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Post by Miege22 on Dec 23, 2020 17:30:27 GMT -5
Making their triumphant return in full write-up glory! 1. Tampa Bay Bull SharksTampa Bay went all in. Surely this was due to being intimidated by their new neighbors (Miami) down south, but if you combine their trades together is truly is artwork. In a span of four trades, they acquired Lebron, Murray, Warren, Jones Jr, and a pick for Graham, Westbrook, and Middleton. Solid moves. While the star power is here, I think the question will be their depth. I would expect Lebron to sit more games this year. If that's the case, Green, DJJ, Allen, and Marcus Morris will need to step. Do they have enough of a role to do so though is the question. 2. Houston RocketsAfter a year riddled with injuries, everyone is healthy again and this writer feels that this team is the title favorite. Their sheer star power alone puts them up at the top, with Lillard, Brown, Zion, Steph, Kawhi. After all it is a stars league. The only thing that can slow this team down could be Blake Griffin's health and their questionable shooting guard depth. 3. Seattle SupersonicsSeattle has an awesome combination of star power and great depth, which is why I think they're a favorite this season. I'm not worried about Harden, he'll dominate the box scores wherever he plays. With a backcourt consisting of Harden, Beal, Lonzo Ball, Warren and D. Murray combined with a front court of Bam, Gobert, Covington and B. Lopez you got multiple players that provide elite production in all major counting stats. With some small tweaks this offseason to deepen the wings with Warren and Crowder, this team is set to take on anyone. 4. Oklahoma City ThunderThe Thunder had an interesting off-season. They looked like they were going all in with the acquisitions of Russell Westbrook and Clint Capela, but they then turned around and shipped off Devin Booker for Anthony Edwards, Devin Vassell and a pick... that they eventually used to trade for Marcus Smart. With Booker, they're probably the favorite. Without him, they're still really good, but maybe a slightly lower floor. 5. Portland TrailblazersThis team is strong. Trading the 5th pick for Paul George was a huge get for the team. With KD, Paul George, and DeAndre, they could have the defensive stats wrapped up. John Wall's health is the x-factor here. How will he mesh with Harden? How long will Harden stay in Houston? They have several young players that with improvement this season Portland can definitely contend. 6. Memphis GrizzliesAfter an injury-plagued year took Memphis out of the playoff hunt last season, this team is back with some new additions. They hit an absolute home run landing Andre Drummond and Christian Wood to shore up their front line, then they added Andrew Wiggins to help on the perimeter. The guard play could be a little shaky (no pun intended, seriously) unless Oladipo returns to form. 7. Boston CelticsThey're flying under the radar a bit, partially because of the Hayward injury. This team is deep and super talented. They remind me a bit of KC last year, but if KC had two legit stars in Embiid and Simmons. There is not one dead spot on this roster. Assuming good healthy, they're a legit finals contender. 8. Miami HeatThe Heat start the season as a balanced squad. They’ve got talent, depth, and solid contributors up and down their roster. A lot of their success will depend on health - will CP, Rubio, and Draymond be able to stay on the floor all season? That’s going to be key. I think Miami and Boston are two of the most balanced teams in the East, if not the league. I expect them to be in contention to compete for the southeast this year 9. Minnesota TimberwolvesMinnesota greatly outperformed expectations last season by finishing 12-4 after being ranked 14th after FA, and the big question is wether they can do it again this sesaon? They certainly made the moves to do so, by resigning FA prize Jokic and rewarding Brogdon for a strong season too. They made a nice deal for Love and Anunoby who could both prove valuable, and they also signed Aldridge so that's quite the reinforcement to build on last season. However, there's also some question marks surrounding Brogdon, Love, Gallinari and Robinson. 10. Golden State WarriorsThe Warriors had an active offseason. They’ve landed Booker, Butler, Harris, and Bagley and have transformed a once barren roster. They’ve also got an interesting duo of young guys in Toppin and Hayes, though they might still be a couple years away from being contributors. It’ll be curious to see if Golden State thinks they are a few more moves from a championship this year or if they’ll continue to build with an eye on ‘21. 11.Chicago BullsThe Bulls went through an organizational overhaul during the offseason. After the new GM took over they became one of the most active teams on the market. They started off with re-signing two pieces they inherited - Vucevic and Russell and trading Drummond with Wood for a draft package of promising rookies - Toppin and Avdija, two future picks and Al Horford. Toppin was later flipped for Hachimura and Kuzma and they got Middleton in a deal with Tampa Bay for some of their draft picks and TJ Warren. This team should be solid to very good, but their success will be dependant on their rookies and sophmores providing (or not) necessary depth to compete with the league's juggernauts. 12. Utah JazzThe Jazz did what they normally do: they acquired guys that should be helpful. DeMar DeRozan was a curious re-sign, but he's still a top-50 player. Buddy Hield should bounce back after a tough year last season. Teague, Hernangomez, and Prince are all solid fliers. As was Dwight. There's just a lot of solid dudes on this team. The problem for them is how top-heavy the West is. I'm not sure we've ever seen the top-half of the league look this much better than the bottom half, but with four outright tankers (and a fifth trying to join them), that's what happens. 13. Atlanta HawksI'm not quite sure what to make of Atlanta's offseason. They made deals to acquire and resign Graham and Dinwiddie, who both had productive campaigns but will have a lot more competition this season. More deals landed Siakam and Lou Will, but both are in the last year of their contract and while I loved the Siakam deal, I don't think the Lou Will deal fits this team's situation. They made quite some improvements overall, but I'm afraid it won't be enough to really compete against the top teams. With just 1 pick in 2023 and Siakam needing the last available resign next offseason, there doesn't seem to a lot of flexibility towards the future. 14. Washington WizardsWashington has had a quiet offseason. They traded for VanVleet which was a net gain. They have solid role players in Richardson and Dragic, and the MVP in Giannis. Ultimately, in a stacked East, the health of JJJ, Winslow, and Zach Collins will determine if they can make some noise. Even at full health, they may be a few pieces short. Look for a cash out in Dragic and Young if they are on track to miss the playoffs. 15. Kansas City KingsThe Kings are at a crossroads with their team. While they are headed towards a rebuild, there are still pieces that Kansas City will need to make a decision on as the season unfolds. McCollum, SGA, Levert headline Poopy’s team, and an injured Kemba Walker waits in the wings. Kansas City could be a few moves away from tearing it all down or they could be a few moves away from trying to make a run late in the season. 16.Orlando MagicOrlando's highlight of the offseason was Markelle Fultz trade. They've made a huge bet on him by trading two picks, including their 2022 selection. Other than that, they're essentially running it back without Kuzma, who got traded for cash considerations to free up a roster spot. With them not having their next 2 picks, the Magic will be counting on huge improvements from Fultz, Doumboya, Hunter and Giles + on Cousins health, but even with them contributing in a good way this team doesn't look like it has enough to have a shot at the playoffs this year. 17.Colorado SwanniesThe Swannies got lucky in the lottery and were able to secure #1 pick in the 2020 draft in which they're selected LaMelo Ball and... that's pretty much it when it comes to their offseason. They decided to give DSJ and Ntilikina another shot to prove themselves by excercising their options. AD is a monster and might win a week long matchup here and there with little help, but it's not an optimal situation and Colorado is looking like they're heading back to the lottery in hopes of adding a star piece to their dynamic Ball-Davis duo. 18.Las Vegas GamblersThe Gamblers have had a very quiet offseason, especially given the huge amount of cap space that they had coming into free agency. They've let go some of their big name guys, particularly Bledsoe and Hayward, signed Klay Thompson to a long term deal and clearly are looking forward to 2021 draft already. They still have Kyrie, Nurkic and some respectable depth guys like Milsap, Tristan Thompson or Joe Harris so they may not be the worst team in the league after all, but there's not enough depth on this team to compete against majority of the league, especially in the West. 19. Toronto RaptorsToronto has done a nice job building on the core of Morant and Porzingis by adding Wiseman, Haliburton, Achiuwa and Pokusevski, who all have interesting potential. They started this offseason with some great moves to acquire these and a couple of good 2022 picks, but then made a bit of a headscratcher move by dealing away 3 of those for Bogdan and #17. However, there's enough to like on the team, just not for this season. Doing the right things and steadily adding talent is key, and Toronto is still on the right path with 2 promising picks for 2021 still in the bag. 20. Brooklyn NetsBrooklyn had the busiest and most interesting offseason out of any team. A perennial finals contender each year, and coming off a season in which his team was poised for a finals run before the bubble, the Nets blew up the whole thing. Right now, the team lacks a discernible star and has a lot of unproven players on the roster. A plethora of picks await Brooklyn in the 2021 draft, so despite being ranked at the bottom now, I don’t expect that to last for more than a season. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | MemphisGM | teefbe | Tampa Bay | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Houston | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | Seattle | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 6 | OKC | 3 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | Portland | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | Memphis | 5 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 7 | Boston | 7 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 5 | Miami | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 10 | Minnesota | 9 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | Golden State | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 9 | Chicago | 12 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 11 | Utah | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Atlanta | 11 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 12 | Washington | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | Kansas City | 15 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 15 | Orlando | 16 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 19 | Colorado | 17 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 17 | Las Vegas | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 20 | Toronto | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 16 | Brooklyn | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 |
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Post by Miege22 on Dec 29, 2020 9:57:00 GMT -5
1. Houston Rockets (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Golden State, 9-0 Preseason ranking: 2The Houston Rockets looked like the clear cut favorite to win the title after thoroughly dismantling playoff hopeful Golden State. What's even more impressive is they dominated despite getting subpar weeks (by their standards) from Dame, Steph and Wendell Carter. They were helped, however, by Jaylen Brown and Zion Williams looking every bit like stars. They've got a tough Portland team in week 2. 2. Tampa Bay (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Chicago, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 1The Bull Sharks looked a tad iffy in their win over the Bulls, and that wasn't helped by the injuries they suffered. Marcus Morris didn't play all week, and KAT went down with a dislocated wrist after just two games. The depth left something to be desired, but Domantas Sabonis was an absolute monster, nearly averaging a 20-point triple double. The good news for Tampa is that, despite the injuries, their week 2 opponent is the similarly banged-up Washington Wizards. 3. Seattle Supersonics (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat OKC, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 3Seattle got a statement win to start the season, coming from behind to beat fellow western conference power OKC. James Harden may have been partially responsible for causing a postponement of the team's season opener, but he exploded for 44-17 in his first game. Meanwhile, his backcourt mate Bradley Beal only averaged 33-5-5. Lonzo Ball came away with 5 clutch steals on Sunday to seal the victory. They get Utah next. 4. Portland Trailblazers (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Las Vegas, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 5That was quite the week from Portland against a surprisingly frisky Gamblers squad. This team has been building to contender status for years, and it appears that day has finally arrived. With a three-headed monster of Trae Young, Kevin Durant and Paul George, plus nice depth at every position, the Blazers are going to be a tough out. Injuries could be the only thing standing in their way. Well, and the Houston Rockets, who they play in week 2. 5. Miami Heat (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Memphis, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 8The Heat won a thriller over new division rival Memphis, coming from behind on the last day to win what is sure to be an important game down the stretch of the season. Just a solid all-around effort from the Heat, as no one player stood out. They get an injury ravaged Raptors team this week. 6. Oklahoma City Thunder (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Seattle, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 4The Thunder lost a tough one to last year's (what looked to be) Western Conference Champion, falling by just 2 blocks to the Seattle Supersonics. One wonders what might have been had Russ not rested on Sunday, but that's the risk you take with him in a shortened, compressed season. Kennard, Vassell and Azubuike disappointed, though I'm not sure much should be expected from the latter two. Clint Capela missed the week, which really proved to be the difference given blocks were so close. The good news is that Anthony Edwards looked like a player, though we'll have to wait and see if he is capable of much beyond scoring at this point. They've got a chance to bounce back this week against a tough Golden State team. 7. Memphis Grizzlies (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Miami, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 6Memphis also suffered a tough nail-biting loss, this at the hands of new division rival Miami. A late Oladpio scratched proved costly, as they were unable to insert Lonnie Walker into the match-up, a move that would have won them the week. Still, there is much to be excited about if you're Memphis. Otto Porter is back from the dead, as is Lauri Markkanen. Jrue Holiday looked just fine in his new digs, as did Christian Wood. Andre Drummond continues to be a monster across the board, and Andrew Wiggins showed some life late in the week. They'll get a surprising Orlando team, which is certainly no gimme, but they've got to like where they're at right now. 8. Boston Celtics (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Orlando, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 7In this week's second most dramatic match-up, the Boston Celtics got a last minute block from Julius Randle to stave off the upset-minded Orlando Magic and win 5-4. Randle put up 24-10-6 on the week, and Gordon Hayward averaged 23-5-7. Those two, along with Ben Simmons, helped Boston survive some absolutely ghastly shooting by Norman Powell, Bojan Bodganovic, JJ Redick and Landry Shamet (combined 14/77). A much easier foe, Brooklyn, awaits them this week. 9. Utah Jazz (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Minnesota, 6-2-1 Preseason ranking: 12How about the Utah Jazz! Utah took care of last year's surprise team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, holding on to a 6-2-1 victory. DeMar DeRozan was fantastic, averaging 22-9-6 and proving to be a great re-sign so far. Buddy Hield came through with 10 three-pointers, which the Jazz desperately needed. And Mason Plumlee might be a nightly triple-double threat. Kyle Lowry is also averaging a double-double. The Jazz get a big early test this week against Seattle. 10. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Utah, 6-2-1 Preseason ranking: 9It was a tough week for the Wolves. They were at a pretty significant games disadvantage against the Jazz, ultimately falling. Then they found out Kevin Love would miss a month. Combine that with injuries to Danilo Gallinari and Alec Burks and it's been a bumpy start for Minny. The good news is Collin Sexton has been explosive, and Nikola Jokic is the early leader in the clubhouse for fantasy MVP. They've got a chance to get right against Colorado. 11. Chicago Bulls (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Tampa Bay. 6-3 Preseason ranking: 11The Bulls were the best 3 point shooting team in week 1, but it wasn't quite enough for them against the Bull Sharks. It wasn't a bad performance, but if we had to point out one area that really mattered in this one, it would be Donovan Mitchell's and Nikola Vucevic's efficiency, they shot pretty poorly from the field and the Bulls need them to be better than that. Khris Middleton led the way with 26/7/6 on the week and Vucevic averaged 12 rebounds a game. Important conference matchup against Atlanta Hawks next. 12. Kansas City Kings (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Colorado, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 15Poopy's Kings were able to survive the absence of Kemba Walker and come away with the season-opening victory. A tip of the cap to CJ McCollum, who got off to a roaring start averaging over 30 points per game. The Kings will try to keep the good times rolling against their arch rival, the Las Vegas Gamblers. 13. Atlanta Hawks (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Washington, 6-2-1 Preseason ranking: 13Atlanta held off an injury-decimated Wizards team to start the season 1-0, then they gave the Wizards a bit of a parting gift sending them Thomas Bryant and Chris Boucher for the currently injured Jaren Jackson Jr. To fill the void those two are leaving behind, they moved their last pick for Larry Nance Jr., now starting in Cleveland. Still, this team is probably going to need some guard help with Spencer Dinwiddie now out for the year. An early swing game with the Bulls awaits. 14. Golden State Warriors (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Houston, 9-0 Preseason ranking: 10About as tough a week as a team can have, as Golden State was blitzed by the unanimous #1 team in our rankings. The Warriors got a decent week out of Devin Booker, but everyone else largely disappointed. With Jimmy Butler and Obi Toppin looking at a few missed games, and OKC up next, things aren't going to get any easier for the Dubs. 15. Orlando Magic (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Boston, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 16In the preseason survey Boston Celtics GM vastly underestimated the Magic putting them second to last in the preseason rankings. Magic players certainly heard about that disrespect before facing the Celtics in Week 1. The Magic gave it all they had but ended up losing in a heartbreaker after Julius Randle recorded a last minute block to put Boston up 5-4. Terry Rozier scored 80 points on the week with 13 threes. Markelle Fultz looked like the #1 pick again, averaging 20 a game. Josh Jackson, DeAndre Hunter, Elfrid Payton, all recorded some very good performances, add Ingram still playing on an all star level and you understand why they were so close to winning this one. The Magic get Grizzlies next, so they'll need continued high level efforts across the roster. Keep in mind they missed Boogie Cousins this week due to COVID protocols, they'll need him back in order to have a chance at an upset against Memphis. 16. Washington Wizards (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Atlanta, 6-2-1 Preseason ranking: 14The Wizards hung tough with the Hawks despite an unprecedented number of injuries, but help is on the way. The Wizards recently sent injured big man Jaren Jackson Jr. to Atlanta for Thomas Bryant and Chris Boucher in an effort to find some guys who aren't on IR. Those additions might not help win this week against Tampa Bay, but it should provide some nice depth moving forward. 17. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Portland, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 18Despite a fantastic week from Kyrie Irving the Gamblers just couldn't quite compete with the Blazers. The flat-Earther averaged 29/4/6 with 14 made threes but the depth just wasn't there to support him. Nurkic and Porter Jr weren't bad, but LV needs to find some more contributors, though if Irving keeps this up, they can surprise some teams down the road. They get Poopy's Kings next and this is a rivalry game, so we're up for a fun one. 18. Colorado Swannies (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Kansas City, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 17Swannies were within stirking distance in this one, but AD was ruled out of Sunday's game and that basically robbed them of any chance to steal this one from Kansas. They recorded 24 blocks as a team, including 17 from Myles Turner - league high in Week 1. Cedi Osman's play has been encouraging, but other than him and obviously AD and Turner there were just too many empty spots to overcome AD missing a game. LaMelo is clearly a very talented player, but with competition in the Hornets backcourt he'll have a hard time producing huge fantasy numbers for a while. Tough matchup against Minnesota ahead in Week 2. 19. Toronto Raptors (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Brooklyn, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 19Toronto most likely woke up to the devastating news that they came from behind in the final game of the day to defeat the Brooklyn Nets. With Ja Morant now likely on the shelf for a while, it seems as though the bottom of the league will belong to both the Raptors and Nets for the remainder of the season, barring some really crazy stuff happening. If there's a bright spot for the Raptors, it's that three of their rookies (Wiseman, Hali and Achuiwa) look like players. A tough Heat team awaits in week 2. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Toronto, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 20In the battle of the tankers, the Brooklyn Nets managed to lose on the final day by exactly two rebounds. They put up good steals numbers on the week, but looking at it, we probably underestimated how bad this team actually is. Darius Garland looks promising, but other than that there's not too much to like there right now. Rookie Hayes struggled in his first NBA games and Okoro is more of a role player right now in Cleveland even though he logs good minutes. The Nets just traded argubly their second best player in Nance to the Hawks for a future draft pick, so it's safe to say they'll have a hard time against the Celtics in Week 2. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Houston | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Tampa Bay | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Seattle | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | Portland | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 7 | Miami | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | OKC | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 8 | Memphis | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | Boston | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 4 | Utah | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | Minnesota | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | Chicago | 14 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 10 | Kansas City | 11 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 13 | Atlanta | 10 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 14 | Golden State | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | Orlando | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | Washington | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | Las Vegas | 18 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 17 | Colorado | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | Toronto | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Jan 5, 2021 14:24:54 GMT -5
1. Portland Trailblazers (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Houston, 5-4 Previous ranking: 4Portland survived a 62-point outburst from Steph Curry in the final game of the week to knock off the Houston Rockets by just 2 steals. The win cements Portland as, arguably, the team to beat in a tough Western Conference. Shout out to Paul George who is having a nice start to this season after an injury-plagued one last year. Portland will attempt to defeat the undefeated Kings without KD in week 3. 2. Tampa Bay (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Washington, 6-2-1 Previous ranking: 2Injuries and poor performances couldn't keep the Bull Sharks from beating the Wizards in week 2. Sunday was a reminder of how dangerous this team can be when clicking on all cylinders as LeBron, Murray and LaVine all had massive games. The Bull Sharks still aren't healthy, but they should be fine against the rival Nets. 3. Seattle Supersonics (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Utah, 4-4-1 Previous ranking: 3Seattle got bad news this week: TJ Warren will be out for the foreseeable future due to a broken foot. Fortunately, they were able to barely hang on to the win against Utah. Seattle has now won their first two match-ups by two blocks and 1 three, but, hey, a win is a win. They face the Warriors in week 3. 4. Houston Rockets (1-1)Week 2 result: Lost to Portland, 5-4 Previous ranking: 1The Rockets lost a nailbiter to Portland, but, honestly, their performance should frighten the crap out of everyone because Steph Curry is BACK. After a slow start, Curry exploded for 62 points. He led the team with 119 points on the week, edging out Dame Lillard (118) and Jaylen Brown (117). This team is freaking loaded, and they get a feisty Utah team in week 3. 5. Memphis Grizzlies (1-1)Week 2 result: Beat Orlando, 8-1 Previous ranking: 7The Grizzlies took care of a feisty Orlando Magic team, getting a much needed win over a division opponent. Andre Drummond and Christian Wood continue to shine, and the team even got a contribution, finally, from Facundo Campazzo. The Grizzlies look stout once again, and they face Washington in week 3. 6. Miami Heat (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Toronto, 7-2 Previous ranking: 5Miami had no problems dispatching an undermanned Raptors team to move to 2-0. The Heat got some regression to the mean with Kelly Oubre's shooting, and Harrison Barnes is off to a nice start. A crucial division match-up awaits in week 3 against Orlando. 7. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1)Week 2 result: Beat Golden State, 1-1 Previous ranking: 6OKC beat GS 5-4, but they dominated the five categories they won. It was a solid bounce back win after their tough loss to Seattle. Derrick White returns to the lineup to give them a nice boost, and Clint Capela finally looked healthy. Week 3 brings a tough, must-win against Minnesota. 8. Kansas City Kings (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Las Vegas, 6-3 Previous ranking: 12Poopies' Kings are rolling! They exploded all over their arch nemesis in Las Vegas to stay unbeaten. CJ McCollum continues to light it up, and, at this rate, his return at the deadline is going to pretty hefty if the Kings do decide to sell. However, if they can beat the Durant-less Blazers, this team may actually be buyers. 9. Boston Celtics (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Brooklyn, 8-1 Previous ranking: 8Boston thoroughly overpowered an overmatched Brooklyn team, a much needed win after a box score update resulted in them actually losing week 1 to Orlando. Mike Conley and Joel Embiid led the way, and the team got a nice game out of Darius Bazely. A crucial match-up against Chicago awaits. 10. Utah Jazz (1-1)Week 2 result: Lost to Seattle, 4-4-1 Previous ranking: 9Just a gut-wrenching loss for the Jazz, who came up one three pointer shy from upsetting the Supersonics and firmly placing their name in the playoff picture. As it stands, they'll now have to face a wounded Rockets team coming off a close defeat of their own. We'll see if Utah can finish the upset this time. 11. Chicago Bulls (1-1)Week 2 result: Beat Atlanta, 5-4 Previous ranking: 11After the blockbuster trade to acquire Julius Randle, the Bulls took care of business against the Hawks. Despite the 5-4 score, this was a pretty comfortable win for Chicago as they've won their categories by a decent margin. Vucevic was a monster with 25/11/3 on 61% shooting. Newcomer Randle provided an all around help with 18ppg/11reb/8apg. Next up - huge division matchup against the Celtics. 12. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-1)Week 2 result: Beat Colorado, 6-3 Previous ranking: 10Minnesota kind of had to sweat out a win against the Swannies this week. A loss likely would have doomed their playoff hopes, but they survive to take on a tough Thunder team. Collin Sexton has been a revelation carrying the burden left behind by all the injured power forwards, as has Kyle Anderson, who might be the FA signing of the early part of the season. 13. Orlando Magic (1-1)Week 2 result: Lost to Memphis, 8-1 Previous ranking: 15After surprising stats correction in the middle of the week, Orlando was granted a Week 1 win and were looking to improve to 2-0 against the Grizzlies. Unfortunately for them, Memphis stood up to the challange and took care of business 8-1. The score is kinda misleading though, because the Magic were actually extremely solid, this writer thinks that this team is underrated at the moment. Tough to highlight one player, but it was a good all around effort as guys like Payton and Hunter continue to put up numbers. Miami is waiting in Week 3 and they'll need Fultz to get out of his shooting slump (just 30% FG after a hot start in Week 1). 14. Atlanta Hawks (1-1)Week 2 result: Lost to Chicago, 5-4 Previous ranking: 13The Hawks lost a tough one to the Chicago Bulls, a rare early-season swing game. Atlanta actually made a curious move early in the match-up, trading away Thomas Bryant and Chris Boucher for Jaren Jackson Jr. It makes a ton of sense in the long run, the curiosity stems from the timing. In a key conference match-up, the Hawks elected to send out two reliable contributors for a player on IR. That likely costed them the match-up, as Bryant and Boucher appear to have combined for enough rebounds to have gotten them the win. We will see if this matters as the season winds down. The Raps are next. 15. Washington Wizards (0-2)Week 2 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 6-2-1 Previous ranking: 16The Wizards made a big time move this past week, sending out injured big man JJJ for Thomas Bryant and Chris Boucher. The move almost helped them upset Tampa Bay, but the bid fell just short. We'll see if they can finish the job against Memphis. 16. Golden State Warriors (0-2)Week 2 result: Lost to OKC, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 14Tough, tough week for the Warriors. They actually played it close against OKC, winning 4 categories, though the other 5 were blowouts. They got hit with the injury bug as well. Unfortunately, the schedule doesn't lighten up, as Seattle is next up. 17. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-2)Week 2 result: Lost to Kansas City, 6-3 Previous ranking: 17Much like Colorado, due to their depth, the Gamblers faced a huge minutes disadvantage (400) against the Poopies Kings and it resulted in a blowout loss. Along with Kyrie, Joe Harris had a pretty strong week with 14 threes. With Kevin Durant now quarantined, Kyrie can completely run the show in Brooklyn for a week, he'll need to in order for the Gamblers to take their first win of the season against the Swannies. 18. Colorado Swannies (0-2)Week 2 result: Lost to Minnesota, 6-3 Previous ranking: 18Colorado took their 2nd loss of the season against the Wolves. So far, Jerami Grant has been the story of the season for them as he exceles in a bigger offensive role - posting 25 ppg this week. This team is 3 rotation guys away from competing with the best, but they'll have a chance for their first win of the season against the Gamblers in Week 3. 19. Toronto Raptors (1-1)Week 2 result: Lost to Miami, 7-2 Previous ranking: 19The Raptors really had no shot to keep up with Miami without Morant or Zinger. Until those two get back, expect a lot of blowouts. That's likely to continue against Atlanta. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-2)Week 2 result: Lost to Boston, 8-1 Previous ranking: 20With 540 minutes of disadvantage on the week and your leading scorer averaging just 15ppg (46 on the week - Garland) you just kind of live with the result and move on as fast as possible. Shoutout to Maledon for a good game on Saturday. Crusade for Cade continues against the Bull Sharks in Week 3. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Portland | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Tampa Bay | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Seattle | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Houston | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | Memphis | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | Miami | 4 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 9 | OKC | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 | Kansas City | 5 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 11 | Boston | 11 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | Utah | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | Chicago | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | Minnesota | 14 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 10 | Orlando | 10 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | Atlanta | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | Washington | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | Golden State | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 18 | Las Vegas | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | Colorado | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | Toronto | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Jan 12, 2021 10:07:38 GMT -5
1. Kansas City Kings (3-0)Week 3 result: Beat Portland, 8-1 Previous ranking: 8He did it. The crazy son of a bitch did it. Poopy proved resilient and beat a (mostly) Kevin Durant-less Blazers team. While Durant did come back Sunday, it was too little, too late. Poopy had flushed Portland by that point and now sits at 3-0 and have a key victory over a conference rival. The Kings should improve to 4-0 this week as they face the depleted Brooklyn Nets. 2. Tampa Bay (3-0)Week 3 result: Beat Brooklyn, 7-2 Previous ranking: 2The Bull Sharks played an injury-riddled Nets team and won handily. Not really much of a reason to spend any more time on this one. The East appears to be Tampa's to lose. They get another injury and COVID-riddled squad in week 4 when they face Golden State. 3. Seattle Supersonics (3-0)Week 3 result: Beat Golden State, 5-4 Previous ranking: 3Seattle lost Beal at the end of the week due to COVID protocols, but they still had more than enough to take down a depleted Warriors squad. Beal threw up 101 in just two games, so he could have missed the third game for any reason, really. That said, COVID comes for everyone at some point, and this week Seattle is losing games from Bam and Lonzo due to postponements. If Boston can get healthy, this might be a tough opponent. 4. Houston Rockets (2-1)Week 3 result: Beat Utah, 6-3 Previous ranking: 4The Rockets were dominant in a few categories in their win over the Jazz. Points, threes, assists and steals weren't even close, which isn't surprising given the makeup of their team. The traditional big man categories (rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage) they either lost or barely won. One has to wonder, with the depth at guard on this team, if a trade might not be something we see in the future. They'll go up against a similarly guard-heavy team in Atlanta this week. 5. Chicago Bulls (2-1)Week 3 result: Beat Boston, 6-2-1 Previous ranking: 11Talk about a statement win. The Bulls enjoyed over 200 minutes of an advantage on Boston this past week, but in fact, it didn't matter at all. Chicago was just SO GOOD that they would've won anyway. They had 4 players score 100 points or more in D'lo, the greatest power forward to ever play the game Randle, Middleton and Mitchell. Add Vucevic with 90 and that's a wrap. It's worth to mention an underrated contribution by Royce O'Neale - recently signed by the Bulls, he outplayed his real life teammate Bojan Bogdanovic (Celtics) across the board and has been a very valuable piece. It seems like Tre Jones and Josh Green are the only empty spots right now on this team and I'd expect them to be gone soon with how active the Bulls GM has been. After winning two crucial inner conference matchups in a row, the Bulls are taking on a playoff hopeful Timberwolves, but if they keep this level of play, they should be considered heavy favorites. 6. Portland Trailblazers (2-1)Week 3 result: Lost to Kansas City, 8-1 Previous ranking: 1Portland was stunned by Poopy's Kings this past week, losing their first of the season a week after beating the Rockets. Sure, KD was out, and Portland lost games here and there to injury, but you would still expect them to beat a team like KC even short-handed. With KD back, and the nagging injuries fading, we'll see if they can get back on the right track against Memphis. 7. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-1)Week 3 result: Beat Minnesota, 5-4 Previous ranking: 7OKC was able to hang on and beat Minnesota, largely because of all the injuries the Wolves got hit by this past week. The win gets them to 2-1, but there is trouble looming. Derrick White is out 6 weeks. Russ has a gimpy quad. And Jayson Tatum tested positive for COVID. Combine that with Azubuike and Vassell hardly playing, and Svi and Kennard looking like crap, and this team has their work cut out for them. If anything, the moral of this story may be just to not play Orlando, because the string of luck they've got going right now is basically unheard of in this league. 8. Orlando Magic (2-1)Week 3 result: Beat Miami, 4-4-1 Previous ranking: 13Second time this season the Orlando Magic are winning their week 4-4-1 thanks to points tiebreaker, and for the second time it's in the crucial eastern conference matchup, as they beat the Heat in a nailbiter. They're now in a very good position to compete for a playoff spot having beaten both Boston and Miami. DeAndre Hunter is the real deal, he's really improved and averaged 20 ppg again this week. Other than that it was a usual high quality effort from Ingram, Rozier and....yes, you guessed it, Elfrid Payton. Story of the week however for them is Markelle Fultz, who tore his ACL and will be out for season. This is a devastating blow for a young man and the Magic will surely miss him, even though he struggled shooting from the field lately. Things won't get easy in Week 4 as they take on good OKC team, but with Doncic likely missing a game here or there due to game postponements this looks like another battle to come. 9. Memphis Grizzlies (1-2)Week 3 result: Lost to Washington, 6-3 Previous ranking: 5Just a dreadful showing for what should be a surefire playoff team in the East. The Grizzlies got their bell rung by a Wizards team that lost games from Giannis, Dragic, Brunson and Richardson, continues to get nothing from Nas Little or Justise Winslow, AND lost Thomas Bryatnt to a torn ACL. Sure, the Grizz had injury issues of their own, but it's hard to say they were any more hurt by injuries than Washington. That brings us to a difficult discussion about Memphis because the remaining schedule is not easy. Outside of Colorado, Brooklyn, and Toronto, there are no real easy wins on this schedule. With Chicago and Orlando banking surprising wins over playoff hopefuls, it only gets tougher. Portland is next. 10. Miami Heat (2-1)Week 3 result: Lost to Orlando, 4-4-1 Previous ranking: 6Talk about a tough loss. Miami had some difficult decisions going into the final day of play with Orlando. While trying to hold FG% and turnovers, Miami elected to sit Rubio, Schroeder, and Oubre. While the decision paid off for FG%, it didn’t make a difference for his turnovers. A decision to play Green over Schroeder was the deciding factor in this outcome. This loss stings for Miami and has propelled Orlando into the playoff discussion. However, Miami is still very much alive and should bounce back against Colorado this week. 11. Atlanta Hawks (2-1)Week 3 result: Beat Toronto, 7-2 Previous ranking: 14The Atlanta Hawks absolutely demolished the Raptors, and given the state of Toronto's roster, I'm sure Atlanta wishes they had gotten that performance last week against Chicago. As it stands, the Hawks are still frisky. They'll have a tough one against Houston this week, but the next six after that are all winnable. Win all six, and, who knows? In this crazy season, it might be enough. 12. Washington Wizards (1-2)Week 3 result: Beat Memphis, 6-3 Previous ranking: 15In one of the more surprising results of the season, the Wizards knocked off the favored Grizzlies in a contest that really wasn't even that close. Thaddeus Young and Nic Batum have turned into surprise contributors, and the Wizards now have a chance to win two in a row against a banged up Jazz team. The problem they'll face this week is their own depth has been ransacked by injuries and COVID. Justise Winslow remains out. Thomas Bryant is now gone for the year with a torn ACL. Dragic, Brunson and Richardson are all looking at extended quarantines. With Nas Little still not really playing, that's SIX players on track to miss an entire match-up. If the Wizards can pull off a win, it might be more impressive than what they did against Memphis. 13. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-2)Week 3 result: Lost to Golden State, 5-4 Previous ranking: 12They hung tough, but it's hard to win against anyone with 6 dead roster spots, let alone against a pretty good Thunder team. I guess the good news, if there is a such thing as good news when this injury-riddled, is that Aldridge came back and looked really good. They've got the Bulls next in a game that is starting to feel like a must-win. 14. Boston Celtics (1-2)Week 3 result: Lost to Chicago, 6-2-1 Previous ranking: 9If you thought Memphis' outing against Washington was rough, wait until you see what Chicago did to Boston. This started out as a match-up that was going to be extra painful as it looked like the difference was going to be Julius Randle thoroughly, and laughably outplaying Al Horford. Instead, it got so one-sided that that match-up had no difference on the outcome. And now we have a very difficult conversation about the Celtics (just after the tough one about Memphis). This team simply isn't as good as Chicago, and with their (unfortunate) unlucky loss to Orlando, their backs are against the wall. Baynes, Bjelica, and Redick are giving them nothing. Horford is washed. Bogdanovic has sucked. And Ben Simmons is hurt. There's very little chance this team beats Seattle, which will likely put them two games back of Orlando and Chicago, and really three of both when you consider they lost both tiebreakers. It's hard to believe that a three day old stats correction is going to likely end up the difference in this team making the playoffs and not making the playoffs, but that's where we are. 15. Utah Jazz (1-2)Week 3 result: Lost to Houston, 6-3 Previous ranking: 10Utah's match-up against Houston was closer than it initially appeared, as this team was a couple blocks and 3% points away from upsetting the Rockets. Instead, their valiant effort falls short. Now, normally one would say, "well, that's ok, they've got a depleted Wizards team up next." Well, the universe is unpredictable. With that in mind, the Jazz are also going to end up being ravaged by injuries and bad circumstances. Avery Bradley is going to be out because of COVID protocols. Olynyk has a sprained groin. Both Buddy Hield and Steven Adams are questionable with injuries. And if that wasn't enough, it seems DeMar is going to miss the week, sadly, because his father is very sick. Oh, also one of the few 76ers that will be available is Joel Embiid, diminishing Dwight Howard's role. 16. Colorado Swannies (1-2)Week 3 result: Beat Las Vegas, 7-2 Previous ranking: 18Colorado ran over through a depleted Gamblers roster to take their first victory of the season. LaMelo became the youngest player ever to get a triple double, Turner continues to be a defensive monster (15 blocks on the week, got 8 in one game) and AD is still AD. They'll be looking to upset the Miami Heat team in Week 4, that's in a must win situation. 17. Golden State Warriors (0-3)Week 3 result: Lost to Seattle, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 16Another tough loss for the Warriors this week, this time to the Seattle Supersonics. The Warriors are a curious case, because they brought in some starpower before the season that just hasn’t paid off. Booker hasn’t been himself, Jimmy Butler has only recently remembered how to play basketball, and the depth isn’t what Golden State probably expected. A banged up roster and a tough matchup against Tampa Bay this week could spell an even tougher start for the Warriors. 18. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-3)Week 3 result: Lost to Colorado, 7-2 Previous ranking: 17With Kyrie Irving literally disappearing this week, the Gamblers had no chance to compete in what could've been a winnable matchup against Colorado. On the positive side, Horton-Tucker logged in good minutes and was productive, same for Cam Johnson, who's been a good help in 3 point departement. They get Toronto next and that might be the last chance for them to win for a while, but if Kyrie's still missing then we're up for a tough tanking showcase. 19. Toronto Raptors (1-2)Week result: Lost to Atlanta, 7-2 Previous ranking: 19Even a year where COVID is knocking half of team's rosters on the IR, the injury bug that has hit Toronto has been impressive. Ja is already out, as was Zinger, Furkan and Goga, but then Poku got a concussion and Bogdanovic broke his knee. Just a series of devastating injuries to a team that's already super thin. Fully healthy, and this week against Vegas might be winnable. Now? Seems doubtful. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-3)Week 3 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 7-2 Previous ranking: 20What is there to say? The Nets ran into a buzzsaw and were hit by injuries this week. It’s going to be an uphill battle for the Nets all season long and it doesn’t get much easier this week against Kansas City. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Kansas City | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | Tampa Bay | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | Seattle | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | Houston | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | Chicago | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | Portland | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | OKC | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Orlando | 6 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 9 | Memphis | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | Miami | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | Atlanta | 9 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 14 | Washington | 13 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 12 | Minnesota | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 10 | Boston | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | Utah | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | Colorado | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | Golden State | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | Las Vegas | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | Toronto | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Jan 19, 2021 9:38:31 GMT -5
1. Tampa Bay (4-0)Week 4 result: Beat Golden State, 6-3 Previous ranking: 2After Tampa Bay's dominant victory over Golden State, they are in control of the East. While it was a dominant victory, Tampa Bay had three times (!) more minutes played than Golden State. After real NBA trades, it looks like the strong get stronger, with Jarrett Allen, Justin Holiday, and Sabonis all getting more minutes or becoming more of a focus on offense. They get Minnesota next who have three contributors out. 2. Houston Rockets (3-1)Week 4 result: Beat Atlanta, 8-1 Previous ranking: 4Houston's star players helped the team get to 3-1 with their victory over Atlanta. Lillard and Leonard led the way and PJ Washington had an especially strong week. Fun fact- Houston leads the league in three categories and are top 5 in three other categories. In a battle of 3-1 teams in week 5, they face an extremely confident Orlando Magic squad. 3. Kansas City Kings (4-0)Week 4 result: Beat Brooklyn, 8-1 Previous ranking: 1Kansas City was triumphant again this week as they took down the Brooklyn Nets. It wasn’t really close and was largely uneventful. However, Caris Levert is expected to be out for a while after a mass was discovered on his kidney. I think I speak for the league when I say we wish him well and hope he avoids any serious news. The Kings also saw CJ McCollum go down late in the week with a foot injury. While it appears he avoided serious injury, this will be something to monitor in the coming days. It’s going to make Kansas City’s matchup with Toronto very interesting. The Kings sit at 4-0 and appear to be the real deal, but could this all be a mirage? Kansas City would have lost to Tampa, Houston, Portland, and Memphis this past week. I think they’re here to stay, but they are going to need to have a fully health squad in order to win the West. 4. Portland Trailblazers (3-1)Week 4 result: Beat Memphis, 5-3-1 Previous ranking: 6Portland sneaked by Memphis with the assist of 100 extra minutes played. On the final day they were able to tie 3pm and flip points to take the W. They have Chicago this week, but possibly without Wall. KD's production with Harden will be something to watch, but for the first game he had a fantastic outing. Low key contributor of the week for Portland: Richaun Holmes. 5. Seattle Supersonics (3-1)Week 4 result: Lost to Boston, 6-3 Previous ranking: 3Seattle got crushed by COVID and injuries, and it cost them against a Boston team fighting to keep their season alive. The hits kept on coming at the end of the week, as it appears Bradley Beal may miss another week due to COVID protocols and Lonzo Ball's knees are banged up. Fortunately for Seattle, they play the Brooklyn Nets. 6. Chicago Bulls (3-1)Week 4 result: Beat Minnesota, 5-4 Previous ranking: 5It was closer than they would've liked, but ultimately the Bulls pulled through and were able to win without too much of a drama at the end. They continue to score a lot on a good efficiency, both FG and FT%. Julius Randle and Nikola Vucevic led the way as always, playing like bona fide all stars, at the very least, statistically wise. They face the Portland Trail Blazers in Week 5, in what is shaping up to be a matchup of the week. 7. Miami Heat (3-1)Week 4 result: Beat Colorado, 5-4 Previous ranking: 10The Miami Heat improved to 3-1 on the season after defeating the Colorado Swannies by a score of 5-4. The Heat looked scary on paper before the season and the potential is certainly there, but they’re going to need to get more from Draymond Green, Davis Bertans, and John Collins. It’s a weird season, so if any of those guys start to play to their full potential, Miami is going to be an interesting team to watch. 8. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-2)Week 4 result: Lost to Orlando, 5-4 Previous ranking: 7The Thunder were this close to pulling out a win over the Magic despite facing a nearly 300(!) minutes disadvantage. Russ, Tatum and Derrick White all missed the entire week. It's impressive that they were even in it until the last game of the day. Of course, none of that matters now. All that matters is they lost, and they're now on the outside looking at the playoff picture. Now they have to try and beat Giannis and the Wizards with Tatum, Russ and White all likely missing the whole matchup. 9. Orlando Magic (3-1)Week 4 result: Beat OKC, 5-4 Previous ranking: 8In this COVID-infected season you take any win you can, but this wasn't a glorious one. Orlando barely squeaked out a win despite an advantage of over 260 minutes, winning by just 3 threes. Rozier and Ingram led the way, but Doug McDermott was the hero with 10 crucial threes and over 16 ppg on the week. Empty spots are starting to pile up though, as Cousins, Josh Jackson, Sekou and Noel lost some of their minutes. Extremely tough test ahead against the Rockets in Week 5. 10. Boston Celtics (2-2)Week 4 result: Beat Seattle, 6-3 Previous ranking: 14The Celtics got a bit of a gift with Lonzo Ball missing the whole week, Beal and Bam missing all but a game, and Harden openly tanking until his trade. However, given the tough luck they've had to start the season, they have no one to apologize to. Up next is a feisty Utah team that they'll have to face, possibly, without Embiid and Horford. 11. Utah Jazz (2-2)Week 4 result: Beat Washington, 6-3 Previous ranking: 15The Jazz took advantage of a depleted Wizards team to keep pace with the rest of the Western Conference playoff hopefuls. They also made a big trade this week, sending out Steven Adams and Juancho Hernangomez for Aaron Gordon. Big test this week against Boston. 12. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-3)Week 4 result: Lost to Chicago, 5-4 Previous ranking: 13Injuries were the killer for Minnesota again this week, and they still almost took down the Bulls. Fortunately, Jokic continues to play at an MVP level, and guys are getting healthy. We'll see if they have enough to take down the mighty Bull Sharks in week 5. 13. Memphis Grizzlies (1-3)Week 4 result: Lost to Portland, 5-4 Previous ranking: 9Just an absolutely brutal ending to the week for the Grizzlies. Despite powering through trades and COVID losses, they had the Trailblazers beat going into the evening games Sunday... when the 76ers-Thunder game was abruptly postponed, costing the team games from both Dort and Shake Milton. Those two play, and it's probably just enough to pull out the win. Instead they fall to 1-3 and two games behind the Magic and Bulls. The good news for Memphis is they already have the tiebreaker on Orlando, and when their guys have actually played, they've looked good. Their next three are Colorado, a banged-up Thunder, and Brooklyn, so you would think they can win the next three going into huge games against Chicago, Minnesota and Seattle. 14. Atlanta Hawks (2-2)Week 4 result: Lost to Houston, 8-1 Previous ranking: 11After getting a huge first day, and looking like they just might pull the upset, the Hawks were overwhelmed by the star power and superior depth of the Houston Rockets. No shame in that, really, given how talented Houston is. They'll look to bounce back against the Las Vegas Gamblers this week. 15. Washington Wizards (1-3)Week 4 result: Lost to Utah, 6-3 Previous ranking: 12Without the 150 minute disadvantage, this could have gone the other way. Unfortunately for Washington, they came up just short against Utah. At 1 steal per game and no Josh Richardson for the week, you have to wonder if his absence alone cost Washington the victory. Boucher, however, had a fantastic week for the team. At 1-3, they face an OKC team this week with no Tatum or Westbrook. 16. Colorado Swannies (1-3)Week 4 result: Lost to Miami, 5-4 Previous ranking: 16Compared to other teams from the bottom 5, the Swannies are competitive in every matchup, they just luck a bit of production here and there to pull off these upsets. They're a very good defensive team, as they rank TOP3 in blocks and TOP9 in steals on the season, that's what makes them a sneaky tough opponent on week-to-week basis. They got a nice week out of Osman, who is carrying the load offensively for the Cavaliers while Sexton and Garland miss games, as he led the Swannies in points and 3 pointers made. They get the Memphis Grizzlies next, a team that's desperate for a win. 17. Toronto Raptors (2-2)Week 4 result: Beat Las Vegas, 6-3 Previous ranking: 19The Raptors may be entering feisty territory with the return of both Morant and Zinger. Las Vegas was a rather easy win for this crew, and now they have a chance to make some real noise by upsetting the Kings. Still seems unlikely that they can squeak into the playoffs, but, hey, you never know. 18. Golden State Warriors (0-4)Week 4 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 17Talk about a team who cannot catch a break. The Golden State Warriors fell to 0-4 on the year after losing to Tampa Bay this week. This team has been riddled with injuries and plagued by covid protocols all season long. You can’t help but feel for this squad as the owner put in the time to reshape the roster this past offseason. It’s been said before that brighter days are ahead for the Warriors, but I’m not sure those days come this week against the Miami Heat. 19. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-4)Week 4 result: Lost to Toronto, 6-3 Previous ranking: 18The Gamblers scored just 124 points this week and that sums it all up. Kyrie is still missing games after leaving the team for whatever reason, Nurkic just broke his wrist. Joe Harris might be the only consistent contributor for this team right now. After losing to Colorado and Toronto in back to back weeks, they're next and probably last opportunity to steal one is going to occur in Week 10 against the Nets, but for now they get to face the playoff hopeful Hawks. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-4)Week 4 result: Lost to Kansas City, 8-1 Previous ranking: 20Another week, another trade, another loss. Brooklyn’s agenda remains clear - stock up on picks and play for a long term rebuild through the draft or by flipping picks. It was another blowout, this time to the Kings. The Nets have another daunting matchup with Seattle in week 5. It’s going to be a long season. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Tampa Bay | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | Houston | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Kansas City | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | Portland | 4 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | Seattle | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | Chicago | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Miami | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | OKC | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | Orlando | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | Boston | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | Utah | 11 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 9 | Minnesota | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 16 | Memphis | 15 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 14 | Atlanta | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | Washington | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 | Colorado | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | Toronto | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 13 | Golden State | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | Las Vegas | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | Brooklyn | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Jan 26, 2021 17:05:24 GMT -5
1. Houston Rockets (4-1)Week 5 result: Beat Orlando, 7-2 Previous ranking: 2The Rockets ran roughshod over the Magic, improving to 4-1. This team is starting to look like the class of the West. Steph, Dame, Kawhi and Jaylen Brown is an absolutely terrifying foursome. They'll get to 5-1 this week against Brooklyn. 2. Kansas City Kings (5-0)Week 5 result: Beat Toronto, 6-2-1 Previous ranking: 3The King has made it through the easiest portion of his schedule unscathed, but now the real work begins. Up next are the Hawks, then they'll follow that up with Houston, Golden State, Miami, Boston, OKC, Utah, Seattle and Minnesota. With the way the West has looked, the Kings may only need three more wins to get in the playoffs. However, which three teams are they supposed to beat in that murderer's row? 3. Portland Trailblazers (4-1)Week 5 result: Beat Chicago, 6-3 Previous ranking: 4Portland got a monstrous 39 blocks this week en route to a win over the Bulls. It was a nice statement win after they barely held off the Grizzlies last week (in large part because of late COVID cancellations). Portland might not have as good a big four as Houston, but they do have KD, Trae and PG, and they might end up being a bit more well-rounded than Houston. They'll also get to 5-1 this week with Toronto coming up. 4. Seattle Supersonics (4-1)Week 5 result: Beat Brooklyn, 8-1 Previous ranking: 5They beat the everloving crap out of the Nets this week. Something to keep an eye on moving forward: James Harden's scoring has nose-dived (by his standards) since the return of Kyrie Irving. He's clearly made it his goal to be the facilitator on this team, and while Seattle has enough big guns to withstand a modest scoring hit, it could make things tricky if there is an injury. They'll get a test this week against Tampa Bay. 5. Tampa Bay (4-1)Week 5 result: Lost to Minnesota, 5-4 Previous ranking: 1The Bull Sharks did not get enough from Murray, Sabonis and LeBron, and that did them in against the Timberwolves. It was a surprising loss, though it likely doesn't happen with KAT available. Still, even with their first loss of the year, the Bull Sharks have to like where they're sitting. A tough match-up with Seattle awaits, but they'll already banked wins over Washington and Chicago. 6. Miami Heat (4-1)Week 5 result: Beat Golden State, 6-3 Previous ranking: 7Not a lot to take away from Miami's win over a still-depleted Golden State squad. Miami had a more than 400 minutes advantage, which would be tough for just about any team to overcome. With Tampa's loss to Minnesota, first place in the East is up for grabs, and Miami could be in sole possession after beating Vegas in week 6. 7. Chicago Bulls (3-2)Week 5 result: Lost to Portland, 6-3 Previous ranking: 6Disadvantage of 200 minutes can make a difference against any team, but especially when facing a top tier one like the Blazers. Bulls just didn't have enough this week as they got their 3 game winning streak snapped. 5 threes and 7 steals were the difference. Nikola Vucevic and Julius Randle led the way with 20 point double-doubles in every game they've played. Payton Pritchard, a promising rookie is injury, we'll see how long that absence is and how it affects their shaky depth, but Avdija might come back this week as Wizards return from their COVID break. Great chance to bounce back in Week 6 against Golden State. 8. Boston Celtics (3-2)Week 5 result: Beat Utah, 5-4 Previous ranking: 10The Celtics got a solid win over a pesky Utah team to fight their way above .500. Joel Embiid was a monster, putting up 38-12-2 averages on the week. If the Celtics can continue to get that kind of production out him, to say nothing of the big weeks from Simmons and Hayward, they are going to be just fine. They've got a chance for a real winning streak this week over Colorado. 9. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-3)Week 5 result: Beat Tampa Bay, 5-4 Previous ranking: 12The Timberwolves got a season-saving victory over the previously undefeated Tampa Bay Bull Sharks. Sure they were helped by Tampa having some games called off, but given what Minnesota has been through with injuries and COVID issues, they don't need to apologize to anyone. Collin Sexton was back in a big way, and if this team can just get healthy, they look like the favorites to grab the final playoff spot. 10. Atlanta Hawks (3-2)Week 5 result: Beat Las Vegas, 8-1 Previous ranking: 14The Hawks played Vegas, so there's not much to say about that one. Kendrick Nunn did get some minutes and produced, which is a nice pick-me-up for them. A big test awaits against Kansas City, not necessarily because the Kings are 5-0, but moreso because the Kings are thoroughly beat up. The Hawks should absolutely win this match-up with McCollum and LeVert out. We shall see. 11. Orlando Magic (3-2)Week 5 result: Lost to Houston, 7-2 Previous ranking: 9We could talk forever about what happened within the Magic organization last week, but we'll do it the short way. They have a new-old GM shahrom who took over the team after conspiracy theories scandal resulted in a previous Magic GM getting removed from the league. All this came down in a week, when Orlando had to face the juggernaut Rockets. Hard to point anything that really caused this loss, they're just not as good. DeAndre Hunter, who is one of the most improved players this year, continues to play very well and they also got a 28/17/5 game out of Boogie. The Magic are 3-2 with some tie breaker wins, so despite this loss, the new GM should feel just fine with where his team's at right now. Tough Utah team awaits in Week 6. 12. Memphis Grizzlies (2-3)Week 5 result: Beat Colorado, 6-3 Previous ranking: 13The Grizzlies continue to lose guys due to injury and COVID, but it was no problem for them this week against the Swannies. DeAndre Ayton exploded in a big way, averaging 22-15 with 2 blocks. Between him, Drummond and Wood, this team is loaded at the center spot. One has to wonder if they might make a move for a guard to round things out. A tough match-up awaits against an OKC team that looks to be healthy this week. 13. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-3)Week 5 result: Lost to Washington, 4-4-1 Previous ranking: 8The Thunder were still recovering from all their injuries and COVID this week, and they still almost pulled out the win, falling one steal short against Washington. The good news for OKC is that Tatum and Russ are finally back. The bad news is it's unlikely either will be at the level they need right away. The schedule here is unrelenting. Losing all their guys for Orlando and Washington is a killer because that was the easy part of their schedule. Now they face Memphis, Utah, Portland, Tampa and Miami in the next 5 weeks. 14. Washington Wizards (2-3)Week 5 result: Beat OKC, 4-4-1 Previous ranking: 15The Wizards took advantage of a depleted Thunder team and hung on for a huge victory. With the East now totally jumbled from 1-9, the Wizards are firmly in the playoff race. They've got another big swing game coming up this week against the Timberwolves, and they'll no doubt be hoping to get more stellar performances from Chris Boucher, who has been an underrated key pick-up. 15. Utah Jazz (2-3)Week 5 result: Lost to Boston, 5-4 Previous ranking: 11The Jazz almost pulled it off against Boston, and now they have a problem. They're going to need all hands on deck to beat Orlando, but Kyle Lowry and Aaron Gordon are dealing with nagging injuries. If they can beat Orlando, they'll keep their playoff hopes alive. If not... things look bleak. 16. Toronto Raptors (2-3)Week 5 result: Lost to Kansas City, 6-2-1 Previous ranking: 17Toronto may have landed the two best rookies in the 2020 class with Wiseman and Haliburton, but game cancelations and injuries put them at too much of a disadvantage to compete against Kansas City. Looks like that will happen again this week against Portland. 17. Colorado Swannies (1-4)Week 5 result: Lost to Memphis, 6-3 Previous ranking: 16Like we mentioned last week, the Swannies are 1 or 2 rotation players away from competing. Once again they were able to take care of blocks, turnovers and this time, FT%, but lacked production in other areas just a bit as they lost by 9 threes and 11 assists, led by Jerami Grant and AD. Off the court, Colorado decided to take some action in improving the roster and they made an interesting trade this past week to acquire Darius Garland for their 2021 pick. Risky, given their standings situation right now, but Garland should be an immediate help and might help Colorado win some matchups like that going forward. Another inner conference battle, this time against the Celtics, coming in Week 6. 18. Golden State Warriors (0-4)Week 4 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 17Talk about a team who cannot catch a break. The Golden State Warriors fell to 0-4 on the year after losing to Tampa Bay this week. This team has been riddled with injuries and plagued by covid protocols all season long. You can’t help but feel for this squad as the owner put in the time to reshape the roster this past offseason. It’s been said before that brighter days are ahead for the Warriors, but I’m not sure those days come this week against the Miami Heat. 19. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-5)Week 5 result: Lost to Las Vegas, 8-1 Previous ranking: 19Kyrie is back and playing on a high level, but, predictably, it wasn't enough to get the win. It was probably the best overall week for the Gamblers given the team's production, but they're still ways away. Likely another loss coming against Miami in Week 6. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-5)Week 5 result: Lost to Seattle, 8-1 Previous ranking: 20Brooklyn continued to sell off parts for picks, trading Darius Garland for Colorado's 2021 first. They were smacked by Seattle, but Immanuel Quickley had a huge game on Sunday. They'll lose again this week to Houston. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Houston | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Kansas City | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | Portland | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | Seattle | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | Tampa Bay | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | Miami | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | Chicago | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | Boston | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Minnesota | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 14 | Atlanta | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 7 | Orlando | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | Memphis | 13 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 | OKC | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | Washington | 12 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | Utah | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 11 | Toronto | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | Colorado | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | Golden State | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | Las Vegas | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Feb 3, 2021 10:15:54 GMT -5
1. Houston Rockets (5-1)Week 6 result: Beat Brooklyn, 7-2 Previous ranking: 1The Rockets continue to dominate, this time against the hapless Brooklyn Nets. It's only seemed like a matter of time before Houston retook the division lead from Kansas City, but the Kings just keep winning. They'll get a chance to put that to bed against KC this week. I know we've mentioned it here before, but the team's frontcourt is something to be watched. It won't hurt them in the immediate future, but with PJ Washington and Wendell Carter Jr. both going down with injuries, things on that front are bleak. Zion has been good, but Ivica Zubac has not, and Blake Griffin looks full on washed. Given this team's depth at backcourt, a trade seems inevitable. 2. Tampa Bay (5-1)Week 6 result: Beat Seattle, 5-4 Previous ranking: 5Tampa Bay clawed their way to an impressive win over the Seattle Supersonics, upping their record to 5-1. Sure, the Sonics forgot to set their lineup one night, and that basically made the difference, but the Bull Sharks won't complain as they were missing KAT for the whole week. They will now head into a crucial showdown with the Boston Celtics with the wind at their backs. A win against Boston, and they can start making their playoff plans. 3. Kansas City Kings (6-0)Week 6 result: Beat Atlanta, 6-3 Previous ranking: 2Like a cockroach, the Kings just can’t be killed. They stand at 6-0, but aside from their impressive win over Portland, they haven’t beaten a team with an above .500 record. I do think a healthy Kings team poses a problem for some of the teams out west, but this squad is anything but healthy right now. They’re now staring down the barrel at the toughest stretch of their season with Houston, Boston, Miami, OKC, Utah, Seattle, and Minnesota to close out the season. They’ll also face a pesky Golden State team in what will surely be a trap game for Kansas City. It’s an uphill battle from here for the Kings. Let’s see if they’re as reliable and capable as the teams owner is as a moderator. 4. Portland Trailblazers (5-1)Week 6 result: Beat Toronto, 8-1 Previous ranking: 3Much like the Rockets, the Blazers just keep chugging along, this time cruising past Toronto. Oddly enough, this team is in a very similar boat to Houston. They've got really good guard play, and a handful of solid to elite wings, but the big situation is alarming. Richaun Holmes has been good, but DeAndre Jordan and Marc Gasol are barely clinging to fantasy relevance, and Melo has been streaky. Again, like the Rockets, it won't hurt them in the next few weeks, but it is something to keep an eye on. 5. Miami Heat (5-1)Week 6 result: Beat Las Vegas, 7-2 Previous ranking: 6The Heat moved to 5-1 on the season with their win over Las Vegas in week 6. Miami has proven to be consistent and dangerous as the season has gone along. They’re a well rounded squad who, in my opinion, has actually underperformed all season long. Expectations of Green and Bertans have not been met. Perhaps it’s rust, perhaps it’s something else. But Miami is a scary team to watch if they start to get just a little more production from some key guys. They’ll have a real test in Chicago this week. 6. Seattle Supersonics (4-2)Week 6 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 5-4 Previous ranking: 4A tough loss for the Sonics against Tampa Bay made even tougher by the fact that they would have won had they not forgotten to set their lineups one day this past week. As it stands, the Sonics are technically in the playoffs by virtue of their win against OKC. This team hasn't quite lived up to the level they hit last year, but they've still been plenty good enough to be a top-4 team in the West. It doesn't look like that will change with Colorado up next. 7. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-2)Week 6 result: Beat Memphis, 6-3 Previous ranking: 13Fresh off a stat correction that flipped week 4's loss into a win, the OKC Thunder got a monster Sunday to come from behind and beat the Memphis Grizzlies. Russ put up 41-10-8, hit four threes and shot 16/28 from the field. Mo Wagner was 7/8 from the floor for 17 points, and Anthony Edwards was 9/15 with 4 threes pushing OKC over the top. In fact, it was just the third game all year Edwards shot above 50% in a game. It's remarkable the difference a few days makes. At the beginning of the week, OKC was staring down a 2-4 start and a four game deficit behind Kansas City. Now, they're just two games back, with a win over Minnesota in their back pocket and Utah coming up next. A win this week, and the Thunder may be in the driver's seat for the last playoff spot. 8. Boston Celtics (4-2)Week 6 result: Beat Colorado, 5-3-1 Previous ranking: 8Boston essentially led from start to finish against Colorado, though the Swannies did add a tiny bit of drama at the end. Ultimately, it wasn't much to worry about, and with Orlando's loss, the Celtics move firmly into the playoff picture. That they were able to put up a fairly easy win despite Embiid missing two games has to be a welcome sight, and they got through the first three western conference games with a 3-0 record. Now it's back to the regularly scheduled programming in the East, and their first match-up is a doozy: the conference-leading Tampa Bay Bull Sharks. A win this week, and you can just about mark the Celtics down in pen. 9. Minnesota Timberwolves (3-3)Week 6 result: Beat Washington, 5-4 Previous ranking: 9The Wolves trailed basically all week before taking the lead Saturday night against the Wizards. They never relinquished it, and it was a much needed win with Utah, OKC and Kansas City all winning. Nikola Jokic continues to hunt down the fantasy MVP trophy, nearly putting up a 50-burger on Sunday. They've got a chance to potentially catch OKC with the Gamblers next on the schedule. 10. Chicago Bulls (4-2)Week 6 result: Beat Golden State, 5-4 Previous ranking: 7Chicago was living on the edge again this week, as COVID and injuries decimated them. It took a couple of D'Angelo Russell threes late in the fourth quarter of the final game of the week to pull out a two-point win. At the end of the day though, a win is a win, and this team will get some much needed pieces back just in time for their showdown with Miami. It is arguably one of the biggest games of the season, as a win can all but assure the Bulls a playoff spot. They'd probably still feel ok about their chances with a loss, but best not to take any chances. 11. Utah Jazz (3-3)Week 6 result: Beat Orlando, 6-3 Previous ranking: 15It's weirdly felt like every game thus far for the Jazz has been a must-win, and this past week was no exception. With the Kings sprinting out to a 6-0 record, and OKC suddenly 4-2 instead of 2-4, Utah desperately needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. And their win over the Magic was dominant. Now comes a massive game against OKC. With a win, Utah would own the tiebreaker against both the Thunder and Wolves, while facing a decidedly easier schedule than both. Nine wins would not be out of the question for this team, and that should be enough to get them in. However, they'll need a win this week to pull that off. 12. Memphis Grizzlies (2-4)Week 6 result: Lost to OKC, 6-3 Previous ranking: 12Just tough break after tough break for this Grizzlies team. In an alternate universe, they're easily sitting at 5-1, maybe 6-0. Instead, they're 2-4 with the Bulls, Wolves, Sonics, Celtics and Bull Sharks still on the schedule. They'll get a brief respite against Brooklyn this week, but the three match-ups after that will decide this team's playoff fate. The one silver lining is that this team is as healthy now as they've been all season, and if that stays true, they can absolutely beat any team left on their schedule. 13. Atlanta Hawks (3-3)Week 6 result: Lost to Kansas City, 6-3 Previous ranking: 10This was not a great week for the Hawks. Going up against a banged up KC team, they looked like they had a shot to vault themselves firmly into the playoff discussion. Instead, their frontcourt fell apart, and they lost to revert back to .500. Now comes an even more important game: a match-up with division rival Orlando. A win would go a long way toward keeping their playoff hopes alive. 14. Orlando Magic (3-3)Week 6 result: Lost to Utah, 6-3 Previous ranking: 11Injuries finally took their toll, as Orlando dropped a winnable game against the Jazz. Fortunately, help looks to be on the way, as their new (veteran) owner has taken over and started making moves. Malik Monk and Nassir Little are now in the fold as George Hill and Rudy Gay exit. It's a big week for Orlando with the rival Atlanta Hawks next on the schedule and both teams sitting at 3-3. The Magic still have Toronto and Brooklyn left on the schedule, and these next three games are as swingy as they come (Atlanta, Washington, Golden State). Win all three, and they've got to like their chances at the playoffs. 15. Washington Wizards (1-5)Week 6 result: Lost to Minnesota, 5-4 Previous ranking: 14The Wizards somehow suffered two gut punch losses this week. First, their win by tiebreaker over the Thunder in week 4 was overturned by a stat correction, then they watched as Minnesota came from behind to beat them and drop them to 1-5. The good news is they have the Raptors up next, so they should get back on the winning track. The bad news is they've now fallen three games behind the final playoff spot in the East. Still, they have not yet played three of the teams above them (Chicago, Boston, Miami), and if they can make a run over these next 5 games before that final 3-game stretch, they'll have a shot. 16. Colorado Swannies (1-5)Week 6 result: Lost to Boston, 5-3-1 Previous ranking: 17It was an admirable effort by the Swannies, but it fell just short on Sunday against Boston. For the first time in a while, the Swannies are starting to find their footing. With AD, Turner, Ball, Garland, Reddish, and Grant, they finally feel like they have a legitimate core to build around. The next step will be finding the right players to put around them, though there will be time for that in the summer. For now, the task is to play spoiler, and it starts against Seattle this week. 17. Toronto Raptors (2-4)Week 6 result: Lost to Portland, 8-1 Previous ranking: 17The Raps saw James Wiseman get benched this week, but they won't fret too much. Two wins already is probably two more than they would prefer at this point. The good news for them is flattened lotto odds have negated the advantage of finishing bottom-3, and Jared Vanderbilt looks like a player. 18. Golden State Warriors (0-6)Week 6 result: Lost to Chicago, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 18The Warriors have been the victims of bad luck all season and that streak didn’t end this week. Golden State was on the verge of their first win of the season going into the final minutes of the Sunday matchups. That was until D’Angelo Russell hit a couple late threes to propel the Bulls to the narrowest of victories of just two points. In what had to feel like a dagger to Golden State, there is room for optimism despite being 0-6 on the season. For one, Jimmy Butler is back and seems to have gotten his basketball talent back from the Monstars. Secondly, Booker should be coming back very soon. It’s going to be a tough one this week against Portland, but the Warriors are not what their record reflects. 19. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-6)Week 6 result: Lost to Miami, 7-2 Previous ranking: 19The Gamblers put up some nice numbers against Miami. Though they weren't close to a win, it's clear they aren't quite bottom of the league material. Hell, had they been a little more active this past offseason, they likely would have put together a team that could pull a few upsets. As it stands, it appears this team is looking for one more star young player before ramping up again. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-6)Week 6 result: Lost to Houston, 7-2 Previous ranking: 20Another 7-2 loss for Brooklyn this past week. There isn’t much to say at this point other than the Nets are merely scoreboard watching at this point. The lone bright spot of their week 6 matchup was that Quickey strung together a couple of good games. Other than that....Brooklyn clearly has their eyes set on the draft. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Houston | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Tampa Bay | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | Kansas City | 1 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | Portland | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | Miami | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | Seattle | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | OKC | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | Boston | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Minnesota | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | Chicago | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | Utah | 11 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | Memphis | 14 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 13 | Atlanta | 13 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 11 | Orlando | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | Washington | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 17 | Colorado | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | Toronto | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 15 | Golden State | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | Las Vegas | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Feb 9, 2021 9:48:07 GMT -5
1. Houston Rockets (6-1)Week 7 result: Beat Kansas City, 8-1 Previous ranking: 1The Rockets laid waste to the undefeated Kings, cementing themselves as the West's team to beat. Ivica Zubac showed signs of life, averaging 12 and 12 over his last three games of the week. Unfortunately, Blake Griffin looks fully washed, and the Rockets are going to have to decide if it's worth rostering him. The good news is they aren't going to have to make that decision for a while. Colorado is up next. 2. Portland Trailblazers (6-1)Week 7 result: Beat Golden State, 6-3 Previous ranking: 4Portland's match-up with Golden State was a little too close for comfort, but that's to be expected when Paul George and Kevin Durant miss a majority of the week. The big question now is how much time will they miss this week against OKC? This isn't quite a must-win for Portland, but it most certainly is for OKC, so every injury/COVID loss counts. 3. Miami Heat (6-1)Week 7 result: Beat Chicago, 7-2 Previous ranking: 5The Heat were en fuego against conference foe Chicago, and they picked up a huge win. It's a win that vaults them to the top of the Eastern Conference with Tampa's loss. Draymond put up one of the funniest lines in NBA history on Saturday, going for 2 points, 6 rebounds, 15 assists, 7 steals, 4 blocks and 5 turnovers. It essentially sealed the victory for the Heat. The crucial conference games keep on coming though, as Boston is up next. 4. Boston Celtics (5-2)Week 7 result: Beat Tampa Bay, 6-3 Previous ranking: 8A fantastic showing from the Celtics this week as they thoroughly beat the conference-leading Bull Sharks. With Chicago's loss, Boston is now alone in first place in the division. It will now set up a massive showdown with the 6-1 Miami Heat for first place in the conference. A win by the Celtics might just lock them into the playoffs given their remaining schedule. Mike Conley's hamstring is going to be the injury to watch. 5. Tampa Bay (5-2)Week 7 result: Lost to Boston, 6-3 Previous ranking: 2Tampa ran into a buzzsaw against the Celtics, dropping their 2nd game in 3 outings. There's no real cause for concern here, as Tampa should still be favored to make the playoffs in the East. Had KAT been healthy, they're probably looking at an undefeated record. As it stands, they'll most likely get to 6-2 against the Raptors this week. 6. Seattle Supersonics (5-2)Week 7 result: Beat Colorado, 6-3 Previous ranking: 6No real issues for Seattle against the Swannies. Seattle already has wins over OKC and Utah, and a win over Minnesota would all but shore up a playoff spot. They are going up against 4 games of Jokic though, which should make things very interesting. 7. Kansas City Kings (6-1)Week 7 result: Lost to Houston, 8-1 Previous ranking: 3It was a sad day for Poopy's Kings, as the last of the remaining undefeated teams went down (and went down HARD), falling to the Houston Rockets. The Kings remain in 2nd place since they own the tiebreaker over Portland, but the schedule doesn't let up. Their next opponent may be the winless Warriors, but Golden State is a team that's finally (almost) healthy, and the Kings simply are not. They're going to need a lot of help, and it doesn't seem like they'll get it with Josh Hart, Brandon Clarke and Delon Wright all nursing injuries as well. 8. Chicago Bulls (4-3)Week 7 result: Lost to Miami, 7-2 Previous ranking: 10The Bulls would've beaten a majority of the teams in the league this week, but happened to run into lights out shooting Miami and had to take their 3rd loss of the season. Chicago got their regular high level production from Vucevic, Randle and Mitchell but just couldn't match the Heat's efficiency, big part of that was D'Angelo Russell's poor week. Bulls hit the West now to face the toughest part of their schedule - Memphis, Seattle and Houston are next. 9. Utah Jazz (4-3)Week 7 result: Beat OKC, 5-4 Previous ranking: 11An absolutely MASSIVE win by Utah this week, coming from behind to take down the OKC Thunder. It literally came down to the final shot, as Lou Will's layup sealed the deal. Had he missed, OKC would have come away with the win. As it stands, Utah has to really like their chances of making it back to the playoffs. They're 4-3, tied with Minnesota and OKC, but they have wins over both teams, so in the event of a two or three-way tie, Utah wins out. 9 wins is very much on the table. 10. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-3)Week 7 result: Lost to Utah, 5-4 Previous ranking: 7Gut wrenching loss for the Thunder, with Russ and Moe Wagner combining to shoot 6/12 from the line and sink OKC. It looked like they had things locked down after a massive Saturday, and given that it's Utah, it stings a little more. Now the gauntlet begins. Portland, Tampa, Miami in the next three weeks. They might have a good shot against Portland if KD and PG miss the whole week, which is a possibility at this point. 11. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-3)Week 7 result: Beat Las Vegas, 7-2 Previous ranking: 9Their win against Vegas was a little closer than I think most expected, as they won by just 9 threes, 9 boards and 6 blocks. Granted, they were never threatened, but you'd still want a more comfortable win against one of the worst teams in the league. Utah sneaking out a win over OKC was also a killer for them as it puts Utah firmly in the playoff picture. Their upcoming match-up with Seattle is huge for seeding purposes. They can't lose tiebreakers to Seattle, Utah, AND OKC. 12. Orlando Magic (4-3)Week 7 result: Beat Atlanta, 6-3 Previous ranking: 14This week, it was going back and forth between the Magic and the Hawks, but on Saturday Orlando was able to get a little bit of an advantage and they managed to hold it on Sunday, thanks to Terry Rozier's and McDermott's good performances. They were led by Ingram (100 points, 7 blocks, 94 %FT ) and Josh Jackson's across the board contributions. With this win, the Magic keep themselves in playoff contention. Off the court, the Magic made a trade this week to acquire Taurean Prince in exchange for Joe Ingles. Story of the week, though, might unfortunately be DeAndre Hunter's surgery that's scheduled to happen next week. He was having a great sophmore campaign, but meniscus injury might have just ended his season. Another important matchup awaits in Week 8, against a pesky Wizards team that's trying to build some momentum coming after a win. 13. Washington Wizards (2-5)Week 7 result: Beat Toronto, 7-2 Previous ranking: 15The Wizards took care of business against the struggling Raptors, setting up a big match-up with the Orlando Magic to keep their playoff hopes alive. Washington made a key pickup this week, signing Cody Zeller to solidify their big rotation. Washington gets all their key conference match-ups to end the season, so winning before the last three weeks will go a long way toward keeping their playoff hopes alive. 14. Memphis Grizzlies (3-4)Week 7 result: Beat Brooklyn, 6-3 Previous ranking: 12The Grizz had a much closer than expected win against Brooklyn, but they also lost a number of players to injuries. Wood, Porter, Markkanen, Walker, and Campazzo all are likely to miss some games next week. That's going to be a problem against Chicago. If they don't pull out this win, the playoffs are going to be tough. 15. Atlanta Hawks (3-4)Week 7 result: Lost to Orlando, 6-3 Previous ranking: 13Just an absolutely gut punch of a loss for Atlanta in a game they absolutely needed to win against rival Orlando. Losing Nance and Graham were killers, and getting beat by Josh Jackson has gotta hurt. Normally we'd say they'll get back on track against Brooklyn, but the Hawks are banged up, and the Nets suddenly look frisky. 16. Colorado Swannies (1-6)Week 7 result: Lost to Seattle, 6-3 Previous ranking: 16Best week of LaMelo Ball's career wasn't enough to propel the Swannies to upset Seattle. ROTY candidate averaged 23-5-6 in the matchup with a career high of 34 points on Friday. Every week Colorado has 4-5 reliable guys with one or two really stepping up, but this team needs one or two role players to move the needle going forward. Interestingly, this was the first time that Colorado lost blocks category on the week this season. Tough task in Week 8 as the Swannies get the Houston Rockets. 17. Golden State Warriors (0-7)Week 7 result: Lost to Portland, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 18The Warriors played Portland remarkably close, and it looked like they had a legitimate chance to win on Sunday. Unfortunately, they couldn't hold the percentages, and they remain winless. However, help is on the horizon, and the banged-up Kings are next. Provided the Warriors get close to full weeks from Booker, Butler and Harris, they should finally get off the schneid and pick up a win. 18. Toronto Raptors (2-5)Week 7 result: Lost to Washington, 7-2 Previous ranking: 17Tyrese Haliburton continues to impress. That's about it right now with Toronto as they continue their slow, long march to the end of the season. Another loss, this time to the Rockets, is on the horizon. 19. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-7)Week 7 result: Lost to Minnesota, 7-2 Previous ranking: 19Same ol' story for the Gamblers this week. They shot well, but just not enough production across the board to really pose a threat to a team like Minnesota. Tristan Thompson is finally healthy and Horton-Tucker has logged double-digit minutes in the last 4 games. We tend to mention this often, but had Vegas been more active in the offseason, this team wouldn't be a bottom feeder. Next up, Utah Jazz. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-7)Week 7 result: Lost to Memphis, 6-3 Previous ranking: 20For a brief moment on Saturday, it looked like the Nets were going to pull off a mammoth upset against the Grizzlies. Then reality hit Saturday night, and the bid fell short. There is reason for optimism though. Hamidou Diallo and Theo Maledon look like legitimate players, and pretty much everyone on the roster has had some standout performances. This team is still so young, it's about putting good performances together night after night. They'll have a chance to do just that against Atlanta. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Houston | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Portland | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Miami | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Boston | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 7 | Tampa Bay | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | Seattle | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | Kansas City | 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 2 | Chicago | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 11 | Utah | 8 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 8 | OKC | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | Minnesota | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | Orlando | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 14 | Washington | 13 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | Memphis | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | Atlanta | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | Colorado | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | Golden State | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | Toronto | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | Las Vegas | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Feb 17, 2021 12:05:57 GMT -5
1. Houston Rockets (7-1)Week 8 result: Beat Colorado, 7-2 Previous ranking: 1Another week, another win. Downside here for Houston is Blake has been sent home, though he hadn't been doing much to begin with. Not a problem though since their guards are incredible, and they've got Toronto this week. 2. Boston Celtics (6-2)Week 8 result: Beat Miami, 5-4 Previous ranking: 4The Celtics are on a roll, and the playoffs are in sight. After a thrilling, down-to-the-wire victory over the East-leading Heat, Boston now has wins over both the Bull Sharks and the Heat. That has vaulted Boston to the top of the standings, and their closing is quite friendly. Barring any unforeseen injuries, which is always a question mark with the likes of Mike Conley and Joel Embiid currently banged up, this team has as good a shot as any at the 1 seed. It's a far cry from the doom and gloom here after their week 3 loss to Chicago. That friendly closing schedule starts with Vegas this week. 3. Tampa Bay (6-2)Week 8 result: Beat Toronto, 7-2 Previous ranking: 5Pretty easy win for Tampa over Toronto. The Bull Sharks have to be happy about having KAT back, plus Poeltl and Allen starting to get more playing time. The Bull Sharks are going to get an OKC team that just got hit by some COVID cancellations. 4. Seattle Supersonics (6-2)Week 8 result: Beat Minnesota, 7-2 Previous ranking: 6A big Sunday led to a huge win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Sonics are now sitting pretty at 6-2. Seattle's closing schedule isn't exactly easy, but injuries have lightened it up considerably. With Memphis and Chicago banged up, the Sonics are a solid East coast swing away from locking up a playoff spot. The big games come at the end of the year for this squad, as they go Houston, KC, Portland to close the season. 5. Miami Heat (6-2)Week 8 result: Lost to Boston, 5-4 Previous ranking: 3Real tough loss for the Heat who, with a win, would have all but wrapped up a playoff spot. Miami has KC next, a surprising 7-1, but there appear to be enough wins on the schedule for the Heat to feel comfortable about their playoff chances. The good news is Kelly Oubre looks like he's coming out his slump, Kira Lewis is playing, and Draymond Green avoided a serious knee injury. 6. Portland Trailblazers (6-2)Week 8 result: Lost to OKC, 7-2 Previous ranking: 2Tough loss for the Blazers against OKC, and now things get interesting. A loss to Washington could put this team behind the 8-ball with losses already to KC and the Thunder. They close the season against Seattle, Minnesota, and Utah, and dropping two games there could end up with this team on the outside looking in at the playoff race. 7. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-3)Week 8 result: Beat Portland, 7-2 Previous ranking: 10Well, that was quite the statement. Luka Doncic was magnificent (36-8-9) en route to OKC's biggest win of the season, dominating Portland on the final day to pick up a massive win. OKC's final six games range from extremely tough (TB, up next, Miami, Houston) to should win (KC, Vegas, Colorado). It does seem like the Thunder will need to pick up at least one win from the first group, and sweep the second group to guarantee a playoff spot. It'll be tough this week against a fully healthy TB team, and Luka only playing 2 games. That said, the West just got a lot more interesting. 8. Kansas City Kings (7-1)Week 8 result: Beat Golden State, 5-4 Previous ranking: 7Somehow, someway, Poopy's Kings just keep on trucking. Sure, Golden State came in winless, but they are not your typical winless team. The Kings got big weeks from Delon Wright, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart to win threes, rebounds, steals, blocks and turnovers. With Portland's loss to OKC, the Kings are now, effectively, two games ahead of Portland for 2nd in the West. Of course, the two biggest games of their season are ahead of them: OKC and Utah. Up next, they'll see if their team of role players can take down the Miami Heat. 9. Utah Jazz (5-3)Week 8 result: Beat Las Vegas, 7-2 Previous ranking: 9Utah left no doubt against Vegas, checking off step 1 on their quest to get back to the playoffs after missing it for the first time ever. Step 2 comes this week against Brooklyn, and they're going to need it with OKC pulling out a win over Portland. The Jazz really do appear to have hit their stride though with Pat Bev back playing well, Lou Williams shaking off his early season blues, and Joe Ingles knocking down everything in sight. 10. Chicago Bulls (5-3)Week 8 result: Beat Memphis, 7-2 Previous ranking: 8Chicago took full advantage of a completely injury-riddled Memphis, taking them down in a convincing manner. It was yet another week of Nikola Vucevic's dominance (27/12/3/1.5) despite a poor Sunday. With this win, the Bulls sit at #4 seed in the conference, but their next 4 games are Seattle, Houston, Magic and the Wizards. They need to take care of business in the inner-conference games, while a win over Seattle or Rockets would help immensely if they want to look for a higher seed. D'Angelo Russell is expected to miss some time this week, so we'll see how it's going to play out for the Bulls against Seattle, but as far as the playoffs, they're in the driver's seat for the #4 spot right now. 11. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-4)Week 8 result: Lost to Seattle, 7-2 Previous ranking: 11What could have been for the Wolves. They've been agonizingly close to wins over Seattle, OKC and Utah. There is still hope. Pull off wins over Memphis and Atlanta (which they should do easily), and then you set yourself up for the biggest four games of the season: Houston, Portland, Golden State, KC. Winning all of them is not out of the question, and it would more than likely get the Wolves in the playoffs. Lose just one, and things get dicey. Lose two and it's over. 12. Washington Wizards (3-5)Week 8 result: Beat Orlando, 6-3 Previous ranking: 13Washington rode a huge Sunday to get a gigantic win over Orlando and keep their playoff hopes alive. Both TJ McConnell and Cody Zeller have turned out to be key free agent signees, and now the Wizards have a shot at the playoffs, but it's going to take a lot. It is very likely this team will have to win out to get in. They'll get their first shot against an injury-depleted Blazers team. 13. Atlanta Hawks (4-4)Week 8 result: Beat Brooklyn, 6-3 Previous ranking: 15For whatever reason, when teams get hit by injuries/COVID, they seem to get hit all at once. That's what has happened to Atlanta this week. No Dinwiddie, no JJJ, no Nance, no Cole, no DeVonte, and now Patty Mills gets shut down. This team is in real danger of losing to the Swannies, and doing that ends any realistic shot at the playoffs. Shame, too, because they weren't that far off a 7-1 start. 14. Orlando Magic (4-4)Week 8 result: Lost to Washington, 6-3 Previous ranking: 12Just absolutely crushing loss for the Magic in Week 8, as rival teams - Boston, Tampa Chicago, Hawks and the Wizards all got the wins. They were really unlucky to catch the Wizards on their hot streak as this week's performance would've gotten them wins against some very strong teams like Oklahoma or Portland. Rozier went bonkers with 120 points and over 4 three pointers per game, he's a big reason why the Magic have become a playoff contender. Dario Saric is back on the court in just a right time and Malik Monk has been productive. Orlando's situation is still ok, with HUGE, possibly season defining matchup against the Bulls coming in Week 11, but first they're heading West to face the Warriors and Portland and under no circumstances can they afford 0-2 trip there. 15. Memphis Grizzlies (3-5)Week 8 result: Lost to Chicago, 7-2 Previous ranking: 14Memphis' season is on the ropes, and it looks like the ref is about call the fight. Markkanen is out. Porter is out. Holiday is out. Wood is out. Milton is out. Oladipo is out. Drummond is being "rested." Their next two opponents are Minnesota and Seattle. They're now two games back of Chicago, and they've already lost the tiebreaker. It seems very, very unlikely this team is going to rebound to make the playoffs, which is a shame because they are arguably one of the three most talented in the conference. They just happened to be the team killed by injuries and COVID. 16. Colorado Swannies (1-7)Week 8 result: Lost to Houston, 7-2 Previous ranking: 16The Swannies didn't stand a chance against the Rockets team that hit over 100 threes and tallied 825 points. The Rockets were amazing, but other than LaMelo, who continues to shine, this was a pretty poor week for Colorado. AD is banged up with an achilles injury and might be out for a while, Jerami Grant struggled mightly from the field (just 27%), same for Cedi Osman (33%). It'll be extremely tough without AD, but they'll try to pull of an upset against the Hawks next week, who are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive. 17. Toronto Raptors (2-6)Week 8 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 7-2 Previous ranking: 18The schedule has been obscenely tough lately, and that will only continue with Houston up next. We'll see if they can make something happen in the weeks after this one. 18. Golden State Warriors (0-8)Week 8 result: Lost to Kansas City, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 17The nightmare continued last week for Golden State, as they lost to a KC team playing without Caris LeVert and CJ McCollum. Week after week, they come so close to pulling off a win, only to see the rug get pulled out from under them. One of these weeks, it will all come together, and they'll get a win. That may just happen this week against the Magic, though Orlando is clearly much better than everyone anticipated. 19. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-8)Week 8 result: Lost to Utah, 7-2 Previous ranking: 19Good scoring numbers, given the low number of players that they have available, 300 minutes of disadvantage and 2-7 loss, story of the season for the Gamblers. As trade deadline slowly starts to appear in the horizon, it'll be interesting to see if Vegas GM considers cashing in on some of the vets that have been playing well for them, particularly Milsap and Harris. LV heads East for their next two, and before facing the Brooklyn Nets in Week 10 in the biggest tank bowl of the season, they have to take on red hot Boston Celtics first. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-8)Week 8 result: Lost to Atlanta, 6-3 Previous ranking: 20Still winless. Not much to take from last week. They may have found some decent role players in Diallo and Bamba, but that's about it. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Houston | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Portland | 8 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 7 | Miami | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | Boston | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | Tampa Bay | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | Seattle | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Kansas City | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | Chicago | 10 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Utah | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | OKC | 3 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 9 | Minnesota | 11 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | Orlando | 14 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 15 | Washington | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | Memphis | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | Atlanta | 13 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 11 | Colorado | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | Golden State | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | Toronto | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 16 | Las Vegas | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Feb 22, 2021 15:37:01 GMT -5
1. Houston Rockets (8-1)Week 9 result: Beat toronto, 7-2 Previous ranking: 1They continue to dominate, and it's hard to see Houston losing again this season. Steph, Dame, Jaylen, Kawhi and Zion might be the best 5-man group in the entire league. They might be a tad thin at center, still, but with WCJ and PJ Washington back healthy, that's not really a concern anymore. The West playoffs are shaping up to be a bloodbath. Chicago is up next. 2. Tampa Bay (7-2)Week 9 result: Beat OKC, 8-1 Previous ranking: 3Well, well, well... look who's rounding in to form. The Bull Sharks would have beaten all comers last week, and with the Thad trade, they look to be legitimately 12 deep. Jamal Murray dropped a 50-piece, Zach LaVine scored 30 or more four times, and Jarrett Allen averaged a cool 20-14 while shooting 75% from the floor. Unlike the top two teams in the West (Houston and Portland), the Bull Sharks are loaded with big men. If Tampa can make the finals against one of them, it would be quite the interesting match-up. We have a long way to go to that point, though, and the Bull Sharks have a feisty Utah team up next. 3. Boston Celtics (7-2)Week 9 result: Beat Las Vegas, 7-2 Previous ranking: 2This team is rolling now. Fresh off a blowout of the Gamblers for their 6th straight win, the Celtics appear poised to claim the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid was absolutely unstoppable this week, averaging 35-15-5. The schedule the rest of the way looks like cake, with injuries ravaging Kansas City, Atlanta, and Memphis (their next three opponents). With only 5 games left, it would take a monumental collapse to miss the playoffs, and that simply isn't happening. 4. Seattle Supersonics (7-2)Week 9 result: Beat Chicago, 7-2 Previous ranking: 4After surviving numerous COVID cancellations and injury scares, not to mention the Harden debacle, the Sonics are now sitting pretty at 7-2. They had no problems defeating the banged up Bulls, and now they get the MASH unit that is Memphis. After that, they'll tack on one more win against Vegas before entering the gauntlet of Houston, Kansas City, and (in what figures to be a division title game) Portland. Any hope the team had of TJ Warren being back by then was probably extinguished with the news last week that he's nowhere close to returning, but prized 2nd year man Kevin Porter Jr. has been tearing up the G-League, waiting for his return to the big stage. He would be a welcome addition this late in the season. 5. Portland Trailblazers (7-2)Week 9 result: Beat Washington, 6-3 Previous ranking: 6The Blazers won without KD! To this point, losing KD had been a death knell for this team, but they flipped the script this week. They can thank Trae Young for that, as the man found his stroke this week, putting up 32 ppg and knocking down 12 threes. PG also made his return, and though he was limited on Sunday, he still dropped 34-6-7. The concerning part for Portland is that their depth is a bit iffy. Windler, Okogie, Gasol and Hood are all feast or famine type guys. In the right week(s), that's not a problem. But if they hit a cold stretch in the playoffs, this could lead to a shocking upset. That's a concern for another time, though, Orlando is next on the docket. 6. Miami Heat (7-2)Week 9 result: Beat Kansas City, 6-3 Previous ranking: 5After their narrow loss to Boston, the Heat took care of business against Kansas City. The Heat now sit at 7-2 with a week 11 battle against Tampa Bay looming. This week will pose another tough test however, as they go up against Oklahoma City. This is one of the more intriguing matchups of the week. Miami can put the final dagger in OKC’s playoff aspirations with a win. 7. Utah Jazz (6-3)Week 9 result: Beat Brooklyn, 6-2-1 Previous ranking: 9They just keep taking care of business. A fourth straight win puts them just one game back of the Blazers, Kings and Sonics for a playoff spot. Kyle Lowry's thumb might be a concern moving forward, but they really just need him to get healthy this week against Tampa Bay. A loss here doesn't kill them. It's the stretch after that, against Golden State, KC, Portland and Colorado, that will make or break their season. 8. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-4)Week 9 result: Beat Memphis, 8-1 Previous ranking: 11There's a world where this team wins 9 games and still misses the playoffs because of tiebreakers. That's a tough break, but it seems like the most likely outcome at this point. Lose only to Houston, and Utah simply needs to beat Golden State, Kansas City and Colorado to keep Minnesota out. And if Utah stumbles? The Thunder just need to beat Miami, Kansas City, Vegas and Colorado. And if that's not enough, the Kings are still sitting out there with 7 wins and can end Minnesota's season in the last week with a win. Of course, the math changes dramatically if the Wolves can upset Houston, so while one never wants to look past their current opponent (Atlanta, in this case), it's hard not to. 9. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-4)Week 9 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 8-1 Previous ranking: 7The Thunder never stood a chance against the Bull Sharks, through no real fault of their own. COVID and inclement weather wiped out Luka, Derrick White, Devin Vassell and all but one Miles Bridges game. With Svi and Doke taking up two roster spots, the Thunder really can't afford to lose that many games if they want to win. The good news is most everyone should be back this week (unless White and Vassell were two of the players that tested positive). They've got a big match-up with Miami this week, and a win can put them in the driver's seat for the postseason. 10. Kansas City Kings (7-2)Week 9 result: Lost to Miami, 6-3 Previous ranking: 8Poopy’s kings couldn’t stay afloat against the Miami Heat this week. The Kings could be cautiously optimistic for keeping it as close as they did, but the injury bug found them again this week. Delon Wright is going to miss at least the next two weeks. In what should have been a prime week 10 showdown with Boston, now feels massively one sided. 11. Chicago Bulls (5-4)Week 9 result: Lost to Seattle, 7-2 Previous ranking: 10The Bulls got waxed by the Sonics, trailing basically from Monday to Sunday. This was the type of week that sometimes happens - good production from their top 4 that could get a win against majority of the teams, but just not enough when you run into a star studded squad that's rolling. D'lo is out, possibly for the rest of the regular season so they'll need even more out of Mitchell and Middleton to make up the loss in backcourt stats. The Bulls, with Orlando's loss, at 5-4, are still front runners for the 4th seed with their easy closing schedule, but first they'll try to shock the world against Houston in Week 10. 12. Atlanta Hawks (5-4)Week 9 result: Beat Colorado, 6-3 Previous ranking: 13It honestly feels like a bit of a miracle that the Hawks managed to escape Colorado with a win. With JJJ, DeVonte Graham, Cole Anthony, and Larry Nance Jr. already on the shelf, the team proceeded to lose Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams to injury, and Tim Hardaway Jr. to severe weather cancellations. Throw in the fact that Jalen Smith didn't see the floor at all last week, and the Hawks somehow pulled out a win with just 6 players (and one of those was Alex Len, who played a whopping 5 minutes). The hope, at this point, is probably that the team can get totally healthy in time for the last three match-ups, then pull off some upsets and get into the playoffs. Unfortunately, that is much easier said than done with their closing schedule, and their losses to this point to Chicago, Orlando and KC will no doubt haunt them. Minnesota figures to be a team they won't be able to beat in spite of injuries. 13. Orlando Magic (4-5)Week 9 result: Lost to Golden State, 6-3 Previous ranking: 14Sadly for them, this might be it for the Magic when it comes to the playoffs. They got hit with COVID postponements and injuries in the worst possible time, which resulted in 240 minutes of disadvantage and a brutal loss to the Warriors. Rozier played only 1 game, they were led by Ingram and Valanciunas, but it wasn't enough. Off the court, the Magic seem to be making some moves for the future, this time parting ways with Nerlens Noel, who was an expiring. DeMarcus Cousins was recently waived by the Rockets, he might end up being the next man out of Orlando. Portland's up next in Week 10 and every game is a must win now for the Magic. 14. Washington Wizards (3-6)Week 9 result: Lost to Portland, 6-3 Previous ranking: 12Just an absolutely killer loss to a banged-up Trailblazers team. It obviously did not help that COVID and severe weather hit Washington hard, but this felt like a must win game. It's getting harder to see how this team sneaks into the playoffs, and it seems they see the writing on the wall too, trading Thad Young for a draft pick. If they lose this week to Golden State, it would not be a surprise to see them really hit the sell button. There are some decent pieces on this team that could net a decent return, and with Giannis and FVV in tow, this team will be right back contending in no time. 15. Memphis Grizzlies (3-6)Week 9 result: Lost to Minnesota, 8-1 Previous ranking: 15Technically, their season is not over yet. They're only two games back with five to play. The problem the Grizzlies are going to run into is that Chicago has a minimum of two wins left on their schedule (Brooklyn, Toronto), and simply finishing tied with Chicago is not good enough (unless we get into some 3, 4 or 5-way tiebreakers, all of which are also still technically possible). That means Memphis will have to run the table, and that will not happen. Not when they play Seattle next with half their team still out for one reason or another. So while a loss does not technically eliminate them from the postseason, a loss will eliminate them from the postseason. 16. Colorado Swannies (1-8)Week 9 result: Lost to Atlanta, 6-3 Previous ranking: 16Without AD and with LaMelo getting his games postoponed, there wasn't much Colorado could do here, though, with how banged up the Hawks are, it was closer than expected and the Swannies managed to win 3 categories. Both teams played only 561 and 541 minutes respectively, which shows how decimated both of these squads really were. Jerami Grant was a one man army for Colorado. The Swannies have a huge chance for their second win of the season against Toronto next week if they get some good games out of LaMelo. 17. Golden State Warriors (1-8)Week 9 result: Beat Orlando, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 18And like that, Golden State is on the board with their first W of the season. In what was a convincing win against Orlando, the Warriors finally found victory this season. With the playoffs out of sight, it’s probably time that Golden State starts to focus on building for next season. 18. Toronto Raptors (2-7)Week 9 result: Lost to Houston, 7-2 Previous ranking: 17Tyrese Haliburton continues to impress. That's about it this week. Normally, a match-up against an AD-less Colorado team might signal a chance for a third win. However, that seems unlikely given injuries and diminishing playing time. 19. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-9)Week 9 result: Lost to Boston, 7-2 Previous ranking: 19For the most part of the week, the Gamblers were surprisingly close to the Celtics, who were hit by COVID postponements and some minor injuries. It wasn't only that - Vegas players were legitimately great. Kyrie and Joe Harris hit 26 threes. Tristan Thompson shot 76% from the field on the week. Horton-Tucker and Hampton are getting increasingly more run. If the team can keep that production, they'll get their first win in Week 10 tank bowl against the Nets. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-9)Week 9 result: Lost to Utah, 6-2-1 Previous ranking: 20A waiver claim and free agent signing were the highlights of Brooklyn’s week. They’re only chance at victory will come this week against Vegas. Is it draft time yet? And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Houston | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Tampa Bay | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | Boston | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | Seattle | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Portland | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | Miami | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Utah | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 8 | Minnesota | 8 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 10 | OKC | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | Kansas City | 11 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 7 | Chicago | 10 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 12 | Atlanta | 14 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 9 | Orlando | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 15 | Washington | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | Memphis | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | Colorado | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 16 | Golden State | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | Toronto | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 17 | Las Vegas | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Mar 3, 2021 10:10:09 GMT -5
1. Houston Rockets (9-1)Week 10 result: Beat Chicago, 7-2 Previous ranking: 1Another ho-hum win for Houston, but their match-up with Minnesota could be a little shaky. The Wolves are getting some extra games from Jokic, and with Beasley out and Jaylen banged up, this match-up could get interesting. It really won't make a difference in the long run for Houston, since they are as close to a lock as a team can be at this point, but it would make the race for the final spot in the West incredibly interesting. 2. Tampa Bay (8-2)Week 10 result: Beat Utah, 6-3 Previous ranking: 3This team looks downright dominant right now. KAT is back and dominating. Jarrett Allen has been a beast since moving into the starting lineup. And the trade for Thad Young is already paying dividends. It's hard to see where they need some help. Maybe a little extra juice on the wings? We're still a few weeks away from the deadline, but they might be the league's only buyer, with the way things are shaping up. A showdown with the Heat to determine the winner of the division is next up. 3. Miami Heat (8-2)Week 10 result: Beat OKC, 6-3 Previous ranking: 6A monster win over the OKC Thunder last week. Miami finishes 5-0 against the West, and with the Nets still on the schedule, they're now locked into 9 wins at a minimum. That will pretty easily be enough to get them into the playoffs. Up next, the game that will decide the Southeast Division... the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks. 4. Seattle Supersonics (8-2)Week 10 result: Beat Memphis, 8-1 Previous ranking: 4Another dominant performance for Seattle. They've really kicked it into high gear after a choppy start. Help may be on the way too, as Kevin Porter Jr. has looked really good in the G League bubble. They could use the help, too, with some of their depth taking a hit. Seattle will be one step closer to the playoffs after playing Vegas. 5. Kansas City Kings (8-2)Week 10 result: Beat Boston, 5-3-1 Previous ranking: 10He did it. That crazy son of a bitch did it. Despite looking extinct for much of the week, the Kings rode a massive Sunday to one of their best wins of the season against the Boston Celtics. Trailing by 21 rebounds, 5 steals and 6 threes going into the final day, Kansas City got 55 rebounds and 11 steals to flip both categories. A fantastic day from the floor (33/54) flipped FG%, and their 7 threes were enough to tie the category. The Kings had, easily, the toughest 2nd half schedule of any team in the West, and yet they are now 2-1 through 3 weeks. They've given themselves a ton of breathing room since a win over OKC this week, or a win over Utah the following week, should allow them to clinch the playoffs. Just an incredible performance for Poopy's Kings down CJ, LeVert and Delon Wright. 6. Portland Trailblazers (8-2)Week 1 result: Beat Orlando, 7-2 Previous ranking: 5The Blazers jumped out to decent leads about midway through their match-up with Orlando, and it was smooth sailing to the finish line. Marc Gasol showed some signs of life, as did Eric Bledsoe. Dylan Windler is also getting some more playing time, so the Blazers have to like that. The downside here as that there are a lot of feast or famine players on this roster, and when they trend toward famine, it can get really bad. That said, they're 8-2 with the Swannies on deck, so it would take a monumental collapse to miss the playoffs at this point. 7. Boston Celtics (7-3)Week 10 result: Lost to Kansas City, 5-3-1 Previous ranking: 3The Celtics suffered a dramatic loss to the Kings, watching as KC got incredible performances from every player in the lineup on Sunday. The loss snapped a 6-game winning streak for Boston, though it won't do much to diminish their playoff hopes. With Atlanta up next, and Toronto still on the schedule, Boston will get to 9 wins and clinch a spot. However, the loss to the Kings may have put the #1 seed in jeopardy. How much that matters remains to be seen. 8. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-4)Week 10 result: Beat Atlanta, 7-2 Previous ranking: 8The Wolves head into their biggest game of the season against Houston. It's not quite a must win, since a loss doesn't "doom" them. However, a loss basically takes away their margin for error. A win likely means the season finale against Kansas City turns into a play-in game. It's been a couple years since we had one of those, so here's hoping. 9. Utah Jazz (6-4)Week 10 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 6-3 Previous ranking: 7The Jazz might have the friendliest closing schedule of all the West playoff hopefuls, but this was always going to be the game they dropped. Given that it was a non-conference match-up against the best team in the East, it's not a cause for concern. However, with the Kings winning, the Jazz no longer have any margin for error. They have to win this week against Golden State and next week against KC to stay alive. 10. Chicago Bulls (5-5)Week 10 result: Lost to Houston, 7-2 Previous ranking: 11The Bulls ran into Houston, and, much like previous week against Seattle, put up good numbers across the board but the bench just couldn't match the production that Rockets' depth is generating at the moment. Chicago has now Orlando and Washington on its schedule, if they can win one of these matchups, with Toronto and Brooklyn to close out the season, it likely gets them to the playoffs. With no draft picks it'll be interesting how their owner approaches looming trade deadline period, but to this point he's been on the money with his moves so we definitely can count on him trying to improve the team. 11. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-5)Week 10 result: Lost to Miami, 6-3 Previous ranking: 9With Poopy's Kings pulling off the dramatic upset, OKC's loss to Miami turned into an absolute killer. Had the Kings lost, the Thunder still would have had to feel comfortable with their playoff chances, as they would have controlled their own destiny. Now, they need some serious help. Even if they get it, it might not matter. They get KC next, and it is now an absolute, 100% must win game to stay in the playoff picture. 12. Washington Wizards (4-6)Week 10 result: Beat Golden State, 5-4 Previous ranking: 14Talk about living on the edge. The Wizards were 45 seconds away from being all but eliminated from the playoffs before Marvin Bagley missed two free throws. Those misses allowed them to flip the category and keep their playoff hopes alive. Now they, in a small way, control their own destiny. If they win out, they would make the playoffs by virtue of what would be a tiebreaking win over Chicago. However, lose to Chicago, and the season is over. The good news is they get the Nets first. 13. Atlanta Hawks (5-4)Week 9 result: Beat Colorado, 6-3 Previous ranking: 12It honestly feels like a bit of a miracle that the Hawks managed to escape Colorado with a win. With JJJ, DeVonte Graham, Cole Anthony, and Larry Nance Jr. already on the shelf, the team proceeded to lose Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams to injury, and Tim Hardaway Jr. to severe weather cancellations. Throw in the fact that Jalen Smith didn't see the floor at all last week, and the Hawks somehow pulled out a win with just 6 players (and one of those was Alex Len, who played a whopping 5 minutes). The hope, at this point, is probably that the team can get totally healthy in time for the last three match-ups, then pull off some upsets and get into the playoffs. Unfortunately, that is much easier said than done with their closing schedule, and their losses to this point to Chicago, Orlando and KC will no doubt haunt them. Minnesota figures to be a team they won't be able to beat in spite of injuries. 14. Orlando Magic (4-6)Week 10 result: Lost to Portland, 7-2 Previous ranking: 13Orlando shot well enough to give themselves an outside shot at an upset, but just couldn't get anything going in assists or defensive stats. Scary Terry had 13 assists and 15 turnovers, with Elfrid Payton now out they can't afford Rozier not giving them anything in terms of playmaking. Ingram led the way with 26/5/5 on the week. Even though they still have Toronto and Brooklyn on their schedule so 2 wins are coming, the Magic's season comes down to this week's matchup against the Bulls - win and have a chance at getting to the playoffs, or lose and likely become sellers at the deadline. 15. Memphis Grizzlies (3-7)Week 10 result: Lost to Seattle, 8-1 Previous ranking: 15The still brutally injured Grizzlies had no shot to take down Seattle this past week, and they fell to 3-7. That just about puts a bow on the season for Memphis, as they would need some serious tiebreaking help just to have a shot at the postseason. With the trade deadline looming, this looks like the surprise seller. They've got Toronto up next, so they'll get to win 4, but it seems too little, too late. 16. Colorado Swannies (2-8)Week 10 result: Beat Toronto, 7-2 Previous ranking: 16They still miss AD and shot extremely poorly from the floor this week (just 39% as a team), but overall production was enough to get a comfortable win over a struggling Raptors team. LaMelo Ball, after getting a starting gig is looking like a slam dunk rookie of the year at this point. This week, he posted 24/5/8.5 line on very good efficiency. Colorado will have their last shot at the win after the all star break in against GSW, but first they have to face the Blazers in Week 11. 17. Golden State Warriors (1-9)Week 10 result: Lost to Washington, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 17This truly has been one of the unluckiest seasons in league history. The Warriors battled all the way back on Sunday to take what looked like a surefire lead going into the final game against Washington. All Marvin Bagley had to do was not miss a free throw or make three three-pointers. Early in the 4th quarter, Bagley hit his 2nd three. One more, and he would clinch the week for Golden State. He had a decent look a few minutes later, yet he airballed by about a foot. No matter, all he had to do was avoid the foul line, and, surely the Kings wouldn't give him the ball late in the game right? Well, with 45 seconds, Bagley somehow found himself with the ball and was fouled immediately. He proceeded to brick both free throws, costing Golden State the victory. In the grand scheme of things, it wouldn't have really mattered, since GS wasn't making the playoffs anyway. But really, this season couldn't get any worse. Now they face Utah. 18. Toronto Raptors (2-8)Week 10 result: Lost to Colorado, 7-2 Previous ranking: 18Had they not been so banged up, they could have beaten the Swannies. As it stands, we're getting pretty close to comfortably locking them into the 3rd best lotto odds. 19. Las Vegas Gamblers (1-9)Week 10 result: Beat Brooklyn, 5-4 Previous ranking: 19Here it is, first (and almost certainly last) win of the season for the Gamblers. It was a pretty uninspiring performance as they won by just 3 assists. With Seattle, OKC, Houston and GSW on the schedule it's hard to believe they'll win another one this season so with this win, they're positioned to have #2 odds in the draft lottery. The hope is they build a real team around the top prospect and Kyrie next year. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-10)Week 10 result: Lost to Las Vegas, 5-4 Previous ranking: 20Lost to the Gamblers, which effectively gives them the #1 lotto odds. Of course, with the odds now flattened, there's not nearly as much incentive to finish worst. Could backfire big time. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Houston | 1 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | Tampa Bay | 2 | | 2 | 2 | 2 | Miami | 3 | | 3 | 4 | 4 | Seattle | 5 | | 4 | 3 | 3 | Kansas City | 4 | | 5 | 6 | 5 | Portland | 6 | | 6 | 5 | 6 | Boston | 7 | | 7 | 7 | 7 | Minnesota | 8 | | 8 | 9 | 9 | Utah | 9 | | 9 | 8 | 8 | Chicago | 10 | | 10 | 11 | 12 | OKC | 11 | | 11 | 10 | 11 | Washington | 12 | | 12 | 12 | 13 | Atlanta | 13 | | 14 | 14 | 10 | Orlando | 14 | | 13 | 13 | 14 | Memphis | 15 | | 15 | 15 | 15 | Colorado | 16 | | 16 | 16 | 16 | Golden State | 17 | | 17 | 17 | 17 | Toronto | 18 | | 18 | 18 | 18 | Las Vegas | 19 | | 19 | 19 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Mar 16, 2021 11:07:36 GMT -5
1. Houston Rockets (10-1)Week 11 result: Beat Minnesota, 5-3-1 Previous ranking: 1Houston had a real threat against Minnesota, sneaking by on a 1 steal and 4 block victory. Lillard was incredible, scoring 182 points in the matchup. Fun fact, had Houston and Tampa Bay faced each other this week, Houston would have won 5-4 with a 4 steals lead. It will be interesting to track these two teams over the next few weeks to see how aggressive they become in adding reinforcements. Houston gets a tough matchup against Seattle next. 2. Tampa Bay (9-2)Week 11 result: Beat Miami, 7-2 Previous ranking: 2Tampa Bay cemented the top position in the East with a dominant victory over Miami. Miami lost Fournier early in the matchup, but it would not have made much of a difference. Tampa Bay was led by LaVine but Fox has been fantastic recently. With Fox playing this way and the addition of Thad Young, Tampa Bay looks like a real threat to Houston. The only cause for concern here would be how much rest will LeBron take. They should go undefeated from here with Chicago as a probable first round matchup. 3. Seattle Supersonics (9-2)Week 11 result: Beat Las Vegas, 7-2 Previous ranking: 4The Sonics just casually took care of business against the Gamblers, and they've now set themselves up for a huge week 12 against Houston. The winner of this game is more than likely going to land the top seed in the West, though with the bottom of the bracket unsettled, it's hard to know right now if that's a good spot to be. Seattle got great news with the return of KPJ, and he's only averaged 17-8-3 with a block and a steal in three games. If he continues to play like this, the Sonics may just be the team to beat in the West. 4. Kansas City Kings (9-2)Week 11 result: Beat OKC, 5-4 Previous ranking: 5Poopy just cannot be stopped. Fresh off their upset of the Celtics, the Kings officially eliminated the Thunder from the playoff race. Poopy now has his Kings one win from the playoffs in what was supposed to be their rebuilding year. Caris LeVert made his triumphant return from cancer surgery and looked solid on Saturday. CJ McCollum projects to return this week. And Poopy absolutely hit on Kyle Kuzma, who averaged 24-13 this week to help propel the Kings to victory. They get the Jazz next, and while it won't be easy, it's winnable. Oh, and did we mention that their win over OKC now guarantees the Kings will receive two lotto picks in the upcoming draft? This season really is coming up all Poopy. 5. Portland Trailblazers (9-2)Week 11 result: Beat Colorado, 7-1-1 Previous ranking: 6Portland had a dominant victory over Colorado, led by Trae Young and Melo(!!!). Unfortunately, PG has been less than stellar and Wall's injury troubles are a concern. A win this week against Minnesota would be huge, but it would be an uphill battle. In a deadlock with Seattle and Kansas City, it will be interesting to see how these teams manage their schedule in an effort to avoid the 4th seed. That week 14 showdown against Seattle will be the game of the week. 6. Boston Celtics (8-3)Week 11 result: Beat Atlanta, 8-1 Previous ranking: 7A relaxing, dominant win following their stunning loss to KC was just what the doctor ordered for the Celtics. Unfortunately, the doctor also found a deep bone bruise in the knee of Joel Embiid. That's good news and bad news for Boston. The bad news, of course, is that Embiid is out. The good news is that it's supposed to be just a three week absence, which will put him back on the floor in time for the start of our playoffs. Now, given his injury history, it would not be a surprise to see Embiid be extra cautious, but that was likely to be the case regardless of this injury. Boston has Memphis, Toronto and Washington up next, and they should be able to win at least one without Embiid. One win locks them into the 2-3 match-up and allows them to avoid the Bull Sharks in round one. That is going to be imperative if Boston wants a shot at the title. 7. Miami Heat (8-3)Week 11 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 7-2 Previous ranking: 3Tough loss for Miami, but they'll make the playoffs with Brooklyn on deck. The Heat made an interesting trade block update over the weekend, signaling that this team may not consider itself a title contender. If they sell, that would throw the Eastern Conference playoff race into chaos, as we could see Boston and Tampa Bay trying to find their way into the 2/3 match-up. We'll see what happens there (from this committee member's perspective, selling seems unwise since you never know what can happen in the playoffs). 8. Utah Jazz (7-4)Week 11 result: Beat Golden State, 6-3 Previous ranking: 9Quite possibly the last playoff hopeful in the West, though Minnesota is technically not out of it. Their season comes down to this week against the suddenly unbeatable Kansas City Kings. While the Jazz aren't significantly more talented than Kansas City, they do appear to have better players up and down the roster. Of course, that hasn't mattered to KC, as the Kings have taken down far more talented teams than Utah. If the Jazz win this week, they would appear to be in great shape. KC closes with Seattle and Minnesota, while Utah gets a banged up Portland and Colorado. Win this week, and Utah might just be in the driver's seat for the last spot. Lose, and the season is over. 9. Chicago Bulls (6-5)Week 11 result: Beat Orlando, 7-2 Previous ranking: 10Chicago's impressive showing against Orlando puts them in a driver's seat in the playoff race for the last spot in the East. It's not being talked about enough what Nikola Vucevic's is doing. Over his last 10 games, he's averaging 30/12/5 on 53/42/95 while knocking down 3 threes per game. His progression has been incredible and he's one of the main reasons the Bulls will likely punch their ticket sooner or later. Of course, Chicago still has work to do with the Wizards this week, as loss would knock them down to the 5th spot in the conference, but with both teams remaining schedules it's safe to say that the Bulls should like their chances. 10. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-5)Week 11 result: Lost to Houston, 5-3-1 Previous ranking: 8About as tough a loss as a team can have. For about a week and a half, Minnesota looked like they were going to take down the Rockets and boost their playoff chances. Then Houston made a late charge and took the match-up. Now Minnesota is in a predicament. They need to win out, and they need KC to lose out. However, for KC to lose out, they would have to lose to Utah, and Minnesota has already lost the tiebreaker to the Jazz. So now they need to thread the needle by winning out, having KC lose out, and having Utah lose to both Portland and Colorado. Now, AD should be back by then, so maybe that Utah-Colorado match-up will be tougher than anticipated. Still, that's not a fun scenario to be in. Of course, none of it matters if they lose to Portland this week. 11. Washington Wizards (5-6)Week 11 result: Beat Brooklyn, 6-3 Previous ranking: 12Washington had an easy win over the winless Brooklyn team, but lets not minimize it because the stats the team put up were impressive. Dragic is back, Winslow is back, Zeller came back, Boucher has been fantastic, McConnell became a star for one night, and Giannis is Giannis. There is a lot to like here, but unfortunately the lack of depth hurt them throughout the season. If there is a team that can low key play a role in the East playoffs, its Washington, with upcoming games against the current 2, 3, and 4 seed. 12. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-6)Week 11 result: Lost to Kansas City, 5-4 Previous ranking: 11So that's how it ends, not with a bang but with a whimper. The Thunder were among a group of title contenders before the season started, but injuries, COVID, and disastrous shooting ultimately did them in. More than any other team, the Thunder will be cursing their close losses. Four of their six losses came down to one category. At this point, all that's left is to play spoiler... but there are no parties to spoil. The Thunder face Vegas and Colorado, then close the season with Houston, and losses will mean squat for all those teams. It's crazy to think that a team with Luka, Tatum, Capela and Russ will be on the outside looking in, but there were just too many dead spots on the roster to make up for injuries (or COVID) to the big four. This will be a fascinating team to watch this summer. 13. Orlando Magic (4-7)Week 11 result: Lost to Chicago, 7-2 Previous ranking: 14The Magic fought admirably, but it wasn't enough and while this can't be officialy called just yet, we already know that they won't be making the playoffs this year. This was the game that they had to win in order to stay in the race, but 500 minutes disadvantage, COVID and injuries buried them while Chicago put together some impressive stat lines over the week. Ingram led the way with 22/5/5 over the course of the matchup. The Magic should get their 5th win of the season against Toronto next week, but that'll be bitter-sweet as Chicago's next win (and they'll have Brooklyn and Toronto on their schedule the last 2 weeks of the season) officialy eliminates them from the playoffs. 14. Atlanta Hawks (5-6)Week 11 result: Lost to Boston, 8-1 Previous ranking: 13The match-up with Boston was over almost before it started given the number of injuries facing the Hawks. With Tampa Bay next, it's hard to see Atlanta pulling out a win there. At this point, the Hawks probably need Washington to beat Chicago, then knock off either Miami or Boston. Then they need to beat both Miami and Memphis. That would create a 3-way tie between Atlanta, Chicago and Washington. Since all three would have the same conference record, we would go to categories as the tiebreaker. Right now, that is really close, as Washington has 49, Atlanta has 48 and Chicago has 47, so that's very much a possibility for Atlanta. 15. Memphis Grizzlies (4-7)Week 11 result: Beat Toronto, 5-4 Previous ranking: 15Well, the Grizzlies may have gotten a win over Toronto, but it wasn't easy. Much like the Dubs in the West, this has been a season from hell for Memphis. Widely expected to compete for a playoff spot, if not a top-2 seed, the Grizzlies instead faced numerous injuries, COVID absences, and outright cancellations. They lost two games earlier in the season due to last second postponements, and they fielded about 8 players for their three-game losing streak that did them in. Boston is up next, and at this point, it's about trying to make their pick as bad as possible since it's owned by the surprising Kings. 16. Colorado Swannies (2-9)Week 11 result: Lost to Portland, 7-1-1 Previous ranking: 16Similar to the Gamblers, the Swannies faced an enormous 700 minute disadvantage this week that gave them no chance of competing. LaMelo was the only bright spot for the team. Week 12 presentes their last chance of getting a win this season as they'll be facing the Warriors, but given how depleted this team is right now, that would be considered an upset. 17. Golden State Warriors (1-10)Week 11 result: Lost to Utah, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 17What can we say that hasn't been said already? The Warriors faced a daunting 300 minutes disadvantage against Utah, and they were shellacked. If there's a bright side here, it's that Butler-Booker-Tobias is a legitimate top-3. They've got that figured out, and that is always the toughest part. Now, finding the right pieces to put around them is the task at hand. They've got Colorado and Las Vegas to end the season. It'll be a chance to end the season on the right foot. 18. Toronto Raptors (2-9)Week 11 result: Lost to Memphis, 5-4 Previous ranking: 18It ultimately wouldn't have made a difference, but playing Poku on Sunday would have made things against Memphis very interesting. That said, it's not surprising Poku was on the bench because who would have expected that output from him? If he's playing, and everyone on this team is healthy, it wouldn't be surprising for the Raptors to pull an upset down the stretch. They get their first chance this week against Orlando. 19. Las Vegas Gamblers (1-10)Week 11 result: Lost to Seattle, 7-2 Previous ranking: 19The Gamblers had nothing to look for in Week 11 against the Sonics. To be fair though, given 700 minutes of disadvantage, which is just ridicolous, the loss wasn't that brutal. Kyrie and Porter Jr. were very impressive with 31 threes and 205 points combined. Next up, the OKC Thunder. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-11)Week 11 result: Lost to Washington, 6-3 Previous ranking: 20The Nets actually put up a decent fight against the Wizards. To give you an idea, they actually would have beaten Portland this week. They had some fun standout performances by Theo Maledon, Timelord, Melton and Quickley. They also picked up Kenyon Martin Jr. (that's right, JUNIOR). They might be friskier than we thought these last three weeks. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Houston | 2 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | Tampa Bay | 1 | | 2 | 2 | 2 | Seattle | 4 | | 3 | 3 | 3 | Kansas City | 3 | | 4 | 4 | 4 | Portland | 5 | | 6 | 6 | 5 | Boston | 6 | | 5 | 5 | 6 | Miami | 7 | | 7 | 7 | 7 | Utah | 8 | | 8 | 9 | 8 | Chicago | 10 | | 9 | 8 | 10 | Minnesota | 11 | | 11 | 10 | 9 | Washington | 9 | | 10 | 12 | 12 | OKC | 12 | | 13 | 11 | 11 | Orlando | 13 | | 12 | 13 | 15 | Atlanta | 15 | | 14 | 15 | 13 | Memphis | 14 | | 15 | 14 | 14 | Colorado | 17 | | 17 | 16 | 16 | Golden State | 16 | | 16 | 17 | 18 | Toronto | 18 | | 18 | 18 | 17 | Las Vegas | 19 | | 19 | 19 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Mar 23, 2021 15:51:28 GMT -5
1. Tampa Bay (10-2)Week 12 result: Beat Atlanta, 7-2 Previous ranking: 2The Bull Sharks would have beaten all comers this week, and they added former Bull Shark Chris Paul to the roster for their Finals push, but it came at a cost. LeBron James went down with a high ankle sprain, and it's all but guaranteed he will miss the rest of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs. Tampa Bay should have enough to withstand his absence, but it's just another reminder that if you get into the playoffs, anything can happen. The wrong injury, at the wrong time, can sink even the best of teams. A win this week over Orlando locks up the #1 seed. 2. Houston Rockets (11-1)Week 12 result: Beat Seattle, 5-4 Previous ranking: 1For the second week in a row the Rockets were pushed to the final weekend, and once again, they were able to prevail. It was a great win over, arguably, their toughest challenger in Seattle, and it locked up the #1 seed in the West. Not content, Houston saw what Tampa Bay did and responded with a move of their own, adding Draymond Green to shore up a questionable big man spot. This team is hitting their stride, and they are going to be incredibly tough to beat. A walkover against Vegas is next on the docket. 3. Seattle Supersonics (9-3)Week 12 result: Lost to Houston, 5-4 Previous ranking: 3The Sonics were tantalizingly close to putting the #1 seed in play before ultimately falling to the Rockets. They've got two tough games to close the season against KC and Portland, but one win will give them a playoff spot. With the way Houston has loaded up prior to the deadline, one has to wonder how the Sonics feel about their chances. If KPJ, Lonzo and the other role guys come to play, they'll be in the hunt. However, if they don't.... it's going to get tough. 4. Utah Jazz (8-4)Week 12 result: Beat Kansas City, 5-4 Previous ranking: 8The Utah Jazz are back, baby! After missing the playoffs for the first time in league history last season, Utah is now on the doorstep of a return following their dramatic win over the Kings. One more win will more than likely clinch a spot (unless Kansas City knocks off Seattle or Minnesota, and the Jazz lose to Portland), and two will guarantee it. 6 weeks ago, two wins to close the season would have looked daunting with Portland up in week 13. With the Blazers banged up, it suddenly looks doable. 5. Minnesota Timberwolves (7-5)Week 12 result: Beat Portland, 6-3 Previous ranking: 10They've given themselves a shot, which is all you can ask for at this time of the year. Beating Portland keeps Minnesota's playoff hopes alive, but they're going to need a lot of help. Ideally, Utah would knock off Portland, which would keep spots 3 and 4 open going into the final week (unless KC pulled off a miracle win over Seattle). However, if Portland beats Utah, that's probably it for Minnesota's playoff hopes, since Portland would clinch and Utah closes with Colorado. A tie with Utah does them no good since Utah has beaten both them and Kansas City. First things first, they have to beat Golden State. 6. Kansas City Kings (9-3)Week 12 result: Lost to Utah, 5-4 Previous ranking: 4Talk about an untimely loss. Kansas City wasn’t able to pinch one off against a tough Utah team. The loss now puts a ton of pressure on KC in the final two weeks. They’re going to need to beat Seattle or Minnesota if they’re going to make the playoffs. For a team that started on a heater, Kansas City’s prospects of a playoff push are now in serious jeopardy. 7. Portland Trailblazers (9-3)Week 12 result: Lost to Minnesota, 6-3 Previous ranking: 5So, uh, things have gotten a little shaky in Portland. For the last three weeks, the Blazers had been able to weather the injury storm, largely because the schedule was forgiving. That is no longer the case. Closing the season with Minnesota, Utah and Seattle, when all three are playing their best ball, is tough enough. Doing it without Kevin Durant is even tougher. For most of the season, it looked Portland was going to comfortably make the playoffs, but they're now in a situation where tiebreakers could come into play, and those are decidedly not on their side. If they lose this week to Utah, that will mean they've lost to the three teams most likely to end up in a tie with them for the playoffs. The good news is they only need to win one of the next two to clinch a playoff spot. The bad news is that losing both knocks them out. That both scenarios feel like a 50/50 proposition is concerning. 8. Boston Celtics (8-4)Week 12 result: Lost to Memphis, 8-1 Previous ranking: 6Joel Embiid's untimely injury is already causing problems for Boston, as they just didn't have the firepower to take down an almost fully healthy Memphis squad. The loss more than likely ends their bid to clinch the top seed in the East, however, in a dramatic twist of fate, the Celtics are likely to get a Heat team that is no longer interested in winning a title in the first round. It's basically a repeat of last year's East playoffs, almost down to the exact same teams. Boston will get Toronto this week. 9. Chicago Bulls (7-5)Week 12 result: Beat Washington, 5-4 Previous ranking: 9Despite a 5-4 score, the Bulls managed to get a pretty convincing win over the Wizards and secured a playoff berth. D'Angelo should be back in a week or two and with Boston's struggles lately, Chicago has a chance to avoid Tampa in the first round if they win out and the Celtics drop one. Winning out should not be a problem since the Bulls close out the season against Brooklyn and Toronto, so the owner can focus now on trade talks before the trade deadline on Sunday. 10. Miami Heat (9-3)Week 12 result: Beat Brooklyn, 8-1 Previous ranking: 7The Heat did what they were supposed to do this week by defeating the Brooklyn Nets. However, Miami’s victory has been overshadowed by their late season decision to fold. The team dealt Chris Paul to inter division rival, Tamp Bay. They then proceeded to ship long time Heat player, Draymond Green, to Houston. Miami is still poised to make the playoffs but they have squashed their chances at a meaningful run. 11. Memphis Grizzlies (5-7)Week 12 result: Beat Boston, 8-1 Previous ranking: 15It had to be just a tad frustrating for the Grizzlies to see how their team performed this week, knowing full well that had this been the team for the whole season, then they're probably competing for a playoff spot. Wood, Wiggins, Oladipo, Rubio, Milton... just about everyone on this roster was good this week. While it won't take away the sting of missing the playoffs, the Grizz do have a chance to help themselves mightily this week by beating the Atlanta Hawks. They own Atlanta's pick, so a win would lock them above Atlanta in the standings. 12. Washington Wizards (5-7)Week 12 result: Lost to Chicago, 5-4 Previous ranking: 11For a couple of days, it looked like Washington would knock off Chicago and things would open up for them. Miami was selling, Boston was banged up, a tiny sliver of hope had appeared. Then the Bulls slammed the door shut and eliminated Washington for good. With the playoffs now firmly out of the picture, it will be interesting to see what the Wizards do at the deadline. They've got a number of guys expiring (or on short deals) that should have some value. VanVleet, McConnell, Zeller, and Richardson can all help teams. The problem for them may be that the number of buyers has dwindled down to near zero. If they're going to make some moves, they'll probably have to get creative. 13. Oklahoma City Thunder (6-6)Week 12 result: Beat Las Vegas, 6-3 Previous ranking: 12Too little, too late for the Thunder in their romp of the Gamblers. With the way Russ, Tatum, Luka and Edwards looked, I'm sure the Rockets are quite alright with this team falling way short of expectations. 14. Orlando Magic (5-7)Week 12 result: Beat Toronto, 6-3 Previous ranking: 13As we predicted last week, the Magic got the win, but were eliminated from the playoff contention because of the Bulls winning their game. Orlando started the season and got some lucky breaks, but the 2nd half of the season has been brutal for them injuries and COVID wise. They're not gonna play in the playoffs this year, but the Magic might be one of the most interesting players as we aproach the trade deadline if they decide to sell some pieces. Tampa Bay's next. 15. Atlanta Hawks (5-7)Week 12 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 7-2 Previous ranking: 14Getting everyone back besides JJJ, and Miami throwing the towel, means this team actually has a chance to finish .500. Obviously not the season they were hoping for when the season started, but injuries really derailed them. If there's good news, it's that Saddiq Bey looks like a player. 16. Golden State Warriors (2-10)Week 12 result: Beat Colorado, 8-1 Preseason ranking: 17The Warriors picked up they’re second win of the season as they defeated the Colorado Swannies. It’s been a long, unexpected season for a Golden State team who many thought would compete to start the season. They get Minnesota this week. 17. Colorado Swannies (2-10)Week 12 result: Lost to Golden State, 8-1 Previous ranking: 16It was always going to be an uphill battle for the Swannies since their team is so depleted, but with only 6 players available (Gary Clark played only 4 minutes) they had no chance to compete whatsoever. Saturday, LaMelo suffered a fractured bone in his right wrist and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. With him out, we can expect two brutal losses the next two weeks to OKC and Utah as Colorado can now shift their focus to the offseason. 18. Toronto Raptors (2-10)Week 12 result: Lost to Toronto, 6-3 Previous ranking: 18Their match-up with Orlando was a bit closer than the final score would otherwise indicate, and they weren't far off from flipping a couple categories to pull off an upset. Poku is starting to get some minutes and looks ok, same for NAW. There is some talent on this squad. 19. Las Vegas Gamblers (1-11)Week 12 result: Lost to OKC, 6-3 Previous ranking: 19Only 5 players have played for the Gamblers in this matchup with Kyrie going 35/5/5 on the week, and that's all we're gonna say here. Conference leading Houston Rockets are next. 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-12)Week 12 result: Lost to Miami, 8-1 Previous ranking: 20What is there to say other than will Cade Cunningham be in Brooklyn next season? And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Tampa Bay | 1 | | 1 | 1 | 2 | Houston | 2 | | 2 | 2 | 1 | Seattle | 3 | | 3 | 3 | 3 | Utah | 4 | | 5 | 5 | 6 | Minnesota | 5 | | 4 | 4 | 8 | Kansas City | 7 | | 7 | 6 | 4 | Portland | 8 | | 8 | 7 | 5 | Boston | 6 | | 6 | 9 | 7 | Chicago | 9 | | 9 | 8 | 10 | Miami | 10 | | 10 | 10 | 9 | Memphis | 11 | | 11 | 11 | 13 | Washington | 12 | | 12 | 13 | 12 | OKC | 14 | | 14 | 11 | 11 | Orlando | 13 | | 13 | 14 | 15 | Atlanta | 15 | | 15 | 16 | 14 | Golden State | 16 | | 16 | 15 | 16 | Colorado | 17 | | 17 | 18 | 17 | Toronto | 18 | | 18 | 17 | 18 | Las Vegas | 19 | | 19 | 19 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Apr 4, 2021 13:03:31 GMT -5
1. Tampa Bay (11-2)Week 13 result: Beat Orlando, 7-2 Previous ranking: 1Not content to get one-upped by the Rockets, Tampa closed the deadline by acquiring Alec Burks from Golden State. All in all, the Bull Sharks turned two picks, Derrick Jones Jr., and Willie Cauley-Stein into Chris Paul, Thad Young and Alec Burks. Not a bad haul. More encouraging for Tampa is that they would have beaten Houston this week. MOST encouraging for Tampa is that they likely avoided Chicago in the first round, and instead appear on course to face the Celtics yet again. With Boston selling off pieces, and ravaged by injuries, it should be a stress-free first round win. Should being the key word there. They'll look to get out of the final week unscathed against Memphis. 2. Houston Rockets (12-1)Week 13 result: Beat Las Vegas, 7-2 Previous ranking: 2As one of only three buyers at the deadline, the Rockets did quite well for themselves. They picked up Draymond Green, Kyle Lowry and Al Horford, though, unfortunately, Horford has already been shut down. No matter. Green and Lowry are pretty significant pickups. Curry, Dame, Lowry is probably the best point guard depth chart in this league's history. If there's cause for concern though, it's that this team is dealing with some nagging injuries. Curry, Dame, Jaylen and Lowry have all missed games for various ailments over the last week. The good news is that none those injuries appear to be serious. We'll see what the team does with Horford in the final week before the 2nd season. First, they get the OKC Thunder. 3. Portland Trailblazers (10-3)Week 13 result: Beat Utah, 7-2 Previous ranking: 7The Blazers left no doubt going into the final week against Seattle, comfortably taking down Utah to clinch a playoff spot. It's the team's first playoff berth since 2012, and they have a chance to win the Pacific Division for the first time in franchise history with a win over Seattle. They made a deadline move to pick up Mike Conley and help shore up their guard spot, but we all know this is going to come down to Kevin Durant. If KD finally returns, just in time for the playoffs, then this team has a shot. If he doesn't make it back, it will probably be a short stay in the playoffs. 4. Kansas City Kings (10-3)Week 13 result: Beat Seattle, 6-3 Previous ranking: 6The Kansas City Kings wouldn’t be flushed last week as they stayed afloat against a distracted and injury riddled Seattle team. The Kings were the beneficiaries of Seattle not setting lineups for a couple of days but sometimes it’s ok to be lucky. The victory cements Poopy’s playoff position. The only things left to figure out are who the Kings will play in the 2-3 matchup and will they be a healthy team come playoff time? 5. Seattle Supersonics (9-4)Week 13 result: Lost to Kansas City, 6-3 Previous ranking: 3Seattle forgetting to set their line-ups against Kansas City didn't cost them a win, if anything, it may have saved them the agony of barely losing. Of course, what it does set up is an enormous game against Portland to determine the winner of the Pacific Division... and who gets to avoid Houston in the first round. Seattle, perhaps sensing that they aren't quite as strong as last year, made a deadline move for Dennis Schroder to help bolster their backcourt. The bottomline, though, is that they need everyone healthy. If they can get that, they're as good as anyone. 6. Chicago Bulls (8-5)Week 13 result: Beat Brooklyn, 5-4 Previous ranking: 9It was much closer than they would've liked, as the Bulls continue to struggle in defensive categories and turnovers, but Chicago got it done against Brooklyn. With Boston struggles, this win very likely clinched Chicago to a 2-3 matchup with Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. Vucevic, Randle, Mitchell and Middleton have carried this team for a whole season, but they'll need their depth to really step up if they want success in the playoffs. D'Angelo Russell is still ways away, he's practicing 5on5, but likely won't be back next week. Chicago gets Toronto to close out the regular season. 7. Miami Heat (10-3)Week 13 result: Beat Washington, 6-3 Previous ranking: 10The Heat moved to 10-3 on the season after defeating the Washington Wizards in week 13. Miami will be the two seed in the East, but it’s going to be a challenge for them in the playoffs. In the last two weeks, the team has traded Chris Paul, Draymond Green, and Dennis Schroeder. While the Heat have had a terrific season, they have elected to fold up shop and focus on the future. The team acquired multiple picks, Wendell Carter Jr., TJ Warren, and Killian Hayes through their recent trades. Brighter days await this team. 8. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-5)Week 13 result: Beat Golden State, 8-1 Previous ranking: 5The Wolves have won 7 of their last 9, but it won't be quite enough to overcome their 1-3 start. The bad news is that their high-priced trio of power forwards all went bust this season, as Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge hardly played, while Danilo Gallinari was on and off the injury report. The good news is that all three are expiring, which will free up $29 million in cap room. Some of that will almost assuredly be used on an OG Anunoby re-sign (if they choose to bring him back), but they will be in a nice spot this summer. They've got a chance to go out on a high note against the surprising Kings. 9. Utah Jazz (8-5)Week 13 result: Lost to Portland, 7-2 Previous ranking: 4The Blazers left no doubt going into the final week against Seattle, comfortably taking down Utah to clinch a playoff spot. It's the team's first playoff berth since 2012, and they have a chance to win the Pacific Division for the first time in franchise history with a win over Seattle. They made a deadline move to pick up Mike Conley and help shore up their guard spot, but we all know this is going to come down to Kevin Durant. If KD finally returns, just in time for the playoffs, then this team has a shot. If he doesn't make it back, it will probably be a short stay in the playoffs. 10. Boston Celtics (8-5)Week 13 result: Lost to Toronto, 6-3 Previous ranking: 8The banged-up Celtics lost a shocker to the Toronto Raptors, dropping them into a likely first round match-up with the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks. It would be the third straight year facing the Bull Sharks in the first round, and with the injuries and recent trades, it figures to be the third straight loss. Because of all the injuries, Boston elected to move what they could prior to the deadline, trading Mike Conley and Al Horford for picks. In a twist of fate, Horford was actually shut down for the year, so Boston essentially picked up the last pick in the upcoming draft for free. They'll close out the season with Washington. 11. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-6)Week 13 result: Beat Colorado, 8-1 Previous ranking: 13The Swannies stood no chance given their injuries, and the Thunder made sure of it. The last couple of weeks have been the closest we've come to a fully realized Thunder team, though Luka did miss most of this week. And Russell Westbrook did shoot 28% from the floor (while averaging a triple-double). Maybe this team just never was as good as we all thought. They'll take on Houston to close the season. 12. Atlanta Hawks (6-7)Week 13 result: Beat Memphis, 7-2 Previous ranking: 15It may have only been for pride, but the win over Memphis has to feel good for Atlanta. Sure, Steven Adams has been a letdown this season, but Pascal Siakam has lived up to his star billing, Saddiq Bey looks like a steal, and Larry Nance is incredibly productive when he's on the floor. With Miami selling off pieces, we might be getting an early look at a changing of the guard in the Southeast with these two squaring off to end the season. 13. Orlando Magic (5-8)Week 13 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 7-2 Previous ranking: 14Orlando fought admirably, but there wasn't much they could do against Tampa's star power. Moses Brown, whom the Magic signed couple weeks ago to a long term deal looks like an absolute steal though. Young guy is taking advantage of an opportunity he's been given by the Thunder, as he averaged 15pts/15reb/1.7 blk on the week. Orlando will close out the season against sneaky Brooklyn team that's been on an upward trajectory the last couple of weeks. 14. Memphis Grizzlies (5-8)Week 13 result: Lost to Atlanta, 7-2 Previous ranking: 11Just a bummer of a loss for Memphis against Atlanta. While they were out of the playoff hunt, they still had the opportunity to boost their lottery odds, given that they owned Atlanta's pick. Instead, they assured that they will finish below the Hawks in the standings, giving Kansas City a far better pick that either team likely anticipated before the season. Injuries were the name of the game again this week, and that doesn't appear likely to change against the Bull Sharks. 15. Washington Wizards (5-8)Week 13 result: Lost to Miami, 6-3 Previous ranking: 12ot quite sure what happened to the Wizards this week, getting waxed by a Miami team selling off pieces. Giannis missed a couple of games, so that helps explain some of it. No matter, they'll still have a chance to go out with a win against Boston. Much like the Wolves, the Wizards will be set up with oodles of cap space this summer, in addition to their star. There is a quick path back to the playoffs for this team. 16. Toronto Raptors (3-10)Week 13 result: Beat Boston, 6-3 Previous ranking: 18Is it too on the nose to say life finds a way? Well, I don't care because the Raptors pulled off what may have been the biggest upset of the season taking down the injured Boston Celtics. Tyrese Haliburton was fantastic, knocking down 13 threes en route to a 20 ppg week. The big story, though, was Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The young wing is finally starting to see consistent minutes, and he responded by averaging 17-6-3. There are some fun pieces on this team. The right moves this summer could turn them into a contender. We'll see if they can go 2 for 2 in upsets this week against Chicago. 17. Golden State Warriors (2-11)Week 13 result: Lost to Minnesota, 8-1 Preseason ranking: 16The Warriors fell to 2-11 on the season after a loss to Minnesota last week. The Warriors have not been able to get things to click all season. Health and injuries have played a factor all season for this squad. They did move an expiring Alec Burks for one more year of defensive specialist Derrick Jones Jr., so the eyes are on next year. The Warriors will close out their season against Las Vegas. 18. Colorado Swannies (2-11)Week 13 result: Lost to OKC, 8-1 Previous ranking: 17The Swannies were outmatched in every way, shape and form by OKC in Week 13. Darius Garland and Jerami Grant were the only real contributors for the team as they scored 128 of 163 total points. It doesn't look like either one of Davis & Melo is coming back for the last week's matchup, so things are looking bleak if Colorado wanted to finish the season on a high note against Utah. 19. Las Vegas Gamblers (1-12)Week 13 result: Lost to Houston, 7-2 Previous ranking: 19Kyrie took a week off for his birthday and only 5 players have suit up for the Gamblers throughout the week, so a blowout loss was the only possible outcome against Houston. LV will finish the season against the Warriors, so if they'll have Kyrie they might have a chance at an upset. No matter the outcome, they'll finish the season as the 2nd worst team, giving them #2 lottery odds. Is it June 22th yet? 20. Brooklyn Nets (0-13)Week 13 result: Lost to Chicago, 5-4 Previous ranking: 20The Nets dropped their 13th game of the season in what was a close matchup with the the Chicago Bulls. Robert Williams was the bright spot of this Brooklyn team who, in recent weeks, have shown a little spiciness in their lineup. Their last chance at a victory will come as they close out the season this week against the Orlando Magic. And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Tampa Bay | 1 | | 1 | 1 | 2 | Houston | 2 | | 2 | 2 | 1 | Portland | 5 | | 3 | 3 | 4 | Kansas City | 3 | | 4 | 4 | 5 | Seattle | 8 | | 5 | 5 | 3 | Chicago | 6 | | 6 | 6 | 10 | Miami | 4 | | 7 | 9 | 9 | Minnesota | 7 | | 8 | 7 | 7 | Utah | 9 | | 9 | 8 | 6 | Boston | 10 | | 10 | 11 | 8 | OKC | 11 | | 11 | 10 | 11 | Atlanta | 12 | | 12 | 12 | 12 | Orlando | 13 | | 14 | 13 | 15 | Memphis | 14 | | 13 | 14 | 14 | Washington | 15 | | 15 | 15 | 13 | Toronto | 16 | | 16 | 16 | 17 | Golden State | 17 | | 17 | 17 | 16 | Colorado | 18 | | 18 | 18 | 18 | Las Vegas | 19 | | 19 | 19 | 19 | Brooklyn | 20 | | 20 | 20 | 20 |
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Post by Miege22 on Apr 4, 2021 22:04:49 GMT -5
1. Tampa Bay (12-2)Week 14 result: Beat Memphis, 8-1 Previous ranking: 12. Houston Rockets (12-2)Week 14 result: Lost to OKC, 5-4 Previous ranking: 23. Seattle Supersonics (10-4)Week 14 result: Beat Portland, 7-2 Previous ranking: 54. Kansas City Kings (11-3)Week 14 result: Beat Minnesota, 5-4 Previous ranking: 45. Portland Trailblazers (10-4)Week 14 result: Lost to Seattle, 7-2 Previous ranking: 36. Miami Heat (11-3)Week 14result: Beat Atlanta, 8-1 Previous ranking: 77. Chicago Bulls (8-6)Week 14 result: Lost to Toronto, 6-3 Previous ranking: 68. Utah Jazz (9-5)Week 14 result: Beat Colorado, 8-1 Previous ranking: 99. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-6)Week 14 result: Beat Houston, 5-4 Previous ranking: 1110. Boston Celtics (8-6)Week 14 result: Lost to Washington, 5-4 Previous ranking: 1011. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-6)Week 14 result: Lost to Kansas City, 5-4 Previous ranking: 812. Washington Wizards (6-8)Week 14 result: Beat Boston, 5-4 Previous ranking: 1513. Atlanta Hawks (6-8)Week 14 result: Lost to Miami, 8-1 Previous ranking: 1214. Memphis Grizzlies (5-9)Week 14 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 8-1 Previous ranking: 1415. Toronto Raptors (4-10)Week 14 result: Beat Chicago, 6-3 Previous ranking: 1616. Orlando Magic (5-9)Week 14 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 8-1 Previous ranking: 1317. Golden State Warriors (3-11)Week 14 result: Beat Las Vegas, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 1718. Colorado Swannies (2-12)Week 14 result: Lost to Utah, 8-1 Previous ranking: 1819. Brooklyn Nets (1-13)Week 14 result: Beat Orlando, 8-1 Previous ranking: 2020. Las Vegas Gamblers (1-13)Week 14 result: Lost to Golden State, 6-3 Previous ranking: 19And here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | MemphisGM | Richardson239 | teefbe | Fernans | Tampa Bay | 1 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | Houston | 2 | | 2 | 2 | 2 | Seattle | 5 | | 3 | 3 | 3 | Kansas City | 3 | | 4 | 4 | 4 | Portland | 7 | | 5 | 5 | 5 | Miami | 4 | | 6 | 9 | 7 | Chicago | 6 | | 9 | 6 | 10 | Utah | 10 | | 7 | 8 | 6 | OKC | 11 | | 8 | 7 | 9 | Boston | 8 | | 10 | 11 | 8 | Minnesota | 9 | | 11 | 10 | 11 | Washington | 12 | | 14 | 13 | 12 | Atlanta | 13 | | 13 | 12 | 13 | Memphis | 15 | | 12 | 14 | 14 | Toronto | 14 | | 15 | 16 | 16 | Orlando | 16 | | 16 | 15 | 17 | Golden State | 17 | | 17 | 17 | 15 | Colorado | 19 | | 18 | 18 | 18 | Brooklyn | 18 | | 19 | 20 | 20 | Las Vegas | 20 | | 20 | 19 | 19 |
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