So I haven't been blogging much because the Nets, Jets and Mets suck, but I'm feeling good tonight after a 67-61 Jumpshooters victory over our arch rivals from Franklin Square. Now I'm on a basketball kick. That being said, let's get into my first edition of NBA Power Rankings for the 2011-12 season.
30. Charlotte Bobcats (3-22): Directly from my Twitter account @RedSoxAuthor prior to game one of the NBA regular season: I find it amusing that
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29. New Orleans Hornets (4-21): We have to cut them some slack because they've been playing without their best player in SG Eric Gordon for (basically) the entire season, but that doesn't change the fact that they're one of the two worst teams in the league at the moment. Rotational players F Carl Landry and PF/C Jason Smith were also recently injured. Things aren't looking good.
28. Washington Wizards (5-20): This franchise needs an organizational overhaul. They have talented performers in PG John Wall, SG Nick Young, PF Andray Blatche and C JaVale McGee, but this team plays nearly unwatchable "team" basketball. Their halfcourt offense is laughable and they have no idea how to secure victories in close games. They need a couple of smart, solid veteran leaders.
27. Detroit Pistons (6-20): They're one of the worst teams in the NBA at full strength, so you can imagine how difficult it's been for them without a legitimate scorer in SG Ben Gordon and three-point maker in F Charlie Villanueva. UConn Crewww.
26. Toronto Raptors (8-18): They need Andrea Bargnani back fast, and at full strength, in order to make a backdoor run at the 8-seed in the East.
25. New Jersey Nets (8-18): My favorite team has heart and a superb coaching staff, but it's tough to win without Brook Lopez, Marshon Brooks, Mehmet Okur and DeShawn Stevenson. Anthony Morrow has missed games of late as well. Right now it's Deron Williams, Kris Humphries and Avery Johnson against the world. (Cue my impression of Avery. You'll have to hear it in person.)
24. Sacramento Kings (9-16): This team has some of the same continuity issues as the aforementioned Wizards. The Kings are a little deeper which leads to a slightly better record, but they need to refine their halfcourt play -- particularly late in games.
23. Golden State Warriors (8-13): I definitely like their big three of SG Monta Ellis, PG Stephen Curry and PF David Lee, but this is the shallowest team in the West. Everything revolves around three players and that's a recipe for disaster in the league's deeper conference.
22. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-14): I'm all the way on the Kyrie Irving bandwagon -- smooth, poised, smart, versatile and effective. I have him in the top-10 point guards already. Also, I have to give Anderson Varejao his due; I can't stand him as a fan, but as an analyst he's a winning player who truly impacts the game on both ends of the court. I'd take him on my Nets or Knicks in a heartbeat.
21. Phoenix Suns (11-14): Coming on of late thanks to the combination of point guard (and leader) Steve Nash and underrated all-around center Marcin Gortat.
20. Milwaukee Bucks (10-14): They're a relatively easy playoff selection with C Andrew Bogut, but they can never seem to keep him on the court. In the long run it'll always be tough with him in and out of the lineup.
19. New York Knicks (10-15): Jeremy "Linsanity" is under way...we'll see how long it lasts. It's easy to assume that he won't continue at this astonishing level, but he's still likely better than Toney Douglas or Mike Bibby as a floor general. Tyson Chandler has been well worth the investment, but Melo (now injured) and Amar'e have been disappointments thus far this season.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (13-12): There's no question that Rick Adelman is one of the premier head coaches in the NBA, and I'm not surprised that he's taken talented youngsters and turned them into a really competitive group. Consistent with his past teams, Adelman's Wolves are especially adept offensively.
17. Utah Jazz (13-11): If PG Devin Harris wasn't stinking up the gym, this squad would likely be in the top 15. Excellent frontcourt with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors.
16. Memphis Grizzlies (12-13): I respect this team's tough, gritty, physical style and they still have a strong top three in C Marc Gasol, SF Rudy Gay and PG Mike Conley -- even without star PF Zach Randolph.
15. Houston Rockets (14-11): PG Kyle Lowry's two-year transition from career back-up to top-tier floor general is most responsible for the Rockets surprising success through 25 games.
14. Orlando Magic (15-10): I think it's hard to argue against Dwight Howard as the best two-way player in the NBA, but there isn't much of a supporting cast here -- it kind of reminds me of LeBron with the Cavs.
F Ryan Anderson has been Orlando's No. 2 performer, but Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson have struggled mightily. JJ Redick hasn't been as consistent as Stan Van Gundy needs him to be, either.
13. Atlanta Hawks (16-9): They are holding their own for now, but eventually the loss of C Al Horford will catch up to them. Zaza Pachulia is a legitimate back-up center, but Atlanta's offense will suffer over time with Horford out of the mix. Josh Smith is overrated, too.
12. Portland Trail Blazers (14-11): It bothers me that LaMarcus Aldridge hasn't been included in the "best power forwards in the game" discussion with Kevin Love and Blake Griffin, but Aldridge's team has been terrible in close games down the stretch. They need to figure out their late-game identity if they want to box with the big boys.
11. Denver Nuggets (15-10): I love the way George Karl has his guys playing collectively (particularly on the offensive end), but the Danilo Gallinari injury is a killer at this point in time. I have to give the healthier teams the nod right now.
10. Boston Celtics (14-10): After a slow, injury-plagued start, The Big Four are finally back together and Doc Rivers' boys are playing beautiful, fundamentally-sound basketball. I really enjoy watching them when they have their collective rhythm.
9. Dallas Mavericks (14-11): They obviously miss the combination of C Tyson Chandler and PG JJ Barea, but they're still three games above the .500 mark without that duo and injured leader, Jason Kidd. Rick Carlisle's defending champions know how to execute through Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry when it matters. That's worth an awful lot.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (14-11): They have no depth like the aforementioned Wizards and Warriors, but they do have Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. That's more than enough sometimes. Kobe's MVP right now.
7. Indiana Pacers (17-7): I doubt they'll be better than the Celtics, Mavs and Lakers in the long run, but the Pacers do boast a strong talent pool with a number of highly competent players. Their starting lineup -- Darren Collison, Paul George, Danny Granger, David West and Roy Hibbert -- is well balanced and carefully constructed, and there's usefulness on the bench in Tyler Hansbrough, Dahntay Jones, A.J. Price and Louis Amundson.
6. Philadelphia 76ers (18-7): Very similar to the Pacers, in the sense that they have depth and roster versatility. I'm a Lou Williams guy as well.
5. San Antonio Spurs (17-9): Gregg Popovich is the Bill Belichick of the NBA. No Manu Ginobili for awhile...who cares? Pop coaches them to victory anyway.
4. Los Angeles Clippers (15-7): Losing SG Chauncey Billups for the season is rough; luckily the Clippers have a very capable fill-in in G Randy Foye. Mo Williams will continue to provide a spark and scoring off the bench, while Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler put on a show as starters. This club's chemistry is developing rapidly. They're scary good at times.
3. Chicago Bulls (21-6)
At full strength, I believe the Bulls are the best team in the NBA. I love their motion offense, tenacious defense and overall depth, so the only problem right now is Derrick Rose. He's now sidelined for the second time already this season, and his fearless approach to the game is beginning to worry me. The Heat can completely hold their own if Dwyane Wade goes down while attacking the rim, but it's far more difficult for the Bulls.
Rose needs to pace himself better during the regular season, in an effort to protect his team's postseason and championship chances. If he's out there and fully healthy in the playoffs, Tom Thibodeau's Bulls are the favorite to me.
2. Miami Heat (19-6)
I'll be pretty shocked if the Bulls and Heat don't meet in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat are showcasing superior chemistry in their second season as the most talked about team in the NBA, and Mario Chalmers has emerged as Erik Spoelstra's legitimate fourth option. The identity is there right now -- they're going to be awfully tough to beat.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-5)
I'm going with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden at the top spot, not only because they currently boast the best record in the game, but also because they have an easier path to the NBA Finals than the Bulls or Heat.
The Bulls and Heat will almost certainly have to deal with each other, whereas the Thunder are the clear favorite to come out of the West. They are young, hungry, long, athletic, skilled and determined. They're closing games extremely well and opposing teams don't seem to have an answer for Durant/Westbrook/Harden when they're on the court at the same time. They're incredibly entertaining, too.
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