NBA Basketball News - Power Rankings

Week 9 Power Rankings Chris Wallace 1/13/05
RANK	TEAM	COMMENTS
1.		The good news for the rest of the NBA? Pistons are on the worst stretch of their season so far. The bad news for the rest of the NBA? They Pistons are 8-2 in that stretch.
2.		Spurs are, as always, have the best home record in the league. Which does them little good if Detroit has home court advantage in the Finals.
3.		Dirk has made this team a winner. The Mavs will have to work to keep this spot. The Grizzlies and Nets are hot on their heals.
4.		The Atlantic Division may send an above .500 team to the playoffs after all.
5.		I know I sound like a broken record, but this team is the best defensive team in the NBA. And we all know what defense wins.
6.		Nash had the best offense in the NBA clicking. This is exactly what the Suns needed after a slow start. Amare can take as much time as he needs to heal.
7.		Lebron may not win the scoring title, but the two guys in front of him (AI and Kobe) are inferior to Lebron. He makes his whole team better.
8.		Hmm, Heat got off to a quick start with Riley and are ho-hum ever since. Maybe it’s the talent that was assembled on this team and not the coach?
9.		As it turns out, Indiana is still a good team. Though what Walsh is waiting for on an Artest trade is beyond me. Artest is a HUGE risk. No sensible GM will give a good player for him. So yes, that means he’s headed to the Knicks for a good player.
10.		This is a good team. Even with injuries striking, this squad has persevered and done what was needed to win.
11.		I know I’ve mentioned it before, but it blows me away. The Bucks are three games over .500, and give up three more points per game than they score. They win by slim margins and losses are usually lopsided affairs.
12.		Along with the Bucks, they also are over .500 and give up 2 more points than they score. Jazz can only get better when, or should I say if, Boozer comes back.
13.		Lakers wish they were in the Eastern Conference. They are 10-5 against the East and 8-12 against the West.
14.		Carmelo is scoring in bunches. Too bad the reason he’s shooting so much is multiple injuries to teammates. Nuggets are simply too injured to be a threat.
15.		How the mighty have fallen. Warriors seem to take turns being dysfunctional. Unfortunately, lately it seems to be Baron’s turn. What made this team churn earlier in the season was Davis’s passing. He is down almost three assists per game over his season average the last 5 games.
16.		Sixers are getting great play from Dalembert. The problem? His increased production is partly a result of Chris Webber’s typical injuries.
17.		If the Timberwolves don’t make the playoffs, look for KG to demand a trade. He’s still young, but he has to question management’s ability to produce a winner.
18.		Hornets will likely head back to New Orleans at some point. Pity, they actually have a real fan base in Oklahoma City, which is more than they can say for New Orleans.
19.		The Bulls can’t quite seem to put it all together yet. It might be time to trade away a guard or two. Getting a quality big man would really help.
20.		Sonics are horrid defensively. Easily one of the weakest defensive front courts in the game.
21.		Gilbert keeps scoring and the Wizards keep losing. As always, shot selection is questionable at best with this team.
22.		Peja is finally back from injury. The Kings need a dose of his quasi-MVP season from two years ago.
23.		Like most teams ranked in the bottom ten, the Celts play terrible defense. They should see if Bill Russell could come out of retirement.
24.		Jameer Nelson is playing some great basketball. Then again, so are all of the Magic’s opponents. They need a center before they can turn the season around.
25.		Amazingly, they have a better record against the stronger West than they do against the weaker East. Did Q-Rich realize what it would be like to play for Larry Brown on a team that has 4 shooting guards?
26.		They’ve won a few as of late, but they are still a young inexperienced team.
27.		Houston fans can only dream what-if Yao and McGrady hadn’t gotten hurt. Look for Stromile Swift to lose minutes when Yao returns.
28.		They can play a little defense, but they can’t score, at all. Darius Miles can’t return fast enough.
29.		The Cats’ need Okafor healthy. They also need a better shooting guard, center and small forward, but hey, who’s counting?
30.		This team suffers from DADDS. What does that stand for? Dumb And Dumber Drafting.