Friday's Fresh NBA Power Rankings: 1/9/15

Here are my NBA Power Rankings as of Friday, January 9, 2015. Enjoy!

#1. Golden State Warriors (28-5): They've won five straight games, which is fantastic, but it should be noted that all five games were at home. Prior to this homestand, they lost back-to-back games in Los Angeles against the Clippers and Lakers. Clinching home court advantage is a must for this team if they  want to go to the NBA Finals.

#2. Atlanta Hawks (27-8): If there's any doubt about this team's record being inflated due to playing in the East, that doubt should be erased after they won @Portland, @Los Angeles Clippers, and vs. Memphis during this past week.

#3. Portland Trail Blazers (28-8): They have weathered the storm quite well with Robin Lopez out. I'm impressed.

#4. Memphis Grizzlies (25-10): This team needs Zach Randolph back. They have some decent options to fill in like Kosta Koufos and Jon Leuer, but neither guy is a great long-term replacement.

#5. Dallas Mavericks (26-11): I think it's time we start calling the Mavericks contenders. They are that good.

#6. Los Angeles Clippers (26-12): For all the talk about how they are "underachieving" and "overrated", here they are hanging with the best teams in the NBA, ranked #6 in my power rankings. This is not a team that anybody should sleep on. They're more than just "exciting", they're a very good basketball team.

#7. Chicago Bulls (25-11): Bizarre loss against the Jazz. Going into that game, the Bulls had won three straight games.

#8. Houston Rockets (25-11): I'm not giving up on Josh Smith. I think there's a way they can make him an effective part of their team.

#9. Toronto Raptors (24-11): DeMar DeRozan comes back next week. That's huge given the fact that they have lost four straight games.

#10. Washington Wizards (24-11): On their Southwest road trip, they went 2-3, which actually isn't bad.

#11. Phoenix Suns (22-16): We all keep thinking this team will fall apart, or at least give up the #8 seed in the West, but I gotta hand it to them, they won't give it up without a fight. As for the three-guard rotation of Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, and Isaiah Thomas, it seems to be working out ok.

#12. San Antonio Spurs (21-15): They need Kawhi Leonard back. Pretty simple. I don't see them getting back to the NBA Finals if they don't have at least a top four seed in the West and in order to finish that high, they'll need Leonard back fairly soon.

#13. Cleveland Cavaliers (19-17): They need LeBron James back, but thankfully the East is so weak that they are in virtually no danger of missing the playoffs. Also, the teams ahead of them in the East are also unproven, so Cavaliers fans shouldn't panic. As for trading Dion Waiters, I think getting J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert in return makes them slightly better, but I think they wanted to rid themselves of Waiters' attitude more than anything.

#14. Milwaukee Bucks (19-18): One would think the mysterious issues of Larry Sanders and Jabari Parker's season-ending injury would derail this team, but if anything this team has welded together even more tightly. Jason Kidd is doing a great job.

#15. New Orleans Pelicans (17-18): The fact that they are a sub .500 team with Anthony Davis on their roster just shows how deep the Western Conference is.

#16. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-19): I still think this team makes the playoffs, but according to John Hollinger's playoff odds, they have 26% odds of making the playoffs. This team needs to start playing with a sense of urgency and they didn't play with one when the Kings thumped them this week. As for  Dion Waiters, I think he could be a good fit, providing them with an extra scoring punch off the bench.

#17. Detroit Pistons (12-23): They've won seven straight games since cutting ties with Josh Smith. They've beaten the Mavericks and Spurs during this stretch. These guys are morphing into a playoff team right before our eyes. It's crazy.

#18. Brooklyn Nets (16-19): Deron Williams is now out indefinitely with a rib fracture. This team is falling apart.

#19. Denver Nuggets (16-20): I said I was wrong about them going .500 and then they win three straight games. Perhaps they'll get close to where I projected them to get.

#20. Sacramento Kings (15-20): This team plays uninspired basketball and then goes out and destroys the Thunder. Ok, then.

#21. Miami Heat (15-21): This team is falling apart. It's no wonder LeBron left.

#22. Indiana Pacers (14-23): They're hanging on the best they can, but ultimately they don't have what it takes to make the playoffs. Roy Hibbert might need to go, too.

#23. Charlotte Hornets (14-24): As disappointing as this team has been, they are only 2 games back of the #8 spot in the Eastern Conference. Perhaps there is hope for them.

#24. Utah Jazz (13-23): Trey Burke is looking like a player. I still have concerns about how all their parts fit together, but as of now, the Jazz should plan on locking him up long-term.

#25. Boston Celtics (12-21): Trading Jeff Green might not be a bad idea.

#26. Orlando Magic (13-25): I still want to see what this team can do at full strength with Aaron Gordon in the lineup. He was one of the rookies I was really high on entering the draft.

#27. Los Angeles Lakers (11-25): The Kobe Bryant/Swaggy P show is entertaining, but it doesn't produce a lot of wins. Especially when it's just Swaggy P out there.

#28. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-29): This team will really strike gold if they can land center Jahlil Okafor out of Duke in the draft. Andrew Wiggins is already looking like he's going to be a star.

#29. Philadelphia 76ers (5-29): We know they suck, but unlike the Knicks, they haven't mortgaged off horrible contracts.

#30. New York Knicks (5-34): It's really hard to find something positive to say about this team, but perhaps newly acquired guard Langston Galloway will give them something to feel optimistic about. Obviously, getting rid of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert was a good move. They need to get rid of as much cap space as possible and trading them away was a start.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord

Wednesday Windmill: ESPN should be embarrassed to rank Kevin Durant the 8th best player in the NBA

                                            (Credit: Mark Humphrey of the Associated Press) 

   

 The process of ranking players or people in a particular field whether it be music, sports, or entertainment is always an inexact science. No list can ever be perfect or satisfy everybody, but when a list is done by a group of people who profess to be experts, it is reasonable to expect the list to be more or less agreeable. ESPN has conducted such a list to rank the top players in the NBA and they have made a fool of themselves by ranking Kevin Durant #8 with Kevin Love and Stephen Curry ranked ahead of him.

   
      I wish I could just tell you that ESPN is "trolling" everybody and that they ranked him #8 to create controversy, in which I am a sucker for falling for their joke. But this I do not believe to be the case. I believe that instead of failing at trying to be controversial, ESPN has failed to demonstrate competence at understanding the NBA. This is the only reasonable thing to conclude upon seeing where they have ranked Kevin Durant. 

   
     The biggest argument against ESPN's ranking of Kevin Durant is that Durant won the league MVP last season and in the process led the league in scoring (32.0 ppg). The league MVP award is awarded to the league's "Most Valuable Player" and is voted upon by various sportswriters and people considered "experts" in basketball. To rank the reigning MVP #8 indicates that he shouldn't have won the MVP award last season and that he is overrated. Knowing how good Durant is and how much he deserved the MVP award, it seems absurd to call him overrated and say that he didn't deserve the MVP award. 

     
     So with it being established that Kevin Durant deserved the NBA's MVP award and that he isn't overrated, how exactly can ESPN possibly defend itself? The answer lies in his health. Durant suffered a Jones fracture to his foot which sidelined him until December. ESPN has cited this as a reason for ranking Durant #8 stating: 

     
     "In September, we asked our ESPN Forecast to predict this season's performance for each player, including "both the quality and the quantity of his expected contributions."

According to our forecast, Durant rated as almost a perfect 10. His rating of 9.94 was set to be the best ever for a second-place finisher.

Now? Durant is down to 8.84, putting him behind not just LeBron James but a handful of other, healthier superstars.

By the time the season ends, maybe Durant will reclaim his spot in the top two of the NBA's pecking order. But if we're predicting what his overall impact will be this season, top two is no longer a good bet."

     ESPN argues that his ranking only has to do with his projected production for this season and not where his ability is. The problem with this argument lies in the fact that they use the definition of a word as a cop out. They say that they are really ranking players based on their estimated fantasy points projection or something along those lines instead of ranking them based on their ability or talent level. 

   
      I have several problems with this criteria for ranking players, but I will get to the meat of it and just say that there is more to how good a player is than just their raw statistical production over the course of 82 games. Yeah it's probably true that Kevin Durant won't be a top five player this season in terms of raw statistical production, but is that how we really ought to value a player? 

   
     We value players based on their ability to help their team win games, playoff series', and ultimately championships. That is all we really value players for doing. A player can have the best stats in the NBA and if they can't lead their team to win a playoff series, we call that player selfish or a choke. Durant has proven capable of leading a team to win a playoff series and also leading a team to the NBA Finals. That is how we should be judging players, and his foot fracture won't prevent him from being able to do that once the playoffs come around. 

   
     If we are ranking players based on their ability to lead a team to a championship and come through in the clutch, Kevin Durant is easily the #1 or #2 player in the NBA with only LeBron James ahead of him. Derrick Rose is the one other player who could rival Kevin Durant for the league's #2 spot since he has won an MVP and shown himself capable of taking over games in the same fashion, but since we haven't seen him play for a couple of years it is hard to put him over Durant, though I would not staunchly object to it.

(Note: I wrote this article at the beginning of the season, but I am finally publishing it now. I have made some subtle changes to account for the fact that it is January and not October). 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

Bear Territory Tuesday: Why is the Cal Men's Basketball team struggling?

     You won't find a more schizophrenic team in college hoops right now than the California Golden Bears. One night they are playing an elite Wisconsin team tough and the next night they lose to a 2-10 CSU-Bakersfield team that plays in a very weak WAC conference. That same schizophrenic play continued this past weekend when Cal defeated #21 ranked Washington before falling to a very weak Washington State team. 

     The easy answer to diagnosing Cal's inconsistent play is that they don't have Jabari Bird healthy, but that feels more like a cop-out than it does a legitimate diagnosis. Jabari Bird is expected to be back from his stress fracture injury in less than two weeks and possibly as soon as the Stanford game on the 14th, and I am not at all confident that his return will cure Cal's up and down play. 

     I don't deny that Jabari Bird's absence has hurt this team. He's the third scoring option behind Jordan Mathews and Tyrone Wallace who both are having a hard time getting solid offensive production out of anybody else on the team including senior power forward David Kravish. I get all of that. I also understand that Bird has tremendous upside and that it may only be a matter of time before he explodes into a lottery pick in the NBA draft. Losing a guy like that really hurts a team like Cal, who quite honestly doesn't have much talent outside of their starting five. 

     But as I stated above, there is more to Cal's woes than just Jabari Bird's absence. There seems to be an apathy on the team that has the tendency to show up at the beginning of games.  I don't know why, but at the beginning of every game, Cal gets off to these really slow starts in which they struggle to score the basketball and get into an offensive rhythm. 

     One thing I've noticed is that is that teams are using zones and it takes Cal a while to figure them out. CSU-Bakersfield for example used a zone as did Princeton and both times it was very effective against Cal. The goal of a zone defense, if done properly is to defend the perimeter and force teams to beat you from the outside. 

     Since Cal's only reliable three-point shooter is Jordan Mathews, it makes sense that a zone would be effective against them. Especially when guys like Sam Singer and Roger Moute a Bidias resort to jacking up threes instead of driving and attacking the basket. The zone also appears to lull Tyrone Wallace to sleep and make him play more passively, keeping him out of the lane and making him pass the ball to those guys who can't shoot well. So all across the board, the zone is certainly giving Cal trouble. 

     But the biggest problem that I've noticed hasn't been Cal's offensive play, as poor as that has been. It has actually been Cal's poor defense, especially on the interior. Cal's defense on the perimeter is pretty solid. Tyrone Wallace, Roger Moute a Bidias, and Sam Singer are all fantastic perimeter defenders, but inside Christian Behrens and David Kravish are having a hard time playing defense. 

     If there is a common link between the CSU-Baksersfield loss and the Washington State loss, it is that Cal got murdered in the paint like King Duncan in Macbeth. Washington State power forward Josh Hawkinson had 18 points and 13 rebounds against them and CSU-Bakersfield center Aly Ahmed had 19 points and 10 rebounds against them. Cal's inability to stop both players is what ultimately did them in and in my opinion is the biggest reason why they lost. 

     David Kravish has a track record of playing good defense inside, but Christian Behrens on the other hand doesn't have that same track record and he unfortunately is undersized for a power forward, which makes it difficult for him to play defense. This is why I think Cuonzo Martin needs to play freshman center Kingsley Okoroh more, who stands at 7'1 and has actually played well defensively in the paint.

      Does playing Kingsley Okoroh more solve Cal's interior defensive woes? It may not totally get rid of the problem, but I think it would alleviate the problem substantially. Against CSU-Bakersfield Okoroh only played 10 minutes and against Washington State he played only 15 minutes. Given that Kingsley Okoroh and David Kravish are the only legitimate post defenders on the team, it stands to reason that Okoroh has to get more than 15 minutes of action if Cal doesn't want to get killed in the paint. 

     I personally think if his minutes were ramped up to around 25 minutes per game,  Cal would allow a lot fewer points in the paint, which I think would make them a lot better. If he were playing those kind of minutes against CSU-Bakersfield and Washington State, Aly Ahmed and Josh Hawkinson would not have had the kind of success that they did, which likely means Cal wins both games. 

     If Cal wants to have success on this week's road trip @USC (1/7) and @UCLA (1/11), they have to make sure they don't get killed in the paint. The way to make sure that doesn't happen is to play Kingsley Okoroh more and possibly start him. He's a 7'1 center with a knack for blocking shots which is what they need more of. Giving him more minutes doesn't solve all of their problems, but it should prevent teams from having so much success inside. 

     USC and UCLA are not impressive this year and Cal on paper has way more talent than either team. But both UCLA and USC have guys who can kill Cal inside, which is why I'm worried. USC has a kid named Nikola Jovanovic who as I recall gave Cal trouble inside last year and UCLA has a kid named Kevon Looney who can be a handful inside. If those guys both go off against Cal, Cal will likely lose both games. If Cal can contain them and keep them pinned below or right at their season averages, then Cal will likely win. It's that simple. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

     

     

Daily Dunks: 1/5-1/11

(Credit: Andy Melton. Click here for source)

     Here are my Daily Dunks for January 5, 2015 through January 11, 2015. Throughout the week, this page will be updated with all the key news of each day as well as the day's NBA scores. So keep checking this page throughout the week! Enjoy! 

Monday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Cavaliers, Thunder, and Knicks agreed on a three-way trade sending J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cavaliers and Dion Waiters to the Thunder (Click here for full details of the trade). 

#2. Bucks rookie forward Damien Inglis has undergone season-ending surgery on his foot (Click here for more info). 

#3. The Wizards are waiving Glen Rice, Jr. (Click here for more info). 

#4. Pelicans shooting guard Eric Gordon returned to the starting lineup (Click here for more info). 

#5. Bucks small forward Jabari Parker underwent surgery on his ACL (Click here for more info). 

#6. Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard should be back within two weeks (Click here for more info). 

#7. The agent of Bucks power forward Larry Sanders denies that his client wants to retire (Click here for more info). 

#8. Magic forward Channing Frye injured his elbow. X-rays revealed no fractures (Click here for more info). 

#9. Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki is now #7 on the all-time scoring list. 

#10. Cavaliers GM David Griffin says he doesn't at all plan to get rid of David Blatt as head coach (Click here for more info). 

Monday's NBA Final Scores: 

Nuggets 110 Timberwolves 101. Grizzlies 105 Knicks 83. Pacers 105 Jazz 101. Warriors 117 Thunder 91. 76ers 95 Cavaliers 92. Hornets 104 Celtics 95. Mavericks 96 Nets 88 (OT). Wizards 92 Pelicans 85. Bulls 114 Rockets 105. Trail Blazers 98 Lakers 94. Hawks 107 Clippers 98. 

Tuesday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Spurs point guard Tony Parker (hamstring) returned from a 5 game absence (Click here for more info). 

#2. The Clippers waived guard Jared Cunningham (Click here for more info). 

#3. The Jazz waived guard Patrick Christopher and signed guard Elliot Williams to a 10-day contract (Click here for more info). 

#4. There are people plotting to buy the Hawks and move them to Seattle (Click here for more info). 

#5. The Hornets guaranteed forward Jason Maxiell's contract for the rest of the season (Click here for more info). 

#6. The Knicks are interested in Thunder point guard Reggie Jackson (Click here for more info). 

#7. The Nets waived power forward Brandon Davies (Click here for more info). 

#8. Larry Sanders was on the Bucks' bench on Tuesday. Jason Kidd expects him to be back soon (Click here for more info). 

#9. The Knicks signed guard Langston Galloway to a 10-day contract and waived center Samuel Dalembert (Click here and here for more info). 

#10. The Heat waived guard Andre Dawkins and guard Shannon Brown (Click here for more info). 

Tuesday's NBA Final Scores: 

Suns 102 Bucks 96. Pistons 105 Spurs 104. 

Wednesday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Clippers got rid of Jared Cunningham, but they ended up trading him to the 76ers instead. The 76ers then went on to waive Jared Cunningham (Click here for full details of the trade). 

#2. Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan won't return on Thursday, though he his cleared to play. He should be back next week (Click here for more info). 

#3. The Knicks waived Lou Amundson, Lance Thomas, and Alex Kirk (Click here for more info). 

#4. The Timberwolves waived power forward Jeff Adrien (Click here for more info). 

#5. Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving returned to the lineup. 

#6. The Nuggets traded center Timofey Mozgov to the Cavaliers (Click here for full details of the trade). 

#7. Warriors center Andrew Bogut returned. He had 4 points and 8 rebounds, playing 15 minutes. 

#8. The Cavaliers waived point guard A.J. Price (Click here for more info). 

#9. Nuggets shooting guard Danilo Gallinari hopes to be back in two weeks (Click here for more info). 

#10. An NBA spokesman came out and said the Hawks will stay put in Atlanta (Click here for more info). 

Wednesday's NBA Final Scores: 

Hawks 96 Grizzlies 86. Jazz 97 Bulls 77. Suns 113 Timberwolves 111. Warriors 117 Pacers 102. Rockets 105 Cavaliers 93. Bucks 97 76ers 77. Wizards 101 Knicks 91. Hornets 98 Pelicans 94. Celtics 89 Nets 81. Pistons 108 Mavericks 95. Nuggets 93 Magic 90. Kings 104 Thunder 83. Clippers 114 Lakers 89. 

Thursday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Former NBA player Robert Swift was arrested for attempted armed robbery (Click here for more info). 

#2. The Portland Trail Blazers signed their general manager Neil Olshey to a contract extension and promoted him to president of basketball operations (Click here for more info). 

#3. ESPN made changes to their nationally televised broadcasting schedule (Click here for the revised schedule).

#4. The Bucks signed power forward Kenyon Martin to a 10-day contract and waived point guard Nate Wolters (Click here for more info). 

#5. After being waived by the Knicks, Samuel Dalembert cleared waivers and is now an unrestricted free agent (Click here for more info). 

#6. Nets point guard Deron Williams is out indefinitely with a rib fracture (Click here for more info). 

#7. The Timberwolves officially signed center Miroslav Raduljica to a 10-day contract (Click here for more info). 

#8. The Clippers are interested in 76ers guard Tony Wroten (Click here for more info). 

#9. The Grizzlies are targeting Luol Deng and Jeff Green in possible trades (Click here for more info). 

#10. Hornets shooting guard Gerald Henderson exploded for 31 points against the Raptors. 

Thursday's NBA Final Scores: 

Hornets 103 Raptors 95. Rockets 120 Knicks 96. Trail Blazers 99 Heat 83. 

Friday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Knicks signed forward Lance Thomas to a 10-day contract (Click here for more details). 

#2. Warriors center Marreese Speights was robbed at gunpoint by a guy named Michael Jackson (Click here for details). 

#3. The Bulls plan to offer shooting guard Jimmy Butler a max contract (Click here for details). 

#4. Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph returned to the lineup. He had 11 points and 11 rebounds. 

#5. The Celtics are said to be nearing a deal that would send Jeff Green to the Grizzlies. However, the deal is not yet in place (Click here for details). 

#6. The 76ers suspended Andrei Kirilenko for failing to report to the team (Click here for details).

#7. The Pelicans assigned guard Russ Smith to the D-League (Click here for details).

#8. The Celtics traded power forward Brandan Wright to the Suns for a protected 2015 first round draft pick (Click here for details). 

#9.The Suns waived forward Tony Mitchell (Click here for details). 

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#10. Mike Muscala's contract with the Hawks became fully guaranteed for the rest of the season (Click here for details). 

Friday's NBA Final Scores: 

Pelicans 106 Grizzlies 95. Thunder 99 Jazz 94. Bucks 98 Timberwolves 84. Warriors 112 Cavaliers 94. Pacers 107 Celtics 103 (OT). Hawks 106 Pistons 103. 76ers 90 Nets 88. Wizards 102 Bulls 86. Spurs 100 Suns 95. Nuggets 118 Kings 108. Lakers 101 Magic 84. 

Saturday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Knicks signed forward Lou Amundson to a 10-day contract (Click here for details). 

#2. Click here for the details of the three-way trade between the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Celtics that would send Jeff Green to the Grizzlies. 

#3. The Rockets are interested in Deron Williams of the Nets and Goran Dragic of the Suns. Both are point guards (Click here for details). 

#4. It sounds like Carmelo Anthony does eventually need knee surgery, but he's putting it off as long as possible (Click here for details). 

#5. 76ers head coach Brett Brown says the team never agreed to release Andrei Kirilenko (Click here for details).

#6. Pau Gasol went off for the Bulls: 46 points, 18 rebounds, and 3 assists. 

#7. As part of the Jeff Green trade, upon getting Austin Rivers, the Celtics may deal Rivers to the Clippers (Click here for details). 

Saturday's NBA Final Scores: 

Rockets 97 Jazz 82. Spurs 108 Timberwolves 93. Hornets 110 Knicks 82. Clippers 120 Mavericks 100. Pistons 98 Nets 93. 76ers 93 Pacers 92. Raptors 109 Celtics 96. Bulls 95 Bucks 87. Trail Blazers 103 Magic 92. 

Sunday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. NBA ref Joey Crawford will undergo an MRI on his knee. Possible meniscus damage (Click here for details). 

#2. The Celtics, Grizzlies, and Pelicans completed a three way trade that sends Jeff Green to the Grizzlies (Click here for full details of that trade). 

#3. The Heat signed guard Tyler Johnson a 10-day contract (Click here for details). 

#4.  Former NBA player Roy Tarpley passed away at the age of 50 (Click here for details). 

#5. Kevin Love reportedly won't sign a long-term deal next summer. He's waiting for the anticipated salary cap spike in 2016 (Click here for details).

#6. Cavaliers head coach David Blatt says Kevin Love isn't a max-level player yet (Click here for details). 

#7. Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph had 27 points and 17 rebounds. 

#8. Heat center Hassan Whiteside had 23 points and 16 rebounds. 

#9. Damian Lillard destroyed the Lakers (Click here for details and a video of his nasty dunk). 

Sunday's NBA Final Scores: 

Grizzlies 122 Suns 110 (2OT). Hawks 120 Wizards 89. Heat 104 Clippers 90. Kings 103 Cavaliers 84.  Trail Blazers 106 Lakers 94. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

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Friday's Fresh NBA Power Rankings: January 2, 2015

Here are my NBA Power Rankings to "tip-off" the new year! Enjoy!

#1. Portland Trail Blazers (26-7): They defeated the Raptors 102-97 in their last game in an overtime thriller. Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge look like the best one-two punch in the league.

#2. Golden State Warriors (25-5): David Lee is going to continue to come off the bench. This is definitely a smart move by Steve Kerr.

#3. Atlanta Hawks (23-8): Al Horford returns to the lineup tonight. That's huge for them as they embark on a three-game Western Conference road trip followed by the Memphis Grizzlies coming to town.

#4. Toronto Raptors (24-8): What's nice is that due to their fantastic play they don't have to rush DeMar DeRozan back.

#5. Memphis Grizzlies (23-8): The Grizzlies are finding out that it's impossible to stay on top of the Western Conference standings forever, but that doesn't mean they should lose faith in their ability to come out of the West at the end of the season.

#6. Houston Rockets (22-9): It is still too early to see whether or not Josh Smith was a good pickup, but so far I like the move.

#7. Washington Wizards (22-9): Getting thumped at Dallas wasn't good and trips to Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and New Orleans won't be any easier.

#8. Chicago Bulls (23-10): They are still a bit up and down, but overall they look like a legitimate title threat.

#9. Dallas Mavericks (23-10): They have won three straight games against the Lakers, Thunder, and Wizards. They are heating up.

#10. Los Angeles Clippers (22-11): Getting thumped at home against the Raptors was alarming. I'll just say that.

#11. San Antonio Spurs (20-14): I still think they are a threat to win the title, but at some point they gotta start climbing up the standings.

#12. Cleveland Cavaliers (18-14): The fact that they are in the Eastern Conference is huge since it's far from clear they would make the playoffs if they were in the West.

#13. Oklahoma City Thunder (16-17): Kevin Durant is the #2 player in the NBA. I don't care what anybody else says.

#14. Phoenix Suns (18-16): They keep hanging around. I gotta give them credit.

#15. Milwaukee Bucks (17-16): They are showing that even without Jabari Parker, they are still a competitive team. The future is looking bright in Milwaukee.

#16. New Orleans Pelicans (16-16): It'll be interesting to see how Eric Gordon fits when he returns.

#17. Brooklyn Nets (15-16): I think everybody was shocked when they slaughtered the Bulls. Especially since Brook Lopez erupted for 29 points.

#18. Miami Heat (14-19): They are seeded #8 in the Eastern Conference right now. Yeah, no way they get back to the NBA Finals.

#19. Sacramento Kings (14-19): I would just like to point out that they were winning under Mike Malone. He's the coach they fired.

#20. Denver Nuggets (13-20): Ok, I'll admit it. The Nuggets stink. They aren't as good as I thought they were.

#21. Boston Celtics (11-18): If they really wanna blow things up, they'll trade Jeff Green.

#22. Orlando Magic (13-22): Injuries have really hurt this team. If they were healthy, they might be seeded #8 in the East.

#23. Indiana Pacers (12-21): Roy Hibbert is averaging 11.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. That is not gonna cut it.

#24. Utah Jazz (11-21): I'm gonna say it now. The Jazz should feel good about drafting Gordon Hayward over Paul George and this has nothing to do with George's injury.

#25. Los Angeles Lakers (10-22): If Kobe Bryant takes a pay cut next season, they could still build a competitive team around him.

#26. Charlotte Hornets (10-23): This whole season has been a disaster. The overtime loss to the Bucks was another reminder of that and what's worse is that Al Jefferson is out for a month.

#27. Detroit Pistons (8-23): I suppose they are playing better without Josh Smith, but they still have a ways to go.

#28. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-26): So far, they look like they won the Kevin Love trade and secondly, they got the best rookie in Andrew Wiggins.

#29. New York Knicks (5-29): They have won just one more game than the 76ers. They are that bad.

#30. Philadelphia 76ers (4-26): They have lost three straight games after winning two straight games. That is progress.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

Bear Territory Friday: Cal needs to bounce back this weekend as Pac-12 play begins

                                    (Credit: commons.wikimedia.org)

     Cal concluded their non-conference play last Sunday with a gut-wrenching loss to CSU-Bakersfield by the final score of 55-52. The game essentially ended with Cal shooting guard Jordan Mathews dribbling the ball off of his foot, but it didn't officially end until referees had to determine whether or not to award Cal another possession after what appeared to be a CSU-Bakersfield turnover. After what felt like several minutes, the referees concluded no time was left to give Cal one last chance at a desperation heave, and so the game ended with one last insult to Cal's injury. 

     I felt numb after the game and confused. Cal came into the game with an impressive 10-2 record, only losing to two top ten teams in Texas and Wisconsin. To see them struggle against CSU-Bakersfield was as perplexing as it was alarming. What was alarming was Cal's inability to score the ball early in the game. Jordan Mathews couldn't hit a jump shot or a three to save his life, David Kravish was once again invisible on the court, and Tyrone Wallace was playing too passive, not willing to attack the basket. It was the worst that Cal had played all season and what was weird was that they were playing one of the worst teams in all of college basketball. 

     But now that Cal has had several days to digest that loss, it's time for them to move on and focus on what lies ahead this weekend. On Friday night, Cal gets a visit from #21 ranked Washington and on Sunday afternoon, Washington State comes through. Both games are huge after what happened on Sunday. If Cal wins both games to start Pac-12 play, I wouldn't say the loss to CSU-Bakersfield is forgotten, but the pain from the loss would be greatly numbed. If Cal loses both games, then the loss to CSU-Bakersfield starts to loom large as a point at which Cal's season started to come off the rails. 

   Cal's NCAA tournament hopes could very well hinge on what happens this weekend. A 2-0 start to Pac-12 play won't at all mean that their problems are solved or that they are an NCAA tournament quality team, but it would give them reason to have some hope. Cal started Pac-12 play 5-0 last year and still missed the NCAA tournament and unlike this year's team, they didn't have a stinging loss hanging over their heads. As a matter of fact, Cal's final out of conference game last season was a 90-60 butt-kicking win over Furman which featured a three-point assault from Jeff Powers. The game felt more like a practice game than a real game, which is a far cry from what Sunday's game against CSU-Bakersfield felt like. 

     However, Cal does have reason to feel confident going into this weekend. For one thing, they took care of business against a Syracuse team that was ranked in the Top-25. Secondly, Washington lost to Stony Brook in their last out of conference game, and third, they are playing at home. Cal rarely loses at home, especially in consecutive games. You can be sure that Cal will feel extra motivated to defend their home floor and remind people that Haas Pavilion isn't an easy place to play. 

     In order to capitalize off of these advantages and win both games, Cal will have to do three things. First, they'll have to get into a good rhythm offensively early on. They cannot fall behind early and expect to win. If they find themselves down by 10 points or more at halftime, they will be in serious trouble. 

     

     Secondly, Cal has to get Tyrone Wallace more help. He's been asked to carry the team on his back all season and while his efforts have been nothing short of Herculean, it's clear that the team cannot keep asking him to go to the well and save them. At some point the well runs dry and odds are good it went dry against CSU-Bakersfield. David Kravish and Jordan Mathews have to be the guys who give him the help he needs. 

     Lastly, Cal has to take better care of the ball. I've seen way too many turnovers in their last few games, and it has come back to haunt them. I've seen turnovers come in the form of bad passes, bobbled catches, and bad shots. The team that turns the ball over less usually comes out victorious and I don't expect Cal to be able to be an exception to that rule. 

    Cal has to win both games this weekend. One win isn't enough. Two wins against Washington and Washington State would legitimately be something for them to build upon and use as a springboard for future success. One win on the other hand would indicate that they still have problems and that they aren't making progress towards fixing those problems. The world of college basketball can be vicious and Cal is certainly seeing that right now. Hopefully when faced with the options to sink or swim, Cal swims like the Golden Bears they are named after and feasts upon the salmon. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

     

Wednesday Windmill: The Utah Jazz have a star in Gordon Hayward

                                          (Credit: saltcityhoops.com. Click here for link)

     This past summer, the Utah Jazz matched Gordon Hayward's 4 year, $63M offer sheet with the Charlotte Hornets, keeping him in Salt Lake City. While there was some speculation at the time about whether or not that was a good decision, there is little speculation now. Gordon Hayward is playing up to his contract in every way the Utah Jazz could have hoped, averaging 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He has fully embraced the role of being a star and is always more than willing to close games when given the opportunity.

     In Utah's most recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Hayward put the Timberwolves to sleep by scoring six points in the final two minutes with two of those points coming off of a steal. In that instance Gordon Hayward demonstrated why he is worth all the money by making a clutch play on defense as well as on offense.

     Standing at 6'8 and 207 lbs., Hayward has the quickness and hand-eye coordination of an elite tennis player, which is why he is such a threat on offense as well as defense. Due to his combination of size, speed, and skill there really isn't anything he can't do. He can shoot, pass, rebound, steal, and block shots, and the scary thing is he's only going to get better and more confident.

   There are still questions about what the Jazz have in the rest of their talented young players, but there is little question now of as to what they have in Gordon Hayward. He's transforming into a legitimate all-star right before our eyes and is the first sure piece the Utah Jazz have to build around for the coming seasons. Hopefully they can get the right pieces around him to keep him in a Jazz uniform for life.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord