NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 9

RK LAST WK

1 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY  25-5
For the second time in this very short season, the Thunder will be without their second leading scorer and emotional leader Russell Westbrook, who recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knees. Even though Westbrook is expected to be out until after the All-Star break, the Thunder have fared well in his absence. The team is 4-and-1 with Westbrook out of the lineup this season and currently their 25-5 record is the best record in the league.

2 (3) INDIANA  24-5
Step aside Danny Granger, the Pacers are now Paul George's' team.  The Pacers have a 4-0 record since Granger returned and two stat lines stood out to me.  Paul George averaged 24.25ppg over the last 4 games, which was slightly above his 23.9ppg season average.  What I gather from that is, with, or without Granger, Paul George has established himself as the face of the franchise.  Granger on the other hand struggled miserably, averaging only 6.3ppg on a .258 shooting percentage.  Conclusion: As soon as Granger numbers become respectable, I expect the Pacers to trade him.

3 (4) MIAMI  23-7
The Heat have had a though time adjusting to Wade missing every other third game it seems like, which is why they continue to trail the Pacers for the best record in the East.  Lebron James was name AP Player of the Year, the third basketball player to get the award and is once again one of the top two candidates leading the MVP race.  I think Wade should take a page out of Westbrook book and opt for arthroscopic surgery, but it doesn't appear that he will.

4 (1) PORTLAND  24-6
Damien Lillard has obviously established himself as a big shot maker and LaMarcus Aldridge is having an MVP season, but I personally didn't expect the Blazers to maintain their number one ranking from last week. The Blazers are for real and should be considered a championship contender, but I still expect them to finish behind the Spurs and Thunder by the end of the season.

5 (5) SAN ANTONIO  24-7
Timmy is averaging career lows in points and assist, but at 14.2ppg and 9.6rpg, his numbers are clearly worthy of All-Star considerations, especially when you consider the fact that Timmy just turn 37 years old. Nothing really stands out about the Spurs, but I can assure you that by season's end, the Spurs will have one of the top two seeds in the Western Conference.

6 (6) LA CLIPPERS  21-11
After losing by 2-points to GSW in Oakland and by 4-points in an overtime loss to the Blazers in Portland, the Clippers returned home and ended their week on a good note by defeating Jazz.  The Clippers issue is that as long as they have DeAndre Jordan, who can't score unless he's dunking and Griffin who's jumper is still a work in process, they will continue to rely too heavily on CP3.  I still believe trading Griffin to the Knicks for Carmelo Anthony will definitely make them a real championship contender.

7 (7) HOUSTON  21-12
The Rockets started the week with a loss to their home state rival Dallas Mavericks and ended it with a loss to the red hot Thunder in OKC.  However, they managed to win their three games in between to finish the week 3-and-2.  As it stands, this team is not currenly constructed to win the championship.  I think packaging Omar Asik and Jeremy Lin in a trade for a solid point guard, or a stretch-four power forward could change things for the Rockets.

8 (12) GOLDEN STATE  19-13
The Warriors started the week out of the playoffs looking in, but went on to win their last four games and six of their last seven, which propelled the team back to the 7th seed in the West.  Steph Curry is leading the way with career highs in both points and assists, with 23.4ppg and 9.6apg.  The Warriors are once again back to clicking on all cylinders.

9 (8) PHOENIX  18-11
The Suns had a 9-9 record and were clearly out of playoff contention, but have gone on to win 10 of their last 12 games.  The Suns are the 6th seed in the West and have done so by having everyone involved.  If forward P.J. Tucker was averaging 10ppg instead of 9.1, he would be the eighth Suns player averaging double figures.  I'm not sure how long the Suns can keep this up, but for now things sure look sunny in Phoenix.

10 (10) DALLAS  17-13
Dirk is rounding into shape and though he's 35 years old, still leads his team in scoring with 21.3ppg.  The Mavericks have a great coach in Rick Carlisle and with Dirk, Monte and Shawn Marion leading the way, I predict that the Mavs would be a formidable opponent for any team in the First Round of the Playoffs.

11 (9) ATLANTA  17-14
The Hawks had a very challenging week, with three of their four games going overtime.  They started the week losing a 121-119 OT nail biter in Miami, before going on to win their next two overtime games.  If the season today, the Hawks would beat the Bobcats in Round One, but would eventually lose to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Semis, which would be similar to what they did with high dollar players like Joe Johnson and Josh Smith aboard.  So from a pure business perspective, the Hawks will save a ton of money and pretty much have the same result.

12 (15) MINNESOTA  15-15
Kevin Love is playing like an All-Star and definitely won a ton of votes with his monster week.  The Wolves only had 2-2 record, but Love was an absolute beast averaging 32ppg and 14.5rpg.  If he continues putting up chunky numbers like those, the Wolves could find themselves in playoff contention sooner than we think.

13 (16) TORONTO  13-15
When the Raptors traded Rudy Gay, many including myself believed that this was done in an effort to tank the season and to a point I still do. However, the exact opposite has happened.  Before the trade the Raptors had a 7-12 record, but since the trade, the team has gone on to win six of their last nine games.  If this trend continues, the Raptors hope of drafting Andrew Wiggins could dissipate right before their very eyes.

14 (13) WASHINGTON  13-14
The Wizards have been on a nice roll recently and the team's success seem to have coincided with return of Bradley Beal, their second leading scorer.  Since his return, the Wizards have a 5-1 record and have moved up to the 5th seed in the East.

15 (20)  NEW ORLEANS  13-15
If the Pelicans were in the Eastern Conference, they would be seeded fifth right now, but being in the Western Conference means they are seeded eleventh.  Since returning from his injury, Pelicans All-Star hopeful Anthony Davis continues to be a 20 point-10 rebound waiting to happen on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, that might not be enough to lead his team to the Playoffs this season.

16 (21) MEMPHIS  13-16
I anticipated that the Grizzlies would have a though time this year after losing former coach Hollins and All-Star Rudy Gay.  Losing Mark Gasol, the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year has been the hardest pill to swallow though.  Since going down, the Grizzlies are 6-and-11, before his injury the team had a 7-5 record.  Gasol is expected to miss three more week and by then, the Grizzlies could find themselves completely out of the Playoff race.

17 (17) CHARLOTTE  14-17
Bobcats owner Michael Jordan could not be in a better position right now.  For one, he's expecting twin daughters from his beautiful new wife.  Two, the Bobcats will make the Playoffs in the Eastern Conference, which in itself would be an accomplishment.  Third, Jordan could end up making between $60 to $75 million as the owner of the Bobcats, not including the $30 million he gets from Nike.  Jordan could be on his way to having his first $100 million year.  The downside to all of this is that by making the Playoffs, the Bobcats would ruin their chances of drafting a top 5 lottery pick.

18 (11) DENVER  14-15
The slumping Nuggets are sporting a 6-game losing streak, but with a 3-game homestand coming up against the Heat, Sixers and Grizzlies, I look for them to bounce out of their slump.  Unfortunately, the Nuggets will continue to struggle, because they can't guard anyone of the defensive end.  During their 6-game losing streak, the Nuggets allowed an average of 105.7ppg to their opponents.

19 (18) DETROIT  14-18
The Pistons are currently seeded 7th in the East, but as we all know, it's only by default because the Eastern Conference is just terrible right now.  Just when you think this team is making strides; like their close 2-point loss to the Blazers followed by wins over Indy and Boston, they follow it up with losses to the Magic and Wizards.

20 (19) BOSTON  13-17
The Celtics were blessed with one of the lightest week of the season, playing only one game, a 103-100 win over the Cavaliers.  And yes, the Celtics are currently seeded 8th in the East. Who could have ever imagined that after losing Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, that the Celtics team would've had a better record 30 games into to the season?

21 (14) LA LAKERS  13-18
The Lakers are sporting a 5-game losing streak, with Paul Gasol missing two of those games.  Truth be told, with, or without Gasol, this Lakers team will not make the playoffs this season, especially with Kobe expected to miss another month. Personally, Kobe should just shut it down for the rest of the season and allow his team to tank so that they can end up with a high draft pick, but his pride and ego won't let him which will be a detriment to the team.  Imagine if the Lakers ended up with a top 3 pick next season and ended up signing Carmelo, they would instantly be championship contenders. Unfortunately for Lakers fans, that probability is only likely if Kobe shuts it down for the season, which is highly doubtful.

22 (22) CHICAGO  11-17
The Bulls figured just keep it close until Rose return, because by then they would either be in the playoffs, or only a few games out.  What concerns me though is, the last time Rose was in uniform he clearly wasn't the MVP that we all grew to love, so is he suppose to be better after having a surgery on his other knee?  I don't know, but with or without Rose, the Bulls are not making it pass the Semi Finals in the Eastern Conference this year.

23 (28) ORLANDO  10-20
The Magic had a 3-game week that started with a loss to the Knicks, but ended with impressive wins over Detroit and Atlanta.  This team is a player away from being a playoff team and few players away from being a perennial playoff participant.  Trading Jameer Nelson could take care of the first part and landing a top 3 pick in next year's draft could satisfy the latter.

24 (23) CLEVELAND  10-20
The Cavaliers expected way more than 8.4ppg, 5.3rpg on only .419 percent shooting when they signed Andrew Bynum this season.  With a January 7th deadline approaching in which they must waive him, or pay him an additional $6 million, I can say with confidence that Bynum days in Cleveland are numbered.  The Cavs will have to revert back to relying heavily on Kyrie Irving, who is being hampered by aching knees as of late.

25 (24) BROOKLYN  10-20
For as terrible as the Nets have played this season, they are only two games out of the playoffs.  Only in the East can a team with a 10-20 record have a realistic chance of making the playoffs.  Sadly, all of the Nets players are complaining and pointing figures, but the reality is, other than the injured Brook Lopez, not one single Net player is playing well.  Matter of fact, they are collectively all having career low numbers from Deron Williams, to Paul Pierce, down to Kevin Garnett.  It's time for everyone to look at themselves in the mirror and commit mind, body and soul, because it would be a catastrophe if this team misses the playoffs.

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (25) NEW YORK  9-21
I'm going make a prediction that on June 28th, 2014 as Adam Silver the NBA's new commissioner takes the podium in New York City to announce the number one overall draft pick, we will hear something like this "and the Knicks select Andrew Wiggins out of Kansas University.  Skeptics and conspiracy theorist will proclaim that the draft was fix, but the Knicks would enter a new era on that night.  Imagine if they had Blake Griffin instead of Carmelo by then?  A Griffin-Wiggins forward tandem would be the most explosive in the league.

27 (26) SACRAMENTO  9-20
Trading for Gay to pair him up with LaMarcus Cousins was a great move on the part of the Kings, but they need to do more.  With Gay on board, rookie sensation McLemore, who plays the same position and has yet to develop may be indispensable.  I think the Kings should wait until the draft before considering moving him.  This team must come out of next years draft with a third threat to pair up with Cousins and Gay, if they expect to be a playoff team next season.

28 (29) PHILADELPHIA  9-21
The Sixers are in the best position of any team moving forward.  They stole Michael Carter-Williams, who is the leading candidate for the NBA's ROY Award.  Then they drafted Nerlens Noel with the sixth pick in last year's draft, who had it not been for his injury would've been the number one overall pick.  If they ended up with one of the top three picks in next year's draft and Noel returns at full strength, they would essentially have two franchise changing lottery picks and would be the NBA's surprise team next season, hands down!

29 (27) UTAH  9-24
The Jazz could upstage the Sixers if they ended up drafted Wiggins or Parker, because they have bigs like Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors down low.  Not to mention point guard rookie sensation Trey Burke, who will definitely have something to say about the ROY Award before this season is over.  Burke has a major upside and I can easily see him averaging 20-10 next season as in points and assist next season.

30 (30) MILWAUKEE  6-24
The Bucks will definitely end up with a top 5 pick because they will probably end up with the worst record in the league.  My hope is that it's not Wiggins or Parker, because I would rather have those guys playing for the Kings, Sixers or Jazz.  Nothing against the Bucks, but it's simply not an attractive destination for NBA players, so unless they are willing to overpay free agents; which is very unlikely considering how they allowed Ellis to walk, I see them trying to rebuild though the draft which is going to take some time.

NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 8

RK LAST WK

1 (2) PORTLAND  23-5

2 (3) OKLAHOMA CITY  22-5

3 (1) INDIANA  22-5

4 (5) MIAMI  20-6

5 (4) SAN ANTONIO  21-6

6 (6) LA CLIPPERS  20-9

7 (7) HOUSTON  18-10

8 (8) PHOENIX  16-10

9 (12) ATLANTA  15-12

10 (10) DALLAS  15-12

11 (9) DENVER  14-12

12 (11) GOLDEN STATE  15-13

13 (22) WASHINGTON  12-13

14 (15) LA LAKERS  13-14

15 (13) MINNESOTA  13-15

16 (21) TORONTO  11-14

17 (19) CHARLOTTE  13-15

18 (17) DETROIT  13-16

19 (16) BOSTON  12-17

20 (14) NEW ORLEANS  11-14

21 (18) MEMPHIS  11-15

22 (20) CHICAGO  10-16

23 (23) CLEVELAND  10-16

24 (24) BROOKLYN  9-17

25 (26) NEW YORK  8-18

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (25) SACRAMENTO  8-18

27 (29) UTAH  8-22

28 (27) ORLANDO  8-19

29 (28) PHILADELPHIA  8-20

30 (30) MILWAUKEE  6-21

NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 7

RK LAST WK

1 (1) INDIANA  20-3

2 (3) PORTLAND  21-4

3 (4) OKLAHOMA CITY  19-4

4 (5) SAN ANTONIO  19-4

5 (2) MIAMI  17-6

6 (7) LA CLIPPERS  16-9

7 (6) HOUSTON  16-9

8 (11) PHOENIX  14-9

9 (9) DENVER  14-9

10 (8) DALLAS  14-10

11 (10) GOLDEN STATE  13-12

12 (12) ATLANTA  12-12

13 (20) MINNESOTA

14 (17) NEW ORLEANS  11-11

15 (13) LA LAKERS  11-12

16 (14) BOSTON  11-14

17 (15) DETROIT  11-14

18 (18) MEMPHIS  10-13

19 (19) CHARLOTTE  10-14

20 (21) CHICAGO  9-13

21 (22) TORONTO  9-13

22 (16) WASHINGTON  9-13

23 (23) CLEVELAND  9-14

24 (25) BROOKLYN  8-15

25 (26) SACRAMENTO  7-15

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (27) NEW YORK  7-16

27 (28) ORLANDO  7-17

28 (24) PHILADELPHIA  7-18

29 (29) UTAH  6-20

30 (30) MILWAUKEE  5-19

NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 6

RK LAST WK

1 (1) INDIANA  18-3
The Pacers continued their 5-game road trip in week 6 by finishing with a 2-2 record, which included an impressive 111-100 win over the Spurs in San Antonio.  The Pacers still have the league's best record despite losing to two Western Conference power houses, the Blazers and the Thunder.  Not only does this team have the league's best record at 18-and-3, but they are also the league's stingiest defensive team, allowing their opponents on 89.5ppg.

2 (2) MIAMI  16-5
It probably would've been better if Wade had opted for an offseason surgery as opposed to playing every other game, which is what he's been doing as of late.  The Heat have some questionable losses this season, but at 16-and-5, find themselves only 2 game behind the Pacers for the best record in the league.

3 (3) PORTLAND  17-4
Memo to the entire league, the Blazers are in it to win!  They are definitely going to make the playoffs, the only question is, how far will they go?  If their starting lineup; currently averaging 82.9ppg, continue to average over 80ppg, this team should finish with a top four seed by season's end.  LaMarcus Aldridge is having a monster year and was the NBA's Western Conference Player of the Week for week 6.  His sidekick, second-year point guard Damien Lillard, is averaging 20.8ppg and may also be on his way to his first all-star game.

4 (5) OKLAHOMA CITY  15-4
The Thunder reminded of us of how dominant they can be with a blowout win over the Pacers, the team with the NBA's best record.  In their 118-94 win over the Pacers,  Durant and Westbrook combined for 64 points and completely dominated the Pacers in that game.  The Thunder are currently tied for second in the West and as Westbrook knees gets stronger, so will his team as the season progresses.  I expect this team to seriously challenge the Spurs for the best record in the Western Conference.

5 (4) SAN ANTONIO  15-4
After a sizzling 13-and-1 start, the Spurs have cooled off a bit, winning only two of their last five game.  Tim Duncan on the other hand, is playing his best basketball of the season.  After a very slow start, Timmy averaged 16.6ppg and 10.4rpg, including a 23 points and 21 rebounds performance against the Wizards for a 102-100 Spurs victory.  At 37 years old, Duncan became to oldest player to tally over 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game.

6 (6) HOUSTON  15-7
The Rockets are an offensive juggernaut! They are the NBA's highest scoring team at 107.5ppg, as well as the league's leading rebounding team at 47.3rpg.  Despite leading the league in two key categories, the Rockets have been sporadic all season long, due to their inconsistent play on defense. The team is currently trying to trade Omer Asik, hoping to acquire a though-nosed perimeter defender, but they are asking too much in return, which is why Asik hasn't been traded yet. The Rockets will definitely maintain a top 4 spot in the West, if they can acquire a defensive small forward, or a stretch-4 power forward, to help open things up for Dwight down low.

7 (7) LA CLIPPERS  13-8
New head coach Doc Rivers is still trying to find out what his team is made out of and after an 88-82 loss against the Cavs, called out his young team for pouting.  ESPN's Stephen A. Smith suggested that a Blake Griffin-Carmelo Anthony trade could work for both teams and I concur.  From the Clippers perspective, adding Melo would give them a solid scorer from the wing, which will help the development of DeAndre Jordan.  In addition to CP3 and sometimes Jamal Crawford, the Clippers will have a bona fide closer in Melo.  I think the Clippers should seriously consider this trade if it's really available.

8 (10) DALLAS  13-8
The Mavericks had a very impressive week, winning all three of their games including a 108-106 win over the red hot Blazers in Portland.  As a team, they continue to struggle on defense and are at the bottom of the pile in rebounding with only 40.8rpg, which is 25th in the league.  Without a trade, there isn't much upside for this team, but I still wouldn't want to face them in a First Round series if I were the Blazers, Thunder or Spurs.

9 (8) DENVER  12-8
New head coach Byron Scott came in fully expecting to implement the "triangle offense," but he quickly learned that his roster is constructed to run-and-gun.  He started off the season trying to have his team play inside-out, with JaVale McGee been his primary post player, but losing McGee to an injury ended up being a blessing in disguise, because it forced Scott adapt to Denver's run-and-gun style.  The Nuggets started the season 1-and-4 with McGee in the lineup and have since gone 11-and-4 since he went down with a leg injury.

10 (9) GOLDEN STATE  12-9
Don't hit the panic button Warriors fan, because your top offseason acquisition and best perimeter defender Andre Iguodala, is expected back from his hamstring injury within a week.  The Warriors were 8-and-5 with Iggy in the lineup and 4-4 without him.  I expect this team to get back to being more consistent once Iggy returns, or else they could find themselves out of the playoffs picture looking in, which would be very disappointing considering all the high hopes coming into the season.

11 (16) PHOENIX  11-9
The Suns started the season with a 5-6 record, but have since gone on to win six of their last nine games, including their last two against the Rockets and Raptors.  At 11-and-9, the Suns are currently only a 1/2 game behind the Warriors for the 8th and final playoffs seed in the West.

12 (15) ATLANTA  11-10
"You have to get really bad in order to get good," seems to be the accepted path for success in today's NBA.  The only problem with that theory is that at 11-and-10, the Hawks actually have the third best record in a very terrible Eastern Conference.  Tanking is not an option for the Hawks because the 8th seed in the East this year might get in with 50 losses.  In addition, the Hawks have the Nets First Round Picks for 2014 and 2015, so if the Nets continue to plummet, this team could end up getting a lottery pick this summer.

13 (11) LA LAKERS  10-10
Kobe's back, hooray!! Well, not so fast.  I mean seriously, what can you expect if you are a Lakers fan? Best case scenario, Kobe leads them to the playoffs only to be knocked out in the first round. Worst case, the Lakers miss the playoffs narrowly and the Kobe that we all loved and admired is no longer able to live up to the hype.  Either way, this season will not be a success by Lakers standards. Next season is when I expect the Lakers to make some noise, especially if they end up signing Carmelo Anthony.

14 (24) BOSTON  10-12
The Boston Celtics with a 10-12 record are the 4th seed in the East and this should be a clear indication of exactly how terrible the Eastern Conference is.  The Celtics are sporting a 3-game winning streak and ended the week with a very impressive 114-73 win over the Knicks in New York.

15 (20) DETROIT  10-11
Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond are perhaps the largest 4-5, as in power forward-center combo in the league.  When you have an interior with that much size, you definitely need a small forward who can stretch the floor.  Having a ball-hogging point guard like Brandon Jennings is a huge problem for this team, but an even bigger problem is Josh Smith playing the small forward position.  Smith is one of the worst shooters in the league outside of 20 feet and  his poor shooting hurts his team immensely.  Obviously Smith cannot be traded due to his newly signed lavish contract, so maybe the Pistons should consider trading Greg Monroe for a shooter and move Josh down to the power forward spot. 

16 (14) WASHINGTON  9-10
After a horrible 2-and-7 start, the Wizards have crept back in the playoff picture by winning 7 of their last 10 games and are currently the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference.  Point guard John Wall has bounced back from his early season slump and is currently averaging career highs in points and assist with 19.6ppg and 9.1apg. to lead his team back to a playoff seed.  The good news is Bradley Beal the team leading scorer with 20.6ppg; out for the last eight games due to a leg injury, but has been cleared for basketball activities.  Getting Beal back will certainly help ensure the Wizards a playoff berth.

17 (12) NEW ORLEANS  9-10
Anthony Davis was having a monster year, averaging over 21ppg and 11rpg before going down with what was diagnosed as a non-disclosed fracture to his right hand.  Sadly, Davis is expected to be out for 4-to-6 weeks and though Ryan Anderson has fit in very nicely with a 21.7ppg average, losing Davis and his defense was a though blow to this team.

18 (13) MEMPHIS  9-10
The Grizzlies are out of the playoffs looking in and not having Gasol in the lineup for the last seven games has made things even more difficult.  The Griz have a 3-4 record during this stretch and it's looking more and more like the Griz are on the path to missing the playoffs.

19 (19) CHARLOTTE  9-11
The Bobcats ended last week averaging only 89.6ppg.  Yes, less than 90 points per game for an entire NBA team.  Despite that, a 9-and-11 record have them currently seeded 7th in the watered down Eastern Conference.

20 (17) MINNESOTA  9-11
The Wolves are 1-and-4 over their last 5 games and you don't have to look any further than the slumping play of Kevin Love.  During this stretch, Love averaged 19ppg on a miserable .343 shooting from the field, so it's no surprise that the Wolves are slumping  along with him.

21 (18) CHICAGO  8-10
The good new out of Chi-town is that Rose could return before the playoffs.  However, Rose started this season very poorly and with his latest injury setback, I'm not sure if returning this season will be enough to make the Bulls championship contenders.  The Bulls will make the playoffs, but even with Rose, I don't see this team beating the Heat or the Pacers in a 7-game series.

22 (21) TORONTO  7-12
Toronto finally pulled the trigger as I predicted they would all season long, by trading Rudy Gay in an effort to save money and officially tank the season.  The Raptors would love to draft Toronto's native Andrew Wiggins in next year's draft, but will gladly settle for a top 3 lottery pick.  Trading Gay means the Raptors are now in full rebuilding mode.

23 (26) CLEVELAND  7-13
Kyrie Irving is really having a roller coaster season and has been on the down turn of the coaster over the last five games.  Kyrie averaged only 15.8ppg and 4.6apg, while shooting only .358 percent from the field over the last five games, including an 0-for-9 outing for 0 points in an 89-108 loss against the Hawks in Atlanta.  It's very obvious that Irving is having trouble adjusting to Mike Brown's offense.  The question is, does coach Brown even have an offense?

24 (23) PHILADELPHIA  7-14
Michael Carter-Williams is averaging 17.7ppg, 7.3apg and a league leading 3.13 steals per game and is currently leading the race for the NBA's ROY Award.  However, since starting the season with an impressive 3-0 start, the Sixers have gone on to win only 4 of their last 18 games.  The bad news is they are the league's worst defensive team, allowing their opponents a league high 109.5ppg.  The good new is, the Sixers could end up with a top 3 pick in next year's draft and Nerlens Noel could return fully healthy.  If that happens, this Sixers team could make one of the largest jumps over one season.

25 (25) BROOKLYN  6-14
Where do we begin?  Let's start with the two lottery picks that the Nets offer the Hawks for Joe Johnson.  Follow that with a $100 million payroll and then add in $75 million in luxury taxes, which brings the Nets total payroll to $175 million.  Yes, you have a $175 million lottery-bound team led by a rookie coach in Jason Kidd, who was recently fined $50K for purposely spilling his drink on the court.  The Brooklyn Nets are in a total disarray.  The good news is that Deron Williams and Paul Pierce could both return healthy to help lead the Nets to the playoffs.  For as bad as things look, the Nets are only 3 games behind the Bulls for the 8th and final playoffs spot.

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (27) SACRAMENTO  5-13
Trading for Rudy Gay was a great move on the part of the Sacramento Kings.  Pairing him with Cousins should make the Kings more competitive, though I still expect them to miss the playoffs.  If they end up with a lottery pick and Ben McLemore improves, this team could easily become a playoff team by next season.

27 (29) NEW YORK  5-14
Carmelo Anthony will not re-sign with the Knicks, you can book it!  Losing by over 40 points to the lowly Boston Celtics only reinforces the notion of how pathetic the Knicks are right now, so there's absolutely no incentive for Melo to re-sign with them.  If they can trade Melo for Blake Griffin, who is currently under a long term contract, then they must make that trade.  If they don't make the playoffs, they will have Griffin, Bargnani, Chandler and a lottery pick, which  should make them a playoff team by next season.

28 (22) ORLANDO  6-14
The Magic are sporting a 5-game losing streak and as the season hits the quarter mark, it's becoming clear that this team is definitely lottery bound.  Trading Nelson and adding another piece would only lower their chances of a high draft pick, so if I were them, I would just tank the season and let things play out.

29 (28) UTAH  4-18
The Jazz have a bright future because they have bigs like Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter and a nice young point guard in rookie Trey Burke.  If this team lands Wiggins or Parker in next year's draft and their young players continue to develop, this team along with the Sixers could be one of the surprise teams of the NBA next season.

30 (30) MILWAUKEE  4-16
The Bucks are the second lowest scoring team in the league, scoring only 90.8ppg and 28th in rebounds with only 39.9 per game.  Zaza Pachulia is out for a month and O.J. Mayo leads the team in scoring with 15.3ppg, which is the lowest average of any team leading scorer.  The Bucks are definitely the worst team in the league after week 6.

NBA WIZARD 2012-2013 POWER RANKING: WEEK 5

RK LAST WK

1 (1) INDIANA  16-1

2 (3) MIAMI  14-3

3 (4) PORTLAND  14-3

4 (2) SAN ANTONIO  14-3

5 (5) OKLAHOMA CITY  12-3

6 (7) HOUSTON  13-5

7 (6) LA CLIPPERS  12-6

8 (13) DENVER  10-6

9 (9) GOLDEN STATE  10-8

10 (8) DALLAS  10-8

11 (17) LA LAKERS  9-9

12 (16) NEW ORLEANS  8-8

13 (15) MEMPHIS  8-8

14 (21) WASHINGTON  8-9

15 (11) ATLANTA  9-9

16 (12) PHOENIX  9-8

17 (10) MINNESOTA  9-10

18 (14) CHICAGO  7-8

19 (18) CHARLOTTE  8-10

20 (20) DETROIT  7-10

21 (19) TORONTO  6-10

22 (26) ORLANDO  6-10

23 (22) PHILADELPHIA  6-12

24 (24) BOSTON  7-12

25 (27) BROOKLYN  5-12

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (23) CLEVELAND  5-12

27 (25) SACRAMENTO  4-11

28 (30) UTAH  3-15

29 (28 ) NEW YORK  3-13

30 (29) MILWAUKEE  3-13

NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 4

RK LAST WK

1 (1) INDIANA  12-1

2 (2) SAN ANTONIO  12-1

3 (3) MIAMI  10-3

4 (4) PORTLAND  12-2

5 (7) OKLAHOMA CITY  9-3

6 (5) LA CLIPPERS  10-5

7 (9) HOUSTON  9-5

8 (11) DALLAS  9-5

9 (6) GOLDEN STATE  8-6

10 (10) MINNESOTA  8-7

11 (13) ATLANTA  8-6

12 (14) PHOENIX  7-6

13 (15) DENVER  6-6

14 (8) CHICAGO  6-6

15 (12) MEMPHIS

16 (20) NEW ORLEANS  6-6

17 (16) LA LAKERS  7-7

18 (17) CHARLOTTE  7-7

19 (25) TORONTO  6-7

20 (26) DETROIT  5-8

21 (27) WASHINGTON  5-8

22 (18) PHILADELPHIA  6-9

23 (23) CLEVELAND  4-10

24 (24) BOSTON  5-10

25 (28) SACRAMENTO  4-9

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (22) ORLANDO  4-9

27 (19) BROOKLYN  3-10

28 (21) NEW YORK  3-9

29 (29) MILWAUKEE  2-10

30 (30) UTAH  1-14

NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 3

RK LAST WK

1 (1) INDIANA  9-1
The Pacers are still number one, because they have the best defense in the league led by Roy Hibbert, the leading candidate for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award.  If you have to nitpick one thing, it would be the Pacers 95.7ppg season average, which ranks at 21st overall in the league.

2 (2) SAN ANTONIO  9-1
Year in and year out the Spurs always seems to be at the top of the Western Conference, so the fact that they are tied for the best record after ten games doesn't surprise me one bit.  The good news is Spurs defense are allowing their opponents only 89.3ppg, which is the second best in the league.  The bad news is Tim Duncan's age may finally be catching up with him.  Timmy is averaging career lows in points, rebounds and field goal percentage with 12ppg, 7.1rpg and .394 respectively.

3 (4) MIAMI  7-3
After two subpar weeks, the Heat finally played with some consistency led by Lebron James, who averaged 34ppg on .7017 percent shooting from the field.  After a 3-and-0 week, it's fair to say that Lebron is once again the leading candidate for the NBA's MVP award.  The bad news out of Miami though, has to be the health of D-Wade, who averaged only 9.6ppg on .4285 percent shooting last week.

4 (11) PORTLAND  8-2
The Portland Trail Blazers are definitely the surprise team of the NBA early on this season.  The Blazers are one of the hottest team in the league and are currently sporting a 6-game winning streak.  LaMarcus Aldridge prediction that his team will make the playoffs, seems to be intact, because if the season ended today, the Blazers would be the second seeded team in the Western Conference.

5 (6) LA CLIPPERS  7-3
After of sluggish 3-3 start, the Clippers have been on a nice little roll, winning their last four games.  During the streak, Blake Griffin has led the way with 24.75ppg and 10.3rpg and seems to be clearly benefiting from the tutelage of new head coach Doc Rivers.  As I mention before, the Clippers will go as far as Griffin can take them.

6 (8) GOLDEN STATE  7-3
The Warriors are sporting a 3-game winning streak thanks to wins over the underachieving Pistons and the Jazz, the NBA's worst team.  So basically, the winning streak is somewhat tainted however, a 116-115 win over the Thunder give the win streak some credence. Newcomer Andre Iguodala stole the show by hitting a game winning 20-footer as the buzzer expired against the Thunder.  The shot was the fourth game winner of Iguodala's career.

7 (3) OKLAHOMA CITY  6-3
The Thunder came into last week riding a 4-game winning streak, but were brought down to earth with back-to-back losses on the road against the Clippers and GSW.  A win against the lottery bound Milwaukee Bucks helped them get back on track to finish the week with a 1-2 record.

8 (13) CHICAGO  5-3
After starting the season 1-and-3, the Bulls have quietly gone on a 4-game winning streak.  The Bulls extended the streak by handing the Pacers their first lost in a very impressive 110-94 win in Chicago. The bad news out of Chicago had to do with Rose hamstring injury, but fortunately for the Bulls, Derrick was only out for one game.

9 (7) HOUSTON  7-4
The Rockets are at the end of both spectrum as far as points goes, in terms of scoring and points allowed.  They are the second highest scoring team in the league at 108.8ppg, but they are 29th in points allowed, giving up 106.3ppg to their opponents.  The good news is as a team, they lead the league in rebounds with 47.5 a game, but if this team expects to pose a serious challenge in the Western Conference, they must improve defensively.

10 (5) MINNESOTA  7-4
The Timberwolves are obviously led by Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, but there's a new kid on the block and his name is Kevin Martin.  After a short stint with the Thunder last season, where he was pretty much a none factor, Martin has emerged as a major factor with the Wolves this season.  He is the team's second leading scorer with a very impressive 24.4ppg.

11 (9) DALLAS  6-4
Monte Ellis is sure glad to be out of Milwaukee and the Dallas Mavericks are ecstatic to have him on board. Ellis is leading the Mavs in scoring with 22.1ppg and is a major reason why his team is in playoff contention.

12 (12) MEMPHIS  5-5
The Grizzlies are led by point  guard Mike Conley, but this team will go as far as Z-Bo takes them. Last week for instance, the Grizzlies lost their first two games with Z-Bo averaging 11ppg and won their last two with him averaging 25ppg.  For the Grizz to really make a playoff push, the team will need him to average 20-and-11, as in points and rebounds.

13 (15) ATLANTA  6-4
As a team, the Hawks assists totals have dipped a bit, but they are still the league's top assist team with 26.3 a game.  Leading the way is point Jeff Teague who is averaging 19.4ppg, a team high 9apg and looks to be on his way to his first all star appearance.

14 (10) PHOENIX  5-4
The Suns had a light week playing two games and though they lost both, it was by a combined total of only three points, including a 90-89 nail biter against red hot Trail Blazers in Portland.  My early season prediction was that the Suns would miss the playoffs and though I still don't see them making it, it's clear that this team will be competitive under new head coach Jeff Hornacek.

15 (28) DENVER  4-5
For a minute there I was worried about new head coach Brian Shaw as the Nuggets got off to a 1-4 start, but then they went on to win three straight before losing to the Rockets in Houston to finish the week with a 3-1 record.  From here on out I think the Nuggets will be competitive, but I must admit I'm not as high on the Nuggets as I was when the season started.  This team must improve defensively if they expect to be competitive, but with starting center Javale McGee out indefinitely, I simply don't see this happening without a trade.

16 (20) LA LAKERS  5-7
The good new out of L.A is that Kobe Bryant has been cleared by doctors, so I expect him to be back with the team before Christmas.  The bad news is even if and when Kobe return, the Lakers will not make the playoffs with Paul Gasol averaging 13ppg on less than 40 percent shooting from the field.

17 (19) CHARLOTTE  5-5
Wins over sub .500 teams like the Cavs and Celtics and losses to playoff teams like the Bulls and Hawks, is a clear indication of where the Bobcats are at early on this season and that is at the top of the bottom half of the league.  If the season ended today, the Bobcats would be in the playoffs, but there's still 72 more games to go, with the Knicks, and Nets lurking.  I still have them missing the playoff and their only chance of making it would be if Al Jefferson, the team's $14 million a year investment turns into a 20-and-10 player.  So far, he's only played in 3 of the team's 10 games this season due to nagging injuries.

18 (14) PHILADELPHIA  5-6
The Sixers are the worst defensive team in the league, which is probably why many pundits had them ranked at as the worst team entering the season.  Overall they are not the worst team obviously, but unless their defense improve, they will definitely be lottery bound. After a very impressive 3-and-0 start, the Sixers have lost six of their last eight games.

19 (21) BROOKLYN  3-6
The Nets are the perfect example of just how disappointing the Eastern Conference is right now. Entering the season, the Eastern Conference was considered to be better than the West and the new and improved Brooklyn Nets was one of the main reasons for this claim.  So far, this team has been a complete disappointment! I mean, how else do you explain a 107-86 loss to the Sacramento Kings. It's still early and I still expect this team to make the playoffs, but something needs to change in a hurry.

20 (16) NEW ORLEANS  4-6
After starting the season with losses against the Lakers and the Jazz, the NBA's worst team, the Pelicans ended the week with an impressive 135-98 win against the slumping Sixers.  Power forward Ryan Anderson who had been out all season with a toe injury, returned and provided some much needed scoring off the bench with 26 points in 27 minutes.  Now that Anderson is back, his outside shooting should help open up the middle for Anthony Davis.

21 (26) NEW YORK  3-6
Things have been so bad in New York, that Knicks owner Dolan had to come out a guarantee a win against the Hawks.  The Knicks did win that game, but followed it up with two straight losses.  Melo has been taking a lot of heat for shooting too much; 25.4ppg on 21.9 shot attempts, but if he wasn't shooting, who would? The Knicks have only 3 other players averaging double figures, so Melo has no choice.  The Knicks are rumored to be trying to move Iman Shumpert to Denver for the Nuggets super energetic power forward Kenneth Faried.  If I were the Knicks, I would make that trade in heartbeat if Faried is really available.

22 (23) ORLANDO  4-6
And so it begins, the Victor Oladipo era in Orlando.  The Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn opted to go with Oladipo over starting point guard Jameer Nelson, for the last 17-minutes of the Magic-Mavericks game.  The Magic eventually lost the game 108-100, but this could be the beginning of the Oladipo and the end of the Nelson era in Orlando.

23 (17) CLEVELAND  4-7
The Cavs have been a model of inconsistency this season, but in all fairness, you can't beat this team up for losing on the road to Minnesota and Chicago last week.  Kyrie Irving has been on a tear recently, averaging 26.8ppg over his last 5 games, but the kid needs help.  Andrew Bynum has played in only seven games this season and looks like his healthy days are far behind him and Anthony Bennett, the number one overall pick in the draft this summer is averaging a pathetic 1.4ppg in 11.7 minutes per game.  I know it's still very early, but as of now he's beating out Kwame Brown as the worst number one pick in the NBA's history.  Unfortunately these are the kind of help that Irving has to rely on.

24 (18) BOSTON  4-7
Danny Ainge emphatically denied that he's shopping Rondo, but if you know Ainge, you know he's trying to make moves to put the Celtics in position to hopefully land one of the top three picks in next year's draft.  The Celtics are not going to make the playoffs, so trading Rondo will ensure more draft picks in addition to having one of their own, due to having a terrible record.

25 (22) TORONTO  4-7
The Raptors are the worst passing team in the league.  The entire team is collectively averaging a depressing16.5 assist per game.  Hanging on to Rudy Gay; who is averaging a team leading 20.6ppg, should keep in Raptors in the playoff chase, but I doubt this team wants to make the playoff.  Their hopes are on drafting one of the top picks in next year's draft, which is why I fully expect Gay to be moved before the trading deadline.

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (24) DETROIT  3-6
Along with the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards, this team has to be one of the most disappointing early on this season.  Signing Brandon Jennings might have been a mistake that could end up costing the Pistons dearly for years to come.  Jennings is averaging 18.3ppg on 17.6 shot attempts with a terrible .382 shooting percentage.  The Pistons needs to develop their bigs, Drummond and Monroe, so a more prototypical point guard would have been a better fit for this group.

27 (27) WASHINGTON  2-7
Wrapping up the top three most disappointing teams of the early season is the Washington Wizards.  I predicted that this team would make the playoffs, but so far they have been a total disappointment.  John Wall continues to disappoint me.  He was averaging 20.3ppg on 44 percent shooting in his first 4 games of the season, but over the last five has averaged 12.8ppg on .290 percent shooting.  I understand he has an ailing back, but 16.1ppg on .365 percent shooting for the season is just atrocious.  The Wizards have absolutely no chance of making the playoffs if Wall continues playing horrible.

28 (29) SACRAMENTO
DeMarcus Cousins continues to lead his team in every statistical category except for assist, but outside of that the Kings only aspiration this season is to develop their young players and obviously tank the season in hopes of drafting a savior next summer.

29 (25) MILWAUKEE
Nothing new to report out of Milwaukee except the obvious, this team is lottery bound.  The Bucks had the hardest schedule last week with match ups against the Heat, Magic, Pacers and Thunder, which obviously led to an 0-and-4 week.

30 (30) UTAH
The Jazz finally ended their 8-game losing streak by beating the Pelicans 111-105, for their first win of the season.  If you are a Jazz fan, just forget about this season, but be very optimistic because next season compared to this one, could be like night and day.  If the Jazz land a top three pick in next year's draft, Jerry Sloan comes back and their bigs continue to improve, this team could be a playoff team by next season.

NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 2

RK LAST WK

1 (1)  INDIANA  7-0
The Pacers 7-0 start is the best in franchise history and the team's success can be attributed to three things.  The Pacers league leading defense allows opponent only 85.3ppg.  Hibbert's 4.29 blocks per game is the second highest and he has emerged early on as the leading candidate for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award.  Lastly, after a solid series against the Heat in last year's Eastern Conference Finals, Paul George is having a breakout season averaging 25.1ppg.

2 (9) SAN ANTONIO  6-1
The Spurs are back to their old ways, leading the Western Conference with the best record once again.  The Spurs are only allowing their opponents to score 92.4ppg, which is second in the league.

3 (7) OKLAHOMA CITY  5-1
Kevin Durant is leading the league in scoring with 30.2ppg and appears to be on his way to winning his third scoring title in four season.  His counterpart Russell Westbrook is averaging only19ppg since returning from his injury and shooting a miserable .338 percent from the field, but his presence has created opportunities for the entire team, which is why the Thunder are sporting a 4-game winning streak since his return.

4 (4) MIAMI  4-3
One-point losses to the Nets and Celtics along with a four-point loss to the Sixers in the team's first seven games, is an indication that the Miami Heat are not prepared to defend their title.  The Heat won championships using defense as their staple, but this current team is allowing their opponents 100.9ppg, which is 21st in the league and this is the key reason for their sluggish start.

5 (3) MINNESOTA  5-2
The Timberwolves are averaging 106.1ppg, which is third overall in the league.  Kevin Love is leading the way with 26.9ppg and 14.4rpg and his sidekick Ricky Rubio is also having a great year averaging 8.7apg and a league leading 3.3spg.  However, the Wolves success has to be attributed to the reemergence of Kevin Martin, who is the team's second leading scorer with 23.9ppg.

6 (5) LA CLIPPERS  4-3
Two wins in one week over the upstart Houston Rockets should be a great week for any team and this was what the Clippers accomplished last week.  At 110ppg the Clippers are leading the league in scoring, but they have a 4-3 record because they can't stop anyone from scoring.  Despite having a defensive presence like DeAndre Jordan and a pest like CP3 on the perimeter, this team is allowing their opponents 106.3ppg, which is 27th in the league.  New head coach Doc Rivers who hangs his hat on defense is definitely unhappy about this, but that's the trade off when you load a team with mostly shooters, i.e. J.J. Reddck and Jared Dudley.

7 (2) HOUSTON  4-3
The Rockets were off to a great start before dropping 1-3 in week two, including two losses to the L.A. Clippers.  The surprising stat for me, has to be the 1.43 blocks that Dwight Howard is averaging early on.  His 13.6rpg is impressive, but his low block totals has a lot to do with why the Rockets are allowing their opponents 103.6ppg for 24th in the league.

8 (6) GOLDEN STATE  4-3
The Warriors ended a tough 4-game road trips with losses in San Antonio and Memphis and Steph Curry was not at full strength due to soreness in his ankle.  The good new is, four of the Warriors next five games will be in Oakland, so I expect them to return to their winning ways.

9 (8) DALLAS  4-3
Dirk is having a sub par year averaging 18.1ppg, but his new sidekick Monte Ellis is leading the team in scoring with 23ppg for the league's second highest scoring team.  The Mavs are averaging 107ppg, but defensively is where this team is struggling.  They are currently allowing their opponents 104.4ppg, which is currently 25th in the league.

10 (15) PHOENIX  5-2
The Phoenix Suns are definitely getting a bargain for the $2.6 million the team is paying Eric Bledsoe, who is looking to cash in on a contract extension next season.  Bledsoe is having a breakout season averaging 20.9ppg with 7.3apg and doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.  Had it not been for the monster year Anthony Davis is having, Bledsoe would probably have a shot at winning the NBA's Most Improved Player (MIP) Award.

11 (12) PORTLAND  4-2
The Blazers had a 4-1 week thanks to back-to-back wins against the lottery bound Sacramento Kings. While Damien Lillard may have come down to earth a bit, LaMarcus Aldridge continues to lead the team with 23.3ppg and is in the midst of an all-star season.

12 (17) MEMPHIS  3-3
The Grizzlies played four of their five games at home last week and managed to win three of those games, however, it's still too early to gauge whether this team has an upside.  Five of their next six games will be on the road, by then it should be clear what direction this team is heading.

13 (13) CHICAGO  2-3
It's way to early to panic if you're a Bulls fan, but one has to be concern about the health of Derrick Rose.  14.4ppg on 15 shot attempts is simply not going to get it done.  To make matter worst, Rose is averaging only 4apg.  I expect the Bulls to turn their fortunes around because they are still a great defensive team.  Their 45.6 rebounds is third overall in the league and they only give up 93ppg to their opponents, which is fifth, but the team's ultimate success still rest on the healthy, or not so healthy knees of Derrick Rose.

14 (11) PHILADELPHIA  4-3
The Sixers started the season 3-0, but came back down to earth last week by posting a 1-3 record. Evan Turner is having a great year averaging 23.4ppg on .521 percent shooting from the field, while rookie Michael Carter-Williams; the Eastern Conference Player of the Week in week one, seems to be settling into a high volume, low percentage shooter.  For the season, Carter-Williams is down to 18.7ppg on .409 percent shooting from the field.

15 (20) ATLANTA  3-3
The Hawks are having a surprisingly good year especially Paul Millsap, who is currently leading the team in scoring with 20.2ppg and second in rebounds at 8.2rpg.  For years, the Hawks were considered to be a selfish team, but all that has changed this season.  The Hawks are leading the league in assists with 28apg led by point guard Jeff Teague's 9.8apg, who is second in the league behind the Clippers Chris Paul. T

16 (19) NEW ORLEANS  3-4
MIP Anthony Davis update: 21.7ppg, 11.6rpg, 3.9bpg, 2.3spg with a 29.6 PER, is leading the league's fifth best defense.  The Pelicans are only giving up 94.7ppg to their opponents and if they ever landed a a solid perimeter defender like a Tony Allen, they would easily be the best defensive team in the league.

17 (22) CLEVELAND  3-4
Word out of Cleveland is that point guard superstar Kyrie Irving and new head coach Mike Brown are not on the same page offensively, especially at the end of games.  The irony is, coach Brown has never been known for coaching offense and the team's 94.1ppg average, which is 23rd in the league is a clear indication that Brown is still not an offensive coach.

18 (29) BOSTON  3-4
After starting the season 0 and 4, the Celtics spend last week reeling off three straight wins including a 1-point nail bitter in Miami against the two-time defending champs, thanks to a fortunate 3-pointer by Jeff Green at the buzzer.  What does this means? Well, absolutely nothing, because the Celtics are still lottery bound.

19 (25) CHARLOTTE  3-3
The Bobcats are 3-3, but like I said before the season, this team best chance of improving is getting lucky through the draft. Can you imaging if they had drafted Anthony Davis?  Well, that didn't happen so their next best shot is to hopefully land Parker or Wiggins in next year's draft.  At 90.3ppg, the Bobcats are 29th in the league in scoring and dead last in assist at only 17 a game.  With those numbers, there's no way I see this team making the playoffs.

20 (16) LA LAKERS  3-5
Jodie Meeks is leading the Lakers in scoring with 12.8ppg and that should tell you how bad the Lakers are.  I predicted that Pau Gasol would have an all-star season and I know it's still early, but 11.9ppg on 36 percent shooting, seriously Pau?  If I were the Lakers, I would buyout Kobe's contract, trade Pau and tank the season for more lottery picks, because the best case for the Lakers this season is a First-Round exit.

21 (14) BROOKLYN  2-4
Brook Lopez 20.2ppg and 2.33bpg are solid numbers, so he's off the hook, but Deron Williams is not. Williams is averaging 10.8ppg and 7.5spg and if he continues at that pace, the Nets would end up being the most disappointing and expensive experiment in the history of the NBA.  Williams will have to average over 20ppg and 10 or more assists, for the Nets to be a contender.

22 (23) TORONTO  3-4
Wins over Boston, Milwaukee and Utah; three lottery bound teams, only leads to false hope.  The Raptors led by Rudy Gay's 17.9ppg has a chance to make the playoffs because they're surprisingly a decent defensive team.  Fourth to be exact in opponents points allowed at 93.9ppg.  Making the playoffs could be a possibility if they hang on to Gay, so if they really plan on joining the Wiggins-Parker sweepstakes the only logical option would be to trade Rudy Gay.

23 (21) ORLANDO  3-4
The Magic are leading the league in rebounds with 47.7 per game and Nikola Vucevic is leading the way with 12.1rpg.  Rebounding is a key ingredient to winning games and with rookie sensation like Oladipo on board, the Magic making the playoffs may not be as far fetched as I initially thought.

24 (10) DETROIT 2-3
Losing to the red hot Pacers and the Thunder didn't do anything to change my prediction that the Detroit Pistons will make the playoffs this year.  The only player that concerns me is Brandon Jennings, a high volume, low percentage shooter.  Currently Jennings is averaging 17.7ppg on 16.3 shot attempts, while making only .367 percent of his shots in 3 games for the Pistons this season.

25 (24) MILWAUKEE  2-3
O.J. Mayo is leading the Bucks in scoring with 18.6ppg this season and those numbers will probably increase as the season progresses.  He and Monte Ellis; who is having a fantastic year in Dallas, would've made a great backcourt, but my guess is the Bucks decided to completely rebuild.

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (18) NEW YORK  2-4
As the saying goes, "when it rains, it pours," and in the Knicks case, everything seems to be falling apart right now.  The team's only true post defender Tyson Chandler, recently went down with a fractured right fibula and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks.  Things are so bad in New York that head coach Mike Woodson questioned his team's effort and that was followed by Knicks owner Jim Dolan guaranteeing that the Knicks would win their next game against the Hawks.  I expect the Knicks to recover, but the pressure is on and Woodson should be feeling the heat.

27 (30) WASHINGTON  2-4
The Wizards defense are currently 29th in the league, giving up 106.8ppg to their opponents this season.  After starting the season 0-and-3, the Wizards have gone on to win 2 of their last 3 games and their one defeat was a 106-105 loss in overtime to the Thunder in Oklahoma City.  Second year stud Bradley Beal posted a 31.5ppg average over the last two games and is leading the team in scoring with 21ppg this season.  

28 (26) DENVER  1-4
JaVale McGee is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his left tibia which will definitely hurt an already terrible defense that gives up 105.2ppg.  Ty Lawson is having a breakout year averaging 22.6ppg and 6.8apg, but his Nuggets team that was once known for scoring, is only averaging 98.4ppg which is 17th overall.  New head coach B-Shaw is off to a rough start.

29 (27) SACRAMENTO  1-5
DeMarcus Cousins is having a breakout season, but his numbers doesn't hold much weight considering how terrible the Kings are.  Yes he's averaging 23.5ppg, 9.7rpg, 2.2spg and 1.2bpg, but the Kings have the second worst record in the league.

30 (28) UTAH  0-7
Word out of Utah is that former head coach Jerry Sloan might be on his way back to coach the Jazz and after and 0-7 start, which means the Jazz current head coach Ty Corbin could be the first coach fired this season.  The Jazz is the NBA's lowest scoring team, with an 87.7ppg average.  A change is definitely coming and it wouldn't surprise me to see Corbin out and Sloan in sooner, rather than later.

NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 1

RK LAST WK

1 (3)  INDIANA  3-0
After week one, the Pacers have emerged as the league's best defensive team.  Roy Hibbert is leading the league with 4.7 blocks per game and Paul George is off to a breakout season with his 25.7ppg after week one.  The dynamic duo led their team to a 3-0 start and all off this happened without Danny Granger, who may out of the lineup for another two weeks.

2 (8)  HOUSTON  3-0
The Dwight Howard liftoff is cruising at a 35,000 feet altitude with absolute no turbulence early on, as the Rockets jump off to a 3-0 start in week one.  James Harden is the NBA's 4th leading scorer at 26ppg and Howard is leading the league in rebounds with 17rpg.  This is a long season, but if week one is any indication of what's to come, well, let's just say the future looks bright in Houston.

3 (17)  MINNESOTA  3-0
The Timberwolves made the third biggest jump from 17th to 3rd, thanks to their former all star Kevin Love, who averaged a league leading 29.7ppg in week one.  Yes, I expected this team to make a push for one of the final playoff seeds in the West, but no, I definitely didn't expect them to be off to such a start.

4 (1)  MIAMI  2-2
I expected this team to make a serious push for a 70-win season, but unfortunately they are off to a very mediocre 2-2 start.  The reality is, this team is full of themselves and according to Dwyane Wade, have minor chemistry issues, but don't put too much stock into week one.  Against the Sixers they came out lackluster and were down 19-0 to start the game, but came all the way back and even took an 8-point lead before eventually losing down the stretch as Lebron went 0-4 from the field with 2 turnovers in the final 2:53 in a game they should have won.  In their next game against the Nets, they lost by a point in what was another winnable game in Brooklyn.  Regardless of what could have happened, the Heat are off to a slow start and they need to fix it immediately.  The Pacers are out to get the best record this season, so that if there is a game 7, it will be in Indiana and not Miami.  The Heat better be mindful of this.

5 (6)  LA CLIPPERS  2-1
The Clippers followed a surprise loss against the Kobe-less Lakers with back-to-back wins against the surging Warriors and the rebuilding Kings.  CP3 was phenomenal against the Warriors, posting 42 points, 15 assists and 5 rebounds and is currently off to a monster year.  He's currently leading the league with 12.2apg and is third in points and steals with 27.7ppg and 3.7spg.  Obviously I don't expect CP3 to continue averaging those filthy numbers, especially not his current league leading 41.2 PER (Player Efficiency Rating), but by the end of this season, there will be no question who the best point guard in the league is.

6 (7) GOLDEN STATE  2-1
The Clippers needed a career night from Chris Paul in L.A. and that was the recipe needed to defeat the Warriors.  Klay Thompson is averaging 25ppg and shooting over 65 percent from the field and his counter part Steph Curry is averaging 23.3ppg and 9apg  while also shooting an impressive 56.5 percent from the field.  The Warriors may not have the best individual guard, but the Curry-Thompson backcourt is definitely the best in the league and they are both off to great starts this year.

7 (9)  OKLAHOMA CITY  2-1
I thought it would take 4-6 weeks for the Thunder to get Russell Westbrook back, but it only took 2 games, because the guy is a true Warrior.  Westbrook returned in only the Thunder's third game of the season and scored 21 points in 33 minutes.  If he's truly healthy, then the Western Conference just got really interesting.  As expected, Durant is one of the league's top scorers after week one and his 29.3ppg is currently second right behind the Wolves Kevin Love's 29.7ppg.  The only knock in his game after the first week would be his 1apg average.

8 (16) DALLAS  2-1
I predicted that Dirk Nowitzki will return to his all star form and lead the Mavericks to the playoffs this year, but the Monte Ellis acquisition is going to ensure the Mavericks a playoff berth.  So far both players are averaging an identical 23.3ppg and if they continue to average those numbers, the Mavericks will not only make the playoffs, but could be the scariest team in a wide opened Western Conference.

9  (28)  SAN ANTONIO  2-1
The Spurs dropped in the rankings due to Tim Duncan chest contusion, but Timmy's a warrior so I expect him to be in the lineup shortly.  If any team can bounce back from an epic failure, it's this San Antonio team, but regardless of how well they play this season; and they might even end up with the best record again, I don't see this team getting out of the Western Conference this year.

10 (18)  DETROIT  2-1
By next season, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond will be the most dominate post playing teammates, even though some may argue they already are.  The duo averaged a combined 29.3ppg, 23.3rpg and 2bpg to lead their team to a 2-1 record to start the season.

11 (28)  PHILADELPHIA  3-0
Unlike most pundits who ranked the Sixers last in the rankings to start the season, I felt they were a little better, but definitely not good enough to beat both the Heat and Bulls in the same week.  Rookie Michael Carter-Williams had a surprising week averaging 20.7ppg, 9apg and 4.33 steals including nine against the Heat to lead his team to a 3-0 week.  He will not continue at that pace, but he will average over 14 shot attempts this season, which should be enough to earn him an all-rookie first team spot.

12 (22)  PORTLAND  2-1
LaMarcus Aldridge predicted that his team would make the playoffs this season and started the year putting his money where is mouth is, or stats where his mouth is by averaging 25.7ppg to lead his team to a 2-1 record.  However, Aldridge is not the only Blazers who had a good week.  Point guard Damian Lillard; the NBA's reigning ROY, is off to a monster second season.  He averaged 25ppg, 5.0rpg and 5.3apg in week one and if he and Aldridge maintains those numbers, the Blazers one-two punch may eventually lead them to the playoffs.

13 (4)  CHICAGO  1-2
Sometimes you just have to shut up and play ball and Derrick Rose spend the entire preseason and first week of the season doing the opposite.  I definitely expect this team to finish with one of the best records in the East, but the Bulls will only go as far as Rose will take them.  Rose 14.3ppg and 4.3apg average on a miserable .288 shooting in week one were so bad, that it prompted him to issue yet another statement; an obvious one this time, claiming he's playing bad and takes full responsibility for his team's poor play.  Hopefully week one humbled Rose to the point where we will start seeing a better player moving forward.

14 (5)  BROOKLYN  1-2
On paper, the Nets have the best starting lineup in the league, but as the famous saying goes, Rome was not built in a day.  You have a bunch of veterans that don't want to step on each other's toes, but for this team to be successful, someone will have to take the lead.  Will it be new head coach Jason Kidd, or new comer Paul Pierce, or point guard Deron Williams, who handles the ball more than 50 percent of the time?  I believe this team will bounce back, but as I stated last week, I don't see them cracking the top 3 in the Eastern Conference.

15 (30)  PHOENIX  2-1
I ranked the Suns 30th to start the season, but I underestimated Eric Bledsoe, the Suns newly acquired point guard from the L.A. Clippers.  Bledsoe, backed up CP3 last season, but was considered a starting point guard by many pundits including myself and the young fellow is off to a great start.  Bledsoe averaged 22ppg and 8.7apg in week one and for the season, I expect him to average 20 or more points and over 9 assist, which should make him a candidate for MIP Award (Most Improved Player).  Being realistically though, I still can't imagine the Suns making the playoffs with Bledsoe being their best player.

16 (15)  LA LAKERS  2-2
There's nothing new to report out of Lakerland and this probably wouldn't change until Kobe returns.  Pau Gasol is averaging 15.8ppg and 11rpg, and shooting guard Xavier Henry is the team's second leading scorer with 14.3ppg.  The Lakers have a 2-2 record and you can expect them to hover around .500 ball until
Kobe's return.

17 (10)  MEMPHIS  1-2
The Grizzlies will make the playoffs this year, so be don't alarmed by their 1-2 start.  Their two losses came against the Spurs and Mavericks on the road and most teams would've suffered the same fate.  I'm sure losing former head coach Hollins will be felt on the defensive end, but it's still too early to gauge how far the Grizzlies will slide.

18 (11)  NEW YORK  1-2
Carmelo Anthony is averaging 21ppg and 11rpg, but shooting only .377 from the field.  Carmelo is a beast, so I expect his scoring and field goal percentage to increase, but the Knicks are doomed if Raymond Felton (13ppg) continues to be the team second leading scorer.  The Knicks acquired scoring forward/center Andrea Bargnani to bolster their offense this offseason, but so far, he's only averaging 9.7ppg and with Stoudemire ailing, Bargnani has to be the Knicks second best offensive players in order for them to be successful this season.

19 (14)  NEW ORLEANS  1-2
The Pelicans are off to somewhat of a disappointing 1-2 start, but I can't help but appreciate the numbers Anthony Davis is putting up so far this season.  He is obviously my pick for the MIP Award, but a 23.7ppg, 12.3rpg, 4bpg and 2.7spg with a 35 PER, is just too juicy to not be in awe.  I don't see him continuing at this pace, but he should average 20ppg, 11rpg, 2spg and around 3bpg and win the MIP Award.

20 (21)  ATLANTA  1-2
Jeff Teague and Al Horford are leading the Hawks in all 5 statistical categories and Paul Millsap is the team's second leading scorer with 16.3ppg, but the Hawks do not have a bench.  The starting lineup is decent enough to compete on most nights, but their lack of a bench will be the key reason why I see the Hawks missing the playoffs this season.

21 (29)  ORLANDO  2-2
Arron Afflalo is leading the way with 20.8ppg, but the real drama brewing in Magicland is between Jameer Nelson and Victor Oladipo.  Nelson is in the starting lineup for now, but it's been rumored that Nelson may be on the move.  It wouldn't surprise me to see Oladipo in the starting lineup and Nelson traded way before the trading deadline in February.

22 (20)  CLEVELAND  1-2
The Cavaliers are off to a poor start, particularly Kyrie Irving who is averaging 15.3ppg on a miserable 34 percent shooting from the field.  Then you have Andrew Bynum, who may not be as healthy as many Cavs fans might have hoped, evidently he's only averaging four points in 9 minutes per game this season.  I expect things to turn around mainly because Irving numbers will improve and if Bynum can return to even 85 percent of his post injury form, the Cavs will be in good shape.

23 (23)  TORONTO  2-1
A win over the lottery-bound Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks doesn't count for much in my book, so the Raptors 2-1 start is deceiving.  Rumor has it that Rudy Gay will be the next Raptors players to be moved in an effort to tank the season to increase their odds of landing Toronto's native Andrew Wiggins, the consensus first pick in next year's draft.

24 (26)  MILWAUKEE  1-2
Zaza Pachulia is the Bucks leading scorer at 13ppg.  Pachulia will be a bench player on at least 25 teams in the league, so for him to be leading the Bucks is indicative of their future and that is to end up with one of the worst records in the league this season.  This team is definitely lottery bound.

25 (25)  CHARLOTTE  1-2
The Bobcats are once again, one of the lowest scoring teams in the league, 29th to be exact at 85.7ppg.  The addition of Jefferson hasn't helped in the rebounding department either.  At 38.3rpg, this team currently ranks 28th in the league.  The Bobcats are definitely lottery bound and with owners like Prokhorov willing to pay $75 million in luxury tax penalties this year, an owner like Michael Jordan is probably set to earn over $60 million as a result of that.

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26 (12)  DENVER  0-2
It's still very early, but new head coach Byron Scott is off to a slow start.  The Nuggets are 0-2, but if you're a Nuggets fan, you need to be optimistic because at 48 rebound per game, the Nuggets ranks 3rd overall in the league.  Rebounding is one of the key stats attached to defense, which ultimately win games, so if the Nuggets continue rebounding the ball at this level, there's no way I see them missing the playoffs.

27 (24)  SACRAMENTO  1-2
DeMarcus Cousins is off to a 20/10 season and Isaiah Thomas is leading the bench with 19ppg, but what more can one expect from the Sacramento Kings.  Actually there's Ben McLemore, a ROY candidate, but at 8.3ppg on .385 percent shooting, McLemore has yet to impress and barely deserves mentioning at this point.

28 (19)  UTAH  0-3
The Jazz are off to terrible 0-3 start, but next to the Sixers, this team has had the toughest schedule early on.  They lost to Phoenix on the road and also had two tough losses against two Western Conference giants, the Rockets and Thunder at home.  I can't really beat them up for being 0-3, but they are winless, so I can't rank them any higher than 28th at this point.

29 (28)  BOSTON  0-3
The Celtics were already a bad team, so imagine not having Rondo; who hasn't even been cleared for contact, in the lineup, disaster is the only thing you can expect.  The result of this is the Celtics are dead last in assist at 14.3 per game and 28th in scoring at 87.3 points.  This might actually work in the Celtics favor, especially if they end up drafting Andrew Wiggins.

30 (13)  WASHINGTON  0-3
The Wizards had the largest drop and are clearly the worst team in the league after week one.  So far this team hasn't been able to guard a little puppy trying to enter a closed door, which is why their 29th ranked defense is allowing their opponents to score 108.3ppg.  I'm really shocked to see this team playing so poorly, especially after acquiring Marcin Gortat.  I predicted that they would make the playoffs, so I don't think Wizard fans should panic quite yet.

NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 SEASON PREDICTIONS

CHAMPION 

MIAMI HEAT

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALIST

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER  VS.  GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER VS.  SAN ANTONIO SPURS

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS  VS.  HOUSTON ROCKETS

WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND

SAN ANTONIO SPURS  VS.  L.A. LAKERS

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER  VS.  DENVER NUGGETS

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS  VS.  MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

L.A. CLIPPERS  VS.  HOUSTON ROCKETS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALIST

MIAMI HEAT  VS.  CHICAGO BULLS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS

MIAMI HEAT  VS.  BROOKLYN NETS

CHICAGO BULLS  VS.  INDIANA PACERS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND

MIAMI HEAT  VS.  WASHINGTON WIZARDS

CHICAGO BULLS  VS.  CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

INDIANA PACERS  VS.  NEW YORK KNICKS

BROOKLYN NETS  VS.  DETROIT PISTONS

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF TEAMS

MIAMI HEAT

CHICAGO BULLS

INDIANA PACERS

BROOKLYN NETS

DETROIT PISTONS

NEW YORK KNICKS

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF TEAMS

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

L.A. CLIPPERS

HOUSTON ROCKETS

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

DENVER NUGGETS

L.A. LAKERS

MVP

Lebron James

Kevin Durant 

Derrick Rose

TOP SCORER

Kevin Durant 

Carmelo Anthony

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (ROY)

Victor Oladipo

Ben McLemore

Kelly Olynyk

SIX MAN OF THE YEAR

Tyreke Evans

Jamal Crawford

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Lebron James

Dwight Howard

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

Anthony Davis

O.J. Mayo

Eric Bledsoe

COACH OF THE YEAR (COY)

Mark Jackson

Doc Rivers

Jason Kidd

NBA FIRST TEAM

Lebron James

Kevin Durant

Derrick Rose

James Harden

Dwight Howard

NBA SECOND TEAM

Kobe Bryant

Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony

Tim Duncan

Dirk Nowitzki

NBA ALL DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM

Lebron James

Tony Allen

Dwight Howard

Serge Ibaka

Roy Hibbert

NBA ALL DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM

Chris Paul

Paul George

Joakim Noah

Andre Iguodala

Tim Duncan

NBA ALL ROOKIE TEAM

Victor Oladipo

Ben McLemore

Kelly Olynyk

Cody Zeller

Trey Burke

NBA POWER RANKING: PRESEASON - WEEK 1

1  MIAMI
The Heat are returning fresh off their back-to-back championships with two new additions, Michael Beasley and Greg Oden. Both players are considered major wild cards. Oden has played  in only 82 games since being drafted with the number over all pick in 2007 due to several knee surgeries. As for Beasley well, let's just say he's been known more for smoking pot than being the number 2 overall pick in the 2008 draft.  With that said, I think the Heat got a steal by signing both players for league minimums and if both players are healthy by the playoffs in 2014, the Miami Heat will be the clear cut favorite to win the NBA title.

2  SAN ANTONIO
Unless you've been living under a rock, is the only way you wouldn't know about the Spurs epic failure in game 6 of last season's NBA Finals.  With only 28 seconds left in the game and up five points, the Spurs found a way to lose the game thanks two misses at the line and Ray Allen's 3-pointer; arguable the greatest shot in NBA Finals.  The Spurs should be the champs right now and if they were, they would be ranked number one.  I'm sure they will remember game 6 for the rest of their lives, but they are returning with pretty much the same team, so I can't rank them any lower than second.

3  INDIANA
The Spurs are in a great position, but not because of the emergence of Roy Hibbert.  Most pundits are acting as if Hibbert is the second coming of Kareem, because of his performance against the Heat in last year's Eastern Conference Finals, but I beg the differ.  I expect Hibbert to have a solid season, but my prediction is that the Pacers will remain in contention because of the return of Danny Granger.  I expect him to return very strong with number mirroring Paul George; the Pacers real emerging star and this should make Granger one of the hottest commodities on the trading block.  The Pacers can add another star by trading Granger, or even two solid players and this is the main reason why I see this team being very dangerous in the Eastern Conference.  By the way, Luis Scola was a very nice addition.  He will back up both David West and Roy Hibbert

4  CHICAGO
Derrick Rose is back! He's quicker, his vertical is 5" higher and he's going to win the NBA's MVP award this season.  These are just a few of the proclamations Rose has made since returning to the court following his 15-month layoff.  Rose may right and my guess is, he's counting on the fact that is Bulls will finish with the best record in the East, which should bolster his chances of winning the MVP.  However, unlike three seasons ago, when the entire league hated the Heat, which help Rose win his first MVP, I highly doubt he will win it this year.  For one, I see Lebron having another monster year and I expect the Heat to finish with the best record in the East, with the Bulls being a close second.  Either way, Rose's return will be a great thing for the league and his team.

5  BROOKLYN
The Nets have a $100 million dollar payroll, thanks to their billionaire owner who is going to shell out an additional $75 million in luxury tax penalties.  You add in the addition of an aging Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Kidd; the boy-wonder rookie head coach, it's hard to not join the bank wagon.  I will say this, If this team is matched up against the Heat, it would be an all out war, but against the Bulls and the Pacers, I think Brooklyn will come up short, which is why I'm not as high on them as most pundits might be.  Until I'm proven otherwise, I just don't see the Brooklyn Nets cracking the top 3 in the Eastern Conference ranking this entire season.

6  LA CLIPPERS
The Clippers have clearly taken over the city of L.A., at least for one season anyways.  New head coach Doc Rivers has requested that the Lakers banners be covered during the Clippers home games, and I like that.  I think Rivers will have the Clippers playing defense like never before, but the key to his success will have to be whether Blake Griffin can develop a consistent inside game.

7  GOLDEN STATE
Disclaimer: I do live in the Bay Area, but this has nothing to do with my bold prediction in my next sentence. I believe the Golden State Warriors, if healthy, has the potential to go all the way to the NBA Final next June.  They are as deep as any team and have the athleticism, inside game and outside shooting to contend for a championship.  The question is, will Curry's gimpy ankle and will Andrew Bogut's back hold up for the entire season?  Igoudala was a nice addition and if this team can stay healthy for the entire season, look out!

8  HOUSTON
The addition of Dwight Howard should have Rocket fans salivating, especially when you pair him with James Harden, who is ranked as the best shooting guard in the league, though I will still put Wade and Kobe ahead.  I think both players have a lot to prove.  Harden, has to prove that he's worth the number one shooting guard ranking in the league and Howard must put up, or shut up and I think he will.  I expect Howard to average 21ppg, 13 or more rpg and over 3 blocks, which should help the Rockets maintain a top 4 position in the Western Conference this season.

9  OKLAHOMA CITY
If Russell was back, the Thunder would obviously be ranked much higher, but with him out of the lineup for probably of few more months, I can't justify ranking the Thunder any higher than the ninth.  His value was clearly on full display when the Thunder loss him in last year's playoff as we all watched Durant look very human against the Grizzlies.  I expect them to climb once Westbrook returns, but until then, don't expect to see them any higher than the 4th seed in the Western Conference.

10  MEMPHIS
Rounding up the top ten is the team that sent the Thunder home, the Memphis Grizzlies.  I have them one spot below the Thunder, mainly because they lost coach Hollins, one of the most underrated coaches in the league.  They still have Mark Gasol, the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year and Tony Allen, one of the league's best perimeter defenders, but most of their defensive success has to be accredited to Hollins.  He turned their entire team and culture around and he will be missed greatly!

11  NEW YORK
Please people, hold on with the Carmelo Anthony criticisms. All the guy said was, it would be nice to be a free agent for once in a player's career.  He wasn't saying he would abandon his team, all he was saying was it would be nice to be wooed for once in a player's career.  The addition of Bargnani should help them in the scoring department, but the Knicks only chance of seriously contending in the East depends on the healthy knees of Amare and I'm sorry to say, are all but done at this point.  To make matters worse, the Knicks are stuck with the remaining 2 years and $44 million of Amare's uninsured contract, which makes him almost impossible to trade.

12  DENVER
Imaging losing George Karl, the NBA's Coach of the Year and Andre Igoudala, one of the the best all around players in the league.  Well, that was the path the Nuggets decided to take this offseason.  I think hiring new head coach Brian Shaw, was a good addition, but I don't see the Nuggets being any better.  Yes, they will make the playoffs, but another First Round exit is the best you can expect if you're a Nuggets fan.

13  WASHINGTON
The Wizards have a nice back court tandem with Wall and Beal, but they took a step in the right direction by trading for center Marcin Gortat.  This trade will allow Nene to move back to his natural position, the power forward spot.  A Nene-Gortat front court, should be enough to earn the Wizards one of the bottom two seeds in the Eastern Conference.

14  NEW ORLEANS
I'm not one to put much stocks into the preseason, but a 7-1 mark should have Pelicans fans optimistic.  I fully expect them to make the playoffs, but imagine if they suffered a few injuries and ended up with Andrew Wiggins in next year's draft, wow!!  Well, that's not going to happen, because barring injuries, the Pelicans will finish with one of the last two seeds in the Western Conference.

15  LA LAKERS
Yes, we all know Dwight is gone, Kobe's recovering and the Lakers are stuck with Mike D'Antoni as their head coach, but beware Lakers hater, this team is not going to tank as you may wish.  Kobe will be back sooner than expected and Pau Gasol will return to his all-star form.  Gasol  will average 18-20ppg and over 11 boards this season, because now the Dwight is not there to clog the middle, Gasol will play center, his natural position and I expect him to relish in his new, actually old role this season.  Considering how ESPN ranked him 25th overall in the league, I expect Kobe to return with a vengeance to help lead his team to the playoffs.

16  DALLAS
Dirk is a year older, but healthy and a healthy Dirk should be enough to lead the Mavericks to the playoffs in the weaker Western Conference.  I don't see Dirk buying into tanking the season in hopes of getting Wiggins in next year's draft, because he's older, he's a champion and he wants to win now.  I know it may be far fetched, but it wouldn't surprise me to see the Mavericks trade Dirk in an effort to fully rebuild through the draft.

17  MINNESOTA
Losing Kirilenko will hurt the Wolves perimeter defense, but the success of this team lies in the hands of it's two star players, Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.  Last season, both players played in a combined 75 out of 164 games and obviously that was a recipe for disaster.  Word out of Sota is that both players are healthy and ready to go.  If they can stay healthy, the Wolves will have a good chance of beating out the Jazz for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West this season.

18 DETROIT
The Pistons haven't done much over the last few years, but the addition of Chauncey Billups, Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings should make the Pistons a playoff team.  When you add in Rodney Stuckey, and an improved Andre Drummond with Greg Monroe, the Pistons along with the Wizards will be the surprise teams of the Eastern Conference.  The Piston however, presents the most challenge to the upper echelon teams in the East.

19  UTAH
Losing Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap may be a setback initially, but I think this move will allow forward Derrick Favors and center Enes Kanter to develop.  Offensively Favors is ahead of Kanter and he should average 15ppg and around 10 boards this season, but that might not be enough to secure the Jazz a playoff spot this year.  I think if both players continue to develop, the Jazz will be ready to make some noise come next season.

20 CLEVELAND
The Cavs have really been bitten by the injury bug over the last few years, especially last season.  Kyrie Irving, missed 23 games last year.  Anderson Varejao was averaging 14.1ppg and a league leading 14.4 rebounds per game, before going down and missing 57 games.  Andrew Bynum, the Cavs newly acquired center, whose an absolute beast when healthy, missed the entire season last year.  Defensively the Cavs will be much better now that Mike Brown is back as their head coach and if his players can all be healthy at the same time, the Cavs could be a scary team.  I hope so, because Kyrie is one of my favorite players to watch, but I'm doubtful.

 21  ATLANTA
The addition of Paul Millsap and an over-the-hill Elton Brand, should bolster the Hawks interior game and help compensate for the loss of Josh Smith and Zaza Pachulia, but that's just it. The Hawks could surprise me and make the playoffs, but that would be a surprise.  I'm not going to say they took a step back, but I will say this team did not move forward.

22  PORTLAND
Every season starts of with the same question for the Blazers, will they make the playoffs?  In a weaker Western Conference, this seems likely, but if you're a Jazz fan you have to be realistic.  Is this team better than the Spurs, Thunder, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Memphis and Nuggets, of course not!  This leaves the Lakers, New Orleans and the Jazz as the teams the Blazers will have to beat out to get the eighth seed.  Once again I see this team missing the playoffs.

23  TORONTO
The Raptors new GM Masai Ujiri has already started positioning his team for the Wiggins sweepstakes.  His first move was to trade Andre Bargnani and if you think he's done well, you better think again.  The Raptors GM will continue to make trades for future draft picks and the Raptors will tank the season in an effort to land Toronto's native Andrew Wiggins, who is projected to be the number one pick in next year's draft.

24  SACRAMENTO
For those of you who were following, the city of Sacramento was in danger of losing the capital city's only sports franchise, fortunately the Kings will be staying in Sac town.  The addition of Luc Mbah a Moute and rookie Ben McLemore should be great for the Kings.  The sad new if you're a King's fan, is that there's at least 10 teams that are better in the West, so join the Wiggins sweepstakes.

25  CHARLOTTE
Well, Michael Jordan made $80 million dollars last year and around $30 to $35 million of that came from endorsements, meaning M.J. made $45 to $50 million as an owner.  Signing Al Jefferson was his way of showing the fans that he wants to win, but in all honesty, the only chance the Bobcats have of really getting better is through the draft.  If any team needs a lucky break, it's the Charlotte Bobcats.  Another losing season will increase their chances of drafting Andrew Wiggins.

BOTTOM FEEDERS

26  MILWAUKEE
The Bucks are clearly in rebuilding mode. Brandon Knight, O.J. Mayo, Caron Butler and Zaza Pachulia are all decent additions, but losing Samuel Dalembert, Monte Ellis, Brandon Jennings and Luc Mbah a Moute from a team that wasn't good enough to make last year's playoffs, is definitely taken a step back.  Then again, if I were the GM, I would have done the exact thing.  Why re-sign Ellis and Jennings to outlandish contracts for the next five years that would have cost the team an extra $20 to $30 millions per season, for a team that's only good enough to be the eighth seed at best.

27  PHILADELPHIA
Honestly, I have no inkling on which directions the Sixers are heading.  They fired an excellent coach in Doug Collins, lost Andrew Bynum; who didn't play a game for them last season, along with Jrue Holiday and Nick Young.  They then drafted  injured Nerlens Noel, whose expected to be out for the entire season.  So no it doesn't make any sense to me.  If you're a Sixers fan though, your hope is that your team wins the ultimate price by drafting Wiggins and have Noel return at full strength, because in essence it would be like have the top two picks in consecutive drafts.  Like I said, that's what a hopeful Sixers fan should wish for.

28  BOSTON
If Rajon Rondo and new head coach Brad Stevens can click and lead their young team together, the Celtics will not be as bad as many are predicting.  Does that means they have a chance to make the playoffs, absolutely not! The Celtics are in rebuilding mode, but I don't expect them to stay down for long.  I expect Rondo to be key part of the Celtics rebuilding, but that's only if he gets along with Stevens, if not, Danny Ainge will move him.

29  ORLANDO
Victor Oladipo is one of two rookies I'm predicting will win the Rookie of the Year Award.  Where does that leave Jameer Nelson, well, that will depend on if the Magic are truly committed to having Oladipo playing the point guard position.  I see him as a two guard, in which case Nelson will stay, If they choose to play him at the point, then you can expect Nelson to be moved sooner, rather than later.

30  PHOENIX
The Suns just traded their best player, center Marcin Gortat, which confirms that they intend to tank the season.  In their case, this may not be a bad thing, because even with Gortat, they were probably still the worst team in the Western Conference.