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ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:00 pm
by JordansBulls
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerrank ... d=tab2pos1 1 (2) Celtics 6-1 Seriously. Go back and look closely at what the champs did in Houston and then in Detroit, then tell me how this committee (of one) could ignore the quality of those wins, even when the Lakers are blasting everybody.
2 (1) Lakers 5-0 Two more dominating displays, including a 29-point beatdown of the Ron Artest-fueled Rockets, have hiked the Lakers' average margin of victory to a whopping 22.4 points per game. Next in line: Atlanta at a mere 10.2 ppg.
3 (9) Cavaliers 5-2 You have to go all the way back to 1975-76 for the Cavs' first and only division title. Tell us: Do you like them to win the Central Division more or less now that the Pistons have swapped Billups for Iverson?
4 (8) Suns 5-2 Hard to argue with the insistence of the Suns' brass to impose occasional nights off on Shaq when he follows up a DNP-CD in Chicago with his biggest scoring game in more than a year (29 points) at Milwaukee.
5 (12) Hawks 5-0 The loss of Josh Smith for two to four weeks has to dampen the mood somewhat, but we insist on letting these -- get this -- defense-first Hawks enjoy their moment, now 2-for-2 as the U.S. Army Team of the Week.
6 (2) Hornets 4-2 Peja and Chandler weren't out of the lineup long ... and these days a home loss to Atlanta doesn't look nearly as bad as it sounds. Yet you get the sense that Coach Scott isn't thrilled with what he's seen so far.
7 (6) Raptors 4-2 Have you noticed Bosh is getting mentioned as a 2010 free-agent target almost as often as LeBron lately? Perhaps that's because there are maybe two guys in the East (LeBron and Joe Johnson) who can match him lately.
8 (7) Jazz 5-1 Has to be scary for Jazz fans to hear that D-Will is going to be out longer than expected. That said, Utah can't be too cautious with that guy, no matter what this news does to the rest of Jerry Sloan's November.
9 (5) Pistons 4-2 I'm sure the second-guessing is well underway in Motown after an 0-2 launch to the Iverson Era, but how do you pass on a deal in which you get the best player and the most payroll flexibility? Right. You don't.
10 (16) Magic 4-2 Anyone else out there think our scathing critique of the Magic in this space, just one Monday ago, is what woke them up and led to (mostly) comfortable wins over Chicago, Philly and Washington at home? Us, too.
11 (4) Rockets 4-3 You pretty much have to live with that heave Brandon Roy tossed in at the buzzer. Losing to Boston and the road no-show against the Lakers, in the Rockets' first two big games of the season, were the real letdowns.
12 (18) Nuggets 3-3 Back when the Nuggets acquired Iverson, AI couldn't get to Denver right away because of a blizzard that shut down the whole city. In the Billups Era, at a quick 2-0, things have started a bit more smoothly.
13 (14) Pacers 2-3 Not the easiest four opponents to start with: Detroit, Boston, Phoenix and Cleveland. Vulnerable as the Pacers' defense remains, let's see whether they can build on thumping Boston and hanging with the other three.
14 (17) Trail Blazers 3-3 Deflated as Blazermaniacs must be about the Oden situation, they're still seeing serious entertainment. All of Portland's home games have gone down to the final seconds and the local kids pulled out all three wins.
15 (15) Bulls 3-4 Injuries to Hinrich and Hughes should make it easier for the Bulls to find playing time for all their guards ... but tougher to assemble the trade package they'd need to address those well-chronicled size issues.
At first I was like woooo how did Boston get the top spot, but then again they won on the road at Houston and Detroit.
While the Lakers have been impressive they haven't faced an elite team like that on the road yet.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:12 pm
by semi-sentient
Neither team has faced an elite team on the road yet. I'd hardly call Detroit elite right after making a major trade like that, but they would be the closest.
Having said that, I'm not surprised Boston got to #1. Their week was harder and that's how these rankings go.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:14 pm
by NDaATL
Hawks all the way to #5, I must be dreaming...
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:19 pm
by shaqfan1
Yep, I knew it. Marc Stein put the Heat as low as he could and also talked bad about them. At 17, the Heat are the lowest ranked .500 team. In fact, there are teams below .500 that are above the Heat. But hey, give the man some credit for his capacity to hate.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:58 pm
by _BBIB_
NDaATL wrote:Hawks all the way to #5, I must be dreaming...
And truly deserve to be higher considering the undefeated record including 4 over playoff teams from last year.
But hey what else can we expect from BSPN?
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 11:04 pm
by MHZ
It's so early - but I think the Lakers have to be #1. I dunno, this seams bad. Like, Marc Stein bad. Oh, that's right.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 11:05 pm
by 5DOM
didnt know cavaliers were so good.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 11:11 pm
by carrottop12
Good, the Jazz were undefeated until yesterday and finally lost their first game on the road with out Deron Williams playing, and now they are in 8th place?
Thank god the power rankings are back and just as good as ever.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 11:43 pm
by KobeFarmarEra
Stein shows his undying love for Phoenix once again. How can he put them over NOH when they lost to them and have the same number of losses.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 11:47 pm
by TheOUTLAW
5DOM wrote:didnt know cavaliers were so good.
They're pretty good, but I'm not so sure that they are this good.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 11:50 pm
by Chubby Chaser
NDaATL wrote:Hawks all the way to #5, I must be dreaming...
I've been saying for a while now that the Hawks are going to surprise a lot of people this year. That Mike Bibby trade was HUGE, as it allowed JJ to switch back to his natural SG position and not worry about getting other people involved. Hawks are a good team, and wouldn't surprise me if they made a lot of noise come playoffs. I just laugh to myself to think how idiotic the Suns organization are by letting Joe Johnson leave. He's one of the most underrated players in the league. No one really gives Joe Johnson his props because Atlanta doesn't get much tv time so people don't get to see what him and Josh Smith are doing over there. To think, the Suns could of had Nash running the point, and Joe Johnson and Marion running the wings, and Amare at PF.
If they would of re signed Kurt Thomas at center that would of been the best team they put on the floor since Barkley and KJ.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 11:51 pm
by Chubby Chaser
So, uhh. How 'bout them Blazers?
Thank GOD all those "Portland is a DYNASTY" threads stopped. That was just getting annoying. Now on to some real basketball.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:35 am
by TonyMontana
MHizzle wrote:It's so early - but I think the Lakers have to be #1. I dunno, this seams bad. Like, Marc Stein bad. Oh, that's right.
Honestly as a Laker fan I could careless about 6 game rankings.
With one road trip, teams can drop from 1st to 8th within days.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 1:32 am
by No Offense
5DOM wrote:didnt know cavaliers were so good.
You would never know with the way people talk about them on here. I realize you are being sarcastic, but allow me to make some points:
1. LeBron James is averaging 28, 9 and 7.
2. The Cavs are still playing good defense. They have a 6.6 point differential. They also have a 4.1 rebounding differential (it was a lot higher before they had two bad rebounding games in a row this week).
3. The supporting cast is stepping up big time. LeBron James is only averaging 36 minutes a game and the role players are maintaining leads or even coming back from deficits while he is on the bench.
4. The Cavs have a respectable point differential. This is a team that managed to be outscored as a whole last year and put it together enough to win a series a lot of people thought they couldn't win and take the eventual champs to the final minute of game 7.
So remind me why the Cavs shouldn't be ranked high? They have some flaws, but they also have a lot of valuable trade assets, a PG for the first time in LeBron's career and one of the best, if not the best player in the game.
But hey, I know it's cool to pooh-pooh on the Cavs around these parts. Forget I ever even opened my mouth.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:15 am
by DEEP3CL
TonyMontana wrote:Honestly as a Laker fan I could careless about 6 game rankings.
With one road trip, teams can drop from 1st to 8th within days.
Yeah dawg I'm with you on this one.............these rankings are meaningless right now way too early some of the big dogs are not at full strength like the Jazz. They should start the rankings after 10 games are played.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:35 am
by INKtastic
5DOM wrote:didnt know cavaliers were so good.
The Sheridan power rankings also have the cavs at #3 with Boston at #2. But instead of LA at #1 (they're #4), it's the Hawks.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/nba0809.htm
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 6:02 am
by erudite23
I know it doesn't matter, and that its even early in the season, but this unfounded lovefest for the Hornets is killing me. They won two games where they were (fully or partially) without Peja and Chandler, true--by virtue of scorching outside shooting--and then followed that up by losing two straight in embarrassing fashion with them. First AT HOME to the Hawks--who may be a lot better than expected, but are still the Hawks until they definitively prove that they aren't--and then to the juggernaut Bobcats. Good for a peanut drop from 2nd to 6th?
Meanwhile, the Jazz start 5-0 (still tied for the best start to the season, btw) without their best player and All-NBA PG, lose a close one on the road in a place they never win at anyway, and they DROP a spot? Huh?
Again, its ridiculously early, and it doesn't matter, but I do wonder what goes on inside that head of his.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 6:09 am
by MalReyn
Batronuj wrote:Good, the Jazz were undefeated until yesterday and finally lost their first game on the road with out Deron Williams playing, and now they are in 8th place?
Thank god the power rankings are back and just as good as ever.
They've always dropped teams that have injuries to major players, often even if they win games. My guess is that's what happened to the Jazz.
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 6:21 am
by INKtastic
Utah is 15th in the computer rankings I posted above - which also shows that they've played the easiest schedule in the league
Re: ESPN: Power Rankings Week 2
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:01 am
by Mufasa
If we're talking pure performance, Hawks should be no less than 3rd, if not higher. Not only are they undefeated, but their New Orleans win is way more impressive than anything Cleveland or Phoenix has done.