Another weekend of Madness has passed leaving two somewhat surprising squads (and one complete shocker) punching tickets to Indianapolis, with just one #1 left. John Wall's inability to outplay a backup point guard put an abrupt end to his college career, though this means little to the bottom-feeders in the big leagues, hoping they're the ones who luck out and snare the right to draft him.Speaking of which, there's encouraging news out of New Jersey where the Nots have managed to reach nine wins, ensuring that they won't (solely) hold the claim as the worst team in NBA history. They've got a very weak schedule down the stretch and could realistically grab #10, but it probably won't be enough to drag them out of the Power Rankings basement. At least it should ease tensions enough that team CEOs aren't screaming at disgusted fans a few feet from the court. Check out where the contenders to the title and to the most disappointed athlete in America sit in the season's final Rankings:
30 (30) New Jersey Nets
See above. I'm done with this mess.
29 (29) Minnesota Timberwolves
They've been doing their best to keep every lottery ball they can, losing 16 straight and staving off the Remains of the Wiz. I'm secretly hoping they snag the first pick; after they drafted 2 point guards in the top 6 last year then gave Sessions $35 mil to collect bench splinters, it'd be all too appropriate.
28 (24) Washington Wizards
Not surprisingly, the izards (they haven't seen a W in 15 games) have gone from bad to worse following the dismantling of their challenged core at the deadline. At least Gilbert managed to avoid jail time and will reportedly be back with the team next year, but this season was an unfathomable disaster in Washington.
27 (25) Detroit Pistons
Speaking of disasters, the Pistons made what they thought was a huge free agent splash last summer, but turned out to be an unmemorable waste of money, shackling a team that has little financial flexibility and was a bitter disappointment this year. They've dropped eight in a row, including a beatdown for win #9 by the listless Nets.
26 (26) Golden State Warriors
The emergence of Steph Curry as a dynamic scorer and playmaker was one of the few bright spots for this lost team. They were rarely healthy, rarely cohesive, rarely winning. Find a big man who can hit more than 15% of his foul shots and maybe, just one defensive-minded player in the offseason. With so many intriguing players being recklessly benched, how hard can it be?
Another year, more disappointment; more inconsistency, more attitude issues, more of Elton Brand's bad knee, more drama with Allen Iverson. Eddie Jordan's head is apparently guillotine-bound as the Sixers head back to the drawing board (and the lottery).
24 (22) Sacramento Kings
The Kings struggled to keep up their blazing .500 pace far past December, but have to be conisdred the winners of last summer's draft and hawked Carl Landry, who's been a much better fit than Kevin Martin. Things weren't all that great in Sactown this year, but could've - and should've - been much worse.
23 (28) New York Knicks
Things played out exactly as we'd expected them to in New York this year; the team struggled often, showed occasional spurts of youthful exuberance, and was largely overlooked by fans and the media alike, who were all so concerned about what lies next for the Knicks. One thing's for sure; you can count on them being more than a few notches higher the next time these rankings get done up.
22 (27) Indiana Pacers
The League's Most Irrelevant Team (trademark pending) has somehow climbed all the way to tenth in the East, winning 6 of 10 and sabotaging the slight chance that the team with the biggest point guard void in the Lottery will wind up with John Wall.
21 (21) Los Angeles Clippers
This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. Blake was supposed to be healthy; Baron was supposed to care. The playoffs were supposed to be in focus, rather than faintly drifting away in the peripheral. Oh wait - it's the Clippers. When Griffin finally suits up alongside whoever their cap space lures (presumably a small forward), they might finally have the pieces in place for a legit team, untill then, all we can do is sahke our heads.
20 (16) New Orleans Hornets
Clearly the Chris Paul injuries were devastating to a team that had trouble winning consistently with him in the lineup, but the breakout production of Darren Collison was one of the year's most pleasant surprises. I also had no Busta Rhymes was so good at basketball, but he was a great late draft pickup who's given them consistent explosive scoring; something the Hornets sorely lack. Only one more year 'til Peja comes off the books guys, be patient...
19 (19) Houston Rockets - All in all, this wasn't the worst season for the Rockets, but in retrospect, the more I think about it, they got screwed at the deadline. T-Mac's coming off the books for a league-high $23 million, and Carl Landry was one of the L's most underrated players; their record in his absence, despite huge numbers from Brooks and Scola, speaks for itself. Given their preseason prognosis, staying the playoff chase as long as they did was a stretch, hopefully Yao's career isn't over and this'll have a happier ending next year.
18 (14) Toronto Raptors - Another disappointing season is almost over for the Raptors, whether they're banished to the lottery or swept by the Cavs in the first round. A lack of toughness and shitty defense was again fatal to a team that scored very well, but made it too easy for opposition night after night. They enter their most pivotal offseason since 2000 with little room to maneuver financially (anyone looking to shell out $10mil/year for Hedo?...Anyone?...Mr Cuban?) and their best player clearly looking for an out. Just another season in T-Dot.
17 (12) Chicago BullsThe up-again, down-again rollercoaster of the Bulls' season might be good enough to sneak into the playoffs, but a repeat of their epic duel with Boston last year is a near impossibility. They've lost too much offensive firepower with the departures of Ben Gordon and John Salmons, and their frontcourt's about as deep as a Kei$ha song, so the money they'll save when Warrick and Alexander come off the cap will be much needed.
16 (17) Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizz were a hell of a lot better than we gave them credit for; Memphis has a talented franchise that will only improve with more time together and the retention of Rudy Gay this summer. Zach Randolph's revival was as unexpected as Marc Gasol becoming one of the Association's best centers, leaving this team far better off than the other party in the early-season divorce.
15 (18) Charlotte Bobcats
Well, they've done it. It's not a mathematical certainty, but barring a We Are Marshall-type plane crash, the Bobcats are finally popping their playoff cherry. Kudos to Captain Jack, whose early-season acquisition was crucial to this team's success, finally turning things around for him after years of coaching arguments and violent crimes.
14 (20) Miami Heat
They've been on a run as of late, pushing back into a safe playoff spot by winning 8 of 10 and likely pulling one of the weaker two top-seeds in the first round. They're just another of the many teams waiting on the offseason; with no realistic plans to play into May, but a very serious dilemma awaiting them after they hang 'em up.
13 (15) Milwaukee Bucks
Raise your hand if you slotted the Bucks into the fifth seed at the beginning of the season. Or in early February. Now put your hand down because you're a fucking liar. The addition of John Salmons sparked the League's most dramatic turnaround and finally yielded some success for Scott Skiles' abusive father approach to coaching. They enter the playoffs as one of the hottest teams, and arguably the most likely to pull off a first round upset.
12 (10) San Antonio Spurs
They're putting it together: that annual late-season run we've always counted on the Spurs for. Only this season it's been late and subdued; hampered by an injury to Tony Parker and the inevitable age factor. Geroge Hill's playing well, Ginobili's been unreal, but for the Spurs to beat a top-4 team over seven games, they'll have to play basketball within a far smaller error margain than they've gotten used to this year.
11 (11) Portland Trailblazers
Let's hear it for the Blazers, who nobody could blame for missing the playoffs, but clawed through more injuries than a Saw movie to give their fans something to cheer for. It's unfortunate that their upward mobility (and Greg Oden's career) have been halted by continuous setbacks, but they should find a spot near the front of a church, not too close to the Rockets, and pray for their big man's convalescence.
10 (8) Oklahoma City Thunder
Regardless of how they perform in the playoffs, even being there is huge for this team who were merely looking to build on last season's late progress and step forward. Instead, they ran the hundred in 9.9 and sat comfortably in the playoffs all season, showcasing one of the most enviable stables of young talent in the League. Kevin Durant's been talked about a lot (not that its undue), but let's keep an eye on Russell Westbrook and James Harden in the playoffs, could be one of the best backcourts around in a couple years.
9 (7) Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks did manage to get better this year; although the margins are far smaller at the top of the conference. They're a real Wild Card heading into the playoffs, the one team that I really can't decide if I should pencil in for a first-round exit or a trip to the Conference Finals. Regardless, they're a step below contender status and in danger of losing their best player - who's a lot more important to their team than most people realize - in a few months, which would really clip their wings(sorry, too easy).
8 (13) Boston Celtics
After playing sub-.500 ball for a little too long, the Celtics have finally woken up and (aside from yesterday's meltdown at home to the Spurs) look healthier and more focused than the team that slid down these rankings last month. They'll get a slight benefit of my doubt because everyone knows they had very little to prove in the regular season, but this Celts team is historically late getting it going in the playoffs, so they'd like to be at their peak over the next few weeks.
7 (11) Phoenix Suns
Heating up at the right time, the Suns are eating the opposition with Stoudemire on a complete tear and Robin Lopez providing a big body who can lock down the middle with length and size while still running the floor to their track-meet standards. No matter how well they play right now though, this story's been told before, under better direction and plot development, there's no reason to expect anything more this time.
6 (6) Utah Jazz
The first of three teams that really doesn't want to serve as the Lakers' unofficial #2, the Jazz have been unable to separate themselves from the rest of the second tier to establish a consensus favorite to join LA in the West Finals. Boozer's apparently had a change of heart and "wants to stay" in Utah, sparked by their recent improvement. Dangerous words.
5 (3) Dallas Mavericks - Brought back down to Earth after their post-trade euphoria, Dallas has been struggling defensively down the stretch. They've gone 6-4 over their last ten, losing some very winnable games, including a clap-back at home for that beatdown they put on the Knicks a few months back. They're still talented enough on paper to make a deep run, but beating teams like Portland and Boston with consistency is the key to the playoff success they've failed to attain.
4 (5) Denver Nuggets - You wouldn't think Denver wants the 2-seed either given the way they've played over the past month with Melo and Chauncey back at full strength. While Coach Karl struggles with yet another cancer bout (all the best, George), this team has been sturggling with consistency in the offense they've become reknowned for. They've got the talent to challenge the best teams, but the hunger and the discipline remain to be seen.
3 (4) Orlando Magic - Statement games. Orlando seems to be winning a lot of them. Cleveland, LA, Boston, Atlanta (well...almost). If the favorite were to be judged on performance vs. their roomates in the NBA penthouse, it'd probably be these guys. They've struggled to find consistency through backcourt injuries, but they've showed up for the games that matter, leading me to believe that they'll be a dangerous team next month.2 (1) Los Angeles Lakers
The usual late-season Bynum injury again leaves them vulnerable in the middle, where despite his skill, Pau Gasol can be completely abused by someone like Dwight Howard, or Shaq, or Nene, or Brendan Haywood (okay, maybe that's taking it a little far, but you get the idea). Add this to the standard Kobe-shoots-too-much beef, the suddenly underperforming bench, the recent string of losses/narrow escapes...This LA team's not looking nearly as scary as they did last year.
1 (2) Cleveland Cavaliers
They welcomed Z back to a team that was cruising without a real center, completing the outright theft of Jamison and bolstering what's suddenly (seems like just yesterday us Cavs fans were bitching every game about the talent disparity between Bron and his minions) the NBA's deepest team. Cleveland's playing the best ball anywhere right now, and still waiting on Diesel's return. There's no reason to assume Lebron would want to walk away from this team, and in the same breath no reason to assume he won't if they don't win a title. So, being a Cavs fan, they'd better live up to this billing.
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