NBA Power Rankings

Moving on from all things Philadelphia related, I'm pleased to bring you Dueling Couches' latest NBA power rankings. These rankings reflect how the teams stack up through Thursday night's action as we head into the weekend.
Let's jump right into it.

1) LOS ANGELES LAKERS -
As much as it pains me to say it, they are the defending champions, and for all the attention that was given The 2 1/2 Men in Miami this summer, it is the Lakers who look primed for a regular season to remember. They boast the league's best record at a 8-1, suffering their first loss last night at the hands of Carmelo and company in Denver. Unlike previous seasons, I actually like the off-season moves that LA made. Steve Blake is a solid perimeter shooter and Matt Barnes is Ron Artest-lite with better FG% and a jack-of-all trades type player. Kobe, despite off-season knee surgery is looking spry and that spells bad news for the rest of the West.


2) BOSTON CELTICS -
Only an injured Kendrick Perkins and a crappy loss at Cleveland plus a frustrating performance against Dallas kept me from putting them in the top slot. The Big 3 (the real Big 3) are looking as good as they ever have since 2007, the year they won the title. KG is finally healthy and playing with a spring in his step that we didn't see at all last season. Ray Allen is playing excellent ball and not merely settling for the 3, but instead opening it up more with some mid-range game. Paul Pierce is doing his thing, hitting big buckets when the team needs them, and then of course there's Rajon Rondo. I don't think that a player who averages 10 points a game will ever get serious MVP consideration, but he should. He makes the whole thing go. I submit last evening's massacre in Miami (that game wasn't as close as it finished) as evidence for the C's #2 ranking.


3) NEW ORLEANS HORNETS -
Welcome back, Chris Paul. Superstardom has missed you. After what many deemed a down year in 2009 for CP3, he is back trying to rip the best PG in the NBA title away from Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose. He's playing at an elite level and New Orleans is all the better for it at 7-0 and atop the Southwest division. They are also 1st in the league in points allowed at just 90.1 points per game. That kind of staunch D lands them in the top tier of NBA squads at the moment.


4) SAN ANTONIO SPURS -
There is a reSPURgence going on in San Antonio and the Spurs look ready to challenge for a top 2 or 3 spot in the West. Last season looked in many ways like it would mark the beginning of an end of a great era in San Antonio. This season, however, they look fresh. Richard Jefferson has found his old form which evaded him much of last season. Tony Parker is running a great, efficient offense which is 2nd in the league in assists per game. Manu is up to his usual craftiness and annoyingness. Greg Popovich doesn't look very healthy (he is so shabby), but so far so good for the Spurs.


5) UTAH JAZZ -
Top 10 in the league in scoring, and 3rd in the league in assists per game, Utah finds themselves off to a nice start in the West. Deron Williams continues to give people reason to believe he may just be the best PG in the league. He can do it all, shoot from the outside, penetrate, dish and he even plays some D. As long as he is at the helm, Utah will be a team to reckon with. They have to be really thrilled with the emergence of Paul Millsap at forward, and Al Jefferson put on a nice display against Dwight Howard on national TV the other night. All of this, without the injured Mehmet Okur who will help them stretch the floor when he returns.


6) MIAMI HEAT
There are a lot of questions to be answered down in South Beach, but one thing is clear. When they're not playing top-flight teams this squad is going to dominate. Their 4 losses are by way of Boston (2X), Utah and New Orleans, and they have wins against NJ (2X), Minnesota, Orlando and Philly. So by way of the fact that I think their volume of wins will be high and their collection of talent (at least their top guys) is pretty good I have to throw them in here. I also think that Mike Miller will help a lot of their problems against better teams once he is healthy. Relying on Eddie House, Carlos Arroyo and James Jones to knock down 3's is not a recipe for success. They need to fix some things, and soon or this is as high as they'll get on this list.


7) PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Portland comes into this season as an intriguing team, and one that some folks think can make a big jump this year, as their young nucleus develops. Indeed LaMarcus Aldridge continues to get better and Brandon Roy is putting up his usual numbers. The addition of Wesley Matthews has played out well so far as he adds some grittiness to the perimeter. Andre Miller is getting up there in age, as is Marcus Camby, but for now both are producing. Oft-injured and oft-naked Greg Oden is still out with another injury. Reports out of Portland are that if he said "I'm ready to go" they'd let him play, but they are waiting for him to be confident with his health. A shot-blocking tandem of Camby and Oden will surely keep opposing players out of the paint.


8) CHICAGO BULLS -
Their record might not reflect it, but I think this is a very good team. They have one OT loss in a great game against Boston, coupled by some forgettable efforts against the Knicks and the Thunder. I like that this team is getting better, because I think they offer a nice rivalry for Boston. (Clearly, they match up better than Miami) Derrick Rose continues his ascent into superstar status with his highlight reel plays, and Joakim Noah - the ugliest man in the NBA - has developed into a nice post player and a rebounding machine. Taj Gibson has filled in admirably for Carlos Boozer (and my fantasy team) and should continue to see some solid role minutes even when Boozer returns. A go to scorer to compliment Rose would really put this team on the next level, and we continue to hear rumors about 'Melo. Deng has put up good numbers, but I don't think he's that knock-down shooter they need.


9) ATLANTA HAWKS -
This team continues to frustrate for their inability to take that leap into the next level of great NBA teams. They've had this collection of nice players for a few years now, and it just hasn't happened yet, which has led to rumors about them possibly moving Josh Smith. There isn't really a whole lot to say about this team, as they're basically "who we thought they were". Good. Not great. They continue to get beat-up by their big brother in the Southeast, Orlando and Dwight Howard. They should still win plenty of games in the East and compete for a top-4 seed, but they don't really scare anyone and their 5-0 start was a facade.


10) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS -
If you haven't watched this team play yet this year, you are really missing out. They can light it up in a hurry and Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry make some of the most electric plays in the league while everyone on the east coast is asleep. Lucky for me, I'm a night owl and watch them regularly on my league pass. Don't be shocked to see this team in the playoffs and to see Monta Ellis atop the league in scoring. Miami cast-off Dorrell Wright has been playing great and contributing across the board. (He'd look a lot better than James Jones down there) Their best move though, was bringing in Captain Hustle - David Lee from New York. Lee is all grit and toughness. He eats up bigger players with his energy and overpowers smaller guys, creating some mismatches for opposing D's. This Big 3 (seriously we need some new nicknames) of Ellis, Curry and Lee (sounds like a law firm) are making some noise out west.

From here on out I will just list the teams in order along with some short comments. I don't really want to write a paragraph about New Jersey or Minnesota.


11) DENVER NUGGETS -
First win over LAL this season. As long as they have 'Melo, they're a good team in the West.

12) ORLANDO MAGIC -
Everyone keeps drinking the kool-aid, but the truth is, Howard is no Hakeem. Need more options offensively.

13) OKLAHOMA CITY -
Identity problem? Westbrook has emerged so well at times it's not clear who's team it is. Still intriguing.

14) DALLAS MAVERICKS -
Dirk...'nuff said. Window is closing.

15) MILWAUKEE BUCKS -
Emerging team. Question is, once they realize they're good, can Skiles keep control. History shows he can't.

16) PHOENIX SUNS -
Still have the ol' Nash rambler. And Grant Hill looks young again. J-Rich might be too one-dimensional. Some of the Jared Dudley luster has worn off. Needs to stay a role player.

17) MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES -
Mike Conley seems to be figuring it out. Gay is scoring at an elite clip. Could be a factor in the 2nd tier of the West.

18) NEW YORK KNICKS -
Amar'e = not the answer. D'Antoni playing a lot of guys trying to figure out his core rotations. So far, not so good. Gallinari not shooting like he was last year. Wilson Chandler needs more looks. Felton might be trade bait once the deadline passes to trade free-agents.

19) CLEVELAND CAVALIERS -
J.J. Hickson starting to show why Cleveland didn't want him in the Amar'e deal. LeBron who? Yea right. Cleveland will never let it go.

20) CHARLOTTE BOBCATS-
Haha. I actually typed out Charlotte Hornets. True story. Don't count them out yet. Got off to bad start last year, and Brown led them back to playoffs. Much like Skiles, Brown historically wears out his welcome. Could be coming soon.

21) PHILADELPHIA 76ers -
Looked great the other night with Igoudala on bench. Might be time to cut ties with him. Lou Williams is putting up silly numbers considering the minutes he's getting. Probably not a player in the East. Brand contract looks really bad, though he's playing better this year.

22) SACRAMENTO KINGS -
ROY, Evans looks good again this year. Development of Cousins will determine the near-future of this franchise and possibly their future in Sacramento.

23) INDIANA PACERS -
Collison needs to play like he did when filling in for CP3 last season. So far, not so much though last couple have been better. Roy Hibbert (DP's father) needs to continue getting better.

24) WASHINGTON WIZARDS -
John Wall fever is hitting in D.C. Putting up some great numbers across the board. If they're lucky, Arenas will play well for about a month and maybe they can move him. If they're unlucky he doesn't and they have to wait him out all year. John Wall needs some teammates.

26) NEW JERSEY NETS -
Not as bad as last year with new coach Avery Johnson, but still pretty bad. Derrick Favors has not yet figured out the big boy game. He will though. Brook Lopez continues his dominance against lesser centers and being dominated by better ones.

26) HOUSTON ROCKETS -
Off to a horrific start, and lost their top playmaker in Aaron Brooks for a few weeks. The Ming dynasty might be over, and this team should probably start planning as a franchise that doesn't have Yao for 50 games a year, which has become standard.

27) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS -
This team really sucks, and Vinny Del Negro is pretty clueless. Fat Baron Davis < Eric Bledsoe at this point. Blake Griffin takes a lot of bad shots, and seems to be slightly depressed with his situation. Bill Simmons' claims he's "got the Clipper stink on him." Not good.

28) MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES -
Kevin Love is a man. Michael Beasley may have found a situation he can thrive in. That's about all that can be said. Waiting on Ricky Rubio is probably not the answer.

29) DETROIT PISTONS -
Need to get back to Motown gritty style they embodied a few years ago when they had their run. Rodney Stuckey is the lone bright spot on this squad. Richard Hamilton, and probably Tayshaun Prince should be dealt for some young talent/picks come February.

30) TORONTO RAPTORS -
This team is bad. I don't know what to say. I say move 'em to Seattle. They deserve a team. Stern stole the Sonics.