Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls are technically ahead of LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the standings and the Eastern Conference playoff seeding, but at times it feels like they are still chasing. With guys like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh next up to make plays for the Heat, it makes Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah seem like quite a drop off. Even so, people around the NBA are showing their trust in the Bulls at the moment. Tom Ziller of SB Nation released his latest NBA Power Rankings on Monday, and the Bulls grabbed the top spot:
| Rank | Team | Record | Last Week | SB Nation Blog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Chicago Bulls | 34-9 | W: IND, MIL, UTA; L: ORL | Blog-a-Bull |
| The Bulls remain incredibly impressive, despite a surprising home loss -- Chicago's second all season -- to Orlando. On Saturday, the Bulls whipped the Jazz (a good team) without Luol Deng or Joakim Noah. | ||||
| 2. | Miami Heat | 31-9 | W: NJ, ATL, IND | Peninsula Is Mightier |
| The Heat earned a pair of narrow victories over East playoff teams this week, forever quieting the implication that LeBron James cannot close in the fourth quarter. And the world was at peace. | ||||
A few other interesting notes from this round of rankings includes the Orlando Magic at No. 8 and the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 10 overall.
For updates on the matchup, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Blog a Bull, and for more news and notes from around the NBA, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub.