The NBA is approaching the halfway point of the season, as the contenders and potential playoff teams have emerged after a competitive schedule thus far.
The rumor mill is beginning to heat up with the trade deadline now less than a month away (Feb. 8). Players are beginning to find their names linked in some potential trades as teams look to solidify their futures this season or beyond.
The league is also close to revealing its All-Stars for this season. Two rounds of voting results have been released. The top players appear on the voting leaderboard from each conference, with some newcomers sprinkled into the mix, as well.
To make further sense of it all, Rookie Wire looked at the NBA and ranked each team from worst to first. We will return each week and provide our latest assessment of the best teams and those that are rising.