Boston Celtics (Grade: A) -- It was critical for this team to get off to a great start after bringing in two stars in their 30s. The Celtics' 33-6 record speaks volumes about the unselfishness of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. The key to their championship aspirations ultimately will be determined by the consistency of the Celtics' bench. Time will tell. Their grade would be an A-plus but recent losses to Charlotte, and Washington (twice) hurt their midterm grade.

Detroit Pistons (Grade: A) -- The Pistons look eerily similar to the NBA title group from 2003-04. This group, however, has a much stronger bench and is headed for a showdown with the Celtics in late May. They have believed all along that their legacy should be greater than one NBA title … and they are playing with a purpose.

Orlando Magic (Grade: B-plus) -- The Magic have been the only other true contender in the East. Dwight Howard has become the most dominant big man in the game and Hedo Turkoglu is having a career year. The Magic need a point guard with size to truly compete for a championship, but their road record (16-9) indicates they will be a factor all season.

Washington Wizards (Grade: A) -- Eddie Jordan is coach of the year to this point without question. The Wiz have played all year without Gilbert Arenas and, yet, they are 22-17 and fourth in the East. Caron Butler has been simply great and they have played hard and unselfishly all year. Big-time overachievement!

Cleveland Cavaliers (Grade: B) -- They started the season as if their Finals appearance of a year ago was a complete fluke, but winning 9 of 11 has reclaimed some respect. LeBron James has been the MVP and the rebounding of the Cavs' front line gives them a chance every single night. They are a work in progress and will be tough once the playoffs begin as they draw on their past experience.

Toronto Raptors (Grade: B-minus) -- The best is yet to come for the Raptors. They have dealt with injuries to T.J. Ford and Chris Bosh and still find themselves three games over .500, but they haven't played with the same sense of urgency or passion as last season.

Atlanta Hawks (Grade: C) -- It's funny how some people think the Hawks have arrived. Yes, they can be great on given nights and have played their best basketball against the NBA's elite teams. But this team has far too much talent to be so inconsistent. I don't want to hear about their youth … they can compete now in the East, but they haven't figured out how to focus and mature to the point where they can be taken seriously.

Indiana Pacers (Grade: C) -- The up-tempo style suits their personnel. Jim O'Brien has done a solid job of hiding the Pacers' weaknesses and they can score with anybody. The problem is that they just don't have the physical toughness defensively to be more than average, thus the C grade.

New Jersey Nets (Grade: C-minus) -- The "big three" and a bunch of below-average role players doesn't get anyone excited anymore. No doubt that the loss of Nenad Krstic has hurt the Nets, but they haven't shown the spark I would expect. The fact that Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson both belong in the All-Star Game and this team is four games under .500 says all you need to know.

Chicago Bulls (Grade: D-minus) -- The biggest disappointment in the NBA thus far. For a young, playoff-tested group to come out flat is inexcusable. Scott Skiles took the blame, but the Bulls' core group (Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng) has struggled collectively, and Ben Wallace has been hampered physically, thus rendering him incapable of being the emotional leader the Bulls sorely need.

Milwaukee Bucks (Grade: C-minus) -- To be honest, the Bucks are only a game or two below where they should reasonably expect to be. They rely on their perimeter game most nights to carry them and they haven't shot the ball well enough to overcome their defensive issues. What you see is what you get.

Charlotte Bobcats (Grade: C-plus) -- I know 16-25 merits a lower grade, but the Bobcats play hard. They are in every game and have one of the most athletic wing tandems (Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace) in the game. If they could get more consistency from their bigs and their bench they could threaten for a playoff spot.

Philadelphia 76ers (Grade: C-minus) -- The talk around the league is that the Sixers have been a pleasant surprise. I'm not sold on that. It's true, based on their offensive talent, they are a lottery team. My bigger problem is with their lack of defensive commitment. In the NBA a team must compensate for lack of firepower by working on every possession.

New York Knicks (Grade: F) -- I honestly don't know where to begin. The Knicks could have earned at least a D grade if they hadn't been such a disaster off the court. It's one thing to play poorly or underachieve. It's an entirely different level of ineptitude when a team lacks passion, chemistry, unselfishness and the concept of basic winning basketball fundamentals. Thank goodness for David Lee and Renaldo Balkman, the only two Knicks who bring the right mind-set to the arena every night.

Miami Heat (Grade: F) -- It is almost inconceivable that a team less than two years removed from winning an NBA title can be in the midst of a 14-game losing steak -- with a superstar in his prime and playing almost every night. The Heat's young players aren't talented enough to provide the supporting cast Dwyane Wade needs. It is fairly apparent that the Heat mortgaged everything to get a title. They won it … now they have to rebuild.

I must say I fully agree with this grade. Anything better would have yielded a curve due to a still fairly week East.

This team isn't even about basketball anymore. Its purely off court antics that the Knicks like to endulge themselves in these days.

A core with the exception of Lee and Balkman is non existent. A franchise player acquisition just seems like a pipe dream right now, and the Knicks cannot devleop one with the current roster. The coach/GM is into other things such as job security rather than the development of the young players.

I've never seen or known a group or entity who consistently hits new lows on a weekly basis.

I will give them F- to put Miami on top.
Heat misery is an expected side result for the Chip, they have Wade, and will be in good condition in 2-3 years.
Knicks not only bad, they achieved nothing in the recent memory and have no light at the end of the tunnel in foreseeable future.


[Edited by - arkrud on 01-23-2008 2:43 PM]

Posted by JrZyHuStLa:

The coach/GM is into other things such as job security rather than the development of the young players.

This should hit all Knicks fans right in the gut.

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by JrZyHuStLa:

The coach/GM is into other things such as job security rather than the development of the young players.

This should hit all Knicks fans right in the gut.

I said this in another thread.. Isiah has no interest in developing chandler, morris, or balkman, simply because in the short term, that would mean lottery but could yield long term benefits.. but Isiah is only interested in the short term and his job...

Posted by TrueBlue:

Posted by tkf:

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by JrZyHuStLa:

The coach/GM is into other things such as job security rather than the development of the young players.

This should hit all Knicks fans right in the gut.

I said this in another thread.. Isiah has no interest in developing chandler, morris, or balkman, simply because in the short term, that would mean lottery but could yield long term benefits.. but Isiah is only interested in the short term and his job...

But it makes no sense in the end because I SAY UGH fails at the short term by 100folds. Fans keep bringing up or hinting at some mandate Dolan has put I SAY UGH under. Well he's never met it.

TKF did you read my most in the other thread last night where I touched on how difficult it is to be a loyal fan?

no, point me to that thread... please..

Posted by tkf:

Posted by TrueBlue:

Posted by tkf:

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by JrZyHuStLa:

The coach/GM is into other things such as job security rather than the development of the young players.

This should hit all Knicks fans right in the gut.

I said this in another thread.. Isiah has no interest in developing chandler, morris, or balkman, simply because in the short term, that would mean lottery but could yield long term benefits.. but Isiah is only interested in the short term and his job...

But it makes no sense in the end because I SAY UGH fails at the short term by 100folds. Fans keep bringing up or hinting at some mandate Dolan has put I SAY UGH under. Well he's never met it.

TKF did you read my most in the other thread last night where I touched on how difficult it is to be a loyal fan?

no, point me to that thread... please..

Towards the bottom. You can reply there if you find anything I said of interest or reply here with quotes

http://www.ultimateknicks.com/forum/topic.asp?t=25293