Post by Funky George! on Apr 10, 2008 18:32:15 GMT -5
BBS Power Rankings
1. Orlando Magic-Hard to argue with a .840 winning percentage. Shaq has been the driving force behind their 21-4 start. The offense leads the league in scoring, and the defense, led from the inside-out by Shaq’s nearly five blocks a night, is third in points allowed. Also among the leaders in blocks, steals, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage. They’ve faced weak competition and lost to the three best teams they’ve played, which is a major concern. It’s certainly possible that this ranking is just the result of a weak schedule, but for now, Shaq and co. are atop BBS.
2. New York Knicks- Certainly a disputable ranking, but the Knicks get the edge right now. One of the best scoring teams in the league just got even more dangerous with the addition of Rip Hamilton to its backcourt. Look for them to run, run, run and shoot all day with Marbury-Hamilton-Pierce aligning the perimeter. The Knicks are among the league’s best in points per game and steals, so if you have spotty perimeter defense or can’t run with them, they’ll beat up on you. They do have some questionable losses, but they have a stellar winning percentage and really seem to have clicked with Rip on board.
3. Miami Heat-Question it all you want, but the Heat have won 8 of 10 after their typical weak start. And they’ve wrecked some really great teams. The took the Knicks by 21, the Nets by 28, the Magic by 26…need I say more? Same stars, better depth, and Raef has filled in beautifully for Mutombo. They play their own kind of basketball, with two stars on the perimeter and a center with a jump shot, and it is a great formula for 50 wins. That winning percentage is about to skyrocket.
4. Seattle Supersonics-They became the best playoff team in the West by locking up their big man in Tim Duncan. It’s hard to rank them because they’ve yet to play as a healthy unit, but they have the fourth best inside-out combo in the league in TD and Q-Rich. They force a ton of steals and don’t turn it over, have two giants starting for them and just added a top backup in Joe Smith. They should run through the West.
5. Denver Nuggets-The Nuggets ran off 15 of their first 17 games, but are just 4-6 since. Still, they deserve a spot in the top five. Jason Williams has lowered his turnovers, Allen Iverson is a top player in BBS, and JO has really developed nicely. N’Diaye and Francis are very questionable starters, and their turnovers have gone up of late. Was the start fluky? This team will have a tough time winning a playoff series with the likes of Howard, Wallace, Duncan and McDyess matching up against JO and with a terrible lack of size on the perimeter. Still, they are shoot 48% on the year, and winning by almost eight point a night.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves-They defend, they score, and they beat the league’s best teams. By far the most dangerous team in the Midwest. Every starter is in double-figures, and Antonio McDyess is going to be up around 30 ppg in no time. They’ve beaten the Knicks and the Nets, so they could take it all if they can overcome the Sonics out West. A big key to their season would be getting more production out of Papaloukas, and it wouldn’t hurt for Antoine Walker to be more consistent. Outside of SG, they have great size, which makes up for mediocre defensive grades for their starters.
7. New Jersey Nets-No Baron? No problem. Kobe and Webber can handle the scoring load just fine, rivaling Shaq and T-Mac as the top scoring tandem in the league. Travis Best has been a savior for the Nets with his enormous assist-to-turnover disparity. They don’t defend well but they have enough offense to win every game the play, and a 14-9 start given the toughness of their schedule earns them a high ranking. It’s rare for a team to have two starts above 25 PPG and at 50% FG.
8. Atlanta Hawks-Don’t overlook this team. They play the league’s best defense, and it’s no accident. Marcus Camby has emerged as a great player on both sides of the ball, and they start two of the league’s best rebounders to go with probably the league’s best backcourt. David West is one of most consistent stars in the league, and is a great threat inside and outside. This team has a great combination of passers, athletes, scorers and rebounders. They’ll be extremely tough to take in a playoff series if Kidd keeps his turnovers down. They’ve given up 100 points just four times this season, and held the league’s best scoring team to 92.
9. Dallas Mavericks-They’re on a roll with Wallace at the 4 and Hill running the show. Biggest lineup in the league with a set of five elite defenders at their respective spots. They keep their turnovers low and their defense should really improve with Nash out of the lineup. They won’t be a contender until LeBron gets a consistent outside shot with some range on it and Chandler emerges as a great shotblocker, but they have a great shot to go far in the playoffs.
10. San Antonio Spurs-A team full of holes that manages to win with good size and good scorers. Melo is a very good scorer, Bibby does a lot well at PG, and Pau is a solid option in the post. Odom may just be the anchor of the defense with his great size and talent. They’re giving up 98 ppg but they can be exposed by the better scorers of the West—Pau can’t guard Duncan or McDyess, and Melo certainly won’t do the job on the likes of LeBron and Q-Rich. If they find a lineup that gets some more scoring out of Bibby and Odom, they can win by outscoring their opponents in the playoffs without playing much defense.
11. Detroit Pistons-Theo’s shotblocking is going up, and they have three great scorers on the wing. Artest’s emergence has been astounding, and I’d take their defense over just about anyone’s offense in a playoff series. Sarunas’ D holds them back from being a top defensive team, and Theo/AK combine to be one of the worst offensive duos in the post. However, they more than account for their weaknesses and are a very solid team. They can interrupt anyone’s strategies.
12. Houston Rockets-As soon as they find the right DC, they should climb a bit in the West. Nash may not fit their pace, but he’s a massive upgrade at PG and performed very well in his first sim in Houston. Prince may be a supersub right now, and Mason may not be the answer. However, if they balance out the lineup and put Dixon at SG full time, they may have a lethal offense. It’s baffling that they don’t rebound better, but they have great depth on the perimeter and just need to figure out what works. The defense should be fine without Wallace.
13. New Orleans Hornets-They need to acquire a big man who can contribute on either side of the ball. Marion is a superstar, and they have a very solid backcourt, but if they don’t get any help inside, they won’t do much. A perennial 40 win team a not much else.
14. Los Angeles Lakers-Blah. Same old mediocre squad. Davis isn’t improving, but he scores, which is really all they do. 107 ppg is impressive, but something needs to change. Even if it’s just the PG. They’re a ship without a captain that is a piece away from being good.
15. Toronto Raptors-A one man show. Parker is his usual 32 PPG dominant self, so fuck you, Spence. But they really have little else and will start losing in bunches.
16. Golden State Warriors-Pig needs a point guard. Period. JJ could be it someday, Brand is a beast, but without Kidd they’re completely mediocre.
1. Orlando Magic-Hard to argue with a .840 winning percentage. Shaq has been the driving force behind their 21-4 start. The offense leads the league in scoring, and the defense, led from the inside-out by Shaq’s nearly five blocks a night, is third in points allowed. Also among the leaders in blocks, steals, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage. They’ve faced weak competition and lost to the three best teams they’ve played, which is a major concern. It’s certainly possible that this ranking is just the result of a weak schedule, but for now, Shaq and co. are atop BBS.
2. New York Knicks- Certainly a disputable ranking, but the Knicks get the edge right now. One of the best scoring teams in the league just got even more dangerous with the addition of Rip Hamilton to its backcourt. Look for them to run, run, run and shoot all day with Marbury-Hamilton-Pierce aligning the perimeter. The Knicks are among the league’s best in points per game and steals, so if you have spotty perimeter defense or can’t run with them, they’ll beat up on you. They do have some questionable losses, but they have a stellar winning percentage and really seem to have clicked with Rip on board.
3. Miami Heat-Question it all you want, but the Heat have won 8 of 10 after their typical weak start. And they’ve wrecked some really great teams. The took the Knicks by 21, the Nets by 28, the Magic by 26…need I say more? Same stars, better depth, and Raef has filled in beautifully for Mutombo. They play their own kind of basketball, with two stars on the perimeter and a center with a jump shot, and it is a great formula for 50 wins. That winning percentage is about to skyrocket.
4. Seattle Supersonics-They became the best playoff team in the West by locking up their big man in Tim Duncan. It’s hard to rank them because they’ve yet to play as a healthy unit, but they have the fourth best inside-out combo in the league in TD and Q-Rich. They force a ton of steals and don’t turn it over, have two giants starting for them and just added a top backup in Joe Smith. They should run through the West.
5. Denver Nuggets-The Nuggets ran off 15 of their first 17 games, but are just 4-6 since. Still, they deserve a spot in the top five. Jason Williams has lowered his turnovers, Allen Iverson is a top player in BBS, and JO has really developed nicely. N’Diaye and Francis are very questionable starters, and their turnovers have gone up of late. Was the start fluky? This team will have a tough time winning a playoff series with the likes of Howard, Wallace, Duncan and McDyess matching up against JO and with a terrible lack of size on the perimeter. Still, they are shoot 48% on the year, and winning by almost eight point a night.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves-They defend, they score, and they beat the league’s best teams. By far the most dangerous team in the Midwest. Every starter is in double-figures, and Antonio McDyess is going to be up around 30 ppg in no time. They’ve beaten the Knicks and the Nets, so they could take it all if they can overcome the Sonics out West. A big key to their season would be getting more production out of Papaloukas, and it wouldn’t hurt for Antoine Walker to be more consistent. Outside of SG, they have great size, which makes up for mediocre defensive grades for their starters.
7. New Jersey Nets-No Baron? No problem. Kobe and Webber can handle the scoring load just fine, rivaling Shaq and T-Mac as the top scoring tandem in the league. Travis Best has been a savior for the Nets with his enormous assist-to-turnover disparity. They don’t defend well but they have enough offense to win every game the play, and a 14-9 start given the toughness of their schedule earns them a high ranking. It’s rare for a team to have two starts above 25 PPG and at 50% FG.
8. Atlanta Hawks-Don’t overlook this team. They play the league’s best defense, and it’s no accident. Marcus Camby has emerged as a great player on both sides of the ball, and they start two of the league’s best rebounders to go with probably the league’s best backcourt. David West is one of most consistent stars in the league, and is a great threat inside and outside. This team has a great combination of passers, athletes, scorers and rebounders. They’ll be extremely tough to take in a playoff series if Kidd keeps his turnovers down. They’ve given up 100 points just four times this season, and held the league’s best scoring team to 92.
9. Dallas Mavericks-They’re on a roll with Wallace at the 4 and Hill running the show. Biggest lineup in the league with a set of five elite defenders at their respective spots. They keep their turnovers low and their defense should really improve with Nash out of the lineup. They won’t be a contender until LeBron gets a consistent outside shot with some range on it and Chandler emerges as a great shotblocker, but they have a great shot to go far in the playoffs.
10. San Antonio Spurs-A team full of holes that manages to win with good size and good scorers. Melo is a very good scorer, Bibby does a lot well at PG, and Pau is a solid option in the post. Odom may just be the anchor of the defense with his great size and talent. They’re giving up 98 ppg but they can be exposed by the better scorers of the West—Pau can’t guard Duncan or McDyess, and Melo certainly won’t do the job on the likes of LeBron and Q-Rich. If they find a lineup that gets some more scoring out of Bibby and Odom, they can win by outscoring their opponents in the playoffs without playing much defense.
11. Detroit Pistons-Theo’s shotblocking is going up, and they have three great scorers on the wing. Artest’s emergence has been astounding, and I’d take their defense over just about anyone’s offense in a playoff series. Sarunas’ D holds them back from being a top defensive team, and Theo/AK combine to be one of the worst offensive duos in the post. However, they more than account for their weaknesses and are a very solid team. They can interrupt anyone’s strategies.
12. Houston Rockets-As soon as they find the right DC, they should climb a bit in the West. Nash may not fit their pace, but he’s a massive upgrade at PG and performed very well in his first sim in Houston. Prince may be a supersub right now, and Mason may not be the answer. However, if they balance out the lineup and put Dixon at SG full time, they may have a lethal offense. It’s baffling that they don’t rebound better, but they have great depth on the perimeter and just need to figure out what works. The defense should be fine without Wallace.
13. New Orleans Hornets-They need to acquire a big man who can contribute on either side of the ball. Marion is a superstar, and they have a very solid backcourt, but if they don’t get any help inside, they won’t do much. A perennial 40 win team a not much else.
14. Los Angeles Lakers-Blah. Same old mediocre squad. Davis isn’t improving, but he scores, which is really all they do. 107 ppg is impressive, but something needs to change. Even if it’s just the PG. They’re a ship without a captain that is a piece away from being good.
15. Toronto Raptors-A one man show. Parker is his usual 32 PPG dominant self, so fuck you, Spence. But they really have little else and will start losing in bunches.
16. Golden State Warriors-Pig needs a point guard. Period. JJ could be it someday, Brand is a beast, but without Kidd they’re completely mediocre.