NBA power rankings 2013: Denver staying home for the new year

The road-weary Nuggets finish 2012 with a 17-15 record, good for the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. But the West is stacked and Denver remains in or around the top 10 in this week's power rankings. The Nuggets also play 15 of their next 18 games at home, the most friendly remaining schedule of any team in the NBA.

In the last week, Denver knocked off the Lakers and Mavericks and lost to the Grizzlies. The loss dropped the Nuggets two spots in ESPN's Marc Stein's power rankings, falling from No. 7 to No. 9. Stein was the highest on Denver of any ranker coming into the week, so the slight hit is not surprising.

NBC's Pro Basketball Talk kept the Nuggets steady at their No. 10 spot, three spots in front of the middling Lakers. The lowest rankers are CBS, with senior blogger Matt Moore putting the Nuggets at No. 11, up one spot from last week.

It will be interesting to see how the volume of home games affects the play of Denver, who could rise through the ranks in the Western Conference.