NBA Power Rankings

NBA Power Rankings: Week 2

By John Butler, XFINITY Sports

It was a no-nonsense week for the NBA. The Lakers fired Mike Brown and his Princeton offense, the Spurs were dealt their first loss of the season, and the Knicks are still unbeaten.

Here are this week's NBA Power Rankings: (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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

It was a no-nonsense week for the NBA. The Lakers fired Mike Brown and his Princeton offense, the Spurs were dealt their first loss of the season, and the Knicks are still unbeaten.

Here are this week's NBA Power Rankings: (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
30. Detroit Pist... The number seven appears to be unlucky for the Pistons. That’s because they've lost seven straight games to start the season. Keep that pace and Detroit will have the top pick in the 2013 draft locked up. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
29. Washington W... The Wizards are winless after two weeks of NBA action. The team’s leading scorer, Bradley Beal, only averages 13 points a night. The Wiz have to be anxious for John Wall's return from injury. (AP Photo/Kevin Seraphin)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
28. Toronto Rapt... The Raptors continue to fall in the power rankings. They are 1-5 and speculation is heating up that Jose Calderon is on the trading block. Talent becomes expendable when losses accumulate. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
27. Sacramento K... The Kings are unraveling at the seams. Rookie Thomas Robinson was suspended two games for an altercation in Detroit. DeMarcus Cousins was suspended two games for confronting an announcer who criticized his game. Instead of the extracurricular skirmishes, the Kings should focus on fighting for rebounds. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
26. Orlando Magi... The Magic dropped their fourth straight in a loss to the Nets on Sunday night. Life after Dwight Howard is gloomy so far. (AP Photo)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
25. Charlotte Bo... The Bobcats salvaged the week with an upset win over the Mavs. Any victory for this team is a step in the right direction. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
24. Cleveland Ca... The Cavs are 1-5 when they give up over 100 points. That's what happens when you don't play defense. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
23. Golden State... The Warriors finished the week a dismal 1-4. Back-to-back losses have them just ahead of the 2-5 Kings in the Pacific. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
22. Portland Tra... Wesley Matthews is off to the best start of his budding career. Too bad his teammates can't echo his success. Saturday’s loss to the Spurs dropped the Blazers to 2-4. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
21. New Orleans ... The Hornets fell to the Sixers in a sloppy contest Wednesday night. A win against the Bobcats 48 hours later was a nice bounce-back, however. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
20. Phoenix Sun ... The Suns orchestrated a resilient comeback against the Cavs on Friday. Down 21 points in the first quarter, Phoenix rallied to steal a 107-105 victory. The Suns will need more collective efforts like that if they want to contend with the Clippers and Lakers. (AP Photo/Matt York)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
19. Utah Jazz (P... The Jazz snapped a three-game skid by picking up a win over the Lakers. Expect the Jazz to face tough competition from the Celtics and Sixers this week. (AP Photo/Lance Murphey)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
18. Atlanta Hawk... As expected the Hawks fell to the Clippers and Heat last week. Look for them to rebound on this week’s West Coast trip. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
17. Milwaukee Bu... Monte Ellis' 32-point effort wasn’t enough to lead the Bucks past the Celtics. When will Milwaukee realize that scoring doesn't matter if you can’t defend? (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
16. Houston Rock... The jury is still out on whether Jeremy Lin is the real deal. He’s not repeating the storybook season he had with the Knicks last year, but he is averaging 12 points and 6.5 assists through two weeks. Most importantly, he’s helping the Rockets remain relevant at .500. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
15. Dallas Maver... The Mavs were dealt two tough losses to the Knicks and the Bobcats. Despite their 4-3 record, this could quickly become a rebuilding season if the rival Grizzlies continue playing at a high level. (AP Photo/Matt Strasen)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
14. Boston Celti... The Celtics are even after six games. Paul Pierce referred to their victory over the Bucks as a big win. The Celtics of old used to reserve such catch phrases for championship contenders. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
13. Indiana Pace... The Pacers lost a nail-biter to the Timberwolves in Week 2. With Danny Granger sidelined for the next three months, David West must play like the All-Star he once was. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
12. Los Angeles ... It’s been a busy week for the Lakers off the court. Coach Mike Brown received his pink slip after a 1-4 start and Mike D'Antoni is set to make his L.A. debut on Tuesday night against the visiting Spurs. On the court, the Lakers are finally getting their act together. The team went 3-4 last week. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
11. Minnesota Ti... The T-Wolves finished the week an impressive 3-1. This week’s matchups (Bobcats, Warriors, Hornets, @Bobcats) should produce similar results for Minnesota. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
10. Chicago Bull... The Bulls lead the Central Division with a 4-2 record. Luol Deng (17 PPG) has been a major threat to opposing defenses. The Bulls will improve by leaps and bounds when forward Carlos Boozer snaps out of his scoring slump. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
9. Denver Nugget... The Nuggets capped off a superb week with a double-overtime victory over the Warriors. A 4-0 week has the Nuggets shifting gears. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
8. Brooklyn Nets... The Nets had an astounding 39-point victory over the Magic on Friday. They followed up the blowout with another solid victory over Orlando on Sunday. Kris Humphries had 14 points and 21 rebounds in that win. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
7. Philadelphia ... The 76ers bounced back nicely from back-to-back losses to the Knicks. Led by the emerging Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia is riding a three-game road winning streak. (AP Photo H. Rumph Jr)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
6. Oklahoma City... At 5-2, OKC sits atop the Northwest Division. Big man Serge Ibaka is making an early push for the All-Star ballot, averaging 14.6 PPG and 3.3 BPG this season. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
5. Memphis Grizz... The Grizzlies suffered their first lost of the season to Miami on Sunday. As solid as they've been, the loss served as a reminder that they have some improving to do on the defensive end. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. Miami Heat (P... The Heat have cruised to a 5-2 record. Newly acquired members Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis are still feeling their way around. Once they completely assimilate, this team will be virtually unstoppable. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. San Antonio S... All winning streaks must come to an end. Such was the case for the Spurs in a loss to the Clippers last week. Still, San Antonio managed to climb to 6-1 by week’s end. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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2. Los Angeles C... The Clippers came up with a huge victory over the previously unbeaten Spurs. No, you’re not reading the Pacific Division standings incorrectly. The Clippers are in first place. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
1. New York Knic... The Knicks remained undefeated through Week 2. The biggest surprise of the winning streak has been the consistency of J.R. Smith. He’s averaging 17.5 PPG and 3.3 assists a night. Tuesday’s game against the Spurs should shed light on just how legit this New York team is. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

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