Tuesday, November 3, 2009

NBA Power Rankings 1st Edition

Greetings everyone... I've taken on the endeavor of doing regular (still working out how regular) Power Rankings Updates for the NBA...Here's the 1st installment (As of 11/3/09)
  1. Celtics (4-0)- You just can't argue with 4-0, and with a series of dominating victories including a very rare victory in Cleveland (i.e. the Cavs were 39-1 when playing their starters at home last year)...Rondo has been great (4.7 Assist/TO ratio) despite not scoring, and Sheed looks to be fitting in
  2. Magic (3-0)- Even without Rashard Lewis for all 3, and Vince and Pietrus for 1; they've been dominant...Their depth is staggering (i.e. Ryan Anderson averaging 17 ppg in 29 mpg, and JJ Redick even throwing up 16 ppg)...Jameer looks full strength too
  3. Nuggets (3-0)- There is still skepticism from...well, me... on this club, but Melo is averagin 38 a game and they are blowing doors off people... The key besides Melo? How bout some very good play from rookie PG Ty Lawson (11 ppg, 2 total turnovers in 3 games)
  4. Spurs (2-1)- Their loss was a road back-to-back against a bad matchup for them (Chicago has too many athletes, etc. for an aging team on back-to-back), but I refuse to knock them KNOWING they don't care about wins in November, 10 guys averaging 5 ppg, and Duncan is Duncan
  5. Lakers (2-1)- Gasol is out, so they have a built-in excuse...but there are questions about their depth (only 3 guys in double digits), and their wretched PG play (30% combined shooting for Fisher and Farmar....doesn't even take into account how bad Ron-Ron has been offense...
  6. Suns (3-0)- 20 and 10 from Grant Hill? 20 and 6 from Channing Frye!?!? That's how you start 3-0 without J-Rich for 2 games and Amare going for efficiency over excess...Only team in the league with more than 4 guys averaging 15 ppg so far...and they have 6...Fun 'n Gun!
  7. Cavs (2-2)- Count this ranking as respect for Lebron who has been very good (still)...but frankly, this team isn't very good on defense right now...and that's been their non-Lebron lynchpin for the last 3-4 years....Shaq and Z are awful on the pick-n-roll (Shaq especially), and that's not changing
  8. Hawks (2-1)- No team is funnier to read quotes from depending on the outcome...the doom and gloom to the fire and rain very quick...their loss isn't a bad one (@LA) and the Horford/Smith front court has been good
  9. Heat (3-0)- This'll probably be their highest slot all year...but they are undefeated and winning games by 14 ppg so far... I don't believe in them, but Wade is Wade, and they've gotten excellent production from Jermaine O'Neal and Mike Beasley (happy for him)
  10. Blazers (2-2)- They should never lose to Houston, but it was a road loss, and they followed up by completely shutting down the Thunder's offense... Oden is dominating on D (1o rpg, 11 blocks in 4 games) and Roy has been ungodly despite his bad FG% (39%), but they need better play from Blake and Miller
  11. Wizards (2-1)- They get the nod over Dallas because well, they beat Dallas this week... Andray Blatche is shooting 71% and averaging 20+, and when they play him with McGee, you won't see a crazier athletic pairing upfront in the L...and oh yeah, Hibachi!
  12. Mavs (2-1)- They'd be higher if Kidd wasn't patently terrible so far (4-16 FG, 1-10 from 3 total) and I need more Humphries than Gooden going forward, but Dirk is playing at a high level (and even playing a little D), and Marion is fitting the slasher role
  13. Sixers (2-1)- They haven't beaten anybody yet, but they've shown they can score, and Brand is showing signs of regaining form....Lou Williams (20, 5, and 5 so far) is the key going forward
  14. Rockets (3-1)- I can't tell you how they are doing it...Oh wait, yes I can...with TEAM basketball...masterful cutting/passing, and all kinds of defense...Ariza and Brooks are pouring in 20+ a game, and I love their role players (Battier, Landry, Scola)
  15. Thunder (2-1)- This seems high, even to me...but alot of teams in this region haven't done much for me....The big indicator? The fact that even with Durant shooting 3-21 (!?!) vs. Portland, they defended and scrapped enough to be in the game in the 4th...and I think Westbrook has made a mini-leap (16, 8 and 5 on 48%)
  16. Bulls (1-2)- Everyone is making whoa-is-me points on the loss of Gordon correlating with 3 point %, but I don't see that...Salmons isn't going to shoot 28%, Rose isn't going to shoot 37%...let's calm down
  17. Jazz (1-2)- The injury bug has already hit (Korver and Okur with trouble) and they aren't defending.. That combined with Millsap outplaying Boozer could spell rotation issues; Deron Williams has been masterful though
  18. Raptors (1-2)- The Cavs win was a good one...but the Memphis loss is a bad one... The lack of depth is staggering..but Bosh and Bargnani have been excellent (53 ppg, 20 rpg combined)
  19. Bobcats (2-2)- They still can't score...but Larry's got these guys playing lock-down D right now... they're the worst team with 2 losses, but Gerald Wallace is impressing (24 and 20 on Monday)
  20. Hornets (1-3)- I now officially have Byron Scott in the "first coach fired" pool.... It seems like CP3 isn't responding, and he can't seem to find a wing combo that works... On the bright side, Peja has shown life and Okafor is doing what he does (15 ppg, 11 rpg, 2 bpg)
  21. Clippers (1-4)- Have I mentioned how bad Mike Dunleavy is? There is no excuse for burying BD for a 4th quarter unless he's had his leg amputated... Kaman has rebounded huge (23 and 10), and Baron can't stay this bad....and all 4 losses were to legit playoff teams (Dallas, LAL, Phoenix, @Utah)
  22. Pistons (1-2)- The bad: Villanueva (9 and 4), and Stuckey (36% FG)....the good: Ben Gordon (24 ppg on 49%)..but even that...isn't necessarily good when those numbers are definitely coming back to earth and the team is already 1-2
  23. T-Wolves (1-3)- Here's where the dregs of the league begin... I'll slot the T-Wolves here b/c Al Jefferson looked to be near 100% on Sunday (21 pts), b/c Flynn is playing well, and because Kevin Love is on the way
  24. Warriors (0-2)- Should be alot higher based on talent, but Nellie is certifiable...Biedrins needs more minutes/shots, Jackson is on the block, and Anthony Randolph has underwhelmed based on his hype...
  25. Grizz (1-3)- Well they can score....4 guys averaging 18+ and that doesn't even include AI....my preseason worry about Conley's minutes hasn't played out yet...but worth monitoring... Gasol has been a pleasant surprise
  26. Pacers (0-2)- Danny Granger lands them here... but he's the only sure thing on this roster with Dunleavy having major health concerns, and there being little to no depth
  27. Bucks (1-1)- Brandon Jennings!!! If only he had the fade going... they'd be a little higher if Redd wasn't hurt (already), and if Bogut looked at all like his pre-injury form (he doesn't)...
  28. Knicks (1-3)- Definitely some fun 'n gun going on here as evidenced by them allowing 140+ the other night...Gallinari has been a bright spot (19 ppg), but the D has been awful, and the Duhon/Nate platoon is shooting 30%
  29. Nets (0-4)- They get the nod to stay out of the cellar simply b/c Tyreke Evans has been hurt/bad for Sacto... I love Brook Lopez and all...but the wings are too young (and shooting under 40% as a unit), and Harris is already knicked up....countdown begins to free agency
  30. Kings (1-3)- As referenced above...They need a healthy Evans to help out Kevin Martin... and they aren't getting that... the bright spot? The play of rookie Omri Casspi (10 ppg on 58%), the dark spot? (lol) Jason Thompson and his 38% shooting from the block

1 comment:

Chris Hofer said...

hey man, i hear that the CAS suspended the Chelsea ban (meaning that they now would be able to sign players in Jan.) what do you think about that?