Power rankings with a Warriors twist: no players over 6-8 allowed

There are power rankings all over the Internet and they all say roughly the same thing: Lakers, Suns, Nuggets and Mavericks are the best in the West, followed by a jumbled mess of teams that could win or lose on any given night against any given opponent.

The power rankings on this site were supposed to be focused on the Warriors and their chances of making it into the top eight and fighting for a playoff spot. Well, times have changed.

The Warriors are 4-8, playing without a true center and the seemingly easy schedule to start the season didn't work out that way. So, in honor of Don Nelson, who is suffering with pneumonia, and his small-ball tactics, we decided to change up the power rankings this week.

What would happen if every team, not just the Warriors, lost their entire supply of big men? What if no one over 6-foot-8 was allowed to play on a Western Conference team? Then what would the power rankings look like?

I'm glad you asked. Here's what they would look like:

1. Nuggets: Denver would lose Nene, Chris Andersen and Kenyon Martin, but this team is really built around Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups so they jump to the top of the list.

2. Rockets: The Rockets are somehow winning without Yao Ming already while starting 6-foot-6 Chuck Hayes at center. Luis Scola and Carl Landry are both 6-9 so they have to go, but Houston would find a way to keep winning.

3. Warriors: They'll lose half the team (Anthony Randolph, Vladimir Radmanovic, Mikki Moore and new hero for a day Chris Hunter) so they'll have to sign some more players. But Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, Anthony Morrow and Corey Maggette just showed they could play with Boston and Cleveland, and beat Portland. Maggette would have to play center, but he's already doing that at times. Randolph would be missed but can you imagine Ellis with no big men on the floor? Playoffs here we come!

4. Lakers: Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom account for nearly 50 points and 30 rebounds per game and would all be gone. But Kobe Bryant can carry a team no matter what the restrictions and Ron Artest becomes huge -- literally and figuratively. Suddenly, Adam Morrison at 6-8 becomes NBA relevant.

5. Suns: Without Amare Stoudemire and Channing Frye, they rely even more heavily on Steve Nash and Grant Hill, who are not bad options -- for the short term. Back-to-backs could be hard but they can run with the best.

6. Jazz: Welcome to the Paul Milsap era. Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko are no longer in the mix and Mehmet Okur no longer lingers around the 3-point line. But with Milsap and Deron Williams emerging as a star, this team can still go far.

7. Kings: Another team that already likes to play small, but not that small. Tyreke Evans, 6-6, is a star in the making. The question is could they maintain momentum when Kevin Martin returns? Jason Thompson would be missed and Spencer Hawes does some dirty work inside, but a league without big men becomes a league without dirty work.

8. Mavericks: Sorry Damp, you're done. So is Dirk Nowitzki, the heart of the Mavs. But Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Josh Howard provide enough for this team to still make the great eight.

9. Grizzlies: Rudy Gay at 6-8 becomes a legitimate superstar. He and O.J. Mayo can carry a team that loses Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Is it too late to get Allen Iverson back?

10. Blazers: LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Travis Outlaw and Joel Pryzbilla are all gone. There goes the defense. Can the Blazers keep up in a small-ball league? Probably not.

11. Clippers: Baron Davis can now live in the post, which means he's not shooting 3-pointers. That makes the Clippers a better team. However, losing Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby and never getting Blake Griffin hurts. Even with the new rules, the Clippers don't make the playoffs.

12. Spurs: They're struggling even with Tim Duncan. Take him, plus Matt Bonner, Antonio McDyess and Theo Ratcliff out of the picture and what do you have? The always injured Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and DeJuan Blair. All complimentary pieces with no one to compliment

13. Thunder: Kevin Durant and Jeff Green are both 6-9. Enough said.

14. Hornets: Did you know Peja Stojakovic was 6-10? That's what the roster says. So Peja joins Emeka Okafor, David West, Darius Songaila and even Ike Diagu on the list of players looking for new jobs. Even the eventual return of Chris Paul couldn't help this team.

15. Timberwolves. What happens when you take the best player (Al Jefferson) off a team that's already 1-12? Not much, really, because they stay right at the bottom of the standings.

So there you have it. The new West power rankings in a league where no players over 6-8 are allowed. Finally, the Warriors are near the top.

As for reality, and the actual rankings. Here you go:

1. Lakers (10-3)

2. Suns (11-3)

3. Nuggets (9-4)

4. Mavericks (10-3)

5. Blazers (10-5)

6. Jazz (7-6)

7. Rockets (8-6)

8. Spurs (5-6)

9. Thunder (7-7)

10. Kings (5-7)

11. Warriors (4-8)

12. Clippers (5-9)

13. Hornets (6-9)

14. Grizzlies (4-9)

15. Timberwolves (1-12)

ALSO:

Is Monta Ellis an All-Star?