Post by nyybaseball on Apr 17, 2015 4:39:47 GMT
Eastern Conference Power Rankings
Alright this is my first ever attempt at a Power Rankings List. I took into account preseason results but also just put together how I feel like the East will shape up this season. I might end up looking like a dumbass, but it was worth a shot.
ELITE LEVEL-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Bulls
On paper, this squad looks extremely tough to beat and have been that way pretty much the whole time during Bloop's tenure. Charlie Scott improved during TC and in my opinion, lived up to expectations on his contract. As a small forward he averages a steal and 2 blocks per game, to go along with 20+ ppg and 8 boards, all while shooting pretty good percentages (except from the line). Scott, to go along with David Robinson, Larry Nance, Mark Aguirre, and Horace Grant look to be a dominant team in the East once again. The one main weakness I see in this team would be at point guard, but I believe the combination of Jaylen Hands and Fat Lever can do an adequate job of manning that position.
2. Cavaliers
Was tempted to put them #1 but the Cavaliers have a strong team once again and their frontcourt looks to be among the best in the league. Kareem and Ralph look to carry the Cavs to a great season to go along with Oscar Robertson, who turned 34 years old this past summer but looks to still have some left in the tank. George “The Ice Man” Gervin and Terry Teagle look to give the Cavs some pretty decent production on the wing. In the preseason the Cavaliers created a bunch of turnovers, will it translate to the regular season? I think so.
ABOVE AVERAGE LEVEL-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Knicks
I know Braz wants them last, but I think Super did a good job of returning to his old roots and making a big splash via trade. The acquisitions of Rick Barry and Bob Cousy gives the Knicks a really good team. If Patrick Ewing averages 20/10 (which I believe will be the case), the Knicks will field a strong team. I also believe the Bob Cousy will give the Knicks more scoring than he did in the pre-season, which is very important for this Knicks team. I think next year will be Detlef's breakout year, but this year he looks to give the Knicks some decent scoring, and shot blocking from that PF spot.
4. Sixers
Had to edit this mid-writing due to ROTY’s Allonzo Raines trade so I’ll put them in the 4 spot for now but would not be surprised at all if they jump the Knicks to put up a real fight in the top 3 in the East. Still not quite ready to make that jump to the next level and beat Bulls or Cavs but they are well on their way. Shaq is a stud and I love the Laphonso Ellis pick as well. Yardley, Raines and Tiny look like they would fit this team really well on paper. Love Unseld coming off the bench as well. Really love what this team is doing right now. Love the Tim Hardaway pick as well.
5. Celtics
Actually wouldn’t be surprised to see them end up a little higher, but the East is pretty good this year it seems. Wimberg, Pistol and Vanderbilt look to carry the offensive load for this team. I also love what Thurl Bailey gives this team on the defensive end grabbing boards, blocking shots and adding a steal per game. Mark Eaton is a very capable backup Center but can he play PF with no drop? If not I think Celtics should make a move for a PF a legit shot. Eaton is 7’4 so it is not likely that he stays the same at PF but who knows. Maybe Thurl can play PF? Looks as if Vandy started there in preseason but I’m not a believer in Atkins playing the two. A couple questions marks to be answered before the season rolls around.
6. Wizards
Wizards have a lot of talent at their starting PG-SG-SF positions, but do they have enough complimentary pieces to fit around them? Herb Williams looks like a perfect fit as their C but the problem for this team is defense, and having Tom Chambers as their starting PF looks like a bad idea. Looks like they will score a lot but also give up a lot of points, so if they get hit by the injury bug to one of their big stars, this team can turn average really quick. A defensive minded PF shouldn’t be too hard to find, so I think this team could be in good shape as long as they make a trade for one.
7. Bucks
The Bucks had an average preseason but I feel like they will come out strong and learn from their mistakes. Hakeem, Issel and Gail Goodrich look to carry the load for the Bucks on offense. As long as Dandias doesn’t mess with the DC too much, I think the Bucks will see themselves having a successful season. Issel had an average preseason by his standards, but I do not expect that to continue to the regular season. Hakeem should look to give them good production from the Center spot, but he might be one or two years away from dominating the league. Dave Gunther and Rob Williams look to round out the starting lineup and contribute defensively for the Bucks.
AVERAGE LEVEL-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Heat
A few of these average level teams look to be interchangeable but the Heat look to have trouble stopping teams in the preseason, but that could be a fluke looking at their team. Kemp is dominant and the star of this team, McAdoo is a great young player and they have All-Star PG Magic Johnson. The defensive abilities of Kemp, McAdoo and Magic should be able to mask their defensive liabilities on the wing but by how much? I think if all goes well they can make a push for the playoffs, but they will need to prove it defensively first. Wouldn't be surprised to see them fight for a little higher seed either. This could be a team that I underrated a bit.
9. Nets
On paper they look good but some of the trouble I see is DC related. The other trouble comes on the defensive end where they look to give up a lot of points. Will they score enough to mask their defensive woes? We’ll see but I don’t think so that’s why I put them here. Future looks bright with Payton and LJ looking pretty good but as of now they are average (until they fix a couple things). Also not sure why they gave 35 year-old Wilt the max, but I think the Nets GM will start yelling “Nets Trading Wilt!” within a year or two. Looks to be a very tough contract to move once Wilt starts declining.
10. Pacers
Has Saric even made a trade yet? I wonder if it’s still a constant headache to inquire about any player on his team as it was during his years as Sixers GM. Regardless, the Pacers look to be a decent team this year. Reggie Lewis and Lasalle Thompson will be the two main offensive players for this team, Trae Young looks like one of those “ratings all-stars” that doesn’t translate into much on the stat sheet. Passing wise he’s pretty good but turns the ball over more than you would like for your starting PG. This is one team I look to fall off a bit once the regular season begins.
11. Hornets
Loveeee the trade that Itnas pulled off for Earl Manigult while only giving up an average player in Kobe Paris, but this team does not quite look ready yet. Yeah they made a trade for Bill Russell, but he’s not one to carry a franchise at this stage in his career. Zhou Qi still looks amazing but the Hornets will need to give their star player more support in order to contend this year. I do believe they will be in good shape next year once Earl and Glen Rice get a year of experience under their belt. They do also look to have a pretty good point guard in Mahdi Abdul-Rahman so the future looks bright for this team. Having Qi also be relatively young is a great sign for this team also. Honestly I feel like I might be underrating them a bit this year but who knows.
12. Hawks
This team looks great if you look at it on paper, but I think they’ll definitely have a hard time scoring points which is not a good sign. Karl Malone is probably their best scorer right now which in real life would be a great thing, but in the NBADSL, Malone isn’t ready to carry that big of a scoring load while translating into wins. IT looks like he might be a bit of a bust, which is unfortunate for BananaAK. Alonzo was a great pick and it was pretty cool that they got to pair him with Trey, but offensively they are not ready yet. Paul Pressey could be a decent 2nd option but not sure if they have that consistent third option yet. Preseason results have been bad also.
TANK FEST LEVEL-----------------------------------------------------------------------
13. Raptors
Definitely the best out of the “tankers” in my opinion but not saying much. Kevin Willis looks to have a big year putting up shots on this team to go along with Ty Hudson but defensively they look like they’re coached by Mike D’Antoni. George Mikan looks to still be a decent offensive player but that’s where it stops. Should be a long year in Toronto, which Tyfreak should enjoy unless this draft class is shit.
14. Magic
Stanley Johnson is all that seperates the Magic from the Pistons in my opinion. What a big fall from winning a championship to losing everybody in Free Agency and not even having your pick to fall back on. But I can’t really blame Flip, he won a ring and tried to make a huge splash in signing MJ, but this year looks like it’ll be a tough one. Flip is a good GM though so he’ll eventually figure things out and shouldn’t be a big mess for too long. His highly criticized trade last year is what helped them win a ring last season so he’ll be good, just not this season.
15. Pistons
Tank city. This team looks like it could be one of the worst in NBADSL history, but that looks like it is by design. Having their own pick and the Hornets pick this year should help them move along with their rebuild. They are starting over completely from scratch though, so it won’t be a one-year fix. This looks like it will be a multiple year rebuild but from memory themouth has been a good gm before so I don’t believe they’ll be at any risk to be CY’d. When Todd Day and Elden Campbell are your leading scorers, you know it’s going to be a long year.
Alright this is my first ever attempt at a Power Rankings List. I took into account preseason results but also just put together how I feel like the East will shape up this season. I might end up looking like a dumbass, but it was worth a shot.
ELITE LEVEL-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Bulls
On paper, this squad looks extremely tough to beat and have been that way pretty much the whole time during Bloop's tenure. Charlie Scott improved during TC and in my opinion, lived up to expectations on his contract. As a small forward he averages a steal and 2 blocks per game, to go along with 20+ ppg and 8 boards, all while shooting pretty good percentages (except from the line). Scott, to go along with David Robinson, Larry Nance, Mark Aguirre, and Horace Grant look to be a dominant team in the East once again. The one main weakness I see in this team would be at point guard, but I believe the combination of Jaylen Hands and Fat Lever can do an adequate job of manning that position.
2. Cavaliers
Was tempted to put them #1 but the Cavaliers have a strong team once again and their frontcourt looks to be among the best in the league. Kareem and Ralph look to carry the Cavs to a great season to go along with Oscar Robertson, who turned 34 years old this past summer but looks to still have some left in the tank. George “The Ice Man” Gervin and Terry Teagle look to give the Cavs some pretty decent production on the wing. In the preseason the Cavaliers created a bunch of turnovers, will it translate to the regular season? I think so.
ABOVE AVERAGE LEVEL-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Knicks
I know Braz wants them last, but I think Super did a good job of returning to his old roots and making a big splash via trade. The acquisitions of Rick Barry and Bob Cousy gives the Knicks a really good team. If Patrick Ewing averages 20/10 (which I believe will be the case), the Knicks will field a strong team. I also believe the Bob Cousy will give the Knicks more scoring than he did in the pre-season, which is very important for this Knicks team. I think next year will be Detlef's breakout year, but this year he looks to give the Knicks some decent scoring, and shot blocking from that PF spot.
4. Sixers
Had to edit this mid-writing due to ROTY’s Allonzo Raines trade so I’ll put them in the 4 spot for now but would not be surprised at all if they jump the Knicks to put up a real fight in the top 3 in the East. Still not quite ready to make that jump to the next level and beat Bulls or Cavs but they are well on their way. Shaq is a stud and I love the Laphonso Ellis pick as well. Yardley, Raines and Tiny look like they would fit this team really well on paper. Love Unseld coming off the bench as well. Really love what this team is doing right now. Love the Tim Hardaway pick as well.
5. Celtics
Actually wouldn’t be surprised to see them end up a little higher, but the East is pretty good this year it seems. Wimberg, Pistol and Vanderbilt look to carry the offensive load for this team. I also love what Thurl Bailey gives this team on the defensive end grabbing boards, blocking shots and adding a steal per game. Mark Eaton is a very capable backup Center but can he play PF with no drop? If not I think Celtics should make a move for a PF a legit shot. Eaton is 7’4 so it is not likely that he stays the same at PF but who knows. Maybe Thurl can play PF? Looks as if Vandy started there in preseason but I’m not a believer in Atkins playing the two. A couple questions marks to be answered before the season rolls around.
6. Wizards
Wizards have a lot of talent at their starting PG-SG-SF positions, but do they have enough complimentary pieces to fit around them? Herb Williams looks like a perfect fit as their C but the problem for this team is defense, and having Tom Chambers as their starting PF looks like a bad idea. Looks like they will score a lot but also give up a lot of points, so if they get hit by the injury bug to one of their big stars, this team can turn average really quick. A defensive minded PF shouldn’t be too hard to find, so I think this team could be in good shape as long as they make a trade for one.
7. Bucks
The Bucks had an average preseason but I feel like they will come out strong and learn from their mistakes. Hakeem, Issel and Gail Goodrich look to carry the load for the Bucks on offense. As long as Dandias doesn’t mess with the DC too much, I think the Bucks will see themselves having a successful season. Issel had an average preseason by his standards, but I do not expect that to continue to the regular season. Hakeem should look to give them good production from the Center spot, but he might be one or two years away from dominating the league. Dave Gunther and Rob Williams look to round out the starting lineup and contribute defensively for the Bucks.
AVERAGE LEVEL-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Heat
A few of these average level teams look to be interchangeable but the Heat look to have trouble stopping teams in the preseason, but that could be a fluke looking at their team. Kemp is dominant and the star of this team, McAdoo is a great young player and they have All-Star PG Magic Johnson. The defensive abilities of Kemp, McAdoo and Magic should be able to mask their defensive liabilities on the wing but by how much? I think if all goes well they can make a push for the playoffs, but they will need to prove it defensively first. Wouldn't be surprised to see them fight for a little higher seed either. This could be a team that I underrated a bit.
9. Nets
On paper they look good but some of the trouble I see is DC related. The other trouble comes on the defensive end where they look to give up a lot of points. Will they score enough to mask their defensive woes? We’ll see but I don’t think so that’s why I put them here. Future looks bright with Payton and LJ looking pretty good but as of now they are average (until they fix a couple things). Also not sure why they gave 35 year-old Wilt the max, but I think the Nets GM will start yelling “Nets Trading Wilt!” within a year or two. Looks to be a very tough contract to move once Wilt starts declining.
10. Pacers
Has Saric even made a trade yet? I wonder if it’s still a constant headache to inquire about any player on his team as it was during his years as Sixers GM. Regardless, the Pacers look to be a decent team this year. Reggie Lewis and Lasalle Thompson will be the two main offensive players for this team, Trae Young looks like one of those “ratings all-stars” that doesn’t translate into much on the stat sheet. Passing wise he’s pretty good but turns the ball over more than you would like for your starting PG. This is one team I look to fall off a bit once the regular season begins.
11. Hornets
Loveeee the trade that Itnas pulled off for Earl Manigult while only giving up an average player in Kobe Paris, but this team does not quite look ready yet. Yeah they made a trade for Bill Russell, but he’s not one to carry a franchise at this stage in his career. Zhou Qi still looks amazing but the Hornets will need to give their star player more support in order to contend this year. I do believe they will be in good shape next year once Earl and Glen Rice get a year of experience under their belt. They do also look to have a pretty good point guard in Mahdi Abdul-Rahman so the future looks bright for this team. Having Qi also be relatively young is a great sign for this team also. Honestly I feel like I might be underrating them a bit this year but who knows.
12. Hawks
This team looks great if you look at it on paper, but I think they’ll definitely have a hard time scoring points which is not a good sign. Karl Malone is probably their best scorer right now which in real life would be a great thing, but in the NBADSL, Malone isn’t ready to carry that big of a scoring load while translating into wins. IT looks like he might be a bit of a bust, which is unfortunate for BananaAK. Alonzo was a great pick and it was pretty cool that they got to pair him with Trey, but offensively they are not ready yet. Paul Pressey could be a decent 2nd option but not sure if they have that consistent third option yet. Preseason results have been bad also.
TANK FEST LEVEL-----------------------------------------------------------------------
13. Raptors
Definitely the best out of the “tankers” in my opinion but not saying much. Kevin Willis looks to have a big year putting up shots on this team to go along with Ty Hudson but defensively they look like they’re coached by Mike D’Antoni. George Mikan looks to still be a decent offensive player but that’s where it stops. Should be a long year in Toronto, which Tyfreak should enjoy unless this draft class is shit.
14. Magic
Stanley Johnson is all that seperates the Magic from the Pistons in my opinion. What a big fall from winning a championship to losing everybody in Free Agency and not even having your pick to fall back on. But I can’t really blame Flip, he won a ring and tried to make a huge splash in signing MJ, but this year looks like it’ll be a tough one. Flip is a good GM though so he’ll eventually figure things out and shouldn’t be a big mess for too long. His highly criticized trade last year is what helped them win a ring last season so he’ll be good, just not this season.
15. Pistons
Tank city. This team looks like it could be one of the worst in NBADSL history, but that looks like it is by design. Having their own pick and the Hornets pick this year should help them move along with their rebuild. They are starting over completely from scratch though, so it won’t be a one-year fix. This looks like it will be a multiple year rebuild but from memory themouth has been a good gm before so I don’t believe they’ll be at any risk to be CY’d. When Todd Day and Elden Campbell are your leading scorers, you know it’s going to be a long year.
