NBA Power Rankings

NBA Power Rankings: Week 1

By John Butler, XFINITY Sports

The first week of the NBA regular season was everything a fan could hope for. James Harden had a 40-point game, Anthony Davis showed no signs of rookie jitters, and Kobe Bryant told everyone to quiet their mouths.

See how things shake out in the first installment of my regular season NBA Power Rankings. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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NBA Power Rankin... By John Butler, XFINITY Sports

The first week of the NBA regular season was everything a fan could hope for. James Harden had a 40-point game, Anthony Davis showed no signs of rookie jitters, and Kobe Bryant told everyone to quiet their mouths.

See how things shake out in the first installment of my regular season NBA Power Rankings. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
30. Washington W... The Wizards are 0-2 to start the season. Perhaps their record would improve if they could find a way to score. Averaging just 85 points per game, the Wizards rank 29th in scoring. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
29. Sacramento K... The Kings are off to a rocky 0-3 start. With games this week against the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs, they could quickly be 0-5. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
28. Denver Nugge... The Nuggets' early season slump comes as a surprise. The team that was expected to shake up the Western Conference finished last week 0-3. (AP Photo H.R)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
27. Charlotte Bo... Just like last season, the Bobcats won their home opener. And just like last season they also lost their very next game. Is history already repeating itself? (AP Photo/Matt Strasen)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
26. Cleveland Ca... Anderson Verejao grabbed 23 rebounds and Kyrie Irving scored 29 points in the Cavs' only victory, but early losses to the Bulls and Bucks leave them with a losing record and some questions. (AP Photo)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
25. Orlando Magi... Glen Davis scored 29 points and added 10 rebounds in the Magic's opening win. Time will tell if he's a suitable replacement for Dwight Howard. More double-doubles will help. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
24. Phoenix Sun ... Goran Dragic has been Phoenix's leader so far this season. He averaged 16 points and 9 assists in the team's first two games. Big man Marcin Gortat isn't playing bad, either. He notched a double-double (16 points and 16 rebounds) in a close victory over the Pistons. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
23. Golden State... The Warriors came up with a big win over the Clippers. Despite not starting, Carl Landry leads the team in scoring with 20 PPG. The downside for the Warriors is that they lost Brandon Rush for the season with a torn ACL. (AP Photo/Richard Hartog)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
22. Minnesota Ti... Brandon Roy made his first NBA appearance since April due to chronic knee issues. The Timberwolves might think they're contenders, but Sunday’s 105-86 loss to the Raptors shows that Minnesota has some proving ground before them. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
21. Detroit Pist... The Pistons haven't found a way to win close games as evidenced by narrow loses to the Suns and Rockets. Detroit is 0-3 and its veteran Tayshaun Prince has been largely a non-factor. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
20. Toronto Rapt... A 1-2 start is expected when point guard Kyle Lowry is your leading rebounder. Lowry is averaging 24 points and 8 assists through three games. It hasn’t been enough. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
19. New Orleans ... Hornets rookie Anthony Davis continues to prove that he is the real deal. In his first NBA game he scored 21 points against Tim Duncan and the Spurs. The Hornets dropped that game but looked good in spite of losing. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
18. Utah Jazz (P... The Jazz were able to take advantage of a Dirk-less Mavs team to get their lone victory of the season. Mo Williams has been filling the stat sheet thus far with 22 PPG. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
17. Houston Rock... The Rockets have made the biggest preseason jump so far. James Harden set an NBA record with a combined 82 points in his first two games as a Rocket. Most importantly, his performances led to an early 2-1 record. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
16. Milwaukee Bu... The 2-0 Bucks are exciting fans early. Brandon Jennings hit a clutch buzzer-beater to give his team a 105-102 victory over the Cavs. Winning close games is a sign that the Bucks are heading in the right direction. (AP Photo/Tom Lynn)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
15. Atlanta Hawk... The Hawks fell victim to James Harden. They turned things around quickly, however, with a surprising upset win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
14. Dallas Maver... O.J. Mayo has quickly embraced his role on the Mavs. He scored 30 points (seven three-pointers) in a victory over the Bobcats. The Mavs 2-1 start comes as a bit of a surprise, considering they are without Dirk Nowitzki. (AP Photo/Matt Strasen)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
13. Chicago Bull... The Bulls are winning despite the absence of Derrick Rose. Part of the reason is that they are actively spreading the ball around. All five starters are averaging double-digits in points. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
12. Portland Tra... Damian Lillard has been the biggest surprise of this young NBA season. The Trailblazers are off to a 2-1 start thanks to his 21 points and 9 assists per game. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
11. Boston Celti... The Celtics were blown out in Miami, failed to win against the Bucks, and narrowly defeated the Wizards, 89-86. It's that narrow win that's hardest to ignore. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
10. Los Angeles ... Normally, a championship contender starting the season 1-4 is alarming. And as such the Lakers tumbled from a preseason No. 2 to 10. The only reason the Lakers didn’t slide even further is because of Kobe Bryant. The five-time NBA champ is taking the mindset that early is early. I'm with Kobe on this one. The Lakers will bounce back once coach Mike Brown ditches the Princeton offense. It's early. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
9. Philadelphia ... The 76ers split their first two games. A home-opening victory over the Nuggets gave fans something to cheer about, but a loss to the Knicks on Sunday has everyone wondering when Andrew Bynum will enter the mix. (AP Photo H. Rumph Jr)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
8. Brooklyn Nets... The Nets home opener was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy. That didn’t stop them from rolling out of the gate. On Sunday, Deron Williams led the Nets to their first victory in Brooklyn with 27 points and 9 assists. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
7. Oklahoma City... The side effects of trading James Harden showed last week. Losses to the Hawks and Spurs have OKC in an early 1-2 hole. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
6. Memphis Grizz... The Grizzlies struggled in a loss to the Clippers, but bounced back with a victory over the Warriors on Friday. Rudy Gay is off to a great start, averaging 21 PPG in the team's first two games. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
5. New York Knic... The Knicks picked up big wins over Eastern Conference contenders Miami and Philadelphia. As always, Carmelo Anthony seems to play better when Amare Stoudemire is absent. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. Los Angeles C... The 2-1 Clippers are the best team in L.A. so far this season. The team’s new edition, Jamal Crawford, is averaging 25 points per game. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. Indiana Pacer... The Pacers' defensive presence and rebounding efficiency are why they're off to a 2-1 start. They are first in the NBA in rebounding and Roy Hibbert anchors the defense with four blocks per game. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
2. Miami Heat (P... Chris Bosh showed why he is part of Miami’s "Big Three" this week. He scored 40 points in Sunday’s win over the Nuggets. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
1. San Antonio S... The Spurs just keep getting better with age. Tim Duncan averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds in the first week of the season. The Spurs have won their first four contests and already look poised for another 50-win season. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.