Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Week 9 NBA Rankings

1. Boston Celtics (26-3) (1) Loss to the Pistons? They'll just brush that off and win another six in a row.
2. Detroit Pistons (24-7) (2) Just wait until Rodney Stuckey develops. An already-deep Detroit bench is about to get a whole lot deeper.
3. San Antonio Spurs (21-8) (3) DerMarr Johnson was added to hopefully fill the void in Ginobili's continued absence.
4. Phoenix Suns (22-9) (6) If Amare can dominate again, Phoenix emerges as a true NBA Finals threat again.
5. Dallas Mavericks (20-11) (4) Even Erick Dampier has awoken from his three year slumber to post a double-double against Atlanta.
6. Orlando Magic (22-11) (8) This was a good weak for the Magic to heal up, as they feasted on some patsies.
7. Los Angeles Lakers (19-11) (5) Take note: Lamar Odom played physical for the first time in his career when he roughed up Ray Allen during the blowout loss to Boston.
8. New Orleans Hornets (20-11) (7) We're starting to see a truly dominant Chris Paul, as evidenced by a 40-point game against Memphis and a 16-assist effort against the Raptors.
9. Golden State Warriors (19-13) (11) Warriors' offense is in full-blast during their 19-7 explosion.
10. Portland Trail Blazers (18-13) (9) Loss on the road to the Jazz finally ends unlikely 13-game winning streak that has vaulted Portland towards the top of the division.
11. Denver Nuggets (18-12) (10) As much work as Camby does on the defensive end, the Nuggets have got to find a way to get him more involved offensively.

12. Utah Jazz (17-16) (14) Now at least the Jazz have the shooter they want in Korver so they can try and repeat last year's playoff run.
13. Atlanta Hawks (15-13) (12) As their five-game winning streak ends in Dallas, the Hawks must learn to deal with being the hunted instead of the hunter.
14. Toronto Raptors (17-15) (15) Winning in San Antonio will only do wonders for the Raptors' confidence.
15. Washington Wizards (15-14) (16) Daniels' return to the lineup couldn't come at a better time, although the Wizards' persevered with Mason Jr.
16. Houston Rockets (15-16) (18) They were on a 2 game winning streak and everything was starting to look rosy until a fourth-quarter collapse and loss to the Warriors.
17. Indiana Pacers (15-17) (13) Tinsley's absence can't be a good sign in the midst of a four-game losing streak, especially with the Pacers' lack of depth at that position.
18. New Jersey Nets (14-16) (20) The continued impressive play of Shawn Williams as well as the revival of Vince Carter have been keys in getting the Nets back in playoff contention.
19. Cleveland Cavaliers (14-17) (17) Betcha didn't know that Zydrunas Illgauskas has the longest tenure in the league with one team.
20. Philadelphia 76ers (14-17) (23) Firing King was best for this team, as they've played a lot better since the new GM took over and got pretty decent return on Korver.
21. Chicago Bulls (11-18) (24) Finally, some common sense being used, as Jim Boylen, Scott Skiles's replacement, moves Gordon back to the bench, where his scoring is more valuable.
22. Charlotte Bobcats (11-18) (22) Jordan practiced with the team, keeping everyone on their toes, for losing to a 40+ year old man, even one as good as Jordan, means they may get traded.
23. Sacramento Kings (11-18) (19) I love the idea of Bibby starting at SG when he comes back. This is a classic example of a small-ball team.

24. Milwaukee Bucks (11-19) (24) It's beginning to get a little ugly in Milwaukee, especially after losing by 45 to the Pistons.
25. Los Angeles Clippers (10-19) (25) The good news is ET is finally back, the bad news is the ship is sinking fast.

26. Seattle Supersonics (9-22) (27) Durant deals with nicks and bruises for the first time as an injured finger keeps him out vs Philly.
27. New York Knicks (8-21) (29) Curry is clearly unhappy with his sixth man role, but how else do you motivate such a lazy player?

28. Memphis Grizzlies (8-22) (28) They're still a year away after being thoroughlly overmatched in their last three division losses.
29. Miami Heat (8-23) (26) With Wade and Shaq hobbling and Mourning finished, there's little hope for a Heat rally this season.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-26) (30) This is how bad it is for the TWolves: Their backup center with Ratliff out was an actual backup in college.

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