Larry’s NBA Power Ratings
We haven’t yet even hit the new year and three marquee franchises are struggling. The Heat couldn’t even get it together against the gawdawful Wizards, the Celtics can’t seem to put two good games together, and in Los Angeles Kobe Bryant is doing everything he can to keep from smacking Pau Gasol on the back of the head with a rolled-up newspaper.
The ratings (previous rating in parenthesis):
1. SPURS (2) – You may not have liked him tanking that game against the Heat by sending Duncan and Parker home, but just about every team in the league would want Gregg Popovich as its head coach.
2. THUNDER (4) – These guys have been a great cover team (13-6-1 ATS) and have gone 8-0 SU since losing in Boston. Kevin Martin has filled in nicely for James Harden.
3. HEAT (1) – Looks like the season is going to go something like this: Coast for a few games, get criticized and then restore manhood with blowout wins. Wash, rinse, dry, repeat.
4. GRIZZLIES (3) – Would have been nice if they could have taken down the Spurs in overtime on the road, but it’s still shaping up as the best season in franchise history. Everything this week is on the road (Phoenix, Denver, Utah).
5. KNICKS (7) – You had to know that they would come up dry in Chicago after winning by 20 in Miami, but they’ll gladly take that deal any day. Knicks are a top-8 defensive team, allowing fewer than 95 a game.
6. CLIPPERS (10) – LA has won five in a row, and after tonight’s game at home against the Raptors will spend most of the next week in the Rust Belt. If you like to play totals, the Clips have been a solid over team this year (13-6).
7. HAWKS (8) – Atlanta used to mail it in on the road, but the Hawks are a solid 5-2 away from Georgia. Doubtful they can hang too long once the Heat start to get serious. Wonder how Dwight Howard would fit on the Hawks in 2013-14?
8. WARRIORS (11) – The arrow is pointing north for Golden State, which has won three straight and six of seven. GS now heads southeast, and its four games this week include spine-testing games at Miami and Atlanta.
9. NETS (5) – No harm in losing to Miami, Oklahoma City or Golden State, but after three straight losses the bloom is off the rose. The Nets gave up an average of 109 points in those three games after holding teams to fewer than 90 in their previous six.
10. LAKERS (9) – Nash and Blake are both out and Duhon has been ineffective at the point. Major media will start to hone in on the Bryant-Gasol feud this week as the Lakers head east in a trip that includes a Thursday night TNT game at New York.
11. MAVERICKS (16) – With three wins in four games, it looks like the Mavs are starting to figure out how to win without Nowitzki. But there may be too many re-treads on this team to do any serious long-term damage.
12. CELTICS (6) – Terry has replaced Lee in the starting lineup, but no one seems to know what will happen when Avery Bradley returns (maybe around Jan. 1). Even with added depth, Rivers crosses his fingers when Garnett is sitting.
13. 76ers (12) – These guys play hard for Doug Collins every game, but you wonder if he’s hit the wall. Starting Friday the schedule gets ridiculous, with 12 of 15 on the road – and the three home games are against the Lakers, Hawks and Nets. [ad-6571516]
14. BULLS (19) – Even without Rose the Bulls appear to be the best of a mediocre lot in the Central. Is there a more under-rated player in the league than Luol Deng, who like other Bulls has been forced to play big minutes while Rose re-habs?
15. TIMBERWOLVES (22) – With Love at the 4 and Kirilenko getting most of the minutes at the 3, Derrick Williams seems to be getting spaced out. The former overall No. 2 pick gets about 20 minutes a game and averages 9 points, but is shooting under 40 percent (down a bit from last year).
16. ROCKETS (18) – Hard to judge the Rockets because of the personal turmoil that Kevin McHale has gone through, but if the Rockets are going to do any damage in the division they have to beat the Spurs and Mavericks. Houston lost back-to-back at San Antonio (by 16) and home against Dallas.
17. PACERS (20) – Pacer fans figuring on a break-out season from Hibbert have been a bit disappointed. So far he’s given the Pacers just about what he gave them last season – 10 points and 8 rebounds a game. He does anchor the best defense in the league, though.
18. JAZZ (15) – Big win (by 32) over the Raptors, but don’t forget that Toronto was the team that let Bryant go off for 82 a few years ago.
19. NUGGETS (13) – Gallinari leads the team in scoring, but he’s shooting at 37.5 percent overall and is under 30 percent on 3s. So-so start has been a bit of a letdown after Denver took the Lakers to 7 games in the playoffs last season.
20. BUCKS (23) – Are the Bucks stockpiling players with names nearly impossible to pronounce? Just when you get Pryzbilla down, they bring in Mbah a Moute, Ilyasova and Udrih.
21. BLAZERS
22. KINGS
23. MAGIC
24. SUNS
25. PISTONS
26. BOBCATS
27. HORNETS
28. RAPTIORS
29. CAVALIERS
30. WIZARDS
