This Week's Power Rankings: Spurs #1 across the board

[duncan228]

For those interested.

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NBA.com

1. San Antonio (42-8)
Pace: 95.1 (13), Off: 109.0 (3), Def: 100.7 (7)
Thanks to Antonio McDyess' tip-in, the Spurs were able to beat the Lakers with Tim Duncan scoring just eight points. A night later, they beat the Kings with Duncan playing less than 13 minutes. Maybe Tiago Splitter (16 points and nine rebounds in Sacramento) can help them this season after all.

2. Boston (38-12)
3. Miami (37-14)
4. Chicago (34-15)
5. L.A. Lakers (35-16)
6. Dallas (35-15)
7. Oklahoma City (33-17)
8. Orlando (32-20)
9. New Orleans (32-20)
10. Atlanta (33-18)

http://www.nba.com/2011/news/powerra...s=iref:nbahpt1

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Marc Stein, ESPN

1 (1) Spurs 42-8 Normally I'd agree that the 50-game mark is too soon to be talking about magic numbers when it comes to clinching No. 1 in the West. These Spurs, though, have a seven-game cushion on their closest pursuers.

2 (7) Mavericks 35-15
3 (2) Celtics 38-12
4 (4) Heat 37-14
5 (3) Bulls 34-15
6 (5) Lakers 35-16
7 (9) Thunder 33-17
8 (6) Hornets 32-20
9 (8) Magic 32-20
10 (12) Grizzlies 27-25

http://espn.go.com/nba/powerrankings...n/2011/week/15

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Hollinger, ESPN

http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerrankings

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ProBasketballTalk

1. Spurs (42-8, Last Week #1). They are on the annual rodeo road trip (a rodeo kicks them out of their arena for a couple weeks) and early on they got a quality win over the Lakers because Antonio McDyess wanted a rebound more than Lamar Odom. They are starting to get more out of Tiago Splitter, which is good for Tim Duncan.

2. Celtics (38-12, LW #2)
3. Heat (37-14, LW #3)
4. Mavericks (35-15, LW #7)
5. Bulls (34-15, LW #4)
6. Lakers (35-16, LW #6)
7. Thunder (33-17, LW #9)
8. Magic (32-20, LW #5)
9. Hawks (33-18, LW #10)
10. Hornets (32-20, LW #8).

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...-spurs-on-top/

[awktalk]

Two of these Power Rankings talk about Splitter. Hopefully Pop uses this opportunity to get him consistent minutes.

[Darkwaters]

Two of these Power Rankings talk about Splitter. Hopefully Pop uses this opportunity to get him consistent minutes.

Amen

[tmtcsc]

It kind of annoys me that people are still calling this record a "start." the season is more than halfway done. The word "start" should only be used to describe the season up until January 1st.

Excellent point. Of course some would argue that the NBA regular season is an extended pre-season. So I could see it that way too. But yeah, 50 games in with 32 to go is beyond a start.

[Phillip]

It kind of annoys me that people are still calling this record a "start." the season is more than halfway done. The word "start" should only be used to describe the season up until January 1st.

likely they are referring to it still as a "start" because the yearly injury bug and yearly slump that hits pretty much every team through a season has not hit the spurs yet. lets see how they face some adversity when it strikes. they have been extremely fortunate to have gotten such consistent jumpshooting out of everyone and no major injuries all season.

[jestersmash]

likely they are referring to it still as a "start" because the yearly injury bug and yearly slump that hits pretty much every team through a season has not hit the spurs yet. lets see how they face some adversity when it strikes. they have been extremely fortunate to have gotten such consistent jumpshooting out of everyone and no major injuries all season.

False on many levels.

1. Spurs haven't had any major injuries to star players, but they've had injuries nonetheless. Nevertheless, you did qualify by specifying "major" injuries so I'll let this one go.

More importantly though,

2. Plenty of players have been through hot streaks and slumps this year. R.J. started off shooting absurdly well from the outside and has since tapered down...a lot...and the spurs are still winning.

Ginobili hasn't played anywhere near the level he was playing at during the beginning of the season. He's been through numerous shooting slumps. So has Tony Parker (Parker is now playing extremely well as per the last 10 or so games). George Hill has been up and down. Gary Neal is in a shooting slump right now.

We've already endured numerous "jumpshooting" slumps from numerous players, and we're winning. Don't be deluded into thinking that the Spurs are only winning games because they are shooting excessively well from the outside. Your premise is false to begin with.

[Phillip]

False on many levels.

1. Spurs haven't had any major injuries to star players, but they've had injuries nonetheless. Nevertheless, you did qualify by specifying "major" injuries so I'll let this one go.

LMAO james anderson is about the only extended "injury" the spurs have had

2. Plenty of players have been through hot streaks and slumps this year. R.J. started off shooting absurdly well from the outside and has since tapered down...a lot...and the spurs are still winning.

Ginobili hasn't played anywhere near the level he was playing at during the beginning of the season. He's been through numerous shooting slumps. So has Tony Parker (Parker is now playing extremely well as per the last 10 or so games). George Hill has been up and down. Gary Neal is in a shooting slump right now.

We've already endured numerous "jumpshooting" slumps from numerous players, and we're winning. Don't be deluded into thinking that the Spurs are only winning games because they are shooting excessively well from the outside. Your premise is false to begin with.

LMAO thinking jefferson shooting over 40% from 3 and bonner shooting over 50% from 3 = normal

[jestersmash]

Bonner's currently injured, and he's the only player on the team that has been shooting consistently well from 3 point land all season long.

You say "spurs," but it's really Bonner, maybe Jefferson as well. Ginobili/Parker/Duncan/Neal/Hill - all rotation players - have been through "slump land" and back.

I don't know why you even brought up James Anderson. He's completely irrelevant to the Spurs. He's not a rotation player, and chances are it'll stay that way throughout the remainder of the season (and into the playoffs).

Bonner's injury affects the Spurs. James Anderson being injured is irrelevant. They sent him back to the Toros already. He has no business seeing rotation minutes right now.

[Phillip]

Bonner's currently injured, and he's the only player on the team that has been shooting consistently well from 3 point land all season long.

You say "spurs," but it's really Bonner, maybe Jefferson as well. Ginobili/Parker/Duncan/Neal/Hill - all rotation players - have been through "slump land" and back.

I don't know why you even brought up James Anderson. He's completely irrelevant to the Spurs. He's not a rotation player, and chances are it'll stay that way throughout the remainder of the season (and into the playoffs).

Bonner's injury affects the Spurs. James Anderson being injured is irrelevant. They sent him back to the Toros already. He has no business seeing rotation minutes right now.

LMAO matt bonners injury = major in gnsf eyes

[jestersmash]

I realize you're new here but that form of trolling has been outdated for at least a year now. It doesn't work on anybody.

[Gutter92]

LMAO matt bonners injury = major in gnsf eyes

Uh, a 50% 3 point shooter isn't a big piece to a team...? Just answer the question tbh.

[Gutter92]

Also, George Hill missed 6 games this season...

you'd figure Mav fan would count George Hill as a major injury

LMAO 29 pts in the playoffs on the Mavs

[Fpoonsie]

I realize you're new here but that form of trolling has been outdated for at least a year now. It doesn't work on anybody.

lol new

But, Phil, I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that SA will indeed suffer a major "Dirk out for weeks" type a' injury. It's certainly a possibility, but hopefully limiting minutes on key players lessens that likelihood.

[Phillip]

I realize you're new here but that form of trolling has been outdated for at least a year now. It doesn't work on anybody.

LMAO thinking im new

Uh, a 50% 3 point shooter isn't a big piece to a team...? Just answer the question tbh.

on the level of say manu, parker, duncan, or say dirk, butler, chandler... no, not even close to being a big piece.

Also, George Hill missed 6 games this season...

you'd figure Mav fan would count George Hill as a major injury

LMAO 29 pts in the playoffs on the Mavs

LMAO getting raped by goran dragic in the playoffs

lol new

But, Phil, I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that SA will indeed suffer a major "Dirk out for weeks" type a' injury. It's certainly a possibility, but hopefully limiting minutes on key players lessens that likelihood.

no, its definitely possible that they could manage all the way through the season in good health to their main pieces, and if so, they will definitely finish with a phenomonal record. its just that generally, there will be some sort of injury that happens to most teams. its very rare that a teams top players all make it through the season completely healthy the way the spurs have so far. truth is, in the end, being healthy and in sync in the playoffs is what matters most, as perfectly evidenced in 07 when the mavs generally were in sync all season and werent too badly affected by injuries, and they won 67 games. unfortunately they ended up finishing the season not on a very strong note, and had a bad team slump against the warriors. on the other hand, the spurs were battered all year, but they were healthy and ready come playoff time, and made a le run.

as regards to my slump comments earlier that apparently gnsf is too stupid to comprehend, what im saying is that most teams at least once a year will have a strech where the team as a whole seems to get off beat, adversity strikes, and the teams ends up slumping as a whole. the spurs havent really had that yet, and for them, they had best hope that either they get really REALLY fortunate and not have to deal with a slump like that (which i dont know if that has ever happened), or that if the slump hits them, it hits them well before the playoffs start.

[jestersmash]

@ this needle mouthbreather raging because I'm not respecting his trolling seniority on this site as he continues to provide patently uninformed and irrelevantly speculative takes

[Gutter92]

LMAO George Hill pulling a Dragic on the Mavs

[Fpoonsie]

no, its definitely possible that they could manage all the way through the season in good health to their main pieces, and if so, they will definitely finish with a phenomonal record. its just that generally, there will be some sort of injury that happens to most teams. its very rare that a teams top players all make it through the season completely healthy the way the spurs have so far. truth is, in the end, being healthy and in sync in the playoffs is what matters most, as perfectly evidenced in 07 when the mavs generally were in sync all season and werent too badly affected by injuries, and they won 67 games. unfortunately they ended up finishing the season not on a very strong note, and had a bad team slump against the warriors. on the other hand, the spurs were battered all year, but they were healthy and ready come playoff time, and made a le run.

as regards to my slump comments earlier that apparently gnsf is too stupid to comprehend, what im saying is that most teams at least once a year will have a strech where the team as a whole seems to get off beat, adversity strikes, and the teams ends up slumping as a whole. the spurs havent really had that yet, and for them, they had best hope that either they get really REALLY fortunate and not have to deal with a slump like that (which i dont know if that has ever happened), or that if the slump hits them, it hits them well before the playoffs start.

Ya know, I hadn't watched too many of DAL's games that season, much less their stretch run to end it, but I simply assumed they ran into a matchup nightmare and a coach that knew how to exploit it (similar to my feelings on the DAL/SA matchup the year before). I didn't realize they'd been "slumping" weeks prior.

I don't remember the injury bug catching up to them at the end, so how does a team (collectively) slump after playing so well for most of the year? If a team is playing with chemistry all season, what makes them suddenly lose said chemistry? I can't imagine every shooter hits a rough patch simultaneously...

[Phillip]

@ this needle mouthbreather raging because I'm not respecting his trolling seniority on this site as he continues to provide patently uninformed and irrelevantly speculative takes

LMAO massively misinformed asshurt gnsf

LMAO George Hill pulling a Dragic on the Mavs

LMAO 4 rings got

Ya know, I hadn't watched too many of DAL's games that season, much less their stretch run to end it, but I simply assumed they ran into a matchup nightmare and a coach that knew how to exploit it (similar to my feelings on the DAL/SA matchup the year before). I didn't realize they'd been "slumping" weeks prior.

I don't remember the injury bug catching up to them at the end, so how does a team (collectively) slump after playing so well for most of the year? If a team is playing with chemistry all season, what makes them suddenly lose said chemistry? I can't imagine every shooter hits a rough patch simultaneously...

yeah, they definitely started slumping a bit. went 6-4 in april. it definitely was a bad matchup in some ways, but at the same time, stackhouse and terry both were getting a ridiculous amount of WIDE OPEN shots from all the doubles and triples that dirk was drawing, and they were bricking damn near every last one of them, putting all kinds of pressure on dirk to have to force offense through the doubles and triples, resulting in a poor shooting series for him as well.

in the end, it was just a strange combo of a bad matchup, as well as awful slumps by Terry and Stackhouse (the two players i felt were MOST responsible for the series loss).

[Cessation]

Ratface chocking in the playoffs is normal.

[SA210]

Two of these Power Rankings talk about Splitter. Hopefully Pop uses this opportunity to get him consistent minutes.

[DMC]

Excellent point. Of course some would argue that the NBA regular season is an extended pre-season. So I could see it that way too. But yeah, 50 games in with 32 to go is beyond a start.

That would be a stupid ing argument. If the regular season were just an extended pre-season, then there's no post season, or no regular season. Might as well say the season is just the Finals and that there are only 2 teams in the NBA.

[DMC]

Ratface chocking in the playoffs is normal.

Just as you misspelling "choking" is normal, unless you mean he's got a boat trailer and he's putting a block behind his wheels.

[Cry Havoc]

at Phillip, who's just jealous that our 6'10" white boy shoots AND plays better defense this year than their turtle-man.

How much does it suck that a guy you're paying $11,400,000 next year is worse in every aspect of the game than Matt Bonner?

tl:dr for this entire thread:

BONNER >>>>>>>> TERRY

[Cessation]

Just as you misspelling "choking" is normal, unless you mean he's got a boat trailer and he's putting a block behind his wheels.

You still butthurt?

[jestersmash]