| 1. Utah Jazz (9-1) | (-)
John and Karl who? It’s probably a bit premature to mention Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer in the same two or three lines as Stockton and Malone but who knows if they keep playing like this. Two new words: Paul Millsap.
|
 | 2. Golden State Warriors (7-3) | (↑ 7)
Baron Davis is getting a lot of the attention but Monta Ellis is the one doing some serious damage. His stat line reads: started last five games, won last five games though the Warriors have played five straight at home. |
 | 3. New Orleans/OKC Hornets (7-3) | (↑ 5)
The Hornets have won three straight including two on the road, scraping by Detroit and Minnesota. Chris Paul and Deron Williams will be fighting for PG supremacy for a long, long time to come. |
 | 4. San Antonio Spurs (7-2) | (↓ 2)
The Spurs are getting the job done with a healthy Tim Duncan producing like we’re used to seeing him do. Contributing to one of Charlotte’s two Ws (at home of all places), isn’t too impressive though. |
 | 5. Orlando Magic (7-3) | (↑ 11)
Dwight is officially a 20-20 machine but the reason why Orlando has won four straight: Grant Hill 55%, Dwight Howard 59%, Jameer Nelson 57% and Carlos Arroyo 53%. That’s field goal percentage mind you. |
 | 6. LA Clippers (6-2) | (↓ 3)
Sam Cassell is averaging 19, 4, 6 and less than 2 TOs per. Sounds good right? It is even more impressive when you consider that it’s in less than 32 minutes a night and that he was born in the 60’s. |
 | 7. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-3) | (-)
LeBron and his men were on a nice roll, having won their last five games in a mostly convincing manner. Enter Agent Zero and the NBA’s latest and most entertaining rivalry continues to grow at the expense of LeBron’s streak. |
 | 8. LA Lakers (6-3) | (↑ 2)
It wasn’t 81 points this time round but it was still Kobe’s show, dropping 31, 11 and 7 on the Raptors to help the Lakers go two for two this week. Luke Walton and Andrew Bynum continue to impress.
|
 | 9. Dallas Mavericks (5-4) | (↑ 17)
It looks like the Mavericks finally got back on the right track, winning four games this week. Their last two may have been against Memphis but five wins is four more than they had this time last week. |
 | 10. Houston Rockets (6-4) | (↓ 5)
If there was any doubt heading into the season, there is none now: Yao Ming is the best center in the world. Tracy McGrady isn’t the scoring machine he once was but this passing version wins more games. |
 | 11. New Jersey Nets (5-4) | (↑ 8)
Jason Kidd is still the league’s biggest triple double threat and he’s averaging 15.4, 8.2 and 8.6 shooting 45.5% from the floor. Marcus Williams was supposed to ease Kidd’s load but he’s still going hard 38 minutes a night.
|
 | 12. Sacramento Kings (5-3) | (-)
Kevin Martin is still shooting the lights out and it’s looking like he and Deron Williams are going to battle it out for Most Improved Player. The Kings are holding up nicely without Brad Miller though.
|
 | 13. Detroit Pistons (5-5) | (↑ 7)
Three teams have a record above 0.500 in the east and three others are at 0.500. The Pistons are still a good team but the mojo left with Ben Wallace and his hair.
|
 | 14. Indiana Pacers (5-5) | (↓ 3)
The Pacers haven’t had the greatest of weeks, salvaging it with a two point win over the Bucks. Al Harrington has been big but Jermaine O’Neal is still searching for his stroke. |
 | 15. Denver Nuggets (4-4) | (↑ 6)
Carmelo Anthony is the league’s leading scorer, surpassing 30 points in each of his last six games and doing so whilst shooting 49.2%. Andre Miller and Marcus Camby are offering a bit of help but Melo is carrying this franchise. |
 | 16. Portland Trailblazers (5-6) | (↓ 10)
The Blazers had a horrible week, going 1-4 and 1-3 on their four game road trip but it marked the beginning of the Aldridge era who quickly secured the starting center spot after three games. Don’t look now but he’s shooting 70% from the field. |
 | 17. Boston Celtics (4-6) | (↑ 13)
The Celtics have a winning streak and it’s still alive at three (without needing another Ryan Gomes triple double). Paul Pierce must be sleeping a lot better now. |
 | 18. Washington Wizards (4-5) | (↓ 3)
Gilbert Arenas was having a slow week but of course that was always going to change with Cleveland on the calendar. Four hundred made shots before the game and 20,173 Agent Zero t-shirts later, Gil had dropped 45 on the Cavs. To be continued…
|
 | 19. Miami Heat (4-5) | (↓ 6)
Yao Ming and Carmelo Anthony both left South Beach with a W as did Renaldo Balkman and his crew. Obviously Dwyane Wade wasn’t too happy about that because he burned the Hawks for 37, 7 and 9. He threw in 2 steals and 2 blocks for good measure. Apart from Udonis Haslem and Wade, the Miami roster has been horrendous. |
 | 20. Philadelphia 76ers (4-5) (↓ 6)
The 76ers struggled with their shot on their road trip out west. Iverson didn’t shoot above 40% once this week but he’ll be sure to bounce back. |
 | 21. Atlanta Hawks (4-4) | (↓ 17)
Things turned back around in Atlanta this week, back the way they are used to going. Still, they’re 0.500 but this might be the last time in a long time. |
 | 22. New York Knicks (4-7) | (↑ 3)
It was a better week for the Knicks-faithful as the team went 2-4. Channing Frye is showing glimpses of confidence but Nate, David Lee and Balkman are the ones keeping hopes up in the Big Apple. |
 | 23. Phoenix Suns (3-6) | (↓ 1)
Steve Nash’s back spasms aren’t helping but the Suns are looking primed for a winning streak soon. Once they get going, don’t expect them to slow anytime. |
 | 24. Charlotte Bobcats (2-5) | (↑ 3)
The Cats beat the Spurs in San Antonio thanks largely to Emeka Okafor’s 5 steals and 5 blocks and Morrison choosing the right day to hit some shots. Okafor is proving to be one of the league’s better interior players especially on defense but some help would be nice. |
 | 25. Chicago Bulls (3-6) | (↓ 7)
Luol Deng has been great, Kirk Hinrich has been good and Ben Gordon is looking much better coming off the bench. The Bulls have three straight in Texas and aren’t playing like a team with their collective talent should be. Perhaps they won’t need to swap first rounders with the Knicks come the end of June. |
 | 26. Seattle Supersonics (4-7) | (↓ 9)
Ridnour, Allen and Lewis are playing well. Wilcox has been quite improved but still, the large hole in the middle is just too much to ignore. Neither Petro or Sene are experienced enough to be effective. |
 | 27. Minnesota Timberwolves (3-6) | (↑ 1)
The annual shop-KG rumors are firing up again but even earlier than usual. Garnett is still putting up All-NBA type numbers on both ends of the floor but the only assistance he’s getting is from Craig Smith. |
 | 28. Milwaukee Bucks (3-7) | (↓ 4)
Michael Redd is second only to Carmelo Anthony in scoring average at 30.3 per and he’s shooting 50% from the field. The Bucks are letting opponents shoot 48.6%, which isn’t helping their playoff aspirations.
|
 | 29. Toronto Raptors (2-7) | (↓ 6)
Chris Bosh is the only player out east averaging 20 and 10 but the Raptors still can’t win; losers in their last five. TJ Ford helped out, dropped 26 points and 18 dimes to compliment Bosh’s 31 and 9 on the Nuggets but to no avail. |
 | 30. Memphis Grizzlies (1-8) | (↓ 2)
Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick are looking pretty good but inexperience isn’t going to get any mercy in the west. A frontline of Greg Oden, Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick sounds pretty good on paper. |
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