NBA Power Rankings 2009: Hawks on Top

Larry JessicaNov 25, 2009

NBA Power Rankings 2009: Though this NBA season is still extremely young, is it possible that the four teams most predicted to finish atop the Eastern Conference are already there to stay?

Orlando, Atlanta, Boston, and Cleveland are flying high, and each of them has already looked like the conference’s best team at some point.

Out west, the Suns are still red hot, the Lakers are now at full-strength, the Mavericks are cruising along under-the-radar, while the Spurs and Hornets are still trying to find themselves.

Here’s how they stack up going into Thanksgiving week:

1. Atlanta Hawks (11-3, Last Week: 1)

After leaving everything on the floor in the two-point home win over the Rockets Friday, Atlanta lost a tough game to New Orleans Saturday.

All eyes will be on Atlanta Thursday night (where the Hawks are a perfect 7-0 to start the season), when division rival Orlando comes to town.

2. Orlando Magic (11-3, Last Week: 8)

Vince Carter’s shooting percentage isn’t where he would like it to be at this point, but he appears to be rounding into form.

He’s helped his new team to a five-game winning streak, including a tough win in Boston last Friday night.

3. Phoenix Suns (11-3, Last Week: 2)

Which Suns player is second in the league in three-pointers made with 36, and is shooting a stellar 43 percent from beyond-the-arc?

Ready?

You guessed it!

It’s … Channing Frye. Seriously.

4. Dallas Mavericks (10-3, Last Week: 7)

Dallas has won five in a row, including back-to-back overtime victories over Milwaukee and San Antonio.

Dirk Nowitzki is a dark horse MVP candidate so far, averaging 27 points and nine rebounds a game.

5. Los Angeles Lakers (10-3, Last Week: 9)

With the absence of Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant has had to score more this season than he did during the Lakers’ title run last season.

Bryant is averaging 30 points per game, and already has four games in which he’s scored 40 or more.

With Gasol now healthy, look for Bryant’s scoring average to drop, while the Lakers’ winning percentage should rise.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-4, Last Week: 3)

Having gone 10-2 since their 0-2 start, the Cavaliers appear to have straightened things out extremely quickly.

LeBron James has been getting solid help from guys like JJ Hickson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Anthony Parker.

7. Boston Celtics (10-4, Last Week: 4)

Since a 6-0 start during which they looked almost unbeatable, Boston has struggled a bit of late, having lost three of its last five.

The Celtics upcoming schedule doesn’t look particularly difficult, so the they should have the opportunity to right the ship a bit.

8. Denver Nuggets (9-4, Last Week: 6)

Led by the NBA’s leading scorer, Carmelo Anthony, Denver has one of the more well-balanced teams in the league.

Don’t be surprised if the Nuggets are 14-4 around this time next week, with their next five coming against New Jersey, Minnesota (twice), New York, and Golden State.

9. Milwaukee Bucks (8-3, Last Week: 11)

Milwaukee’s team success thus far has been vastly overshadowed by the individual success of rookie guard Brandon Jennings.

The Bucks’ defense has been instrumental in their hot start, as their giving up only 94.5 points per game so far, good for sixth best in the league.

10. Portland Trail Blazers (10-5, Last Week: 10)

Portland is currently tied with Denver atop the Northwest Division, and Greg Oden is off to a nice start.

He’s quietly averaging 10 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks a game.