NBA Power Rankings

Welcome to the inaugural edition of my weekly NBA Power Rankings. Every Friday I will rank each and every team in the National Basketball Association, in order from best to worst. Alright, enough with the formalities. Let's get this party started:



1. Boston Celtics (6-0)



Is there any debate? The Celtics have looked astonishingly good through their first six games. Pierce, Garnett, and Allen are better than ever, and Rajon Rondo is blossoming into an elite point guard who can fill the stat sheet in nearly every category. Rasheed Wallace has been a perfect fit in Doc Rivers' system, and Marquis Daniels has provided a nice spark off the bench. Not to mention guys like Eddie House and Glen Davis, who are immensely valuable players off the bench.



2. Denver Nuggets (5-0)



We all knew Carmelo Anthony was good, but this is getting a little ridiculous. Melo has been absolutely sensational thus far, and he looks like he will be sorely disappointed with anything short of a championship. In addition to Melo, Chauncey Billups, Nene, and Kenyon Martin have all gotten off to fast starts. When J.R. Smith returns, George Karl will have another explosive scorer. And let's not forget rookie Ty Lawson, a star in the making who has Usain Bolt-like speed.



3. Orlando Magic (4-1)



Rashard Lewis is in the midst of his 10-game suspension, and Vince Carter is out with a left ankle injury. Oh yeah, and the Magic no longer have Hedo Turkoglu, their go-to playmaker from last season. But a week-and-a-half into the season, the Magic are showing absolutely no signs of decay. Stan Van Gundy's team is playing terrific basketball right now. Jameer Nelson has had a seamless return back into the starting lineup after an injury-riddled 2008-2009 season, Dwight Howard remains the most dominating big man in the game, and J.J. Redick is proving himself to be a legitimate scoring threat in this league. With Matt Barnes and Brandon Bass, Orlando also has a very deep bench that will serve them well come playoff time.



4. Phoenix Suns (4-1)



Prior to the start of the season, I predicted that the Suns would struggle and suffer from an identity crisis. So far at least, my predictions have been thoroughly wrong. After spending the last couple of years on the decline, Steve Nash has looked rejuvenated this season. Nash is averaging 10.8 assists per game, and his superb play has marked a return for Phoenix back to their high-octane ways. I still don't trust Channing Frye at the starting center position, but with the explosive athleticism of Jason Richardson and Amare Stoudamire in the starting lineup, the Suns have had more than enough talent to suffice for the weakness at the center position.



5. Los Angeles Lakers (4-1)



The defending champs are 4-1, and they have been playing without the injured Pau Gasol. So how can I have four teams ahead of them in the power rankings? Well, it's because Phil Jackson's team has looked disturbingly sluggish at times . In the season opener against the Clippers, the Lakers exerted little effort in the second half, nearly blowing a twenty point lead. And at home against the Mavericks, the Lakers got torched. L.A showed tremendous poise in gritty road wins at Oklahoma City and Houston, but I need to see a little more energy from this team before they crack the top three of my power rankings.



6. Atlanta Hawks (4-1)



The Hawks are completely overlooked, lost in the shadow of the Celtics, Magic, and Cavs in the East. But ladies and gentlemen, this is a fantastic team. The Hawks have some of the best athletes in the game with Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, and Al Horford. Mike Bibby, meanwhile, has revived his career in Atlanta. I also want to recognize Zaza Pechulia, one of the most infectiously tenacious players in the league. The Hawks have been playoff darlings the last couple of years, but this season they may be able to make a deep run in the playoffs.



7. Miami Heat (4-1)



All is well right now in South Beach, as the suprising Heat are off to a great start. However, there is cause for concern. Dwayne Wade is averaging 32 points a game, and he has been the sole reason for the Heat's fast start. As spectacular as D-Wade is, though, other guys need to step up if Miami wants to continue to play winning basketball. Quentin Richardson has played well, but Jermaine O'Neal and Mario Chalmers have to be more consistent.



8. Dallas Mavericks (3-2)



They have only played five games, but the Mavs' season has already been a wild roller-coaster ride. After appearing listless in a home loss to Washington in the season opener, the Mavs flew to Los Angeles and dominated the Lakers at the Staples Center. After Dirk Nowitzki brilliantly led the Mavs to a come-from-behind victory against the Jazz with 29 points in the fourth quarter, the team failed to build any momentum, loisng the very next night to a struggling Hornets team. Eventually, I think the Dallas Mavericks will be in the upper echelon of the Western Conference, especially if Shawn Marion is a big factor. But Rick Carlisle's team has been a little too Jeckyl and Hyde to start the season.



9. Houston Rockets (3-2)



With Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady injured on the sidelines, and with Ron Artest now a member of the Lakers, all signs pointed to disaster for these Houston Rockets. But this feisty group has defied expectations so far this season, and that is a testament to the brilliance of head coach Rick Adelman. The Rockets have some serious talent (Shane Battier, Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola, Trevor Ariza), but if Rick Adelman somehow finds a way to lead this team to the playoffs, he should win a Nobel Piece Prize.



10. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3)



I picked the Cavs to win the East, and they are still a definite title contender. But my goodness, these Cavs have looked completely out-of-sync to start the year. Mike Brown doesn't seem to know how to utilize Shaquille O'Neal, and his presence has made for some awkward offensive sets. The Cavs other big offensive aquistion, Anthony Parker, has not yet played up to his potential. King James is King James, but he can't do it alone. There is, however, one positive, and that is the return of Delonte West. West has brought some much-needed energy to this team, and the Cavs better hope that that energy translates to wins. (As of this writing, the Cavs are destroying the Knicks in the second quarter behind yet another brilliant performance by LeBron at Madison Square Garden. Perhaps the Cavs have re-gained their swagger).

11. Chicago Bulls (3-2)

Technically, the Bulls should be ranked ahead of the Cavs after their impressive road win at Cleveland last night. But I still need to see more from this young team before I declare them better than Cleveland. Nonetheless, Vinny Del Negro's Bulls have looked good thus far. Derrick Rose looks more confident and assertive in his second year, as has John Salmons. And there may be no player more fun to watch than the endlessly spunky and agressive Joakim Noah. The Bulls, however, will have to make do for the next four to six weeks without the athleticism of Tyrus Thomas, who broke his left arm in a weight training accident today.

12. San Antonio Spurs (2-2)

Obviously, I expect the Spurs to rise to the top of these power rankings as the season progresses. Gregg Popovich's teams are notorious for their slow starts, and this year is no different. After a near-perfect season opener against the Hornets, the Spurs have looked awfully rusty, and that rust was evident in their blowout loss to the Jazz last night. But don't worry Spurs fans, your team will be just fine. Player to watch: DeJuan Blair. The rookie has the potential to be a great player in this league, and his NBA career is off to a stellar start.

13. Philadelphia 76ers (2-2)

That 32-point embarassment against the Celtics notwithstanding, Eddie Jordan's Sixers have looked pretty good. We saw flashes of how good this team can be last week when they scored 141 points against the Knicks. Granted, it was against the Knicks, but it was still an extremely impressive display of offense from Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, Thaddeus Young, and Samuel Dalembert.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-2)

This team is bound to experience some growing pains, but they will never stop being exciting. The trio of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook has shown why this Thunder team is expected to be a prominent player in the West in the years to come. Even in a tough overtime loss to the Lakers, the Thunder played well and provided some hope to their loyal fans in Oklahoma City.

15. Portland Trail Blazers (2-3)

Some were anointing the Blazers championship contenders before the season began, but reality has now set in for Nate McMillan's team. The Blazers are a good team, and with Brandon Roy and Rudy Fernandez they will be competitive in every game. But there is far too much uncertainty on this team. Nate McMillan needs to make a decision at point guard. Who will it be, Andre Miller or Steve Blake? And at center, it is time to give Joel Pryzbilla the majority of playing time. It pains me to say this, because he seems like a nice guy, but Greg Oden has been a complete flop. Sadly, I don't see much of a future in the NBA for Oden.

16. Utah Jazz (2-3)

That was a statement victory for Deron Williams and company last night at home against the Spurs. Carlos Boozer finally played with spirit and motivation, and Wesley Matthews had a coming out party in the national spotlight. All good news for Jerry Sloan. But the Jazz will never, ever be a top-tier team unless they drastically improve their performance on the road. Utah has struggled mightily away from Salt Lake City, and their utter fourth quarter collapse in Dallas on Tuesday night was indicative of their road woes.

17. Toronto Raptors (2-2)

When everything is rolling, the Raptors can be fun to watch, as evidenced by their season-opening win against LeBron and the Cavs. But there is an odd sense of inevitability hovering around Toronto. It is only a matter of time before Chris Bosh departs, a move that will leave the Raptors in shambles. For now, they better hope that Jose Calderon and Hedo Turkoglu find a way to convince Bosh that Toronto has title aspirations in the future. I just don't see that happening.

18. New Orleans Hornets (2-3)

Byron Scott's team has taken a major step back this season. Chris Paul continues to amaze, but the Hornets will be in a difficult fight to make the playoffs this season. David West needs to step up his game. He was awesome in 2007, but West has since been inconsistent. CP3 needs West to be a reliable wingman, or the Hornets will be in for a long season.

19. Golden State Warriors (1-2)

My beloved Warriors got off to a horrible start, but played well in a win against the Grizzlies. Now is the perfect opportunity for the W's to make their move, with their next couple of games against lottery opponents. I like what I see from Stephen Curry, as the rookie guard has developed a nice rapport with Monta Ellis. Still, I'm slightly worried with Don Nelson's handling of Anthony Randolph. Nellie has placed Randolph behind Mikki Moore on the depth chart, and that is not the right move. Randolph is indeed a raw talent, but Nellie needs to have more faith in him.

20. Charlotte Bobcats (3-2)

The future is most definitely not now for Larry Brown's Bobcats, but in Friday night's 103-83 win over the Hawks, the Bobcats showed great promise. With guys like Gerald Wallace, Raja Bell, and Boris Diaw, the Bobcats will keep fans intrigued.

21. Washington Wizards (2-3)

I expect the Wizards to make a huge rise in these power rankings in next week's edition, but Flip Saunders' team has not looked good after their impressive season-opener in Dallas. This team misses Antawn Jamison, but they are better than they have showed. C'mon Gilbert Arenas, Mike Miller, and company, it's time to step up your game!

22. Milwaukee Bucks (1-2)

It goes without saying that the Bucks are in for a long year, so I'll stick with the positives. Brandon Jennings has been sensational for Milwaukee, taking some of the weight off of Michael Redd's shoulders. Jennings is a big-time playmaker who has gone a long way in rebuilding his once-tarnished reputation.

23. Detroit Pistons (2-3)

The good news? Ben Gordon has been everything the Pistons had hoped he would be. The bad news? This is a team completely devoid of cohesion and chemistry. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

24. Indiana Pacers (1-3)

Other than Danny Granger, who can the Pacers turn to for big plays? Troy Murphy? Perhaps. Dahntay Jones? Nah. Mike Dunleavy? Hell no!

25. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-4)

The young duo of Jonny Flynn and Corey Brewer have provided hope in an otherwise dismal start to the season. It was especially fun to watch Flynn go head-to-head with Steve Nash last week in Phoenix. Flynn was undoubtedly the student and Nash was the teacher, but Flynn showed why he will be a great point guard in the NBA for years to come.

26. Los Angeles Clippers (1-4)

Baron Davis is in great shape, and Chris Kaman continues to play better than we'd expect from a guy who looks like a 40-year old overweight couch potato. Other than that, there is not much to be happy about.

27. New York Knicks (1-4)

Can somebody tell me why I picked the Knicks to make the playoffs? I don't remember drinking any alcohol, but that seems to be the only logical explanation of that prediction.

28. Sacramento Kings (1-4)

Now that Kevin Martin is out for two months with an injured wrist and Andres Nocioni has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, the Kings have gone from bad to worse. There is no way that this young and inexperienced team will be able to compete in the face of such overwhelming distractions.

29. Memphis Grizzlies (1-4)

It took one game for Allen Iverson to prove once again why he is a selfish jerk, complaining about coming off the bench. There is no getting around it, folks: The Grizz are a freak show.

30. New Jersey Nets (0-5)

The Nets put up one of the most humiliating offensive performances in recent memory against the Bobcats this week. At this point, Devin Harris has to be longing for the days he played in Dallas.