NBA Power Rankings

I don't know if the Spurs have been playing "flawless ball". The defense has been more erratic at times than we're used to. Except for the loss to the Sonics, they have yet to play a good team at full strength (i.e., the Heat with Wade).

OTOH, it has been pleasant to see that scoring has been up all around the league. Not sure why that is, but I don't think the new rules have anything to do with it. (The only real new rule I can see in effect is that Kobe must shoot FTs every 2 minutes.) It remains to be seen whether this keeps up.

""flawless ball".

Letting SEA score at a rate of 164 PPG in the 4th quarter was kinda flawed.

Well, Kori did say except for the Seattle loss.

But the defense wasn't great against the Lakers or Kings, either.

ESPN's Power Rankings are 1. Mavs, 2. Jazz, 3. Spurs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerr...on=2005&week=2

anybody know when was the last time, if ever, that an opponent scored 40 pts in a qtr on a Popavich Spurs team?

I'm pretty sure the Mavs have done it once or twice; in fact, they might have done it last year.

ShoogarBear is correct. The Mavs scored 40 on the Spurs last year at least once. If I remember correctly, the last time was a Mavs game in the beginning of March.

the jazz are for real. they finished above .500 last year on the single strength of great coaching. This year after having improved their team with a lot more size and toughness they will finish very high in the rankings. Is there any other team in the NBA than the Spurs that plays with as much toughness and precision as the Jazz? I do agree that Kiralenko is overrated as the star of the team, but put just one real star on the Jazz and they are championship favorites. Until they get that player (teams like the 79 Sonics and the 04 Pistons with no true star don't come around that often) they are not a championship favorite. They need a superstar. That's why the Spurs are better. but the spurs better beware. Utah is coming on fast.

Actually six games into the season I am very, very happy the ranking's talking heads (this does not include Kori who deserves our ultimate respect always) aren't saying the usual BS about the "Spurs slow start" - as if it means squat usually when all is said and done.

MadDoc

Quote:

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By Kori Ellis
SpursZONE.com

Season record in parenthesis reflects games played through Saturday, November 13th.

Utah Jazz (5-1)
The offseason additions of Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur are already paying dividends, as the Jazz are off to a blazing start. On top of averaging an impressive 102.8 points for the season, their defense has also been stellar -- giving up only 88.0 points per game.
RANK: 1

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Quote:

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SequSpur: Jazz?? No way.

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The Jazz shouldn't be ranked in the top 10. When are you going to update this?

Weak.

Umm that's from 2 weeks ago. It's been updated twice since then.

Miami and Seattle ahead of San Antonio? Since, the jumpstarters are getting brownie points, might as well put Memphis and Toronto ahead of them as well.

Spurs are #1 in the power rankings. Its not even close. If you put them #1, you won't have to worry about cutting and pasting a team somewhere else.

The Spurs are already number 1 this week. The new rankings aren't published yet, they come out tonight.