http://www.sportsline.com/nba/powerrankings
Power Rankings: Pistons not flopping under Saunders
By Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
Indiana, with Ron Artest back and new leadership required with
Reggie Miller gone, had to come up with a strong start to the
season. Miami, having revamped its entire roster, also had to get
off on the right foot. Shaquille O'Neal's ankle injury has curbed
that success somewhat, but sufficient progress is being made -- and
the big man has his cast off.
However, more than the other top contenders for the East crown, it
was the defending conference champs who absolutely had to get off to
a strong start. With Flip Saunders replacing Larry Brown, you could
only imagine what would have occurred if the Pistons began the
season hovering around .500.
For starters, the collective strength of the Central Division was
predictable. Most important, Detroit fans have come to expect
excellence, were counting on the chemistry between the players to
help overcome the coaching change and would've flipped on Saunders
had losing surfaced early.
But Detroit has flourished, emerging as the league's only unbeaten
through the first two weeks. Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton have
never been more productive than in Saunders' new flex offense.
Rasheed Wallace has been content, Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince
look even more comfortable in their roles than they did under Brown,
if that's even possible, and the bench is actually playing more, so
they're happier.
Utopia in Detroit.
Meanwhile, Brown's new team is making strides, even though the
Knicks remain poorly constructed. As they sail comfortably through
the start of their new era, the Pistons were aware that New York
dropped its first five games before picking up a victory.
"I don't think nobody in the country didn't notice that," Billups
told the Detroit Free Press. " But I knew they would have a rough
beginning. Whenever somebody takes over a team, it's going to be
rough early."
POWER RANKINGS
Current Team Previous
1 Detroit Pistons 3
Larry Brown was impressed by Carlos Delfino last season and felt he
could've been an asset in the playoffs had he not been injured. The
Argentinian's strong start lends credence to that belief.
2 San Antonio Spurs 1
With reserves Michael Finley and Brent Barry nursing injuries, the
Spurs have to be pleased that Manu Ginobili is bouncing back from
his thigh injury.
3 Indiana Pacers 2
Fred Jones, thought by many to be the player perhaps most affected
by Ron Artest's return and the acquisition of Sarunas Jasikevicius,
has maintained his spot in Rick Carlisle's rotation with strong
defense and improved play of late.
4 Dallas Mavericks 4
A sprained finger could temper Keith Van Horn's production over the
next week, increasing the burden on Dirk Nowitzki in this week's key
games against Denver and Detroit.
5 Cleveland Cavaliers 7
LeBron James and Larry Hughes are starting to gain more and more
on-court chemistry, which makes a triple-double for one of them seem
imminent.
6 Milwaukee Bucks 8
Someone start the Sixth Man Award campaign for backup point guard
Maurice Williams, who combines with T.J. Ford to give the Bucks a
relentless duo running the show.
7 Washington Wizards 9
The arrival of Antonio Daniels has pushed the Wizards' defensive
intensity to another level, making them a dangerous threat to give
Miami a run in the Southeast.
8 Miami Heat 5
Alonzo Mourning's effort with Shaq out has been remarkable,
particularly on defense, where he actually makes Miami stronger.
Stan Van Gundy may have to again explore the possibility of playing
Zo and O'Neal together once Shaq returns.
9 Memphis Grizzlies 12
Pau Gasol's beard may just have Samson-like powers, because the
Spaniard is definitely playing tougher.
10 Golden State Warriors 14
The Warriors are most fluid offensively when they go small, line
Troy Murphy up at center and start playing the pick-and-roll game.
Options lie everywhere.
11 Los Angeles Clippers 16
This bunch seems to have the chemistry necessary for a prolonged run
at contention, as Mike Dunleavy has his guys accepting their roles.
12 Philadelphia 76ers 20
The Sixers' supporting cast has finally gotten going, and will
improve further with Samuel Dalembert and Michael Bradley returning
soon.
13 New Jersey Nets 6
Considered a major problem in Cleveland, Jeff McInnis has given the
Nets everything they've asked for thus far and been a major upgrade
from Jacque Vaughn.
14 Chicago Bulls 13
Luol Deng has flourished coming off the bench, but his value on
defense and keeping the ball alive might necessitate a spot in the
starting lineup ahead of Andres Nocioni.
15 Phoenix Suns 15
Boris Diaw has moved ahead of James Jones in the Suns rotation and
it appears, at least for now, that Mike D'Antoni prefers his passing
skills to Jones' gunning.
16 Denver Nuggets 18
DerMarr Johnson getting off on offense seems like just the remedy to
put an end to the Nuggets' sluggish start.
17 Utah Jazz 11
It's just a sprained ankle, but Andrei Kirilenko's absence over the
next two weeks will make life nearly impossible for the Jazz.
18 Minnesota Timberwolves 22
Dwane Casey feels the only two players he can expect the same type
of production night in and night out are Kevin Garnett and Anthony
Carter. Seems like trouble.
19 Boston Celtics 23
Raef LaFrentz's 3-point shooting gives the Celtics another dimension
offensively, but it's still only a matter of time before Al
Jefferson is the better option.
20 Sacramento Kings 10
Losing to the Knicks at home officially begins the Rick Adelman
watch.
21 Los Angeles Lakers 17
Chris Mihm is starting to become more and more a part of the Lakers
offense, which means Kwame Brown's role should soon diminish.
22 Houston Rockets 19
The Rockets are entering a grueling part of their schedule without
any momentum or on-court chemistry.
23 Seattle SuperSonics 21
When a team with so many pieces gets embarrassed regularly, the
problem clearly stems from how it's being run.
24 New Orleans Hornets 25
Chris Paul is coming off his breakout week and should start to
distance himself from the rest of the pack in the rookie of the year
race.
25 Portland Trail Blazers 28
Zach Randolph's play has been the brightest part of the Blazers'
young season, as it demonstrates his surgically repaired knee won't
derail his career.
26 New York Knicks 26
Rookies Channing Frye, David Lee and Nate Robinson spark the Knicks
with their intensity and provide an emotional hunger that Larry
Brown feels some of the team's vets lack.
27 Charlotte Bobcats 24
If the Bobcats had another solid wing at their disposal, we could
really see them competing for third in the weak Southeast Division.
28 Orlando Magic 27
The Magic's issues at home may not be a coincidence. Besides the
fact fan interest has waned, the TD Waterhouse Centre might have
ceased to be an advantage.
29 Atlanta Hawks 29
The team's young talent is exactly that: young and inconsistent, yet
talented enough to see future success. Some day.
30 Toronto Raptors 30
Tick-tock goes the Babcock clock. Only a few more weeks left
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因為三連敗後四連勝的關係 我們從 20 名升到 12 名 ^O^
(其實沒什麼好高興的 ^^")
看看就好 :P
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by cat91847═══ ◥█◤◢ ▆ꈠ◢ ██◤◢◣◥█◤ /\
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※ 編輯: arkod 來自: 140.116.131.25 (11/16 10:03)