Updated Nov. 3
If you believe most of the so-called experts, 25 teams tipped off their NBA seasons last week only because they'd sold tickets. Each had about as much chance of making the Super Bowl as the NBA Finals.
Lakers vs. Spurs and Cavaliers vs. Celtics or Magic. Those were your near-unanimous May matchups. Nobody else was given much of a chance.
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| Jermaine O'Neal averaged 17.3 points and 10.3 boards during Miami's 3-0 start. (Getty Images) |
Speaking of tickets, the Mavericks had Phil Jackson talking Staples Arena refund after a 94-80 drubbing Oct. 30. We all know Dirk Nowitzki can play, and the Shawn Marion acquisition could be potentially huge. But turn-back-the-clock, double-digit efforts by Erick Dampier (10 rebounds) and Jason Kidd (11 assists) also sent a message to the Lakers.
Remember, this was a Dallas club that never got the better of Kobe Bryant last season, yet was strong enough at season's end to wrestle a first-round playoff series from the mighty Spurs. Having lost three nights earlier to Washington, we already see you never know which Mavericks club is going to show up on a given night -- and that's a bit scary.
The Lakers fully awakened, Atlanta ventured into Staples two nights later and lost to the defending champs 118-110. Even in defeat, the point total screamed out something about the revved-up Hawks team that now features Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague and an un-Eastern Conference-like assortment of weapons this season.
The last time Lakers fans had witnessed their team giving up 110 points in a home game was in the regular-season finale against Utah. That's right: None of L.A.'s four playoff combatants reached that mark. In fact, the Lakers' Finals foe last year -- Orlando -- averaged 24.5 points less in its two visits, one of which went into overtime.
It's clear from the get-go the Nuggets have an MVP candidate this year. The question is: Which star is it?
Carmelo Anthony lit up the league like no one else in his first three games, firing in 37.7 points in 38.7 minutes per outing. That gave him a slight edge in the I'm-More-Important-Than-You Department over Chauncey Billups, whose 6.7 assists complemented 23.0 points in the three consecutive wins and gave Denver the league's best 1-2 punch.
If not Boston, the best defensive team in the league's first week had to be the Heat. In blitzing the Knicks, Pacers and Bulls by an average of 11 points, Miami never surrendered more than 93 points and permitted the bottled-up trio to shoot just 38.6 percent from the field.
Like the Nuggets, it's more than just a one-man show in Miami this season. Jermaine O'Neal is playing like another guy named O'Neal in his Heat heyday, having averaged a double-double over the 3-0 start.
So, where do the four party-crashers rank in the first NBA Power Rankings of the regular season? Well, a whole lot higher than they did in last week's preseason edition.
But ahead of the league's Big Five? At this point, only the Nuggets can make that claim -- and barely at that.
| Power Rankings | ||||||||||
| Current | Team | Previous | ||||||||
 | 1 | Lakers · Trends | 5 | |||||||
| Kobe Bryant tops 40 for 100th time; just 171 more to catch Chamberlain. ... Gasol (24 and 13 in season debut vs. Bulls) is best Lakers big man since Little Dipper -- Shaq. | ||||||||||
 | 2 | Magic · Trends | 4 | |||||||
| Three nice wins dwarfed by one huge loss -- Jameer Nelson to knee surgery. ... New look, same result: Vince Carter outplays Rasheed Wallace in playoff rematch. | ||||||||||
 | 3 | Cavaliers · Trends | 1 | |||||||
| Club leads by 17, then loses by 17 at Washington. ... Maybe this is why LeBron didn't pick 13 as his new number: Teammate Delonte West beat him to it. | ||||||||||
 | 4 | Hawks · Trends | 2 | |||||||
| No. 1 in home record (7-0), No. 17 in home attendance. ... Shot of week is closest one: Josh Smith spikes home game winner vs. Rockets. | ||||||||||
 | 5 | Suns · Trends | 6 | |||||||
| Shaq couldn't do this: New center Channing Frye has at least one 3 in all 14 games, 38 in all. ... 13 vs. 13: Nash leads Wilt in all-time assists 7,667-4,643. | ||||||||||
 | 6 | Nuggets · Trends | 3 | |||||||
| Looking to move back up: Next five against Nets, Timberwolves twice, Knicks, Warriors. ... Nothing is automatic: Loss to Clippers was first since 2007. | ||||||||||
 | 7 | Celtics · Trends | 7 | |||||||
| Non-elite team, non-elite star: Kevin Garnett is 72nd in league in scoring, 27th in rebounding. ... Celtics, Knicks go to overtime for 32nd time in history. | ||||||||||
 | 8 | Mavericks · Trends | 10 | |||||||
| Erick Dampier out of the lineup, team goes on winning streak. Coincidence? ... Replacement center Drew Gooden goes 11-14-11-16 on boards in his first four starts. | ||||||||||
 | 9 | Trail Blazers · Trends | 9 | |||||||
| Embarrassed club rebounds from loss at Golden State with 28-, 24-point romps. ... Warriors (108) only foe to reach 100 this month. | ||||||||||
 | 10 | Rockets · Trends | 11 | |||||||
| Impressive aspect of 8-6 record: Rugged schedule that's included Lakers, Blazers twice apiece. ... Tracy McGrady returns to practice, says he's ready to go. Now what? | ||||||||||
 | 11 | Jazz · Trends | 18 | |||||||
| Out of nowhere: Wesley Matthews starting, Jazz winning. ... Triumph at San Antonio is first in 10-plus years. | ||||||||||
 | 12 | Bucks · Trends | 15 | |||||||
| No Andrew Bogut, no defense: Grizzlies, Spurs average 105 after just three of Milwaukee's first 10 foes top 100. ... Michael Redd returns vs. Spurs, goes 1 for 6 from line. | ||||||||||
 | 13 | Heat · Trends | 8 | |||||||
| Team losing (four of six), but Michael Beasley's numbers picking up (19.7 points, 10.0 rebounds last three). ... Last two wins: 1-pointers over Nets, Hornets. | ||||||||||
 | 14 | Spurs · Trends | 14 | |||||||
| Matt Bonner (23 points) an unlikely star in win over Bucks. ... It's a long season: Team won't rush Manu Ginobili (groin) back. | ||||||||||
 | 15 | Thunder · Trends | 17 | |||||||
| Sixth Man Award nominee: James Harden drops in 24, 25 points in consecutive games off bench. ... Another comeback looms: More knee surgery for Shaun Livingston. | ||||||||||
 | 16 | Raptors · Trends | 12 | |||||||
| Two Western trips, same results: Win first game, lose rest. ... Jarrett Jack picking up steam: 17 points vs. Heat, 11 assists vs. Magic. | ||||||||||
 | 17 | Bulls · Trends | 13 | |||||||
| "Circus Trip" turning into circus: Club drubbed by Lakers, Nuggets, Blazers. ... Best No. 13 center in game today: Gotta be Joakim Noah. | ||||||||||
 | 18 | Hornets · Trends | 23 | |||||||
| New coach winning with new look: Marcus Thornton and Darren Collison excel during three-game streak. ... Finally a break in schedule: Two apiece vs. Kings, Timberwolves in 11-day stretch. | ||||||||||
 | 19 | Bobcats · Trends | 20 | |||||||
| First win of Stephen Jackson era: He's nailed with technical in victory over Pacers. ... Jackson factor? Gerald Wallace held to 11 points in three of new teammate's four games. | ||||||||||
 | 20 | Pacers · Trends | 16 | |||||||
| Losing streak has silver lining: Mike Dunleavy is cleared to return to practice. ... Tar Heels coach Roy Williams watches Tyler Hansbrough lose in North Carolina homecoming. | ||||||||||
 | 21 | Wizards · Trends | 24 | |||||||
| Club's three wins followed by 11-, 12-, 19-point losses. ... One problem: Gilbert Arenas is averaging 20 shots in past six games, making 34 percent. | ||||||||||
 | 22 | Pistons · Trends | 19 | |||||||
| Tough trip, rough outcomes: Losses to Lakers, Blazers, Jazz, Suns. ... How the mighty have fallen: Someone named Jonas Jerebko is starting at forward. | ||||||||||
 | 23 | 76ers · Trends | 22 | |||||||
| How to blow possible upset: 10-point fourth melts late lead vs. Cavs. ... Improvement noted: Elton Brand averaging 19.7 points, 10.3 rebounds in last three after 9.8, 5.3 in first 10 games. | ||||||||||
 | 24 | Kings · Trends | 21 | |||||||
| Club survives scare: Tyreke Evans' middle finger is sprained, not broken. ... Streaky team has three-, four-game losing skids sandwiching four-game winning run. | ||||||||||
 | 25 | Clippers · Trends | 25 | |||||||
| Go figure: Baron Davis shoots 4-for-21 combined in wins over Nuggets, Timberwolves. ... Another Clippers low: Broadcasters ejected for comments about Grizzlies' Hamed Haddadi. | ||||||||||
 | 26 | Warriors · Trends | 26 | |||||||
| Making new friends: Injured Raja Bell leads spirited effort at Boston, then leaves for wrist surgery. ... Just thinking of Mark Cuban makes Don Nelson sick; he sits out Southwest trip. | ||||||||||
 | 27 | Grizzlies · Trends | 27 | |||||||
| Lightweight champ: Team beats Timberwolves, Clippers, 76ers, Kings in 10-day stretch. ... Nobody hotter than Rudy Gay: 41 for 72 (.569), 25.5 average in last four games. | ||||||||||
 | 28 | Knicks · Trends | 28 | |||||||
| Winning can be comical: Nate Robinson shoots at wrong basket in victory over Nets. ... Sad state of Allen Iverson: Even Knicks say he's not worthy. | ||||||||||
 | 29 | Timberwolves · Trends | 29 | |||||||
| Team has failed to score more than 87 points in the last six games (all losses). ... No holiday treat: Second and final showdown with Nets looms Dec. 23. | ||||||||||
 | 30 | Nets · Trends | 30 | |||||||
| Better days ahead: Devin Harris returns in loss to Knicks. ... Looking for first win? Club visits Sacramento during weeklong Western trip. | ||||||||||
