We’re about a
fifth of the way through the NBA season so it’s about that time for the first
power rankings of the year. Some teams have been a pleasant surprise, while
others have been severe disappointments. But it’s no surprise to see the 76ers
at the bottom of the standings.
30) Philadelphia
76ers (0-17)
Having the worst
offense and the fourth worst defense results in not winning a game. Meet the
Oakland Raiders of the NBA everybody.
29) Detroit
Pistons (3-15)
I don’t think
they should be this bad, but none of their individual talents can play team
basketball, which is what hurts them in close games down the stretch.
28) Minnesota
Timberwolves (4-12)
With Ricky Rubio
and Kevin Martin out with injuries, the T-Wolves are in trouble. They have no
one to pass to and no one who can create shots for themselves.
27) Boston
Celtics (4-11)
The Celtics have
a lot of young and talented players on their roster but they haven’t been able
to get a consistent flow to their game yet. They don’t have the defense to keep
up with other high-scoring offenses around the league.
26) New York
Knicks (4-15)
Lots of skill
and talent, but the worst chemistry in the NBA. Until they get rid of J.R.
Smith and Amare Stoudamire they won’t get any better.
25) Charlotte
Hornets (4-14)
The Hornets are
the most underachieving team so far. Between Kemba Walker, Al Jefferson and
Lance Stephenson they have a wide variation of potential lineups. But they’ve
lost 9 in a row and are in the midst of trying new schemes. They’re still searching
for an identity, but they listed every player on the trade block except for Big
Al and Kemba, so it doesn’t seem as if they’re on the right track.
24) Los Angeles
Lakers (5-13)
Kobe has been
balling recently and since Nick Young has reentered the lineup as the sixth
man, they’ve been playing a lot better. They’ve won two straight games against
the Raptors and Pistons, so we’ll see if they can string some more wins
together and make a little more noise.
23) Utah Jazz
(5-13)
The Jazz have
plenty of potential for the future, but after a decent start have fallen off.
They’ve lost their last 6 and 9 of their last 11.
22) Oklahoma
City Thunder (5-13)
It seems unfair
to rank the Thunder this low, but now that Russ and KD are back in action,
don’t expect them to be this low for too long.
21) Orlando
Magic (7-13)
Some nights they
show up, but most of the time they don’t. Like the Jazz and Hornets they have some
potential for the future but they still need to find themselves as a team.
20) Indiana Pacers
(7-11)
Beginning the
year with only one of their starters from last year, the Pacers struggled. They
have a hot-or-not team this year, but now that David West is back, they have a
fighting chance.
19) Brooklyn
Nets (7-9)
These wily vets
are still chugging, and I think Prokorov actually believes that he can win a
title with them. They’ll win upwards of 35 games without a doubt, but a
championship for this squad is about 5 years away in their rearview mirror.
18) Sacramento
Kings (9-9)
Boogie Cousins
is doing all he can to keep his team in the hunt, but the team is already
beginning to fall off. They’ve lost 4 in a row and 7 of their last 11.
17) Denver
Nuggets (9-9)
Like the Kings
the Nuggets have been pretty up-and-down, and one guy is shouldering the load.
Ty Lawson is tearing defenses apart, but the team is struggling as a whole.
They have won 7 of their last 10 games though and appear to be back to their
normal winning ways.
16) Milwaukee
Bucks (10-9)
The Bucks will
be one of the top teams in the East in a few years time, but for now, they are
an up-and-down squad of young talents. Brandon Knight is playing extremely well
for this squad though, and keeping them in tight ballgames.
15) Miami Heat
(9-8)
The Heat are
still trying to find themselves after LeBron’s departure, and are heavily
relying on Chris Bosh to carry the team due to Dwayne Wade’s aging body. The
Heat are just another team in the East that has been hovering around .500 all
year.
14) New Orleans
Pelicans (8-8)
Anthony Davis is
the early leading candidate for MVP, yet his team is stalled at .500. They
haven’t won more than 2 games in a row this year, and they haven’t lost more
than 3 games in a row. If they can get some consistency to their offense they’ll
be fine moving forward. But this is a dangerous team on a nightly basis, no
matter who they’re up against.
13) Phoenix Suns
(11-8)
The Suns have no
problem scoring the ball, but they’re falling into a ‘live-and-die by the
three’ pattern, and their defense isn’t good enough to hold up.
12) Cleveland
Cavaliers (9-7)
The Cavs appear
to be on the right track, winning 4 straight for the second time this year. The
ball distribution is already improving, as is the defense. It’s also worth
noting that they were 8-7, which is the same record that the 2010 Heat had 15
games into the season.
11) Atlanta
Hawks (10-6)
The Hawks are on
pace for another successful year, but their best player Al Horford has
struggled all year, averaging a career-low 6.4 rebounds per game. His
performance is the only big question mark for the Hawks right now.
10) Washington
Wizards (11-5)
The Wiz are
having a good year to this point, but if they start putting the ball in the
basket more efficiently, they’ll go from good to great.
9) Chicago Bulls
(11-7)
The Bulls
obviously have a shaky foundation with Derrick Rose, and Joakim Noah has been
inconsistent. But they’re an impressive 9-3 on the road, and lead the Central
division in the East.
8) Houston
Rockets (13-4)
Yeah I know I’ll
catch some fire for this, but the Rockets aren’t as good as their record shows.
James Harden is a liability on both ends of the court, especially the defensive
end. They rely too much on his production now that Chandler Parsons isn’t
around, and it will hurt them in the long run, especially if he isn’t getting
the fouls called his way.
7) Los Angeles
Clippers (12-5)
These Clippers
are the same team we’ve been watching for the last couple years. There aren’t
any surprises with them, we know what we’re going to get. The only significant
improvement this year is DeAndre Jordan’s 74% field goal percentage.
6) Dallas
Mavericks (14-5)
The Mavs are a
pleasant surprise so far. Dirk finally has some relief behind him, and their
bench is deeper than it has been in the past. As of right now they do have the
best offense in the NBA, but their defense is shaky.
5) Toronto
Raptors (14-4)
Some are still
calling the Raptors an early fluke, but they’re stats say otherwise. People say
they’re benefitting from playing in the East, but they’re 5-2 against the West
with a win against Memphis, the best team in the league. The Raptors are back
folks!
4) San Antonio
Spurs (13-4)
The Spurs are
13-4, and the scary thing is that they’re “struggling” by Pop’s standards.
They’ve won 8 in a row but he says they still aren’t playing at the level that
they need to be at. Honestly though, what else could we expect of him?
3) Portland
Trail Blazers (14-4)
Portland is one
of the many red-hot teams in the West, but still don’t have a very effective
bench, which could prove to be their downfall against teams like the Warriors,
Grizzlies and Spurs. But they still have what most consider to be the best
starting lineup in the NBA, which is enough to earn them the third best record
in the game.
2) Golden State
Warriors (15-2)
The Warriors and
Grizzlies are locked up in the top spot in the West, and Steph Curry is second
to Anthony Davis in the early MVP race, with Draymond Green and Klay Thompson “quietly”
ripping defenses behind him. The Warriors are lethal, and barring any injuries,
stand a strong chance to come out of the West.
1) Memphis
Grizzlies (15-2)
The Grizzlies
are 11-0 in conference play, and lost to the Bucks and Raptors by a combined 5
points. They’ve only allowed triple digits 4 times thus far, and are holding
opponents to just 92 points a game, which is a stupid statistic. No one has been
able to figure them out yet, and they’ve earned the title as the best team in
the NBA.
