If you find some preseason power rankings or predictions, post them here.


Power Rankings: Spurs, C's open training camp on top

:stein:
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

The NBA and its public have never endured a more depressing summer. Never, ever. Tim Donaghy, Eddie Griffin, Greg Oden, Seattle and its Sonics, Isiah Thomas and the Knicks in court ... it's too often been horribly bad or sad news.

Yet it's time to move on -- or at least try -- and this is the best first step we've got. The return, after an absence of 167 days, of your beloved NBA Power Rankings.

This is where you click for a (human) pulse-take on the NBA, starting with our annual training camp edition from the committee (of one). For the purposes of review, allow me to share my usual reminder that this set of rankings measures each team's standing and outlook heading into the season and is not a predicted order of finish.

How last season ended and how good a team is projected to be in 2007-08 are only part of the equation at this early stage. How each team fared in the summer factors in as well, along with a dash of totally subjective whim. For example: It might be premature to bestow title-contender status on Boston, but the Celtics make the monumental leap from No. 29 in the final 2006-07 rankings to No. 2 after two blockbuster offseason acquisitions that upstaged the whole league. (Acquisitions, it says here, which do give them a real shot to win the wide-open East.)

The next batch of rankings will appear on Oct. 29, one day before Opening Night, after all 30 teams have a month to show us something. The rankings will then continue every Monday throughout the regular season.

Editor's note: Last Week and Record categories are from the final Power Rankings of the 2006-07 regular season.

2007-08 Power Rankings: Training Camp

RANK (LAST WK) TEAM REC. COMMENT
1 (2) Spurs 58-24
Is this the season, after three titles in five seasons, San Antonio finally goes back-to-back? Here's what we do know for sure: Defending champs always start up here with the committee, even if they never repeat.

2 (29) Celtics 24-58
Sobering fact: No team with three 20-point scorers has ever won it all. But all Boston has to do is get to the Finals to meet expectations, which (again) is very plausible now after the NBA's most spectacular offseason.

3 (3) Suns 61-21
A trade demand on the eve of camp from someone of Marion's stature would normally lead to a bigger rankings slide. But Phoenix has years of practice dealing with (and winning in spite of) a mopey Matrix.

4 (5) Rockets 52-30
No West team did more to help itself over the summer. But championship material? We're starting to hear such chatter, which seems a tad premature until T-Mac and Yao win a playoff series together. Agreed?

5 (7) Pistons 53-29
Maybe we're in the minority, but the committee keeps looking at a roster that wasn't blown up as many expected and keeps seeing the best Pistons team -- at least on paper -- since the squad that won it all in 2004.

6 (1) Mavericks 67-15
Dallas isn't starting so low because its season for the ages ended in first-round humiliation. Dallas is down here because it has to prove it can rebound from two extraordinarily painful playoff implosions in a row.

7 (12) Cavaliers 50-32
It's one thing to make zero changes to the roster, but now Varejao and Pavlovic don't plan to come to camp. In other words, "Saturday Night Live" was likely the last time you'll see LeBron smile for a while.

8 (10) Jazz 51-31
The major doubt is not whether Utah has the talent to repeat last season's various breakthroughs. It's whether Utah will have the togetherness, after a trade demand from Kirilenko far more unsettling than Marion's.

9 (11) Warriors 42-40
As if the prospect of training camp in Hawaii isn't appealing enough, Golden State will have the unexpected privilege of claiming the brighter outlook of the two California teams based in the land of the luau. Sorry, Lakers.

10 (4) Bulls 49-33
The Bulls are on the short list of favorites to win the East, but you have to wonder -- given their inability to trade for KG or Pau -- how much they're second-guessing themselves for letting Tyson Chandler go.

11 (9) Nuggets 45-37
We didn't remember this at first, either, but the Iverson-and-Melo Nuggets were 10-1 in April. So maybe they were right to tweak minimally in the offseason, saving the spotlight for K-Mart's mountain of a comeback.

12 (6) Raptors 47-35
J-Kidd recently decreed that Raps, as defending division champs, deserve Team To Beat status in the Atlantic. They'd settle for second place and a return to the playoffs, honestly, but welcome the rare props.

13 (15) Magic 40-42
No team from last season's eight playoff qualifiers in the East did more in the offseason than Orlando. Yet you'd struggle to find anyone picking newcomers Rashard and SVG to lift D-Howard into the elite just yet.

14 (13) Nets 41-41
The suspicion here remains that the Nets have a better shot than anyone at eventually trading for Jermaine O'Neal. In the interim, they'll settle for a smooth return for Krstic and a resurrected Magloire.

15 (18) Wizards 41-41
He's an Internet legend with his blogs, interviews and quirks. He's also the new NBA Live video-game cover boy. But is he a leader? Maybe this is the season Arenas -- in his contract year -- lets us know.

16 (19) Hornets 39-43
No one knows for sure what sort of support awaits the Hornets in their full-time return to the Crescent City, but a return to the playoffs sounds realistic if they can find some consistent health there.

17 (27) Bucks 28-54
The Bucks were busier than most teams over the summer and spent a lot more than they usually do. So Sen. Kohl will inevitably demand big things from the team GM Larry Harris has assembled, starting with the Big Yi.

18 (20) Bobcats 33-49
Sam Vincent might be facing an unusual amount of pressure for a rookie coach if the guy who hired him (Michael Something or Other) shares the growing belief that the Bobs, in Year 4, should make a real playoff push.

19 (14) Lakers 42-40
Confidence in Lakerland is high that Kobe will indeed attend all of training camp. The mere fact that was ever in doubt, though, lets you know how turbulent this season is bound to be for the Zen Men.

20 (8) Heat 44-38
It's probably not encouraging that Riles -- who recently gave himself 'an F' for Miami's lack of offseason upgrades to a brittle roster -- responded testily last week to questions about Wade and Shaq's health.

21 (30) Grizzlies 22-60
Losing 60 games must have been a torturous farewell for Jerry West, but the Grizz have found credibility without The Logo faster than anyone expected after hiring Iavaroni and a flurry of summer improvements.

22 (24) SuperSonics 31-51
Blanket coverage of the team's uncertain future in the Pacific Northwest can only help Durant. He'll undoubtedly welcome focus on other matters given how much he and his young team figures to struggle in Year 1.

23 (23) Trail Blazers 32-50
Don't know that this will provide much consolation for devastated Blazermaniacs, but we've been assured Greg Oden will be eligible to win Rookie of the Year in the 2008-09 season if he sits out all of this season.

24 (25) Knicks 33-49
The new season begins with Balkman freshly injured and Isiah corralled in a Manhattan courtroom instead of introducing Zach Randolph at media day. It's a calamitous start, even by Knicks standards.

25 (22) Kings 33-49
We repeat: Sacramento's turn-of-the-century rise from perennial doormat to title contender was a fairy tale, but rebuilding this castle -- nearly three years after exiling Webber -- is proving a much tougher job.

26 (28) Hawks 30-52
The Hawks have a new logo, color scheme and pair of hot rookies. But Hawks Fever isn't exactly rampant when they've also inherited the league's longest playoff drought, at eight seasons and counting.

27 (17) 76ers 35-47
Philly's first full season AAI (After Allen Iverson) begins with numerous question marks. The biggest of those: Do you see a core on the roster worth building around? Without a clear-cut franchise player, not yet.

28 (16) Clippers 40-42
If the injured Elton Brand is right about what the teammates he's left behind can do, this ranking and zillions of skeptics are all wrong: 'You tell us we suck? Well, they're going to show you that we don't.'

29 (21) Pacers 35-47
Why do we keep dredging up the melee in Detroit? Because that turning point in Pacers history happened in the fall of 2004, but things in Pacerland are getting progressively worse nearly three years later. Not better.

30 (26) Timberwolves 32-50
You suspect that Mr. McHale won't mind starting Life After KG with what has to be the most faraway training camp in NBA history. Can't imagine he'll encounter too many disgruntled Wolves fans in Turkey.

Does Stein seriously think that Houston could win a championship over us? If so, then... wow... just wow.

Are you kidding me? How come EVERY season this team has been dubbed "the best since '04"?

Nevermind...


-- at least on paper --

Can we see the Celtics play first before we crown them?

"They are who we thought they were! And we let them off the hook. If you want to crown them, CROWN THEM! But they are who we thought they were!"

4 (5) Rockets 52-30
No West team did more to help itself over the summer. But championship material? We're starting to hear such chatter, which seems a tad premature until T-Mac and Yao win a playoff series together. Agreed?

Best offseason in the West? They added 3 PGs and kept Alston. Why didn't they simply draft a better PF like Davis or Fazekus?

:hollinger:


Detroit Pistons

2006-07 Recap
Tell me if this starts sounding familiar: After breezing through the Eastern Conference regular season, winning 27 road games, earning the top overall seed and being heavily favored to make the Finals, Detroit's offense imploded around the first of May. The Pistons stumbled to lose the conference finals in six games as their low-mistake offense mysteriously became bogged down in turnovers, and observers were left to question coach Flip Saunders' repeated misfortunes in the postseason.

Anyone getting a sense of déjÃfudge vu yet?

I suppose the remarkable similarity between Detroit's past two seasons shouldn't surprise us, as they've been the most consistent team of the past half-decade in nearly every respect. This time around they shuffled the deck a little, with the departure of Ben Wallace creating a shifting of seats in the frontcourt, but the end result looked remarkably similar.

Slowest Pace: 2006-07
TEAM W-L PACE FACTOR
Detroit 53-29 89.6
Portland 32-50 91.0
Dallas 67-15 91.9
San Antonio 58-24 92.0
Miami 44-38 92.1
League average 41-41 94.3

Once again, Detroit was the league's biggest plodder, and this time by a wide margin. The Pistons not only had the league's slowest pace, but did so by more than a full possession per game. Most of this was a result of their deliberate offensive approach, which involved taking care of the ball, milking the shot clock and shooting jump shots, but Detroit also excelled in transition defense.

The patient offense and the fairly rare forays to the rim contributed to the most impressive aspect of the Pistons' season, a remarkably low turnover rate. Detroit had miscues on only 13.5 percent of its possessions, easily the NBA's best mark; relative to the league average this fact alone saved them nearly three points a game.

That approach also had some negatives, however. The Pistons were below the league average in free-throw attempts, even though guard Chauncey Billlups was a one-man foul magnet. Oddly enough, they were below average in 3-point attempts too; usually teams that are low in high are high in the other. Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince were big reasons why: They attempted very few 3s for wing players who shoot reasonably well, usually preferring to step in and fire from 17.

Fewest Possessions Ending in TOs: 2006-07
TEAM PCT. of POSS. W/TO
Detroit 13.5
Washington 14.1
Toronto 14.2
Phoenix 14.7
Sacramento 14.9
League average 16.4

But between the lack of turnovers and a solid offensive rebound rate (28.3 percent, good for 11th in the league), the Pistons accomplished a rare feat. They were well above the league norm in offensive efficiency, finishing sixth overall, even though their true shooting percentage was below the league average. In other words, the Pistons had a good offense even though they weren't good shooters, because they gained so many more shots than their opponents by avoiding turnovers and grabbing rebounds.

Detroit ranked sixth in defensive efficiency too, as Wallace's departure led to a rather unexpected outcome: The Pistons leading the league in blocked shots. Detroit sent back 7.45 percent of opponent deliveries, and it was a true team effort. Rasheed Wallace was the only Detroit player to send back more than one a game, but Jason Maxiell, Nazr Mohammed and Dale Davis all rejected better than two shots per 40 minutes off the bench.

The Pistons retained most of their other tendencies, too. They cut off the 3-point line, ranking fourth in opponent 3-point attempts per field goal attempt, and they were a low-gamble team that had the league's fourth-lowest rate of steals.

Where losing Wallace hurt wasn't in blocks or shooting percentage, but in two other areas -- fouls and rebounds. Wallace was amazing in part for his ability to defend so well without ever fouling; using Mohammed and Chris Webber in his place produced considerably more hacking. Detroit still beat the league average in opponent free-throw attempts per field goal attempt, but a year earlier they were phenomenal.

The damage might have been worse on the glass. Detroit grabbed only 70.9 percent of opponent misses, the sixth-worst rate in the league, as nobody was capable of picking up the slack for Wallace's absence.

One other Pistons trend continued post-Wallace: their freakish run of amazingly good health. While Detroit wasn't as insanely injury-proof as it was a year earlier, every key Piston played at least 70 games, and Tayshaun Prince, Antonio McDyess and Carlos Delfino went the full 82.

However, they were much better able to handle any injury (or foul problems) that came up. The emergence of Maxiell and the midseason pickup of Webber made the frontcourt much deeper, something that's likely to become more important as their five-man nucleus gets up in years.

Offseason Moves
Joe Dumars has done a remarkable job in Detroit, so why would this summer be any different? After being stung by Wallace's departure a year ago, he made sure Detroit kept its star in Billups, while making moves to start putting the next generation of Pistons in place.

• Re-signed Chauncey Billups
Dumars wasn't getting burned again, and he read the market correctly. With few teams having cap space and those that did being in rebuilding mode, Detroit had a huge advantage in the bidding and leveraged it to keep Billups with a very reasonable five-year, $60 million deal. The best part of the deal is that the last year isn't guaranteed, which will give Dumars a huge trading chip in the summer of 2011 if Billups' play begins to decline.

Additionally, despite Billups' age (31) the risk here isn't too large. Big point guards who can shoot well tend to age very well, so it's reasonable to expect Billups to remain competent until he's 34, at which point the deal is no longer guaranteed.

• Re-signed Amir Johnson, let Dale Davis go
Two years from now this deal might seem like a screaming bargain. Detroit signed Johnson for $11 million over three years, paying him based mostly on potential but also on the crazy D-League numbers he put up last season. The 6-11 forward will be a major part of the frontcourt rotation this year, and athletically a massive upgrade on Davis and Chris Webber.

The Pistons let Webber go as well, but as training camp begins, his return remains a strong possibility.

• Extended Antonio McDyess
This move was a much bigger risk than the Billups deal, but McDyess played so ridiculously well in the second half of last season that I'm not sure Dumars had a choice.

The alternative was letting McDyess opt out of his deal and play the open market, and that might have proven much more costly than the two-year, $14 million extension Detroit gave him. While they have to be skittish about paying him until he's 35, especially given his history of knee problems, he's been healthy and productive since coming to Detroit, and plenty of lesser big men are making more dough than this.

• Drafted Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, and Sammy Mejia
The draft choice from the Darko Milicic trade yielded Stuckey, who couldn't possibly be a better fit. Detroit has needed a combo guard who could relieve Billups and Richard Hamilton ever since Mike James left; now they have one. The stats and scouts both agree that he's a keeper. I'm not nearly as impressed with Afflalo, a grinder with a decent jumper who will struggle to create shots. Mejia, a second-rounder, might not make the team.

• Traded Carlos Delfino for two 2nd-round picks; signed Jarvis Hayes
Dumars has a policy of trading anyone who wants out, and after three years Delfino was ready to go. No big loss, especially if Hayes can stay healthy. He'll try to be the next medical miracle for Detroit, as he couldn't stay in the lineup for more than a week at a time in Washington but I'm sure will crank out 82-game seasons now that he's got the magical elixir of a Pistons jersey protecting him.

• Signed Cheick Samb
This was a bit of a surprise. A second-round pick by Detroit two years ago, he's played in Europe ever since. He's 7-1, 195 pounds, which seems impossible but apparently isn't; needless to say, he can't outmuscle a paper clip and looks to be at least a year away from contributing.

Biggest Strength/Weakness
Biggest Strength: Frontcourt Depth
After years of ragging on the Pistons' bench, I now must report that they have as much in the tank as anyone in basketball, especially in the frontcourt. The starting combo of Wallace and McDyess is solid, but the Pistons' real strength is off the bench. Jason Maxiell is an active, tough forward who makes plays without needing the ball, while Nazr Mohammed, though strangely unloved by his employers, remains a solid performer.

But the real prize here is Johnson, a 21-year-old who turned pro out of high school and barely has been seen since. The Pistons swear he's a killer and his numbers from the D-League are spectacular; at worst, he should be a stud shot-blocker right out of the chute.

So stacked was Detroit that letting Dale Davis and perhaps Chris Webber leave wasn't even a difficult decision. If Cheick Samb acclimates quickly and discovers the joys of steak, he could add to the mix, too.

Biggest Weakness: That Attitude
Has any team become more insufferable than this one? The underdog mentality that the Pistons rode to the 2005 championship has been perverted into a weird sense of entitlement and arrogance, crystallized by their utter refusal to give Cleveland any credit during the conference finals last year.

Similarly, their us-against-the-world esprit de corps has been modified to place Flip Saunders and every active referee in the "world" category, resulting in the meltdowns that proved so costly against Cleveland.

Rasheed Wallace is the leading protagonist, of course. His bickering with Saunders helped create the defensive confusion that allowed LeBron James to thrash Detroit's defense at the end of Game 5, while his inexcusable unraveling in the fourth quarter of Game 6 provided the coda to Detroit's season.

But the more disturbing part is the extent to which the other Pistons have taken on Wallace's attitude. Rather than a bunch of good guys helping keep their excitable teammate under control, as we saw in 2004, today it's more the case of Wallace's histrionics setting the example for the others.

For instance, the Pistons led the league in technical fouls by a wide margin last season. And if you think that's just because of Wallace, think again: Even if you take out Wallace's league-leading total they still ranked third.

In other words, the whole team *****es at the refs now, not just 'Sheed. Hamilton is so wound up in Detroit's victimhood that he finished right behind Wallace with 15 T's last season, while McDyess and Billups have become nearly as bad. Only Tayshaun Prince has remained immune thus far, but I'm sure 'Sheed is figuring out how to get through to him.

Outlook
In the wake of the playoff defeat it's easy to forget that Detroit won 53 games, and had the scoring margin of a 55-win team. Let's not write their epitaph quite yet. While Detroit's struggles in May have been baffling, there are few teams I'd rather have between November and April.

The better news is that even if the Pistons' ridiculously good fortune on the injury front ends, they are now in position to handle it. Stuckey looks like the real deal and can play two positions, Johnson and Maxiell look like the next generation in the frontcourt, and multiple role players (Hayes, Mohammed, Flip Murray) are waiting in the wings.

In fact, if there's a concern about this team, it might be with the starting five. McDyess is 33 and is extremely likely to see last year's stellar numbers drop a bit; Wallace is the same age and might wreak havoc off the court even if he does OK on it. On the perimeter, it's a similar story with Billups (30) and Hamilton (29); only Prince (27) has any reasonable expectation of being better this year than last.

The other part of the battle will be mental. Despite the incredibly good fit between Detroit's different pieces, one wonders if this nucleus could use a shake-up to rattle some of the complacency and arrogance out of them. Obviously this is an area where Dumars should tread carefully, but if early-season defeats are greeted with the same whining and excuses he might be encouraged to act.

In the big picture, I like what the Pistons have done and where they're at, and they have a decent shot at extending their streak of 50-win seasons to seven. The only problem is that their competition in the Central Division is starting to leave them behind. This isn't the 50-wins-books-an-automatic-conference-finals-trip East of old, and unless Detroit's youngsters can pick up the slack extremely quickly the Pistons' five-year streak of playing into June is likely to come to an end.

Prediction: 48-34, 3rd in Central, 5th in Eastern Conference

Hollinger chat at noon, btw.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=17500

3rd in the Central? I could see second if not first, but behind Cleveland?

Maybe he meant the Bucks >_>

This confirms it; Hollinger knows nothing.

From a Sam Smith chat.


Q: The Pistons seem to be looking to their youth in the post. Do you think Jason Maxiel and Amir Johnson will be major factors, or is the bench's inconsistent scoring ability going to be the team's Achilles' heel?
— Michael, Dubuque, Iowa

A: You can say they're hoping, which isn't a good way to go into a season. Many around the NBA think Johnson will be good, but he has little experience. And Maxiel doesn't quite seem able to be consistent and play a major role yet. Plus, Flip Saunders is a veterans' coach and he'll opt in tough times for the veterans. The way the Pistons play their games are close, and the question is how much Saunders will sacrifice to play these guys. Coaches always talk about doing it in preseason, but panic once the games come and play whom they trust. I believe they are in transition this season, which could be a bit of a down season for them.

Best offseason in the West? They added 3 PGs and kept Alston. Why didn't they simply draft a better PF like Davis or Fazekus?
If Yao stays healthy, they've provided some legit perimeter firepower to help him out. Smaller overall. But quicker and more dangerous on offense. Also James can play SG as can Steve Francis.

If Yao stays healthy, they've provided some legit perimeter firepower to help him out. Smaller overall. But quicker and more dangerous on offense. Also James can play SG as can Steve Francis.
But they still have no PF. Who's going to be playing next to Yao next season?

But they still have no PF. Who's going to be playing next to Yao next season?

Huh? Ever head of Luis Scola?

A lot of NBA teams are going to wish they had him starting at their PF spot.

Huh? Ever head of Luis Scola?

A lot of NBA teams are going to wish they had him starting at their PF spot.

He's doing well in the preseason and was probably Argentinas top player this past jsummer

I didn't know he was that good. From everything I'd heard he sounded like a decent bench guy that still had to develop.

Central preview: Who will emerge?

http://msn.foxsports.com/id/8833183_6_1.jpg
Me > you

By Charley Rosen
Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 19 hours ago

As was the case last season, this is one of the most competitive groupings in the NBA with three sure-fire playoff teams, one upcoming outfit, and only one franchise on the way down.


Chicago Bulls
The only major addition is the veteran power forward Joe Smith. Although Smith is serviceable, he's not the solution to the Bulls' dire need for an effective low-post player.

As of now, Luol Deng is the only Bull who can provide a constant threat when stationed in the pivot. Deng is also the team's most consistent scorer from anywhere on this side of the three-point arc.

Ben Gordon is a streak shooter who can score in bunches, but who's too short to play adequate defense at the two-guard slot. Kirk Hinrich is a battler, but more of an undersized two-guard than an authentic point.

Ben Wallace is the oldest 33-year-old in the league. Too old to play effectively except in spurts.

Andres Nocioni is a tough guy and a winner. Thabo Sefolosha is one season away from being a prime-time player at both ends of the court. Tyrus Thomas needs to slow down, put on some weight, and develop a jump shot. If and when he accomplishes these tasks, he'll be an all-star caliber performer. Now that he's become a semi-reliable shooter, Chris Duhon is an adequate back-up at the point. Joakim Noah lacks the heft and the moves to make much of a difference.

As ever, the Bulls remain a perimeter-oriented ball club on offense, while retaining their scrappy, never-say-die defensive intensity. But without a bona fide scorer in the hole, they're unable to play the kind of inside-outside ball that's required to win a championship.



Cleveland Cavaliers
Looks like Daniel Gibson is the point, and Larry Hughes is back where he belongs at the two-guard position. Too bad Gibson is more of a shooter than anything else, while Hughes is a slasher and pull-up shooter. Neither is the kind of playmaker that will enable LeBron James to play off the ball and be on the receiving end of assists.

That probably means that Mike Brown's predictable, LBJ-centered offense won't really change much.

Up front, Drew Gooden hustles, but lacks sufficient athletic ability to take advantage of most of his matchups. Zydrunas Ilgauskas can out-size and overwhelm many opponents, but his studied moves and finesse-ish game plan tend to render him invisible when he faces the NBA's primo bigs.

Off the bench comes Damon Jones, who wishes he was elsewhere; Donyell Marshall, whose best days are an almost forgotten memory; and Ira Newble, who is supposed to be a lockdown defender, but isn't. Perhaps Devin Brown can inject some life into the second unit.

Eventually the Cavs will have to re-sign Anderson Varejao to provide some athleticism and bounce in the front-court. But Sasha Pavlovic isn't a lock to be invited back. In any case, Pavlovic is a limited player who must shoot over 45% from beyond the arc to justify his court time.

Once again, the Cavs season comes down to just how far LeBron can carry them. Since James has taken to talking about "his" team, how long will it be before he starts referring to himself in the imperial third person?

Given the significant improvements in several other Eastern Conference rivals, along with the lack of the same in Cleveland, another finals appearance seems to be even beyond the capacities of the NBA's unanointed king.



Detroit Pistons
Chris Webber's absence means that Chauncey Billups will have the ball in his hands much more often. This is a huge plus for the Pistons.

Webber's absence also means that Antonio McDyess becomes the starting center. With the continued development of Jason Maxiell, this is another sizeable plus.

Hopefully, with Webber gone and forgotten, Flip Saunders will revert to having Rip Hamilton cutting, slashing, curling and reversing field as he did when the Pistons last won a championship.

Tayshaun Prince will be ably abetted by Jarvis Hayes, but Lindsey Hunter must prove that he still has the goods to be an effective backup to Billups. Also, Detroit is in trouble if Amir Johnson can't displace Nazr Mohammed as the fourth big man in the mix.

Even though Rasheed Wallace has lost 25 pounds, his presence on the roster remains a poisonous one. His constant griping, disinclination to play in the low post, failures to rise to clutch occasions, along with his self-righteous hysterics whenever the whistle blows him down, cannot compensate for his immense talents. Face it, he's played only four months of championship-caliber basketball during his entire 11-year career.

Two things have to happen before the Pistons can reverse their slide: Make sure not to re-sign Webber and trade Wallace ASAP.



Indiana Pacers
Not even a coach as honest and capable as Jim O'Brien can reverse the fortunes of the Pacers. But let's look on the bright side first.

Troy Murphy is slow and comparatively non-athletic, but he can fill the basket and rebound. Look for him to thrive under O'Brien.

Mike Dunleavy will have more ball in the form of playmaking and responsibilities so he should likewise step up his game. Marquis Daniels has the talent and the experience to have a bust-out season.

Danny Granger will sooner rather than later emerge as a dependable player.

Jermaine O'Neal will have his minutes and his scoring responsibilities reduced. Jeff Foster is a hardworking and vastly underrated backup.

The sleeper on the roster is Kareem Rush. If he has matured in the slightest, his court awareness and long-ball shooting will be extremely valuable.

Now for a look at the dark side:

Jamaal Tinsley makes too many mistakes with the ball and plays no defense. His backup, Travis Diener, is a one-dimensional shooter. Neither Murphy nor Dunleavy can adequately defend. Ike Diogu has yet to show any degree of consistency. David Harrison is a lump. Shawne Williams perpetuates the Pacers' unfortunate penchant of having players with rap sheets.

Overall, there's simply not enough talent on this team nor enough depth to seriously challenge for a playoff birth.

Did anybody say "Rebuilding"?



Milwaukee Bucks
There's a lot to like about the somewhat rebuilt Bucks. Michael Redd's ability to go off on scoring binges. Maurice Williams' all-around offense. Charlie Bell's shooting and versatility. Newcomer Desmond Mason's ability to power his way into double-digit scoring. Royal Ivey's aggressive defense. Bobby Simmons' baseline shooting.

At the same time, there are several aspects of the team that induce strong doubts as to their immediate future. Andrew Bogut's lack of athleticism. Dan Gadzuric's limited talents. Charlie Villaneuva's softness.

And even if Yi Jianlian does prove to be NBA-ready, what kind of shape will he be in when he hits the rookie wall come January or Februray?

While the Bucks should be able to score enough to keep them competitive against most opponents, their lack of team-wide defense will render them helpless when they play the league elite teams.

However, in Larry Krystkowiak the Bucks have one of the most promising young coaches in captivity. Look for the NBA's Coach K to get the most out of this slightly better than mediocre group.

Couldn't you take the time to find out Lindsey isn't playing this year before writing this crap?

Overall, there's simply not enough talent on this team nor enough depth to seriously challenge for a playoff birth.
berth > birth

Tayshaun was born in the playoffs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-DetroitPreview0708

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-DetroitPreview0708

If you listen Chad Ford's audio preview, he picks us to win the championship.

If you listen Chad Ford's audio preview, he picks us to win the championship.


weird...maybe he thinks the west teams will beat the f out of eachother and will be out of gas come finals time...

Did he pick Darko for MVP, too?

Well if we're gonna win it all, let me be the first to say Darko for ROY.

Power Rankings: Trade gives Heat boost

:stein:
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

The big mover since the Training Camp Edition of Power Rankings is the Miami Heat, who did everything they could -- with Dwyane Wade still out indefinitely -- to live up to their No. 20 billing on Oct. 1 by going a ghastly 0-7 in exhibition play.

But Pat Riley responded impressively to Miami's increasing desperation by swinging a trade to ease fears that the banged-up, calcifying champions of 2006 might not even make the playoffs in 2008, importing Ricky Davis and Mark Blount from Minnesota and shipping out the out-of-favor Antoine Walker to lift the Heat seven spots.

You can track the Heat and the defending champs from San Antonio at No. 1 and everyone else from here on a weekly basis, with our rankings now scheduled to appear every Monday through the regular season. Click here to comment on the Opening Night edition.

Editor's note: The Record category shows the team's 2006-07 regular-season record. The Last Week category shows the team's ranking in Marc Stein's Training Camp Edition of the Power Rankings
.
2007-08 Power Rankings: Preseason

RANK (LAST WK) TEAM REC. COMMENT
1 (1) Spurs 58-24 Is the committee (of one) somewhat alarmed that we came to the same conclusion as Simmons about the best case you can muster against the Spurs repeating is that they've never done it? Not in the slightest.

2 (3) Suns 61-21 How did they move up a spot already? Marion's September trade demand was quickly overshadowed by Grant Hill's promising start in orange and yet another impressive comeback from a knee surgery by Amare.

3 (2) Celtics 24-58 Every vet free agent or buyout recipient (like Juwan Howard) has interest in joining the Celts because they have an opening or two in their rotation. So you watch: Boston's bench won't look so bad by season's end.

4 (6) Mavericks 67-15 We even got a call from a colleague in San Antonio insisting that our pre-camp ranking of No. 6 was too low for the Mavs, in spite of Dallas' playoff unravelings in each of the last two springs. So we bumped them up a bit.

5 (4) Rockets 52-30 The Rockets' official team marketing slogan this season: 'It's Time.' After 10 seasons without winning a playoff series -- for Houston as a franchise and T-Mac individually -- I'd say it's a unanimous sentiment.

6 (5) Pistons 53-29 Boston is just getting started with an all-new team, Chicago is still growing up, Miami is aging and Cleveland is not exactly getting deeper around LeBron James. So here's our advice, Pistons: Capitalize while you can.

7 (8) Jazz 51-31 The Cinderella feel of Utah's playoff run didn't quite make it to training camp, but there's still plenty of talent here to offset any turbulence. Even in the face of expectations that some fear are too high now.

8 (10) Bulls 49-33 Think Deng will feel extra pressure if Kobe doesn't wind up in the Windy City? Good news: Kobe chatter shouldn't distract Chicago's kids as much as you'd expect; they've been playing through trade rumors for years.

9 (9) Warriors 42-40 Can Golden State play at last spring's high level for an entire season? Can't wait to evaluate the Dubyas' counter claim that they'd have been seeded higher than eighth if they were healthy for the entire season.

10 (7) Cavaliers 50-32 The committee likes this Bucher line, so we're stealing it: Cleveland will miss that red-carpet bracket path it had to the Finals even more than Varejao or Pavlovic, since you figure one (or both) will re-sign eventually.

11 (13) Magic 40-42 No one should get carried away with the Magic's 6-1 record in the preseason, especially given Rashard's ankle trouble. But I have a nagging feeling 'Shard and SVG will help Dwight win their division in Year 1.

12 (11) Nuggets 45-37 Allen Iverson says his Nuggets are capable of winning 60 games. I can't go that high, but the only record that really matters is significantly sprucing up their 3-12 playoff mark in the George Karl era.

13 (20) Heat 44-38 Wade and Shaq can still be a playoff factor if they're ever healthy again at the same time. But Miami has to get to the playoffs first and that looked dicey until Riles manufactured last week's clutch trade boost.

14 (12) Raptors 47-35 Bosh is one of the committee's favorites -- surely not a shocker since we're talking about a lefty franchise player -- but I'm afraid we're officially panicky about his knee, knowing that our Raps have a slim margin for error.

15 (14) Nets 41-41 Good enough to climb back into the East's elite? Hard question to answer when we don't even know if the Nets -- with Krstic and Jefferson on the comeback trail and Kidd missing camp time -- will be healthy enough.

16 (16) Hornets 39-43 Remember when they were rookies and D-Will watched CP3 get all the good pub? Entering Year 3, I can't wait to see Paul's response and what that means for the Hornets, because last season was Deron's turn.

17 (15) Wizards 41-41 Our pal Sam Smith of the Chicago Trib lists the Wiz as a dark-horse threat in the Kobe Sweepstakes with an Arenas-for-Kobe offer. Is it too soon to wonder if the nation's capital is big enough for No. 24 and the president?

18 (17) Bucks 28-54 At least a dozen teams have legit hope of securing an East playoff spot. How they hold up health-wise and up front with Bogut, Yi and Villanueva will determine whether the Bucks finish closer to No. 8 or No. 12.

19 (21) Grizzlies 22-60 So what's it like sharing divisional space with the Texas trio? It's like this: Memphis might have a promising new look . . . but might also have a better shot making the playoffs than avoiding last place in the Southwest.

20 (19) Lakers 42-40 The sad reality, after all the chaos of the summer and October, is that this team is in for a real drop if Kobe leaves and a ride of countless bumps and ceaseless speculation just to grab a playoff spot if he stays.

21 (24) Knicks 33-49 Even if we ignore all the off-court sideshows, plenty of on-court uncertainty remains. Chemistry, leadership and defense are all in question, as well as the compatibility of Curry, Randolph and fan-favorite D-Lee.

22 (26) Hawks 30-52 No misprint: Atlanta is your preseason champion after going 7-1 in exhibition play. What does that mean in real life? Losing has become such a habit here that, sorry, we are still required to advise extreme caution.

23 (29) Pacers 35-47 The Pacers, last season's worst-shooting team, made minimal personnel changes and hired a coach who has always relied heavily on shooters. So we'll need to see more than a 6-2 preseason for a lasting jump.

24 (28) Clippers 40-42 Losing Elton in the summer theoretically ended the season before it started, which is why the Clips were so low in the camp edition. But there could actually be a handful of West teams in worse shape roster-wise.

25 (18) Bobcats 33-49 Our growing reservations about the Bobs are only partly tied to the double blow of losing May and Morrison. Even with those guys healthy and its offseason upgrades, Charlotte lacks size and experience.

26 (23) Trail Blazers 32-50 Even with Aldridge and Roy playing through early injury scares, we can't shake this recent Sam Bowie quote about curses: 'I've never been one to believe in things of that nature . . . [but Oden's injury] might convert me.'

27 (22) SuperSonics 31-51 We repeat: Forget wins and losses. This season? You need only keep track of two things when it comes to the Sonics: Durant's health/status in the rookie of the year race and where the team plans to play next season.

28 (27) 76ers 35-47 You can make the case, in Philly's first full season AAI (After Allen Iverson), that this is the only team in the East with zero hope of reaching the playoffs. Even if Larry Brown ends up taking this job back from Mo Cheeks.

29 (25) Kings 33-49 Artest is suspended for the first seven games. Bibby is out for up to 10 weeks after thumb surgery. Theus? The only relief for the rookie coach is that he needn't worry now about living up to high expectations.

30 (30) Timberwolves 32-50 Jefferson had a nice preseason, but let's be real. If the first Wolves team without KG since 1994-95 would have stayed in Turkey for another month or two, would anyone back in Minneapolis have minded?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ys-nbapredictions103007&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ys-nbapredictions103007&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Yikes. Even Kenny Smith has Celtics fever.

6 (5) Pistons 53-29 Boston is just getting started with an all-new team, Chicago is still growing up, Miami is aging and Cleveland is not exactly getting deeper around LeBron James. So here's our advice, Pistons: Capitalize while you can.

So I'm reading this thinking is he going to mention the Pistons in the Pistons preview?

Boston
Chicago
Miami
Lebron James

and oh yeah, the Pistons...."Capitalize where you can"

Sorry, I'm just tired and grumpy today.

Power Rankings: Opening Week brings early surprises

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

Here's an unexpected entry for the NBA's around-the-clock Kobe Coverage: Guess who ranks as the hottest team in ESPN.com's Power Rankings?

That's right. Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers steadied themselves after a circus-like October with impressive victories over Phoenix and Utah over the weekend, resulting in a league-high jump of 10 spots from No. 20 to No. 10. Change was minimal among the top six teams, but four more clubs in the Lakers' range climbed nine spots: Atlanta, Indiana, Charlotte and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Dramatic shifts are commonplace every Monday at this early stage of the season, but here's one constant:

2007-08 Power Rankings: Week 1
RANK (LAST WK) TEAM REC. COMMENT
1 (1) Spurs 3-0 It wasn't the toughest competition, true, but the champs were the only team in the league to play three games in the first four days of the season. And the so-called fogies didn't look so old to us.

2 (3) Celtics 2-0 Pounding Washington to muzzle Arenas and scraping an OT victory in Toronto is not just a good start. It's a good start that happens to come with the bonus of six home games in the next nine.

3 (6) Pistons 3-0 An unbeaten Week 1 would be pleasing enough, but Detroit has only played at home once -- and has only dressed Rip Hamilton once -- so far. So pleasing is underselling things for the East's old reliables.

4 (5) Rockets 3-0 Congratulations, Rockets. Your reward for completing a tidy opening week featuring two road wins and a 47-point detonation from T-Mac? A visit Monday to Dallas, then San Antonio at home Tuesday.

5 (4) Mavericks 2-1 They played the first two games without the suspended Josh Howard, so the Mavs can't be too down about a split in Cleveland and Atlanta. Don't forget that their 67-win season started much worse: 0-4.

6 (2) Suns 2-1 You know how teams that know they can't prove themselves until May or June sometimes struggle getting up for games in November? Phoenix can only hope that's what happened Friday against the Lakers.

7 (14) Raptors 2-1 Deflating as it was to lose in OT to the Celts at home, you suspect that the Raps and their rabid fans will spend more time dwelling on the 37-point mauling of New Jersey in the teams' first playoff rematch.

8 (11) Magic 2-1 Anyone else get the feeling, after watching Dwight Howard rumble for 16 points, 12 points and seven blocks in Orlando's opener, that KG might have some competition in East's Best Big Man rankings?

9 (16) Hornets 3-0 The Hornets started 4-0 last season, so this is nothing new. The newsy part is how Chris Paul, as we anticipated, is already running his team with a check-me-out edge after that long-term injury absence.

10 (20) Lakers 2-1 Pounding Phoenix in Phoenix without Odom? And then pulling away from Utah? That's two pretty loud and impressive statements from a team that hadn't made any on-court noise since about February.

11 (12) Nuggets 2-1 First Iverson said they'd win 60. Then 'Melo said it. Coach Karl said he'd settle for 55 wins, which would set a new franchise record, but someone obviously forgot to share the plan with New Orleans.

12 (7) Jazz 2-2 After 250 points in two games, we get it: Utah still has Golden State's number. The bad news? Utah is 0-2 against everyone else and has only one game left with the Warriors . . . which isn't until February.

13 (22) Hawks 1-1 The first five opponents might represent the toughest part of their schedule: Mavs, Pistons, Nets, Suns and Celtics. But the Hawks are more than surviving for starters. In fact, they really should be 2-0.

14 (23) Pacers 3-0 Focus, if you wish, on the fact that their victims -- Washington, Miami and Memphis -- are a combined 0-8 so far. The Pacers, with so little expected from them, rank as our undisputed Team O' The Week regardless.

15 (24) Clippers 2-0 Week 2 commences with eight teams still unbeaten. Yet it's safe to say none of them are happier than the Clips, who dare to believe that Maggette, Kaman and Tim Thomas can fill the Elton Brand void.

16 (25) Bobcats 2-0 They were dreadful at the line against Milwaukee and shaky at the finish in Miami. But two wins by a total of five points means that the Bobs are two games over .500 for the first time in team history.

17 (10) Cavaliers 1-2 LeBron knows to never expect any sympathy, but maybe we can spare just a little, with the Halloween treat of a home opener against Dallas followed by an immediate six-game trip out West . . . and still no sign of Varejao.

18 (15) Nets 2-1 Overreacting to one game, especially in Week 1, is ill-advised. But it ain't so easy to be philosophical about a 37-point home loss so early, just as the Suns' 21-point loss to the Lakers freaked out folks in Phoenix.

19 (8) Bulls 0-3 All those years of playing through KG and Pau rumors, on second thought, apparently didn't prepare the Bulls for the Kobe Cloud hanging over them. Shouldn't they be beating Philly at home, distracted or not?

20 (9) Warriors 0-3 If anyone's still wondering why Stephen Jackson was entrusted with the Warriors' captaincy, you'll note that they've looked absolutely lost without him in the first three games of Jack's seven-game suspension.

21 (18) Bucks 1-2 He survived his opening night jitters, then contributed 16 points in a win over Chicago in the home opener. Next up for Yi Jianlian? Just a game awaited by millions back home: Yi vs. Yao in Houston on Friday night.

22 (21) Knicks 1-1 Isiah has to be grateful already that the Knicks narrowly avoided the shame of losing their home opener to rebuilding Minny, knowing Denver returns to MSG on Tuesday for the first time since Fight Night.

23 (13) Heat 0-3 We're still optimistic about Ricky and Blount, but that seven-spot bump might have been a tad optimistic. With a 16-game losing streak, if you include exhibitions and the playoffs, back down they must go.

24 (17) Wizards 0-3 Expected to be commenting here about a big response from an offended Arenas after suggestions he might be traded for Kobe. Instead? We're talking about Gil's still-sore knee and the big words he couldn't back up.

25 (19) Grizzlies 0-2 They'd have preferred a win or two off the bat, but they'll have to settle for Popovich insisting that "I'm not blowing smoke" when he calls the Grizz a playoff team and Pau announcing that "I'm proud to call Memphis home."

26 (28) 76ers 1-2 The two most rabid Sixers fans we know didn't even gloat after their oft-dissed team went to Chicago and spoiled the Bulls' home opener. As poorly as the Bulls have started, I still think they should have.

27 (26) Trail Blazers 0-3 Blazermaniacs know real disappointment, so we're guessing they'll be able to rationalize a winless start that required their Oden-less heroes to open with a three-game trip through the mighty Southwest Division.

28 (27) SuperSonics 0-3 A winless start and the stark reality of owner Clay Bennett formally filing his request to move the franchise to OKC is a pretty depressing combo. The consolation: Durant is already getting better every game.

29 (30) Timberwolves 0-2 If the Wolves can play as hard in the next 80 games as they did in the first two, who knows? Maybe the die-hards in 'Sota who've been stripped of their beloved KG will develop a bit of a soft spot for the new kids.

30 (29) Kings 0-3 Making the new coach's curfew? Apparently not a problem on the Kings' first trip of the season. The problem was finding a way to stay within single digits of the other team with Bibby out and Artest suspended.

God I can't wait til' we play Boston, I have a feeling Chauncey is going to go wild on Rajon Rondo...

God only knows how the Pacers are 3-0 right now...Courtney Sims made that team

Bill Simmons (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/071114&sportCat=nba)

Bill Simmons (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/071114&sportCat=nba)


Celtics 62 wins...of course, it's not like Bill is biased or anything...


and I'll be damned if the Cavs finish anywhere in the top 4 seeds of the East, they are terrible...

The Celtics will be one of those teams that want to prove they are "Title Worthy" so they give it their "all" each and every night, trying to win 70 games like the regular season means something (Dallas Mavericks are experts at this), then they peak sometime around late February or early March but still manage to get the 1 seed and praise of every critic and analyst. Then when the playoffs start, they are anointed the NBA Champions before tip off of the first game and after they sweep the 8 seed, they completely self-distruct and poor coaching sets in on top of the extreme lack of depth and all of it will eventually lead to a 4-2 series 2nd round exit, and ESPN will do a week-long exerpt of the "Big 3" and their naked, ring-less fingers...


^^^I want this to happen^^^

I love how Carlos Delfino is now a LeBron stopper.....


Riiiiight, and Meija was our best draft pick right? And Dupree should be starting? I love Simmons' stuff, but that's going too far.

I love KG and Paul Pierce, if they were on any other team together I'd like to see them get a ring. Thank gawd Boston College won't be going to the National Title game.

simmons' article was fantastic.

I LOLed when I saw who's in first in these rankings.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2008&week=5

I LOLed when I saw who's in first in these rankings.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2008&week=5
Jesus Christ. I mean, I like Dwight as much as the next guy, but be serious.

Dime has Detroit at 7, below Houston. (http://dimemag.com/2007/12/04/nba-hit-list-12307/) LOL.

I LOLed when I saw who's in first in these rankings.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2008&week=5

So the Suns beat Orlando twice head to head and are below them? lol

Swami, that links to college rankings.

Swami, that links to college rankings.
Sorry about that, it's fixed now.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2008&week=7

Marc Stein puts Detroit at #3...finally.


1 (3) Celtics 20-2 The league's first 20-game winners -- which puts them on a 75-win pace, remember -- haven't had Ray Allen (ankle) for the last two of those triumphs. So we won't harp on the Celts' schedule for a change.
2 (1) Spurs 18-5 Let's not get crazy. The Spurs could have gone 4-0 while TD was out as opposed to 2-2 -- and Manu could have kept scoring 37 a game -- and you still wouldn't have heard any "Better Without Duncan" chatter.
3 (5) Pistons 17-7 Don't think Detroit appreciated our recent suggestion that the Celts and Magic were miles ahead of the rest of the East. The comp hasn't been the toughest, but the Pistons shredded that notion with a tidy 9-2 run.
4 (4) Suns 17-7 Things can't be that bad if only two other teams (Boston and San Antonio) have more wins than Phoenix. But it's not just Suns fans that are edgy; Nash has repeatedly questioned his team's effort and focus.
5 (2) Magic 17-8 Even we have to concede that the honeymoon appears to be over. It's tough to crow about the Magic's road exploits -- where they are still a spiffy 12-3 -- when they just lost at home to Atlanta and Memphis.
6 (6) Hornets 15-9 How do we know that this group is better than ever? The Hornets were 0-12 last season against San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas. This season: They're already 2-2 after recent victories over the Mavs and Suns.
7 (9) Mavericks 16-9 The Mavs didn't accumulate nine losses last season until Jan. 25, even after that 0-4 start. But one thing they can always count on to lift local spirits, even when things are rocky, is beating up on Houston.
8 (8) Lakers 14-9 Encouraged as the Lakers were to hear Kobe proclaim that he's ''happy,'' chances are that's not the last word on the subject. Not with the Lakers about to walk into media sieges in Chicago and New York.
9 (11) Warriors 13-11 Arguably more meaningful than beating the Duncan-less Spurs or even a rare W over the Lakers is the Warriors' away record. Despite a no-show in Detroit, they're 6-6 on the road. Compare that to last season's 12-29.
10 (20) Trail Blazers 12-12 So we praise Aldridge in last week's rankings, Aldridge promptly joins Oden on the shelf and the Roy-led Blazers beat Utah twice and go 4-0 for the week to stretch their win streak to seven? That's Team of the Week stuff.
11 (14) Wizards 13-10 All this "Better Without Arenas" talk isn't much of a distraction (yet). The Wiz don't believe it internally . . . and if they're hearing it in January it means they're coping sans Gil (and now Daniels) better than they could've hoped.
12 (15) Raptors 14-11 Two encounters this month with the Boston buzzsaw were predictably painful, but the Raps also won a season-high four straight between their recent losses to the Celts, allowing just 84.3 ppg in those Ws.
13 (10) Nuggets 14-10 What guarantees success in Denver? Iverson had 10 assists in his first game as a Nugget and came away with an L, but he's hit the 10-assist mark 17 times since . . . and the Nuggets are 17-0 in those games.
14 (12) Pacers 12-12 Portland has stolen some of the Pacers' Most Surprising Team thunder, but here's another unexpected development in Indy: Tinsley has quietly averaged 20.1 ppg in his last six games in spite of all the off-court chaos.
15 (7) Jazz 14-11 The Jazz are in the midst of a taxing stretch of schedule (10 of 13 games on the road) and certainly miss the injured Okur, but they shouldn't be losing six in a row anywhere if Boozer and Williams are both playing.
16 (13) Rockets 12-12 One win over Detroit aside, Houston's problematic start continues, with fresh concern about T-Mac's health, unexpected worries over that supposedly deep supporting cast and Yao calling the whole team soft.
17 (19) Hawks 11-12 The Hawks, even after their big road win in Orlando, are the East's only top-eight team with a negative margin of home Ls to road Ws at -2. So we repeat: Only major road improvement keeps them in the top eight.
18 (17) Bulls 8-13 The Bulls are no longer last in the league in scoring, passing that unwanted status onto New Jersey. Yet they remain high on the list of East disappointments, underperformed only by the Nets and Heat.
19 (23) 76ers 10-14 A favorable schedule has helped as much as anything, but check out all the ink Stefanski is getting for the Sixers' 5-2 mark since he replaced Billy King. Imagine how much pub he'll get when he actually swings a deal.
20 (16) Cavaliers 10-14 So much for the theory that the Cavs only needed LeBron and Varejao back in uniform to make a swift return to the .500 Club. They're only 1-2 since those two returned, falling meekly to the Nets and Sixers.
21 (22) Kings 9-14 Although not quite in Indiana/Portland territory, Sacramento continues to surprise. We didn't expect nine wins at this point with Bibby out from the start, Artest's long suspension and Kevin Martin going down.
22 (21) Bucks 10-13 The Bucks have an Eastern Conference-leading 11 road losses. They also have to play 10 of their next 15 games on the road, which threatens to turn Milwaukee's current 3-9 skid into a season-wrecking skid.
23 (18) Nets 10-14 Thorn is generally resisting all overtures for Kidd, but you have to ask: If the Nets can't even beat the Knicks anymore -- and they've lost to New York twice in a 10-day span -- what exactly are they holding on to?
24 (24) Heat 6-17 On second thought, that "resurrection" W in Phoenix might say more about the Suns than the Heat. Miami is 0-2 since that win, averaging 109 ppg against Phoenix . . . and 92 ppg against everyone else.
25 (27) Clippers 9-14 Elton remains intent on coming back ASAP, no matter where his Clips are in the standings, so the race is on: Can L.A. shoot 50 percent in a game before Brand is back in uniform? It hasn't happened yet.
26 (25) Grizzlies 7-16 This can't be good: Memphis got off to a 6-15 start before losing Gasol to injury. Not a whole lot better, in other words, than the 5-17 start that the Grizz endured last season while Pau was out injured.
27 (26) Bobcats 8-14 NBA Access Charlotte gave the Bobs unprecedented exposure. The Bobs even livened things up with a trade. But at 2-10 since that 6-4 start, you have to wonder if the highlight of their season just came and went.
28 (29) SuperSonics 7-18 It'd be a stretch to call them big wins, but road wins over the Knicks and Wolves in back-to-back games all but ensure that young Durant won't spend his first NBA Christmas looking up at 29 other teams.
29 (28) Knicks 7-16 If Boston being No. 1 is great for the league, as most of us would agree, how do you describe this? The Knicks probably would have sunk to the depths of No. 30 if they hadn't beaten the Nets on Saturday night.
30 (30) Timberwolves 3-19 Now that we've passed the 20-game marker, with the Wolves winning just three times and Boston having lost only twice, I think it's safe to say that the reality of the KG trade is starting to sink in.

Pistons @ #2.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/powerRankings


NBA Power Rankings Week Of 12/25/2007

Rk Team Last Wk Rise/Fall High/Low Comment
1 Mavericks 4 (+3) 1/8 Why they're No. 1: Dirk's snapped out of his funk and Dallas is on a roll (four straight wins).
Why they won't be for long: Still need more from Stackhouse and the rest of the bench.

2 Pistons 5 (+3) 2/9 Why they should be No. 1: They've won five straight and made a statement with win at Boston.
Why they're not: That statement – "We're still the team to beat in the East" – doesn't mean they're the team to beat, period.

3 Celtics 2 (-1) 2/4 Why they should be No.1: They're 22-3. 'Nuff said.
Why they're not: No, not 'nuff said. They still need to prove themselves, and they can do so on their first western road trip this week.

4 Suns 1 (-3) 1/9 Why they should be No. 1: They have five players averaging at least 16 points and they lead the league in scoring and field-goal percentage.
Why they're not: Defense, depth and toughness.

5 Spurs 3 (-2) 1/5 Why they should be No. 1: At full strength, they're still the NBA's best.
Why they're not: Without Duncan and/or Parker, as they were for two weeks, they're just another team. And now Ginobili's hurt.

6 Lakers 7 (+1) 4/15 This will be a big week for L.A. The Suns, Jazz and Celtics all come to Staples Center.

7 Trail Blazers 8 (+1) 7/22 With home games against the Sonics, Wolves and Sixers this week, their winning streak could easily reach 13.

8 Hornets 13 (+5) 5/19 Even with Paul running the point, the Hornets aren't a fast-paced team. They are 18th in scoring and fourth in scoring defense.

9 Magic 6 (-3) 2/13 Despite Sunday's loss at Boston, they own the NBA's best road record (13-5). Home hasn't been as sweet (5-6).

10 Nuggets 9 (-1) 7/10 Together, Carmelo and A.I. averaged 64 points in three games last week, but Anthony Carter and Linas Kleiza were the heroes with game-winning shots.

11 Warriors 15 (+4) 11/28 That 0-6 start is a distant memory. They haven’t lost consecutive games since then.

12 Hawks 14 (+2) 8/21 They’re over .500 at Christmas for the first time since 1998 – the last season they made the playoffs.

13 Pacers 17 (+4) 11/28 They’ve won four of their past five, but that loss to the Wolves? Ugh.

14 Raptors 10 (-4) 10/17 Bargnani's been struggling but is back in the starting lineup. Curious move by Mitchell.

15 Kings 20 (+5) 15/30 They flat-out blew it down the stretch against the Nuggets on Sunday. Otherwise, they've been playing well.

16 Jazz 11 (-5) 5/16 What’s wrong with the Jazz? They've gone 2-9 after a 13-5 start. Getting rid of Giricek won't help much, but it won't hurt.

17 Nets 18 (+1) 12/20 Josh Boone is giving New Jersey an actual inside presence. More of one, that is, than former starter Jason Collins, who is averaging 1.2 points and 2.4 rebounds.

18 Wizards 16 (-2) 11/27 Injuries are starting to catch up with the Wizards, who went 0-3 last week and saw Caron Butler sidelined by a sprained ankle.

19 Rockets 12 (-7) 5/19 Keeping T-Mac and Yao healthy is the team’s biggest issue, but far from the only one. Adelman continues to tinker with a broken backcourt.

20 Cavaliers 19 (-1) 10/20 Since scoring 36 vs. Pacers on Dec. 11, Larry Hughes hasn’t cracked double digits in six games. LeBron deserves better.

21 Bucks 23 (+2) 9/24 Charlie Bell didn’t want to return to Milwaukee – and he’s playing like it. In three games last week, he scored two points in 73 minutes.

22 Bobcats 27 (+5) 13/27 They won two straight last week after MJ practiced with the team, but Nazr Mohammed’s emergence was probably a bigger factor.

23 SuperSonics 28 (+5) 23/29 Seattle's gone 6-5 after a 2-14 start and Durant’s now shooting over 40 percent.

24 76ers 22 (-2) 21/27 They made Mikki Moore and Andrew Bynum look like George Mikan and Wilt Chamberlain last week. Other than Dalembert, Philly has no interior defense.

25 Clippers 25 - 13/26 For a while, it looked like they could tread water until Brand returned. Now they’re sinking.

26 Bulls 21 (-5) 8/30 All the new coach will have to do is inspire Big Ben, find a low-post scorer and make Gordon and Hinrich shoot straight. Good luck.

27 Grizzlies 26 (-1) 23/27 Stromile Swift and Hakim Warrick were supposed to thrive in Iavaroni’s up-tempo system. They’re not.

28 Heat 24 (-4) 17/28 Losing Mourning's intensity and passion is the last thing Miami needed.

29 Knicks 29 - 18/29 Latest sign of terrible teamwork: They had seven assists in Sunday's loss to Lakers. Steve Nash gets that in one quarter.

30 Timberwolves 30 - 28/30 Where did that 131-point eruption against Indy come from? Other than that, Minny hasn't scored more than 100 all month.