NBA Power Rankings Vol. 2

AP

This is shaping up to be a hell of a season. There is an absolute log jam of teams at the top, which makes ranking them damn-near impossible. Pretty much the only thing that can be said with any degree of certainty is that New York, New Jersey and Minnesota are really really bad.

1. Atlanta Hawks (last week: 8th)

The only question left is will it last. Any questions about their ability to play with the big boys went away after beating Boston on the road and Portland at home last night. Joe Johnson is looking like an MVP candidate (or at least a candidate to receive a max deal this offseason) and Josh Smith is finally taking that last step toward becoming an All-Star.

2. Phoenix Suns (5)

Yes, they did lose to the Lakers but few teams have been as impressive as the Suns this year. They still need to fine-tune things on defense but they can score with just about anybody. Their game against Houston on Tuesday should be one of the match ups of the week.

3. Denver Nuggets (4)

The Nuggets put a 26-point beat down on the Lakers last week and was probably an average Brandon Jennings performance (he dropped 32 and 9 on them in a Bucks win) away from being number 1 or 2 on this list.

4. Boston Celtics (2)

The back-to-back losses last week was disappointing, especially the Indiana one where they gave up 113 points. Regardless, they are still among the deepest teams and KG’s knee is holding up fine.

5. Dallas Mavericks (6)

The Mavs did exactly what they were supposed to do this week, win all their games. Dirk’s late heroics, a buzzer beater to beat the Bucks in OT was a highlight of last week. The latest Josh Howard injury isn’t encouraging but they’ve fared well without him thus far. They face a real test against San Antonio on Wednesday.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers (9)

There was wide panic after the Cavs’ 0-2 start but they’ve rebounded nicely, winning 7 of their last 8 games including impressive victories of Orlando and Miami last week. Another week like that and they will crack the top 3.

7. Los Angeles Lakers (1)

So they still don’t have Gasol but losing back-to-back games is never a good thing for a Kobe Bryant team. The last three opponents they face all scored over 100 points.

8. Portland Trailblazers (11)

Before losing to the Hawks Monday night, the Blazers were the NBA’s hottest team. Playing Minnesota twice, Charlotte, Memphis and New Orleans all in one week was a boost.

9. Orlando Magic (3)

I generally don’t like having this much movement in my power rankings but the season’s young, so, the hell with it, I’ll roll with some knee-jerk reactions. They lost to Cleveland last week and Dwight Howard has looked more like Clark Kent than Superman but I expect them to move up next week and the weeks following. Off topic: Was Howard’s dunk-that-wasn’t-really-a-dunk worthy of heisting the Superman nickname from Shaq? I know the Diesel has plenty of nicknames (I just used one) but child please: there’s only one Superman in the NBA and his name is Shaquelle O’Neal.

10. Miami Heat (7)

I’m still looking for an excuse to keep the Heat out of the elite in these rankings because quite frankly, they aren’t as deep or talented as the other teams on the top. Still, a healthy D-Wade means that the Heat will stay ranked fairly high.

11. Houston Rockets (13)

In true Disney Movie fashion, the Rockets “there’s no I in team” model of success has taken most (especially me) by surprise. The Sacramento loss hurt but damn that Lakers win on Sunday night was impressive. They face Phoenix and Atlanta this week. We’ll see how for real they are.

12. Milwaukee Bucks (23)

AP

BRANDON JENNINGS. By now, you’ve probably heard, read or talked about how historic Brandon Jennings 55-spot was last week. I am still astonished by it. Most impressive for me was that he didn’t score in the first quarter and dropped 45 in the second half. How many points is 55? Well, that’s only 4 points (yes, two measly layups) less than the Bobcats scored in their opening game this season.

13. Sacramento Kings (24)

The Kings won’t be ranked this high for very long but I have to get them up here while I still can. They’ve won four in a row and they are doing it without Kevin Martin. Tyreke Evans is looking a little bit like Diet Dwyane Wade since moving to shooting guard. Stunning. I expect Martin to be dealt by the trade deadline.

14. San Antonio Spurs (10)

The Kings are ranked higher than the Spurs!? If the playoffs started today the Spurs would be home watching on TV. Although, if the playoffs started today, I doubt the Spurs would’ve started the year in hibernation mode.

15. Toronto Raptors (15)

Honestly, if they had squeaked it out against Phoenix on Sunday (lost by 1) they probably would be ranked much higher. I still like their chances.

16. Indiana Pacers (25)

Why have they only played seven games? They beat Boston last week, which is why they jumped nine spots in this weeks rankings. This is about where they should be, somewhere in that 6-10 range in the East. And lucky them, they get New York and New Jersey on back-to-back nights this week.That’s makeup for playing three less games than everyone else.

17. Oklahoma City Thunder (15)

Their ranking will be up and down all year because of their youth. When they are good, though, they are really really good.

18. Chicago Bulls (12)

No matter how good they are defensively, I just can’t get with the Bulls if they continue to average less than 90 ppg. On the bright side, Joakim Noah has continued his stellar play from the playoffs and is leading the NBA in rebounding. He has gone from being a pest and borderline bust to fan favorite, energizer in a short year.

19. Utah Jazz (19)

Are they just a bad team? I’m not willing to go there yet. They dropped games to Cleveland and Boston last week but I’m not going to hold that against them. They are still chronic underachievers and if this doesn’t change I expect big time moves.

20. Detroit Pistons (17)

Next week, they’ll probably be ranked much higher or lower after a grueling schedule this week. They face the Lakers, Blazers, Jazz and Suns. Uh-oh.

21. Philadelphia 76ers (16)

They’ve been bad as of late. The Marresse Speights injury is bad for just about everybody other than Elton Brand. If Brand can’t perform without Speights breathing down his neck, I suspect that he’ll be Shaq’d (traded for expiring contracts) at the first offer possible.

22. Los Angeles Clippers (22)

Hang in there guys, Blake Griffin will be back soon enough. I suspect if Eric Gordon wasn’t playing for the Clippers, he’d be everyone’s favorite youngster that most people say that other people don’t talk about but they really do. Like what Danny Granger was two years ago or Paul Milsap last season.

23. Charlotte Bobcats (21)

AP

My favorite punching bag (give me a break, they are that bad offensively) should be improved with the addition of Stephen Jackson. To what end? I’m not sure yet. They certainly should be better than 3-7, though.

24. Golden State Warriors (26)

Is it just a coincidence that the most dysfunctional teams in the NBA and NFL both call Oakland their home? Regardless of the answer, the Warriors are just a mess. There’s speculation that Monta Ellis wants to follow Captain Jack out the door and Don Nelson still wont play Anthony Randolph. All of this makes the all ready clean-cut Stephen Curry look like more of an angel.

25. New Orleans (18)

How bad can it get in New Orleans? Byron Scott was the first to go and there is talk that Emeka Okafor is on the block for an expiring contract. In true Memphis Grizzlies fashion, the Hornets and ‘Cats should fess up to their mistake and take back the Okafor-Chandler trade.

26. Memphis Grizzlies (27)

I feel bad for the poor saps in Memphis that bought Allen Iverson jerseys. With how fast they severed ties with ‘The Answer’ (or, ‘The Cancer’), it seems like they knew all along that it was a bad decision. Their encore. Drum roll please… Jamaal Tinsley.

27. Washington Wizards (22)

What a nightmare for everybody in Washington. Now losers of six games in a row, the Wizards are the most dissappointing team in the NBA. Who would’ve thought that with everybody back healthy, a few new faces and Flip Saunders that they’d be worse than they were last season?

28. New York Knicks (29)

The Knicks moved up one spot!! The move up has more to do with how smelly the Timberwolves have been than anything else. The Brandon Jennings debacle has to be more embarrassing by the day for the Knicks. I know, they weren’t the only team to pass on Boy Wonder (patent pending) but Jordan Hill!? The ramifications for that mishap could be enormous. Jennings and Lebron with Danillo Gallinari open for three all day? Ahh, what could have been.

29. Minnesota Timberwolves (28)

With Jefferson and Love out, it’s pretty hard to evaluate what kind of team the Wolves are moving forward. Today, they are most undermanned team in the league by quite a wide margin. A shed a tear at the idea that Ricky Rubio could have been with the team this year. Him and Brandon Jennings in neighboring states with Derrick Rose right around the corner. That would’ve done wonders for basketball in the Midwest, especially after all that trash that Jennings talked about Rubio this summer. Part of me (the Wolves homer part) thinks that Rubio is taking note of Jennings’ performance and wishing he was playing in the NBA right now.

30. New Jersey (30)

The only team that the Timberwolves have defeated all season. Once Devin Harris is 100 percent they should be slightly better. It looks like they are in all out tank mode. It would all be worth it in the end if they hit the lotto on their draft pick next June and convince a big name free agent to come to Jersey (or Brooklyn).