RK (LW) TEAM REC
1 (1) SPURS 26-4
The San Antonio Spurs enters week 10 once again as the number one ranked team in the nba. Their one slippage against Orlando did nothing to dampen their 26-4 record.
2 (5) CELTICS 23-5
Most skeptics expected the Boston Celtics to be one of the best teams in the East and to eventually challenge the Lakers for the title, but no one expected them to be this consistent, especially with key players being in and out of the lineup. Their 14-game winning streak was finally snapped by the Magic in Orlando, but I look for them to start another one.
3 (4) MAVERICKS 23-5
The Mavs did something that only two teams have been able to do early on this season and that was defeat the Miami Heat twice. What made their win even more impressive was that they ended the Heat 12-game winning streak by defeating them in Miami. I think this team is for real, but I still think they are one player away from seriously contending for a title.
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4 (3) HEAT 23-9
The Heat have won 14 of their last 15 games following a subpar 9-8 start and are beginning to look like a real contender. Many point to their blowout of the Cavaliers as the turning point, but I think increasing Mario Chalmers minutes was a key ingredient that helped open up their running game.
5 (7) JAZZ 21-9
The Jazz last three wins have been over teams with sub .500 records, but that didn’t stop them from moving up two spots to claim the fifth ranking. Like the Mavericks I think they are one solid player away from seriously contending.
6 (5) LAKERS 21-9
I guess the Lakers are so over confident that they feel they don’t have to show up until the playoffs, considering that has been their approach in each of the last two seasons. However in past seasons, the Lakers had the best record in the West, which may not be the case this year. The Spurs may have the best record locked and the Lakers are a year older, so like Kobe said they have to start taking these games seriously.
7 (6) THUNDER 21-10
I guess Kevin Durant may be getting tired of hearing that the mvp on his team is Russell Westbrook and not him. His 44 points Christmas day performance against the Nuggets was a reminder that he is still the best player on the Thunder team, even though he may not be the team’s mvp.
8 (8) BULLS 19-10
The is no question that the Bulls are missing Joakim Noah’s energy and rebounding, but you wouldn’t tell from watching Carlos Boozer recently. He averaged 25.6ppg and 11rpg over the last five games to help the Bulls maintain the third seed in the East with a 19-10 record.
9 (10) MAGIC 18-12
Call them the streak busters! They ended the Spurs 10-games winning streak and followed that with a come from behind victory to end the Celtics 14-games winning streak. Otis Smith, the Magic G.M rolled the dice by making some risky blockbuster trades that may pay off.
10 (13) KNICKS 18-12
The Knicks got back on track after losing three straight following their eight-game winning streak with two impressive wins over the Thunder and Bulls. The Knicks may not be a title contender, but they are definitely playoff bound.
11 (11) HORNETS 18-12
The Hornets are once again out of the top 10, but truth be told, they have no real upside and were actually playing above the capabilities early on in the season. I expect them to make the playoffs, but unless something major happens in terms of a trade, I don’t expect them to move up in the standings.
12 (9) HAWKS 19-13
Joe Johnson the Hawks $126 million investment returned back after an injury to give him team much needed help and to hopefully pick up the pace. Johnson is averaging 17.4ppg and I am positive that was not what the Hawks anticipated when they committed $126 million to Johnson this off-season.
13 (9) NUGGETS 16-13
My sympathy goes out to the Nuggets Carmelo Anthony who has been out for three games due to the death of his sister. The Nuggets are 0-3 since Carmelo left, which clearly proves his worth and explains why the Nuggets management have refused to pull the trigger and have hung on to Melo rather than caving in to the pressure and trading him.
14 (14) TRAIL BLAZERS 15-15
Brandon Roy has been out four games due to a persistent knee injury and the Blazers are 3-1 during that stretch. I think the Blazers should keep Roy out indefinitely even if that means losing him for the season and move on without him like they did Greg Oden. He is not healthy and will only hurt the team.
15 (18) ROCKETS 14-15
The Rockets seem to have completely put Yao Ming’s season ending injury behind them and have won their last four games and have a 7-3 record over their last 10 outings. If the Blazers Roy remains out, I expect the Rockets to move up and snatch the eighth seed from the Blazers.
16 (20) BUCKS 12-16
When you go in L.A. and defeat the Lakers by almost 20 points, you deserve to move up in the standings. Keep in mind the Bucks were without Brandon Jennings, but Earl Boykins the shortest player in the nba, stepped up with 22 points to spearhead the win.
17 (15) PACERS 13-15
The Pacers have been struggling as of late, winners of only 4 of their last 12 games. Fortunately for them, they are in the Eastern Conference where a 13-15 record is good enough to get them the seventh seed.
18 (17) PHOENIX 13-16
The Suns are still trying to get their new additions acclimated, but a key member named Vince Carter has yet to play with the team. I know the Suns are sporting a 3-game losing streak, but I actually believe that they will recover when Carter joins the team. The reason for my prediction is because the Suns are a much better defensive team since the trade and with Steve Nash, the former two-time mvp leading the way, anything seem possible.
19 (16) SIXERS 12-16
The Sixers have a 6-4 record over the last 10 games and with the Bucks Brandon Jennings out for at least another month, I expect the Sixers to move up and take over the eighth seed from the Bucks within a week.
20 (19) GRIZZLIES 12-16
Rudy Gay returned from his one-game suspension with a subpar 11 points game, but followed it up with a 30 points performance to lead his team to a 104-90 victory against the Pacers. The Grizzlies don’t have any major upside, but they could be spoilers for a lot of teams trying to make the playoffs.
21 (25) WARRIORS 11-18
The Warriors are sporting a 2-game winning streak, which is a good sign but not the kind that should have you thinking they are playoff bound. I expect them to continue to be a fun team, but they are definitely not playoff bound.
22 (24) CLIPPERS 9-22
The Clippers are one of the most exciting teams to watch and since their 1-13 start now have an 8-9 record. Unlike previous Clippers teams, this team may not be playoff bound but is definitely not hopeless as in years past. Led by Blake Griffin who has posted 18 straight double-doubles, they have become must see television.
23 (21) RAPTORS 10-19
Other than Andrea Bargnani, the Raptors have 7 players averaging double figures in points, a clear indication that they are very balance, but defensively they are horrible and will remain this way for a while.
24 (24) PISTONS 9-19
I guess every now and then you can expect one of the Pistons previously good players to have a nice game like Rip Hamilton’s 35 point performance that he put up against the Raptors, other than that, the Pistons glory days seem to be behind them.
25 (22) BOBCATS 9-19
Something had to be done in Charlotte so it didn’t surprise me that Larry Brown stepped down from his head coaching position with the team. New interim coach Paul Silas promises to speed up their offense, something the team desperately needs.
26 (27) NETS 9-21
Word has it that the Nets are preparing to make a big move, which I don’t necessarily think is in their best interest unless they are bringing in a superstar or two. I think they should simply rebuild through the draft and hope that the move to Brooklyn in a few years might eventually entice free agents to join the team.
27 (26) CAVALIERS 8-22
Every week the rhetoric remains the same when it comes to the Cavs, what more can you expect from a team that lose Lebron, arguably one of the top two players in the nba. They will not make the playoffs as I initially thought, but within a few years they will be in a very good position financially.
28 (28) WIZARDS 7-21
Javale McGee and Andray Blatche were both suspended for fighting in a Washington D.C night club. I think this may be just what the doctor ordered. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Blatche being the next Wizards player traded. No disrespect to his game, but he is the last link holding up the Wizards rebuilding process.
29 (29) TIMBERWOLVES 7-24
Kevin Love numbers may be monstrous, 20ppg and 15.6rpg, but if he was on another team like Lebron mentioned over the weekend, would he be able to average those number? Probably not! I think he is an excellent player, but his numbers are overblown, especially his points. In terms of rebounding, the guy is a stud, but the Timberwolves need more solid guard and perimeter play if they want to improve.
30 (30) KINGS 5-22
The Kings management and ownership made it clear that no changes will be made to their head coaching position and that Paul Westphal is safe for the remainder of the season. I don’t think any coach can change the situation is Sacramento. I think this is one time when you have to look to move players rather than fire a coach.
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