As we pass the midway point of the 2014-15 NBA season, teams have risen and fallen. Some have disappointed and some have stunned the entire fan base. But up to this point, barring injury, these teams are who I believe are the best and worst NBA teams throughout this season and, as of late January, are supported by the statistics of nba.com. Choosing these few teams to analyze was tough and there were many runner-ups on the list. Here is the top ten and bottom ten in my opinion:

The Top Ten

10. Phoenix Suns

9. Toronto Raptors

8. San Antonio Spurs

7. Los Angeles Clippers

6. Washington Wizards

5. Dallas Mavericks

4. Atlanta Hawks

For my final three, I took them and broke them down.

#3: Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls have dominated within the East this season, posting a 29-17 record. With arguably the most talented roster in the NBA including young All-Star Derrick Rose, veteran Pau Gasol, and dominating defender Joakim Noah, they have crushed many opponents. Posting a top-ten scoring average, they have been able to stay strong in the struggling Eastern conference. With two top defenders in Gasol and Noah, along with Rose and surprise player Jimmy Butler leading the backcourt, they have been a stupendous team. They have four possible All-Stars leading them and if they can stay healthy, they are one of the best bets to represent the East in the Finals. In my book, they pull in second and are the team from the East that has the best chance to go all the way to the Finals.

#2: Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have fulfilled expectations so far this season. With a 31-14 record, they have been doing quite well. With a top-ten scoring average, point differential, opponent’s field goal percentage, opposing 3-pt percentage, and opposing turnovers, they have excelled. Their defense, led by James Harden and Dwight Howard, has been key all season long. Dwight Howard has even been in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year if he keeps up the work he has been doing this season. Overall, the Rockets were a tough decision for the top three, but they beat out the Dallas Mavericks because of their potential. With a little more chemistry and teamwork going on between the players, they can bring a title home to Houston, which is why they come in at third.

#1: Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors have been a team that has by far exceeded expectations from the beginning. With a 36-6 record, they have been the team to beat. Led by the talented Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, they have dominated the outer rim, earning the nickname, “The Splash Brothers.” With the highest scoring offense in the league and a defense in the top half, they have dominated the court. They also post the third highest 3-pt percentage and sixth highest free throw completion percentage. Although they do struggle with turnovers, they have the highest point differential over opponents. On my list, they come in at first overall and I believe it will stay that way, at least in the West, for the remainder of the season.

The Bottom Ten

10. Sacramento Kings

9. Brooklyn Nets

8. Utah Jazz

7. Orlando Magic

6. Milwaukee Bucks

5. Boston Celtics

4. Los Angeles Lakers

Once again, I took my final three and broke them down, assessing their issues.

#3: Philadelphia 76ers

To start off my list of worst teams, we have the Philadelphia 76ers. With a 8-37 record, the young team out of Philadelphia, sits at the bottom of the league in points per game, point differential, field goal percentage, three point percentage, free throw percentage, etc. In fact, they are one of only two teams that have a percentage under .700. Even though they are at the bottom, it is not entirely the players’ faults. Only one of their starters has even been in the league for three years. The sub-par Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is that one player. It is the front offices’ fault that they are failing; they have virtually no veterans to lead the younger players. Due to the lack of leadership or experience, that is why they come in at third on my worst NBA teams list.

#2: Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been a lackluster team throughout the season and will continue to do so long as they do not actually do something smart to help their franchise. With a 7-37 record, they have been even worse than expected since the Kevin Love trade. They have gone from an average 106.9 points per game down to 98.5. Though rookie Andrew Wiggins has done well, he doesn’t fit well with the team and needs a new place to play. Veteran Mo Williams has also done fine, but is just too old to lead a team after 11 years in the league. Thaddeus Young is promising, but has been another misfit for this team ever since he was traded last year. Ever since the Kevin Love trade, their team has done even worse, though it did help Kevin Love get to a better team. With a sub-par coach in Flip Saunders, and not enough talent to get them by in the Northwest division with Portland and Oklahoma City topping it. They need to figure something out and bring some talent and leadership back to Minnesota, which is why they rank second on my list of worst teams.

#1: New York Knicks

The New York Knicks: the team that continues to disappoint the Big Apple year after year recently. They started off the year in the top half of the power ranking and now they are dead last. After the trades of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, they have gotten worse. Carmelo Anthony is still a great player and Amar’e Stoudemire is still good, but their two contracts have them both receiving over $20 million this season, which has left no room in the cap space for recruiting, and due to the hefty price tags on them, their trade value is low. Those two players are the only players on the team that have any real talent and they should be able to lead their team to a better record than 8-37. Another issue is the coaching. Derek Fisher is a rookie head coach and is not ready to be at the head position, due to lack of coaching experience. He doesn’t just lack, he flat out has no experience and just isn’t ready. Another issue is that there has been limited-to-no chemistry, which is terrible for any team, no matter the talent. The bottom line is that they need to smash that restart button once they let Melo go. This is why they are the worst team on my list.