THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

*--* FAST STARTERS 1. Utah Old Lakers favorite Fisher gets 31 off the bench as Jazz starts 2-0. 2. Lakers About who’s hot and who’s not: I may have gotten my local teams mixed up. 3. Cleveland I wrote them off too. After win in San Antonio, I was going to buy ski mask. 4. New Orleans They’re b-a-c-k: Young Hornets start with road wins in Boston, Indianapolis. 5. Philadelphia 2-0 start with win in Orlando suggests old guys may beat last season’s 38 wins. 6. San Antonio Win in Dallas shows they’re still good but no longer miles ahead of pack. WILL BE HEARD FROM, PRESUMABLY 7. Detroit What’s more fitting than Rasheed Wallace becoming first ejected of zero-tolerance era? 8. Miami More disrespect: Jalen Rose says he wants to play for title -- chooses Suns over them. 9. Phoenix Starting over yet again: Signing Rose shows they think they need help. 10. Clippers For some reason, taking their sweet time about going to their low-post offense. 11. Dallas Oops: Lose at home to Spurs before road games vs. Rockets, Suns, Clippers. 12. Chicago Oops: After big win in Miami, they lose in Orlando, drop home opener to Kings. 13. New Jersey Mr. O’Neal to you: Shaq gets 21 to let Nets know they’re still just the Nets. 14. Minnesota Newly signed Mike James ends slump with 18 in win at Denver as they start 2-0. 15. Orlando Oops: After getting 27-11 in opener, Howard gets 14-9 in home loss to 76ers. 16. Sacramento More weird chemistry: Bibby, who never used to say boo, ejected in opener. BASIC LOWER-MIDDLE CLASS 17. Houston Where’s his head? McGrady says Utah’s intensity surprised them in opener. 18. Washington Taking it literally, Arenas debuts “Gil Zero” shoe, doesn’t score in first half. 19. Indiana Stephen Jackson goes 9-28 from floor in first two, Jamaal Tinsley 7-20. 20. Milwaukee Bogut, who was supposed to be out two more weeks, gets 34-18 in first two. 21. New York Isiah’s high-powered offense gets 210 in first two, but defense gives up 219. 22. Toronto Colangelo’s vision fulfilled for a night as they get 109 in home opener. 23. Memphis With Gasol out, Mike Miller trying to be the man, gets 45 in their first two. THINGS DIDN’T START QUITE AS PLANNED 24. Denver They want Maggette, but it’s going to take way more than J.R. Smith. 25. Golden State After opener, Nelson says Murphy was “terrible,” Dunleavy “a disaster.” 26. Seattle No easy wins in West: Rally from 20 down vs. Lakers shows they’re not that bad. 27. Portland Nice start: Rookie Brandon Roy gets 20 debuting in Seattle, his hometown. 28. Atlanta Beating Knicks in home opener put them three weeks ahead of last season’s pace. 29. Charlotte Co-owner Jordan nowhere to be seen as his era starts with home loss to Pacers. 30. Boston Dynasty long shuttered: After emotional salute to Auerbach in opener, they go 0-3.

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