NBA Power Rankings: Heat, Bulls and Thunder Class of League's Opening Week

Opening week for the NBA was fantastic to borrow an old NBA slogan. The Heat have been the team we expected to see last year, but they haven't been alone in quality play.

The Thunder, Bulls and Blazers are all off to fast starts. There have been tons of story lines this season. From "Lob City" with the Clippers, to Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant's sideline spat. There has been no shortage of drama, and no shortage of highlight reel plays.

Check out the full rankings after the first full week of NBA action.

30-24: The Bottom Feeders

30. Washington Wizards (0-3): The Wiz have been anything but so far this season. John Wall has shown some regression in his ball-handling and decision making. The week was not a difficult one with the Nets, Hawks and Bucks as the opposition. Next week isn't looking good, either, with back-to-backs against the Celtics, then the Magic and the Knicks.

29. Toronto Raptors (1-2): Toronto has played hard, but they have only grabbed one win in three games. Expectations are low in Toronto, and they have yet to do anything to change the perception. Their lone win was over the Cavs, but it was on the road.

28. Phoenix Suns (1-2): Nash and Co. were defeated at home by the Hornets on a last-second shot by Eric Gordon. They did avenge that loss later in the week at New Orleans, but this is going to be a rough year in Phoenix.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-3): Yes, the Wolves are 0-3, but anyone who has seen their games and noticed their schedule should be slightly impressed. While playing two of the top teams (Oklahoma City and Miami) in the NBA, Minnesota lost by a combined six points. The Wolves are finding themselves, and they will be among the league's most improved. Check out these dimes from Ricky Rubio:

26. Charlotte Bobcats (1-2): The Bobcats have played decently this year. They also gave the Heat a tough game, losing on a clutch shot from Dwyane Wade. The true test for the Cats will be on the road. They will visit the Heat today.

25. Detroit Pistons (1-3): Detroit has a lot of young talent, Greg Monroe has had a good start, but the Pistons are still at least two years away from respectability.

24. Cleveland Cavaliers (1-2): The young Cavs are moving in the right direction. Tristan Thompson and Kyrie Irving have looked pretty good. Irving responded from a bad debut to help deliver the Cavs one win.

23-17: May Be Playing the Lottery or Just Starting Slow

23. Sacramento Kings (1-3): The Kings have so much talent, but they need structure on offense. They do not play as a team; everything is isolation or one on one. They did knock off the Bynum-less Lakers.

22. Utah Jazz (1-3): The Jazz are certainly in transition. They have tons of players up front. At some point this year, either Al Jefferson or Derrick Favors may be placed on the trading block to add a guard.

21. New Jersey Nets (1-3): The Nets get somewhat of a pass, as they've played without their injured center, Brook Lopez. They await his recovery, primarily to try to ship him to Orlando. If they don't get D12, hello lottery once again.

20. Dallas Mavericks  (1-3): The Mavs look bad. They have no energy and they appear to be satisfied. Honestly, that leadership, or lack thereof, is coming from Dirk Nowitzki's poor body language.

19. Milwaukee Bucks (2-1): Scott Skiles has his team playing hard of course, but Brandon Jennings is still learning the point guard spot. The more they run through Bogut, the better.

18. Boston Celtics (1-3): The Celtics better get it together fast. The team has not responded well to the rushed season, although much of it was without Paul Pierce. The Celtics won the only game with Pierce, so if that trend continues, the Celtics will rise fast. The C's may have more meltdowns like this one if things don't come together:

17. Memphis Grizzlies (1-2): The Grizzlies have played without Mike Conley, but they are struggling to find the same team they were in the playoffs. Could it be that the team got too used to playing without Rudy Gay?

16-10: Looking Just Good Enough

16. New Orleans Hornets (2-1): After three games, the Hornets have a better record than the Clippers. So far, David Stern looks like a master GM. Though this may not last, Eric Gordon is an underrated scorer and the Hornets have a nice center rotation with Emeka Okafor and Chris Kaman.

15. Atlanta Hawks (3-1): Quietly, the Hawks are 3-1. They are 2-0 at the Highlight Factory, and Jeff Teague has played very well early on. We will see if Atlanta is ready to make a move up the ladder.

14. Orlando Magic (3-1): Dwight Howard wants out, but his team is off to a 3-1 start. He has been his normal, dominant self. The Magic's only loss was to OKC on Christmas. Check this nasty swallow block by D12:

13. Los Angeles Clippers (1-2): Lob City has gotten off to a fast start, but they were beaten handedly by the Spurs and Bulls. The Bulls win came at Staples Center, though it was without Chauncey Billups. The Clippers still have a way too go before they are Western Conference front runners, but man, are they exciting:

12. Indiana Pacers (3-1): How does Ray Allen feel about David West's free agent decision now? The Pacers are 3-1, while the C's are the opposite. The Pacers have built on the momentum from the postseason last year.

11. Philadelphia 76ers (2-2): The Sixers are a solid team; their 2-2 record is impressive considering they have yet to play a home game.

10. Houston Rockets (2-2): Houston has looked good considering their schedule. They were at Orlando and Memphis. They handed both the Spurs and Hawks their only losses at home.

9-5: Almost Elite

9. Golden State Warriors (2-2): Mark Jackson is changing this team. They will always be a team that plays best in transition, but defense is key. The team is only allowing 95 points per game, unheard of in Oakland. Were it not for injuries to Stephan Curry and Monta Eliis, they may have one more win.

8. New York Knicks (2-2): Mike D'Antoni is feeling the pressure, as he has to know without deep advancement in the playoffs, he will likely be out. The Knicks defeated Boston on Chjristmas, but have been shaky since. A nice road win without Amar'e Stoudemire has them here.

7. Los Angeles Lakers (3-2): Lakers have won three straight, as defense has been the calling card. Kobe has been bad down the stretch, and I dont mean good-bad. His turnovers are astronomical. You could blame it on the wrist, as well you can blame the start on playing without Andrew Bynum. Danilo Galinari gifted a win to the Lake-Show with this play, but the Lakers have work to do offensively.

6. Denver Nuggets (2-2): Yes, the Lakers defeated the Nuggets, but Denver should have won that game were it not for that inexcusable folly from Galinari. The Nuggets look like they will definitely be a playoff team and better defensively.

5. San Antonio Spurs (3-1): Who said the Spurs were dead? Nobody told them. The Spurs spanked the Clippers by 23, and didn't lose their first game until they traveled to Houston. If they stay healthy, they will be heard from all year.

4-1: The Best of the Bunch

4. Portland Trailblazers (3-0) Blazers are the sleeper team in the West. I predicted they would start fast, and they have. They have yet to play a road game, but if they can continue this way, they certainly have weapons.

3. Chicago Bulls (3-1) The Bulls just finished an impressive West Coast trip. They stumbled in Oakland, as the Warriors seem to give the Bulls fits over the last two years. Rose has picked up the aggressiveness; here, he shows Chris Paul why he was MVP:

2. Miami Heat (4-0) This is only going to be temporary, as I see the Heat run lasting a while. Every team is bringing them their best, yet they've turned them all back. LeBron has been awesome even by his standards, averaging 33.5 points, seven rebounds and 7.5 assists. Most of all, Chris Bosh has put the three in the Big Three, and the Heat are scary. Check these out:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-0) Five games up, five games won. The Thunder have looked awesome, even with the Durant and Westbrook issue. As long as this club doesn't have internal issues, they should play the Heat in the NBA Finals.