January Power Rankings (30-21)
Mar 12, 2019 12:00:41 GMT
Ian Noble, Walt Frazier, and 7 more like this
Post by Jerry West on Mar 12, 2019 12:00:41 GMT
30 - Detroit Pistons (+0) Tom Izzo (7-36) (3-12)
Look at that, another month and Detroit it's still holding down the last spot in our Power Rankings. At least Detroit fans managed to watch their team win a home game this month, which makes them have a total of 1 home win in the last 60 days and 2 for the season.
The few fans that keep going to Detroit games only know who DeAndre Ayton is, the rookie is currently averaging 25-12 while adding a block and a steal per game. Meanwhile, the rest of the players seem to be at the G-League level, which makes you wonder if they would even beat their own G-League team.
Also, if playing Thanasis Antetokounmpo nearly 20 minutes per game isn't tampering, then I don't know what tampering is.
29 - Brooklyn Nets (-2) Andrei Kirilenko (9-34) (2-12)
Devin Booker is good, like really good, really really good. But he isn't the main point of talk in Brooklyn this month. That is John Collins.
A blockbuster deal happened right at the start of the month which saw Brooklyn trade away both Sabonis and Adebayo in exchange for John Collins. And what a great deal for Brooklyn who now finds themselves with a starting five consisting of Fultz, Booker, Winslow, Collins and KP. Talk about potential.
Nevertheless, Brooklyn had the worst record of the month despite Devin Booker amazing performances, and that makes them drop to the last place in our rankings. Sorry, second to last.
Also congratulations on Devin Booker second All-Star game, maybe undeserved due to his team current state but he will definitely be an All-Star for the years to come.
28 - LA Clippers (-2) Mike Krzyzewski (7-36) (2-12)
The Clippers scored 51 points vs the current NBA champions Golden State Warriors on the 22nd of January. Let me say that again, 51 points, a Dynasty 5ive all-time low. But what's to expect from a team who is paying out 80 million dollars to Tony Parker, Carmelo Anthony and Kenneth Faried.
And let's not forget that the Pistons own a total of 1 draft pick for the next 2 years. I can start sensing a move to Seattle incoming, the Clippers are in such a bad spot that despite the Lakers being currently an average team with an average future, the Clippers are still losing their fans to the team across the hall, with some their games having fewer attendees than some WNBA games.
27 - Dallas Mavericks (+2) Danny Longley (9-36) (4-11)
Dallas managed to climb a whopping 2 spots in this months Power Rankings. But it was mostly due to others demerit rather than their own merit, with both the Clippers and Nets having the worst records of the month. Still, 4-11 is not a bad month for a team playing along to Dirk's last ride where the German big man has been able to average 16 points and 8 rebounds per game at the age of 40.
Quick shout out to Reggie Jackson who is averaging 22 and 9, despite being on a tanking team he is making the most of his opportunity to make sure he will get overpaid again when his contract comes to an end.
26 - Atlanta Hawks (-1) Jay Z (11-32) (4-11)
The Fox lead hawks started the month well but ended up dropping their last 5 games, and now are the Dynasty 5ive longest active losing streak (forgot the Pistons again with 7, sorry Detroit).
The good news for the Hawks is that they are clearly better than the teams below them in this Rankings, and clearly closer to the teams above them, they probably just remembered that they were better off tanking and started loosing again.
Expect them to be sellers on the trade deadline market.
25 - New Orleans Pelicans (-4) Brian Scalabrine (15-28) (3-12)
How does a team with so much talent loose so much? It's hard to put your finger on it, but things aren't clicking right now in New Orleans. Their wins this month happened against rival rebuilding teams in the Hawks, Jazz and Wizards, and they were demolished a couple of times vs the better teams in the league. But that's ok.
This is a learning season for both Trae Young and JJJ, and the Pelicans can give themselves the luxury of loosing since they know their window isn't this or the next year.
Right now their only worries should be in the Summer, and see what Gordon Hayward will do with his player option.
24 - Phoenix Suns (+4) Jared Montini (11-34) (6-10)
The Suns sent a clear message to Cleveland this month when they traded for Derrick Rose awful contract. And I guess it has worked out for them being 2-3 after his arrival and losing a close one to none other than Cleveland.
It seems that they will keep being active on the market after the addition of Assistant GM Amare Stoudemire to try to accelerate their rebuild. And getting a first round pick alongside Rose in the deal might just help that.
23 - Washington Wizards (-1) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (13-30) (4-10)
The Wizards dropped a place in this month Power Rankings but that doesn't mean it wasn't a good month for them, a month where they acquired both Bam Adebayo and a first-round pick while being able to get rid of Harrison Barnes and Patrick Beverley contracts.
It was a smart move that helped the team not only getting better now with the addition of Dragic, but also getting better in the future with an amazing defensive prospect in Bam.
Don't let the rankings fool you, the Wizards might have been the biggest winners of the month.
22 - Utah Jazz (+2) Elton Brand (18-28) (7-8)
The Tatum led Utah Jazz had a great month of January, almost managing to go .500 for the first time in a while. Not only that but the Jazz are also 11-11 against the Eastern Conference, and might have been fighting for the playoffs if it wasn't for the though West.
Also their starting 5 average age is below 21, take that for data.
21 - Indiana Pacers (-5) Larry Bird (16-27) (5-11)
Current talent wise the Indiana Pacers are by far the better team in bottom 10, which leads to a question, why are they here?
To be honest, I don't know what to tell you either, the Pacers have tried out an immense number of lineups during the season, and nothing seems to work to put them in a playoff spot. And maybe might even be those constant changes that are not letting the team gain chemistry, who knows.
Anyway, they still have a great big man rotation in Portis, Val and Allen. And what was supposed to be a good shooting team with Galo, IT, Lin, Wesley Matthews, Bojan and Josh Hart. And yet, nothing seems to work for them.
There will be some rough days ahead for the Pacers organization, since right now they are stuck in the Dynasty Five limbo, but at least they have talent on their roster and own a chest of draft picks, and that's a good place to start.
Look at that, another month and Detroit it's still holding down the last spot in our Power Rankings. At least Detroit fans managed to watch their team win a home game this month, which makes them have a total of 1 home win in the last 60 days and 2 for the season.
The few fans that keep going to Detroit games only know who DeAndre Ayton is, the rookie is currently averaging 25-12 while adding a block and a steal per game. Meanwhile, the rest of the players seem to be at the G-League level, which makes you wonder if they would even beat their own G-League team.
Also, if playing Thanasis Antetokounmpo nearly 20 minutes per game isn't tampering, then I don't know what tampering is.
29 - Brooklyn Nets (-2) Andrei Kirilenko (9-34) (2-12)
Devin Booker is good, like really good, really really good. But he isn't the main point of talk in Brooklyn this month. That is John Collins.
A blockbuster deal happened right at the start of the month which saw Brooklyn trade away both Sabonis and Adebayo in exchange for John Collins. And what a great deal for Brooklyn who now finds themselves with a starting five consisting of Fultz, Booker, Winslow, Collins and KP. Talk about potential.
Nevertheless, Brooklyn had the worst record of the month despite Devin Booker amazing performances, and that makes them drop to the last place in our rankings. Sorry, second to last.
Also congratulations on Devin Booker second All-Star game, maybe undeserved due to his team current state but he will definitely be an All-Star for the years to come.
28 - LA Clippers (-2) Mike Krzyzewski (7-36) (2-12)
The Clippers scored 51 points vs the current NBA champions Golden State Warriors on the 22nd of January. Let me say that again, 51 points, a Dynasty 5ive all-time low. But what's to expect from a team who is paying out 80 million dollars to Tony Parker, Carmelo Anthony and Kenneth Faried.
And let's not forget that the Pistons own a total of 1 draft pick for the next 2 years. I can start sensing a move to Seattle incoming, the Clippers are in such a bad spot that despite the Lakers being currently an average team with an average future, the Clippers are still losing their fans to the team across the hall, with some their games having fewer attendees than some WNBA games.
27 - Dallas Mavericks (+2) Danny Longley (9-36) (4-11)
Dallas managed to climb a whopping 2 spots in this months Power Rankings. But it was mostly due to others demerit rather than their own merit, with both the Clippers and Nets having the worst records of the month. Still, 4-11 is not a bad month for a team playing along to Dirk's last ride where the German big man has been able to average 16 points and 8 rebounds per game at the age of 40.
Quick shout out to Reggie Jackson who is averaging 22 and 9, despite being on a tanking team he is making the most of his opportunity to make sure he will get overpaid again when his contract comes to an end.
26 - Atlanta Hawks (-1) Jay Z (11-32) (4-11)
The Fox lead hawks started the month well but ended up dropping their last 5 games, and now are the Dynasty 5ive longest active losing streak (forgot the Pistons again with 7, sorry Detroit).
The good news for the Hawks is that they are clearly better than the teams below them in this Rankings, and clearly closer to the teams above them, they probably just remembered that they were better off tanking and started loosing again.
Expect them to be sellers on the trade deadline market.
25 - New Orleans Pelicans (-4) Brian Scalabrine (15-28) (3-12)
How does a team with so much talent loose so much? It's hard to put your finger on it, but things aren't clicking right now in New Orleans. Their wins this month happened against rival rebuilding teams in the Hawks, Jazz and Wizards, and they were demolished a couple of times vs the better teams in the league. But that's ok.
This is a learning season for both Trae Young and JJJ, and the Pelicans can give themselves the luxury of loosing since they know their window isn't this or the next year.
Right now their only worries should be in the Summer, and see what Gordon Hayward will do with his player option.
24 - Phoenix Suns (+4) Jared Montini (11-34) (6-10)
The Suns sent a clear message to Cleveland this month when they traded for Derrick Rose awful contract. And I guess it has worked out for them being 2-3 after his arrival and losing a close one to none other than Cleveland.
It seems that they will keep being active on the market after the addition of Assistant GM Amare Stoudemire to try to accelerate their rebuild. And getting a first round pick alongside Rose in the deal might just help that.
23 - Washington Wizards (-1) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (13-30) (4-10)
The Wizards dropped a place in this month Power Rankings but that doesn't mean it wasn't a good month for them, a month where they acquired both Bam Adebayo and a first-round pick while being able to get rid of Harrison Barnes and Patrick Beverley contracts.
It was a smart move that helped the team not only getting better now with the addition of Dragic, but also getting better in the future with an amazing defensive prospect in Bam.
Don't let the rankings fool you, the Wizards might have been the biggest winners of the month.
22 - Utah Jazz (+2) Elton Brand (18-28) (7-8)
The Tatum led Utah Jazz had a great month of January, almost managing to go .500 for the first time in a while. Not only that but the Jazz are also 11-11 against the Eastern Conference, and might have been fighting for the playoffs if it wasn't for the though West.
Also their starting 5 average age is below 21, take that for data.
21 - Indiana Pacers (-5) Larry Bird (16-27) (5-11)
Current talent wise the Indiana Pacers are by far the better team in bottom 10, which leads to a question, why are they here?
To be honest, I don't know what to tell you either, the Pacers have tried out an immense number of lineups during the season, and nothing seems to work to put them in a playoff spot. And maybe might even be those constant changes that are not letting the team gain chemistry, who knows.
Anyway, they still have a great big man rotation in Portis, Val and Allen. And what was supposed to be a good shooting team with Galo, IT, Lin, Wesley Matthews, Bojan and Josh Hart. And yet, nothing seems to work for them.
There will be some rough days ahead for the Pacers organization, since right now they are stuck in the Dynasty Five limbo, but at least they have talent on their roster and own a chest of draft picks, and that's a good place to start.