Power Rankings: January 27, 2009

First, I'd like to apologize for both myself & Anthony for the lack of content recently... it's been busy at work for both of us.... Hopefully we'll be updating the blog more often.

Second, look at Dirk. He is one tough german....

30. Washington (9-35) – Only single digit-win team remaining in the L. Between them and the Clippers, I’m not sure who the bigger disappointment is. [29]

29. Sacramento (10-35) – 0-4 week puts Kings at the bottom of the Western Conference. Even their normally loyal fans are getting tired of their recent failures. Think about how far they have fallen since the Bibby-CWebb-Vlade days…. Has there been a worse fall from grace in the NBA over the last 5 years? [27]

28. Clippers (10-34) – EG dropped 41 in a victory over the Thunder. And in the same week, they gave up 46 to the Durantula & 42 to Bynum… solid defense Clippers. [pv wk 30]

27. Oklahoma City (10-35) – 2-1 week leads to highest power ranking of the year for the Durantula and the Thunder. 46 point, 15 rebound performance against the Clippers highlighted the week’s performances. [28]

26. Memphis (11-32) – 0-3 last week… 9 game losing streak…. 27th is calling their name next week. [26]

25. Golden State (14-31) – 1-2 since last power rankings causes fall back to 25th. Paging Crash Ellis! [24]

24. Indiana (17-27) – 2-1 week for Indiana and they’re back in 24th. In talks with Mr. Robertson, we both love Danny Granger. He might have the most hoops to tie/win at the buzzer in the L this year. [25]

23. Minnesota (16-27) – 3-1 week and all of a sudden the T-Wolves are separating themselves from the West’s worst. [23]22. Toronto (18-28) – 2-1 week. Keep your trash north of the border, the Lakers don’t want any of it. [22]

21. Charlotte (18-26) – Bobcats come west to Staples this evening. Unfortunately, DJ Augustin will not silence me tonight. [21]

20. Chicago (18-27) – 0-3 week for the Bulls causes drop behind the Knicks…. Probably don’t even deserve to be ranked this highly. [19]

19. New York (19-25) – 3-1 week as the Knicks move to 19th. Wilson Chandler is still one of the better on-ball defenders I’ve seen against Kobe this year. [20]

18. New Jersey (20-25) – Repeat after me… The Nets are who we thought they were! THE NETS ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE! [17]

17. Milwaukee (22-26) –I just found out today that Joe Alexander’s nickname is Vanilla Sky. How tremendous is that? And he’s not in the dunk contest? Travesty. [18]

16. Philadelphia (21-22) – Currently the 7 seed in the East… This leads to two conclusions: (1) the League is top heavy this year and (2) the 76ers are better without Elton Brand. [16]

15. Miami (24-19) – Probably deserve to be ahead of the Pistons after there upset of Orlando and the Pistons general failures at life… however, they stay here….. It’s for their own good. [15]

14. Detroit (24-19) – Anytime you’re tweaking your lineup to find the best mix 30 games after someone like AI’s arrival means trouble. [13]

13. Utah (25-20) – If the playoffs started today, the Jazz wouldn’t be in it. Wow. Fortunately for them & unfortunately for Dallas, they don’t. I still expect the Jazz to bounce back. [12]

12. Dallas (25-19) – I still can’t get over Dirk’s haircut in that “Where …. Happens” NBA commercial. [14]

11. Phoenix (25-18) – Courtney Sims reporting to Phoenix today… number of points he’ll score against the Spurs Thursday night will match his number and his team’s win total that night…. 0. [11]

10. Atlanta (26-18) – Holding strong to that 4 seed in the East. The only question is whether they prefer the Heat or the Pistons in round 1. [10]

9. Houston (28-18) – Par for the course for the Rockets last week… T-Mac returns, Yao goes down, team goes 2-2. [9]

8. Portland (27-17) – 2-1 week for the Blazers. Is there a deeper team in the League right, I mean, they can go Roy-Blake-Fernandez-Rodriguez-Bayless-Outlaw-Aldridge-Oden-Pryzbilla-Batum-Webster… and I still didn’t even get to Diogu or Channing Frye. [8]

7. New Orleans (27-14) – 2-1 week causes slip to 7th, especially when the loss is to lowly Minnesota. [6]

6. Denver (29-15) 2-0 week allows for them to leap the Hornets. I know I sound like a broken record here, but trading AI for Chauncey is turning out even better than anybody hoped. In other news, how many teams could trade AI and still lead the league in tattoos…. I mean, between K-Mart, the Birdman & J.R. Smith, the Nuggets have it locked up. [7]

5. San Antonio (29-14) – Loss to Lakers was only blemish of the week. Spurs hold firm at #5. [5]

4. Orlando (33-8) – As predicted, the curse of the Power Rankings struck Orlando last week as they went 0-2. Sports Illustrated had a very interesting article on JJ & Adam Morrison, chronicling their success in college and relative failures in the NBA last week. I suggest reading it. In other news, the coaching job Stan Van Gundy has done this year is second to none. [1]

3. Cleveland (34-8) – 3-0 week for the Cavs allows them to hold their own at #3. Kobe said Lebron was MVP. Kobe didn’t mean it, but this man agrees with #24. [3]

2. Lakers (35-8) – Jewish Jordan Farmar’s return, as well as a stomping of the Spurs, highlight a 3-0 week where Andrew Bynum went for 42 in a win against the Clippers and not a single opponent cracked the century mark against the Lakers. Laker fans continue to chant, “WE WANT TACOS!!!” – (side note: Lakers fan receive free tacos from Jack in the Box if the team gives up less than 100 points and wins at home). [2]

1. Boston (37-9) – 3-0 week including a drubbing of Dwight Howard and the Magic puts them atop the Power Rankings for the first time in 2009. [4]

Power Rankings: January 19, 2009...

30. Clippers (9-31) – lost 12 of their last 13 and the Camby Man sprained his ankle in their win over Milwaukee. The injury bug has really hit them hard…. On the bright side, they’re all-in on Zach “Doughboy” Randolph through 2012. [pv wk 28]

29. Washington (8-32) – 2-5 since last power rankings as well as an overall record of 0-9 in their division. No need for Gil to rush back for this. Agent Zero! [27]

28. Oklahoma City (8-34) – I thought long and hard about putting them at 27 over the Kings, but until they reach double digit wins, they’ll stay below them. On the bright side, the Thunder do have their highest ranking of the year. [30]

27. Sacramento (10-31) – They didn’t really do anything to move up, but the complete ineptitude of those around them allow for a move up. [29]

26. Memphis (11-29) – Losing their last 6 games leads to fall to 26th. [24]

25. Indiana (15-26) – Danny Granger is averaging 31 ppg in January and yet the Pacers still are terrible. [23]

24. Golden State (13-29) – 3-2 since last power rankings allows slight bump in Warriors’ ranking. [25]

23. Minnesota (13-26) – Jefferson went for 20 and 17 in his last game and T-Wolves have won 7 of 9. [26]

22. Toronto (16-27) – Like Memphis, they’ve lost 6 in a row. Rumors of a Jermaine O’Neal for Lamar Odom trade frighten me as a Laker fan…. Keep him in Canada please. [20]

21. Charlotte (16-25) – D.J. Augustin was really silencing his critics prior to his injury [22]

20. New York (16-24) – Nice win over the Bulls earlier today. Chris Duhon has been impressive for the Knicks and they’re fun to watch, but the team is still preparing for summer 2010. [21]

19. Chicago (18-24) – Kirk Hinrich comes back & they lose to the Knicks. Bulls are moving further and further away from .500 [19]

18. Milwaukee (20-24) – Curse of the power rankings hits Bucks… no longer would be in the playoffs if they lose today and Joe Alexander doesn’t win the vote-in for the dunk contest. [17]

17. New Jersey (19-12) – Just 1-4 since the last power rankings. Let me be the first to say that the Nets are who we thought they were! [16]

16. Philadelphia (20-21) – Winners of 5 of last 6 and 7 of last 10, moves Philly up to 16th and into the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Lou Williams his really an explosive scorer.[18]

15. Miami (22-18) – The Heat are 4-2 since the last power rankings and sitting comfortable at the 6th seed in the East. [15]

14. Dallas (24-17) – 3-4 record in last 7 causes slip to 14th. On the bright side, Dirk hit the game winner tonight & Jason Kidd made 6 triples. [11]

13. Detroit (23-17) – only 4-6 in their last 10 and can’t seem to find consistency with AI in the mix. [10]

12. Utah (24-17) – The injury bug has hit the Jazz hard this year. Boozer to Miami after this year seems like the right fit & would allow for the Jazz to resign Paul Millsap. Speaking of which, can Big Paul get a nickname? [14]

11. Phoenix (23-16) – Suns got crushed by the Celtics tonight after signing Courtney Sims today… coincidence, I think not… [13]

10. Atlanta (24-16) – Atlanta also searching for consistency… drop a spot to 10th. Chris Webber called Joe Johnson the leagues most underrated player… Kenny Smith quickly followed that with Danny Granger… I’m inclined to go with the Jet. [9]

9. Houston (26-16) – 4-1 in last 5 games & Yao has been putting up big numbers in the absence of T-Mac and Ron Artest. Only loss was to Lakers when Kobe decided the Lakers weren’t losing… [12]

8. Portland (25-16) – Heard this exchange on Inside the NBA tonight… Ernie: “A career night for Oden..” Kenny: “… what, he had 11 points?” The Jet! Oden did go for a career high 24 & 15 against the Bucks tonight. And Rudy got voted into the Dunk Contest… [8]

7. Denver (27-15) Denver is just 12-13 against teams above .500 this year. Linas Kleiza has been beasting people lately. [6]

6. New Orleans (25-13) – Chris Paul asks for ball from Byron Scott. Chris Paul hits 25 foot fadeaway to win the game. CP3! [7]

5. San Antonio (27-13) – Roger Mason continues to hit big shots. He’s really been silencing me since my call out of him via text message to Anthony earlier this year. The Spurs just keep plugging in guys who just fit in. [5]

4. Boston (34-9) – 5-1 since their 2-6 collapse, put them back into the mix of the best team in the League, however, I need to see a couple more weeks of consistency before they can ascend back to the top. [4]

3. Cleveland (31-8) – Lost handily to the Lakers on the road without Big Z. Lebron said it best to Mo Williams during the 4th quarter, if you’re gonna beat the Lakers, you better be full strength. [2]

2. Lakers (32-6) – 2-2 in 4 game stretch against Houston, San Antonio, Orlando & Cleveland, with controversial loss to Spurs (No, Ariza didn’t travel. Yes, Manu fouled him…). Kobe has also posted double digit assists in the last three games, including a triple-double in the Lakers loss to Orlando. [1]

1. Orlando (33-8) – League-leading 7 game win streak including a win over the Lakers where D-Howard had 25 & 20. 7 game win streak includes wins over San Antonio, Lakers & Denver on the road. They’re the hottest team in the NBA & thus, have earned the right for the Power Rankings Curse. [3]

The Day the World Turned, January 19, 2008

Today, at 4:30pm pacific standard time, I lost faith in the world. I lost faith in everything I believed in. Courtney Sims has been signed by the Phoenix Suns. It was bad enough when the SOFTEST player I'd ever seen in college until I saw Zack Gibson initially was in the League as a Indiana Pacer. However, his time on the Pacers was short-lived and he was quickly relegated to the D-League. But today, with Shaq, Amare, Amundson, and Robin Lopez on their roster, the Phoenix Suns signed him.

How does this happen? Yeah, i'm aware he's 6'11. But have you ever seen him play? I'm not sure he's ever gone to the basket strong. He's so soft, he fades-away from the hoop on dunks. I'm distraught. I thought the NBA was above this.

It's a good thing 24 plays 23 tonight in LA... maybe my faith in the League will be restored.

Until then, shame on you Phoenix Suns... shame on you. Enjoy nothing. Because that's what Courtney is going to give you.

HEAT! THUNDER! THE NBA ON NBA!

All right. So, given the fact that I could not care less about the Ravens and the Steelers, I am doing a running diary on the Heat and Thunder. This has several benefits to me. I get to watch my favorite player on my favorite team (D-Wade on the Heat) and the man I had tagged as being my second favorite player in Kevin Durant.

Watching the team with the worst record in the league play the current 6 seed in the east when the AFC championship is going on? That's dedication.

7:08 PM: Eric Snow looks like a baby.

7:10 PM: Wade has shaved a lightning bolt into his head for this game. Wade has given us a new wrinkle with his 'do every couple of weeks from the modified mohawk, to the early nineties "steps" and now the Flash bolt. He is really coming to play.

7:11 PM: Yikes. Marion is out today. Which means Diawara is going to start and . . uhh . . .I have no idea who is coming off the bench. Look for a lot of Chalmers, Cook, Wade, Beasley, Haslem lineups tonight.

7:12PM: Jeff Green looks sharp handling the ball. Point forward?

7:13 PM: Miami fumbles the ball three times on their first possession. Diawara! Anthony! The NBA on NBA!

Jeff Green is a crafty score on the inside.

7:15: KD is wearing a tshirt underneath his jersey!! I think this is the first time I have seen a guy in the NBA do this!! He looks goofy. I love the Durantala. This game by the way is energyless/

7:16: Ha. Westbrook has an assist because D Wade wasn't guarding Mason. Shocking.

7:17 PM. Chalmers needs to learn how to finish without getting his shot blocked. Needs to see some AI videos or something. He just has no shot.

7:18 PM: Wow, Jeff Green is very good, and a brilliant ballhandler. Did we know this?

7:19. 4 Minutes in. Wade has 8 points. The Thunder don't understand that you have to keep pressure on Wade, because Wade can get to the rim just as easy when you lay off him as he can when you play him tight.

7:20 Westbrook glides past Chalmer for a pullup.

Update on Durant's "Tshirt". We see that They are actually shoulder pads because he has a shoulder contusion. Good news: He now looks even goofier. Bad news: The Tshirt under the jersey is not coming back anytime soon.

7:23 PM: Westbrook and Chalmers are going at it hard. Fighting for post position, guarding up and down. Good matchup.

Thank God PJ Carlesimo is off the sidelines. Durant only has 4 points but he is catching tand shooting in good spots on the floor.

7:24PM Wade jumps 100 feet in the air for a rebound.

7:25 PM Its 17-15 Thunder after Green gets to the hole for a layup. I am wildly impressed with his game.

7:26 M Announcer. . Miami ahead by a "stickman" instead of point. I shall use that.

7:27 PM: On cue, Daequan Cook, AKA poor man's Michael Redd right down to the school checks in.

7:28 PM: What a last 3 minutes. Westbrook tries to take Chalmers off of the dribble. Chalmers stays in front of him, steals the ball. Runs it down to the other end. Westbrook challenges the layup, but Haslem finishes with a monster dunk. At the other end of the floor, Chalmers gets in Russel's face a little bit, and Westbrook elbows him away bringing the ball up the court. Wade makes a fancy drive and finds a wide open Joel Anthony for a dunk. BUT! Here comes Westbrook from the sky with a nasty block. The Thunder go on a fast break the other way, but the Heat are back. Durant sees Beasley ahead of him, and jumps from the dotted semicircle. . BUT, bricks the dunk, he actually some how over jumps it and misses. Joel Anthony gathers it in, passes it to Cook, who throws it to Wade. But Russ Westbrook is sneaking up for a steal/to draw a charge from D-Wade at half court. Wade doesn't see him, we think. Wade catches it and in one motion flips a behind the back pass to Chalmers who was streaking to his left. (How Wade saw Chalmers or Westbrook is beyond me.) Then Wade keeps running gets the ball back from Chalmers and throws down an absolute filthy, earth shattering dunk.

Now, I believe this thrilling sequence of basketball of events probably tells us everything we need to know about Wade, Chalmers, Westbrook and Joel Anthony. This is a microcosm of all of those players' seasons. Unbelievable. Sadly, it does some disservice to Durant and Beasley. But it was almost cool to see Durant get overhyped for a shot to dunk on the guy who out statted him in college. I paused the TIVO just to describe all this. Back to the game.

7:37PM: Phew timeout. Loe this Russ Westbrook. Got to love Mario too. This game needed some chippiness.

7:38 PM: By the way Wade has 14 points. We are still in the first quarter. Wait, no . . 16.

7:39 PM: Beasley looks very frustrated. Wade has to become friends with this guy or something. Green just took B-Easy off the dribble with ease and drew a foul.

7:40PM: Wade has the blinders on. He just made a contested jumper with his feet on the three point line.

7:40PM: Durant just called for a travel. I'm not sure if he will be able to get to the rim consistently from 20+ feet. I have never thought his handle was sick or anything. He certainly doesn't have the same handle as Green.

7:42PM: Wade put a Jeff Green short jumper into the stands. . There is Durant. He caught a tough pass in the paint. And he rose and shot the ball easily ove Magloire. Durant could play center if he needed to on offense.

7:43 PM: Durant attacks the rim from the free throw line, and breezes past Cook for a layup. God he is smooth. Free throw line and down.

7:45 PM The announcer hoax: "Chris Quinn has made 21 straight free throws. ." Not 22.

FIRST QUARTER OVER: I'm exhausted. 31-27 Heat. This is entertainment.

7:50 PM NBA TV does this weird thing, where we will mis twenty seconds of game play sometimes. They'll just drop us in at the eleven minute mark with no explanation.

The Thunder never show out on these pick and rolls. Chris Quinn just drilled a wide open shot on a weak pick from Haslem.

7:51 Durant can shoot over anyone. There is no guarding him. There KD made a little dribble move and found Wilcox for a hoop.

7:52 PM: I am lost why Watson and Russel don't play more together. Watson should be playing 30 minutes a game. He just diced through 4 Miami defenders on a secondray break. Why isn't he always in?

7:53PM: You know what Chris Quinn ain't all bad. He is actually penetrating a little bit this game. and had made two plays. Is he a legit backup PG? Maybe so.

7:55 PM: Hmm.. Daequan Cook is a player to watch. With Beasley in foul trouble and Wade on the pine, they are running Cook of screens for jumpers and he looks very very comfortable getting open, and taking that shot like Miller and Hamilton. This is a good sign for Miami.

7:56 PM: 41-37 Heat. The THunder are taking zero advantage of this non Wade time. It feels like they haven't made a shot this whole second half.

8:00 PM: Haha! Magloire with a baby hook. He does not jump by the way.

Wow. Jeff Green just moved past D-Wade with ease off the dribble. Granted I think Wade was setting up for a block. But I really like Jeff. He is so under control.

45 - 38 Heat. 8:01 PM.

8:03PM: Yikes, Westbrook just threw down a nasty dunk on Chalmers and started at him. Absolutely filthy.

8:05PM: Westbrook skied for an offensive board, and hit a wide open .KD from 3. Durant doesn't miss open shots.

8:08 PM: Mason and Wade are chippy. Westbrook and Chalmers are chippy. Heated exchange between Mason and Wade.

8:09 PM. End of the half. Wade and Cook hit 3s to make it 57-50 at the end of the half. The only thing I could have asked from the first half would be for Beasley to not get three fouls in 5 minutes so we had a little Durant-Beas matchups going. Beasley looks tired, nervous and uninterested. I know he's better than Mario Chalmers. But, Mario never seems out of place or overmatched. B-Easy on the other hand, seems out of sorts a lot.

8:21 PM. . .Annnnnnnnndddddd. . . . We're back.

8:22 PM: Wade blocks Westbrook hard to open the second half. Wade!

8:23: Mason throws down a nasty dunk on Anthony. 62-53 Heat. Durant is showing some more passing and rebounding than usual.

8:26PM: Wade drops a 3 over Mason and stares him down. Wade has 24 points, and is shooting the ball easy tonight.

8:27 PM: Durant looks awkward on defense but he seems sort of effective

8:34PM: I have cracked a Bell's Hopslam ale. I'm losing steam. Something fancy needs to happen soon. I want Durant to go on a tear.

8:34 PM: I love Wade but I hate his pump fake/ try to draw foul nonsense. You shouldn't be able to do that crap.

8:35 PM: Chalmers makes a crafty move past Westbook and finishes with a finger roll. He is playing great tonight, not looking out of place against Watson or Westbrook or are fine fine players.

8:37 PM: Beasley checks back in. Lets see if he doesn't need to foul immediately.

8:40 PM: Nick Collison and Nenad Kristic have combined for 0 impactful plays so far. And, on cue, Kristic misses a 22 footer.

The game has seriously devolved for the Thunder. Miami is not playing great but they have lost their offensive mode. They don't really play well otgether yet. It's a bunch of one on one guys. They need Watson to help out.

8:40 PM: Beasley on Durant! Finally. And, Durant moves past him. And surprise, surprise, Beasley gets whistled for a non existent foul. Heat are still up 10. Again, Durant moved past him from the free throw line. The Thunder need to play Watson, Westbrook, Green, Durant, and Wilcox in crunch time.

8:43 PM. I'm enjoying this game less and less. Heat are up 12. Beasley is playing terrrible and I have no idea who this Weaver guy is for the Bobcats.

8:45 PM: I know Westbrook is good on defense but he is showing very little resistance to Wade. That still leaves only Lindsay Hunter and Kirk Hinrich as the guys I have ever seen actually control Wade a little bit.

8:46 PM: Beasley drives past Durant for a basket on a sharp little layup on a drive. Then OKC comes right back and nails a baseline jumper.

8:50 PM: This game has convinced me for sure that my scouting report has been right on him all along. Dirk Nowitzki, but, a better shooter. I can't imagine a situation where this guy could miss a free throw. Heat are still up 11. Wade has gone silent. Beasley has woken up. Durant

8:52PM: What can I do to get NBATV some decent commercials? Good god, these production values are mind numbing.

8:55PM: Beasley is completely frustrated in this game, and the Thunder can't punch back. the offenses have gone flat.

8:56 PM: Durant penetrates and kicks to Durant who drops in his 27th point of the game on an open 3. Why would you leave him open. OKC has a pulse down 8.

8:57 PM: Durant from 3 feet beyond the arc! DRAINS IT! For his 30th point. OKC is down 3 now! KD is one of the best shooters I have ever seen. Finally, they take advantage of Wade being off the court. 10 minutes left in the fourth.

9PM: I'm totally back into this game now. Watson and Brook playing together with Weaver, Durant and Krstic.
Wade comes in and drills a shot right away over Westbrook.

:01PM. Wade comes off a screen and nails a shot over Krstic. 2-2 in the 4th.

90-83 with 7:46 left.

Watson makes a great play against Chalmers, and leads a fastbreak. . Green finishes...

WADE posts up Westbook at half court to get the ball! Then he fakes a shot and hits a wide open Chalmers who nails a 3. 93-85 Heat.

9:05PM: I think it's all over for the Thunder. Durant had a good low post up against Cook and couldn't get it to go.

Crunch time lineups:
Watson, Westrbook, Green, Durant Collison.

Chalmers, Wade, Cook Haslem, Magloire.

9:08 PM. Collison and Magloire exchange baskets. I just wrote that?

Westbrook pooped upa fast break after a Wade miss. Heat come back and find Cook for 3. Heat up 11 with 4 minutes.

Up 14 with 4 minutes. Chalmers nails a 3. When Cook and Chalmers hit 3s. Miami wins.

The game is winding down. So, let's dole out the soccer style ratings for all the players involved.

• Mario Chalmers - 6 - Can't ask for anything more from this chap. He was the equal of his counterparts when he could have been overmatchd.
• Dwyane Wade - 9 - Capital game from Wade. The world's best player playing his best. Lead distributor, blocked a few shots, and didn't punch his rookies in the face.
• Diawara - 5 - Yahkouba played some D, and nailed some threes. That's all he does, and tonight he did it well.
• Haslem - 7 - Dominated the interior tonight. A little dissapointing when he had opportunities to create his own offense, and failed.
• Joel Anthony - 3 - Was a presence. Could not finish on offense, couldn't defend the rim.
• Daequan Cook - 6 - Really showed his offensive game tonight. Shot coming off of screens, and shot threes with hands in his face. Generally made his shots, proved that you can run an offense through him. A revelatory game.
• Michael Beasley - 2 - Foul trouble. Lack of hustle. Showed a drive and a block. Otherwise, not much.

• Russ Westbrook - 5 - Ornery, intense, athletic, and stuffed the stat sheet. He played one good half and one very uneven one.
• Kevin Durant - 8 - A efficient and fun game from Durant. He did everything on offense and almost brought his team back into the game with some classy shooting. Can he offer something on the other end?
• Jeff Green-8- Impressed on both ends of the floor. Other than Wade, he was the man of the match, showing his veratile scoring regimine and ability to stay in front of guys on defense.
• Desmond Mason - 3 -I liked his orneriness in defending Wade. Unfortunately Wade torched him, mercilessly. Did have a big dunk, though.
• Nick Collison/Nenad Krstic - 3 - I have no idea what either one did. They are big, white, and goofy. They did a good job defending Haslem.
• Earl Watson - 5 - Good game from Watson, but some silly mistakes at the end.
• K. Weaver - 4 - No idea who this guy is. He's athletic and made a couple plays in 13 minutes.

Hollinger Response

So taking Mr. Robertson's advice, I read the Hollinger article. Granted, this is after the Friday night games, which partially affected my opinion, but, if I was ranking my MVP candidates, right now (and i'm going to include D-Wade, Hollinger didn't), my top 5 are:

5. Chris Paul - Like John Hollinger, I had really high expectations for the Hornets this year, especially with the acquisition of James Posey in the off-season. The Hornets have struggled this year against the best teams in the league, but Paul has put up ridiculous numbers. At the same time, I think David West is underrated and is probably just as much of a force as Pau Gasol (he's certainly close, in my opinion), so combined with the others on the Hornets, I think Paul has just as good of a supporting cast as anyone else on this list, so yeah, this is where he comes in for me.

And I LOVE watching CP3 play. He really is a complete joy to watch. He's very shifty on offense, has an unbelievable tear drop and is a girtty defender. But being fifth on this list isn't an insult.

4. Kobe Bryant - Kobe has been playing at the level I've become accustomed to seeing the past few games. He got very little help from his teammates against both Orlando & San Antonio and that basically cost the Lakers both games. But Kobe has posted double digit assists in both of the last two games and has been an assasin down the stretch. Unlike earlier in the season, he has been getting to the rim and finishing in traffic lately & when push comes to shove, I'd rather have him in the fourth quarter than anybody else in the League. At the same time, along with Paul, he has the best supporting cast around him on this list & his numbers are worse than the other three & as a result, Kobe ends up 4th.

Hollinger's point about his second half numbers are very interesting and could possibly be a reason Kobe was shooting a lot more jumpers earlier in the season, as it may have been his way of saving his body. Very intesting.

3. Dwyane Wade- He's really unbelievable. The one thing that separates him from Kobe is his desire on defense. Well, that, and he has maybe one guy in his starting lineup that would be starting for the Lakers or the Hornets and I'm not sure Marion necessarily would. But Wade is really a great player & was the best player in the world this summer. Last I checked, he was leading the league in scoring and does it all himself - evidenced by the highest usage rate in the NBA, as noted by Anthony in his Chalmers post. Wade is also relentless on defense.

The interesting thing about the Heat is they play some of the best teams in the league really closely, especially the Cavs and Lakers and in the playoffs, I'm not sure anyone would want to play Miami and D-Wade.

2. Dwight Howard- I originally had Lebron-Wade-Howard, HOWEVA, after watching Dwight Howard last night, he is really unbelievable. If he can develop a go-to post move to his left, he'll be completely unstoppable. He really is a specimen. He's hands down the best big man in the league and he posted 25 & 20 against the formidable Lakers front line... oh, and he shut down Pau "Small Game" Gasol & Andrew Bynum. Howard plays great defense, has a nose for the ball and really opens up the floor for the rest of his teammates. He's the reason Orlando is able to shoot so many 3s - and they make a league leading 10 per game.... Van Gundy Ball!!! But Howard's ability to force defenses to collapse as well as his rebounding ability allow the Magic to jack up 3s with reckless abandon... and they make a lot of them.

1. Lebron James- He is posting the highest PER of all-time this year. The Cavs have the best record in the league and are probably the favorite to win the East. He had 45 points in Game 7 against the Celtics last year and if any of his teammates had a pulse, they probably would have won the game. And this brings me to a point Anthony made the other day. He was worried that Lebron didn't care too much about losing that game to the Celtics. I've thought about this recently & really, what did you want Lebron to say? I mean, he could have pulled a Kobe and thrown his teammates under the bus, but he didn't. He played a great game almost single-handedly beat the eventual NBA Champions on the road in Game 7 & was able to handle the press with ease. I mean, he could have easily talked about how pissed he was and pull a Tebow and talk about how nobody would work harder, etc, etc.. but actions speak louder than words & with the way he is playing this year, he is making quite a statement.

I'm very excited for the Lakers-Cavs game tomorrow night & as a result, am holding off the Power Rankings until Monday for this game as it has heavy implications at the top.

Also, I love college basketball. I'm not sure if everyone has been about as productive as me today, but with Syracuse-Notre Dame, Georgetown-Duke, Wake Forest-Clemson, UCLA-ASU, Michigan State-Illinois, Pittsburgh-Louisville & then Michigan-Columbus Junior College coming up in about an hour, it's been one ridiculous day of awesomeness. Anyway, I won't continue to bore you with my thoughts... instead, how about a video:

You may want ankle insurance...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPnRFkPWyDM

Rookie Guard Breakdown: 2 of 6

Mario Chalmers:

As a man who watches very little college basketball, and was in Europe during March Madness, my knowledge of Mario Chalmers coming out of college was just about nothing. As a big Heat fan, my hope for the kid was only that he would steal any and all minutes designated for Marcus Banks.
(Quick aside: Watching Marcus Banks and Mark Blount play basketball are one of those things you just can't unsee. I can't imagine two players that have fewer actual basketball skills than these two guys. )

Luckily for Miami, Chalmers has done just that. First the numbers. 9 points, 4 dimes, 3 ballboards, and just under 2 steals a game and 2 turnovers.

A quick question and answer session:

Is Mario a true point guard?
Yes. Absolutely. Now, he is no Chris Paul or Tony Parker and never will be. Chalmers is more of a Mo Williams, Mike Bibby, Jameer Nelson type. Chalmers can get you into your offense, nail open shots, and if the shot clock is winding down, he is a reliable option to get to the hoop and try to finish. But he can definitely hold down the position.

Can he knock down 3s?
Again, good Lord yes. He is shooting .362 from beyond the arc so far, but that is after a wildly slow start. Granted, being Wade's jockey in the back court you get a ton of open looks, but since the first game in the NBA he has shown zero hesitation to shoot, even with a hand in his face, as long as he is in rhythm.

What else about his offensive game?
It's awful tough to show off anything when you are playing next to an unstoppable whirling dervish of a guard like Wade. Dwyane Wade is posting one of the highest usage rates in NBA history, meaning, no one has ever carried a bigger offensive load for his team than Wade is this year. It's tough for Chalmers to show off much of anything. But he has shown flashes of all the necessary skills - passing into the post, finding guys on backdoor screens, and penetrating and popping to a wing. I can't tell if he does all of these things rarely, because of the offense and Wade being superior at each one of these skills or if he is simply not comfortable with it. Certainly, he does not yet have a reliable way to score the basket that is not on an open three point shot, and he is much more comfortable shooting from beyond the arc than anywhere else on the court. Athletically, he is not a freak, so he has a little trouble finishing around the whole. Again, Jameer Nelson, Mike Bibby, Mo Williams all run into the same problem and all have adapted to become legit starters in the NBA and very good players. Chalmers will have to learn that sort of craft.

Defense?
Chalmers has shown a super effort on defense from the moment he got into the NBA. He is regularly more interested than Wade in closing out defenders and manning up hard at half court to disrupt an offense. Again, his athleticism isn't superb, so he will never be a guy who can run down the court and block shots on fast breaks. However, his lateral quickness is world class. Chalmers can stay in front of anyone and has knack for poking the ball away when guards try to get by him. There is really nothing I can say badly about him on that end. He is fun to watch, fundamentally sound, and intense on the defensive end.

How does he play with D-Wizzy?
Ha. On defense together, they are absurd. Earlier in the season, they combined for 15 steals (Chalmers chipping in 9). Both are already in their own class when it comes to knocking the ball away from point guards, jumping into passing lanes and deflecting any and all passes. At the same time, Spoelestra may have to figure out how to quiet one player down and just have one go wild. We all remember that Jordan could not have been Jordan on those later Bulls teams without Ron Harper doing the Bruce Bowen routine on every great guard they faced. I think they need to have Chalmers start taking the tough defensive assignments, and letting Wade just do the wild man thing. The Heat give up a ton of wide open looks because of how wild these two play.

On offense, Chalmers gets out of Dwyane's way for the most part. He is good at getting to open spots on the floor when Dwyane gets into the lane, and he is really the only other guy in their starting 5 who can be relied on to get a shot off with under 6 on the shot clock (Haslem can too if he is in the post). They have no real chemistry together yet, as Wade has been determined to will this team to the playoffs and worry about relationships later.

Outlook for '09:
Chalmers is who he is for this season. We are going to hear announcers in the playoffs talk about "how far Mario has come" in his rookie year. But that will all, essentially, be hogwash. Chalmers has been the same player from his first game against the Knicks until this season. I can't say it's his fault. He is being thrown an absolute ton: 31 minutes a game at the hardest position in the NBA, on a team that his little margin for error but high expectations. Just the fact that he has been able to process it all and still be just under a league average offensive player (PER: 12.31) is extremely impressive. But don't expect any Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo like offensive performances this season. He will keep knocking down open shots, playing killer D, and making about 2 - 4 plays a game for himself or teammates off the dribble. He will also keep turning the ball over a little too much for how little he has it and not helping out on the glass at all.

Outlook for career:
I have hinted at who I thought he could be. His ceiling is Mike Bibby: an cold-blooded clutch shooter who thrives on great teams with plenty of playmakers, and can sometimes. His floor is someone like Anthony Johnson - a guy who could just never create enough plays for himself or teammates to hold down a starting job. But, was and is a reliable backup who can start in a pinch. Of all the things I have mentioned. Maybe the best thing about Mario is how sure he is that he belongs in the league. He has confidence in droves, and I project him to be a rotation player on good teams his whole career.

If you are not reading John Hollinger . . .

You should be.

Check out his quick piece about the MVP race so far. I don't necessarily agree with him, but the writing and justifications are totally top notch.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=PERDiem-090116

Rookie Guard Feature (Part 1 of 6): Russell Westbrook

This is Part 1 of a 6 part feature on rookie guards. This is one of the most impressive rookie guard classes in recent times, with 6 guards playing significant minutes.

Russell Westbrook, the Rookie of the Month in December, has gotten his career off the an impressive start. He's listed at 6'3 and has elite athleticism for someone his size, which is apparent as he's one of the candidates for the fourth member of the dunk contest all-star weekend this year. He played the 2 at UCLA, while also playing some point when Darren Collison needed a break, but Westbrook has really thirved at the point guard position in the NBA. He's a great on-ball defender and has the ability to finish around the rack against bigger opponents (see: facial here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7zh3uVUJv4).

His career with the Oklahoma City Thunder started off slowly, but as evidenced by his Rookie of the Month Award, Russ has really picked up in the second part of the first half. He has scored in double figures his last 11 games & his per 36 minute numbers this year are 16.8/4.9/5.8 (pts/reb/ast). He's also averaging almost 2 steals per 36 minutes, showing the same defensive presence he showed as a Bruin. Westbrook's biggest weakness is his shot. He showed up to UCLA very raw and still hasn't really developed a reliable jump shot, as evidenced by his 41% fg percentage and 31% 3-pt percentage. Additionally, Russ needs to learn to make better decisions. Being primarily a 2-guard in college, he didn't spend a lot time on the floor as the primary ball handler, and it's showing in his per 36 min turnovers (3.7)

Westbrook, playing for the Thunder, will get the opportunity to play a lot of minutes this year, and get adjusted to the NBA. I think Westbrook will ultimately end up third in the rookie of the year voting this year (behind Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo), but think the sky is the limit for Russ. His elite athleticism, good size for a point guard as well as playing alongside Jeff Green & Kevin Durant, will only open up more space for him in the future.

Strengths: Size, Atheleticism, Defense, Finishing

Weaknesses: Jump Shot, Ball-Handling/Decision Making

Outlook: While I think Westbrook will end up sticking around this league for a long time, he's in the wrong position in the wrong league. Sitting in the West, with CP3 and Deron Williams at point for the forseeable future, it's going to be difficult for Westbrook to crack the all-star lineup. At the same time, of all the rookie guards, I truly believe that Westbrook's ceiling is just as high as anyone else's. Much like Rose, he could really improve his jump shot, but his strength will always be getting to the rim. Howland instilled a defensive desire in him at UCLA and I expect that to continue in the NBA. The sky is the really the limit for a player like Westbrook and I fully expect him to be an impact player in the NBA for a long time. I think in 5 years, we will definitely be talking about the great rookie guard class of 2008, headlined by Rose, Mayo and Westbrook.

Scouting Report: Cleveland Cavaliers

I do not have much trepidation in calling this squad the front runners in the Eastern Conference. Although, I have not seen them play in quite some time. But, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been transformed into maybe the best team in basketball this year. Do they have the juice and the versatility to go all the way? Let's take a look. Again, screw positions, screw starting 5s. Let's look at their rotation:

1) Lebron James - F: 27 points. 7 dimes, 7 ballboards. Highest PER of all time. Shoots over 50%. Plays tenacious defense on and off the ball. Finally defends the rim like he should have his whole career. No more lousy step back three pointers with 17 seconds left on the shot clock. No insecurity about not handling the ball at the top of the key. Lebron, this season, has become maybe the most efficient basketball machine that the world has ever EVER known. Am I ready to put him with the all time greats? No, not really. He's going to need a few more of those dominating performances in the playoffs. But, has he finally realized the player he can be. Absolutely. Lebron remains the most devastating "Ace in the hole" in the league. And, if he adds a low post game and gets me 1/2 a block more per game - I may start saying, Jordan, Bird, Magic, LeBron . . .maybe.

2) The Big Z - C: There are a lot of crucial players on this Cavs team. But the Big Z is probably the most underrated of any of them. Let's think how many offensively adept centers there are in the NBA: Yao, Dwight, Shaq . . . uhh . . . uhh . . . Bueller . . .Bueller. . . I think the big Z is the fourth of that impressive quatrain. He is 14 pts and 7 boards a game on 52% shooting (8 of 16 from beyond the arc, weirdly.) And he turns the ball over less than two times a game, shoots 83% from the FT. The Big Z takes advantage of smaller centers on the offensive end, and can hunker down and defend centers on defense. Who takes his place if he's go down? The wildly one dimensional Ben Wallace.

3) Mo Williams - G: If you are noticing a common theme in these Cavs so far, it's offensive efficency. Mo Williams is no different. As a matter of fact, despite getting more open shots than in prior years he is shooting a little worse percentage from the field and beyond the arc. I attribute this to his new surroundings. His percentages have been climbing steadily up to 46% from the field and I expect it to keep rising as he even gets more acclimated. Any time you're starting point guard is shooting 96% from the free throw line and can help out Bron by delivering 4 assists a game can you really complain?

4) Anderson Varejao - F/C: Ahhh. .. Varejao. One of my favorite players in the league is everything Joakim Noah was supposed to be. He has great lateral quickness, good leaping ability, can steal the ball, get into passing lanes, and finish around the hoop. What he can't do is dribble, pass, or shoot. . . But this year, like everyone else on the team, he is staying right where he needs to be. So instead of shooting 46% like last year, he is shooting 57% from the field. Varejao really plays so close to the hoop he can be considered a center or backup center on this team. He can slide in for Big Z particularly when Big Z is getting killed by pick and rolls.

5) Delonte West - G: You know how I earlier said that Jameer Nelson was able to translate his game to the NBA almost identically? It must be something with St. Joe's because West has been able to do the same damn thing. Play next to a shoot first point guard and split the playmaking and shooting roles with him, while dishing a few assists and nailing open shots. Oh, and by the way, West is the 4th player so far for Cleveland I have mentioned that is currently shooting over 80% from the stripe.

6) Ben Wallace - F/C: Big Ben isn't so big anymore. No one parlayed defensive skill into superstardom quite like Wallace did on those frustratingly talented Pistons teams from earlier in the decade. However, he is on the perfect team now. This is a good time to talk about their defense. Mike Brown, for all his warts earlier as a head coach, was always a fantastic defensive coach, and Wallace is the sign of that. In LeBron, Andy V, and Ben Wallace you have 3 forwards over 6'8" who have no problem staying with guards on pick and rolls. That was always the most impressive thing about Big Ben - how he could stay with guards at the perimeter and come back and block someone's shot. When the Cavs want stops and they go with James, West, James, Wallace, and Varejao - it's a scary proposition for any team.

7) Boobie Gibson G: Boobie has one of the greatest names of all time. However, I have to say his game is pretty one dimensional. However, he can hit open shots, and slides in behind West or Williams and back them up with ease. He is playing a lot of minutes but not hitting too many shots this year, honestly. This is an important spot because West and James can't exactly each play 45 minutes a game, so Danny has to shape up, and, if he does nothing else, at least start hitting some shots or getting to the foul line or making a pass or getting a rebound . . or. . .or . . . this could be a an upgrade spot. . . I have never had much confidence in Boobie.

8) Wally Sczerbiak - G/F: Isn't it nuts that Wally's world was an all star at one point in his career, and now he is battling Sasha Pavlovic to be the second perimeter backup? Wally is having a truly dreadful year. The ability he once had to use his superior size to get himself mid range looks have gone bye-bye entirely. And, for some reason he is shooting under 35% from beyond the arc. . . I don't know what he is adding to the team. But, the other option is Sasha Pavlovic. . .

Outlook: The Cavs have been the best team in the league this season. They have been gliding to big wins over everybody - and they haven't even really figured out each other as teammates. Mo Williams can play better. Lebron could up his production, even if he can't really play any better. How could you add to this team? Well, they desperately need a perimeter bench player they can rely on to back up West, James, and Williams. Pavlovic, Wally, and Boobie can't give them much of anything except for shot making. But when what you "desperately need" is a new seventh man, you are in pretty good shape. Another underrated part of this team: every guy other than Williams has been in a big series against a top opponent in the postseason; and they should have beat the world champs last year if Rondo hadn't freaked out in that playoff game.

The Question: I mentioned to a friend a couple of weeks ago how Tony Romo never really seems in agony over a loss. He acts very sober, but you can just tell he is a moment from breaking out in a smile. On the other hand, after Peyton and the Colts lost to the Chargers this past weekend, Peyton could hardly even answer the questions in his press conference. I got the very real feeling that Peyton would be reeling from this loss for a couple of weeks. And you know what? I think that is often what separates the great players from the champions. King James has it all. He has every skill set a player could want on the front line for a team. The lone question is, is he as hyper competitive as the Duncans, Wades, Jordans, Olajuwons, Birds? That press conference after game 7 of the Celts, when Lebron was not in any anguish really really worried me about his future. Cleveland just lost a series it should have won - a series where they outplayed Boston - and Lebron talked about how it was a great and historic game. Lebron has taken the first step by becoming manic on defense. The next step is to really, really want it as badly as Isiah, Mike, Magic, and Julius wanted it. If he does, they'll be champions.

Power Rankings: January 8, 2009

Completely unrelated to the Power Rankings... but... Vlade Divac is now a European scout for the Lakers. He has a 15 or 16 year old son who is starting to play and according to Vlade is quite an adept passer. Enjoy the photo of a young, spry Vlade Divac... and in case you were keeping track at home, I went 4-4 on my picks the other night... enjoy the vig vegas (you will).

Now, onto the rankings....

30. Oklahoma City (5-31) – Russell Westbrook gets love from John Hollinger (http://m.espn.go.com/wireless/story?storyId=3815526). Durant having a phenomenal sophomore season and everyone in Seattle is still ripping their eyes out. [pv wk 30]

29. Sacramento (8-28) – Kevin Martin returns… losing continues. Sac-town faithful remembering the days when they poisoned Kobe…. And still couldn’t defeat the Lakers. [27]

28. Clippers (8-26) – Injuries to B. Diddy and Zach Randolph not helping this team. Eric Gordon looked great against the depleted Pistons the other night, and I’m still high on Al Thornton. [26]

27. Washington (7-27) – nice win over Cleveland in the crab-dribble game. [28]

26. Minnesota (10-25) – 4-1 in last five, but trading Mayo is looking like a huge mistake at this time. Wouldn’t an OJ-Al Jefferson combination be lethal down the line? [29]

25. Golden State (10-27) – Is there anyone who looks more awkward in a suit than Stephen Jackson? Someone get that man some sweats and a wife beater to wear on the sidelines. On the bright side, Crash Ellis was looking quite dapper on the bench last night. [24]

24. Memphis (11-25) – Mayo shooting almost 40% from beyond the arc…. I wonder if he has a calendar up like an inmate in prison just crossing off the days until he gets to go to New York, LA or Chicago. [23]

23. Indiana (13-22) – I don’t even know what else to say about the Pacers. They went 3-2 this week, so that’s a plus. [25]

22. Charlotte (13-23) – win over Celtics at home keeps them ahead of the Pacers. [22]

21. New York (13-20) – Became the third or fourth team in history to beat the team with the best record in the NBA (Boston) one night and lose to the worst team in the NBA (OKC) the next. Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2008-09 New York Knickerbockers. [21]

20. Toronto (15-21) – 3-2 since last edition of the power rankings, including wins over Orlando and Houston, but loss to Milwaukee keeps them at bay. [20]

19. Chicago (15-20) – Only win in the last week was against Sacramento and their 3 losses drop them to their lowest ranking since November. [17]

18. Philadelphia (15-20) – Iggy Hop had 28 the other night in their win against Houston. [19]

17. Milwaukee (17-20) – Don’t look now but Bucks would make the playoffs if they started today…. And get swept in round 1. [18]

16. New Jersey (18-18) – Still the surprise of the year for me, sitting at .500 almost halfway through the season. [16]

15. Miami (18-16) – Disappointing loss to Denver last night. Just couldn’t quite get over the hump. D-Wade and Co. are a true joy to watch though. [15]

14. Utah (21-15) – Still 9th in the West and Utah has their lowest ranking of the year this week… [13]

13. Phoenix (19-13) – Diaw averaging 15, 6 and 4 since trade for the Bobcats… I’m just sayin…. [11]

12. Houston (22-15) – 2-3 week causes 3 spot drop. [9]

11. Dallas (21-13) – 3-1 last week sparks leap to 11th! [12]

10. Detroit (21-12) – 7 game win streak snapped last night by the Blazers. [14]

9. Atlanta (22-12) – Struggles this week against Orlando and New Jersey cause fall to 9th. [7]

8. Portland (21-14) – Nice win over Detroit without Brandon Roy. They need him healthy to be elite though. [10]

7. New Orleans (21-11) – Solid win over Lakers on the road, but drop a spot due to the red-shot Nuggets. [6]

6. Denver (25-12) 5-0 record this week vaults them 2 spots. Also, how intriguing is Chris "Birdman" Andersen... i mean... he's the poor man's Josh Hamilton in terms of drug comebacks.[8]

5. San Antonio (23-11) – 3-1 since last power rankings, but Orlando’s tear causes drop to 5. [4]

4. Boston (29-8) – 2-6 in last 8, including losses to Charlotte and Knicks…. KG is right, ANYTHING IS POSSSSSSSIBLE!!!! [2]

3. Orlando (28-8) – 4-1 record with win over Atlanta, coupled with Boston’s struggles moves Magic to their highest ranking of the season. [5]

2. Cleveland (28-6) – 2-2 week after rise to #1, causes fall to #2. [1]

1. Lakers (28-6) – 2-1 against Utah, Portland and New Orleans at home, combined with win over Warriors, led to a 3-1 week and a return to the top spot. Estimated time till the curse of the Power Rankings strikes them down…. Friday vs. the Pacers [3]

Scouting Report: Orlando Magic

So, let's really delve into the ORLANDO MAGIC - my preseason pick for Eastern Conference Champion. Now, this was remarkably silly pick from a man who was just trying desperately to avoid picking the Cavs or Celtics - the two clear front runners. As usual: Screw starting 5s. You need at least 7 guys to win a title. So: there top 7:

1) Dwight Howard - C: Dwight Howard is the most charismatic player in the league and the best interview. He also happens to be the most dominating offensive and defensive center in the league. Yet, weirdly, he does not have a reliable offensive post game. To break into the Holy Trinity of Wade, LeBron and Paul he has to do one of two things: Up his FT% or get a reliable jump hook. Shaq, in his prime, could never shoot free throws, but he had a terrific array of post moves so he could just score constantly if he needed to. Nevertheless, Howard is such a powerful force that they really don't have to ever, EVER give him any help on the front line with shot blocking or rebounding. And, on a fan level - he's a blast to watch.

2) Hedo Turkoglu - SF: Hedo has not had the huge breakout year he did last year, and has come back down to earth a little bit. Shooting under 40% as a the team's go-to perimeter scorer isn't really a good deal for the magic. 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists and everytime I watch him he impresses the hell out of me offensively. He can get to the rim, shoot threes, and has a great mid range game.

3) Rashard Lewis - F: 19 points. 6 Assists. Is a dead eye shooter when open from deep. Has a super fancy low post game, and is occasionally a nasty tough rebounder. The thing that really kept his game from being totally super is he can't really make plays off the dribble like Hedo can. But is he a great scorer at the 4 and the 3 who would start on every single team in the league? Yes.

4) Jameer Nelson - G: You know what really pleases me? When a ballsy leader and clutch shooter in college turns into a ballsy leader and clutch shooter (42% from 3) in the NBA. Jameer Nelson is the same exact player he was in college. He's a shoot first, ball-dominating guard who his teammates love. He still can't regularly get to the hole and finish and he's still not a great passer. What Nelson badly needs is another point guard or combo guard to play with him. Think of Delonte West and Mike Williams, Ray Felton and DJ Augustin, Roger Mason and Tony Parker, Chris Quinn and Mario Chalmers (that was a joke). Nelson needs some help in the playmaking role for this team. But, man, watch this guy play defense. Even undersized he can handle guarding some 2's on the ball. Tenacious little dude. I'd take him over Mike Bibby I think.

5) Mickael Pietrus - SG: Euro-Jordan! The man Chad Ford had rated as the 6th best player in the mythical 2003 draft (Bosh, Wade, Bron, Melo). He doesn't have much of an offensive game despite being hyper-athletic, because he doesn't really have much handle. But, he can shoot, and he needs to beat out Bogans and play about 35 minutes a game for this team.

6) Keith Bogans - G/F: As you can see I have no idea what position Bogans even plays on the court for the Magic. He doesn't score much, but he plays intense defense. John Hollinger described him as a poor man's Bruce Bowen and that's good enough for me. All teams need one dude to not touch the ball and just defend (think Ron Harper AND Dennis Rodman of those Bulls teams) and Bogans is their guy. However, until Howard or Lewis go up another level, I think the Magic generally need a playmaker at this spot, or else too much falls on Turkoglu's shoulders.

7) Marcin Gortat - C: ESPN lists him as a power forward. But that's a load of crap. He is 6'11" and his only role on the team is to play when Dwight Howard is on the bench. And, you know what? He is a totally and completely reasonable backup center. You can win a title with a guy who plays 11 minutes a game and still blocks a shot and a half every game and snarks you 4 rebounds. I really like Gortat and think he is versatile enough to go ahead and play with Howard if they feel the need to go big against someone like the Celtics.

8) Tony Battie - C Battie is like the old washed up Dale Davis, PJ Brown characters who do exactly what they are told to do every game. I think he is worse than Gortat, although he has a lot better chance at muscling up in the post against a legitimate center, while Gortat is better at playing off of the ball, and blocking shots. They both give Howard a versatile back up and the option to go big.

9) Anthony Johnson - PG: Always a good choice as a backup PG. I can't believe he is still decent. And, he should always be remembered for hanging 40 points on Jason Kidd in the 2005 playoffs.

10) Courtney Lee - SG: Why is he down here so low when he plays 19 minutes a game and has just put together back to back double figure games in Bogans' absence? Because I forgot about him and am a terrible editor. Either way, he gives them a legit offensive threat at the 2 position - moreso than Pietrus or Bogans. He is super JJ Reddick because he shoots 40% and isn't an arrogant disaster on defense.

Outlook: I love watching the Magic play, because of how good of a shooting team they are and seeing that bull mastiff Howard glide around the interior. They are good defensively and have a super coach in Van Gundy who is a tough disciplinarian who players actually seem to like. I'm going to go ahead and say they are the best three point shooting team in the NBA, as they have fantastic shooters at 4 of 5 positions and a couple off the bench as well. (This, all while relegating Reddick to 11th man role.) Rashard Lewis can actually generally handle the 4 spot, and Howards backups are diverse enough to go big if they want to play Nelson, Turk, Lewis, Battie/Gortat, and Howard. What the Magic really lack is just one more playmaker to unlock a defense like the Cavs or the Celtics. If this team could add a legitimate point guard to the mix (think Andre Miller) then they would have enough offensive playmaking to be a threat to win the title right now.

J J Reddick watch: To get my biases out of the way, I hate JJ Reddick. I thought he was overrated at Duke, he never showed up in big games, and he was in an offense that was designed specifically for him to score - and even then, he shot a lower percentage than was perceived. The funny thing is, he found a perfect team. The Magic are a bunch of spot up shooters and Reddick is a great shooter. Unfortunately, not only does he offer no other skill to the Magic, he also does not have the sense of other great shooters to get to open spots on the floor. He is still very good at catching and shooting coming off of a pick, but he just can't get open in broken-play situations. This quality, makes him, as a player much worse than a guy like Steve Kerr or John Paxson - or even his rookie teammate Courtney Lee (who, incindentally, also has a pulse on defense.)

Yo-Yoing up and down the league on a Tuesday Morning

It's delicious, it's the true star of a TV show, and now, it's Lebron's dribble of choice. CRAB!







First, I’d like to make a comment about the “crab dribble.” On Sunday, the Wizards and Caron Butler defeated Lebron and the Cavs (the curse of the Power Rankings strikes again!). A really big win for Washington, who has now played Cleveland tough twice now this season. With about 15 second left, Lebron executed what he called a “crab dribble” to get around Butler and score to tie the game… except that he took 3 steps. This wasn’t even close. He didn’t dribble from the 3-point line all the way to the hoop. Afterwards, Lebron said that he didn’t travel, he used a crab dribble. It was such a blatant travel, it was actually called and the Wizards won the game. A lot has been made of Lebron’s comments by the media about the “crab dribble.” I guess Lebron is so used to not being called for travelling that he must think taking 3 steps is legal in the NBA. It’s not. We are all witnesses.

All the games last night went as expected… although the Jazz struggled mightily with the Warriors before closing out a 4 point victory. On another note, the Heat are really an interesting team. They don’t have a legitimate center and their power forward is all of 6’8. They played the Spurs last night and lost, but man, the amount of transition points the Heat get off of their half-court defense is amazing. D-Wade and Chalmers are both ball hawks. If Coach E can figure out a way to get them more easy shots in their half-court set, they could be a tough matchup for a team like the Magic, Cavs or the Hawks in round 1. Also, last night, against the Spurs, Beasley went for 15 and 12. He’s really quite an interesting player. He’s incredibly undersized and does not have jump out of the gym athleticism. He’s got incredible hand-eye coordination, can really dribble the ball well for his size and has range out to 20 feet. He’s also lazy and perceived to be (by his own coach even) a below-average defender and that’s why you’ve seen his minutes decrease. He just needs to show more emotion out there on defense and not sulk when the ball isn’t going through him on offense. I think he’s a tremendous talent, who probably will end up proving his doubters right when push comes to shove…. There’s a lot of Derrick Coleman in him.

A chance for me to look stupid tomorrow (home in CAPS):

washington +12.5 over ORL
houston -3.5 over PHL
CHARLOTEE +9 over boston
OKC +2 over nyk
MEM -4 over minnesota
sacramento +9 over CHICAGO
DALLAS -12.5 over clippers
LAKERS -7 over new orleans


Also, a programming note, power rankings will come out either tomorrow or Thursday this week….