Power Rankings

[ben]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/powerrankings/08/17/offseason.rankings/index.html

I know its fun to be the underdogs, but 5th?!?!
Really?! 

and the mavs are 6th? 

and how are the wizards in the top ten? 

I am perplexed.

[indeedproceed]

personally speaking...I am nowhere near caring about this yet.

[KCattheStripe]

personally speaking...I am nowhere near caring about this yet.

Preach the good word.

[Roy Hobbs]

I don't care, either.  We're better than Orlando, though.

Boston vs. San Antonio, NBA Finals.

[indeedproceed]

I don't care, either.  We're better than Orlando, though.

Boston vs. San Antonio, NBA Finals.

You're just saying that to justify taking Seattle over Phoenix.

[Roy Hobbs]

I don't care, either.  We're better than Orlando, though.

Boston vs. San Antonio, NBA Finals.

You're just saying that to justify taking Seattle over Phoenix.

Don't hate on the aging big men.  Duncan, KG, and the Diesel can all still bring it.

[indeedproceed]

I don't care, either.  We're better than Orlando, though.

Boston vs. San Antonio, NBA Finals.

You're just saying that to justify taking Seattle over Phoenix.

Don't hate on the aging big men.  Duncan, KG, and the Diesel can all still bring it.

lol...Shaq is sponsored by icyhot, Roy! come on!

[Quinn]

I can almost understand why they might but the C's at five, but not six.

The thing that really gets me is the wizards in the top 10...I don't they're even a playoff team.

[PosImpos]

It's because KG hasn't played yet since his injury and all that crap that happened with Rondo this summer and the trade rumors.  Major media outlets (espn, nba.com etc) are making those out to be big factors that make the Celtics question marks.

Since I think everybody here is pretty confident KG will be back at pretty much 100% and Rondo will still play great even if there are some hard feelings from this summer, I think we can consider ourselves in the mix for a place in the top three spots.

Our record was 62-20 last year, better than Orlando or San Antonio, and that was without KG for the last third or so of the season.

I think until we see how well our team (and the other teams) plays this upcoming season, we should be at #3.  We're certainly capable of being #1, but there are enough question marks (with all the teams, not just ours) to put us squarely at number 3.

Otherwise their top 10 looks more or less okay to me, although I think they could be sleeping on the Blazers a bit considering how good they were at the end of last year.  I don't think Denver is going to be as good this year, and I doubt Dallas will stay healthy.

[indeedproceed]

It's because KG hasn't played yet since his injury and all that crap that happened with Rondo this summer and the trade rumors.  Major media outlets (espn, nba.com etc) are making those out to be big factors that make the Celtics question marks.

Since I think everybody here is pretty confident KG will be back at pretty much 100% and Rondo will still play great even if there are some hard feelings from this summer, I think we can consider ourselves in the mix for a place in the top three spots.

My thoughts your words.

[star18]

When are you people going to realize that ESPN, NBA.com all the writers all the experts, & all the anylysts except for a very very very select few all hate the Celtics and they want them to lose more than any other team.  They underrate them discredit them every single chance they get every single time.

Take for example 2007-08.  Do you know that at one point in the Power Rankings the Celtics were 6th!!! when they were 6 games better than any other team in the league!!! Can anything get more ridiculous than that?

Take for example the Lakers supposedly being the #1 franchise of all-time, in less than 1 year after we spanked them 131-92!! Even Ron Artest said the Celtics took the Lakers manhood.  And the Lakers are the ones who get the article of being the best franchise when the Celtics took their manhood? How many #1 franchises get their manhood taken from them? And do you know what the deciding factor that supposedly made the Lakers a better franchise than the Celtics? Jack Nicholson eats popcorn at halftime!!!  That was the deciding factor!!

Now look at the Power Rankings so far in 2009.    We are 5th.  Really! Last year we were the 5th to last team eliminated from the postseason.   Now Garnett is back, now we got Rasheed, now we get Daniels & now we get Shelden, losing only Powe.  And we still can't move up!!!  How ridiculous is that!!

Again, all these people are going to ride LA & CLE all year no matter what.  At least LA deserves it, but here is the thing.  CLE is not that good.  People don't like Lebron now.  Last year the league was purposely handing this guy the title on a silver platter.  I know because I watched the games.   Teams were letting Lebron win, they were not trying, that is a fact.   Now because of the Orlando incident, and his comments still talking about not shaking hands after a game, the players are not going to root for Lebron anymore, and CLE will have a dissappointing season. 

Shhhhh!!! Don't let Hollinger, Schumann & Aldridge know that.

[star18]

Just look at this comment for example:"It will be difficult for the Cavs to match last season's win total, but they've added Shaq and Anthony Parker without losing anybody of significance"

Yeah sure Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlocic, Wally Sczerbiak, Joe Smith all lost.  Doesn't sound like anyone of significance does it?  3 of them, Ben,Wally & Joe comprised of 75% of the big trade that the Cavs made barely 1 1/2 years ago, and Pavlocic was a starter on the 2007 team that made the Finals.  And it wasn't anybody of signficance.  Only 4 of their best 10 players.   Sounds significant to me.

This is just like the offseason rankings list where the Lakers "didn't lose anybody".  Like Trevor Ariza doesn't count or something.

Now if someone can find a published article that says the Celtics "didn't lose anybody"  I will show up at your doorstep with a billion dollars in cash exactly 1 second after you find the article.

[Chris]

The addition of Rasheed Wallace makes the Celtics' frontline more intimidating than it already was. But more important to their quest for another title are the health of Kevin Garnett and the psyche of Rajon Rondo. You have to wonder about both.

I agree that Garnett is a concern, and I can understand not ranking the C's higher until we see if he is truly 100%.  But is Rondo's psyche really a concern?  Do they think a couple trade rumors, and quotes taken out of context by the press is going to negatively affect his game?  If it affects it at all, it will motivate him to work harder to prove Danny wrong.  Anyone who has watched Rondo throughout his career knows that he uses doubters as motivation, not as a reason to pout.

[pengaloo]

The addition of Rasheed Wallace makes the Celtics' frontline more intimidating than it already was. But more important to their quest for another title are the health of Kevin Garnett and the psyche of Rajon Rondo. You have to wonder about both.

I agree that Garnett is a concern, and I can understand not ranking the C's higher until we see if he is truly 100%.  But is Rondo's psyche really a concern?  Do they think a couple trade rumors, and quotes taken out of context by the press is going to negatively affect his game?  If it affects it at all, it will motivate him to work harder to prove Danny wrong.  Anyone who has watched Rondo throughout his career knows that he uses doubters as motivation, not as a reason to pout.

I agree. I don't see what's the big deal about Rondo's psyche. From what little I know, he seems to be having a productive summer... from helping out the Celtics summer league team, to working with a shooting coach, to maybe coaching Doc's son this weekend in the ESPN Elite 24 event in NYC. Rondo doesn't seem to be moping about. If anything, I think he'll be more mature come this fall.

[slamtheking]

Let's cut to the point on power rankings---Who cares?  Seriously, who cares?

The only 2 rankings that matter are the won-loss records during the season --> that'll tell you which team has played well to date.

The most important power ranking---->the team holding the championship trophy at the end of the finals.  that's the ultimate power ranking and the only one that really matters.