1. Boston Celtics (56-15) (1) KG took the young Amare to school in a showdown between two of the league's top PF's.
2. New Orleans Hornets (49-21) (3) By throwing out more assists than FEMA, CP3 has become a hero on the bayou, reviving basketball in the city of New Orleans.
3. Detroit Pistons (50-21) (2) They're an OT win over Phoenix away from an 0-4 week and now must replace Rip in the lineup.
4. San Antonio Spurs (49-23) (9) Once again, we spoke too soon. You can never count out the defending champs, as their five game winning streak has proven.
5. Houston Rockets (49-23) (6) OK, maybe they're not winning 22 straight anymore, but surviving one of the season's toughest stretches and staying in the top 3 has to do wonders for their confidence.
6. Phoenix Suns (47-24) (4) The Boston game, they flat out lost, but Phoenix can't be happy about the officials jobbing them in the Detroit game.
7. Los Angeles Lakers (49-23) (5) Kobe's losing some MVP luster with all the recent, untimely ejections, the latest of which costing his team a gimme win against the Bobcats.
8. Utah Jazz (47-25) (7) Unless their defense plays at the same level as their offense, this team is looking more one-and-done than ever.
9. Orlando Magic (46-27) (8) So Shaq wants to run the Magic with Grant Hill as his GM? Who's the coach, Penny? Should we be looking out for a Ricky Davis contract sometime in the near future?
10. Golden State Warriors (43-27) (11) They can't be this abysmal under the boards and expect to win in the playoffs.
11. Denver Nuggets (43-28) (12) I'm kinda rooting for them to get in. At least the first round would be entertaining.
12. Dallas Mavericks (46-27) (10) Time to throw up the white flag? They weren't beating good teams with Dirk, now they're supposed to do the same without him?
13. Philadelphia 76ers (37-35) (14) The talent was always there, now they're playing at a faster pace. And don't underestimate the value of a Reggie Evans, he maybe a nut-grabber, but even Tim Duncan's ankles shake when he goes up against this rugged defender.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers (40-32) (13) It's just not adding up. Unless the Cavs can get LeBron a real supporting cast, I look forward to buying his Knicks jersey in a couple years.
15. Portland Trail Blazers (38-34) (16) Knowing he's about a year away from being completely insignificant, Przybilla had another totally random 20+ rebounding game.
16. Washington Wizards (37-34) (15) If they finish in the top 5 in the East, Eddie Jordan deserves serious Coach of the Year consideration.
17. Toronto Raptors (36-35) (17) Lucky for them, the floor keeps descending in the East basement, so getting through a Bosh-less stretch in 7th has to count for something, right...
18. Atlanta Hawks (31-40) (20) And the Hawks are holding up the rear. Good to see Mini-me back though, he was all but left for dead in Sac-town.
19. Sacramento Kings (32-39) (18) CWebb retired in some unrelated Kings' news. No word on whether he plans to call an untimely timeout during his retirement ceremony.
20. New Jersey Nets (31-41) (19) Josh Boone with two 20-point games in a week?? This has to be a misprint, right?
21. Indiana Pacers (29-43) (22) Suddenly, Dunlevy is playing the best basketball of his career when the Pacers suddenly look like they have a slim shot at the 8th seed.
22. Chicago Bulls (28-43) (21) It's safe to call Boylan nothing more than a substitute teacher when two of the hardest working players on the team, Duhon and Nocioni, scoff at his decision-making.
23. Charlotte Bobcats (26-45) (23) At least in the course of this miserable season, you can still spot those two blips in Charlotte's record, wins in LA and Boston.
24. Minnesota Timberwolves (18-52) (24) Maybe Taylor will next accuse Corey Brewer of "tanking" since he's hurt in the last two weeks of the season.
25. Milwaukee Bucks (24-46) (25) Two losses to the Heat in the past week? That's beyond inexcusable.
26. Los Angeles Clippers (21-50) (26) Smush is back in LA with a starting job, he's just stuck on the wrong team.
27. New York Knicks (20-51) (27) Believe it or not, they're techically not eliminated in the East yet.
28. Memphis Grizzlies (18-53) (28) With the season all but lost, it's good to see Warrick and Gay pick up all those garbage points to help my fantasy team.
29. Seattle Supersonics (17-55) (29) David Stern just poked a stick in a dead corpse by officially announcing the new deal on KeyArena was insufficient.
30. Miami Heat (13-58) (30) They should bring Steve Smith and Rony Seikaly out of retirement just to sell tickets.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Week 20 NBA Rankings
1. Boston Celtics (54-13) (1) If they find a way to sweep the Texas Triangle without Ray Allen, they're building a lot of credibility as a championship favorite.
2. Detroit Pistons (49-19) (4) Think Georgia's SEC magic has something to do with Jarvis Hayes's monster game against NO?
3. New Orleans Hornets (46-21) (5) MoPete's freezing up, so it's imperative they get something out of Bonzi down the stretch.
4. Phoenix Suns (46-22) (10) We knew it would be a struggle to adjust to Shaq, but I have to give the team credit, as they've now added a new dimension and suddenly look like a Finals favorite.
5. Los Angeles Lakers (46-21) (3) With Pau out and Bynum slowly recovering, the Lakers will need a few 60-point games from Kobe to stay in the West hunt for the next couple weeks.
6. Houston Rockets (46-22) (2) The 22-game winning streak went down with a thud, but a second straight anemic offensive showing against NO can't be encouraging with GS and Phoenix still up.
7. Utah Jazz (45-24) (7) Kirilenko's health is very important so the Jazz better make sure he's healthy for the postseason, when his defensive presence will be sorely needed.
8. Orlando Magic (45-25) (9) How long can Hedo keep this up?? 39 against the Wizards?? Unreal.
9. San Antonio Spurs (44-23) (6) The latest four-game losing streak again makes you wonder if this team is aging and has lost its killer instinct.
10. Dallas Mavericks (44-24) (11) They still have yet to win a game against a +.500 team since the Kidd trade.
11. Golden State Warriors (42-25) (8) Jackson-Ellis-Davis is like a more thugged out version of Run TMC.
12. Denver Nuggets (40-28) (12) Those inhuman point totals the Nugs put up don't mean a thing if they can't stop anyone when it matters.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (39-30) (13) Stevenson talking trash about LeBron? Someone's about to look like John Starks against MJ if the Cavs and Wizards meet up again in the postseason.
14. Philadelphia 76ers (34-34) (17) Before anyone knocks Billy King about mismanaging a few contracts, they should look at how well his draft picks have performed this year.
15. Washington Wizards (34-33) (16) If Agent Zero can make a comeback and play at 50% of his ability, this team will be a tough out in round 1.
16. Portland Trail Blazers (35-33) (14) +.500 is still a great accomplishment when you consider where the Blazers were two years ago. Pritchard clearly knows what he's doing.
17. Toronto Raptors (35-33) (15) Bosh couldn't have found a better time to come back, as the Raptors are reeling and barely hanging onto the 5th spot.
18. Sacramento Kings (31-36) (19) Kevin Martin must be used to anaymity right now, as he was an unheralded scorer on a bad team in college and remains so in the pros.
19. New Jersey Nets (29-39) (20) Now that Harris is free of Avery Johnson's overcoaching, we're beginning to see the actual talent he does have and how royally the Mavericks screwed up on this trade.
20. Atlanta Hawks (29-39) (21) They're slowly gathering momentum, but losing in New Jersey is not helping their playoff chances.
21. Chicago Bulls (27-40) (18) Green Jerseys the day after St. Patty's day? I'll give the Bulls' marketing team some credit.
22. Indiana Pacers (27-41) (22) Dunlevy's strong play has been one of the few bright spots in another disappointing Pacers' season.
23. Charlotte Bobcats (24-44) (23) The sad reality is none of the Bobcats' draft picks are really working out and trading Brendan Wright will kill them in the long run.
24. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-50) (27) Taylor's critical comments about Garnett tanking before he left make him look like a backstabber on top of being a frugal owner.
25. Milwaukee Bucks (23-44) (24) When you overpay Bobby Simmons and Mo Williams, you're not going to keep a job in the NBA for very long.
26. Los Angeles Clippers (21-46) (25) So when is Elton going to come back? Speaking of injured players, I really feel bad for Shaun Livingston, all that talent and such a fragile body.
27. New York Knicks (19-48) (26) Can't the Knicks just put Isiah out of his misery? Hasn't he been dragged under the bus long enough?
28. Memphis Grizzlies (16-51) (29) If they tank and get lucky enough, maybe they can keep Derrick Rose in-state.
29. Seattle Supersonics (16-52) (28) 168 points in a game? Yup, I think it's safe to say they've quit on the season.
30. Miami Heat (12-55) (30) On the other end of the spectrum, the anemic Heat offense was comically bad against the Raptors with a 54-point outing. It should be noted that Kobe once scored 1/3 more points in a game against that team by himself.
2. Detroit Pistons (49-19) (4) Think Georgia's SEC magic has something to do with Jarvis Hayes's monster game against NO?
3. New Orleans Hornets (46-21) (5) MoPete's freezing up, so it's imperative they get something out of Bonzi down the stretch.
4. Phoenix Suns (46-22) (10) We knew it would be a struggle to adjust to Shaq, but I have to give the team credit, as they've now added a new dimension and suddenly look like a Finals favorite.
5. Los Angeles Lakers (46-21) (3) With Pau out and Bynum slowly recovering, the Lakers will need a few 60-point games from Kobe to stay in the West hunt for the next couple weeks.
6. Houston Rockets (46-22) (2) The 22-game winning streak went down with a thud, but a second straight anemic offensive showing against NO can't be encouraging with GS and Phoenix still up.
7. Utah Jazz (45-24) (7) Kirilenko's health is very important so the Jazz better make sure he's healthy for the postseason, when his defensive presence will be sorely needed.
8. Orlando Magic (45-25) (9) How long can Hedo keep this up?? 39 against the Wizards?? Unreal.
9. San Antonio Spurs (44-23) (6) The latest four-game losing streak again makes you wonder if this team is aging and has lost its killer instinct.
10. Dallas Mavericks (44-24) (11) They still have yet to win a game against a +.500 team since the Kidd trade.
11. Golden State Warriors (42-25) (8) Jackson-Ellis-Davis is like a more thugged out version of Run TMC.
12. Denver Nuggets (40-28) (12) Those inhuman point totals the Nugs put up don't mean a thing if they can't stop anyone when it matters.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (39-30) (13) Stevenson talking trash about LeBron? Someone's about to look like John Starks against MJ if the Cavs and Wizards meet up again in the postseason.
14. Philadelphia 76ers (34-34) (17) Before anyone knocks Billy King about mismanaging a few contracts, they should look at how well his draft picks have performed this year.
15. Washington Wizards (34-33) (16) If Agent Zero can make a comeback and play at 50% of his ability, this team will be a tough out in round 1.
16. Portland Trail Blazers (35-33) (14) +.500 is still a great accomplishment when you consider where the Blazers were two years ago. Pritchard clearly knows what he's doing.
17. Toronto Raptors (35-33) (15) Bosh couldn't have found a better time to come back, as the Raptors are reeling and barely hanging onto the 5th spot.
18. Sacramento Kings (31-36) (19) Kevin Martin must be used to anaymity right now, as he was an unheralded scorer on a bad team in college and remains so in the pros.
19. New Jersey Nets (29-39) (20) Now that Harris is free of Avery Johnson's overcoaching, we're beginning to see the actual talent he does have and how royally the Mavericks screwed up on this trade.
20. Atlanta Hawks (29-39) (21) They're slowly gathering momentum, but losing in New Jersey is not helping their playoff chances.
21. Chicago Bulls (27-40) (18) Green Jerseys the day after St. Patty's day? I'll give the Bulls' marketing team some credit.
22. Indiana Pacers (27-41) (22) Dunlevy's strong play has been one of the few bright spots in another disappointing Pacers' season.
23. Charlotte Bobcats (24-44) (23) The sad reality is none of the Bobcats' draft picks are really working out and trading Brendan Wright will kill them in the long run.
24. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-50) (27) Taylor's critical comments about Garnett tanking before he left make him look like a backstabber on top of being a frugal owner.
25. Milwaukee Bucks (23-44) (24) When you overpay Bobby Simmons and Mo Williams, you're not going to keep a job in the NBA for very long.
26. Los Angeles Clippers (21-46) (25) So when is Elton going to come back? Speaking of injured players, I really feel bad for Shaun Livingston, all that talent and such a fragile body.
27. New York Knicks (19-48) (26) Can't the Knicks just put Isiah out of his misery? Hasn't he been dragged under the bus long enough?
28. Memphis Grizzlies (16-51) (29) If they tank and get lucky enough, maybe they can keep Derrick Rose in-state.
29. Seattle Supersonics (16-52) (28) 168 points in a game? Yup, I think it's safe to say they've quit on the season.
30. Miami Heat (12-55) (30) On the other end of the spectrum, the anemic Heat offense was comically bad against the Raptors with a 54-point outing. It should be noted that Kobe once scored 1/3 more points in a game against that team by himself.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Week 19 NBA Rankings
1. Boston Celtics (51-12) (1) A big key to the Celts' latest 10-game winning streak has been the strong play of Kendrick Perkins, who's been a beast on the boards.
2. Houston Rockets (44-20) (5) The incredible 20-game winning streak almost came to a halt, but these Rockets will win low-scoring games if they have to, thanks to their incredible effort on the defensive end.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (45-19) (3) Bynum's slow recovery has to be troubling for a team that's still very reliant on Kobe's offense.
4. Detroit Pistons (46-18) (4) If the Pistons truly now have a second unit, it will make a difference if they make another deep run in the postseason.
5. New Orleans Hornets (43-20) (6) A 4-1 stretch for the Hornets since falling out of first was punctuated by a 25-point drubbing of the Spurs.
6. San Antonio Spurs (44-20) (2) Since the 10-game winning streak, the Spurs' offense has had a pair of anemic showings against Phoenix and NO in surrendering first place to the surging Rockets.
7. Utah Jazz (43-23) (7) The road woes are getting alarming as the Jazz lost to the Bulls and had to fight back in the 4th quarter to beat the woeful Bucks.
8. Golden State Warriors (40-23) (11) Monta Ellis has quietly had a huge year in Baron and Stevie Jax's shadow, with
9. Orlando Magic (42-24) (8) Porn 'stache Van Gundy deserves serious Coach of the Year consideration for leading a team with no real backcourt to such a strong season.
10. Phoenix Suns (42-22) (10) You saw a glimpse of what the Suns could be against the Spurs, but Shaq needs to bring it every night and the Suns have to shoot a lot better from the outside to compliment their big man.
11. Dallas Mavericks (42-23) (9) They continue to thrash the Eastern bottom feeders, but the Mavs have yet to get that elusive statement win against a top eight team in the West since the Kidd trade.
12. Denver Nuggets (38-26) (12) It's great to see K-Mart play with so much confidence. Soon he'll be grabbing his jersey and flashing the crowd like he did in New Jersey.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (37-28) (13) When 24-11-10 is considered an off-night, that's when you know you're an elite player.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (34-31) (16) Oden returning to practice has to give the Blazers a lot of confidence going into next year.
15. Toronto Raptors (34-30) (14) As much depth as the Raptors have, they need Bosh in order to be taken seriously in the postseason.
16. Washington Wizards (31-32) (17) Butler picked the perfect time to come back, as the Wizards lost virtually no ground in his absence despite the initial slump.
17. Philadelphia 76ers (31-34) (15) Winning in Detroit has to do wonders for the Sixers' confidence should those two meet up in the playoffs.
18. Chicago Bulls (26-38) (20) Now is not a good time for lackluster efforts like the one against Boston with the Bulls' season still salvageable (That is, if you consider making the East playoffs with a record 10+ games under .500 salvageable.)
19. Sacramento Kings (28-35) (19) Spencer Hawes has played well lately, hoping to continue the Kings' legacy of agile white big men.
20. New Jersey Nets (26-37) (18) They have to be relieved that they don't have to play anyone from the Southwest Division anymore after getting blanked on their road trip.
21. Atlanta Hawks (26-38) (21) As badly as the Hawks have played, they can still win twice in a night when they play the Heat.
22. Indiana Pacers (25-39) (22) As much heat as Isiah takes for all the bad trades and signings the Knicks have made, who would have thought the Pacers are actually in a worse position salary cap-wise? Yet Bird continues to avoid blame for this.
23. Charlotte Bobcats (24-40) (24) Oh good, an Earl Boykins sighting. I was hoping he was still in the league.
24. Milwaukee Bucks (23-42) (23) Replacing Mo Williams with Royal Ivey is like replacing a Honda Civic with a Pinto. It's that lack of depth that's the reason the Bucks are still floundering in mediocrity.
25. Los Angeles Clippers (21-42) (25) Al Thornton has to be the only one mad that Elton's coming back. Oh, Maggette too, less shooting for him.
26. New York Knicks (19-46) (26) The Heat seem to be about the only team the Knicks can beat these days, and they still almost gift-wrapped that game.
27. Minnesota Timberwolves (14-49) (29) In just two days out in Cali, the Wolves doubled their road win total against the Kings and Clippers.
28. Seattle Supersonics (16-49) (27) It has to be depressing for the 20 fans that still care about the Sonics to watch Green and Durant play so well, knowing in a couple years, they're going to be putting people on their feet in Oklahoma City.
29. Memphis Grizzlies (15-49) (28) One of the few pluses has been the play of the Grizzlies' youngsters, particularly Conley, Warrick and Gay.
30. Miami Heat (11-52) (30) Riley picked a good time to go watch the NCAA Tournament, as these last 19 games will be unwatchable without Wade and Wright.
2. Houston Rockets (44-20) (5) The incredible 20-game winning streak almost came to a halt, but these Rockets will win low-scoring games if they have to, thanks to their incredible effort on the defensive end.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (45-19) (3) Bynum's slow recovery has to be troubling for a team that's still very reliant on Kobe's offense.
4. Detroit Pistons (46-18) (4) If the Pistons truly now have a second unit, it will make a difference if they make another deep run in the postseason.
5. New Orleans Hornets (43-20) (6) A 4-1 stretch for the Hornets since falling out of first was punctuated by a 25-point drubbing of the Spurs.
6. San Antonio Spurs (44-20) (2) Since the 10-game winning streak, the Spurs' offense has had a pair of anemic showings against Phoenix and NO in surrendering first place to the surging Rockets.
7. Utah Jazz (43-23) (7) The road woes are getting alarming as the Jazz lost to the Bulls and had to fight back in the 4th quarter to beat the woeful Bucks.
8. Golden State Warriors (40-23) (11) Monta Ellis has quietly had a huge year in Baron and Stevie Jax's shadow, with
9. Orlando Magic (42-24) (8) Porn 'stache Van Gundy deserves serious Coach of the Year consideration for leading a team with no real backcourt to such a strong season.
10. Phoenix Suns (42-22) (10) You saw a glimpse of what the Suns could be against the Spurs, but Shaq needs to bring it every night and the Suns have to shoot a lot better from the outside to compliment their big man.
11. Dallas Mavericks (42-23) (9) They continue to thrash the Eastern bottom feeders, but the Mavs have yet to get that elusive statement win against a top eight team in the West since the Kidd trade.
12. Denver Nuggets (38-26) (12) It's great to see K-Mart play with so much confidence. Soon he'll be grabbing his jersey and flashing the crowd like he did in New Jersey.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (37-28) (13) When 24-11-10 is considered an off-night, that's when you know you're an elite player.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (34-31) (16) Oden returning to practice has to give the Blazers a lot of confidence going into next year.
15. Toronto Raptors (34-30) (14) As much depth as the Raptors have, they need Bosh in order to be taken seriously in the postseason.
16. Washington Wizards (31-32) (17) Butler picked the perfect time to come back, as the Wizards lost virtually no ground in his absence despite the initial slump.
17. Philadelphia 76ers (31-34) (15) Winning in Detroit has to do wonders for the Sixers' confidence should those two meet up in the playoffs.
18. Chicago Bulls (26-38) (20) Now is not a good time for lackluster efforts like the one against Boston with the Bulls' season still salvageable (That is, if you consider making the East playoffs with a record 10+ games under .500 salvageable.)
19. Sacramento Kings (28-35) (19) Spencer Hawes has played well lately, hoping to continue the Kings' legacy of agile white big men.
20. New Jersey Nets (26-37) (18) They have to be relieved that they don't have to play anyone from the Southwest Division anymore after getting blanked on their road trip.
21. Atlanta Hawks (26-38) (21) As badly as the Hawks have played, they can still win twice in a night when they play the Heat.
22. Indiana Pacers (25-39) (22) As much heat as Isiah takes for all the bad trades and signings the Knicks have made, who would have thought the Pacers are actually in a worse position salary cap-wise? Yet Bird continues to avoid blame for this.
23. Charlotte Bobcats (24-40) (24) Oh good, an Earl Boykins sighting. I was hoping he was still in the league.
24. Milwaukee Bucks (23-42) (23) Replacing Mo Williams with Royal Ivey is like replacing a Honda Civic with a Pinto. It's that lack of depth that's the reason the Bucks are still floundering in mediocrity.
25. Los Angeles Clippers (21-42) (25) Al Thornton has to be the only one mad that Elton's coming back. Oh, Maggette too, less shooting for him.
26. New York Knicks (19-46) (26) The Heat seem to be about the only team the Knicks can beat these days, and they still almost gift-wrapped that game.
27. Minnesota Timberwolves (14-49) (29) In just two days out in Cali, the Wolves doubled their road win total against the Kings and Clippers.
28. Seattle Supersonics (16-49) (27) It has to be depressing for the 20 fans that still care about the Sonics to watch Green and Durant play so well, knowing in a couple years, they're going to be putting people on their feet in Oklahoma City.
29. Memphis Grizzlies (15-49) (28) One of the few pluses has been the play of the Grizzlies' youngsters, particularly Conley, Warrick and Gay.
30. Miami Heat (11-52) (30) Riley picked a good time to go watch the NCAA Tournament, as these last 19 games will be unwatchable without Wade and Wright.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Week 18 NBA Rankings
1. Boston Celtics (47-12) (2) Won the crucial showdown with Detroit to maintain a 4-game lead for home court advantage in the Eastern Conference.
2. San Antonio Spurs (42-17) (4) Never count out the defending champion as the Spurs have hit full stride at just the right time with their latest 10-game winning streak.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (43-18) (1) When his team needed him the most, Kobe once again stepped up huge with 52 in an overtime win over the Mavericks.
4. Detroit Pistons (44-17) (3) Signing Ratliff could prove to be a shrewd move for the Pistons if he has anything left in the tank.
5. Houston Rockets (40-20) (5) The more people doubt them, the stronger this team bonds, as the Rockets have now won 16 straight with TMac leading the charge and the role players stepping up.
6. New Orleans Hornets (41-19) (6) Welcome back Birdman! Your sub-par Slam Dunk performance still ranks in the bottom 5 all-time.
7. Utah Jazz (40-22) (8) At home, they're unbeatable with a 27-3 record, but for the Jazz to make a repeat run in the playoffs, they'll have to do better than a sub-.500 road record.
8. Orlando Magic (40-23) (10) Between the injuries and the turbulent backcourt play, it's amazing the Magic have performed at such a high level this year.
9. Dallas Mavericks (39-22) (7) The more I look at Dirk's hard foul on Kirilenko, the more I question it even being called a flagrant, much less warranting a suspension.
10. Phoenix Suns (40-21) (9) The defense isn't picking up much and with San Antonio and Utah in its next two games, the Suns need at least one win just to stay in the hunt for a top 4 spot.
11. Golden State Warriors (37-23) (11) While JRich got the last laugh, the Warriors can't be too happy with Brendan Wright's pedestrian 6-5 game against the Bobcats.
12. Denver Nuggets (36-24) (12) If Denver misses the playoffs, it maybe seriously time to adjust the format to only include the 16 teams with the best records.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (35-26) (14) LeBron's Garden performance was truly memorable, everything from the 38-foot jump-shot to the near triple double he recorded to go with his 50 to him calling 50 and then pulling it off by hitting three straight threes.
14. Toronto Raptors (33-27) (13) Bosh better rest up that knee, as his presence is critical to the Raptors having any shot at advancing in the postseason.
15. Philadelphia 76ers (28-33) (15) Now 'Dre Miller's starting to step his game up, as he held his own against three of the premier PG's in the NBA last week.
16. Portland Trail Blazers (31-30) (16) With the playoffs almost certainly out of reach, the Blazers' next aim should be at maintaining a .500 record.
17. Washington Wizards (29-31) (17) They'd be in the 7th slot if they didn't somehow find a way to beat the Hornets twice in the last week.
18. New Jersey Nets (26-35) (18) If they couldn't win in Memphis, I'd be very surprised to see the Nets get one win on their five-game road trip against the Southwest Division, the toughest division in basketball.
19. Sacramento Kings (27-34) (19) If KJ becomes mayor of Sacramento, he'd instantly be the best PG living in Sacramento at the present moment.
20. Chicago Bulls (24-36) (20) If Luol Deng hadn't stopped, LeBron might have jumped over him, he was so high off the ground.
21. Atlanta Hawks (24-35) (21) They might be a playoff team if ownership had just let Billy Knight replace Mike Woodson with a real coach.
22. Indiana Pacers (24-37) (23) Who says the Pacers' time in the police blotter is over? We haven't even reached the offseason and it seems like half the team is an ex-con.
23. Milwaukee Bucks (23-38) (22) Welcome back Charlie! To think, he scored 32 in just three quarters, maybe he could have hit 40 with an extra 12 minutes.
24. Charlotte Bobcats (22-39) (26) Is there such thing as a concussion-prone NBA player? If there is, GWall comes closest to filling that definition.
25. Los Angeles Clippers (20-39) (24) I would hope Al Thornton's performing at a high level by now. He only needed six years of college.
26. New York Knicks (18-43) (25) LeBron's 50-point game might have meant more if Dolan hadn't turned the Knicks into the NBA's biggest joke.
27. Seattle Supersonics (16-45) (27) It's only a matter of time before David Stern allows one of the most illogical moves in NBA history by allowing the Sonics to skip town for Oklahoma City.
28. Memphis Grizzlies (15-46) (28) This is the team that really belongs in Oklahoma City, they just don't have a greedy enough owner.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-48) (29) McHale's just torturing Antoine Walker for becoming fat and useless in Miami by not buying out his contract and making him freeze up in Minnesota.
30. Miami Heat (11-47) (30) I will know there's something to this "rigged lottery" theory if the Heat wind up with the #1 pick and land Michael Beasley.
2. San Antonio Spurs (42-17) (4) Never count out the defending champion as the Spurs have hit full stride at just the right time with their latest 10-game winning streak.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (43-18) (1) When his team needed him the most, Kobe once again stepped up huge with 52 in an overtime win over the Mavericks.
4. Detroit Pistons (44-17) (3) Signing Ratliff could prove to be a shrewd move for the Pistons if he has anything left in the tank.
5. Houston Rockets (40-20) (5) The more people doubt them, the stronger this team bonds, as the Rockets have now won 16 straight with TMac leading the charge and the role players stepping up.
6. New Orleans Hornets (41-19) (6) Welcome back Birdman! Your sub-par Slam Dunk performance still ranks in the bottom 5 all-time.
7. Utah Jazz (40-22) (8) At home, they're unbeatable with a 27-3 record, but for the Jazz to make a repeat run in the playoffs, they'll have to do better than a sub-.500 road record.
8. Orlando Magic (40-23) (10) Between the injuries and the turbulent backcourt play, it's amazing the Magic have performed at such a high level this year.
9. Dallas Mavericks (39-22) (7) The more I look at Dirk's hard foul on Kirilenko, the more I question it even being called a flagrant, much less warranting a suspension.
10. Phoenix Suns (40-21) (9) The defense isn't picking up much and with San Antonio and Utah in its next two games, the Suns need at least one win just to stay in the hunt for a top 4 spot.
11. Golden State Warriors (37-23) (11) While JRich got the last laugh, the Warriors can't be too happy with Brendan Wright's pedestrian 6-5 game against the Bobcats.
12. Denver Nuggets (36-24) (12) If Denver misses the playoffs, it maybe seriously time to adjust the format to only include the 16 teams with the best records.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (35-26) (14) LeBron's Garden performance was truly memorable, everything from the 38-foot jump-shot to the near triple double he recorded to go with his 50 to him calling 50 and then pulling it off by hitting three straight threes.
14. Toronto Raptors (33-27) (13) Bosh better rest up that knee, as his presence is critical to the Raptors having any shot at advancing in the postseason.
15. Philadelphia 76ers (28-33) (15) Now 'Dre Miller's starting to step his game up, as he held his own against three of the premier PG's in the NBA last week.
16. Portland Trail Blazers (31-30) (16) With the playoffs almost certainly out of reach, the Blazers' next aim should be at maintaining a .500 record.
17. Washington Wizards (29-31) (17) They'd be in the 7th slot if they didn't somehow find a way to beat the Hornets twice in the last week.
18. New Jersey Nets (26-35) (18) If they couldn't win in Memphis, I'd be very surprised to see the Nets get one win on their five-game road trip against the Southwest Division, the toughest division in basketball.
19. Sacramento Kings (27-34) (19) If KJ becomes mayor of Sacramento, he'd instantly be the best PG living in Sacramento at the present moment.
20. Chicago Bulls (24-36) (20) If Luol Deng hadn't stopped, LeBron might have jumped over him, he was so high off the ground.
21. Atlanta Hawks (24-35) (21) They might be a playoff team if ownership had just let Billy Knight replace Mike Woodson with a real coach.
22. Indiana Pacers (24-37) (23) Who says the Pacers' time in the police blotter is over? We haven't even reached the offseason and it seems like half the team is an ex-con.
23. Milwaukee Bucks (23-38) (22) Welcome back Charlie! To think, he scored 32 in just three quarters, maybe he could have hit 40 with an extra 12 minutes.
24. Charlotte Bobcats (22-39) (26) Is there such thing as a concussion-prone NBA player? If there is, GWall comes closest to filling that definition.
25. Los Angeles Clippers (20-39) (24) I would hope Al Thornton's performing at a high level by now. He only needed six years of college.
26. New York Knicks (18-43) (25) LeBron's 50-point game might have meant more if Dolan hadn't turned the Knicks into the NBA's biggest joke.
27. Seattle Supersonics (16-45) (27) It's only a matter of time before David Stern allows one of the most illogical moves in NBA history by allowing the Sonics to skip town for Oklahoma City.
28. Memphis Grizzlies (15-46) (28) This is the team that really belongs in Oklahoma City, they just don't have a greedy enough owner.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-48) (29) McHale's just torturing Antoine Walker for becoming fat and useless in Miami by not buying out his contract and making him freeze up in Minnesota.
30. Miami Heat (11-47) (30) I will know there's something to this "rigged lottery" theory if the Heat wind up with the #1 pick and land Michael Beasley.
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