NBA Big Board - Dissecting Pop Culture

February 13, 2007

NBA Big Board

The league's best, 30 through one. Feel the tension building...

30. Philadelphia: The Sixers finally traded Allen Iverson and bought out Chris Webber, but they still have several bad contracts. Philly is the worst because it’s not just a bad team, it’s a bad situation.

29. Memphis: The NBA almost always works in cities without other pro sports teams, but let’s be honest; Memphis doesn’t care about the NBA. It already has University of Memphis basketball and football, Titan and Volunteer football, and NASCAR. Just move the team to Las Vegas or Oklahoma City already.

Pau Gasol reportedly wants out, but the Grizzlies shouldn’t trade him during the season. If they get Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, Gasol could be singing a different tune. If not, Gasol’s value should be higher in the offseason when teams have more flexibility.

28. Boston: Red picked a good time to go. The Celtics are on the verge of historic futility – their 18-game losing streak is five shy of the league record – but they get sympathy points for playing without Paul Pierce for a month and a half. The Celtics have a solid group of young players, a legit superstar (Pierce), and cap room. If they can land Oden or Durant, they’ll be back in the playoff hunt rather quickly.

27. Charlotte: I was expecting more from Charlotte. The Bobcats are wisely sticking to their plan of building through the draft and saving cap space, but it would be nice to see some signs of improvement.

Emeka Okafor is basically a young Alonzo Mourning, but so far, their other draft picks haven’t worked out nearly as well. Many thought taking Raymond Felton No. 5 in 2005 was a stretch, and he has yet to improve the weakest aspects of his game, shooting and turnovers. Sean May, Felton’s North Carolina teammate, is promising but injury prone. And Adam Morrison has been unspeakably awful at both ends of the court.

The Bobcats are the NBA’s worst on offense, so Durant would be a welcome addition.

26. Atlanta: I honestly thought the Hawks had a shot at making the playoffs. Of course, when all your best players play the same position, that’s a problem. Poor Marvin Williams really needs to show some signs of life before he becomes the Mario Williams of the NBA.

Although both have been injured at different points, Joe Johnson and Josh Smith have played about as well as expected. Now the Hawks need a point guard and a low-post threat.

25. Sacramento: Where would this team be without Kevin Martin? He’s come out of absolutely nowhere to score 21 per game. Meanwhile, Mike Bibby’s numbers have slipped significantly for the second straight year, Brad Miller can’t stay healthy, and Ron Artest is still a nut job. The New K-Mart deserves better.

24. Seattle: The Sonics get the nod over the Kings despite a worse record. At least the Sonics have had injury problems (Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis). Nick Collison could be the post player Seattle has coveted for years.

23. Milwaukee: Michael Redd started so well, it was sad to see his season derailed. T.J. Ford is looking good in Toronto, but ultimately, I think Charlie Villanueva will be the better player.

They’re still a long way from being competitive though. (Why didn’t Redd sign with Cleveland two years ago? He would have fit in much better than Larry Hughes.)

22. Portland: Now here’s an interesting team. You can build around Brandon Roy and a sane Zach Randolph. Sergio Rodriguez, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Travis Outlaw have shown promise. A little lottery luck, and they’d have instant credibility.

21. New York: Isiah Thomas, Coach of the Year? I think not. Sure, New York is better, but last year’s team was so dreadful, it had nowhere to go but up. However, Thomas does deserve credit for lighting a fire in Eddy Curry’s spandex, as well as the continued development of David Lee. This team is still way over the cap, so any major improvement will come from the current roster.

20. New Jersey: Richard Jefferson’s ankle injury killed the Nets’ chances. They should trade Vince Carter before he bolts this offseason. There’s no way this group is winning a championship; surely, Carter sees the writing on the wall.

19. Golden State: Too many injuries. As expected, the Warriors under Don Nelson are porous defensively. Unfortunately, the offense hasn’t sufficiently picked up the slack, ranking 13th in efficiency. I think Nellie’s finding out his offense isn’t as easy to run without Steve Nash or Tim Hardaway. Until Baron Davis learns to take better shots, this team won’t improve.

18. Toronto: I know they’re a division leader, but it’s the Atlantic Division. The first year of the Bryan Colangelo Era is going swimmingly though. Hey, maybe they can lure Vince back to Canada?

17. Minnesota: I can’t believe Kevin Garnett even speaks to Kevin McHale at this point. The Wolves are one game out of the final playoff spot in the West, and that’s pretty good considering their lack of talent and midseason coaching change. They blew it with Garnett, and it’s time to start over. Trade him this offseason, possibly before or during the draft, and get some value for him while he’s still at the tail end of his prime.

16. New Orleans/Oklahoma City: It’s impressive they stayed afloat as well as they did with Chris Paul, David West, and Peja Stojakovic out simultaneously. Great point guards are tough to come by, and Paul definitely fits the bill. Unfortunately, Stojakovic’s controversial signing this past summer already looks regrettable. The Hornets must draft well to add depth.

15. Indiana: The Pacers are officially the Cincinnati Bengals of basketball. They dump Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson, and their players STILL can’t stay off the police blotter. Jermaine O’Neal has to be another high-profile player secretly wanting a change of scenery. He’s 28 and can’t enjoy wasting his prime with a bunch of strip-club-perusing hooligans.

14. Orlando: The Magic sneak ahead of Indiana based on the Pacers’ locker-room disarray. Dwight Howard is a beast, but Orlando needs a primary scorer. Grant Hill can be that guy when healthy. Jameer Nelson has been a major disappointment. J.J. Redick has also provided next to nothing.

13. L.A. Clippers: The Clippers are showing a pulse, but it could be too late. Rumor has it, Sam Cassell is on the trading block. Perhaps they should trade Shaun Livingston while he still has value?

12. Washington: Assuming Antawn Jamison is 100% healthy in time for the playoffs, the Wizards have an outside chance of winning the East. Jamison, Gilbert Arenas, and Caron Butler are arguably the best scoring trio in the league, but they have no depth. Arenas can carry a team in the playoffs, but the Wizards’ 4th-9th men aren’t good enough to compliment the top three. Plus, they play no defense.

11. Chicago: If they somehow acquire Garnett or, more likely, Gasol, move the Bulls up at least five spots. Until then, the Bulls lack consistent scoring. They rely too heavily on jump shots.

10. Cleveland: I have a feeling all this “What’s wrong with LeBron?” talk will end pretty quickly.

Still not sold on coach Mike Brown. The Cavs stand around and watch LeBron too much. Why doesn’t he post up more? There’s no guard in the league that can handle him down low.

Larry Hughes needs to come alive, and they desperately need a point guard.

9. Utah: Maybe Carlos Boozer’s injury wasn’t such a big deal after all? Utah is 4-1 without him, including a 108-105 win at Phoenix. Plus, Boozer’s leg is healing well, and there’s a slight chance he might play in Sunday’s All-Star Game.

Utah has the league’s best rebound rate and is the fifth most efficient offensively, but it has serious defensive problems. Andrei Kirilenko used to be the Jazz’s impact defender, but his production drop this year has been astounding. You’d think at 25, AK-47 would start tapping into his enormous potential. Instead, he’s scoring less, turning it over more, and his blocks and steals are way down. Is his troublesome back completely at fault?

On the bright side, Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur continue progressing offensively at warp speed. However, even up 7.5 games in the Northwest, Utah still isn’t as good as…

8. Denver: Carmelo Anthony’s suspension and Allen Iverson’s ankle have limited the pair’s time together. Once they get acquainted, the Nuggets will be a nightmare matchup. In George Karl’s up-tempo offense, there will be plenty of shots to go around. Any concerns about Anthony and Iverson peacefully coexisting should be put to bed.

It’s been striking to watch Iverson play with Anthony. Whenever Anthony gets the ball in the post, you almost have to double-team him. No one ever drew a double team in Philly other than Iverson. If they’re smart, these two should make each other’s lives a lot easier.

Denver’s problem is, like Utah, defense. As great as Anthony and Iverson are as scorers, neither is a great defender. Marcus Camby’s health in the playoffs will be critical. Regardless, the West’s best won’t want any part of Denver in the first round.

7. L.A. Lakers: Best player AND best coach? You can certainly make the argument. Last year’s team looked like a mishmash of ill-conceived parts, but with essentially the same group, Phil Jackson has the Lakers looking like a real team instead of The Kobe Bryant Show. Lamar Odom is back, and Luke Walton shouldn’t be far behind.

6. Houston: People were all over the Yao for MVP Bandwagon earlier this season, but hey, what about Tracy McGrady? The Rockets are 16-7 sans Yao, thanks mostly to McGrady’s stellar play and the league’s No. 1 defense.

Yao doesn’t have any recurring injuries like McGrady’s back, but I wonder if we’ll ever see this potentially historic duo make a real, sustained run together? That question alone keeps Houston behind…

5. Detroit: Chris Webber is fitting in better than anyone could have expected. Every starter can shoot, and the rest of the team is good enough defensively to help Webber. It’s a perfect situation. For the third straight year, Detroit will likely play in the East Finals against…

4. Miami: The consensus is the next three teams, in some order, are the best in basketball. But as Rudy Tomjanovich once said, “Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion!” For the second straight year, Dwayne Wade is getting shockingly little MVP ink. Like Steve Nash, Wade is having his best season yet. With Shaq playing himself into shape and Pat Riley returning after the break, a Heat repeat is a possibility.

3. San Antonio: Legend has it; the Spurs have the goods in odd-numbered years. (They won the Finals in 1999, 2003, and 2005.) I’m not superstitious though, I just believe in Tim Duncan. He’s healthy, playing at an incredibly high level, and quietly positioning his team for another title run. No one’s talking about them, and I think that’s how they like it.

2. Phoenix: How about Phoenix versus Denver in the first round? Would that be too much to ask?

The Suns have the best six-man rotation. Duh. Here’s what you might not know: The Suns are No. 11 in defensive efficiency. When you have the best offense, you can win it all with that kind of defense.

1. Dallas: The Mavs are the one team that can consistently slow the Suns down and still score enough to win. With the best record and a 2-0 record against Phoenix, you have to make Dallas the leader in the clubhouse.