The power structure in this abbreviated NBA season has been uniformly erratic. Just when it seems like a team is solidifying and playing consistently, they drop one to the Clippers?

The teams that have shown most enduring qualities this season are complete surprises. Who would’ve guessed that midway through the season Orlando and Portland would be dominating their respective conferences.

This phenomenon can be explained in a few ways. Firstly, there is no longer a perennial dominant force in the NBA without Michael Jordan. On top of the fall of the Bulls, the strike threw a lot of teams out of balance.

Photo Courtesy of Reuters Orlando is the biggest surprise. A solid team, headed by team leader Anfernee Hardaway.

Regardless of these excuses there is still an intriguing power-structure developing in this unique and unpredictable ’99 season. Here’s the breakdown of the top teams from each conference:

The West is incredibly saturated with talented teams, not all off which have lived up to their potential. Portland has risen to the top because of hustle play, depth and an abundance of well-coached talent.

The Lakers are Portland’s inverse in many ways. Having fallen from the elite class of teams in the West because of lack of hustle and an abundance of poorly coached (seemingly uncoachable) talent, they still have a relatively strong record of 23-12, almost five games behind the Trailblazers.

Then there are the veteran teams, Utah and Houston. Although they haven’t displayed the consistency they are capable of, these two teams have the tools and the experience to go all the way. The question remains whether or not they can hang with the younger, fresher teams come playoff time. One reason why they might not be playing up to par so far might be because they are experimenting with their talent base, as well as keeping gas in the tank for the stretch run.

To round out the top of the Western conference, let’s look at San Antonio. With a record of 23-10, San Antonio is a team on the rise. Obviously, the presence of Duncan and Robinson down low is tough for anyone to compete with.

Seattle and Minnesota also deserve mention, Seattle for their potential and Minnesota for their record. Seattle is a dangerous team, but at .500 they haven’t played the way they are capable of playing. Gary Payton has to carry them anywhere they are going to go, which, considering how far they have fallen since winning 62 games in 1997, may not be very far.

As for Minnesota, the loss of point-guard Stephon Marbury was a blow to them, but they have proven resilient and are still performing behind the production of Kevin Garnett.

The East almost mirrors the West in terms of power structure. There are eight teams worthy of note.

Orlando is the biggest surprise. Chuck Daly is taking them places in the same way that Mike Dunleavy is leading the Blazers. He has a solid team, headed by team leader Anfernee Hardaway, and they are playing well. Both teams are holding opponents to fewer than 88 points per game.

New York and Indiana continue their long-standing and intense rivalry. Although New York’s record (18-15) is not indicative of this, they are one of the stronger teams in the conference when all of their weapons are healthy. With an explosive back court of Allan Houston and Latrell Spreewell and a front court of Ewing and Larry Johnson (with Marcus Camby coming off the bench) the Knicks are a sleeper in the East.

Miami is living up to expectations, even after their mid-season slump they still have the third best record in the east. Mourning is having a MVP caliber season and the defense is the second best in the NBA.

Milwaukee and Detroit are both competitive and will make the playoffs, but neither team has shown any real prowess on the court. Neither will go far in the post-season. Atlanta, on the other hand, has proven to be one of the teams to beat in the East with a 22-13 record and the best team defense in the NBA, holding opposing teams to under 84 points per game.

The biggest surprise in the East has to be Toronto who has gone 8-2 in their last ten games after opening the season 10-12. Rookie of the year candidate Vince Carter, averaging nearly 18 points per game, is leading this surge.

So, that’s the breakdown of the NBA. If I didn’t mention your team, sorry, they aren’t that good.