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"&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sorry, &lt;strong&gt;Charlie&lt;/strong&gt; (&lt;strong&gt;Barkley&lt;/strong&gt;). Say what you want about &lt;strong&gt;LeBron James&lt;/strong&gt; disrespecting his teammates with all that 2010 talk, but the Cavs don't seem the least bit distracted. While the Lakers and Celtics get most of the attention, Cleveland quietly has raced out to its best start in franchise history.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;James deserves most of the credit, of course, but he has been getting plenty of help. The backcourt of Mo Williams and Delonte West has helped boost the Cavs' once-sluggish offense to fourth in the NBA in points scored (103.58) and third in field goal percentage (.481). Defensively, coach Mike Brown's unit ranks fourth in points allowed (92.64) and second in field goal percentage allowed (.421). &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Can the Cavs keep it up? We'll see. For now, the Lakers and Celtics remain head and shoulders above the NBA pack. But LeBron is at least showing that his focus -- despite all the talk about the future -- is squarely on the 2009 NBA title.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This week's high riser: Nets (No. 15 from 21)This week's big drop: Sixers (No. 20 from 15).cnnPowerRankings { width:526px;*width:528px; }\t\t\tNBA Power Rankings\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1Last Week: 1\t\t\tLos Angeles Lakers (14-1)You don't need &lt;strong&gt;Vladimir Radmanovic&lt;/strong&gt;'s pink-tinted goggles to see they have something special cooking in Hollywood. Sunday's triumph over the Raptors made it seven straight as they continue to show no signs of weakness. But can they keep it going when they hit the road for three games this week?\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t2Last Week: 2\t\t\tBoston Celtics (16-2)Saturday's win over the Bobcats ran their win streak to eight, their longest since a 10-game run last Feb./March en route to the NBA title. It also improved their record to 5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs, making them an impressive 13-1 in that department over the past two seasons.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t3Last Week: 3\t\t\tCleveland Cavaliers (14-3)Don't forget &lt;strong&gt;Zydrunas Ilgauskas&lt;/strong&gt; in any discussion of their hot start. The 7-3 veteran center had 23 points and 17 boards in Saturday's win over the Bucks, their 13th victory in 14 games. For the season Big Z is averaging 15.6 points (on 54.1 percent shooting) and 7.4 rebounds in just 26.6 minutes.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t4Last Week: 8\t\t\tPortland Trail Blazers (12-6)They just keep passing their exams with flying colors. They won at Detroit on Sunday to kick off a five-game Eastern trip and improve on the franchise's best start since 2000-01. &lt;strong&gt;Greg Oden&lt;/strong&gt;, recently inserted into the starting lineup, recorded his second double-double in three games with 10 points and a career-high 13 boards.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t5Last Week: 6\t\t\tDenver Nuggets (12-6)Even with &lt;strong&gt;Carmelo Anthony&lt;/strong&gt; slowed by a sore elbow, they downed the Rockets on Sunday to make it 11 victories in their last 14 games as they continue to soar since the &lt;strong&gt;Chauncey Billups&lt;/strong&gt; deal.  With four of their next five at Pepsi Center, these new-look Nugs should be able to keep it going for awhile too.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t6Last Week: 7\t\t\tHouston Rockets (11-7)&lt;strong&gt;Shane Battier&lt;/strong&gt; is back in the lineup, and they had won six of nine to stay afloat despite the absences of &lt;strong&gt;Tracy McGrady&lt;/strong&gt; (sore knee). But T-Mac's lingering issues are starting to raise doubts about whether this crew will ever stay healthy enough to contend for an NBA title.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t7Last Week: 9\t\t\tNew Orleans Hornets (9-6)With four victories in five games heading into a three-game home stand, &lt;strong&gt;Chris Paul&lt;/strong&gt; &amp; Co. are starting to feel a little better after a sluggish start to the season. It also helps that &lt;strong&gt;Peja Stojakovic&lt;/strong&gt; (seven-of-12 from downtown over his past two games) appears to be coming out of his horrific shooting slump. \t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t8Last Week: 4\t\t\tUtah Jazz (11-7)Their injuries are threatening to take away their vaunted home-court advantage. With &lt;strong&gt;Carlos Boozer&lt;/strong&gt; sitting out his sixth straight game due to a thigh injury, they lost at home to the Nets on Saturday. It was their second home defeat already this season after going 37-4 at EnergySolutions Arena a year ago.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t9Last Week: 5\t\t\tPhoenix Suns (11-7)So &lt;strong&gt;Amar&amp;eacute; Stoudemire&lt;/strong&gt; is unhappy with his role in the offense? What do you expect from a guy who calls himself \"Stat?\" The Suns will need their All-Star power forward to put up some big digits this week with games at New Orleans (Mon.) and Dallas (Tues.), followed by a visit from the Jazz (Sat).\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t10Last Week: 11\t\t\tOrlando Magic (13-4)Four straight victories, and 13 of 15 overall, would normally earn them a much higher spot in these rankings. But with &lt;strong&gt;Mickael Pietrus&lt;/strong&gt; (thumb, out 3-5 weeks) joining &lt;strong&gt;Jameer Nelson&lt;/strong&gt; (groin) and &lt;strong&gt;Keith Bogans&lt;/strong&gt; (thumb) on their list of injured guards, their backcourt is just too thin right now.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t11Last Week: 10\t\t\tDetroit Pistons (10-6)It took &lt;strong&gt;Allen Iverson&lt;/strong&gt; only 24 days to run afoul of team rules and first-year coach &lt;strong&gt;Michael Curry&lt;/strong&gt;. But will the Answer's refusal to &lt;em&gt;practice! &lt;/em&gt; on Thanksgiving Day (he was given a \"hefty\" fine and removed from the starting lineup for one game) be a one-time incident? Or a precursor for more future conflicts? \t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t12Last Week: 13\t\t\tSan Antonio Spurs (9-7)&lt;strong&gt;Tony Parker&lt;/strong&gt; had 15 points and seven assists in each of his first two games back from his ankle injury. With Parker, &lt;strong&gt;Manu Ginobili&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Roger Mason&lt;/strong&gt; and rookie &lt;strong&gt;George Hill&lt;/strong&gt; (13.3 points and 3.9 assists in Parker's absence), Spurs coach &lt;strong&gt;Gregg Popovich&lt;/strong&gt; suddenly finds himself with a glut of guards.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t13Last Week: 12\t\t\tAtlanta Hawks (10-6)They're taking pride in the fact that they are 5-5 on the road so far this season after going just 12-29 away from home a year ago. &lt;strong&gt;Maurice Evans&lt;/strong&gt; even goes so far as to call it a \"swagger.\" They should be even tougher soon with &lt;strong&gt;Josh Smith&lt;/strong&gt; (ankle) set to make his return to action this week.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t14Last Week: 14\t\t\tDallas Mavericks (8-8)Maybe it's a coincidence, but all the &lt;strong&gt;Stephon Marbury&lt;/strong&gt; talk seems to have lit a fire under &lt;strong&gt;Jason Terry&lt;/strong&gt; (26.6 points over his last five games). Partly as a result, they had won six of seven to finally get back to .500. Even better, they get to play their next seven at home, starting Tuesday against the Clippers. \t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t15Last Week: 21\t\t\tNew Jersey Nets (9-7)&lt;strong&gt;Devin Harris&lt;/strong&gt; pumped in 47 points Sunday to help them win at Phoenix as they finished 3-1 on their Western trip (including a victory at Utah). Overall they had won seven of nine to stamp themselves as a team to watch in the coming days. Harris, in particular, has been playing like an All-Star of late. \t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t16Last Week: 16\t\t\tToronto Raptors (8-8)They're trying to hold on until &lt;strong&gt;Jermaine O'Neal&lt;/strong&gt; (ankle) gets back to help shore up the frontcourt. &lt;strong&gt;Chris Bosh&lt;/strong&gt; might be off to an MVP-caliber start (26.8 points, 10.2 rebounds), but he's still too slender to mix it up inside. They need that interior presence if they hope to beat good teams.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t17Last Week: 17\t\t\tMiami Heat (8-9)Can we officially declare &lt;strong&gt;Dwyane Wade&lt;/strong&gt; back to his pre-injury level form yet? The sensational shooting guard poured in 43 points in Friday's win at Phoenix. Meanwhile, &lt;strong&gt;Michael Beasley&lt;/strong&gt; is no longer in the starting lineup as coach &lt;strong&gt;Erik Spoelstra&lt;/strong&gt; tinkers with his rotation.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t18Last Week: 19\t\t\tChicago Bulls (8-9)They won at Philadelphia on Sunday to finish 3-4 on their annual Thanksgiving road trip, their second-best showing since the Jordan Era. The &lt;strong&gt;Derrick Rose&lt;/strong&gt;-&lt;strong&gt;Ben Gordon&lt;/strong&gt; backcourt pairing led the way, with Gordon now averaging a team-high 20.4 points on 45.0 percent shooting (37.6 from downtown\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t19Last Week: 18\t\t\tMilwaukee Bucks (7-12)Not even the long-awaited return of &lt;strong&gt;Michael Redd&lt;/strong&gt; (ankle) could prevent Saturday's loss to the Cavs as their losing streak hit a season-high four games. Now if coach &lt;strong&gt;Scott Skiles&lt;/strong&gt; could just get &lt;strong&gt;Andrew Bogut&lt;/strong&gt; (bruised knee) back in time for Wednesday's visit from his former Bulls team. \t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t20Last Week: 15\t\t\tPhiladelphia 76ers (7-10)It's early, but so far they have not looked at all like Eastern contenders. Sunday's loss to the Bulls was their fourth straight as their bumbling offense once again failed to crack 100 points. If this keeps up, they're going to rival the Eagles for most disappointing team in the city.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t21Last Week: 22\t\t\tNew York Knicks (8-8)Lost in all the hoopla over the Marbury Saga is that &lt;strong&gt;Cuttino Mobley&lt;/strong&gt; (heart) might not play again. But at least we know for sure that &lt;strong&gt;Mike D'Antoni&lt;/strong&gt; doesn't need Marbury at the point. Not after &lt;strong&gt;Chris Duhon&lt;/strong&gt; set a team record with 22 assists in last week's win over &lt;strong&gt;Jamal Crawford&lt;/strong&gt; and the Warriors.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t22Last Week: 20\t\t\tIndiana Pacers (6-10)&lt;strong&gt;Mike Dunleavy Jr.&lt;/strong&gt;'s lingering knee injury (and the surrounding mystery about when he might get back) suddenly seems more pressing now that they have lost seven of nine. They could sure use Dunleavy's scoring touch this week as they get set to face the Lakers, Cavs and Celtics (twice).\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t23Last Week: 26\t\t\tCharlotte Bobcats (5-11)Now that the Knicks, Warriors, Clippers, Thunder and Wizards all have made big moves, they figure to be next. You just know &lt;strong&gt;Larry Brown&lt;/strong&gt; is itching to pull the trigger. But who will be sent packing? &lt;strong&gt;Jason Richardson&lt;/strong&gt;? &lt;strong&gt;Gerald Wallace&lt;/strong&gt;? &lt;strong&gt;Raymond Felton&lt;/strong&gt;? Stay tuned. \t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t24Last Week: 23\t\t\tSacramento Kings (5-14)Remember when Arco Arena used to be a snakepit? The Kings have lost six straight on their home floor for the first time since 1998, two shy of the franchise record. With the Jazz, Nuggets and Lakers due up next at Arco (and Kevin Martin still nursing an ankle injury), that dubious mark could be in jeopardy.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t25Last Week: 24\t\t\tLos Angeles Clippers (3-13)The big question in Clippers Land these days is who will be traded next? &lt;strong&gt;Marcus Camby&lt;/strong&gt;? Or &lt;strong&gt;Chris Kaman&lt;/strong&gt; (currently out with a strained arch)? At least &lt;strong&gt;Zach Randolph&lt;/strong&gt; had 27 points and 13 rebounds to help his new team beat the Heat on Saturday and snap a four-game skid. \t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t26Last Week: 25\t\t\tGolden State Warriors (5-12)Tank Time in the Bay? &lt;strong&gt;Don Nelson&lt;/strong&gt; already seems to be giving up on the postseason this season. \"It's a situation where we have a year where we're probably not going to be a playoff team,\" he said Saturday night before his team fell to the Knicks to finish 0-5 on their road trip.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t27Last Week: 28\t\t\tMinnesota Timberwolves (4-11)They downed the Thunder last week to avenge an earlier loss to their fellow Western doormat. But not even rookie Kevin Love's first career double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds) was enough to lead them to victory the next night against Denver as they once more failed to notch consecutive wins this season.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t28Last Week: 29\t\t\tWashington Wizards (2-12)The late &lt;strong&gt;Red Auerbach&lt;/strong&gt;, let alone interim coach &lt;strong&gt;Ed Tapscott&lt;/strong&gt;, probably couldn't salvage the season with this crew. Their defense is pitiful, their bench is too young and their backcourt is a wreck. It seems &lt;strong&gt;DeShawn Stevenson&lt;/strong&gt; (7.9 points on 30.3 percent shooting) can't even make a free throw anymore.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t29Last Week: 30\t\t\tOklahoma City Thunder (2-16)They won at Memphis on Saturday to snap that franchise record-tying 14-game losing streak and give &lt;strong&gt;Scott Brooks&lt;/strong&gt; his first NBA coaching victory. Brooks also has made his first significant adjustment, moving 6-9 &lt;strong&gt;Kevin Durant&lt;/strong&gt; over to his more natural position at small forward.\t\t\t\t&amp;#160;\t\t\t\t\t30Last Week: 27\t\t\tMemphis Grizzlies (4-13)&lt;strong&gt;O.J. Mayo&lt;/strong&gt; is about the only thing they have to be excited about right now. The rookie shooting guard had 32 and 30 against the Spurs and Thunder, respectively, over the weekend. It marked the second time this season he has recorded back-to-back 30-point outings. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGot a different view than Marty?SUBMIT YOUR OWN POWER RANKINGS&lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/more-sports/2013/12/13/power-rankings-58>