2014-15 NBA Season Power Rankings: Best Teams After Week 1
The first week of the 2014-15 NBA season is complete, and the defending champion San Antonio Spurs are the No. 1 team after one week of play.
While the champs have been spectacular, the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers have been big disappointments, along with a handful of other teams. Because so few games have been played this season, the offseason and roster will play a huge factor in Week 1 rankings.
Here, Latin Post.com lists the top five teams in the NBA:
1. San Antonio Spurs
The reigning NBA Champions are 1-1 after just two games of play. They opened the season with an impressive victory against the Dallas Mavericks, but lost to the Phoenix Suns in their second game. Although they don't have the best record in the league, the Spurs have their best players returning, and there's no need to panic. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard are all back this season for the Silver and Black. Other notable players such as Danny Green, Marco Belinelli and Patrick Mills are also back in action for another title run.
2. Miami Heat
No LeBron James, no problem? The Heat have an extremely difficult task this season without the four-time Most Valuable Player, but they still have plenty of talent. Chris Bosh has inserted himself as the No. 1 guy in Miami, and Dwyane Wade has helped the Heat start the season a perfect 3-0. This Heat squad still has other valuable x-factor players such as Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole and Chris "Birdman" Andersen. In a weak Eastern Conference, anything is possible. So far, the free agent offseason addition of Luol Deng has worked out well.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
There's no doubt who had the best offseason. The Cleveland Cavaliers added LeBron James and Kevin Love to their roster. Point guard Kyrie Irving will be under a lot of pressure this season as a former No. 1 overall pick and having the opportunity to play with so many great players. There's a chance Ray Allen will play with the Cavaliers this season, but he has yet to make up his mind. After a stunning loss at home to the New York Knicks in front of thousands of emotional Cleveland sports fans to open the season, the Cavaliers rebounded with a win against the Chicago Bulls in the Windy City. Expect this team to be right in the mix at playoff time.
4. Houston Rockets
Last season ended terribly for the Houston Rockets when they lost in the first round to the Portland Trailblazers in six games thanks to Damian Lillard's memorable series-ending buzzer-beater in Game 6. With no more Jeremy Lin, the Rockets will depend almost entirely on James Harden and Dwight Howard. Harden still has a lot of improvements to make defensively, and Howard isn't perfect on the offensive side of the floor. Still, the Rockets have looked great out of the gate with a 4-0 record, their best start since 1996.
5. Golden State Warriors
Steve Kerr is off to a great start as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry continues to improve his passing skills and his three-point shooting abilities are by far the best in the NBA today. Klay Thompson has been playing outstanding, averaging 29.7 points per game through the first three games of the season. The Warriors get a spot ahead of the Bulls because they don't have as many injury issues.
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