NBA Rankings: Three for Thought – 6 through 4
The hours are counting down until the 2013/14 NBA season gets underway, but there is still plenty of time to cap off the final six teams on my list! However, for those of you who may have missed parts of the rundown, here are my rankings so far:
30 – Phoenix Suns, 29 – Orlando Magic, 28 – Charlotte Bobcats, 27 – Utah Jazz, 26 – Milwaukee Bucks, 25 – Toronto Raptors, 24 – Boston Celtics, 23 – Philadelphia 76ers, 22 – Sacramento Kings, 21 – LA Lakers, 20 – Atlanta Hawks, 19 – Portland Trailblazers, 18 – New Orleans, 17 – Cleveland Cavaliers, 16 – Dallas Mavericks, 15 – Washington Wizards, 14 – Minnesota Timberwolves, 13 – Detroit Pistons, 12 – Denver Nuggets, 11 – Memphis Grizzlies, 10 – New York Knicks, 9 – San Antonio Spurs, 8 – Golden State Warriors, 7 – Brooklyn Nets
But now for three more!
6 – LA Clippers – 2012/13: 56-26 – 2013/14: 56-26
The changes for Clipper nation over the summer haven’t exactly been wholesale but the few they’ve made have managed to convince a lot of fans that this team isn’t just a highlight reel filler without championship credentials.
The biggest of all their moves though didn’t come on the court. Clippers fans were not only given a title contending team this summer but they were given a title winning coach. Doc Rivers moved away from a Boston team looking to rebuild so he could become Head Coach and GM of a team contending in the immediate future.
Doc tried to pull off a move that would’ve have seen himself as part of a trade package involving KG and Pierce going to LA with him over the summer but David Stern and the NBA put a stop to what would have been a blockbuster, historical trade.
Doc is one of the most respected coaches in the league and behind Pop is often voted the second best amongst the active guys in charge of their team. Being named GM has left some question marks with his ability to perform both roles to a high standard. Coming off a tough week long road trip coupled with having to then enter night-long trade discussions is something numerous guys and have tried and failed to do.
Ignoring the possible banana-skins though and it’s been a great few months for the Clippers.
Even before they locked up Rivers LA moved to secure the services of MVP contender CP3, who signed a max sheet over five years to stick with the Clippers. He could’ve found that money anywhere but chose to held build a franchise that has for years been plagued with the moniker of being the ‘other team’, sharing a stadium with the most illustrious franchise in America.
An already talented roster has somehow gotten better arguably however. The acquisitions of Redick, Collison, Mullens and Jamison have given the Clippers depth in their roster that they’ve never experienced before.
Redick ran the point at Milwaukee last season after being traded there mid-season by the Magic. His career sadly seems to have peaked as a Blue Devil but he offers you great minutes as a second or third option guard in a team like this.
Collison is entering his 5th season as a pro and is very capable as a starter from the back court. 12ppg along with 5apg is enough to earn you a starting spot as a point guard on a lower team but he’s likely to take a cut in minutes in search of a ring.
Mullens is unproven but showed a great deal of promise last year for the Hornets. Jamison in stark contrast is on the back end of his career, recent spells at the Cavs, Wizards and Lakers have been unsuccessful and one last hoorah would go a long way to help cement his legacy as a top player. Despite his advancing years he still grabs a few boards and manages great offensive efficiency whatever minutes he plays.
The Clippers are yet another that could come good and lift the trophy at the end of this season. Blake, CP3, Doc, Jordan and co is crucial and every single one of them has to have a career year if they have any chance of winning it all.
5 – Indiana Pacers – 2012/13: 49-32 – 2013/14: 56-26
The storied franchise dating back to ABA dominance has had a rapid surge back into relevancy in recent years, the Reggie Miller dynasty came and went without a ring and now it’s up to a new bunch of guys to try and deliver Indiana an NBA title.
Upon returning to his previous role as VP of the Pacers, Larry Bird said re-signing free agent David West was a priority — and he wasted no time inking the power forward to a three-year- $36 million deal.
West was 30 two summers ago, when he signed with the Pacers for $20 million over two years. Now 32 with his numbers in a slow decline, was he really worth an extra year and a 20 percent raise? His new contract ends in 2016, the same year as Roy Hibbert’s deal.
Bird also upgraded his backup point guard slot by letting the erratic D.J. Augustin walk and signing free agent C.J. Watson to a two-year deal. Watson is bigger and stronger than Augustin and is capable of the type of defense coach Frank Vogel wants to play.
The signing of Copeland also offered the team a diverse forward who even got a taste of the Centre position for the Knicks last year but having grasped his first shot at an NBA career so late in his life (28) there’s no doubt he’ll come off the bench and give it his all each and every night at the Forward spot.
The Pacers are below the luxury tax threshold and still have their mid-level exception, which they could have used on a replacement for Tyler Hansbrough, who was presented a qualifying offer that was pulled to make room for West. Late in the offseason, the Pacers found that replacement by dealing for Luis Scola.
Bird also may be looking to deal Danny Granger, who missed virtually all of last season with a knee injury, has one year left on his deal and may be expendable with the emergence of Paul George as an All-Star, who was given a maximum extension in late September that changes the long-term picture a bit. Veteran Rasual Butler was signed as insurance.
All in all, the team that took the Miami Heat to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals is certainly improved. But there is always something about a team who hasn’t succeeded before (in the NBA at least) providing you with doubts, however credible their rise in the power rankings have been, they need to earn the leagues respect by getting it done when it counts.
4 – Houston Rockets – 2012/13: 45-37 – 2013/14: 58-24
No questions, the Rockets are the biggest winner of the summer. No doubt also, they’re the one team who have shot up the most in my expectations compared to last year.
The Rockets have built a team capable of winning a title at any point over the next three years so the Texas faithful may just bide their time and try not to hype up expectations of a quick fix in Houston.
At this time a year ago, it was hard to determine what Rockets GM Daryl Morey was doing. He appeared to be collecting as many promising but unproven players and draft picks as possible, maxing out his offseason roster at 20.
But Morey proved every doubter wrong signing James Harden and now has landed Dwight Howard, the summer’s biggest free agent prize. The only person in Houston who is not too terribly happy about it is Omer Asik, who has asked for a trade but has been told he isn’t going to get one.
The question now becomes: What else does this team need to become elite? Linsanity. For Jeremy Lin to play the way he did during that insane fairytale story with the Knicks, or for Morey to find a trade that swaps Lin for a more established playmaker with playoff pedigree, hopefully Lin comes good. Not just because of Linsanity but proved that undrafted players are able to play themselves into becoming elite.
They already have two prolific scorers in Harden and Howard. They already have a tremendous stretch 4 in Chandler Parsons, who is getting paid an OBSCENELY low amount, again Morey may have orchestrated this franchises good shape but it certainly took a heap of luck to make it possible. They have the option of playing Howard and Asik together in a Twin Towers line-up, but that is very unlikely. They even added the veteran presence of Marcus Camby, just in case one of the towers topples.
Morey has found a way to turn this team in a title contender, Harden has found a way to become one of the top five players of the league and Dwight has found a way to redeem his career after a tumultuous year…this will be fun to watch.