NBA Power Rankings: Biggest Risers Quickly Gaining Steam

We're almost one-third of the way through the NBA season and potential contenders are beginning to turn up the heat, gunning for those playoffs while trying to keep their stars healthy at the same time.

In the condensed 66-game schedule this season, there's no room for dilly dallying, folks. If you don't have your chemistry bubbling by the postseason, tough luck.

Here are the three biggest risers of the past week:

3. Minnesota Timberwolves (10-11)

After going an NBA-worst 17-65 last season, the Timberwolves are all of a sudden looking like a playoff contender in the Western Conference.

Led by Kevin Love and point guard Ricky Rubio, the T-Wolves are showing real promise, which almost seems impossible given their woes last season.

Love, who has already become a top-five power forward in the league, has led the T-Wolves to six wins in their last nine games, including victories over the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs.

These ain't the same bottom-dwellers.

2. Dallas Mavericks (13-8)

I still worry about the Mavericks due to their age, but the fact remains that they've won six of their last seven games, including a 101-100 overtime thriller against the Spurs.

Ever since Jason Kidd's injury, backup Rodrigue Beaubois has been on fire, racking up seven assists in each of his last three starts. We've even heard some "Free Roddy B" chants.

The Mavericks may have to start thinking about giving Beaubois more minutes, even when Kidd returns to the court.

1. Los Angeles Clippers (11-6)

Okay, we all saw Blake Griffin's fantastic dunk on Kendrick Perkins on Monday, but the Clippers had won seven of their last 10 games before that game, anyway.

We all saw it coming: Griffin and Chris Paul running pick-and-rolls. Now it's coming to fruition and at times, it doesn't even seem fair.

Beyond Griffin and Paul, however, Caron Butler and Mo Williams have been nice scoring options and center DeAndre Jordan is averaging 3.1 blocks per game.

Ryan Rudnansky's NBA Power Rankings

1. Miami Heat

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

3. Chicago Bulls

4. Denver Nuggets

5. Indiana Pacers

6. Los Angeles Clippers

7. Philadelphia 76ers

8. Atlanta Hawks

9. Dallas Mavericks

10. Los Angeles Lakers

11. San Antonio Spurs

12. Houston Rockets

13. Portland Trailblazers

14. Minnesota Timberwolves

15. Boston Celtics

16. Memphis Grizzlies

17. Utah Jazz

18. Orlando Magic

19. Milwaukee Bucks

20. Cleveland Cavaliers

21. Toronto Raptors

22. New Jersey Nets

23. New York Knicks

24. Golden State Warriors

25. Phoenix Suns

26. Sacramento Kings

27. New Orleans Hornets

28. Detroit Pistons

29. Washington Wizards

30. Charlotte Bobcats