Dime Ranks.....

NBA Hit List 10.5



Training camps are opening, so we figured it’s a good time to roll out another Hit List, our power rankings for the NBA. Players will be cut between now and when the season opens on Halloween, but for the most part, everyone’s core is in place.


30. Atlanta Hawks – With Speedy Claxton temporarily on the shelf with a broken hand, the Hawks are basically the same team as last year, only with Shelden Williams replacing Al Harrington. Defensively, that’s not a problem. Offensively? Problem.

29. Portland Trail Blazers – While the rest of the League wants to speed things up, the Blazers have committed to slowing it down and running the offense through Zach Randolph.

28. New York Knicks – Was it really all Larry Brown’s fault? New York’s players say they love having Isiah on the bench … but then again, what else are they gonna say?

27. Golden State Warriors – Nellie is the wild card here. Is he really going to play Mike Dunleavy as a power forward/point guard? Is he going to irritate Baron Davis by repeatedly going to the media with his concerns about Baron’s weight? Will everyone outside of J-Rich have to change their style of play to suit Nellie’s gameplan?

26. Toronto Raptors – Is T.J. Ford an upgrade over Mike James? We also want to see how Chris Bosh comes back from a bad showing at the World Championships.

25. Charlotte Bobcats – We’re just waiting to see how all the youngsters mesh: Morrison, Okafor, Felton, May and Co. could be a sleeper.

24. Seattle Supersonics – Chris Wilcox has the big contract; now it’s time for him to prove he deserves it.

23. Philadelphia 76ers – Is this the year Andre Iguodala goes from “Top 10 Plays” staple to an all-around force?

22. Minnesota Timberwolves – It seems like it’s now or never for KG. Does he have the supporting cast to make a run at the playoffs? Randy Foye has Rookie of the Year potential, and Mike James can drop 30 at a moment’s notice.

21. Boston Celtics – They’re deep and talented, but they’re also young and inexperienced. And between Sebastian Telfair and Rajon Rondo, Boston might have the two worst-shooting PGs in the League.

20. Memphis Grizzlies – Pau Gasol is out, Mike Miller is banged up and Damon Stoudamire is recovering from a serious knee injury. Stromile Swift is gonna have to step up and reach his potential, but we’ve been saying that for about five years now.

19. Milwaukee Bucks – We like the frontcourt, we like Michael Redd, and we even like the change-of-pace PG combo of Steve Blake and Mo Williams. But other than that, this is a very thin team as far as depth.

18. Orlando Magic – Darko made big strides at the World Championships … moreso than Dwight Howard.

17. New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets – Is Peja still an elite player? NOK is paying him like one. He could be the guy to make or break the Hornets playoff hopes.

16. Utah Jazz – They got more athletic by picking up Ronnie Brewer, but it’s more important that they get healthier. That means you, Boozer and AK-47.

15. Los Angeles Lakers – Besides Kobe’s new No. 24, the most talked-about change with this team was bringing in Vlad Radmanovic. Jordan Farmar can be a solid PG if Smush falters.

14. Washington Wizards – Gilbert Arenas has another chip on his shoulder, and apparently he’ll have more stamina on top of that. NBA leading scorer this year?

13. Denver Nuggets – Even though they got J.R. Smith to play two-guard, some of the team’s vets have still gone on record saying Denver didn’t address it’s need for a shooter. Isn’t Wesley Person out there somewhere?

12. Indiana Pacers – For as much talent and depth as Indy has up front (J.O., Harrington, Granger, Foster, Shawne Williams, David Harrison), they’re just as shaky and thin in the backcourt.

11. New Jersey Nets – Nenad Krstic got himself good and rested this summer by not playing international ball, so he could be in store for a big year.

10. Sacramento Kings – With Ron Artest in the fold for the whole season, the Kings can be a title contender.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers – They came very close to making the Eastern Conference finals, but have they improved? LeBron is still LeBron and Larry Hughes is healthy, but the most significant veteran acquisition was an aging David Wesley. One of the rookie guards – Shannon Brown or Daniel Gibson – could play a major role.

8. Houston Rockets – T-Mac and Yao are healthy and Bonzi is on board. Battier will provide D and shooting. But the bench leaves a lot to be desired.

7. Chicago Bulls – Can you find any major holes in this team? Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Nocioni and Sweetney can score. Wallace, P.J., Griffin, Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha provide the D. They have youth and experience, athleticism and basketball IQ. Once they develop a solid chemistry, the Bulls can do some damage.

6. Detroit Pistons – The obvious largest issue is how Ben Wallace’s departure affects the team. On the court, Nazr Mohammed, Dale Davis and Antonio McDyess (who has reportedly bulked up over the summer) will try to fill in by committee, plus youngster Jason Maxiell is a beast on the boards despite being just 6-7. Off the court, Chauncey Billups has taken over as the primary leader, a spot he shared with Big Ben in the past.

5. Los Angeles Clippers – At some point, Sam Cassell has to start acting his age, right? But even if that happens this year, Shaun Livingston appears poised for a breakout season.

4. San Antonio Spurs – Glass half-full: this is a veteran team with tons of playoff and championship experience that knows each other like they’re family. Glass half-empty: they’re old.

3. Phoenix Suns – They’re a title contender even without Amare Stoudemire, so if Amare is something close to what he was before the injury, they’ll be a force. And the Suns can afford to preserve Steve Nash for the playoffs now that Marcus Banks is around.

2. Dallas Mavericks – Dirk is locked up contractually, Jason Terry is locked up, and Josh Howard should be locked up soon. There’s no reason Dallas can’t make it back to the Finals.

1. Miami Heat – Wade. Shaq. Rings. Until we’re given reason to believe otherwise, Miami keeps the No. 1 spot.

1. Miami
2. Cleveland
3. New Jersey
4. Chicago
5. Detroit
6. Orlando
7. Washington
8. Indiana
----------------
9. Boston
10. Charlotte
11. Milwaukee
12. New York
13. Philadelphia
14. Toronto
15. Atlanta

[Edited by - Solace on 10-09-2006 3:57 PM]

Posted by EnySpree:

Atlanta is at the bottom of everyones list and that team is much improved from last year.

I can't call it but the NBA will be as compeditive as it has been in a while.

Atlanta has 19 small forwards. Until they get A LITTLE balance it's tough to give them too much credit. They do have a lot of raw talent, also a lot of overrated kids, and guys they picked too high, IMHO.

I do think the east will be very competitive this year, which is why I think the Knicks might get left out in the cold if they win 36-38 games.

East is really improved in many ways. The west still remains strong but on the decline.

Knicks? Hard to predict, really hard. Talent is there, but its so in mnay clubs too!

Some teams are going to fall. Detroit?? Time to decline?

here are the top teams in the conference with their strengths and weaknesses

1.) miami (+)- they have the best one two punch in the league with shaq and wade. wade is a bonofide superstar as he seems to have the knack at doing the right thing to make his team win whether it is scoring, passing, rebounding or a defensive stop. shaq has slowed down through the years but he is still the best center in the league. he is unstoppable in the post and still intimidating. the other starters are reliable whether it is walker with clutch shooting, j-will running the offense effectively or haslem getting key hustle plays, they all know their role. IMO they have quite possibly the best bench in the east with a rejuvanated mourning, payton and posey. they are well coached also.

(-) wade is good but he does have his flaws. he is as streaky as they come outside. not a reliable shooter. can force him to shoot and not drive but be careful. he can pick a team apart with passing. shaq is not as effective as before and had many games where he disappeared. skill wise, he is back in the pack of other centers. his defense can be horrid at times. as a matter of fact, miami is an average defensive team with only wade, haslem and posey labeled as good defenders. they can be exposed on the defensive end. too many older vets who can breakdown during the season.

2.) chicago (+) balance. this is a typical team with no superstars per say but plenty of players who can play and know their role. kinrich will probably be one of the best passing point guard in the league in a year or two. he has excellent court vision and amazing leadership qualities. gordon is a prototypical do it all 2 guard. he can drive and shoot outside. his defense is solid also. the addition of wallace will shore up their interior defense. wallace is one of those rare defensive players who can change the game with his hustle play. skiles can be a hard coach but he gets them ready to play each night and have them check their egos at the door. very smart and systematic team. methodical only second to detroit.

(-) because they have no precise "go to guy" chicago can be confused in the waning seconds of close games even though they usually defer to gordon. wallace is good defensively in the paint but no one else. i predict they will get tired of skiles after awhile. no reliable frontcourt scoring though nocioni could fill that role soon ( sweetney is not reliable).

3.) cavaliers(+)- king james has definately been king since he has been in the league. he is as unstoppable as anyone in the league and he is only 21. the amazing aspect of his game is his court awareness which is better than most people in the league. i, unlike some people, think that their role players aren't bad either. hughes scoring has dipped but he is still one of the premier perimeter defenders of the game. he and snow can wreck having for opposing teams on the perimeter. snow is a smart very aware point guard who relishes his role as a defender and set up gut. great leadership and mentoring qualities ( besides his relapse with silas). ilgauskus is still one of the best post players in the league. he has so many post moves that pretty much no one can stop him in the paint. he is a decent rebounder and shot blocker. marshall had a dismal year last year but he is a player that can pick it up anytime soon. he can score inside and outside and play both forward positions.

(-) inconsistency from the role players. hughes need to remain healthy or teams will collapse in the paint and force cleveland to shoot outside. most teams will like that but snow can't hit the broadside of a barn with his shots and hughes and marshall have been awful with their outside shooting. a slow and prodding frontcourt leaves them exposed to many fast breaks. a lot of injury prone guys.

4.) detroit(+) the most systematic and aware team in the east and probably will give the spurs a run for their money in the nba. billups have come a long way since his minny days to become one of the best point guards in the league. he can run a fast break and a halfcourt offense with equal efficiency. he is one of the best clutch shooters in the league. hamilton is equally as deadly as he has expanded his range to the three point line. both backcourt mates are excellent defenders also. wallace is their lone low post option but that is enough. he can give opposing teams nightmares as he can score inside and outside. he is quick enough and strong enough to match any frontcourt player in the league. plus he is a good teammate who knows how to win and has kept his emotions in check. nazr is a role player but can score in the post. their bench has been good with mcdyess leading the way.

(-) identity. before saunders, they were an excellent defensive team. their defense is still good but not as good as the following year. saunders has opened up the offense but they have tired out throughout the year expanding their energy in both ends. the lost of wallace is huge which means it is pretty much on rasheed's shoulders now.

i will do the next four later today.

Posted by Swishfm3:

Jazz....did you write this crap?

Hope not

that i did, swim, that i did. let's move on.

5.) nets (+)- terrific trio. kidd, carter and richardson are a nightmare for teams as they can fast fast break with the best of them. kidd is still the master of running an offense and a good defender too. richardson continues to get better each year. his outside shooting is getting better plus he is a terrific defender. carter is their go to gut. he can score inside and outside and at times unstoppable. kristic has shown signs on being a good low post player. he can score well in the post and can pass out of the double team to make teams pay with carter.

(-) besides the trio and kristic every other player has been boderline horrible. they drafted a rookie to help with the point guard duties but evertime they try to find a backup they fail. kidd looked good last year after surdery but how long can it hold up? carter is also a player who is not durable. if any of the three go down they are in trouble. possibly the worst bench in the east.

6.) indiana (+)- they have probably the best frontcourt in the east with o'neal, harrington and daniels. when healthy o'neal is hands down the best power forward in the east. he can do everything in the post and more. his range has improved each year. tinsley is a good point guard who has great court vision and passing skills. jackson, as crazy as he is, is a reliable scoring who will make teams pay if they double o'neal. he also is a good perimeter defender. they have also developed a solid bench that can spell their first unit, which is key down the stretch of the season. having a multitalented forward in harrington is key for them to get better this season, particularly in the playoffs. carslile is one of the best x's and o's coach in the league.

(-) o'neals durability. he has missed a decent amount of games with lingering injuries. is he still effective? tinsley has become better with defense but still is a weak link and leaves the frontcourt exposed to foul trouble because of the constant driving. jackson can become too emotional in games and be a negative influence. locker room chemistry is not at a high right now. they have athelticism but need more outside shooting than jackson and tinsley.

7.) washington(+)- another team that runs the princeton offense with near perfection. arenas is the most underrated guard in the league. the only weakness is his size but he is a good penetrator who can shoot with the best of them. he has decent court vision and can pass well enough to run the princeton offense. jamison is an "undersized" pf but sure doesn't play like it. he has the strength and athleticism to make up for his size. caron butler has become a good third option and hayes will be forced to turn it up since jeffries is gone. this team can tire out team easily because of their up tempo offense. too much talent not to be in the playoff mix in the east.

(-) their defense has been inconsistent and not that good, especially interior. haywood is a decent weakside shotblocker but he gets into foul trouble. arenas can play out of control which can hurt teams. besides jamison and maybe thomas, they have weak rebounders which could negate their strength, fast break opportunities. though not as helpless as the nets in half court sets they still can struggle in a halfcourt set. still a couple of pieces away from being a true playoff contender.

8.) knicks (+) again, another team that is under the gun and too much talent not to be in the playoffs in the east ( though milwakee, philly and orlando will give them a run). they have not one but two guards that can penetrate at will. if motivated, a marbury and francis backcourt could give other team fits. they can both penetrate and score outside and provide opportunities for others. their frontcourt is solid two with curry a legitimate frontcourt player. frye was the only pleasant suprise last year who can score inside and outside. their second unit is solid with crawford leading the way.

(-) chemistry and defense is horrible and that alone can either make them or break them. on paper they should be top 5 but they can't mesh. besides their rookies and jeffries, their defense has been horrible, both perimeter and in the paint. role definition will be a problem unless their are trades.