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Post by Miege22 on Jun 7, 2019 17:21:42 GMT -5
I know I mentioned I would have an off-season power rankings before free agency, the draft, etc. to get things kicked off. And here it is. The first in the series...
1. Brooklyn Nets 2018-19 record: 11-5 Result: W, NBA Finals
The Nets rode James Harden, LeBron James and some key deadline acquisitions (CJ McCollum, Montrezl Harrell and Bobby Portis) to their second straight title. It was a surprising victory given that they turned over almost their entire roster from the 17-18 championship team. The Nets will have some questions to answer in the off-season. What kind of extension does Harden get? Do they ride out LeBron's contract? Who will replace McCollum and Harrell? They'll also have some options to decide on (Favors, Portis). The good news for Brooklyn is there is no shortage of upside already on the roster with Pascal Siakam, Jaren Jackson Jr., SGA, Cedi Osman, Kevin Knox and Mo Bamba on long-term deals. If they can find the right pieces, they can be the first team ever to threepeat.
Draft pick(s): #2 (from Minnesota) Free agents: James Harden (likely re-sign), CJ McCollum, Montrezl Harrell, Bobby Portis (TO), Derrick Favors (TO), De'Anthony Melton (D-League)
2. Houston Rockets 2018-19 record: 12-4 Result: L, Western Conference Semis
The Houston Rockets came into last season looking like a potential Finals team. They also entered with a number of players about to hit free agency, so they had to ride a fine line between competing and reloading. They almost pulled it off, falling just a few buckets short of reaching the Western Conference Finals. Instead, they were shocked by the Kansas City Kings. However, given the uncertainty in Memphis, the Rockets look like the team to beat next season. Their mid-season deal with Washington, in which they moved Jrue Holiday for Julius Randle, Denis Shroeder, a 2020 pick and the right to swap 2019 picks, turned into a massive steal when that Washington picked jumped all the way to number 1. Now the Rockets will be able to add Zion Williamson to a team featuring Kawhi Leonard, Steph Curry (up for an extension), Nikola Jokic (up for an extension), Eric Gordon and whatever they can get for DeMar DeRozan's re-sign rights. The Rockets aren't likely to have a ton of cap space after bringing back Steph and Jokic, but they are absolutely loaded and should be the West's team to beat.
Draft pick(s): #1 (swap with Washington), #12 (from Portland) Free agents: Steph Curry (likely re-sign), Nikola Jokic (likely re-sign), DeMar DeRozan, Julius Randle, Jabari Parker, Malik Beasley (D-League)
3. Memphis Grizzlies 2018-19 record: 15-1 Result: L, NBA Finals
The Grizzlies wrap up the most dominant three-year stretch in league history, going 46-2 in 48 regular season games. They also made the Finals for the first time this past year, but injuries hit at the worst possible time. Teague, Rose, Oladipo, and Fultz all missed the entire Finals (Oladipo and Fultz missed the whole postseason), and Otto Porter Jr. missed much of the Finals. The Grizz, assuming all players on their roster are healthy, will be a force once again next season as the bulk of their team returns. However, changes are guaranteed given that they don't have cap room to bring in their 2019 draft pick. Memphis will likely be looking for a 1 for 2 or 3 deal that can lower their salary number, though, honestly, they could just pick up 3 minimum salaried players and run it back. Given their pick situation (4 in the next 3 years), they'll have options. This team is not going quietly into the night.
Draft pick(s): #17 (Brooklyn) Free agents: Jeff Teague, Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki (retired)
4. Boston Celtics 2018-19 record: 12-4 Result: L, Eastern Conference Semis
This is where it starts to get interesting. The top-3 seem pretty set in stone, in some order, right now. After that, it gets a little hazy. The Celtics land in the 4th spot given their strong finish to the season, boatloads of cap space and the duo of Embiid and Simmons. Embiid is up for an extension, so he'll be pretty expensive, but the Celtics are still projected to have almost $30 million in cap space even after they re-sign Embiid. They've already got some nice pieces on the roster, but the big advantage here is all that cap space and the (relatively) strong free agent market. Boston relied on free agency last year to build a Finals contender, and they did so without committing long-term money. Their track record suggests they know how to find the right pieces. The committee (of one, currently) is willing to put their trust in Boston's management.
Draft pick(s): None Free agents: DJ Augustin, Jordan Clarkson, Royce O'Neale, Nikola Mirotic, Brook Lopez, Taj Gibson, Jeff Green
5. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks 2018-19 record: 9-7 Result: L, Eastern Conference Finals
If the Celtics are in the 4th spot for the reasons listed above, then Tampa Bay almost has to be in the 5th spot. This is a team that was left for dead after a 3-6 start, then rallied to win the Southeast Division. They went all in at the deadline, only to fall just short of the Finals against Brooklyn, but they have the ability to open up over $40 million in cap space if they renounce Justise Winslow. They've also got a re-sign left and a number of options to use it on (Kyle Lowry, Gary Harris, Jusuf Nurkic, Joe Ingles, Khris Middleton). They've got Russell Westbrook, DeAndre Ayton and Domantas Sabonis on long-term deals, and minimum-salaried Marcus Morris on the roster for one more season... and that's it. They have as blank a canvas as you can get. And while they do have all those re-sign options, we're going to go out on a limb and say Middleton is their guy. That gives them players at all five spots, and total flexibility to do what they want (not to mention he's probably the best of that re-sign group when you factor in age and injuries).
Draft pick(s): #6 (Las Vegas) Free agents: Kyle Lowry, Gary Harris, Jusuf Nurkic, Joe Ingles, Khris Middleton (likely re-sign), Nic Batum, Alec Burks, Cory Joseph, Serge Ibaka, Allen Crabbe, Justise Winslow (TO)
6. Oklahoma City Thunder 2018-19 record: 8-8 Result: Missed playoffs
Our first non-playoff team in the rankings. The Thunder may have fallen a couple of games short of the postseason, and they'll be under new ownership for the 19-20 season, but they'll be bringing back almost everyone. Jimmy Butler is likely to be re-signed, and DeJounte Murray will be back healthy, giving this club a monster backcourt (Murray, Butler, Jamal Murray, Derrick White, Luka Doncic). The frontcourt, as a whole, will be a question mark, but there are some nice pieces there. If they can get expected improvements from their young guys, and find a contributor at #4, they could be back in the playoffs.
Draft pick(s): #4 Free agents: Jimmy Butler (likely re-sign), Aaron Gordon (likely re-sign), Grayson Allen (D-League)
7. Chicago Bulls 2018-19 record: 9-7 Result: L, Eastern Conference Semis
The Bulls are in a pretty enviable position. The only player they are losing is Patrick Beverly, but he's not quite re-sign worthy... and they've got TWO re-sign spots to use. They should be one of only 2 or 3 teams looking to trade for re-sign eligible players, giving them a ton of leverage this summer. They've got a high upside backcourt in D'Angelo Russell and Donovan Mitchell, and two studs down low in Andre Drummond and Nic Vucevic. They'll have plenty of options and over $25 million in cap space. They are one of THE teams to keep an eye on because what they do this summer has the chance to flip the East upside-down.
Draft pick(s): #14 Free agents: Patrick Beverly
8. Portland Trailblazers 2018-19 record: 9-7 Result: Missed playoffs
The Trailblazers were looking for revenge entering the season, having lost the 17-18 Finals to the Nets, and things looked good at the outset. However, injuries crushed them, and they ultimately fell short of the playoffs by one steal on the last day of the season. But there is a reason the committee has them ranked above the team that beat them out for the final playoff spot and that's the fact that they return the bulk of their roster. The Blazers will have John Collins, Draymond Green, Josh Richardson, Caris LeVert, and Spencer Dinwiddie back again. Tobias Harris will likely be re-signed. Luke Kennard, who started to put things together late last season, is also back. There are some fun pieces here. And don't sleep on D-Leaguer Kevin Huerter. Even though they don't have a draft pick, they will have cap space to play with, and only a few spots to fill. If things break right, Portland should be back on top in the Pacific.
Draft pick(s): None Free agents: Tobias Harris (likely re-sign), Rajon Rondo, Bryn Forbes, Kevin Huerter (D-League)
9. Colorado Swannies 2018-19 record: 6-10 Result: Missed playoffs
This might be a bit of an optimistic placement on our part, but hear us out. The achille's injury to John Wall appears to have given Colorado a chance to totally revamp their roster. Had he not gotten hurt, the Swannies would have probably brought him back for his last year, and who knows how healthy he would have been. Instead, Colorado can open up all that cap space and focus on what they do have, which are some solid building blocks. Anthony Davis, of course, is all-world. Dennis Smith Jr. started to look like a player again in NY. Myles Turner will likely be brought back on his rookie kicker after finishing in the top-5 for DPOY. Jerami Grant turned into a swiss army knife this past season, and Rodions Kurucs was a heck of a D-League find. They're also going to be in the market for 2 re-sign eligible players. Much like the Bulls, the Swannies are going to have the ability to turn the Eastern Conference on it's head.
Draft pick(s): #9, #11 (Atlanta) Free agents: Myles Turner (TO), John Wall (TO), Rodions Kurucs (D-League), Allonzo Trier, Stanley Johnson (TO), Garrett Temple, Gerald Green
10. Utah Jazz 2018-19 record: 10-6 Result: L, Western Conference Semis
The Utah Jazz made the playoffs once again last season, remaining the only team in league history to make the playoffs every year of the league's existence. However, it was the closest they've ever come to missing the playoffs, and they needed quite a bit of help to get there. Once there, things fell apart, and they were rolled by the Grizzlies. Which leads into a summer of uncertainty for the Jazz. Sure, they'll be returning Mike Conley, LaMarcus Aldridge, Elfrid Payton and Marc Gasol, but Gasol's role is totally up in the air after his real life trade to Toronto. It's probably also fair to question Mike Conley's role this coming season. The Jazz are going to have some cap space, but they'll have a number of spots to fill. If they don't make any major trades, they are going to have to hit on some low-salaried signings in order to make the playoffs for the 11th year in a row.
Draft pick(s): None Free agents: Davis Bertans, JJ Redick, Tyler Johnson, Trevor Ariza, Evan Turner, Marcin Gortat, Andre Iguodala, Markieff Morris, Dwyane Wade (retired)
11. Kansas City Kings 2018-19 record: 11-5 Result: L, Western Conference Finals
It's probably not entirely fair to put the Kings this low after what turned out to be a banner year. Following several years of less than inspired finishes, the Kings roared to the finish line, winning their final 7 games then upsetting Houston in the conference semifinals. They lost to the Grizzlies in the WCF, but there was no shame in that after such a great finish. The problem is their current roster construction, which doesn't exactly lend itself to drastic changes. Sure, they'll bring back Kevin Durant and Kemba Walker, but they'll only have about $17 million to fill six spots, and they need to land some game changers. This, of course, could all change depending on how Miles Bridges and Marvin Bagley develop, not to mention what they do with Andrew Wiggins/their last re-sign spot. Do they bring Wiggins back or go shopping? There are some big decisions to be made in KC.
Draft pick(s): None Free agents: Andrew Wiggins, Will Barton, Iman Shumpert, Larry Nance, George Hill, Mason Plumlee
12. Seattle Supersonics 2018-19 record: 8-8 Result: Missed playoffs
The Sonics looked like the Pacific Division champions halfway through the season until faltering down the stretch. No matter, they have the potential to be loaded. Seattle might just boast the most young talent in the league with the likes of Lauri Markannen, Wendell Carter Jr., Bam Adebayo, Lonzo Ball, Jarrett Allen and Jonathan Isaac. They also have two studs in Damian Lillard and Rudy Gobert, plus the #10 pick. The big question mark right now is ownership. They have a new, yet experienced, owner, but new owners typically mean big changes. This looks like a team that just needs to stay the course, but a big shakeup could be on the way.
Draft pick(s): #10 Free agents: Nemanja Bielica, Jarred Vanderbilt (D-League)
13. Toronto Raptors 2018-19 record: 3-13 Result: Missed playoffs
At first glance, this probably looks crazy. The Raptors were bad, really bad, last season and they don't have their pick (though they have Utah's). However, a closer look reveals last season was likely more of a bump in the road rather than a harbinger of things to come. They played almost the entire season without DeMarcus Cousins. They played the whole season without Kristaps Porzingis. Devin Booker was a beast... when he was on the floor. Those three should all be healthy. Then you add in De'Aaron Fox and Collin Sexton. Jaylen Brown and Fred Van Vleet. Ivica Zubac and Reggie Bullock. There are some pieces to work with here. Now, they lack cap space, so they're going to have to make some moves (and that Gorgui Dieng contract is an absolute killer), but the foundation is there for a return to the postseason.
Draft pick(s): #15 (Utah) Free agents: None
14. Washington Wizards 2018-19 record: 7-9 Result: Missed playoffs
This is where it gets hard to differentiate because the remaining teams missed the playoffs, and they're all, seemingly, two moves from the playoffs. The Wizards are at least ahead of the game with Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Outside of that, it's kind of a crapshoot. One would expect Zach Collins to see increased minutes, but there are some spots to fill and not a ton of money to do it. The Wizards have a lot of players with only slightly overpaid deals, but all of those add up. The Wizards could really use an influx of young talent, and that pick swap looks real depressing right now.
Draft pick(s): #18 (Boston), #19 (Houston) Free agents: Jrue Holiday (likely re-sign), Patty Mills, Furkan Korkmaz (D-League), Kyle Korver, Shelvin Mack, Kenneth Faried, Thomas Bryant
15. Las Vegas Gamblers 2018-19 record: 4-12 Result: Missed playoffs
When you get down to these spots, this committee likes to lean towards teams that have some more freedom. The Gamblers have the potential to open up over $40 million in cap space. They don't have much in the way of talent beyond Kyrie Irving, but they will have the ability to build whatever kind of team they want. There's a good argument to be made that teams like Orlando, Atlanta, Golden State, and Minnesota should be above them. They are all basically interchangeable at this point.
16. Minnesota Timberwolves 2018-19 record: 7-9 Result: Missed playoffs
The Wolves were so close to the playoffs last year before injuries and overall poor play doomed them in the second half of the season. Then they had to watch as a pick the previous ownership group traded jumped up to #2. The good news is Blake Griffin looked like an MVP candidate last season, and the Wolves will be able to re-sign him. Zach LaVine put up numbers in a new situation. Chris Paul struggled with injuries, but if he can return to form, the Wolves have a solid three-man foundation. The problem comes in with the rest of the roster. It's hard to know what they have. They will go into free agency with over $20 million though.
Draft pick(s): None Free agents: Tyus Jones, Shabazz Napier, Tyreke Evans, James Ennis, Blake Griffin (likely re-sign), JaVale McGee, Keita Bates-Diop (D-League)
17. Orlando Magic 2018-19 record: 4-12 Result: Missed playoffs
The Magic were a trendy pick to win the division last year, but everything fell apart rather quickly. They go into this summer with a number of good to very good centers... and not much else. They'll have to flip a few guys, and probably hope Dwight comes back healthy, to give themselves a more balanced roster. Their pick fell to 7, but this draft is loaded with wing players, which is a position of need.
Draft pick(s): #7 Free agents: Ricky Rubio, Tim Hardaway Jr.
18. Cleveland Cavaliers 2018-19 record: 1-15 Result: Missed playoffs
The Cavs were really bad last season, and it was mostly by design. The Cavs drafted a rookie stud in Trae Young, but otherwise surrounded him with young players and cheap contracts. Buddy Hield looks like a player. Kevin Love still put up counting stats when he got on the floor. There are a lot of random young guys that could hit given the right situation. The Cavs will have the third pick to add to this team. It'll likely be a slow build, but you can start to see the vision.
Draft pick(s): #3, #20 (Memphis) Free agents: None
19. Atlanta Hawks 2018-19 record: 8-8 Result: Missed playoffs
The Hawks looked like a potential Finals team in the first quarter of the season, only to see it fall to pieces. The Hawks ended up moving Ben Simmons for a shot at Zion Williamson, but the pick they traded for fell to five. They'll have cap space, but you can also argue that they've got a few high priced... empty calorie players. It will be interesting to see what the Hawks do with their roster and draft pick, but it's hard to see them getting back to the playoffs next season.
Draft pick(s): #5 (Toronto) Free agents: Tony Parker, Jalen Brunson, Ersan Ilyasova, Richaun Holmes, Dznan Musa (D-League)
20. Golden State Warriors 2018-19 record: 6-10 Result: Missed playoffs
The Warriors have had some tough times the last two years, in large part because IT went from MVP candidate to bench warmer. That's hard for any team to overcome. IT will likely be gone, as it's hard to see Golden State picking up that option. They'll have about $17 million to spend on two spots (not counting their draft pick), but this team is going to need quite a bit to get back.
Draft pick(s): #8 Free agents: Isaiah Thomas (TO)
Don't forget to vote in the rule changes thread if you haven't, as well as the MVP and DPOY threads. And if you need to update your roster, do that ASAP.
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Post by Miege22 on Aug 13, 2019 18:53:11 GMT -5
Alright, here we go! The first full edition of the 2019-2020 Real GM Power Rankings. Special thanks to all the great work by the power rankings committee. As I mentioned previously, the plan is to get these posted every Tuesday once the season starts (we may still do one prior to week 1 if we feel it's necessary). Here is the post-FA edition. 1. Brooklyn NetsBrooklyn is coming off probably the most active off-season in the history of the league. After winning the championship last season, they did anything but rest on their laurels. They bring in 11 new faces (just by trades alone). They traded two top tier players for three (Harden, McCollum for Lillard, Butler, Holiday). What I liked: The aggressiveness What I didn't like: Trading JJJ for the re-sign rights to Jrue but only received Satoransky for the resign rights to McCollum -Fernans2. Seattle SupersonicsTalk about a major splash. After an ownership change led to a new direction, the Sonics went out and landed last year's league and Finals MVP, James Harden, in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Harden's addition gives this team an absolutely stacked lineup that legitimately goes 14-deep. Not one to be content with winning the trade scene, Seattle also went out and signed Brook Lopez and Danny Green. While they could be a little thin on the wings, they'll have highly coveted bigs that can land another game-changer. Even more impressive is what Seattle did under the radar, grabbing Kevin Porter Jr. on a D-League deal, and taking a flier on Chuma Okeke, an IR-stash for this season. It's obvious that this league has welcomed yet another fantastic owner to this exclusive club. What I liked: The aggressiveness of the new owner in jumping into the title contention deep end. What I didn't like: Moving Dillon Brooks for Dewayne Dedmon, I guess, though that's a small quibble. -Miege223. Tampa Bay Bull SharksTampa Bay flew under the radar for most of the summer until a league-changing trade with Memphis that could shift the balance of conference power the next couple of seasons. Tampa Bay has been one of the best teams when it comes to leveraging draft picks over the last couple of seasons. What I liked: Acquiring Towns What I didn’t like: Is Cousins more worthy of a roster spot than Winslow? -Fernans4. Houston RocketsHouston shocked the league with their unsuccessful re-sign of Jokic. They rebounded by signing Lowry, but they do come back weaker than last season. Much of their season outlook depends on how good Zion is out of the gate. What I liked: Essentially traded the 12th pick for cash and leveraged that cash for two future picks, smart What I don’t like: Why skimp on Jokic's contract offer? -Fernans5. Boston CelticsBoston had a great 2018-19 season, and they’re poised to be back just as strong this year. The additions of DeRozan and Winslow will help bolster their roster, and I think they’ll compete for the east. Health will be their Achilles heel - Embiid, Griffin, Parker, IT, and Hardaway are one breeze away from missing an entire season. What I liked: Adding high potential talent in FA What I didn’t like: The high potential talent is quite fragile -Richardson2396. Portland TrailblazersAfter a solid off-season, the Traiblazers are in a good position to compete for a playoff spot in the West. Their biggest move was the acquisition of Chris Paul from Minnesota, trading Brogdon and Dotson. Later on they decided to go a different route with the center position and ultimately flipped DeAndre Jordan for Marc Gasol. When they were done trading (getting veterans in Bazemore and Aminu in the process), Portland was limited with cap space, but they still managed to get a quality big in Harrell on a decent deal to fill their roster. For this team though, the biggest upside is in the young guys. Josh Richardson, John Collins, Caris LeVert, Luke Kennard and Kevin Huerter all have to improve their game in order for the Blazers to be able to seriously compete in the West. Without a bona fide number one star, they need these guys to contribute night in and night out. If they do, Portland is going to be a contender. What I liked: Improved overall depth on the roster What I didn't like: Personally didn't like the Gasol deal, but getting Harrell in FA kind of "repaired" it for me -teefbe7. Memphis GrizzliesFor a team that has a clear hole at PG, and just dealt Towns, this team is pretty damn good. PG/Beal/Horford/Ayton/OPJ with Oladipo stashed up is pretty intimidating and reminds you why this team made the finals last year. Tucker, Prince, and Bogie are solid depth at the wing spot. A lot of people have given up on Fultz but I saw him get buckets of all sorts back at Washington. Whatever this team can get from him will be a huge bonus. This team still has more assets to get some talent, so the short-term outlook is just as good as the long-term outlook. It will be very interesting to see what this team looks like once its closer to the playoffs. They have the ammo to return to the finals and avenge themselves. They just have to stay healthy this time around. -two0six8. Kansas City KingsHere ye, here ye, The Excellence of Sir King Poopy shall be admired by the league. Poopy had a busy off-season, and I like his back court. The front court is where things get a bit dicey. With a healthy Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge, Poopy could very well be in the top 10 this season, and yes, with a few moves, compete for the west. I’ll be curious to see what kind of moves he pulls...and from where... What I liked: CJ re-sign What I didn’t like: No tier 1 star after moving KD -Richardson2399. Utah JazzConsistency is the key. I’ve learned never to doubt Utah. He looked DOA coming into the season with a very depleted roster. He made some good, under the radar signings and trades that should position him nicely in the west. What I liked: Trade for Kemba What I didn’t like: Paying Ibaka and Favors what he did -Richardson23910. Oklahoma City ThunderOKC is under new ownership for the 19-20 season, and you can already tell it's a smart one. They were pretty quiet in the off-season, not engaging in free agency, but made a bold move to trade Jimmy Butler, and Harry Giles, for emerging star Devin Booker. They gave up on Dejounte Murray, trading him for a future draft pick, but with Jamal Murray, Derrick White and Coby White shoring up their point guard position, they should be more than fine. Add Booker, Doncic, Tatum and Aaron Gordon to that group and you have a ridiculously talented nucleus ready to make a playoff push. The West is tough though, and it might be difficult for them to get in this year due to their questionable big man talent. But make no mistake about it, this team will be a force for years to come, maybe even starting this year if young guys click at the same time. What I liked: Getting Devin Booker, fits their timeline better than Butler setting the team up for years to come What I didn't like: Stayed pat in free agency with 10 million in space, could've gone after a center, feels like a lost opportunity there -teefbe11. Chicago BullsThe Bulls played it safe this off-season, which might not be the worst idea with the big three in the East going all-in. With Russell, Mitchell and Drummond, the Bulls have a young triumvirate capable of keeping the Bulls in playoff contention for at least another decade. Still, one has to wonder if the Bulls might be missing a window of opportunity here. Nikola Vucevic is about to finish his contract at the end of the season, and re-signing him means eventually having to move one of the three already mentioned. Or maybe the Bulls look to trade him, but the market of big men is close to hitting an all-time high. Chicago was wise to bring in Bol Bol on a D-League deal, but this team could really use a wing to help push them over the top. What I liked: The Tyler Herro pick was really good value. What I didn't like: Not trying to move some of the dead weight minimum contract deals for better players via FA. -Miege2212. Colorado SwanniesI expected Colorado to be more aggressive in free agency. I like the addition of Gary Harris and expect him to have a bounce back year. The move to re-sign Turner a year early was a gamble, but one that could pay off. I think Colorado has the talent to make a few smart moves and be in a really good position by the end of the year. What I liked: Gary Harris re-sign and aggressiveness with Turner re-sign What I didn’t like: Ingles contract and quiet free agency -Richardson23913. Washington WizardsIt's hard to believe the Wizards were in the Finals just two years ago. This team is now in the midst of a full blown rebuild, but they've managed to pivot quickly and in impressive fashion. Take a look at some of the young talent here: Nassir Little, Zach Collins, Terrance Ferguson, Keldon Johnson, Jalen Brunson, and the prize jewel landed this summer, Jaren Jackson Jr. Oh, and they still have Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Wizards are in a fascinating position right now. Do they try and move Giannis for the mother lode, or do they keep him around and let the young guys grow around him? He is only 24 after all. What I liked: Trading for JJJ to pair with Giannis. What I didn't like: Only signing Augustin to a one-year deal rather than a two-year deal. -Miege2214. Minnesota TimberwolvesThe Timberwolves may not make the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference, but they refused to be conservative. After moving Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in an apparent move to reload for the future, the Wolves wildly reversed course once Nikola Jokic became available. Minnesota depleted their pick inventory in an effort to clear cap space, then rendered any bidding war for Jokic obsolete mere hours into free agency. In the process, the Wolves somehow put together a team that is both chock-full of young talent AND has players that will contribute immediately. It was an impressive off-season that will leave them with loads of cap space next summer to add to their talented young core. What I liked: Going all-in for a true superstar in Jokic. What I didn't like: Personally, I would have held on to Dotson for at least another year, but that's not a big deal. -Miege2215. Golden State WarriorsGolden State has been on a slow downward slide the last three seasons and looks committed to rebuild. They drafted two top-ten picks and have a good amount of young talent to build around. With a possible $20 million coming off the books next summer, it will be interesting to see where they head. What I liked: Signing Rubio on a value deal and getting out of Hernangomez’s contract What I didn’t like: If committing to rebuild, why trade a future pick for cash and use that cash for one-year rental of Derrick Rose? -Fernans16. Toronto RaptorsThis is a very exciting up and coming team right here. Toronto did very well with their draft acquiring Morant, Garland, Goga, and Washington. Porzingis is still a unicorn and will be the cornerstone of this franchise after a likely re-sign next season. Then you got Jaylen Brown who could see more responsibility on a brand new Celtics team this year. They still have their first which makes this season a lot easier as it will take pressure off of the young core to develop instead of winning now. I like the addition of Bojan as their wings lacked sharpshooters and think he will be important in a year or two once Toronto decides to go all in. The point guard depth is something management has to feel good about. I know the 2 rookies haven't played a second yet, but they are both in great situations that can easily make them really good fantasy players in a couple of years. -two0six17. Orlando MagicOrlando will strictly be focused on the development on their young core. Brandon Ingram, Terry Rozier (who they just paid), and Jonas Valanciunas are primed to have career seasons next year while you have a lot of wildcards in Giles, Hunter, Sekou, Monk and Jackson. Even the "other guys" on this team have decent upside to be contributors, although their situations may not be that ideal at the moment. Orlando will try to take the next step in winning some games as they do not own their own pick this year. No one is expecting them to make the playoffs, but if everyone can play to their potential we can see this team move up in the middle pack of the league this year. However, if the leaders of this team flop, and the young players turn out to be too raw this might end up a rough season. -two0six18. Las Vegas GamblersA rather confusing team to figure out right now. They have a very good back court in Kyrie Irving and Eric Bledsoe, then you have some productive veteran wings in Gordon Hayward and Joe Harris. They locked up the injured Bosnian Jusuf Nurkic on a respectable 4 year deal. Their most prized piece is the former #1 high school prospect out of Nathan Hale, Michael Porter Jr., but after that the rest of the roster is a mess. MKG and Damian Jones are the only healthy bigs on the roster. Then the only other two players are Cam Johnson and Rodney McGruder. They do not have their 2020 pick which is absurd when you consider that they didn't even sign one free agent outside of Nurkic with their 20 + million. Vegas has the assets to acquire more future talent and can always sign some low end players to fill out their roster so they can easily improve their future and/or current outlook in these next couple of months. -two0six19. Atlanta HawksAfter their hot start last season and ultimately failing to make the playoffs, the Hawks decided to build for the future. Free agency is pretty much done now and it looks like Atlanta's ownership is sticking to the script here. They made a couple of high upside moves, like Anfernee Simons and Thomas Bryant, though it didn't come cheap. The Poeltl and Hood trades were solid too, but it's still hard to look at that roster and feel confident about them getting wins this season, especially with Klay likely out until at least February. This seems like a forecast of a tough year for Atlanta, but it'll be the improvement of the young guys on that roster that will determine their level of success this year. What I liked: Hood trade What I didn't like: Bryant's deal is a huge risk, Adams was overpaid too, but was a sure thing, Hawks make a gamble here -teefbe20. Cleveland CavaliersThe Cavaliers front office has a clear plan. They already have young studs in Trae Young and RJ Barrett on that team, and they want to add one more top prospect next year. Of course, the owner will tell you that they want to get wins, but by trading Kevin Love and Buddy Hield for KD they've sent a clear message that they're playing the long game. To add to it, they brought John Wall in on a long-term deal, who is projected to miss all of next year. Now, the Cavs can hope for a steady growth from their young talent, their stars getting healthy and they'll live with the result. Hopes of skyrocketing in these rankings next year are not delusional by any means and that's what they'll preach all year long, even if the season gets rough down the road. What I liked: Great decision to get KD, losing Hield hurts, but Love was more of a negative asset after an injury-plagued season so getting a player of KD's caliber for him feels like a win, even if the Cavs have to wait a year to see him play What I didn't like: Wall's deal feels like it's a tad too much, although it's not terrible and with buy-outs now, it shouldn't hurt long-term -teefbeAnd here's how each member of the committee ranked them: TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | two0six | teefbe | Brooklyn | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Seattle | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | Tampa Bay | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Houston | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | Boston | 8 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | Portland | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 8 | Memphis | 4 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Kansas City | 7 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 7 | Utah | 9 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 9 | Oklahoma City | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | Chicago | 11 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 10 | Colorado | 14 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 12 | Washington | 15 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 13 | Minnesota | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | Golden State | 13 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | Toronto | 16 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 16 | Orlando | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Las Vegas | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 15 | Atlanta | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 20 | Cleveland | 20 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 19 |
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Post by Miege22 on Aug 14, 2019 12:21:28 GMT -5
For those curious, here are the biggest risers and fallers...
Biggest Risers Seattle (up 10) Golden State (up 5) Kansas City (up 3)
Biggest Fallers Memphis (down 4) OKC (down 4) Chicago (down 4)
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Post by Miege22 on Oct 29, 2019 21:06:55 GMT -5
Week 1 Rankings will be posted tonight
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Post by Miege22 on Oct 30, 2019 18:47:46 GMT -5
Here they are (please note that we are still waiting for four more write-ups; those will be posted when we get them): 1. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Chicago, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 3Tampa Bay solidly beat Chicago. While contributions from Towns were expected, the key contributor for the week was Howard. Laughed at around the league for bidding on Howard, he provided a source of rebounds and blocks that helped push the victory. They face a tough test against Houston and a hot Wiggins this week. -Fernans2. Brooklyn Nets (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Boston, 8-1 Preseason ranking: 1Big win over a conference foe. Siakam put together an MVP performance type of week. Despite losing Bagley for at least a month, they will be returning Butler. This is a powerhouse team with arguably one of the best starting fives in the league. They face an injury riddled Memphis this week. -Fernans3. Houston Rockets (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Orlando, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 4Houston had a strong week, led by Leonard, Wiggins, and Lowry, to take the win over Orlando. News of Williamson being out for at least two months will hurt the team short-term, with four of the next five games against teams considered playoff contenders. Houston faces off against a strong and healthy Tampa Bay this week. -Fernans4. Seattle Supersonics (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Atlanta, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 2The Sonics may have only won 5-4, but their match-up with the Hawks really wasn't all that close as Seattle dominated the 5 categories they won. They looked like a championship caliber team even with Harden and Gobert struggling. Bam might be most improved player, and Dejounte Murray is the real deal. An interesting game against Utah awaits. Keep an eye on... the aforementioned Murray has already turned himself into a triple-double threat on any given night. -Miege225. Portland Trailblazers (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Golden State, 5-2-2 Preseason ranking: 6Portland took care of a feisty Golden State team thanks in large part to a big Sunday from Caris LeVert. It's been an interesting start to the season for the Trailblazers. Chris Paul and Marc Gasol have looked a step slow, and Huerter has had his minutes limited, but Kelly Oubre Jr. has been fantastic. They're also, finally, getting blocks and steals from John Collins, which was the next step in his evolution. They've got a key early season match-up with Kansas City next. -Miege226. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Minnesota, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 10Every year, there's one team that finally puts it all together and makes the leap. It looks like OKC might be that team this year. The biggest question mark this team had entering the season was their front court, and that was answered emphatically by Tristan Thompson. Jayson Tatum and OG Anunoby have stepped up their games, and rookie Coby White looks like a dark horse rookie of the year candidate. Watch out for this team. They get Vegas in week 2. -Miege227. Kansas City Kings (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Memphis, 7-1-1 Preseason ranking: 8Talk about starting off on the right foot. Kansas City absolutely dismantled Memphis this week. However, Memphis was massively injury stricken - no Dipo or PG - and Deandre Ayton only played one game before being suspended. Nonetheless, KC put up some very impressive numbers and has all the makings of a dark horse contender this season. If SGA is the leading scorer in any given week, it’s going to be hard for teams to beat the Kings. KC is well rounded and I expect them to get better as the season unfolds. Kansas City’s player of the week: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (3 games) - 24.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg, 1.7 bpg, 2 threes/game -Richardson2398. Boston Celtics (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 8-1 Preseason ranking: 5I’m not going to let one week against the reigning champ change my outlook on Boston. It’s hard to compete when you are without two of your most important players - Joel Embiid and Blake Griffin. The one game Embiid played? He did Embiid things. However, a mostly healthy Brooklyn team proved to be too much. Boston will be a top four East team in the end, but it could be this kind of year if these two big guys don’t stay healthy. Boston’s player of the week: Justise Winslow (3 games) - 19 ppg, 6.7 apg, 9.3 rpg, 1 bpg -Richardson2399. Utah Jazz (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Cleveland, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 9I said before the season that consistency is key and Utah has proven me right. The Jazz took care of Cleveland, but it was a surprisingly close match-up. Utah has a nice crop of players, but I still think they’re a piece or two away from being a serious contender like they are each year. It seems like they only got the bare minimum from many guys, yet they still won. I expect that to change, and when it does, there won’t be close match-ups like this each week. Utah’s player of the week: Kemba Walker (3 games) - 22 ppg, 2.7 apg, 4.3 rpg, 3.3 threes/game -Richardson23910. Memphis Grizzlies (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to KC, 7-1-1 Preseason ranking: 7Memphis takes a fall in the rankings due to early season injuries, suspensions, and they simply faced a very good team. Despite the loss, Fultz showed us that he can actually do things and should have a larger role as the season progresses. PJ Tucker was an absolute beast in his 2 game showing, and Horford was solid. The Ayton suspension really hurts though, and this team needs George to come back as soon as possible. Beal and Porter Jr. need to show up as well as they struggled in week 1 (although Beal was very good assisting the ball). -Two0six11. Washington Wizards (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Colorado, 7-2 Preseason ranking: 13The Wizards' match-up with Colorado looked like a rare week 1 "swing game" in the East, but Washington quickly took all the drama out of it. They've got solid players up and down the lineup, even with a couple of no-shows in Keldon Johnson and Nassir Little. Giannis? Still incredible. They've got the Warriors next. Keep an eye on... Maxi Kleber. The German product is already turning himself into a part of the core in Washington. -Miege2212. Chicago Bulls (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 11The Bulls ran into a buzzsaw, otherwise they likely would be 1-0. The good news is Donovan Mitchell, Andre Drummond and and Nikola Vucevic all looked great, and Tyler Herro already looks like a great pick. The bad news is the bench was non-existent. We'll see if they can bounce back against a frisky Cavs team. Keep an eye on... Christian Wood. The lanky big man already has one double-double this week and looks to get more PT with Blake Griffin out. -Miege2213. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to OKC, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 14I guess Malcolm Brogdon and Josh Hart are the best backcourt in the league now. They ran up against a better team in OKC, but there was no shame in their effort. They'll have a chance to get even against a banged up Boston Celtics team. Keep an eye on... Troy Brown Jr. Brown makes his return to the court this week and could make an immediate impact given the (real life) Wizards' lack of depth on the wing. -Miege2214. Golden State Warriors (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Portland, 6-2-1 Preseason ranking: 15Golden State lost to Portland, but the match-up was much closer than the final score would suggest. Rose was the star for week 1, and Rui Hachimura was solid as well. Dunn had a disappointing first week, and with the team thin at the 2, he may be expendable. They face 1-0 Washington this week. -Fernans15. Toronto Raptors (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Las Vegas, 4-4-1 Preseason ranking: 16Toronto won a close one over Vegas and they have one man and one rookie to thank. That man is the one they call "the unicorn," Kristaps Porzingis, who finished the week with a 26-6-3 line with 3 threes, 3 blocks, and 45% shooting. The rookie is none other than Ja Morant, who brushed off a slow start to the season and absolutely broke out in his third game dropping 30-9-4 (and beating Kyrie). Fox should have better weeks as he was playing through injuries and Jaylen "Brinks trucks" had a good start despite the game 1 dud. -Two0six 16. Atlanta Hawks (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Seattle, 5-4 Preseason ranking: 19The Hawks might be better than we thought. They'll still struggle, but they've got some pieces. Thomas Bryant is quickly proving last year was not a fluke, Dillon Brooks had some nice games, Kevin Knox is shooting it well. Oh, and they pounced on Kendrick Nunn. The issue for them will be a lack of playing time, but you can see the foundation taking shape. They'll get Toronto in week 2. -Miege2217. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Toronto, 4-4-1 Preseason ranking: 18Vegas lost a close one to Toronto, and I am sure they are happy #TrustTheProcess. Kyrie looks like an MVP candidate as he opened the season with a 37-6-6 line with nearly 2 steals and 5 threes. Joe Harris did Joe Harris things, and Hayward looked a tiny bit of the old Hayward. Bledsoe needs to play better period for the sake of his value, even if this team won't be winning many games. Michael Porter Jr. did not play but I am anxiously waiting for his return. -Two0six18. Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Utah, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 20Some important things to note here. First, ranking the Cavs 20 was simply too low. They won't be the worst team in the league, not with Trae young looking like a Steve Nash/Steph curry hybrid and RJ Barrett stuffing the stat sheet. Outside of those two, there's not much there, but it's always been about next year with both Wall and KD expected back from their achilles injuries. A tough game against Chicago awaits. -Miege2219. Orlando Magic (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Houston, 6-3 Preseason ranking: 17One of the more interesting teams took an L against Houston, but they enjoyed a monster week from Brandon Ingram who averaged 27-9-4 with 3 threes and almost 2 blocks on 52% shooting. Wow. Valanciunas looked really good in his limited minutes and will see his minute cap increase over the next couple of weeks. Other than that they are going to need Rozier, Monk, Hunter and Payton to take it up a notch with their consistency if they are going to upset some teams. Keep an eye on them. -Two0six20. Colorado Swannies (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Washington, 7-2 Preseason ranking: 12Colorado has a brutal first week against the Wizards. Outside of Anthony Davis and Myles Turner, the Swannies didn’t get anything from their supporting cast. I still believe in this team and think that they’ve got the pieces to be competitive. However, I think the dormant free agency will impact them and force this team to make a decision. Do they want to build around AD, or might it be time to cash in on their prized big man and collect a haul of talent that could better round out this team? Colorado’s player of the week: Anthony Davis (3 games) - 25 ppg, 10 rpg, 3.3 bpg -Richardson239TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | two0six | teefbe | Tampa Bay | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Brooklyn | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Houston | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | Seattle | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 3 | Portland | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 | Oklahoma City | 7 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 7 | Kansas City | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | Boston | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Utah | 8 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 9 | Memphis | 10 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 8 | Washington | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 12 | Chicago | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | Minnesota | 13 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 13 | Golden State | 15 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 15 | Toronto | 14 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 14 | Atlanta | 17 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 16 | Las Vegas | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | Cleveland | 19 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 17 | Orlando | 20 | 16 | 20 | 15 | 19 | Colorado | 18 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 |
BIGGEST RISERSOklahoma City (up 4) Atlanta (up 3) Tampa Bay (up 2) BIGGEST FALLERSColorado (down 8) Memphis (down 3) Boston (down 3)
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 6, 2019 10:05:21 GMT -5
Week 21. Brooklyn Nets (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Memphis, 7-2 Last week: 2The Nets welcomed back Jimmy Butler and Dwight Powell and promptly rolled to victory in this Finals rematch. LeBron James turned back the clock to put up 2 triple-doubles in 3 games, while adding in 6 steals for the week. However, despite some big performances, it might be time to start worrying about Jrue Holiday. The Nets get the surprising Raptors in week 3. 2. Seattle Supersonics (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Chicago, 7-2 Last week: 4The Supersonics laid waste to the Utah Jazz, a match-up that was basically over after the first night. James Harden continues to struggle shooting the ball, particularly from deep, but that didn't stop him from averaging 41 points per game this week (he was also an absurd 66-69 from the line). The Sonics lapped the field in blocks this week, with 9 of them coming from Jonathan Isaac. The Sonics have quickly cemented themselves as the team to beat in the West. They face the Cavs in week 3. 3. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Las Vegas, 8-1 Last week: 6We're only two weeks in, but I think it's safe to say we collectively whiffed on the Thunder. OKC was 10th in the pre-season rankings, but it has become obvious already that they are a top-4 team. Jayson Tatum and OG Anunoby are making a leap. Tristan Thompson looks like his 2016 self. And Luka Doncic? Well, he's an MVP candidate and shows no signs of slowing down. If Coby White continues to play like this, and Jahlil Okafor can stay relevant, the Thunder have a chance to win it all. They'll almost certainly get to 3-0 against Colorado this week. 4. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Houston, 6-3 Last week: 1The Bull Sharks managed to take down Houston despite having KAT for all of half a game. The big man was suspended from the other game he was scheduled to play due to a fight with Joel Embiid, which somehow involved getting choked by a third player (who didn't get suspended? Wish I'd known I could claim to be a peacemaker while fighting with my brother when we were kids...). It was a marquee win made even more impressive by the performance of Dwight Howard. He was mentioned in this space a week ago, but his Sunday closing performance was so good, we had to bring him up again. If Dwight is this good, the Bull Sharks are scary. They face a stiff test against Portland in week 3. 5. Kansas City Kings (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Portland, 5-4 Last week: 7Sir Poopy and the winners he has bred are off to a great 2-0 start. The Kings beat a talented Portland team and are firmly establishing themselves as a threat out west. Mike Conley finally showed up and Kevin Love stayed hot. The Kings are going to be a tough team all year long. They’ve got proven guys on their roster and if they stay healthy, it would not surprise me to see them as a final two team in the west. The Kings get the 2-0 Wizards next. Kansas City's player of the week: Kevin Love (4 games) - 20.8 ppg, 15.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 3.5 threes/game, 48% FG 6. Portland Trailblazers (1-1)Week 2 result: Lost to Kansas City, 5-4 Last week: 5The Trailblazers were at a bit of a scheduling disadvantage against the Kings, playing almost 200 fewer minutes, so it is actually quite impressive they managed to keep it so close. It appears the committee agrees, as they only dropped one spot. Of course, things are about to get a little rough with John Collins suspended (not to mention Draymond already missing time with the finger issue). The schedule does not get any easier with a trip to Tampa Bay up next. 7. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-1)Week 2 result: Beat Boston, 6-3 Last week: 13How about the Minnesota Timberwolves?! After a hard-fought loss to OKC in week 1, the Wolves made quite the statement with a win over the banged up Boston Celtics. The Wolves have stumbled upon a solid top-6 in Jokic, Brogdon, Gallo, Hart, Sexton and Mitchell Robinson. If they can get some of the other bench pieces to step up on a week-to-week basis, this team could be sneaky good. They've got a chance to move above .500 against Golden State. 8. Houston Rockets (1-1)Week 2 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 6-3 Last week: 3The start to this season has been less than ideal for the Rockets. After losing Zion before the season opener, they lost Steph Curry in week 2 for, essentially, the rest of the regular season. The Curry loss was especially damaging, as it ended any hope they had of beating Tampa Bay this past week. With Seattle, OKC and KC rising to the top in the West, another playoff appearance for the Rockets could be a long shot bet. Their week 3 game against Boston isn't quite a must win, but it's close. 9. Chicago Bulls (1-1)Week 2 result: Beat Cleveland, 7-2 Last week: 12That's a get right win if there ever was one. Chicago left no doubt in their win over the Cavaliers, and Andre Drummond was front and center. The big man from UCONN put up an eye-popping 22 ppg and 21 rpg, to go along with 11 blocks and 5 steals. He's doing everything he can to carry a Bulls team that suddenly looks scary again with Mitchell and Russell finding their footing (not to mention Tyler Herro and TJ Warren). Chicago gets Orlando next. 10. Washington Wizards (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Golden State, 5-2-2 Last week: 11Giannis and the Wizards held off the Warriors to move to 2-0, one of two surprising undefeated teams in the East (Toronto). Of course, they did it against the Swannies and Warriors, and the schedule is about to get considerably tougher over the next month and half. Their win this week also came at a huge cost: Zach Collins dislocated his shoulder and JJJ sustained a knee injury. Still, that's two wins in the bank as they head to Kansas City. 11. Utah Jazz (1-1)Week 2 result: Lost to Seattle, 7-2 Last week: 9I’m still a believer in the Jazz, but they ran into a buzz saw this week. While Utah didn’t get what they needed from their stars, it wouldn’t have mattered against a dominant Sonics team. It’s not time to panic, but the Jazz are going to need much more from Harrison Barnes, Steven Adams, and Kemba Walker if they're going to be in the playoff conversation. Utah takes on the Memphis Grizzlies this week. Utah's player of the week: Kemba Walker (2 games) - 32.5 ppg, 5.5 apg, 6 rpg, 3.5 threes/game 12. Toronto Raptors (2-0)Week 2 result: Beat Atlanta, 7-2 Last week: 15The rookies on this squad have really taken the league by storm (Ja, PJ, and now Goga) and have made this team a lot more competitive than many would have thought. The Unicorn and the Fox still have yet to blow up, which could propel this Toronto team into the playoffs if things go well. A tough week 3 against Brooklyn awaits. 13. Boston Celtics (0-2)Week 2 result: Lost to Minnesota, 6-3 Last week: 8Another disappointing week for Boston as rest and injuries again plagued the Celtics. Embiid missed a game, Winslow missed 2, and Blake Griffin still hasn’t returned. The Celtics could not overcome the well-rounded attack from Minnesota. Boston might be off to a slow start, but it’s only a matter of time before they are clicking on all cylinders. Boston will need to beat a Curry-less Houston team this week to avoid an 0-3 start. Boston's player of the week: Ben Simmons (3 games) - 15.7 ppg, 7 apg, 6.7 rpg, 2 spg, 1 bpg 14. Memphis Grizzlies (0-2)Week 2 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 7-2 Last week: 10While they were not going to beat Brooklyn, we saw Beal finally return to form and the veterans Horford + Tucker continued to dominate. This team needs to get healthy as soon as possible, and they need Otto Porter to wake up in order to save their season. Utah is next. 15. Golden State Warriors (0-2)Week 2 result: Lost to Washington, 5-2-2 Last week: 14This was a tough loss for the Warriors, who likely needed this game to have a realistic shot at the playoffs. It may sound silly to talk about a week 2 loss costing a team a playoff spot, but that's how tough the Western Conference is this year. With a match-up against the suddenly not terrible Wolves on tap for week 3, it becomes quite clear why we would be sounding alarm bells. This team has pieces, but it hasn't come together just yet. 16. Colorado Swannies (1-1)Week 2 result: Beat Orlando, 7-2 Last week: 20The Swannies righted the ship this week and beat the Orlando Magic. These are the games that Colorado has to win. The bright spot was the victory, but it came at a price. Myles Turner injured his ankle on Wednesday night and is being listed as week to week. It’s going to be an uphill battle for Colorado if Turner misses significant time. Anthony Davis is still doing Anthony Davis things and Gary Harris looks like he may be coming back to life. The Swannies are going to need some tinkering to become a real threat, but they’ve got some valuable assets to trade and, if they make the right moves, they could become an interesting team to watch moving forward. The Swannies have a daunting week against the Thunder in their next matchup. Colorado's player of the week: Anthony Davis (3 games) - 32 ppg, 13 rpg, 2.7 bpg, 49.2% FG, 93.9% FT 17. Orlando Magic (0-2)Week 1 result: Lost to Colorado, 7-2 Last week: 19Disappointing loss here, however, Ingram and Valanciunas continue to put up very good numbers. Green and Robinson III have been pleasant surprises this year so far as well. Despite those performances they could not overcome the wrath of Anthony Davis. They welcome Chicago in week 3. 18. Atlanta Hawks (0-2)Week 2 result: Lost to Toronto, 7-2 Last week: 16Speaking of the Hawks, they simply didn't have the top-end talent to compete with the Raptors in week 2. However, they made an incredibly shrewd pick-up, landing Eric Paschall in free agency. That makes two solid pick-ups after the season started (Nunn). The Hawks are bursting at the seams with young talent, and all it will take is 1 or 2 to pop to make this team a contender again. That, and getting Klay Thompson back next year. 19. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-2)Week 2 result: Lost to OKC, 8-1 Last week: 17Gordon Hayward is back! Kyrie Irving is continuing a bid for MVP this season with his Brooklyn takeover, and Eric Bledsoe was much improved from week 1. Despite all of this, the story for Vegas was that Porter Jr. finally got to play in limited minutes and looked very good. After a beatdown against the powerhouse OKC, The Process continues in Vegas with the Atlanta Hawks. 20. Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2)Week 2 result: Lost to Chicago, 7-2 Last week: 18The shine of their more competitive than expected loss to Utah wore off a bit against Chicago with Trae out, and it will only dull further against Seattle, but they have to be excited about Richaun Holmes looking like a player again. If either Okogie or Bridges gets their act together, things will get a bit easier in Cleveland. TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | two0six | teefbe | Brooklyn | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | | Seattle | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | | Oklahoma City | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | | Tampa Bay | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | | Kansas City | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | | Portland | 6 | 8 | 6 | 9 | | Minnesota | 10 | 7 | 9 | 7 | | Houston | 11 | 6 | 11 | 6 | | Chicago | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | | Washington | 7 | 11 | 7 | 10 | | Utah | 12 | 10 | 12 | 11 | | Toronto | 8 | 15 | 10 | 14 | | Boston | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | | Memphis | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | | Golden State | 16 | 12 | 16 | 16 | | Colorado | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | | Orlando | 19 | 17 | 19 | 17 | | Atlanta | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | | Las Vegas | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | | Cleveland | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | |
BIGGEST RISERSMinnesota (up 6) Colorado (up 4) Chicago (up 3) Oklahoma City (up 3) Toronto (up 3) BIGGEST FALLERSHouston (down 5) Boston (down 5) Memphis (down 4)
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 13, 2019 16:56:08 GMT -5
WEEK 31. Brooklyn Nets (3-0)Week 3 result: Beat Toronto, 8-1 Last week: 1The Nets defeated Toronto easily. Player of the week was Lillard, who put up a monster 151 points over the week. Capela added 10 blocks and Holiday 9 steals. It appears that Bagley will be out for another two weeks, but the team is deep enough to really not miss him. They face a 2-1 Washington team with a resurgent Dragic this week. 2. Seattle Supersonics (3-0)Week 3 result: Beat Cleveland, 8-1 Last week: 2The Sonics continue to put up bonkers numbers, particularly in the steals and blocks categories. Jonathan Isaac had a huge hand in those numbers, contributing 5 steals and 15 blocks in 4 games. James Harden averaged over 40 points per game on the week while tossing in 22 three-pointers. If there's any cause for concern, it's that Dewayne Dedmon and Lauri Markkanen have both fallen off (by their individual respective standards). With so many other teams playing at such a high level, two guys not playing to their potential is a killer. Seattle gets a massive game in week 4 against OKC. 3. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0)Week 3 result: Beat Colorado, 8-1 Last week: 3OKC cruised to the victory in Week 3, dominating Colorado in every statistical category except for, understandably, turnovers. Having Doncic playing at an MVP level, and Booker being way more efficient than he used to be, makes the Thunder a tough opponent for anyone, and the Swannies were no match for Luka's brilliance as he averaged almost a 30 point triple double. His play, combined with Booker being awesome, and strong supporting cast showings from Tatum, Murray and Gordon made this matchup a non-story. OKC will face it's first huge test against a great Seattle team next week in, what could be, a preview of a playoff matchup. 4. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (3-0)Week 3 result: Beat Portland, 5-4 Last week: 4Tampa Bay narrowly beat Portland 5-4 in a very tight matchup. Player of the week was.. Graham, who Tampa Bay signed two weeks ago. His contributions alone gave Tampa Bay the W. Not all news is great, however, as they have lost Middleton for the next few weeks. The schedule toughens up next month, with a combined opponent record of 9-3. It starts with a feisty Minnesota team. 5. Kansas City Kings (3-0)Week 3 result: Beat Washington, 7-2 Last week: 5Sir Poopy’s talented Kings moved to 3-0 after defeating the Washington Wizards. Kansas City was led once again by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging an astounding 21/5.8/3.4 on the season. The Kings are very balanced and have firmly established themselves as a real threat in the west. The Kings should move to 4-0 when they face Colorado in week 4. However, things get dicey from there when they’ve got a brutal stretch of Seattle, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Utah. The Kings are winning the games they need to win, but the real tests will come in weeks 5-8. 6. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1)Week 3 result: Beat Golden State, 6-3 Last week: 7It still kind of feels like the Wolves are flying under the radar a bit, but at 2-1 with a nice win over Golden State, that will start to change. Minnesota is a potential playoff team. That much is now obvious. Yes, there's still a lot of room for growth here, but the young guys are producing thus far. Collin Sexton poured in 31 points to end the week, and, while he doesn't contribute much else, he's starting to look like a 20 point per game scorer. Minnesota has a real chance to make a statement in week 4 against Tampa Bay. 7. Chicago Bulls (2-1)Week 3 result: Beat Orlando, 8-1 Last week: 9Holy cow, D'Angelo Russell. The Ohio State product now has free reign to do whatever he wants, and he averaged 41-6-6 in two games. If he starts playing like that, this Bulls team is DANGEROUS. Andre Drummond continues to make his case for MVP, and TJ Warren just gets buckets. There's going to be some consternation if they keep getting nothing from so many roster spots, but one good week from any of those guys puts those fears to bed. Chicago plays Golden State this week. 8. Utah Jazz (2-1)Week 3 result: Beat Memphis, 7-2 Last week: 11The Jazz came alive this week, albeit against a depleted Memphis squad. Nonetheless, Utah was making it rain from downtown and dominated in 6 of the 7 categories that they won. Kemba Walker continues to carry the load, but the role players appear to be waking up. The Jazz will hang around all season, and if their role players start putting up the projected numbers, then this suddenly becomes a sneaky team. The Jazz will have their hands full with the Chicago Bulls in week 4. After that, the Jazz season will hinge on an absolute monster of a stretch against Houston, Portland, Kansas City, Minnesota, Brooklyn, Oklahoma City, and Tampa Bay. 9. Portland Trailblazers (1-2)Week 3 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 5-4 Last week: 6Portland fought hard until the very end, but ultimately came up short against Tampa Bay. In fact, the Blazers lost by only 3 blocks and/or 21 points. This Trailblazers team is well-rounded, and enjoyed solid showings from CP3, Harrell, Harris. Luke Kennard is continuing his strong play, but that just wasn't enough against the star power of KAT and.........Devonte Graham. They really lacked Marc Gasol's production and that's the guy to monitor the next couple of weeks. Portland drops to 1-2, but with losses to KC and TB it surely isn't time to panic. They have an excellent opportunity to try and get back to .500 against the Hawks in Week 4. 10. Washington Wizards (2-1)Week 3 result: Lost to Kansas City, 7-2 Last week: 10Washington lost to Kansas City, but that was expected. What wasn't expected, and is a pleasant surprise, is that Nassir Little is now seeing the floor (and he acquitted himself nicely in his debut with 8 points, 3 boards, a steal and a block). Things will be just as tough this week with Brooklyn up next, but this Wizards team may make some noise yet. 11. Boston Celtics (1-2)Week 3 result: Beat Houston, 7-2 Last week: 13The Celtics got on the board with their first win of the season by defeating the Houston Rockets 7-2 in week 3. While the win was needed and good for morale, there are things to be concerned about in Boston. For one, Ben Simmons has a shoulder injury and will miss a few games, and Justise Winslow still isn’t right after his concussion. On the bright side, Embiid is healthy and Blake Griffin should return this week. However, the Celtics are going to need to have all of their guys healthy if they’re going to go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights of the East. They’ve got Memphis this week, followed by a conference showdown against Tampa Bay in week 5. 12. Toronto Raptors (2-1)Week 3 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 8-1 Last week: 12Just when it looked like Toronto was going to go from feisty to playoff contender (Bojan is on fire! Garland is finding his footing! Ja! Jaylen!), the Raptors lose DeAaron Fox to an ankle injury for a month. Everything the Raptors do hinges on Fox being a (borderline) elite PG, and, without him, they just lack that extra punch. It's doomed them again Houston, and they'll soon head into a very winnable stretch (Washington, Colorado, Cleveland). Now, there are two ways to look at this. Either it's a blessing that their schedule lightens up with Fox down, or, the glass half-empty view, they very likely could have pulled off three wins with everyone healthy. We shall see. 13. Houston Rockets (1-2)Week 3 result: Lost to Boston, 7-2 Last week: 8Lots to say about this team. They lost to Boston, three of their top 4 players are injured (the other is on load management), and their fifth is having a breakout year. Its the Wiggins show in Houston. Without the injuries, this team could have been a title favorite. They face a surprising 2-1 Toronto team this week. 14. Golden State Warriors (0-3)Week 3 result: Lost to Minnesota, 6-3 Last week: 15The Dubs just can't quite seem to get over the hump this season. Against Portland and Washington, they tied two categories, and were dangerously close to flipping a fifth in their favor. This past week, they were, again, right there in their loss to Minnesota. In an alternate universe somewhere, this team is 3-0 and riding high. So here's where things get interesting. Following a tough week 4 match-up with the Bulls, the Warriors get Vegas, Atlanta, a banged-up Houston, and Colorado. Upset the Bulls, and the path back to playoff contention opens right up. 15. Memphis Grizzlies (0-3)Week 3 result: Lost to Utah, 7-2 Last week: 14To this point, Memphis' depth has been their undoing. That held true in week 3 against the Jazz. However, help is on the way. Paul George returns (and, spoiler alert: he's still really good), and recent signings Nemanja Bjelica and Cory Joseph are in prime position to put up numbers. DeAndre Ayton is still suspended, sure, but if Porter can make his way back to the court in the next week, the Grizzlies can salvage this early part of their schedule. They've got Boston in week 4, Houston in week 5, and OKC in week 6. Much like Golden State, the schedule is going to lighten up. Find a way to win these next two, and last year's Western Conference champion will be right back in it. 16. Atlanta Hawks (1-2)Week 3 result: Beat Las Vegas, 5-4 Last week: 18Hey, the Hawks have been very active in the FA market looking for low risk, cheap signings that may pan out and here they are, getting their first win of the season. Even though Nunn slipped a bit after his hot start, he's still a valuable piece. Eric Paschall looks good. There is not 1 player to name here, but the efforts from Dillon Brooks, Thomas Bryant and Aaron Holiday helped to propel the Hawks to the victory. Oh and they got Kyle Kuzma back, just have to wait on him getting back in rhythm. Culver is starting to get consistent minutes. Encouraging signs all across the board for this team. Atlanta can be sneaky dangerous week in and week out if they can maintain this level of progress. Tough Week 4 matchup against Portland ahead. 17. Colorado Swannies (1-2)Week 3 result: Lost to OKC, 8-1 Last week: 16The Swannies ran into Thunder, lightning, and the whole damn storm this week. Oklahoma City took control early and never looked back. Colorado still isn’t getting what they need from guys not named Anthony Davis. Dennis Smith Jr. still hasn’t returned (nor as he looked like a fit in the Knicks organization), and Myles Turner is still out with an ankle injury. The Swannies' season could continue to be a frustrating one if these guys don’t get healthy. It might be time to swing for the fences on young guys in free agency as they become available. The Swannies will be looking to pull off a major upset against the Kings in week 4. 18. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-3)Week 3 result: Lost to Atlanta, 5-4 Last week: 19Poor Gordon Hayward. Just as he was rounding into his pre-ankle explosion form, he goes and breaks his hand. The injury will cost him 6 weeks, and, really, any hope Vegas had of competing in the near-term. Given that the Bull Sharks currently own Vegas' pick, it's hard to find a lot of positives thus far. One such silver lining is that Cam Johnson is already looking like a knockdown shooter. With Eric Bledsoe turning a corner, and (what looks to be) a seller's market, Vegas should be able to recoup some future assets. A tough week 4 against Utah awaits. 19. Orlando Magic (0-3)Week 3 result: Lost to Chicago, 8-1 Last week: 17Without Ingram, the Magic don't have much hope of competing. That's especially true when going up against a Bulls team that is on quite a roll. What has hurt Orlando the most is guys simply not seeing the floor. Josh Jackson and Sekou Doumbouya haven't played. Willy Hernangomez and Tacko Fall only get playing time when things go haywire. And Harry Giles will be on an extreme limit as he works his way back from a knee injury. That's 5 guys that already do nothing, then you tack on injuries to Ingram and Elfrid Payton. The good news, other than getting Cleveland in week 4, is that DeAndre Hunter looks to be figuring it out. 20. Cleveland Cavaliers (0-3)Week 3 result: Lost to Seattle, 8-1 Last week: 20Cleveland didn't stand a chance this week against a Seattle team that put up some of the most ridiculous steals and blocks totals you could ever see. With Trae Young being the only consistent, high level contributor and RJ Barrett catching a little bit of a rookie slump, this matchup was lost very early in the process. Josh Okogie having 2 really good games was encouraging, but the minute disparity between the two teams (over 350) says it all. Cleveland will look for their first win against struggling Magic team next week. TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | two0six | teefbe | Brooklyn | 2 | 1 | 2 | | 1 | Seattle | 1 | 3 | 1 | | 2 | Oklahoma City | 3 | 2 | 5 | | 4 | Tampa Bay | 5 | 5 | 3 | | 3 | Kansas City | 4 | 4 | 4 | | 5 | Minnesota | 8 | 6 | 6 | | 7 | Chicago | 9 | 7 | 8 | | 6 | Utah | 6 | 9 | 7 | | 9 | Portland | 10 | 8 | 9 | | 8 | Washington | 7 | 10 | 10 | | 10 | Boston | 11 | 12 | 11 | | 11 | Toronto | 12 | 15 | 12 | | 12 | Houston | 13 | 13 | 13 | | 13 | Golden State | 17 | 11 | 14 | | 17 | Memphis | 16 | 14 | 16 | | 14 | Atlanta | 14 | 16 | 15 | | 15 | Colorado | 15 | 17 | 19 | | 16 | Las Vegas | 18 | 19 | 17 | | 18 | Orlando | 19 | 18 | 18 | | 19 | Cleveland | 20 | 20 | 20 | | 20 |
BIGGEST RISERSUtah (up 3) Boston (up 2) Chicago (up 2) Atlanta (up 2) BIGGEST FALLERSHouston (down 5) Portland (down 3)
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 20, 2019 13:03:19 GMT -5
WEEK 41. Seattle Supersonics (4-0)Week 4 result: Beat OKC, 5-4 Last week: 2The Sonics got 3 threes from Danny Green in the last game on Sunday to win week 4's game of the week, 5-4. Amazingly, James Harden averaged 45-6-7-2 and knocked down 24 threes. He might just average 40 points per game this year, and he's probably the leader in the clubhouse for MVP. Seattle gets another huge test early against the undefeated Kings (who would have beaten the Sonics this week). 2. Brooklyn Nets (4-0)Week 4 result: Beat Washington, 6-3 Last week: 1LeBron James carried the torch for Brooklyn this week in dominating fashion on a four game week. Lillard has shot himself into a bit of a slump and will be someone to keep an eye on in the upcoming match-up against an injury-plagued Portland team. Despite that, this is a well-rounded team that ranks in the top 3 in 6 of 9 categories and, at this moment, is the favorite to come out of the East. 3. Kansas City Kings (4-0)Week 4 result: Beat Colorado, 7-2 Last week: 5Poopy did exactly as expected this week by dominating the Colorado Swannies. What’s more impressive though are the numbers the Kings are putting up. The versatility in their lineup is going to make them a tough match-up every single week. Their role players have stepped up at the right time - Mo Wagner put up 30 and 15 with 4 threes on 13/15 shooting. Lou Williams averaged a cool 24.3 PPG and 5.8 APG this past week, and the team continues to get reliability from their entire bench. The Kings week wasn’t without controversy, however. Generally one of the more animated owners, the Kings illegally waived Stanley Johnson to make room for Aron Baynes. The franchise was fined $1MM as a result. Nevertheless, it was not impactful, and Kansas City has now won four in a row. They’ll have a real test this week when they take on the undefeated Seattle Supersonics in what should be a shootout. 4. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-1)Week 4 result: Lost to Seattle, 5-4 Last week: 3OKC suffered a heartbreaking loss against Seattle in the match-up of the week. The Thunder looked dead before Sunday, but Jamal Murray decided it wasn't over and went for 39 with 7 three pointers to make it a close one. Unfortunately for them, Danny Green was able to seal the deal for the Sonics at the very end giving them an edge in points and 3PTM. Coby White was the man this week, knocking down 14 threes for OKC, and Luka keeps averaging a near triple-double. It was a tough one, but OKC is looking at a quick bounce back against Cleveland in what seems like a must win in Week 5, because Memphis and Tampa are awaiting next. 5. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (4-0)Week 4 result: Beat Minnesota, 6-3 Last week: 4KAT had an MVP-esque week, contributing across the board with fantastic percentages. Despite KAT having the most FG attempts and shooting at a 60% clip for the week, Tampa Bay is being weighed down by their other volume shooters. They rank in the bottom 25% of the league in FG% and FT%. They face Boston this week, but the real test will be the following week against Brooklyn. Will they be as active to trade as last year if Brooklyn wins easily? 6. Chicago Bulls (3-1)Week 4 result: Beat Golden State, 6-3 Last week: 7Don't look now, but the Bulls are rolling. Chicago has won three straight following an opening season loss to the Bull Sharks, and they are firmly in third behind Tampa Bay and Brooklyn. Nikola Vucevic putting up 22-14-4 had to be a welcome sight for the Bulls, as the big man had been going through a bit of a rough stretch recently. Unfortunately for Chicago, they will be without D'Angelo Russell (thumb sprain) when they take on the Utah Jazz. 7. Utah Jazz (3-1)Week 4 result: Beat Las Vegas, 7-2 Last week: 8The Jazz took care of business against Las Vegas this week, winning 7-2. However, the match-up was far closer than the final margin indicates. Utah clung to a .07 advantage in FT percentage, a 2 steal, and 3 block advantage to close out the week. Kemba Walker continues to be the catalyst to this team. He averaged 22.3 PPG, 6 APG, and 4.3 threes/ game this past week. The rest of the Utah roster has not lived up to expectations. They’re doing enough to get the job done, and if they do start producing at levels they're capable of, I still believe this team can be sneaky and cause some chaos in the west. 8. Portland Trailblazers (2-2)Week 4 result: Beat Atlanta, 5-4 Last week: 9The Blazers managed to crawl to victory against the Hawks, ultimately winning by just 2 steals. Portland, bothered by Huerter's and LeVert's injuries + Collins' suspension, had a hard time. We mentioned Gasol as a player to watch last week, but he was shockingly waived by management and replaced by Daniel Theis. We'll see if this move is going to improve the team in the face of injuries and suspensions to some key players. Gasol hadn't been good, but he did collect 6 blocks this past week. Tobias Harris was a standout guy, and he found a way to score in bunches even though his 3 point shot is still not really there. For now, the Blazers have won match-ups that they were supposed to win. Now they face another top notch opponent - the Nets - and to even put up a fight they'll need some great games from the guys they have left. 9. Memphis Grizzlies (1-3)Week 4 result: Beat Boston, 5-4 Last week: 15Welcome back, Paul George! PG looked fantastic in limited action this week, averaging 35 points per game on 59% shooting, making all 21 of his free throw attempts and hitting 9 threes. The Grizzlies may still be without DeAndre Ayton, but, with Victor Oladipo's return (hopefully) right around the corner, Memphis is almost back to being a clear contender in the West. The win over Boston was a massive step in the right direction, and if they can take out Houston in week 5, I think it will be safe to pronounce them alive once again. 10. Houston Rockets (2-2)Week 4 result: Beat Toronto, 5-4 Last week: 13Houston defeated a surprising Toronto team 5-4 last week behind MIP candidate Wiggins, despite his missing a couple games. Not all news is good news, however, as Wiggins will still be missing for several games in their next match-up against Memphis. Despite all of the injuries, they remain relatively competitive. Tides have changed out West, though, with Seattle and OKC essentially taking Houston and Memphis' spots at the top of the conference. Will Houston play for a third or fourth playoff spot out West or rebuild for next year? 11. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2)Week 4 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 6-3 Last week: 6The Wolves were no match for Tampa Bay, but that wasn't much of a surprise. The Wolves still have some things to figure out, chief among them: where is Mo Bamba? The 2nd year big from Texas has been MIA for much of the season. He put up 2 points, 11 rebounds and 1 block in three games this week. That's not going to get it done, even with Mitchell Robinson back. They get a winnable game in week 5 against the Magic, but they'll be short-handed without Larry Nance and, likely, Malcolm Brogdon. 12. Boston Celtics (1-3)Week 4 result: Lost to Memphis, 5-4 Last week: 11The Celtics came to play this week, but it just so happened to be against a rejuvenated Paul George. Boston, however, looks to be righting the ship. They’re getting healthy and are getting consistent production across the board. Joel Embiid averaged 24 PPG, 10.7 RPG this week and the team welcomed back All-Star forward, Blake Griffin. A needed relief to the reeling Celtics, Griffin averaged 19-6-5 this week and appears to be ready to get back to a full workload very soon. Don’t let the 1-3 start fool you; this Boston team is dangerous. They’ll have Tampa Bay at home this week and it would not surprise us to see Boston get a much needed conference win this week and hand the Bull Sharks their first loss of the season. 13. Washington Wizards (2-2)Week 4 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 6-3 Last week: 10They may not have had enough to hang with the Nets, but, boy, did the Wizards make a statement with their opening night onslaught from beyond the arc. Washington exposed the biggest weakness of this Nets team, and they showed they might just have enough feistiness to make the playoffs this year. Shout out to JJ Redick who missed a game, but still canned 16 threes and scored a very nice 69 points. Washington gets a key early season match-up with the Raptors in week 5. 14. Toronto Raptors (2-2)Week 4 result: Lost to Houston, 5-4 Last week: 12Toronto put up a nice fight against a depleted Rockets team, only to come up short. It's still about the long game up north, so it has to be encouraging to see Ja Morant play so well as a rookie, and Jaylen Brown making a drastic leap in his game. They're still in the playoff hunt as of right now, which makes week 5's game against Washington crucial. 15. Atlanta Hawks (1-3)Week 4 result: Lost to Portland, 5-4 Last week: 16The Hawks were two steals away from pulling off a major upset against the Blazers. This one hurts, because they had 3 players playing major minutes + Brooks with 18, and they didn't get a single steal on Sunday. Kyle Kuzma is really back. He shot the ball well, added some rebounds and made a team high 12 threes this week. Paschall is looking like a major steal, and his good performances shouldn't be a surprise anymore. Same goes for Nunn. Atlanta would love to get more out of Knox and Simons, and these are the two guys that need to step up now for ATL to get some wins. The Hawks have a chance to reach .500 in the next two weeks, because they got the Swannies this week and GSW in week 6, two winnable match-ups. Its now or never, because the schedule will only get tougher from this point. 16. Golden State Warriors (0-4)Week 4 result: Lost to Chicago, 6-3 Last week: 14This team is better than their 0-4 record. Their losses have come by: 9 rbs, 1 stl, 1 blk; 11 rbs, 1 ast, 1 fewer to; 10 ast, 2 blk; and week 4 was even tighter across multiple cats. In fact, averaging all categories, Golden State is the 9th best team in the league, statistically speaking. Now, so far behind the eight ball, one has to wonder what their plan is for their vets. They look to get their first W against a struggling and depleted Vegas team this week. 17. Cleveland Cavaliers (1-3)Week 4 result: Beat Orlando, 5-4 Last week: 20Here it is, the Cavs with their first win of the season! It's Trae Young's world, we're just living in it. Team effort has been better this week from the Cavaliers. Layman, Barrett and Holmes contributed to this win. Even KCP has stopped actively hurting the team. It was all Young, though, who propelled them to the victory in the last game. He went for 31 giving them an edge in 3's and points, ending the week with more than half the team's assists and 114 points. Extremely tough one now coming against OKC in Week 5, let's hope they can stay in it as long as they can, they'll need some monstrous lines not only from Young. 18. Colorado Swannies (1-3)Week 4 result: Lost to Kansas City, 7-2 Last week: 17The Swannies again ran into one of the league's hottest teams this past week, and suffered a 7-2 defeat at the hands of Kansas City. The loss itself isn’t alarming - the Kings are very good - but where the concern stems from is the lack of production. Save for Anthony Davis, the roster has not produced. It does appear that Cam Reddish might finally be coming alive, but the usually reliable guys like Joe Ingles and Gary Harris have been non-existent. Dennis Smith Jr. still isn’t meshing in his role either. The silver lining is that Myles Turner did return this week, and the Swannies are in a position to compete with the Hawks. I’m still optimistic on this team. Yes, the start has been brutal, and the bench isn’t giving them much right now. But if Jingles can get it together and Gary Harris gives them just a little more, the team might have some trade candidates later in the year that can help better position themselves for a more prosperous future. 19. Orlando Magic (0-4)Week 4 result: Lost to Cleveland, 5-4 Last week: 19Much of what was said about the team after week 3 still applies after week 4. They need Brandon Ingram to play. Too many players aren't playing at all, and it's hard to envision that changing any time soon. However, the really interesting stuff is happening off the court for Orlando. Late last week they signed DeMarcus Cousins to a bargain bin price and stashed him on IR. Cousins will miss the rest of this season with a torn ACL, but players have generally come back fine from that injury. Orlando is playing the long game here, so this signing could pay massive dividends in the future. In the present, they face Minnesota in week 5. 20. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-4)Week 4 result: Lost to Utah, 7-2 Last week: 18The Gamblers somehow made stayed closer to Utah than anyone would have expected, but it's only getting worse for them. Kyrie Irving is slated to miss all of week 5, a week in which they play a Golden State team they'd expect to compete with. It's only a matter of time now before Vegas starts selling to the highest bidder. TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | teefbe | zephyr (guest ranker) | Seattle | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Brooklyn | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Kansas City | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Oklahoma City | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | Tampa Bay | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | Chicago | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Utah | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Portland | 9 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8 | Memphis | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | Houston | 10 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 11 | Minnesota | 11 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 13 | Boston | 15 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 10 | Washington | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | Toronto | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | Atlanta | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | Golden State | 17 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | Cleveland | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | Colorado | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 19 | Orlando | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 18 | Las Vegas | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 |
BIGGEST RISERSMemphis (up 6) Cleveland (up 3) Houston (up 3) BIGGEST FALLERSMinnesota (down 5)
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 26, 2019 13:02:41 GMT -5
WEEK 51. Brooklyn Nets (5-0)Week 5 result: Beat Portland, 7-2 Last week: 2Brooklyn won their match-up 7-2 against Portland. While the score was dead even at midweek, Brooklyn's star power proved to be too much for Portland to counter, and they pulled away over the weekend. Jrue Holiday had a fantastic week, but the player to keep an eye on in Brooklyn is DiVincenzo, who has really performed well in Middleton's absence. This is great news for Brooklyn, as this week they face Tampa Bay with Middleton on IR. 2. Kansas City Kings (5-0)Week 5 result: Beat Seattle, 5-4 Last week: 3Poopy’s Kings squeezed one out against the Seattle Supersonics last week in a 5-4 victory. What a thriller this one was. By Friday, the Kings had executed a silent, but deadly assault against the Supersonics and by Sunday, it had come down only to turnovers. The writing was on the wall and Kansas City elected to sit many of their players for fear of giving back the coveted TO category. Was Kansas City just scared shitless when they decided to bench their players? We don’t know. But the Kings have proven that they are for real. The head of the attack for the Kings was CJ McCollum who averaged 26 PPG, 5.8 APG, 5.3 RPG, and four 3PM/ game. The Kings are starting to smell like a contender and they’ll have another chance to prove themselves this week against the Bulls. 3. Seattle Supersonics (4-1)Week 5 result: Lost to Kansas City, 5-4 Last week: 1The Sonics were the victim of an explosive Poopy week and fell from the ranks of the undefeated. It was a tough week for Seattle, who didn't quite get the scoring or three point shooting they needed to pull off the win. Still, it's nothing to hang their head about and it will be fascinating to see if these two teams play again in the playoffs. The Sonics and Kings are such an interesting match-up because both teams are so stylistically different. Seattle can pound teams into submission defensively (#1 in steals and blocks, #2 in rebounds), while Kansas City is one of the best shooting teams in the league (#2 in FT, threes and points). This week, shooting won out. Seattle will look to bounce back against Minnesota. 4. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1)Week 5 result: Beat Cleveland, 5-4 Last week: 4OKC took care of business this past week against Cleveland. Despite the 5-4 score, it was a pretty comfortable win. Luka Doncic continues his MVP campaign; he's been absurd. Over 37 points per game to go along with almost 12 assists per contest, 20 made threes in the last 4 games, and with an awesome week from Booker - that's a wrap. As a team though, OKC needs to block more shots or find a way to grab a couple more steals, they're in top-5 for both steals and blocked shots and they lost both of these categories to the Cavs. We aren't sure if they can afford that in week 6, in what is going to be a very interesting match-up against a Memphis team that's won two in a row. 5. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (4-1)Week 5 result: Lost to Boston, 4-3-2 Last week: 5Tampa Bay lost a heart breaker against Boston by 1 assist or 1 block, suffering their first loss of the season. They were led, and hurt, by Westbrook. Tampa Bay is top 4 in the league in five stat categories; however, they are in the bottom half in three stat categories, all primarily led by Westbrook's high usage rate. They face a star studded Brooklyn team without Middleton. There is a lot to like here, but they may be one move away from competing with Brooklyn out east. 6. Utah Jazz (4-1)Week 5 result: Beat Chicago, 6-3 Last week: 7Death, taxes, and Utah. The three most consistent things in life. Utah scored a big win over the Chicago Bulls last week. In what was a close match-up, decided by 1 block and 8 rebounds, the Jazz did everything they needed to survive. Utah caught a break when Vucevic went down for Chicago and the Jazz exploited it. However, the win wasn’t without sacrifice. Kemba Walker suffered a scary head injury and had to be stretchered off the floor. It appears that he avoided serious injury and is considered day to day. Utah will need him as they have Houston this week. 7. Boston Celtics (2-3)Week 5 result: Beat Tampa Bay, 4-3-2 Last week: 12The Boston Celtics handed the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks their first loss of the season in what was the closest match-up of the week. The Celtics held onto enough categories to get it done despite a last minute surge by Patrick Beverly to tie up the assist and block categories. Boston is healthy again and they flashed their potential this week. The Celtics got a little bit from everyone, but the difference maker was Ben Simmons, who bolstered the assist totals for Boston with his 8.3 APG average. This was a huge, well deserved win for Boston, and they’ll look to build on their momentum when they face the Wizards next. 8. Memphis Grizzlies (2-3)Week 5 result: Beat Houston, 7-2 Last week: 9It seems the rumors of Memphis' demise were a tad premature. We just might look back at their week 4 win against Boston as a turning point for this team. After squeaking out that win, they went out and handled business against an injury-riddled Rockets team for their 2nd win in a row. The Grizzlies were saddled with, arguably, the toughest schedule in the league to start the season, and that holds true with OKC on deck. However, the next two after that are winnable, which means they should be, at worst, .500 with Ayton coming back and 8 games remaining. Oh, and Victor Oladipo appears to be just days away from returning as well. The Grizzlies have weathered the storm with flying colors. 9. Portland Trailblazers (2-3)Week 5 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 7-2 Last week: 8Portland was holding on in this matchup all week, but the Nets stepped up on Saturday and didn't allow this one to be too close. Spencer Dinwiddie is shining in Kyrie's absence, Montrezl Harrell is good, but they lacked that end of bench production. Draymond is missing game after game, Aminu just refuses to contribute despite getting a nice amount of minutes, Bazemore and Kennard underperformed shooting wise.....HOWEVER. Portland's GM is seeing all of this and he's easily been the most active executive so far. After replacing Gasol with Theis, Blazers management decided to give Carmelo Anthony a chance. They got him on a minimum contract, we'll see if he can improve that frontcourt that is simply not good enough right now with Collins' suspension and Draymond's injuries. Portland didn't stop there and on Saturday they traded Josh Richardson, plus a future pick, for Hassan Whiteside. Pretty big move this early in the season, but it tells you that the Blazers are focused on winning and will try everything to improve this team. Retooled, they're counting on a quick bounce back against the Magic this week. 10. Chicago Bulls (3-2)Week 5 result: Lost to Utah, 6-3 Last week: 6The Bulls did not look great this week, but it's kind of hard to compete when you're missing two of your 4 best players. And yet, they hung around with the Jazz longer than they had any right to. They were at a serious minutes disadvantage, and it looks like that might be the case again next week against the Kings. They really need to just hold on to the rope until Russell and Vucevic come back. 11. Toronto Raptors (3-2)Week 5 result: Beat Washington, 5-4 Last week: 14Someone in Washington must have forgotten to turn on the door locks. The Raptors eked out a victory in a key Eastern Conference match-up against the Wizards. Toronto has to be thrilled with the way Ja Morant is playing, and they got a surprise big game performance from Cheick Diallo. With Colorado and Cleveland up next, there's a chance for this team to put together what we in the biz like to call a "winning streak." Even better, if they can keep winning now, they'll have some margin for error once De'Aaron Fox comes back. The Raptors may be ready for prime time earlier than any of us anticipated. 12. Houston Rockets (2-3)Week 5 result: Lost to Memphis, 7-2 Last week: 10The battle of two of the top teams in the west over the last few years was.. anti-climactic. Houston out-injured Memphis and lost. Randle led the way for Houston, but it simply was not enough. Although this season may be lost and Houston has begun to dangle some pieces, Olynyk has started to heat up after having a rough October. On the flip slide, Malik Beasley has regressed in November. Look for Houston to possibly make some big moves by the trade deadline. 13. Washington Wizards (2-3)Week 5 result: Lost to Toronto, 5-4 Last week: 13I'm honestly not sure what happened to the Wizards this week. One week after giving the Nets a tough fight, they suffered a gut wrenching loss to the Toronto Raptors. We may have mentioned it before, but Jaren Jackson Jr.'s struggles continue. And Jalen Brunson is suddenly out of the rotation? Weird things happening to the Wizards right now. They've got a rejuvenated Boston team on deck. 14. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-3)Week 5 result: Lost to Orlando, 5-3-1 Last week: 11Woof (no pun intended). That is not a great loss. Sure they were without Malcolm Brogdon and Josh Hart all week, but, man, that's a loss you look back on at the end of the season and curse about. The good news is they're not out of it just yet. The bad news is Seattle is next. 15. Atlanta Hawks (2-3)Week 5 result: Beat Colorado, 5-3-1 Last week: 15We mentioned it last week - if the Hawks want to compete for a playoff spot they needed to take care of business here, and that's exactly what they did. It was dangerously close though. What's concerning, the Hawks are one of the worst FT shooting teams in the league, and they had a really putrid week from the line with only 58%. They managed to outscore Colorado fairly easily, being more efficient from the field and by making threes. Thomas Bryant was the MVP this week and Aaron Holiday, who is getting bigger minutes because of Brogdon's injury, was really good and collected team high 17 assists. The Hawks played almost 200 more minutes than the Swannies, and that was the key. Atlanta needs to be sharper week 6 as they look to improve to 3-3 against the Warriors. 16. Golden State Warriors (1-4)Week 5 result: Beat Las Vegas, 5-4 Last week: 16Golden State won in true team fashion, deploying 14 different players to defeat Las Vegas and notch their first W. In a move that has Golden State looking towards the future, they traded Whiteside for Josh Richardson and a draft pick. Burning question is if the team sees Richardson as a re-sign candidate this offseason. Despite the slow start, the combined record of their next three opponents is 5-10. This team could be at .500 by the end of week 8. 17. Cleveland Cavaliers (1-4)Week 5 result: Lost to OKC, 5-4 Last week: 17The Cavs had a very good week. They lost, but how about the increased minutes for Mikal Bridges? 9 steals and 100% from the FT line are very encouraging. Trae Young had a down week by his standards, especially shooting the ball, but on the other hand, recently acquired Omari Spellman was able to step up. Richaun Holmes was 20/26 from the field with 7 blocks. Some nice performances that might turn into wins later in the season if these guys keep it up. Cleveland won categories they could, taking blocks, steals, FG% and turnovers. They were not really close in any of the other 5 to pull off an upset, but there's really no shame in losing to the team like OKC, especially when facing a huge disadvantage in minutes played. Cleveland will look for their 2nd win against the struggling Gamblers in week 6. 18. Orlando Magic (1-4)Week 5 result: Beat Minnesota, 5-3-1 Last week: 19The Magic are on the board! Orlando took down Minnesota to claim their first victory of the season, and they were led by rookie swingman DeAndre Hunter. Hunter easily had his best week of the season, averaged 23.7 points and knocking down 10 threes. Performances like this have to give the Magic some hope for the future. With Ingram, Rozier and Hunter in the fold, there are some things to work with here. Week 6 against Portland will be tough, but this team is trending in the right direction. 19. Colorado Swannies (1-4)Week 5 result: Lost to Atlanta, 5-3-1 Last week: 18In what has been a brutal start for Colorado, the blows kept coming last week. The Swannies lost their third straight at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks. It was much of the same; Anthony Davis is Anthony Davis and the rest of the cast isn’t doing enough to keep the team in games. However, this week was a little more encouraging than weeks past. For one, Dennis Smith Jr seems to, maybe, hopefully, I think, playing his way back into the rotation. Additionally, Myles Turner is back and healthy. It’s going to be an uphill battle for the Swannies this year, but if they time things out right, they may have some intriguing pieces to move before the deadline. They get the Toronto Raptors this week. 20. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-5)Week 5 result: Lost to Golden State, 5-4 Last week: 20Given the extreme nature of their injury situation, the Gamblers only had 6 players play more than 50 minutes this week. Yet, they somehow managed to keep it close against Golden State. Things are not going to be easy for the Gamblers, and, much like last season's Cavaliers, they are staring down the barrel of a winless season (Cleveland scraped together a win at the end of last season, so maybe the Gamblers can do the same). As fate would have it, Cleveland is next on the schedule. TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | teefbe | zephyr (guest ranker) | Brooklyn | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Kansas City | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Seattle | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Oklahoma City | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | Tampa Bay | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | Utah | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Boston | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | Memphis | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8 | Portland | 9 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 9 | Chicago | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | Toronto | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | Houston | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 14 | Washington | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | Minnesota | 14 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 15 | Atlanta | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | Golden State | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | Cleveland | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | Orlando | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | Colorado | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | Las Vegas | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
BIGGEST RISERSBoston (up 5) Toronto (up 3) BIGGEST FALLERSChicago (down 4) Minnesota (down 3)
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Post by Miege22 on Dec 2, 2019 16:49:40 GMT -5
WEEK 61. Brooklyn Nets (6-0)Week 6 result: Beat Tampa Bay, 6-2-1 Last week: 1Brooklyn was just too much for Tampa Bay, pulling away in points and steals to solidify the victory. Key contributors who led the way were LeBron and VanVleet, who combined for 18 steals. Rumblings of impeachment proceedings must be affecting Brooklyn management, as they made a move this week to unload an injured Bagley to a surprising 4-2 Toronto team for an emerging Jaylen Brown. They face trial this week against the only other undefeated team in the league, Kansas City. 2. Kansas City Kings (6-0)Week 6 result: Beat Chicago, 5-4 Last week: 2Poopy’s Kings improved to 6-0 on the season after narrowly pinching one off against the Vucevic-less Bulls. Kansas City won 5-4, but the team seemed to come back down to earth this week. They got pedestrian numbers from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Mike Conley, and Kevin Love missed a game. Still, Poopy’s team was not as convincing as they have been. That doesn’t mean I think this team stinks - oh no, quite the opposite. It was an impressive win that sets up a battle against the only other remaining undefeated team in the league, the four-time champion Brooklyn Nets. This match-up comes at great interest to the league as Poopy has opened his version of an impeachment inquiry into what he says is a blatant pattern of corruption by the Nets owner, and league commissioner, Miege22. For the King's sake, they better not shit the bed and lose this one after months of smack talk. If his destiny is to truly become a king in this league, he cannot afford to drop a turd against Brooklyn. 3. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-1)Week 6 result: Beat Memphis, 5-4 Last week: 4It was a nail-biter, but OKC pulled off a comeback win against the Grizzlies on Sunday, stealing the blocks and points categories at the very end. Luka Doncic continues to make a legit case for league MVP, but Tatum was fantastic as well as he averaged 23 points with 7.5 rebounds and almost 4 assists this week. We mentioned steals as the category to watch last week and OKC, predictably, stepped their game up in that regard. Memphis is a very good team, despite what their 2-4 record would suggest so it was a really quality win for the Thunder. The only guy that didn't come to play was Coby White, but you can somewhat expect that at times with the rookie. Another top level match-up awaits in Week 7, against a Bull Sharks team that is looking to bounce back after 2 straight loses. 4. Seattle Supersonics (4-2)Week 6 result: Lost to Minnesota, 5-4 Last week: 3The Sonics were handed a shocking defeat by the Minnesota Timberwolves thanks to 9 Dante Exum points on Sunday night. There were a number of reasons the Sonics under-performed (quirky Thanksgiving week scheduling, injuries, only 2 games from James Harden), but the most concerning has to be the way Dejounte Murray has seemed to disappear. After a great start to the season, Murray averaged a whopping 5.5 points per game this week and is suddenly averaging under 10 points per game for the season. Obviously, points aren't the end all, be all, and he's still putting 6 boards, 4 assists, and 1.5 steals, but his play has not been encouraging. Point guard has been a struggle for the Sonics, though Sato and Ball appear to be on the upswing, and Murray was meant to stabilize that position. With Kansas City, OKC and Utah all continuing to win, Seattle can't afford to fall behind. They get Colorado next. 5. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (4-2)Week 6 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 6-2-1 Last week: 5Last week we wrote about how Westbrook can win games for Tampa Bay, but also lose games for Tampa Bay. Management must be taking the expert analysis provided in these power rankings to heart, as they have put Westbrook on the block. Graham and LaVine contributed double-digits in four different categories. Middleton finally returned just in time for a pivotal match-up against Oklahoma City, hoping to prevent three straight losses. 6. Utah Jazz (4-1)Week 6 result: Beat Houston, 6-3 Last week: 6Oh, hey, Utah won again. The Jazz took care of business, as usual, this week when they defeated the Houston Rockets. The Jazz are an impressive 5-1 and overtook Seattle in the Pacific Division. Led again by Kemba Walker, Utah is off to a great start. They’ve had a relatively easy schedule that forecasts to get harder starting this week against the Portland Trailblazers. Then it’s Kansas City, Minnesota, Brooklyn, OKC, and Tampa Bay. The Jazz are entering a critical stretch, and we will soon find out if they’re truly ready to compete this season. 7. Portland Trailblazers (3-3)Week 6 result: Beat Orlando, 7-2 Last week: 9It was a lot closer than they would've liked, but, ultimately, Portland did what they had to do and beat the Magic. Newly acquired Hassan Whiteside gets a shoutout this week for his 12 blocks and team high 43 rebounds. Dinwididie has been lights out and.... CARMELOOOO ANTHONYYY (in my best Mike Walczewski voice) has been good. He was sat in favor of other players, so he contributed only one game to this week's boxscore, but his play has been a nice surprise. So far this season, Portland won matchups that they were supposed to win and lost toss-ups. A tough Week 7 showdown against Utah presents an opportunity for the Blazers to show if they're more of a contender or just a solid team now. 8. Minnesota Timberwolves (3-3)Week 6 result: Beat Seattle, 5-4 Last week: 14Just by itself, Minnesota's win over Seattle was massive. That they were able to pull it off with just two games from Jokic, one of which was a dud? That's just downright unbelievable. Larry Nance came to play last week, putting up 16-11 with a steal and 2 threes. He and Malcolm Brogdon were the catalysts for this Wolves team that suddenly finds themselves back in the thick of it in the Western Conference. Next up is a game they have to win against Atlanta, then a HUGE showdown with the Portland Trailblazers. 9. Boston Celtics (3-3)Week 6 result: Beat Washington, 5-4 Last week: 7The Celtics defeated the Wizards 5-4 this week to get back to .500. This was the second straight win for Boston, and the team has finally righted the ship after an injury-riddled start to the season. The Celtics are coming together - Blake and Embiid look good, Jabari Parker has been reborn, Winslow is back, and even Cavs legend Isaiah Thomas is pitching in. The Celtics will battle the Bulls this week in a North Division showdown. 10. Toronto Raptors (4-2)Week 6 result: Beat Colorado, 7-2 Last week: 11As expected, Toronto took care of business against the Swannies as their young core continues to improve. Kristaps' shooting woes continue, but Bojan chipped in with two 30+ point games and a flurry of 3s. Ja Morant's week-to-week designation casts doubt on the Raptors' near future prospects, especially with Seattle, OKC, and KC as three of their next four opponents. Keep an eye out for Darius Garland to step into a bigger role (EDITOR'S NOTE: Garland was recently traded to Brooklyn, along with Jaylen Brown, in exchange for Marvin Bagley). 11. Memphis Grizzlies (2-4)Week 6 result: Lost to OKC, 5-4 Last week: 8With a significant number of the Grizzlies' key starters unable to play, this team was still able to keep it close with a top-5 squad. Either 3 blocks or 7 points would have won it, but they can rest easy knowing there was no lineup-fiddling that could have changed the outcome. Ayton is back on the floor Dec. 17, Otto Porter should be re-evaluated in a week, and Oladipo is slowly starting to practice again. Memphis' schedule lightens up in the next month, as all the teams on deck are (as of now) .500 or under. 12. Chicago Bulls (3-3)Week 6 result: Lost to Kansas City, 5-4 Last week: 10For a little while there, it looked like the Bulls might just pull the upset against the Kings. Alas, this banged up Chicago squad was unable to keep pace, falling just short. The good news is Andre Drummond, Donovan Mitchell and TJ Warren all had really good weeks. The bad news is Marcus Smart came up lame on Sunday and could miss some time. Given that Vuc is going to miss all of this upcoming week, and D'Angelo Russell may miss most of it, the loss of Smart looms large in a match-up with the Boston Celtics. 13. Houston Rockets (2-4)Week 6 result: Lost to Utah, 6-3 Last week: 12Houston almost pulled out the victory against Utah this past week. Both teams were locked in a tight battle, but Utah's 80 minute advantage was too much for Houston to overcome. Schroder, who is on the block, had a good week for Houston contributing double digits for three categories. Sitting at 2-4, they face a pivotal game against Golden State this week. A win this week and the week after against Las Vegas would have this injury riddled team at .500. 14. Golden State Warriors (2-4)Week 6 result: Beat Atlanta, 9-0 Last week: 16Golden State made a big move this week, trading Whiteside for Josh Richardson and a pick. Unfortunately, JRich has started this week injured and out of the lineup. Golden State defeated Atlanta in convincing fashion, 9-0. Fournier was fantastic for the team and is quietly having a career year. They face another 2-4 team this week in Houston, a key match-up this week. Facing a 1-5 Colorado team the week after, it is possible a win here could jump Golden State to 4-4 after week 8. 15. Washington Wizards (2-4)Week 6 result: Lost to Boston, 5-4 Last week: 13Much like the Bulls, the Wizards were right there against the Celtics before ultimately losing. Despite the best efforts of Giannis (35-11-4, 1.3 steals, 1.5 blocks, 1.8 threes this week), the Wizards have now fallen to 2-4. Given the state of the East, they're not out of the playoff race yet, though that could change quickly with their upcoming schedule (Memphis, Tampa Bay, @seattle). It's tough to see where the improvement they need to climb the standings comes from considering their team is comprised of a lot of veterans. 16. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-4)Week 6 result: Beat Las Vegas, 7-2 Last week: 17Cleveland fairly easily beat a completely depleted Gamblers team to get their 2nd win of the season. Other than the win, which is always nice, there's not really much to take away from this week. Trae Young is awesome, we know that, but the rest of the team didn't really do much of anything meaningful. Against any other team, the Cavs would have struggled to pull off a victory this past week. They'll need to get more good minutes from their guys next week against a Raptors team that's won 2 in a row. 17. Atlanta Hawks (2-4)Week 6 result: Lost to Golden State, 9-0 Last week: 15UGH. The 9-0 score is kind of misleading, but still, just an awful performance by Atlanta this week. First and foremost, they lacked scoring - Paschall was the team leader with just a little over 70 points this week. Their shooting percentage wasn't that bad, but it was not good enough and with lack of contribution in other categories they got slapped in the face by the Warriors. This one hurts a lot, because, as we mentioned in our last power rankings, the schedule will only get tougher down the road. Off the court, things are looking better though. The Hawks made a trade on Thursday, shipping Kyle Kuzma and Faried's cap hit to Orlando for Noel and a 2021 draft pick. In our eyes, this is a pretty great haul for Kuz, who couldn't find his rhythm so far this season. Atlanta adding another asset to their plethora of draft picks seems like a great get, and Noel should be able to help with defensive categories right away. Tough challenge against the Wolves, who just beat the Sonics, is awaiting next in Week 7. 18. Orlando Magic (1-5)Week 6 result: Lost to Portland, 7-2 Last week: 18I'm not particularly in line with Orlando's trade strategy this week, but only time will tell how much Kuzma can improve on the 20% FG he has contributed thus far to the Magic. Steals and blocks were in reach for Orlando, but there was not really a big opportunity for an upset this week. Up next, the Magic hope not to be the first team this season to lose to the Gamblers. 19. Colorado Swannies (1-5)Week 6 result: Lost to Toronto, 7-2 Last week: 19The Swannies season they’d like to forget continued this past week when they lost to the Raptors. Though the match-up was reasonably close and competitive, the narrative remained the same for this Colorado squad - they aren’t getting much from their supporting cast. If we leave Anthony Davis out of the equation, the production across the board is sparse. Gary Harris and Myles Turner are the only other two players averaging double figures. Joe Ingles' corpse may now just be a ghost, and the Knicks still can’t figure out their point guard predicament. It’s been a series of bad breaks for Colorado and it won’t be any easier this week against Seattle. I think it’s time that the Swannies really start to get aggressive in the trade front to recalibrate for next season. 20. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-6)Week 6 result: Lost to Cleveland, 7-2 Last week: 20With only a handful of viable players on the roster, the Gamblers have unbridled latitude to sign free agents and make use of their D-League and IR spots, especially since Tampa has their pick this year. However, another week, another Gamblers' loss. Kyrie's return is hopefully on the horizon and Orlando is up next for the winless Gamblers. TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | teefbe | zephyr (guest ranker) | Brooklyn | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Kansas City | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Oklahoma City | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Seattle | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | Tampa Bay | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | Utah | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | Portland | 8 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 8 | Minnesota | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | Boston | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | Toronto | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 | Memphis | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 12 | Chicago | 12 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | Houston | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | Golden State | 13 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 14 | Washington | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | Cleveland | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | Atlanta | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | Orlando | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | Colorado | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | Las Vegas | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
BIGGEST RISERSMinnesota (up 6) BIGGEST FALLERSMemphis (down 3)
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Post by Miege22 on Dec 10, 2019 11:26:49 GMT -5
WEEK 71. Brooklyn Nets (7-0)Week 7 result: Beat Kansas City, 7-2 Last week: 1Brooklyn improved to 7-0 after an absolute beat down of Kansas City. Poopy’s Peasants never really stood a chance. The Nets are the only undefeated team in the league and are clearly the favorites at this point. LeBron James averaged a double-double this week, Jimmy Butler came alive, and the Nets bench proved their depth. Oh and somehow Jrue Holiday got SF eligibility. As if Brooklyn needed more help. They’ve flushed Kansas City and it’s on to face Atlanta this week in what should be another win for the Nets. 2. Seattle Supersonics (5-2)Week 7 result: Beat Colorado, 7-2 Last week: 4The Sonics got a nice bounce back win against the Swannies to get back on the winning track. The big story this week was the combined effort of Bam Adebayo (18-10-3.5 to go along with 3 steals and 4 blocks) and Jarrett Allen (18-11 plus 5 steals and 5 blocks). These two young bigs have combined with Rudy Gobert to form the most dominant center trio in the league. Of course, one has to wonder if the Sonics will end the season with all three. Given their need for more three point shooting and assists, it wouldn't be surprise if one of those centers was swapped for a guard. In any event, the Sonics are back atop the Pacific with Toronto up next. 3. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (5-2)Week 7 result: Beat OKC, 7-2 Last week: 5The Bull Sharks got a massive win to right the ship following a 2-game losing streak, thoroughly dominating the OKC Thunder. Major shout outs to both DeVonte Graham and Davis Bertans who each put on a shooting clinic (Graham had 19 threes, Bertans had 22). Both have been pleasant surprises this year, and might go down as the best free agent signings of the season. Russ put up three straight triple-doubles, which was key, even if he didn't shoot well. The Bull Sharks suffered two tough losses to their Eastern Conference rivals, but, when things are clicking, this team is talented enough to beat anyone. They've got Washington next. 4. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-2)Week 7 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 7-2 Last week: 3The Bull Sharks turned out to be too much for OKC here in Week 7. The Thunder lost both shooting categories by less than 0.5 percentage points, but, even if they managed to get these, they still would've lost on counting stats. It's really hard to point out something that led to this defeat, because OKC was good, they just ran into a Tampa team that needed a bounce back, and they put up some great numbers that were tough to overcome. Doncic and Booker are still one of the better duos in the league, Aaron Gordon has found his shot a little bit. Overall, not a bad effort from the Thunder at all as they look to get right against the Bulls. 5. Portland Trailblazers (4-3)Week 7 result: Beat Utah, 5-4 Last week: 7It was a team effort, once again, that propelled the Blazers to a MASSIVE divison win over the Utah Jazz. Whiteside's 10 blocks, Harris' 100 points and Oubre's 7 steals & 6 blocks stood out as the most impressive. What's more important though is that Portland seems to be healthy again and they'll have John Collins back in just 2 weeks. Recently acquired Duncan Robinson was able to help too with his 6 steals. Now, it's early in the season, but the Blazers get a hot Timberwolves team in a crucial conference match-up next. This one could have huge playoff implications. After beating the Jazz, taking down Minnesota would be absolutely huge for Portland. 6. Boston Celtics (4-3)Week 7 result: Beat Chicago, 6-3 Last week: 9The Celtics are on a roll after defeating the Bulls for their third straight win. After the rocky 1-3 start, Boston is now above .500 and are quickly positioning themselves in the east. This was a big win over a division opponent and could be a preview of an eastern conference playoff match-up. The Celtics won this match-up handily and were led by Ben Simmons, who averaged 20.3 PPG, 8.8 APG, and 6.8 RPG. Oh and he even hit a 3 this week. Things are clicking for Boston now and the next two weeks line up favorably with Cleveland and Vegas. 7. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-3)Week 7 result: Beat Atlanta, 8-1 Last week: 8The Wolves smoked the Atlanta Hawks to move above .500. They didn't get any marquee weeks from anyone (though Jokic came close after a slow start), but they got some big individual games from just about everyone. Matisse Thybulle, called up from the D-League this week, put up 20-2-3-3 and 5 threes on Sunday. Troy Brown Jr. had 22-5-4-2, also on Sunday. The Wolves get a big test this week, as the Portland Trailblazers come to town. That game will go a long way to deciding playoff fates. 8. Utah Jazz (5-2)Week 7 result: Lost to Portland, 5-4 Last week: 6The Jazz hot streak came to an end this week at the hands of the Portland Trailblazers. In what had been a hotly contested match-up all week, Utah just could not seem to get past the Portland consistency. The Jazz got lackluster performances across the board - Kemba Walker again proving to be the star of this team as he averaged 23.5 PPG, 5 APG, 2 SPG, and 4.5 threes/game. The Jazz get another test against a slumping Kansas City this week. 9. Memphis Grizzlies (3-4)Week 7 result: Beat Washington, 7-2 Last week: 11After putting away the sputtering Wizards, Memphis has now won three of their last four match-ups. Last week, consistently solid play from Beal and PG was complemented by a 22 point outburst from Marvin Williams and a four 3pm, 72.2%, 30-point evening from Nemanja. The supporting cast has really stepped up while the Grizzlies eagerly await Ayton's return next week (and 'Dipo and Porter further down the line). Orlando should be an easy win this week. 10. Chicago Bulls (3-4)Week 7 result: Lost to Boston, 6-3 Last week: 12It was an admirable effort, but Chicago was completely outclassed by the Celtics. With the way this team is set up, they really need Russell, Mitchell, Vuc and Drummond to put up superstar efforts every night. Vuc is obviously still out, and they didn't get that effort from Russell (and, to a lesser extent, Mitchell). When that doesn't happen, it will be really hard for this team to win. The good news is that the bottom of the Eastern Conference is a wasteland. Get Vuc back soon, and they should make the playoffs. They're going to have a tough time this week against OKC, though. 11. Golden State Warriors (3-4)Week 7 result: Beat Houston, 6-3 Last week: 14The Dubs are rolling now. Golden State easily took care of the depleted Rockets to record their third straight win, and it appears a fourth will be on the way against the Swannies this week. It was a big week for their point guard duo of Rose and Rubio, and it definitely looks like this team hit on their rookies (Hayes and Hachimura). It remains to be seen what direction the Warriors will choose to go in, but with the aforementioned rookies and a bevy of draft picks, the future is bright. 12. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-4)Week 7 result: Beat Toronto, 7-2 Last week: 16Last week we talked about how the Cavs would need more quality minutes from their players to beat a better team than the Gamblers. They got exactly that. Toronto is pretty banged up with Bagley, Fox and Morant out, so there's that - over 200 minutes of an advantage in the match-up - but Richaun Holmes (almost 75% shooting, 70 points/40 rebounds), Mikal Bridges (who was non-existent the week before) and, of course, Trae have massively contributed to this win. The Cavs find themselves at 3-4 and are tied for 5th in the Eastern Conference...let's see if they can pull off a major upset against the Celtics in Week 8. 13. Kansas City Kings (6-1)Week 7 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 7-2 Last week: 2Poopy’s “Kings” were nothing more than a little dingleberry to Brooklyn this week. Kansas City, who all season long has claimed to be a king of the league and has opened his version of an impeachment inquiry into the Nets owner, really shit the bed this week. For a team and an owner who talked a big game, it was a humiliating loss that will be talked about in the league for years to come. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a beat down quite like this. It was almost like Kansas City was playing poop ball and not basketball. Like a dook floating in the community swimming pool, Kansas City just seemed like a team without a destination this week. The Kings have hit a skid mark and it may be time that they seriously reevaluate their team. It might be time to flush the entire thing down the toilet and start over. Poopy did prove one thing this week, though. He proved that he’s still just a little nugget right now and is definitely not ready for league royalty. I don’t know if this team needs Miralax or a miracle, but they’ll need something. 14. Toronto Raptors (4-3)Week 7 result: Lost to Cleveland, 7-2 Last week: 10The Raptors definitely missed their point guard duo when Trae Young and the Cavs defended their home court. The minutes played difference was the big story this week as 212 fewer minutes played for Toronto correlated with only two categories won. Off the court, they traded wing for a big and must be excited for an almost-full-health Marvin Bagley III to contribute this week against the 5-2 Supersonics. 15. Houston Rockets (2-5)Week 7 result: Lost to Golden State, 6-3 Last week: 13The Houston Rockets are in a tailspin after dropping their third straight game, this time at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. What a fall it’s been for a team who many considered to be a front runner at the start of the year. While injuries have played a part, Houston just can’t seem to get it going. They’re off to a 2-5 start and have to make a decision as to what they do next. In a loaded Western Conference, I’m not sure a healthy Zion gets this team to the playoffs. Things get a bit more favorable this week against the Las Vegas Gamblers. 16. Washington Wizards (2-5)Week 7 result: Lost to Memphis, 7-2 Last week: 15Washington lost a tough one to the Grizzlies, but the good news here is that Jaren Jackson Jr. is coming around after a slow start to the season. Not much else to say about this past week. Their schedule remains rough with Tampa Bay in town. 17. Orlando Magic (2-5)Week 7 result: Beat Las Vegas, 6-3 Last week: 18Orlando dispatched Las Vegas for their second win of the season. Of their recently acquired, Dwight Powell only missed one field goal on the week, and Kyle Kuzma is trending up again with two double digit scoring games. The Magic are cementing their youth movement identity with the signing of Bruce Brown Jr. They try to build their first win streak this week against a tough Memphis squad. 18. Atlanta Hawks (2-5)Week 7 result: Lost to Minnesota, 8-1 Last week: 17The Hawks weren't good in week 6, to say the least. To make things worse, they lost Thomas Bryant for a couple of weeks and then Rodney Hood tore his achilles Saturday...it's really been brutal. It resulted in another blowout loss, this time to the Timberwolves. We don't want to say it, but after a surprising start to the season it seems like Atlanta is slowly coming down back to Earth. Other than Paschall, the guys either didn't play a lot or simply had bad weeks, especially Nunn, who shot only 29% from the field. Mission impossible starts Monday against the Nets. 19. Colorado Swannies (1-6)Week 7 result: Lost to Seattle, 7-2 Last week: 19Brighter days are ahead for Colorado, but this past week was more of the same. The Swannies ran into a buzz saw against the Seattle SuperSonics. Anthony Davis was the bright spot with his RIDICULOUS 35 PPG, 8 RPG 2 BPG, and 63% FG averages. The team is also getting a little more from Myles Turner in terms of blocks, but the supporting cast just isn’t there. We are seeing teams starting to position themselves for the playoff picture and Colorado is going to have to, one would think, pull the trigger on some trades before too long. 20. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-7)Week 7 result: Lost to Orlando, 6-3 Last week: 20After this 3-6 loss to Orlando, Las Vegas reasserted themselves in the trade market by making all of Hayward, Eric Bledsoe, and Kyrie Irving available. MKG finally cracked the rotation again, and Damian Jones played his best game of the season (20p-8reb-1blk in 28 min). A playoff-hopeful Boston is on deck. TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | teefbe | zephyr | Brooklyn | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Seattle | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | Tampa Bay | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | Oklahoma City | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | Portland | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | Boston | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Minnesota | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | Utah | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | Memphis | 9 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Chicago | 12 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | Golden State | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | Cleveland | 11 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 9 | Kansas City | 20 | 4 | 20 | 3 | 20 | Toronto | 14 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 13 | Houston | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | Washington | 15 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 14 | Orlando | 16 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | Atlanta | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | Colorado | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | Las Vegas | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
BIGGEST RISERSCleveland (up 4) Boston (up 3) Golden State (up 3) BIGGEST FALLERSKansas City (down 11) Toronto (down 4)
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Post by Miege22 on Dec 17, 2019 11:38:10 GMT -5
WEEK 81. Seattle Supersonics (6-2)Week 8 result: Beat Toronto, 7-2 Last week: 2The Sonics are now in a three-way tie for first after a 7-2 win over the Raptors. We've kind of reached the point in the season where we know who these teams are, and match-ups like this don't really create many surprises. James Harden was fantastic. The bigs continue to dominate. And the rest of the team did enough to support them. We'll likely get a similar result next week when Seattle faces Washington. Something interesting to keep an eye on though... Kevin Porter Jr. is quietly turning himself into a decent contributor. He might just be the best D-League player in the league, and the Sonics will easily have enough playing time to bring him up when the games count for real. 2. Brooklyn Nets (8-0)Week 7 result: Beat Atlanta, 7-2 Last week: 1Brooklyn remained in the weak Eastern conference for last week's match up. They rolled through Atlanta, though they were aided by having a 400+ minute advantage. LeBron has not missed a beat and is a mid-season candidate for MVP. Brooklyn has an extremely soft schedule the rest of the way, with only Utah and Seattle on the slate that could dampen their hopes at an undefeated season. It may take an injury to stop this team. 3. Utah Jazz (6-2)Week 8 result: Beat Kansas City, 9-0 Last week: 8That's right, the Jazz smacked the poopy out of Kansas City, sweeping all nine categories. For a team that has made the playoffs every year of the league's existence, the Jazz might just be the most pleasant surprise. They've undergone significant changes, it seems, every year. And every year, they turn out just fine. This year it's Kemba Walker leading the charge (32-7/game plus 17 threes), which has seemingly been the case the entire season. However, special shout out to former champion Will Barton, who averaged 19-8-4, hit 7 threes and picked up 7 steals. The Jazz are finally healthy, just in time for the toughest part of their schedule (Minnesota, Brooklyn, OKC, Tampa Bay). 4. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (6-2)Week 8 result: Beat Washington, 7-2 Last week: 3Tampa Bay remained in the weak Eastern conference for last week's match up. Middleton, LaVine, and Graham scored in double digits across four categories, Sabonis grabbed 62 rebounds alone. This team is extremely well rounded, but if there is a weakness here it would be blocks. Tampa also has an extremely soft schedule to round out the season, with only Utah, the surging Warriors, and possibly Memphis as the true tests left. Expect Tampa to make the playoffs as the two seed. 5. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-3)Week 8 result: Beat Portland, 5-4 Last week: 7Amazingly, Minnesota trailed all week until the second to last game before coming all the way back to escape with a crucial win over Portland. Nikola Jokic broke out of something of a slump (for him, at least) with a vengeance, averaging 22-10-8. He, Larry Nance Jr. (31 rebounds) and Mitchell Robinson (30 rebounds) were the keys to the come from behind victory. That's three wins in a row now for Minnesota, with two of those coming against potential playoff teams in the West (Seattle, Portland). They've got a chance to complete the Pacific Division trifecta against Utah. 6. Kansas City Kings (6-2)Week 8 result: Lost to Utah, 9-0 Last week: 13This was the beatdown to end all beatdowns. The Kings pooped themselves so bad that people will be talking about this loss for years to come. That's what the score would lead you to believe, anyway. In reality, the Kings were a little constipated, and it showed. An incredible FIVE categories were decided by razor thin margins (2 FGs, 1 FT, 2 threes, 2 turnovers, 5 points). To be quite honest, I'm not sure I've ever seen a closer sweep. That said, it's the final score that counts, and the final score shows Poopy's Kings laying a big ole turd. They've got a chance for some sweet relief against the Cavs. 7. Boston Celtics (5-3)Week 7 result: Beat Cleveland, 7-2 Last week: 6Make it four straight for the third member of the East's power triumvirate, as the Celtics powered through injuries to take care of the Cavaliers. The schedule stays light with Las Vegas up next, but there are some concerns here. Blake Griffin had, probably, the worst week of his entire career and is now out with a knee issue. DeMar DeRozan has seen his minutes limited, and Tyler Johnson hasn't even seen the floor (Boston eventually cut him at the end of the week). The good news is Norman Powell has been great, as has Tim Hardaway Jr. The Celtics also welcomed back IT and traded for JJ Redick, so they are clearly going for it. 8. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-3)Week 8 result: Lost to Chicago, 5-3-1 Last week: 4OKC unexpectedly dropped one to the Bulls. Tatum was struggling to find his shot, and Booker played in only 2 games as he got injured during the week. Poor shooting from the majority of the team led to this defeat. Losing wouldn't be the end of the world, it can happen from time to time and that's against an Eastern Conference opponent, which makes it easier to swallow. BUT, Luka Doncic sprained his ankle Saturday and there's no timetable, so he could be out a while. Any team missing a guy like Luka is going to lose a lot of quality, add Booker being banged up and missing a game or two in week 9 against Toronto is looking much more difficult than it was a couple of days ago. It's time for guys like Gordon, Murray and even Coby White to step up in order for this team to get must wins against middle of the pack teams in Toronto and Atlanta next. 9. Portland Trailblazers (4-4)Week 8 result: Lost to Minnesota, 5-4 Last week: 5The Blazers led for, literally, the whole week just to suffer a heartbreaking loss to the Timberwolves. In fact, Portland lost by ONE rebound. Right after this disaster, sources say, Draymond Green was put on the trading block and the team seems motivated to move him. It might be an overreaction, but, being one of the leaders, he was supposed to contribute more on Sunday. We'll see how that situation unfolds. As for what's on the court, the Blazers weren't bad at all. They blocked 46 shots as a team, which is insane and the team leaders - Harris, Whiteside and Dinwiddie - were good enough to put them in position to win, they just got incredibly unlucky at the very end. Fortunately for them, they head into the easiest part of their schedule and are going to play the Swannies and Gamblers in consecutive weeks. We like their odds here, especially with John Collins back next week. 10. Memphis Grizzlies (4-4)Week 8 result: Beat Orlando, 6-3 Last week: 9Memphis was content to let Al Horford and Marvin Williams rest on the bench last week during their win over Orlando. Paul George led the team in points (122), steals (7), and 3s (18). This week, Memphis regains Ayton from suspension to face a frisky Bulls team that just upset Oklahoma City. The Grizzlies are only two games back from the first place tie in the West, but there are four teams in the standings between them and the playoffs. 11. Chicago Bulls (4-4)Week 8 result: Beat OKC, 5-3-1 Last week: 10The Bulls refused to go quietly into the night, stunning the OKC Thunder and welcoming back Nikola Vucevic (20-9-2-1 and 2 threes). Given the state of the East, it's hard to say this was a season changing win for the Bulls. They likely would have made the playoffs barring something catastrophic. However, this is an absolutely massive win, reminiscent of their upset of Houston last year that spring-boarded the team to the playoffs. They've got a tough game coming up against a rejuvenated Grizzlies team, but the Bulls are back to full strength and formidable once again. 12. Golden State Warriors (4-4)Week 8 result: Beat Colorado, 8-1 Last week: 11 Golden State took down Colorado for their fourth win in a row. At the end of week four, this astute writer stated "This team is better than their 0-4 record". They are. Recently acquired JRich made his debut with his new team and they look to keep it rolling against Tampa Bay. Fournier and Rubio led the way this week. The downside is the Warriors have a brutal schedule left with 4 of their last 5 games against top Western conference foes. 13. Houston Rockets (3-5)Week 8 result: Beat Las Vegas, 6-3 Last week: 15Houston took down a depleted Vegas team with a 6-3 win and bringing them to 3-5 on the season. In a lost season due to injuries, they have made players available but it is unknown if they are getting much traction. Randle had a great week, but Lowry has hit a terrible shooting slump. Houston also has a tough end to their schedule, and should be a team to keep on eye on as championship contenders look to pluck their assets in order to strengthen a run. With every key player signed for next season and two high draft picks, Houston is set up nicely for next year. 14. Toronto Raptors (4-4)Week 8 result: Lost to Seattle, 7-2 Last week: 14This week's 2-7 loss to the Sonics may be the beginning of a mini losing streak as Toronto faces OKC this week and KC next. The return of Ja Morant (19p-6a-1.3stl) and addition of Marvin Bagley III (12.7p-6.3r-1blk) gave us a sneak peek of Toronto's developing franchise players. Looking forward, PJ Washington was ruled out until Christmas with a fractured finger, but De'Aaron Fox is slated to return on Tuesday. 15. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-5)Week 8 result: Lost to Boston, 7-2 Last week: 12Right up until Thursday it looked like the Cavs were going to put up a fight and have some chance for an upset, but at the end of the week it was all Boston. The Celtics were a better team, but the Cavs really struggled with their shot making and that has really doomed them. Trae Young missed almost 60 field goals, and the Cavs can't win when he's shooting this poorly. Richaun Holmes continues to be a bright spot, staying efficient and contributing in defensive categories. Another tough task ahead with a Week 9 matchup against Kansas City. 16. Washington Wizards (2-6)Week 8 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 7-2 Last week: 16The Wizards basically had no chance this week against a Bull Sharks team that is really hitting it's stride. There are some good signs here for Washington. JJJ looked great. Giannis continues to be amazing. Gasol, Thad Young and Brunson were all solid. This stretch from hell continues, though, with Seattle on deck. 17. Atlanta Hawks (2-6)Week 8 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 7-2 Last week: 18There's not much to take away from this week for the Hawks. They ran into the best team in the league and got blown out. Quick shoutout to Dillon Brooks - he was really good as he averaged over 22 points per game. As a team Atlanta just didn't have enough against Brooklyn's star power, even though the Nets weren't as dominant as they tend to be. With the playoffs looking like a longshot for now, the Hawks have a chance to bounce back after 3 straight losses against the Magic in Week 9. 18. Orlando Magic (2-6)Week 8 result: Lost to Memphis, 6-3 Last week: 17Kuzma missed the whole matchup and Terry Rozier missed 40 field goals this week, but the Magic didn't look half bad against a tough Memphis squad. Brandon Ingram (27.3p-2.5a-3r) continues to look like a star, and DeAndre Hunter (15.8p-2a-4r) is refusing to bow out of the ROY race. Orlando has a chance this week to add to its win total against an Atlanta team that has lost three straight. 19. Colorado Swannies (1-7)Week 8 result: Lost to Golden State, 8-1 Last week: 19The Swannies continue their slow march to the finish line with Portland, as the losses pile up. One the bright side, Cam Reddish, Gary Harris, and Myles Turner all scored in double figures at least three times each. Gary Clark is also getting some minutes and making shots. This team has been bad, much of it out of their control, and their only hope for a win is in a few weeks against Las Vegas 20. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-8)Week 8 result: Lost to Houston, 6-3 Last week: 20Another week, another loss has been the Vegas mantra all season. MKG is back in the rotation with injuries to Marvin Williams and PJ Washington, but how will Frank Kaminsky's production be affected by the return of DeAndre Ayton? The Gamblers shape up to be a big seller as the trade deadline approaches. A strong Boston team is up next. TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | teefbe | zephyr | Seattle | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Brooklyn | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Utah | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Tampa Bay | 3 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Minnesota | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Kansas City | 7 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 5 | Boston | 5 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 6 | Oklahoma City | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | Portland | 11 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 9 | Memphis | 10 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 11 | Chicago | 9 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 10 | Golden State | 12 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 12 | Houston | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | Toronto | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | Cleveland | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | Washington | 18 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 16 | Atlanta | 16 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 17 | Orlando | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | Colorado | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | Las Vegas | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
BIGGEST RISERSKansas City (up 7) Utah (up 5) BIGGEST FALLERSOKC (down 4) Portland (down 4)
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Post by Miege22 on Dec 27, 2019 12:39:59 GMT -5
WEEK 91. Brooklyn Nets (9-0)Week 9 result: Beat Houston, 6-3 Last week: 2The Nets didn't shoot the ball well, but they more than took advantage of their minutes advantage in the counting categories en route to a dominant win over Houston. Damian Lillard and Clint Capela led the way, while the surprising Donte DiVincenzo was a multi-cat monster. They get a tough Utah team next. 2. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (7-2)Week 9 result: Beat Golden State, 7-2 Last week: 4The Bull Sharks were without KAT all week but were able to hang on to beat the Warriors. Tampa Bay is firmly in 2nd in the East with a match-up against Cleveland on deck. 3. Seattle Supersonics (7-2)Week 9 result: Beat Washington, 6-3 Last week: 1The Sonics had no problems against the Washington Wizards, moving their record to 7-2 and staying in a three-way tie for first in the West. Kudos to Tomas Satoransky for a solid all-around week (15-7-6-2 and 1.7 threes made per game). PG has been the one (minor) weakness on this team, so if Sato can continue this type of production, Seattle will be really tough to beat come February and March. The Sonics get Boston in week 10. 4. Utah Jazz (7-2)Week 9 result: Beat Minnesota, 5-4 Last week: 3Mr. Reliability. Utah is halfway through the toughest part of their schedule, and they are holding up very well. They have back-to-back conference wins against Kansas City and Minnesota. The Jazz faced a tough Timberwolves team this week and the match-up went down to the wire. Serge Ibaka and Steven Adams finally showed up, and the Jazz are starting to click. Utah is posed to make the playoffs yet again, however, they’ll need to survive the next few weeks. They’ve got Brooklyn this week, followed by OKC and Tampa Bay. 5. Kansas City Kings (7-2)Week 9 result: Beat Cleveland, 8-1 Last week: 6Poopy stopped the...two game skid...by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in week 9. The polite and kind sir, self appointed king, seemed to get back on track. CJ McCollum and SGA carried the team this week and proved to be winners. Buddy Hield, JaVale McGee, and Aron Baynes has abysmal weeks and don’t appear to be bred winners. Oh and Mike Conley’s bum ass got hurt again. The dookster prince should be able to pinch of more wins this season and it’ll start this week against Toronto. 6. Portland Trailblazers (5-4)Week 9 result: Beat Colorado, 7-2 Last week: 9The Blazers are enjoying the easiest part of their schedule as they destroyed the Swannies in Week 9. With a SEVEN HUNDRED minutes advantage there was really no way they could lose this, especially with their top guys playing on a really high level. Whiteside collected 17 blocks (the Swannies had 17 as a team) and almost 80 rebounds alone, Dinwiddie is still shining and they got a little bit of vintage CP3 vibes. We fully expect Portland to come out with the same result against the Gamblers this week. 7. Boston Celtics (6-3)Week 9 result: Beat Las Vegas, 8-1 Last week: 7The Celtics continue to take care of business, last week handling the Gamblers easily by the tune of 8-1. Isaiah Thomas lit it up for Boston this week, averaging 18 PPG and 3 threes per game. The Celtics have also acquired JJ Redick which will bolster their shooting from deep. Boston is positioned to make a another in in the east. They’ll have a challenge this week against Seattle. 8. Oklahoma City Thunder (6-3)Week 9 result: Beat Toronto, 6-3 Last week: 8We knew coming in that it was always going to be tough for Doncic-less OKC against the Raptors, but look, it was CLOSE. Luckily for them, they got a great Sunday game from Tatum combined with Milsap's strong performance and that was it, ultimately winning by 3 assists and a steal. Other than Gordon and White, who are really struggling right now, OKC was very efficient from the field this past week. Tatum gets the MVP for the OKC here with his 30/8/2 stat line. There are reports out there that suggest Doncic might be coming back at some point in Week 10, but even without him, it's a must win matchup against the Hawks next. 9. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-4)Week 9 result: Lost to Utah, 5-4 Last week: 5That was a tough way to go down. After a fast start, the Wolves faltered down the stretch as the Jazz used a significant minutes advantage to their, well, advantage. Nikola Jokic nearly averaged a triple-double (19-8-9) and Seth Curry had a couple of big games, but it just wasn't quite enough. The good news for Minnesota is they are far from out of it. They are only a game behind OKC for the last spot, and next up on the schedule are the Colorado Swannies. Then they get the Cavs, Rockets and Wizards. The schedule sets up nicely for them in the stretch run. 10. Chicago Bulls (5-4)Week 9 result: Beat Memphis, 5-4 Last week: 11Talk about a big-time win. Chicago won their second in a row over a playoff hopeful from the West, taking down the Grizlies and solidifying their spot in the playoffs in the East. It's looking more and more like we're going to get a couple of rematches on that side of the bracket, and Chicago is starting to get healthy at the right time. Vuc threw up 18-10-3-2-1 on the week, and Andre Drummond had 18-14-2-4-2. Between those two in the front court, and Russell and Mitchell in the back court, Chicago is formidable. They'll continue their western swing against Houston. 11. Memphis Grizzlies (4-5)Week 9 result: Lost to Chicago, 5-4 Last week: 10This loss to Chicago sees a playoff hopeful Memphis team become a playoff-a-little-less-hopeful squad. Beal and PG led the way as meaningful contributors in all counting categories except for blocks. The Grizzlies' motif for the week, however, was the ankle as Romeo Langford returned from his ankle issues, Ayton tweaked his ankle in his return from suspension, and Bogdan sat out two games with a sore right ankle. Tampa Bay is up next and the Grizzlies end the season with 4 of 6 matchups against teams currently over .500. It was mis-noted last week that Memphis sat Horford and Marvin Williams, when in reality they were in the lineup but injured. 12. Golden State Warriors (4-5)Week 9 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 7-2 Last week: 12Tough loss for Golden State, who were at a 200 minute disadvantage against Tampa Bay, but they aren't quite out of the playoff race yet. A HUGE game against Memphis awaits. 13. Houston Rockets (3-6)Week 9 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 6-3 Last week: 13The Rockets stood very little chance against the Nets this week, and their playoff hopes are all but extinguished. We'll see if they can bounce back against Chicago. 14. Orlando Magic (3-6)Week 9 result: Beat Atlanta, 5-3-1 Last week: 18With a victory over Atlanta, Orlando is now 3-2 over their last five and a potential biggest riser in these power rankings. Brandon Ingram (27p-4a-6.3r) led the way, and Elfrid Payton contributed a stunning 5.75:1 A:TO ratio. The question looming over their next matchup against Washington is whether the injury bird will come tweeting: Bruce Brown, Jonas, and Glenn Robinson III are all considered questionable heading into the week. 15. Toronto Raptors (4-5)Week 9 result: Lost to OKC, 6-3 Last week: 14This week's 2-7 loss to the Sonics may be the beginning of a mini losing streak as Toronto faces OKC this week and KC next. The return of Ja Morant (19p-6a-1.3stl) and addition of Marvin Bagley III (12.7p-6.3r-1blk) gave us a sneak peek of Toronto's developing franchise players. Looking forward, PJ Washington was ruled out until Christmas with a fractured finger, but De'Aaron Fox is slated to return on Tuesday. 16. Washington Wizards (2-7)Week 9 result: Lost to Seattle, 6-3 Last week: 16The Wizards were never going to beat the Sonics, but it wasn't all bad. They managed to win assists and were extremely close in threes, which tells you that there is some talent here. DJ Augustin and Bryn Forbes are guys they should be able to flip for an asset or two. If Marc Gasol gets back sooner rather than later, add him to that list. JJJ is starting to rack up the defensive stats, and Jalen Brunson was fantastic (14-4.5-9.5). They've got a winnable match-up against Orlando, and, given they don't have their pick, they'll be trying to win down the stretch. It doesn't seem that far-fetched for this team to be competitive again this time next season. 17. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-6)Week 9 result: Lost to Kansas City, 8-1 Last week: 15It was not a great week for the Cavaliers, who ran up against an angry Poopy. The fully healthy Kings took it to Cleveland, and the Cavs will now have to face Tampa Bay. 18. Atlanta Hawks (2-7)Week 9 result: Lost to Orlando, 5-3-1 Last week: 17It was very close, but nonetheless it's another loss for the Hawks and the team dropped it's 4th straight. Injuries have derailed this team that once looked competitive and they just don't get enough minutes from the guys that they have left. Nunn has bounce backed with his 20p/3r/3a/2.73PT week and, surprisingly, Knox was pretty valuable. Shoutout to Poeltl for his 7 blocks in 3 games. At 2-7, the rest of the season for Atlanta is going to be about the development of the young guys. They get OKC next. 19. Colorado Swannies (1-8)Week 9 result: Lost to Portland, 7-2 Last week: 19Eek. That is 7 losses in a row for Colorado after falling to Portland this past week. More of the same - it was Anthony Davis and no one else. Cam Reddish has been wildly inconsistent, but Joe Ingles is showing life and may prove to be a trade candidate. This year cannot end fast enough for a Swannies squad who had some promise coming into the season. 20. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-9)Week 9 result: Lost to Boston, 8-1 Last week: 20Finally, we've reached the Gamblers. They lost yet again, staying winless on the season. That is unlikely to change against Portland. TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | teefbe | zephyr | Seattle | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Brooklyn | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Utah | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | Tampa Bay | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Minnesota | 10 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | Kansas City | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 5 | Boston | 6 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Oklahoma City | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Portland | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 8 | Memphis | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | Chicago | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | Golden State | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Houston | 16 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | Toronto | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | Cleveland | 15 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | Washington | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | Atlanta | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | Orlando | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 13 | Colorado | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | Las Vegas | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
BIGGEST RISERSPortland (up 3) BIGGEST FALLERSMinnesota (down 4)
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Post by Miege22 on Jan 3, 2020 10:23:00 GMT -5
WEEK 101. Brooklyn Nets (10-0)Week 10 result: Beat Utah, 5-4 Last week: 1Brooklyn took out Utah 5-4 behind FVV who contributed in double digits across five cats. However, the big news this week is Brooklyn trading Jrue for PG, a smart move given their 300+ lead in assists over the second place team in the league. This only makes them stronger this year, but with PG up for resign this coming offseason, there is not enough money to go around. Memphis faced the same issue a couple seasons ago, and the lack of depth after injuries hit has hurt their team. Could Brooklyn face the same fate next season? If there is a team that can give Brooklyn their first L, its Seattle. Matchup this week. 2. Seattle Supersonics (8-2)Week 10 result: Beat Boston, 6-3 Last week: 3The Sonics took care of business yet again, even though they technically fell to 2nd in the West with Utah's loss. A big Sunday from Lonzo Ball (27-10-8 and 7 threes) helped put away Boston. Jonathan Isaac recorded 12 steals and 7 blocks on the week, solidifying himself as the DPOY front-runner. His emergence has been a pleasant surprise for Seattle after a couple of rough years to start his career. The win sets up a showdown with the Brooklyn Nets, yet another 1 vs. 2 match-up this season. 3. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (8-2)Week 10 result: Beat Cleveland, 5-4 Last week: 2Tampa Bay eeked out this victory despite having a 150+ minute advantage over Cleveland. With no KAT, this team has becomes very average due to the slumps some of their players are in. A player to keep an eye on is Teague, as real life Minnesota looks to upgrade that position. Surprise contributor Bertans looks to also be out for the next week. They face Memphis this week with the possibility of Ayton returning. Both teams will not be at 100%. 4. Kansas City Kings (8-2)Week 10 result: Beat Toronto, 8-1 Last week: 5The King Poopies absolutely dominated the Raptors for their second straight win. They were led by LaMarcus Aldridge, Buddy Hield, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, all of whom appear to be born winners. Unfortunately, Miles Bridges and Garrett Temple are slumping, and are proving themselves to be losers. The Poopies have rebounded nicely after a two-game losing streak, and with Orlando up next, they should be able to push it to 3. 5. Utah Jazz (7-3)Week 10 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 5-4 Last week: 4The Jazz hung around with the Nets all week until the last couple of days when the Nets turned on the jets and left Utah in the dust. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak, but the Jazz still have to feel good about their team given everyone is healthy and contributing. They head into, arguably, the biggest game of their season against the 7-3 OKC Thunder this week. It might just be a must win game with how strong the Trailblazers have looked lately. 6. Portland Trailblazers (6-4)Week 10 result: Beat Las Vegas, 7-2 Last week: 6The Blazers predictably took care of business against the Gamblers. It would be a waste of time to dive deep into this matchup, but overall they got the production that they want from their top players - Whiteside, CP3 and Tobias have been very good, John Collins is back and Portland is looking scary. They look to keep the winning streak alive against Boston team that is facing some absences in Week 11. 7. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-3)Week 10 result: Beat Atlanta, 6-3 Last week: 8It was way closer than they would've liked, but with Luka back, OKC took care of business against the Hawks. Counting stats produced by Doncic, Murray, Booker and Tatum were enough to take down Atlanta. There are some concerns though. Despite winning the last two weeks, the Thunder have visibly slipped compared to the start they had to this season. Shooting has been their biggest issue - low FG%'s, not a lot of three pointers, and when you add high turnover rate it complicates winning even against lesser teams. Their struggles show up at the wrong time, because after unexpectedly dropping one to the Bulls 3 weeks ago, they now have to face Utah in what seems like a must win in a tight West playoff race. 8. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-4)Week 10 result: Beat Colorado, 5-4 Last week: 9The Wolves stayed within a game of the last playoff spot out West following their much closer than they would have liked win over Colorado. The Wolves were almost at the same minutes for the week as Colorado, to give you an idea of how banged up they were this past week. This is not a team that can afford to have a lot of injuries. They'll need Malcolm Brogdon back if they want to make a real run at the playoffs. They get the Cavs next. 9. Boston Celtics (6-4)Week 10 result: Lost to Seattle, 6-3 Last week: 7Boston really wasn't that far away from taking down Seattle (they lost by 7 threes and 7 turnovers), but a loss is a loss at the end of the day. The big issue now for Boston is injuries. Blake Griffin, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Norman Powell are all out for the foreseeable future. Embiid, Parker and WCS have all missed time, though should be back soon. They did pick up Rudy Gay to try and shore up the bench, but he has been hit or miss this year. After moving Justise Winslow for JJ Redick, it appeared this team was going to give it a run. Their most recent trade block suggests they may punt on that idea. If they can get value for an expiring, it may not be a bad move. Their tough stretch continues with Portland up next. 10. Golden State Warriors (5-5)Week 10 result: Best Memphis, 5-4 Last week: 12Memphis made up serious ground on Sunday, but it wasn't enough as Golden State just barely edged by Memphis with the solid lead their built up earlier in the week, despite being at a 150+ minute disadvantage. It was an all around team effort for Golden State. JRich had a strong defensive week with 5 steals and 5 blocks. They'll be without Rui this week but Toronto will also be without Bagley. After starting 0-4 Golden State is 5-1 over their last 6. 11. Houston Rockets (4-6)Week 10 result: Beat Chicago, 6-3 Last week: 13In a sign of the strength of the West, the last place team in the Midwest division defeated a playoff team out East. This was a tough loss for Chicago, who had no one playing on Sunday. Houston was able to flip two categories on the final day to take the victory. Houston faces a Washington team this week that gets Giannis back. After that they have a 5 game close out of teams with a combined record of 35-15. Its no secret they are trying to trade assets, the question is which playoff team will pounce. 12. Chicago Bulls (5-5)Week 10 result: Lost to Houston, 6-3 Last week: 10Not a great week for the Bulls, who were at a pretty significant minutes disadvantage against the Rockets. The Bulls got Marcus Smart back, and they just signed Jordan McRae and Isaiah Hartenstein. They go up against a struggling, banged-up Hawks team this week, so they should be ok. If D'Angelo Russell and Donovan Mitchell keep playing like this, they are going to be dangerous. 13. Orlando Magic (4-6)Week 10 result: Beat Washington 7-1-1 Last week: 14The Magic surged by a sputtering Washington squad and seems to have dug in for 2nd place in the Southeast. Brandon Ingram was steady as always, and Jonas Valanciunas contributed averages of 17.3p and 8.5r. A promising week for Kyle Kuzma was capped off with a 0/7 0 pt performance on Sunday. Still a couple games behind, a late season surge could certainly see the Magic contend for an Eastern Conference playoff spot. A brutal five game stretch is coming, though, with KC, OKC, at Brooklyn, at Boston, and Tampa Bay. Phew! 14. Memphis Grizzlies (4-6)Week 10 result: Lost to Golden State, 5-4 Last week: 11A loss at Golden State puts this Grizzlies team further from the playoffs. Even with a 150+ minutes played advantage, Memphis fell 5 rebounds short. Jrue Holiday was a nice addition, and Ayton's return from ankle issues should provide some much needed help in the upcoming match-up with Tampa Bay. Otto Porter is targeting a return around the All-Star break, and Oladipo continues to get reps in the G-League, but will these returns be in time to salvage this Memphis season? 15. Toronto Raptors (4-6)Week 10 result: Lost to Kansas City, 8-1 Last week: 15Toronto royally shat the bed against KC, winning only the turnovers category. De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III both missed time due to injuries, and lineups weren't set on two matchup days. Justin Holiday logged the third most minutes for Toronto during the week but only provided averages of 4.7p-1.7r-0.7a. Despite this four game skid, the Raptors remain competitive for a playoff spot in the East and will look to turn it around this week against 5-5 Golden State. 16. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-7)Week 10 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 5-4 Last week: 17It was an admirable effort, but the Cavs ultimately fell short to the Bull Sharks who have been struggling with their shot and injuries all week. In fact, had Trae Young played on Saturday, it's entirely possible that Cleveland would've won this one (they lost by 5 3 pointers). KCP continues to contribute in a good way after putrid start to the season (58% from the field with team leading 9 threes in Week 10). Also, we're pretty sure the Cavs management is happy to have Richaun Holmes on a long term minimum deal as he's had yet another extremely solid week, leading the team in rebounds and field goal percentage on over 40 attempts. For a team that's been counted out at the start of the season, Cleveland has looked pretty competitive and they'll try to screw up Minnesota's playoff chances in Week 11, though this might be impossible if Young misses the whole matchup. 17. Atlanta Hawks (2-8)Week 10 result: Lost to OKC, 6-3 Last week: 18Much like Cleveland, the Hawks fought very hard right up until the end against a playoff team, but ultimately got defeated by a small margin. 4 threes and 1 free throw point percentage were the difference this week. Atlanta is obviously missing some key guys. Paschall has appeared for only 7 minutes in that matchup, but Chris Boucher's emergance has been nice, same for Aaron Holiday. For now, Atlanta's management is in evaluation mode and has to sort out which players on this roster are going to fit on a winning team and certainly, some of these guys show a lot of promise. Week 11 presents another opportunity to chase an upset victory against a likely playoff team in Chicago. 18. Washington Wizards (2-8)Week 10 result: Lost to Orlando, 7-1-1 Last week: 16Giannis missed two games this past week and more or less ended any chance for the Wizards to pull off a victory. Even if he had played, it's hard to see how the Wizards would have flipped this match-up as Orlando built up comfortable margins in 5 categories. That largely had to do with how many zeroes the Wizards put up this week. Gasol missed the whole match-up, as did Winslow. Keldon Johnson really didn't play, and Nassir Little played but didn't really do anything. It's been tough sledding for the Wizards, and it'll only get tougher going up against a Houston team that owns their draft pick. 19. Colorado Swannies (1-9)Week 10 result: Lost to Minnesota, 5-4 Last week: 19The Swannies were just two blocks away from pulling out their second win of the season. Alas, it was not meant to be. The news isn't all bad though. Joe Ingles appears to have turned a corner, and should be a very valuable trade chip at the deadline. Colorado's best chance for their second win likely comes this week against Las Vegas. 20. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-10)Week 10 result: Lost to Portland, 7-2 Last week: 20Only six players logged minutes for the Gamblers during this Christmas week loss to Portland. Michael Porter, Jr. made his first career start on Sunday, giving a glimpse at the upside he has to offer. Las Vegas best chance for a win this season may be next week when a 1-9 Colorado team comes to town. Maybe better lineup management will result in their first win column tally. TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | teefbe | zephyr | Brooklyn | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Seattle | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | Tampa Bay | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | Kansas City | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | Utah | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | Portland | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | Oklahoma City | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | Minnesota | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | Boston | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | Golden State | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Houston | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | Chicago | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | Orlando | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | Memphis | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | Toronto | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | Cleveland | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | Atlanta | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | Washington | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | Colorado | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | Las Vegas | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
BIGGEST RISERSGolden State (up 2) Houston (up 2) BIGGEST FALLERSMemphis (down 3)
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Post by Miege22 on Jan 9, 2020 15:44:39 GMT -5
WEEK 111. Brooklyn Nets (11-0)Week 11 result: Beat Seattle, 5-4 Last week: 1The Nets looked dead in the water on Friday, but then Garland, Brown, Finney-Smith, Osman and FVV combined for 19 three-pointers on Saturday to get them right back into it. They were able to complete the comeback on Sunday despite losing Jimmy Butler because Bam Adebayo went 2/6 from the line. Damian Lillard and LeBron James led the way for the still undefeated Nets. Brooklyn gets Cleveland next. 2. Kansas City Kings (9-2)Week 11 result: Beat Orlando, 7-2 Last week: 4The Kings went full poop tornado on the Orlando Magic this week, easily winning 7-2. Kansas City was led by a combination of all-around performances from Lou Williams, Buddy Hield, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. One thing to keep an eye on for this team as we move forward is Kevin Love. He is clearly not happy in his current role and it is showing in his effort. Regardless, Poopy’s Princes are currently sitting atop the western conference, but they have an interesting road ahead. It starts this week against a dangerous Golden State team, followed by a depleted Houston squad, before a pivotal matchup against OKC. Will this be the year Poopy wins the west? It just might be. 3. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (9-2)Week 11 result: Beat Memphis, 6-3 Last week: 3The Bull Sharks have now been without KAT for what seems like forever, yet they were able to win again without him. Marcus Morris averaged a staggering 27 points per game on the week, while Devonte' Graham dished out 31 assists. While winning without KAT bodes well for the playoffs, their immediate future will be tough against the Jazz. 4. Seattle Supersonics (8-3)Week 11 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 5-4 Last week: 2The Sonics went toe to toe with the Nets in a potential Finals preview. It was an incredible back-and-forth affair that saw the Sonics seem to seize control with two days left, only to watch as the Nets rained in 32 threes and made 37 of 45 free throws to swing both categories. If it's any consolation for the Sonics, they would have beaten every other team in the league this week. Of course, given the state of the West, it probably isn't. The good news for Seattle is that they still have a one-game advantage on the Blazers, Jazz and Wolves. The bad news is that Jonathan Isaac will likely be out the rest of the season. The leading DPOY candidate suffered a severe bone bruise in his knee early in the match-up against Brooklyn. Seattle is still deep enough to win it all, but they'll need everyone playing at a high level. They should avoid a losing streak with Vegas up next. 5. Portland Trailblazers (7-4)Week 11 result: Beat Boston, 6-3 Last week: 6With over 600 minutes of an advantage on the week, the Blazers easily defeated a banged-up Celtics team. Kelly Oubre Jr. was pretty impressive with 100 points and 10 steals in his 4 games. Hassan Whiteside continues to rack up blocks as he single-handedly out-blocked Boston 13 to 8. Kevin Huerter is also finally starting to click at the right time. Portland gets another East playoff team on their schedule next, the Bulls, and they can't afford to drop this one with OKC after that. 6. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-3)Week 11 result: Beat Utah, 6-3 Last week: 7OKC picked up what might end up as a crucial victory against the Jazz in the West playoff race in Week 11. It wasn't lopsided, but the Thunder won fair and square. Devin Booker was an absolute monster with his 143 points (Utah's team leader scored only 77). Rest of the team stars - Luka, Tatum and Murray all played at a high level throughout the week and propelled OKC to a comfortable win. The two players that have been wildly inconsistent this year - Coby White and Aaron Gordon did not hurt the team this week, so that's a plus, but we'd imagine the Thunder would love to get more out of these two as we get closer to the finish line. Every week seems vital now for the West teams and OKC cannot, under any circumstances, drop this next one to the Magic in Week 12. 7. Utah Jazz (7-4)Week 11 result: Lost to OKC, 6-3 Last week: 5The Jazz fell to Oklahoma City this week in what was a very important matchup out west. However, the Jazz, in typical Jazz fashion didn’t lose the entire week. The team traded for Kyle Lowry and are now stronger heading into the final stretch of the season. The schedule also favors the Jazz - they’ll take on a potential KAT-less Tampa Bay team this week, followed by Cleveland, Atlanta, Golden State, and Washington to close the year. The Jazz are going to need to win these matchups in what is shaping up to be an exciting race in the western conference. 8. Minnesota Timberwolves (7-4)Week 11 result: Beat Cleveland, 7-2 Last week: 8Minnesota managed to hold off a pesky Cleveland team in a match-up that was far closer than the score indicated. The Wolves are winning, but there may be some warning signs here, chief among them being the health of Malcolm Brogdon. The Wolves aren't the deepest team in the league, so to compete against the best teams, they need everyone producing. Losing a guy like Brogdon could doom this team. It looks like he's going to be out again this week, and Houston, while currently a lottery team, is still good enough to take advantage of his absence. On the flipside, Dante Exum threw up 28 points to end the week, and it appears he's going to get more playing time moving forward. That should be a nice boost for Minny. 9. Chicago Bulls (6-5)Week 11 result: Beat Atlanta, 7-2 Last week: 12The Bulls were without D'Angelo Russell this week, but it didn't matter as they took care of the Hawks, 7-2. Vuc was solid with a 20-point double-double average. New signee Jordan McRae averaged 23 points per game, and Andre Drummond picked up 12 steals and 10 blocks. The interesting news for Chicago this week was the revelation that Drummond is on the block (in real life). Fortunately for the Bulls, the (real life) trade deadline takes place during our regular season. Still, Drummond is "the man" in his current situation, and there is no guarantee that remains the case once our postseason rolls around. Chicago does have an opportunity, though, to move up out of a first round date with Brooklyn if they can outplay Boston down the stretch. They've got a tough one against Portland up next. 10. Golden State Warriors (6-5)Week 11 result: Best Toronto, 5-3-1 Last week: 10The Warriors held off the Raptors behind a stellar scoring week from Derrick Rose. They keep hanging around, but this upcoming week is the start of gut check time. Golden State gets Kansas City, OKC, Seattle, Utah and Boston to close out the year. It's an absolute murderer's row (though maybe not so much with Boston punting on the season), and if they make they playoffs, they'll have more than earned their spot. 11. Boston Celtics (6-5)Week 11 result: Lost to Portland, 6-3 Last week: 9The ebb and flow of the Boston season continues. The Celtics lost their second consecutive matchup at the hands of the Portland Trailblazers last week. You can’t help but feel the frustration of this team. They’ve been dealing with Blake Griffin injuries off and on all season, Jabari Parker has been banged up, Tim Hardaway is sidelined, Norman Powell is without a timetable, and Isaiah Thomas is getting suspended for going into the stands. The team did sign Rudy Gay to bolster their bench, but they’ll need a healthy Griffin to really make a run in the east. The schedule does soften for them for the rest of the year as they’ve got Colorado, Toronto, Orlando, and Atlanta, before closing out the season against Golden State. 12. Memphis Grizzlies (4-7)Week 11 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 6-3 Last week: 14In one of the oddest team stat lines of the week, the Grizzlies put up the second lowest point total of the league (256) but more rebounds (167) than 12 teams. Beal missed three games due to injury, and Jrue was only scheduled to play two. Ayton returned to play a full week for the first time in a while (12.8 pts, 12.8 reb, 1 blk). Up next in a Toronto squad that has lost five in a row. 13. Houston Rockets (4-7)Week 11 result: Lost to Washington, 5-4 Last week: 11After taking down an Eastern Conference playoff team, the Rockets struggled to a loss against the lowly Wizards. It was a real kick in the pills for Houston as it also hurts their draft prospects (somewhat... they'll still have two lotto picks), owning Washington's pick and all. We'll see if they can bounce back against Minnesota, as they welcome back Nikola Jokic. 14. Washington Wizards (3-8)Week 11 result: Beat Houston, 5-4 Last week: 18Shout out to the Wizards for snapping their losing streak and taking down the Houston Rockets. Maxi Kleber was fantastic, averaging almost 20 points per game and dropping in 13 three-pointers. Both JJJ and DJ were solid, and Giannis came back and did Giannis things. It was a win that had to feel good, and it has the potential to start a winning streak with the Atlanta Hawks on deck. 15. Orlando Magic (4-7)Week 11 result: Lost to Kansas City, 7-2 Last week: 13A schedule loss to King Poopy's Kansas City squad where Brandon Ingram and Terry Rozier played two and three games respectively wasn't so bad for the Magic after all. Harry Giles returned to the rotation, and Sekou Doumbouya broke through in a big way averaging 9.3p, 6.5r, 1.3 3s. The second place team in the southeast continue with the murders' row portion of their schedule as Oklahoma City comes to town. 16. Toronto Raptors (4-7)Week 11 result: Lost to Golden State, 5-3-1 Last week: 15The Raptors lost a heartbreaker to Golden State by a handful of 3s and a steal to extend their losing streak to five. They were at a massive minutes disparity (652 to GSW's 900), and continued to miss Bagley and KP. Despite the loss, their point guard duo, Fox (16.7p-6.7a-2.7stl) and Ja (19.3p-7.7a-2.7r) , will certainly be scary to face for many years to come. This week, with an open roster spot, maybe a free agent signing could be what pushes them over the hump against Memphis. 17. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-8)Week 11 result: Lost to Minnesota, 7-2 Last week: 16The 7-2 score won't show it, but that was another impressive week from the Cavs. They only got 2 games from Trae Young, but were still able to compete with a Wolves team battling for a playoff spot. 3 assists, couple less turnovers and a little better FT shooting and what could've been....okay, it wasn't a nail-bitter, but Cleveland fought well. Trae is back and immediately led the team in assists and 3's, despite, as mentioned, playing in only 2 games. Other than Young, it was, predictably, Holmes and Mikal Bridges that led the way for the Cavaliers. A guy to watch is RJ Barrett - his assist numbers have been very concerning lately, combined with awful shooting he's been only able to rack up points with no efficiency. Their march to the lottery continues with a Brooklyn matchup next week. 18. Atlanta Hawks (2-9)Week 10 result: Lost to Chicago, 7-2 Last week: 17Atlanta made a lot of threes last week but couldn't pull of an upset against the Bulls, mainly because of low shooting percentages. 300 fewer minutes hurt, but it was percentages that also impacted points scored, and with those categories out the window, it was impossible for the team to come out with the victory. Dillon Brooks was good, led the team in points and threes (14), but rookies Culver and Nunn struggled from the field, which is expected some weeks with the young guys. At 2-9, the Hawks are looking forward to the draft lottery rather than next matchups, but they get to face the Wizards in Week 12 next. 19. Colorado Swannies (2-9)Week 11 result: Beat Las Vegas, 6-2-1 Last week: 19The Swannies picked up a much needed victory of Las Vegas this week. However, it’s still been a lost season for this team. They’ve got some interesting pieces should they decide to deal and will have cap space going into next season. If they can make a couple moves to get young talent in exchange for some of the pieces they have, it would improve their outlook for the future. 20. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-11)Week 11 result: Lost to Colorado, 6-2-1 Last week: 20Only six players logged minutes for the Gamblers during this week's loss to Colorado as RoLo and Rodney McGruder languished on the bench. Michael Porter Jr. put up a career game with 25 pts on 11/12 FG and is someone to look hard at for the rest of the season. Only one of the Gamblers' opponents are under .500 for the rest of the season: 0-16 is not out of the question. TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | teefbe | zephyr | Brooklyn | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Kansas City | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | Tampa Bay | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | Seattle | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Portland | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | Oklahoma City | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Utah | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | Minnesota | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Chicago | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | Golden State | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | Boston | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | Memphis | 16 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | Houston | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | Washington | 12 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 15 | Orlando | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | Toronto | 13 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | Cleveland | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | Atlanta | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Colorado | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | Las Vegas | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
BIGGEST RISERSWashington (up 4) BIGGEST FALLERSSeattle (down 2)
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