NBA Power Rankings (11/10): Surprising Suns rise in West

Posted By Eddie Griffin on Tuesday, November 10th 2009 under: Basketball Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs

Steve Nash's Suns and Ray Allen's Celtics are tied for the NBA's best record at 7-1.

The 2009/10 NBA season is in full swing, and it’s been a very interesting first few weeks thus far.

As expected, last year’s NBA finalists have gotten off to fast starts, and so have several other teams, but there have been a few surprises on both ends of the spectrum.

Along with hot starts by the likes of Phoenix and better-than-expected starts for the likes of Brandon Jennings and the young Milwaukee Bucks, a few expected contenders and playoff teams have disappointed out of the gate.

You have to expect the Spurs, Cavaliers, and even the Jazz and the Hornets to get in midseason form soon enough, but the losses that they’ve each taken are a sign that even those who are tremendous favorites in the daily basketball odds are anything but gimmes, home or away.

It shouldn’t be a surprise who’s at #1 in this week’s Power Rankings, but #2 might well spark just a few debates.

1. Boston Celtics (7-1)

Boston lost their first game on Friday, but they’re still top dogs without a doubt. Five of their seven wins have been by double digits, including wins of 28, 31, and 33 points.

2. Phoenix Suns (7-1)

To go 4-1 on the road against five of the East’s better teams is certainly nothing to scoff at, especially when one of those wins comes over the #1 on this list.

3. Los Angeles Lakers (6-1)

There were a couple of close calls at Oklahoma City and Houston on back-to-back nights last week, but upon returning home, the Lakers went off against the Grizzlies and Hornets. Kobe = on fire right now. The only thing that could be better about his game right now is his outside shooting, as he’s only shooting 20% from behind the line right now.

4. Orlando Magic (5-2)

Big plus for handing the Suns a 22-point beating. Big minus for getting handed a 28-point beating at Oklahoma City.

5. Miami Heat (5-1)

They would be the league’s only unbeaten team right now hadn’t blown a double-digit lead in the second half against the Suns on Tuesday. Udonis Haslem isn’t a regular starter for the first time since his rookie season, and it looks to be bringing the best out of him - he’s got four double-doubles in six games and is averaging 11.8 points and 10 rebounds so far.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)

The close loss to Chicago on Thursday night had to be disappointing, but the Cavs are 4-1 since their 0-2 start, so things are going in the right direction.

7. Houston Rockets (4-2)

If you thought that the Rockets got the short end of the Ron Artest-Trevor Ariza ‘swap‘, Mr. Ariza is proving you quite wrong right now, minus his 5 for 21 effort against his former team on Wednesday night. Of course, that 5 for 21 included a three that sent the game to OT, and he also had nine boards and five assists, so it wasn’t all bad.

8. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)

I suppose Dirk Nowitzki was pretty tired after shooting lights out in the fourth in Dallas’ monster comeback against the Jazz on Tuesday, as he shot 4-15 and fouled out in overtime the next night in their loss at New Orleans. You certainly can’t rail on him too much though, considering the superhuman effort he put in against the Jazz (40 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals, and 7-8 from the field and 14 of 14 in a 29-point fourth).

9. Atlanta Hawks (5-2)

What’s the perfect way to rebound from a 20-point loss? By turning around and beating your next opponent by 25. As bad as the Hawks looked as Charlotte, they looked like world beaters against Denver.

10. Denver Nuggets (5-2)

Their 5-0 start? Extremely impressive. The two losses at Miami and Atlanta? The complete opposite, and then some.

11. Portland Trail Blazers (4-3)

After dropping three of four to fall below the .500 mark, the Blazers came to life over the weekend by coasting to easy wins over San Antonio (that sure doesn’t happen often, does it?) and Minnesota.

12. Chicago Bulls (4-2)

The Bulls have won three in a row, including Thursday night’s win in Cleveland, and we’ll get a chance to see just how

13. San Antonio Spurs (4-3)

After back-to-back defeats in which they didn’t look particularly good at all, the Spurs bounced back with a much-needed win over Toronto on Monday night. Allowing 124 points isn’t something to be proud of, but being able to score 131 without Tony Parker is.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)

This team is full of potential, as shown by their rout of the Magic on Sunday.

15. Charlotte Bobcats (3-3)

Just like the Thunder are a team that the best won’t want to face on the road this season, so are the Bobcats, who walloped the Hawks by 20 on Friday.

16. Detroit Pistons (3-4)

Last week, they struggled offensively on the nights they played well defensively, and they struggled defensively on the nights they played well offensively. 2-2 for the week sounds about right then.