10. Golden State Warriors (8-6): The Warriors went 3-1 last week, and Stephen Curry has been on fire for the most part. (Last Week: 16)
9. Denver Nuggets (8-6): Andre Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, and Ty Lawson appear to be leading the Nuggets, and have led them to four straight victories ignited by a big victory over Memphis. The Denver bench has been an intricate part of the win streak as well. (Last Week: 21)
8. Los Angeles Clippers (8-5): I stated last week that the Clippers had a chance to claim the number one spot with a solid stand against upcoming matches such as the Spurs, Thunder, and Nets. The Clippers started off well by beating the Spurs in San Antonio, but have lost their following three games, which came on the road as well against Oklahoma City, Brooklyn, and Atlanta, respectively. The Clippers will need to prove they can win on the road going forward. (Last Week: 3)
7. Brooklyn Nets (8-4): The Nets have a solid core in the form of Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Joe Johnson. It has showed thus far this season, especially at home, where the Nets are 6-1.(Last Week: 7)
6. Atlanta Hawks (8-4): The Hawks are definitely flying high with five straight victories. They’re getting it done by committee as it is not uncommon to see five players in double figures in the stat sheet on some nights, and balanced scoring from eight or nine players on other nights. (Last Week: 17)
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5. New York Knicks (9-3): The Knicks are still riding high, but went 2-2 last week. That could be due to playing five games in seven days, however. Carmelo Anthony’s new-found defense added to his already potent offense could make the Knicks a legitimate title contender this season. (Last Week: 2)
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (10-4): Kevin Durant is playing a solid all-around game, Russell Westbrook is performing like a true point guard (averaging 8.4 assists), and Kevin Martin is providing just about as much scoring as James Harden did for the Thunder last season and shooting 50 percent from behind the arc. Martin may not be as well-rounded as Harden, but the superstars on the team have adjusted their respective games and picked up the slack. (Last Week: 6)
3. Miami Heat (10-3): The Heat have won four straight. Despite Dwyane Wade sitting out two games and returning for two solid performances, his injuries are still a major concern for Miami. (Last Week: 5)
2. Memphis Grizzlies (9-2): The Grizzlies had their eight game winning streak snapped by the Nuggets, but picked up right where they left off and stopped the Lakers at home on Friday.
1. San Antonio Spurs (11-3): Well, this shouldn’t be a surprise. True to form, the Spurs are dominating in the regular season; Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have been having some huge games in the process as well. Over their current three game winning streak, Duncan is averaging 22.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while Tony Parker is averaging 30.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 3.3 rebounds.
