NBA Power Rankings Week 4: Bulls Climb to top spot
Here are my NBA Power Rankings for Week 4 of the NBA season. Enjoy.
(+1) 1. Chicago Bulls (11-2): If D-Wade isn’t feeling healthy come playoff time, the Bulls are right there to take the eastern conference crown. The Celtics are fading, the Heat look banged up, etc. The Bulls are clearly playing the best ball out east. With D-Rose at the helm, this team has the pieces to win a title. They don’t need Dwight Howard.
(+2) 2. Oklahoma City Thunder (10-2): The loss of Eric Maynor is tough for them, they need all the help off the bench they can get. But that being said, there’s no reason to not think that these guys are the team to beat in the west.
(-2) 3. Miami Heat (8-4): They need a healthy Dwyane Wade. If he isn’t healthy, don’t look expect them to win a championship. LeBron and Bosh both seem to really need Wade on the floor to play with confidence. It is clear that Wade is the alpha dog in the locker room, and LeBron and Bosh are his followers. If Wade is Batman, LeBron is Robin, and Bosh is the Batmobile or the “Boshmobile”. Bad pun?!
(+6) 4. Los Angeles Lakers (9-4): Kobe’s amount of shots is being questioned, but they are on a 5 game winning streak, and aside from Bynum and Gasol, who is gonna actually score points for these guys? Ron Artest is shooting 9% from 3 point range. Good riddance! But overall, I like this team. If you got Gasol and Bynum, you got the best front court in the game.
(+1) 5. San Antonio Spurs (8-4): Do they have enough youth infused with this old veteran core to make a run? We shall see, but I’m liking what I’m seeing. Especially from Kawhi Leonard.
(+8) 6. Philadelphia 76ers (8-3): Doug Collins is really glad his young Sixers got to play in the playoffs last season. They really seem to have benefited from that experience.
(+4) 7. Indiana Pacers (8-3): Hibbert, Granger, and West. A very nice young trio and team is being built in Indiana. They are a sleeper team in the East. Let’s not forget, they scared the pants off the Bulls last year, and have shown to give teams like the Lakers and Heat problems.
(-1) 8. Orlando Magic (8-3): Dwight Howard had 45 points and 23 rebounds against the Warriors. Howard is obviously the most beastly athlete in the NBA. With him on their team, there’s no reason they can’t contend out east. But they do need Jameer Nelson to step up his game.
(-6) 9. Portland Trailblazers (7-4): They kind of let the gas of the pedal this past week, but I still like where this team is going. The loss of Marcus Camby does hurt them. They’ll have to overcome that for a little bit. But he should be back soon.
(+3) 10. Atlanta Hawks (8-4): With Al Horford out for 3-4 months, this team is gonna really have to come together and have every player on the team contribute from the first guy to the 13th.
(-2) 11. Denver Nuggets (8-4): Big win over the Heat last night. Yeah it was just one win, but they played like a TEAM last night, and without having a definitive star (Nene is their best player, but he is not a definitive star). The Nuggets are going to have to keep up balanced team play until they get themselves a new superstar.
(-2) 12. Los Angeles Clippers (5-3): Everyone’s big win this week was over the Heat, including the Clippers. They needed a big win to give themselves a confidence booster. Now they welcome the Lakers onto their home floor later tonight. That will be a showdown.
(+/-) 13. Utah Jazz (6-4): They have played a lot better after their first 2 games. They’re playing well at home, and that is a staple of Utah Jazz basketball. Now they got to get some road wins. Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson are carrying that team right now, and they need Devin Harris to step it up.
(+2) 14. Dallas Mavericks (7-5): The Mavs seem to have taken their victory lap, and are now finally playing good basketball.
(+2) 15. New York Knicks (6-5): They are a very flawed team. Melo and Amare hog the ball too much and they still don’t know what defense is.
(-11) 16. Boston Celtics (4-6): They really need their bench to step it up with KG, Pierce, and Allen aging. Rondo can’t be the only youngster contributing.
(+3) 17. Cleveland Cavaliers (5-6): They still got a ways to go, but Kyrie Irving really impresses me, and they seem to be on the rebound. They won’t be down and out for long.
(-3) 18. Memphis Grizzlies (4-6): With out Zach Randolph, their playoff chances are really in jeopardy.
(+7) 19. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-7): Rubio is all and more than advertised, and the Wolves are putting all their chips in on a trio of Rubio, Love, and Derrick Williams. Michael Beasley seems to be on his way to finding a new home.
(+1) 20. Phoenix Suns (4-7): The Suns are setting in the west, but Nash is still an elite PG.
(+3) 21. Milwaukee Bucks (4-7): They should be doing a lot better with the crew that they got, and they need Bogut back really soon. He’s the only consistent player on that team. Brandon Jennings is the most exciting player, but Bogut is the rock of that team.
(-4) 22.Toronto Raptors (4-8): They seem to have fallen back to earth a bit, and that 3D paint on the baseline doesn’t seem to help.
(+4) 23. Houston Rockets (4-7): Once again Kevin Martin’s name is frequently popping up in trade rumors. The Rockets still really don’t have an identity.
(-2) 24. Golden State Warriors (3-7): They had a big win against a Heat and back it up with a cowardly defensive performance against the Magic. Fouling Howard enough to send him to the line 39 times. The Warriors gotta play better defense and Mark Jackson shouldn’t have resorted to that style of defense. Why? Because it didn’t work!
(-2) 25. Sacramento Kings (4-8): As long as DeMarcus Cousins creates drama around there, this potential-rich team won’t go anywhere. Jimmer Fredette is coming along ok, and they got some pieces, but they still need a lot of improvement. But I’m glad to see Keith Smart get another shot. The Warriors shoudn’t have fired him.
(+3) 26. New Jersey Nets (3-9): Deron Williams appears to be on his way out. This team really does seem to be a mess.
(-2) 27. New Orleans Hornets (3-8): They could use a healthy Eric Gordon.
(+/-) 28. Detroit Pistons (3-9): Brandon Knight just had a double double. He and Greg Monroe are giving that team hope.
(-10) 29. Charlotte Bobcats (2-10): They looked semi-promising after nearly beating the Heat. But since then, the wheels have really come off.
(+/-) 30. Washington Wizards (1-10): I’m glad they got a win, but they really are underachieving.
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