30. Minnesota Timberwolves (Last week’s ranking: 30): Kevin Love has sat out seven of the T-Wolves’ last 10 games and to no one’s surprise, they are struggling mightily. It didn’t seem possible for anyone to challenge Cleveland for the worst team in basketball, but having lost 13 straight games, Minnesota is definitely making a case in that argument.
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (29): The only way the Cavs’ season can get any worse is if they fall out of the top-three picks in the NBA Draft. It’s not set in stone that they will have one of those picks, but at the same time, they are tied for the worst record and the league. Coupled with LeBron’s demoralizing departure last summer, I don’t think Cleveland fans can handle any more disappointment.
28. Toronto Raptors (27): DeMar DeRozan is coming along nicely and his athleticism is almost reminiscent of a young Vince Carter. His jumper might not be there yet, but if he continues to improve (he’s averaging 21.5 PPG over his last 10 games and 17.2 for the entire season) he might become the man who brings basketball back to Toronto.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiJsv88ubOE
27. New Jersey Nets (28): If the Nets want to keep Deron Williams around past 2011-12, they better have some moves in the works this summer, because without their No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft, they will have to find other ways to bring in talent to surround their all-star point guard. Otherwise, he will jump ship without blinking an eye.
26. Washington Wizards (26): Similar to last season, Andray Blatche is finishing out the year on a strong note (23.9 PPG and 11.6 RPG over his last 10 contests). If he could play this way for even 60 games out of the year, he would be an all-star. Along with Blatche, John Wall, JaVale McGee, Nick Young and Jordan Crawford, the Wizards have a solid core of young guys, but also similar to the Sacramento Kings, they are very immature as well.
Next: 25-21
25. Charlotte Bobcats (19): Other than Minnesota, I don’t think there is a team playing worse basketball than the Bobcats right now. They’ve lost six straight, and maybe after realizing that they were eliminated from playoff contention, they have simply been “playing” for more ping pong balls.
24. Utah Jazz (25): The Jazz’s only win in the last 10 games has come against the Lakers, and that game was a Kobe game-winner away from being a loss too. They are obviously a completely different team without Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan, and I don’t think they know what their identity is right now. They have a lot to do over the summer, but with a competent GM in Kevin O’Connor, the Jazz should be back in the playoffs in no time.
23. Sacramento Kings (22): The Kings are just a young, immature team – plain and simple. They just need a few more years to continue their development and to continue gaining experience. If they can add a smart, composed veteran to the starting lineup or bench, that would be a huge boost for this team heading into next year.
22. Detroit Pistons (24): The Pistons are apparently retaining General Manager Joe Dumars, which is probably the worst internal decision made all year long. He has plagued this franchise with his poor decisions over the past three seasons, and keeping him around is only going to continue a tradition of poor basketball for this struggling ball club.
21. Los Angeles Clippers (23): After showing some serious flashes early in the year, the Clippers cooled off considerably. Blake Griffin is still going to be one of the best players in the league next year, and they should see this season as a major success since it will ultimately act as a crucial stepping stone into a successful 2011-12.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFFeqJ9wNR4&feature=related
Next: 20-16
20. Milwaukee Bucks (20): The Bucks disappointed me more than any team this season. They came into the year with an awesome “Fear the Deer” campaign, and with Brandon Jennings at the helm – they were poised to be one of the league’s most exciting young teams. However, injuries and a failure to live up to the 09-10 instilled hype, ultimately pushed them off the deep end.
19. Phoenix Suns (18): They had a shot at the eighth seed in the West for quite sometime, but losing 14 of their last 23 games derailed any chance they had at slipping into the playoffs. They’ll surely go into the offseason looking for ways to revamp their early 00’s all-star clad roster (Vince Carter, Grant Hill, Steve Nash), but with Marcin Gortat displaying some monster potential down the stretch, they might not be so far off from a return to playoff contention.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx4_tV5X-oE
18. Golden State Warriors (21): Having been eliminated from the playoffs, it’s time for the Warriors to get into offseason mode. They need a frontcourt compliment to David Lee more than anything, and if they can somehow acquire a big, bruising body to accompany him in the paint, they will surely become a team to be reckoned with in 2011-12. However, for now, all the players can do is finish out the season and enjoy their summer break.
17. Indiana Pacers (16): Indiana might be the first team to go in the playoffs. They are easily the worst team in the postseason this year (an unofficial award annually assigned to whoever finishes as the eighth seed in the East) and are already set for a first round matchup against the Bulls. Darren Collison is a decent point guard, but he’s no match for likely-MVP Derrick Rose.
16. Philadelphia 76ers (15): The Sixers still have a shot a stealing the sixth seed, and if they can somehow leapfrog the Knicks into that spot, they will likely be matched up with the Celtics in the first round. And at this point, Philly will be much better off facing a team like the Celtics, who are prone to losing when facing teams with young, high-energy rosters.
Next: 15-11
15. Houston Rockets (14): Despite their post-All-Star Break run, the Rockets’ playoff hopes have finally fizzled and they will watch the postseason from home this year. Injuries and a slow start unquestionably doomed this team from the start, but seeing as they were six games below .500 on Feb. 1 and are now 42-38, they definitely took strides to end the season, and will head into 2011-12 looking to continue their late success.
14. New Orleans Hornets (13): If I am any of the top three teams in the West, the Hornets are the club I want to be matched up with in the first round. Chris Paul is a terrific player, and arguably the best point guard in basketball. However, without David West (injury) and any supporting cast whatsoever, the Hornets are a very weak team, and they will be exposed come playoff time.
13. Atlanta Hawks (11): Even with a 44-36 record and the fifth seed in the playoffs, the Hawks are stuck in playoff purgatory. Barring some miraculous change in their playing style, the Hawks will likely be a one and down team as they simply just do not have what it takes to ball with the likes of Chicago, Miami, Boston or Orlando (their first round opponent).
12. New York Knicks (17): After nearly falling out of the playoff race, the Knicks are finally starting to gel as they have won seven consecutive games. Amar’e and Melo are becoming a pretty nasty one-two punch, and if they can get their teammates on the same level they are, the Knicks could definitely be the predators in a first round upset over a top-seeded team.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2pj9BFSyok
11. Orlando Magic (9): Dwight Howard must keep is yapper shut if the Magic want to be successful in the playoffs. If he starts missing games in the postseason due to technical foul suspensions, Orlando will struggle big time; because without their big man in the lineup, the Magic really struggle to play any sort of real offense.
Next: 10-6
10. Memphis Grizzlies (12): Only two games separate the sixth, seventh and eighth seeds in the Western Conference, so the Grizzlies could honestly end up in either one of those spots. However, they currently sit at No. 8, which would give them a first round date with the Spurs. Now, I know the Spurs are a tremendous team with boatloads of experience, but if the Grizzlies bring the right hunger – they have enough energy and firepower to possibly pull a major first round upset.
9. Portland Trail Blazers (10): If I am any of the top-three seeds in the West, the Blazers are the squad I would be most worried about having to face off with. Not only are they scrappy and talented, but they are one of the hungriest teams in the league. They battle injuries year after year, and for some reason, Head Coach Nate McMillan still finds a way to make them a relevant team.
8. Boston Celtics (8): Every week the loss of Kendrick Perkins seems to create more and more grief for the Celtics. First it started with the realization that their brother-like starting five was broken up. Things got worse when they realized that Nenad Kristic was set to be the starting center; then morale dropped even more when Kristic went down, Shaq returned from injury and hurt himself six minutes into his first game back. Now Jermaine O’Neal is the starter and the Celtics are looking really shaky.
7. Denver Nuggets (7): Most people don’t realize that Denver is 32-8 at home this season – which is the third best home record in the NBA. They are too far behind whoever ends up being the fourth seed to steal homecourt advantage, but if they can steal one road game early in a series, the Nuggets could easily find themselves in the second round of the playoffs.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyRl_rgcMbU&NR=1
6. Los Angeles Lakers (2): I’m not worried about the Lakers, simply because I have watched them get lazy and lose games they should have in the bag all year long. It’s not a surprising or shocking storyline in any regards; however, if they get matched up with Portland in the first round and take their current lackadaisical mentality into that series, we might see the defending champs getting ousted in the first round.
Next: Top FIve
5. Dallas Mavericks (6): The Mavericks aren’t playing great basketball right now, but they are playing good enough and the Lakers are struggling to the point where Big D might end up with the No. 2 seed in the West. I still think that they are pretenders, and that element of the team will show come playoffs – just wait.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (5): They are peaking at exactly the right time and the Thunder’s revamped roster is really starting to click. They need one more year before they are legitimate championship contenders, but they will undoubtedly be very difficult opponents for whoever they are matched up with in the playoffs.
3. Miami Heat (4): They avoided a devastating season-series sweep to the Boston Celtics by taking the C’s apart on Sunday, but I’m still not sure if they have what it takes to challenge Chicago for a finals bid. LeBron and Wade are fantastic, but do they have what it takes to steal four out of seven games against the Bulls and Celtics? I’m not sold on that idea.
2. San Antonio Spurs (3): After taking a considerable dip over the last few weeks, the Spurs are back and looking to close out the season with homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. They close out the season on the road against the Lakers and Suns, so they might have a tough time holding on the the No. 1 spot. However, as of late, they have looked as poised as any playoff team – which is nothing out of the ordinary for the postseason-savvy Spurs.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqcRuPV753o&NR=1
1. Chicago Bulls (1): Derrick Rose and the Bulls have been making noise all season, but it took until Mid-March for the majority of people to realize that they are for real. Now, with the season winding down, the Bulls have won seven in a row and look like the best team in the league heading into the playoffs. They can score, defend, scrap and have a great coach – the perfect recipe for playoff success.