| 28 October 2009
First one of the new season! Take this rankings as a starting point - and given the season's not even begun - as a bit of an ongoing thought process. Enough idle chatter...
1. LA Lakers - I'm sorry, but how people can argue that removing a guy who averaged under 9 points and a bit over 4 rebounds with one of the best defenders of our generation... makes them worse? You're entitled to be wrong I guess. LA are - until otherwise informed - the pick of the litter. Your NBA #1.
2. Boston Celtics -Wait... they got better by... getting older? I hear paisley's making a comeback in Beantown!
3. San Antonio Spurs -Good. But old. Very old. If they can be make top 4, AND be healthy, will threaten for making the finals. But this team: healthy AND top 4?
4. Orlando Magic -Addition of Vinsanity makes them very, very scary. Imagine if it's him on the other end of that alley-oop pass, and not Courtney Lee...
5. Cleveland Cavaliers - I have Shaq at fewer than 60 games this season, and over 340 pounds.
6. Denver Nuggets - REALLY flying under the radar. Everyone's forgetting that but for a few crappy inbounds passes, this team is last season's Western Conference Champion.7. Portland Trail Blazers - Already beastly, if Oden can even become half the center we thought he would be, this team is going to be counted as "elite".
8. Dallas Mavericks - A lot of people seem REALLY high on the Mavs. But how long has it been since Shawn Marion was actually good?
9. Utah Jazz - This team have quite a bit to look forward to... and will also have quite a bit to regret (thanks Carlos!).
10. Atlanta Hawks -Looking better, but everyone above them has improved even more.
11. Chicago Bulls - On the improve. And that's no Bull. Or it is, yet it isn't. Umm... you understand, don't you?
12. New Orleans Hornets - Meh... I don't buy into the "CP3 hype". He's good, but he's not Magic. He's not even the best PG in the game at the moment.
13. Miami Heat - Until someone else steps up and helps Wade, this is a team mired in "middling" (who taught his mum to spell?)...
14. Phoenix Suns - Slogan for 09/10: "Amare's farewell tour!"15. Toronto Raptors - Should make ground this season, but enough to hold onto Bosh?
16. Charlotte Bobcats - Watch this Cat turn into a dark horse.
17. Philadelphia 76ers - Steady, and has made improvements... but hasn't everyone?
18. Oklahoma City Thunder - If everyone's adamant Durantula's so good, why is this team so average?
19. New Jersey Nets - Team with one helluva future. But the key word there is "future". Not this season.
20. Milwaukee Bucks - Reliant on a fragile core.
21. Detroit Pistons - I think they'll need to play with 3 balls to keep this team satisfied with shot distribution.
22. Golden State Warriors - Been bit of an inauspicious pre-season, huh?
23. Washington Wizards - Gilbert will be Gilbert. Throw up a lot of shots and basically having his entire team looking to him yet again. A MUCH better team without him - then they actually play as a T-E-A-M.
24. Houston Rockets - Gutted by injury, this is a team in trouble. Can former "support guys" step up?
25. Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizz aren't as bad as they were last season. Close, but not quite.
26. Indiana Pacers - Like the Grizz, not as bad as last season. Actually worse. Longing for long-gone glory days. Not happening any time soon.
27. LA Clippers - How can a team be so bad, when their roster is so good? Oh... it's the Clippers. Anyway... at least they have one bright spot: Blake Griffin... ... ... WHOOPS!
28. Minnesota Timber Wolves - Is this team cursed, or what? And I'm just talking about the weather...
29. New York Knicks - Awful team... but could be fun to watch. You know... like a bad horror movie. You can see it coming before it happens, and it's going to be terrible.
30. Sacramento Kings - Rumor has it that they're scouting the WNBA...
