Writing the Pine

AP Photo/Winslow Townson

1. BOSTON CELTICS (4-0) – An opening night victory at Cleveland and the league’s best defense and a 19.3 average margin of victory give the C’s the top spot in Week 1.

2. ORLANDO MAGIC (3-0) – Vince Carter is hurt (already) but JJ Redick stepped in to score a career-high 27 points against Toronto to give the Magic a 3-0 start.  But the real question is, how will JJ’s rap album be?

3. DENVER NUGGETS (3-0) – Carmelo is playing like the MVP.

4. DALLAS MAVERICKS (2-1) – The Mavericks aren’t the fourth-best team in the league, but taking out the defending champs in their building vaults them this high for at least a week.

5. LOS ANGELES LAKERS (3-1) – Talk of 70+ wins may have been premature as Kobe Bryant and co. have not looked good so far.  But they’ll turn it around real soon.

6. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (2-1) – Might be the worst second game of a back-to-back team in the NBA.  Other than a hiccup in Chicago, the Spurs have looked good.  But the most impressive part of the Spurs’ week?  Manu Ginobili smacking a bat with his bare hand.  Scroll down to see it.

7. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (2-2) – The loss to the Celtics is excusable.  The loss to the Raptors is not.

8. ATLANTA HAWKS (2-1) – A loss to the Lakers at LA is okay.  Let’s see how they do against the Blazers and the Nuggets this week.

9. PHOENIX SUNS (3-0) – With averages of 18.7 points and 14 assists, Steve Nash has put his name into the (very) early MVP discussion.

10. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (2-1) - GM Ed Stefanski knew what he was doing when he let Andre Miller go and did not bother to sign another point guard.  Lou Williams is averaging 20.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.0 apg, and 0.7 tpg while shooting 64% from the field.

11. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (2-1) – Agent Zero is back.

12. MIAMI HEAT (3-0) – Could Jermaine O’Neal be back?  The former All-Star is averaging 17.3 points and 10.3 boards and is the reason Miami is 3-0.  Well him and Dwyane Wade too.

13. CHICAGO BULLS (2-1) – I don’t think the Bulls will make the Playoffs but beating San Antonio has to count for something.  They are one notch below the Heat after losing to them on Sunday night.

14. HOUSTON ROCKETS (2-1) – Did anyone honestly believe Trevor Ariza would average more than 20 ppg at any point during the season?  Well with a 33 point outburst in a surprise victory against Portland, he is averaging 23.3 ppg.

15. UTAH JAZZ (1-1) – Deron Williams is making an early case for best point guard in the NBA: 24.5 ppg, 11 apg, 3.5 rpg, 50% FG%, 44.4% 3PT%

16. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (2-2) – A disappointing start to the season for the Blazers just got worse as LaMarcus Aldridge left Sunday night’s game against the Thunder with an injury and did not return.

MVP/ROY WATCH

MVP
1. CARMELO ANTHONY – Could ‘Melo also be the league’s most improved player?  I can’t think of another player who made a higher leap from last year.
2. DWIGHT HOWARD
3. PAUL PIERCE
4. RAJON RONDO
5. LEBRON JAMES

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
1. JONNY FLYNN – Already made his claim as the heart and soul of the team.
2. BRANDON JENNINGS
3. TY LAWSON
4. STEPHEN CURRY
5. DEJUAN BLAIR

VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Manu Ginobili owns a bat.