NBA power rankings 2013: Detroit Pistons fall after losses to top teams

An unconvincing win against the Boston Celtics and a pair of losses to two of the better teams in the NBA caused the Pistons to drop in all but one of the major NBA power rankings this week.

SB Nation:

16. Detroit Pistons (2-3, Last week: 13)

The Pistons faced two of the best teams in the league in the Pacers and Thunder last week, and things didn't go so well. On the Josh Smith Three-Point Watch, Smoove is still taking seven bombs per game while making 28.6 percent of them. Comical.

Pistons actually moved up a spot in the ESPN power rankings:

13. Detroit Pistons (2-3, last week: 14)

No less an authority than Frank Vogel, whose megaphone boasts impressive reach these days, has already decreed Detroit will "make the playoffs this year" because of its "monster size and great guards." The same Pistons who hadn't topped .500 since (gulp) November 2009 until their 1-0 start.

NBA.com:

18. Detroit (2-3, last week: 18)

Pace: 96.9 (16), OffRtg: 102.1 (11), DefRtg: 103.7 (23), NetRtg: -1.6 (19) Interestingly, defense has been the problem with the Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond frontcourt. The Pistons have allowed over 114 points per 100 possessions in 111 minutes with the three on the floor together. And the Pacers - 7-0, but a below-average offensive team - scored 59 points in just 21 minutes against the trio on Tuesday. Detroit faces two top-10 offenses out West. This week: @ POR, @ GSW, @ SAC, @ LAL

CBSSports:

14. Detroit (2-3, last week: 12)

Went 1-2 last week, but they're really battling, even against good teams. They still have some good things going. Brandon Jennings coming back seems to have hurt their ball movement (surprise).

Pistons dropped the most in the SI.com power rankings:

18. Detroit Pistons (2-3, last week: 13)
The Pistons signed Chauncey Billups in hopes of adding a veteran leader, but they were mistaken if they thought they were adding a starting guard. Billups is averaging just 6.6 points and 3.2 assists while shooting 33.3 percent from the field and boasting a 9.2 PER, the lowest of any Piston who has played in all five games. It's only a matter of time until Maurice Cheeks is forced to look elsewhere.

Do you agree? Disagree? If you had to rank the NBA's teams, how would you? Let's read what you think in the comments.