• Tweet

• Tweet

This week’s version of Slam Dunk Central’s NBA Power Rankings will not be like other versions that have been previously posted here.

There is a new king of the hill this week as CP-3 and the cast of characters from the Big Easy have vaulted past Los Angeles and Boston to take the top spot while a couple of other teams in the Southwest Division made gains, as well.

It is important to note that while the Southwestern is very strong, the Atlantic Division is quite the weak sister as only one team is above .500 (Boston). And who would have thought that at this stage of the young season, the Miami Heat is just 6-4? Kind of tells you something about the Southeast Division as Orlando and Atlanta have better records than the Heat.

Below is the shifting of the sand in the week-long survival of the fittest that is this week’s edition of Slam Dunk Central’s NBA Power Rankings for the week of November 8-14:

Listed are the team name, followed by their win-loss record and last week’s ranking in parentheses

1. New Orleans Hornets (8-0) (3) The Hornets are the last of the Mohicans, so to speak, as they are the last undefeated team remaining in the NBA. The interesting thing here is that while Chris Paul is the undisputed leader of this club, it is their defense that has made it possible for them to be 8-0 as of Monday. The schedule is interesting as they face Dallas home-and-away, Cleveland then to Sacramento.
2. Los Angeles Lakers (8-2) (1) Their week went as expected … and didn’t go as expected. Firstly, they beat Minnesota but also lost two straight – to Denver and Phoenix. Ron Artest will need to step his game up a bit as he really hasn’t contributed much. Then there’s Lamar Odom who is suffering from a sore foot. Let’s hope for the team’s sake that it isn’t anything serious.
3. Boston Celtics (8-2) (2) The Celtics didn’t necessarily do anything wrong insomuch as the Hornets just kept on winning this past week. Shaq is back, so the middle, for right now, is in relatively good hands. Their schedule is fairly soft as they face Washington, Oklahoma City (again) and Toronto.
4. San Antonio Spurs (8-1) (7) Just a crew of 15 who complement each other and as a result just keep on winning. And different heroes along the way making it all possible, with Matt Bonner tossing 3-point bombs and embarrasing Oklahoma City Sunday night. They get to face Chicago, Utah and Cleveland this week, so 2-1 is a reasonable outcome for these Spurs.
5. Utah Jazz (7-4) (12) While people have been paying most of the attention to the Lakers, Celtics and as of late the Hornets, Utah has silently plugged along and beat everyone in their path. They had a perfect week against the Southeast Division last week, but this week may be a challenge for the men in gold and purple (Oklahoma City, New Jersey, San Antonio and Portland).
6. Atlanta Hawks (7-4) (4) You just knew this talented squad would hit a speed bump at some time. Their lone win (vs. Minnesota) saved them from a sweep. But then again, Minnesota makes things easy for most NBA teams. They get Indiana and Dallas this week. They cannot afford to be losing four straight in the division that they’re in.
7. Orlando Magic (6-3) (5) They earned a split this week, yet it’s hard to put a finger on why they’re being inconsistent. But they should be able to flex their offensive muscles a bit as they face Memphis, Phoenix and Indiana this week. Now if Jameer Nelson can just stay healthy and Rashard Lewis could earn his keep – for a change.
8. Dallas Mavericks (6-2) (11) Dallas can thank their lucky stars that Dirk Nowitzki has been durable despite his recent tweaking his ankle last week not to mention some solid play by their frontcourt. Unfortunately for them, they have to play the Hornets twice (back-to-back) along with Chicago and Atlanta.
9. Miami Heat (6-4) (6) There is no way that a team of this caliber should, even at this stage of the regular season, be at 6-4. Wanna bet that there are NBA conspiracy theorists out there licking their chops in figuring out what has happened to the Heat? Nevertheless, the numbers do not lie.
10. Golden State Warriors (6-4) (10)  I hope the Warriors enjoy their lofty position for right now because it will not be any easier for the this week. Firstly, David Lee will be out this week with an infected elbow. Secondly, they have a rough schedule this week as they take on Detroit, New York and the Lakers. Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry will have to shoulder the load until Lee returns.
11. Portland Trail Blazers (6-5) (9) Not a very good week for Portland as they not only lost 2 out of 3, but they now have to deal with the possibility of losing star Brandon Roy due to a problematic knee. It’s one thing to lose Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla. Losing Roy for any length of time could be catastrophic.
12. Chicago Bulls (5-3) (19) This week was an indicator of the Bulls squad that people expected. They beat Denver and Golden State, two offensive juggernauts, this past week but now have the unenviable task of playing all three Texas teams this week (Houston, San Antonio and Dallas). If ever a time for this team to gel was to happen, that time would be right about now.
13. Phoenix Suns (5-4) (13) While they lost to the Grizzlies, they did beat the Kings and Lakers. And they managed to do it with a weapon that isn’t their true calling card – the three-point shot. Los Angeles found that out first-hand as Phoenix made 22 of them on Sunday. Don’t expect that to last very long as they face a tough week (Denver, Miami, Orlando and Charlotte).
14. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-4) (15) It appears that they are slowly getting out of that funk they’ve been in as they won two out of 3 this past week. Another piece of good news is that Jeff Green returns to the lineup. They’ll need him as they have a mixed bag, schedulewise (Utah, Houston, Boston and Milwaukee).
15. Denver Nuggets (5-4) (8) The Nuggets took a hit, losing to Chicago and Indiana but defeating the Lakers. If Denver wants to improve, they need some offensive production from their bench. Relying on Melo will not help themin either the short- or long-term.
16. Indiana Pacers (4-4) (20) This past week, the Pacers decided that they can shoot the rock as witnessed by their huge 3rd quarter against Denver last Tuesday. But it would help if they didn’t give up those second-half leads. They’ll need to shoot the lights out this week as they take on Atlanta, the Clippers and Orlando Magic. Fortunately, the games are at Conseco Fieldhouse.
17. Milwaukee Bucks (5-5) (22) An excellent week for the Bucks as defense played a key role in their three wins (they gave up just 81 PPG). While the defensive effort’s always welcome, how about some offensive firepower? 92.1 PPG just won’t cut it in this league.
18. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-5) (14) With the current makeup of this team, 4-5 seems to me like overachievement on the Cavaliers’ part. And just maybe things are looking up as Antawn Jamison recently returned. If Jamison, Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson can step it up a notch, they can rise in the Central Division standings.
19. Memphis Grizzlies (4-6) (18) If this team could mesh into a cohesive unit, they could be dangerous. The talent is there with Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. A nice starting five to have yet they can’t seem to get it together for some reason. They’ll need to get it together soon as they face Orlando, Portland, Washington and Miami this week.
20. Detroit Pistons (4-6) (24) In the Eastern Conference, being .400 means grabbing the eighth seed in the playoffs. While it’s still early, the Pistons seem to be on a roll although they beat the Clippers and Sacramento. For now, it looks like thir infighting has subsided. Let’s see if that continues as Detroit gets Golden State, the Lakers and Washington this week.
21. Houston Rockets (3-6) (25) They took two out of 3 against some weak sisters in the NBA. If they can just get their center position corrected, then .500 is very much within reach. The offense is there and their defense has improved; they’ll need to still step it up as they take on Chicago, Oklahoma City and Toronto.
22. New Jersey Nets (3-6) (21) Their offense tanked this past week, yet there is promise there as their defense is getting better. And they have been competitive, which is a good sign. The Russian owner of this squad better have the patience of Job this season as this team is a work in progress.
23. Sacramento Kings (3-6) (17) Losers of their last five, the Kings are once again going through the growing pains thatg a young team goes through. Having said that, there’s no such thing as moral victories and some wins will do more to boos tthe morale of this up-and-coming Kings squad. They get two patsies in New York and New Jersey but then have to take on the Hornets this week. Ouch.
24. New York Knicks (3-7) (16) This team should be better than their record indicates. And perhaps they will improve. One wonders if Amare Stoudemire is having second thoughts about joining this team. He certainly ddn’t have it this bad in Phoenix.
25. Charlotte Bobcats (3-7) (26) They split this past week, which is an actual improvement. Just once, I’d love to see this team score 110 or more in 48 minutes as their defense can only keep them in games for only so long. 
26. Minnesota Timberwolves (3-8) (29) Kevin Love literally saved the T-Wolves’ week. With Love notching the very rare 30-30 effort, teams will now double-team him – not good news for the rest of the team. The schedule is sort of in their favor as they face Charlotte and the two LA franchises.
27. Washington Wizards (2-6) (27) While they have the top rookie in John Wall, they also have the enigma that is known as Gilbert Arenas. You can thank the GM of this disaster for their current state of affairs. Thsis team can only rebuild for so many years before they become a laughingstock of this league on a regular basis.
28. Philadelphia 76ers (2-8) (23) This team’s obviously rebuilding with Evan Turner the lynchpin of this rehab project. Elton Brand is helping, but he cannot do it alone. Their schedule this week is good for them (Cleveland, Toronto and Milwaukee). Look for Jrue Holiday to do well this week.
29. Toronto Raptors (2-8) (28) This team is bad; bot to their credit, they’re not getting blown out and they even beat Orlando this week so a glimmer of hope remains. This statement by DeMar DeRozan may show how delusional this team may be after losing by nine to the Miami Heat: ”When it comes to me and Sonny (Weems) we aren’t scared of nobody at the end of the day. We would play against Michael Jordan or anybody. It’s a challenge and we definitely take it on.” DeMar is delusional.
30. Los Angeles Clippers (1-9) (30) While the Western Conference is the stronger of the two, they also have the distinction of having unquestionably the worst franchise in the NBA. And it doesn’t help matters that Chris Kaman is out with a high ankle sprain and will be replaced – presumably for now – by one DeAndre Jordan. At least they have Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin.