RK (LW) TEAM REC
1 (1) SPURS 40-7
For most of the season the rhetoric about the Spurs has remained the same. They are once again ranked first entering week 15 as they continue to mount up victories and add to their record best start, which is now 40-17.
2 (2) CELTICS 36-11
The Celtics are healthy and have their full squad now that Kendrick Perkins their starting center from last season has returned to the lineup. They are as confident as ever and showed that by handily beating the Lakers in L.A. even with Kobe scoring 41 points. Ray Allen has been amazing for a player who is almost 36 years old. He is currently averaging over 17ppg while making over 50 percent of his shots from the field and over 45 percent from 3s.
3 (4) HEAT 33-14
Well, the Heat have their full squad with the exception of Haslem , whom I expect to be back in a few months. Obviously most of their starters have nagging injuries, but the team was glad to have Bosh and Wade back in the lineup. I expect the Heat to chase the Celtics for the best record in the Eastern Conference, but with only 35 games left in the regular season and 3 games behind the Celtics, this may be a very difficult task. The key for them is being healthy and playing on all cylinders in April.
4 (5) BULLS 33-14
Derrick Rose is probably the leading candidate for the MVP Award, but I don’t think he will win it this year because I expect the Heat to have a much better record in the second half of the season than the Bulls. Rose however, is doing everything in his power and continues to make a strong case for the MVP Award. Rose proved he’s a warrior by playing with two stomach ulcers to help the Bulls defeat the struggling Pacers 110-89.
5 (10) MAVERICKS 31-15
The Mavs may be getting back on track with their recent 4-game winning streak. Even though 3 of those wins came against sub .500 teams, the Mavs sure needed the confidence booster considering they were 1-7 in their previous eight games before their winning streak.
6 (3) LAKERS 33-15
Ron Artest and Andrew Bynum are the key to the Lakers success and for the Lakers to have any chance of 3-peating, Bynum and mainly Artest will have to play extremely well and be consistent. So far this season, Artest has been very inconsistent on defense and his offense has been terrible. As for Bynum, he recently returned from his injuries, so it’s still too early to gauge, but he too is a step or two behind on both ends of the floor.
7 (6) MAGIC 31-17
The Magic have a 6-4 record in their last ten games and now that the honeymoon period after their trade has fizzled, I think the reality of their inefficiencies is beginning to set in. For instance, against the Bulls, the Magic all-star center Dwight Howard had a monster performance posting 40 points and 15 rebounds, but the Magic were outrebounded 40 to 54 in the game. The Magic have a ton of shooters, but the entire rebounding is left up to Howard and that is simply not a recipe for long term success. Without a backup center or a strong rebounding power forward, the Magic may have a long road ahead of them.
8 (7) HORNETS 31-18
The Hornets were riding a 10-game winning streak with their confidence sky high, to the point where their super star Chris Paul was being mentioned as an MVP candidate, but that was before their last two losses on the road games. My prediction is that the Hornets will post a 3-3 record over their next six games. Regardless of that, the Hornets are playing above expectations and CP3 will continue to be in the MVP conversation.
9 (8) HAWKS 30-18
Everyone knows who Joe Johnson is, but Hawks center Al Horford is the true sleeping giant of the team. For the season Al is averaging 16.2ppg and 9.8rpg and is remarkably the Hawks most efficient player with a 22.5 PER (Player Efficiency Rating). The Hawks may have stumble a bit last week, posting a 1-2 record, but I expect them to bounce back behind the leadership of Johnson, Horford and Josh Smith, the Hawks defensive stud.
10 (9) THUNDER 30-17
It’s nice to see Kevin Durant, whose usually quiet and somewhat reserve take a shot at a player from an opposing team. After the Thunder 108-103 loss to the Heat, Durant called the Heat’s forward Chris Bosh “a fake though guy.” Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook may have entered this season with enormous hype, but with a 30-17 record, they are on track to win 52 games.
11 (11) NUGGETS 28-19
Through his constituents Carmelo Anthony made it known that he did not want to play in New Jersey. I guess he was hoping that would force the Nuggets to trade him to the Knick, but from the looks of things, the Nuggets may trade Anthony to a team that might be willing to trade for him without him committing to signing the infamous 3 year/$65 million extension that he’s coveting. Carmelo may still end up in New York, but it may be at a very steep and discounted price and in the main time, the Nuggets seem to be content with riding out this saga.
12 (12) TRAIL BLAZERS 25-22
Two straight losses with the Memphis Grizzlies breathing down their necks should be reasons for concern. The Blazers hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference despite injuries to Roy and Oden, thanks largely to the play of forward LaMarcus Aldridge who is having an all-star season. Over the Blazers last two games (both losses) however, Aldridge has been hobbled by a hip injury and without him at full strength the Grizzlies will surpass the Blazers and overtake them for the eighth spot.
13 (13) JAZZ 28-20
The Jazz have a 1-8 record over their last eight games, with their lone win coming against the Timberwolves, one of the worst teams in the league. It didn’t surprise me to see Deron Williams out the last two games due to a wrist injury, because the guy has been playing out of his mind, but the team has not follow his lead. I guess he figured, why continue playing when he’s not a hundred percent, especially if his efforts are not equating into wins.
14 (14) KNICKS 25-22
The Knicks Amare Stoudemire went on record and said nobody is afraid of Miami. Then he went out and led his team to a 93-88 victory over the Heat afterwards. It was definitely a confidence booster for the Knicks who going into that game had lost 6 of their last 7 games. I think with a record of 3 games over .500, it fair to say that the Knicks recent skid will not stop them from making the playoffs, especially because they are in the Eastern Conference where a few sub .500 teams might make the playoffs.
15 (15) GRIZZLIES 24-24
The Memphis Grizzlies have made it to the .500 mark for the second time this season and they did it by winning 5 of their last 6 games. They are currently 1.5 games out of the eighth spot and with the Blazers hobbling as of late, it might not take long to see the surging Grizzlies claim the eighth seed.
16 (16) SUNS 22-24
How do you lose to the Pistons, Sixers and Bobcats and then go on to beat the Celtics in convincing fashion and then follow that by beating the Hornets in the next game? That is exactly what the Suns did and the man of the hour was Marcin Gortat. In the Suns two wins against the Celtics and Hornets, Gortat averaged 24ppg and 14rpg off the bench. “The Orlando Magic must be rolling in their graves,” as Charles Barkley would say, in reference to how well Gortat is playing and how much the Magic could use their former backup center.
17 (16) 76ERS 21-26
The Sixers have won 4 of their last 5 games and all of a sudden the rumor mail started in regards to whether or not the team is shopping Igoudala for expiring contracts. With Iguodala in the lineup the Sixers are 16-19 (.457), without him the team is 5-7 (.417). If the team is trying to trade him then it must be because the Sixers management believes the team is only slightly better with him, so why keep him for 3 more years and pay him $45 million after this season. They may be right, but it may mean not making the playoffs this year in order to save $45 million over the next three.
18 (22) BOBCATS 20-26
The Bobcats are hanging on to the eighth seed in the East by a hair and are only a ½ game ahead of the Bucks. I doubt the Bobcats are going to make any moves before the deadline. With their top trade asset Gerald Wallace having a subpar year and recently coming off an injury, it will be hard pressed for the Bobcats to find any takers for Wallace’s remaining 2 year/$22 million contract. Either way, its going to be a dog fight for the last two seeds in the East and the Bobcats will be in the middle of it.
19 (19) ROCKETS 22-27
The Rockets have definitely improved this season, but their lack of defense (opponents score 104.9) makes it difficult for them to consistently win close games. Rumor has it that the Rockets might be in the mix for Carmelo Anthony and that they may be willing to trade for Anthony without him signing the infamous 3 year/$65 million that Denver is offering him. If he joins the Rockets, I believe they could make the playoffs.
20 (22 BUCKS 19-26
The Bucks are winners of their last three games and were glad to welcome back Brandon Jennings, their energizer point guard who was out for a month after a foot injury. Jennings returned just in time to help his team make a run for the playoffs. The Bucks are currently only a ½ game behind the Bobcats for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
21 (20) CLIPPERS 18-28
The Clippers lost their leading scorer Eric Gordon (24.1ppg) to a wrist injury and he is expected to be out for 3-4 weeks. The Clippers are 1-2 without him, a trend that might continue unless someone other than Blake Griffin step up. Before Gordon’s injury the Clippers chance of making the playoffs was really slim, but without him it may be next to impossible.
22 (21) WARRIORS 20-27
The Warriors alternated 4-game streaks over their last eight outings. They had a 4-game winning streak earlier and followed that with a 4-game losing streak recently until finally defeating the slumping Jazz. At times the Warriors team looks really good and other times you can’t recognize them. They are currently 28th in the league in opponents points allowed at 107.0 points, which has been the main reason for their inconsistent record all season long.
23 (25) PACERS 17-27
I guess somebody had to take the heat and it sure was not going to be the Pacers general manager, the hall of famer Larry Bird, so he fired head coach Jim O’Brien. With the Pacers losing 14 of their last 18 games, something had to be done and the obvious trend in the NBA is to fire the head coach, so there you have it.
24 (23) PISTONS 17-31
The Pistons had won 5 of 7 before their current 3-game losing streak. Rip Hamilton continues to rack up DNPs, which means he has to be on his way out. The reason it hasn’t happened yet is because the Pistons can’t find any takers and apparently they don’t seem willing to buyout Hamilton’s contract. The entire situation is Detroit doesn’t make sense. The head coach must really have management behind him, because I can’t imagine him not playing Rip for ten straight games without management backing.
25 (29) KINGS 12-33
The Kings are sporting their first 2-game winning streak of the season, but that is not the surprising news. The fact that they started their mini streak against the Lakers and also ended the Hornets 10-game winning streak has everyone thinking playoffs in Sacramento. No, I’m just kidding! However, their last two games has been one of the few bright spots for the team this year.
26 (26) NETS 14-34
The Nets are 29th in scoring at 92.4 and 29th in assist at 19.5, which is somewhat of a surprise considering they have Devin Harris, their all-star point guard. Harris leads the team with 7.6apg, but the rest of the team averages a combined for 11.9apg, means there is very little ball movement. You compound that to the fact that the team is almost last in scoring and it’s understandable why the Nets management was relentless in going after the Nuggets Carmelo Anthony.
27 (29) TIMBERWOLVES 11-36
Kevin Love continues to make his case for an all-star bid by consistently putting up double-doubles, which currently stands at 33 straight games. Yes in 33 straight games Love has posted at least 10 points and at least 10 rebounds. However, the Timberwolves 11-36 record will make it really difficult for him to make the all-star team, even though it wouldn’t surprise me if he did.
28 (24) WIZARDS 13-33
Wizards forward Al Thorton recently questioned his team’s mental toughness, which was great, but rather than criticize his team, I think he needs to step up and lead by example. I think another player that needs to lead by example is Rashard Lewis, the team highest paid player at almost $20 million this season.
29 (27) RAPTORS 13-35
Their losing streak stands at 11 and it seems like there is no light in sight at the end of the tunnel. Usually teams are really quick to fire coaches, but I think this time the Raptors G.M. Bryan Colengelo must be held accountable. He was the one that put this team together. He was the one that let Chris Bosh walk for nothing, so this is the one time I think the blame should clearly fall on the shoulders of the man in charge of the Raptors basketball operations.
30 (30) CAVALIERS 8-39
The Cavaliers have lost 20 straight games and that is all I have to say about the team entering week 15.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
NBA WIZARD 2010-11 NBA POWER RANKING WEEK 14
RK (LW) TEAM REC
1 (1) SPURS 37-7
Every so often even the best team can have one of those games, the kind of game when nothing seems to go right. The Spurs experienced that in New Orleans and were stung by the surging Hornets in a 96-72 defeat. The good news is that was just one game and the Spurs are still on track to win 69 games this season.
2 (2) CELTICS 33-10
Kevin Garnett returned to the Celtics lineup after a 9-game absence due to a leg injury and the team could not be happier. Since returning, the Celtics have a 3-1 record with their lone loss being a surprising 85-83 defeat against the Wizards that came from a 3-pointer by John Wall in the final seconds.
3 (3) LAKERS 32-13
The Lakers have the league’s third best record and people are still trying to dissect the team’s every move. This team has managed to play under the radar with everyone in the league focusing on the Spurs and the Eastern Conference.
4 (4) HEAT 31-13
Mike Miller’s 32 point performance while making 6 of 11 3-pointers, gave the Miami Heat fans a little taste of what he’s about and why the Heat were so excited when they signed him over the summer. Obviously his breakout game was due to him starting in D-Wade’s absence, but clearly you can see that Miller gives the Heat another dimension.
5 (5) BULLS 30-14
After New Jersey withdrew all trade offers, rumors has it that the Nuggets are now trying to engage trade talks with Chicago. If I were the Bulls, I would steer clear of the Nuggets management, whom have done nothing but disrupt several teams with lingering trade talks that never materialized. The Bulls should hang on to Joakim Noah, because he is a defensive nightmare and his energy level can be duplicated by only a few players in this league.
6 (7) MAGIC 29-15
The Orlando Magic have obviously improved since the trade, Dwight Howard in particular has found an offensive rhythm like never before however, the Magic must add a backup center if they expect to seriously contend for a title. The problem is there aren’t any good available big men out there unless the Magic make another trade.
7 (10) HORNETS 29-16
I believe Chris Paul overall is the best point guard in the NBA, but his numbers this year hasn’t really been mind blowing. His 16.2ppg and 9.6apg are both below his career average, but he is clearly the driving force behind the Hornets 8-games winning streak. That being said, I think some of the credit for the team’s success has to go to their first year rookie head coach Monte Williams. How else do you explain the Hornets last two blowout victories? The Hornets annihilated the Hawks 100-59 with CP3 posting 16 points and 8 assist. Against the Spurs, the team with the league’s best record, the Hornets had another impressive 96-72 win, with CP3 only posting 11 points and 6 rebounds, which tells me it’s time to start giving Monte Williams his fair due.
8 (8) HAWKS 29-16
The Hawks recent 100-59 loss to the Hornets is not really an indication of where they are as a team, because they are clearly heading in the right direction. The team has 8 wins in their last 10 games and Joe Johnson has been nothing short of breath taking.
9 (6) THUNDER 28-15
After two losses to the Lakers and the Nuggets the Oklahoma City Thunder got back on track thanks to a game winning 3-pointer by Kevin Durant against the rapidly falling Knicks. The Thunder have definitely improved this season, but their lack of commitment on the defensive end still places them below the Spurs, Lakers and Mavericks in my opinion.
10 (11) MAVERICKS 28-15
The Mavs are 2-3 since Dirk returned, but I expect them to get on track very soon. They added Sasha Pavlovic to fill the void left by small forward Caron Butler and if they are successful in landing Peja whose contract was recently bought out by the Raptors, the Mavs could be back to winning again like they were before the injury bug hit the team about a month ago.
11 (12) NUGGETS 25-18
If anyone is happy that New Jersey back away from their lingering trade with the Denver, it has to be the Nuggets Carmelo Anthony. Even with the Nuggets fans booing, Carmelo was able to put up some nice numbers last week. He led the Nuggets to a 2-1 week by averaging 31.3ppg and 7rpg while making 47.4 percent of his shots. He even made a career high 6 of the 8 3-pointers he attempted against the Pacers in the Nuggets last outing, a 121-107 win. He probably feels his dreams of playing for the Knicks could soon be a reality.
12 (14) TRAIL BLAZERS 25-20
With all the injuries this team has suffered, they still have found ways to win basketball games and this would not be possible without their MVP LaMarcus Aldridge. During their current 5 games winning streak Aldridge averaged 28ppg and 10rpg on 52 percent shooting. He is definitely making a strong case for an all-star reserve spot.
13 (9) JAZZ 27-17
Of all the upper echelon teams, I’ve always felt the Jazz record was somewhat deceiving. Even early on in the season, when they won 5 straight games by overcoming double digit deficits, I warned that those could have easily been losses. They play very hard, probably harder than every team in the league, but their talent level is not quite there and that’s why I am not surprised by their recent 4-game skid. I expect them to bounce back, but I don’t see this team having any real upside.
14 (13) KNICKS 22-21
I think there are two things we can take from the Knicks current 6-games skid. First, Amare definitely needs help and if it comes in the form of Carmelo Anthony, great! Second, Amare will not be the MVP of the league this season, because the Knicks will not win enough games for him to be seriously considered.
15 (15) GRIZZLIES 21-23
The Memphis Grizzlies are 15th in the league in scoring at 99.5 points per game and are also 15th in opponents points allowed giving up 98.8 points per game to their opponents. Fittingly, the Grizzlies are ranked 15th in this week’s NBA Wizard Power Ranking.
16 (18) SUNS 20-22
After a 5-games winning streak during which time we saw the re-emergence of Steve Nash, the Suns suffered a heart breaking 75-74 defeat to the Pistons in their last game, which put them 3.5 games behind the Blazers for the eighth and final spot. Unfortunately, it appears that the Suns might keep Nash in hopes of bolstering their chances of making the playoffs and even if they do, are sure to get bounce out in the first round. This is unfortunate for Nash because I was really hoping for his sake, that he gets traded to a contender.
17 (16) 76ERS 18-25
The Sixers have an 18-25 record three games better than they were last year around the same time, but you can see that they believe they are a playoff team. New head coach Doug Collins has done an underrated job and deserves to be commended.
18 (22) BOBCATS 17-25
The Bobcats are playing better because they are scoring more. Their defense has never been a problem, but since the arrival of new head coach Paul Silas, the Bobcats have definitely sped up the tempo. They are currently hanging on the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
19 (19) ROCKETS 20-25
Aaron Brooks was 2 for 10 from the field for 9 points against the Grizzlies and 2 for 11 from the field against the Magic for 4 points and the Rockets lost 115-110 and 118-104 respectively to those teams. Like I’ve always said, Aaron Brooks is the Rockets most important player. When he plays well, they can beat any team, when he doesn’t, they struggle.
20 (20) CLIPPERS 17-26
I am running out of superlatives to describe Blake Griffin and his up and coming L.A Clippers team. We already know about Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon, but I think the Clippers will improve immensely next season due to DeAndre Jordan and Al-Farouq Aminu. I think defensively, both the center and small forward has the potential to make the nba’s second defensive team in two seasons. Offensively, I think Aminu will emerge as the Clippers third option by next season.
21 (21) WARRIORS 19-24
Last season Monte Ellis said Kobe, himself and Lebron were the three best players in the league in that order. This season Ellis argued that the all-star game should have the league’s best players regardless of their team records, not just good players from playoff team. Well Mr. Ellis, if that were the case then Blake Griffin and Kevin Love would definitely make the team over you. Also, I think Ellis is an excellent player, but as impressive as his 25.7ppg may seem, I think it needs to be pointed out that he is leading the league with 20.7 shot attempts per game. Not to knock Monte Ellis, but I think he needs to understand the importance of team success before proclaiming himself as one of the league’s top three players, which he’s obviously not!
22 (24) BUCKS 16-25
After only playing in eight games this season, forward Carlos Delfino returned to give the Bucks some much needed help on offense, but as you would expect was extremely sluggish. He shot 2 for 12 from the field, which included 1 for 7 from 3s in the Bucks 94-81 loss against the Grizzlies. Delfino is an above average scorer so I expect to see him improve, because the Bucks could sure use some offensive punch considering they are the NBA’s worst scoring team at 91.2 points per game.
23 (23) PISTONS 16-28
After everything that Rip Hamilton did for the Pistons over the last decade you can’t fault him for wanting to play with Carmelo and his former back court partner Chauncey Billups in New Jersey, a trade that never materialized. Rip has had 7 straight DNPs during which time the Pistons have a 4-3 record and seem to be happy with Tracy McGrady starting at the point guard position for now. I think it’s only a matter of time before the Pistons trade Rip.
24 (25) WIZARDS 13-29
No pressure, just play ball, seems to be the theme in Washington D.C for this young Wizard team and their rookie point guard John Wall. This theme was on full display in Boston when Wall led his team back from a 16-point first-quarter deficit by hitting a bank 3-pointer that ended up being the eventual game winner in an 85-83 win against the Celtics. I think from here on out we will see the Wizards make settle improvements as the season progresses.
25 (17) PACERS 16-25
The Pacers are sporting a 5-game losing streak with their last four being all road losses. It doesn’t get better for them because their first game following their current road trip will be against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Maybe the Pacer’s head coach Jim O’Brien need to rethink his decision to play small ball, or he can use the excuse that his team five game skid was due to a grueling road trip.
26 (28) NETS 12-32
Nothing is a quick fix in the NBA and if you make a mistake it could take five years or more to correct it, is what you are hearing out of New Jersey, which is why they decided to pull out of the Carmelo Anthony nightmarish trade. Good for them! I think they just need to draft well and develop the players that they do have. In terms of salary cap, they are still in a very good position with Brooklyn being only two years away.
27 (26) RAPTORS 13-31
The Raptors are going through one of those periods that a team goes through after losing a big star. The one good thing is, currently they are only 5 games out of the playoffs. The bad news is the Raptors are heading in a downward spiral very quickly.
28 (27) TIMBERWOLVES 10-33
I guess if we are to endorse Monte Ellis’s argument that the players with the best numbers should make the all-star team, then Kevin Love would be a definite candidate. Even though Kevin Love leads the league in rebounds with 15.6 per game, it will be very shocking to see him make it over the Blazers LaMarcus Aldridge.
29 (29) KINGS 9-32
The Sacrament Kings lost their last four games by 4, 2, 4 and 7 points respectively. They are simply not good enough to win the close ones and their star guard Tyreke Evans has regressed this season. After a breakout rookie campaign all his numbers are down across the board. Maybe the losing is wearing him down, but not too long ago he was the one bright spot in Sacramento and probably still is.
30 (30) CAVALIERS 8-35
The Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert came out with another proclamation, but this time he toned it down when he vowed that his team will definitely get better, a sentiment I shared and pointed out in last week’s ranking. I know the record says otherwise, but the Cavs will have everything in their court this summer. The Cavs will obviously have a high draft pick, tradable assets and some cash to spend, so I share Dan Gilbert vision.
1 (1) SPURS 37-7
Every so often even the best team can have one of those games, the kind of game when nothing seems to go right. The Spurs experienced that in New Orleans and were stung by the surging Hornets in a 96-72 defeat. The good news is that was just one game and the Spurs are still on track to win 69 games this season.
2 (2) CELTICS 33-10
Kevin Garnett returned to the Celtics lineup after a 9-game absence due to a leg injury and the team could not be happier. Since returning, the Celtics have a 3-1 record with their lone loss being a surprising 85-83 defeat against the Wizards that came from a 3-pointer by John Wall in the final seconds.
3 (3) LAKERS 32-13
The Lakers have the league’s third best record and people are still trying to dissect the team’s every move. This team has managed to play under the radar with everyone in the league focusing on the Spurs and the Eastern Conference.
4 (4) HEAT 31-13
Mike Miller’s 32 point performance while making 6 of 11 3-pointers, gave the Miami Heat fans a little taste of what he’s about and why the Heat were so excited when they signed him over the summer. Obviously his breakout game was due to him starting in D-Wade’s absence, but clearly you can see that Miller gives the Heat another dimension.
5 (5) BULLS 30-14
After New Jersey withdrew all trade offers, rumors has it that the Nuggets are now trying to engage trade talks with Chicago. If I were the Bulls, I would steer clear of the Nuggets management, whom have done nothing but disrupt several teams with lingering trade talks that never materialized. The Bulls should hang on to Joakim Noah, because he is a defensive nightmare and his energy level can be duplicated by only a few players in this league.
6 (7) MAGIC 29-15
The Orlando Magic have obviously improved since the trade, Dwight Howard in particular has found an offensive rhythm like never before however, the Magic must add a backup center if they expect to seriously contend for a title. The problem is there aren’t any good available big men out there unless the Magic make another trade.
7 (10) HORNETS 29-16
I believe Chris Paul overall is the best point guard in the NBA, but his numbers this year hasn’t really been mind blowing. His 16.2ppg and 9.6apg are both below his career average, but he is clearly the driving force behind the Hornets 8-games winning streak. That being said, I think some of the credit for the team’s success has to go to their first year rookie head coach Monte Williams. How else do you explain the Hornets last two blowout victories? The Hornets annihilated the Hawks 100-59 with CP3 posting 16 points and 8 assist. Against the Spurs, the team with the league’s best record, the Hornets had another impressive 96-72 win, with CP3 only posting 11 points and 6 rebounds, which tells me it’s time to start giving Monte Williams his fair due.
8 (8) HAWKS 29-16
The Hawks recent 100-59 loss to the Hornets is not really an indication of where they are as a team, because they are clearly heading in the right direction. The team has 8 wins in their last 10 games and Joe Johnson has been nothing short of breath taking.
9 (6) THUNDER 28-15
After two losses to the Lakers and the Nuggets the Oklahoma City Thunder got back on track thanks to a game winning 3-pointer by Kevin Durant against the rapidly falling Knicks. The Thunder have definitely improved this season, but their lack of commitment on the defensive end still places them below the Spurs, Lakers and Mavericks in my opinion.
10 (11) MAVERICKS 28-15
The Mavs are 2-3 since Dirk returned, but I expect them to get on track very soon. They added Sasha Pavlovic to fill the void left by small forward Caron Butler and if they are successful in landing Peja whose contract was recently bought out by the Raptors, the Mavs could be back to winning again like they were before the injury bug hit the team about a month ago.
11 (12) NUGGETS 25-18
If anyone is happy that New Jersey back away from their lingering trade with the Denver, it has to be the Nuggets Carmelo Anthony. Even with the Nuggets fans booing, Carmelo was able to put up some nice numbers last week. He led the Nuggets to a 2-1 week by averaging 31.3ppg and 7rpg while making 47.4 percent of his shots. He even made a career high 6 of the 8 3-pointers he attempted against the Pacers in the Nuggets last outing, a 121-107 win. He probably feels his dreams of playing for the Knicks could soon be a reality.
12 (14) TRAIL BLAZERS 25-20
With all the injuries this team has suffered, they still have found ways to win basketball games and this would not be possible without their MVP LaMarcus Aldridge. During their current 5 games winning streak Aldridge averaged 28ppg and 10rpg on 52 percent shooting. He is definitely making a strong case for an all-star reserve spot.
13 (9) JAZZ 27-17
Of all the upper echelon teams, I’ve always felt the Jazz record was somewhat deceiving. Even early on in the season, when they won 5 straight games by overcoming double digit deficits, I warned that those could have easily been losses. They play very hard, probably harder than every team in the league, but their talent level is not quite there and that’s why I am not surprised by their recent 4-game skid. I expect them to bounce back, but I don’t see this team having any real upside.
14 (13) KNICKS 22-21
I think there are two things we can take from the Knicks current 6-games skid. First, Amare definitely needs help and if it comes in the form of Carmelo Anthony, great! Second, Amare will not be the MVP of the league this season, because the Knicks will not win enough games for him to be seriously considered.
15 (15) GRIZZLIES 21-23
The Memphis Grizzlies are 15th in the league in scoring at 99.5 points per game and are also 15th in opponents points allowed giving up 98.8 points per game to their opponents. Fittingly, the Grizzlies are ranked 15th in this week’s NBA Wizard Power Ranking.
16 (18) SUNS 20-22
After a 5-games winning streak during which time we saw the re-emergence of Steve Nash, the Suns suffered a heart breaking 75-74 defeat to the Pistons in their last game, which put them 3.5 games behind the Blazers for the eighth and final spot. Unfortunately, it appears that the Suns might keep Nash in hopes of bolstering their chances of making the playoffs and even if they do, are sure to get bounce out in the first round. This is unfortunate for Nash because I was really hoping for his sake, that he gets traded to a contender.
17 (16) 76ERS 18-25
The Sixers have an 18-25 record three games better than they were last year around the same time, but you can see that they believe they are a playoff team. New head coach Doug Collins has done an underrated job and deserves to be commended.
18 (22) BOBCATS 17-25
The Bobcats are playing better because they are scoring more. Their defense has never been a problem, but since the arrival of new head coach Paul Silas, the Bobcats have definitely sped up the tempo. They are currently hanging on the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
19 (19) ROCKETS 20-25
Aaron Brooks was 2 for 10 from the field for 9 points against the Grizzlies and 2 for 11 from the field against the Magic for 4 points and the Rockets lost 115-110 and 118-104 respectively to those teams. Like I’ve always said, Aaron Brooks is the Rockets most important player. When he plays well, they can beat any team, when he doesn’t, they struggle.
20 (20) CLIPPERS 17-26
I am running out of superlatives to describe Blake Griffin and his up and coming L.A Clippers team. We already know about Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon, but I think the Clippers will improve immensely next season due to DeAndre Jordan and Al-Farouq Aminu. I think defensively, both the center and small forward has the potential to make the nba’s second defensive team in two seasons. Offensively, I think Aminu will emerge as the Clippers third option by next season.
21 (21) WARRIORS 19-24
Last season Monte Ellis said Kobe, himself and Lebron were the three best players in the league in that order. This season Ellis argued that the all-star game should have the league’s best players regardless of their team records, not just good players from playoff team. Well Mr. Ellis, if that were the case then Blake Griffin and Kevin Love would definitely make the team over you. Also, I think Ellis is an excellent player, but as impressive as his 25.7ppg may seem, I think it needs to be pointed out that he is leading the league with 20.7 shot attempts per game. Not to knock Monte Ellis, but I think he needs to understand the importance of team success before proclaiming himself as one of the league’s top three players, which he’s obviously not!
22 (24) BUCKS 16-25
After only playing in eight games this season, forward Carlos Delfino returned to give the Bucks some much needed help on offense, but as you would expect was extremely sluggish. He shot 2 for 12 from the field, which included 1 for 7 from 3s in the Bucks 94-81 loss against the Grizzlies. Delfino is an above average scorer so I expect to see him improve, because the Bucks could sure use some offensive punch considering they are the NBA’s worst scoring team at 91.2 points per game.
23 (23) PISTONS 16-28
After everything that Rip Hamilton did for the Pistons over the last decade you can’t fault him for wanting to play with Carmelo and his former back court partner Chauncey Billups in New Jersey, a trade that never materialized. Rip has had 7 straight DNPs during which time the Pistons have a 4-3 record and seem to be happy with Tracy McGrady starting at the point guard position for now. I think it’s only a matter of time before the Pistons trade Rip.
24 (25) WIZARDS 13-29
No pressure, just play ball, seems to be the theme in Washington D.C for this young Wizard team and their rookie point guard John Wall. This theme was on full display in Boston when Wall led his team back from a 16-point first-quarter deficit by hitting a bank 3-pointer that ended up being the eventual game winner in an 85-83 win against the Celtics. I think from here on out we will see the Wizards make settle improvements as the season progresses.
25 (17) PACERS 16-25
The Pacers are sporting a 5-game losing streak with their last four being all road losses. It doesn’t get better for them because their first game following their current road trip will be against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Maybe the Pacer’s head coach Jim O’Brien need to rethink his decision to play small ball, or he can use the excuse that his team five game skid was due to a grueling road trip.
26 (28) NETS 12-32
Nothing is a quick fix in the NBA and if you make a mistake it could take five years or more to correct it, is what you are hearing out of New Jersey, which is why they decided to pull out of the Carmelo Anthony nightmarish trade. Good for them! I think they just need to draft well and develop the players that they do have. In terms of salary cap, they are still in a very good position with Brooklyn being only two years away.
27 (26) RAPTORS 13-31
The Raptors are going through one of those periods that a team goes through after losing a big star. The one good thing is, currently they are only 5 games out of the playoffs. The bad news is the Raptors are heading in a downward spiral very quickly.
28 (27) TIMBERWOLVES 10-33
I guess if we are to endorse Monte Ellis’s argument that the players with the best numbers should make the all-star team, then Kevin Love would be a definite candidate. Even though Kevin Love leads the league in rebounds with 15.6 per game, it will be very shocking to see him make it over the Blazers LaMarcus Aldridge.
29 (29) KINGS 9-32
The Sacrament Kings lost their last four games by 4, 2, 4 and 7 points respectively. They are simply not good enough to win the close ones and their star guard Tyreke Evans has regressed this season. After a breakout rookie campaign all his numbers are down across the board. Maybe the losing is wearing him down, but not too long ago he was the one bright spot in Sacramento and probably still is.
30 (30) CAVALIERS 8-35
The Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert came out with another proclamation, but this time he toned it down when he vowed that his team will definitely get better, a sentiment I shared and pointed out in last week’s ranking. I know the record says otherwise, but the Cavs will have everything in their court this summer. The Cavs will obviously have a high draft pick, tradable assets and some cash to spend, so I share Dan Gilbert vision.
Monday, January 17, 2011
NBA WIZARD 2010-11 NBA POWER RANKING: WEEK 13
RK (LW) TEAM REC
1 (2) SPURS 35-6
The Spurs have held on to this position for most of the season and even though they lost it to the Heat last week, they are right back on top with their league leading 35-6 record.
2 (4) CELTICS 30-9
The Celtics received some good news that their all-star forward Kevin Garnett is set to rejoin the team and their defensive center Kendrick Perkins after being out since last June, should be also be joining the team within weeks. The Celtics are in great shape considering their 30-9 record is the best in the Eastern Conference.
3 (5) LAKERS 30-12
The Lakers were on a mini tear, sporting a 7-game winning streak before losing their cool and obviously the game against their Staple Center rivals L.A. Clippers. A late game tussle led to the ejections of the Lakers Lamar Odom and Ron Artest and the Clippers Blake Griffin and Baron Davis, but clearly the Lakers seem to be back on track before that loss.
4 (1) HEAT 30-12
I am very aware that the Heat loss their last three games, but Lebron was out of the lineup in two of them while injuring his ankle in the Heat’s first loss on their current three game skid. Lebron will be back on Tuesday against the Hawks, but Bosh is listed as doubtful, while Wade who injured both wrists against the Bulls is listed as a game time decision. Either way, the Heat should be fine.
5 (5) BULLS 27-13
I ranked the Bulls one spot below the Heat because they needed a Lebron injury (out for the game) and Chris Bosh ankle injury (out for the entire fourth quarter) and a graceful bounce that led to a wide open 3-point game winning shot by Kyle Korver in order to defeat the Heat. Obviously the Bulls deserve their 5th ranking, but in all fairness I couldn’t rank them ahead of the Heat, at least not entering week 13.
6 (7) THUNDER 27-13
With the Thunder recent success, I think it’s time to start seriously including Kevin Durant in the MVP discussion. His teammate Russell Westbrook is also equally worthy of the award, but Durant’s 32.4ppg over the last five games while shooting 55.7 percent from the field has clearly moved him ahead of Westbrook.
7 (3) MAGIC 26-14
I think it needs to be mentioned that after the Magic 9-games winning streak, their next two losses to the Hornets and Thunder were by only 3 and 1 points respectively. I understand a loss is a loss no matter how you slice it, but this Magic team could easily be sporting a 12-games winning streak. The Magic have way more shooters as a result of their trade for Arenas, Richardson and Hedo, which has made life a lot easier on Dwight Howard.
8 (8) HAWKS 26-15
The Hawks recent turnaround can be directly attributed to the Play of Joe Johnson. Even in their recent loss against the Rockets, Johnson still managed to score 30 points. Like I’ve always said, the Hawks success lies in the hands of their $126 million all-star Joe Johnson.
9 (9) JAZZ 27-13
Should we be considering Deron Williams, the Jazz all-star point guard an MVP candidate? Of course we should. The Jazz are on track to win 55 games and there’s no question that Williams is definitely the catalyst behind everything. His average of 22ppg and 9.4apg certainly qualifies him for the discussion not to mention the Jazz 27-13 record which is tied for sixth best in the league.
10 (11) HORNETS 25-16
With his team only on track to win 50 games, the Hornets point guard Chris Paul is not on track to win the MVP Award. He may be the best point guard in the league, but he obviously does not have the talent level around him that the other MVP candidates do. Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, D-Wade and Dirk all have a better supporting cast then Paul, but considering all the trade rumors and ownership issues, the Hornets 25-16 record should be commended and that’s mainly because of Chris Paul.
11 (10) MAVERICKS 26-13
Dirk Nowitzki must be considered an MVP candidate and that fact has become more evident over the last several weeks when the Mavs posted a 2-6 record with Dirk out with a knee injury. Dirk returned sluggish and frustrated against the Grizzlies and was even ejected in the Mavs 89-70 loss to the Griz in that game. However, I expect Dirk and the Mavs to recover quickly and return back to their winning ways.
12 (13) NUGGETS 23-17
Despite all the trade rumors surrounding Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets have recently played like the bully on the block. Before their 110-97 loss to San Antonio, the Nuggets won their previous three games by a combined 90 points for an average of 30 points per game and one of those wins was against the Lebron-less Miami Heat. I think this really says a lot about the professionalism of Carmelo Anthony. As far as the Nuggets new management, I think their inexperience has really affected four teams including the Nuggets adversely.
13 (12) KNICKS 22-17
Other than Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, the rest of the Knicks seemed clearly affected by recent trade rumors linking them to Carmelo. The Knicks are winners of only 1 of their last 4 games and things don’t look promising on the horizon.
14 (14) TRAIL BLAZERS 21-20
The Blazers are holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the West by giving everything they have, especially now that it’s finally confirmed that Brandon Roy will have surgery on both knees. I don’t know if they can hold on with the Grizzlies breathing down their necks, but I think as a team they have the resolve to hold on to the eighth spot.
15 (17) GRIZZLIES 19-20
The Memphis Grizzlies are making a push for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference and their 89-70 win over the Mavericks tells me they may be on the right track. I think they will give the Blazers a run for that spot for the remainder of the season.
16 (15) 76ERS 16-23
The Sixers are holding on to the eighth seed in the East and they don’t appear to be ready to give that up. I think trading Iguodala is off the tables for now and the only way the Sixers trade him is if they get equal value in return.
17 (16) PACERS 16-21
The Pacers have a real nice young core. An excellent wing player in Danny Granger, a solid young point guard in Darren Collison and an up and coming center in Roy Hibert not to mention their other young players should be enough to make the playoffs. I believe this is the sentiment from the Pacers management which is why I think they will stay pat rather than make trades and I tend to agree with them.
18 (21) SUNS 17-21
The Suns are still the league’s worst defensive team, but that hasn’t stopped Steve Nash the ageless wonder from doing his job. Just when it looked like the suns had no chance of making the playoff, Steve Nash decided to return to his old MVP-self. Nash led the Suns to a 3-1 record over their last four games by averaging 20.3ppg and 13.3apg. How impressive for a guy whose about to turn 38 years old in less than a month.
19 (19) ROCKETS 18-23
There is a familiar trend in Houston and his name is Aaron Brooks. Follow Brooks and you will know exactly what the Rockets are doing. After a three games absence due to a gimpy ankle (Rockets lost all three games), Brooks returned to the lineup four games ago and the Rockets are 2-2 with their two losses being to the Thunder and the Hornets, both very good playoff teams.
20 (23) CLIPPERS 14-25
I know the Clippers are hoping they could play their first 14 games of the season all over again. The Clips were 1-13 during that stretch, since then they have a 13-12 record and seem to be improving every game. Blake Griffin continues to improve and has not been derailed by the petty cheap shots that his opponents are taking on him, like the one Lamar Odom tried to justify when he literally pulled Griffin out of bounds due to his frustration. Griffin had 2 points and 5 rebounds at half time, but fought his way for 16 points and 10 boards after half time, which was the key to helping the Clips secure a come from behind victory against the Lakers. Blake Griffin is an absolute BEAST!
21 (22) WARRIORS 16-23
The Warriors are playing a lot better as of late and have a 3-2 record over their last five games, with their two losses coming against the two hot L.A. teams, the Lakers and Clippers. I don’t think much is to be made out of this, because as of now the Warriors are light years away from making the playoffs.
22 (20) BOBCATS 15-23
Just when it seemed like the Bobcats were playoff bound the schedule turned against them and their emotional and scoring leader Stephen Jackson went into a slump. In the Bobcats two losses against the Celtics and Hornets, Jackson made a combined 10 for 32 shots (.3125) for a total of 28 points in both games. I understand the Bobcats new head coach, Paul Silas has them playing faster, but they are simply not good enough to beat the elite teams with Jackson posting those types of numbers.
23 (25) PISTONS 14-26
I don’t know what to make of the Rip Hamilton’s three straight DNPs. My guess is the Pistons trade with New Jersey may be all but done. Either way, they seem to be playing better without Rip in the lineup. The team is currently 2-1 without him and from the looks of things I don’t expect him in the Pistons lineup anytime soon.
24 (18) BUCKS 14-23
No matter how good a team is defensively, if they are dead last in assist and scoring, they simply will not win a lot of ball games and that is what you have with the Bucks. There are times when they look brilliant on defense, but they can’t come up with points and end up losing close games. This trend will continue unless bring in some scorers.
25 (28) WIZARDS 11-27
In a way, I guess it’s a blessing for John Wall, that his fellow rookie Blake Griffin is dominating the race for the ROY Award, because that was probably putting too much pressure on Wall. In order to keep up with Blake, which isn’t even possible at this point, Wall had to really increase his scoring output, which took away from his naturally ability to pass like a true point guard. I think now that he is no longer expected to win the award, you can expect Wall to develop at his own pace, which will ultimately be a good thing for him and the Wizards organization.
26 (24) RAPTORS 13-27
There Raptors are 1-3 in their last four outings, but the reason they are losing has absolutely nothing to do with Andrea Bargnani, who averaged 28ppg while shooting 51.7 percent from the field during the four games. He is definitely one of the league’s best kept secrets.
27 (27) TIMBERWOLVES 10-31
Every team better enjoy beating the Wolves this season because next year things could be dramatically different in Minnesota. Ricky Rubio may join the team next year from Europe and if they end up with the top pick, the Wolves could go from NBA doormat to being the talk of the league, not to mention Kevin Love and Michael Beasley will be one year better.
28 (26) NETS 10-30
My heart goes out to the New Jersey Nets, losers of their last five games. In an effort to improve their team, they’ve allowed the Denver Nuggets inexperienced managers to string them along all season with one supposed trade after another for Carmelo Anthony that may never happen. It’s clearly taking a toll on the Nets players, because at various points every player on the team outside of Brook Lopez has been rumored in a trade. I really hope they can look elsewhere because the more this drags on, the less likely it appears that Carmelo will be a New Jersey Net.
29 (29) KINGS 9-29
Don’t expect any player or management change anytime soon in Sacramento. Don’t be surprised to see the Kings relocate in the near future. If I were a betting man, I would put my money on the Kings leaving Sacramento very soon. In recent reports, the Anaheim Ducks owner recently agreed to borrow the Kings owners (the Maloofs brothers) $100 million to help aid the Kings relocation to Southern California.
30 (30) CAVALIERS 8-32
The Cavaliers are currently sporting a 13-games losing streak and with Anderson Varejao out for the remainder of the regular season, things appears to be even more dismal for the Cavs. Well, that’s the bad news and like the old saying goes, “sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before climbing to the top” and that is exactly what could happen in Cleveland. First, their payroll is only $48 million for next season which includes Antawn Jamison’s very attractive $15 million expiring contract. Second, because they will more than likely end up with the league’s worst record, they have the best odds of landing the first overall pick in the draft this June. Third, they still have the $14.8 million trade chip they received from Miami that they got for Lebron James. My point is laugh all you want now, but next season the Cavs could easily be a playoff team and depending on who they end up with, even be a contender. I could make this happen if I were the Cavaliers General Manager.
1 (2) SPURS 35-6
The Spurs have held on to this position for most of the season and even though they lost it to the Heat last week, they are right back on top with their league leading 35-6 record.
2 (4) CELTICS 30-9
The Celtics received some good news that their all-star forward Kevin Garnett is set to rejoin the team and their defensive center Kendrick Perkins after being out since last June, should be also be joining the team within weeks. The Celtics are in great shape considering their 30-9 record is the best in the Eastern Conference.
3 (5) LAKERS 30-12
The Lakers were on a mini tear, sporting a 7-game winning streak before losing their cool and obviously the game against their Staple Center rivals L.A. Clippers. A late game tussle led to the ejections of the Lakers Lamar Odom and Ron Artest and the Clippers Blake Griffin and Baron Davis, but clearly the Lakers seem to be back on track before that loss.
4 (1) HEAT 30-12
I am very aware that the Heat loss their last three games, but Lebron was out of the lineup in two of them while injuring his ankle in the Heat’s first loss on their current three game skid. Lebron will be back on Tuesday against the Hawks, but Bosh is listed as doubtful, while Wade who injured both wrists against the Bulls is listed as a game time decision. Either way, the Heat should be fine.
5 (5) BULLS 27-13
I ranked the Bulls one spot below the Heat because they needed a Lebron injury (out for the game) and Chris Bosh ankle injury (out for the entire fourth quarter) and a graceful bounce that led to a wide open 3-point game winning shot by Kyle Korver in order to defeat the Heat. Obviously the Bulls deserve their 5th ranking, but in all fairness I couldn’t rank them ahead of the Heat, at least not entering week 13.
6 (7) THUNDER 27-13
With the Thunder recent success, I think it’s time to start seriously including Kevin Durant in the MVP discussion. His teammate Russell Westbrook is also equally worthy of the award, but Durant’s 32.4ppg over the last five games while shooting 55.7 percent from the field has clearly moved him ahead of Westbrook.
7 (3) MAGIC 26-14
I think it needs to be mentioned that after the Magic 9-games winning streak, their next two losses to the Hornets and Thunder were by only 3 and 1 points respectively. I understand a loss is a loss no matter how you slice it, but this Magic team could easily be sporting a 12-games winning streak. The Magic have way more shooters as a result of their trade for Arenas, Richardson and Hedo, which has made life a lot easier on Dwight Howard.
8 (8) HAWKS 26-15
The Hawks recent turnaround can be directly attributed to the Play of Joe Johnson. Even in their recent loss against the Rockets, Johnson still managed to score 30 points. Like I’ve always said, the Hawks success lies in the hands of their $126 million all-star Joe Johnson.
9 (9) JAZZ 27-13
Should we be considering Deron Williams, the Jazz all-star point guard an MVP candidate? Of course we should. The Jazz are on track to win 55 games and there’s no question that Williams is definitely the catalyst behind everything. His average of 22ppg and 9.4apg certainly qualifies him for the discussion not to mention the Jazz 27-13 record which is tied for sixth best in the league.
10 (11) HORNETS 25-16
With his team only on track to win 50 games, the Hornets point guard Chris Paul is not on track to win the MVP Award. He may be the best point guard in the league, but he obviously does not have the talent level around him that the other MVP candidates do. Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, D-Wade and Dirk all have a better supporting cast then Paul, but considering all the trade rumors and ownership issues, the Hornets 25-16 record should be commended and that’s mainly because of Chris Paul.
11 (10) MAVERICKS 26-13
Dirk Nowitzki must be considered an MVP candidate and that fact has become more evident over the last several weeks when the Mavs posted a 2-6 record with Dirk out with a knee injury. Dirk returned sluggish and frustrated against the Grizzlies and was even ejected in the Mavs 89-70 loss to the Griz in that game. However, I expect Dirk and the Mavs to recover quickly and return back to their winning ways.
12 (13) NUGGETS 23-17
Despite all the trade rumors surrounding Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets have recently played like the bully on the block. Before their 110-97 loss to San Antonio, the Nuggets won their previous three games by a combined 90 points for an average of 30 points per game and one of those wins was against the Lebron-less Miami Heat. I think this really says a lot about the professionalism of Carmelo Anthony. As far as the Nuggets new management, I think their inexperience has really affected four teams including the Nuggets adversely.
13 (12) KNICKS 22-17
Other than Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, the rest of the Knicks seemed clearly affected by recent trade rumors linking them to Carmelo. The Knicks are winners of only 1 of their last 4 games and things don’t look promising on the horizon.
14 (14) TRAIL BLAZERS 21-20
The Blazers are holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the West by giving everything they have, especially now that it’s finally confirmed that Brandon Roy will have surgery on both knees. I don’t know if they can hold on with the Grizzlies breathing down their necks, but I think as a team they have the resolve to hold on to the eighth spot.
15 (17) GRIZZLIES 19-20
The Memphis Grizzlies are making a push for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference and their 89-70 win over the Mavericks tells me they may be on the right track. I think they will give the Blazers a run for that spot for the remainder of the season.
16 (15) 76ERS 16-23
The Sixers are holding on to the eighth seed in the East and they don’t appear to be ready to give that up. I think trading Iguodala is off the tables for now and the only way the Sixers trade him is if they get equal value in return.
17 (16) PACERS 16-21
The Pacers have a real nice young core. An excellent wing player in Danny Granger, a solid young point guard in Darren Collison and an up and coming center in Roy Hibert not to mention their other young players should be enough to make the playoffs. I believe this is the sentiment from the Pacers management which is why I think they will stay pat rather than make trades and I tend to agree with them.
18 (21) SUNS 17-21
The Suns are still the league’s worst defensive team, but that hasn’t stopped Steve Nash the ageless wonder from doing his job. Just when it looked like the suns had no chance of making the playoff, Steve Nash decided to return to his old MVP-self. Nash led the Suns to a 3-1 record over their last four games by averaging 20.3ppg and 13.3apg. How impressive for a guy whose about to turn 38 years old in less than a month.
19 (19) ROCKETS 18-23
There is a familiar trend in Houston and his name is Aaron Brooks. Follow Brooks and you will know exactly what the Rockets are doing. After a three games absence due to a gimpy ankle (Rockets lost all three games), Brooks returned to the lineup four games ago and the Rockets are 2-2 with their two losses being to the Thunder and the Hornets, both very good playoff teams.
20 (23) CLIPPERS 14-25
I know the Clippers are hoping they could play their first 14 games of the season all over again. The Clips were 1-13 during that stretch, since then they have a 13-12 record and seem to be improving every game. Blake Griffin continues to improve and has not been derailed by the petty cheap shots that his opponents are taking on him, like the one Lamar Odom tried to justify when he literally pulled Griffin out of bounds due to his frustration. Griffin had 2 points and 5 rebounds at half time, but fought his way for 16 points and 10 boards after half time, which was the key to helping the Clips secure a come from behind victory against the Lakers. Blake Griffin is an absolute BEAST!
21 (22) WARRIORS 16-23
The Warriors are playing a lot better as of late and have a 3-2 record over their last five games, with their two losses coming against the two hot L.A. teams, the Lakers and Clippers. I don’t think much is to be made out of this, because as of now the Warriors are light years away from making the playoffs.
22 (20) BOBCATS 15-23
Just when it seemed like the Bobcats were playoff bound the schedule turned against them and their emotional and scoring leader Stephen Jackson went into a slump. In the Bobcats two losses against the Celtics and Hornets, Jackson made a combined 10 for 32 shots (.3125) for a total of 28 points in both games. I understand the Bobcats new head coach, Paul Silas has them playing faster, but they are simply not good enough to beat the elite teams with Jackson posting those types of numbers.
23 (25) PISTONS 14-26
I don’t know what to make of the Rip Hamilton’s three straight DNPs. My guess is the Pistons trade with New Jersey may be all but done. Either way, they seem to be playing better without Rip in the lineup. The team is currently 2-1 without him and from the looks of things I don’t expect him in the Pistons lineup anytime soon.
24 (18) BUCKS 14-23
No matter how good a team is defensively, if they are dead last in assist and scoring, they simply will not win a lot of ball games and that is what you have with the Bucks. There are times when they look brilliant on defense, but they can’t come up with points and end up losing close games. This trend will continue unless bring in some scorers.
25 (28) WIZARDS 11-27
In a way, I guess it’s a blessing for John Wall, that his fellow rookie Blake Griffin is dominating the race for the ROY Award, because that was probably putting too much pressure on Wall. In order to keep up with Blake, which isn’t even possible at this point, Wall had to really increase his scoring output, which took away from his naturally ability to pass like a true point guard. I think now that he is no longer expected to win the award, you can expect Wall to develop at his own pace, which will ultimately be a good thing for him and the Wizards organization.
26 (24) RAPTORS 13-27
There Raptors are 1-3 in their last four outings, but the reason they are losing has absolutely nothing to do with Andrea Bargnani, who averaged 28ppg while shooting 51.7 percent from the field during the four games. He is definitely one of the league’s best kept secrets.
27 (27) TIMBERWOLVES 10-31
Every team better enjoy beating the Wolves this season because next year things could be dramatically different in Minnesota. Ricky Rubio may join the team next year from Europe and if they end up with the top pick, the Wolves could go from NBA doormat to being the talk of the league, not to mention Kevin Love and Michael Beasley will be one year better.
28 (26) NETS 10-30
My heart goes out to the New Jersey Nets, losers of their last five games. In an effort to improve their team, they’ve allowed the Denver Nuggets inexperienced managers to string them along all season with one supposed trade after another for Carmelo Anthony that may never happen. It’s clearly taking a toll on the Nets players, because at various points every player on the team outside of Brook Lopez has been rumored in a trade. I really hope they can look elsewhere because the more this drags on, the less likely it appears that Carmelo will be a New Jersey Net.
29 (29) KINGS 9-29
Don’t expect any player or management change anytime soon in Sacramento. Don’t be surprised to see the Kings relocate in the near future. If I were a betting man, I would put my money on the Kings leaving Sacramento very soon. In recent reports, the Anaheim Ducks owner recently agreed to borrow the Kings owners (the Maloofs brothers) $100 million to help aid the Kings relocation to Southern California.
30 (30) CAVALIERS 8-32
The Cavaliers are currently sporting a 13-games losing streak and with Anderson Varejao out for the remainder of the regular season, things appears to be even more dismal for the Cavs. Well, that’s the bad news and like the old saying goes, “sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before climbing to the top” and that is exactly what could happen in Cleveland. First, their payroll is only $48 million for next season which includes Antawn Jamison’s very attractive $15 million expiring contract. Second, because they will more than likely end up with the league’s worst record, they have the best odds of landing the first overall pick in the draft this June. Third, they still have the $14.8 million trade chip they received from Miami that they got for Lebron James. My point is laugh all you want now, but next season the Cavs could easily be a playoff team and depending on who they end up with, even be a contender. I could make this happen if I were the Cavaliers General Manager.
Monday, January 10, 2011
NBA WIZARD 2010-11 NBA POWER RANKING WEEK 12
RK (LW) TEAM REC
1 (2) HEAT 30-9
It took 12 weeks, but for the first time this season the Miami Heat are ranked number one. The Spurs may have a slightly better record, but the Heat are on a roll and quickly approaching record breaking status. Since starting the season with a disappointing 9-8 record, the Heat have won 20 of their last 21 games which includes their current 9-games winning streak. The Heat have also won 13 straight road games and could tie a 40 year old nba record by going undefeated in their next three road games. The ‘big 3’ Lebron, Chris and D-Wade (LCD) are obviously the driving force behind this. They have combined to average (68.6ppg, 13.2apg, 21.3rpg, 3.77spg and 2.15spg while making 49.3 percent of their shots. The scary thing is this team still has a major upside and once they reach that pinnacle an NBA championship could be staring them right in the face.
2 (4) SPURS 31-6
I understand the Spurs are owners of the league’s best record, but after a 2-2 week and considering how well the Heat have been playing, the Spurs simply cannot be rank first entering week 12. On another note, the Spurs are the only contending team that has had all five starters healthy for the entire season.
3 (8) MAGIC 25-12
The Magic have quietly gone about their business and are currently sporting a 9-games winning streak. The trade that shook up the team seems to be paying off so far. The Raptors and Suns are hoping Hedo can refund them back some of the money they paid him considering his subpar performances with both franchises. No that was a joke! But Hedo seems to be a new man since rejoining the Magic. Hedo is averaging 12.5ppg, 6.5apg and 5.3rpg in 11 games since rejoining the Magic, whereas in Phoenix he was only averaging 9.5ppg, 2.3apg and 4rpg in 25 games. Obviously the Magic are glad to have him back.
4 (2) CELTICS 28-8
The Celtics are 4-3 without K.G. including the game against the Pistons in which he only played 9 minutes and injured his knee. During their last seven games the Celtics are actually only 1-3 in games against teams with over .500 records which clearly show the true importance of K.G. Without him, the Celtics go from being a great team to simply an above average team and I don’t think you can say that for anyone on the Celtics team, except for Rondo perhaps, because he is their point guard and engine that makes the Celtics motor go.
5 (7) LAKERS 27-11
This Lakers team is very similar to all of Phil Jackson’s previous three 3-peat teams, in that they appear to be very inconsistent for most of the season, which takes all the pressure and expectations of winning off his team, but that is until the playoff starts. If the Mavericks don’t find a replacement for Caron Butler, who is out for the remainder of this season, the Lakers will have only the Spurs to contend with. The point here is for as inconsistent as the Lakers may appear during the regular season, I expect at the very least to see them in the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs for an epic battle.
6 (4) BULLS 24-12
Derrick Rose 36 points dominant performance over the Celtics Rondo once again proved that Rose is the better guard and might in fact be a serious contender for the MVP Award. With everyone healthy on their respective rosters, I’ll say the Bulls are one notch below the Celtics and Heat and probably on the same level with the Magic in the Eastern Conference.
7 (9) THUNDER 25-13
For the first time in a long time the nba leading scorer might win the scoring title averaging less than 30 points per game. Kevin Durant’s 40 points against the Grizzlies was a pleasant sight, but with Lebron, Wade and Kobe settling in around 25ppg averages, Durant should have no real challenge and will most likely repeat as the nba’s scoring champ.
8 (10) HAWKS 25-14
I’ve been critical of the Hawks Joe Johnson all season long due to the fact that I felt he was under performing and not worth the Hawks $126 million investment. It’s not that I don’t think Johnson is worth a 6 year/$126 million contract, but my argument was he wasn’t living up to the hype. Over the last four games Joe is showing us why the Hawks invested so heavily in him. He’s led to Hawks to a 4-0 record by averaging 27.5ppg while making 52.7 percent of his shots. The real question is can Joe continue at this pace? I don’t think anyone including myself will question the Hawks if Joe Johnson continues playing at this pace.
9 (6) JAZZ 25-13
The Jazz struggled for a 2-2 record last week and against three sub.500 teams, but still managed to finish with the ninth ranking entering week 12. I believe the Jazz are one of a few teams playing above their abilities, but I am not sure they have what it takes to be a serious threat in the West.
10 (5) MAVERICKS 26-10
Losing Caron Butler for the remainder of the regular season was huge, but I think losing Dirk for the last seven games has been the real blow. The Mavs are 2-5 without Dirk and have gone from looking like a serious contender to a fragile team as of late. I expect Dirk to return soon and rumor has it, the Mavs may add Sasha Pavlovic to temporarily fill in the small forward position, while trying to trade Butler in the long run.
11 (12) HORNETS 22-16
The Hornets are 27th in league in scoring at only 94 points per game and are third in opponents points allowed giving up only 92.2 points per game to their opponents. They have Chris Paul, the league’s best point guard, but simply don’t have enough scorers. With the league running the Hornets for now, I think any moves or trade is probably unlikely in the near future.
12 (13) KNICKS 21-15
I think Amare Stoudemire being an MVP candidate is a bit of a stretch, even if the Knicks are on track to win 48 games this season. However, New York City will finally get to see their Knicks in the playoffs this year, but their future hopes of attaining Carmelo services may be over. The bad news for the Knicks is that Carmelo Anthony may be heading to New Jersey, which will be a major blow to New York.
13 (11) NUGGETS 20-16
Using a quote from Ice Cube’s movie “are we there yet?” seems to be the appropriate question to ask when talking about the Nuggets. Word has it, the Nuggets have decided to blow up the franchise and trade not only Carmelo, but also Billups as well. In my opinion this trade is long overdue, but at least now it appears to be near conclusion.
14 (14) TRAIL BLAZERS 20-18
Even after losing Greg Oden for a second straight season and more recently all-star Brandon Roy who is out indefinitely due to two sore knees, the Blazers are still hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot. The Heat needed 78 points from Lebron and Wade to defeat the Blazers in a 107-100 overtime win which proved to me that they are good enough to hold off the Grizzlies and Rockets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference even if Roy doesn’t return.
15 (20) SIXERS 15-22
The Sixers new head coach Doug Collins has them playing hard and scrappy and the team has no top dog. Elton Brand leads them in scoring with only 14.9ppg, which is a hair above Jrue Holiday’s 14.7ppg and Iguodala’s 14.2ppg. In the East where anything is possible when it comes to making the playoffs which is why the Sixers are now hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot with a 15-22 record.
16 (17) PACERS 14-20
I guess with only a handful of power forward with true post games, most teams are electing to play their athletic small forward as power forward, an experiment the Pacers head coach used against the Knicks that led to Danny Granger pulling down a career high 17 rebounds. The Pacers are not that good, so playing small ball may be the only way to ensure a playoff berth, at least that’s what the Pacers head coach, Jim O’Brien thinks.
17 (18) GRIZZLIES 17-20
The Grizzlies have all the tools to take off to the next level, but I think the key to the Grizzlies success would be moving O.J. Mayo. The Griz should move Mayo for a better shooter who is more of a true shooting guard. The problem is Mayo stock has dropped significantly and his recent fight on the plane with Tony Allen over gambling debts did not help either. The Grizzlies may be caught between a rock and a hard place. Should they trade Mayo now while his stocks are at an all time low, or should they wait for his stocks to go up and then try trading him? I doubt his trade value will be any higher than it currently is, so think this is the time for them to pull the trigger.
18 (16) BUCKS 14-21
The Bucks simply do not score which puts way too much pressure on their defense. I recently watch a game in which the Bucks held Miami’s ‘big3’ to a combined 18 for 58 shooting (31 percent) and the Bucks still suffered a 101-95 loss. They are dead last in the league with an average of only 91.3 points per game. They could be a very good team if they brought in a few scorers.
19 (15) ROCKETS 16-21
The Rockets chance of making the playoffs rest solely on the gimpy ankles of their point guard Aaron Brooks. After being out for most of the season, Brooks returned led to a 5-1 Rocket record, which pushed their overall record to 16-16, but then the ankle started acting up and the Rockets lose their last 5 games with Brooks not playing the last three. Without a healthy Aaron Brooks, the Rockets have no chance of making the playoffs.
20 (22) BOBCATS 13-21
The Bobcats are 4-2 under new head coach Paul Silas and have increased their scoring output to 101.7 points a game. Call it an endorsement or whatever you like for Paul Silas, but Stephen Jackson was recently quoted saying, nobody wanted to play no more as players resisted the coach’s slow offensive pace, speaking of former head coach Larry Brown. He may be right, because even in the Bobcats two losses, they managed to score 96 points in each game.
21 (19) SUNS 15-20
I think it’s fair to say that the probability of the Phoenix Suns making the playoffs this season is slim to none. I think it is time for the team to do right by Steve Nash and trade him. The good news is Steve still has a high trade value so they might be able to get some talented young players and/or draft picks, which will put them in a good position for the future, while giving Nash a chance to perhaps play for a contender.
22 (21) WARRIORS 15-22
You look at the Warriors and you have to wonder where is this team heading? We know they are lottery bound, but will they only look to the draft or will they try to improve by making a bold trade? If they don’t make a move by the deadline, then I expect them to build through the draft and to keep their current roster.
23 (23) CLIPPERS 12-24
What if Clippers owner Donald Sterling had agreed to sell the team to record executive David Geffen? Two things would have happened. Lebron and Blake Griffin would have been the most dominant forward tandem for years to come and Baron Davis would have showed up to camp in shape and playing like a man possessed. Yes, for those who don’t know, Lebron was heading to L.A. if Geffen had purchased the team. Well, we don’t live in a world of ‘what ifs’ and the Clippers are still owned by Don Sterling, the stingiest owner in all of professional sports, but unlike years past might have a brighter future thanks to Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon.
24 (25) RAPTORS 13-24
I’ve been on the Raptors case all season, calling them a Euro League team and even recently stating that they could be eliminated if the NBA goes through with ‘contraction.’ I still believe those two points, but entering week 12 it is worth mentioning that the Raptors are only two games out of the eighth and final playoffs spot in the Eastern Conference.
25 (24) PISTONS 12-24
The Pistons may be trying to make their team more attractive to their potential buyer, which is why they may be involved in a blockbuster trade with Denver that may send Rip Hamilton to New Jersey in a deal that should save the Pistons some money. I think this is just the beginning, because I expect to see the Pistons make more deals before the trade deadline in February.
26 (27) NETS 10-27
The Nets may be 10-27 right now, but if they add Carmelo, Billups and Hamilton, the Nets would have essentially put together a lineup that could have been in Detroit in 2004. More importantly, because they are in the Eastern Conference and still have a solid center in Brook Lopez, I will definitely expect them to make the playoffs and be a serious threat to anyone they play. Well this is all based on the assumption that the rumored blockbuster trade goes through.
27 (26) TIMBERWOLVES 9-29
When you are the worst defensive team in the league and allow your opponents to score 108.2 points per game, it doesn’t matter if you have the league’s best rebounder in Kevin Love (15.7rpg), you simply will not win, especially close games.
28 (29) WIZARDS 9-26
The Wizards are John Wall’s team but his 15.4ppg, 8.8apg and 1.8spg averages may not be enough to carry his team over the hump. They are definitely lottery bound, but the Wizards fortune could change as early as next season. One, Wall will be a much better player. Two, the Wizards could end up getting the first pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Three, they still have some decent tradable assets.
29 (30) KINGS 8-26
The Kings Samuel Dalembert has been griping through his agent due to his lack of playing time and not knowing what his role is with the team. I don’t understand why the Kings traded for him, because quite frankly, he really doesn’t fit with the Kings. I am sure any contender out there could use Dalembert and the Kings will trade him in a heartbeat if they had takers.
30 (28) CAVALIERS 8-29
This week is the weirdest week in the Lebron James saga. Entering week 12, James current team the Miami Heat is ranked number one for the first time this season, while the Cavaliers James former team is ranked last for the first time this season. This brings me to a very important point. How could a team go from having the NBA’s best record over the last two seasons, to being dead last now that James is in Miami? The answer to this question is really simply. Lebron James had the most impact on his team over the last two seasons than any other two-time MVP in league’s history.
1 (2) HEAT 30-9
It took 12 weeks, but for the first time this season the Miami Heat are ranked number one. The Spurs may have a slightly better record, but the Heat are on a roll and quickly approaching record breaking status. Since starting the season with a disappointing 9-8 record, the Heat have won 20 of their last 21 games which includes their current 9-games winning streak. The Heat have also won 13 straight road games and could tie a 40 year old nba record by going undefeated in their next three road games. The ‘big 3’ Lebron, Chris and D-Wade (LCD) are obviously the driving force behind this. They have combined to average (68.6ppg, 13.2apg, 21.3rpg, 3.77spg and 2.15spg while making 49.3 percent of their shots. The scary thing is this team still has a major upside and once they reach that pinnacle an NBA championship could be staring them right in the face.
2 (4) SPURS 31-6
I understand the Spurs are owners of the league’s best record, but after a 2-2 week and considering how well the Heat have been playing, the Spurs simply cannot be rank first entering week 12. On another note, the Spurs are the only contending team that has had all five starters healthy for the entire season.
3 (8) MAGIC 25-12
The Magic have quietly gone about their business and are currently sporting a 9-games winning streak. The trade that shook up the team seems to be paying off so far. The Raptors and Suns are hoping Hedo can refund them back some of the money they paid him considering his subpar performances with both franchises. No that was a joke! But Hedo seems to be a new man since rejoining the Magic. Hedo is averaging 12.5ppg, 6.5apg and 5.3rpg in 11 games since rejoining the Magic, whereas in Phoenix he was only averaging 9.5ppg, 2.3apg and 4rpg in 25 games. Obviously the Magic are glad to have him back.
4 (2) CELTICS 28-8
The Celtics are 4-3 without K.G. including the game against the Pistons in which he only played 9 minutes and injured his knee. During their last seven games the Celtics are actually only 1-3 in games against teams with over .500 records which clearly show the true importance of K.G. Without him, the Celtics go from being a great team to simply an above average team and I don’t think you can say that for anyone on the Celtics team, except for Rondo perhaps, because he is their point guard and engine that makes the Celtics motor go.
5 (7) LAKERS 27-11
This Lakers team is very similar to all of Phil Jackson’s previous three 3-peat teams, in that they appear to be very inconsistent for most of the season, which takes all the pressure and expectations of winning off his team, but that is until the playoff starts. If the Mavericks don’t find a replacement for Caron Butler, who is out for the remainder of this season, the Lakers will have only the Spurs to contend with. The point here is for as inconsistent as the Lakers may appear during the regular season, I expect at the very least to see them in the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs for an epic battle.
6 (4) BULLS 24-12
Derrick Rose 36 points dominant performance over the Celtics Rondo once again proved that Rose is the better guard and might in fact be a serious contender for the MVP Award. With everyone healthy on their respective rosters, I’ll say the Bulls are one notch below the Celtics and Heat and probably on the same level with the Magic in the Eastern Conference.
7 (9) THUNDER 25-13
For the first time in a long time the nba leading scorer might win the scoring title averaging less than 30 points per game. Kevin Durant’s 40 points against the Grizzlies was a pleasant sight, but with Lebron, Wade and Kobe settling in around 25ppg averages, Durant should have no real challenge and will most likely repeat as the nba’s scoring champ.
8 (10) HAWKS 25-14
I’ve been critical of the Hawks Joe Johnson all season long due to the fact that I felt he was under performing and not worth the Hawks $126 million investment. It’s not that I don’t think Johnson is worth a 6 year/$126 million contract, but my argument was he wasn’t living up to the hype. Over the last four games Joe is showing us why the Hawks invested so heavily in him. He’s led to Hawks to a 4-0 record by averaging 27.5ppg while making 52.7 percent of his shots. The real question is can Joe continue at this pace? I don’t think anyone including myself will question the Hawks if Joe Johnson continues playing at this pace.
9 (6) JAZZ 25-13
The Jazz struggled for a 2-2 record last week and against three sub.500 teams, but still managed to finish with the ninth ranking entering week 12. I believe the Jazz are one of a few teams playing above their abilities, but I am not sure they have what it takes to be a serious threat in the West.
10 (5) MAVERICKS 26-10
Losing Caron Butler for the remainder of the regular season was huge, but I think losing Dirk for the last seven games has been the real blow. The Mavs are 2-5 without Dirk and have gone from looking like a serious contender to a fragile team as of late. I expect Dirk to return soon and rumor has it, the Mavs may add Sasha Pavlovic to temporarily fill in the small forward position, while trying to trade Butler in the long run.
11 (12) HORNETS 22-16
The Hornets are 27th in league in scoring at only 94 points per game and are third in opponents points allowed giving up only 92.2 points per game to their opponents. They have Chris Paul, the league’s best point guard, but simply don’t have enough scorers. With the league running the Hornets for now, I think any moves or trade is probably unlikely in the near future.
12 (13) KNICKS 21-15
I think Amare Stoudemire being an MVP candidate is a bit of a stretch, even if the Knicks are on track to win 48 games this season. However, New York City will finally get to see their Knicks in the playoffs this year, but their future hopes of attaining Carmelo services may be over. The bad news for the Knicks is that Carmelo Anthony may be heading to New Jersey, which will be a major blow to New York.
13 (11) NUGGETS 20-16
Using a quote from Ice Cube’s movie “are we there yet?” seems to be the appropriate question to ask when talking about the Nuggets. Word has it, the Nuggets have decided to blow up the franchise and trade not only Carmelo, but also Billups as well. In my opinion this trade is long overdue, but at least now it appears to be near conclusion.
14 (14) TRAIL BLAZERS 20-18
Even after losing Greg Oden for a second straight season and more recently all-star Brandon Roy who is out indefinitely due to two sore knees, the Blazers are still hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot. The Heat needed 78 points from Lebron and Wade to defeat the Blazers in a 107-100 overtime win which proved to me that they are good enough to hold off the Grizzlies and Rockets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference even if Roy doesn’t return.
15 (20) SIXERS 15-22
The Sixers new head coach Doug Collins has them playing hard and scrappy and the team has no top dog. Elton Brand leads them in scoring with only 14.9ppg, which is a hair above Jrue Holiday’s 14.7ppg and Iguodala’s 14.2ppg. In the East where anything is possible when it comes to making the playoffs which is why the Sixers are now hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot with a 15-22 record.
16 (17) PACERS 14-20
I guess with only a handful of power forward with true post games, most teams are electing to play their athletic small forward as power forward, an experiment the Pacers head coach used against the Knicks that led to Danny Granger pulling down a career high 17 rebounds. The Pacers are not that good, so playing small ball may be the only way to ensure a playoff berth, at least that’s what the Pacers head coach, Jim O’Brien thinks.
17 (18) GRIZZLIES 17-20
The Grizzlies have all the tools to take off to the next level, but I think the key to the Grizzlies success would be moving O.J. Mayo. The Griz should move Mayo for a better shooter who is more of a true shooting guard. The problem is Mayo stock has dropped significantly and his recent fight on the plane with Tony Allen over gambling debts did not help either. The Grizzlies may be caught between a rock and a hard place. Should they trade Mayo now while his stocks are at an all time low, or should they wait for his stocks to go up and then try trading him? I doubt his trade value will be any higher than it currently is, so think this is the time for them to pull the trigger.
18 (16) BUCKS 14-21
The Bucks simply do not score which puts way too much pressure on their defense. I recently watch a game in which the Bucks held Miami’s ‘big3’ to a combined 18 for 58 shooting (31 percent) and the Bucks still suffered a 101-95 loss. They are dead last in the league with an average of only 91.3 points per game. They could be a very good team if they brought in a few scorers.
19 (15) ROCKETS 16-21
The Rockets chance of making the playoffs rest solely on the gimpy ankles of their point guard Aaron Brooks. After being out for most of the season, Brooks returned led to a 5-1 Rocket record, which pushed their overall record to 16-16, but then the ankle started acting up and the Rockets lose their last 5 games with Brooks not playing the last three. Without a healthy Aaron Brooks, the Rockets have no chance of making the playoffs.
20 (22) BOBCATS 13-21
The Bobcats are 4-2 under new head coach Paul Silas and have increased their scoring output to 101.7 points a game. Call it an endorsement or whatever you like for Paul Silas, but Stephen Jackson was recently quoted saying, nobody wanted to play no more as players resisted the coach’s slow offensive pace, speaking of former head coach Larry Brown. He may be right, because even in the Bobcats two losses, they managed to score 96 points in each game.
21 (19) SUNS 15-20
I think it’s fair to say that the probability of the Phoenix Suns making the playoffs this season is slim to none. I think it is time for the team to do right by Steve Nash and trade him. The good news is Steve still has a high trade value so they might be able to get some talented young players and/or draft picks, which will put them in a good position for the future, while giving Nash a chance to perhaps play for a contender.
22 (21) WARRIORS 15-22
You look at the Warriors and you have to wonder where is this team heading? We know they are lottery bound, but will they only look to the draft or will they try to improve by making a bold trade? If they don’t make a move by the deadline, then I expect them to build through the draft and to keep their current roster.
23 (23) CLIPPERS 12-24
What if Clippers owner Donald Sterling had agreed to sell the team to record executive David Geffen? Two things would have happened. Lebron and Blake Griffin would have been the most dominant forward tandem for years to come and Baron Davis would have showed up to camp in shape and playing like a man possessed. Yes, for those who don’t know, Lebron was heading to L.A. if Geffen had purchased the team. Well, we don’t live in a world of ‘what ifs’ and the Clippers are still owned by Don Sterling, the stingiest owner in all of professional sports, but unlike years past might have a brighter future thanks to Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon.
24 (25) RAPTORS 13-24
I’ve been on the Raptors case all season, calling them a Euro League team and even recently stating that they could be eliminated if the NBA goes through with ‘contraction.’ I still believe those two points, but entering week 12 it is worth mentioning that the Raptors are only two games out of the eighth and final playoffs spot in the Eastern Conference.
25 (24) PISTONS 12-24
The Pistons may be trying to make their team more attractive to their potential buyer, which is why they may be involved in a blockbuster trade with Denver that may send Rip Hamilton to New Jersey in a deal that should save the Pistons some money. I think this is just the beginning, because I expect to see the Pistons make more deals before the trade deadline in February.
26 (27) NETS 10-27
The Nets may be 10-27 right now, but if they add Carmelo, Billups and Hamilton, the Nets would have essentially put together a lineup that could have been in Detroit in 2004. More importantly, because they are in the Eastern Conference and still have a solid center in Brook Lopez, I will definitely expect them to make the playoffs and be a serious threat to anyone they play. Well this is all based on the assumption that the rumored blockbuster trade goes through.
27 (26) TIMBERWOLVES 9-29
When you are the worst defensive team in the league and allow your opponents to score 108.2 points per game, it doesn’t matter if you have the league’s best rebounder in Kevin Love (15.7rpg), you simply will not win, especially close games.
28 (29) WIZARDS 9-26
The Wizards are John Wall’s team but his 15.4ppg, 8.8apg and 1.8spg averages may not be enough to carry his team over the hump. They are definitely lottery bound, but the Wizards fortune could change as early as next season. One, Wall will be a much better player. Two, the Wizards could end up getting the first pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Three, they still have some decent tradable assets.
29 (30) KINGS 8-26
The Kings Samuel Dalembert has been griping through his agent due to his lack of playing time and not knowing what his role is with the team. I don’t understand why the Kings traded for him, because quite frankly, he really doesn’t fit with the Kings. I am sure any contender out there could use Dalembert and the Kings will trade him in a heartbeat if they had takers.
30 (28) CAVALIERS 8-29
This week is the weirdest week in the Lebron James saga. Entering week 12, James current team the Miami Heat is ranked number one for the first time this season, while the Cavaliers James former team is ranked last for the first time this season. This brings me to a very important point. How could a team go from having the NBA’s best record over the last two seasons, to being dead last now that James is in Miami? The answer to this question is really simply. Lebron James had the most impact on his team over the last two seasons than any other two-time MVP in league’s history.
Monday, January 3, 2011
NBA WIZARD 2010-11 NBA POWER RANKING WEEK 11
RK (LW) TEAM REC
1 (1) SPURS 26-4
What if I told you Tim Duncan, the Spurs perennial all-star was playing a career low in minutes (28.9) down from his career average of 36.2 minutes per game and that the Spurs are better because of that? If you haven’t followed the Spurs this year, you would probably vehemently disagree with me. Well, that is exactly what’s happening. In the past, the Spurs were a very methodical team and rightfully so because they purposely slowed down the game by posting up Timmy more, but not this year. They are averaging 105.6ppg, which is the fourth highest in the nba and their league leading 29-4 record is a very good indication that their new formula for success seems to be working so far.
2 (4) HEAT 26-9
Over the Heat first 17 games they had a 9-8 record, but over their last 18 games they have a 17-1 record and this turnaround was right after their infamous team meeting. Their formula for success is to have Lebron standing at the 3-point line while D-Wade goes one-on-one and can usually get to the basket, because the man guarding Lebron is afraid to help. When Wade goes to the Bench then Lebron takes over. From a basketball standpoint this formula is working, but from a Lebron James fan standpoint, it makes him look like the second best player on the team, which is nerve wrenching to watch.
3 (2) CELTICS 25-7
The Celtics are first in assists with 24.6 per game led by Rondo’s league leading 13.5apg, first in opponents points allowed with 90.7ppg and were looking unstoppable until K.G went down. Fortunately for the Celtics Rondo returned, but without K.G in the lineup I expect the Celtics to struggle on the defensive end. Hopefully he will only be out for two week with his muscle strain. Without K.G., the Celtics are 1-2 including the loss against Detroit when he strained his muscle and only played 9 minutes.
4 (8) BULLS 22-10
Derrick Rose was recently quoted saying he wants to be the mvp, and why not? Like I pointed out last week, despite injuries to Boozer and now Noah, Rose has been the one presence in the Bulls armor and he has not disappointed. The Bulls current 5-game winning streak was enough to elevate them up four spots to this week’s fourth ranking.
5 (3) MAVERICKS 25-8
The Miami Heat last two losses came against the new and improved defensive minded, Dallas Mavericks, but that was before the “knee injury bug” hit town. Dirk was the first to go down with a knee injury and since he did, the Mavs have a 1-3 record. As if that wasn’t enough, Caron Butler recently injured his knee and is expected to be out for the remainder of the regular season.
6 (5) JAZZ 23-11
Play hard, grind it out, share the ball and benefit from the fact that you have the second best point guard in the game in Deron Williams is the formula the Jazz have used all season long and they are getting maximum result out of it. They could easily have five more losses if they weren’t so committed to that formula.
7 (6) LAKERS 23-11
The Lakers have a 23-11 record and are on track to win 55 games this season, which is almost the same amount of wins of Phil Jackson first 3-peat team (1992-93 Bulls won 54 games). However, this team seems to be less focused than the Bulls team that defeated the Suns to win the 1993 NBA Finals.
8 (9) MAGIC 21-12
The Magic are sporting a 5-game winning streak and their new acquisitions of Arenas, Richardson and Hedo combined to average 39.2ppg, while making 77-164 (.469) shots from the field and 32-76 (.42) of their 3-point shots. They also combined to average 12.6 assists and 13.4 rebounds per game. Offensively, there is no question that the trade is paying off, but it’s the Magic defense that concerns me in the long run.
9 (7) THUNDER 23-12
I know the Thunder suffered a humbling 101-74 defeat to the Spurs, but they are still on track to win 54 games, which will be an improvement considering the pressure and high expectations they faced entering this season. The Spurs blowout win over the Thunder only proved that for as much as many would like the see the Thunder leap to the next level they are still not there yet.
10 (12) HAWKS 22-14
Joe Johnson returned back from an elbow injury, but he still has yet to prove he’s worth the 6 year/$126 million contract the Hawks gave him over the summer. Over the last four games Johnson is shooting just 35 percent from the field and has not played up to the Hawks expectation, but the season is still young so let’s wait and see.
11 (13) NUGGETS 19-13
Carmelo finally returned to the Nuggets following a two week absence due to the death of his sister and was rusty as you would expect, but the Nuggets are sure glad to have their leading scorer back.
12 (11) HORNETS 20-14
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is currently running the affairs of the Hornets and Phil Jackson seems to have a problem with that and I don’t think he’s the only one. His concerns are two-fold. One, who decides what actions to take if CP3 demands a trade? Two, New Orleans does not have the support to maintain an nba franchise. I think the nba’s ownership of the Hornets may be the beginning signs of “contraction,” in which the nba will reduce from 30 teams to a new number that the owners and commissioner David Stern deems necessary for profitability.
13 (10) KNICKS 19-14
The Knicks leads the nba in scoring with 107.2 points per game, but continues to be one of the worse defensive team. They allow their opponents to score 106.3 points which is the 28th worst in the league. After 33 games one thing seems certain and that is the Knicks will make the playoff, but don’t expect much more until hopefully Carmelo Anthony and/or CP3 joins the team in a year or so.
14 (14) TRAIL BLAZERS 18-16
I think the Blazers have finally heeded my advice and let their all-star guard Brandon Roy take some time off. Roy will check with a specialist before deciding on whether or not to have surgery to repair his knees. Over the last 8 games the Blazers are 6-2 with Roy out, because second year guard Wesley Matthews have more than pick up the slack in Roy’s absence at the two guard spot. Matthews is averaging 18.125 over the last 8 games and has made it easier for the Blazers to rest Roy, a trend I expect to continue.
15 (15) ROCKETS 16-17
The Rockets are breathing down the backs of the Blazers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West and I expect them to make life a living hell for the Blazers. Starting point guard Aaron Brooks return from injury has helped facilitate the Rockets turnaround. His numbers are down considering the rust he has from not playing for most of the season, but the Rockets have won 5 of 6 with him in the lineup.
16 (16) BUCKS 13-18
When Jennings went down, I thought the Bucks would really struggle, but that has not been the case which led me to examine Jennings true numbers and overall production to his team. I realized that even though Jennings led his team in scoring with 17.9ppg, he also attempted almost 16 shots per game. He also only averages 5.5 assists per game (apg), which makes him a shoot first, pass second point guard. He has the potential to be an elite point guard and he certainly gives the Bucks another weapon that teams must contend with, but I concluded that he does not make his team better. (The Bucks posted a 3-2 record since Jennings injury)
17 (17) PACERS 14-18
The Pacers continued to hang on to the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference, but with the Bucks, Sixers and Bobcats looming in a distance, the Pacers hold over one the last two seeds in the East may be in jeopardy.
18 (20) GRIZZLIES 15-19
The Grizzlies joined a list of teams that have gone into the Staple Center and handily defeated the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in recent weeks. Their 104-85 blowout win over the Lakers in L.A. has many observers doubting that the Lakers will repeat. The win put the Grizzlies 3 games behind the Blazers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
19 (18) PHOENIX 14-18
The Phoenix Suns traded to make their team a better defensive team, but so far, they are still one of the worse defensive teams in the league even after the trade. They are allowing their opponents to score 108.4 points per game, which is the29th worst in the league. Vince Carter averaged 18ppg in the three games he played since returning from injury, but of the three players the Suns traded for, Carter will always be the weakest link on defense.
20 (19) SIXERS 13-20
Andre Iguodala has been in and out of the Sixers starting lineup all season long and the last reports are that he will be out for the next five games not including the last three that he recently missed. Despite that, the Sixers are only one game out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
21 (21) WARRIORS 13-20
The Warriors showed that they are still a young team with a long way to go by blowing a 20 points lead in Miami. Credit the Heat for being one of if not the best defensive team in the league, but the Warriors showed why they have a 13-20 record. They simply cannot defend and like I’ve said all along, they will continue to struggle until they bring in some size in their back court.
22 (25) BOBCATS 11-20
Sometimes change is good and Coach Larry Brown may have overstayed his welcome. New Heat coach Paul Silas has the team playing faster as he vowed they would. It’s still early to tell, but the Bobcats are averaging 100.33ppg over their last three games and have a 2-1 record, with their lone loss being a one-point heart breaker against the Warriors.
23 (22) CLIPPERS 10-24
Let’s face it, the Clippers are not a good team, but they sure have the potential to be good. Even though they lose their last two games against the Jazz and Hawks, you could see that they really competed but simply came up short against two playoff teams. Rookie sensation Blake Griffin continues to amaze everyone watching him and does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Over the Clippers last five games Griffin averaged a mind blowing 27.4ppg and 14.2rpg while making 55.7 percent of his shots. If he ever improves his free throw to around 80 percent and develops a consistent post game, Griffin could be the league’s best power forward since the old Tim Duncan.
24 (24) PISTONS 11-22
You could say the Pistons missed Stuckey, their leading scorer who was out for two games due to an illness and that they can’t wait to have him back, but the reality is the Pistons were 1-1 with Stuckey out and played even worse with him in the lineup. They are simply not that good and I don’t see them making the playoffs without a blockbuster trade of some sort.
25 (23) RAPTORS 11-22
If the nba does indeed move towards contraction, the Raptors would definitely be one of the teams I suspect will be eliminated. Ask yourself this question. If the Toronto Raptors were not in the league, would the nba be worse off or better off? I rest my case.
26 (29) TIMBERWOLVES 9-25
The Wolves have one of the best forward tandems in Beasley and Love and many would even argue that Love (20.9ppg and league leading 15.3rpg) deserves to make the all-star team, but that is just not going to happen if the Wolves continue to be one of the bottom feeders in the league.
27 (26) NETS 9-25
Regardless of whether Lebron made reference to them or not, one thing is certain, the Nets will not be one of those teams affected by contraction if indeed the nba moves in that direction. First, they are in great shape in terms of their salary cap and could still add a player or two in the near future. Two, they are moving to Brooklyn in two years into a brand new state of the art arena. Three, with the nba trying to expand their notoriety worldwide, there is no way they will eliminate a team owned by a rich Russian tycoon with deep pockets.
28 (27) CAVALIERS 8-26
I will continue to argue this point until my last breath and that is trading for Antawn Jamison was the worse move the Cavaliers made in the Lebron error. They got so caught up in the term “stretch four or hybrid four,” and that was not what they needed. Jamison was a terrible defender and not a good enough shooter from distance to be worth the risk. The Cavs should have done everything to trade for Amare Stoudemire. Had they done that, they would have won the championship and Lebron would never have left to join D-Wade in Miami. Reality has finally set in and the affects of Dan Gilbert’s emotional letter has faded. All we are left with is a bad team in Cleveland led by an equally bad and opportunistic coach named Byron Scott.
29 (28) WIZARDS 8-24
John Wall may be a great player one day and probably has the potential to be the best point guard in the nba, but he sure has a long way to go. Playing with the Wizards should allow him to get there soon because with Arenas gone, the Wizards are now John Wall’s team.
30 (30) KINGS 7-24
Tyreke Evans half court heave at the buzzer to give the Kings a 100-98 win over the Grizzlies was the first exciting news out of Sacramento this season and that should be an indication of how bad things are for the worst team in the entire nba.
1 (1) SPURS 26-4
What if I told you Tim Duncan, the Spurs perennial all-star was playing a career low in minutes (28.9) down from his career average of 36.2 minutes per game and that the Spurs are better because of that? If you haven’t followed the Spurs this year, you would probably vehemently disagree with me. Well, that is exactly what’s happening. In the past, the Spurs were a very methodical team and rightfully so because they purposely slowed down the game by posting up Timmy more, but not this year. They are averaging 105.6ppg, which is the fourth highest in the nba and their league leading 29-4 record is a very good indication that their new formula for success seems to be working so far.
2 (4) HEAT 26-9
Over the Heat first 17 games they had a 9-8 record, but over their last 18 games they have a 17-1 record and this turnaround was right after their infamous team meeting. Their formula for success is to have Lebron standing at the 3-point line while D-Wade goes one-on-one and can usually get to the basket, because the man guarding Lebron is afraid to help. When Wade goes to the Bench then Lebron takes over. From a basketball standpoint this formula is working, but from a Lebron James fan standpoint, it makes him look like the second best player on the team, which is nerve wrenching to watch.
3 (2) CELTICS 25-7
The Celtics are first in assists with 24.6 per game led by Rondo’s league leading 13.5apg, first in opponents points allowed with 90.7ppg and were looking unstoppable until K.G went down. Fortunately for the Celtics Rondo returned, but without K.G in the lineup I expect the Celtics to struggle on the defensive end. Hopefully he will only be out for two week with his muscle strain. Without K.G., the Celtics are 1-2 including the loss against Detroit when he strained his muscle and only played 9 minutes.
4 (8) BULLS 22-10
Derrick Rose was recently quoted saying he wants to be the mvp, and why not? Like I pointed out last week, despite injuries to Boozer and now Noah, Rose has been the one presence in the Bulls armor and he has not disappointed. The Bulls current 5-game winning streak was enough to elevate them up four spots to this week’s fourth ranking.
5 (3) MAVERICKS 25-8
The Miami Heat last two losses came against the new and improved defensive minded, Dallas Mavericks, but that was before the “knee injury bug” hit town. Dirk was the first to go down with a knee injury and since he did, the Mavs have a 1-3 record. As if that wasn’t enough, Caron Butler recently injured his knee and is expected to be out for the remainder of the regular season.
6 (5) JAZZ 23-11
Play hard, grind it out, share the ball and benefit from the fact that you have the second best point guard in the game in Deron Williams is the formula the Jazz have used all season long and they are getting maximum result out of it. They could easily have five more losses if they weren’t so committed to that formula.
7 (6) LAKERS 23-11
The Lakers have a 23-11 record and are on track to win 55 games this season, which is almost the same amount of wins of Phil Jackson first 3-peat team (1992-93 Bulls won 54 games). However, this team seems to be less focused than the Bulls team that defeated the Suns to win the 1993 NBA Finals.
8 (9) MAGIC 21-12
The Magic are sporting a 5-game winning streak and their new acquisitions of Arenas, Richardson and Hedo combined to average 39.2ppg, while making 77-164 (.469) shots from the field and 32-76 (.42) of their 3-point shots. They also combined to average 12.6 assists and 13.4 rebounds per game. Offensively, there is no question that the trade is paying off, but it’s the Magic defense that concerns me in the long run.
9 (7) THUNDER 23-12
I know the Thunder suffered a humbling 101-74 defeat to the Spurs, but they are still on track to win 54 games, which will be an improvement considering the pressure and high expectations they faced entering this season. The Spurs blowout win over the Thunder only proved that for as much as many would like the see the Thunder leap to the next level they are still not there yet.
10 (12) HAWKS 22-14
Joe Johnson returned back from an elbow injury, but he still has yet to prove he’s worth the 6 year/$126 million contract the Hawks gave him over the summer. Over the last four games Johnson is shooting just 35 percent from the field and has not played up to the Hawks expectation, but the season is still young so let’s wait and see.
11 (13) NUGGETS 19-13
Carmelo finally returned to the Nuggets following a two week absence due to the death of his sister and was rusty as you would expect, but the Nuggets are sure glad to have their leading scorer back.
12 (11) HORNETS 20-14
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is currently running the affairs of the Hornets and Phil Jackson seems to have a problem with that and I don’t think he’s the only one. His concerns are two-fold. One, who decides what actions to take if CP3 demands a trade? Two, New Orleans does not have the support to maintain an nba franchise. I think the nba’s ownership of the Hornets may be the beginning signs of “contraction,” in which the nba will reduce from 30 teams to a new number that the owners and commissioner David Stern deems necessary for profitability.
13 (10) KNICKS 19-14
The Knicks leads the nba in scoring with 107.2 points per game, but continues to be one of the worse defensive team. They allow their opponents to score 106.3 points which is the 28th worst in the league. After 33 games one thing seems certain and that is the Knicks will make the playoff, but don’t expect much more until hopefully Carmelo Anthony and/or CP3 joins the team in a year or so.
14 (14) TRAIL BLAZERS 18-16
I think the Blazers have finally heeded my advice and let their all-star guard Brandon Roy take some time off. Roy will check with a specialist before deciding on whether or not to have surgery to repair his knees. Over the last 8 games the Blazers are 6-2 with Roy out, because second year guard Wesley Matthews have more than pick up the slack in Roy’s absence at the two guard spot. Matthews is averaging 18.125 over the last 8 games and has made it easier for the Blazers to rest Roy, a trend I expect to continue.
15 (15) ROCKETS 16-17
The Rockets are breathing down the backs of the Blazers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West and I expect them to make life a living hell for the Blazers. Starting point guard Aaron Brooks return from injury has helped facilitate the Rockets turnaround. His numbers are down considering the rust he has from not playing for most of the season, but the Rockets have won 5 of 6 with him in the lineup.
16 (16) BUCKS 13-18
When Jennings went down, I thought the Bucks would really struggle, but that has not been the case which led me to examine Jennings true numbers and overall production to his team. I realized that even though Jennings led his team in scoring with 17.9ppg, he also attempted almost 16 shots per game. He also only averages 5.5 assists per game (apg), which makes him a shoot first, pass second point guard. He has the potential to be an elite point guard and he certainly gives the Bucks another weapon that teams must contend with, but I concluded that he does not make his team better. (The Bucks posted a 3-2 record since Jennings injury)
17 (17) PACERS 14-18
The Pacers continued to hang on to the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference, but with the Bucks, Sixers and Bobcats looming in a distance, the Pacers hold over one the last two seeds in the East may be in jeopardy.
18 (20) GRIZZLIES 15-19
The Grizzlies joined a list of teams that have gone into the Staple Center and handily defeated the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in recent weeks. Their 104-85 blowout win over the Lakers in L.A. has many observers doubting that the Lakers will repeat. The win put the Grizzlies 3 games behind the Blazers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
19 (18) PHOENIX 14-18
The Phoenix Suns traded to make their team a better defensive team, but so far, they are still one of the worse defensive teams in the league even after the trade. They are allowing their opponents to score 108.4 points per game, which is the29th worst in the league. Vince Carter averaged 18ppg in the three games he played since returning from injury, but of the three players the Suns traded for, Carter will always be the weakest link on defense.
20 (19) SIXERS 13-20
Andre Iguodala has been in and out of the Sixers starting lineup all season long and the last reports are that he will be out for the next five games not including the last three that he recently missed. Despite that, the Sixers are only one game out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
21 (21) WARRIORS 13-20
The Warriors showed that they are still a young team with a long way to go by blowing a 20 points lead in Miami. Credit the Heat for being one of if not the best defensive team in the league, but the Warriors showed why they have a 13-20 record. They simply cannot defend and like I’ve said all along, they will continue to struggle until they bring in some size in their back court.
22 (25) BOBCATS 11-20
Sometimes change is good and Coach Larry Brown may have overstayed his welcome. New Heat coach Paul Silas has the team playing faster as he vowed they would. It’s still early to tell, but the Bobcats are averaging 100.33ppg over their last three games and have a 2-1 record, with their lone loss being a one-point heart breaker against the Warriors.
23 (22) CLIPPERS 10-24
Let’s face it, the Clippers are not a good team, but they sure have the potential to be good. Even though they lose their last two games against the Jazz and Hawks, you could see that they really competed but simply came up short against two playoff teams. Rookie sensation Blake Griffin continues to amaze everyone watching him and does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Over the Clippers last five games Griffin averaged a mind blowing 27.4ppg and 14.2rpg while making 55.7 percent of his shots. If he ever improves his free throw to around 80 percent and develops a consistent post game, Griffin could be the league’s best power forward since the old Tim Duncan.
24 (24) PISTONS 11-22
You could say the Pistons missed Stuckey, their leading scorer who was out for two games due to an illness and that they can’t wait to have him back, but the reality is the Pistons were 1-1 with Stuckey out and played even worse with him in the lineup. They are simply not that good and I don’t see them making the playoffs without a blockbuster trade of some sort.
25 (23) RAPTORS 11-22
If the nba does indeed move towards contraction, the Raptors would definitely be one of the teams I suspect will be eliminated. Ask yourself this question. If the Toronto Raptors were not in the league, would the nba be worse off or better off? I rest my case.
26 (29) TIMBERWOLVES 9-25
The Wolves have one of the best forward tandems in Beasley and Love and many would even argue that Love (20.9ppg and league leading 15.3rpg) deserves to make the all-star team, but that is just not going to happen if the Wolves continue to be one of the bottom feeders in the league.
27 (26) NETS 9-25
Regardless of whether Lebron made reference to them or not, one thing is certain, the Nets will not be one of those teams affected by contraction if indeed the nba moves in that direction. First, they are in great shape in terms of their salary cap and could still add a player or two in the near future. Two, they are moving to Brooklyn in two years into a brand new state of the art arena. Three, with the nba trying to expand their notoriety worldwide, there is no way they will eliminate a team owned by a rich Russian tycoon with deep pockets.
28 (27) CAVALIERS 8-26
I will continue to argue this point until my last breath and that is trading for Antawn Jamison was the worse move the Cavaliers made in the Lebron error. They got so caught up in the term “stretch four or hybrid four,” and that was not what they needed. Jamison was a terrible defender and not a good enough shooter from distance to be worth the risk. The Cavs should have done everything to trade for Amare Stoudemire. Had they done that, they would have won the championship and Lebron would never have left to join D-Wade in Miami. Reality has finally set in and the affects of Dan Gilbert’s emotional letter has faded. All we are left with is a bad team in Cleveland led by an equally bad and opportunistic coach named Byron Scott.
29 (28) WIZARDS 8-24
John Wall may be a great player one day and probably has the potential to be the best point guard in the nba, but he sure has a long way to go. Playing with the Wizards should allow him to get there soon because with Arenas gone, the Wizards are now John Wall’s team.
30 (30) KINGS 7-24
Tyreke Evans half court heave at the buzzer to give the Kings a 100-98 win over the Grizzlies was the first exciting news out of Sacramento this season and that should be an indication of how bad things are for the worst team in the entire nba.
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