Top 30 Power rankings

2009-10 Power Rankings: Week 7
RANK (LAST WK)		TEAM	REC.	COMMENT
	1 (3)	Celtics	19-4	It's true that the list of victims during Boston's 10-game win streak won't blow you away. Yet it's also true that seven of the 10 wins were roadies, which always says something, especially given L.A.'s soft schedule.
	2 (1)	Lakers	18-4	We nearly gave the champs a one-road-loss grace period, but there's just enough uncertainty about Kobe's freshly broken finger -- plus L.A.'s shaky start to an overdue stretch of road games -- to merit the drop.
	3 (2)	Magic	17-6	Orlando is even more must-see than usual this week after it seemed set for the best start in franchise history, only to unravel in the second half in Utah and then fall in agonizing fashion the next night in Phoenix.
	4 (5)	Hawks	17-6	Milestones: Atlanta is at least 10 games over .500 before Christmas for the first time since 1997-98. And Atlanta has won six games by at least 20 points after combining for just five such wins over the last two seasons.
	5 (4)	Cavaliers	17-7	You can't forget the 0-2 start or ignore the slip-ups at Washington and Memphis, but you also have to take note that the Cavs -- for all the lukewarm reviews so far -- are a tidy 7-2 against teams at .500 or better.
	6 (6)	Nuggets	17-7	They still need another big man, but Denver emerged from the season's first quarter as the closest thing to a consensus No. 2 out West, with Melo posting four 40-point games after just 10 in his first six seasons.
	7 (10)	Jazz	14-9	Beat the Spurs, Magic and Lakers all in the same week and bring back those old green unis -- thumbs up from the committee (of one) -- and Team of the Week status is all yours. Utah has suddenly won 10 of 13.
	8 (8)	Mavericks	17-7	Focus on what Jason Kidd can no longer do at 36 if you want, but this is all the locals see in Big D with Kidd at the controls: Rick Carlisle's record as Mavs coach in games decided by five points or fewer is a gaudy 25-6.
	9 (7)	Suns	16-8	The Suns can rationalize an 8-7 mark after an 8-1 start because the schedule has been road-heavy. The part they can't live with is failing to score 100 points in four of this month's seven games. That can't continue.
	10 (9)	Rockets	13-10	If Ariza gets suspended, as expected, for his tangle with Toronto, we'll have to scratch Houston's undersized Cinderellas from the list of teams to use the same starting five in every game. Boston is the only other team.
	11 (14)	Spurs	12-9	How big was Sunday's breakthrough in Clipperland? Without it, as Jalen Rose reminded us on "NBA Shootaround," the Spurs would still be on the list of West teams with only one road win alongside the Clips and Kings.
	12 (12)	Thunder	12-10	OKC didn't record its 12th victory last season until Feb. 6. The Thunder, though, have too many road games and too many good teams left on their December schedule to spend much time basking in their progress.
	13 (13)	Trail Blazers	14-11	Short-term, playing without Oden will probably be easier for B-Roy and Andre Miller (for as long as he's a Blazer). Long-term? Portland needed Oden to have any shot of challenging the Lakers and all their size.
	14 (15)	Hornets	10-12	After gamely splitting those eight games without Chris Paul, New Orleans was heading for a 4-0 mark since CP3's return … until the Hornets surrendered the final 18 points at home Friday night to the Knicks.
	15 (20)	Pistons	11-12	We were tough on him early when Will Bynum was the Pistons' most productive guard, so it's only right to highlight Stuckey's turnaround: 25 points or more in four straight games to spark this five-game win streak.
	16 (21)	Grizzlies	10-13	Yes, Zach Randolph should have been on the All-Star ballot. Yes, Rudy Gay has the whole league buzzing. Yes, Memphis is 4-1 in December and tempting us to use the R word -- riveting -- even without Mr. Iverson.
	17 (11)	Heat	11-11	Did someone say long winter? Miami just started a six-game homestand with two lopsided losses and has played fewer road games (nine) than all but three teams: Lakers (five), Spurs (seven) and Clippers (eight).
	18 (23)	Knicks	8-15	It's too early for the V word -- vindication -- but a 5-1 record in December that includes wins over three legit teams (Phoenix, Atlanta and Portland) is best Knicks stretch we can remember in, um, a really long time.
	19 (16)	Kings	10-12	Ten wins already, nine at home, for Sacramento's young overachievers. The Kings didn't get win No. 10 in 2008-09 until Jan. 14 and won only 11 games all season at what was an Arco fortress in the glory days.
	20 (17)	Raptors	11-15	The Raps can only wish it were as easy as this stat makes it sound: Toronto is 8-0 when its much-maligned defence (Canadian spelling) finds a way to hold the opposition below 100 points ? and 3-15 otherwise.
	21 (22)	Bucks	11-11	Bogut's Twitter exclamation over the weekend -- "11-11 baby!" -- got us thinking: Is it too soon to start asking how many teams outside the top four in the East are going to wind up with a winning record?
	22 (19)	Bobcats	9-13	Stephen Jackson has clearly given the Bobs more belief, but it still ain't happening on the road. Charlotte's away misery includes a loss to the 0-18 Nets and an OT crusher that left them 0-11 all-time against Dallas.
	23 (18)	Clippers	9-13	Is a January comeback for Blake Griffin -- assuming we're actually going to see him next month as promised -- too late to force his way into the ROY discussion? We're asking for your input because we haven't decided yet.
	24 (27)	Pacers	8-13	Dunleavy's back at last, Hansbrough just had his first big NBA weekend, and the finish against the Wiz couldn't have been more fortuitous. Not that the Pacers can celebrate after losing Granger for at least four weeks.
	25 (25)	Wizards	7-14	Ouch, ouch, ouch. On top of the ridiculously excruciating Indy ending, Washington has followed up the presumed promise of a 4-1 stretch with four successive L's by a combined nine points, three of them at home.
	26 (24)	Bulls	8-14	Can't see how beating the depleted Dubs gets Vinny out of trouble. Not because of the Bulls' history of firing coaches in December, but because the last four losses include three blowouts and a home L to the Nets.
	27 (26)	Warriors	7-16	What do Monta Ellis, Michael Finley and Latrell Sprewell have in common? They're the only three players in the last 35 years to play all 48 minutes at least five times before Christmas … with Nellie coaching in each case.
	28 (30)	Nets	2-22	Just ruminating out loud: If the Nets could add John Wall in the draft to Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, Jay-Z as minority owner and an eventual move to Brooklyn … would they have a legitimate shot at landing LeBron then?
	29 (29)	76ers	5-18	Hasn't exactly been a storybook return, has it? The Sixers are 0-3 with Iverson, didn't come close to selling out the last two games and sport the league's longest losing streak while A.I. tries to shake a knee injury.
	30 (28)	Timberwolves	3-21	Even after that recent stunner in Denver, Minnesota can't avoid slipping into the cellar. Not when the Wolves have six losses this season by at least 20 points … or three times as many as New Jersey in that category.