Complex NBA Power Rankings (Week 2)

Record: 0 - 4
Last Week's Rank: 28
Last Week's Results: L vs. New Jersey, 90-84 (Mon); L @ Atlanta, 101-83 (Wed); L @ Milwaukee, 102-81 (Fri); L vs. Boston, 94-86 (Sun)
This Week: @ Boston, Monday (1/2); @ Orlando, Wednesday (1/4); vs. New York, Friday (1/6); vs. Minnesota, Sunday (1/8)

When it comes to the Washington Wizards, the best way to summarize their early season performance comes from former NFL coach Dennis Green: "We are who we thought they were." What we mean by that is the Wizards are still a team in transition with a solid core of young talent. From the beginning of the season, you were forewarned that this could very well be a long, grueling, loss-filled season for Washington. After one week, that is exactly what it's looking like. —Jose Martinez

Record: 1 - 3
Last Week's Rank: 19
Last Week's Results: L @ L.A. Lakers, 96-71 (Tue); L @ Denver, 117-100 (Wed); W vs. Philadelphia, 102-99 (Fri); L @ San Antonio, 104-89 (Sat)
This Week: vs. New Orleans, Monday (1/2); vs. Milwaukee, Tuesday (1/3); vs. Memphis, Friday (1/6); @ Golden State, Saturday, (1/7)

We know it's an extremely small sample size, but this team is averaging 90.5 points per game while allowing 104. We're not so good at math, but that doesn't really bode well. The fact that they gifted former All-Star center Mehmet Okur to the Nets won't help things, either. Devin Harris and Josh Howard have had success elsewhere, but are off to slow starts. Lottery pick Enes Kanter appears to be a project. And Al Jefferson can't do everything. All in all, don't bet on coach Tyrone Corbin equaling predecessor Jerry Sloan's tenure. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 1 - 3
Last Week's Rank: 27
Last Week's Results: W @ Cleveland, 104-96 (Mon); L vs. Pacers, 90-85 (Wed); L @ Dallas, 86-99 (Fri)
This Week: L @ Orlando, 96-102 (Su); @ Knicks, Monday (1/2); vs. Cleveland, Wednesday (1/4); vs. New Jersey, Friday (1/6); @ Philadelphia, Saturday (1/7)

Toronto gave up a few 4th quarter leads this past week (Magic, Mavs, Pacers) to put them in the bottom half of the Atlantic. Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon have been balling, though. Bargnani's averaging 23 ppg and 6 boards, while Jose is putting up 13 ppg and dishing out 9 dimes per in this young season. They face a notoriously inconsistent team in the Knicks tonight and look to get some division wins this week against said Knicks, the Nets and the Sixers. —Angel Diaz

Record: 2 - 3
Last Week's Rank: 26
Last Week's Results: W @ L.A. Lakers, 100-91 (Mon); L @ Portland, 79-101 (Tue); L vs. Chicago, 98-108 (Thu); L vs. New York, 92-114 (Sat); W vs. New Orleans, 96-80 (Sun)
This Week: @ Memphis, Tuesday (1/3); @ Denver, Wednesday (1/4); vs. Milwakee, Thursday (1/5); vs. Orlando, Sunday (1/8)

The Kings had an impressive start to their season with an upset victory over the Lake Show. From there, things have gone downhill both on and off the court. A three-game losing streak was ended with a much-needed victory over New Orleans, but it's the drama with DeMarcus Cousins that's been grabbing headlines. The disgruntled center was sent home by the team after having behavioral issues and demanding a trade. Cousins' agent denies the trade request but regardless of whether that's true or not it seems like he won't be in Sac-Town for much longer. —Ralph Warner

Record: 1 - 3
Last Week's Rank: 25
Last Week's Results: L @ Indiana, 79-91 (Mon); L vs. Cleveland, 89-105 (Wed); L @ Boston 85-96 (Fri); W vs. Indiana, 96-88 (Sat)
This Week: vs. Orlando, Monday (1/2); vs. Chicago, Wednesday (1/4); @ Philadelphia, Friday (1/6); vs. New York, Saturday (1/7)

For the Pistons, Saturday night's win over the Pacers is encouraging. Indy has a pretty solid squad this year. The Detroit win also came just six days after the Pacers beat them in their debut. Still, we're not sold on this being anything other than a lottery team at the end of the season right now. So, look for them to slowly make a descent down this list as the year goes on. That should start next week with the Magic, Bulls and Knicks all on the schedule. Tough luck, Pistons fans. —Chris Yuscavage

Record: 1 - 3
Last Week's Rank: 29
Last Week's Results: L vs. Oklahoma City, 104-100 (Mon); L @ Milwaukee, 98-95 (Tue); L vs. Miami, 103-101 (Fri)
This Week: @ San Antonio, Monday (1/2); vs. Memphis, Wednesday (1/4); vs. Cleveland, Friday (1/6)

Oh, Minnesota. You're a League Pass must already, what with Ricky Rubio's elfin point guard magic, Kevin Love's impressive versatility (20 rebounds and five treys? OK!) and Michael Beasley's equally impressive volatility. But that 1-3 record simply won't do. Then again, you beat the defending champs (although, who hasn't?) and your three losses have been by a combined nine points. So we'll keep watching. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 1 - 3
Last Week's Rank: 17
Last Week's Results: L vs. New Orleans, 84-85 (Mon); L vs. Philadelphia, 83-103 (Wed); W @ New Orleans, 93-78 (Fri); L @ Oklahoma City, 97-107 (Sun)
This Week: vs. Golden State, Monday (1/2); @ Dallas, Wednesday (1/4); vs. Portand, Friday (1/6); vs. Milwaukee, Sunday (1/8)

A few years ago, Phoenix had one of the most potent offenses in the league, putting up well over 100 points per game. The key words in that statement? "A few years ago." This aging squad and their poor shooting got exposed this week as they ranked 23rd out of the 30 teams in the league in field goal percentage. A tough loss to New Orleans during their home opener and a win over the Hornets a few nights later were the only highlights for the Suns this week. If this squad doesn't find some way to fix their habit of shooting 40 percent from the field then they'll be sitting towards the bottom of the Western Conference for quite some time. —Ralph Warner

Record: 2 - 2
Last Week's Rank: 30
Last Week's Results: L vs. Toronto, 96-104 (Mon); W @ Detroit, 105-89 (Wed); L @ Indiana, 91-98 OT (Fri); W vs. New Jersey, 98-82 (Sun)
This Week: vs. Charlotte, Tuesday (1/3); @ Toronto, Wednesday (1/4); @ Minnesota, Friday (1/6)

Hey now! The Cavs actually got a win last week! Don't get used to it, though. It's still going to be a looooooong year for Kyrie Irving & Co. And speaking of Mr. Irving, have a little patience with the guy, Cleveland. He stunk in his debut and is going to struggle from time to time this season. But it looks like you've got a solid foundation in place out there. That might be about all you have right now, but that's more than we can say about some of the other teams in the league right now. —Chris Yuscavage

Record: 1 - 4
Last Week's Rank: 24
Last Week's Results: W @ Washington, 84-90 (Mon); L vs. Atlanta, 106-70 (Tue); L @ Orlando, 78-94 (Thu); L @ Atlanta, 98-105 (Fri); L @ Cleveland, 82-98 (Sun)
This Week: vs. Indiana, Monday (1/2); @ Boston, Wednesday (1/4); @ Toronto, Friday (1/6); vs. Miami, Saturday (1/7)

New Jersey started the season off with a win at Washington, but lost their big fella Brook Lopez for 2 months due to a broken foot. They then followed that up with an embarrassing 36-point loss to the Hawks at home. The Nets are expected to struggle this year with all the Howard trade talks and the much hyped move to Brooklyn. They have a tough schedule this week having to face a tough Pacers squad, a revitalized Celtic team with Pierce back and an undefeated Miami Heat team that has been running cats out of the gym. The future looks dim in Newark. —Angel Diaz

Record: 1 - 3
Last Week's Rank: 23
Last Week's Results: W vs. Milwaukee, 96-95 (Mon); L vs. Miami, 96-95 (Wed); L vs. Orlando, 100-79 (Fri); L @ Miami, 129-90 (Sun)
This Week: @ Cleveland, Tuesday (1/3); @ New York, Wednesday (1/4); vs. Atlanta, Friday (1/6); @ Indiana, Saturday (1/7)

Sometimes, the NBA schedules can be so unfair. After facing the mediocre Bucks in their season opener, the Bobcats played their next three games against Miami and Orlando. Not surprisingly, they lost all three and find themselves with a 1-3 record to start the season. This upcoming week, Charlotte will receive comp from teams more suitable for their skill level and we'll get to accurately determine where they truly rank among the rest of the NBA. —Jose Martinez

Record: 2 - 2
Last Week's Rank: 18
Last Week's Results: L vs. L.A. Clippers, 86-105 (Sun); W vs. Chicago, 99-91 (Mon); W vs. New York, 92-78 (Wed); L vs. Philadelphia, 79-107 (Sat)
This Week: @ Phoenix, Monday (1/2); @ San Antonio, Wednesday (1/4); @ L.A. Lakers, Friday (1/6); vs. Utah, Saturday (1/7)

Only a week into the season and this talented but young squad has already displayed the inconsistency we were expecting. Some nights featured impressive victories over contenders like the Bulls and Knicks and other nights they're getting blown out by nearly 30 against the Sixers. The loss against Philadelphia was a night game played on New Year's Eve so maybe Monta & Co. were a little distracted. That being said, winning games on a consistent basis would be a good 2012 resolution for Golden State. —Ralph Warner

Record: 2 - 2
Last Week's Rank: 20
Last Week's Results: L @ Orlando, 95-104 (Mon); W vs. San Antonio, 105-85 (Thu); L @ Memphis, 93-113 (Fri); W vs. Atlanta 95-84 (Sat)
This Week: @ L.A. Lakers, Tuesday (1/3); @ L.A. Clippers, Wednesday (1/4); @ Oklahoma City, Friday (1/6); vs. Oklahoma City Saturday (1/7)

How's this for middle-of-the-road consistency: Four games, three of which they scored either 95 or 93 points, two of which they allowed 85 points. The Rockets are a good team in a very good conference, and unless something crazy happens (say, trading for Pau Gasol for instance), they're going to finish around .500 and out of the playoffs. —Jack Erwin

Record: 2 - 1
Last Week's Rank: 22
Last Week's Results: L @ Charlotte, 95-96 (Mon); W vs. Minnesota, 98-95 (Tue); W vs. Washington, 102-81 (Fri)
This Week: @ Denver, Monday (1/2); @ Utah, Tuesday (1/3); @ Sacramento, Thursday (1/5); @ Clippers, Saturday (1/7); @ Phoenix, Sunday (1/8)

Hold your horses, Bucks fans. Yeah, yeah, you're 2-1 and there's a little bit of excitement building about the Bucks. But we're not ready to "fear the deer" again just yet. You guys beat the Timberwolves and the Wizards last week and lost to the Bobcats. Nothing there to write home about. Yet. The Bucks have a full slate this week. If they're still above-.500 after playing, then maybe you've got a reason to get excited.—Chris Yuscavage

Record: 2 - 2
Last Week's Rank: 21
Last Week's Results: W @ Phoenix, 85-84 (Mon); W vs. Boston, 97-78 (Wed); L vs. Phoenix, 78-93 (Fri); L @ Sacramento, 80-96 (Sun)
This Week: @ Utah, Monday (1/2); vs. Philadelphia, Wednesday (1/4); vs. Denver, Friday (1/6); @ Dallas, Saturday (1/7)

The Eric Gordon Era in New Orleans got off to an auspicious start when "The Man Good Enough to Be Traded for Chris Paul" hit the game-winning jumper to open the Hornets' season with a W. The good feeling didn't last though, as Gordon has now sat out each subsequent game with a knee bruise. Without Gordon this team is going to have serious problems scoring (it wasn't going to resemble the '06 Suns with him), as evidenced by their two 18-point quarters against the Kings last night. —Jack Erwin

Record: 2 - 2
Last Week's Rank: 16
Last Week's Results: L @ Portand, 103-107 (Mon); W @ Suns, 103-83 (Wed); L @ Utah, 99-102 (Fri); W @ Golden State, 107-79 (Sat)
This Week: @ New Orleans, Wednesday (1/4); vs. Detroit, Friday (1/6); vs. Toronto, Saturday (1/7)

Philly has a tough, young squad that's been together for a couple seasons and are led by a good coach in Doug Collins. They have a legit shot at stealing the Atlantic from the Celtics or the Knicks. Their losses have been close (Blazers, Jazz) and their wins have been blowouts (Suns, Warriors). Iggs has been solid, filling the stat sheet up, Lou Williams has been putting 20 ppg so far and Jrue Holiday is turning into a real star. The Sixers have a pretty easy schedule with only three games this week against the Hornets, Pistons and Raptors. --Angel Diaz

Record: 2 - 2
Last Week's Rank: 13
Last Week's Results: W @ Golden State, 105-86 (Sun); L @ San Antonio, 90-115 (Wed); L vs. Chicago, 101-114 (Fri); W vs. Portland, 93-88 (Sun)
This Week: vs. Houston, Wednesday (1/4); vs. Milwaukee, Saturday (1/7)

Are the Clippers 4-0 and running away with the West like some overly optimistic L.A. fans thought they would? No. But have they put up some ill highlights and is their .500 record good enough to have them tied for the Pacific division lead? Yes. Simply put, they beat the teams they were supposed to (Warriors and Blazers) and had trouble against experienced contenders like the Bulls and Spurs. Will that kind of inconsistency help them takeover L.A.? Who knows, but for now it's good enough to keep them even with their Tinsel Town rivals. —Ralph Warner

Record: 2 - 2
Last Week's Rank: 12
Last Week's Results: W vs. Boston, 106-104 (Sun); L @ Golden State, 78-92 (Wed); L @ L.A. Lakers, 82-99 (Thu); W @ Sacramento, 114-92 (Sat)
This Week: vs. Toronto, Monday (1/2); vs. Charlotte, Wednesday (1/4); @ Washington, Friday (1/6); @ Detroit, Saturday (1/7)

The Knicks have been looking like the Knicks of old. Soft defense and a stagnant offense. Melo and Stat have yet to mesh when on the court together and they've been dealing with injuries to key rotation guys like Iman Shumpert and Jared Jeffries. B-Diddy is still nursing his bad back, so don't judge them yet. They face a division foe in the Raptors tonight and are looking to be over .500 after beating up on the Bobcats, Wizards and Pistons. That's what elite teams do right? --Angel Diaz

Record: 1 - 3
Last Week's Rank: 11
Last Week's Results: L @ San Antonio, 82-95 (Mon); L vs. Oklahoma City, 95-98 (Wed); W vs. Houston, 113-93 (Fri), L @ Chicago, 64-104 (Sun)
This Week: vs. Sacramento, Tuesday (1/3); @ Minnesota, Wednesday (1/4); @ Utah, Friday (1/6), @ L.A. Lakers, Sunday (1/8)

First week losses at San Antonio and against the Thunder? Eh, it'll happen. Right the ship versus Houston. But losing by 40 in Chicago? Scoring 64 points in said loss? That's Isiah-era Knicks futility there. Young season, young(ish) team. You gotta do better than that though. —Jack Erwin

Record: 2 - 3
Last Week's Rank: 5
Last Week's Results: L @ New York, 104-106 (Sun); L @ Miami, 107-115 (Tue); L @ New Orleans, 78-97 (Wed); W vs. Detroit, 96-85 (Fri); W @ Washington, 94-86 (Sun)
This Week: vs. Washington, Monday (1/2); vs. New Jersey, Wednesday (1/4); vs. Indiana, Friday (1/6)

Boston had a rocky start to the season with the news of Jeff Green being out for the year due to heart surgery and losing Paul Pierce for the first three games because of an heel injury. Sure they're looking old, but Shuttlesworth is shooting lights out and Rondo is showing that he's an elite point guard (not just trade bait). They've won two straight with Pierce back in the lineup and are looking to make it four in a row against the Wizards tonight and the Nets on Wednesday. --Angel Diaz

Record: 1 - 4
Last Week's Rank: 1
Last Week's Results: L vs. Miami, 94-105 (Sun), L vs. Denver, 93-115 (Mon), L @ Oklahoma City, 102-104 (Thu), W vs. Toronto, 99-86 (Fri), L @ Minnesota, 82-99 (Sun)
This Week: vs. Oklahoma City, Monday (1/2); vs. Phoenix, Wednesday (1/4); @ San Antonio, Thursday (1/5); vs. New Orleans, Saturday (1/7)

Sure, the Mavs have the worst record in the entire league, and we dropped the defending champs more than 10 spots from last week's rankings, but there's no reason to panic in Big D, right? Right?!? Well, no. But maybe. This is a funny regular season, and Dallas has two Hall of Famers and an amazing supporting cast. If they get the 8th seed come May, they'll still be a threat. They've been shooting like shit early in the season, and that figures to come around. But they're also old as shit, and that's not gonna change. It's also clear they miss Tyson Chandler a lot. —Jack Erwin

Record: 3 - 2
Last Week's Rank: 6
Last Week's Results: W @ Dallas, 115-93 (Mon); W vs. Utah, 117-100 (Wed); L @ Portland, 111-102 (Thu); L @ L.A. Lakers, 92-89 (Sat)
This Week: vs. Milwaukee, Monday (1/2); vs. Sacramento, Wednesday (1/4); @ New Orleans, Friday (1/6); @ San Antonio, Saturday (1/7)

Whoever thought Ty Lawson would be the Nuggets's leading scorer through the first five games, please raise your hand. OK, Ty, you can put it down now. The third-year guard is averaging over 18 points per on 55 percent shooting, and is combining with old school point Andre Miller for 12-plus assists a night. And things can only go up for the 3-2 Nuggets—just wait until Danilo Gallinari's three-point percentage goes above 13 percent. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 3 - 1
Last Week's Rank: 10
Last Week's Results: W vs. Detroit, 91-79 (Mon); W @ Toronto, 90-85 (Wed); W @ Cleveland 98-91 OT (Fri); L @ Detroit, 88-96 (Sat)
This Week: @ New Jersey, Monday (1/2); @ Miami, Wednesday (1/4), @ Boston, Friday (1/6)' vs. Charlotte, Saturday (1/7)

The Pacers are a group to watch for this year. With a slew of young, talented players, they have some of the biggest upside in the league. After taking the Bulls to the brink in the playoffs last year, they've gotten off to a solid start by beating the teams they should. One major concern that the Pacers have had and will have this year is the "leadership" from Danny Granger. He's definitely the best scorer on the team, but he knows that a little too much and it's affecting the volume of shots he's taking. He's averaging over 18 shots per game, yet is only averaging 17.5 points. Remember, Danny, sharing is caring.

Record: 3 - 1
Last Week's Rank: 14
Last Week's Results: W vs. Philadelphia, 107-103 (Mon); W vs. Sacramento, 101-79 (Tue); W vs. Denver, 111-102 (Thu)
This Week: @ Oklahoma City, Tuesday (1/3); vs. L.A. Lakers, Thursday (1/5); @ Phoenix, Friday (1/6)

Well, so much for being cursed. The new-look Trail Blazers are off to quite the start at 3-1, with their only loss coming to the equally new-look Clippers. Jamal Crawford has fit in nicely thus far replacing beloved All-Star Brandon Roy, while LaMarcus Aldridge has stepped in as the leading scorer. Meanwhile, ageless center Marcus Camby has been contributing 26 minutes per, leading the team in boards and blocks (and he's even third on the team in assists). —Russ Bengtson

Record: 3 - 3
Last Week's Rank: 9
Last Week's Results: L vs. Chicago, 87-88 (Sun); L @ Sacramento, 91-100 (Mon); W vs. Utah 96-71 (Tue); W vs. New York, 99-82 (Thu); W vs. Denver, 92-89 (Fri); L @ Denver 90-99 (Sun)
This Week: vs. Houston, Tuesday (1/3); @ Portland, Thursday (1/5); vs. Golden State, Friday (1/6); vs. Memphis, Sunday (1/8)

At some points this week, the Lake Show displayed the talent and experience that's made them a contender over the last few years. At other times (such as the last two minutes of their home opener), they looked like an aging squad that no longer had the chemistry that led them to three Finals appearances over the last four seasons. Their three losses can't all be put on the fact that they dealt Lamar Odom and no longer have the Zen Master on the bench. Kobe Bryant missing 22 shots in their last game against the Nuggets certainly didn't help much. #cmonson #sameshitdifferentseason—Ralph Warner

Record: 3 - 1
Last Week's Rank: 15
Last Week's Results: W @ New Jersey, 106-70 (Tue); W vs. Washington, 101-83 (Wed); W vs. New Jersey, 105-98 (Fri); L @ Houston, 95-84 (Sat)
This Week: @ Miami, Monday (1/2); @ Chicago, Tuesday (1/3); vs. Miami, Thursday (1/5); @ Charlotte, Friday (1/6); vs. Chicago, Saturday (1/7)

The Hawks started the NBA season with a cake schedule. They faced the Nets twice and the Wizards once and came out victorious in all of those games. No surprise. But now the real test begins. With two games against the Heat and Bulls, and a traveling schedule that'll surely leave them with some serious jet lag, Atlanta will be thoroughly tested this upcoming week. If the Hawks can end up on the winning end of a majority of these tough match-ups, this team can make an early statement that they are for real. —Jose Martinez

Record: 4 - 1
Last Week's Rank: 8
Last Week's Results: L @ Oklahoma City, 97-89 (Sun); W vs. Houston, 104-95 (Mon); W vs. New Jersey, 94-78 (Thu); W @ Charlotte, 100-79 (Fri); W vs. Toronto, 102-96 (Sun)
This Week: @ Detroit, Monday (1/2); @ Washington, Wednesday (1/4); vs. Chicago, Friday (1/6); @ Sacramento, Sunday (1/8)

With a lineup so stacked with talent, a 4-1 start for the Magic is nothing new. But something unconventional is the early season emergence of forward Ryan Anderson, who is averaging a team-leading 19.5 points per game. Now, unless Anderson fizzles out as the season progresses, the third-year forward should be able to help create a solid frontcourt threat with Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu. Only time will tell, but as of right now, Orlando is looking like a scary team out of the Eastern Conference. —Jose Martinez

Record: 3 - 1
Last Week's Rank: 7
Last Week's Results: W vs. Memphis, 95-82 (Mon); W vs. L.A. Clippers, 115-90 (Wed); L @ Houston, 85-105 (Thu); W vs. Utah, 104-89 (Sat)
This Week: @ Minnesota, Monday (1/2); vs. Golden State, Wednesday (1/4); vs. Dallas, Thursday (1/5); vs. Denver, Saturday (1/7); @ Oklahoma City, Sunday (1/8)

Same shit, different season. The Spurs are real good, and real boring. They'll hold most opponents to fewer than 90 points, drop the occasional game against a hot-shooting team, and win at about a 65% clip. They've got 5 games this week, including three against the Mavs, Nuggets, and Thunder in four days. Expect some extra time on the trainer's table for the team's old dudes. —Jack Erwin

Record: 4 - 1
Last Week's Rank: 4
Last Week's Results: W @ L.A. Lakers, 88-87 (Sun); L @ Golden State, 91-99 (Mon); W @ Sacramento, 108-98 (Thu); W @ L.A. Clippers, 114-101 (Fri)
This Week: vs. Atlanta, Tuesday (1/3); @ Detroit (1/4); @ Orlando (1/6); @ Hawks (1/7)

So far, so good! The Bulls got their season started off on the right foot by besting the Lakers (in L.A.!) in a huge opening day matchup. And after stumbling against the Warriors the following night, they won road games against the Kings and Clippers. Chicago is once again as good as advertised. Look out, NBA.—Chris Yuscavage

Record: 5 - 0
Last Week's Rank: 3
Last Week's Results: W vs. Orlando, 97-89 (Sun); W @ Minnesota, 104-100 (Mon); W @ Memphis, 98-95 (W); vs. Dallas, 104-102 (Thu); vs. Phoenix, 107-97 (Sat)
This Week: @ Dallas, Monday (1/2); vs. Portland, Tuesday (1/3); vs. Houston, Friday (1/6); @ Houston, Saturday (1/7)

OK, fine — Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook aren't the best of friends. There was a reported blowup during a game against the Grizzlies when Westbrook shot 0-13. But you know what? The Thunder won, Durant defended his hot-tempered teammate afterward, and Westbrook ain't going anywhere—at least not as long as he's on that bargain rookie deal. Westbrook's slump carried into the next game against the Mavs as he opened 3-11 from the floor, but he wound up scoring 16 points, and a signature KD trey with 1.4 seconds left kept the Thunder undefeated. What problems? —Russ Bengtson

Record: 5 - 0
Last Week's Rank: 2
Last Week's Results: W @ Dallas, 105-94 (Sun); W vs. Boston, 115-107 (Tue); W @ Charlotte, 96-95 (Wed); W @ Minnesota, 103-101 (Fri); W vs. Charlotte 129-90 (Sun)
This Week: vs. Atlanta, Monday (1/2); vs. Indiana, Wednesday (1/4); @ Atlanta, Thursday (1/5); @ New Jersey, Saturday (1/7)

It doesn't matter if you win by a game-winning basket or blow out the opposing team, a win is a win. That is the mentality over in Miami right now where the Heat remained undefeated through the first week of NBA competition. Maybe it was a case of taking teams for granted that made their games against the Bobcats and T'Wolves come down to the wire, but when the Big 3 returned home to face Charlotte for the second time, they didn't mess around and won by a remarkable 39-point margin. If the Heat can give their all night in and night out, they're close to unbeatable. —Jose Martinez