1. Utah Jazz (12-2): The Jazz are showing some very strong offense, which isn't really characteristic of a Jerry Sloan-led team as they are third in the league with a 106.1 points per game.
2. Dallas Mavericks (9-4): Sure there are a few other teams in the league with better records, but do any of them have a nine-game winning streak going? Plus, the Mavs last two wins have been over Southwest division rivals, New Orleans Hornets and the division leader, San Antonio Spurs.
3. San Antonio Spurs (10-3): I give the Spurs a pass on losing to the Mavs and keep them high on this food chain... but, appropriately after Dallas.
4. Detroit Pistons (9-5): Win six games in a row, including four in the past week and I have to put the Pistons here.
5. Orlando Magic (10-4): What? Another East Coast team near the top of the rankings? I'm either biased because I'm from the East Coast OR the Magic are playing some good ball right now. I'd say that beating the defending champion Miami Heat at Miami qualifies the latter statement.
6. Houston Rockets (9-4): The Rockets won all three of their games this past week and are tied with the Mavs for second in the Southwest division.
7. Denver Nuggets (7-4): The Nuggets have won four in a row and have been doing it with offense! They lead the league in scoring at 111.2 points per game and beat the Golden State Warriors twice in the past week scoring 115 and 140 points respectively.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-5): the Central division leading Cavaliers went two and two this past week with two losses on the road against the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers and wins at home against the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers.
9. Los Angeles Lakers (8-4): The Lakers started the past week with two strong wins at home over the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers, but lost on the road to the Utah Jazz, which is totally understandable.
10. Sacramento Kings (7-5): The Kings started the past week with two losses, but they were to the Spurs and Jazz. They came back with two wins, one at Seattle and a victory at home against the Portland Trail Blazers.
11. Phoenix Suns (6-6): A .500 team this high? Other than losing to the Memphis Grizzlies, their losses to the Lakers, Jazz (twice), a hot Clippers team at the time, Spurs, and Mavs. It looks like they're righting their ship winning all three of their games this past week.
12. Golden State Warriors (8-6): They lost three, to some degree, close games versus the Nuggets (twice) and the Suns. However, they did beat the Utah Jazz last night, which was a huge win.
13. New Orleans Hornets (8-6): The Hornets started the past week off right by beating the Heat, but then lost three in a row, including to the Suns and Mavs.
14. Indiana Pacers (7-6): Won two of their three games, including a big win over the Cavaliers.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-6): The T-Wolves have won three in a row, including wins versus the Hornets and Clippers.
16. Los Angeles Clippers (6-5): The Clippers looked promising before this past week with three straight losses.
17. New Jersey Nets (5-7): They've had a tough West Coast swing, losing all three games this past week on what is definitely the "Best" Coast against the Nets. However, they are leading the pathetic Atlantic division... yeah, I guess that's sort of the same as the blind leading the blind. They fortunately come back East on Tuesday.
18. Portland Trailblazers (6-8): Who would have thought they would be ranked this high at the beginning of the season? Losses to the Spurs and Kings are forgivable, but a win over the Nets proves, to some degree, how much better the West still is over the East.
19. Seattle Supersonics (6-8): Went two and one this past week with wins over the Nets and a road win against the Clippers. Their loss was to a strong Kings team.
20. Atlanta Hawks (5-6): This is where is starts to logjam in the rankings because the following several teams equal each other in stinkiness.
21. Boston Celtics (5-8): See above comment.
22. Miami Heat (5-8): How hard have the mighty fallen? As hard as Shaquille O'Neal dunking the ball... and hyperextending his knee. Despite Dwyane Wade's Herculean efforts, the Heat can't pull out games for W's.
23. Philadelphia 76ers (5-8): Is it time to trade Allen Iverson and just start over? I think so, especially if Willie Green is going to score as much as he did when Iverson was out for two games, going for 24 points in each game. Before you hate on me, AI lovers, I respect his game, but it's time for a change for both the franchise and Iverson.
24. New York Knicks (5-10): Umm, the way the Knicks are playing, I hope Isiah Thomas is packing up his bags little by little because I don't think he'll improve the team much as was dictated by Knicks owner, James Dolan.
25. Chicago Bulls (4-9): After such high expectations for the Bulls, they've really fallen flat on their faces thus far, along with the same people that chose the Bulls to take the title. However, it is still early in the season.
26. Toronto Raptors (4-9): Despite their record, this is still a team on the rise and could hit their stride by the All Star break.
27. Washington Wizards (4-9): Here's another team with high expectations that aren't being met.
28. Milwaukee Bucks (4-9): Since Charlie Villanueva got injured, it looks like the Raptors are winning out on the trade that gave them T.J. Ford, so the Bucks fall back near the end, although the Raptors aren't too far away either.
29. Charlotte Bobcats (3-10): They have some talent here, but it seems the Bobcats aren't on level footing just yet. Hopefully they can turn it around.
30. Memphis Grizzlies (3-10): Yeah... they're really missing Pau Gasol.
