Comments about ESPN's NBA Power Rankings...
- noel
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Comments about ESPN's NBA Power Rankings...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerrank ... 05&week=-1
I don't understand why the Pistons are ranked so high in ESPN’s power rankings (they’re currently #1). Obviously they won the NBA championship last year, and they deserve all the credit for that. They destroyed the Lakers in the Finals, but I don’t think you can say ‘Detroit Pistons’ and dynasty in the same breath. Obviously they’re a very good team. Obviously they have excellent players and an excellent coach, but… They didn’t exactly dominate their way to the Finals last year. They got there, and they beat a Laker team that didn’t appear to show up. My personal power ranking for this year looks like this:
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Detroit Pistons
4. Miami Heat
I’m not trying to take anything away from what the Piston’s accomplished last year, but to have them ranked #1 based on last year seems foolish to me. Thoughts?
I don't understand why the Pistons are ranked so high in ESPN’s power rankings (they’re currently #1). Obviously they won the NBA championship last year, and they deserve all the credit for that. They destroyed the Lakers in the Finals, but I don’t think you can say ‘Detroit Pistons’ and dynasty in the same breath. Obviously they’re a very good team. Obviously they have excellent players and an excellent coach, but… They didn’t exactly dominate their way to the Finals last year. They got there, and they beat a Laker team that didn’t appear to show up. My personal power ranking for this year looks like this:
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Detroit Pistons
4. Miami Heat
I’m not trying to take anything away from what the Piston’s accomplished last year, but to have them ranked #1 based on last year seems foolish to me. Thoughts?
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- Sylvus
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For the most part we have the same team. We lost Mehmet Okur and Mike James (bitch!), and picked up Antonio McDyess and Derrick Coleman, as well as some kid from like Argentina that is supposed to be a stud. Delfino or something.
Detroit is going to repeat.
Detroit is going to repeat.
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Go Blue!
Go Blue!
- XunilTlatoani
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You're #1 until proven otherwise, and there's nothing that would make you think that Detroit could not repeat their accomplishments from last year.
I'm just surprised that the Bulls are ranked so high =P
I'm just surprised that the Bulls are ranked so high =P
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I agree, I think that the defending champion, short of a gutted team, deserves the respect of the number one ranking.
For me:
1. Detroit Pistons
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Indiana Pacers
5. Utah Jazz
6. Miami Heat
7. Denver Nuggets
8. Dallas Mavericks
9. Phoenix Suns
10. Houston Rockets
The Spurs are the most solid team. The T'Wolves could be much improved or much worse. Indiana is too talented to drop off much. The Utah Jazz will win around 50 games and never give one away. Denver will take some time to gel, but be one of the scary teams in the league come playoff time. Same with Dallas and Phoenix. Houston's there because I only like 9 teams in the NBA.
Regarding Miami: Shaq will certainly help, but I don't think he necessarily makes them a championship contender. Consider: Shaq generally sits at least 10 minutes a game. During those ten minutes, the best lineup that Miami can possibly offer is Dwayne Wade, Eddie Jones, Udonis Haslem, Rasual Butler and Michael Doleac. That is not a good lineup. In fact, it is an awful lineup. Even if Shaq averages 28 and 12, can he bring that group to a championship level? I don't think so.
The Kings and the Lakers are done. Either could make the playoffs, even with a high seed, but there's no way that either wins a championship. Of course, that's common opinion.
In my estimation, only the top seven teams I listed have a shot at the championship.
For me:
1. Detroit Pistons
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Indiana Pacers
5. Utah Jazz
6. Miami Heat
7. Denver Nuggets
8. Dallas Mavericks
9. Phoenix Suns
10. Houston Rockets
The Spurs are the most solid team. The T'Wolves could be much improved or much worse. Indiana is too talented to drop off much. The Utah Jazz will win around 50 games and never give one away. Denver will take some time to gel, but be one of the scary teams in the league come playoff time. Same with Dallas and Phoenix. Houston's there because I only like 9 teams in the NBA.
Regarding Miami: Shaq will certainly help, but I don't think he necessarily makes them a championship contender. Consider: Shaq generally sits at least 10 minutes a game. During those ten minutes, the best lineup that Miami can possibly offer is Dwayne Wade, Eddie Jones, Udonis Haslem, Rasual Butler and Michael Doleac. That is not a good lineup. In fact, it is an awful lineup. Even if Shaq averages 28 and 12, can he bring that group to a championship level? I don't think so.
The Kings and the Lakers are done. Either could make the playoffs, even with a high seed, but there's no way that either wins a championship. Of course, that's common opinion.
In my estimation, only the top seven teams I listed have a shot at the championship.
Latest Power rankings:
1 (3) Spurs 8-2 Would have been an easy call had Spurs finished off Toronto properly. They're winning, yeah, but you can be sure Pop doesn't want to reward them after Sunday's fourth-quarter disaster.
2 (9) Suns 8-2 Watch a Suns game this week. Trust us. We could all use a smile and these guys, without doubt, are the league's primo entertainers at present.
3 (5) Heat 8-3 While folks continue to question their depth, Heat are soothing themselves by pounding East foes (7-0). And Pacers' woes mean that the path to the conference finals just got even easier.
4 (2) Jazz 7-3 Of greater concern than the losses in Fla. (big to Orlando, unlucky in Miami) is the defensive slippage. Giving up 100-plus points in three of last week's four games was not so Jazzy.
5 (6) Timberwolves 5-3 Wolves have been a bit quiet, but that should change this week. They've got five games between now and Sunday -- at Mavs, Pacers and Kings, home to Supes and Grizz.
6 (8 ) Kings 6-4 It sounds as though Peja's Sacto home is no longer for sale . . . and it looks as though Arco is still a place teams would rather not visit. No matter how un-deep the new Kings are.
7 (10) SuperSonics 9-2 Sayeth Ray: 'I'm not playing like this because it's the last year of my contract.' Sayeth us: The contract issue can't hurt and should help Allen keep this up, even if other Sonics can't.
8 (1) Mavericks 8-3 Bad week for Dallas, and not because of the losses to Phoenix (home) and Denver (away). It's because of the losses: Dampier, Terry and now Nowitzki.
9 (7) Pistons 5-4 You could argue that Pistons deserve a bigger drop for their role (and their fans' role) in The Malice of Auburn Hills. You can bet that the commitee will take action if the league doesn't.
10 (4) Pacers 7-3 You can make the case that Pacers, in their depleted state, should be dropped into the 20s. I just didn't have the heart to do that to suffering Pacer People. Yet.
This is the latest one I could find although it has the Suns at #2 with an 8-2 record. I'm assuming they haven't dropped any with a current 10-2 record.
Is Karae still saying the Suns suck and are no better than the Clippers? I'll have to dig up that quote later on this season. I'm guessing the Suns will go into Utah on Tuesday 11-2 after playing the Hornets Friday. Utah vs Suns will be a good game.
1 (3) Spurs 8-2 Would have been an easy call had Spurs finished off Toronto properly. They're winning, yeah, but you can be sure Pop doesn't want to reward them after Sunday's fourth-quarter disaster.
2 (9) Suns 8-2 Watch a Suns game this week. Trust us. We could all use a smile and these guys, without doubt, are the league's primo entertainers at present.
3 (5) Heat 8-3 While folks continue to question their depth, Heat are soothing themselves by pounding East foes (7-0). And Pacers' woes mean that the path to the conference finals just got even easier.
4 (2) Jazz 7-3 Of greater concern than the losses in Fla. (big to Orlando, unlucky in Miami) is the defensive slippage. Giving up 100-plus points in three of last week's four games was not so Jazzy.
5 (6) Timberwolves 5-3 Wolves have been a bit quiet, but that should change this week. They've got five games between now and Sunday -- at Mavs, Pacers and Kings, home to Supes and Grizz.
6 (8 ) Kings 6-4 It sounds as though Peja's Sacto home is no longer for sale . . . and it looks as though Arco is still a place teams would rather not visit. No matter how un-deep the new Kings are.
7 (10) SuperSonics 9-2 Sayeth Ray: 'I'm not playing like this because it's the last year of my contract.' Sayeth us: The contract issue can't hurt and should help Allen keep this up, even if other Sonics can't.
8 (1) Mavericks 8-3 Bad week for Dallas, and not because of the losses to Phoenix (home) and Denver (away). It's because of the losses: Dampier, Terry and now Nowitzki.
9 (7) Pistons 5-4 You could argue that Pistons deserve a bigger drop for their role (and their fans' role) in The Malice of Auburn Hills. You can bet that the commitee will take action if the league doesn't.
10 (4) Pacers 7-3 You can make the case that Pacers, in their depleted state, should be dropped into the 20s. I just didn't have the heart to do that to suffering Pacer People. Yet.
This is the latest one I could find although it has the Suns at #2 with an 8-2 record. I'm assuming they haven't dropped any with a current 10-2 record.
Is Karae still saying the Suns suck and are no better than the Clippers? I'll have to dig up that quote later on this season. I'm guessing the Suns will go into Utah on Tuesday 11-2 after playing the Hornets Friday. Utah vs Suns will be a good game.
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