trends	22
	To the tune of "Total Eclipse of the Heart:" "Ru-bi-o, every now and then I get a little bit lonely and your leg still isn't healed. Ru-bi-o, every now and then I get a little bit tired of Beasley getting killed on defense ..."
	21	Trail Blazers · Trends	21
	The Blazers were 12-9 on Feb. 1. This completes today's lesson in "How quickly things can go to hell in a handcart."
	22	Kings · Trends	23
	The Kings can look back and point to legitimate growth. But the next steps are even more important. The leap from "promising young talent" to "team that doesn't make you want to gouge your eye out with a lobster fork" is a difficult process.
	23	Hornets · Trends	20
	Monty Williams and Dell Demps need to go bowling, get drunk and forget this year ever happened. Unfortunately, it's New Orleans, so finding alcohol could be a problem.
	24	Pistons · Trends	24
	Well, a young, inexperienced team like that is going to have ... what's that? Tayshaun Prince is how old? Oh, never mind, they're just bad.
	25	Raptors · Trends	25
	Dwane Casey can look back and say he changed the culture. The talent comes next, then the winning. The future is bright in Toronto.
	26	Nets · Trends	26
	I'm sure New Jersey is all choked up over losing the Nets. At least they're used to that when it comes to the Nets -- losing, that is.
	27	Cavaliers · Trends	27
	It had to get worse before it gets better. They've got their next franchise guy. Now they just have to build around him. And do it better this time.
	28	Warriors · Trends	28
	This had better have been worth it.
	29	Wizards · Trends	29
	The Wizards managed to move from pathetic joke to just pathetic by the end of the year. Progress in our time!
	30	Bobcats · Trends	30
	Now let us never speak of this again.