1. San Antonio Spurs (14-2): Everything is clicking for the Spurs right now. This hot start puts them in a great position to compete for the West's top seed down the stretch.
2. Dallas Mavericks (12-4): Dallas wins five in a row, including a road victories against the Thunder and Spurs, and a home win against the Heat. Tyson Chandler has been exactly the presence this team needs, but Caron Butler has to do more.
3. Boston Celtics (12-4): They've won three straight, and with Rajon Rondo back, they are a scary team again. Boston has a chance to pile up a lot of wins in a weak division.
4. Orlando Magic (12-4): Orlando's won three straight. Dwight Howard is averaging 23 points and 12 boards a game; if he can sustain those numbers, this team can go a long way.
5. Utah Jazz (13-5): This increasingly dangerous team has five straight victories. During their streak they've beat the Blazers, Lakers, and Hornets, not bad. They are incredibly tough to beat at home. My only concern is their relative lack of size.
6. Los Angeles Lakers (13-4): Two losses in a row follow the Lake Show's five straight wins. The Lakers have lost two in a row twice this season, and then they go on long streaks, so I would guess we are in store for about seven straight LA victories. Also, don't forget that this team is without a dominant player in Andrew Bynum. He is taking his time recovering from knee surgery, and that's a good thing. He should be back in three weeks or so.
7. New Orleans Hornets (12-4): After a blistering start, this team appears to be coming back to Earth. I'm not sure they have the talent to stay atop the West all year, but they are playing very good team defense, which can make up for a lack of scoring punch.
8. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-6): Kevin Durant has been banged up and this team is still winning games, which is a great sign. Russell Westbrook is the team MVP right now.
9. Denver Nuggets (10-6): They've won four in a row but remain in Melo limbo.
10. Atlanta Hawks (11-7): They are playing really balanced offensive ball. No player is scoring more than 17 points a game, and six players are putting up at least 9 points per game.
--from Adam
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