Two weeks ago, the Nets were down, down, down, near the very bottom of the power rankings, like #28, #29 down. Then, the Nets started winning and now, the rankers have moved them up to as high as #22 or #23.

"The Nets are the East's spoiler team for the next 18 days," says John Schuhmann.. "They're playing well of late (winning six of their last nine), have a star who can take over games, and have five games remaining against teams 7-9 in the conference. That includes three against Philly, which the Nets already beat with a Deron Williams takeover."

Marc Stein isn't much interested in the present, but the consequences of the Gerald Wallace trade, calling recent wins, "curious late-season revival to 6-3 when only a top-three finish in the lottery will stop Portland from getting their pick.." Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, notes simply, "Deron Williams can change any game."

• Old squads rise to the top - John Schuhmann - NBA.com
• Power Rankings: Spurs take over top spot - Marc Stein - ESPN
• NBA Power Rankings: Who forgot to tell Spurs they are old? - Kurt Helin - NBC Sports
• NBA Power Rankings: Spurs Still Riding Hard, 13 Years Later - Tom Ziller - NBC Sports