NBA Power Rankings Week 2

Sorry, folks. I’ve been absent for a couple days, and I’m sure you noticed. As the season drags on, we’re learning more and more about the way the league’s going to shake out. There’s still a lot of jostling for position, but some teams are showing their true colors (Here’s lookin’ at you, Detroit!). Anywho, per usual, take these rankings as fact and don’t look back. God speed.

NBA Power Rankings Week 2

San Antonio Spurs (Last week: 2)- The combination of young and old is definitely paying off in southTexas. We’ll see if they can continue to dominate a very strong Southwest division over the long haul.
Memphis Grizzlies (9)- The second best record, and the best point differential, in the West goes a long way in my book. Maybe this is the year when all that talent comes together and the Griz do some big things.
Miami Heat (1)– Despite still being my personal favorite to win the title, they lost toMemphis. By a lot. The Heat will be ok, and it’s ok to lose to good teams early, but I highly doubt LeBron andCo. are happy about their record thus far.
New York Knicks (7)- An undefeated record, with a monstrous +17 point differential, is very good. The problem is they’ve only played 4 games. I understand that bitchSandy ruined one, but it’s still not enough to get worked up over.
Oklahoma City Thunder (4)- That’s more like it. After a rocky start, the Thunds (see that nickname right there? GENIUS) won 5 in a row and are back in the driver’s seat in their division. James Harden who, amiright?
Los Angeles Clippers (3)- The Clips are scoring like it’s going out of style. Currently 3^rd in the league in points per game, they’ll be able to hold their own in any shootout. Their only downfall will be against longer teams. They’re only 27^th in rebounding.
Brooklyn Nets (13)- The Nets only jump this much because the rest of the East is underwhelming. I really like the defense they’re playing. This squad is currently 4^th in the league in points against. Brook Lopez is actually playing, which is big news inBrooklyn.
Minnesota Timberwolves (15)- Can’t argue with a 5-2 start without their best players. With the stars out, the guys leftover have stepped up big on defense and locked down everyone they played. This team is only going to get better.
Chicago Bulls (10)- It kills me to keep moving the Bulls up, but they have done quite well for themselves. Taj Gibson has been a beast. Tib’s got his team playing selfless, defensive basketball, which is a recipe for success when a former MVP is only getting stronger.
Los Angeles Lakers (5)- They’re still under .500, but did put together a string of wins there, and have a positive point differential. Oh yeah, and they fired their coach after the first week. That’s a bad sign. Worse sign? They got spurned by Phil Jackson. Not all is right in Lakerland.
Denver Nuggets (14)- I predicted big things in the preseason for this bunch, and they promptly came out of the gates and made me look like an idiot. Since then, though, they’ve gone 4-1 and are back in the thick of things. See, you guys, I know what I’m talking about. Trust me blindly…
Milwaukee Bucks (21)- Who’d have thunk that a backcourt of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis would be 3^rd in the league in assists? Exactly, nobody. I spent all weekend with a bunch of people fromWisconsin, and I found there’s nothing to be alarmed about, people. People still don’t care about the Bucks.
Dallas Mavericks (6)- Guess I jumped the gun in saying that the Mavs would be ok without Dirk. The current 3 game losing streak has them all the way back to 4^th in the division. Hopefully they’ll stay bad for the Pacers on Friday.
Boston Celtics (8)- Despite being deep, this team still can’t play defense. Rajon Rondo is doing what Rajon Rondo does, but I’m not sure if that’s enough this year. We’ll see if they can build on back-to-back wins against tough teams.
Philadelphia 76ers (11)- A fast start was nice in Philly, but this has been a rough week. They’ve not been able to put points on the board, and salvation isn’t getting any closer. Andrew Bynum’s knee got bummier (real word? I say yes), and he’s going to miss AT LEAST 5 more weeks. Ouch.
New Orleans Hornets (17)- Movin on uuupp, to the 16! Hey, it’s better than moving down. Despite losing Anthony Davis for a couple games with a bump on the noggin, they’ve held their own. They’ve played great defense, and the return of Austin Rivers should add to the scoring attack.
Indiana Pacers (12)- Danny Granger is gone for a long time, and the Pacers have looked awful. That’s the bad news. Moving on.
Utah Jazz (19)- Did you see that triple overtime thriller? Me neither because it was inCanada, but can you imagine? Conveniently for the Jazzflutes, they get an off day before their next game. I’d bet there’s a lot of napping going on before they get toBoston.
Atlanta Hawks (20)- This is a well balanced team in a bad division, in a bad conference. That could be the perfect storm for a sneakily successful season. If they can come out of their west coast road trip with a winning record, that’ll say a lot about where this team’s going.
Houston Rockets (16)- That quick start was fun, wasn’t it? There’s promise here, but they will have to hold on to leads at home against good teams (seeMiami game) if they want to survive in this division.
Golden State Warriors (22)- It’s looking like an up and down season for the Warriors. When they’re good, they’re really good. When they’re bad, they’re pretty bad. They could easily be above .500 right now, but the fact of the matter is that they aren’t.
Phoenix Suns (26)- Goran Dragic is doing it all inPhoenix, right now. With Marcin Gortat able to hold down the middle as well as anyone, the Suns might be able to beat some good teams. Their lack of defense, though, is going to result in some deflating blowouts throughout the season.
Portland Trail Blazers (18)- I was too kind after the first week. The Blazers promptly lost 4 in a row and haven’t looked good doing it. Maybe it’s a bad idea to assume a rookie point guard is enough to return a team to its glory days.
Cleveland Cavaliers (23)- The reason the Cavs get the best ranking out of the awful East teams is Kyrie Irving. Stars are good for a few wins, and he’s the best player out of these bottom 7 teams.
Orlando Magic (25)- Ranking these last 6 teams is really hard. I thinkOrlando is a little better. But, really, I have no idea.
Charlotte Bobcats (27)- Gotta give credit where credit’s due. They’ve won 2 games this year and only lost 3. That’s a lot better than last season. Might we be seeing the end of the Bobcats run as the worst NBA franchise?
Toronto Raptors (24)- Kyle Lowry is ballin a mess (that’s a good thing), but the rest of the team is pretty awful. Lowry is 2^nd on the team in scoring, rebounding, and assists. That’s a well-rounded young man. What I need to know is why a former #1 overall pick, who stands 7 feet tall, is getting 5 rebounds a game and shoots 37%.
Sacramento Kings (30)- DeMarcus Cousins is suspended. Again. This time for an altercation with a TV analyst. Seriously. It’s the perfect embodiment of this team’s failures. The most selfish team in the league, the Kings are last in assists and first in temper tantrums. But, hey, Jimmer Fredette is about to see some more time!
Washington Wizards (29)- Last week, I wrote, “Clearly this team is not deep enough to survive injuries. When healthy, they aren’t too terrible. Problem is, they aren’t healthy, and are terrible.” That still stands.
Detroit Pistons (28)- The only reason they’re behind the Wizards is that they’ve played more games. Neither team has a win, butDetroit has more losses. I still like Brandon Knight and Greg Monroe. If you can’t win, be likeable!

Home/Pacers News