NBA News: NBA Power Rankings: Did Boston Celtics Push to the Top?

Just when it seemed like the Golden State Warriors were doing all they could to eradicate suspense at the top of our power rankings, the Boston Celtics came along and refused to stop winning.  Elsewhere, Joel Embiid erupted, Eric Bledsoe took the Milwaukee Bucks on a run, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers quit hitting the snooze bar for an eye-opening quarter, and the Houston Rockets got their big offseason acquisition back.

We've got action all over the rankings after a week like that.

As always, the goal here is to organize all 30 teams into an order that reflects their current strength. Injuries matter, as do catch-all metrics and recent trends. Head-to-head meetings are important, but they won't always be determinative. Where the numbers don't quite clarify the picture, gut instinct gets to weigh in. Rankings are based on games through Thursday.

Per a tweet from Brian Robb of Boston Sports Journal after Friday's 90-87 victory over the Hornets: "Celtics win without [Kyrie] Irving, [Al] Horford and Hayward while also shooting 35 percent from field? Brad Stevens just strengthening his Coach of the Year resume."

The Celtics are legit, a true challenger to the Cavs' years of conference supremacy and positioned to get even better as the chemistry improves between so many unfamiliar pieces.  Boston has bashed all comers with the league's best defense and unselfish play on the other end. And now, having seen them slay a giant, we know the Celtics can do their thing against anyone.