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TEAM (LAST WK) | REC. | BREAKDOWN | |
6 | L.A. Lakers (7) | 30-16 | Off: 112.6 (5), Def: 106.5 (9) -- All eyes will be on New Jersey on Tuesday as Pau Gasol makes his Laker debut. They could probably use him more defensively than offensively, as they've struggled on that end (111.0 rating) since Andrew Bynum went out. |
7 | Utah (9) | 30-18 | Off: 113.3 (2), Def: 107.0 (10) -- The Jazz have won eight straight and 14 of their last 16. The biggest improvement has come on the defensive end, where they have a 104.6 rating over the last 16 and a 102.1 rating during the streak. Tonight's matchup with the Hornets is a must-see. |
8 | Golden State (8) | 29-19 | Off: 112.6 (4), Def: 110.0 (24) -- It will be a few more days before we get to see how Chris Webber fits in. The Warriors are in the middle of five straight days off. The C-Webb experiment begins Thursday against the Bulls (10:30 p.m. ET, TNT). |
9 | San Antonio (6) | 29-16 | Off: 109.5 (12), Def: 104.4 (4) -- The Spurs are 12-13 over their last 25 games, but the Tony Parker situation has to be more of a concern at this point. Even with the addition of Damon Stoudamire, they need a healthy Parker. |
10 | Cleveland (10) | 26-20 | Off: 106.5 (17), Def: 107.2 (11) -- The Cavs have lost only three of their last 15 games. One was a heartbreaker to the Suns and another was Thursday's loss in Seattle without LeBron. Tomorrow's matchup with the Celtics has the words "measuring stick" written all over it. |
11 | Orlando (11) | 31-18 | Off: 111.5 (8), Def: 107.8 (14) -- Winners of seven of their last eight, the Magic play their final five pre-break games at home, but it's a touch stretch, with Dallas, the Lakers, Cleveland and Denver visiting. |
12 | Denver (12) | 28-18 | Off: 108.1 (14), Def: 105.6 (6) -- The Nuggets are talking about running the table going into the All-Star break, which would give them an eight-game streak, but they haven't put more than three wins together since mid-November. With the next two coming against the teams their battling in the Northwest (at Portland tonight and home against Utah on Wednesday), just making it four straight would be huge. |
13 | Portland (13) | 27-19 | Off: 108.9 (13), Def: 108.0 (16) -- Since they ran off 17 of 18, the Blazers are 5-6, but the losses have all been to quality teams. Still, they're now sitting out of the playoffs in the Western Conference. |
14 | Sacramento (17) | 22-24 | Off: 107.9 (15), Def: 111.0 (25) -- There have been 19 20-20 games in the NBA this season and Brad Miller has two in his last three games. Suddenly, you're looking at the Kings' roster and realizing that this is a pretty good team. Add them to the "Haves" group. |
15 | Houston (16) | 27-20 | Off: 106.3 (18), Def: 103.8 (3) -- The Rockets' offense started to improve midway through Tracy McGrady's 11-game absence and it has continued to be strong with him back in the lineup. Their rating is a solid 109.8 over the last 15 games, and they're 12-3 over that stretch. |
16 | Toronto (14) | 25-21 | Off: 111.3 (9), Def: 108.0 (17) -- If Kobe's 46 on Friday has got you down, Raptor fans, |
17 | Washington (15) | 24-22 | Off: 109.6 (11), Def: 108.9 (21) -- The Wizards have lost three straight and five of their six games before the break are on the road. Staying above .500 will be tough. |
18 | Atlanta (22) | 19-24 | Off: 105.0 (21), Def: 106.5 (8) -- I was going to write something like, "With games against the Lakers, Cavs, Rockets and Pistons before the break, I would be impressed if the Hawks were still in seventh at All-Star." But then I remember that they could lose all those games and actually strengthen their hold on the spot the way the East is this year. |
19 | New Jersey (23) | 20-27 | Off: 103.5 (25), Def: 109.8 (22) -- Yes, the Nets' offense is bad. But as The Painted Area explains, the Nets' offense has never been all that great in since Jason Kidd arrived. The problem is that they used to be an elite defensive team, and now they are not. |
20 | Charlotte (18) | 18-30 | Off: 104.9 (22), Def: 109.9 (23) -- After starting their five-game trip with a win over the Clippers, the Bobcats have lost the last three by an average of 20.3 points, contributing to the cancellation of the Jeff McInnis experiment. The trip ends tonight in Phoenix. |
21 | Philadelphia (24) | 18-29 | Off: 105.1 (20), Def: 107.3 (12) -- After blowing out the Bucks on Wednesday, the Sixers got somewhat of a moral victory on Friday by hanging with the Magic. But Philly is just 7-21 against teams in our top 17, while they're 11-8 against the bottom 13. |
22 | Chicago (20) | 18-28 | Off: 102.5 (27), Def: 105.8 (7) -- Let's hear it Bulls fans. Which felt worse: Seeing your team lose to the Timberwolves by 16 on Wednesday or hearing that Pau Gasol got traded somewhere else? |
23 | Indiana (21) | 19-29 | Off: 106.1 (19), Def: 108.2 (19) -- The Pacers have lost six straight and 16 of their last 20. Wednesday's game in New York looks to be their only winnable one before the break. |
24 | New York (19) | 14-33 | Off: 104.9 (23), Def: 111.6 (28) -- The Knicks' five-game trip started out somewhat promising, with a two-point loss at Golden State. Then it went downhill from there, ending with a loss to the Sonics where Seattle native Nate Robinson missed all nine shots he took, including the potential game-winner with one second on the clock. |
25 | Minnesota (28) | 10-36 | Off: 103.2 (26), Def: 111.2 (27) -- Break up the Timberwolves (Oh wait, that already happened). They've won five of the last seven. KG returns on Friday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). |
26 | Seattle (30) | 12-35 | Off: 101.1 (30), Def: 108.9 (20) -- Last week, I said that the Sonics "look to have an 0-for-January locked up." Then they beat the Spurs and Cavs, and started February off with a win over the Knicks. If you'd like me to predict losses for your team, just let me know. |
27 | Milwaukee (26) | 18-30 | Off: 104.7 (24), Def: 112.4 (29) -- You get the good with bad when you're missing Michael Redd. In the eight Redd-less games, the Bucks have a terrific defensive rating of 98.9. And they have an atrocious offensive rating of ... 98.9. |
28 | L.A. Clippers (27) | 14-30 | Off: 102.3 (29), Def: 107.7 (13) -- When your seven-game road trip begins with a 21-point loss in Minnesota... |
29 | Memphis (25) | 13-34 | Off: 107.4 (16), Def: 112.4 (30) -- Well, the upcoming draft class looks pretty promising. Of course, it's point guard heavy, and the Grizz already have three of those. |
30 | Miami (29) | 9-36 | Off: 102.3 (28), Def: 110.2 (26) -- It's a good thing we've all got this year's Dance Bracket (coming soon!) to look forward to. |
ESPN.com - http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2008&week=14&campaign=rss&source=NBAHeadlines
Tune into "NBA Fastbreak" on ESPN to see this week's Army Power Rankings.
2007-08 Power Rankings: Week 14 | ||||
RANK (LAST WK) | TEAM | REC. | COMMENT | |
1 (5) | Pistons | 34-13 | The Pistons might not stay here long since it's so hard for them to maintain a regular-season fire. Yet they're the healthiest top team going and answered a brief 3-5 slump with wins over the Magic, Lakers and Mavs. | |
2 (2) | Celtics | 36-8 | The Celts completed a back-to-Earth month on a high with the KG-less win over Dallas. But they were denied a return to No. 1 more because of Garnett's uncertain health than their 7-5 record since winning in Detroit. | |
3 (1) | Hornets | 32-14 | Go ahead. We know nothing we can say will convince you otherwise, so blame us for jinxing the Hornets by bumping them up to No. 1 for the first time since the committee (of one) took over these rankings in 2002-03. | |
4 (11) | Lakers | 30-16 | The steal, er, deal that envious execs and media types can't stop talking about -- Gasol for none of the Lakers' top 10 players -- was summed up best in all of three words by Dallas' Avery Johnson: ''Merry Christmas, L.A.'' | |
5 (10) | Jazz | 30-18 | On your eventual list of trade-deadline winners, don't forget to throw Utah on there just because the Kutcher, er, Korver trade was in December. The Jazz are 14-2 since and back where they belong in the West's top four. | |
6 (4) | Suns | 33-14 | This week? With no more Super Bowl distractions? The locals are fretting about the Lakers' big trade, another torturous loss to San Antonio and the Suns' 5-8 record against the other nine West teams with winning records. | |
7 (6) | Spurs | 29-16 | The performance in Phoenix was the first time in weeks that they've looked like the Spurs. But the usual concerns about age and athleticism and their January slump are all secondary to what's happening with Parker's health. | |
8 (3) | Mavericks | 31-15 | Harris' injury is getting more pub than Dallas' tie with Utah for the league's best home record (20-3). But let's face it: There's only one story in Mavsland until Feb. 21 hits with J-Kidd still hoping for a trade here. | |
9 (9) | Warriors | 29-19 | Of the 16 teams that would qualify for the playoffs if the season ended today, only one of them doesn't have an All-Star. Which we believe is actually great news for the Warriors, who thrive on the whole disrespect thing. | |
10 (7) | Cavaliers | 26-20 | LeBron is making a hard MVP push . . . and luckily didn't sprain anything laughing at Donyell Marshall's unintentional striptease. But LBJ might have to pick it up another notch with Varejao and Pavlovic unavailable again. | |
11 (12) | Magic | 31-18 | More evidence to support the idea that Hedo deserves an All-Star spot in the East more than, say, Atlanta's Joe Johnson: Orlando hasn't led its division this late in the season since Shaq's last season there in 1995-96. | |
12 (15) | Rockets | 27-20 | Not much we can do to get Houston unstuck from its long stay at No. 10 in the West, but we can concede that we've had the Rockets too low lately. They're rolling on the road now and 7-1 since a bad loss to Philly. | |
13 (8) | Trail Blazers | 27-19 | The roller coaster rolls on. After losing Oden, starting 5-12 and then going 17-1, Portland has hit a 5-6 dip. So while Rip City's team is still on pace for 48 wins, these guys would be in the lottery if the playoffs started today. | |
14 (16) | Nuggets | 28-18 | Whether or not you share our views on Camby's All-Star worthiness, you have to like his honesty. Asked how the Nuggets resist greeting each new injury with a ''Why us'' lament, Camby said: ''We do say that.'' | |
15 (13) | Raptors | 25-21 | Stoudamire's return to Toronto would have been fitting in the season of Shaq-and-Penny and Webber-and-Nellie. But the Raps should be fine if T.J. Ford's return, as described by GM Colangelo, is ''no longer a matter of if.'' | |
16 (17) | Kings | 22-24 | With so many surprise teams in the West alone (Hornets, Lakers, Blazers) it's hard for the Kings to get any pub. But they're on the road back to relevancy whether or not they move Bibby or Artest before the deadline. | |
17 (14) | Wizards | 24-22 | Arenas is chirping about making his much-anticipated return in ''20 to 30 days.'' You suspect that the Wiz would be happy to let Gil take more time if they could just get their newly hobbled Butler back to full strength. | |
18 (18) | Hawks | 19-24 | There is perhaps no greater indictment of the Leastern Conference's collective underachievement this season than the Hawks starting 5-11 in 2008 and facing not a single threat yet to their top-eight slot. | |
19 (19) | Bobcats | 18-30 | We didn't believe it either when the Bobcats claimed they were signing Boykins for their playoff ''push,'' especially since the schedule will have them on the road for 17 of the next 25 games. But it is the Least. | |
20 (21) | Timberwolves | 10-36 | Another two-game win streak, Foye is finally back from injury and McHale is suddenly being hailed for his KG deal compared to what Memphis got for Pau. So, yes, Minnesota stays in the 20 range for at least one more week. | |
21 (22) | 76ers | 18-29 | Andre Miller rarely says much -- and the Sixers keep insisting they don't have to trade him -- but Miller does appear to be quietly marketing himself, posting 15 games with at least 20 points after only five last season. | |
22 (26) | Nets | 20-27 | Unlike Dallas or Portland, teams that actually could get sidetracked by J-Kidd trade chatter, how much worse can the Nets' season get? As RJ says: ''Maybe it will distract us from losing all these damn games.'' | |
23 (23) | Knicks | 14-33 | First Magic Johnson said so. Now it's our pal J-Levy, who coaches at sizzling Cal State Fullerton, insisting that the Knicks can still make the playoffs. In related news, Team Isiah just capped an 0-5 trip by losing at Seattle. | |
24 (24) | Bulls | 18-28 | What a conference. The banged-up Bulls split a home-and-home with Minnesota, watch Pau join Tyson Chandler and LaMarcus Aldridge on the list of big men that got away . . . and gain ground on the East's No. 8 spot. | |
25 (25) | Pacers | 19-29 | You heard lots early in the season about how much better Indy was playing without Jermaine O'Neal. Now? The Pacers might be 13-20 when JO plays . . . but they're also 1-8 in the last nine games he's missed. | |
26 (20) | Bucks | 18-30 | Don't apologize to anyone, China. We feel the same way here at Stein Line HQ as Saturday night's estimated 200-plus million TV viewers felt: Yao versus Yi is, was and will always be bigger and better than the Super Bowl. | |
27 (29) | SuperSonics | 12-35 | Looks like things have evened out a bit for the young Sonics after those heartbreaking home Ls to Houston and Sacramento. With Parker and LeBron out injured, Durant and Co. stunned San Antonio and Cleveland. | |
28 (28) | Clippers | 14-30 | Give our Clips this much: Thanks to the Sterling-Dunleavy war of words, ongoing trade interest in Cassell and Maggette and Brand's apparent insistence on playing this season, they're still forcing us to pay attention. | |
29 (27) | Grizzlies | 13-34 | Have to wait until summer to see whether the Grizz can really prove (zillions of) doubters wrong by turning their newfound ''flexibility'' into a new team. Until then, Darko and Kwame are Pau's replacements. | |
30 (30) | Heat | 9-36 | As if there hasn't been enough pain and suffering in Miami this season, we wonder whether D-Wade realizes that all these spots with The Chuckster have probably sentenced him to a lifetime of being called ''Pookie.'' |
레이커스 1등 무려 12계단 상승 ㄷㄷㄷ; 가솔 효과인가;
This week's high riser: Lakers (No. 1 from 13)
This week's big drop: Mavs (No. 11 from 3)
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