The Elites
1. Boston Celtics - Opening the season 17-2 after winning an NBA championship and going 66-16..no question who the league's top team is. First in lowest opponents' PPG allowed and in opponents FG% allowed. If you ask me who would be the NBA champions today, I'd say Boston.
2. San Antonio Spurs - 9-8, but when you take injuries into consideration, they are about a 13-4 team. Still a young season. We're just not shooting the ball well right now. We are 5th in the league in opponents' PPG allowed, we just need to make our shots. We are also the most respected franchise in the NBA right now, every team is out to get us and every team will play their asses off vs. the Spurs (particularly jealous Dallas and Houston), so look for a handful of fluke losses this season.
3. Utah Jazz - 12-7 is very impressive for the injuries this team has faced. Seeing as this team will simply win 90% of its home games, look for them to have a top record in the league.
4. Denver Nuggets - Welcome Chauncey Billups and welcome Denver to the West's elite. Good job in getting rid of Iverson and Camby.
The Average
5. Phoenix Suns - I don't know what to expect of these guys anymore. Amar'e (what is it with the new spelling this season?) is not happy. He said he wants to be in the same category as Wade, LeBron, and Dwight. Well, aside from Wade, I don't know why he wants to be in the same category as junk players LeBron and Dwight Howard. Anyhow, these guys have lost to the likes of Houston, Miami, and NJ at HOME...Losing to such sub-par teams is bad enough, but at home makes it even worse.
6. Detroit Pistons - Rasheed, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton...all respectable players and this Detroit team has always been a solid club. With Iverson, I don't know. They're not the same without Billups.
7. New Orleans Hornets - Again, this team is not the same group we saw last year, despite Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler, and Peja Stojakovic all returning. Chris Paul was getting MVP talk last year. Fluke season. He won the Western Conf. Player of the Month but that was a fluke too. David West was an All-Star last year...looks like that was a fluke. 39% shooting from Peja?
8. Dallas Mavericks - They appear to be getting their act together, 7-1 over the last 8 games. I still can't take them seriously enough. Who can after 2006, 2007, and 2008? Everything they've done post-Spurs series in '06 has been .
The Pretenders - This group of teams just happens to be taking advantage of injuries to teams 1-8. They're also just on a couple of lucky shooting streaks...any team whose shot is falling is bound to win some games. That's what's happening here. No talent required for that. These guys will be at the bottom of the standings at the end of the season.
9. L.A. Lakers - This team is only 14-2 because one, they had a ridiculous home schedule through their first 15 games...10 out of 15 were home, then count the Clipper game and that makes 11 out of 15 games at Staples. What a load of bull . Second, the West has faced an incredible amount of injuries. No way is this Laker team realistically 14-2. They'll start dropping some games again as in last night. Without a 2nd dominant player (Shaq for example), Kobe will not win a championship with a bunch of scrubs.
10. Houston Rockets - When a team sucks to begin with, and then McGrady is out and Ron Artest becomes your 2nd best player, you know you're done. Being 27th in field goal percentage doesn't help. Maybe now that McGrady is out, his 40% shooting won't hurt anymore.
11. Portland Trailblazers - No. I don't know who these guys think they are.
12. Cleveland Cavs - LeBron is more concerned about 2010 then he is about 2008. Still the most overrated player of this decade and wearing number 23 doesn't make him the next MJ. This team is just shooting the ball well right now...
13. Orlando Magic - Just doing the same bull as last year. Hitting some shots.
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