Kris Loertscher
Nov 09, 2009 Feb 22, 2012 10 4
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NBA Bloggers Power Rankings Week 8: Where (gulp) The Knicks Are on Fire, And The Lakers Win Again
0 commentsSBN NBA Bloggers Power Rankings Week 8: Where the Knicks Are on Fire
by Kris Loertscher on Dec 23, 2009 12:59 PM EST
Do not click refresh. This is not the same power rankings as last week. I know the non-Laker fans must get tired of seeing Kobe's mug each week, but for now, that's how it's going to be.
Skip the first three if you'd like and peruse the rest of the rankings while sipping on that spiked egg nog. Hopefully this is your last day of work before Christmas.
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1 |
Los Angeles Lakers (6) (22 - 4) |
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- |
SBN Blog: Silver Screen and Roll |
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Peninsula is Mightier, "I'd be shocked if they get knocked off the #1 spot at all this season...they're THAT good." |
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2 |
Boston Celtics (21 - 5) |
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- |
SBN Blog: CelticsBlog |
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CelticsBlog, "Boston's loss to Philadelphia on Friday ruined a perfectly good 11-game win streak and they miss out on the top spot because of it. |
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3 |
Orlando Magic (21 - 7) |
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- |
SBN Blog: Orlando Pinstriped Post |
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CelticsBlog, "At 20-7 the Magic will be looking over their shoulder all season at the now mature and arguably poised Atlanta Hawks. However, Orlando is the only team in the league with double digit wins at home and on the road. That balance could keep them at the top of the Southeast division. " |
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4 |
Dallas Mavericks (20 - 8) |
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↑2 |
SBN Blog: Mavs Moneyball |
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Clips Nation, "Even without Dirk the Mavs beat the Cavs. Dallas is the good team that no one is talking about." |
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5 |
Cleveland Cavaliers (21 - 8) |
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- |
SBN Blog: Fear The Sword |
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Clips Nation, "I love what Jamario Moon gives them, Anthony Parker is hitting 50% from three - so why aren't they better than last year? Maybe one of their off-season acquisitions isn't really working out. I wonder…" |
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6 |
Denver Nuggets (19 - 9) |
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↑1 |
SBN Blog: Denver Stiffs |
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The Dream Shake, "Almost impossible to beat at home these days." |
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7 |
Phoenix Suns (18 - 10) |
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↑1 |
SBN Blog: Bright Side Of The Sun |
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Clips Nation, "Don't be fooled by their 4-6 record in their last 10 - losses @CLE, @LAL, @DAL, @DEN and @POR are not unusual - those are 5 of the toughest places to win in the entire league. One place tougher? @PHO, where the Suns are still undefeated." |
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8 |
Atlanta Hawks (19 - 7) |
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↓4 |
SBN Blog: Peachtree Hoops |
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CelticsBlog, "They're young, yet mature. They're fast, yet poised. They have a lethal nucleus, a coach who seems to finally have control over everyone (including Josh Smith) and a star ready for the spotlight in Joe Johnson. |
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9 |
Portland Trail Blazers (17 - 12) |
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↑3 |
SBN Blog: Blazersedge |
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SLC Dunk, "And I thought the Jazz had the injury bug last season. That was just a case of the sniffles in comparison to what Portland has gone through. Oh, and Brandon Roy is having an MRI." |
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10 |
San Antonio Spurs (15 - 10) |
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↓1 |
SBN Blog: Pounding The Rock |
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The Dream Shake, "In case you've forgotten, the Spurs have consistently started rough in past years. They can't truly be evaluated until March or April." |
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11 |
Houston Rockets (16 - 11) |
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↑2 |
SBN Blog: The Dream Shake |
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The Dream Shake, "The Rockets are winning all the games that they weren't expected to win. They're 6-1 on the back end of back-to-backs, and have the second-best road record in the West." |
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12 |
Utah Jazz (16 - 12) |
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↓2 |
SBN Blog: SLC Dunk |
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Clips Nation, "With a 5-8 road record, there are still issues for the Jazz." [Ed. Note: Issues at 5-8 on the road? I'm ecstatic compared to previous years. .500, here we come!] |
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13 |
Miami Heat (13 - 12) |
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↑2 |
SBN Blog: Peninsula is Mightier |
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Clips Nation, "What's wrong with South Beach? The Heat are the only team in the league with a better road record than home record. I thought those visiting players were supposed to be tired from clubbing all night." |
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14 |
Oklahoma City Thunder (13 - 13) |
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↓3 |
SBN Blog: Welcome to Loud City |
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SLC Dunk, "Rough week and a half for the Thunder. They're 1 for their last six having just gone through a gauntlet of @LAL, @HOU, DET, DAL, @DEN, and CLE." |
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15 |
Milwaukee Bucks (12 - 14) |
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↑2 |
SBN Blog: Brew Hoop |
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Clips Nation, "Reverting to the mean. The NBA is a lot tougher when the opposition starts game planning, eh Brandon? Jennings is shooting around 35% in his last 14 games." |
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16 |
New Orleans Hornets (12 - 14) |
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↑3 |
SBN Blog: At The Hive |
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Clips Nation, "After making 22 of his first 34 threes this season, Chris Paul is 2 for is last 15. It's only fair - if he's deadly from beyond the arc, he's whole new level of unguardable. Still, the Hornets have a better record this seaosn without him than with him, which remains one of the great mysteries of the young season." |
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17 |
Sacramento Kings (13 - 14) |
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↑1 |
SBN Blog: Sactown Royalty |
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The Dream Shake, "My second-favorite team. Seriously, they are oodles of fun to watch. And yes, that's how comfortable I am with this team... I said "oodles", in my support of them." |
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18 |
Memphis Grizzlies (12 - 15) |
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↑2 |
SBN Blog: Straight Outta Vancouver |
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Clips Nation, "6-3 in their last 9, including wins over Dallas, Cleveland and Denver. These guys are dangerous." |
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19 |
Toronto Raptors (13 - 17) |
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↑2 |
SBN Blog: Raptors HQ |
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Clips Nation, "Their defense is terrible, but their offense is completely capable of outscoring you." | |
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20 |
Detroit Pistons (11 - 16) |
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↓6 |
SBN Blog: Motown String Music |
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Clips Nation, "Jonas Jerebko is the greatest Swedish basketball player in history. Seriously. I'm not kidding." |
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21 |
Los Angeles Clippers (12 - 15) |
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- |
SBN Blog: Clips Nation |
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Clips Nation, "Winners of three of their last four, it would have been four straight had they not blown a 20 point lead in New York. But the schedule gets tougher now." |
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22 |
Charlotte Bobcats (10 - 16) |
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↓6 |
SBN Blog: Rufus on Fire |
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Blog a Bull, "Even if predictable, Larry Brown not playing rookie Gerald Henderson still sucks." |
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23 |
New York Knicks (10 - 17) |
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↓1 |
SBN Blog: Posting and Toasting |
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SLC Dunk, "Please stop winning. The Jazz need a good pick. Thank you." |
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24 |
Chicago Bulls (10 - 16) |
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↑2 |
SBN Blog: Blog a Bull |
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Blog a Bull, "A couple wins kept the Bulls out of 'fire their coach just to stop the bleeding' mode. Didn't mean their coach got better." [Ed. Note: This was in before the 35-point choke job] |
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25 |
Washington Wizards (8 - 17) |
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↓1 |
SBN Blog: Bullets Forever |
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SLC Dunk, "Time to start the office pool for when the first day of the fire sale begins." |
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26 |
Indiana Pacers (9 - 17) |
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↓1 |
SBN Blog: Indy Cornrows |
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SLC Dunk, "If you're in the east, you're never out of it. Pacers are trying to stay afloat while Granger is out, but they're facing a rough schedule until he returns." |
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27 |
Philadelphia 76ers (7 - 20) |
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- |
SBN Blog: Liberty Ballers |
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Blog a Bull, "The dangers of having max cap space (Elton Brand), teams should take heed in 2010." |
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28 |
Golden State Warriors (7 - 19) |
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SBN Blog: Golden State Of Mind |
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Blog a Bull, "Why trade Anthony Randolph? He'll be in the league longer than Don Nelson." |
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29 |
Minnesota Timberwolves (5 - 23) |
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- |
SBN Blog: Canis Hoopus |
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Clips Nation, "They've been much better since Love's been back - but that's not saying much. The bar was pretty low. I'm not convinced Jonny Flynn knows what a triangle looks like." |
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30 |
New Jersey Nets (2 - 26) |
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- |
SBN Blog: Your Blog Here |
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Blog a Bull, "I always start these at the bottom, much easier to pick the worst team than the best." |
NBA Power Rankings, Week 7: Can The Hawks Contend?
by Kris Loertscher on Dec 16, 2009 2:51 PM EST
C'mon, you think one little loss is going to knock off the champs? That was nothing! That broken finger? Nothing!
In the closest vote of the season so far, the Lakers edged out the Celtics by one voting point. I thought for sure we'd see the voters jump at the chance to put someone else at #1 other than L.A., but not even Boston's winning streak was enough to overtake them.
One thing for sure though is that the top two teams are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the league in the standings. I imagine that gap might grow wider as the season progresses.
As for the other 28 teams, we saw significant jumps from the Hawks and the Knicks finally move out of their parents' basement after a solid week of play. Meanwhile, who replaces them in the bottom three? You gotta scroll to find out.
1 |
Los Angeles Lakers (7) (18 - 4) |
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| - | SBN Blog: Silver Screen and Roll | |||
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Peninsula Is Mightier, "If they stay injury free, I can't see any team knocking them off the pedestal." | |||
2 |
Boston Celtics (6) (20 - 4) |
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↑1 |
SBN Blog: Celtics Blog | |||
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Clips Nation, "A ten game winning streak, the best differential in the league and 11 road wins. Impressive all the way around." | |||
3 |
Orlando Magic (18 - 6) |
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↓1 |
SBN Blog: Third Quarter Collapse | |||
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Clips Nation, "Losses in Salt Lake City and Phoenix are nothing to be ashamed of. The Magic have 10 road wins versus 2 home losses." | |||
4 |
Atlanta Hawks (17 - 6) |
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↑4 |
SBN Blog: Peachtree Hoops | |||
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Peachtree Hoops, "The next two and half weeks will go a long way to show whether the Hawks are an improved fourth seed or an actual contender to join the big three. " | |||
5 |
Cleveland Cavaliers (17 - 7) |
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↓1 |
SBN Blog:Fear The Sword | |||
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Celtics Blog, "Getting better, but something is off. Let's hope it stays off. " | |||
6 |
Dallas Mavericks (18 - 7) |
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↑1 |
SBN Blog: Mavs Moneyball | |||
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Celtics Blog, "Of the contenders not from LA or Boston, the Mavs are possibly playing the best. Plus Dirk has brought back the flowing locks, that's worth an extra spot in the rankings alone. " | |||
7 |
Denver Nuggets (18 - 7) |
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↓2 |
SBN Blog: Denver Stiffs | |||
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Peninsula Is Mightier, "I still think this team is underrated. J.R. Smith is the x-factor; he stays healthy and Denver will challenge the Lakers for the West title." | |||
8 |
Phoenix Suns (16 - 8) |
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↓2 |
SBN Blog: Bright Side Of The Sun | |||
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Clips Nation, "The last team undefeated at home." | |||
9 |
San Antonio Spurs (12 - 9) |
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↑2 |
SBN Blog: Pounding The Rock | |||
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Clips Nation, "Starting to look like the Spurs again." | |||
10 |
Utah Jazz (14 - 10) |
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↓1 |
SBN Blog: SLC Dunk | |||
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Celtics Blog, "Very impressive wins knocking off both of last year's championship participants. When the Jazz can put a complete game together, they can really play." | |||
11 |
Oklahoma City Thunder (12 - 11) |
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↑3 |
SBN Blog: Welcome to Loud City | |||
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Peninsula Is Mightier, "They've been playing well, but have a very tough schedule ahead." | |||
12 |
Portland Trail Blazers (14 - 11) |
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| - | SBN Blog: Blazersedge | |||
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Clips Nation, "They were struggling before they lost Oden and Rudy." | |||
13 |
Houston Rockets (13 - 10) |
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↓3 |
SBN Blog: The Dream Shake | |||
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Peachtree Hoops, "One missed punch sure took out a lot of likability with this team." | |||
14 |
Detroit Pistons (11 - 12) |
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↑8 |
SBN Blog: Motown String Music | |||
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Blog A Bull, "Some big wins with even more injuries adding up. Much more impressive than making excuses." | |||
15 |
Miami Heat (11 - 11) |
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↓2 |
SBN Blog: Peninsula Is Mightier | |||
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Clips Nation, "Suddenly the Heat can't win at home." | |||
16 |
Charlotte Bobcats (9 - 13) |
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| - | SBN Blog: Rufus on Fire | |||
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Rufus on Fire, "Since Stephen Jackson's arrival, Gerald Wallace has turned into an All Star and Raymond Felton has become a facilitating point guard instead of an offensive black hole. It may not get them to the playoffs, but their ceiling ... is higher than it was at the start of the season. | |||
17 |
Milwaukee Bucks (11 - 11) |
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| - | SBN Blog: Brew Hoop | |||
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Peninsula Is Mightier, "If Andrew Bogut can stay healthy, the finally .500 Bucks will continue making noise." | |||
18 |
Sacramento Kings (10 - 12) |
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↓3 |
SBN Blog: Sactown Royalty | |||
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SLC Dunk, "One-dollar beer (water/soda) night? Are you kidding me? It's almost worth the trip just to save that much on a drink. Oh, and this ought to turn out well." | |||
19 |
New Orleans Hornets (10 - 13) |
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↓1 |
SBN Blog: At The Hive | |||
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SLC Dunk, "I wonder if Chris Paul's contract can end soon enough for him." | |||
20 |
Memphis Grizzlies (10 - 14) |
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↑3 |
SBN Blog: Straight Outta Vancouver | |||
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Peachtree Hoops, "I admit it. I love this team." | |||
21 |
Los Angeles Clippers (10 - 13) |
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↓2 |
SBN Blog: Clips Nation | |||
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Clips Nation, "Is the realization that Blake Griffin is not coming to the rescue any time soon starting to set in? Embarrassing loss to the Spurs drops their home record to 6-8." | |||
22 |
New York Knicks (8 - 15) |
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↑5 |
SBN Blog: Posting And Toasting | |||
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Clips Nation, "A four game winning streak? I'd say Knicks fans have something to be excited about, except of course almost none of these guys will be there next season." | |||
23 |
Toronto Raptors (11 - 15) |
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↓3 |
SBN Blog: Raptors HQ | |||
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Peninsula Is Mightier, "I can't wait until Chris Bosh is in a Miami Heat uniform..." | |||
24 |
Washington Wizards (7 - 15) |
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↓3 |
SBN Blog: Bullets Forever | |||
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Blog A Bull "Still over ranking this team based on accomplishment, but the potential is still so high." | |||
25 |
Indiana Pacers (8 - 14) |
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↑1 |
SBN Blog: Indy Cornrows | |||
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Celtics Blog, "No Danny Granger is going to make it tough for the Pacers. And for my fantasy team." | |||
26 |
Chicago Bulls (8 - 14) |
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↓1 |
SBN Blog: Blog A Bull | |||
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Clips Nation, "Bad losses are a bad sign, and Chicago has a lot of them. Can Vinny be around much longer?" | |||
27 |
Philadelphia 76ers (6 - 18) |
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↑1 |
SBN Blog: Liberty Ballers | |||
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Blog A Bull, "Eddie Jordan is not only having a fireable start as Sixers coach, he was an expensive hire." | |||
28 |
Golden State Warriors (7 - 17) |
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↓4 |
SBN Blog: Golden State Of Mind | |||
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Clips Nation, "Monta Ellis is one of 5 players in the league taking 20 or more shots per game. The others are named Kobe, Durant, Melo, Dwyane and Dirk. I'm not convinced Monta belongs in that company." | |||
29 |
Minnesota Timberwolves (4 - 21) |
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| - | SBN Blog: Canis Hoopus | |||
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Canis Hoopus, "The luster of Love's return has worn off and Flynn continues to rebel against Rambis's offense at just the wrong times. But hey, Corey Brewer and Derek Fisher got us on Sportscenter so that's a win, right?" [Not to mention beating the Jazz 2X] | |||
30 |
New Jersey Nets (2 - 22) |
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| - | SBN Blog: Now hiring! |
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Peninsula Is Mightier, "I still say with Brook Lopez, Devin Harris, Chris Douglas-Roberts, an owner named Jay-Z and a possible new arena waiting in Brooklyn, the Nets could have a shot in the LeBron sweepstakes." | |||
A hand for this week's panel,
NBA Power Rankings, Week 6: Where The Gods Are Still Laker Fans
by Kris Loertscher on Dec 9, 2009 11:18 AM EST
in NBA Power Rankings
NBA Power Rankings, Week 6: Where The Gods Are Still Laker Fans
by Kris Loertscher on Dec 9, 2009 11:18 AM EST
When you got it, you got it, and right now the Lakers got it. Across the body shots, while fading away, and behind the three-point line aren't suppose to drop in. But for the Lakers, everything is falling.
Speaking of falling, Chicago takes the biggest cliff dive after a horrific week capped off by a loss to the Nets at home.
See where everyone else falls in line.
| Team (First place votes) | Last Week | Movement | Record | Team Blog | Comment | ||
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1 | Los Angeles Lakers (12) | 1 | - | 16 - 3 | Silver Screen and Roll | Peninsula is Mightier, "When the gods are Kobe fans...look out world." |
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2 | Orlando Magic | 2 | - | 16 - 4 | Third Quarter Collapse | CelticsBlog, "Knicks twice and Warriors once makes for an easy week. Actually their entire December schedule seems to be a nice gift from Santa." |
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3 | Boston Celtics (1) | 4 | 1 | 16 - 4 | Celtics Blog | Third Quarter Collapse, "Tough to rank a team as good as the Celtics this low, especially after a 4-0 road trip and a 7-0 overall streak. Their next 7 games look extremely winnable. Should they run the table, they'd enter Christmas Day's matchup with the Magic on a 14-game winning streak, having not lost since mid-November to--you guessed it!--Orlando." |
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4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 5 | 1 | 15 - 5 | Fear The Sword | Silver Screen and Roll, "They've yet to pick up the kind of steam LA, Boston, and Orlando have, but they're back to being outside contenders." |
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5 | Denver Nuggets | 6 | 1 | 16 - 5 | Denver Stiffs | Silver Screen and Roll, "They've won 8 of their last 10, by a margin of 10.7 points per game, and have solidly established themselves as the second best team in the West." |
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6 | Phoenix Suns | 3 | 3 | 15 - 6 | Bright Side Of The Sun | Posting and Toasting, "Teams that can't hang with my Knicks fall short of elite." |
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7 | Dallas Mavericks | 7 | - | 14 - 7 | Mavs Moneyball | SLC Dunk, "The Mavs are a quiet 15-7 while Dirk is averaging a career-high of 27 PPG. He's also getting to the free throw line a lot." |
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8 | Atlanta Hawks | 8 | - | 14 - 6 | Peachtree Hoops | Silver Screen and Roll, "The buzz has quieted down a bit, but they still look 4th best in the East." |
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9 | Utah Jazz | 12 | 3 | 12 - 8 | SLC Dunk | Third Quarter Collapse, "Carlos Boozer's rounding into form and the team's offense has been lights-out of late." |
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10 | Houston Rockets | 13 | 3 | 11 - 9 | The Dream Shake | The Dream Shake, "Well, Aaron Brooks, thanks for finally showing up. Suddenly, the Rockets win three straight - is it just a coincidence that ABZ was on his game during that span? If it weren't for Brandon Roy's ability to make anything against Houston within forty feet, we'd be ahead of Utah in the standings..." |
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11 | San Antonio Spurs | 9 | 2 | 9 - 9 | Pounding The Rock | SLC Dunk, "The Jazz are now 3-0 against the Spurs on the season. I don't know if I can live in that world. |
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12 | Portland Trail Blazers | 10 | 2 | 13 - 9 | Blazersedge | Blog a Bull, "Am I the only one who's miffed when Portland's stars insist they play better with or without certain teammates on the floor? If you were that good it could work with changing parts." |
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13 | Miami Heat | 11 | 2 | 11 - 9 | Third Quarter Collapse, "11-9 is not a bad record, and the Heat are getting better-than-expected contributions from Jermaine O'Neal and Quentin Richardson. Yet I can't regard this team as anything better than mediocre: they're 3-1 in games decided by 3 points or less, and would've been 4-0 were it not for Kobe Bryant's dagger over the weekend. That trend won't continue throughout the season, which is why this team isn't a playoff lock just yet, even with Dwyane Wade. |
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14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 14 | - | 11 - 9 | Welcome to Loud City | SLC Dunk, "With Denver, Portland, Utah, and the exciting Thunder, the northwest division is one of the best in the league (sorry Minnesota)" |
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15 | Sacramento Kings | 16 | 1 | 9 - 10 | Sactown Royalty | CelticsBlog, "Every team from here down stinks." |
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16 | Charlotte Bobcats | 17 | 1 | 8 - 11 | Rufus on Fire | Clips Nation, "A team of contrasts. Great defense, terrible offense. Good home team, horrible road team." |
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17 | Milwaukee Bucks | 15 | 2 | 9 - 10 | Brew Hoop | Celtics Blog, "What happened?" |
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18 | New Orleans Hornets | 19 | 1 | 8 - 11 | At The Hive | Clips Nation, "They have a better record without Chris Paul than with him. Go figure." |
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19 | Los Angeles Clippers | 21 | 2 | 9 - 11 | Clips Nation | Clips Nation, "Found out this week that Griffin won't be back as soon as hoped. "Around .500" will be a lot tougher in Dec. than it was in Nov. given their schedule." |
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20 | Toronto Raptors | 20 | - | 9 - 13 | Raptors HQ | Raptors HQ, "Two straight wins is nice, but this team will need to put three or four more wins together in a row before anyone can say that the fiasco against the Hawks last week is behind them." [Ed. Note - This was submitted before their win over Minnesota." |
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21 | Washington Wizards | 26 | 5 | 7 - 12 | Bullets Forever | Third Quarter Collapse, "In their loss to Detroit on Sunday, the Wizards' "Big 3" of Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison scored 41 points on 41 shots; the Pistons' starting lineup will earn a combine $9.2 million this season, which is less than what Arenas will have banked by the All-Star break. Is it time to rebuild?" |
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22 | Detroit Pistons | 23 | 1 | 8 - 12 | Motown String Music | Blog a Bull, "I sort of enjoy that the old 'entitlement' Pistons are gone, and Dumars went back to his roots: acquiring cast-offs with a chip on their shoulder." |
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23 | Memphis Grizzlies | 24 | 1 | 8 - 12 | Silver Screen and Roll, "They've won 7 of their last 11 games, including their most recent victories over Dallas and Cleveland. Not bad." |
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24 | Golden State Warriors | 25 | 1 | 6 - 14 | Golden State Of Mind | Third Quarter Collapse, "Mikki Moore starts over Anthony Randolph. I'm not sure what else needs to be said about Don Nelson, whose desperate pursuit of Lenny Wilkens' all-time victories record becomes sadder after each self-consciously unorthodox personnel move. The shame is that, in Monta Ellis, Randolph, and Anthony Morrow, Golden State has a solid core in place. It deserves better." |
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25 | Chicago Bulls | 18 | 7 | 7 - 11 | Blog A Bull | Blog a Bull, "People may think that a couple short injuries are no big deal, but the Bulls have a spectacularly awful bench outside of the top-7 rotation. And one of them already starts." |
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26 | Indiana Pacers | 22 | 4 | 6 - 12 | Silver Screen and Roll, "High on the list of things not to be proud of is collecting as many wins as New Jersey in the last 10 games." |
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27 | New York Knicks | 28 | 1 | 7 - 15 | Posting And Toasting | Posting and Toasting, "Lesson learned: You can get away with spotty if you just hit your shots!" |
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28 | Philadelphia 76ers | 27 | 1 | 5 - 16 | Liberty Ballers | Peninsula is Mightier, "Iverson returning could turn things around...but until I see it, I'm not buying." |
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29 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 29 | - | 3 - 17 | Canis Hoopus | Canis Hoopus, "Having Kevin Love as a teammate apparently makes players more confident in themselves. His double doubles and Rambis' move away from a complicated offense haven't hurt, though." |
|
30 | New Jersey Nets | 30 | - | 1 - 19 | Your Blog Here | CelticsBlog, "We did it!" |
These guys haven't been linked with Tiger, yet, but they did manage to vote and comment this week,
| Blog a Bull - Bulls |
| Bullets Forever - Wizards |
| Canis Hoopus - Timberwolves |
| CelticsBlog - Celtics |
| Clips Nation - Clippers |
| Indy Cornrows - Pacers |
| Peninsula is Mightier - Heat |
| Posting and Toasting - Knicks |
| Raptors HQ - Raptors |
| Sactown Royalty - Kings |
| Silver Screen and Roll - Lakers |
| SLC Dunk - Jazz |
| The Dream Shake - Rockets |
| Third Quarter Collapse - Magic |
SBN Blogger NBA Power Rankings, Week 5: Living With The Lakers
by Kris Loertscher on Dec 1, 2009 6:51 PM EST
I've got some news for you, and it is this: the Lakers are probably going to be here for at least the next two weeks, so get used to it. LA will play their next five games at home and don't go on the road again for almost two weeks, when they visit the Jazz on Dec. 12.
In what's been an almost extended pre-season for them, the Lakers haven't had too much competition to start out the season. We'll see a lot more of what they're made of when they head out on the road and face some tougher teams. Until then, they're doing what a championship team is suppose to do: blow out lesser teams at home.
As for the rest of the rankings, there were no changes with the top three or the bottom three this week. We can start pouring the cement on the Knicks, Nets, and Wolves; they're not going anywhere anytime soon.
On to the rankings:
|
|
Team (First place votes) |
Last Week |
Movement |
Record |
Team Blog |
Comment |
|
1 |
- |
13 - 3 |
Blog A Bull - "By improving yet another facet to his game, Bryant gives the Lakers an unmatched variety of post-up weapons, and most team have only one (or none)." |
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|
Orlando Magic (3) |
2 |
- |
14 - 4 |
3rd Quarter Collapse - "One point away from a 9-game winning streak, despite having no star players living up to their potential. They get the nod over Phoenix because they're a more balanced team, ranking 10th in offense and 7th in defense; the Suns are 1st in offense and 22nd in defense." |
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|
Phoenix Suns (3) |
3 |
- |
14 - 3 |
Bright Side of the Sun - "The Suns schedule might have been packed with cupcakes but those same pushovers just beat Portland and Denver and the Phoenix iced those 4 cupcakes by an average margin of victory of 23 points." |
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|
5 |
1 |
13 - 4 |
Straight Outta Vancouver - "Everytime they lose you'll read "Too Old?" but their age hasn't stopped Boston from being the 2nd best team defensively and even 6th best team on offense." |
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|
9 |
4 |
12 - 5 |
Clips Nation - "The Cavs are 3-4 when Shaq plays more than 24 minutes, 9-1 when he plays less than 24. Coincidence?" |
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|
7 |
1 |
12 - 5 |
Clips Nation - "Probably deserve to be higher based on their body of work like 5 road wins against 1 home loss. But that one home loss... they have to suffer for losing at home to the T-Wolves." |
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|
6 |
(1) |
13 - 5 |
The Dream Shake - "The Mavs are going to be even more dangerous once they find some consistency. Until then, I'd appreciate it if they would stop saving up all of their firepower for the Rockets. Really, these blowout losses are getting on my nerves." |
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4 |
(4) |
12 - 5 |
3rd Quarter Collapse - "Blew a 14-point lead at home to the Magic on Thanksgiving, then got whacked in Detroit on Sunday by allowing the Pistons to rebound more than half of their own misses. In other words, the Hawks have looked more and more ordinary lately." |
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|
15 |
6 |
9 - 6 |
Straight Outta Vancouver - "Always dangerous, but not as dangerous. Note to Boston, this is about what you'll look like next season." |
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|
8 |
(2) |
12 - 7 |
Clips Nation - "Losers of back to back games this week, including at home to Memphis.... and frankly the schedule has been ridiculously soft. They only have three wins all season against teams over .500 - and HOU and OKC are both 9-8 at week's end." |
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|
14 |
3 |
10 - 7 |
Bright Side of the Sun - "Can anyone explain this team? Perhaps a Council of Elders can be summoned to explain the mysteries of the Jazz" |
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|
11 |
(1) |
9 - 7 |
Raptor's HQ - "Schedule starting to toughen up and Heat feeling the results." |
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|
12 |
(1) |
9 - 8 |
The Dream Shake - "A nice road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder capped a rough week for Houston that included a 31-point home loss to Dallas and a 12-point third quarter in a home loss to the Spurs. Aaron Brooks MUST get his act together if this offense is going to keep it up." |
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|
13 |
(1) |
9 - 8 |
Raptor's HQ - "We thought OKC would be improved this year, but not THIS much. Great job by management to continue to bring in some very cohesive pieces." |
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|
10 |
(5) |
9 - 7 |
3rd Quarter Collapse - "A tough road trip and a heartbreaking loss to the Magic--they were up 17 points in the second half at home and blew it--has diminished their standing a bit here. Still, Scott Skiles has this team playing great ball, and they're darn near a lock to make the playoffs at this rate." |
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|
21 |
5 |
8 - 8 |
Clips Nation - "In a season of surprises, the Kings are by far the biggest one so far. They had the worst record in the league last season, their best player is hurt, and their new coach's last head gig was driving a mid-major into the ground. But they're 8-8 after winning three in a row, and they're 7-2 at Arco." |
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|
25 |
8 |
7 - 9 |
Rufus on Fire |
Raptor's HQ - "Stephen Jackson's acquisition has the Cats playing even tighter D, and showing signs of life on offense. And now that things are going well, Larry's gotta want to trade someone right?" |
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|
20 |
2 |
7 - 10 |
Blog A Bull - "Most coaches are criticized for not trusting rookies more, but Byron Scott's burying of Collison and Thorton look more egregious by every game of the Bower era." |
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|
16 |
(3) |
6 - 9 |
Blog A Bull- "Not just average by design, but spectacularly boring." |
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|
19 |
(1) |
7 - 11 |
Bright Side of the Sun - "Jelly Doughnut Defense...soft and sweet in the middle and kind of powdery and sweet on the outside as well" |
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|
22 |
1 |
8 - 10 |
Clips Nation - "Winners of 4 out of 5, including a huge comeback Sunday that featured a 28 point swing in the fourth quarter, the Clippers have Eric Gordon back and expect Blake Griffin in another couple weeks. I think the children are our future." |
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|
18 |
(4) |
6 - 9 |
Bright Side of the Sun - "I always forget to rank the Pacers and have to go back and insert them somewhere and reshuffle everything else. This says far more about the Pacers than about me." |
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|
17 |
(6) |
6 - 11 |
Clips Nation - "Tayshaun out, Rip out, Sheed gone, Chauncey gone. Who are these guys? Even that new guy, Little Ben, is hurt now. But for Big Ben, it's 2002 all over again, among the league leaders in offensive boards at 35. Then again, there are a lot of missed shots." |
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|
24 |
- |
6 - 10 |
Straight Outta Vancouver - "Not enough talent here with Biedrins out. Monta Ellis is proving his worth though, and rookie Stephen Curry has stepped up." |
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|
27 |
2 |
6 - 12 |
Straight Outta Vancouver - "Jamaal Tinsley is providing a steady hand at the point and Marc Gasol is looking more and more like his big brother every day. They will grow into their talent as the season moves on." |
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|
26 |
- |
5 - 10 |
Celtics Blog - "Firesale by February?" |
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|
23 |
(4) |
5 - 13 |
Clips Nation - "First Speights, then Lou Williams. Every time the Sixers try to look on the bright side, the bright side gets injured. Paging EB (from 2006). Or is it AI? |
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|
28 |
- |
3 - 14 |
Celtics Blog - "Pep talk: 'We're not New Jersey!'" |
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|
29 |
- |
2 - 15 |
Blog A Bull - "Perhaps the stealthiest tank job in recent memory. They're just learning a new offense!" |
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|
30 |
- |
0 - 17 |
Really, who's going to be blogging about the Nets right now? |
Clips Nation - "Lawrence Frank is out, though of course none of this is his fault. Regardless, one more loss and they take the 99 Clippers out of the record books. Let's go Mavericks!" |
Thanks to the bloggers that participated:
Blog a Bull - Bulls
Bright Side Of The Sun - Suns
CelticsBlog - Celtics
Clips Nation - Clippers
Indy Cornrows - Pacers
Peninsula is Mightier - Heat
Posting and Toasting - Knicks
Raptors HQ - Raptors
Rufus on Fire - Bobcats
Sactown Royalty - Kings
Silver Screen and Roll - Lakers
SLC Dunk - Jazz
Straight Outta Vancouver - Grizzlies
The Dream Shake - Rockets
Third Quarter Collapse - Magic
SBN Blogger NBA Power Rankings, Week 5: Living With The Lakers
by Kris Loertscher on Dec 1, 2009 6:51 PM EST
in NBA Power Rankings
NBA Power Rankings, Week 4: Where The Lakers Are Repeat Winners
by Kris Loertscher on Nov 24, 2009 5:37 PM EST
in NBA Power Rankings
SBN NBA Blogger Power Rankings Week 4: Where the Lakers Repeat
by Kris Loertscher on Nov 24, 2009 5:37 PM EST
Well, they repeat for this week at least.
There were a bunch of challengers trying to knock the Lakers off the top spot, but when the shoes cleared, they were still at the top.
Perhaps if there weren't so many challengers, their divided votes may have been enough to crown a new number 1. As it is, the Magic, Suns, Hawks, and even the Nuggets garnered at least one first-place vote. So until one of those contenders breaks away from the pack a bit or the Lakers take a tumble, we might see them at #1 for a while.
Orlando had the biggest jump this week as they re-established themselves as an elite team. The Utah Jazz also had a six-position jump after ending their drought in San Antonio and breaking .500 for the season. Atlanta could be the hottest team in the league right now as reflected in their five-game climb.
The biggest fall this week came from the Raptors who dropped 5 spots. Coincidentally, opposing teams are dropping a 5 spot per minute against them.
On to the snarky and insightful comments.
NBA Power Rankings
| Rank (LW) | Team (First Place Votes) | Record | Team Blog | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 (1) | Los Angeles Lakers (2) | 10 - 3 | Silver Screen and Roll | Bright Side Of The Sun: "Pau's back. Rings given. Shoe thrown. Nose held. Respect paid." |
|
2 (8) | Orlando Magic (4) | 11 - 3 | Third Quarter Collapse | Third Quarter Collapse: "Tied with Atlanta for the league's best record and tied with Dallas for the league's longest winning streak, at 5 games ... It's hard to overlook the defensive clinic they put on against Boston. " |
|
3 (2) | Phoenix Suns (2) | 11 - 3 | Bright Side Of The Sun | At The Hive: "The Suns' 3P%, as anticipated, has fallen from "this is #$%$# ridiculous" levels. They're good, just not *that* good." |
|
4 (9) | Atlanta Hawks (3) | 11 - 3 | Peachtree Hoops | Silver Screen and Roll: "We're still trying to figure out how legit they are, and whether they'll be up here in February. But there's no questioning how good they've been in November." |
|
5 (3) | Boston Celtics | 10 - 4 | Celtics Blog | Rufus on Fire: "Like the Spurs of recent vintage, the Celtics' regular season record barely matters, so long as everyone is healthy and rested come playoff time." |
|
6 (7) | Dallas Mavericks | 10 - 3 | Mavs Moneyball | At The Hive: "Into the door have come Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd, Drew Gooden, and many more over the years. But the Mavericks know where their bread is buttered... and man, is that some delicious bread right now." |
|
7 (4) | Denver Nuggets (1) | 9 - 4 | Denver Stiffs | >Bright Side Of The Sun: "Earl Smith III is back and bombing away as Melo's sidekick and Ty Lawson's punch cannot be undervalued. Throw in the home court lack of oxygen advantage and just enough lunacy to make your hair stand straight up and this team just might be able to beat the Lakers" |
|
8 (5) | Portland Trail Blazers | 10 - 5 | Blazersedge | At The Hive: "Can you imagine the 2008-2009 Portland offense with the 2009-2010 Portland defense? I have, often, and mostly in terrible, terrible nightmares. " |
|
9 (6) | Cleveland Cavaliers | 10 - 4 | Fear The Sword | Straight Outta Vancouver: "The Big Shaqalier is looking like more like The Big Shaqstacle when LeBron drives into the lane. Depth is a question; I like Hickson, but Antwan Jamison proved the kid isn't ready." |
|
10 (11) | Milwaukee Bucks | 8 - 3 | Brew Hoop | Clips Nation: "Sure, their schedule has been loaded with weaklings, but they're 8-3. The Bucks are 8-3. I still can't get over it." |
|
11 (10) | Miami Heat | 8 - 5 | Peninsula Is Mightier | Straight Outta Vancouver: "If it weren't for a Wade buzzer-beater, they would be on a four game losing streak. It's clear that Miami needs Beasely to step up his game Quentin Richardson shouldn't be a number two option." |
|
12 (12) | Houston Rockets | 8 - 6 | The Dream Shake | At The Hive: "Number one sign the Mayans were right: Tracy McGrady believes he's healthy enough to play basketball." |
|
13 (16) | Oklahoma City Thunder | 7 - 7 | Welcome to Loud City | Straight Outta Vancouver: "I still don't think they make the playoffs this season, but Thabo Sefolosha has finally grown into the Swiss stopper we've always known he could become. They still play young, however, which means they often fall into playing at their opponent's level." |
|
14 (20) | Utah Jazz | 7 - 6 | SLC Dunk | Peachtree Hoops: "The winner of "it was too early to freak out" award!" |
|
15 (13) | San Antonio Spurs | 5 - 6 | Pounding The Rock | Clips Nation: "One of only four NBA teams without a road win, the Spurs are surely better than this - but they haven't shown it so far." |
|
16 (15) | Chicago Bulls | 6 - 6 | Blog A Bull | Third Quarter Collapse: "I have no idea how the Bulls can be at .500 with their offense, which shoots fewer three-pointers and more long two-pointers than any other team in the league, per HoopData.com. If they keep playing good D, they should make the playoffs again, but it's hard to imagine them posing as much of a threat as they did last year." |
|
17 (19) | Detroit Pistons | 5 - 9 | Motown String Music | At The Hive: "The team's leading assist man averages 4.2 a game, and he comes off the bench. I'm not saying you can't win this way, I'm just saying you won't win this way. " |
|
18 (17) | Indiana Pacers | 5 - 6 | Indy Cornrows | Silver Screen and Roll: "5-6 and 8th in the East ... is the East falling back down to earth? Still, give the Pacers at least a little credit for proving Boston's mortality." |
|
19 (14) | Toronto Raptors | 6 - 8 | Raptors HQ | Peachtree Hoops: "Can beat any team in the league that plays defense against itself." |
|
20 (24) | New Orleans Hornets | 6 - 9 | At The Hive | Silver Screen and Roll: "Byron gone, Chris Paul out, and ... three straight wins, including consecutive victories over Phoenix and Atlanta? Uh, what the hell...?" |
|
21 (18) | Sacramento Kings | 5 - 7 | Sactown Royalty | Bright Side Of The Sun: "Paul Westphal FTW!!!" |
|
22 (21) | Los Angeles Clippers | 5 - 9 | Clips Nation | Clips Nation: "Lose to Memphis, beat Denver. Hard to figure this team, but they could be good when Gordon and Griffin return." |
|
23 (23) | Philadelphia 76ers | 5 - 8 | Liberty Ballers | At The Hive: "Elton Brand is very, very mediocre. And before wondering why I've got them ranked 25th, keep in mind that the Sixers are a combined 6 points away from TWO losses to the winless Nets and a 3-8 record. They can rebound, but this is not a good team right now. " |
|
24 (26) | Golden State Warriors | 4 - 8 | Golden State Of Mind | Silver Screen and Roll: "I have more sympathy for Bay Area basketball fans than any other group of fans in sports, right now. Yes, even more than the Clippers. These devoted fans deserve better ... A LOT better." |
|
25 (22) | Charlotte Bobcats | 4 - 9 | Rufus On Fire | CelticsBlog: "Cap'n Jax to the rescue? Oh boy." |
|
26 (25) | Washington Wizards | 3 - 9 | Bullets Forever | Third Quarter Collapse: "Key players are hurt, Gilbert Arenas is unhappy, and the Wizards are underachieving. What else is new in our nation's capital?" |
|
27 (27) | Memphis Grizzlies | 4 - 9 | Straight Outta Vancouver | Clips Nation: "With the Iverson saga over, these guys may turn out to be OK." |
|
28 (29) | New York Knicks | 3 - 10 | Posting And Toasting | CelticsBlog: "Progress on court and off-court. Passing on AI was a smart move." |
|
29 (28) | Minnesota Timberwolves | 1 - 12 | Canis Hoopus | Silver Screen and Roll: "Only the Nets are saving them from the bottom slot, at this point." |
|
30 (30) | New Jersey Nets | 0 - 13 | Your Blog Here | CelticsBlog: "Here is how bad it is in NJ. Friday afternoon, a Nets ticket rep called me offering "a bunch of FREE" tickets to Saturday's game against the Knicks." |
Thanks to the illustrious panel this week that voted.
| Peninsula is Mightier - Heat |
| Bright Side Of The Sun - Suns |
| Straight Outta Vancouver - Grizzlies |
| At The Hive - Hornets |
| Brew Hoop - Bucks |
| Rufus on Fire - Bobcats |
| Clips Nation - Clippers |
| Third Quarter Collapse - Magic |
| CelticsBlog - Celtics |
| Peachtree Hoops - Hawks |
| Indy Cornrows - Pacers |
| Silver Screen and Roll - Lakers |
Showing 1 - 10 of 10
