2005-06 NBA Power Rankings!

[Xist2inspire]

Hey!

Once again, it's J. Felders & The Sportsguy Bill Simmons bringing you this season's NBA Power Rankings! Bill's provided commentary on the East, and I've covered the Western squads. We'll try to be more committed and actually update more than once, but this league is at an all-time high right now, so keeping up can be a struggle!

Before we start, one thing that both of us wanted to get across is how great a job each GM has done with his team. Practically every team has a shot at making the playoffs, which is how it should be, and only serves to make the league more exciting. So, if you got a low ranking, don't worry! It just means that there's teams ahead of you that we like just a bit more. And once the season starts, who knows........

So let's get this ball rolling, okay?

[Conroy]

@SportsGuy My man J. Felders is not lying this was by far the hardest preseason rankings. I couldn't even get my top 5 straight, and it only got harder after that.

[Xist2inspire]

1. Lakers
How do you make a championship team even better? Trade for a future Hall of Famer. Exit Pau, enter Tim. Their GM is one of the best gamblers in the league, and it looks like he's stacked the deck. Chemistry is their only concern, period.

2. 76ers
Having the best defender in the game gives the 76ers a huge advantage over every team in the league. With Camby on the defensive end, the best scoring SF in the game on offense, and Chauncey being a floor general, Philly's tops in the East. They also added Cato, giving that frontline even more depth.

3. Celtics
I avoided all homerism and let Mr. Felders rank my team. I actually have them a little lower than this but who am I to tell J. he’s wrong. The salary cap will probably always be an issue with this team, but the additions of Shaq & Cassell, and the continuing improvement of Josh Childress, combine with superstar Chris Webber to give the people of Boston a reason to be excited.

4. Hornets
Lost Okur and Mo Pete, but gained Rip Hamilton and Andray Blatche via the draft. Borchadt is a capable starting Center in this league if that’s the route the Hornets decide to go in, and KG is either 1 or 1A for best player in the league. I don’t see a huge dropoff for a team coming off one of the best seasons in NBA history.

5. Grizzlies
Kept everybody they had to, except for Peja. That means that SF is once again their weak point, but when in the West, you never bet against John Wayne. I won't bet against the Grizz.

6. Rockets
Oh happy day, Etan's gone. It's all about the young bucks now, are they ready to take the next step, the one step they couldn't take last season? Maybe. Just don't get cocky.

7. Wizards
The Wizards are more than capable of winning their division, they have arguably the second best big 3 behind the Lakers and will be able to score points in a flurry between Kobe and Hill. Plus, they filled out their roster with wily vets and a defensive center in Joel Pryzbilla. This team needs to gel a little bit more, but I expect this team to be right up there in terms of contending for the Eastern Conference.

8. Sonics
I liked this squad better when they had Pierce. They kinda resemble the Grizz now, which isn't a bad thing, but I'm a lot less excited about them now than I was before. "CP3 for MVP." Memorize it, because you'll hear a lot of it from now on.

9. Knicks
Not entirely sure what’s going on here. They only had 5 players on the roster for the bulk of FA and had tons of cap space. The talent is there to be a top team in the East, but they just need a little direction.

10. Nuggets
Whoa hey! Mile High expectations, indeed. This team surprised many last season, and managed to snag a legit scorer in Jerry Stackhouse. So, to sum it up, they meshed well last season, and they got BETTER. Keep an eye on this squad.

[BeeBall Reasons]

I think you are over slurping my squad. No way I'm 8th right now.
Also Pierce is turnover prone, and saw inside game, defense, and handling decrease in training camp. Dirk is a rare player in this league. And some how has better defense than Pierce. If I can get a 3 and D wing player and a shot blocker my team will deserve this ranking

[Xist2inspire]

@JeezyF.Baby: Quick note, starting at #10, these teams are CLOSE. So close that we had to take more things into consideration, like scoring ability, rookie impact, chemistry, etc. Sportsguy and I can't stress it enough, the league is WIDE OPEN this season.

[Xist2inspire]

11. Nets
This new GM has turned the Nets into what should be a decent seed out of the East. Howard, O’Neal, and AK47 are all great defensively, but what will happen once teams start to double Howard in the paint and send him to the FT line? Someone will have to pick up the scoring. Rookie PG Calderon will need to learn on the job quickly.

12. Pistons
They're going to rely on a relatively inexperienced frontline, but this GM of the Year candidate has put together a very talented and deep team. I'm curious to see how the pieces fit, but look for this team to have one of the strongest benches in the league, because Jack, K-Mart, J-Rich, Wilcox, and Haslem could be starters on other teams.

13. Raptors
The other big Eastern turnaround this season and Tray's biggest competition for GM of the Year, the Pistons and Raps are really close, but we gave the edge to the Pistons due to depth and overall talent. I still really like what the Raptors have done and am expecting big things out of the rookie Lee.

14. Cavs
They've done a good job rebuilding after the questionable trade involving Duncan and they definitely have a playoff-caliber starting 5 in Snow, Williams, Howard, Gasol, and Okur. It'll be interesting to see how Okur fits into the team's plans and if Derek Fisher can lead the bench.

15. Dallas
They stunned a lot of teams last year, but faltered down the stretch. This is another GM who has done an amazing job of taking a once-miserable squad and transforming it. Hopefully, Granger & Deron can step in immediately, if they have big rookie seasons, look out.

[hornetstime247]

Love being the underdog once again, was only 1 win away from my 3rd staright WCF last year and only Hornets and Sixers have more playoff wins than my team over the last 3 years. This is my strongest team in the last 4 years, but its ok let my be under the radar once again.

[IamQuailman]

Not even making the play-offs... Damn

[Conroy]

@SportsGuy It's a new season we tried to start from scratch. I'll admit I overvalue what happened last year, but J. Felders does the research and takes into account each loss and acquisition. A lot of teams 8-20ish can switch places in a hurry.

[Xist2inspire]

16. Warriors
Can I be honest? I don't like this squad. I don't like Van Exel, I think Sprewell's nothing but trouble, and I've never been Glenn's biggest fan. But no matter how I, or anyone else, feel about this team, they keep coming EVERY. FREAKING. TIME. I think this is the year that their aging core starts to break down, but I also think that Nickloz JesusChristhowdoyoupronouncehisname is primed for a breakout season. It's just hard to dismiss this team.

17. Clippers
This team defined "underachieving" last season. So why do I have them ranked here? I love the raw talent on this squad, and I think Pierce was a great pickup for them, since Dirk never really fit. Still, I won't be surprised if they crash & burn........but I will be disappointed.

18. Bucks
I really don’t think the Bucks miss the playoffs, but it’s hard to rank a team who were dominating at the beginning of the season, had a dropoff at the end, lost in the first round of the playoffs, then lost probably their second best player on the team in FA. Just a lot of negative before we get to the positive. They brought in Tyson Chandler, drafted Channing Frye and were able to get Mike Miller in FA. They fell at the end of last season , now let’s see how they pick themselves back up.

19. Jazz
This team has been scratching and clawing for years, and they made improvements, but this season everyone else did too. I love them getting Hughes, and I can easily see this squad getting in........but I can also see them missing out by a hair.

20. Suns
Look, I ain't from Arizona, so I ain't got no problem with giving this team the business, hear? I know they finally landed a legit scorer in Vince Carter. I know they pulled more draft day magic to land David West. I know their trio of last season's rookies look good. But this team has a history of going wacko when you least expect it, and I ain't falling for it this time. They'll be close, but not playoffs. Try being consistent first. /rant

21. Hawks
This just goes to show I think I can make a case for every team to make the playoffs, but some of them have to be in the lower portion of the rankings. They have a very good starting 5, but little depth and frankly I’m not sure how the pieces will play together. Rose dominated as PG last year, and I'm curious to see how the switch to SG will go and how he and Williams play together.

22. Bulls
Lebron...what else can we say? I think he has a chance to carry this team to an 8 seed, and we know the GM has tried to surround him with talent, but he's been unable to this far. With a little backcourt help this team can be scary good, Lebron won’t let them be bad.

23. Spurs
They stunned a lot of people at the start of last season......but then Kidd got hurt. Their frontcourt troubles weren't a factor......but then Kidd got hurt. They may look decent now, but it could get worse. Why? Cuz' Kidd might get hurt, Kidd might get hurt, Kidd might get hurt. Na na na na na na........


24. T-Wolves
Yo, props to their GM for making the best of a bad situation, but this is what I like to call a "shipwreck" or "Gilligan's Island" team: Nothing but a bunch of castaways. They could jell and surprise us all, but I'll have to see it to believe it, especially when Starbury hasn't proven he can lead a team.

25. Pacers
This is another team that we won’t quite know how good they can be until we see them on the court. They acquired two of my favorite Celtics in Baron and Ostertag in the Shaq deal, essentially trading 1 starter for 2. Will it work? Let's see.

26. Blazers
They did what they had to do in the offseason: Sign Stevie Franchise. Problem is, they didn't do much else. Tough break for the young GM, but Stevie is just that doggone good, he and Tayshaun will do as much damage as they possibly can. Never sleep on this team, or you'll pay.

27. Heat
Not only did they draft Andrew Bynum, but word out of Training Camp is Stromile Swift has really grown up and is focused this season. Those 2 facts alone should make them competitive. But, with Bynum only being 18, he will have to have an adjustment period in this league before he’s ready to carry a team.

28. Magic
What can be said about the Magic that hasn’t already been said? They seem to put together a good roster and then shoot themselves in the foot. They did a decent job of replacing David West via the drafft…but you know who would have been a good replacement? David West. Bottom line, in a conference where everyone else got better (and the few who arguably got worse were better than the Magic to begin with), the Magic took a step back. That being said, I really like Ridnour, and he, Shareef, and Iggy form a good future core.....until they get traded for draft picks.

29. Kings
I hate to do this to a young, enthusiastic GM, but.......I didn't like this team last season. I thought they were too old, and I reasoned that their success last season was fueled by Vince. Well, they're older now, but Vince is gone. I hate to say it, but I don't see this team going anywhere. Playoffs? Nah. But, hold your head up kid, you've got a lot of money coming off the books next season. Free Agency awaits.

[NOLa.]

Woohoo! Nowhere to go but up!

[Xist2inspire]

@JeezyF.Baby: Yo, to all GMs bummed about your spot, do your best to improve it! It's better for the league if, when the next rankings come out, Sportsguy & I have to go, "Umm, well, y'see, what had happened was......" instead of, "We told y'all so, nyah nyah nyah!" So go ahead, make us look like ignorant idiots!


@JeezyF.Baby: Oh wait..............

[Eazy-P]

23. Spurs
They stunned a lot of people at the start of last season......but then Kidd got hurt. Their frontcourt troubles weren't a factor......but then Kidd got hurt. They may look decent now, but it could get worse. Why? Cuz' Kidd might get hurt, Kidd might get hurt, Kidd might get hurt. Na na na na na na........

[DarthVegito]

Knicks top ten team.......Ive just stared at their team for 10 minutes. Am I looking at the wrong team? We must be looking at different teams. Did you accidentally have the television on espn and look at the Knicks roster on there?

* just giving you guys a hard time

[The JNR]

New goal: don't finish second to last in the East

[Conroy]

Knicks top ten team.......Ive just stared at their team for 10 minutes. Am I looking at the wrong team? We must be looking at different teams. Did you accidentally have the television on espn and look at the Knicks roster on there?

* just giving you guys a hard time

@SportsGuy They had the 4th best scoring margin last year, didn't do much this offseason but Parker/Jefferson/Amare/Yao are good enough to make them top 10 regardless of the rest of the roster. Also big time props to J. Felders for organizing and posting the rankings. Here's to beers over what we got wrong in a few simweeks #justkiddingIbetwegotnothingwrong

[BallSoHard]

Fantastic job

[TrayWithAnA]

Fantastic job

- said #1

[BallSoHard]

Just watching the throne bruh

[bojangles837]

who the **** is darth vegito?

[IamQuailman]

chad

[DarthVegito]

Jangles you'll knew exactly who I am after this first sim :-)

[ohnosono]

can't complain about my ranking. I have no depth and I'm starting Marbury at SG

[The JNR]

God you're such a dork, Chad.

[LoCo89]

Fifth...not bad