NBA power rankings 2012: Suns open the season at number 22

The Phoenix Suns open the season ranked 22rd in SB Nation's Seth Rosenthal's first power rankings for the 2012-2013 season.

The Suns finished the year even at 33-33 but will open the season without the familiar face of Steve Nash for a first time in a long while. The Suns have promise with a lot of youngsters on the team but it waits to be seen how well they all gel together.

The Miami Heat open the season on top of the rankings, with the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs rounding out the top five.

The Pacific Division is well represented high in the rankings with the Los Angeles Clippers landing at eighth, but after that it is quite the drop. After the Suns, the Golden State Warriors come in at 23rd and the Sacramento Kings are close behind at 25th.

The Suns open the season on Wednesday, Oct. 31 against the 24th ranked Detroit Pistons.