Post by Alex English on Jun 9, 2012 23:34:16 GMT
Dynasty Five Power Rankings (June 9th)
1. Miami Heat
[/color]Record: 16-1 | Last Five: 5-0 | Last Week: 1
C-Brendan Haywood | PF-Chris Bosh | SF-LeBron James | SG-Dwyane Wade | PG-Jason Kidd
The Heat retain their number one spot from last week as they have won 10 games in a row. They now have a slight gap between them and the Celtics and the Spurs and even though it is still early the Heat are clearly the best team in the league.
2. Boston Celtics
[/color]Record: 13-3 | Last Five: 5-0 | Last Week: 3
C-Enes Kanter | PF-Kevin Garnett | SF-Paul Pierce | SG Ray Allen | PG-Rajon Rondo
The Celtics move up one spot for the second week in a row and they now sit at number two. They have won seven game in a row and 10 of their last 11. With Garnett, Pierce and Allen all averaging above 23 ppg age is not a factor in Boston.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder[/color]
Record: 12-3 | Last Five: 5-0 | Last Week: 4
C-Kendrick Perkins | PF-DeMarcus Cousins | SF-Kevin Durant | SG-DeMar DeRozan | PG-Deron Williams
The Thunder have also won seven in a row and have been a near deadlock with the Celtics since the begining of the season. A trade that sent Ibaka to Sacramento for Cousins now adds an offensive post threat that they didn't have before but at a defensive price. It should be interesting to see how this affects the Thunder.
4. San Antonio Spurs
[/color]Record: 13-3 | Last Five: 3-2 | Last Week: 2
C-Al Harrington | PF-Tim Duncan | SF-Michael Beasley | SG-Manu Ginobli | PG-Tony Parker
The Spurs drop two spots this week to the number four spot as two of their three losses have come in their last four games. This team is still tied with the second best record in the league so there is no reason to panic though. They are just settling in after a hot start.
5. Dallas Mavericks
[/color]Record: 11-5 | Last Five: 3-2 | Last Week: 7
C-Spencer Hawes | PF-Dirk Nowitzki | SF-Marshon Brooks | SG-Jason Terry | PG-Mario Chalmers
The Mavericks move into the top five this week as they sit a game ahead of the Bulls in the standings. Dirk Nowitzki is carrying this team as he is among the league leaders in points per game. For this team to stay at such a high level he is going to need a little more help though.
6. Chicago Bulls
[/color]Record: 10-6 | Last Five: 2-3 | Last Week: 5
C-Joakim Noah | PF-Zach Randolph | SF-Luol Deng | SG-Richard Hamilton | PG-Derrick Rose
The Bulls drop one spot as they only have two wins in their last five games. They should be able to easily take the second or third spot in the east though but they might already be out of the running for the conference championship as they are currently 5.5 games behind the Heat.
7. Milwaukee Bucks
[/color]Record: 9-7 | Last Five: 3-2 | Last Week: 11
C-Drew Gooden | PF-Tyrus Thomas | SF-Carlos Delfino | SG-Monta Ellis | PG-Brandon Jennings
Apparently centers are over-rated because the Bucks still haven't hit their wall. They now hold the fourth spot in the east and would have home court advantage if the playoffs started today. With that they move up four spots to number seven in the rankings.
8. Memphis Grizzlies
[/color]Record: 9-8 | Last Five: 5-0 | Last Week: 17
C-Samuel Dalembert | PF-Carlos Boozer | SF-Rudy Gay | SG-Kevin Martin | PG-Jose Calderon
It appears as though the Grizzlies have overcome their poor start. Samuel Jenkins is out the door and the Grizzlies have won five games in a row. Sam Presti now takes over as the GM of this team and he will look to build on the current success of this team.
9. Houston Rockets
[/color]Record: 9-7 | Last Five: 3-2 | Last Week: 8
C-Marc Gasol | PF-Pau Gasol | SF-Jeff Green | SG-Tony Allen | PG-Goran Dagic
With the Gasol brothers combining for 43 points and 17 rebounds a game Otis Smith really only needs to find some solid starters and this team will be a contender. With the new addition of Jeff Green he may have found one of those peices if he can come back healthy from his medical issues.
10. Indiana Pacers
[/color]Record: 8-7 | Last Five: 3-2 | Last Week: 9
C-Roy Hibbert | PF-David West | SF-Danny Granger | SG-Paul George | PG-Darren Collison
The Pacers have won four of their last six game and are inside the top 10 for a second consecutive week. This team should stay in the top half of the east and around the top ten all season long with their elite frontcourt of Granger, Hibbert and West leading the way.
11. Orlando Magic
[/color]Record: 9-7 | Last Five: 2-3 | Last Week: 10
C-Tyson Chandler | PF-Amare Stoudemire | SF-Hedo Turkoglu | SG-JR Smith | PG-Jameer Nelson
In their last eight games the Magic only have three wins. Amare Stoudemire is putting up some of the best number in the league but it is only translating into mediocre success. There is certainly no cause for panic though as things would have to go horribly wrong for the Magic to miss the playoffs.
12. Toronto Raptors
[/color]Record: 10-8 | Last Five: 2-3 | Last Week: 12
C-Anderson Varejao | PF-Lamar Odom | SF-Metta World Peace | SG-Eric Gordon | PG-Steve Nash
The Raptors finally snapped their five game losing streak. RC Buford is clearly not satisfied with his team though as Steve Nash has been shopped around as of late. With more possible roster changes on the way there are sure to be some tense moments north of the border if the Raptors can't put an end to their struggles.
13. Los Angeles Lakers[/color]
Record: 9-6 | Last Five: 1-4 | Last Week: 6
C-Andrew Bynum | PF-Andrea Bargnani | SF-Martell Webster | SG-Kobe Bryant | PG-Kyle Lowry
If their is one team performing worse than the Raptors right now then it is the Lakers. They have lost six of their last seven games and there could soon be riots starting in front of the Staples center. They are the biggest loser of this weeks rankings as they drop seven spots to 13th.
14. Brooklyn Nets
[/color]Record: 8-8 | Last Five: 4-1 | Last Week: 18
C-Brook Lopez | PF-Shawn Marion | SF-Gerald Wallace | SG-Vince Carter | PG-Russell Westbrook
Having won six of their last eight games the Nets have played their way back to .500. They should be able to continue to rise as this is one of the best teams in the east on paper. With Carter and Marion nearing the end of their careers' the Nets need to make a run this year too.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
[/color]Record: 7-7 | Last Five: 4-1 | Last Week: 15
C-Kevin Love | PF-JJ Hickson | SF-Nicolas Batum | SG-Tyreke Evans | PG-Ricky Rubio
Just like the Nets the Timberwolves have overcome a bad start and will look to keep up the good play. With Walt Frazier at the helm the Timberwolves should be able to do just that too as he continues to make trades that makes this team a possible contender in a season or two.
16. Los Angeles Clippers[/color]
Record: 8-8 | Last Five: 2-3 | Last Week: 13
C-DeAndre Jordan | PF-Blake Griffin | SF-Carmelo Anthony | SG-Jason Richardson | PG-Chauncey Billups
The Clippers still haven't managed to break through and they still sit in the middle of the pack with a .500 record. Due to the trouble across the hall in the Staples Center though they are just a game and a half out of the lead in the Pacific Division and have plenty of time to become the condenter they should be.
17. New York Knicks
[/color]Record: 7-8 | Last Five: 2-3 | Last Week: 14
C-Dwight Howard | PF-Markief Morris | SF-Caron Butler | SG-Iman Shumpert | PG-Chris Paul
The Knicks are one spot behind the Clippers for the third week in a row as there stories are still so similar. With two wins in their last five games and now at a win below .500 the Knicks may need more than just time for the success to start coming.
18. Sacramento Kings
[/color]Record: 7-9 | Last Five: 3-2 | Last Week: 16
C-Serge Ibaka | PF-Channing Frye | SF-Derrick Williams | SG-Marcus Thornton | PG-Aaron Brooks
The rest of this season should be interesting for the Kings. They may have just aquired the second best defensive player in the league behind Dwight Howard with Ibaka making the move to northern California but there is now a serious lack of offensive weapons and the pressure on Brooks and Thornton will rise significantly.
19. Utah Jazz
[/color]Record: 7-9 | Last Five: 2-3 | Last Week: 19
C-Al Jefferson | PF-Paul Millsap | SF-Gordon Hayward | SG-Ben Gordon | PG-Rodney Stuckey
Much like the Knicks and Clippers the Utah Jazz have been waiting for their time to breakout. Their mediocre play is keeping them at 19 this week though as Jazz fans will have to wait for a little while longer for their team to get hot.
20. Denver Nuggets
[/color]Record: 7-11 | Last Five: 3-2 | Last Week: 23
C-JaVale McGee | PF-Kenneth Faried | SF-Ersan Ilyasova | SG-Andre Iguodala | PG-Ty Lawson
The Nuggets move up three spots this week having won three of their last five games. Just when things were looking fairly good they were destroyed in another blowout loss for the team losing by 42 to the Miami Heat. The result shows there is still a lot of work left to do in Denver.
21. Golden State Warriors[/color]
Record: 7-11 | Last Five: 3-2 | Last Week: 24
C-Andrew Bogut | PF-David Lee | SF-Richard Jefferson | SG-Klay Thompson | PG-Stephen Curry
Having won three of their last four the Warriors may finally be figuring things out. At four games under .500 they haven't done too much damage yet as they are only one win streak away from playoff contention. How they play in the next few weeks will be important for their postseason hopes.
22. Phoenix Suns
[/color]Record: 6-8 | Last Five: 1-4 | Last Week: 20
C-Marcin Gortat | PF-Josh Smith | SF-Antawn Jamison | SG-Michael Redd | PG-Jeremy Lin
The Suns continue their drop as they fall another two places to the 22nd spot in the rankings. They certainly aren't out any playoff race yet but any lost ground in the western conference is very tough to make up.
23. Portland Trailblazers
[/color]Record: 6-9 | Last Five: 1-4 | Last Week: 21
C-Nikola Pekovic | PF-LaMarcus Aldridge | SF-Kawhi Leonard | SG-Jamal Crawford | PG-Raymond Felton
The Portland Trailblazers have two wins in their last ten games and their good 4-1 start is now completely gone. This team will have a tough job making the playoffs as there just is not enough talent around Aldridge for them to compete in the tough western conference.
24. Charlotte Bobcats
[/color]Record: 5-12 | Last Five: 2-3 | Last Week: 25
C-Marcus Camby | PF-Bismack Biyombo | SF-Travis Outlaw | SG-Reggie Williams | PG-Kemba Walker
The Bobcats move up a spot once again in this weeks rankings. They have looked surprisingly average of late as they have gone 3-4 in their last seven games. It can only be a matter of time before an extended losing streak hit Charlotte so Bobcat fans should enjoy the mediocrity while it lasts.
25. Philadelphia 76ers
[/color]Record: 5-13 | Last Five: 2-3 | Last Week: 30
C-Elton Brand | PF-Tristan Thompson | SF-Danilo Gallinari | SG-Mike Miller | PG-Louis Williams
The 76ers have finally shown some heart as they've won two of their last five games and so for the first time they are not ranked dead last. While it is still early this team can probably kiss their playoffs hopes goodbye despite the fact they have the talent to sqeeze into the 7th or 8th spot.
26. Detroit Pistons
[/color]Record: 5-10 | Last Five: 1-4 | Last Week: 27
C-Greg Monroe | PF-Derrick Favors | SF-Luc Mbah a Moute | SG-OJ Mayo | PG-Devin Harris
The Pistons are still struggling and it looks like they are one good forward away from having the talent to make a run at the playoffs. With Harris, Mayo and Monroe as the core they do have some talent but a trip to the lottery and a good draft pick may be something they desperately need.
27. Cleveland Cavaliers
[/color]Record: 5-11 | Last Five: 1-4 | Last Week: 28
C-Robin Lopez | PF-Hakim Warrick | SF-Wilson Chandler | SG-Grant Hill | PG-Kyrie Irving
It must suck to be Kyrie Irving right now but he should probably get used to losing games because for this year at least that is what will happen in Cleveland mor often than not. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though for the Cavs and the other basement dwellers as a unibrowed man is waiting for his chance to take over the league.
28. Washington Wizards
[/color]Record: 4-12 | Last Five: 1-4 | Last Week: 26
C-Nene | PF-Andray Blatche | SF-Rashard Lewis | SG-Jordan Crawford | PG-John Wall
With the Wizards currently going through a four game losing streak they drop two spots and are now one of the bottom three teams. Of the worst teams in the league they have one of the best rosters with Wall and Nene as their main peices but for now this is right where they belong.
29. New Orleans Hornets
[/color]Record: 4-12 | Last Five: 1-4 | Last Week: 22
C-Emeka Okafor | PF-Carl Landry | SF-Trevor Ariza | SG-James Harden | PG-Mike Conley
Their three game win streak is now behind them and they've now lost four of their last five. With that they drop seven spots and are now second last. They aren't that bad though as they have the talent to be mid/late lottery. I'm sure Jackie Moon will be able to think of something to get these guys motivated.
30. Atlanta Hawks
Record: 4-11 | Last Five: 1-4 | Last Week: 29
C-Al Horford | PF-Luis Scola | SF-Marvin Williams | SG-Joe Johnson | PG-Ramon Sessions
The new last place team has no business being here. The Hawks have one of the better rosters in the eastern conference and should have been a shoe in for the playoffs but things are pretty rough right now. They have lost six of their last seven and are only a half game out of the worst record in the league. Something needs to be done in Atlanta before their season gets written off.