RK (LW) TEAM REC
1 (1) SPURS 45-9
The Spurs have been so impressive this season with only 9 losses. With 17 weeks into the season, the Spurs are averaging a loss every other week, so when it does happens it gives us something else to talk about other than constantly glorifying how well they’ve played. Last week’s 77-71 loss against the Sixers was as ugly as it gets, but like I said, one bad game every other week is very acceptable.
2 (2) CELTICS 39-14
The Celtics definitely have the Miami Heat number and this trend will continue unless two things changes. One, Miami figures out a way to slow down Rondo, doubtful or, D-Wade figures out how to be as effective as Lebron against the Cs. For now, the Celtics are clearly the best team in the Eastern Conference.
3 (3) HEAT 39-15
The Heat would have made a major statement by beating the Celtics in Boston, but with a chance to tie with seconds left, Lebron made only one of two free throws which led to an 85-82 loss to the Celtics. I think for the Heat to beat the Celtics in a 7-game series, their backcourt will have to outplay the Celtics backcourt or, Lebron will have to be super human against the Celtics, which I believe he is capable of being once Haslem returns. As for Wade dominating Boston, I just don’t see that happening.
4 (5) MAVERICKS 38-16
The Mavs have won 11 of the last 12 with their lone loss being a come from behind victory by the Nuggets. The good news for the Mavs is that only 3 of their next 10 games will be against teams with over .500 records so I expect their winning ways to continue.
5 (4) BULLS 36-16
I did not expect the Bulls to go 3-2 on their current 5-game road trip, especially after starting 1-2, but to win their last two against the Jazz and Hornets clearly helped boost Derrick Rose MVP chances. What made the Bulls last two wins even more impressive is because Rose went up against arguable the top two point guards in the league and beat them on their courts.
6 (6) LAKERS 38-17
The biggest news out of L.A these days is whether or not the Lakers will trade Andrew Bynum for Carmelo Anthony and either way makes sense depending on what the objective is. If Bynum and Artest are both healthy and play well, the Lakers chances of 3-peating will be very high, but Kobe is getting older so winning more rings may be highly unlikely especially with the Heat in the mix. However, trading for Carmelo makes the Lakers formidable for years to come, but such a move will decrease their chances of winning this year.
7 (8) THUNDER 34-19
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on track to win 53 games this year, but I still don’t see them defeating the Lakers or Spurs in a seven game series. Jeff Green and James Hardin hold the key to the Thunder’s future, but the new Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA) will make it very difficult for the Thunder to keep both players in the long run.
8 (9) MAGIC 35-21
The Magic made a long overdue stand with their convincing 89-75 win over the defeating champions L.A. Lakers in Orlando. I think the win was even more important to the Magic, because they needed a confidence booster to prove to themselves that they could beat a title contender.
9 (7) HAWKS 33-20
The Hawks all-star Joe Johnson scored a combined 17 points over the last two games, which explains why they are sporting a 2-game losing streak. Johnson must play at a high level every night in order for the Hawks to be successful.
10 (13) TRAIL BLAZERS 30-24
LaMarcus Aldridge is playing like a man possessed since his all-star snub and has been an absolute monster over the Blazers last four games, averaging 33.5ppg per game to help his team go 4-0. After a season rocked by injuries, the Blazers received news that guard Brandon Roy may be returning before the playoffs after having two successful arthroscopic knee surgeries. The guy is a true warrior!
11 (10) HORNETS 33-23
I watched the Hornets game against the Bulls and was surprise to see Derrick Rose pretty much have his way with CP3. More than his playmaking ability, what sets CP3 apart is his ability to defend, but against Rose, he was really a non factor. I am not going to make too much of this, because I still consider Paul the best point guard in the league. Rose may be explosive, but his defense is suspect at best.
12 (15) GRIZZLIES 30-26
The Memphis Grizzlies are winners of three straight and eight of their last ten. They are only a game behind the Blazers and are making a strong challenge for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. I expect them to battle the Blazers all the way to the finish line, which should be a very exciting race to watch.
13 (11) NUGGETS 31-24
The Nuggets have a 2-3 record over their last 5 games, but their losses have clearly not been because of Carmelo Anthony who has been an absolute beast! Melo averaged 34.8ppg on 61.2 percent shooting, including a 50 point game against the Rockets in a loss. As far as trades goes, the latest rumors have the Lakers contemplating a trade that would send starting center Bynum to the Nuggets for Melo.
14 (12) JAZZ 31-24
After 23 seasons with the Jazz, Jerry Sloan was forced to quit, at least that’s how former Jazz hall of famer Karl Malone sees it. This move was done in an effort to appease Jazz all-star point guard Deron Williams, at least that’s the rumor. I am sure everything will unfold over the coming weeks in regards to Sloan abruptly quitting. The Jazz are 0-2 in the Sloan-less era.
15 (19) 76ERS 26-28
The Sixers have won 3 straight and winners of 7 of their last 10 games. Their 77-71 win over the Spurs, the team with the league’s best record more than confirmed that they are for real. This team has upset written all over them and whoever is matched up against them in the first round of the playoffs will be in for a dog fight.
16 (14) KNICKS 27-26
Since starting the season 21-14 the Knicks have posted a 6-12 record and are currently only a game above the .500 mark with a 27-26 record. They are really fortunate to be in the Eastern Conference because they are still seeded in the sixth spot even with the recent slide over their last 18 games. The bad news is the Bobcats whom are currently out of the playoffs are only 4.5 games behind them. It will be really sad if the Knicks don’t make the playoffs especially after such a good start.
17 (18) PACERS 24-28
The Pacers have climbed back up to the eighth seed in the East with a 7-1 record under new interim head coach Frank Vogel, with their lone loss being a 117-112 nail bitter to the Heat in Miami. Former head coach Jim O’Brien’s firing may have been a good thing after all.
18 (16) SUNS 26-26
The Suns have a 6-2 record over their last 8 games, but it’s going to take a miracle for them to surpass the Grizzlies and Blazers whom are both on fire right now. I am really curious to see what the Suns do with Steve Nash by the trade deadline, because by then it should be pretty clear that the Suns will not make the playoffs.
19 (17) ROCKETS 23-30
The Rockets may be willing to trade for Melo without having him sign an extension and this might be a smart move because the Rockets were one of the teams Melo said he wouldn’t mind being traded to. However, I don’t think trading for Melo will help them secure a playoff spot with only 29 games left, but going into next season they could be a very formidable squad.
20 (21) WARRIORS 24-29
I don’t expect the Warriors to make the playoffs either, but they have certainly made improvements under new head coach Keith Smart. They are currently on track to win 37 games, but unless they make a trade or get lucky in the draft, I don’t see them as a team with any real upside based on their current.
21 (20) BOBCATS 23-31
Yes we all heard the news about Michael Jordan joining his team for full court scrimmages and Paul Silas claim that he could still score 20ppg today in the NBA, but Jordan is not coming back. First of all, he will need to sell his shares in the team, which is highly unlikely. Secondly, a 50 year old Michael Jordan is not what the NBA needs. I think the Bobcats real concern should be making the playoffs as they are currently two games out.
22 (23) BUCKS 20-33
The Bucks are sporting a 3-game losing streak with a 3-7 record over the last 10 outings. They have definitely been a disappointment this season and I don’t see them fixing their scoring issue over the next 29 games. I think they have no chance of making the playoffs unless they make a drastic trade before the deadline.
23 (22) CLIPPERS 20-34
The Clippers were not that good to begin with, but after losing their leading scorer Eric Gordon (24.1ppg) to an injury, they’ve gone on to win only 3 of their last 11 games without him in the lineup. It’s fair to say they will not make the playoffs this season, but if they are fortunate to add another lottery pick and Griffins develops a post game, watch out!
24 (24) PISTONS 20-35
The new Pistons owners are finalizing the purchase of the team which should be concluding just before the trade deadline. My guess is the new ownership might decide to hold off on trades until next season since it appears that they will not be making the playoff this year.
25 (25) NETS 17-38
The Nets are in the best position of any young team in the league, which is why I don’t expect any changes to be made this season, unless of course, Carmelo Anthony agrees to sign an extension with them which seems highly doubtful. The immediate goal at this point is winning 30 games this season and hopefully landing a high lottery pick this summer.
26 (29) WIZARDS 15-38
Last week was a week of ending streaks and the Wizards and Cavs were bind to the hips on both ends. The Wizards were losers of 25 straight road games to start the season as they began the match against the Cavaliers whom had ended their 26 games losing streak against the Clippers a game earlier, but the Wizards would not be denied as they defeated the Cavs 115-100 to end their road losing streak in Cleveland.
27 (27) KINGS 13-38
DeMarcus Cousins threw a tantrum fit for not getting the ball in the post from Dante Greene who opted to pass the ball to Tyreke Evans. Evans missed the game winning 3-pointer and the Kings lost 99-97 to the Thunder at home. Cousins continued his tirade after the game and was suspending for fighting Dante Greene in the locker room. Cousins have a lot of potential, but if he continues down this path, he could be out of the league by the time he’s eligible for a contract extension.
28 (26) RAPTORS 15-40
The Raptors are either lottery or contraction bound, but this season is pretty much over for them. I expect them to blow up this team during the summer and I expect the blowup to be done by a new general manager.
29 (28) TIMBERWOLVES 13-41
I’m still griping over Kevin Love being selected to the all-star team over the Blazers LaMarcus Aldridge, especially since the Wolves only have 13 wins.
30 (30) CAVALIERS 9-46
The Cavaliers needed an overtime win against the struggling L.A. Clippers in Cleveland to snap their 26-game losing streak, a mark that tied them with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the most consecutive losses in American professional team history. In the Cavs defense, they’ve been without starting center Varejao who is out for the season and Mo Williams, who returned for the game against the Clippers after being out for 13 straight games. In all honesty, there is no way the Cavaliers would have lost 26 straight if they had both players healthy.
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