Suns Top NBA Power Rankings Again

The Phoenix Suns played just one game last week, due to a blizzard in Denver. That victory ran the Suns' streak to a franchise record 15, making the Suns a mainstay at the top of Suite101's NBA Power Rankings.

1. Phoenix Suns -- Fifteen straight wins; 18-6 overall, and the Suns have the top NBA MVP candidate in Steve Nash. They are unquestionably the number one team in our NBA Power Rankings.
2. San Antonio Spurs – While the Suns have gotten all of the attention, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs just keep doing what they do best -- winning, both home and away. Clearly number 2 in the NBA rankings, the Spurs have identical 10-3 records at home and on he road.
3. Dallas Mavericks – Winners of five straight, Dallas recently proved it could survive without MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki, when the star forward played only 10 minutes in a solid Mavericks victory over Seattle. Proving to be more than serviceable at center, Erick Dampier scored 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in Nowitzki's absence.
4. Utah Jazz – If not for recent bad losses to Indiana and New York, Utah might have been ahead of Dallas in the NBA rankings. Utah has a 19-7 record and is 11-2 at home. Championship teams, though, don't lose the the Knicks.
5. Detroit Pistons -- Once Coach Flip Saunders realized that Nazr Mohammad, alone, could not replace departed Ben Wallace, and the Pistons started using a center-by-committee approach, Detroit started winning again. The Pistons are now 16-8, and a virtual collapse by the Cleveland Cavaliers has given Detroit the top spot in the Central Division and a solid 5 spot in our NBA Power Rankings.
6. Los Angeles Lakers -- Kobe Bryant is doing everything possible to keep the Lakers winning. Kobe has two 50-point performances and he poured in 45 in a recent loss to Washington, in a memorable duel with Gilbert Arenas, who scored 60. Meanwhile, Luke Walton is picking up some of the slack for injured LaMar Odom, helping Los Angeles to a solid showing in the NBA Power Rankings.
7. Chicago Bulls -- The Bulls have come together in the past two weeks and are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Chicago has won five straight and is now in sole possession of second place in the NBA's Central Division.
8. Orlando Magic -- Orlando is just 4-6 in its last 10 games, but a mini two-game win streak has helped Orlando hang on to first place in the Southeast Division at 17-10, while maintaining 8th place in our NBA rankings.
9. Denver Nuggets -- The Nuggets are 14-9, and newly-acquired Allen Iverson has yet to play a game. Some NBA experts believe Iverson makes Denver a title contender. Others believe the Nuggets were better off without Iverson.
10. Washington Wizards -- Washington is just 13-12, but the Wizards have won seven of their last 10, good enough for second place in the Southeast Division and a debut appearance in our NBA Power Rankings. After a surprisingly slow start, Washington has put it together, led by NBA MVP candidate Gilbert Arenas, who tossed in 60 in a recent game against the Lakers.

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