FOX NBA Power Rankings Week
Rk Team Last Wk Rise/Fall High/Low Comment
1 Heat - - 1/1 Wade. Shaq. Rings. Until weÂ’re given reason to believe otherwise, Miami keeps the No. 1 spot.
2 Mavericks - - 2/2 Dirk is locked up contractually, Jason Terry is locked up, and Josh Howard should be locked up soon. ThereÂ’s no reason Dallas canÂ’t make it back to the Finals.
3 Suns - - 3/3 TheyÂ’re a title contender even without Amare Stoudemire, so if Amare is something close to what he was before the injury, theyÂ’ll be a force. And the Suns can afford to preserve Steve Nash for the playoffs now that Marcus Banks is around.
4 Spurs - - 4/4 Glass half-full: this is a veteran team with tons of playoff and championship experience that knows each other like theyÂ’re family. Glass half-empty: theyÂ’re old.
5 Clippers - - 5/5 At some point, Sam Cassell has to start acting his age, right? But even if that happens this year, Shaun Livingston appears poised for a breakout season.
6 Pistons - - 6/6 The obvious largest issue is how Ben WallaceÂ’s departure affects the team. On the court, Nazr Mohammed, Dale Davis and Antonio McDyess (who has reportedly bulked up over the summer) will try to fill in by committee, plus youngster Jason Maxiell is a beast on the boards despite being just 6-7. Off the court, Chauncey Billups has taken over as the primary leader, a spot he shared with Big Ben in the past.
7 Bulls - - 7/7 Can you find any major holes in this team? Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Nocioni and Sweetney can score. Wallace, P.J., Griffin, Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha provide the D. They have youth and experience, athleticism and basketball IQ. Once they develop a solid chemistry, the Bulls can do some damage.
8 Rockets - - 8/8 T-Mac and Yao are healthy and Bonzi is on board. Battier will provide D and shooting. But the bench leaves a lot to be desired.
9 Cavaliers - - 9/9 They came very close to making the Eastern Conference finals, but have they improved? LeBron is still LeBron and Larry Hughes is healthy, but the most significant veteran acquisition was an aging David Wesley. One of the rookie guards – Shannon Brown or Daniel Gibson – could play a major role.
10 Kings - - 10/10 With Ron Artest in the fold for the whole season, the Kings can be a title contender.
11 Nets - - 11/11 Nenad Krstic got himself good and rested this summer by not playing international ball, so he could be in store for a big year.
12 Pacers - - 12/12 For as much talent and depth as Indy has up front (J.O., Harrington, Granger, Foster, Shawne Williams, David Harrison), theyÂ’re just as shaky and thin in the backcourt.
13 Nuggets - - 13/13 Even though they got J.R. Smith to play two-guard, some of the teamÂ’s vets have gone on record saying Denver didnÂ’t address its need for a shooter. IsnÂ’t Wesley Person out there somewhere?
14 Wizards - - 14/14 Gilbert Arenas has another chip on his shoulder, and apparently heÂ’ll have more stamina on top of that. NBA leading scorer this year?
15 Lakers - - 15/15 Besides KobeÂ’s new No. 24, the most talked-about change with this team was bringing in Vlad Radmanovic. Jordan Farmar can be a solid PG if Smush falters.
16 Jazz - - 16/16 They got more athletic by picking up Ronnie Brewer, but itÂ’s more important that they get healthier. That means you, Boozer and AK-47.
17 Hornets - - 17/17 Is Peja still an elite player? NOK is paying him like one. He could be the guy to make or break the HornetsÂ’ playoff hopes.
18 Magic - - 18/18 Darko made big strides at the World Championships Â… more so than Dwight Howard.
19 Bucks - - 19/19 We like the frontcourt, we like Michael Redd and we even like the change-of-pace PG combo of Steve Blake and Mo Williams. But other than that, this is a very thin team as far as depth.
20 Grizzlies - - 20/20 Pau Gasol is out, Mike Miller is banged up and Damon Stoudamire is recovering from a serious knee injury. Stromile Swift is gonna have to step up and reach his potential, but weÂ’ve been saying that for about five years now.
21 Celtics - - 21/21 TheyÂ’re deep and talented, but theyÂ’re also young and inexperienced. And between Sebastian Telfair and Rajon Rondo, Boston might have the two worst-shooting PGs in the League.
22 Timberwolves - - 22/22 It seems like itÂ’s now or never for KG. Does he have the supporting cast to make a run at the playoffs? Randy Foye has Rookie of the Year potential, and Mike James can drop 30 at a momentÂ’s notice.
23 76ers - - 23/23 Is this the year Andre Iguodala goes from “Top 10 Plays” staple to an all-around force?
24 SuperSonics - - 24/24 Chris Wilcox has the big contract; now itÂ’s time for him to prove he deserves it.
25 Bobcats - - 25/25 WeÂ’re just waiting to see how all the youngsters mesh: Morrison, Okafor, Felton, May and Co. could be a sleeper.
26 Raptors - - 26/26 Is T.J. Ford an upgrade over Mike James? We also want to see how Chris Bosh comes back from a bad showing at the World Championships.
27 Warriors - - 27/27 Nellie is the wild card here. Is he really going to play Mike Dunleavy as a power forward/point guard? Is he going to irritate Baron Davis by repeatedly going to the media with his concerns about BaronÂ’s weight? Will everyone outside of J-Rich have to change their style of play to suit NellieÂ’s gameplan?
28 Knicks - - 28/28 Was it really all Larry BrownÂ’s fault? New YorkÂ’s players say they love having Isiah on the bench Â… but then again, what else are they gonna say?
29 Trail Blazers - - 29/29 While the rest of the League wants to speed things up, the Blazers have committed to slowing it down and running the offense through Zach Randolph.
30 Hawks - - 30/30 With Speedy Claxton temporarily on the shelf with a broken hand, the Hawks are basically the same team as last year, only with Shelden Williams replacing Al Harrington. Defensively, thatÂ’s not a problem. Offensively? Problem.
Looks like the Clippers have finally earn some respect, that didn't take too long, only there whole existence. I don't think they should be rated better than the Pistons though. There is a lot of teams rated too high, but then again they are going by the paper roster, so who really knows how all those teams after the Pistons will fare.
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