Pistons, Nuggets have reason to be optimistic again

It's a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world, and the Power Rankings are no exception. That's why solid teams like the Pistons and Nuggets found themselves out of the top 10 last week. With key players either injured (Chauncey Billups) or suspended (Carmelo Anthony), those two clubs just weren't the same.

Now they're both back, and their respective clubs should be much better for it. Look for them to pile up a lot of victories in the days ahead as they gain energy from their new additions. It's enough to make them top 10 teams again -- at least for a while.

This week's high riser: Nuggets (No. 8 from No. 17)
This week's big drop: Magic (No. 14 from No. 7)

NBA Power Rankings Rank LW Team 1 1 Dallas Mavericks Not that they need to make any statements, but that's exactly what they did last week. They downed the Rockets and Lakers to avenge earlier losses to them this season, then gained a measure of revenge for last year's Finals with a win at Miami. 2 2 Phoenix Suns Sunday's win at Minnesota ran their win streak to 13, making them just the eighth club in NBA history to record two win streaks of that length or more in a single season. They won a franchise-record 15 consecutive games earlier this season. 3 8 Washington Wizards At week's end they had won 10 straight at the Verizon Center to run their home record to 17-3. It marked their longest such home streak since the days of the Bullets in 1989. 4 3 San Antonio Spurs For what it's worth, they still rank second (behind Phoenix) in points-per-game differential (+8.0). But they have lost some of their aura of invincibility, as evidenced by their seven home losses this season -- matching last year's season total. 5 4 Houston Rockets Three straight losses at week's end had brought them back to earth a bit. More troubling, Tracy McGrady's back problems were flaring up again and the defense had given up more than 100 points in each of the last four games. 6 11 Detroit Pistons Chris Webber has fit in pretty well so far, but it is Billups' return that will really boost Motown's fortunes. With their veteran QB back on the floor, the Pistons' offense should pick up significantly. 7 5 Los Angeles Lakers Last week's win at San Antonio was another feather in Phil Jackson's headdress this season, especially considering all their injuries. But they also lost to the Hornets, showing they still have a way to go to develop consistency. 8 17 Denver Nuggets Anthony is back, Allen Iverson is excited, Marcus Camby is hitting the boards and the Nuggets had won three straight at week's end. It's enough to give them a major boost in these Power Rankings. 9 9 Utah Jazz Maybe it's a coincidence, but they started to play better after owner Larry Miller ripped Andrei Kirilenko. But doesn't Miller realize that shooting off his mouth like that isn't going to drive up the price on an AK-47? 10 6 Cleveland Cavaliers Yes, they lost at Seattle, Portland and Denver last week to continue their road struggles. But they still entered the week at 24-16, tied for the East lead and one game ahead of their pace from a year ago.