Power Rankings: Knicks near top, Nets not so much

In the latest power rankings, the Knicks 2-0 start (including a blowout win over the Heat) has vaulted them to near the top of heap, with John Schuhmann ranking them No. 2 and Mark Stein No. 3. The two writers have the Nets at No. 9 and No. 14, with differing justifications for the rankings.

"The defense looked awful at times, the offense had plenty of weapons (against a good defensive team), and Reggie Evans grabbed a ton of rebounds," writes Schuhmann. "Most encouraging was the play of Brook Lopez, who scored 27 points and took 13 of his 17 shots from inside the paint."

Stein has a different perspective. He seems to have dropped the Nets mainly because they're not the Knicks. "Brooklyn is back to looking up at its MSG rivals," writes Stein. "The Knicks' Week 1 brilliance had to take them past the defensively challenged Nets."

• Power Rankings: Spurs already back on top - John Schuhmann - NBA.com
• Power Rankings: Knicks, Bucks rise - Mark Stein - ESPN
• NBA Power Rankings: Lakers drop - Marc J. Spears - Yahoo! Sports
• Miami Heat hold top spot in NBA Power Rankings - Matt Dollinger - Sports Illustrated
  
• NBA week 2 power rankings: Ignore these rankings - Seth Rosenthal - SB Nation