State of the NBA: Week 1 Power Rankings

The NBA opened up with a bang on Christmas Day.  The first game was a two-point nail-biter between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics that ended with Kevin Garnett trying to choke Knicks player Bill Walker.

Then the Miami Heat completely decimated a revamped Dallas Mavericks team as they earned a sliver of revenge for losing last season's NBA finals.

Because of the lockout, all of these games had playoff feel to them with preseason execution, there was a lot of heart but not much skill shown throughout this first week and that is to be expected.

As the season progresses, the level of play will improve and the best teams will start to separate themselves from the bad ones but there were a few upsets this week.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks and the Charlotte Bobcats beat the Milwaukee Bucks.

This week, the New Orleans Hornets made the biggest jump, moving up seven spots from last week.  On the flip-side, the Mavericks dropped nine spots and the Celtics dropped eight spots to lead the pack in dropped spots this week.

Last week my bottom four teams were the Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Bobcats, and Cleveland Cavaliers.  Each of those teams won and I kind of looked like an idiot.

But enough of the recap, let's see where every team ranks so far this season.

1. Miami Heat (3-0)

Last Week: 1 (Even)

Record Last Week: 3-0

The Miami Heat came into the season as the favorites and they are proving that during the opening week to this season.

On Christmas Day they decimated the Dallas Mavericks, winning 105-94, a game where the score doesn't show quite how much of a blowout the game was.

Then the Heat took on the Boston Celtics and won 115-107, followed by a shockingly close game to the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Heat's Big Three have been outstanding this year, combining for 68.4 points per game.

It's beginning to look like everybody is going to have a tough time beating the Heat this season.

Biggest Question: Can the Heat last without the Big Three?

The Heat have been on another level this season, beating two top 10 teams in their first two games.

Throughout the season, however, they are going to face some adversity against a good team, how are they going to react to that.

As mentioned earlier, the Heat's Big Three are averaging 68.4 PPG and 32.7 of those are coming from LeBron James.

What are they going to do if one or two of these guys go down?  The Heat don't have players who can fill in for their starters and make up for their production.

The Heat Bench has 26.4 points per game in 85.7 combined minutes, which comes out to .31 points per minute, compared to .52 points per minute for the starters (79 PPG, 151.3 MPG).

Games this Week: @ (27) Minnesota Timberwolves - 12/30, vs. (24) Charlotte Bobcats - 1/1, vs. (9) Atlanta Hawks - 1/2, vs. (7) Indiana Pacers - 1/4

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0)

Last Week: 4 (+2)

Record Last Week: 3-0

The Oklahoma City Thunder are proving to the NBA that they are ready to take over.  Kevin Durant has been outstanding this season, averaging 31.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 4.0 APG.

James Harden has been seeing a ton of minutes this season, averaging 30.7 minutes per game and he leads the Thunder with 6.3 rebounds per game.

They are proving that they are young enough to play without much of a preseason and close enough where they can jump right in and have perfect chemistry, something that is going to continue to help them throughout the early part of the season.

Their youth will help them having fresher legs come later in the season, and the Thunder are making it look like they are going to coast through the Western Conference and into an NBA Finals spot.

Biggest Question: How important was the Durant-Westbrook fight?

In a close win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook got into a shouting match during a timeout.

Westbrook was having a rough game and got mad when Thabo Sefolosha didn't shoot an open three-point shot in the second quarter, he got mad and teammates tried to calm him down.

If Westbrook continues to struggle and have it spill over into the rest of the team it could seriously hurt their team chemistry.  The Thunder have looked like one of the best teams, but can Westbrook completely unravel that?

Games this Week: vs. (12) Dallas Mavericks - 12/29, vs. (23) Phoenix Suns - 12/31, @ (12) Dallas Mavericks - 1/2, vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers - 1/3

3. San Antonio Spurs (2-0)

Last Week: 8 (+5)

Record Last Week: 2-0

It may seem like the Spurs are a little high on this list, but they completely deserve to be bumped up five spots from last week with the teams that they defeated.

First they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies (ranked 10th preseason) by 13 points, then they took on the Los Angeles Clippers (ranked fifth preseason) by 25 points.

By completely blowing out two top 10 teams, it became easy to move them up.

Last week the Spurs big question was how their young players would play and through their first two games, they have been playing extremely well.

James Anderson has been averaging 10.5 ppg, Tiago Splitter has been averaging 4.5 points, 1.5 blocks, and 5.5 rebounds per game, and Kawhi Leonard has been averaging 7.0 RPG.

If they continue to get solid production off the bench with continued solid play from their aging stars they are going to be a force come playoff time.

Biggest Question: How much are compression socks helping the Spurs?

One quite odd story that has been in the news this week has been the Spurs choice of sock.  They have begun wearing compression socks on airplane flights to help with circulation and help their recovery for their next game.

This is up with with Chicago's Headband-Gate as one of the few times something that is generally an accessory has become a legitimate news story.

Unlike Ben Wallace and his headband, however, this might actually help the Spurs as it can keep their older players fresher for later in the season.

Games this Week: @ (22) Houston Rockets - 12/29, vs. (28) Utah Jazz - 12/31, @ (27) Minnesota Timberwolves - 1/2, vs. (16) Golden State Warriors - 1/4

4. Chicago Bulls (1-1)

Last Week: 2 (-2)

Record Last Week: 1-1

The Chicago Bulls are still one of the best teams in the NBA despite an embarrassing loss to the Golden State Warriors.  Their issue is the short preseason effecting the way they play.

Once they get settled down, they are going to be difficult to deal with, but right now they are making too many mistakes and missing too many shots.  Kyle Korver needs to be more consistent from three-point range, Derrick Rose needs to score more than 17.5 PPG, and Carlos Boozer needs to grab more than 4.5 RPG.

For now the Bulls are slipping, but they are going to get a lot better really soon.

Biggest Question: Will Derrick Rose be more aggressive?

As mentioned earlier, Rose only has 17.5 PPG, that's down from last year's number of 25.  He also is averaging 6.5 APG, down from 7.7 last season.

But the biggest issue and the reason why the Bulls aren't as dominant as they should be is that he isn't getting to the free throw line nearly enough.  He is averaging two free throws per game this season, he needs to get back to last year's level when he was averaging about five more free throws per game.

Games this Week: @ (21) Sacramento Kings - 12/29, @ (5) Los Angeles Clippers - 12/30, vs. (17) Memphis Grizzlies - 1/1, vs. (9) Atlanta Hawks (1/2), @ (29) Detroit Pistons - 1/4

5. Los Angeles Clippers (1-1)

Last Week: 5 (Even)

Record Last Week: 1-1

The Los Angeles Clippers have gotten the nickname of Lob City by everyone in the sports world and they went out and made it a reality in their first game against the Golden State Warriors.

Chris Paul has been playing well, averaging 15 points and nine assists per game so far this season.  Blake Griffin has continued to play amazingly, averaging 25 points and eight rebounds per game.

The Clippers lost to the San Antonio Spurs in their second game of the year, but that is likely due to the team still learning to gel together.

Having a new point guard is similar to having a new quarterback in football and with the shortened preseason they are going to be learning to play with each other while taking on some good teams.

Luckily for the Clippers, however, they have some time in-between their games early in the season to get some practice time and learn to play together while they are off the court.

Biggest Question: How long until this team knows how to play with each other?

Last season we saw the Miami Heat have an issue with team chemistry early in the season, it looks like the Clippers are going through a similar thing this season.

The Clippers are going to be scary once they iron out their issues, until then they get to rely on ally-oops from Chris Paul to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Games this Week: vs. (4) Chicago Bulls - 12/30, vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers - 1/1, vs. (22) Houston Rockets - 1/4

6. New York Knicks (1-1)

Last Week: 9 (+3)

Record Last Week: 1-1

The bottom half of this top five is very difficult to rank, and this starts with the Knicks.  There were some teams that haven't lost yet who don't deserve to be this high (Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets) while teams that have the talent to be here have been losing (Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks).

Because of this, an average week for the Knicks move them up three spots despite losing to the Golden State Warriors by 14 points.

Although the front court for the Knicks is what was supposed to be their big worry, they need to get more production out of Tyson Chandler if they want to be considered a top team in the NBA.

Through two games, Chandler is averaging just 4.5 points and three rebounds.

They are also going to be hurt by the injury to rookie first-round pick Iman Shumpert, who is likely to miss two to four weeks.  Shumpert had scored 11 points in his first game when the injury happened.

Biggest Question: Can Tyson Chandler pick up his play?

Chandler played solid defense against the Boston Celtics, racking up six blocks, but the Knicks need to get more rebounds and some more points out of him if they want to be competitive.

Last season Chandler averaged 10.3 PPG and 9.4 RPG, those stats were critical to the Dallas Mavericks winning a championship.

If the Knicks don't start to get those stats out of him soon then he is going to be quickly looked on as another bust in the Big Apple.

Games this Week: @ (9) Los Angeles Lakers - 12/29, @ (21) Sacramento Kings - 12/31, vs. (25) Toronto Raptors - 1/2, vs. (24) Charlotte Bobcats - 1/4

7. Indiana Pacers (2-0)

Last Week: 11 (+4)

Record Last Week: 2-0

The Indiana Pacers have looked good over this past week despite not playing top teams.  In their first game they were able to face the lowly Detroit Pistons who they were able to handily dispose of.

After that they were able to easily dispatch of the Toronto Raptors 90-85.

But despite the easy schedule, they have been getting what they are supposed to get out of the right players.

Danny Grainger leads the team with 18.5 points per game and Roy Hibbert has 12 rebounds per game.

The Pacers have six players who are averaging at least nine points per game and five players with at least five rebounds.

They have gotten 11 blocks through two games from their team and seven players have at least one steal per game.

Biggest Question: How will the Pacers play against a top team?

The Pacers have been playing well but they have yet to play a top team.  We won't find out until the Pacers play the Heat on January 4th, their sixth game of the season.

If They are able to continue to get consistent production against top teams they are going to prove that they belong in the top ten, but they are helping their case by beating teams they should beat, something top teams right now aren't doing.

Games this Week: vs. (26) Cleveland Cavaliers - 12/30, @ (29) Detroit Pistons - 12/31, @ (20) New Jersey Nets - 1/2, @ (1) Miami Heat - 1/4

8. Portland Trail Blazers (2-0)

Last Week: 13 (+5)

Record Last Week: 2-0

The Trail Blazers have been having a strong season and they have been beating the teams they are supposed to beat (a trend for the 7-9 ranked teams).

They began their season with a solid win over the Philadelphia 76ers and won a blowout victory over the Sacramento Kings (the same team that beat the Los Angeles Lakers this year).

They have been lead by LaMarcuss Aldridge, who is proving that he is every bit of the leader that the Trail Blazers hoped he would be.

So far this season he is averaging 24.5 points (1st on team), 7.5 rebounds (3rd on team), two steals (2nd on team), and 1.5 blocks (t-2nd on team) per game.

They have also been helped out by big games by Gerald Wallace (23 PPG, 8.5 PPG) and Marcus Camby (11 RPG, 2 BPG).

Biggest Question: Can the Trail Blazers beat top teams?

Just another variation of the same question you heard last slide and that you will hear again next slide (hint hint), the Trail Blazers have looked really good beating up on teams they are supposed to beat.

They are going to find out this week if they deserve to be in the top ten as they start to face better teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Games this Week: vs. (11) Denver Nuggets - 12/29, @ (5) Los Angeles Clippers - 1/1, @ (2) Oklahoma City Thunder - 1/3

9. Atlanta Hawks (2-0)

Last Week: 14 (+5)

Record Last Week: 2-0

For the Atlanta Hawks it's not who they beat (New Jersey Nets and Washington Wizards) but how they beat them (106-70 and 101-83).

Anytime you can average over 100 points offensively and less than 80 points defensively you are doing something right regardless of who you are playing.

Much like the Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers, the Hawks were able to fly up the rankings because of some good teams losing a lot of games and them playing weaker teams, but also like the Pacers and Trail Blazers, by winning games they are supposed to win they are doing something top teams aren't.

Can the Hawks and Pacers hold their spots in the top ten?  I don't know.  Have they shown through this first week that they should be there right now?  Without a doubt yes.

The Hawks have eight players with 9.5 or more points and four players with 6.5 or more rebounds.

Biggest Question: Can they beat top competition?

The Hawks and Pacers are basically on the same trajectory right now.  They play two more games against weak teams and then they have their first tough game of the year against the Miami Heat.

They also both play the Nets this week.

Games this Week: vs. (20) New Jersey Nets - 12/30, @ (22) Houston Rockets - 12/31, @ (1) Miami Heat - 1/2, @ (4) Chicago Bulls - 1/3

10. Los Angeles Lakers (1-2)

Last Week: 7 (-3)

Record Last Week: 1-2

The Lakers have played well this season, but they have had some tough games as well.  They played a good close game against the Chicago Bulls to open the season and the usually trustworthy Kobe Bryant was blocked as time expired.

Then they lost a little more definitively against the Sacramento Kings, a game that they should have won, before defeating the Utah Jazz to get their first win of the season.

The Lakers are proving how much one piece to the puzzle is right now as they have had issues making up for the loss of Lamar Odom as well as the suspension of Andrew Bynum.  The injury to Kobe's wrist is seemingly not hurting him as much as expected, he is putting up 27.7 points per game so far this season.

The biggest issue for this team is that Kobe has to do everything, he leads the team in points, assists, and steals.  His 6.7 rebounds per game also place him third on the team.

Biggest Question: Can the Lakers be competitive without Lamar Odom?

Odom was a big part of the Lakers over the past few years, and not having him this season has been a big part of their struggles.  Although they are missing Bynum, they have been stuck dealing with his injury issues for years and he has never made a big impact.

If the Lakers can't find a viable option to replace Odom, this could be a long season for the new second team in Los Angeles.

Games this Week: vs. (6) New York Knicks - 12/29, vs. (11) Denver Nuggets - 12/31, @ (11) Denver Nuggets - 1/2, vs. (22) Houston Rockets - 1/3

11. Denver Nuggets (2-0)

Last Week: 16 (+5)

Record Last Week: 2-0

The Denver Nuggets started off their season by stunning the defending champion Dallas Mavericks (who, as you can see, have fallen far down the rankings from third last week) with a 115-93 victory.

After that, they pulled in a 117-100 victory over the Utah Jazz to go undefeated over their first two games.

Unlike the Pacers, Trail Blazers, and Hawks, the Nuggets have already beaten an established team, now they just have to prove that this wasn't a fluke.

If they can continue to win, they will be looking at a spot in the playoffs and surprise a lot of people.

They have been getting good games out of a lot of players such as Ty Lawson (21 PPG), Al Harrington (18 PPG, 6 RPG), Nene (16.5 PPG, 7 RPG, 1.5 BPG), and Andre Miller (12.5 PPG, 8.5 APG, 2.5 SPG).

Biggest Question: Is their start to the season a fluke?

The Nuggets were expected to be good, but are they a top ten team like they have looked so far this season.  If they can continue to win they are going to be there next week and they have a few winable games that could get them there.

As of now, they look like a playoff team, they have been playing well together and have shown great chemistry.

Games this Week: @ (10) Los Angeles Lakers - 12/31, vs. (10) Los Angeles Lakers - 1/1, vs. (19) Milwaukee Bucks - 1/2, vs. (21) Sacramento Kings - 1/4

12. Dallas Mavericks (0-2)

Last Week: 3 (-9)

Record this Week: 0-2

Dallas Mavericks fans have been extremely disappointed this season as the Mavericks have played horribly.

Their biggest issue has been their defense, as they allowed over 100 points in both of their games this season.

Their first game against the Miami Heat was an embarassment for the entire team and every one of their fans, as they were systematically destroyed in every facet of the game by the Miami Heat and were only able to make sure the game wasn't lost by more than 30 points when the Heat took their foot off the gas pedal.

Then they were defeated by the New Orleans Hornets as well, who are also undefeated but are a much less talented team.  The Hornets were an example of a game that they should have won as they were playing a team who had just traded away their best player.

Biggest Question: Can the Mavericks turn this slide around?

I know it's only two games, but their average point differential is -11.5 so far this season, something that should never happen, especially for the defending champions.

Vince Carter needs to put up more points, Jason Kidd needs to get more assists, and everybody needs to get more rebounds (Shaun Marion leads the team with six per game).

If they don't find a way to fix their issues, it is going to be a long season for Mavs fans.  With their next game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, it's likely going to get worse for the Mavericks before it gets better.

Games this Week: @ (2) Oklahoma City Thunder - 12/29, vs. (25) Toronto Raptors - 12/30, @ (27) Minnesota Timberwolves - 1/1, vs. (2) Oklahoma City Thunder - 1/2, vs. (23) Phoenix Suns - 1/4

13. New Orleans Hornets (2-0)

Last Week: 20 (+7)

Record Last Week: 2-0

The New Orleans Hornets weren't supposed to be any good without Chris Paul.  They were supposed to be heading into rebuilding mode and making up for losing their best two players.

What happened through their first two games has been the exact opposite, as the Hornets beat the Phoenix Suns in a close game, then embarrassed the Boston Celtics, who were a top ten team heading into the season.

They have been lead by a plethora of good players like Jarret Jack (21 PPG, 9 APG), Eric Gordon (20 PPG), Carl Landry (17 PPG, 9 RPG), Chris Kaman (11 PPG, 7 RPG), and Emeka Okafor (7.5 RPG, 3.5 BPG).

Biggest Question: Are the Hornets playoff contenders?

I know it's early in the season, but the Hornets are in an interesting position right now and they had a lot of questions heading into this season.  They had no clue how all these new players were going to come in and make up for all of their losses.

So far, through two games, Jarrett Jack has better statistics than Chris Paul does in Los Angeles, and they have been getting plenty of rebounding and defense from their inside players.

The Hornets were supposed to be rebuilding for the future, instead they are playing for the now and looking to prove to the NBA that they are still a playoff team.

Games this Week: vs. (23) Phoenix Suns - 12/30, @ (21) Sacramento Kings - 1/1, @ (28) Utah Jazz - 1/2, vs. (18) Philadelphia 76ers - 1/4

14. Boston Celtics (0-3)

Last Week: 6 (-8)

Record Last Week: 0-3

The Celtics were supposed to be in their last year of deep playoff runs and championship contention with their Big Three, but injuries and all-around poor play have derailed that hope.

They are only three games into the season and two of their games were against top ten teams, but their worst loss of the season so far was to the New Orleans Hornets, a team that was ranked 20th last week.

They lost that game by 19 points and were flat out embarrassed.

If they want to get back on track and make it into the playoffs, they are going to need some production out of their back ups.

Biggest Question: Can the Celtics win without Paul Pierce?

Pierce has been day-to-day all season and has yet to play a game, this is probably the biggest reason they have lost all of them so far.  Would they have beaten any of the teams that they have played so far this season or would they still be 0-3 and in the dog house?

We don't know the answer to this question and we won't until he comes back.  The problem is that we don't know when Paul is coming back, and the Celtics need to start winning regardless of if Paul comes back or not because he might get hurt again and right now, it looks like he is the glue holding this team together.

Luckily for the Celtics they have a week of easy games coming up.

Games this Week: vs. (29) Detroit Pistons - 12/30, @ (30) Washington Wizards - 1/1, vs. (30) Washington Wizards - 1/2, vs. (20) New Jersey Nets 1/4

15. Orlando Magic (1-1)

Last Week: 12 (-3)

Record Last Week: 1-1

The Magic continue to be in their awkward position of deciding whether or not Dwight Howard is going to stay in Orlando, but they look like they could be in for a tough season with or without Howard.

True, their loss came to the #2 Oklahoma City Thunder, but they didn't look good in that losing effort and their only win was over the lowly Houston Rockets.

With each game their leverage in any possibly Dwight Howard trade goes down as they don't want to get stuck with him throughout the season.  There are only a few teams in the running and the Magic need to try to get a trade done sooner rather than later.

Biggest Question: How big of a cloud is the Dwight Howard trade possibility?

Howard is the leader of this team, it's known to everybody who knows anything about the NBA.  He has played well this year, averaging 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game.

Without Howard, the Magic aren't going to be very good this year, and the other players on  the team know that he likely won't be there for the year and that they aren't going to be as good afterwards, and that is a huge strain on the team.

Games this Week: vs. (20) New Jersey Nets - 12/29, @ (24) Charlotte Bobcats - 12/30, vs. (25) Toronto Raptors - 1/1, @ (29) Detroit Pistons - 1/2, vs. (30) Washington Wizards - 1/4

The Fringe: 16-20

16. Golden State Warriors (2-1, Last Week: 20 [+3], Record Last Week: 2-1): The Warriors overcame an opening game loss to the Clippers with wins over the Bulls and Knicks.

Biggest Question: Are the Warriors good enough to become a playoff team?

Games this Week: vs. (18) Philadelphia 76ers - 12/31, @ Phoenix Suns - 1/2, @ (2) San Antonio Spurs - 1/4

17. Memphis Grizzlies (0-2, Last Week: 10 [-7], Record Last Week: 0-2): The Grizzlies played two of the three best teams in the NBA so far this season, but they need to start winning to prove last year wasn't a one n' done deal.

Biggest Question: Was their season last year a fluke or can they just not beat top competition?

Games this Week: vs. (22) Houston Rockets - 12/30, @ (4) Chicago Bulls - 1/1, vs. (21) Sacramento Kings - 1/3, @ (27) Minnesota Timberwolves - 1/4

18. Philadelphia 76ers (1-1, Last Week: 15 [-3], Record Last Week: 1-1): The 76ers followed up a close loss to the Trail Blazers with a dominant win over the Suns.

Biggest Question: Will the 76ers stay balanced or will this become the Andre Igoudala show?

Games this Week: @ (28) Utah Jazz - 12/30, @ (16) Golden State Warriors - 12/31, @ (13) New Orleans Hornets - 1/4

19. Milwaukee Bucks (1-1, Last Week: 18 [-1], Record Last Week: 1-1): The Bucks lost to the Bobcats in their first game by one point then defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in another close one.

Biggest Question: Is Brandon Jennings about to have a breakout year?

Games this Week: vs. (30) Washington Wizards - 12/30, @ (11) Denver Nuggets - 1/2, @ Utah Jazz - 1/3

20. New Jersey Nets (1-1, Last Week: 22 [+2], Record Last Week: 1-1): The Nets were able to pull off a win over the Wizards then got blown out by the Hawks, but the Hawks are a good team and the Nets are ranked 20th so you kind of expect that.

Biggest Question: Is Superman coming to save Jersey?

Games this Week: @ (15) Orlando Magic - 12/29, @ (9) Atlanta Hawks - 12/30, @ (26) Cleveland Cavaliers - 1/1, vs. (7) Indiana Pacers - 1/2, @ (14) Boston Celtics - 1/4

A Few Issues: 21-25

21. Sacramento Kings (1-1, Last Week: 27 [+6], Record Last Week: 1-1): The Kings pulled off a big win over the struggling Los Angeles Lakers and that leads to a big jump over a lot of teams that still haven't gotten their first win.

Biggest Question: Will DeMarcus Thornton and Demarcus Cousins continue to play well above their usual play?

Games this Week: vs. (4) Chicago Bulls - 12/29, vs. (6) New York Knicks - 12/31, vs. (13) New Orleans Hornets - 1/1, @ (17) Memphis Grizzlies - 1/3, @ (11) Denver Nuggets - 1/4

22. Houston Rockets (0-1, Last Week: 17 [-5], Record Last Week: 0-1): The Rockets have only had one game so far this season and that was a loss to the Orlando Magic.

Biggest Question: How will the Rockets deal with the run of top ten teams they have to face over the next two weeks?

Games this Week: @ (3) San Antonio Spurs - 12/29, @ (17) Memphis Grizzlies - 12/30, vs. (9) Atlanta Hawks - 12/31, @ (10) Los Angeles Clippers - 1/3, @ (5) Los Angeles Clippers

23. Phoenix Suns (0-2, Last Week: 19 [-4], Record Last Week: 0-2): The Suns have lost their first two games and things are about to get worse as they face a lot of good teams early on this season.

Biggest Question: Can they deal with all the good teams they have to face coming up?

Games this Week: @ (13) New Orleans Hornets - 12/30, @ (2) Oklahoma City Thunder - 12/31, vs. (16) Golden State Warriors - 1/2, @ (12) Dallas Mavericks - 1/4

24. Charlotte Bobcats (1-1, Last Week: 29 [+5], Record Last Week: 1-1): The Bobcats don't look like the best team in the NBA, but a win over the Bucks is better than nothing and a loss to the Heat is nothing to worry about.

Biggest Question: How many consecutive games will the Bobcats have that end in a score of 96-95?

Games this Week: vs. (15) Orlando Magic - 12/30, @ (1) Miami Heat - 1/1, vs. (26) Cleveland Cavaliers - 1/3, @ (6) New York Knicks - 1/4

25. Toronto Raptors (1-1, Last Week: 28 [+3], Record Last Week: 1-1): A win over Cleveland isn't much, but it's better than going 0-2.  Surprisingly, the Raptors lead the NBA in assists per game and are eighth in points allowed.

Biggest Question: Can the Raptors use solid defense to get a few undeserved wins this year?

Games this Week: @ (12) Dallas Mavericks - 12/30, @ (15) Orlando Magic - 1/1, @ (6) New York Knicks - 1/2, vs. (26) Cleveland Cavaliers - 1/4

Trouble's a-Brewin': 26-30

26. Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1, Last Week: 30 [+4], Record Last Week: 1-1): The Cavaliers shocked the world by winning a game and, at one point, being .500.

Biggest Question: Is Kyrie Irving going to be a double-double player this season?

Games this Week: @ (7) Indiana Pacers - 12/30, vs. (20) New Jersey Nets - 1/1, vs. (24) Charlotte Bobcats - 1/3, @ (25) Toronto Raptors - 1/4

27. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-2, Last Week: 23 [-4], Record Last Week: 0-2): The Timberwolves have yet to win a game but Kevin Garnett, oops, I mean Love is already turning heads this season.

Biggest Question: How many wins is Kevin Love worth?

Games this Week: vs. (1) Miami Heat - 12/30, vs. (12) Dallas Mavericks - 1/1, vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs - 1/2, vs. (17) Memphis Grizzlies - 1/4

28. Utah Jazz (0-2, Last Week: 25 [-3], Record Last Week: 0-2): Paul Milsap and Al Jefferson are the glue holding this team to not losing every game by 50 points.

Biggest Question: Who will step up and lead this team?

Games this Week: vs. (18) Philadelphia 76ers - 12/30, @ (3) San Antonio Spurs - 12/31, vs. (13) New Orleans Hornets - 1/2, vs. (19) Milwaukee Bucks - 1/3

29. Detroit Pistons (0-2, Last Week: 24 [-5], Record Last Week: 0-2): If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all.

Biggest Question: Is it time to give up on the season and go for the #1 pick?

Games this Week: @ (14) Boston Celtics - 12/30, vs. (7) Indiana Pacers - 12/31, vs. (15) Orlando Magic - 1/2, vs. (4) Chicago Bulls - 1/4

30. Washington Wizards (0-2, Last Week: 26 [-4], Record Last Week: 0-2): Every team I ranked 27-30 last week won a game, that means the Wizards get to slide into that worst team in the NBA slot for the week.

Biggest Question: Is another Kentucky standout headed to Washington?

Games this Week: @ (19) Milwaukee Bucks - 12/30, vs. (14) Boston Celtics - 1/1, vs. (14) Boston Celtics - 1/2, @ (15) Orlando Magic - 1/4