NBA All-Star Game Voting Needs Re-tooling
By Jordan Underwood
Well it’s that time if year again when the exuberant fans of the NBA get to express who they want to see represent their conference.
I am of course talking about the All-Star game in Los Angeles, California.
Despite averaging 10 pts and 5 rebounds, Yao Ming was chosen to face off at center against Dwight Howard of the Orland Magic (photo via life.com)
With the starters being announced on January 27th and the reserves to follow later, it is apparent that the fans know what they are doing in some regards, but they mostly fail in the grand scheme of voting for all-stars. Now I am not saying that the fans should not have a say in who gets to go to the all-star game every year, however, I believe that we have given way too much power to the fans to decide and have just accepted their choices as what the people really want.
With that being said, the starters for each conference’s team are as follows: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Yao Ming for the Western Conference and DeWayne Wade, Derrick Rose, Lebron James, Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudemire for the Eastern Conference.
So let us begin analyzing the Western Conference starters. I can live with the fact that Kobe, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant are in the starting lineup because over the first half of the season, they have close to, if not the best at their position. Carmelo Anthony is playing fairly well this year (besides dragging the Nuggets and all of their fans through a roller coaster ride dubbed MeloDrama), however, I feel that there are a few other players who should be in the forward spot beside Kevin Durant.
First and foremost is Dirk Nowitzki. Before his injury, Nowitzki was putting up numbers better than what he did in his 2007 MVP campaign. As of right now, he is averaging 23.1 points per game (a little down from last year but remember the injury), 6.8 rebounds per game, and 2.5 assists per game while upping his field goal percentage to 52.2% and three-point percentage to 40%.
Fans chose forward Carmelo Anthony (right) over Dirk Nowitzki for the Western Conference All-Star starting lineup (photo via life.com)
The next worthy candidate for this spot is Pau Gasol. He is averaging a double double with 18.1 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.5% from the field. Pau was a staple in the Lakers second consecutive championship and he carried that momentum into this season where he is clearly a focal point to the Laker’s offense.
Well that brings us to the worst pick in this year’s all-star game, Yao Ming. His stat line is . . .oh wait it is a meaningless 10 points and 5 rebounds per game because he has only played in five games all season due to injury!! I do not know how the fans could have screwed this one up as badly as they did but here we are and now it will be the coaches’ decision to choose a starting center.
The best possible choices as I see it right now would have to be Kevin Love, Emeka Okefor, or Tyson Chandler with some other possibilities, but no clear cut winner.
With the West complete, let’s move to the East.
In retrospect, the fans got a majority of these picks right. They all deserve to be starters and the controversial picks of Amare over Kevin Garnett and Derrick Rose, who should be high up in the MVP voting later on in the season, over Rajon Rando were excellent choices in my mind.
Overall, good job on the eastern conference, fans.
With my piece being said I must make note of how I think changes should be made (be they right or wrong). I believe that the fans voting is a crucial part to the NBA All-Star game, however, with the constant mishaps in their voting, I feel there is a better way to use fan voting.
The votes should count, but to a lesser extent. That way the fans get to see who they want to see and the players that deserve to be there are there and noone makes it based solely on popularity (yes, I am looking in your direction Allen Iverson). Would a change come quickly? I do not think so, however, it is clear that something needs to be done, whether that is minor or major, in order to fix the process.
All stats via various team websites and NBA.com
What do you think? Did the fans get it right? Leave us a reply and get in on the conversation.
Rose, Bulls Sink Lakers
By Jordan Kabialis
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Bulls improved to 13-8 on the season last night, beating the Lakers 88-84. Myself and about 22,759 other fans filled the United Center to watch Derrick Rose and the Bulls take on Kobe Bryant and the defending champion Lakers.
Both teams started out slow and played some extremely sloppy basketball, combining for 22 turnovers in the first half. The Bulls trailed Los Angeles for most of the first half, at one point trailing by 12. A three-point jumper by Kyle Korver at the 4:50 mark in the second quarter spurred a Bulls comeback. After a defensive stop following Korver’s three, Luol Deng dropped a three of his own, cutting the Lakers’ lead to four. The Lakers then turned the ball over, resulting in an easy layup for Carlos Boozer, cutting the lead down to two. Sloppy play coupled with good defense by the Bulls drove Chicago to a 36-32 halftime lead.
The Bulls were able to hold Kobe Bryant to just six points in the first half while Derrick Rose dropped fourteen along with four of his nine assists. Bryant was asked after the Lakers’ pre-game shoot-around if Rose was capable of filling his (Kobe’s) shoes and if Bryant was passing the torch onto him; Kobe’s response was short and sweet, “Oh sure, [but] I’m not passing [expletive].” Reporters also asked Bryant if Rose had to then take the torch from him. He responded in the way of a true competitor, “He can certainly try.”
In the second half, Rose took another step towards taking the torch from Bryant, taking over the game late, scoring 15 second half points, adding five more assists. With the Lakers trying to make a run in the fourth quarter, the Bulls were running out of time on the shot clock when the Lakers knocked the ball out of bounds. The Bulls were left with 3 seconds to shoot, inbounding the ball on the base line. The inbounds pass went to Rose who, channeling his inner Kobe, proceeded to take an off-balance shot falling away from the basket with time expiring on the shot clock, hitting nothing but net. Needless to say, the crowd at the U.C. went crazy.
Although the Lakers came close at the end, Rose and the rest of the Bulls proved to be too much. Rose continued to be the closer he has been all season, scoring five points in the last 92 seconds of the game. More importantly, Rose out-played one of the best closers in the game in Kobe Bryant. Although Kobe finished the game with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, Rose was the one with better numbers posting 29 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists. It looks like Rose is going to try to take that torch from Kobe.
Although most of the focus of last night’s game was on Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant, the rest of the Bulls stepped up to help beat the Lakers. Carlos Boozer had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Joakim Noah had also had 9 points with 9 rebounds. Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer also contributed 23 points off the bench.
The Bulls will go for their fifth consecutive win tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the United Center. The Bulls are 8-2 in front of their home crowd, while Minnesota is just 1-11 on the road. Tip-off is at 7:00 pm central time and can be found on WGN and WGN America.
Coming Up Roses
By Jordan Kabialis
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
The Chicago Bulls came back again Wednesday night in Cleveland to beat the Cavaliers. Derrick Rose took over in the last two minutes of the game to propel the Bulls to another come from behind victory. However, let it be known that Cleveland’s inability to shoot the basketball greatly helped the Bulls down the stretch.
Rose scored 29 points along with 8 assists in the Bulls victory over Cleveland on Wednesday night. Kyle Korver also added 12 points off the bench, all coming in the fourth quarter. Korver’s 12 fourth quarter points helped erase the Bulls eight-point deficit to two by the two-minute mark.
Rose drained two free throws at the 2:13 mark to cut the Cavs’ lead to 78-80. Cleveland quickly turned the ball over leading to a fast break ending with Ronnie Brewer putting back a missed layup attempt by Rose, tying the game at 80. After an Anderson Varejao layup to tie the game at 82, Joakim Noah was called for a loose ball foul going for the rebound on a tough missed jumper by Rose. Varejao made one of two at the line to give the Cavs an 83-82 lead.
With 26 seconds remaining in the game, the Bulls used their last full time-out. The ball was promptly inbounded to Rose, who drove to the basket making a tough layup while drawing what appeared to be three different fouls from the Cleveland defense. Rose drained the extra shot to give Chicago an 85-83 lead, leaving Cleveland with 19 seconds. Cleveland quickly put up yet another horrible shot, which was rebounded by Noah, essentially sealing the Bulls’ eventual 88-83 victory.
After another comeback win, much like those on their circus trip out west, people must be asking themselves, are the Baby Bulls all grown up? The answer to that question is: not yet. Although they may not be all grown up, they certainly not the “Baby Bulls” they have been the last couple of years. The correct term would be “Teenage Bulls”, not quite babies, but not all grown up.
The Bulls still have growing to do, but Bulls fans have a lot to look forward to. The Bulls entered their dreaded circus trip without their big free agent signing Carlos Boozer. People questioned if the Bulls had what it took to have success on a trip that has been historically bad for the team. Although the Bulls went 4-3 on the trip, they played well enough to go 6-1, if not 7-0, on the trip.
The Bulls opened their circus trip beating two of the three teams of the three teams in the Texas triangle. The Bulls opened with a big win at Houston, beating the Rockets 95-92, overcoming an 8-point deficit in the fourth quarter. The next night, the Bulls watched a 10-point halftime lead slip away in a tough loss to a very good San Antonio Spurs team. The Bulls then redeemed themselves in an 88-83 win over the very talented Dallas Mavericks.
After a tough loss to the defending champion Lakers, a game in which they played well enough to win, the Bulls pulled off a miracle in Phoenix. The Bulls trailed by 23 points in the second quarter but Derrick Rose led the Bulls back to force overtime with the Suns. Rose contributed 35 points as the Bulls beat the Suns 123-115 in overtime. The Bulls finished their circus trip with a tough loss to Denver, where they were beat on a buzzer-beater by Carmelo Anthony, and a win over the Kings out in Sacramento.
The Bulls have now won three games in a row, including wins against Houston and Oklahoma City. They now face a date with the Lakers on Friday at the United Center in Chicago. Beating the Lakers will not be easy but the Bulls have shown incredible resiliency so far this season. This is a team that refuses to quit and has a balance of youth and experience on its roster. Although they are still learning to play together, the new core of Rose, Noah and Boozer, along with Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and Kyle Korver are showing just how dangerous they can be. Although they are not fully grown up yet, look for these “teenage” Bulls to go back to being The Bulls in the next year or two.
Miss Me?
By Jordan Kabialis
(Picture from espn.com)
LeBron James made his much anticipated return to Cleveland Thursday night, bringing his friends, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Betrayed Cleveland fans have had this date circled on their calendars since LeBron made his “Decision” on national television. Those same fans were reminded of just how much they miss having LeBron and just how un-realistic Cavs owner Dan Gilbert’s promise of winning a NBA championship before the Heat really is.
Quicken Loans Arena was filled with energy Thursday, most of it negative and against LeBron James. Fans in the stands displayed signs saying things like, “Traitors don’t leave legacies”, “Quitness”, “Remember game five”, and “Queen James”. Some also sported t-shirts with pictures of LeBron with a lion’s mane with the words “Lyin’ King” followed by a quote from LeBron himself saying, “I got a goal, and that’s to bring an NBA championship to Cleveland, and I won’t stop until I get it”. Unfortunately, TNT, who broadcasted the game, had trouble showing the crowd in Cleveland due to the profanity written on most of the signs.
There was never a question of how the fans in Cleveland would receive LeBron; the question was how James would respond. LeBron had to put up with all of the hatred the Cleveland fans threw at him. It started with your traditional booing. It then escalated to chants referring to LeBron as a sphincter (of course this is not the word fans chose to use).
Upon his first trip to the free-throw line fans chose to chant, “Akron hates you” as opposed to the “M-V-P” chant he received his seven years with the Cavs. He promptly knocked down both free throws, all while sporting a huge smile. My personal favorite was the “Scottie Pippen” chant aimed in his direction, referring to LeBron as Dwayne Wade’s sidekick.
LeBron didn’t let any of these things affect him at all. He even stuck with his famous pre-game ritual with the chalk at the scorer’s table. James led all scorers with 38 points, without even playing the 4th quarter. By the time the red lights went off, signaling the end of the 3rd quarter, the LeBron and the Heat had built up a 95-65 lead. There was no need for LeBron to play so Spoelstra sat him for the final 12 minutes.
LeBron was un-conscious in the 3rd quarter, going 10-12 from the field with 24 points. In addition to his 38-points in 30 minutes of playing time, James added 5 rebounds and 8 assists. The other two-thirds of the Heat’s Big Three chipped in 37 points, 22 going to Wade and 15 out of Bosh.
When all was said and done, the Heat walked out of Quicken Loans Arena with a 118-90 victory. LeBron took over the game and shut out the fans’ hatred towards him. In fact, LeBron seemed to feed off of the negative energy, playing the entire game with a huge smile on his face. James was successful in his return to Cleveland and reminded the fans there just what he meant for their team. The Cavs will have three more shot’s at the Heat, the next being December 15th in Miami. If the Heat play half as good as they did Thursday in Cleveland, Cavs fans will still have to swallow another tough loss to their former hero.
Josh Roth’s NBA Power Rankings: 2nd Edition
By Josh Roth
| Rank |
NBA Teams |
Record | Comments |
| 1. (LW: 1) |
Los Angeles Lakers |
9-2 |
Even with the two losses within the week they still will remain number one, but only because the Hornets finally dropped one. The gap does seem to be closing however. |
| 2. (LW: 2) |
New Orleans Hornets |
8-1 |
Finally the Hornets lost and if they could have remained undefeated up till this point they would be number. As it is they are two and very close to the top spot. |
| 3. (LW: 3) |
San Antonio Spurs |
8-1 |
Still playing well, even though Duncan’s production wasn’t great last week. They also picked up a quality win versus Oklahoma City. |
| 4. (LW: 5) |
Boston Celtics |
8-2 |
Another win versus the Heat moves the Celtics up one and another team that is close to the top spot. Garnett looks better by the game and Rondo is still playing like an MVP candidate. |
| 5. (LW: 8 ) |
Dallas Mavericks |
7-2 |
The Mavs have won four straight games and just beat the undefeated New Orleans Hornets. A well-balanced team that has a chance to be a real threat to the Lakers. |
| 6. (LW: 11) |
Utah Jazz |
7-4 |
Has had some very impressive wins lately versus the Magic, Hawks and a week ago against the Heat. Deron Williams should also be an early season candidate for MVP. |
| 7. (LW: 4) |
Orlando Magic |
7-3 |
Haven’t had an impressive win this year, unless you count the Atlanta Hawks. They also lost to the Toronto Raptors. They have a chance within in the next week or so to prove that they are still an elite team with the Suns, Spurs and Heat coming up. |
| 8. (LW: 10) |
Chicago Bulls |
6-3 |
Have been hot as of late winning four straight, which is the second best streak in the NBA. And Rose is still on fire. A tough circus road trip could have the Bulls dropping a bit in the rankings, but if they have a good trip they could be moving into the top five. |
| 9. (LW: 6) |
Miami Heat |
6-4 |
Have gone 1-2 in the last week with another loss to the Boston Celtics. This team should move up next week, but with some teams heating up the dropped with a very average, maybe below average week. Expect them to move up with an easier schedule this week. |
| 10. (LW: 18) |
Phoenix Suns |
6-4 |
Have won three straight including impressive wins versus the Lakers and Nuggets. If they can pull of a win against the Heat then it looks like they could make a solid jump in the rankings next week. |
| 11. (LW: 12) |
Oklahoma City Thunder |
6-4 |
A pretty solid week for the Thunder going 3-1 during that time. Had some big wins against the Jazz and Blazers and the only loss was against the Spurs and there is no shame in that the way that they are playing. I expect them to stay around the top ten for the weeks to come. |
| 12. (LW: 9) |
Atlanta Hawks |
8-4 |
Have not played since they have had to face actual completion including going 2-4 in the last six games. We will see how good they are this week with Dallas and Boston coming up. If they can’t pick up a win versus either of those teams they will continue to move down. |
| 13. (LW: 7) |
Portland Trailblazers |
7-5 |
Injuries still hurting this team and some rough losses against the Thunder and Hornets have this team moving down. A tough three games coming up, could have the Blazers continuing their slide in the rankings. |
| 14. (LW: 14) |
Denver Nuggets |
6-5 |
Did have a very impressive win versus the Lakers and could continue to rise especially if they can get passed the Blazers Thursday night. Oh and Melo is playing some pretty impressive basketball at the moment. |
| 15. (LW: 13) |
Golden State Warriors |
7-4 |
Warriors were 2-2 last week with very unsexy wins versus the Knicks and the Pistons. They could continue to move down the rankings with some tough games on the horizon. |
| 16. (LW: 20) |
Milwaukee Bucks |
5-6 |
A nice little stretch of games including defeating the Hawks and Warriors. The only loss last week was to the Lakers and there is no shame in that. The Bucks have a chance to move up next week, but they need to put up a decent performance against the Thunder. |
| 17. (LW: 16) |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
5-5 |
Not a very impressive week for the Cavs losing to the Pacers and the Nets and it doesn’t get any easier for them with the Hornets and Spurs coming up next, expect them to keep moving down, although you never know. |
| 18. (LW: 17) |
Indiana Pacers |
4-5 |
Pacers go 1-2 with some tough losses to the Rockets and Hawks. A tough schedule is ahead for the Pacers for the next couple of weeks that include the Magic, Heat, Thunder, and Lakers. Things could turn sour for the Pacers. |
| 19. (LW: 15) |
Memphis Grizzlies |
4-8 |
It’s hard to move this team down any further with the schedule that they have had to start off this season. However, things could get better within the next couple of weeks with the competition getting a bit easier, although no team is an easy win, not even the Clippers. |
| 20. (LW: 27) |
Charlotte Bobcats |
4-7 | The Bobcats have played a lot better lately and have won three out of their last four. Albeit the wins included the Raptors, Wizards, and Timberwolves, but they did play well versus the Jazz. |
| 21. (LW: 22) |
Houston Rockets |
3-7 |
Well there was some improvement although they took a tough loss to the Wizards. Houston needs to beat the Thunder or Suns in the coming week to have any chance of moving up in the rankings. |
| 22. (LW: 25) |
New Jersey Nets |
4-6 |
A pretty solid week for the Nets who went 2-1. Not great competition, but for a team that didn’t see too many wins last year, any win looks good even if it is against the Clippers and Cavaliers. Jazz, Nuggets, and Hawks are coming up and could be a chance for the Nets to prove themselves. |
| 23. (LW: 23) |
Detroit Pistons |
4-7 |
The Pistons had a decent week also going 2-1. It was against the struggling Clippers and Kings, but with this team looking messy and poor, you take any wins. Lakers and Mavericks coming up for the Pistons, in all likelihood they will start to fall in the rankings, but a win versus one of those teams could propel them a fair amount in the rankings. |
| 24. (LW: 26) |
Washington Wizards |
3-6 |
A couple wins this week and a solid one versus Houston, but the team hasn’t really improved much since the last rankings so they won’t move much. Wall needs to cut his turnovers and they will need the post to play better if they expect to rise in the rankings. |
| 25. (LW: 21) |
Sacramento Kings |
3-6 |
After getting off to a good start this season the Kings have been pretty awful losing five straight. And in all likelihood things won’t get much better for them. |
| 26. (LW: 19 |
New York Knicks |
3-8 |
The Knicks have been bad, real bad. Dropping six in a row including one to the Timberwolves, ouch babe ouch. |
| 27. (LW: 30) |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
3-9 |
They have been playing solid basketball as of late, not great, but have been playing a lot of close good games. Kevin Love has also stepped up his game with an incredible 31pts 31reb performance vs the Knicks. |
| 28. (LW: 29) |
Toronto Raptors |
2-9 |
Well they have lost two straight and one to Washington. However, they did beat the Magic so they will move up one, it could be worse (see the Clippers). |
| 29. (LW: 24) |
Philadelphia 76ers |
2-9 |
Have lost four straight and things aren’t looking great, they are lucky that the Clippers have been worse, but I have some faith in Doug Collins. |
| 30. (LW: 28) |
Los Angeles Clippers |
1-10 |
Still your same old father’s Clippers. Not looking good right now for the Clippers, granted they are a bit injury-riddled right now. |
NBA Power Rankings
By Josh Bolander
5. Utah
How can you not look at Utah as a serious contender in the West, especially after reeling off five consecutive wins in comeback fashion (3 straight over Miami, Orlando, and Atlanta) and winning seven of their last eight games to improve their overall record to 7-3. Utah has all the ingredients for a big time playoff run; size, coaching, and a fearless point guard with a knack for making big time shots.
4. San Antonio
You can’t dismiss the Spurs for matters of age and health just yet. Although San Antonio may not be the dynasty team they were earlier this decade, they still have maintained a group of core players that know how to win. Look for contributions out of younger players like James Anderson, DeJuan Blair, and George Hill as well as brought in veterans like Richard Jefferson to shape the team as the grind of an 82 game season kicks in for Duncan and company.
3. New Orleans
Being the lone unbeaten team in the NBA doesn’t necessarily mean grabbing the number one spot in this week’s power rankings, but you have to love the resurgence in Louisiana this year. The Hornets have ridden the leagues number two ranked defense to wins over 6 playoff squads from last year already. Look for games this week against Dallas and a date with Utah next Wednesday to determine whether New Orleans can keep it going.
2. Boston
The C’s look gritty early on and seem to be the team most enamored with playing the underdog card this season, despite back to back Eastern Conference titles and being only two years removed of a title. Although they have suffered two losses, they have come on nights of “back to backs” and it’s no secret that Boston’s age and subsequent minute’s distribution limits Doc Rivers options. Therefore, I’m keeping the Celtics right where they were a week ago.
1. Los Angeles
Yes, the Lakers have dropped a pair of games since last week’s rankings but it’s hard for me to dismiss the rings. Let’s let some things transpire before we knock the champs out of the number one spot.
Josh Roth’s NBA Power Rankings: 1st Edition
By Josh Roth
| Rank |
NBA Teams |
Record | Comments |
| 1 |
Los Angeles Lakers |
8-0 | Undefeated and the reigning champs, until they lose a couple and it will probably take more than that, they will not be moving down. Expect them to hold on this spot for awhile. |
| 2 |
New Orleans Hornets |
7-0 | Biggest surprise of the year so far. Undefeated and led by, in my opinion, the MVP thus far in the beginning of the season Chris Paul. Oh they also took out the South Beach darlings the Miami Heat, no biggie. |
| 3 |
San Antonio Spurs |
5-1 | They seem to be getting overlooked this year in terms of the Championship picture. Many say they are over the hill and their championship days are far over, but don’t rule them out quite yet. Tim Duncan has been off to a great start and still looks like one of the top power forwards in the game. In addition Tony Parker and Richard Jefferson are off to very good starts and Jefferson will be the biggest key to the team if he keeps it up, look out. |
| 4 |
Orlando Magic |
5-1 | Took one tough loss to Miami, but that was the second game of a back to back. Dwight Howard looks better than ever and the Magic should be one of the top two or three teams in the East and possibly the NBA. |
| 5 |
Boston Celtics |
6-2 | They look as good as they did last year and possibly the years prior. Kevin Garnett finally looks healthy and more effective. Once Perkins comes back they will be a dominant force. Also Rondo should be in the MVP talks, although he probably won’t. Rondo is off to a fantastic start and so are the Celtics, expect them to be around or in the top three or five all year. |
| 6 |
Miami Heat |
5-3 | Just suffered their third loss tonight to the Jazz and their quest for a 72 win season seems to be in some danger. They have had some real tough competition and close quality losses in the New Orleans Hornets, Boston Celtics, and now the Utah Jazz. Expect them to be moving up soon and they still should be the team to beat in the East. |
| 7 |
Portland Trailblazers |
6-3 | Off to a solid start and are my team to lookout for to possibly contend for the NBA Championship. But in order to do that they will need to get healthy. If they can get Oden and or Pryzbilla back for the second half of the year and find another small forward to provide depth, I think this team could be extremely dangerous come playoff time. Also look out for Batum, he could be a surprise or breakout player this year. |
| 8 |
Dallas Mavericks |
4-2 | Yet another team in the Western Conference that could be a serious contender for the championship. This team is built well and they have some very good depth. I would not be shocked in the least bit to see this team move up and get into the top five. The key will likely come from the trio of Caron Butler, Jason Terry, and Shawn Marion’s play. |
| 9 |
Atlanta Hawks |
6-2 | Only a couple tough losses, but they haven’t taken on great competition yet, minus the Magic last night. However, they are still a pretty good team and should be in the top half of the power rankings all year and will get a solid seeding in the playoffs, but I don’t think they will make a deep run in the playoffs if they make it. |
| 10 |
Chicago Bulls |
3-3 | They are off to a solid start this year, although it could be better. However, one has to give them some props for the way they have played without Boozer and have had some quality wins and losses this year. Derrick Rose also looks like a top five MVP candidate. Could be a legitimate contender, but I still feel they are good to great shooting guard or small forward to being one of the beasts of the East. |
| 11 |
Utah Jazz |
4-3 | Got off to a sluggish start, but have picked it up as of late and just knocked off the Miami Heat. Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson are doing a fine job filling in for the hole Boozer left and Deron Williams continues to show he is one of the league’s best point guards, but can they really be a threat in the Western Conference? At this point I would still say no, but another couple good weeks and then I may change my stance. |
| 12 |
Oklahoma City Thunder |
3-3 | Maybe not the start people were hoping or expecting for the Thunder, but its early and I fully expect them to not only move up in the rankings, but also the Western Conference. Still may need a better defensive minded post player with some height to compliment Jeff Green and they also could use some more depth, but they will be a legit contender all year. |
| 13 |
Golden State Warriors |
5-2 | Off to a very good start with a few quality wins. However if they expect to make the playoffs this year they will likely need more depth and with the focus likely on the small forward position, but they have a solid foundation with a pretty good acquisition of David Lee in the offseason to improve rebounding and size in post, plus he gets to play power forward which suits him best. They arguably could be higher, but I want to see more from this team before I raise them an higher. |
| 14 |
Denver Nuggets |
4-4 | Denver got off to a good start this year, but dropped their last two games to the Bulls and an embarrassing beating by the hands of the Pacers Tuesday (to say there was no defense by the Nuggets in that game would be an understatement). And with Carmelo’s future with Denver in doubt, the Nuggets will likely struggle to there is a solution and even then I don’t expect them to be a championship contender, unless Melo changes his mind about wanting out. |
| 15 |
Memphis Grizzlies |
4-4 | A nice group of young talented players led by Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo and a solid post game in Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. However, I don’t see them being more than a seven or eight seed, but they will give teams fits and are worth keeping an eye on. |
| 16 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
4-3 | Have to give them some love for the start of this year. They are playing some tough defense and playing solid team basketball and are so far showing that they can be a playoff contender even without LeBron. Unfortunately I don’t see them keeping it up for the rest of the year, but I hope I am wrong. |
| 17 |
Indiana Pacers |
3-3 | This is quite an interesting team. They made a great trade in the offseason to acquire Darren Collison and have some quality pieces in Roy Hibbert, Tyler Hansbrough and one of the better players in the NBA Danny Granger. They still need another post player and probably a shooting guard. Even without it they could make a push for the playoffs, but they need to be more consistent. Although that nearly perfect third quarter |
| 18 |
Phoenix Suns |
3-4 | Life is going to be tough without Amare and it is already showing for the Phoenix Suns. Steve Nash still looks good, but Phoenix is going to need a true power forward that can run up and down with the Suns and until that happens I don’t think the Suns will repeat what they did last year. Also Hedo Turkoglu is going to have to improve drastically from a year ago. Playoffs is still a very reachable goal at this point, but something tells me that just to make the playoffs would be a letdown for this organization and their fans. |
| 19 |
New York Knicks |
3-4 | Speaking of Amare Stoudemire, he was a great pick up for this team, but he needs to improve his rebounding and defense to really propel this Knicks team who has so much potential. Raymond Felton was also a solid pick up along with Azubuike. Douglas has provided a nice spark and Wilson Chandler is off to a good start. However, the key will be Gallinari and how or if he improves from a year ago, as his shooting goes so might the Knicks. They will need to do a better job rebounding, but I see them moving up in the rankings and capture a playoff spot this year. |
| 20 |
Milwaukee Bucks |
3-5 | Off to bit of a rough start with some tough games. If they expect to make the playoffs and possibly make a second round appearance John Salmons and Brandon Jennings are going to have to step up their games big time and Bogut will have to stay healthy. Skiles is a great coach so I expect him to turn this start around. |
| 21 |
Sacramento Kings |
3-3 | Off to a good start, but they haven’t really had a quality win yet and are beating bottom feeders at this point. The post will be interesting for the Kings with Dalembert, Landry, Thompson, and the rookie Cousins. If they have good production this year then they could be a fairly competitive team, especially with a rising superstar like Tyreke Evans. However, the playoffs will likely be out of reach for this team, but you never know maybe Evans can help make a push for the postseason. |
| 22 |
Houston Rockets |
1-5 | A very tough schedule to start off the season and they are still trying to work back Yao into this team. It may take a week or two more, but I expect this team to bounce back strong and make a push for the playoffs. |
| 23 |
Detroit Pistons |
2-6 | Have won two out of their last three, but this team has too many problems, a lot of selfish play and lack of great chemistry to get much higher than their current ranking. |
| 24 |
Philadelphia 76ers |
2-5 | I think the future is bright for the 76ers and I think they have a good coach to help get this team back to being a contender for the playoffs, but they may be a year away from getting to the playoffs, watch out for this team and their young talent, especially Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday. Also expect Andre Iguodala to be dealt by next offseason, could see a nice little package in return. |
| 25 |
New Jersey Nets |
2-5 | Got off to a good start, but have gone into a bit of a funk as of late. I still like this team and think Avery will get this headed in the right direction. Be on the lookout for Derrick Favors, he should see more playing time as the year goes on and I think him and Lopez could make for one of the best post duos in the not too distant future. |
| 26 |
Washington Wizards |
1-4 | John Wall has been a terrific addition and the Wizards should be a contender for the eight spot in the East by the end of the year, but that is probably the best case scenario this year. However, when Wall gets some more help, the Wizards could be a very scary team. Still a player or two away from being a serious threat. |
| 27 |
Charlotte Bobcats |
1-6 | Losing Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton and not improving the team much is likely contributing to the Bobcats struggles. They do have Larry Brown and could become playoff contenders by the end of the year, but they have some work to do. |
| 28 |
Los Angeles Clippers |
1-7 | Every year it seems that they are experts and analyst picks to be the sleeper team and I made that mistake last year. They are still your fathers Clippers, but Blake Griffin looks fantastic and is very fun to watch. If they can play better defense and play a little more unselfish basketball, I think they could be a semi-decent team this year. |
| 29 |
Toronto Raptors |
1-6 | Losing Bosh has hurt them quite a bit, but even with him they weren’t that good. Expect them to be at the bottom all year and should start making plans for lottery night and looking for Bosh’s replacement. Just not enough depth, a below average starting, and they have a lack of a go to guy. |
| 30 |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
1-7 | There are a couple of decent young players in Kevin Love, Wesley Johnson, and Jonny Flynn, who is due to make his season debut soon. However, I don’t expect this team to be very competitive this year and it may take a couple more years after that. Hey, but they did put up a pretty good fight versus the Lakers Tuesday…baby steps! |
Josh Bolander’s NBA Power Rankings
By Josh Bolander
5. Orlando
Coming in at number 5 is perennial East Conference front runner Orlando. Despite an early season blow out loss to new look Miami, the Magic have overcome early season dings to regulars Vince Carter and Jameer Nelson to start 4-1. With Dwight Howard once again in All Pro form, it appears Orlando is once again ready to go on a regular season tear. Look for games this week against contenders Utah and Atlanta to tell the tale of where the Magic are at.
4. Miami
After picking up their second loss of the season at a tough New Orleans squad, Miami slipped down two spots in my latest rankings. Don’t let the defeat deflect away any attention from what the Heat have been doing both offensively and defensively under their new regime. If the big three continues to gel, opponents may need to hit the local church service before coming to the arena to battle Miami.
3. New Orleans
Who would have guessed after the offseason hoopla in the big easy that Chris Paul would be guiding the Hornets to an impressive 6-0 start. With bigs David West and EmekaOkafor looking rejuvenated with Paul’s everyday presence in the line up, look out for New Orleans in the West, especially with a defense giving up just under 92 points a game, good enough for third in the league.
2. Boston
I guess since we are only 2 weeks into the young season, its only fair that last years Eastern and Westen conference champs would take the top two spots in this November Power Rankings. After a puzzling loss to Cleveland, yes I did say Cleveland, the C’s look back on track after a statement win over the Bulls last Friday night. At 6-1, and with wins over New York, Miami, Oklahoma City, and Chicago, Boston looks poised for at least one more run at a title.
1.Los Angeles Lakers
7-0. Kobe. Phil. Enough said.
