NBA RANKINGS: Title contenders emerge nearing the halfway point of the season

The NBA's really good teams are starting to separate from those that got off to really good starts.

Who’s number one? For most of the NBA season, that answer hasn’t changed much.

With the official halfway point of the season arriving in a couple of weeks, good teams are beginning to create clear separation from those that got off to a good start.

Minnesota and Oklahoma City were once thought to be the benefactors of a fluky-good start to the season, only to maintain their front-of-the-pack status to be a legit threat out West.

And then there’s the NBA blue bloods like Boston and Milwaukee and of course, defending NBA champion Denver, who also remain fixtures near the top the NBA mountaintop.

So how do they all stack up this week?

Here’s a closer look at this week’s starting five teams, the rest of the “top-tier” rotation, as well as teams that are on the rise and bringing up the rear, the best of the rest.

STARTING FIVE (record; last week’s ranking)