Not only have the Lakers been dominant since the return of Pau Gasol, but they've been fun to watch, too. The home win over the Thunder was a complete circus, where you had Kobe Bryant hitting shots from behind the backboard, followed by an impromptu performance from Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, who was handed a mic during a fourth quarter timeout to "spontaneously" do one of his hit songs. Things are good right now in L.A., and the rest of the league has a lot of catching up to do -- read on to see where they all rank this week.
The Atlanta Hawks find themselves at the top of our rankings this week, thanks to a five-game winning streak against some strong competition -- a gritty overtime win over the Blazers and a road win in Boston were both impressive. Now, let's see if they can avoid the top-spot-jinx on Wednesday night, when they'll host Miami in a rematch of last year's first round playoff series. As for the other 29 teams? Read on to see how they stacked up.
We're just eight games into the season, but there's no doubt who the surprise team is at this point. The Phoenix Suns are off to a 7-1 start, and have road wins over two of the three remaining one-loss teams. They've done it with Steve Nash leading the league in assists at almost 13 per game, and with the team leading the league in three-point shooting at a ridiculous 47 percent. But all of that only got the Suns to No. 2 in this week's rankings -- read on to see who's on top.
We're just a week into the season, so don't get mad if your team isn't where you might have expected. It's just that if we go by what we've actually seen, as opposed to what's been predicted, then this is for the most part where teams should fall based on their early performances. But if you're offended by the spot your favorite team holds, fear not: they likely have 79 regular season games remaining to right the ship.
NBA Power Rankings: Ours is much more of an emotional look than most. Recent events matter, and long-term projections are (mostly) ignored. After all, no one wants to simply read the Vegas odds for winning the title each week, right?
NBA Power Rankings: Ours is much more of an emotional look than most. Recent events matter, and long-term projections are (mostly) ignored. After all, no one wants to simply read the Vegas odds for winning the title each week, right?
NBA Power Rankings: Ours is much more of an emotional look than most. Recent events matter, and long-term projections are (mostly) ignored. After all, no one wants to simply read the Vegas odds for winning the title each week, right?
NBA Power Rankings: Ours is much more of an emotional look than most. Recent events matter, and long-term projections are (mostly) ignored. After all, no one wants to simply read the Vegas odds for winning the title each week, right?
After weeks of deliberations, the elders of the NBA FanHouse have concluded that traditional Power Rankings are played out. Revolutionaries that we are, we are hereby replacing them with something called This Week in NBA Top Tens. The name may be confusing, but the concept is pretty simply. Today, we ask that timeless question: which team be best to hit the club with?
10. Hornets: They barely have a home. No one knows who the young'uns are, and the vets have been all but forgotten. They are probably the only team you could hang out with at a Holiday Inn bar, and probably the one team who would do it-and have a sense of humor about it. If Chris Paul doesn't drink, I'm cool with that.
9. Spurs: Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking: "The boring Spurs? You've got to be kidding, right?" Well, no. I mean, break it down for a sec: Duncan's standing in the corner allergic to "fun"; Parker's attached to Eva's hip; Ginobili's flopping and flailing all over the dance floor; and Brent Barry's held up at coat check, torn over whether or not he should keep his jacket on. Do you realize how many hot chicks this leaves for Robert Horry and me? All of 'em!
8. Portland. Darius Miles, while injured and out for the year, is still on the roster. And I doubt that this is his really Darius Miles' myspace page, but if it is... his answer to a "survey" question about his bedtime is "No sleepin', parties ain't stoppin' till 8 a.m." His "most missed memory" is "Dunking on white people." Asked if he wants to go to college, he says "No, I'm RICH." We could hang.
7. Celtics: Tony Allen orders assaults, Paul Pierce gets attacked. The two cancel each other out, the easy jokes are on the books, and it's time to face facts. The Celtics may not ever gel as a basketball team, but they're the spitting image of that loud, varied crew that takes over a spot without annoying everyone. I would pay money to watch Delonte clown Al Jefferson over his awkwardness with the ladies, or discover that Ryan Gomes is actually the cockiest young Celt of them all. Bonus points for Gerald Green jumping over the bar.
After weeks of deliberations, the elders of the NBA FanHouse have concluded that traditional Power Rankings are played out. Revolutionaries that we are, we are hereby replacing them with something called This Week in NBA Top Tens. The name may be confusing, but the concept is pretty simply. Today, we ask that timeless question: which team be best to hit the club with?
6. Raptors: Pack you glow sticks, kids. With two Spaniards (Garbajosa and Calderon), some Eastern Europeans (Nesterovic and Slokar), and a twenty-one year old Italian with spiky hair (Bargnani), this team was made for the riotous nightlife of Ibiza. And besides, you haven't really lived until you've seen Chris Bosh and Pape Sow try to dance to techno music. . . in foam.
5. Sacramento. Their starting point guard rolls with a crew that calls themselves "Team Dime," a group which has gotten themselves into some legal trouble with a little bit of minor violence. I don't want to be a member of Team Dime, but if I could have my own Team Dime for a while ... that would be sweet. Throw in the unpredictability of Ron Artest, with his nude locker room push-ups and Best Buy applications, and you're in for a hell of a night.
4. Hawks: They're a team of young Black millionaires in Atlanta. You really think they don't know how to live it up? Caveat: They lead the league in shyness, humility and manners. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Shelden Williams, Josh Childress. . . it's a non-stop parade of mama's boys up in there. Enter Salim Stoudamire, whose job it is to sound the call, break out the diamond cuff links, and lead the train to the VIP.
After weeks of deliberations, the elders of the NBA FanHouse have concluded that traditional Power Rankings are played out. Revolutionaries that we are, we are hereby replacing them with something called This Week in NBA Top Tens. The name may be confusing, but the concept is pretty simply. Today, we ask that timeless question: which team be best to hit the club with?
