The NBA season has been exciting to this point, with the expected dominant teams playing well, but there are a couple of surprises. The New Orleans Hornets are 6-0 and Golden State is 5-2. Only 13 teams have scored more points than they surrendered, and 18 are at .500 or better. Only four teams in the Eastern Conference average 100+ points per game, compared to nine in the West. Monta Ellis leads the NBA in points per game with 27.9, Joakim Noah is averaging 15 boards per game, Rajon Rondo has been incredible as he is averaging nearly 15 assists per contest, Roy Hibbert is turning into a blocking machine, averaging 3.4 per game, Emeka Okafor is shooting nearly 72% from the field, and Mike Conley is averaging 3.38 steals per contest.
The Rankings
1. LA Lakers: At 7-0, they’re playing some great basketball. Imagine how good they’ll be when Andrew Bynum returns.
2. New Orleans Hornets: They’re also undefeated and just beat the Heat.
3. Orlando Magic: After losing to the Heat, they’ve regained focus and have won four in a row.
4. Boston Celtics: They’re having trouble with back-to-back games, but they’re not playing badly.
5. Miami Heat: They own the league’s highest point differential. They’re starting to look good.
6. Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford is turning into a star.
7. San Antonio Spurs: Their 5-1 record is due to an easy schedule, but Richard Jefferson is looking better than last year. Watch out for this team.
8. Dallas Mavericks: Good win over Boston last night.
9. Golden State Warriors: At 5-2, they’re playing some decent basketball. The trio of Ellis/Curry/Lee is fun to watch.
10. Denver Nuggets: They’ve had a tough schedule, but are playing well.
On the Bubble
Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz
