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18th February, 2009 - 8:01 pm
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| Current Features |
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SCOOP DU JOUR: Iverson With The Knicks, Joe Alexander, Lincecum's Cy Young & More
Allen Iverson and the Knicks is a marriage out of necessity, forecasting Joe Alexander's future, why there hasn't been any players compared to Magic or Bird, plus Tim Lincecum's Cy Young and the possibility of Pacquiao/Mayweather at Cowboys Stadium.
STANDING 10: Retire Me Not
Even though LeBron James is well-intentioned in his hope of the NBA retiring #23, there are so many problems with this notion that it is difficult to find a place to begin.
MOCK DRAFT: 2009 NBA Mock Draft, Version 11.0 (Draft Day Edition)
How will the 2009 NBA Draft shake out? We're only hours away from finding out.
LOCKER TALK: Nash, Cleveland, & Orlando
Steve Nash could draw trade interest this summer and Cleveland isn’t overlooking Orlando…
PLAYER RANKINGS: The Final NBA Player Rankings For The 2008-09 Season
The 2008-09 season is in the books and how did players rank individually?
CLASSICS: Hakeem Vs. Ewing: Who Was The Better Center?
Born within six months of each other in opposite corners of the world, two seven footers who are finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame this fall are two of the best ever to play the center position.
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By Andrew Perna
I'm sure most of you are familiar with Christopher Reina's Floor Impact Counter and aptly named Reina Value. (If not, punish yourself and then click here to check out the systems.)
Here at RealGM, we calculate our team rankings by taking each team's FIC per game. It's very much Reina’s labor, but I'll be here every other week to provide slightly different insight into the rankings.
Team: 08-09 FIC Differential, Feb. 3 Ranking
1. Boston Celtics : 20.2 (1)
According to our rankings, the NBA's top nine teams haven't shifted over the last two weeks. That's good news for the Celtics, who were given a full week off by the league for the All-Star break.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers : 19.2 (2)
Despite the league's third-best record, fans in Cleveland are clamoring for Antawn Jamison. Over the next 24 hours we'll find out if Danny Ferry is able to give the fans what they want.
3. Orlando Magic : 14.8 (3)
The Magic are 3-2 since losing Jameer Nelson to a serious shoulder injury. That mark is far below their winning percentage before the unfortunate event (76.5). I expect to see the Lakers occupying the third spot before long.
4. L.A. Lakers : 14.2 (4)
Pau Gasol has been an absolute beast since Andrew Bynum went down with yet another knee injury, as has Lamar Odom. Where was this level of play last June?
5. Utah Jazz : 10.8 (5)
The Jazz have been without Carlos Boozer for most of the season, and have had to endure injuries to Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko as well. None of that has mattered for a team that rarely losses games by double digits.
6. Portland Trail Blazers : 8.4 (6)
Greg Oden has quietly been reliable, but yet another injury is threatening to take him off the court in Portland. A playoff berth is likely, but isn't yet locked up in the top-heavy Western Conference.
7. Denver Nuggets : 8.0 (7)
Chauncey Billups doesn't have the stats, but he deserves consideration for MVP this season. If the Nuggets want to hang with the likes of the Celtics, Cavaliers and Lakers, they'll have to have strong showings against Boston and Los Angeles next week.
8. San Antonio Spurs : 6.0 (8)
The Spurs are in a mini-slump after losses to the Raptors and Knicks, but are still competitive with Manu Ginobili hobbling around. Also, shame on anyone who has ever said that Tim Duncan (20.9 pts, 10.6 rbds and 1.8 blks) is getting old.
9. Dallas Mavericks : 6.0 (9)
The Mavericks are a hard team to figure out this season, but I think a minor deal before Thursday's deadline could really push them up a few slots in the West.
10. Phoenix Suns : 4.8 (11)
Perhaps general manager Steve Kerr should follow former Phoenix point guard Kevin Johnson into politics. This guy has flip-flopped all season long. We'll have to wait until the deadline has officially passed to see where the Suns are headed.
11. New Orleans Hornets : 4.4 (10)
The pure salary dump that was the Tyson Chandler trade has disgusted a lot of people, but you can't forget that the center has only played in 32 games this season. They won't get to the Conference Finals, but no matter who they put next to Chris Paul, they aren't going to the lottery either.
12. Houston Rockets : 4.0 (12)
Tracy McGrady is gone for the season. This news is almost as surprising as a rumor that Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson have broken up. I do suppose, though, that some people care about T-Mac's knee. Bold prediction: Houston won't make it out of the first round.
13. Philadelphia 76ers : 3.4 (15)
I'm starting to feel bad for Elton Brand. He's an extremely talented player, but the 76ers simply look better without him. They are 14-9 without their high-priced free agent acquisition. It's a good thing Philadelphia fans are forgiving.
14. Atlanta Hawks : 2.4 (13)
The Hawks are just a few small pieces away from contending with the Celtics and Cavaliers, but it doesn't look like general manager Rick Sund has the pieces to push them over the edge.
15. Miami Heat : 2.0 (14)
The Heat looked like a dangerous team before they traded Shawn Marion to the Raptors for Jermaine O'Neal. There's no doubt that J.O. will miss some time with an injury down the stretch, but they should be a tougher out in the first round with a true interior presence.
16. Detroit Pistons : 0.3 (16)
Sit down. OK, are you sitting? A handful of teams are within striking distance of the Pistons and could knock them out of the playoff picture with a strong second half. That fact alone warrants a few Hall of Fame votes for Billups when the time comes.
17. Milwaukee Bucks : -0.3 (17)
The Bucks won't make the playoffs, but they are playing inspiring basketball in the wake of some back-breaking (no pun intended, Mr. Bogut) injuries. It's too bad that a very rough schedule to open the second half of the season could doom their hopes.
18. Chicago Bulls : -3.2 (18)
John Paxson did a tremendous job of saving his job with a number of great deals on Wednesday afternoon. Look for the Bulls to leapfrog the Bucks in these rankings, and in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
19. Charlotte Bobcats : -3.6 (21)
Charlotte had lost six of their last eight heading into Wednesday night's battle with the Pacers. The bottom rungs of the East are wide open, and if they want to make their first-ever postseason appearance now might be the time.
20. Toronto Raptors : -4.1 (19)
The Jermaine O'Neal experiment failed, but Bryan Colangelo did a tremendous job of softening the blow by acquiring Shawn Marion for cap relief a season earlier. In my opinion, that was a very underrated move.
21. Indiana Pacers : -4.5 (20)
Wins over the Celtics, Lakers, Cavaliers and Magic have been soiled by defeats at the hands of the Clippers, Grizzles, Warriors and Wizards.
22. New Jersey Nets : -6.7 (22)
I like the young duo of Devin Harris and Brook Lopez, but will Vince Carter stay in town long enough for us to see if they can become a 'Big Three?'
23. Golden State Warriors : -7.3 (24)
The Warriors are 6-5 since Monta Ellis returned from his moped excursion. It's too bad his teammates couldn't keep themselves in striking distance of a playoff seed while he was healing up.
24. Minnesota Timberwolves : -10.1 (23)
You have to believe that with another lottery pick, the Timberwolves are going to be back in the playoff picture as early as next spring. The play of Al Jefferson (lost for the season) and Kevin Love (9.5 pts and 8.8 rbds) has been refreshing.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder: -10.2 (26)
I exchanged e-mails with Chris Reina (Executive Editor) and Jason M. Williams (Senior Writer) right after the Thunder landed Tyson Chandler for peanuts. The consensus? Oklahoma City will be hosting a playoff game within the next two seasons.
26. New York Knicks : -11.0 (25)
Donnie Walsh has a plan; I can assure you of that New York. With that said, we won't find out until after tomorrow's trade deadline exactly what it is -– are the Knicks freeing up space for 2010, or looking to win now?
27. Memphis Grizzlies : -13.3 (27)
The future of the Grizzles is safe in the hands of O.J. Mayo, Marc Gasol and even Darrell Arthur, but the losing will continue for now until they acquire some solid veterans.
28. L.A. Clippers : -15.2 (29)
Not too long ago it looked like the losing ways of the Clippers were going to change, but injuries and some ill-advised signings (ahem, Baron) have returned L.A.'s other team to where they know best -– the cellar.
29. Washington Wizards : -16.4 (28)
I believe it's time for the Wizards to blow this current roster up. They claim that they'd be a heck of a lot better with Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood healthy, but just how much better would they be?
30. Sacramento Kings : -20.6 (30)
I was extremely high on not only the Kings, but the play of young big men like Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes at the beginning of the season. However, after Sacramento turned a 4-5 start into an 11-43 debacle; I'm only high on Thompson and Hawes.
Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM’s Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
