WESTERN CONFERENCE (FIRST ROUND)
(1) SAN ANTONIO VS (8) DALLAS
WINNER: SPURS in 5
(2) OKLAHOMA CITY VS (7) MEMPHIS
WINNER: OKLAHOMA CITY in 7
(3) LA CLIPPERS VS (6) GOLDEN STATE
WINNER: LA CLIPPERS in 7
(4) HOUSTON VS (5) PORTLAND
WINNER: HOUSTON in 6
WESTERN CONFERENCE (SEMI-FINALS)
(1) SAN ANTONIO VS (4) HOUSTON
WINNER: SAN ANTONIO in 6
(2) OKLAHOMA CITY VS LA CLIPPERS
WINNER: OKLAHOMA CITY in 6
WESTERN CONFERENCE (FINALS)
(1) SAN ANTONIO VS (2) OKLAHOMA CITY
WINNER: OKLAHOMA CITY in 6
EASTERN CONFERENCE (FIRST ROUND)
(1) INDIANA VS (8) ATLANTA
WINNER: INDIANA in 7
(2) MIAMI VS (7) CHARLOTTE
WINNER: MIAMI in 5
(3) TORONTO VS (6) BROOKLYN
WINNER: BROOKLYN in 6
(4) CHICAGO VS (5) WASHINGTON
WINNER: CHICAGO in 7
EASTERN CONFERENCE (SEMI-FINALS)
(1) INDIANA VS (4) CHICAGO
WINNER: INDIANA in 7
(2) MIAMI VS (6) BROOKLYN
WINNER: MIAMI in 5
EASTERN CONFERENCE (FINALS)
(1) INDIANA VS (2) MIAMI
WINNER: HEAT in 6
(NBA FINALS)
(1) OKLAHOMA CITY VS (2) MIAMI
WINNER: HEAT 3-PEAT in 6
Saturday, April 19, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: FINAL WEEK
RK LAST WK
TOP TEN
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 62-20
2 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 59-23
3 (4) LA CLIPPERS 57-25
4 (7) INDIANA 56-26
5 (3) MIAMI 54-28
6 (5) HOUSTON 54-28
7 (6) GOLDEN STATE 51-31
8 (9) PORTLAND 54-28
9 (11) MEMPHIS 50-32
10 (13) TORONTO 48-34
PLAYOFF BOUND
11 (8) DALLAS 49-33
12 (12) CHICAGO 48-34
13 (16) WASHINGTON 44-38
14 (14) BROOKLYN 44-38
15 (15) CHARLOTTE 43-39
16 (18) ATLANTA 38-44
SURPRISE TEAM
17 (10) PHOENIX 48-34
LOTTERY BOUND
18 (17) MINNESOTA 40-42
19 (21) DENVER 36-46
20 (20) NEW ORLEANS 36-46
21 (19) NEW YORK 37-45
22 (22) CLEVELAND 33-49
23 (23) SACRAMENTO 28-54
24 (24) DETROIT 29-53
25 (25) LA LAKERS 27-55
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (29) PHILADELPHIA
27 (28) BOSTON 25-57
28 (26) UTAH 25-57
29 (27) ORLANDO 23-59
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 15-67
TOP TEN
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 62-20
2 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 59-23
3 (4) LA CLIPPERS 57-25
4 (7) INDIANA 56-26
5 (3) MIAMI 54-28
6 (5) HOUSTON 54-28
7 (6) GOLDEN STATE 51-31
8 (9) PORTLAND 54-28
9 (11) MEMPHIS 50-32
10 (13) TORONTO 48-34
PLAYOFF BOUND
11 (8) DALLAS 49-33
12 (12) CHICAGO 48-34
13 (16) WASHINGTON 44-38
14 (14) BROOKLYN 44-38
15 (15) CHARLOTTE 43-39
16 (18) ATLANTA 38-44
SURPRISE TEAM
17 (10) PHOENIX 48-34
LOTTERY BOUND
18 (17) MINNESOTA 40-42
19 (21) DENVER 36-46
20 (20) NEW ORLEANS 36-46
21 (19) NEW YORK 37-45
22 (22) CLEVELAND 33-49
23 (23) SACRAMENTO 28-54
24 (24) DETROIT 29-53
25 (25) LA LAKERS 27-55
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (29) PHILADELPHIA
27 (28) BOSTON 25-57
28 (26) UTAH 25-57
29 (27) ORLANDO 23-59
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 15-67
Thursday, April 10, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 23
RK LAST WK
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 60-17
2 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 55-21
3 (4) MIAMI 53-23
4 (3) LA CLIPPERS 55-23
5 (6) HOUSTON 51-25
6 (7) GOLDEN STATE 48-29
7 (5) INDIANA 53-25
8 (11) DALLAS 47-31
9 (9) PORTLAND 50-28
10 (8) PHOENIX 46-31
11 (10) MEMPHIS 45-32
12 (12) CHICAGO 45-32
13 (13) TORONTO 45-32
14 (15) BROOKLYN 42-34
15 (17) CHARLOTTE 39-38
16 (14) WASHINGTON 40-37
17 (16) MINNESOTA 38-38
18 (22) ATLANTA 34-42
19 (20) NEW YORK 33-45
20 (19) NEW ORLEANS 32-45
21 (21) DENVER 33-44
22 (18) CLEVELAND 31-47
23 (24) SACRAMENTO 27-50
24 (25) DETROIT 28-49
25 (23) LA LAKERS 25-52
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (28) UTAH 24-53
27 (27) ORLANDO 22-55
28 (26) BOSTON 24-53
29 (30) PHILADELPHIA 17-30
30 (29) MILWAUKEE 14-63
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 60-17
2 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 55-21
3 (4) MIAMI 53-23
4 (3) LA CLIPPERS 55-23
5 (6) HOUSTON 51-25
6 (7) GOLDEN STATE 48-29
7 (5) INDIANA 53-25
8 (11) DALLAS 47-31
9 (9) PORTLAND 50-28
10 (8) PHOENIX 46-31
11 (10) MEMPHIS 45-32
12 (12) CHICAGO 45-32
13 (13) TORONTO 45-32
14 (15) BROOKLYN 42-34
15 (17) CHARLOTTE 39-38
16 (14) WASHINGTON 40-37
17 (16) MINNESOTA 38-38
18 (22) ATLANTA 34-42
19 (20) NEW YORK 33-45
20 (19) NEW ORLEANS 32-45
21 (21) DENVER 33-44
22 (18) CLEVELAND 31-47
23 (24) SACRAMENTO 27-50
24 (25) DETROIT 28-49
25 (23) LA LAKERS 25-52
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (28) UTAH 24-53
27 (27) ORLANDO 22-55
28 (26) BOSTON 24-53
29 (30) PHILADELPHIA 17-30
30 (29) MILWAUKEE 14-63
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 22
RK LAST WK
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 57-16
2 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 54-19
3 (3) LA CLIPPERS 52-22
4 (5) MIAMI 50-22
5 (4) INDIANA 52-22
6 (6) HOUSTON 49-23
7 (7) GOLDEN STATE 45-28
8 (8) PHOENIX 44-30
9 (8) PORTLAND 48-27
10 (9) MEMPHIS 43-30
11 (10) DALLAS 44-30
12 (12) CHICAGO 41-32
13 (14) TORONTO 42-31
14 (15) WASHINGTON 38-35
15 (13) BROOKLYN 39-33
16 (16) MINNESOTA 36-36
17 (17) CHARLOTTE 35-38
18 (22) CLEVELAND 30-45
19 (19) NEW ORLEANS 32-41
20 (21) NEW YORK 31-43
21 (18) DENVER 32-41
22 (20) ATLANTA 31-41
23 (26) LA LAKERS 25-48
24 (23) SACRAMENTO 25-48
25 (24) DETROIT 26-47
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (25) BOSTON 23-50
27 (28) ORLANDO 21-53
28 (27) UTAH 23-51
29 (29) MILWAUKEE 14-59
30 (30) PHILADELPHIA 16-57
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 57-16
2 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 54-19
3 (3) LA CLIPPERS 52-22
4 (5) MIAMI 50-22
5 (4) INDIANA 52-22
6 (6) HOUSTON 49-23
7 (7) GOLDEN STATE 45-28
8 (8) PHOENIX 44-30
9 (8) PORTLAND 48-27
10 (9) MEMPHIS 43-30
11 (10) DALLAS 44-30
12 (12) CHICAGO 41-32
13 (14) TORONTO 42-31
14 (15) WASHINGTON 38-35
15 (13) BROOKLYN 39-33
16 (16) MINNESOTA 36-36
17 (17) CHARLOTTE 35-38
18 (22) CLEVELAND 30-45
19 (19) NEW ORLEANS 32-41
20 (21) NEW YORK 31-43
21 (18) DENVER 32-41
22 (20) ATLANTA 31-41
23 (26) LA LAKERS 25-48
24 (23) SACRAMENTO 25-48
25 (24) DETROIT 26-47
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (25) BOSTON 23-50
27 (28) ORLANDO 21-53
28 (27) UTAH 23-51
29 (29) MILWAUKEE 14-59
30 (30) PHILADELPHIA 16-57
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 21
RK LAST WK
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 53-16
2 (4) OKLAHOMA CITY 51-18
3 (3) LA CLIPPERS 49-21
4 (2) INDIANA 51-19
5 (5) MIAMI 47-21
6 (8) HOUSTON 47-22
7 (7) GOLDEN STATE 44-27
8 (6) PORTLAND 45-25
9 (9) MEMPHIS 41-28
10 (10) DALLAS 42-29
11 (13) PHOENIX 41-29
12 (11) CHIICAGO 39-31
13 (16) BROOKLYN 37-31
14 (12) TORONTO 39-30
15 (14) WASHINGTON 36-34
16 (17) MINNESOTA 34-34
17 (15) CHARLOTTE 34-36
18 (19) DENVER 32-38
19 (22) NEW ORLEANS 29-40
20 (20) ATLANTA 31-37
21 (18) NEW YORK 29-41
22 (21) CLEVELAND 27-44
23 (24) SACRAMENTO 25-45
24 (23) DETROIT 25-44
25 (26) BOSTON 23-47
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (25) LA LAKERS 23-46
27 (27) UTAH 23-47
28 (28) ORLANDO 19-52
29 (29) MILWAUKEE 13-57
30 (30) PHILADELPHIA 15-51
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 53-16
2 (4) OKLAHOMA CITY 51-18
3 (3) LA CLIPPERS 49-21
4 (2) INDIANA 51-19
5 (5) MIAMI 47-21
6 (8) HOUSTON 47-22
7 (7) GOLDEN STATE 44-27
8 (6) PORTLAND 45-25
9 (9) MEMPHIS 41-28
10 (10) DALLAS 42-29
11 (13) PHOENIX 41-29
12 (11) CHIICAGO 39-31
13 (16) BROOKLYN 37-31
14 (12) TORONTO 39-30
15 (14) WASHINGTON 36-34
16 (17) MINNESOTA 34-34
17 (15) CHARLOTTE 34-36
18 (19) DENVER 32-38
19 (22) NEW ORLEANS 29-40
20 (20) ATLANTA 31-37
21 (18) NEW YORK 29-41
22 (21) CLEVELAND 27-44
23 (24) SACRAMENTO 25-45
24 (23) DETROIT 25-44
25 (26) BOSTON 23-47
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (25) LA LAKERS 23-46
27 (27) UTAH 23-47
28 (28) ORLANDO 19-52
29 (29) MILWAUKEE 13-57
30 (30) PHILADELPHIA 15-51
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 20
RK LAST WK
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 50-16
2 (5) INDIANA 49-17
3 (3) LA CLIPPERS 48-20
4 (4) OKLAHOMA 48-18
5 (6) MIAMI 45-19
6 (8) PORTLAND 43-24
7 (7) GOLDEN STATE 42-26
8 (2) HOUSTON 44-22
9 (10) MEMPHIS 39-27
10 (9) DALLAS 40-27
11 (11) CHICAGO 37-29
12 (12) TORONTO 37-28
13 (13) PHOENIX 38-28
14 (15) WASHINGTON 35-31
15 (18) CHARLOTTE 33-34
16 (14) BROOKLYN 33-31
17 (16) MINNESOTA 33-32
18 (17) NEW YORK 27-40
19 (20) DENVER 29-37
20 (21) ATLANTA 29-35
21 (26) CLEVELAND 26-41
22 (19) NEW ORLEANS 27-39
23 (22) DETROIT 25-41
24 (23) SACRAMENTO 23-44
25 (25) LA LAKERS 22-44
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (24) BOSTON 22-45
27 (27) UTAH 22-45
28 (28) ORLANDO 19-48
29 (29) MILWAUKEE 13-54
30 (30) PHILADELPHIA 15-51
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 50-16
2 (5) INDIANA 49-17
3 (3) LA CLIPPERS 48-20
4 (4) OKLAHOMA 48-18
5 (6) MIAMI 45-19
6 (8) PORTLAND 43-24
7 (7) GOLDEN STATE 42-26
8 (2) HOUSTON 44-22
9 (10) MEMPHIS 39-27
10 (9) DALLAS 40-27
11 (11) CHICAGO 37-29
12 (12) TORONTO 37-28
13 (13) PHOENIX 38-28
14 (15) WASHINGTON 35-31
15 (18) CHARLOTTE 33-34
16 (14) BROOKLYN 33-31
17 (16) MINNESOTA 33-32
18 (17) NEW YORK 27-40
19 (20) DENVER 29-37
20 (21) ATLANTA 29-35
21 (26) CLEVELAND 26-41
22 (19) NEW ORLEANS 27-39
23 (22) DETROIT 25-41
24 (23) SACRAMENTO 23-44
25 (25) LA LAKERS 22-44
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (24) BOSTON 22-45
27 (27) UTAH 22-45
28 (28) ORLANDO 19-48
29 (29) MILWAUKEE 13-54
30 (30) PHILADELPHIA 15-51
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 19
RK LAST WK
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 46-16
2 (2) HOUSTON 44-19
3 (6) LA CLIPPERS 45-20
4 (3) OKLAHOMA CITY 46-17
5 (2) INDIANA 46-17
6 (1) MIAMI 44-17
7 (9) GOLDEN STATE 40-24
8 (5) PORTLAND 42-21
9 (11) DALLAS 38-26
10 (10) MEMPHIS 36-26
11 (12) CHICAGO 35-28
12 (13) TORONTO 35-27
13 (8) PHOENIX 36-27
14 (14) BROOKLYN 32-30
15 (16) WASHINGTON 33-30
16 (15) MINNESOTA 31-31
17 (27) NEW YORK 25-40
18 (17) CHARLOTTE 30-34
19 (21) NEW ORLEANS 26-37
20 (18) DENVER 27-36
21 (19) ATLANTA 27-35
22 (22) DETROIT 24-39
23 (25) SACRAMENTO 22-41
24 (26) BOSTON 22-41
25 (24) LAKERS 22-42
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (20) CLEVELAND 24-40
27 (23) UTAH 22-42
28 (28) ORLANDO 19-46
29 (29) MILWAUKEE 13-50
30 (30) PHILADELPHIA 15-48
1 (1) SAN ANTONIO 46-16
2 (2) HOUSTON 44-19
3 (6) LA CLIPPERS 45-20
4 (3) OKLAHOMA CITY 46-17
5 (2) INDIANA 46-17
6 (1) MIAMI 44-17
7 (9) GOLDEN STATE 40-24
8 (5) PORTLAND 42-21
9 (11) DALLAS 38-26
10 (10) MEMPHIS 36-26
11 (12) CHICAGO 35-28
12 (13) TORONTO 35-27
13 (8) PHOENIX 36-27
14 (14) BROOKLYN 32-30
15 (16) WASHINGTON 33-30
16 (15) MINNESOTA 31-31
17 (27) NEW YORK 25-40
18 (17) CHARLOTTE 30-34
19 (21) NEW ORLEANS 26-37
20 (18) DENVER 27-36
21 (19) ATLANTA 27-35
22 (22) DETROIT 24-39
23 (25) SACRAMENTO 22-41
24 (26) BOSTON 22-41
25 (24) LAKERS 22-42
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (20) CLEVELAND 24-40
27 (23) UTAH 22-42
28 (28) ORLANDO 19-46
29 (29) MILWAUKEE 13-50
30 (30) PHILADELPHIA 15-48
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 17
RK LAST WK
1 (3) MIAMI 40-14
2 (2) INDIANA 42-13
3 (1) OKLAHOMA CITY 43-14
4 (4) SAN ANTONIO 40-16
5 (5) HOUSTON 38-18
6 (6) LA CLIPPERS 38-20
7 (7) PORTLAND 38-18
8 (10) GOLDEN STATE 34-22
9 (9) PHOENIX 33-22
10 (8) DALLAS 34-23
11 (11) MEMPHIS 31-24
12 (12) TORONTO 31-25
13 (13) CHICAGO 29-26
14 (15) WASHINGTON 28-28
15 (21) CHARLOTTE 27-30
16 (16) BROOKLYN 26-28
17 (14) MINNESOTA 27-29
18 (18) DENVER 25-30
19 (19) ATLANTA 26-19
20 (17) NEW ORLEANS 23-32
21 (22) CLEVELAND 22-35
22 (27) SACRAMENTO 20-26
23 (23) DETROIT 23-33
24 (24) NEW YORK 21-35
25 (25) BOSTON 19-38
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (20) UTAH 19-36
27 (26) LA LAKERS 19-37
28 (28) ORLANDO 17-41
29 (30) MILWAUKEE 10-45
30 (29) PHILADELPHIA 15-41
1 (3) MIAMI 40-14
2 (2) INDIANA 42-13
3 (1) OKLAHOMA CITY 43-14
4 (4) SAN ANTONIO 40-16
5 (5) HOUSTON 38-18
6 (6) LA CLIPPERS 38-20
7 (7) PORTLAND 38-18
8 (10) GOLDEN STATE 34-22
9 (9) PHOENIX 33-22
10 (8) DALLAS 34-23
11 (11) MEMPHIS 31-24
12 (12) TORONTO 31-25
13 (13) CHICAGO 29-26
14 (15) WASHINGTON 28-28
15 (21) CHARLOTTE 27-30
16 (16) BROOKLYN 26-28
17 (14) MINNESOTA 27-29
18 (18) DENVER 25-30
19 (19) ATLANTA 26-19
20 (17) NEW ORLEANS 23-32
21 (22) CLEVELAND 22-35
22 (27) SACRAMENTO 20-26
23 (23) DETROIT 23-33
24 (24) NEW YORK 21-35
25 (25) BOSTON 19-38
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (20) UTAH 19-36
27 (26) LA LAKERS 19-37
28 (28) ORLANDO 17-41
29 (30) MILWAUKEE 10-45
30 (29) PHILADELPHIA 15-41
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 18
RK LAST WK
1 (1) MIAMI 43-14
2 (2) INDIANA 46-13
3 (3) OKLAHOMA CITY 45-15
4 (4) SAN ANTONIO 43-16
5 (7) PORTLAND 41-18
6 (6) LA CLIPPERS 41-20
7 (5) HOUSTON 40-19
8 (9) PHOENIX 35-24
9 (8) GOLDEN STATE 36-24
10 (11) MEMPHIS 34-25
11 (10) DALLAS 36-25
12 (13) CHICAGO 33-27
13 (12) TORONTO 33-26
14 (16) BROOKLYN 29-29
15 (17) MINNESOTA 29-29
16 (14) WASHINGTON 31-29
17 (15) CHARLOTTE 27-33
18 (18) DENVER 25-33
19 (19) ATLANTA 26-32
20 (21) CLEVELAND 24-37
21 (20) NEW ORLEANS 23-36
22 (23) DETROIT 23-36
23 (26) UTAH 21-38
24 (27) LA LAKERS 20-39
25 (22) SACRAMENTO 20-39
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (25) BOSTON 20-40
27 (24) NEW YORK 21-39
28 (28) ORLANDO 19-43
29 (29) MILWAUKEE 11-47
30 (30) PHILADELPHIA 15-45
1 (1) MIAMI 43-14
2 (2) INDIANA 46-13
3 (3) OKLAHOMA CITY 45-15
4 (4) SAN ANTONIO 43-16
5 (7) PORTLAND 41-18
6 (6) LA CLIPPERS 41-20
7 (5) HOUSTON 40-19
8 (9) PHOENIX 35-24
9 (8) GOLDEN STATE 36-24
10 (11) MEMPHIS 34-25
11 (10) DALLAS 36-25
12 (13) CHICAGO 33-27
13 (12) TORONTO 33-26
14 (16) BROOKLYN 29-29
15 (17) MINNESOTA 29-29
16 (14) WASHINGTON 31-29
17 (15) CHARLOTTE 27-33
18 (18) DENVER 25-33
19 (19) ATLANTA 26-32
20 (21) CLEVELAND 24-37
21 (20) NEW ORLEANS 23-36
22 (23) DETROIT 23-36
23 (26) UTAH 21-38
24 (27) LA LAKERS 20-39
25 (22) SACRAMENTO 20-39
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (25) BOSTON 20-40
27 (24) NEW YORK 21-39
28 (28) ORLANDO 19-43
29 (29) MILWAUKEE 11-47
30 (30) PHILADELPHIA 15-45
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 16
RK LAST WK
1 (1) OKLAHOMA CITY 43-12
2 (2) INDIANA 40-12
3 (3) MIAMI 37-14
4 (4) SAN ANTONIO 38-15
5 (6) HOUSTON 36-17
6 (5) LA CLIPPERS 37-18
7 (7) PORTLAND 36-17
8 (9) DALLAS 32-22
9 (8) PHOENIX 30-31
10 (10) GOLDEN STATE 31-22
11 (11) MEMPHIS 29-23
12 (12) TORONTO 28-24
13 (14) CHICAGO 27-25
14 (17) MINNESOTA 25-28
15 (13) WASHINGTON 25-27
16 (15) BROOKLYN 24-27
17 (19) NEW ORLEANS 23-29
18 (16) DENVER 24-27
19 (18) ATLANTA 25-26
20 (26) UTAH 19-33
21 (20) CHARLOTTE 23-30
22 (22) CLEVELAND 20-33
23 (21) DETROIT 22-30
24 (23) NEW YORK 20-32
25 (25) BOSTON 19-35
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (24) LA LAKERS 18-35
27 (28) SACRAMENTO 18-35
28 (27) ORLANDO 16-38
29 (29) PHILADELPHIA 15-39
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 9-43
1 (1) OKLAHOMA CITY 43-12
2 (2) INDIANA 40-12
3 (3) MIAMI 37-14
4 (4) SAN ANTONIO 38-15
5 (6) HOUSTON 36-17
6 (5) LA CLIPPERS 37-18
7 (7) PORTLAND 36-17
8 (9) DALLAS 32-22
9 (8) PHOENIX 30-31
10 (10) GOLDEN STATE 31-22
11 (11) MEMPHIS 29-23
12 (12) TORONTO 28-24
13 (14) CHICAGO 27-25
14 (17) MINNESOTA 25-28
15 (13) WASHINGTON 25-27
16 (15) BROOKLYN 24-27
17 (19) NEW ORLEANS 23-29
18 (16) DENVER 24-27
19 (18) ATLANTA 25-26
20 (26) UTAH 19-33
21 (20) CHARLOTTE 23-30
22 (22) CLEVELAND 20-33
23 (21) DETROIT 22-30
24 (23) NEW YORK 20-32
25 (25) BOSTON 19-35
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (24) LA LAKERS 18-35
27 (28) SACRAMENTO 18-35
28 (27) ORLANDO 16-38
29 (29) PHILADELPHIA 15-39
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 9-43
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 15
RK LAST WK
1 (1) OKLAHOMA CITY 41-12
2 (2) INDIANA 39-11
3 (3) MIAMI 35-14
4 (6) SAN ANTONIO 37-14
5 (5 LA CLIPPERS 36-18
6 (8) HOUSTON 34-17
7 (4) PORTLAND 36-15
8 (7) PHOENIX 30-20
9 (11) DALLAS 31-21
10 (9) GOLDEN STATE 30-21
11 (10) MEMPHIS 27-23
12 (13) TORONTO 26-24
13 (14) WASHINGTON 25-25
14 (15) CHICAGO 25-25
15 (18) BROOKLYN 23-26
16 (17) DENVER 24-25
17 (16) MINNESOTA 24-27
18 (12) ATLANTA 25-24
19 (20) NEW ORLEANS 22-28
20 (19) CHARLOTTE 22-29
21 (22) DETROIT 21-29
22 (24) CLEVELAND 18-33
23 (21) NEW YORK 20-31
24 (25) LA LAKERS 18-33
25 (26) BOSTON 18-34
BOTTOM FEEDER
26 (23) UTAH 17-33
27 (29) ORLANDO 16-37
28 (28) SACRAMENTO 17-34
29 (27) PHILADELPHIA 15-37
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 9-41
1 (1) OKLAHOMA CITY 41-12
2 (2) INDIANA 39-11
3 (3) MIAMI 35-14
4 (6) SAN ANTONIO 37-14
5 (5 LA CLIPPERS 36-18
6 (8) HOUSTON 34-17
7 (4) PORTLAND 36-15
8 (7) PHOENIX 30-20
9 (11) DALLAS 31-21
10 (9) GOLDEN STATE 30-21
11 (10) MEMPHIS 27-23
12 (13) TORONTO 26-24
13 (14) WASHINGTON 25-25
14 (15) CHICAGO 25-25
15 (18) BROOKLYN 23-26
16 (17) DENVER 24-25
17 (16) MINNESOTA 24-27
18 (12) ATLANTA 25-24
19 (20) NEW ORLEANS 22-28
20 (19) CHARLOTTE 22-29
21 (22) DETROIT 21-29
22 (24) CLEVELAND 18-33
23 (21) NEW YORK 20-31
24 (25) LA LAKERS 18-33
25 (26) BOSTON 18-34
BOTTOM FEEDER
26 (23) UTAH 17-33
27 (29) ORLANDO 16-37
28 (28) SACRAMENTO 17-34
29 (27) PHILADELPHIA 15-37
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 9-41
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 14
RK LAST WK
1 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 38-11
2 (1) INDIANA 36-10
3 (3) MIAMI 33-13
4 (5) PORTLAND 34-13
5 (6) LA CLIPPERS 34-16
6 (4) SAN ANTONIO 34-13
7 (9) PHOENIX 29-18
8 (8) HOUSTON 32-17
9 (7) GOLDEN STATE 29-19
10 (11) MEMPHIS 26-20
11 (10) DALLAS 27-21
12 (12) ATLANTA 25-21
13 (14) TORONTO 25-22
14 (17) WASHINGTON 23-23
15 (15) CHICAGO 23-23
16 (18) MINNESOTA 23-24
17 (16) DENVER 22-23
18 (13) BROOKLYN 20-25
19 (19) CHARLOTTE 21-28
20 (20) NEW ORLEANS
21 (21) NEW YORK 19-28
22 (23) DETROIT
23 (24) UTAH 16-31
24 (22) CLEVELAND 16-31
25 (25) LA LAKERS 16-31
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (27) BOSTON 15-33
27 (28) PHILADELPHIA 15-33
28 (26) SACRAMENTO 15-32
29 (29) ORLANDO 13-35
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 8-39
1 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 38-11
2 (1) INDIANA 36-10
3 (3) MIAMI 33-13
4 (5) PORTLAND 34-13
5 (6) LA CLIPPERS 34-16
6 (4) SAN ANTONIO 34-13
7 (9) PHOENIX 29-18
8 (8) HOUSTON 32-17
9 (7) GOLDEN STATE 29-19
10 (11) MEMPHIS 26-20
11 (10) DALLAS 27-21
12 (12) ATLANTA 25-21
13 (14) TORONTO 25-22
14 (17) WASHINGTON 23-23
15 (15) CHICAGO 23-23
16 (18) MINNESOTA 23-24
17 (16) DENVER 22-23
18 (13) BROOKLYN 20-25
19 (19) CHARLOTTE 21-28
20 (20) NEW ORLEANS
21 (21) NEW YORK 19-28
22 (23) DETROIT
23 (24) UTAH 16-31
24 (22) CLEVELAND 16-31
25 (25) LA LAKERS 16-31
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (27) BOSTON 15-33
27 (28) PHILADELPHIA 15-33
28 (26) SACRAMENTO 15-32
29 (29) ORLANDO 13-35
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 8-39
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 13
RK LAST WK
1 (1) INDIANA 34-9
2 (3) OKLAHOM CITY 35-10
3 (5) MIAMI 32-12
4 (4) SAN ANTONIO 33-11
5 (2) PORTLAND 33-12
6 (6) LA CLIPPERS 31-15
7 (7) GOLDEN STATE 27-18
8 (8) HOUSTON 29-17
9 (11) PHOENIX 25-18
10 (9) DALLAS 26-20
11 (10) MEMPHIS 22-20
12 (17) ATLANTA 23-20
13 (18) BROOKLYN 20-22
14 (12) TORONTO 22-21
15 (14) CHICAGO 22-21
16 (15) DENVER 22-21
17 (13) WASHINGTON 21-22
18 (16) MINNESOTA 21-22
19 (23) CHARLOTTE 19-27
20 (28) NEW ORLEANS 18-25
21 (21) NEW YORK 17-27
22 (20) CLEVELAND 16-28
23 (19) DETROIT 17-27
24 (22) UTAH 15-29
25 (24) LA LAKERS 16-29
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (25) SACRAMENTO 15-28
27 (26) BOSTON 15-31
28 (27) PHILADELPHIA 14-30
29 (29) ORLANDO 12-33
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 8-35
1 (1) INDIANA 34-9
2 (3) OKLAHOM CITY 35-10
3 (5) MIAMI 32-12
4 (4) SAN ANTONIO 33-11
5 (2) PORTLAND 33-12
6 (6) LA CLIPPERS 31-15
7 (7) GOLDEN STATE 27-18
8 (8) HOUSTON 29-17
9 (11) PHOENIX 25-18
10 (9) DALLAS 26-20
11 (10) MEMPHIS 22-20
12 (17) ATLANTA 23-20
13 (18) BROOKLYN 20-22
14 (12) TORONTO 22-21
15 (14) CHICAGO 22-21
16 (15) DENVER 22-21
17 (13) WASHINGTON 21-22
18 (16) MINNESOTA 21-22
19 (23) CHARLOTTE 19-27
20 (28) NEW ORLEANS 18-25
21 (21) NEW YORK 17-27
22 (20) CLEVELAND 16-28
23 (19) DETROIT 17-27
24 (22) UTAH 15-29
25 (24) LA LAKERS 16-29
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (25) SACRAMENTO 15-28
27 (26) BOSTON 15-31
28 (27) PHILADELPHIA 14-30
29 (29) ORLANDO 12-33
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 8-35
Monday, January 20, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 12
RK LAST WK
1 (1) INDIANA 32-7
2 (3) PORTLAND 31-9
3 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 31-10
4 (2) SAN ANTONIO 32-9
5 (4) MIAMI 29-11
6 (7) LA CLIPPERS 28-14
7 (6) GOLDEN STATE 26-16
8 (8) HOUSTON 27-15
9 (9) DALLAS 24-18
10 (15) MEMPHIS 20-19
11 (10) PHOENIX 23-17
12 (13) TORONTO 20-19
13 (19) WASHINGTON 19-20
14 (12) CHICAGO 19-20
15 (11) DENVER 20-20
16 (18) MINNESOTA 19-21
17 (14) ATLANTA 20-19
18 (17) BROOKLYN 16-22
19 (20) DETROIT 17-23
20 (26) CLEVELAND 15-25
21 (16) NEW YORK 15-25
22 (24) UTAH 14-28
23 (23) CHARLOTTE 17-25
24 (25) LA LAKERS 16-25
25 (21) SACRAMENTO 14-25
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (28) BOSTON 14-28
27 (27) PHILADELPHIA 13-27
28 (22) NEW ORLEANS 15-24
29 (29) ORLANDO 11-20
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 7-23
1 (1) INDIANA 32-7
2 (3) PORTLAND 31-9
3 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 31-10
4 (2) SAN ANTONIO 32-9
5 (4) MIAMI 29-11
6 (7) LA CLIPPERS 28-14
7 (6) GOLDEN STATE 26-16
8 (8) HOUSTON 27-15
9 (9) DALLAS 24-18
10 (15) MEMPHIS 20-19
11 (10) PHOENIX 23-17
12 (13) TORONTO 20-19
13 (19) WASHINGTON 19-20
14 (12) CHICAGO 19-20
15 (11) DENVER 20-20
16 (18) MINNESOTA 19-21
17 (14) ATLANTA 20-19
18 (17) BROOKLYN 16-22
19 (20) DETROIT 17-23
20 (26) CLEVELAND 15-25
21 (16) NEW YORK 15-25
22 (24) UTAH 14-28
23 (23) CHARLOTTE 17-25
24 (25) LA LAKERS 16-25
25 (21) SACRAMENTO 14-25
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (28) BOSTON 14-28
27 (27) PHILADELPHIA 13-27
28 (22) NEW ORLEANS 15-24
29 (29) ORLANDO 11-20
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 7-23
Monday, January 13, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 11
RK LAST WK
1 (1) INDIANA 29-7
2 (4) SAN ANTONIO 29-8
3 (6) PORTLAND 28-9
4 (3) MIAMI 27-10
5 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 28-9
6 (5) GOLDEN STATE 25-14
7 (8) LA CLIPPERS 26-13
8 (7) HOUSTON 24-14
9 (10) DALLAS 22-16
10 (9) PHOENIX 21-15
11 (14) DENVER 19-17
12 (17) CHICAGO 17-18
13 (13) TORONTO 18-17
14 (11) ATLANTA 20-18
15 (15) MEMPHIS 17-19
16 (25) NEW YORK 14-22
17 (22) BROOKLYN 15-22
18 (12) MINNESOTA 18-19
19 (19) WASHINGTON 16-19
20 (20) DETROIT 16-22
21 (28) SACRAMENTO 13-22
22 (16) NEW ORLEANS 15-21
23 (18) CHARLOTTE 15-23
24 (29) UTAH 12-26
25 (21) LA LAKERS 14-23
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (26) CLEVELAND 13-24
27 (24) PHILADELPHIA 12-25
28 (23) BOSTON 13-25
29 (27) ORLANDO 10-27
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 7-29
1 (1) INDIANA 29-7
2 (4) SAN ANTONIO 29-8
3 (6) PORTLAND 28-9
4 (3) MIAMI 27-10
5 (2) OKLAHOMA CITY 28-9
6 (5) GOLDEN STATE 25-14
7 (8) LA CLIPPERS 26-13
8 (7) HOUSTON 24-14
9 (10) DALLAS 22-16
10 (9) PHOENIX 21-15
11 (14) DENVER 19-17
12 (17) CHICAGO 17-18
13 (13) TORONTO 18-17
14 (11) ATLANTA 20-18
15 (15) MEMPHIS 17-19
16 (25) NEW YORK 14-22
17 (22) BROOKLYN 15-22
18 (12) MINNESOTA 18-19
19 (19) WASHINGTON 16-19
20 (20) DETROIT 16-22
21 (28) SACRAMENTO 13-22
22 (16) NEW ORLEANS 15-21
23 (18) CHARLOTTE 15-23
24 (29) UTAH 12-26
25 (21) LA LAKERS 14-23
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (26) CLEVELAND 13-24
27 (24) PHILADELPHIA 12-25
28 (23) BOSTON 13-25
29 (27) ORLANDO 10-27
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 7-29
Monday, January 6, 2014
NBA WIZARD 2013-2014 POWER RANKING: WEEK 10
RK LAST WK
1 (2) INDIANA 27-6
2 (1) OKLAHOMA CITY 27-7
3 (3) MIAMI 26-8
4 (5) SAN ANTONIO 26-8
5 (8) GOLDEN STATE 23-13
6 (4) PORTLAND 26-8
7 (7) HOUSTON 22-13
8 (6) LA CLIPPERS 23-13
9 (9) PHOENIX 20-12
10 (10) DALLAS 19-15
11 (11) ATLANTA 17-16
12 (12) MINNESOTA 17-17
13 (13) TORONTO 16-16
14 (18) DENVER 16-17
15 (16) MEMPHIS 15-18
16 (15) NEW ORLEANS 15-17
17 (22) CHICAGO 14-18
18 (17) CHARLOTTE 15-20
19 (14) WASHINGTON 14-17
20 (19) DETROIT 14-20
21 (21) LA LAKERS 14-20
22 (25) BROOKLYN 11-21
23 (20) BOSTON 13-21
24 (28) PHILADELPHIA 12-22
25 (26) NEW YORK 11-22
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (24) CLEVELAND 11-23
27 (23) ORLANDO 10-23
28 (27) SACRAMENTO 10-22
29 (29) UTAH 11-25
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 7-26
1 (2) INDIANA 27-6
2 (1) OKLAHOMA CITY 27-7
3 (3) MIAMI 26-8
4 (5) SAN ANTONIO 26-8
5 (8) GOLDEN STATE 23-13
6 (4) PORTLAND 26-8
7 (7) HOUSTON 22-13
8 (6) LA CLIPPERS 23-13
9 (9) PHOENIX 20-12
10 (10) DALLAS 19-15
11 (11) ATLANTA 17-16
12 (12) MINNESOTA 17-17
13 (13) TORONTO 16-16
14 (18) DENVER 16-17
15 (16) MEMPHIS 15-18
16 (15) NEW ORLEANS 15-17
17 (22) CHICAGO 14-18
18 (17) CHARLOTTE 15-20
19 (14) WASHINGTON 14-17
20 (19) DETROIT 14-20
21 (21) LA LAKERS 14-20
22 (25) BROOKLYN 11-21
23 (20) BOSTON 13-21
24 (28) PHILADELPHIA 12-22
25 (26) NEW YORK 11-22
BOTTOM FEEDERS
26 (24) CLEVELAND 11-23
27 (23) ORLANDO 10-23
28 (27) SACRAMENTO 10-22
29 (29) UTAH 11-25
30 (30) MILWAUKEE 7-26
Monday, December 30, 2013
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
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
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
Monday, December 16, 2013
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
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
Monday, December 9, 2013
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.
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.
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