NBA WIZARD 2008-09 POWER RANKING: WEEK 6

RANK (LAST WK) REC.

1 (2) Celtics 20-2
The Boston Celtics reclaimed the 1st spot after losing it after the first week of the season to the Los Angeles Lakers whom previously held the spot for four straight weeks.
2 (3) Cavaliers 17-3
Don’t be surprise and a few may disagree, but how can you? In addition to winning eight straight games, the Cavaliers had the league’s best defense and second best offense by the end of week six. Due to those three reasons I felt obligated to rank the Cavaliers above the Lakers.
3 (1) Lakers 17-2
After holding on to the 1st spot for four consecutive weeks the Lakers dropped two positions to the 3rd spot after losing by a point to the Indiana Pacers and barely holding on to beat the injury riddled Washington Wizards by two. They still have the league’s best offense but as of late their defense have slackened and looking more like last year’s team.
4 (5) Magic 15-5
The Magic started the week with a bad loss to the Celtics, but rallied to win their last three games of the week. MVP candidate Dwight Howard continues to play like a beast and is currently leading the league in rebounds with 14.8 and blocks with 4.2 per game.
5 (4) TrailBlazers 15-7
The nba’s Cinderella team went 3-1 in week six and dropped one position to the 5th spot. I don’t think anyone should be surprise and for the doubters, the Trailblazers are for real.
6 (6) Nuggets 14-7
The Denver Nuggets are looking like a team again. However, even though they may be 13-4 since trading for Billups, I still don’t consider them the third best team in the West, at least not yet.
7 (7) Rockets 13-7
I really feel bad for the Rockets because of their injury situation. If they are a healthy team when it counts, maybe McGrady and Yao will finally get pass the second round.
8 (14) Mavericks 11-8
The Mavericks are back to playing good basketball after a terrible 2-7 start. Earlier in the season, the Mavericks might have loss two out of their three games they won in week six. The new look Mavs beat the Clippers and the Atlanta Hawks by the identical score of 100-98 in both wins. In all fairness both wins were at home but it still shows that the Mavericks are back.
9 (8) Spurs 11-8
Just in case you forgot about the Spurs, a17 points win over the red hot Nuggets and a 35 points blowout of the Golden State Warriors should serve as a reminder. The Spurs are also very glad to have their big 3 back and healthy.
10 (10) Hornets 11-6
The Hornets used a light week and continued to regroup with two very impressive wins over the Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies. After starting the season 5-5 the Hornets have gone 6-1 over their last 7 games.
11 (9) Hawks 12-7
The Hawks defensive stopper Josh Smith returned back with a vengeance and a statement. “I think we can be as good as Boston, Orlando and Cleveland.” With a 2-1 week which included a two point loss to Dallas on the road, maybe the Hawks could be as good as Orlando, but Cleveland and Boston are two different animals.
12 (11) Nets 11-8
The Nets were supposed to be lottery bound, but that was before Devin Harris decided to play like an all-star. If he continues at his current pace of 24.4ppg and 6.1apg he will definitely make the all-star team. A 2-1 week and 11-8 overall record was enough to earn the Nets the 12th spot by the end of week 6.
13 (15) Jazz 13-9
The Jazz continues to weather the storm and are surprisingly doing fine considering injuries to their top 4 players who have all missed games this season. I expect them to move up in the rankings when they are at full strength.
14 (12) Suns 12-9
If the Phoenix Suns are not careful they might not make the playoffs. One of two things must happen to turn around the funk the Suns are in. Either new coach Terry Porter must speed up the tempo and allow the Suns to play like they’ve always played or, he will be fired which seems to be the new trend in the nba. On another note, Amare needs to stop complaining that he is not the man and start playing the intense defense he promised to play this season.
15 (13) Pistons 11-8
Hopefully the return of Antonio Mcdyess may bring chemistry to a locker room in complete chaos. The only positive thing about trading for Iverson is the fact that the Pistons will free up over $20 million next season when he becomes a free agent. From a basketball standpoint the Pistons looks lost on offense, especially Rip Hamilton.
16 (18) Heat 11-9
A subpar schedule may have helped the Heat start 11-9, but D-Wade’s MVP type play will eventually lead them to the playoffs. It’s funny to think that critics actually projected the Heat being a lottery team before the season. A 3-0 week earned them the 16th spot.
17 (20) Pacers 7-13
How do you beat the Lakers and Celtics once and take the Celtics to overtime, but somehow have a 7-13 record? That is the million dollar question. Note: The Pacers were leading at the half in 7 of their 13 losses.
18 (17) Bulls 9-11
Most analysts have Derrick Rose as the nba leading candidate for the rookie of the year award. However, with a subpar 9-11 record, O.J. Mayo would be my pick if the season ended today. The argument cannot be made that Rose is on a winning team because by the end of week 6 he wasn’t.
19 (21) Bucks 9-13
The Bucks are at full strength now that center Bogut and all-star guard Michael Redd have both returned from injuries. I expect them to move up in the rankings but making the playoffs will be the best case scenario this season.
20 (19) Knicks 9-11
The Knicks were 6-6 before trading Randolph and Crawford and 3-5 since. I still believe the Knicks will make a push for the eighth playoff spot in the East under Mike D’Antoni. His system will allow players like the newly acquired Al Harrington, and players like David Lee, Nate Robinson and Chris Duhon to improve.
21 (16) Raptors 8-11
Add the Raptors to the list of underachievers in the nba. It’s unfortunate that whenever a team underachieves the head coach is always the first to blame. I didn’t agree with the firing of Sam Mitchell and interim coach Triano has yet to win a game (0-2). Jermaine O’Neal has to be a factor for the Raptors to improve.
22 (22) 76ers 9-12
The 76ers figured to be a top 5 team in the East when they made a splash in the offseason by signing free agent forward Elton Brand. His arrival hasn’t produced the victories they hoped for, but I do expect them to recover. At this point, they will be glad just being a playoff team. Hopefully Brand hamstring injury isn’t major. Then again it could be a blessing in disguise. Maybe Iguodala could return to his old form if Brand is out for an extended period.
23 (23) Bobcats 7-13
The Bobcats cannot stay put and I do expect them to make a trade very soon. A combination of Gerald Wallace and Raymond Felton should bring in a very capable player via a trade. It wouldn’t surprise me if they are having discussions with the Wizards, Raptors, Suns, Detroit and Sixers, all underachieving teams.
24 (27) Grizzlies 5-15
O.J. Mayo has taking over the lead for the nba rookie of the year award. He leads all rookies with 21ppg while making 47 percent of his shots and almost 40 percent from 3s. I am excited about their future because they will get another lottery player in next year’s draft.
25 (29) Wizards 3-15
Even if Gilbert Arenas returns immediately, the Wizards will struggle to make the playoffs and probably might still fall short. They are 2-5 since the firing of head coach Eddie Jordan and their future looks really deem. They already have a new coach so the only other option I see is playing it out or, making a trade.
26 (25) Warriors 5-15
The Warriors will not make the playoffs because of the following reasons: Monte Ellis injury was a crippler to begin the season. The Warriors should have offered Josh Smith a contract with a $14 million average. That would have been only $2 million more than his worth and the Hawks would not have matched it. C.J Watson would be a backup point guard on every other team in the nba except the Warriors. Just imagine for a second… Monte Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, Josh Smith and Andris Biedrins for a starting lineup. The Warriors would have had the best offense and definitely a top 5 defense.
27 (26) Clippers 4-16
I was one of those who thought the Clippers would improve once they got an inside scorer. Newly acquired forward Z Bo fit this bill to a tee, but a 1-3 week has me puzzled. Could Mike Dunleavy be on the firing block since that seems to be the new trend in the nba this season?
28 (26) Kings 5-16
The Kings best player Kevin Martin recently returned after been out for weeks with an injury. Unfortunately it seems like even when a team is not good enough coaches are getting blamed more and more these day. The Kings loss seven consecutive games at Arco for the first time since the 1993-94 season. Hopefully the Maloofs don’t make the mistake of trading head coach Reggie Theus, because he is definitely a good coach.
29 (24) Timberwolves 4-15
Wasn’t the Timberwolves supposed to be in rebuilding mold after giving away Kevin Garnett to the Celtics? I don’t understand the concept of bad teams with young players expecting to have better records.
30 (30) Thunder 2-19
Will new coach Scotty Brooks make a difference? The answer is absolutely no. Like I said before, I think P.J. was just too demonstrative for his own good which works in college but not in the nba. At least the fans can look forward to a high draft pick in next year’s draft.