The NBA All-Star Game will take place this weekend in New Orleans. While much of the focus will be on the host Hornets, there is another team with a tie to the Big Easy making sweet music these days. The Jazz -- a franchise that moved from New Orleans to Salt Lake City in 1979 -- might be the NBA's hottest team heading into the break.
Led by All-Star forward Carlos Boozer and point guard Deron Williams, the Jazz had won 17 of 20 games at week's end. Utah recently ran off a 10-game win streak to join the Pistons and Blazers as the only teams to post a double-digit run this season. As usual, Utah has been tough at home all season (22-3, tied with the Mavs for the NBA's best). Lately, however, they have been winning on the road, pulling out victories in five of their last six contests in enemy arenas.
Will Jerry Sloan's crew be able to continue their surge after the All-Star break? We'll see. This year's Western race seems to produce a new "hot" team each week. But for now, it's enough to put Utah atop these rankings.
This week's high riser: Pistons (No. 3 from 8)
This week's big drop: Suns (No. 10 from 3)
| NBA Power Rankings |
| 1 |
5 |
 |
Forget Shaq, Pau and C-Webb. How about the pickup of Kyle Korver? The former Sixer's outside shooting has been a key to the Jazz's surge, along with an improving defense that has held 12 of its last 17 foes to 93 points or fewer. |
| 2 |
2 |
 |
Even without Kevin Garnett (abdominal strain), they downed the Spurs on Sunday to run their record against the West to 16-0. But they were disappointed that Ray Allen wasn't picked to replace KG in the All-Star Game. |
| 3 |
8 |
 |
Rasheed Wallace's selection as Garnett's replacement isn't the only reason they're smiling in Motown. At week's end they had won eight straight while allowing an average of 86.9 points per game over that span. |
| 4 |
7 |
 |
The NBA's other streaking team (along with the Jazz) had won 10 of 11 at week's end to join the crowd of playoff hopefuls. Even Bonzi Wells has been contributing, while Luis Scola has taken over as starting power forward. |
| 5 |
1 |
 |
Friday's loss at Atlanta officially ends their Pau Gasol-inspired ceremonial one-week reign atop these rankings. But they still had won five of seven on their epic nine-game road trip to keep the good vibe going. |
| 6 |
6 |
 |
Chalk up last week's bad home loss to the Bulls on the distraction over Chris Webber's debut. They bounced back nicely with Saturday's win over the Kings and the schedule is friendly with seven of their next eight at the Oracle. |
| 7 |
4 |
 |
This year's All-Star hosts should be in a festive mood. Last week's thrilling double-OT victory over the Suns snapped a three-game losing skid and improved their record to 3-0 this season against Phoenix. |
| 8 |
11 |
 |
Not a bad week in Dallas: three victories in four games and they don't have to deal with Shawn Marion's defense anymore. The only way to top it would be to spoil Shaq's expected debut in Phoenix on Thursday. |
| 9 |
13 |
 |
Their beard-growing contest might be the worst since the one on Cheers. But they had won four straight before Sunday's loss at Boston and were 4-3 overall on their nine-game rodeo trip without Tony Parker (ankle). |
| 10 |
3 |
 |
Without Marion, they have to take a slide in these rankings for the time being. Meanwhile, new GM Steve Kerr should begin to find out if he's "a genius or a moron" when Shaq suits up for the first time in a Suns uniform this week. |
|
1 of 3
