1. Utah Jazz – The Jazz sitting at 19 in our pre-season Power Rankings seemed pretty reasonable to us. We even thought a token number 1 rank after a week was just a gift. Two more impressive wins and a record of 8-1, and suddenly Utah seems very legitimate.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers -- LeBron James is making believers out of every analyst who might believe he’s not the top NBA Most Valuable Player candidate. His recent 37-point, 9-rebound, 6-assist performance propelled Cleveland to an easy win over Minnesota and shoved the Cavaliers to an Eastern Conference best 7-2 record. With Miami’s Shaq O’Neal out for a month and a half, there’s no one to stop Cleveland.
3. San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan (21 points and 12 rebounds per game) is once again carrying an already-solid team on his shoulders. The Spurs are 7-2 and look as good as anyone.
4. Orlando Magic – Like Utah, the Magic is proving many critics wrong. Off to a stellar 6-3 start, behind Grant Hill, Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, Orlando is very deserving of this 7-spot jump in our weekly Power Rankings.
5. Houston Rockets – Yao Ming is continuing his MVP-like season, Tracy McGrady is distributing the basketball like a point guard, and the Rockets are doing nothing to make us think they’re not a contender to represent the west in the NBA finals.
6. NO/Oklahoma City Hornets – We would never have thought that the Hornets were for real, until they improved to 6-3, including a perfect 3-0 at home. A balanced scoring attack has been the recipe for the Hornets’ success. Peja Stojacovic, Chris Paul and David West are all averaging right around 18 points. Meanwhile, Tyson Chandler has been strong in the middle with 11 rebounds per game.
7. Los Angeles Lakers – Kobe Bryant and company debut in our Power Rankings at number 7, due to Bryant’s outstanding play and plenty of help from Lamar Odom. Bryant is averaging 22 points and better than 5 assists per night and, more importantly, shooting less and helping teammates more. Top beneficiary Odom is getting 18 points and 8 rebounds per night.
8. Golden State Warriors -- We thought the Warriors’ 4-3 start was a mirage, until Golden State notched two more wins, going to 6-3, including a 5-1 home record. Baron Davis appears to be on a mission to carry the Warriors all the way to he playoffs. Need evidence? Check out Davis’ 36 points and 18 assists in a recent win over Sacramento.
9. Dallas Mavericks – The defending Western Conference champs have made it back after debuting at the top spot in our Pre-season Power Rankings, then falling completely off the list. Four straight wins, and Dallas looks like the team we originally felt it would be. Dirk Nowitzki is having a season very similar to his remarkable 2005-06 campaign, and the Mavericks seem to be over their early-season struggles.
10. New Jersey Nets – Jason Kidd seems determined to carry the Nets back to an Atlantic Division crown. Kidd is having one of his best seasons, averaging 16 points, 8.5 rebounds and 9 assists per night. He’s also getting nearly two blocks, which is incredible for a point guard. If the Nets can get any production from their bench, they will be virtually unbeatable in the Atlantic.
11. Sacramento Kings – Kevin Martin is continuing his amazing season, and the Kings are using Martin’s brilliance to win games. Ron Artest looks like the Defensive Player of the Year already, averaging 9 rebounds over 3 steals and 1 block per night to go with 17 points.
12. Philadelphia 76ers – Sure, the 76ers are just 4-4, but no one outside of Cleveland is playing very well in the Eastern Conference, and Allen Iverson puts Philly in position to win every night.
13. Atlanta Hawks -- Near the bottom of our pre-season Power Rankings, Atlanta is off to a surprising 4-3 start, behind MVP candidate Joe Johnson. At 29 points 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game, Johnson may be a little short of LeBron James’ stats, but his supporting cast isn’t nearly as good. If Johnson and Speedy Claxton (recovering from a knee injury) can continue to play well, the Hawks may be the biggest surprise of the 2006-07 season.
14. Detroit Pistons – The defending Central Division champions have looked very docile without star center Ben Wallace, now with Chicago. At 4-5 and coming off an impressive victory over Washington, the Pistons still have plenty of firepower in Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billips.
15. Phoenix Suns -- We get that they're just 3-6, but the Suns have won two straight and are beginning to look like the team that regularly ran teams out of the gym last season. With MVP Steve Nash dishing enough dimes to feed the homeless, the Suns appear ready to make a charge in the Pacific Division.
