As Suns hit stride, T'wolves mull an Answer for KG

The Spurs, Jazz and Mavs each have had their spot in the, ahem, sun. This week the honor has to go to the team that actually hails from the desert, the one that was riding a 10-game win streak while reclaiming its identity as the NBA's highest-scoring club (112.1 points per game). Yes, Phoenix is our choice to top this week's Power Rankings.

Meanwhile, the T'wolves have quietly put together a nice stretch to rekindle hope in the frozen tundra of the North Star State. It's almost enough to make one wonder how good Kevin Garnett & Co. might be if Allen Iverson were to join them one of these days.

This week's high riser: T'wolves (No. 11 from No. 18)
This week's big drop: Nets (No. 20 from No. 13)

NBA Power Rankings Rank LW Team 1 7 Phoenix Suns (13-6) Talk about rising from the ashes. With Steve Nash up to his old MVP tricks, Amaré Stoudemire gaining confidence in his knees, and Boris Diaw getting back into shape, that 3-6 start is now just a distant memory. 2 1 Dallas Mavericks (14-6) They had their 12-game win streak snapped at Washington, then lost at home to Detroit three nights later. But Josh Howard (17.6 points, 6.1 boards, 47.9 percent shooting) continues to play like a man on an All-Star mission. 3 4 San Antonio Spurs (15-6) Gregg Popovich decided to bring Manu Ginobili off the bench for three games last week, and they won by 40, 20 and 29 points. Popovich can thank his lucky stars that Ginobili is no Terrell Owens. 4 6 Houston Rockets (14-6) One remarkable thing about their rise in the West is that they have done it without any contribution from Bonzi Wells. But Yao has been sensational, Tracy McGrady is sharing the ball, and their team defense has been stingy. 5 8 Detroit Pistons (13-7) They followed an eight-game win streak by losing to the lowly Bobcats and Blazers, then won back-to-back on the road at Dallas and Orlando. But will that kind of lackadaisical effort against sub-par teams come back to haunt them in the race for the East's best record? 6 2 Orlando Magic (15-7) Now we'll see how they handle adversity. They had lost three of five at week's end to bring them back to earth a bit after that hot start. In addition, Hedo Turkoglu (ankle) could be out two weeks. 7 3 Utah Jazz (15-5) Congratulations to Jerry Sloan on notching his 1,000 career coaching victory (at least we assume he'll get it sometime this week). He could also nab his first Coach of the Year this season if his team can get back to playing like it did the first month. 8 9 Los Angeles Lakers (14-6) They're off to an impressive start and playing well as a team (they're even 3-0 without Kobe). But with eight of their next 10 on the road, including this week's Texas Two Step at Houston (Tues.) and Dallas (Wed.), we're about to find out just how good they really are. 9 5 Denver Nuggets (11-7) George Karl says they're not in the Allen Iverson Sweepstakes, but wouldn't the Answer be a fun addition to this wild and crazy team? Then again, J.R. Smith has been getting the job done at shooting guard of late. 10 10 Cleveland Cavaliers (12-7) They're glad to have Larry Hughes back after a 10-game absence, but now they could be without Drew Gooden (left groin strain) for awhile. Believe it or not, the 6-10 forward injured himself attempting a dunk in warm-ups.