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But the Nuggets Just Lost!
All of you are going to say that, because the Lakers beat the Nuggets yesterday in a hard-fought game, my argument is baseless. I'm too stubborn to let the outcome of one game convince me, though. Yes, the Lakers showed up yesterday, reminding everyone why they own the second-best record in the league. But, as one of my friends pointed out, the playoffs are 7-game series. Even if a team is good enough to sweep every single opponent (the Lakers aren't), it would have to win 16 games straight to claim the title. The Lakers proved yesterday that they are still a dominant team when they're firing on all cylinders, but they won't be able to handle an extended run after being selectively competitive for the next 6 weeks.
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I say all of this to justify this week's power rankings. At the top we have, of course, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Antawn Jamison has, after his wretched debut, emerged as the missing link in the Cavs' offense. Next up are the Nuggets. Despite yesterday's loss, Denver has a stacked lineup with an excellent bench well-equipped to best LA in a 7-game series. Lakers in third. Again, this isn't because of their recent record; it's their state of mind. Obviously they're an incredibly talented team, but they're squandering it. It hurts to list the Celtics as 4th-best in the East, but I can't justify putting them above the hot Hawks or Orlando. Especially after losing to the Nets; it's 2010, not 2002!
My top 10 right now:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Denver Nuggets
3. LA Lakers
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Orlando Magic
6. Utah Jazz
7. Phoenix Suns
8. Atlanta Hawks
9. Boston Celtics
10. The Team That Shall Not Be Named (Courtesy of Bill Simmons)
Still hanging around: Portland, San Antonio, Toronto, Chicago, New Orleans
The Lakers have made a subtle but unmistakable shift this season that will make them unable to bring another championship to the city this year. I'd bet on the Clippers sans Marcus Camby to win it all this year before I'd bet on team Kobe. What did they do to scuttle their chances so thoroughly? The Lakers are practically coasting through the end of the regular reason with the intent of turning it on during the playoffs. We've seen time and again that this doesn't work; our most recent lesson came at the expense of Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. In the years when Jim Sorgi and Curtis Painter have closed out the season for Indy, the Colts have been unable to go the distance. The one time that the Colts had to fight at the end of the season and failed to secure a first-round bye, they did in fact hoist the Lombardi trophy. The Lakers are doing the exact same thing this season, and so they will fail to repeat in the Finals this year. In fact, they shouldn't even make it to the Finals because the Nuggets are well-equipped to defeat them in the West.
But the Nuggets Just Lost!
All of you are going to say that, because the Lakers beat the Nuggets yesterday in a hard-fought game, my argument is baseless. I'm too stubborn to let the outcome of one game convince me, though. Yes, the Lakers showed up yesterday, reminding everyone why they own the second-best record in the league. But, as one of my friends pointed out, the playoffs are 7-game series. Even if a team is good enough to sweep every single opponent (the Lakers aren't), it would have to win 16 games straight to claim the title. The Lakers proved yesterday that they are still a dominant team when they're firing on all cylinders, but they won't be able to handle an extended run after being selectively competitive for the next 6 weeks.
Around the League
I say all of this to justify this week's power rankings. At the top we have, of course, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Antawn Jamison has, after his wretched debut, emerged as the missing link in the Cavs' offense. Next up are the Nuggets. Despite yesterday's loss, Denver has a stacked lineup with an excellent bench well-equipped to best LA in a 7-game series. Lakers in third. Again, this isn't because of their recent record; it's their state of mind. Obviously they're an incredibly talented team, but they're squandering it. It hurts to list the Celtics as 4th-best in the East, but I can't justify putting them above the hot Hawks or Orlando. Especially after losing to the Nets; it's 2010, not 2002!
My top 10 right now:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Denver Nuggets
3. LA Lakers
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Orlando Magic
6. Utah Jazz
7. Phoenix Suns
8. Atlanta Hawks
9. Boston Celtics
10. The Team That Shall Not Be Named (Courtesy of Bill Simmons)
Still hanging around: Portland, San Antonio, Toronto, Chicago, New Orleans
OK, I was in the process of a detailed retort, but I'll summarize and maybe rewrite the detailed version later.
ReplyDelete1. Colts comparison is bad.
A. Phil Jackson has this down to a science
B. "Letdown" in question should have occurred in first game.
C. Colts didn't "lose" as much as they were beaten by an inspired team taking a lot of risks...nothing about "coasting" is irrelevant.
2. Phil has this down to a science.
A. NBA season is long and arduous, 100+ games, selective importance requires selective competition.
B. Can't risk having 30+ year-old superstars injured, or young stars getting burned out.