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3rd February, 2009 - 7:43 pm
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| Current Features |
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SCOOP DU JOUR: Iverson With The Knicks, Joe Alexander, Lincecum's Cy Young & More
Allen Iverson and the Knicks is a marriage out of necessity, forecasting Joe Alexander's future, why there hasn't been any players compared to Magic or Bird, plus Tim Lincecum's Cy Young and the possibility of Pacquiao/Mayweather at Cowboys Stadium.
STANDING 10: Retire Me Not
Even though LeBron James is well-intentioned in his hope of the NBA retiring #23, there are so many problems with this notion that it is difficult to find a place to begin.
MOCK DRAFT: 2009 NBA Mock Draft, Version 11.0 (Draft Day Edition)
How will the 2009 NBA Draft shake out? We're only hours away from finding out.
LOCKER TALK: Nash, Cleveland, & Orlando
Steve Nash could draw trade interest this summer and Cleveland isn’t overlooking Orlando…
PLAYER RANKINGS: The Final NBA Player Rankings For The 2008-09 Season
The 2008-09 season is in the books and how did players rank individually?
CLASSICS: Hakeem Vs. Ewing: Who Was The Better Center?
Born within six months of each other in opposite corners of the world, two seven footers who are finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame this fall are two of the best ever to play the center position.
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By Andrew Perna
I'm sure most of you are familiar with Christopher Reina's Floor Impact Counter and the aptly-named Reina Value. (If not, punish yourself, and then click here to check out the systems.)
Here at RealGM, we calculate our rankings by tallying each team's average FIC per game. It's very much Reina's labor, but I'll be here every other week to provide slightly different insight into the rankings.
Team: 08-09 FIC Differential, Last Week's Rank
1. Boston Celtics : 21.2 (2)
The Celtics were considered dead on Jan. 9 when their loss to the Cavaliers marked their four consecutive defeat. They haven't lost a game since, and stand alone atop the league with 40 wins.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers : 20.7 (1)
The Cavaliers are 22-0 at home, but are still a long way from approaching the NBA record for the best home mark over an 82-game season. Sunday's game against the Lakers in Cleveland will put their run to a strong test.
3. Orlando Magic : 15.1 (4)
Jameer Nelson's torn labrum could be a very serious problem for the Magic, who up until Boston's recent hot streak, were challenging for the NBA's best record. Nelson's FIC per 40 of 15.8 has been a huge reason for their success.
4. L.A. Lakers : 14.6 (3)
Once again, Andrew Bynum has been lost for a significant amount of time. Kobe Bryant isn't going to score 61 points every night, so Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol better step up their games (especially the Mr. Odom). Now that I'm thinking of it, Kobe could probably score 60+ every game.
5. Utah Jazz : 10.5 (5)
When the Jazz win, they win big. That's why they rank fifth on this list, despite ranking in the middle of the league in terms of winning percentage. If Jerry Sloan isn't a strong candidate for Coach of the Year, especially having handled an epidemic of injuries, then my name isn't Andrew Perna.
6. Portland Trail Blazers : 9.6 (6)
Guess who is starting to turn into a double-double machine? Greg Oden is averaging 11.8 points and 8.2 rebounds over his last five games and has a very good FIC per 40 of 13.9. That's better than every top rookie except Mr. Kevin Love.
7. Denver Nuggets : 8.5 (7)
Anyone that doubted the success of Chauncey Billups in Detroit, and what he meant to the team, should have their jaw wired shut. Unless they face the Lakers, the Nuggets will get out of the first round of the playoffs and it'll be Mr. Big Shot that gets them there.
8. San Antonio Spurs : 6.5 (9)
Gregg Popovich doesn't think the typical NBA fan appreciates his team -- good thing RealGM doesn't have typical fans. The Spurs opened the season with three losses, since then they're playing .750 ball.
9. Dallas Mavericks : 6.3 (10)
The Mavericks have the fourth-best record in the Southwest Division, but have won more games than all but three teams in the Eastern Conference. Who said the Eastern Conference was making a comeback?
10. New Orleans Hornets : 5.9 (8)
If Chris Paul's groin injury lingers, the Hornets are in deep trouble. I don't mean any disrespect to David West, but there's no way he's an All-Star without CP3 on his side. New Orleans crumbled once Paul left Monday's loss to Portland, and they are 12-12 without him in his career. That doesn't sound too bad, but they are 149-118 with him.
11. Phoenix Suns : 4.4 (12)
The Suns appear to be falling apart from within, and it's starting to show on the court. They have won just four times since Jan. 13 and could find themselves falling out of the playoff picture very soon.
12. Houston Rockets : 3.1 (11)
No team gets hit with injuries more consistently than the Rockets, but they keep on chugging along. A very favorable schedule heading into All-Star weekend could push Houston into the running for home court advantage in the dreaded first round.
13. Atlanta Hawks : 3.0 (13)
The Hawks are teetering in the Eastern Conference. Can they hang with teams like the Celtics, Cavaliers and Magic? Or are they just the leader of mediocre teams like the Heat, Pistons and 76ers? Only time will tell.
14. Miami Heat : 2.7 (15)
Dwyane Wade is putting together a season worthy of MVP consideration, despite a cast of characters that appear greater than the sum of their parts. I'm not a huge fan of the proposed Jermaine O'Neal deal, but he'd probably be more influential than Shawn Marion and could tutor Michael Beasley for eighteen months.
15. Philadelphia 76ers : 2.1 (16)
Elton Brand's return has put this team in a very tough spot. They paid him a lot of money, so they obviously want to reap the benefits, but they are entirely different with him on the floor. He hasn't played big minutes in the five games since his return, which could bring criticism from a fan base that expected more upon his arrival.
16. Detroit Pistons : 1.1 (14)
A lot of blame has been placed on the shoulders of Allen Iverson for the recent struggles of the Pistons, but I think the absence of Chauncey Billups has had a much more profound effect than the presence of A.I. After all, he was probably more respected in the locker room than Michael Curry.
17. Milwaukee Bucks : -0.9 (17)
Milwaukee's highest-rated player in terms of FIC is Luke Ridnour. Yes, I did just say Luke Ridnour. They can't afford a serious injury to Richard Jefferson or for Andrew Bogut's back injury to continue bothering him, but they are very much in the playoff hunt.
18. Chicago Bulls : -3.4 (21)
Derrick Rose isn't the second coming of Michael Jordan, but he could become an icon in Chicago if he's able to lead the Bulls back to the playoffs this spring.
19. Toronto Raptors : -3.7 (18)
Toronto could be the NBA's most disappointing team, especially after the hyped addition of Jermaine O'Neal. Could it be that T.J. Ford and Rasho Nesterovic meant that much to the team?
20. Indiana Pacers : -4.5 (20)
The Pacers have been in a majority of their games this season, but they are still ten games under .500. They are starting to play better in the final minutes, and are 7-7 since Mike Dunleavy's return. If they enter the All-Star break strong, they could end their playoff drought.
21. Charlotte Bobcats : -4.7 (19)
Raymond Felton may be staying in Charlotte thanks to his strong play in the absence of rookie point guard D.J. Augustin. The Bobcats are 5-4 since Augustin went down, and even though they have lost three of four, keeping the two-headed monster might give them their best chance at a first-ever playoff berth.
22. New Jersey Nets : -8.6 (22)
Devin Harris and Vince Carter have become one of the best one-two combos in the NBA, and are unquestionably the best in terms of scoring. Another interior presence to help rookie Brook Lopez would make the Nets a much more complete team, and keep Harris and Carter from burning out.
23. Minnesota Timberwolves : -9.1 (23)
Before their three-game skid (losses to the Pistons, Lakers and Celtics), the Timberwolves were 10-2 in 2009. Maybe Kevin McHale should change all the team's calendars so they still think it's January.
24. Golden State Warriors : -10.0 (24)
The Warriors are 2-4 since the return of guard Monta Ellis, and might have sent an All-Star to Phoenix in Andris Biedrins if they had a better record. Baron Davis isn't thriving in Los Angeles, but I think Golden State misses his personality.
25. New York Knicks : -10.1 (25)
When the Knicks are bad, they are bad. They sit in the middle of the NBA in terms of winning percentage, but are among the worst in terms of FIC differential.
26. Oklahoma City Thunder: -11.3 (26)
Early this season it appeared as though the Thunder would challenge for the worst record in NBA history, but the play of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook has changed that. They are 8-8 in their last sixteen games.
27. Memphis Grizzlies : -14.5 (28)
Memphis was a very surprising 9-15 on Dec. 14, but has gone 3-20 since. Their poor play has taken away from rookie O.J. Mayo's 19.4 points, 4 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 45% shooting.
28. Washington Wizards : -15.3 (29)
Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, 13th and 36th in terms of FIC, respectively, are the reason why Washington doesn't have just a handful of victories.
29. L.A. Clippers : -15.6 (27)
Marcus Camby is having a great season, 11.7 points, 13.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, but injuries have decimated the Clippers. The Baron Davis Experiment has failed as well.
30. Sacramento Kings : -20.7 (30)
The Kings were 4-5 on Nov. 12, but are just 7-34 since. The most painful loss of all? A 129-81 drubbing at the hands of the Suns on Monday night, which resulted in an FIC differential of -92.7
Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM’s Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
