NBA Power Rankings Week 2

Now that each team has at least one game under their belt, we can somewhat assess who’s going to be good, and who’s going to suck. Some teams have been surprisingly good, and some surprisingly bad. While the first 3 games of a season do not tell us a whole lot, it’s better than nothing. Now, on to the rankings. Per usual, these are pretty much dead on.

1. Miami Heat (Last Week: 1)– One loss to an emotional Knicks team does not cause too much concern. Still the best team in the league.
2. San Antonio Spurs (4)- A strong first week shows the world that their 20 game win streak during the last month of 2012 is what we should expect, not the 4 game slide that ended their season.
3. Los Angeles Clippers (7)- Year two of the Chris Paul era has gone well. The Clips accomplished their first goal- beating the Lakers.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (2)– Two early losses to good teams, while trying to work on chemistry, shouldn’t be too worrisome. Sam Presti needs to get his guys on the same page before too long.
5. Los Angeles Lakers (3)- An 0-3 start was bad. Steve Nash getting hurt in the first week was bad. Finally getting a W against a bad Pistons team is expected. TheLake show has some work to do.
6. Dallas Mavericks (11)- Getting off to a fast start was important for this team. Keeping a winning record until Dirk comes back will be very valuable. If they maintain this high level of play, there might be a high playoff seed in their future.
7. New York Knicks (13)- It looks like Carmelo took a page out of LeBron’s book of success. He’s embracing his size and playing a little closer to the basket. With Amare out, Carmelo has his team playing quite well.
8. Boston Celtics (6)- I’m not terribly concerned about the early losses. I am concerned that this team doesn’t have enough size to compete with some teams. A lack of defense and ability to grab boards is going to limit their success.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (8)- The Griz better win their games against teams outside of their division because they’re going to have a hell of a time winning in the deepest division in the NBA.
10. Chicago Bulls (14)- If the Bulls can play like this until D-Rose gets back, watch out. The last thing the rest of the East needs is aChicago team that wins and can only get better.
11. Philadelphia 76ers (10)- Despite missing Andrew Bynum to start the season, they’ve managed to play quite well. Big feller Spencer Hawes has more than held his own in Bynum’s absence.
12. Indiana Pacers (9)- While sporting a 2-1 record isn’t bad, the performances were far from ideal. Against 3 bad teams, the offense was nonexistent. The defense has looked supreme thus far, but they’ve gotta put some points on the board.
13. Brooklyn Nets (12)- That hurricaneSandy chick ruined what was supposed to be an exciting new beginning. The Nets took care of business in their only game, but time will tell how good this team really is.
14. Denver Nuggets (4)- The 0-3 start is cause for concern. It’s still a very talented team, and it’s depth will be valuable down the road, but they can’t afford to dig themselves too big of a hole because climbing out of the cellar in the West isn’t easy.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (15)- Brandon Roy? Andrei Kirilenko? If these two can continue to play well until Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio come back, there are going to be high expectations inMinnesota this year.
16. Houston Rockets (23)- James Harden has been amazing. That’s the only way to put it. The Rockets are his team, and he’s making the most of it. Starting for the first time in his career, he’s embraced his new role quite nicely.
17. New Orleans Hornets (17)- Eric Gordon is on the shelf for an undisclosed amount of time, but Anthony Davis and Co. have held down the fort to a tune of a 2-1 start. Davis got a bump on the head, but when he’s back, this is a tough team.
18. Portland Trail Blazers (19)- Sitting at the top of the division after a quick start,Portland may be a sleeper in the West. Rookie guard, Damian Lillard, has been as assist machine that compliments LaMarcus Aldridge quite well.
19. Utah Jazz (16)- A couple of early losses might cause concern for Jazz-nation (kidding, I know there’s no Jazz-nation), but they got a big win in their season opener.
20. Atlanta Hawks (18)- After losing the James Harden’s, the Hawks came back and showed that they aren’t a team to overlook. They took it to the Thunder and got a valuable first win of the season.
21. Milwaukee Bucks (20)- Beating the Celtics in their opener, then sneaking out a win against the Cavs is as good a way to start the season as any. Looking at the Bucks roster, there’s reason to believe that they will be streaky. They can win 5 in a row, but lose 5 just as easily.
22. Golden State Warriors (21)- If this fragile team can stay healthy, the 2-1 start may be an indicator of what’s to come inOakland. If Curry, Bogut, and Rush do what they always do- get hurt- then expect them to slide back into obscurity.
23. Cleveland Cavaliers (22)- For a minute, the Cavs led the league in wins. After opening night, though, they managed to make people remember they’re the Cavs. Things aren’t going to get better any time soon.
24. Toronto Raptors (24)- After a couple close losses, the Raptors are in the win column. Kyle Lowry is a beast, but I don’t think he’s going to be leading this team to the playoffs.
25. Orlando Magic (29)- Pretty good first week, what with the lack of losses, and whatnot. It’s good that Magic haven’t folded yet, but I don’t see them maintaining this success all year.
26. Phoenix Suns (26)- Winning one game keeps them from the bottom, but all-in-all, there’s nothing interesting happening out in the desert.
27. Charlotte Bobcats (30)- I guess I look silly now. I wrote them off before the season, and they come back to beat my precious Pacers. Do I think there’s promise out inCharlotte? Absolutely not. But the win was cute.
28. Detroit Pistons (25)- These last three teams are racing to be the last team to earn a win. It’s really a toss up as to who’s worst, but I think the Pistons are most likely to not suck the most. Did that make sense?
29. Washington Wizards (27)- 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.
30. Sacramento Kings (28)- Welp, they can’t score. They don’t play great defense. They’re healthy, and losing. The 2013 Kings, everyone, your joke of an NBA team.