Happy New Year everyone. No matter where you were, I can imagine you had a better holiday season than I just did. The short story is that I was in the hospital several times with various internal injuries stemming from a burst appendix!! Christmas isn’t fun when the only gift you get is liquid morphine in your IV….ok, maybe it is fun when the only give you get for Christmas is liquid morphine in your IV.
To ease us back into the game here let’s start with my top 10 power rankings and then move smartly along to any news item that I think you’d want to hear about.
Top Ten Power Rankings :
1) Phoenix Suns-
Record: 25-8
Point Differential: +8.0
Oh those silly people. I can’t tell you how many paid pundits I heard talking about how Amare Stoudemire was horrible for chemistry, how his insertion into the starting lineup was a mistake, and how the team would need until after the All-Star Game to get right. Well, funning thing happened on the way to the All-Star Game…..the Suns whipped ass.
That isn’t to say this is all Amare’s doing, because it isn’t. Steve Nash is having one of the best offensive seasons I’ve seen from a PG in my lifetime; Shawn Marion just continues to be the only player of his kind in the league; and the role players are doing a fantastic job of stepping up when the big guns really need them.
What’s even more amazing is that Mike DiAntonio has been making some strange substitution patterns as of late, or this team would be flying even higher. He is such a proponent of small-ball, and shooting, that he allows Marion and/or Stoudemire to go long periods of games without getting the ball. That doesn’t mean he needs to be in Nash’s ear all the time, but it does mean he needs to communicate to his team how vital their inside game really is.
I put the Suns over the Spurs because they are red hot currently as they ride a 6 game win streak and are 8-2 in their last 10 games.
2) San Antonio Spurs-
Record: 24-11
Point Differential: +8.5
While they’ve been a little iffy as of late (5-5 in their last 10) , the Spurs are so consistent that you really almost take them for granted at this point. Tony Parker has risen yet another level in his ability to score the basketball, and this year the team seems to be getting a bit more help aside from their big 3. It’s not that any one player is lifting his game, it’s that there is a balance coming off the bench right now that other teams are having trouble matching that sustained intensity.
3) Dallas Mavericks-
Record: 27-8
Point Differential: +6.6
Talk about being on fire. The Dallas Mavericks have got to be thrilled that most of their expectations have been surpassed as they headed into this season. They made the somewhat risky move of placing Devin Harris as the starting PG, moving Jason Terry over to the SG, and giving Josh Howard a much larger responsibility in the offense. All of those moves have essentially worked well for the team as they are on pace to come in just about where they ended up last year.
The most growth has come from Howard. Always a player known for his defense first, he is taking much of the scoring load off Dirk Nowitzki and showing that he can take control for stretches at a time. Now, he’s never going to be able to carry a team through is offense, but it’s his combination of offense/defense that is so impressive.
Speaking of heir Dirk, he is again getting some serious MVP buzz…and it’s justified. Unlike Steve Nash, Dirk is relied on just about every game to score all the big baskets and make all the money shots. Yes Josh Howard is scoring more, but Steve Nash has way more weapons to help him than Nowitzki does….yet Dallas has won even more games.
4) L.A. Lakers-
Record: 23-11
Point Differential: +3.5
Gotta be one of the top 3 coaching job of Phil Jackon’s life. Let’s be really honest about what he’s working with here: Kobe, Lamar Odom (sometimes), and a hodge-podge of young players who don’t yet understand what winning is….except for Luke Walton!!!
He has gotten Kobe Bryant to pass more, and thus trust more, and he’s carefully guided some of the young players to their best seasons so far: Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum. This is a team that still has a few more gears it could potentially shift into which I think makes it a sleeper title contender. If Bynum and Brown can really string together the kind of play they provide in spurts…watch out.
The question for Lakers is always going to be point guard play. Yes Kobe can handle the rock, but it’s a heck of a lot to ask Kobe to guard the best perimeter player, do the bulk of the scoring, and be the de-facto point guard too. They don’t need Smush Parker to be special during the regular season, but he IS going to have to step up in a big way when the playoffs roll around.
5) Chicago Bulls-
Record: 20-15
Point Differential: +3.5
Really, honestly, I actually hesitate to put a single Eastern Conference team on this list. However, the Bulls have improved to the point where they look like they can join the power players and challenge for a birth in the finals. As I said in my season preview the Bulls were going to improve, it would falsely be blamed for the horrible Ben Wallace signing, and I’d get annoyed.
Well, fast forward and that is one of two reactions you are getting right now from the main steam sports analysis club. The other reaction is: How in the hell are the Bulls doing it?
So what’s going on? Well, Ben Wallace is having his worst statistical season in 7 years. He is, however, still playing some solid defense and he does bring a street-fighter mentality that coaches (especially ones as insane as Scotty Skiles) love. Then you have Kirk Hinrich who is having his best shooting season thus far, but in every other way has been neutered by Skiles. A mixed bag to be sure.
So what really IS going on? As I said in my season preview the Bulls have several players who look to be in the wheelhouse of a natural growth curve. The 3 players for this team that appear to be stepping up are: Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, and Andres Nocioni. All are playing some fantastic basketball, and all are having the best years of their young lives. This group is leading a team that was already very decent, and they are making them very good….especially good when they play those sad Eastern Conference piles of garbage.
6) Utah Jazz-
Record: 24-10
Point Differential: +3.2
The Jazz started out really hot as it looked like Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer were going to have the kind of seasons that young players can only dream of. There was a stretch there where Williams was actually making the Jazz look decent for passing on Chris Paul. However, since then, while Boozer has stayed pretty steady, Williams has been a bit more inconsistent. It seems as if some games he just doesn’t know what his role is gonna be when he gets out of bed.
Andrei Kirilenko is in a daze right now. He’s having the worst year since he was about 8 and he spent the first part of the season complaining about shots. For the Jazz to really make their way up in to the heavy hitters of the West, AK-47 is going to have to rebound and string together a really good second half of the season. Okur has been terrific at center so far, and to some extent he’s probably getting the bulk of the shots that AK would like to be seeing.
Jerry Sloan has done his usual solid job of coaching this season and whatever he did to get Williams to play this well, that deserves a Captain Crappants sticky-star all on it’s own.
7) Detroit Pistons-
Record: 19-12
Point Differential: +2.6
You just get the feeling this team is lying in the weeds waiting. I’m not sure for what since I don’t see a ton of growth potential here, but I do believe that their starters could all probably chip in just a bit and play a bit better.
One guy who isn’t gonna play better because he’s already doing a great job is Jason Maxiell. And what I like about this story is that this is exactly the kind of guy that Joe Dumars always seems to dig up out of a garbage disposal somewhere. He’s playing great on offense and he’s a really active slugger who comes in and gives quality effort after quality effort.
The usual cast of Prince, Billups, Hamilton, and Wallace are all putting up the numbers you’d expect of them. They did lose some starter rebounding when Ben left, but on the other side they now have 5 players that teams must account for on offense. But really this team is only going to be judged on it’s playoff run, and Flip will only be judged on how close he can get his team to a championship title. I can’t say if it’s Flip or not, but traditionally the sorts of teams Flip builds with his strategy and tactic…well…they tend to “underperform†in the playoffs. It may be that he doesn’t know how to solve the rubik’s cube yet.
8) Cleveland Cavs
Record: 21-12
Point Differential: +3.0
The most interesting thing, to me, about this team is that when Lebron James was first drafted there was a theory that said Zydrunas Ilgauskas would be pushed aside due to the ability of James to run the floor and fast break. Interestingly, what has happened is that the Cavs have slowed down their offense to a crawl. Part of this is because their coach preaches the gospel of boring bastard offense/quality defense that teams usually reserve for when they hire Larry Brown. The other part is that they have decided they can do nothing with Z on the trade market, and so they better play to the strengths of the entire team…and not just one guy.
While I applaud it, I guess, I have to wonder how frustrating it is for James. He’s a once in a generation type of player. The kind of guy that opens up whole worlds of tactics to his coaches, and yet, this garbage is the best they are going to allow? I don’t know. It would be like having Peyton Manning and running the ball 40 times a game with Dominic Rhodes.
They currently sit first place in the Central, but that won’t last long. Soon the Bulls will pass them by and while that doesn’t matter too much because of the way the NBA playoffs are seeded, it should sound a bit of an alarm for the franchise. When you have a decently young team with the best player on earth, it’s usually disheartening not to be improving every season.
9) Houston Rockets:
Record: 22-13
Point Differential: +5.6
If you own Yao Ming and/or Tracy McGrady in you fantasy league, you’re starting to get really worried by now. I don’t know exactly what they did…I don’t know if they took a piss one day on The Logo….I don’t know they kicked a puppy or pushed an elderly woman into a gutter. What I do know is that these guys seem cursed. When T-Mac is playing, Ming is having surgery on his toe nails. When Ming is playing, T-Mac is having the dreaded “back pains†(at age 27 no less). Either way, what should be an utterly dominant team is beset with injury and lost productivity. What is especially sad about this season is that Yao Ming was the early favorite for the MVP. This guy was just tearing the league a new bunghole when he breaks his leg and goes out for a few months.
If they can just get right for the playoffs, we could see some fireworks. However, my guess is that when Ming comes back Tracy McGrady will break his coccyx and pull his groin.
10) Orlando Magic:
Record: 21-14
Point Differential: +1.8
Good God, someone’s got to win the Southeast Division right? Unlike the Cavs, the Magic SHOULD be playing the slow-down crap-ball that we’ve all grown to know and love. Brian Hill is a master tactician who typically gets from his team about what you’d expect reasonable. He fits his plan to his talent reasonably well and he’s the kind of coach you want if you can’t have a top guy: he’s benign.
The team’s rise to first might seem like a bit of shock to some, but I think the team is about on schedule. If you take into account that the Heat would be in first if they had their talent, what you’re looking at is a 2nd place team on paper. And really, that’s right about where team with Orlando’s talent should be.
The key to them going forward is going to be:
1) Can Dwight Howard develop the kind of post game he’s going to need to take it to the next level?
2) Can Trevor Ariza get enough minutes to showcase his vast potential, or will Brian Hill continue to give him less minutes than he needs?
3) Is it possible for me to find a Churro in that area that doesn’t taste like the underside of a shoe?
Now, Hill can’t fix #3, but he damn sure has a lot to do with the first two questions. In the East, literally, almost any team can get to the finals….it’s that ridiculous. It’s sorta like the way I felt when my daughter was born: “Just grab any kid because they all look alike and they’ll all cost me a shitload of money to eventually pawn off on someone.â€
In a way, that’s sorta how the world feels about the Eastern Conference.
Quick Hits
Iverson trade:
Well the bomb finally dropped. Billy King did the best he could to totally screw himself up (kick AI off the team, destroy any leverage he had in a trade, ect), but Allen Iverson was able to net King a bit more than his tactics should have allowed. Andre Miller, picks, and whatever other fodder he got…what I can say is that it’s way less than he would have gotten had he dealt Iverson when any reasonable person would have: This summer.
Speaking of Denver:
Way to represent Baltimore Carmelo!! Throw a sissy punch that wouldn’t earn a vagina badge in the girl scouts, and then run away behind you coach, or your wife, or an 8 year old….or wherever you went!
Speaking of the Knicks:
Fellow Knick fans, just keep repeating: “This will all be over soon. This will all be over soon.†Either Dolan will make good on his promise to can Zeke for a subpar year, or you’ll blow your brains out and a cloud of blood mist will hang in the air. Either way, you’re going to a better place.
The Atlantic Division:
If you can tell me of a worse division in the history of American team sports than the NBA’s Atlantic Division, I’ll buy you a Charleston Chew candy bar. Just email me at PCiprotti@aol.com with the league and division and I’ll look into it.
The Clippers:
Ahhh, remember when they were the best team in L.A? I think that lasted for about 78 seconds. Not even long enough to heat up a pot pie.
The Wrap up
Ok you fools, now there are a million other great writers in this zone and if you don’t read every stinkin’ last one of them….I’ll come and kill your pet iguana.
