Post by GP on Jan 15, 2008 2:46:49 GMT -5
BBS2000 First Inaugural Power Rankings
Thru Day 85
BBS Senior Writer Galo Pesantes[/i]
1- Philadelphia 76ers (42-11)- The league’s most valuable player resides in Philly, and no one really has stacked up to the numbers Shaq has put up so far. The rest of the team features consistent pieces like Glenn ‘Big Dog’ Robinson and Terrell Brandon further make this squad a team to be reckoned with in the playoffs.
2- Portland Trail Blazers (47-13)- The league’s most consistent team has also been the best defensive team in BBS this season. In fact, it allows five points less than the second best shut down team in the league, the Detroit Pistons. However, it all starts and ends with Jason Kidd, who is the MVP of this team and should lead them to a strong run in the postseason.
3- Dallas Mavericks (45-13)- Hot on the heels of the Blazers, the Mavs are one of those streaks that every team dreams of. Dallas has been almost unbeatable at home and is one of the best scoring teams in the league. They have plenty of depth on the bench which includes veteran presences like John Stockton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Derrick Coleman.
4- Cleveland Cavaliers (39-15)- Former Michigan big man Chris Webber might be the most complete player at this size at this point. Besides averaging over 25 points and 11 boards a game, he gets nearly five assists and over a block and steal a game. The addition of Toni Kukoc from Toronto has also propelled this team to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.
5- Minnesota Timberwolves (39-20)- At 35, Scottie Pippen is probably the best veteran player at his position and has led this team to a nearly guaranteed playoff berth this year. Stephon Marbury is still young and developing but his turnover numbers will have to come down for this team to get over the hump.
6- San Antonio Spurs (35-19)- If Tim Duncan was on the Sixers, he’d probably be the favorite to win the MVP of the league. However, Duncan is not in bad shape in the Alamo. With another strong scorer along side him in Antawn Jamison and a young guard in Mike Bibby, this team is set to compete for a very long time.
7- Washington Wizards (32-21)- Say what you want about GM Jah but they guy knows how to put a team together. Even though he gambles on veteran talent, they often work out and reap great rewards in cases like Karl Malone and Arvydas Sabonis. He also plucked another vet, Shawn Kemp in the sixth round, who has been a nice punch off the bench.
8- Boston Celtics (34-21)- After striking gold with the first pick in the creation draft, Kobe and the Celts have quietly been competing in the East for respect. The C’s have a nice lineup that includes David Robinson and newly acquired Juwan Howard, but could benefit more if they had a stronger threat at poiint guard than Mookie Blalock.
9- Detroit Pistons (35-22)- Another league, another winner built by GM Aaron Reilly. The Pistons are built very solid on the defensive end but their biggest offensive threat so far as been Rasheed Wallace. Still, there is balanced scoring from the rest of the roster which includes swingmen Eddie Jones and Latrell Sprewell.
10- Sacramento Kings (37-25)- Much like Shaq, Alonzo Mourning is putting up MVP type numbers to keep the Kings competitive in the West. Grant Hill is also another strong scorer that complements Mourning while Sam Cassell remains one of the top point guards in the entire league.
11- Orlando Magic (31-21)- The one-two punch of Vince Carter and Jamal Mashburn has surely has taken the Magic to another level as far as their scoring goes. The rest of the team has some nice pieces like Tim Hardaway and Vlade Divac, but are really one or two pieces from breaking out in the East.
12- Chicago Bulls (32-24)- The Bulls are led by Jerry Stackhouse, the former Tar Heel, who dropped all the way to middle of the second round in the creation draft. Still the Bulls have a very nice young core in Stackhouse, Antonio McDyess, Marcus Camby, Shareef Abdur Rahim and Andre Miller. Out of many teams, the Bulls have one of the brighter futures while still playing at a high level now.
13- Houston Rockets (30-25)- One of the few teams that plays the best with the little it has. Their two best players, Marc Jackson and Maurice Taylor were fourth and seventh round picks and still both average near 20 a game. Still this team is still in playoff contention and five first round picks in the next two years to make this roster better.
14- Milwaukee Bucks (29-26)- The Bucks have a nice core in Paul Pierce, Steve Francis and Ben Wallace but have not really exploded yet into the team many envisioned in the beginning of the season. Perhaps part of the problem has been Steve Francis’ assist to turnover ratio but even still the Bucks are in the top 10 in holding their opponents from scoring.
15- Seattle Sonics (30-31)- Ray Allen a.k.a Mr. He Got Game dropped all the way to No. 21 in the creation draft and now is making the other 20 teams that passed on him pay. Allen is among the league leaders in points per game, minutes, free throw percentage and 3 point attempts per game. As for the rest of the team, the Sonics are very young which is a good thing but when there is not enough help for Allen because of their maturity, it is also a bad thing.
16- Los Angeles Clippers (29-32)- One of the league’s most inconsistent teams is somehow still in the playoff race in the West. Point guard Steve Nash has kept the Clips on the cusp while big man Joe Smith and swingman Penny Hardaway have contributed strong scoring options. However, L.A. remains the second worst team in points given up a game.
17- New Jersey Nets (26-30)- The Nets hold possibly one of the most coveted young guards in the league in Baron Davis. But even Davis cannot carry the Nets to the playoffs on his own this season. NJ does not really have much help on their roster but in the future should be able to cash in on picks.
18- Denver Nuggets (27-32)- The Nuggets like the Clippers have been an on and off team throughout the year and still only a game out of the playoff picture. Denver has a young roster for the most part with established stars Allen Iverson and Jermaine O’Neal and young parts like rookie Corey Maggette and Jason Williams that should keep them strong for years to come.
19- Atlanta Hawks (25-32)- Former Kentucky star Antoine Walker leads this bunch of Hawks that are also relatively young with their oldest player being 32. Lamar Odom is another great piece for this franchise to build with but the Hawks are hoping to add in the lottery this season for next season.
20- Toronto Raptors (24-32)- Many owners scoffed at the Raptors selection of Tracy McGrady once again in this version of the creation draft. However T-Mac is particularly better equipped and the Raps still have some kind of talent in Raef LaFrentz and Joel Pryzbilla but it surely seems they’ll be back in a familiar place: the lottery.
21- New Orleans Hornets (23-32)- Possibly the league’s most disappointing player could be the Hornets’ Shawn Marion. The former UNLV standout is averaging a shade over 11 points a game on a team that scores equally. However Marion is still young and should develop into one of the best premier interior and perimeter players in the league.
22- Phoenix Suns (21-34)- The Suns have three 1st round picks this season but only their own seems to be lotto-bound. Phoenix does have Rip Hamilton and Kenyon Martin but not enough around them to be contenders. With a couple of FA additions and wise draft choices, this team could be ready to compete in two seasons or so.
23- Golden State Warriors (20-38)- With the exception of possibly Baron Davis, Elton Brand may arguably be the best player at 21 years old. E.B. is already putting up insane numbers even though he is on a bad team. Help should come on the way though in the form of the Warriors 1st this year.
24- Memphis Grizzlies (19-38)- After much anticipation, the Grizzlies chose not to compete this season and build towards the future. They shipped out parts they did not need while saving cap room and kept integral parts of their future like Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson. Coupled with their first rounder coming up, the Grizz could be strong in a couple seasons.
25- Los Angeles Lakers (21-47)- Defense must be a problem in the city of Los Angeles, as both teams have trouble stopping teams from scoring. Still the Lakers have their franchise player in Dirk Nowitzki and nice pieces in Al Harrington, Ricky Davis and Jamaal Magloire. Still the Lakers are looking to add even a better player in the draft.
26- Miami Heat (15-37)- The Heat have the most difficulty to score than any other team in the league but still have a strong weapon in Michael Redd for the future. Still they have four picks in the next two years coupled with cap room and some hope for the future.
27- New York Knicks (14-44)- It is hard to believe the Knicks are not worst. They had no creation selections and no franchise player to build around. Now they have a flurry of expiring contracts and a ton of cap room to offer budding stars. Not to mention the Knicks have a strong chance at landing the No. 1 pick and with their luck in the past, no one would be surprised.
28- Utah Jazz (13-42)- Another rebuilding team with no real franchise player but with a ton of cash to throw around. Not to mention are primed to have a top three pick in the upcoming draft, the Jazz should be line to compete in the next three to five seasons.
29- Indiana Pacers (10-49)- The Pacers may not get to 15 wins but it won’t really matter. Nova has designed this team to compete in the future with many picks and cap room to be competitive. Although Indy does have Hughes and Darius Miles, they may have some basis to be good in the next couple seasons.
Thru Day 85
BBS Senior Writer Galo Pesantes[/i]
1- Philadelphia 76ers (42-11)- The league’s most valuable player resides in Philly, and no one really has stacked up to the numbers Shaq has put up so far. The rest of the team features consistent pieces like Glenn ‘Big Dog’ Robinson and Terrell Brandon further make this squad a team to be reckoned with in the playoffs.
2- Portland Trail Blazers (47-13)- The league’s most consistent team has also been the best defensive team in BBS this season. In fact, it allows five points less than the second best shut down team in the league, the Detroit Pistons. However, it all starts and ends with Jason Kidd, who is the MVP of this team and should lead them to a strong run in the postseason.
3- Dallas Mavericks (45-13)- Hot on the heels of the Blazers, the Mavs are one of those streaks that every team dreams of. Dallas has been almost unbeatable at home and is one of the best scoring teams in the league. They have plenty of depth on the bench which includes veteran presences like John Stockton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Derrick Coleman.
4- Cleveland Cavaliers (39-15)- Former Michigan big man Chris Webber might be the most complete player at this size at this point. Besides averaging over 25 points and 11 boards a game, he gets nearly five assists and over a block and steal a game. The addition of Toni Kukoc from Toronto has also propelled this team to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.
5- Minnesota Timberwolves (39-20)- At 35, Scottie Pippen is probably the best veteran player at his position and has led this team to a nearly guaranteed playoff berth this year. Stephon Marbury is still young and developing but his turnover numbers will have to come down for this team to get over the hump.
6- San Antonio Spurs (35-19)- If Tim Duncan was on the Sixers, he’d probably be the favorite to win the MVP of the league. However, Duncan is not in bad shape in the Alamo. With another strong scorer along side him in Antawn Jamison and a young guard in Mike Bibby, this team is set to compete for a very long time.
7- Washington Wizards (32-21)- Say what you want about GM Jah but they guy knows how to put a team together. Even though he gambles on veteran talent, they often work out and reap great rewards in cases like Karl Malone and Arvydas Sabonis. He also plucked another vet, Shawn Kemp in the sixth round, who has been a nice punch off the bench.
8- Boston Celtics (34-21)- After striking gold with the first pick in the creation draft, Kobe and the Celts have quietly been competing in the East for respect. The C’s have a nice lineup that includes David Robinson and newly acquired Juwan Howard, but could benefit more if they had a stronger threat at poiint guard than Mookie Blalock.
9- Detroit Pistons (35-22)- Another league, another winner built by GM Aaron Reilly. The Pistons are built very solid on the defensive end but their biggest offensive threat so far as been Rasheed Wallace. Still, there is balanced scoring from the rest of the roster which includes swingmen Eddie Jones and Latrell Sprewell.
10- Sacramento Kings (37-25)- Much like Shaq, Alonzo Mourning is putting up MVP type numbers to keep the Kings competitive in the West. Grant Hill is also another strong scorer that complements Mourning while Sam Cassell remains one of the top point guards in the entire league.
11- Orlando Magic (31-21)- The one-two punch of Vince Carter and Jamal Mashburn has surely has taken the Magic to another level as far as their scoring goes. The rest of the team has some nice pieces like Tim Hardaway and Vlade Divac, but are really one or two pieces from breaking out in the East.
12- Chicago Bulls (32-24)- The Bulls are led by Jerry Stackhouse, the former Tar Heel, who dropped all the way to middle of the second round in the creation draft. Still the Bulls have a very nice young core in Stackhouse, Antonio McDyess, Marcus Camby, Shareef Abdur Rahim and Andre Miller. Out of many teams, the Bulls have one of the brighter futures while still playing at a high level now.
13- Houston Rockets (30-25)- One of the few teams that plays the best with the little it has. Their two best players, Marc Jackson and Maurice Taylor were fourth and seventh round picks and still both average near 20 a game. Still this team is still in playoff contention and five first round picks in the next two years to make this roster better.
14- Milwaukee Bucks (29-26)- The Bucks have a nice core in Paul Pierce, Steve Francis and Ben Wallace but have not really exploded yet into the team many envisioned in the beginning of the season. Perhaps part of the problem has been Steve Francis’ assist to turnover ratio but even still the Bucks are in the top 10 in holding their opponents from scoring.
15- Seattle Sonics (30-31)- Ray Allen a.k.a Mr. He Got Game dropped all the way to No. 21 in the creation draft and now is making the other 20 teams that passed on him pay. Allen is among the league leaders in points per game, minutes, free throw percentage and 3 point attempts per game. As for the rest of the team, the Sonics are very young which is a good thing but when there is not enough help for Allen because of their maturity, it is also a bad thing.
16- Los Angeles Clippers (29-32)- One of the league’s most inconsistent teams is somehow still in the playoff race in the West. Point guard Steve Nash has kept the Clips on the cusp while big man Joe Smith and swingman Penny Hardaway have contributed strong scoring options. However, L.A. remains the second worst team in points given up a game.
17- New Jersey Nets (26-30)- The Nets hold possibly one of the most coveted young guards in the league in Baron Davis. But even Davis cannot carry the Nets to the playoffs on his own this season. NJ does not really have much help on their roster but in the future should be able to cash in on picks.
18- Denver Nuggets (27-32)- The Nuggets like the Clippers have been an on and off team throughout the year and still only a game out of the playoff picture. Denver has a young roster for the most part with established stars Allen Iverson and Jermaine O’Neal and young parts like rookie Corey Maggette and Jason Williams that should keep them strong for years to come.
19- Atlanta Hawks (25-32)- Former Kentucky star Antoine Walker leads this bunch of Hawks that are also relatively young with their oldest player being 32. Lamar Odom is another great piece for this franchise to build with but the Hawks are hoping to add in the lottery this season for next season.
20- Toronto Raptors (24-32)- Many owners scoffed at the Raptors selection of Tracy McGrady once again in this version of the creation draft. However T-Mac is particularly better equipped and the Raps still have some kind of talent in Raef LaFrentz and Joel Pryzbilla but it surely seems they’ll be back in a familiar place: the lottery.
21- New Orleans Hornets (23-32)- Possibly the league’s most disappointing player could be the Hornets’ Shawn Marion. The former UNLV standout is averaging a shade over 11 points a game on a team that scores equally. However Marion is still young and should develop into one of the best premier interior and perimeter players in the league.
22- Phoenix Suns (21-34)- The Suns have three 1st round picks this season but only their own seems to be lotto-bound. Phoenix does have Rip Hamilton and Kenyon Martin but not enough around them to be contenders. With a couple of FA additions and wise draft choices, this team could be ready to compete in two seasons or so.
23- Golden State Warriors (20-38)- With the exception of possibly Baron Davis, Elton Brand may arguably be the best player at 21 years old. E.B. is already putting up insane numbers even though he is on a bad team. Help should come on the way though in the form of the Warriors 1st this year.
24- Memphis Grizzlies (19-38)- After much anticipation, the Grizzlies chose not to compete this season and build towards the future. They shipped out parts they did not need while saving cap room and kept integral parts of their future like Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson. Coupled with their first rounder coming up, the Grizz could be strong in a couple seasons.
25- Los Angeles Lakers (21-47)- Defense must be a problem in the city of Los Angeles, as both teams have trouble stopping teams from scoring. Still the Lakers have their franchise player in Dirk Nowitzki and nice pieces in Al Harrington, Ricky Davis and Jamaal Magloire. Still the Lakers are looking to add even a better player in the draft.
26- Miami Heat (15-37)- The Heat have the most difficulty to score than any other team in the league but still have a strong weapon in Michael Redd for the future. Still they have four picks in the next two years coupled with cap room and some hope for the future.
27- New York Knicks (14-44)- It is hard to believe the Knicks are not worst. They had no creation selections and no franchise player to build around. Now they have a flurry of expiring contracts and a ton of cap room to offer budding stars. Not to mention the Knicks have a strong chance at landing the No. 1 pick and with their luck in the past, no one would be surprised.
28- Utah Jazz (13-42)- Another rebuilding team with no real franchise player but with a ton of cash to throw around. Not to mention are primed to have a top three pick in the upcoming draft, the Jazz should be line to compete in the next three to five seasons.
29- Indiana Pacers (10-49)- The Pacers may not get to 15 wins but it won’t really matter. Nova has designed this team to compete in the future with many picks and cap room to be competitive. Although Indy does have Hughes and Darius Miles, they may have some basis to be good in the next couple seasons.
