Power Rankings 2.0

We are in the final stretch of this shortened NBA season with most teams set to play only 13-15 more games. The playoff race is starting to heat up with many teams playing inspired basketball and others showing that they really don't deserve to play basketball in May. I gave my power rankings earlier in the season and I wanted to see if my opinions have changed at all. There are certainly some differences:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook

The Thunder have been my favorites to win it all throughout the entire season. They have played incredible. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have proven that youth and maturity is very possible. They have both been consistent and leaders for the team. Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, and Nick Collison have showed that they are one of the best front lines in the league. I see them representing the western conference in the Finals this year.


2. Chicago Bulls

Joakim Noah

The only way I consider this team the second best team in the league is if they have the injury-riddled Derrick Rose in the lineup. He's the MVP! His presence is pretty important! To add to that, he's the PG, which is arguably the most important position on the floor. Without Derrick Rose, the Bulls have proven to me that they will not make it out of the eastern conference in the playoffs this year. They're still very good without him, but not good enough to make it past the likes of Miami or Boston. Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Carlos Boozer really need to step up to give this team what it needs.



3. Boston Celtics

Kevin Garnett

Again, call me biased but this is one hell of a basketball team. They have been on a tear, having won their last five games and only five losses since the all-star break (second best in the league). Rajon Rondo is playing at another level at PG. He has dished out ten or more assists in his last thirteen games and just yesterday dominated the Miami Heat with his fifth triple-double of the season (leading the NBA). Paul Pierce earned player of the week in the eastern conference this week after a 36 point performance against Charlotte. Since Kevin Garnett has been permanently moved to the center position, he has played better than he has in years. He is rebounding, shooting, and defending the rim very well. Ray Allen has missed six straight games with a sore ankle, which has given second year guard Avery Bradley the chance to prove that he is one of the best defender the league has seen in years. Greg Stiemsma has also been incredible for a rookie. He blocks nearly two shots per game and has been very reliable on the offensive and defensive ends. This team has had a rough year. Jermaine O'Neal, Chris Wilcox, and Jeff Green all had to have surgeries that ended their seasons and the entire team has been filled with injuries. That is, except for one "old" guy that no one ever seems to give credit to anymore. Yeah, Kevin Garnett. He has missed one game all season. I think he is OK. I think the Celtics would give Miami or Chicago a very interesting and competitive seven game series come playoff time.


4. San Antonio Spurs

Tony Parker

This is a team that gets hardly any media attention. They are "boring" to watch, but still somehow win boatloads of games despite their veteran status. Their offense has been incredible all season and has given opposing defenses a very hard time. With Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker leading the way, the younger Spurs such as Gary Neal, Tiago Splitter, Kawhi Leonard, and DeJuan Blair have had the chance to learn from some of the best players in the league. A western conference finals matchup between San Antonio and OKC sure would be fun to watch.


5. Los Angeles Lakers

Pau Gasol

I very nearly put Miami here, but I didn't because I feel that the Lakers' big men separate them from Miami. Miami lacks big men and are not very good at rebounding. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are an amazing dynamic duo. They compliment each other very well and work well under the hoop. They also have the one guy, Kobe Bryant. He's pretty good. Another big separator from Miami is the aquisition of Ramon Sessions. He has played very well since coming to LA and has filled the PG spot much better than Derek Fisher did. Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, Ron Artest, Troy Murphy, and Josh McRoberts have also given significant time to the success of the Lakers.


6. Miami Heat

LeBron James

I was only going to do my top five power rankings, but I have to throw Miami in here, too. They are a very good team at home having won their last 15 straight. On the road, they seem to struggle. Wade, LeBron, and Bosh have played great all season, but they need more than that. They need a good point guard and they just can't acquire one with all the money they pay their "Big 3". They have great depth on the wings, but they really need a good point guard and better frontline to go with Chris Bosh. Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem aren't going to get it done. Having said that, I can see Miami quite possibly being in the Finals this year. They're strangely inconsistent, but when they play good, they play great.

Let The Trade Rumors Begin!

It's that time of the season, NBA fans. The time of the year when the trade deadline is just a couple of weeks away and all of the analysts are being completely irrational as they bring up just about every player's possible trade status. Pau Gasol is too weak, Rajon Rondo is too stubborn, Dwight Howard is just being Dwight Howard, and so on. Television analysts from all sports networks continue to babble on and on about nothing. They're bored and figure that they mind as well just talk about players leaving their teams. Sure, there will obviously be some last minute trades (like there are every year), but this year has been particularly annoying. Once that trade deadline passes, general managers and coaches are stuck with the team they have (unless they sign a free agent). It's TV analysts like these that sometimes push GM's into making hasty decisions, in my opinion.

Tim Duncan

What ever happened to players staying with the same team for the entirety of their career? This is basically a lost art at this point in the NBA's development. Paul Pierce, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and Dirk Nowitzki are the only four players in the league that have played for more than 10 years with one team. This is pathetic. There used to be a time when it was shocking to see a trade happen. Nearly all players stayed with their respective teams and didn't strive to team up with 1 or 2 other superstars to increase the chance of winning a championship. They worked TOGETHER to make their team better. Sure, Bird and Magic could have potentially played together and won more championships, but instead, they wanted to beat each other to a pulp and represent their cities. The NBA has taken a change for the worse in these regards. The Boston Celtics, for example, only have 4 players remaining from their 2008 championship team and it may be down to 3 soon! Rather than working to develop young players, coaches are just ditching them and looking for better talent. These young players need to be trained and have enough potential to be great. The age of social media and fast-paced advertising is giving the news industries the upper hand on the people who REALLY decide who comes and goes.

NBA Power Rankings

At this point, the NBA season is about 1/3 of the way done, so I thought it only made sense to supply you with my own personal power rankings at this point in the season. Being a shortened 66-game season, you may be slightly surprised by some teams and not so surprised by others. Before the season even started, it was a pretty safe bet saying Miami, Chicago, and Oklahoma City would be better than most other teams. But who thought Philadelphia would be in my top 5? Check it out:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Kevin Durant

OKC has been playing very well this season. They are leading the Western Conference and have one of the youngest cores in the league. Not only are they young, they are intimidating and pretty damn good. They've had a couple of head-scratching losses, but I see this team representing the West in the Finals.

2. Chicago Bulls
Quite possibly the team representing the East in the Finals, the Bulls have had a great first third of the season. Currently on top of the East, the Bulls depth is what I love. They have an incredible starting lineup and then have players like Richard Hamilton, Kyle Korver, Taj Gibson, and Omer Asik. These four bench players could easily start on other teams throughout the league.

Derrick Rose

3. Miami Heat
Any team with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh is probably going to be pretty good. Even with Wade missing many games so far this season, Miami has still managed to only lose 6 games so far. LeBron is definitely the best player on the team and is in the prime of his career. I don't see him getting past Chicago in the playoffs again, though.

4. Boston Celtics
I may be a little biased here being a lifelong Celtics fan, but I do really think this team has what it takes to get to the Finals. After a very sloppy start to the season, the Celtics have won 7 out of their last 8 with impressive wins over teams that people say are "better" than Boston. With Paul Pierce being awarded Player of the Week honors in the Eastern Conference, he led the Celtics without the injured Rajon Rondo. Even without the all star point guard, Boston did very well, which shows me a lot about this team. Their experience and will to win will give any team a challenge in the playoffs. Keep your chin up, New England. The Patriots may have lost, but the Celtics are playing some exciting basketball at the moment.

Paul Pierce

5. Philadelphia 76ers
No one saw this coming. Philly is on top of the Atlantic division and basically has a mirror record to the likes of Miami and Chicago. They have the best defense in the league and have been using their young legs to score plenty of fast-paced points. They've beat some very good teams and are showing no sign of slowing down. I just question if they can really handle the pressure of an intense playoff series.

The Boston Celtics: The Beginning of the End?

Since the acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen prior to the 2007-2008 season, the Celtics have been a force to be reckoned with. With help from the likes of the emerging Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo, the Celtics cruised to a 66-16 record in their first season together. With tough playoff series' against Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, and Los Angeles, the Celtics became kings of the basketball world.

Now five years later, the only remaining Celtic players from that championship team are Rajon Rondo and the "Big 3" (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen). Rajon Rondo is now one of the best point guards in the league, but both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett seem to be showing considerable age. Ray Allen is still one of the best shooting guards in the game and is showing it with his amazing 3-point field goal percentage. Being the oldest of the Big 3, Ray Allen still looks like he could play for many years to come. However, without a worthy KG and Paul Pierce, the Celtics will struggle this season.