The one and only
The Pistons may not have risen in the standings this week – it's tough to do when you're already No. 1 – but they certainly rose in stature with a perfect week that included wins over Memphis and San Antonio. The domination of the Spurs was particularly impressive, as Detroit annihilated the NBA champions with a 57-30 drubbing on the boards.
The Pistons have speed at every position, great depth, a balanced offense and perhaps most importantly, the belief that they're going to win every game. Watching them play, it's tough to argue with their swagger.
There's a long way to go, but right now, the NBA is made up of the Pistons and 29 other clubs.
Here's a look at this week's rankings (records and statistics are through Dec. 25):
1.Detroit Pistons (22-3, Last week: 1) – Chauncey Billups for MVP? He'd have my vote right now.
2.San Antonio Spurs (21-7, Last week: 2) – Without Manu Ginobili, the Spurs are predictable offensively.
3.Dallas Mavericks (20-7, Last week: 3) – Jason Terry's fourth-quarter heroics are becoming routine. He is approaching All-Star status.
4.Memphis Grizzlies (16-9, Last week: 6) – There's no such thing as moral victories, but the Grizzlies' OT loss to Detroit shows just how good they are.
5.Cleveland Cavaliers (16-9, Last week: 11) – The Cavaliers are a high-speed elevator. Up and down, back up again.
6.Miami Heat (16-12, Last week: 5) – Shaquille O'Neal is slowly rounding into form, and he seems very happy playing for Pat Riley.
7.Los Angeles Clippers (16-10, Last week: 4) – Injuries have slowed the Clips down. Corey Maggette is out for a month.
8. Pacers (15-9, Last week: 7) – Sanity has been restored in Indiana. The Pacers will be a more solid team.
9.Milwaukee Bucks (15-9, Last week: 9) – Like Cleveland, the Bucks have been up and down. It's to be expected from a young, offensive-minded team.
10.Phoenix Suns (15-10, Last week: 8) – The schedule gets tougher: five-game road trip looms.
11.New Jersey Nets (14-12, Last week: 17) – We asked for consistency last week, and Vince Carter and the Nets are providing it. Five wins in a row has them on top of the Atlantic.
12.Los Angeles Lakers (15-12, Last week: 12) – It's time to establish the home court. The Lakers just 6-6 at Staples Center.
13.Philadelphia 76ers (14-13, Last week: 16) – Allen Iverson is on a spectacular run, but the Sixers remain inconsistent.
14.Minnesota Timberwolves (13-11, Last week: 13) – Bad loss to Portland. The Wolves are in need of a string of good games.
15.Golden State Warriors (14-13, Last week: 10) – The Warriors need a defensive edge. Could Ron Artest be a possibility?
16.Washington Wizards (11-14, Last week: 24) – Road wins in Denver and Phoenix could jumpstart the Wizards.
17.Denver Nuggets (13-14, Last week: 19) – The Nuggets miss Nene's inside presence at both ends of the court.
18.Houston Rockets (10-15, Last week: 14) – Hurry back, Yao Ming. The Rockets can't seem to get Yao and Tracy McGrady healthy at the same time.
19.Chicago Bulls (12-14, Last week: 15) – The Bulls' lack of an inside game is killing them, and their confidence is wavering.
20.New Orleans Hornets (11-15, Last week: 18) – They're playing Phoenix's style of small ball, with P.J. Brown at center and David West at power forward, and trying to run past their opponents.
21.Seattle SuperSonics (11-14, Last week: 21) – The Sonics are giving up a league-worst 104.7 points per game on 49.2 shooting. Their only hope is to get hot themselves, but that's not going to happen every night.
22.Boston Celtics (11-14, Last week: 25) – Finally! The Celtics win two games in a row for the first time all season, but now they hit the road for a five-game Western swing.
23.Sacramento Kings (10-16, Last week: 23) – Injuries to Bonzi Wells and Peja Stojakovic could spell doom for the already struggling Kings.
24.Orlando Magic (9-15, Last week: 22) – Four losses in a row, and Dwight Howard rolls an ankle. It's a tough going for the Magic.
25.Utah Jazz (11-16, Last week: 20) – Just when he was rounding into form, Andrei Kirilenko gets hurt (again). Poor health has doomed the Jazz.
26.Atlanta Hawks (7-18, Last week: 26) – Since the 0-9 start, the Hawks have won seven of 16. Mike Woodson deserves credit for his perseverance.
27.Charlotte Bobcats (8-19, Last week: 28) – The Bobcats have won three of five, with the losses coming against the Pistons and Clippers. Charlotte's speed can cause problems for opponents.
28.Portland Trail Blazers (8-18, Last week: 29) – The Ruben Patterson showcasing goes on. He's playing well, but will anyone trade for him?
29.New York Knicks (7-18, Last week: 27) – It's Monday. Who will start for the Knicks?
30.Toronto Raptors (6-21, Last week: 30) – Encouraging signs at last. Two road wins followed by a close loss in San Antonio. The Raptors are no easy W anymore.
