NBA Power Rankings: December 17th
Here's a look at the best of the best...
1. Boston Celtics (20-2)
I'm not going to lie, I thought these guys were way overrated coming into the season—but Boston is the hottest team in the league right now.
Nine straight wins, including three last week, have given the Celtics the best record in the NBA.
The C's defeated Sacramento, Milwaukee, and Toronto last week by an average of 15.6 PPG. Two of those wins were without Ray Allen.
Paul Pierce was their go-to guy last week averaging, 25.3 PPG. The Boston defense continues to surprise, as their opponents only average 87 PPG.
Boston is still undefeated at home, with a 12-0 record.
Last Game
The Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors 90-77 on Sunday.
Six players scored in double figures for Boston, including Eddie House and James Posey off the bench.
Pierce led the way with 18 points, while Kevin Garnett chipped in 16.
2. San Antonio Spurs (18-5)
Boston and San Antonio are the NBA's only undefeated teams at home.
The Spurs went 1-2 last week—but two of those games were without Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.
Even without Duncan and Parker, the Spurs were still able to match their opponents' style of play.
Last Game
Duncan returned to the lineup on Sunday after missing four games. He only scored eight points in 20 minutes—but the Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets 102-91 despite 30 points from Allen Iverson.
3. Phoenix Suns (17-7)
The Suns have lost two of their last three, but these guys are still amongst the best.
Phoenix still put up the points last week, averaging 104 PPG.
The Suns offense is invariably fun to watch, as they put up over 110 PPG against their opponents.
As Aaron Keel put it, pity the poor NBA team that thinks it can hang with the Phoenix Suns.
Last Game
The Suns lost 101-98 in New Orleans on Saturday against the Hornets.
Leandro Barbosa led the way for Phoenix with 19 points off the bench. Steve Nash's eight-game streak of 10 or more assists came to an end.
4. Detroit Pistons (17-7)
The Pistons have won eight of their last 10, and went 4-1 last week.
We know what Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rasheed Wallace bring to the table—but Antonio McDyess, Jason Maxiell, Jarvis Hayes, Flip Murray, and even rookie Arron Afflalo can all play vital roles in the Pistons offense.
Last Game
The Pistons stomped all over Golden State en route to a 109-87 victory last night.
Tayshaun Prince led the way with 23 points as Detroit won its second straight game.
5. Orlando Magic (17-8)
Orlando only managed to win one game last week.
That victory came against the Charlotte Bobcats, in a game in which the Magic trailed by as many as 13 but rallied back to win 103-87.
Dwight Howard averaged 24.5 points and 17 rebounds last week. Like it or not, he's the best big man in the league. Howard's freakish paint presence is reminiscent of a young Shaq in Orlando.
Last Game
The Magic lost 123-119 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Howard had another monster game, with 31 points and 20 boards.
6. Dallas Mavericks (16-9)
The Mavs only lost one game last week, and are riding a two-game winning streak.
Dirk Nowitzki's numbers are down from a year ago, but that doesn't matter to these guys. Their only focus is on making it back to the NBA Finals.
Josh Howard is the team's leading scorer.
My analysis will remain the same for this club all season: Don't get too high on the Mavs until they prove themselves come playoff time.
Last Game
Dallas didn't have to rally back against Houston this time, winning 96-83.
Four of the five Dallas starters scored in double figures. Howard scored 23 points and Nowitzki poured in 20.
7. New Orleans Hornets (15-9)
The Hornets went 2-2 last week.
New Orleans has been inconsistent, especially at home. The Hornets are 7-5 in the Big Easy and 8-4 on the road.
These guys play in one of the league's toughest divisions, with the Spurs, Mavs, Rockets, and Grizzlies.
Last Game
The Hornets beat the Suns 101-98 at home on Saturday. Chris Paul scored 21 points and handed out 10 assists.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (14-9)
The Lakers have won three of their last four, including wins over Golden State and San Antonio this past week.
Kobe Bryant is sharing the ball more, and big man Andrew Bynum is my early candidate for Most Improved Player.
I also like guys like Jordan Farmer, Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmonovic—but they need to be more consistent.
The trade that sent Brain Cook and Maurice Evans to Orlando for Trevor Ariza seemed pointless to me at first—but Ariza can bring more scoring than Cook and Evans combined.
Last Game
It was a battle of the two L.A. teams Sunday night as the Lakers beat the Clippers 113-92.
Kobe led the way with 32 points.
9. Utah Jazz (14-11)
The Jazz were riding a six-game losing streak before their victory Saturday. They went 1-3 for the week, losing to Portland twice.
I love the supporting cast in Utah. Andrei Kirilenko, Ronnie Brewer, Mehmet Okur, and Paul Milsap all have distinct roles in Jerry Sloan's system.
Last Game
Sloan and Co. snapped their six-game losing streak against the Seattle Supersonics Saturday night.
Utah won 96-75 and got double-doubles from their two stars. Deron Williams had 18 points and 10 assists, while Carlos Boozer 21 points and 16 rebounds.
10. Denver Nuggets (14-10)
The Nuggets' main problems are still their commitment to defense and their commitment to trust each another.
Despite getting 14 boards a game from Marcus Camby, rebounding is also an issue.
The Nuggets lost two of the three games they played last week.
Last Game
Denver lost Sunday night to the blazing hot Portland Trailblazers.
Despite 38 points from Allen Iverson, the Nuggets were unable to get it done en route to a 116-106 loss.
Honorable Mention
Portland Trailblazers (12-12)
Who needs Greg Oden?
I had to show some love to the Blazers, who've won seven consecutive games. And I bet you didn't even notice it.
Brandon Roy and Travis Outlaw have been the main men for Portland—James Jones, Jarret Jack, Martell Webster, Steve Blake, and Channing Frye have all been key to the winning streak.
Outlaw has averaged 19 ppg during the hot streak, while Roy has been dropping 24 ppg.
LaMarcus Aldridge has missed four games due to plantar fasciitis, which has made the streak more impressive.
During the streak, the Blazers have run through Denver, Golden State, and Utah twice.
Who saw this coming? Aside from Boston, Portland is the hottest team in the NBA.
I like what coach Nate McMillian is doing with this team. Things are only going to get better next year once Oden is added to the lineup.
