Post by thecommish on Jun 5, 2014 6:23:15 GMT
---2013 NBAD Power Rankings---
(TRADE DEADLINE SPECIAL)
30. Denver Nuggets (13-50)
A complete lack of skill, in terms of both achieved and potential talent, makes up for the current Denver roster. With Tibor Pleiss having a huge breakout season, it's hard to believe others such as Aminu and Walker can thrive in the NBA at any point based off this season's sample. While long term success is still possible for these individuals, this team clearly needs to increase its talent level as a whole in order to compete with the rest of the league going forward. The Raptor's pick won't net much more than a rotation player at around #25, so Denver best capitalize on the pick they receive in the coming lottery.
29. Indiana Pacers (10-46)
Despite the worst record in the league, the Pacers have a legitimate shot at winning more games than the wretched Nuggets squad that has lost all cohesiveness. That said, Indiana is in pure tank mode this season as well, thus finding themselves at the bottom for the first time in a decade. They should be fine going forward after a full year of development and retooling.
28. Golden State Warriors (16-39)
Golden State is in a similar predicament to Denver, however the team is nearly competitive and is absolutely stacked on first round picks in the upcoming draft. The Warriors are in prime position to make themselves a few moves and seasons away from a title, but in the meantime an aging Tracy McGrady is the face of a fading franchise this season.
27. Philadelphia 76ers (22-33)
Philadelphia is in an interesting spot. They're potentially picking in the 10-12 range in this year's draft, but won't have much going forward apart from a sharpshooting point guard and a scorer at post with no desire to rebound up to his potential. Should they land in the early pick range, they'll be looking nice for a future core, but a bad pick would ruin this team's makeup and ability to retool in a timely fashion. As for this season, Philadelphia will be playing the role of nobody more than a pest to contenders.
26. Houston Rockets (18-42)
With talent abound, and a very young core outside of the shooting guard position, it's apparent that the brain trust of the organization has looked to future seasons for a winning record, but it's hard to miss a roster that features talents such as John Wall and Andre Drummond. This team's defensive ceiling is huge, but for now the lack of offensive punch will doom Houston's chances at a playoff run.
25. San Antonio Spurs (24-36)
San Antonio has found borderline success this season in spurts, just enough to push them (and these next few teams) down the list to an awkward place. The big men inside carry most of the heavy lifting, and naturally this team is a wing difference maker away from being a playoff team. Instead, they're closing in on the end of the season woefully out of contention, and a fair margin away from calling this season anything but a disappointment.
24. Miami Heat (27-37)
Miami is in a similar scenario. Shortly removed from a title, this team should be much, much closer to the pack than they are. That said, the future won't be any worse if the management treats their cap space reasonably well and plans for flexibility going ahead.
23. Sacramento Kings (26-35)
Sac Town should be a fair bit closer to making a playoff push as well, but it's fair to say the only way that anything changes for the worse is if players are allowed to walk following their rookie deals. This is a young and gifted squad, but contention is a few years from even being a possibility. Until then, Sacramento is a move or two away from anything worth mentioning come April.
22. Milwaukee Bucks (24-37)
Similar to Miami, the Bucks are a team that experienced much greater success last season despite minimal moves since. Milwaukee is a team that appears to be shifting on the up, while Miami is a candidate for biggest drop-off of the coming offseason. Look for a late season push from this squad if winning is a goal, as injuries to key big men hurt them early. A surging Serge Ibaka (recent triple double with ten blocks) has made all the difference of late, but it may well be too little too late.
21. New Jersey Nets (26-33)
On paper, New Jersey could easily be number 25 or lower but somehow the Nets have found a way to win this season. They're a fringe playoff candidate as it stands, but it's unlikely. Furthermore, it remains to be seen if this is a core that's worth giving a shot in the coming years. Then again, should they miss the playoffs, an expansion draft will supply a clean slate for this poor franchise.
20. Washington Wizards (28-35)
Another team that has dropped significantly, Washington is less than a year removed from being a true terror in the league. I'm not sure if there's a late push in any of these teams that find themselves five or more games back of the 8th seed, but if any, Washington can do it.
19. Portland Trail Blazers (31-34)
The Blazers are the East's Wizards, or vice versa. The wake of the Chris Paul trade still rattles Memphis, but the rebuild is (if it ever even began) over, thanks to this season's acceptable performance and potential to challenge for a spot.
18. Detroit Pistons (30-29)
Surprisingly enough, the Pistons are getting by on Eric Bledsoe's underwhelming offense. The team is solid on the defensive end, and makes the right plays but lacks firepower and polish. For that reason, I don't see much from Detroit but this team is truly overachieving early in the rebuild.
17. Los Angeles Lakers (31-29)
This squad is young and winning, and not much more can be expected or said about them. Don't expect a playoff series win though, Lakers fans. Next year.
16. Charlotte Bobcats (36-28)
Charlotte is the East's Los Angeles, or vice versa. I said it again. But seriously, these teams are young and somehow doing work in their conferences that you'd expect from an experienced, veteran team that probably holds some bigger paychecks than this Carolina counterpart.
15. New York Knicks (36-28)
I'm almost equally as surprised at Charlotte as I am that the Knicks are still winning at this rate. Their trio of stars will be a threat in the playoffs, but I don't truly think they're a top tier contender.
14. Boston Celtics (33-25)
Going forward, Boston could potentially be the top team in the entire league. Tyreke and Paul have done incredible things early in their careers, but competitive moments haven't come in large doses yet. If they can win some playoff games and prove their value when it counts, I'd be hard pressed not to say I think they can win a title next year. This year, they're a team to watch for reasons other than the final score.
13. Dallas Mavericks (34-27)
Dallas has done a complete 180 since the 2012 season came to an end. This squad appears destined for some level of sustained success, and it's welcomed with open arms following a tough playoff drought in Texas.
12. Atlanta Hawks (35-28)
The perimeter offense of Atlanta has kept the Hawks flying high this year, and the team seems to thrive as more physical teams begin to tire entering the latter stretch of the season.
11. Oklahoma City Thunder (34-27)
OKC could be the real mover/shaker of the remainder of this season. Durant has turned it on with his shooting this year, and I don't predict it slowing down anytime soon.
10. Los Angeles Clippers (35-26)
The Clippers have been LA's better team all year, but it remains to be seen if this team can have postseason success. They look very good now, but I'm not ready to bet the farm on them.
9. Phoenix Suns (34-24)
Phoenix has experienced a pleasantly surprising season, and they find themselves in the center of the playoff race for homecourt advantage. Look for them to make some noise but watch the finals from home, barring any late season pickups.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (39-26)
The Cavs have ridden MVP-candidate Kyrie Irving's young Superman audition to the top of the East's ranks. Backed by ex-MVP front-runner Caron Butler, and Euro-turned-NBAD stud Dirk Nowitzki, this looks like a serious threat for the title and a major sleeper to those caught up in the top record team's drama.
7. Chicago Bulls (37-25)
The stout, defensive-minded Bulls are in it to win it yet again. If the Windy City can take home a title, it would pose some interesting offseason options. As is, the team looks competitive but there are questions to be answered going forward.
6. Orlando Magic (36-24)
A yearly contender, Orlando seems to keep a similar-minded group of ever-changing players in its system. The success of this has brought perennial success to the Magic organization, and this year seems to be just another year. I'm talking 1990s Yankees good. Count on an option to buy playoff tickets.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (42-22)
Let it sink in for a moment that Derrick Rose and Brandon Roy's Wolves are TWENTY games over .500 already. This team is an absolutely astounding offensive machine, but the defense is suspect at times and opposing small forwards tend to go off. If they can play a lick of defense, they'll contend for years to come and pose a huge threat this season.
4. Utah Jazz (41-18)
Utah is well put together and focuses on playing every opponent their way. The fundamental ball has resulted in consistent wins for the Jazz faithful. Should they gain a late season waiver that can help shore up things on the perimeter, Utah could take home a title.
3. Memphis Grizzlies (44-16)
Memphis owns the best record in the league and it's tough to ignore that. The offensive output in Memphis has been up there for a few seasons now, but this year's defense has shown up when they've needed it. Memphis looks to be the top Western squad.
2. Toronto Raptors (35-18)
Even after an 0-3 stretch to start the past week, Toronto still holds on to #1 in my power rankings because they're absolutely unstoppable outside. Title in Toronto in Two Thousand Thirteen.
1. Your Mother (52-1)
Because, well, because I forgot there were only 29 teams in FBB. Whoops.
