Power Rankings: Lakers rise, Celtics fall after first week
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A new No. 1 already in the NBA Power Rankings?
The Lakers, Hornets and Celtics left the committee (of one) with no choice.
Dominating displays from those two Western Conference favorites, combined with an uncharacteristically one-sided loss for the defending champs at Indiana, forced the first significant shuffle at the top of ESPN.com's weekly, completely human pulse check of the league. The hard part was deciding which team to go with at No. 1. The Lakers prevailed ever so narrowly because although the Hornets have coped impressively with the early absences of Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic, there's always a downside to injuries.
Read on to see how high the Raptors, Pacers and Grizzlies have climbed, how far the Wizards and Clippers have fallen … and how the Hawks became the first U.S. Army Team of the Week in Power Rankings history. Click here to rank the teams yourself or click here to comment.
Tune in Tuesdays to "NBA Fastbreak" on ESPN to see this week's U.S. Army Power Rankings.
| 2008-09 Power Rankings: Week 1 | ||||
| RANK (LAST WK) | TEAM | REC. | COMMENT | |
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1 (2) | Lakers | 3-0 | The Lakers' average margin of victory is down to 21.7 ppg after they could squeak out only a seven-point win Saturday night at Denver. That qualifies as the closest thing to a flaw we've seen during L.A.'s flashy start. |
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2 (3) | Hornets | 3-0 | We were kidding when we talked up that 7-0 preseason, but a 3-0 start is the real deal. Especially because the Hornets opened on the road, played Phoenix and Cleveland next and didn't have Chandler for two of the W's. |
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3 (1) | Celtics | 2-1 | This might strike you as a steep drop for the defending champs and you might even be right. Boston's problem is that the Lakers and Hornets were that good last week ... and the Celts' showing in Indy was that bad. |
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4 (6) | Rockets | 3-0 | A good "Did You Know?" . . . Houston is 19-0 in its past 19 regular-season games with a healthy Yao Ming. That's a nice stat to spice up Tuesday's showdown pitting Yao, Ron-Ron and T-Mac against Pierce, KG and Ray Ray. |
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5 (7) | Pistons | 2-0 | Sounds as if the new coach had no issues with us for starting the new season with Detroit outside the top five. Says Michael Curry: ''We've earned the right for people to ask, 'Has this team made its last run?''' |
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6 (12) | Raptors | 3-0 | You might be wondering whether a team from Canada was eligible to be recorded as the first U.S. Army Team of the Week in Power Rankings history. We promise: (Uncle) Sam Mitchell's Raps were indeed in the mix. |
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7 (9) | Jazz | 2-0 | The bad news: No word yet on a firm return date for D-Will from that ankle sprain. The good news: Utah hasn't really needed him yet and, based on a quick look at the schedule, probably won't until a Nov. 11 visit to Philly. |
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8 (11) | Suns | 2-1 | I've said this before and I'll say it again: Rush, if you wish, to proclaim that the Suns' window has closed. I prefer to keep trying to peer into the window to see how their radical changes play out. Play it how you want. |
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9 (4) | Cavaliers | 1-2 | The Cavs are used to these kinds of starts. They've posted a losing record after three games in all but one of LeBron's six seasons. The new twist is LeBron's slow start shooting the ball as he adjusts to a tweaked offense. |
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10 (5) | Spurs | 0-2 | Memphis. New York. Even Oklahoma City. All three of those teams won a game before the Spurs did, which suggests that as good as Tony and Timmy look, we might have undersold how much they'll miss Manu. |
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11 (10) | Mavericks | 1-1 | Two games in is too soon to get a real read on the new Mavs. Yet it already seems safe to suggest that this team won't come close to infuriating the locals like the Cowboys have. No matter what happens. |
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12 (20) | Hawks | 2-0 | The Hawks didn't just beat two teams everyone expects to see in the East's top eight at season's end. They started 2-0 for the first time since 1999. So this is your first U.S. Army Team of the Week: Hollinger's Hawks. |
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13 (8) | 76ers | 1-2 | Just three games in, Philly already has rung up two big letdowns by losing the home opener to Toronto and blowing a fat lead in Atlanta. The Sixers can only hope folks have been too drunk on Phillies Euphoria to notice. |
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14 (22) | Pacers | 1-1 | The Celts suffered only three double-digit L's last season in their return to championship glory. This season? They already have one, thanks to the blowout party Indy threw to celebrate Danny Granger's new contract. |
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15 (17) | Bulls | 2-1 | Did any high-profile rookie have a better Week 1 than Derrick Rose? You have to go all the way back to MJ (Elias looked it up) for the last Bulls rook to have a 26-point game within his first three outings as a pro. |
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16 (13) | Magic | 1-2 | Perhaps the drop here should have been steeper. Based on the standards set by last season's 16-4 start, I'd say Orlando pretty much ran unopposed for the unwanted mantle of Week 1's Most Disappointing Team. |
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17 (14) | Trail Blazers | 1-2 | That triumphant escape at the buzzer against the fabled Spurs had to cheer you up, Blazermaniacs. Or at least temporarily distract you from the usual round-the-clock fretting about Oden and the future of the franchise. |
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18 (15) | Nuggets | 1-2 | Iverson was no longer a team captain, had barely averaged 13 shots a game and held a big expiring contract. Add up all those variables and the timing of the trade should strike you as less and less surprising. |
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19 (18) | Warriors | 1-2 | Biedrins has scarfed down 10 straight double-doubles dating to last season and has averaged 16.6 ppg and 14.6 rpg in that span. Not that anyone knows it with all the Monta/Harrington/front-office drama. |
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20 (21) | Bucks | 2-2 | Two road victories this quick, irrespective of the opposition, must be regarded as big news for a team that went 7-34 outside of Milwaukee last season. But any injury to our beloved Redd, mind you, is bigger news. |
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21 (29) | Grizzlies | 1-2 | Rudy Gay's jumper to take down Orlando wasn't merely a buzzer-beating baseline dagger. Call it a history-defying J, too. The Grizzlies, remember, previously had played seven home openers in Memphis, winning zero. |
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22 (27) | Nets | 1-1 | An win in Washington on opening night surprised what's left of the Nets as much as anyone. Credit team prez Rod Thorn for sugarcoating nothing when asked if his team has any playoff hope: "On paper, probably not." |
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23 (16) | Wizards | 0-2 | The Wiz still have a way to go to match the depths of last season's 0-5 start. A home loss to Jersey on opening night, however, is just not good enough for a team that prides itself on its ability to cope without Arenas. |
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24 (25) | Bobcats | 1-1 | Not sure how nostalgic Larry Brown will be for the Bobcats' games this week against the Pistons and Knicks, but it should be easier to face his old teams now that he's won a game, at last, after that 0-8 preseason. |
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25 (26) | Knicks | 1-2 | The Knicks have little choice if they want to read about something else in this space. They'll just have to waive the untradable Marbury and eat his $21.9 million salary, or else Steph will continue to be the story. |
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26 (23) | Heat | 1-2 | Not exactly a happy start for D-Wade's Heaters. The bench looks as thin as advertised, Shawn Marion has a busted nose and ugly road defeats to the likes of New York and Charlotte were particularly painful. |
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27 (30) | Thunder | 1-2 | Progress? As a Seattle rook, Kevin Durant had to wait nine games for win No. 1. As an Okie, KD's wait was only three games. P.J. Carlesimo spoke for everyone involved when he admitted, "Any win feels good, honestly." |
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28 (24) | Timberwolves | 1-2 | The Wolves are supposed to be one of the league's better bad teams, if there is such a thing. Yet that's a difficult claim to make after any glee gleaned from a 1-0 start was wiped out by a fall-from-ahead loss in OKC. |
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29 (28) | Kings | 0-3 | We promised they'd be scrappy, if nothing else, but the Kings haven't even reached those modest heights on their Brad Miller-less road trip. They were swept on a back-to-back in Miami and Orlando by a combined 44 points. |
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30 (19) | Clippers | 0-3 | The Clips lost to the less-rested Lakers by 38 when Baron Davis was available. What will it be like Wednesday when the Staples Center co-tenants hook up again if both Baron (hip) and Camby (heel) can't go? |
