Is time for the NBA playoffs a time where stars are made.

But first we thought we look back at the season that was and rank the best players in the league this season.

Please keep in mind this is not a lifetime achievement award the question here is: who played the best basketball in the NBA for the 2009 – 2010 season?

To rank these players we used a combination of individual stats, team’s performance and individual’s contributions to games outcome.

These are the A-List top 15 of the NBA 2009-2010

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15. Brandon Jennings – PPG: 15.5 RPG: 3.50 APG: 5.8

Brandon Jennings has been a spark for the perennial loosing Bucks, scoring 55 points — including 29 in the third quarter in a game this season and has revived the career of the big Aussie Andrew Bogut. Jennings’ amazing performance set an NBA record, passing LeBron James as the youngest player ever to score 50 points.

Jennings has Milwaukee Bucks set at the number 6 spots in the eastern conference and looking to make some noise in the post season for the first time in a long time thanks to the brilliance of A-List candidate for rookie of the year Brandon Jennings.

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14. Gerald Wallace – PPG: 18.3 RPG: 10.10 APG: 2.1

Charlotte Bobcats (or as I like to call them Jordan Bobcats(Add Link) have gone from a team nobody wants to see – to one of the most exciting franchise in the NBA. The Gerald Wallace – Steven Jackson combo has delivered the franchise’s first winning season.

Gerald Wallace’s amazing offense and he’s individual defensive prowess has lifted the play of his teammates and revived the spirit of basketball fans in Charlotte. Read Michael Jordan, the Face of the Bobcats – for more on the struggles, disappointment and emergence of the Charlotte Bobcats.

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13. Dwyane Wade – PPG: 26.5 RPG: 4.90 APG: 6.6

This is a no brainer, Wade is nothing short of spectacle unfortunately he’s playing for a very bad team and most nights he’s best efforts has not helped he’s team win. This is why he’s been ranked this low on our list.

The Miami Heat’s are playoffs bound again thanks to the play of Wade and partly due to the fact that the east is full of bad teams.

He’s also a candidate for a super team for the 2010 free agency: read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade for more on 2010 free agency and NBA Super Teams.

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12. Rajon Rondo – PPG: 13.7 RPG: 4.40 APG: 9.8

This is a team with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen but all three guys have had their struggles this season but Rondo has been as steady as a rock and is the main reason they are still competitive.

He has come through for the team when they needed a spark on offense with clutch shots or a crucial assist and is fast becoming one of the NBA’s best defensive players providing he’s team important stops or steals that has resulted in thrilling victories this season.

Rondo is young and gutsy and I strongly believe he will be a good leader on a Super Team, read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade for more on 2010 free agency and NBA Super Teams.

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11. Dirk Nowitzki – PPG: 25.1 RPG: 7.70 APG: 2.7

Dirk’s numbers over the years have always been solid and for the first time he might actually have a shot at going all the way and this time actually winning a title.

Dirk’s cast of characters includes future hall of famer Jason Kidd, the human Matrix Shawn Marion, a happy Caron Butler and a center I never liked in DC but seem to have found he’s second wind in Dallas – though he never had a first!

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10. Manu Ginobili – PPG: 16.6 RPG: 3.80 APG: 4.9

Manu like every other member of the San Antonio Spurs was bugged down by injury all season long but he came back with a vengeance and now has the Spurs positioned for a strong playoff push.

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9. Brandon Roy – PPG: 21.5 RPG: 4.40 APG: 4.7

The talent of Brandon Roy is undeniable and for another season he is playing out of he’s mind and has he’s team positioned for the playoffs again.

With Portland’s acquisition of Marcus Camby and Roy getting healthier this team will make some noise in the playoffs.

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8. Carmelo Anthony – PPG: 28.3 RPG: 6.60 APG: 3.3

This team is going through some very serious internal issues from George Karl’s re-occurring cancer to the whole team finding it hard to keep a winning streak going late in the season.

But this has been another monster season for Anthony and with the addition of Chauncey Billups this team looks like they could be ready to give the Lakers a run for their money if they can find their mojo this playoffs.

Anthony is the heart and soul of this very solid team and with he’s recent performances against the best teams in the league (Lakers, Orlando, Boston and Cavaliers) this team might be ready for an NBA finals appearance and might even be lifting the title in june.

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7. Kevin Durant – PPG: 30.1 RPG: 7.60 APG: 2.8

They might call LeBron James the King and that might be true in the Kingdom of Cleveland, Ohio but Durant is the undeniable emperor of the NBA this season, so far he’s been virtually unstoppable and for the first time Oklahoma Thunders are going to make the playoffs.

Am personally looking forward to the first round matchup of Kobe v Durant.

He’s also a candidate for a super team for the 2010 free agency: read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade for more on 2010 free agency and NBA Super Teams.

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6. Joe Johnson – PPG: 21.2 RPG: 4.60 APG: 4.9

The Hawks has improved tremendously since the arrival of Johnson in Atlanta and with excellent play in the clutch from Johnson this team has beating some of the best teams in the league this year in convincing fashion including a beat down of Boston earlier this year.

He’s also a candidate for a super team for the 2010 free agency: read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade for more on 2010 free agency and NBA Super Teams.

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5. Dwight Howard – PPG: 18.4 RPG: 13.20 APG: 1.7

I will like to rank Dwight Howard much lower than number 5 as I don’t think Howard really impacts games as much as he’s been hyped to be doing.

From the article Shaq is Superman and Dwight Howard?: Howard stands about 7 feet and yet he finds it hard to dominate around the basket, mostly because he’s fundamentals are flawed – for a big man he has yet to master the art of keeping the ball high above he’s shoulders when he catches or rebounds the ball, and lacks the know how to make a layup without bouncing the ball first, these are the reasons he’s easily stripped by 6 feet guards and why he turns the ball over so much under the basket. (Click here to read the article)

However, Howard is still one of the biggest presence in the middle and he’s team is the second best team in the NBA and he’s numbers are solid all around.

I also believe he can be a great center on a Super Team with the right coach and a pass first point guard. He has nonetheless been very vital in a couple of games this season hence he’s ranked number 5.

He’s also a candidate for a super team for the 2010 free agency: read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade for more on 2010 free agency and NBA Super Teams.

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4. Deron Williams – PPG: 18.7 RPG: 4.00 APG: 10.6

The Jazz are on a tear and Deron Williams is leading the charge with teammate Carlos Boozer this team had a breakout season that has not been seen in Utah since the days of Karl Malone and John Stockton.

Williams play is vital for a Super Team read LeBron, Dwyane, Durant: NBA Dynasty of this Decade to see which other stars he might fit best and for more on 2010 free agencies and NBA Super Teams.

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3. Kobe Bryant – PPG: 27.0 RPG: 5.40 APG: 5.0

The Black Mambo is the best player in the NBA but then again that is an argument that will go on for as long as this two players are are still playing, from the article: Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James: Is Bryant Better Overall? – Barber-Shop Conversations: Kobe breaks down opponents with finesse while hardly breaking a sweat. He reminds me of Jordan’s game after he came back from he’s first retirement for the 1995-1996 season. (Click here to read more)

The defending NBA Champions are in a very good position to win it all again and Kobe Bryant though hampered by injuries all season seem to have not lost a step hitting one game winner after another and still putting up big numbers.

If you are wondering why Kobe Bryant is ranked so low though he’s having a very remarkable year and he’s team has the best record in the western conference again.

Kobe has probably the best team in the NBA and though Ron Artest and Gasol have not played relatively well this season and Bynum can’t seem to stay healthy, they are still the best team in the league with arguably the best coach in Basketball.

So in my opinion they should have a better record.

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2. Steve Nash – PPG: 16.6 RPG: 3.30 APG: 11.0

The best all around offensive player in the NBA is at it again, pushing he’s team again into the playoffs.

No matter which players are removed or added to this team Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns never miss a beat thanks to the brilliant mind of the floor general.

I truly believe that the Phoenix Suns along with the Dallas Mavericks are the only threat to the Lakers in the west.

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1. LeBron James – PPG: 29.7 RPG: 7.30 APG: 8.6

What more can I say? From the article Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James: Is Bryant Better Overall? – Barber-Shop Conversations: For now LeBron is still improving on he’s game and adding new assets to he’s portfolio every day. Last year he added the long range shot and so far it seem like he’s 3 point shots are getting better. (Click here to read more)

LeBron James is a triple double waiting to happen every night and with the addition of Shaq and Antawn Jamison this team looks to be set to win it all this season.

This is LeBron James one chance to win a championship in Cleveland and I have a strong feeling both David Stern and the referees will ensure that happens.

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So what do you think of our rankings?

The NBA’s Best Players 2009-2010 is a post from: AroDrive

It’s amazing how Nate Robinson was disrespected going into this year’s Slam dunk contest especially with the group of guys he was going against; DeMar DeRozan, Gerald Wallace and Shannon Brown all in game dunkers with no real creativity.

With a little help from the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, Knicks’ guard Nate Robinson became the first three-time winner of the NBA’s Slam Dunk contest.

Robinson wowed the crowd in an otherwise dull dunk contest with an alley-oop off the backboard, flushing it home with a two-hand reverse. After, Robinson took a set of pom poms and flashed the T.O. sign, in a tribute to Terrell Owens, who is in the house.

Robinson beat Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan, who might have had the most creative dunk of the night. In his first attempt in the finals, DeRozan trailed teammate Sonny Weems, who hit the ball off the side of the backboard as an alley-oop.

DeRozan took the ball from the left side of the rim to the right before sending it down with his right hand.

Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace and Shannon Brown of the Lakers did not get out of the first round. Wallace and Brown finished with 78 points apiece.

This was probably the worse dunk contest I’ve ever seen with only three dunks the whole way that was worth seeing (one from DeMar DeRozan and two from Nate) and at the end Charles Barkley echoed the sentiments from my article: Shaq’s Idea is just a start on how to revamp the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He said something needs to be done to revamp the event.

Watching NBA games every night you see some of the most athletic and most creative dunks, yet every year it seem like the Slam dunk contest is getting worse, and in this year’s version it actually got worse.

So how do we revamp the Slam Dunk Contest?

From my article; Shaq’s Idea is just a start on how to revamp the NBA Slam Dunk Contest:

There’s only one solution here that’s also realistic.

Make the slam dunk an exhibition event with a Million dollar bucket and not a contest that pays 35k.

The format; at least 10 to 15 contestant, each contestant dunks once and the judges vote for the top 4 to move to the next round which will also be the final round.

Here each contestant just needs 1 more dunk each and the fans get to vote for the winner. (Click here to read the article)

Former Mavs Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackmon and Derek Harper served as the judges with Dominique Wilkins and Spud Webb, who had a much more thrilling dunk contest when the NBA All-Star Game was played at Reunion Arena in 1986.

Pierce won the 3-Point Shootout during the NBA’s All-Star festivities Saturday night, proving his lackluster performance the last time he was in the competition was an aberration.

Pierce scored 20 points in the final round, making all five of the 2-point money balls, to beat Golden State’s Stephen Curry (17) and Denver’s Chauncey Billups (14).

When Pierce last competed in the Shootout in 2002, he scored only eight points — what he called leading into this week’s competition “almost a record low.”

Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash also was a winner Saturday night, beating the young guys to capture another Skills Challenge title.

Nash, who turned 36 last Sunday, became a two-time Skills champion when he beat a trio of 20-somethings.

It’s been quite a run this weekend for the Canadian, who helped light the Olympic cauldron at Friday’s opening ceremonies in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also will be on the court Sunday for the All-Star game in the same area where he played from 1998-2004.

With a time of 29.9 seconds in the final round, Nash beat Dallas native and 2008 champion Deron Williams of Utah, who is 11 years younger.

In Saturday night’s opening event, hometown favorite and former Nash teammate Dirk Nowitzki hit a shot from midcourt to cap Team Texas’ victory in the Shooting Stars competition.

Texas, which also consisted of San Antonio Silver Stars player Becky Hammon and former Houston guard Kenny Smith, beat Team Los Angeles with a time of 34.3 in the finals. The Texas trio needed 13 shots to complete the final round.

Lakers All-Star Pau Gasol, former NBA player Brent Barry and Marie Ferdinand-Harris of the Los Angeles Sparks came in second, finishing in 55.2 seconds.

Los Angeles hit its first five shots in the finals in less than 30 seconds, but only had a couple of chances from midcourt to beat Texas’ time.

Atlanta (Joe Johnson, former Hawks guard Steve Smith and Angel McCoughtry of the Atlanta Dream) and Sacramento (Tyreke Evans, former All-Star Chris Webber and former Sacramento Monarchs player Nicole Powell) were eliminated in the first round.

Texas completed the first round in 1:28 and Los Angeles finished in 1 minute.

Three-person teams have to hit a total of six shots from different locations on the floor, culminating with a shot from midcourt.

In the skills competition, the course started with a layup or a dunk, then a weave through pylons before having to complete a chest pass, a bounce pass and a jumper from the top of the key. Then they have to make an outlet pass, go through more pylons and end with another layup or dunk.

Nash completed every obstacle in the final round in one try — save for a second shot from the top of the key. Williams was perfect until needing five shots at the outlet pass, when he had already exceeded Nash’s winning time.

Saturday night’s events were at the American Airlines Center, but Sunday’s All-Star game will be at Cowboys Stadium, where more than 90,000 people are expected to attend.

Nate Robinson the Great – 3 time Slam Dunk Champion is a post from: AroDrive

When it comes to voting for the athletes we the fans will love to see in an exhibition game – the fans always get it right.

We pay for all those overpriced tickets in the arenas, spend endless hours on the couch watching the games and breaking down endless stats for fantasy leagues.

The Iverson selection as an all-star starter for the 10^th time is another example of the fans knowing exactly what they want to see in an exhibition game. Age or no age Iverson is still one of the most entertaining players in the game today and that’s what the all-stars game is all about; entertainment.

Members of the media and some players are threatening to jump off a building unless the voting format for the all-stars is changed. Ok, I suggest they choose a building with fifty floors or higher to guarantee swift and immediate death.

The league said it best;

The NBA responded that the event is staged for fans, so they should be able to see the players they want.

“Without the fans, there wouldn’t be no us,” Iverson told NBA.com earlier this week. “For them to want to see me, regardless of what’s been going on, that says a lot about how they feel about me. I just thank ‘em for that.”

And we thank Iverson for all the great times.

Back to those ‘know it all media geniuses’; these are the same guys who think they are gods because they have a voting power. Take the baseball hall of fame induction; voters claim no one deserves to go in to the Hall on a first time ballot. (Really? How about Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols and even Barry Bonds? )

Members of the media are known to hold grudges against players and if the NBA elects to allow members of the press to vote for all-stars then guys like Iverson, Rasheed Wallace, Steven Jackson, Ron Artest just to mention a few will never be all-stars.

Only the media darlings would make it year in year out.

In 2003, the hottest player in the basketball world was Vince Carter and the fans overwhelmingly voted him as an All-Star started and the media went on a propaganda blitz forcing him to give up he’s starting spot to the great Michael Jordan.

I hear guys like Charles Barkley saying the All-Star is not a lifetime achievement award (in the case of Iverson), that’s exactly why the fans didn’t vote for Jordan in 2003 as a starter.  The fans got it right then and they got it right now.  Iverson is still one of the most entertaining players in the league and Jordan wasn’t at that time.

But unfortunately the all-star game is a lifetime achievement award just take a look at the guys that make the all-star teams year in year out you’ll find out that they are exactly the same players; Wade, Duncan, Garnet, Kobe, Lebron, Nash, Iverson, Anthony, Howard just to mention a few, these guys will be all stars regardless of injuries or off years.

With Iverson and McGrady among the top vote-getters, Celtics guard Ray Allen called for a change to the voting system. He suggested this week that fan voting should count for half the total, with media and player balloting counting for the rest.

“I like the fact that the fans get the opportunity to vote and pick who they’d like to see in the All-Star game, but I don’t think it should be 100 percent,” Allen said.

Mr. Allen might have a good idea here, but I still believe the press should never take part in any kind of voting when it comes to players they cover.

Peer voting might have taken care of some of the issues this year all-star voting has faced so far, as fans has voted for Garnet over Chris Bosh and Tim Duncan over Dirk Nowitzki.

But these players seem to agree with me about the fans voting format.

Toronto forward Chris Bosh, who could make a case to be named a starter over Garnett, agreed that fans should have the final say.

The NBA avoided another voting controversy when Suns guard Steve Nash edged Rockets guard/forward Tracy McGrady to earn a starting spot. McGrady has played only six games for the Rockets, who are looking to trade him while he’s away from the team, but he was second among West guards in the previous voting update.

Iverson, who received 1,269,568 votes from fans, is joined in the East starting lineup by Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Cavaliers forward LeBron James, Celtics forward Kevin Garnett and Magic center Dwight Howard. Those are the same starters as last season in Phoenix. (Life Achievement Award anyone?)

Steve Nash is joined in the West starting lineup by Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, Spurs forward Tim Duncan, Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony and Suns center Amare Stoudemire.

For those of you out there still angry at the Iverson’s pick, ask yourself this question, if you have to pay the $1500 and above ticket for this game, are these guys above not the guys you would absolutely pay to see?

Iverson is an All-Star Like It or Hate It! The fans got it right is a post from: AroDrive

This is a very exciting time for the NBA, the young talents in different teams are begining to show promise and this has helped their teams climb very fast on the power rankings.

No team has showed more promise than the high flying Atlanta Hawks (Atlanta Hawks flying high and Beating down the competition) lifting them to the top of the power rankings last week.

The Hawks, Bucks, Suns, Magic and Blazers are packed with young talent and playing up tempo basketball and are all ranking very high on the power rankings.

But the king of the hill this week are the Lakers, after a slow start they have finally hit their strides again with the return of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum continues to improve, the Lakers are beginning to look like NBA champions again and for week 4 are king of the hill.

Here’s a complete list of the NBA Power rankings for week 4.

2009-10 Power Rankings: Week 5
RANK (LAST WK)		TEAM	REC.	COMMENT
	1 (5)	Lakers	10-3	Rare misread by us. Pau has been back for only two games, but the Lakers’ overall health suddenly must seem dreamy to Boston and loads of other teams. Playing 17 of your first 21 games at home can’t hurt, either.
	2 (1)	Hawks	11-3	Can’t bust on them too hard for losing to the injury-hit Hornets when the Hawks responded to the high jinx potential of their historic promotion to No. 1 by first sweeping past Portland, Miami and Houston at home.
	3 (3)	Suns	11-3	The best part about the Suns’ start is that the schedule sets them up for a big second-half surge if they can get through a few more weeks in decent shape. Fifteen of their first 22 games are roadies; only one bad loss so far.
	4 (10)	Magic	11-3	Vinsanity seals a big victory in Boston, Dwight gets Stan to ease up on his negativity and Jameer’s latest injury is softened by Rashard’s return. Conclusion? We definitely dropped Orlando way too far last Monday.
	5 (2)	Nuggets	9-4	Updating one of my favorite stats of the early season, it’s time to tally up the havoc Melo is wreaking: 476 minutes played; 396 points scored. Works out to one point every 1.2 minutes based on my amateur math.
	6 (7)	Mavericks	10-3	The schedule hasn’t been the toughest, but the Mavs have had several injuries early and are just one late free throw in New Orleans away from an 11-2 start, all with Nowitzki supplying the only consistency.
	7 (6)	Cavaliers	10-4	Good to see young (and athletic) Hickson get an extended shot and seize the opportunity. Not so good, from the Cavs’ perspective, to hear LeBron publicly lament the fact that Charlotte beat Cleveland to Stephen Jackson.
	8 (4)	Celtics	10-4	The Spurs, at least, have the handy rationalization of being wracked by injuries. The slow-moving Celts have been a lot healthier by comparison, which makes this 4-4 malaise since their smothering 6-0 start so curious.
	9 (8)	Trail Blazers	10-5	Back to the bench for Andre Miller … for a couple of reasons: 1. Roy’s game seemed squeezed even when the Blazers’ three-PG lineup went 6-0. 2. Portland’s famed depth just ain’t the same with Batum and Outlaw out.
	10 (12)	Bucks	8-3	B-Jennings is the first rookie with six 25-points-or-more games before Thanksgiving since someone named Michael Jordan in November 1984. And you wonder why Scott Skiles can’t get any pub for the job he’s doing.
	11 (11)	Rockets	8-6	The forthcoming docket for the gutty little Rockets: Dallas at home Wednesday, San Antonio at home Friday and then a trip to Oklahoma City on Sunday. A week doesn’t get more Southwestern-y than that.
	12 (20)	Jazz	7-6	D-Will is back and five straight home games loom after a 3-0 week that included a hex-snapping win in San Antonio over the short-handed Spurs. Methinks this could end up being Utah’s best stretch since early March.
	13 (9)	Heat	8-5	It used to be routine to refer to the Cavs as the LeBrons. Why, then, aren’t more folks calling this team the D-Wades? (Follow-up bonus factoid: Miami’s eight wins came against teams with a composite record of 32-57.)
	14 (13)	Thunder	7-7	Sunday’s lesson from the Lakers dropped OKC’s record to 10-43 in its past 53 games against teams that showed up with a winning record. But you have to believe that mark won’t look so one-sided by season’s end.
	15 (15)	Spurs	5-6	Even when Popovich is working so hard not to overextend his stars — Duncan is averaging just 32 minutes per game, followed by Parker at 27.3 mpg and Manu at 23.4 — San Antonio has seen injuries galore already.
	16 (14)	Bulls	6-6	The bad news: Chicago’s annual circus road trip looks as murderous as ever. The good news: Derrick Rose had the look of a full-speed Derrick Rose on Saturday night in Denver for maybe the first time this season.
	17 (16)	Raptors	6-8	The Raps are nervous enough about a porous defense that too frequently cancels out Bosh and Bargnani’s ongoing offensive prowess. Hearing Bosh complain publicly about media disrespect doesn’t bring much comfort.
	18 (26)	Hornets	6-9	Byron Scott, truth be told, began the season with little chance of survival. But his reluctance to play Collison and Thornton — rookies who, with Peja, just sparked wins over Phoenix and Atlanta — sealed B-Scott’s fate.
	19 (19)	Kings	5-7	No Kevin Martin or Tyreke Evans in Houston and still Sacramento hangs in all the way to the final minute on the back end of a back-to-back. One more example of why we refer this scrappy group of kids as Rockets Lite.
	20 (17)	Pacers	5-6	What drags a team back down to Earth after ringing up 113 points on Boston with Murphy, Dunleavy and Foster all out? The driving force in Indy’s case was blowing a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter in New York.
	21 (22)	Warriors	4-8	The Dubs can’t relax now that Jack’s gone. Not when a W over Portland was preceded by L’s at Cleveland and Boston. And not when stops in Dallas and San Antonio are next before a home date with the Lakers.
	22 (18)	Pistons	5-9	You can rationalize Detroit’s 0-4 trip out West when you factor in the quality of the opposition and the Pistons’ injury woes. Harder to explain or accept is the fact that Will Bynum has been steadier than Rodney Stuckey.
	23 (25)	Clippers	5-9	The Clips followed up their good win in OKC by dropping winnable games in New Orleans and Memphis. Let’s see if they can build on a good home W over Denver … especially with Eric Gordon coming back from injury.
	24 (24)	Wizards	3-9	Anyone else having trouble figuring out which Gilbert we should expect these days? Is he talking? Not talking? Shooting? Just passing? Yes on Hibachi? No on Hibachi? Isn’t that a lot of personas for a three-win team?
	25 (21)	Bobcats	4-9	Fearless prediction: Stephen Jackson will not be in Charlotte at season’s end. The Bobcats still won’t score enough or win enough with Jack to persuade them not to re-shop Jack before the Feb. 18 trade deadline.
	26 (27)	Grizzlies	4-9	If we did Irony Rankings, Memphis would be a top-three lock. Grizz owner Michael Heisley mandated the signing of Iverson to be the first box-office draw in franchise history … and A.I. left without playing a home game.
	27 (23)	76ers	5-8	After six losses in eight games as well as the loss of Speights to injury, Philly is forced to focus on its one ray of promise: Elton Brand averaged a long-awaited 20 points, 10 boards and 4 blocks in the past three games.
	28 (29)	Knicks	3-10	This is where they draw the line? After a decade of stupefying Knicks madness and dysfunction, Iverson is the guy they won’t sign? Would have actually made the rest of the Knicks’ season fun. Or at least watchable.
	29 (30)	Timberwolves	1-12	It must be worrisome for the Wolves, to say the least, that they’ve played almost into Thanksgiving and somehow Ricky Rubio has tasted victory in the NBA only one fewer time than fellow Wolves lottery pick Jonny Flynn.
	30 (28)	Nets	0-13	L-Frank won his first 13 games as an NBA head coach after replacing Byron Scott. And now Frank’s in the midst of an 0-13 start in what is virtually certain to be his final season in New Jersey. Did someone say full circle?

2009-10 NBA Power Rankings: Week 5 (A-List Edition) is a post from: AroDrive

There really is nothing better than when your favorite team exceeds expectations during the regular season.
Teams such as the Atlanta Hawks and the Phoenix Suns have absolutely shined thus far, ranking at the cream of the crop in both conferences.
But with such great success rises a crucial question, will these teams be able to extend their hot streak throughout the entire season?

Brandon Ribak breaks down the Top Three Contenders and Pretenders in the NBA and explains why three organizations will ultimately continue their scorching tear on the season and why the other three will fizzle down within the next few weeks.

Top Three Contenders

1. Atlanta Hawks (11-3, .786)- 1st in East

Atlanta is clearly the hottest team in the league right now with an 11-3 overall record on the season.
With big victories against the Celtics (in Boston), the Nuggets, and the Blazers (twice), the Hawks are obviously a legitamite team this season.

Point-guard Mike Bibby fell to an ankle injury during the teams last game, but with the offseason acquiring of Jamal Crawford, Hawks fans can rely on the sharp-shooter to contribute in loads in replace of the veteran.

The Hawks are averaging 108 PPG, ranking third in the league in scoring. If the starting core can continue to produce at the high level that they are, there is no doubt that Atlanta will rank amongst the elite in the East all season long.

2. Dallas Mavericks (10-3, .769)- T-1st in West

Similar to Atlanta, the Mavericks are off to a teriffic start in the early stages of the NBA season.
Dallas’ roster continues to fill up the stat sheet each and every night with forward Dirk Nowitzki leading the way, averaging 26.9 PPG (8th in NBA).

With Josh Howard still sidelined, the Mavericks bench has managed to step up and help contribute to the teams success.
If Dallas can keep racking up the W’s it is blatanly obvious that they will remain as one of the teams on top of the Western conference standings.

3. Denver Nuggets (9-4, .692)- 4th in West

Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets have shown early on this season that they have the mindset capable of making it far into the postseason this year.
Melo currently leads the league in scoring dropping 30.5 PPG on 47.9 percent shooting in 13 games.

Anthony is a top candidate in the early MVP talks thus far and is undoubtedly playing his best basketball since first entering the league.
With a supporting cast consisting of Billups, Lawson, Smith, Nene, Martin, and Anderson, all Melo needs to do is keep up the production and his team will receive the respect that they deserve.

The Top Three Pretenders

1. Phoenix Suns (10-3, .769)- T-1st in West

While the Suns do indeed rank on top in the West, we expect a quick drop in their overall standings within the next few weeks as they will face up against the Lakers (twice), Cavaliers (twice), Magic, Mavericks, Spurs, Blazers, Celtics, and Nuggets next month.

In addition, in 13 games played thus far the Suns have compiled 10 wins, with five of the ten coming from teams under .500.

Teams with easy schedules during the first month of the season tend to have an inflated record and with an extremely difficult schedule in the month of December, the Suns will struggle to hold their first place record.

2. Milwaukee Bucks (8-3, .727)- 4th in East

While the Bucks have been the biggest surprise team so far with rookie Brandon Jennings leading the way, Milwaukees luck will soon run out in the month of December.
Similar to Phoenix, the Bucks have seven of their eight wins to extremely unimpressive teams with winning percentages under .385.

Although they have looked great in the early start to the season it is safe to say that Milwaukee won’t be anywhere close to playoff contention near seasons end.

3. Miami Heat (7-5, .583)- 6th in East

After winning six of their first seven games many believed that the Heat were the real deal this season.
Since then the heat has already ran out, losing four of their past five games.

With a pretty stacked schedule ahead of themselves (Lakers, Nuggets, Blazers (twice), Spurs, Magic, Dallas) Miami is destined to lose even more games in the month of December unless Dwyane Wade can pull out a miracle for his team.

by Brandon Ribak

The NBA Contenders and Pretenders is a post from: AroDrive

There’s no question that the NBA Power Rankings for week 4 has presented a great deal of question as to who is the best team in Basketball.

3 teams have presented themselves as not just the best but road warriors, given how Denver has dealt with seven road games … and J.R. Smith’s seven-game suspension … and what it just did to the Lakers they made a case to be number 1.

Then the Hawks after matching Cleveland’s win in Orlando with their own breakthrough in Boston, it’s time to toss it out there: How much more must the Hawks do before we all start saying that the East elite runs four teams deep?

But we went with Phoenix because excluding its two games against the teams that appeared in June’s NBA Finals — both on the second night of a back-to-back — Phoenix is a pretty passable 9-0. And only four of those games were at home.

From every angle you look at it this Phoenix suns team is more than just a flash in the Pan and is bringing back the excitement of watching high octane offenses and we here at A-List love it.

The surprise of the season so far has been the troubles of the Lakers, but they will bounce back and take hold of the top spot in no time .

Here are the rest of the teams:

2009-10 Power Rankings: Week 3
RANK (LAST WK)		TEAM	REC.	COMMENT
	1 (4)	Suns	9-2	Excluding its two games against the teams that appeared in June’s NBA Finals — both on the second night of a back-to-back — Phoenix is a pretty passable 9-0. And only four of those games were at home.
	2 (6)	Hawks	8-2	After matching Cleveland’s win in Orlando with their own breakthrough in Boston, it’s time to toss it out there: How much more must the Hawks do before we all start saying that the East elite runs four teams deep?
	3 (5)	Nuggets	7-3	Can’t emphasize enough how torn we were on whom to award the top spot, given how Denver has dealt with seven road games … and J.R. Smith’s seven-game suspension … and what it just did to the Lakers.
	4 (1)	Celtics	8-3	Seeing Cleveland lose two of its first four home games was disorienting. But seeing 3-happy Boston get swept on a Friday/Saturday back-to-back, capped by a 113-point pummeling in Indy, was just as staggering.
	5 (2)	Lakers	7-3	The Lakers, like their old pals from Boston, are faced with their first losing streak of the season. The view, though, is clearly more troubling for L.A., now that Kobe has his own groin injury to go with Pau’s bad hammy.
	6 (9)	Cavaliers	7-3	Things change fast around here. One successful two-game swing through Florida and suddenly Cleveland — after the supposed crisis of a 0-2 start — is the only NBA heavyweight that can say last week was a good week.
	7 (7)	Mavericks	7-3	The latest indefinite loss of Josh Howard and their wasted chance to beat short-handed San Antonio were undeniable setbacks. But the Mavs will take that 7-3 mark given how up-and-down they’ve been. Gladly.
	8 (10)	Trail Blazers	8-3	Four W’s in a row on the road is four in a row on the road. Even when the opposition is a combined 9-32. But Portland also can’t deny that its trip to the ATL will give us a much better read on that new three-guard alignment.
	9 (8)	Heat	7-2	How cruel was the ending Miami inflicted Saturday night on the poor Nets? It was Jersey’s fourth loss already by three points or less … and only the ninth 3-pointer banged home by D-Wade in 36 attempts this season.
	10 (3)	Magic	7-3	Probably time for us to hush our fawning about the Magic’s depth. They get Rashard back this week and look like they need the boost … although defense has been the real disappointment. Which is Dwight’s department.
	11 (12)	Rockets	6-4	You watch the Rockets win on the Lakers’ floor and you hear that they’ve scored 100 points or more in nine straight games for the first time since 1995-96 and you understand why there’s hesitation to rush T-Mac back.
	12 (21)	Bucks	5-2	Who cares that three of the Bucks’ wins came against teams with a combined record of 5-25? Milwaukee is suddenly synonymous with NBA excitement for the first time in forever. All because of one little lefty.
	13 (14)	Thunder	5-5	OKC’s defense/length/athleticism seen in San Antonio suggest this team can handle seven roadies in nine games just fine . . . except that it bookended that win with an L in Sacramento and a home L to the Clips.
	14 (11)	Bulls	5-4	The next time the Bulls score 100 points (or even 95) will be the first time this season. But there are some gaudy numbers in Chicago if you know where to look. Joakim Noah, for example: Six straight double-doubles.
	15 (15)	Spurs	4-4	Yes: It was fair to expect a smoother start from the Deepest Team of the Duncan Era. No: Can’t believe those same slow-starting Spurs beat Dallas without two of their three best players for the second season running.
	16 (15)	Raptors	5-5	The most galling part about Sunday’s narrow loss in Phoenix — besides wasting the latest good game in Chris Bosh’s best-ever start — is that the Raps’ much-maligned D made the Suns work so hard to get to 101.
	17 (24)	Pacers	4-3	We’re with you, Pacer People. We watched your squad deliver another early season beatdown of the Celts — just like last season — and we’re hoping this doesn’t mean Indy is destined to peak in November. Again.
	18 (16)	Pistons	5-5	The good news: Gordon, Charlie V, Will Bynum and Big Ben have kept the Pistons competitive. The bad news: Trading Prince — one of the options they have to bring in some size — is a lot tougher if Tay has a bad back.
	19 (25)	Kings	5-4	Fitting that Houston was the victim when the Kings extended their miraculous, shocker-of-the-season start to 5-4. Sacramento’s scrappy play without the injured Kevin Martin strikes us as very Rockets-esque.
	20 (20)	Jazz	4-6	The Jazz have regressed to the point, especially defensively, that a comfortable win in Philly and a near-win in Cleveland — both with Deron Williams attending to a difficult family matter — add up to big progress.
	21 (18)	Bobcats	3-6	Five times in nine games, Charlotte hasn’t made it to 80 points. With MJ making a rare courtside appearance Saturday night? The Bobs scored 74. Hopefully their trade gamble on Jack gives us something else to discuss.
	22 (27)	Warriors	3-6	Isn’t the Jack trade alone worthy of this bump? Something else we firmly believe: Nellie is not going to walk away from his $6 million salary to drop to a consultant’s wage, nor will the Dubs pay him $6 mil just to consult.
	23 (17)	76ers	4-6	The spotlight on Brand’s struggles is about to get brighter with Philly losing Speights. For it means Elton should start getting fourth-quarter minutes again, which could get him going … or heap more pressure on him.
	24 (19)	Wizards	2-7	The Wiz are 1-0 in the presence of the committee (of one) and 1-7 (with six straight L’s and countless injuries) since. Scant consolation: Boykins just had a better Wiz debut than Michael Jordan: 20 points to MJ’s 19 in 2001.
	25 (22)	Clippers	4-7	Did the Clips cool any heat under Mike Dunleavy’s seat by winning Sunday at OKC? Better question: How has Dunleavy lasted into his seventh season working for Donald Sterling, who used to fire coaches for sport?
	26 (23)	Hornets	3-8	Byron Scott gets the rest of this season’s $5 million salary no matter what. Jeff Bower loses Chris Paul in his debut as an NBA head coach … and the Hornets have holes aplenty with CP3. Who would you rather be?
	27 (28)	Grizzlies	2-8	Full disclosure here: I want Iverson to come back soon purely and selfishly to see the Griz try to accommodate Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, Hasheem Thabeet, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Iverson and now Jamaal Tinsley.
	28 (29)	Nets	0-10	Indy at home Tuesday night. Milwaukee on the road Wednesday night. And a big Saturday lunchtime showdown with the equally punchless Knicks. Surely winless New Jersey can win one of three games this week. Right?
	29 (30)	Knicks	1-9	In the midst of four full days off after a humbling home loss to Golden State, we can come up with only one thing going right for the Knicks: Dare we say they’re not the only team that missed on Brandon Jennings.
	30 (26)	Timberwolves	1-10	This is only the fifth time ever three teams started 1-9 (or worse) in the same season. I didn’t expect the Wolves to be in Knicks/Nets territory, but you can’t be surprised looking at their team without Love and Jefferson.

2009-10 NBA Power Rankings: Week 3 (A-List Edition) is a post from: AroDrive

If these Suns are for real, let us learn from our mistakes.

No more giant foam fingers. No Trophy Guy wandering the concourse. No more hating on Steve Nash, ever, and no more toxic comments directed at the general manager.

Already, this reshaped basketball team has become the talk of the NBA, just like it did in 2004. That’s when the run-and-gun Suns were formed, a team that sparked a revolution in the NBA. This team is much different.

These Suns are gritty, committed and soaring in the power rankings. They have shaken off a suspicious exhibition season full of mixed signals, posting victories at Miami, Washington and Boston. They scored 110 points against the Celtics, almost as impressive as a football team scoring 41 points against the Bears. They have slugged out fourth-quarter victories with newfound tenacity. They are full of intangibles.

The Suns played Chris Paul’s Hornets and completely distroyed them placing eight guys in double figures making the Hornets look like a very bad defensive team, next a road game against Kobe Bryant’s Lakers the next night and once again made kobe look like a rookie. The lack of buzz that harkened the end of one era – a 153-game sellout streak when the Suns were the biggest party in town – might yet be a temporary condition.

“It’s definitely causing some activity,” Rick Welts, the team’s chief executive officer, said. “This team was a big unknown until we went out on this road trip. And it wasn’t only that we won the games, it was the way we won them. That has really moved the needle back to people believing that Suns basketball is back.”

The Suns will not sell out their game against the Hornets, but once again people are getting excited. The win against the previously unbeaten Celtics demanded too much for this uprising to be a total fluke. And it proves that the impact of a team stocked with devoted, selfless, smart players always will exceed the sum of its individual parts. The Suns proved this when Amaré Stoudemire was injured in 2005, when an undersized team nearly willed its way to the NBA Finals.

After eight games, the Suns ranked first in the NBA in offense, scoring more than 110 points per game. They ranked 16th in defense, which is more than acceptable. Their rebound differential is zero, meaning this tissue-paper team is holding its own on the glass. That’s a miracle. But that’s what happens in the NBA with the right mix of personalities.

The Suns have beaten some weak teams, no doubt. But so far, Channing Frye looks like a masterful acquisition, the perfect fit of player and system. Jason Richardson is responding to Alvin Gentry. Jared Dudley is Steve Kerr’s revenge. And the indomitable Grant Hill has 69 rebounds, one more than Stoudemire’s total.

Meanwhile, it’s clear that the understated Nash is burning with something else this season, probably the desire to mute all the critics who thought he was just a gimmick exposed in 2008-09, when his reign as MVP candidate came to a crashing halt.

Some also wondered about Nash’s motivation level, choosing to re-sign with a team that had little chance to compete for that elusive championship, the only thing that separates him from a sure place in the Hall of Fame.

What Nash heard over the summer is what Randy Johnson heard when he came back to the Diamondbacks. He was painted as an old guy with a dwindling fire, a guy looking for a soft parachute to the bottom.

Instead, Nash was reshaping the team from afar, using his leverage to make sure that the locker room would be united and that Shaquille O’Neal wouldn’t be part of his future.

Once, the 2009-10 season seemed preordained. Five teams would fight for a title. Most of the rest would struggle financially.

The Suns were caught helplessly in between, good enough to make the playoffs and flawed enough to lose your interest.

Except magic sometimes happens in the NBA. We’ve seen it happen around here. And the success of the new Suns might prove something else:

You don’t have to run and gun to be popular. You just have to hustle. You just have to care. If it lasts, it won’t be long before another sellout streak begins.

The Phoenix Suns another Flash in the Pan? is a post from: AroDrive

Steve Nash is showing form of why he is a 2 time MVP of the League, Nash and the Suns are flying high over the competition and making ease of it all.

Five of Suns’ seven games have been on the road in their remarkable 6-1 season opening, who made Boston look like a bad defensive team.

The Celtics were one place down to second with a 7-1 record. Playing eight games in 12 days. Tired legs affected the defense and the three-point shooting.

The Lakers were one place up to third with Kobe Bryant leading the league in scoring again. Lakers are surviving without Pau Gasol, needing overtimes to win in Oklahoma and Houston this week.

The heat also climbed one place up, joining the Nuggets on the list of teams we didn’t think could have a better season than they did last year. But they’ve got a top-five defense and Dwyane Wade hasn’t had to carry as big of a load.

From fifth to tenth are Orlando Magics, Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Blazers and Houston Rockets, who jumped three places to reach top ten.

	TEAM (LAST WEEK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
1	Phoenix (7)	6-1	Pace: 100.6 (2), Off: 109.1 (5), Def: 103.8 (15) Most impressive about the Suns’ start is that five of their seven games have been on the road. In handing the Celtics their first loss on Friday, they made Boston look like a bad defensive team. Then the Suns got defensive themselves in Washington.
2	Boston (1)	7-1	Pace: 92.8 (25), Off: 106.2 (10), Def: 90.9 (2) Playing eight games in 12 days took a toll, as the Celtics finished the span with narrow escapes in Minnesota and New Jersey, sandwiching a home loss to the Suns. Tired legs affected the defense and their 3-point shooting (10-for-47 in the three games).
3	L.A. Lakers (4)	6-1	Pace: 95.0 (15), Off: 104.9 (14), Def: 99.5 (10) With Kobe Bryant leading the league in scoring again, L.A. is surviving without Pau Gasol, needing OT to win in OKC and Houston this week. Three days off might allow Gasol and/or Andrew Bynum get back for Thursday’s game against the Suns.
4	Miami (5)	5-1	Pace: 94.5 (20), Off: 104.2 (15), Def: 95.9 (5) The Heat join the Nuggets on the list of teams we didn’t think could have a better season than they did last year. But they’ve got a top-five defense and (with the exception of Wednesday’s win in Washington) Dwyane Wade hasn’t had to carry as big of a load.
5	Orlando (2)	5-2	Pace: 93.7 (21), Off: 110.7 (3), Def: 106.3 (22) The Magic were missing Vince Carter, Ryan Anderson and Rashard Lewis when they got smoked by the Thunder on Sunday, but you know Stan Van Gundy didn’t care. He called his squad “a white-collar team” afterward. Carter may be back Tuesday.
6	Atlanta (9)	5-2	Pace: 97.6 (8), Off: 109.4 (4), Def: 104.6 (18) A 20-point loss to the Bobcats followed by a 25-point win over the Nuggets? Oh, those wacky Hawks! Jamal Crawford (averaging 18.1 points off the bench) has made their offense more potent, but consistency will only come when the defense improves.
7	Denver (3)	5-2	Pace: 98.5 (5), Off: 111.0 (2), Def: 105.9 (20) You would expect the Nuggets’ defense to suffer without Kenyon Martin, but their 3-point shooting? They shot just 4-for-23 as they fell in Miami and Atlanta over the weekend. J.R. Smith returns from suspension for the final two games of their six-game trip.
8	Dallas (6)	4-2	Pace: 94.8 (18), Off: 105.5 (13), Def: 97.8 (7) The Mavs couldn’t stop Chris Paul on Wednesday, but Josh Howard returned on Saturday and they had their best offensive game of the season in a win over Toronto. They shot a scorching 63 percent from the field and turned the ball over just nine times.
9	Portland (12)	4-3	Pace: 92.4 (28), Off: 105.6 (12), Def: 99.4 (9) Andre Miller became a starter just six games into the season, but as part of a three-guard lineup with Steve Blake and Brandon Roy. It worked, as the Blazers stifled the Spurs on Friday and crushed the Wolves on Sunday. Now, they hit the road for a five-game trip.
10	Houston (13)	4-2	Pace: 96.2 (10), Off: 106.6 (8), Def: 102.7 (14) Much has been made about second-round steal DeJuan Blair in San Antonio, but what about Chase Budinger? The Rockets’ rook was taken seven picks after Blair and is averaging 10.6 points per game on 53 percent shooting off the bench.
	TEAM (LAST WEEK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
11	Cleveland (15)	4-3	Pace: 93.2 (24), Off: 101.3 (20), Def: 96.4 (6) Mike Brown admits that he’s still experimenting with his lineups, looking for the right combinations. The Shaq/Ilgauskas twin-towers frontcourt is even (+0) in 33 minutes of floor time, but Shaq and LeBron are a -11 in 122 minutes together. They need time.
12	Chicago (17)	4-2	Pace: 93.4 (23), Off: 94.8 (26), Def: 98.9 (8) The Bulls won three games by a total of six points this week, getting key stops down the stretch in each. Luol Deng is not only leading the Bulls in scoring and averaging a double-double, but he’s made them a top-ten defensive squad.
13	Milwaukee (18)	3-2	Pace: 95.9 (12), Off: 94.3 (28), Def: 88.9 (1) Brandon Jennings has grabbed the headlines, but it’s been the league’s best defense that has the Bucks above .500, despite the absence of Michael Redd, for the first time since they had the same record at this point last season.
14	San Antonio (8)	2-3	Pace: 92.5 (27), Off: 106.8 (7), Def: 106.1 (21) For the second straight year, the Spurs have begun the season as a bad defensive team. And for the second straight year, Tony Parker sprained his left ankle in the fifth game. Fortunately, 12 of their next 15 games are at home and Parker shouldn’t be out long.
15	Oklahoma City (16)	3-3	Pace: 92.6 (26), Off: 99.3 (23), Def: 94.7 (4) Tuesday’s OT loss to the Lakers was a heartbreaker for the Thunder, but they made up for it with Sunday’s blowout of the Magic. The next two weeks will be telling, as they play seven of their next nine on the road, where they were 8-33 last season.
16	L.A. Clippers (22)	3-4	Pace: 98.6 (4), Off: 102.1 (18), Def: 101.7 (12) As expected, the Clippers turned things around thanks to a soft schedule, and their next six games are very winnable as well. With the Hornets and Jazz floundering, this could be a playoff team, especially if Baron Davis gets his act together.
17	Toronto (20)	3-3	Pace: 94.9 (17), Off: 112.7 (1), Def: 114.0 (29) With Chris Bosh averaging 28.5 points per game and Andrea Bargnani shooting the lights out, the Raptors have the best offense in the league thus far. But their defense is just awful, as evidenced by Dallas’ 129 points on Saturday.
18	Detroit (21)	3-4	Pace: 89.9 (30), Off: 101.6 (19), Def: 102.0 (13) The Pistons’ defense missed Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince in their losses to the Raptors and Magic, but Ben Wallace’s seven offensive boards helped Detroit rack up 27 second-chance points in Sunday’s win over the Sixers.
19	Philadelphia (11)	3-3	Pace: 94.7 (19), Off: 103.4 (16), Def: 107.2 (23) The Sixers just seem destined to hover around .500 for the entire season. Somehow, they’ve got to get Elton Brand going. The $82 million man has just 20 total points on 9-for-23 shooting over the last three games, yet to find his spots in the Princeton.
20	Utah (14)	2-4	Pace: 95.6 (13), Off: 106.1 (11), Def: 108.7 (25) If the Jazz can’t beat the Kings (without Kevin Martin) at home, how are they going to do on their four-game trip this week? The Knicks will be happy to get a shot at the worst 3-point defense (opponents are shooting 46 percent) in the league on Monday.
	TEAM (LAST WEEK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
21	Indiana (27)	2-3	Pace: 99.9 (3), Off: 97.7 (25), Def: 100.5 (11) The Pacers’ two-game winning streak has been sparked by … defense? Yes. They held the Knicks and Wizards to just 39 percent shooting, helping them overcome their own offensive struggles. Tyler Hansbrough had an impressive debut on Friday.
22	Washington (10)	2-5	Pace: 95.3 (14), Off: 100.3 (21), Def: 104.0 (16) Antawn Jamison and Mike Miller are out, but are the Wizards just not as improved as we thought they’d be? They shot less than 40 percent in each of their four losses this week, with Jamison going on a locker-room rant after Friday’s loss in Indiana.
23	Charlotte (25)	3-3	Pace: 91.0 (29), Off: 90.6 (30), Def: 93.1 (3) The Bobcats’ offense exploded for 103 points in Friday’s win over the Hawks, but came back down to earth the next night in Chicago. Gerald Wallace’s 13.8 rebounds per game have helped them become a much-improved team in the boards.
24	Sacramento (30)	3-4	Pace: 96.0 (11), Off: 107.2 (6), Def: 109.6 (26) Kevin Martin’s going to be on the shelf for a couple of months, but the Kings are doing just fine without him … so far. Tyreke Evans averaged 27.5 points in a pair of blowout wins over the weekend, including Saturday’s shocker in Utah.
25	New Orleans (19)	2-5	Pace: 93.4 (22), Off: 102.9 (17), Def: 111.1 (28) Chris Paul scored 32 points and dished out 13 assists in New York on Monday, and then had 21 and 18 against the Raptors on Friday. The Hornets lost both games. Did the defense disappear with the departure of Tyson Chandler?
26	Golden State (24)	1-4	Pace: 103.6 (1), Off: 100.0 (22), Def: 110.8 (27) With Wednesday’s win over the Grizzlies, the Warriors somehow proved to be the less dysfunctional of the two teams. Then they restored their reputation with blowout losses to the Clippers and Kings over the weekend.
27	Memphis (23)	1-6	Pace: 98.0 (7), Off: 106.4 (9), Def: 115.3 (30) Yeah, it would have been a great story if Allen Iverson accepted a bench role and became a veteran leader on a team that desperately needed one. But it can’t be a shock that just the opposite has gone down. A leopard can’t change his spots.
28	Minnesota (26)	1-6	Pace: 96.7 (9), Off: 94.4 (27), Def: 104.2 (17) The Timberwolves gave the Celtics a real scare on Wednesday, but then the ball ended up in Corey Brewer’s hands when they needed a bucket on the final possession. What? Brian Cardinal wasn’t open?
29	New York (28)	1-6	Pace: 98.4 (6), Off: 97.8 (24), Def: 107.2 (24) In just seven games, the Knicks have lost the first quarter by 15 points or more four times already, including two games this weekend when they gave up 40 first-quarter points to both the Cavs and Bucks. Thursday’s players-only meeting didn’t help.
30	New Jersey (29)	0-7	Pace: 95.0 (16), Off: 92.3 (29), Def: 104.8 (19) Moral victories aren’t worth much when you haven’t won a game yet, but with seven guys out (including four starters), the Nets led the Celtics after three quarters on Saturday. Their best shot at getting off the schneid comes Wednesday vs. Philly.

Suns Flying High: 2009-10 NBA Power Rankings: Week 2 (A-List Edition) is a post from: AroDrive

Still a pup in the game of life at age 26, Amar’e Stoudemire wears his NBA experience on his face. A bushy beard. A reflective tone. An understanding that these may be his final days in Phoenix.

The Suns have tried to trade him in the past. He is toying with the idea of opting out of the final year of his contract (worth more than $17 million) and becoming an unrestricted free agent, joining what is turning into the legendary class of 2010.

Many players his age would be thrilled about the possibility of free agency. Stoudemire is cautious. He is in his eighth year, has undergone career-altering microfracture surgery, another major operation to repair a detached retina, and experienced a myriad of personal growth.

On the right side of his neck is a tattoo that says “Black Jesus.’’ Like Stoudemire, the marking is deceiving. He said he has not anointed himself the Second Coming, or Earl Monroe. He is making a statement.

“That is just kind of reflecting on His skin color,’’ said Stoudemire before the Suns’ 110-103 upset of the Celtics at TD Garden last night. “A lot of folks may not want to believe that but it’s true, so I just kind of got it tattooed on my neck. A lot of folks probably won’t say too much about it. They might look at it and have their own thoughts inside but they won’t speak on it.’’

Although Steve Nash is synonymous with Phoenix basketball, it’s Stoudemire who is the longest-tenured Sun.

The steal of the 2002 draft, taken after washouts such as Jay Williams, Dajuan Wagner, and Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Stoudemire is a force in the paint despite being about 6 feet 7 inches (he’s generously listed at 6-10). He is a career 75 percent free throw shooter, averaging nearly nine rebounds and 21 points per game.

Stoudemire blended in perfectly last night. He scored 22 points with seven rebounds and had a key block of a Rajon Rondo layup in the fourth quarter.

His biggest criticism has been a lack of interest in defense, which could be the case for all the Suns over the years. Under former coach Mike D’Antoni, the Suns were more content to allow opponents to score so they could counter with a fast break.

Coach Alvin Gentry has attempted to emphasize defense while stressing a faster game with more athletic players to create matchup problems. Replacing mammoth Shaquille O’Neal at center is former Knick and Trail Blazer Channing Frye, a three-man in a 7-footer’s body. He can stretch the floor because of his perimeter shooting ability, which allows more room for Stoudemire to work.

“There’s a lot of times where we should be going to Amar’e more,’’ Gentry said following the game. “But we have somebody else going or somebody else is doing a good job, we don’t go to him as much as we used to in the past. But he’s all right with that. He’s still trying to work hard on his defense and get better at that. He knows somewhere along the line he will get the touches.’’

The Suns are 10th in the league in rebounding, meaning Gentry’s plan has worked so far. Ageless Grant Hill and Stoudemire are each averaging more than eight boards per game and with a rejuvenated Nash, Phoenix could make a run in a Pacific Division ruled by the Lakers.
“Any time you can get out there and play our style of play and really get the wins, winning cures everything,’’ Stoudemire said after the game. “Defensively, that won the game for us. Any time you can get a team like us to play defense, we are going to be in good shape. We’re playing well. We’re confident. We have to keep it going.’’

With Nash and Leandro Barbosa signed until 2012, and Jason Richardson and Hill on the books until 2011, the Suns have to decide whether to offer Stoudemire a cap-altering contract extension that could be his final major deal.

The question for general manager Steve Kerr is whether Stoudemire is worth a large contract comparable to stars such as Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James.

The desire to play in a market bigger than Phoenix, where his skills may be more appreciated, could encourage Stoudemire to opt out. While he spent this summer telling folks in Washington and New York that he would love to relocate to those cities, he adores Phoenix.

“I really have man,’’ he said, when asked if he’s enjoyed his time in Phoenix. “Ever since I have been a rookie, I have been blessed with great teammates. The city as well has embraced me. I enjoy the city of Phoenix but you never know what the future holds.’’

Nash signed his extension so he wouldn’t have to subject himself to free agency in 2010. He and Stoudemire have made each other better players and Nash would love for his teammate to return to capitalize on the Suns’ shrinking window.

“I just want him to enjoy the year,’’ Nash said. “Get his full health and confidence back and have a great season. If he does that and he’s enjoying his game and we have a productive year, we can worry about that stuff after that. But if we worry about that now and don’t have a great year, we have our priorities mixed up.’’

Until it’s over, whenever that is, Stoudemire will relish his days in Phoenix. Kerr shipped O’Neal to Phoenix to clear more cap space to perhaps retain Stoudemire and attract another quality free agent. If Stoudemire decides to stay, the future could be fruitful, but that won’t be decided until the broiling Phoenix summer.

“It’s a matter of staying professional and focusing on who we have here at hand,’’ Stoudemire said. “That keeps me focused on basketball. My teammates have been great, phenomenal. I love playing with these guys. So I try to enjoy my time again with them and play every game as hard as I can and try to win and see how it works.’’

By Gary Washburn

Amire Stoudemire stating his case on the Celtics is a post from: AroDrive

The Tip off week has been more of a disappointment than any thing else: Cleveland just like the Suns last year can’t seem to find a way to utilize Shaq, any one could have seen that coming (Shaq and Lebron pairing not the solution for a Cleveland Title) The Lakers as we reported earlier (The Lakers will Repeat as NBA Championship) but they are still having some chemistry issues, yet they find a way to win hence, I believe the Lakers will get it together long before the Cavs will.

Don’t know about you but it seem like no NBA team came into this season ready to play Basketball, there are a few bright spots: the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets  looks really good hence they claim the top 3 spots on the A-List Power Rankings for week 2. A few players have also shown they are here to do work: Gilbert Arenas, Dirk Nowitzki, Carmelo Anthony, Joe Johnson and forever young Steve Nash and they have their teams fired up too.

Here are the NBA Power Rankings: Week 2:

2009-10 Power Rankings: Week 1
RANK (LAST WK)		TEAM	REC.	COMMENT
	1 (4)	Celtics	4-0	If the Rondo contract extension saga has been a distraction, imagine what kind of D we’ll see from the C’s when they’re focused. They held the Hornets to 87 on Sunday and at times you were asking: “What’s wrong?”
	2 (2)	Magic	3-0	Can a team make a statement with a road win at Toronto in the third game of the season? If so, this is what Orlando announced Sunday with Rashard, Vinsanity and Pietrus all missing: Deepest Team in the League!
	4 (9)	Nuggets	3-0	He has logged 117 minutes. And he has rung up 113 points. Anyone else get the feeling that Carmelo Anthony isn’t particularly pleased with all this one-hit wonder stuff people have been saying about the Nuggets?
	3 (1)	Lakers	2-1	Is it just us or has Pau’s absence illuminated a lack of dependable depth for the reigning champs compared to what, say, Orlando or Boston has assembled? Conclusions are ill-advised so early, but it’s worth discussing.
	5 (7)	Mavericks	2-1	A long-awaited road win over the Lakers, Josh Howard’s potential return in a week’s time and the bounce in Marion’s step have almost made the Mavs forget how flat they looked on opening night against the Wiz. Almost.
	6 (2)	Spurs	2-1	I think it’s fair to say we wanted to see a little more juice from the Spurs on Thursday at Chicago in their first back-to-back set of the season after all the talk about how much deeper they got over the summer. Agreed?
	7 (5)	Cavaliers	2-2	Don’t want to blow an 0-2 start out of proportion, because the early schedule was no gimme, but facts is facts: 15 teams have won 65 games or more and Elias says only one (these Cavs) started the next season 0-2.
	8 (11)	Hawks	2-1	You know who has not been impressed by a couple decent wins at home (over Indy and Washington) and one pounding inflicted by the Lakers? Joe Johnson. Said JJ after L.A. ran up a huge lead Sunday: “We’re too soft.”
	9 (8)	Trail Blazers	2-2	Opening Night ’08 was way worse, when the Lakers humbled Portland on national TV and Oden went down. But this start has been no treat: Roy’s shot is off, Aldridge has a bruised knee and Andre Miller isn’t helping much.
	10 (15)	Suns	3-0	The weak comp in Week 1 will overshadow G-Hill’s rebounding and Frye’s 3s for some naysayers, but the Suns aren’t apologizing. Not with J-Rich suspended for the first two games and a five-game East trip looming.
	11 (13)	Heat	3-0	Easy schedule or not, Miami impressed us almost as much in Week 1 as its more feared Florida neighbors. No one had D-Wade and his razor-thin crew sweeping their first three games by an average win margin of 14.3 ppg.
	12 (6)	Wizards	2-1	Andray Blatche cracked the 20-point plateau three times last year. He’s done it twice this year filling in for Jamison. That math should explain why we’re pubbing Blatche here instead of more deserved raves for Arenas.
	13 (10)	Jazz	1-1	One week in and all of last season’s talking points have already been revived: Injuries (Korver and Okur), defense (very little displayed until the fourth quarter against the Clips) and, of course, uncertain futures (Boozer).
	14 (19)	Bulls	1-2	Don’t want to make too much of a three-game sample, so let’s just say that Ben Gordon’s absence has been somewhat noticeable so far, given that the Bulls have clanked 36 of the 43 triples they’ve hoisted.
	15 (16)	76ers	2-1	Sixers optimists would tell you that it took them until January last season to look as cohesive as they look already. We’ll keep an open mind but can’t ignore that the cohesiveness came against two lottery-bound teams.
	16 (25)	Raptors	1-2	The Raps might rank as the toughest team to rate, with results — home win over the Cavs, losses in Memphis and at home to depleted Orlando — all over the board even with Bosh and Bargnani clearly ready to go.
	17 (14)	Rockets	2-1	That they’ve won twice already shouldn’t surprise you. You knew going in about the gutty little Rockets, no matter who’s in the lineup. The shocker, if you’re looking for one, is Ariza averaging 29.0 ppg in those wins.
	18 (12)	Hornets	1-2	Two games is way too soon to talk about coaching changes. Even in the hyper-speculative NBA. But I still wouldn’t have wanted to be Byron Scott if the Hornets didn’t pull out that home opener against the Kings’ kiddies.
	19 (21)	Thunder	2-1	We repeat: Give ‘em time. A 2-0 launch was nice, especially when it includes a 1-0 road record, but Sunday’s home test against Portland was an early reminder that the NW Division’s young darlings are still evolving.
	20 (18)	Pistons	1-2	Latest examples of how Twitter has changed the game: Villanueva responds to back-to-back Ls with a plea to fans to “NOT PRESS THE PANIC BUTTON” and a promise that “WE WILL BE MORE THAN ALL RIGHT.”
	21 (22)	Bobcats	1-2	It took exactly one game for Charlotte to make its own case that signing A.I. would have helped. They’ve always had trouble scoring, but even the Bobs had never scored fewer than 73 … until Boston held them to 59.
	22 (17)	Clippers	0-4	The gloom generated by Blake Griffin’s knee injury has been replaced by plain old gloom after the Clips went scoreless for the final 4:42 of a home L to Dallas … with Baron on the bench for all but 19 seconds of the fourth.
	23 (28)	Bucks	1-1	Fun Bucks factoid to digest when you’re not ripping yourself for underrating Brandon Jennings: Milwaukee has opened on the road for 25 seasons in a row! No one else in history has done so for more than 14 straight seasons.
	24 (27)	Grizzlies	1-2	Considering they got drubbed at home in their opener by Detroit — setting an unwanted NBA record with their ninth straight opening-night defeat — all the offense we’ve seen since from the Grizz is pretty eye-catching.
	25 (20)	Pacers	0-2	Tyler Hansbrough’s rookie debut is still on hold thanks to a shin problem. Mike Dunleavy’s return from a long-term knee injury remains uncertain. And Team Granger is not nearly deep enough to cope well without them.
	26 (29)	Timberwolves	1-2	The comeback win over Jersey was nice, but nothing at this stage matters more than the recovery of Al Jefferson, who looked a little more like himself in Phoenix with 21 points … after totaling 21 in the first two games.
	27 (26)	Warriors	0-2	As if the Dubs don’t have enough going on, they’re still smarting from the one-point home L to Houston. Good thing their next four games (Grizz, Clips, Wolves at home and Sac-Town away) offer four chances to atone.
	28 (23)	Knicks	0-3	Knicks fans have suffered so much for so long that we’ve made the benevolent decision to focus on a glimmer of positivity — Gallinari’s electric start — as opposed to everything excruciating we’ve already seen.
	29 (24)	Nets	0-3	The Nets are painfully thin and young (and counting down the days to 2010 free agency) even when Devin Harris is healthy. So we might as well keep talking about the incoming Russian billionaire if Harris is out injured.
	30 (30)	Kings	0-3	As much as we’d like to dissect/dwell on Casspi’s debut, we can’t ignore the reality that any and all rookie discussion in Sacramento will focus on Tyreke Evans’ recovery from a twisted ankle. Until Evans is back.

2009-10 NBA Power Rankings: Week 1 (A-List Edition) is a post from: AroDrive

Steve Nash scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half as the Phoenix Suns beat the Miami Heat 104-96 to extend their early season win streak to four games.

Canada’s Nash nailed four three-pointers and had eight assists for Phoenix in the battle of two undefeated teams at the American Airlines Arena.

“I didn’t really play great in the first half,” Nash said. “I wanted to be aggressive and give my teammates a chance to get back in the game. I was just trying to put more pressure on the defence.”

Amare Stoudemire had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Grant Hill posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who outscored Miami 29-15 in the fourth quarter.

Dwyane Wade’s led the Heat (3-1) with 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Quentin Richardson also figured prominently with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jermaine O’Neal had 14 points and Michael Beasley finished with 12.

Udonis Haslem grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for the Heat.

Nash converted a three-point play after the teams traded points for a 102-93 Suns lead with two minutes remaining. Miami failed to capitalize on their final three shots.

“It just came down to the Suns sustaining it,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “They got to their game more consistently and did better getting to their game than we did getting to our game in the second half.”

MVP Steve Nash is BACK is a post from: AroDrive