Here are my power rankings about a month and a half into the season.

1. New York Knicks 18-6 - The Knicks are playing great basketball to start the season especially at home where they just lost their first home game last night to Houston but that was without the services of Carmelo Anthony who is the leader for the MVP award a month and a half into the season.  Tyson Chandler is giving them a defensive presence and guys like JR Smith coming off the bench offering instant offense.  Amare Stoudemire is set to begin rehabbing down in the D-League so his return will just add more talent to the best team in the East.

2. Miami Heat 15-6 - The Miami Heat seem bored at times as they have lost some questionable games to bad teams.  This is to be expected from the defending champs and they might not always bring their A game and you know their opponents will.  LeBron James is playing like an MVP should but you have to worry about Dwyane Wade because he just doesn't look the same out there.  They are think up front and have  had trouble with bigger frontlines. That might be something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

3. Atlanta Hawks 14-7 - The Hawks are a little under the radar right now but have gotten off to a fast start.  Josh Smith has elevated his game after the departures of Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams and Al Horford is playing big down on the blocks.  Lou Williams has been a great addition ot this team after the loss of Jamal Crawford.  The Hawks have been known to have good regular seasons but can't get it done in the playoffs.  That will have to change or this team might get ripped apart.

4. Chicago Bulls 13-10 - The Bulls are sitting at 13-10 despite not having Derick Rose which bodes well for them as they hope to get him back sometime after the all star break.  They are winning games by playing defense which is a stable of coach Tom Thibideau.  Luol Deng and Noah are pacing the team right now.  

5. Brooklyn Nets 13-10 - The Nets are still working on their team chemistry and look like they are ready to contend in the east after signing Deron Williams and trading for Joe Johnson in the offseason.  Brooke Lopez is coming off of an injury but has been big for the Nets down low and will be important if the Nets are going to jump into the category of elite teams.  They have a long way to go but the core of this team is very exciting and should contend for a top 4 spot in the East.

6. Indiana Pacers 13-11 - The Pacers have been without Danny Granger for this entire season and have managed to stay above the .500 mark.  Paul George has elevated his game and is a threat to score 20 plus points on any night.  Roy Hibber who is coming off of an all star season started slow but is slowly geting back to his form from a year ago.  When Granger comes back the Pacers can start playing like a team that was expected to contend for a top spot in the East.

7. Boston Celtics 12-11 - The Celtics have been hot and cold throughout the season and are right on the cusp of a playoff spot right now.  They are limiting minutes for Garnett and Pierce as they know this is a marathon not a spring.  Avrey Bradley is practicing now and it is very encouraging that he should be able to join the team in January.

8. Milwaukee Bucks 12-10 - The Bucks have an explsive backcourt with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis and that is the bulk of their scoring.  They are hanging around that 8 seed right now and a playoff push is a realisitc possibilty.  Larry Sanders has been a force blocking shots and has earned himself a spot in the starting lineup.

9. Orlando Magic 11-13 - Not many people expected the Magic to be a competitve team this year after trading Dwight Howard.  Role players in the past such as Glen Davis, Aaron Afflalo and Jameer Nelson have really elevated their games and have become legit scoring threats.  They have some nice pieces and might be able to contend for one of those final playoff spots.

10. Philadelphia 76ers 12-12 - Expectations were supposed to be higher for this 76ers team that was a game away from the eastern conference finals a year ago.  Jru Holiday is now a all star type player but they are truely missing the precense of their big offseason trade acquisition of Andrew Bynum.  When Bynumm comes back you can expect the  76ers to start making some type of run towards the playoffs.

11. Toronto Raptors 6-19 - The Raptors kick off the really bad part of the east as they struggle to find ways to win games.  They dont play any defense and don't have any true low post threats.  There has been a lot of talk about possible trade partners so look for them to be active as the season progresses.

12. Detroit Pistons 7-10 - The Pistons have a lot of young pieces in Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight and Andre Drummond.  They still are learning how to win but I think this team has put together a core of players that can get them to the playoffs in the next few years.

13. Cleveland Cavaliers 5-20 - Kyrie Irving is back in the lineup and they picked up a win against the Lakers.  They still are not a very good team but with Irving they are getting better and have reasons to be optimistic. Dieon Waiters has been a welcoming addition to a very talented and young backcourt.

14. Charlotte Bobcats 7-16 - The Bobcats have reached their win total of last season already but unfortunately when they got to 7 they now have lost 10 straight.  The Bobcats will struggle as they dont have enough pieces right now to be a threat each and every night.

15. Washington Wizards 3-18 - The Wizards hope to get John Wall back soon so they can see what their backcourt of the future will look like.  Bradley Beal has been good in this his rookie season and should only get better once Wall returns.  Until then they will lose more than they will win.