RK (LW) TEAM REC
1 (1) SPURS 14-2
The Spurs retained their number one ranking by going 3-1 last week. There is no team hotter than the Spurs right now. They lost only once over their last 15 games thanks largely in part to Manu Ginobili, the Spurs shooting guard who pleaded with his teammates before the start of the season to not take the regular season for granted and their 14-2 record indicates that they heeded to his request. The Spurs are second in the league in scoring behind the Lakers at 107.2ppg with Giniobili leading the way with 21.6 points per game.
2 (5) CELTICS 12-4
The reason the Celtics are projected to make it to the NBA Finals is because they are the most balanced and well coached team in the East. Ray Allen spreads the floor with his excellent shooting. Paul Pierce slashes and balances the Celtics offense with his mid range game. Kevin Garnett is an excellent shooter for a big man up to 20 feet and can post up with the best of them. Rondo is the engine that makes the entire offense go. The Celtics ‘big 4’ along with Shaq all have different strengths that complement each other’s game.
3 (4) MAGIC 12-4
I think the Magic are a good team, but I just don’t see them beating the Celtics or even the injury depleted Heat in a 7 game series unless they make a drastic move. Vince is always injured and is definitely past his prime and his lack of defense and inconsistent play on offense makes him the most vulnerable to a trade. I think the Magic need a perimeter play maker who can be a threat defensively while also contributing 20 or more points per game consistently to be a force and I don’t think his name is Vince Carter.
4 (3) LAKERS 13-4
Kobe Bryant’s 36 points average was not enough to stop the Lakers from losing their last two games, but with a 13-4 record the Lakers are still in pretty good shape and they’ve been able to do this without Andrew Bynum, their starting center. With the emergence of San Antonio this season and the Celtics, Magic and Heat lurking from afar, I think the Lakers need to prolong Bynum’s return until he is absolutely healthy, because unlike the last two seasons, I see the Lakers 3-peating without Bynum being completely healthy.
5 (9) JAZZ 13-5
The Jazz are back in the top 5 thanks to two very impressive wins over the Hornets and the Lakers. Overall the Jazz have won their last five games and have an 8-2 record over their last ten games. Point guard Deron Williams is leading the way with 21.9ppg and 9.9apg.
6 (8) MAVERICKS 12-4
Wins over the Thunder, Spurs and Heat really have the bees buzzing out in Dallas and the Mavericks are now looking like a team that could seriously challenge the Lakers. Early on in the season, minutes at the center position were being split fairly evenly between Chandler and Haywood, (center by committee), but over the last five games, Chandler has clearly emerged as the Mavericks main option at the center position and he has not disappointed. During the Mavericks five wins Chandler averaged 12.2ppg and 10.6rpg in 31.6 minutes per game and I expect this trend to continue even though Haywood may not be in favor of this.
7 (2) HORNETS 12-4
The Hornet’s Chris Paul (CP3) is still one of the leading candidates for the NBA’s MVP Award and his Players Efficiency Rating (PER) of 27.1 is one of the best in the league, but the Hornets have loss three out of their last four since starting the season 11-1. I didn’t think they were as good as their 11-1 start, but one thing is certain and that is CP3 has emerged to reclaim his spot as the best point guard in the nba with Deron Williams sliding down to number 2.
8 (10) HAWKS 8-5
After losing three straight, the Hawks took advantage of three sub .500 teams to reel of three straight wins to move up in the rankings. Unless they make a trade, I expect the Hawks to wins 53 games or less this season and finish behind the Celtics, Magic, Bulls and Heat because I simply don’t see them as a team with any upside.
9 (6) THUNDER 11-6
I think the Oklahoma City Thunder came into the season with so much expectation with Durant and Westbrook being emotionally drained from the World Championships. It’s fair to say they have adjusted and are currently ranked accordingly. I expect them to finish with around 52 wins, but I don’t think that will be enough to earn Kevin Durant the NBA’s MVP Award.
10 (13) NUGGETS 10-6
The Nuggets to me is the Western Conference version of the Atlanta Hawk. They can beat any team on any given night, but they have no upside. Is Carmelo going to be traded? Is Chauncey going to be traded? Will the Nuggets head coach George Karl’s health force him to resign? There are just too many uncertainties with this team, but their four straight wins were enough to earn them the tenth ranking entering week six.
11 (11) BULLS 9-6
Derrick Rose is an absolute beast! He is averaging 26.6ppg to go with 8.2apg and the Bulls are still without Carlos Boozer. Just for kicks, the Bulls starting lineup could have been Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Lebron James, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. I think if you ask 100 people that really know basketball including Miami fans, eighty percent of them would agree that that lineup is better than anything Miami has. Chicago would have been his best destination if winning was really Lebron’s number one priority.
12 (10) HEAT 9-8
Yes, after 17 games the Miami Heat are not even in the nba’s top ten ranking. I think Tracy McGrady’s comment was the absolute best. Ray Allen is a pure shooter so he compliments Paul Pierce’s game perfectly. Lebron and Wade are hybrids of each other so unless they are involved in the same play ala, the (pick and roll) they are virtually not a good fit. You add that to Miami’s methodical offense and you will have the answer for exactly why the Heat are 9-8, how disappointing!
13 (18) PACERS 8-7
The Pacers may have alternated wins as indicative of their 8-7 record, but the last win over the defending champs in Los Angeles may have been their finest moment next to blowing out the Miami Heat this season. The Pacers are sharing the ball and are playoff bound after 15 games into the season.
14 (14) KNICKS 9-9
Defensively the Knicks are atrocious, third worse to be exact with the 107.2ppg they allow their opponents to score, but on offense they can score in bunches. Unlike some of the other terrible defensive teams in the league the Knicks have one ace up their sleeves named Amare Stoudamire. The Knicks may not be able to stop anyone, but in close games they can count on Amare to provide the offense down the stretch.
15 (12) TRAIL BLAZERS 8-8
The Blazers entered the season with so much promise, but injuries to Brandon Roy has really hampered their chances. Roy’s recent return confirms what we all know and that is he is a true warrior, but his complain about feeling a bone on bone sensation in his knee tells me he might need surgery. The Blazers three game losing streak is not a big concern to me. The real issue is whether Roy will eventually need surgery or if he is back to stay and if he is back, how effective will he be?
16 (16) SUNS 8-9
The Suns hope of making the playoffs depends on Brandon Roy’s injury status and whether the Warriors as a team can remain healthy. All things being equal, I wouldn’t bet against the Suns because they do have the nba’s former two time MVP Steve Nash.
17 (15) WARRIORS 8-9
The Warriors could not have been happier to see their all-star forward David Lee return. Lee was obviously rusty but his presence helped the Warriors snap a five game losing skid. The Warriors are 6-3 with Lee in the lineup and 2-6 without him. The Warriors have a good chance of making the playoffs if they can stay healthy as a team.
18 (19) CAVALIERS 7-9
The Cavaliers are currently hanging on to the 8th seed in the East as they prepare for Lebron’s first game back to Cleveland since the ‘decision.’ There is no question the Cavaliers misses their former star and vice versa, but they are the ones who should be feeling good right about now. Like a said earlier, making the playoffs should be the Cavaliers only realistic goal for the season and it will be a successful one if they do.
19 (23) GRIZZLIES 7-10
After their win over the Heat to snap a five game skid, the Grizzlies continued to take a turn in the right direction by going 2-1 in week 5. Rudy Gay number’s dropped significantly over the last five games, but Z-Bo’s return has had a lot to do with it and the Grizzlies are winning so I guess it’s for the better.
20 (22) BUCKS 6-10
It doesn’t take a scientist to figure out what the Bucks need because they are at the end of two extremes in the league. They are last in scoring at 91.4 points a game and first in defense allowing their opponents an nba’s best of 91.9 points a game. It’s fair to say that if the Bucks picked up their scoring they would be a very good team.
21 (21) RAPTORS 5-11
I believe the Raptors have finally adjusted to the loss of Chris Bosh and they may even make the playoffs in the East, how ironic would that be considering they couldn’t make it with Bosh last season. I think they are on the right track and even though they lost their last two games, those losses were to the Celtics and the Hawks.
22 (17) BOBCATS 6-11
The Bobcats were on the right track before back to back losses to the Knicks. Like the Bucks, the Bobcats have a problem scoring, which has been their Achilles heel for some time. Despite that they are only 1.5 games out of the eighth and final spot in the East.
23 (28) NETS 6-11
With six wins, the Nets have already won half of their total games from last season’s 12 wins. I expect them to win 25 to 30 games this season, but in order to move past that, their starting center Brook Lopez will have to become a double digit rebounder. He is currently averaging 6.2rpg and that is just not enough.
24 (20) PISTONS 6-11
Ben Wallace is leading the Pistons with 7.7 rebounds, .09 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. During the Pistons championship run in 2004, Wallace averaged almost twice as much in each category with around 3 blocks per game. The reason I bring that up is because the Pistons are a distant memory of the defensive team they used to be. Offensively they are just as bad, which is why they are ranked 24th entering week 6.
25 (26) ROCKETS 5-11
The Rockets are 6th in points at 104.4, 6th in rebounding at 43.7 and 5th in assist at 23.4 so by all standards they are a very good offensive team and they play very unselfish. The problem is they are 27th in the league in opponent points allowing 106.7 per game. I am not sure the Rockets will make the playoffs, but if Yao and Aaron Brooks are healthy they could definitely be a playoff team.
26 (24) WIZARDS 5-10
The Washington Wizards are in rebuilding mold and Gilbert Arenas is not a part of that. Yes he will put up big numbers, but I feel he is taken shots away from the Wizards other players especially rookie sensation John Wall. I will go on record to say Gilbert Arenas is the number one reason John Wall will lose out to the Clippers Blake Griffin for the ROY Award. In the Wizards defense, they may be stuck with Arenas, because it will be very difficult finding a team willing to take on Arenas 4 year/ $80 million contract.
27 (29) 76ERS 4-13
The Sixers are one of the worse teams in the league, but every time you watch them it seems like they are a lot better than their record. Doug Collins needs to play Evan Turner more, because let’s face it, who else do the Sixers have? I am not sure they can turn their season around, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they do.
28 (27) TIMBERWOVLES 4-13
I guess the recurring theme in Sota is how great Kevin Love is playing, leading the league in rebounds among other things. However, the player I am most impress with is Darko Milicic, the second overall pick from 2004, the draft that had Lebron, Bosh, Wade and Carmelo Anthony. Milicic leads the league in blocks and that doesn’t surprise me because he has always been a good shot blocker. However, I’ve been very impressed with Darko’s offense especially over the last five games in which he’s averaging 17.2ppg and 7.2rpg. I think the Timberwolves could be a very good team in a few years.
29 (25) KINGS 4-11
The Kings are still starting Dalembert at the center position, but they are playing DeMarcus Cousins more which still isn’t helping their cause. If they are willing to play Cousins more, then I don’t see the harm in starting him. Head coach Paul Westphal is just not getting it done or, the Sacramento Kings are not that good. Either way, the coach is usually the one used as the scapegoat which is why I believe Westphal job may be in jeopardy.
30 (30) CLIPPERS 3-15
The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the most exciting teams to watch thanks to leading ROY candidate Blake Griffin who is an absolute beast. Griffin is averaging 20.2ppg and 11.6rpg but the Clippers can’t seem to be converting his numbers into wins. There are two reasons for this. First would be the injuries to Baron Davis and Chris Kaman, who are both out. The second is probably not noticeable at all and that’s because of his 24.3ppg average. Eric Gordon is having an excellent season, but he is only making 20 percent of his 3 point attempts. The problem with that is he is attempting five 3s a game and that is a duplicate of Baron Davis and a recipe for failure.
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