NBA Power Rankings, Week 3: Lakers No. 1 By Default; Bucks, Blazers Make Moves

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SB Nation's Week 3 NBA Power Rankings

The Lakers take the top spot in week 3 only because there didn't seem to be a clear favorite amongst the rest of the pack. It was a safe pick if you will. Despite some of the other teams having a better record, they all seemed a little shaky and the panel wasn't quite sure if a lot of the teams were legit or just hot right now.

So what do you think? Should the Lakers be in the top spot this week?

Rank (LW)	Record	Comments
1 (2)	Los Angeles Lakers 7-3	Liberty Ballers: "Over-rated CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!"
2 (5)	Phoenix Suns 9-2	At The Hive: "Seven of their eleven games have been on the road, yet they have an NBA best 9-2 record. Channing Frye for Most Improved Player?"
3 (1)	Boston Celtics 8-3	Raptors HQ: "Not only one of the league's best records but best feel good stories too - Shelden Williams' gradual climb out of the Darko zone."
4 (4)	Denver Nuggets 7-3	CelticsBlog: "Keep beating LA"
5 (11)	Portland Trail Blazers 8-4	Peachtree Hoops: "The Blazers look good, but they were good last year. Still looking for the improvement."
6 (8)	Cleveland Cavaliers 7-3	Peachtree Hoops: "Back to back wins over Orlando and Miami are enough for me to take them off my worry list."
7 (6)	Dallas Mavericks 8-3	At The Hive: "Another team playing well on the road - 4 road wins versus 1 home loss."
8 (3)	Orlando Magic 8-3	Third Quarter Collapse: "Not off to a blazing start, but are nonetheless tied with Boston and Cleveland during a stretch in which Rashard Lewis was unavailable, while Vince Carter, Ryan Anderson, and Mickael Pietrus all sat out with ininjuries."
9 (9)	Atlanta Hawks 9-2	a href="http://atthehive.com">At The Hive: "With wins at Boston and at Portland, and home against Denver, the Hawks have compiled the most impressive resume to this point. No lie. Jamal Crawford, 6th Man of the Year?"
10 (7)	Miami Heat 7-2	CelticsBlog: ".....and thereafter Andy V never tried to block a shot again."
11 (19)	Milwaukee Bucks 5-3	Peachtree Hoops: "Brandon Jennings. Mocking New York's 2010 plan one game at a time."
12 (12)	Houston Rockets 6-4	Peachtree Hoops: "Who enjoys playing Houston? Answer: no one. Who is scared of Houston? Answer: no one."
13 (10)	San Antonio Spurs 4-4	At The Hive: "Always among the league's best road teams, the Spurs are winless on the road so far this season."
14 (14)	Toronto Raptors 5-5	Peachtree Hoops: "A team that can beat and lose to anyone."
15 (13)	Chicago Bulls 5-4	Sactown Royalty: "Joakim Noah is challenging the entire Rockets roster for Most Improved Player."
16 (17)	Oklahoma City Thunder 5-5	Third Quarter Collapse: "It's impossible to ignore what the Thunder have done so far this year. They laid a 28-point beatdown on the Magic, took the Lakers to overtime before losing, and then beat the Spurs on the road."
17 (24)	Indiana Pacers 4-3	Peachtree Hoops: "Buy league pass. Watch Danny Granger. Enjoy."
18 (26)	Sacramento Kings 5-4	Sactown Royalty: "The Kings are plucky at the very least. It'll be interesting to see if the team makes any sort of serious trade to help continue the winning ways and fill the gym."
19 (18)	Detroit Pistons 5-5	Third Quarter Collapse: "They're not having a good year or a bad year. They're not exceptionally good or bad at any one thing. I have a hard time believing this mediocrity is what Joe Dumars envisioned when he unloaded Chauncey Billups."
20 (16)	Utah Jazz 4-6	SLC Dunk: "The Jazz just went 2-2 on a road trip. Pop the cork on the bubbly. .500 on the road last year could have been the two seed. The year before that? The one seed."
21 (22)	Los Angeles Clippers 4-7	At The Hive: "The best center in the league is Chris Kaman - and he's not on the All Star ballot."
22 (20)	Charlotte Bobcats 3-7	Peachtree Hoops: "Good teams will not lose to the Bobcats. The exception of course being the Hawks, who Charlotte openly mocks each and every time they play."
23 (15)	Philadelphia 76ers 4-6	Sactown Royalty: "Here lies Elton Brand, 2000-2007."
24 (23)	New Orleans Hornets 3-8	CelticsBlog: "Rut-row"
25 (21)	Washington Wizards 2-7	Sactown Royalty: "Stunning disappointment of the season so far. Given all the upgrades -- including the return of Gil and Brendan -- this team should be pulling out some wins."
26 (25)	Golden State Warriors 3-6	a href="http://peachtreehoops.com">Peachtree Hoops: "Are you a point guard? Are you good at scoring? The Warriors would like to say 'you're welcome.'"
27 (30)	Memphis Grizzlies 2-8	SLC Dunk: "Maybe if they had made him wear #82, AI would have been around longer than 3 games"
28 (27)	Minnesota Timberwolves 1-10	Canis Hoopus: "The Wolves may have one more win than New Jersey, but Minnesota's -13.8 point differential bests the 0-fers by 3.5 points. Sure, that one win came against New Jersey, but it was opening night on a last-second tip-in."
29 (28)	New York Knicks 1-9	Sactown Royalty: "There's no excuse for the Knicks to be this bad."
30 (29)	New Jersey Nets 0-10	CelticsBlog: "Poor Nets. Two well covered 3s sink their first chance at a W."