http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/BDL-NBA-Power-Rankings-Do-you-believe-in-Magic-?urn=nba,135466 1. Orlando Magic — This isn't an, "enjoy it while it lasts" ranking. The Magic are the best team in the NBA right now. And unless the C's commit to taking care of the ball, they'll stay that way. And if Big Z doesn't return to his early season level of play, they'll stay that way. And if Los Angeles' perimeter defense doesn't shore up, they'll stay that way. The Magic are legit. [Kelly Dwyer] 2. Los Angeles Lakers — Kam. Bros., on point: "While it's pretty common for the Lakers to have mismatches on the block, they're not always good at exploiting them through an entire game." I agree. Kobe is Kobe, Fish is a rock and Ariza is D, but the Lake Show will only go as far as they let Gasol and Bynum take 'em. [J.E.] 3. Boston Celtics — Anyone who isn’t scared of this team right now, raise your hand. Put that hand down, Mikey. [KD] 4. Cleveland Cavaliers — I pray this team doesn't turn into the new Rockets. You know, the "if only they were healthy" team. [J.E.] 5. San Antonio Spurs— Did anyone else feel a giant drop in pressure as we moved from four to five? Matt Bonner, can I borrow your Geiger Counter? It doesn’t work for that? Well, who do you work for? Spurs have dropped to 12th in offense. [KD] 6. Denver Nuggets — I love these team report, ahem, Nuggets: "Nene leads the NBA with a 60.5 field-goal percentage. But there’s a far more important percentage the Nuggets center has had this season: 97.6. That’s the percentage of games Nene has played, only missing one because of a stiff neck. In the previous three seasons, Nene made it to the starting line for just 81 of 246 games." [J.E.] 7. Houston Rockets — Only Yao Ming is working at a level above what we could term "mildly above average," and the team is 26-16. Perhaps it’s time to give Rick Adelman and his spit curl a bit more credit? [KD] 8. New Orleans Hornets — Even Clipper fans want to Free Ju-Ju: "Julian Wright, taken one position ahead of Al Thornton in the good and deep 2007 draft, has spent over a month mostly on the inactive list although he is perfectly healthy. We're talking about a 21-year-old freak of an athlete, and he played a total of 32 minutes in December. Compare that to 33-year-old journeyman Sean Marks, who played 133 minutes in December. Unconscionable." [J.E.] 9. Phoenix Suns — Who else but Amare S'toudemire could put together a game like this and a game like this in the same season? [KD] 10. Portland Trail Blazers — Sometimes I lie in bed at night and think about Ike Diogu. What ever happened to him? He used to throw the coolest pool parties in California. I know he's still around because I saw him score two pints in a blowout loss to the Hornets. But what happened? Cold weather? Wonky pH levels? Is that why the ladies stopped swimming? So many questions. I miss that pool. [J.E.] 11. Utah Jazz — The defense has fallen (to 10th), and they’re starting to foul again. Stop fouling. [KD] meh
Does anyone find the Utah Jazz more interesting? Maybe the league has paid attention to their thug plays?
How do they figure out putting the Nuggets ahead of us? We've beaten them both meetings including one that was reffed 95% their way.
Not according to George Karl. Ha! Yeah I don't understand how they're ahead either. We're playing great considering Mac and Artest are out.
Head-to-head meetings aren't the sole determinant of power rankings. I may be wrong but NBA.com's rankings place a lot of emphasis on trends in offensive and defensive efficiency.
lost first game up in denver (i think missing tmac and battier in that game and ron has a terrible game) and i believe the nuggets still have a better record than us right now and could be a division leader
I hope we can meet Magic in the final. We can certainly beat the sh$$t out of them even with 85% of Ron and a half-ass Tmac.
We match up with the Magic as well as anyone else, but be careful what you wish for. That is a very, very good team right now -- better than you think. I do agree that I'd like our chances against them in a 7-game series, especially with Yao going up against Dwight Howard. A lot of their offense is dependent on the attention that Howard receives down low and their ability to create open three point shots. The Rockets' strength in defending the three point line is not unrelated to Yao's ability to control the paint with little or no assistance. With that threat effectively neutralized, they do not have the game-changing go-to perimeter players that we have in McGrady and Artest.
neutralized???? What are you talking about? This is THE biggest mismatch between the rockets and Magic.
I'm talking about their three point shooting threat, not Dwight Howard. They can't be as deadly from three point land if our perimeter defenders are free to stay at home on their men and switch at will (which the Rockets have the luxury of doing with players like Artest, Battier, McGrady, Alston and Rafer on the floor).
I love how the rockets are ranked among the best teams in the league but they're still crapped on in their own summary and freaking clevelands. Nice.
i dont. we will beat them but it may turn into another "we never faced MJ (insert kobe) in the finals" argument. if we beat la on the way then fine.
The magic is probably out favourite opponent. We know for sure Yao >>>>>>> Howard every time. Not to mention, we were playing hurt last time against the magic and still pulled it off (I think it was without T-mac and Ron or Batman). To be honest, I hope the magic makes it to the finals this year. If we play them in the finals, it would be another Hakeem vs Shaq with Yao and Howard being lesser versions of them but on the same team. Not to mention, we get to see Yao destroy Howard like how Hakeem destroyed Shaq (mostly). That should shut the ignorant fans up who voted Greg Oden as a better center than Yao.