Post by Haberino on Jun 20, 2011 14:01:44 GMT -5
1. Los Angeles Clippers, 40-8
The Clips are red hot since Jeff inexplicably handed them a superstar for pennies. Veteran GM or not, Jeff deserves a lot of shit for that. It was as dumb a move as I've seen in this version of BBS. The Clips, meanwhile, are all but unstoppable right now, with ridiculous levels of shotblocking, rebounding and scoring.
2. Chicago Bulls, 31-9
Why do the Bulls edge out the Knicks? Close as their records may be, the Bulls have a higher winning percentage having played nine fewer home games -- their fourteen home games are a league low. With all the home games they have coming, look for them to make a serious run for the best record in the league. Twelve blocks a night is scary, and that offense is great, but it would be nice if Dickerson or McCracken could emerge as that go-to guy.
3. New York Knicks
The Bulls and Clips overwhelm you with their talent, but the Knicks keep pace with a brilliant system team. Their backcourt may be way undersized with two players under 5'11, but good luck stopping them: Cook and Francis combine for almost 53 points and fewer than 3 turnovers a night. Rouser and Keane's brilliant outside shooting round out a perfect outside system, which is why it's scary that the Knicks also have one of the best inside scorers in the league at PF. Skillz should invest some points in O'Keane, because he could be a superstar, and the Bulls and Clippers seem to edge them at just about every other position.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves, 29-13
Hard to explain the start they had, but the Wolves have surged back near the top of the standings. Their turnovers, shotblocking, and point differential all point to a non-contender, but would you want to face them in the playoffs? That said, Deebs needs to figure out a way to get more out of O'Mara and Derrick. Even if that comes at the cost of touches for JV and Thorpe, QD and O'Mara are unstoppable forces (better than their counterparts on other top teams) who have proven they're going to get you far if you use them right. JV and Thorpe are nice scorers, but nowhere near as unstoppable or plainly, as good.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers, 29-15
A nice team, but the Cavs are building around too many second-tier talents. If Rooks and Melo are going to be threats to guys like Dickerson, Drummond, Keane O'Mara, Wall, and Derrick, they need AC attention. Beal is a weak spot in their SL, and unfortunately, Anthony Randolph just isn't the same guy anymore. I can't see them coming out of the East.
6. Phoenix Suns, 27-20
They haven't put it together yet, but they're clearly better than the teams with similar records. Their loaded with scorers, but the defense stinks. I think Stevens and Schayes could both be much more effective defenders with ACs, but the Suns would really benefit from going out and getting a 2-3 BPG backup 4/5. Side note: two years ago, Knight did 35 PPG on amazing percentages. We've seen so many playoff series where dominant PG play has led to upsets, and Phoenix should look into crafting a DC to get the most out of the guy.
7. Toronto Raptors, 25-16
I'm reluctant to put them this high because of the point differential and turnovers, but you can't overlook the fact that they get around 62 points a night from two players. You never want to play a team with two matchup nightmares, no matter how outclassed they are elsewhere, so I think Toronto could present a threat to NY or Cleveland in a second round matchup.
8. Houston Rockets, 31-19
The Rockets do a lot of things you need to do well to win, but the top talent just isn't there. Roe and Dawson can take over games (Dawson strikes me as one of those guys who doesn't put up numbers on par with superstars, but who can definitely hang with them in a matchup), and they block shots and rebound, but the firepower just isn't there. I think Jordan knows this, but what's the solution? None of his other pieces are that valuable. Worthington could be if Jordan pumps a lot of points into him.
9. Dallas Mavericks, 28-20
The only thing I'm really compelled to talk about is just how good JD Quincy is. 27/10/5 with 3 blocks a night. And he still has A potential! If he ever drops those turnovers, he could be the best player in the league. Since this a theme, I'm going to talk about another guy who could be great with ACs. Cam Adams! The size and rebounding at PG is awesome, and he's already a 20/10 guy. The steals and turnovers are ugly, but I actually think Adams could use some attention to his scoring categories. He's B+/B+ and if he takes his midrange to the next level, I think he could fit the Dev St. Cloud mode of PGs who use their size advantage to shutdown opponents. Dallas has a nice future if that happens.
10. Detroit Pistons, 24-20
Sure, why not. They rebound well, and Tracy Parker (AC me! AC me!) is a stud. Gotta get more out of Marquez though. He was too good last year to not get more touches. I like Andy's idea right now. He has a superstar to build around, has Lynch and Al-Fatun signed cheap next season, and has massive cap room to play with. Should work out nicely if he doesn't end up locking up Harrow and Cousins to ugly deals. They're not going anywhere this year though.
