Top 11 Power Rankings: Day 25
Nov 19, 2012 14:43:47 GMT -5
Post by donatello2424 on Nov 19, 2012 14:43:47 GMT -5
*Why top 11? Because I like to go 1 better.
1. Seattle SuperSonics (16-6)
Marty’s former team is killing it this season. Allen Iverson is what makes this team so good as he is a great combo guard who can light it up. Hinrich is good enough. Low turnovers and can score…he is everything that need him for. Lewis is a sharpshooter who is putting up around 17 ppg. Amare is the other surprising player. His 19/11 look nice, but it gets better. His .542 fg% is flat out great for a big man…and in contrast his assists are horrible. The real value for this team is their bench depth in terms of people who can score. Mashburn is a solid option on the bench who can come in and score just like Olowkandi and Gortat can do. They have the ppg differential you expect to see, one that hovers around +8. This team can score and is good enough defensively (Gortat is averaging 3 bpg after all). They are at the top but their home record could be a sign of trouble.
2. Boston Celtics (13-7)
The Celtics are near the top of this set of power rankings. The Celtics are led by a three headed monster of Tim Duncan, Paul Pierce, and Steve Nash. Duncan is having an amazing season with nearly 26 ppg, 14 rpg, and 5.5 apg, shockingly amazing for a big to have that many assists. Duncan can also block when needed, he is a great complete big. The buck doesn’t stop there as Pierce is a great offensive weapon who can score inside as well as outside. Nash is a great scorer as well, however his defense leaves a good bit to be desired. The addition of Andre Iguodala. Iggy could be a 20 ppg scorer on most teams, however on Boston he is a solid 4th option. Okur is decent enough alongside Duncan but they could have an improvement there. This team’s defense isn’t that great overall as their ppg differential is only around +4, low for a team usually this high. This team needs Iggy to step it up and take over games like he can.
3. New Jersey Nets (9-4)
The lack of losses have piloted the Nets this high. Paul and Monta are the two key pieces, who are averaging a combined 47 ppg and nearly 5 spg. They are the main pieces of this offense that does leave a lot to be desired. J.J. is solid, and his 14 ppg are needed for this team (as are Haslem’s 14 ppg). This team desperate needs a a 3rd scorer since J.J. won’t cut it and Paul/Monta can’t carry this team to the promised land without some help. Their ppg different is very small (on the south side of +4) and they are having trouble winning at home. Both of those are record killers.
4. Phoenix Suns (11-5)
The Suns should not be this high…yet they are. The Suns recently made a big deal (Love) so some of the numbers may be a bit skewed and off. The big “two” of this team would have to be Kevin Love and Andrea Bargnani. Love is a good scorer inside who can step out and hit the long jumper if needed. His rebounding is a bit low for a guy with those ratings, but it is sufficient enough. Bargnani on the other hand can’t rebound at all. He is a small forward in a centers body. However, Bargnani can score and that he does. His size gives him an advantage over smaller forwards since he can rebound. The 3rd amigo for this team would have to be Lamar Odom, who seems to be playing on borrowed times. Right now, due to the lack of appropriate pieces, Love is at the 5 and Bargnani is at the 4. They need Love to be at the 4 and Bargs at the 3, but then again they are trying to lose games.
5. Houston Rockets (10-5)
Why is Royal Ivey so good? 27 ppg is insane for a guy with C+ B- scoring ratings. I also know they say assists don’t matter but 2.8 apg…for a starting pg? Come on now. Pau and Ming are the real stars and they anchor this team to give them two scary good big men. Hill is a decent defender and Manu is a solid all-around player, who just doesn’t produce stat wise. This team should be better and look scarier, but they don’t. I mean it is hard to look intimidating when Royal Ivey is your starting point guard.
6. Los Angeles Clippers (13-7)
The Clippers are one of those teams that is just meh. Their players don’t blow you away (besides the obvious) and you think that they shouldn’t be as good as they are. Let’s look at that one star player they have in Dwyane Wade. Wade is a beast. 28 ppg, 6 rpg, nearly 6 apg, low turnovers and an amazing fg% of .543. Wade is a star player that every team loves. Now the rest. Mike Bibby is the point guard and he is good enough. He can score and dish and his turnovers aren’t killer, essentially what you want. AK is the main sf and he is a great player. He can score some but his true value comes from his great defense. Great stealer and blocker, no wonder he is an all-defensive candidate there. Okay is very surprising with his production. 17 ppg and a .520 fg% on B inside…sure, why not. Okafor is a good rebounder and a great blocker. Him and AK form a crazy defensive forward duo. I am not a huge fan of Nene. I like that he can score (as his 16 ppg says) and he is efficient (.511 fg%) but nothing else screams great. 8 rpg and 1 bpg? Meh. His turnovers are a tad high as well but It isn’t too bad. It is good that they have all 5 starters at above 10 ppg and it helps to make up for their lack of a true 20 ppg #2 guy, but just think how good they could be with a studish pg.
7. Detroit Pistons (11-7)
The Pistons are 9-1 over their last 10. They are 2nd in the east (which really isn’t saying much to be honest). However, neither of those can rise them up above 6 (and I would put them lower but that 9-1 does carry some weight). Let’s ignore this team besides the main two because, let’s be honest, the rest of them isn’t much to talk about. Durant is insanely good. Dude is in his 2nd year and is already a 31 ppg scorer….life isn’t fair. Cenk is good as well and gives the Pistons a 30 ppg duo. Who needs 3 20 ppg guys when you can only have 2 30. It is hard to ignore that 9-1 ver their last 10 but this team really isn’t a title contender, especially when they are dumping contracts.
8. Chicago Bulls (8-5)
Kobe and
Yeah that’s the problem with the Bulls, they really are a one man team, but it does help for one man to be a 34 ppg, 9 rpg, and 4 apg beast named Kobe Bryant. If you had to pick a guy who is the second fiddle then it would have to be Josh Smith and his 20 ppg and 10 rpg. Another strength of the Bulls is their great shot blocking. Smith at 4.2 bpg is great as is Samb at 3.3 bpg. Now the bad…Jose Barea. Those 3.6 topg isn’t going to cut it. He is their 3rd option and his 15 ppg are useful, but they need a guy who is more efficient with the ball.9. Memphis Grizzlies (12-9)
Talk about a team that should be higher…the Grizzlies are a team that you would expect to be up near the top of the power rankings, not near the back end of the top 10. I mean this team does have 80 ppg just from their big three of Marbury, Dirk, and Marion. Magloire chips in almost 13 ppg but that is where the fun ends. Ben Wallace should be performing better this year but he is not. You would think with Wallace and Griffin that their big on defense would be performing but they are struggling. Overall team defense is down and there is no real answer. One of their biggest faults is their lack of bench scoring. Outside of the big 3 (and Magloire) there really isn’t another guy that strikes fear into the bench of other teams. Pietrus is their main bench guy but 7 ppg from your 6th man isn’t going to cut it.
10. Los Angeles Lakers (11-8)
+7 ppg differential is always nice to see and the Lakers are giving us that. The Lakers are another team that can put up some points. The leader has to be Marleo Anthony and his 29 ppg. He is an above average rebounder as well who can pull down almost 10 rpg. This concern is his tos, which are enar 3 and can be a bit high for a #1 option. Deron Williams is the facilitator who is a great point guard. 23 ppg and 13 apgm dude is a beast. Larry Hughes is also a very surprising player. Good defensively who can pass some, rebound, and score, essentially everything you could want in a player. Now the not so good. It’s hard to ignore Eddy Curry’s 18 ppg and .509 fg%. It’s even harder to ignore his 8 rpg starting and lack of defense. Bogut is the fellow starter who can block some and rebounder fairly well, a good compliment to Vurry. The main bench guy is Deng with 12 ppg. He is very efficient so he can fill in nicely for either Melo or Hughes. Their concern is a lack of blocking from their bigs but they can sure put up some points.
11. Utah Jazz (11-8)
The Jazz lost the tiebreaker with the Lakers so they find themselves lower than them. The Jazz started off hot but have cooled down recently. They have the two players who give them offense in Michael Redd and Baron Davis. Redd with 31 ppg can light it up and he is a solid defender as well. Davis is a very solid point guard. He can score, defend, steal, pass, and averages a 3 to 1 assist to turnover ratio which isn’t bad. They are the only reason this team is as good as they are. Now the weaknesses of the team. Ilgauskas and Carlos Boozer are not that great. They are solid and okayer, both around the 13 ppg and 9 rpg mark, but neither wows you. Boozer is on a contract that seems a bit overkill for his production and limits their possibilities for deals. Since neither is truly a dominant scorer, Shane Battier doesn’t work at small forward. Having a defensive wing means you need your scoring from atleast one of your bigs, and they aren’t getting that. We starting to see the struggled of the Jazz. They give up more points than they score and we can tie that to their lack of defense from both bigs. They need to add another 20 ppg scorer but it will be a struggle. This is the team that could fall out of the top 10.
