ESPN's John Hollinger released his initial NBA Power rankings and has a surprise at #1. Your Philadelphia 76ers. Now, his rankings are purely formula based and take into account scoring margin, strength of schedule and recent record. This early in the season (see small sample size), there are bound to surprises in the ranks.
↵And while the Sixers probably won't be at the top as more and more games are added to Hollinger's formula, you really can't deny that the Sixers have been one of the best teams in the NBA so far this season. They're off to their best start since the 2000-2001 season when Allen Iverson helped lead them to the NBA Finals. Their +14.63 scoring margin so far this season is the best in the NBA. While the Sixers haven't played the toughest schedule so far, they have beaten the teams they've faced soundly.
↵Hollinger's top five are as follows:
↵1. Philadelphia 76ers
↵2. Miami Heat
↵↵4. Portland Trailblazers
↵↵