Sunday, November 26, 2006
Week Whatever NBA Rankings
What’s the deal with the Eastern Conference? There are only three teams with winning records and the East is home to the League’s greatest disappointments in the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards and the New Jersey Nets (despite leading their conference with a 5-8 record). Early season results are just the opposite in the West where a team may need to win 50 games to squeak in with the 8th seed. Teams making the biggest moves since I last bothered to do this are the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic. The Clippers make a big drop this week after dropping four in a row.
1. Utah Jazz (12-2). OK, they’re not infallible, losing this week to Golden State. Chicago’s 72-10 record looks secure for another year but Utah still deserves to be on top this week. They have become the kind of gutsy team that only a Jerry Sloan-coached team can be, coming back from double-digit deficits three times in the past five games. Sure the Jazz are doing it with typical Sloan smoke and mirrors, but second year point guard Deron Williams looks worthy of the third pick in the 2005 draft, despite all the nay saying. They have a tough schedule this week and next, including a home game with San Antonio. Will the Jazz fall to the Top Spot Jinx? We’ll see next week.
2. San Antonio Spurs (10-3). They loose one little game against Charlotte after a great come-from-behind win at Houston. Yes, it was a back-to-back and I will never understand why teams get three or four days off and then get a back-to-back. I don’t care if the Monster Truck Rally has been scheduled, teams should be at their best and not have to play on consecutive nights. But the Spurs did and they lost to a crummy team so they have to slip here. Michael Finely looks spent and Bruce Bowen a step slower. These could be some long-term danger signs for the Spurs. Strangely enough, the Spurs are having trouble winning at home (4-3 record) where they have had the best record in the NBA the last four years and are undefeated at 6-0 on the road.
3. Dallas Mavericks (9-4). OK, so they win nine straight after getting shoved down the Laz rankings and rankling Mark Cuban. But he still should have bought You Tube. Just the same, the Mavericks and coach Avery Johnson seemed to have straightened out what was ever ailing them at the start of the season.
4. Orlando Magic (10-4). Despite a loss to lowly Memphis, the Magic appear to be the only team overachieving in the underachieving East. Last week the Magic beat both San Antonio and NO/OK Hornets and Dwight Howard looks like one of the best big men in the League, averaging 17 points and a League-leading 14 rebounds per game. And Grant Hill is still not injured.
5. Houston Rockets (9-4). The Rockets look good most of the time but you get the feeling they are just one McGrady bad back or Yao twisted ankle away from becoming mediocre. But they have won eight of their last 10 games and have done most of it on the road so they must be doing something right.
6. Los Angeles Lakers (9-4). The Lakers are getting contributions from a lot of different players this year and perhaps the Jackson Voodoo trance he puts on his players is working from top to bottom. Still waiting for Kobe to get healthy along with Kwame and Mihm and then this team could be scary. They would be higher if they hadn’t played nine of 13 games at home -- and I liked them.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-5). The Cavs could end up being the best team in the East and they are only here because they have the best player in the East and maybe in the NBA. Winning gets you the credibility and so far LeBron has delivered.
8. Denver Nuggets (8-4). Denver gets the jump-up in ranking for two straight home and away wins over the Golden State Warriors. Carmelo is playing as expected averaging over 30 points per game, but J.R. Smith is filling in as the outside shooter the Nuggets hoped he would be when they signed him as a free agent, averaging 17.5 ppg.
9. Detroit Pistons (9-5). Steadily and quietly the Pistons have made a move to the top of the East with 6 straight wins. The wins would mean more if they weren’t mostly against other crummy East teams and they were doing it more with the kind of defense Larry Brown taught them to play.
10. NO/OK Hornets (8-6). Two come-from-behind victories makes Laz look stupid when he wrote they haven’t learned how to win yet. Maybe they have. Then they lose three straight. So maybe they haven’t. Peja missed the Dallas game with hurt feelings and the Hornets only scored 73 points, exposing their lack of depth.
11. Golden State Warriors (8-6). First Baron Davis burns the Kings with 36 points and 18 assists, then misses a game due to fatness and is covered by second-year point gurad Monta Ellis who has 31 in a buzzer beating loss to Phoenix. Of course the Warriors miss the opportunity to move up after losing three games before taking out the Jazz two nights ago.
12. Sacramento Kings (7-5). The Kings gave up an average of 111 points per game in four losses and just 89 in their wins. Included in the losses were losing a 21-point second half lead over Utah and a 16-point lead to San Antonio. Kevin Martin, who didn’t even make the All-Star ballot may be among the best guards in the League and 6-2 Ronnie Price’s poster-dunk over 6-11 Carlos Boozer may end up being the dunk of the year
13. Phoenix Suns (6-6). They are winning for the moment but doing it while their fans bite their nails more often than Mike Bibby. No lead seems safe for the shoot-before-the-shot-clock-gets-below-20 Suns who have seen more leads crash than Jerry Springer in Dancing With the Stars.
14. Los Angeles Clippers (6-6). The road was eventually coming to this team and they quickly became road kill in four straight losses, three on the road (if one can call a game against the Lakers at Staples a road game). The team is out of sync at the moment with no mental toughness. Likely a trade of Corey Magette would be helpful, especially since the Clippers don’t plan on re-signing him after this year anyway.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-6). They remain an average team with an average record in an-average division. Without KG at full strength, they will struggle to stay average.
16. Indiana Pacers (7-7). They remain an average team with an average record in a below-average division. Without Jermaine O’Neal at full strength, they will struggle to stay average.
17. Seattle Supersonics (6-8). The Sonics have the best 1-2 scoring punch in the League with Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen averaging a combined 50 points per game. With the exception of Luke Ridenour, the rest of the team looks pretty lousy.
18. Portland Trailblazers (6-8). The average age of the Trailblazers is just under 24 years old and many nights they show it. They also show a lot of promise in some games and have one of the best mentors in Nate McMillan to help them gel into a team that can win AND stay out of jail.
19. Atlanta Hawks (5-6). After a decent start, the Hawks have dropped four out of five games and seem to be headed for their usual spot at the bottom of the standings.
20-23. New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics (all 5-8). Is this NBA parity or just teams under-performing? Sadly, the Nets, 76ers and Celtics are all leading their division and the Heat would make the playoffs if they began today – something Shaq is waiting for.
24. New York Knicks (5-10). They get a little bump in the all-important Laz rankings but this is still Isaiah’s team with four point guards and four power forwards all vying for playing time.
25. Chicago Bulls (4-9). A Big Disappointment and it seems the curse placed on Jerry Kraus by Michael Jordan will forever keep the Bulls from ever becoming an elite team again.
26. Washington Wizards (4-9). Another disappointing team and one has to wonder if Gilbert Arenas has enough help for this team to make the playoffs. They lost the front end and back end of two back-to-backs, including one to Memphis. A more favorable schedule could help the Wizards stop the slide.
27. Milwaukee Bucks (4-9). They have lost eight of their past 10 games. This team was built for offense and not defense and if anything has been true in the NBA the past decade it's that good defense always beats a good offense. This team needs toughness and fewer big men who play 17-feet from the basket.
28. Toronto Raptors (4-9). Perhaps other teams are treating the Raptors as an international team and making up for Team USA’s loss at the FIFA World Championships. Chris Bosh is the lone standout on a team and one of the few American-born players.
29. Memphis Grizzlies (3-10). The Grizzlies get style points for playing in the West despite sharing the League’s worst record.
30. Charlotte Bobcats (3-10). Only Emeka Okafor and rookie Adam Morrison are playing like they care. Bye-bye Bernie.
1. Utah Jazz (12-2). OK, they’re not infallible, losing this week to Golden State. Chicago’s 72-10 record looks secure for another year but Utah still deserves to be on top this week. They have become the kind of gutsy team that only a Jerry Sloan-coached team can be, coming back from double-digit deficits three times in the past five games. Sure the Jazz are doing it with typical Sloan smoke and mirrors, but second year point guard Deron Williams looks worthy of the third pick in the 2005 draft, despite all the nay saying. They have a tough schedule this week and next, including a home game with San Antonio. Will the Jazz fall to the Top Spot Jinx? We’ll see next week.
2. San Antonio Spurs (10-3). They loose one little game against Charlotte after a great come-from-behind win at Houston. Yes, it was a back-to-back and I will never understand why teams get three or four days off and then get a back-to-back. I don’t care if the Monster Truck Rally has been scheduled, teams should be at their best and not have to play on consecutive nights. But the Spurs did and they lost to a crummy team so they have to slip here. Michael Finely looks spent and Bruce Bowen a step slower. These could be some long-term danger signs for the Spurs. Strangely enough, the Spurs are having trouble winning at home (4-3 record) where they have had the best record in the NBA the last four years and are undefeated at 6-0 on the road.
3. Dallas Mavericks (9-4). OK, so they win nine straight after getting shoved down the Laz rankings and rankling Mark Cuban. But he still should have bought You Tube. Just the same, the Mavericks and coach Avery Johnson seemed to have straightened out what was ever ailing them at the start of the season.
4. Orlando Magic (10-4). Despite a loss to lowly Memphis, the Magic appear to be the only team overachieving in the underachieving East. Last week the Magic beat both San Antonio and NO/OK Hornets and Dwight Howard looks like one of the best big men in the League, averaging 17 points and a League-leading 14 rebounds per game. And Grant Hill is still not injured.
5. Houston Rockets (9-4). The Rockets look good most of the time but you get the feeling they are just one McGrady bad back or Yao twisted ankle away from becoming mediocre. But they have won eight of their last 10 games and have done most of it on the road so they must be doing something right.
6. Los Angeles Lakers (9-4). The Lakers are getting contributions from a lot of different players this year and perhaps the Jackson Voodoo trance he puts on his players is working from top to bottom. Still waiting for Kobe to get healthy along with Kwame and Mihm and then this team could be scary. They would be higher if they hadn’t played nine of 13 games at home -- and I liked them.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-5). The Cavs could end up being the best team in the East and they are only here because they have the best player in the East and maybe in the NBA. Winning gets you the credibility and so far LeBron has delivered.
8. Denver Nuggets (8-4). Denver gets the jump-up in ranking for two straight home and away wins over the Golden State Warriors. Carmelo is playing as expected averaging over 30 points per game, but J.R. Smith is filling in as the outside shooter the Nuggets hoped he would be when they signed him as a free agent, averaging 17.5 ppg.
9. Detroit Pistons (9-5). Steadily and quietly the Pistons have made a move to the top of the East with 6 straight wins. The wins would mean more if they weren’t mostly against other crummy East teams and they were doing it more with the kind of defense Larry Brown taught them to play.
10. NO/OK Hornets (8-6). Two come-from-behind victories makes Laz look stupid when he wrote they haven’t learned how to win yet. Maybe they have. Then they lose three straight. So maybe they haven’t. Peja missed the Dallas game with hurt feelings and the Hornets only scored 73 points, exposing their lack of depth.
11. Golden State Warriors (8-6). First Baron Davis burns the Kings with 36 points and 18 assists, then misses a game due to fatness and is covered by second-year point gurad Monta Ellis who has 31 in a buzzer beating loss to Phoenix. Of course the Warriors miss the opportunity to move up after losing three games before taking out the Jazz two nights ago.
12. Sacramento Kings (7-5). The Kings gave up an average of 111 points per game in four losses and just 89 in their wins. Included in the losses were losing a 21-point second half lead over Utah and a 16-point lead to San Antonio. Kevin Martin, who didn’t even make the All-Star ballot may be among the best guards in the League and 6-2 Ronnie Price’s poster-dunk over 6-11 Carlos Boozer may end up being the dunk of the year
13. Phoenix Suns (6-6). They are winning for the moment but doing it while their fans bite their nails more often than Mike Bibby. No lead seems safe for the shoot-before-the-shot-clock-gets-below-20 Suns who have seen more leads crash than Jerry Springer in Dancing With the Stars.
14. Los Angeles Clippers (6-6). The road was eventually coming to this team and they quickly became road kill in four straight losses, three on the road (if one can call a game against the Lakers at Staples a road game). The team is out of sync at the moment with no mental toughness. Likely a trade of Corey Magette would be helpful, especially since the Clippers don’t plan on re-signing him after this year anyway.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-6). They remain an average team with an average record in an-average division. Without KG at full strength, they will struggle to stay average.
16. Indiana Pacers (7-7). They remain an average team with an average record in a below-average division. Without Jermaine O’Neal at full strength, they will struggle to stay average.
17. Seattle Supersonics (6-8). The Sonics have the best 1-2 scoring punch in the League with Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen averaging a combined 50 points per game. With the exception of Luke Ridenour, the rest of the team looks pretty lousy.
18. Portland Trailblazers (6-8). The average age of the Trailblazers is just under 24 years old and many nights they show it. They also show a lot of promise in some games and have one of the best mentors in Nate McMillan to help them gel into a team that can win AND stay out of jail.
19. Atlanta Hawks (5-6). After a decent start, the Hawks have dropped four out of five games and seem to be headed for their usual spot at the bottom of the standings.
20-23. New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics (all 5-8). Is this NBA parity or just teams under-performing? Sadly, the Nets, 76ers and Celtics are all leading their division and the Heat would make the playoffs if they began today – something Shaq is waiting for.
24. New York Knicks (5-10). They get a little bump in the all-important Laz rankings but this is still Isaiah’s team with four point guards and four power forwards all vying for playing time.
25. Chicago Bulls (4-9). A Big Disappointment and it seems the curse placed on Jerry Kraus by Michael Jordan will forever keep the Bulls from ever becoming an elite team again.
26. Washington Wizards (4-9). Another disappointing team and one has to wonder if Gilbert Arenas has enough help for this team to make the playoffs. They lost the front end and back end of two back-to-backs, including one to Memphis. A more favorable schedule could help the Wizards stop the slide.
27. Milwaukee Bucks (4-9). They have lost eight of their past 10 games. This team was built for offense and not defense and if anything has been true in the NBA the past decade it's that good defense always beats a good offense. This team needs toughness and fewer big men who play 17-feet from the basket.
28. Toronto Raptors (4-9). Perhaps other teams are treating the Raptors as an international team and making up for Team USA’s loss at the FIFA World Championships. Chris Bosh is the lone standout on a team and one of the few American-born players.
29. Memphis Grizzlies (3-10). The Grizzlies get style points for playing in the West despite sharing the League’s worst record.
30. Charlotte Bobcats (3-10). Only Emeka Okafor and rookie Adam Morrison are playing like they care. Bye-bye Bernie.
Getting Hosed Again By Trojans
Looking at this from as much distance as possible, I don’t know how USC can jump ahead of Michigan in the most recent AP and USA Today poll. Yes, I am more fan than outsider, but let’s take a look at the situation strictly from cold, hard facts.
Michigan had one loss, a 3-point loss to the Number 1 team all season, while USC also had one loss, a 2-point loss at Oregon State, which did not even finish in the Top 25. The teams had one common opponent in Notre Dame. While it’s true that USC gave the Fighting Irish a real pasting last night, they did so at home, winning by 20. However, Michigan also gave Notre Dame a good spanking, beating them by 26 AT South Bend. Which win is more impressive: a win by 26 points on the road or 20 at home?
There are those who say the Pac 10 is a stronger conference and therefore Michigan’s in-conference wins mean less. The pollsters don’t agree. The Pac 10 has two teams in the Top 25, No 2 USC – disputed, mind you – and No. 21 California. The Big 10 has three teams in the Top 7 with a combined record of 34-2. While both conferences had fairly weak non-conference schedules, the Big 10 still won 41 out of 52 games, a 79 percent winning percentage. The Pac 10 had far fewer games outside of their conference but still won 23 of 31 games – a 74 percent winning percentage. Once again, the edge goes to the Big 10.
I will grant that USC had quality wins over Arkansas and Nebraska and a final strong win over Notre Dame, but they looked pretty weak during a four-week string of three close wins over Washington State, Washington and Arizona and then a loss at Oregon State. Michigan was never seriously challenged in any win with the exception of a 7-point win at Penn State – once ranked 15th in the country.
Slade441 attempts to make good points but doesn’t have the research to back up his arguments as are displayed in this intelligently written report. He does make sense in one of his recent posts of keeping the old-fashion bowl game schedule, which would have pit Michigan against USC in the Rose Bowl. That is the only way to really settle which team is better and then the winner of that game would end up playing a one-game playoff against, presumably, Ohio State to determine the national champ. I would be in favor of that.
While I expect Michigan to get hosed in the near-term rankings, I do think they will end up ranked Number 2 following USC’s humiliating defeat in the Fiesta Bowl against the Buckeyes. I just may end up getting the last laugh on this.
Of course this isn't the first time USC snuck ahead of Michigan. Who could ever forget the cheating Charles White in his fake touchdown during the 1977 Rose Bowl? There can be nobody alive who doesn't remember that, right?
Michigan had one loss, a 3-point loss to the Number 1 team all season, while USC also had one loss, a 2-point loss at Oregon State, which did not even finish in the Top 25. The teams had one common opponent in Notre Dame. While it’s true that USC gave the Fighting Irish a real pasting last night, they did so at home, winning by 20. However, Michigan also gave Notre Dame a good spanking, beating them by 26 AT South Bend. Which win is more impressive: a win by 26 points on the road or 20 at home?
There are those who say the Pac 10 is a stronger conference and therefore Michigan’s in-conference wins mean less. The pollsters don’t agree. The Pac 10 has two teams in the Top 25, No 2 USC – disputed, mind you – and No. 21 California. The Big 10 has three teams in the Top 7 with a combined record of 34-2. While both conferences had fairly weak non-conference schedules, the Big 10 still won 41 out of 52 games, a 79 percent winning percentage. The Pac 10 had far fewer games outside of their conference but still won 23 of 31 games – a 74 percent winning percentage. Once again, the edge goes to the Big 10.
I will grant that USC had quality wins over Arkansas and Nebraska and a final strong win over Notre Dame, but they looked pretty weak during a four-week string of three close wins over Washington State, Washington and Arizona and then a loss at Oregon State. Michigan was never seriously challenged in any win with the exception of a 7-point win at Penn State – once ranked 15th in the country.
Slade441 attempts to make good points but doesn’t have the research to back up his arguments as are displayed in this intelligently written report. He does make sense in one of his recent posts of keeping the old-fashion bowl game schedule, which would have pit Michigan against USC in the Rose Bowl. That is the only way to really settle which team is better and then the winner of that game would end up playing a one-game playoff against, presumably, Ohio State to determine the national champ. I would be in favor of that.
While I expect Michigan to get hosed in the near-term rankings, I do think they will end up ranked Number 2 following USC’s humiliating defeat in the Fiesta Bowl against the Buckeyes. I just may end up getting the last laugh on this.
Of course this isn't the first time USC snuck ahead of Michigan. Who could ever forget the cheating Charles White in his fake touchdown during the 1977 Rose Bowl? There can be nobody alive who doesn't remember that, right?
Friday, November 17, 2006
San It Ain't So, Bo
Nobody may know Bo like I know Bo. He was Michigan. He was as big of an icon in the 1960s and 1970s in Michigan as any professional athlete or coach. When you thought of the Wolverines, you thought of Bo. You may not have always been happy with Bo, but it’s difficult to argue his career coaching record, which includes finishing in the Top 10 in college football 16 of his 21 years at Michigan and only twice out of the Top Twenty. No Schembechler team ever finished without a winning record on his way to198 career coaching victories.The Wolverines could be boring at times – the cheer “up the middle, up the middle, pass, punt” was invented in Ann Arbor – and you were often suckered into believing their mighty 10-0 record headed into the final game of the season was good enough.. But too often the season ended with a loss to chief nemesis Ohio State and Woody Hayes or, if Michigan got by the Buckeyes, it invariably lost in the Rose Bowl.
There was the heart-shattering loss to Stanford and Jim Plunkett in 1970 (heart shattering to Bo too, as it turns out, as he suffered his first heart attack before the game). And of course who can forget the cheap Rose Bowl loss to USC in which Charles White fumbled the ball before heading into the end zone in 1977? Well, Mrs. Laz may remember because she almost decided to stop dating me after I went outside and laid in the middle of a rain-dampened Lamont Street waiting for a car to swiftly end my misery following that loss. You would think she would recognize by now that I take the Wolverines very seriously, wouldn’t you?
The rivalries between the Big 10 and the Pac 10 brought out the fight in us and I remember the pranks I played on the Biggest USC Trojan Fan In The World, Hank Snow. The day of one Rose Bowl game between Michigan and USC, I placed an ad in the San Diego Union urging all Wolverine fans to attend a lunch and rally at Hank’s house to support the team and made sure his telephone number was prominently displayed so fans could call for directions. I don’t know who had more fun with that prank.
To my cousin, the Michigan Wolverines were everything to him and his family and Bo was an early inspiration in his life. When cancer took him at the young age of 39, he was buried in a Michigan Wolverine casket and dressed in Michigan hat, scarf and jacket.
Bo brought that spirit out in people and gave me and 110,000 Wolverine fans in the Big House so many good memories. He was a class guy in an awkward time in our history and understood the role Saturday football could have on the American psyche. He loved his players, knew their families, knew what the games meant to Michigan, knew that the first 10 or so games were meaningless if he couldn’t beat the Buckeyes or get to the Rose Bowl. He placed all the fans’ expectation on his shoulders and drank bottles of Pepto Bismol instead of complaining about the pressure he was constantly under; pressure he created himself just by winning.
He not only had a great sense for the importance of the game of football and its value to the community and the University, but he took great pride in understanding the relationship between athletics and real life lessons. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have made the controversial decision as Michigan’s athletic director to fire basketball coach Bill Frieder on the eve of the NCAA Tournament because Frieder announced he had taken a job with Arizona State. He said he didn’t want an Arizona State coach to lead his team; he wanted a Michigan coach. Steve Fisher took over as coach and his team won the NCAA championship, proving Bo’s instincts right.
I remember many of the players but it was always Bo we counted on to deliver us the victories we needed. I wonder if the players on this year’s team will be pushed for one more victory knowing his spirit will be hovering around Columbus. If they win, I can just imagine the big grin on Bo’s face as the clock ticks down to zero and his good buddy Woody is on the other side of the field cursing under his breath.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Week 2 NBA Rankings
1. San Antonio Spurs (6-1). The Spurs look like the consistent team you’d expect to win a championship. They have speed, size, power, finesse, determination, grit and a feeling they can win every game they play. At one point in last night’s win in Houston, the Spurs went on a 28-3 run to win the game in a walk. Included in that run was a great block from Tim Duncan on Yao Ming, which pretty much sums up the season they are on top this week.
2. Utah Jazz (7-1). Is this just a good start by the Jazz? Are they just pumped up that they have most of their players at 100%? Or is this the real deal? Deron Williams has been a big help, averaging 17 points per game and 8.5 assists. He’s also shooting better than 50% from the floor and leading the normally half-court Jazz on fast breaks. The Jazz have a bit of a tough schedule this week so let’s see where they end up whenever I get around to writing another one of these.
3. Los Angeles Clippers (5-2). I am not yet sold on the Clippers but have put them up this high because I am not sold on too many other teams either. All of their wins have come at home and they haven’t looked too pretty on the road. Sam Cassell is proving he is of alien blood by leading the team in points and assists at age 54.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (5-2). I’m not putting the Cavaliers up this high so much as I am LeBron James. I think you could give him five players from the Washington Generals and he’d still win 60% of his games. Please God, give this guy one more stud player so he can win 10 Championships in a row.
5. Sacramento Kings (4-2). OK, this is more from the heart than the head, but I’m not sure I will ever get the chance to rank them this high for the rest of the season. Kevin Martin is still the surprise this year averaging nearly 24 ppg, Ron Artest is putting the same enthusiasm in his rebounding (10 per game) as he is his defense (4.5 steals per game) and, the best news, Brad Miller is still hurt, meaning the Kings don’t have a big, stiff who can’t rebound or play defense to fill up the key.
6. Los Angeles Lakers (5-3). Kobe isn’t at full speed yet, but Lamar Odom is. He looks focused and showing his versatility. There may even come a day when people will say the Lakers got the better end of the deal by trading Shaq for Odom and essentially Kwame Brown, especially if Odom stays healthy and sane.
7. Houston Rockets (5-3). Blowing a 16-point lead at home to San Antonio keeps the Rockets from rising to the top four this week. McGrady and Ming are the two studs but are getting ample help from the role players like Battier and Alston.
8. NO/OK Hornets (5-3). The Hornets are showing they haven’t learned how to win yet, winning their first three, losing the next three, and now on a two-game winning streak. Peja finally showed why he was worth the money by scoring 42 against Adam Morrison and the Charlotte Bobcats. Of course Laz Jr. said he could score 42 against Morrison.
9. Orlando Magic (5-3). A bit of a surprise this year but Dwight Howard is playing like an all-star, Hedo and Jameer Nelson take turns having good games and, in the feel-good story of the year, Grant Hill is actually playing most of the game for the first time in six years. Maybe it’s the contract-year focus that’s helping Hill?
10. Golden State Warriors (5-3). Notice there are three California teams in the top 10? Might not see that again. Maybe it’s the yearning for two of the teams to get out of their ancient sports arenas. Anyway, the Warriors are playing a bit of Nellie Ball and outscoring their opponents but still giving up more than 100 per game. Wait until they run into a few defensive teams and we’ll see how they look after.
11. Indiana Pacers (4-3). Strange team, full of strange players. They are only up this high because every other team is that low.
12. New Jersey Nets (3-3). The Nets always prove me wrong and I was just getting ready to put them in the top 10 when Richard Jefferson goes down with an injury. Now Jason Kidd will have to score and rebound and pass the ball and one has to wonder if he has the desire and the kneecaps to do it. Also, it’s not a contract year for Vince Carter, so what incentive does he have?
13. Atlanta Hawks (4-3). Joe Johnson is averaging nearly 30 points per game and leading the resurgence for the usually crummy Hawks. Even Tyronn Lue is getting into the act with 29 points last night. Maybe AI will have to straighten Lue out.
14. Detroit Pistons (3-4). The Pistons are probably better than this ranking but they’re not showing it on the court. Richard Hamilton is playing hurt, Rasheed is attempting to be the first player to average more technical fouls than points and, even though they would never admit it, they miss the intensity that Ben Wallace brought to the team. In the end, though, the Pistons should end up on top of their division.
15. Chicago Bulls (3-4). A lot of preseason hype and hysteria and it appears for now the Bulls do better when nobody is watching. With the exception of their two-headed point guard in Hinrich and Gordon, they don’t look too impressive. Wallace, who wanted to leave Detroit to get more shot opportunities, is averaging only 5 shots per game with most coming from offensive rebounds.
16. Miami Heat (3-4). They have Dwayne Wade.
17. Washington Wizards (3-3). They have Gilbert Arenas.
18. Philadelphia 76ers (3-3). They have Allen Iverson and occasionally Iggy and Korver. Now they also have Webber complaining he’s not getting any minutes in the fourth quarter. Interestingly enough, power forwards around the League are encouraging Webber to get more minutes in the 4th.
19. Phoenix Suns (2-5). They look about as sharp as white socks and a black tuxedo right now, but they are trying to work Amare Stoudemire back into the starting rotation which, in the long run, will make them a better team. Boris Diaw looks fat and tired so the sooner Amare can move Diaw’s big French butt to the bench, the better.
20. Seattle Supersonics (4-4). For a team without a home court advantage for the entire season, they’re not doing too badly. Ray Allen along with Luke Ridnour, Rashard Lewis and even Chris Wilcox are playing like all-stars.
21. Portland Trailblazers (4-4). They have Zach Randolf and he’s nuts.
22. Denver Nuggets (3-3). Kenyon Martin is out for the season, Nene doesn’t look as quick as he did before his injury, Marcus Camby is one year older so the Nuggets have big problems at their power positions. Carmello Anthony may not be enough to get his team in the playoffs, especially in the West, unless he can keep getting strong performances from Andre Miller who may win the dubious most improved award this year (or course you have to stink the year before to qualify).
23. Minnesota Timberwolves (3-4). They have KG and don’t have Wally Ball anymore. They also don’t have Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, both thought to be over the hill but would still help this team out right about now.
24. Dallas Mavericks (3-4). I feel great putting the Mavs down here if only by chance Mark Cuban is Googling his name right now. You should have bought You Tube, O Wise One. You also should have held on to Steve Nash since your team really, really needs a true point guard and a little toughness.
25. Milwaukee Bucks (3-5). On paper this team should be doing better. Of course on paper I should be doing better. They have Michael Redd and a team full of future, and nobody plays defense. Perhaps they can make a run before the year is up. I may have kept T.J. Ford too.
26. Toronto Raptors (2-5). You have to feel sorry for this team. They take what Europe has to offer, win a few games and then hit the road for a two-month west coast road swing.
27. New York Knicks (2-6). They have Isiah who actually has to write out a check for $18.5 million to a coach who is better than he is.
28. Boston Celtics (1-6). They have Wally Ball and that’s why they stink. Enough said.
29. Memphis Grizzlies (1-5). The Grizzlies may not win again until Pau Gasol comes back from injury as they head out on a long road trip.
30. Charlotte Bobcats (1-6). Rookie Adam Morrison equaled a career high with 21 last not being guarded by Peja Stojakovic. Laz Jr. said he could score 21 being guarded by Peja. Head coach Bernie Bickerstaff may end up being the first coach to go this year as his team is far from meeting expectation.
2. Utah Jazz (7-1). Is this just a good start by the Jazz? Are they just pumped up that they have most of their players at 100%? Or is this the real deal? Deron Williams has been a big help, averaging 17 points per game and 8.5 assists. He’s also shooting better than 50% from the floor and leading the normally half-court Jazz on fast breaks. The Jazz have a bit of a tough schedule this week so let’s see where they end up whenever I get around to writing another one of these.
3. Los Angeles Clippers (5-2). I am not yet sold on the Clippers but have put them up this high because I am not sold on too many other teams either. All of their wins have come at home and they haven’t looked too pretty on the road. Sam Cassell is proving he is of alien blood by leading the team in points and assists at age 54.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (5-2). I’m not putting the Cavaliers up this high so much as I am LeBron James. I think you could give him five players from the Washington Generals and he’d still win 60% of his games. Please God, give this guy one more stud player so he can win 10 Championships in a row.
5. Sacramento Kings (4-2). OK, this is more from the heart than the head, but I’m not sure I will ever get the chance to rank them this high for the rest of the season. Kevin Martin is still the surprise this year averaging nearly 24 ppg, Ron Artest is putting the same enthusiasm in his rebounding (10 per game) as he is his defense (4.5 steals per game) and, the best news, Brad Miller is still hurt, meaning the Kings don’t have a big, stiff who can’t rebound or play defense to fill up the key.
6. Los Angeles Lakers (5-3). Kobe isn’t at full speed yet, but Lamar Odom is. He looks focused and showing his versatility. There may even come a day when people will say the Lakers got the better end of the deal by trading Shaq for Odom and essentially Kwame Brown, especially if Odom stays healthy and sane.
7. Houston Rockets (5-3). Blowing a 16-point lead at home to San Antonio keeps the Rockets from rising to the top four this week. McGrady and Ming are the two studs but are getting ample help from the role players like Battier and Alston.
8. NO/OK Hornets (5-3). The Hornets are showing they haven’t learned how to win yet, winning their first three, losing the next three, and now on a two-game winning streak. Peja finally showed why he was worth the money by scoring 42 against Adam Morrison and the Charlotte Bobcats. Of course Laz Jr. said he could score 42 against Morrison.
9. Orlando Magic (5-3). A bit of a surprise this year but Dwight Howard is playing like an all-star, Hedo and Jameer Nelson take turns having good games and, in the feel-good story of the year, Grant Hill is actually playing most of the game for the first time in six years. Maybe it’s the contract-year focus that’s helping Hill?
10. Golden State Warriors (5-3). Notice there are three California teams in the top 10? Might not see that again. Maybe it’s the yearning for two of the teams to get out of their ancient sports arenas. Anyway, the Warriors are playing a bit of Nellie Ball and outscoring their opponents but still giving up more than 100 per game. Wait until they run into a few defensive teams and we’ll see how they look after.
11. Indiana Pacers (4-3). Strange team, full of strange players. They are only up this high because every other team is that low.
12. New Jersey Nets (3-3). The Nets always prove me wrong and I was just getting ready to put them in the top 10 when Richard Jefferson goes down with an injury. Now Jason Kidd will have to score and rebound and pass the ball and one has to wonder if he has the desire and the kneecaps to do it. Also, it’s not a contract year for Vince Carter, so what incentive does he have?
13. Atlanta Hawks (4-3). Joe Johnson is averaging nearly 30 points per game and leading the resurgence for the usually crummy Hawks. Even Tyronn Lue is getting into the act with 29 points last night. Maybe AI will have to straighten Lue out.
14. Detroit Pistons (3-4). The Pistons are probably better than this ranking but they’re not showing it on the court. Richard Hamilton is playing hurt, Rasheed is attempting to be the first player to average more technical fouls than points and, even though they would never admit it, they miss the intensity that Ben Wallace brought to the team. In the end, though, the Pistons should end up on top of their division.
15. Chicago Bulls (3-4). A lot of preseason hype and hysteria and it appears for now the Bulls do better when nobody is watching. With the exception of their two-headed point guard in Hinrich and Gordon, they don’t look too impressive. Wallace, who wanted to leave Detroit to get more shot opportunities, is averaging only 5 shots per game with most coming from offensive rebounds.
16. Miami Heat (3-4). They have Dwayne Wade.
17. Washington Wizards (3-3). They have Gilbert Arenas.
18. Philadelphia 76ers (3-3). They have Allen Iverson and occasionally Iggy and Korver. Now they also have Webber complaining he’s not getting any minutes in the fourth quarter. Interestingly enough, power forwards around the League are encouraging Webber to get more minutes in the 4th.
19. Phoenix Suns (2-5). They look about as sharp as white socks and a black tuxedo right now, but they are trying to work Amare Stoudemire back into the starting rotation which, in the long run, will make them a better team. Boris Diaw looks fat and tired so the sooner Amare can move Diaw’s big French butt to the bench, the better.
20. Seattle Supersonics (4-4). For a team without a home court advantage for the entire season, they’re not doing too badly. Ray Allen along with Luke Ridnour, Rashard Lewis and even Chris Wilcox are playing like all-stars.
21. Portland Trailblazers (4-4). They have Zach Randolf and he’s nuts.
22. Denver Nuggets (3-3). Kenyon Martin is out for the season, Nene doesn’t look as quick as he did before his injury, Marcus Camby is one year older so the Nuggets have big problems at their power positions. Carmello Anthony may not be enough to get his team in the playoffs, especially in the West, unless he can keep getting strong performances from Andre Miller who may win the dubious most improved award this year (or course you have to stink the year before to qualify).
23. Minnesota Timberwolves (3-4). They have KG and don’t have Wally Ball anymore. They also don’t have Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, both thought to be over the hill but would still help this team out right about now.
24. Dallas Mavericks (3-4). I feel great putting the Mavs down here if only by chance Mark Cuban is Googling his name right now. You should have bought You Tube, O Wise One. You also should have held on to Steve Nash since your team really, really needs a true point guard and a little toughness.
25. Milwaukee Bucks (3-5). On paper this team should be doing better. Of course on paper I should be doing better. They have Michael Redd and a team full of future, and nobody plays defense. Perhaps they can make a run before the year is up. I may have kept T.J. Ford too.
26. Toronto Raptors (2-5). You have to feel sorry for this team. They take what Europe has to offer, win a few games and then hit the road for a two-month west coast road swing.
27. New York Knicks (2-6). They have Isiah who actually has to write out a check for $18.5 million to a coach who is better than he is.
28. Boston Celtics (1-6). They have Wally Ball and that’s why they stink. Enough said.
29. Memphis Grizzlies (1-5). The Grizzlies may not win again until Pau Gasol comes back from injury as they head out on a long road trip.
30. Charlotte Bobcats (1-6). Rookie Adam Morrison equaled a career high with 21 last not being guarded by Peja Stojakovic. Laz Jr. said he could score 21 being guarded by Peja. Head coach Bernie Bickerstaff may end up being the first coach to go this year as his team is far from meeting expectation.
