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The Spurs seem to do better when they aren't the favorites. So fine by me.
Can't believe the Spurs are so low.
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn...c.php?t=103782
The Spurs seem to do better when they aren't the favorites. So fine by me.
what a ty list. how the kings are ranked below the cavs, nuggs and nets are beyond me.
Yeah, I saw that.
Suns ranked higher than the Spurs? That's ridiculous. And the Pistons have more work to do than the Spurs to get back to championship form - they have to build an entire bench virtually from scratch, and make sure they can resign Wallace. Also, the Heat are no lock for the top next year - Shaq is still getting older, GP should retire, Zo may retire.
I'd say that as of right now, pre-offseason trading and signings, the power balance looks like:
1. Mavs - They're pretty even with the Spurs, but I give them the edge since they did edge them in the playoffs. But I suspect by the time preseason roles around Spurs will be #1.
2. Spurs - Had Manu not fouled, Spurs are in the Finals again, and unlike Mavs, they have the means (Bowen) to stop/slow Wade.
3. Heat - They may not have the pieces for a repeat.
4. Suns- We'll see what kind of shape Amare comes back in, and who they get to keep. If they lose Marion or Diaw, they'll drop a few notches.
5. Pistons - We'll see what kind of depth they can drum up.
6. Clips - How much more can Cassell have in the tank?
7. Utah - They're due for a relatively injury-free season.
8. Lakers - They lack any real presence in the paint.
9. Cleveland - We'll see how good Lebron REALLY is, as a team player, next year.
10. Denver - Of course, they could blow up in the offseason and tank the season.
It does not matter..Some of you ,dare I say, sound like mav fans worrying about this poll..
Polls are irrelevant, especially one coming from the Baseball, I mean Sporting News.
Dallas needs Terry. He was their best player in the Finals. He doesn't go for thirty in several of those games, they may have gotten swept.
I'd have
1. San Antonio (the fewest questions of any contending team)
2. Pistons (so long as Ben Wallace resigns)
3. Miami (need vets to resign, but will be very good, even without)
4. Phoenix (questions galore, they they could be the deepest team in the League)
5. Dallas (Terry has to be resigned. Daniels, Stackhouse and Harris won't get it done)
6. New Jersey (they need size, but have options in the draft/free agency)
7. Sacramento (they need Bonzi Wells and center depth, both are likely)
8. Cleveland (need a PG... desperately)
9. L.A. Clippers (need to resign Cassell and add another backup big)
10. Denver (have so much talent. They still need several shooters and health)
Terry being resigned is not even a question. It's a done deal...just waiting for date they can do it and to iron out the details.
All they seem to do is look at last season's records and move some teams around. It's kinda like all the sports video games where the team that won the le the year before is the best one in the game.
1. Mavericks. Finaly broke past their big brother in the division. Great depth and a good mix of young players and veteran leadership. Confidence and experience gained by getting to the finals makes me have to currently put them at #1
2. Suns. Amare back in the fold makes them my early favorite for WC Champ. Nash and his health will be the only thing to watch for.
3. Pistons. Assumng Ben stays, this is still the best 5 in the league. Best record last year, and no reason why it can't be the same this year. A more concerted effort to play the bench will keep the starters spry enough to finish. My favorite for EC Champ.
4. Spurs. The big three can carry them ... but questions still abound. Age and Injuries will be the determining factors of how well this team does. Timmy, Bruce, Horry, Finley haven't seen the fontain of youth in a long time. Is Timmy now considered injury prone? Missed 30 games between the 03' and 04' seasons, and struggled w/ PF all last season. Manu's style of play always makes him a leading candidate to be put on the injured list. On top of all that, Duncan will probably have to move to the 5 full time w/ the loss of Rasho. Can easily return to the Finals but will have a toughr job of it than in previous years.
5. Heat. Defending Champs, but will struggle to get back to the dance. Shaq looked old in the Finals. Not to mention he'll probably put on 75 pouinds in the off-season celebrating. Zo and Payton could be gone. Expect Wade to take on a Kobe/Iverson role of being a one man show this year. Will that be enough to get it done? Doubt it.
6. Clippers. Will Cassel return? If so I like their chances. Shaun Livingston will also get some more PT and he can be an explosive play maker for them.
7. Nets. Kidd, Carter and Jefferson are a very solid core. But they lack any bigs of real quality. Depth is also a question. But their 3 playmakers can keep them in any game against any opponent.
8. Kings. I rank them this high not so much because I think they're one of the best teams, but because I think they're a very confident team. Their run against the Spurs made them beleivers. The loss of Bonzi may not hurt too much as Kevin Martin is ready to step up. A healthy SAR could greaty improve this team. However this team is only one Artest hiccup away from the lottery.
9. Nuggets. Hard to know where to put this team. Will K-Mart be staying? Will George Karls antics wear thin on his guys? Can Melo' finaly step it up enough to make a serious push. Depth could also be a problem for this squad.
10. Cavs. Bad move bringing in D Jones last year. L Hughes being healthy for the entire year could pay huge dividends. Lebron cannot do this by himself. Big Z is better than people want to give him credit for ... but they need to find a physical backup for him. In a weakend East, this team can easily be a top 5 team.
EXACTLY............
But by the time the season starts who knows...........
Even the Kings..... Bonzi???
Will miller go to the gym or will he try and qualify for the pabst 5k drank this summer???
I don't listen to polls.
Who cares? it's a whole lot better this way.
1. Mavericks: Very young and very deep. Future looks good next season
2.Spurs: Still have the big 3, but need to get more young guys playing.
3.Miami: still are the champs, but will fall 2 or 3 spots if they don't move some of the old guys and get younger.
4.Suns: They did so good with Amare gone, but will Amare be that good next year. Even if he is he isn't a defensive force like Kurt Thomas and there are rumors about Marion trades. You also have to remember Colangelo left. I think they'll drop down soon.
5.Pistons: They have to resign Ben, get a tough assistant coach, and regroup. Flip needs to get the bench more pt, and needs to change his playbook a little to get more paint points. If the Pistons resign Ben they move up 3-4 spots, and if Flip plays the bench a lot next season I'll have my boys on top. There is a lot of work to do though.
6.Cavaliers: Lebron is already looking amazing, but don't expect the Cavs to improve a lot. The Cavaliers don't have a lot of money to spend so the team will be relatively the same.
7.Houston: Until the injuries the Rockets were threatening for a possible championship. If McGrady pulls it together, and the Rockets draft good at the 7th pick they'll be a threat in the West next year.
8.Sacramento: If Ron Artest doesn't do a crack head move Sacramento looks very good. They have to adjust to a new coach, but Kevin Martin is starting to look like a very good player.
9.If Chicago gets a good draft pick they'll be a threat to Detroit, Miami, and possibly Cleveland.
10.New Jersey: I don't see them as such a big threat unless they some how start to play defense.
Sacramento has too many questions to break into the top ten at this point...Bonzi was playing out of his mind in the playoffs because he wants a big contract, but he's not a player I'd gamble on for consistency. He's the same Bonzi whose been deemed uncoachable in Portland and Memphis. And Artest is a live wire just waiting to erupt again...we'll see if he can go a whole season without getting into more trouble. And the biggest ? of all is that they'll have a new coach...one who's never had a winning record. So Sacramento will have to prove themselves before I'm sold on them.
I put qualifiers on Utah (they've had a lot of bad luck with injuries) and Denver (could explode at any moment and drop way down.
Any other complaints with my list?
Why don't we just go ahead and post a 2009-2010 power poll.
Pretty meaningless, isn't it?
Utah at #7??????? Are Stockton and Malone coming out of retirement?
Utah at #7??????? Are Stockton and Malone coming out of retirement?
Yeah it's stupid really. FA haven't signed so all you go by is last year.
1. Heat-They are the champs so until they are dethroned they are the best.
2. Pistons-If the Mavs met the Pistons in the finals they still would have lost.
3. Mavs-They won't be in the finals next year but you have to put them here for doing it last year.
4. Spurs-Spurs without a doubt OWN the Suns so if they were to win the semis that was a guaranteed spot in the finals.
5. Suns-Going to the West Finals without Amare? Will that change next year? Until they make the next step they are here.
6. Rockets-Tracy McGrady and Yao healthy. Plus a top 10 pick? Watch Out!
7. Cavaliers-Lebron is playing at his prime, plus with the experience of almost making the East Finals, I think they can make it there now.
8. Bulls-Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Andres Nocioni, Tyson Chandler, plus the #2 overall pick? Another scenario like the Rockets.
9. Kings-Ron Artest for a full season, will Eric Musselman deliver?.
10. Clippers-I don't see them fall apart like the Sonics.
The top four teams on the list were all Conference finalists in the playoffs, so even in Spurs' fans biased heart and even though the Spurs could have beaten the Mavericks, I don't see why there is such a big argument with the Spurs being #5. Last four teams standing are the top four teams in the rankings.
As for Sacramento, I would probably rank them higher, but you can understand why they are not. They have a brand new head coach. And, their best player in the playoffs, Bonzi Wells, is an UNRESTRICTED free agent.
Not really worried about Bonzi resigning. If he does, fine. If not, Kevin Martin will shine.
I like this ranking the best thus far.
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