1st revision, NBA Power Rankings

After a week I see a few things that need to be changed.  The Jazz, Bobcats, Wizards, and Clippers were ranked a little too high, and the Suns, Nets, Pacers, and Pistons were too low. The East and West are split up so you can get a better idea of where your team stands in the playoff race.

East

1. Miami Heat 3-1
Well I thought it might take the Heat a couple of weeks to surpass the Magic, but apparently this team only needed one game to get on the same page.  These guys are terrifying, and if they stay healthy the Bulls record 72-win season might be in jeopardy.

2. Orlando Magic 1-1
This team is very impressive.  They have the deepest team in the league, and they seemingly make every open jumpshot. They have the most dominant big man in the league, and scorers at every position.  Unfortunately for them, they don't seem to be able to beat the best teams consistently enough to win a title.  The Heat are a terrible matchup for them, and there is no way they could beat them in a 7-game series.


3. Boston Celtics 2-1
The Celtics looked great for most of the game against the Heat, then laid an egg on the road in Cleveland.  PG Rajon Rondo is now the most important player on this team, and he very well could lead the NBA in assists this year.  He had 24 of them in a triple double the other day, and this team may be the only threat to the Heat's domination of the East this year.

4. Chicago Bulls 2-1
Derrick Rose is one of the best point guards in the league already,and this team is playing well even without Carlos Boozer.  Once he returns from injury, this team will only get better.

5. Atlanta Hawks 3-0
I made a mistake in dropping the Hawks so low in the 1st edition of the power rankings.  They had a bad preseason, but they have looked sharp in their first few games and seem poised for a similar finish as last year. 4th in the East is the most these guys could hope for though, as the top 3 are simply too strong for them.

6. New York Knicks 1-2
The Knicks are a work in progress, and with a little tweak to their rotation they could be very good.  Galinari and Mosgov are basically worthless, and they should be removed from the starting lineup.  Wilson Chandler has been arguably their best player and needs to be in the game as much as possible, with Toney Douglas taking up Galinari's minutes. 



7. Indiana Pacers 2-1
Roy Hibbert is playing at an all-star level, and Tyler Hansbrough looks ready to break in to the starting lineup.  If they can all stay healthy, they have a real shot to make the playoffs.

8. New Jersey Nets 2-1
Brook Lopez is a beast, and Derick Favors looks ready to contribute right away.  This team could easily go from nearly the worst record of all time to the playoffs in a year.


9. Detroit Pistons 0-3
Detroit is playing much better than I expected, but they have a brutal schedule to start the season and are still without a win.  They could have started 3-0, but they have failed to close in all those games and dropped them all.  It's going to be tough for them to sneak in the playoffs.

10. Milwaukee Bucks 1-2
The Bucks aren't off to a very good start, and it looks like they might take a step back this season.  They had a great year last season, but a duplication of their 5th place finish last year looks out of the question.

11. Charlotte Bobcats 0-3
I was hoping the Bobcats were going to be decent, but it looks like they will take a step back after finally making the playoffs a year ago.  D.J. Augustin provides much more scoring from the point guard position than Raymond Felton did, but he lacks the defensive ability and leadership qualities that were extremely important to this team.  The identity of this team has changed, as they no longer play the defense that took them to the playoffs last season.  Forward Derrick Brown has to see more time, and I would recommend him taking most of Boris Diaw's minutes as well as his starting spot.


12. Toronto Raptors 1-2
This team may end up being much better than I thought.  They don't have any big names, but if they can ever find some consistency at the point (Barbosa, Jack, and Calderon, or some combination of the 3), they could move up.

13. Cleveland Cavaliers 1-2
J.J. Hickson, Ramon Sessions, and Daniel Gibson are a decent trio, but the win over Boston is not an indication of how this team will be this year.  They just don't have enough talent to win consistently, and it's going to be a tough season for the Cavs.

14. Washington Wizards 0-2
It looks like this team is going to be wildly inconsistent.  John Wall is great, but he will still have nights where he turns the ball over way too much, and there are too many selfish players who take terrible shots on this team for them to be a playoff team.  I thought this team would be better, but after watching them and their suspect shot selection, it looks like a playoff spot probably isn't possible.


15. Philadelphia 76ers 0-3
The 76ers aren't very good, and it looks like they're going to lose a lot of games this season.

West

1. Los Angeles Lakers 3-0
The Lakers are the 2-time defending champions, and they are still the team to beat in the West.  As long as they have a guy named Kobe Bryant on the court, they will remain the favorite to get back to the finals.

2. New Orleans Hornets 3-0
Chris Paul has returned from injury with a vengeance, and the Hornets have responded to their tough early season schedule by starting 3-0.  New Orleans made some great moves in the off-season, and they have starting gelling as a team even faster than I anticipated.  I knew they would be making a big jump from last season, but they've surpassed my lofty expectations.

3. Denver Nuggets 2-1
This Nuggets team is loaded, but the Carmelo Anthony trade talks still loom over their heads.  It doesn't seem to be bothering anyone very much so far, as the Nuggets have played well and look to be a certain playoff team as long as they stay intact.


4. Oklahoma City Thunder 2-1
Kevin Durant has the Kobe-like ability to deliver the dagger late in the game, and teammates Jeff Green and  Russell Westbrook have given KD plenty of support.  I still like the Thunder despite an unexpected home blowout loss to a desperate Jazz team still searching for their first win.

5. San Antonio Spurs2-1
The Spurs just get it done, and it was good to hear members of the team stress the importance of trying to win every game this year.  This team doesn't have the margin for error it used to in past years, when they could afford to rest their stars and take games off.  This team plays great together, and they are still a playoff team as long as they stay healthy.


6. Dallas Mavericks 2-1
The Mavericks are loaded with talent, and their 37-year old point guard is still running the team at an elite level.  They've been a lock in the playoffs for years, and they look poised to get back there yet again.

7. Portland Trail Blazers 3-1
Portland is off to a great start, thanks in large part to LaMarcus Aldridge.  He's been a big-time double double machine, and he's getting plenty of help from Brandon Roy and company.


8. Utah Jazz 1-2
The Jazz got off to a shockingly bad start in blowout losses to Denver and Phoenix, but bounced back nicely with a huge road win in Oklahoma City.  Paul Milsap has been a complete animal so far, but the Jazz got almost nothing from their bench in their 2 losses to start the year.  C.J. Miles stepped up in a big way off the bench in their first win against the Thunder, and they will look for more from him as the season goes on.  I expected a lot from this team coming into the season, and I expect them to rebound from their nightmare start.

9. Memphis Grizzlies 2-1
The Grizzlies got off to a bad start in a blowout home loss to the Hawks, but they bounced back with a big road win in Dallas.  The starters are playing great, but they will need a bigger contribution from the bench if they want to be a playoff team.

10. Phoenix Suns 1-2
Steve Nash is the master of the pick and roll, and he even made Hakim Warrick look like Amare Stoudamire in their 2nd game against Utah.  Unfortunately for the Suns, they haven't gotten consistent contributions from the bigs inside. If they aren't able to establish a low post threat soon, it's going to be a long season for these guys.


11. Houston Rockets 0-3
The Rockets are 0-3, but they have been a little unlucky to start that way.  They nearly won their first two games on the road against the Lakers and Warriors, but they dropped close contests in both games.  Luis Scola is looking like an all-star, but Houston has to play better defensive if it hopes to make the playoffs in the West.

12. Golden State Warriors 2-1
The Warriors looked great while starting the season 2-0.  Monta Ellis was being a good teammate, and if he's willing to pass the ball this team has a very high ceiling.  Unfortunately for Golden State, Steph Curry reinjured his ankle late in the 2nd game, and his absence will be devastating to this team.  Curry does so many things for this team, and they can't afford to lose him for any extended period of time.

13. Sacramento Kings 3-1
The Kings are off to a great start at 3-1, but they really haven't beaten a good team yet.  We will see just how good they are when they host the Lakers on Wednesday, but this team has some nice pieces and will certainly be in the mix in the West sometime soon.  It might just be a year or 2 down the road.

14. Minnesota Timberwolves 1-2

The T'Wolves have a lot of young talent and have been cleaning up the glass better than anyone in the league.  Unfortunately, their youth too often comes through in the form of inconsistency, and this results in poor shot selection and bad defense.  Kevin Love and Luke Ridnour are playing consistently well, but Minnesota has to get more regular contributions from the supporting cast, especially Michael Beasley, if they expect to escape the bottom tier of the league.

15. Los Angeles Clippers 0-4
The Clippers have a pretty impressive starting lineup, but they're getting nothing from the bench. Blake Griffin is going to be a great player in this league for years to come, and his teammates really need to try harder to get him the ball.  Eric Gordon is a great scorer, but the Clippers have to find a few more contributors if they hope to be a factor come playoff time.  They are probably a year or 2 away, but they have had a very difficult schedule to open the season so we should give them a little more time.  Unfortunately for them, the schedule doesn't get any easier anytime soon.