One month into the NBA season, a handful of teams without major star power have jumped out to surprising starts. 5. Jazz (12-8) » Utah looks completely different from 12 months ago without longtime coach Jerry Sloan and All-Star point guard Deron Williams. Al Jefferson (18.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg) and Paul Millsap (17.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg) are part of a strong frontcourt, while Devin Harris pilots the offense.
4. Trail Blazers (13-9) » Losing Brandon Roy to retirement hurt, but Portland is still competitive. LaMarcus Aldridge (22.6) is the team’s centerpiece, while Gerald Wallace, Jamal Crawford and Raymond Felton provide offensive support.
3. Pacers (15-6) » Indiana showed its good start wasn’t a fluke with a road win over Chicago. Danny Granger has always been the man for the Pacers, but now he has Roy Hibbert (14.0 ppg, 9.8 rpg) and new addition David West to help out. Darren Collison isn’t bad running the offense, either.
2. Nuggets (14-7) » Perhaps it shouldn’t be shocking Denver is this good considering the team’s depth and influx of talent — even though it no longer has a star without Carmelo Anthony. Sharpshooting big man Danilo Gallinari (17.4 ppg) leads a cast that features six players averaging double figures. Point guards Ty Lawson and Andre Miller combine for 13.6 assists a game.
1. 76ers (16-6) » Unless Boston comes to life, Philadelphia looks like the top team in the Atlantic Division. Coach Doug Collins molded a young, inexperienced squad into a playoff team last season, and the carryover is showing now. Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala have the 76ers rolling.
– Scott Gleeson
