Week 17 - All Star Edition
Four weeks left in the regular season? Really? Time flies, huh?
The final four weeks is looking like it's going to be a battle, with the fight for seeds 4-6 really heating up. Barring something crazy in the final weeks, Jeff, Jayson, and Michael seem locked in. Both Trents are making their strong cases for 4 and 5 with big wins in this shortened week. And that's where things get messy: Karan, Paul, Steven, and yours truly are separated by 3.5 games for that 6th spot. Then, the bottom 3 in Matt, Cody, and Duarte each got pounded again, and their playoff hopes have all but completely vanished. Let's check the rankings:
THE TOP 3
1. Lightning Jeffs - The league's most consistent all season (has anyone else been in first all year?), Jeff's got a 6 game lead over his closest competition, and will have the chance to play spoiler to some of the league's mid-level teams over the final four weeks with matchups with Knapp, Karan, Steven, and Paul -- four teams in the thick of the playoff hunt. Will Jeff play strategically and put his money where his mouth his (Jeff claimed last year he'd lose 9-0 if he had to, in order to get a team in the playoffs that he wanted)? But, that 6 game lead isn't quite safe enough for Jeff to do that... is it? Also, Jeff's about to suffer through his first major injury of the season, with the latest being that Rudy Gay may miss the remainder of the season -- how will that affect Jeff's ranking come playoff-time?
2. Loud Lezbos - My #1 ranking in the preseason, Jayson's been nearly unstoppable, winning 8 of his last 9 weeks until falling to the Jeffs 5-4 in the shortened all-star week. The big question, not only in the NBA, is where Carmelo ends up? Best case scenario for the Lezbos would be a trade this weekend, so 'Melo can suit up immediately for his new squad. On the other hand, a trade mid-week right around the deadline on Thursday could cause Melo to miss a game or two, and in a matchup vs. second place MonStars, that could be a tough loss.
3. The MonStars - Michael can prove me wrong with this ranking with a win over Jay this week, but the caveat to that would be if 'Melo is traded and he beats Jayson down a game or two from 'Melo. Either way, Michael has unsurprisingly has had a fantastic year and will be a force down the stretch in the playoffs. Like his brother, Michael also has the chance to spoil some playoff hopes: his final four weeks include matchups with Knapp, Karan, and Steven.
SIX TEAMS FOR THREE SPOTS
4. I Felton Her Bibbys - Bridges loves to talk, and his most recent "I'm liking my chances at a title this year!" smack talk may have been a bit presumptuous, but no one can deny his second-half success, winning 4 of the last 5 weeks, with only a loss to (who else?) the Jeffs. Trent's going to have a battle down the stretch: he meets Cody in Week 18 (that helps!), but he'll have to fight against Jayson, Knapp, and Karan (all in the current top 6) in his final 3 weeks. Bridges is going to have a fight on his hands down the stretch, but, I like his chances to at least make the playoffs. LaMarcus and Frye are hitting their peaks; Rondo's a beast, and Curry and Felton are playing solid.
5. ItsTheRookie - Seven losses in a row from weeks 3-9. Since? Six wins in eight weeks, and pulling into the 6th seed overall. All this with Camby out, but his blocks/rebounds are so ridiculous that he hasn't really missed him. Rumor has it a trade is in the works, too. However, Karan's probably got the toughest schedule down the stretch. He'll battle with me right after the All-Star Break, then will face Jeff, Michael, and Bridges in the season's final 3 weeks. He'll need some big weeks to maintain the playoff spot.
6. Johnny's Bananas - Let me be the first to say that I called Knapp making the playoffs this year at the Clippers game; however, I wasn't thinking that the thing that would really vault him there would be a 6-2 win over me in All-Star Week. Wade and Rose have been huge, Jefferson and Griffin have been balling as well, and perhaps a 'Melo to the Nets trade could send Devin Harris to Denver, which may give him some new life. I still like Trent's chances, but let's see how he fares in three straight weeks against teams ahead of him: Jeffs, then Michael, then Bridges, before getting Cody in the season's final week. The stretch run will be very interesting.
7. Prestige Worldwide - Steven takes the #7 ranking over Paul and I -- were the three teams that have really been on the downswing in the 2nd half of the season, but Steven's followed up his 6 week losing streak with 3 straight wins since acquiring Manu and Parker. He gets Duarte next week, and wants to pound him to move up into that top 6, before getting me, Jeff, and Michael down the stretch. Parker's been huge since joining Prestige, but Manu's slipped a bit -- will that continue as Popovich rests his squad down the stretch? Will Brook Lopez continue getting double-digit rebounding numbers? There's no question this is one of Steven's best seasons yet -- will it be enough to sneak into the playoffs?
8. War Monkeys - Slow and steady has been Paul's motto, but four straight losses has him currently on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. He's contemplating his 6th (!) FA pickup of the season (for comparison, Michael has made 65 pickups), but he's still got Granger, Nash, and a revitalized Baron Davis. We'll see how much run Duncan gets down the stretch with a San Antonio team coasting to the playoffs -- that may hurt the Monkeys, but, just like every year, they'll be there. Of the 6 teams in this category, Paul's got arguably the "easiest schedule." Paul has to play Jeff in the season's final week, and me in week 20, but he gets Matt and Duarte right after the break and will try to make a big move in the standings before having those final two difficult weeks.
9. Kevdog's Ballers - Six losses, one tie, and just one win in the last eight weeks, and I've just been battered with some bad draws. I got Jayson in the week where Carmelo and LeBron went off, I got Knapp this week with Dwyane just killin' it, and I'm just not putting up great numbers. Is a move on the horizon? Maybe. Am I overly concerned? Not yet. That terrible stretch, and I'm still just 3.5 games out of 6th, and I play the current 6th seed (Karan) next week -- a 6-3 victory and things get real interesting. As Michael told me, it's in "my hands" over the next few weeks. Fortunately, I've already suffered through my losses to Jeff and Michael, but I've got to face the guys directly surrounding me in the standings over the season's final weeks: Karan, then Steven, then Paul; and then I get Duarte in the season's final week. Pau's been a great acquisition, but I've struggled with injuries and inconsistencies from guys like Mo Williams, now-dropped Daniel Gibson, Gerald Wallace, and Dirk. It's gonna be a fun finish, but I hope this 9th-place ranking doesn't hold for much longer. For now, I certainly deserve it.
THE BOTTOM THREE
10. Vinegar Strokes - Cody's been the "best of the bottom 3" over the last few weeks, but that's not saying much. His 7-1 win was against Duarte, but he's suffered four losses of his last 5 weeks after a three-week win streak. Not up to the usual Cody standards, but I think this is two years in a row that he'll miss the playoffs. Back with a vengeance next year?
11. Money $hooters - Five straight losses; as I learned last year, you can't have as many big guys as Matt does and lose blocks and FG% as much as Matt does. He's made some moves, but nothing has really got his butt in gear. As has Matt's motto so many times in this league: better luck next year.
12. Tastykake Phanatics - Trent ranked him 11th in his Power Rankings in about Week 14, and Duarte must have really taken that to heart: after a six win in eight weeks stretch, Duarte's fallen from grace and lost 5 straight (and BADLY: 2-7, 1-7, 3-6, 1-7, 2-6) to all but kill his playoff hopes. He'll have the chance to play spoiler to some teams, facing Steven, Paul, and I down the stretch.
There you have it; the final four weeks are going to be crazy for that middle bunch -- the most parity we've seen in this league in years. Let the games begin, and enjoy the all-star break and a few brief days away from stattracker.
The final four weeks is looking like it's going to be a battle, with the fight for seeds 4-6 really heating up. Barring something crazy in the final weeks, Jeff, Jayson, and Michael seem locked in. Both Trents are making their strong cases for 4 and 5 with big wins in this shortened week. And that's where things get messy: Karan, Paul, Steven, and yours truly are separated by 3.5 games for that 6th spot. Then, the bottom 3 in Matt, Cody, and Duarte each got pounded again, and their playoff hopes have all but completely vanished. Let's check the rankings:
THE TOP 3
1. Lightning Jeffs - The league's most consistent all season (has anyone else been in first all year?), Jeff's got a 6 game lead over his closest competition, and will have the chance to play spoiler to some of the league's mid-level teams over the final four weeks with matchups with Knapp, Karan, Steven, and Paul -- four teams in the thick of the playoff hunt. Will Jeff play strategically and put his money where his mouth his (Jeff claimed last year he'd lose 9-0 if he had to, in order to get a team in the playoffs that he wanted)? But, that 6 game lead isn't quite safe enough for Jeff to do that... is it? Also, Jeff's about to suffer through his first major injury of the season, with the latest being that Rudy Gay may miss the remainder of the season -- how will that affect Jeff's ranking come playoff-time?
2. Loud Lezbos - My #1 ranking in the preseason, Jayson's been nearly unstoppable, winning 8 of his last 9 weeks until falling to the Jeffs 5-4 in the shortened all-star week. The big question, not only in the NBA, is where Carmelo ends up? Best case scenario for the Lezbos would be a trade this weekend, so 'Melo can suit up immediately for his new squad. On the other hand, a trade mid-week right around the deadline on Thursday could cause Melo to miss a game or two, and in a matchup vs. second place MonStars, that could be a tough loss.
3. The MonStars - Michael can prove me wrong with this ranking with a win over Jay this week, but the caveat to that would be if 'Melo is traded and he beats Jayson down a game or two from 'Melo. Either way, Michael has unsurprisingly has had a fantastic year and will be a force down the stretch in the playoffs. Like his brother, Michael also has the chance to spoil some playoff hopes: his final four weeks include matchups with Knapp, Karan, and Steven.
SIX TEAMS FOR THREE SPOTS
4. I Felton Her Bibbys - Bridges loves to talk, and his most recent "I'm liking my chances at a title this year!" smack talk may have been a bit presumptuous, but no one can deny his second-half success, winning 4 of the last 5 weeks, with only a loss to (who else?) the Jeffs. Trent's going to have a battle down the stretch: he meets Cody in Week 18 (that helps!), but he'll have to fight against Jayson, Knapp, and Karan (all in the current top 6) in his final 3 weeks. Bridges is going to have a fight on his hands down the stretch, but, I like his chances to at least make the playoffs. LaMarcus and Frye are hitting their peaks; Rondo's a beast, and Curry and Felton are playing solid.
5. ItsTheRookie - Seven losses in a row from weeks 3-9. Since? Six wins in eight weeks, and pulling into the 6th seed overall. All this with Camby out, but his blocks/rebounds are so ridiculous that he hasn't really missed him. Rumor has it a trade is in the works, too. However, Karan's probably got the toughest schedule down the stretch. He'll battle with me right after the All-Star Break, then will face Jeff, Michael, and Bridges in the season's final 3 weeks. He'll need some big weeks to maintain the playoff spot.
6. Johnny's Bananas - Let me be the first to say that I called Knapp making the playoffs this year at the Clippers game; however, I wasn't thinking that the thing that would really vault him there would be a 6-2 win over me in All-Star Week. Wade and Rose have been huge, Jefferson and Griffin have been balling as well, and perhaps a 'Melo to the Nets trade could send Devin Harris to Denver, which may give him some new life. I still like Trent's chances, but let's see how he fares in three straight weeks against teams ahead of him: Jeffs, then Michael, then Bridges, before getting Cody in the season's final week. The stretch run will be very interesting.
7. Prestige Worldwide - Steven takes the #7 ranking over Paul and I -- were the three teams that have really been on the downswing in the 2nd half of the season, but Steven's followed up his 6 week losing streak with 3 straight wins since acquiring Manu and Parker. He gets Duarte next week, and wants to pound him to move up into that top 6, before getting me, Jeff, and Michael down the stretch. Parker's been huge since joining Prestige, but Manu's slipped a bit -- will that continue as Popovich rests his squad down the stretch? Will Brook Lopez continue getting double-digit rebounding numbers? There's no question this is one of Steven's best seasons yet -- will it be enough to sneak into the playoffs?
8. War Monkeys - Slow and steady has been Paul's motto, but four straight losses has him currently on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. He's contemplating his 6th (!) FA pickup of the season (for comparison, Michael has made 65 pickups), but he's still got Granger, Nash, and a revitalized Baron Davis. We'll see how much run Duncan gets down the stretch with a San Antonio team coasting to the playoffs -- that may hurt the Monkeys, but, just like every year, they'll be there. Of the 6 teams in this category, Paul's got arguably the "easiest schedule." Paul has to play Jeff in the season's final week, and me in week 20, but he gets Matt and Duarte right after the break and will try to make a big move in the standings before having those final two difficult weeks.
9. Kevdog's Ballers - Six losses, one tie, and just one win in the last eight weeks, and I've just been battered with some bad draws. I got Jayson in the week where Carmelo and LeBron went off, I got Knapp this week with Dwyane just killin' it, and I'm just not putting up great numbers. Is a move on the horizon? Maybe. Am I overly concerned? Not yet. That terrible stretch, and I'm still just 3.5 games out of 6th, and I play the current 6th seed (Karan) next week -- a 6-3 victory and things get real interesting. As Michael told me, it's in "my hands" over the next few weeks. Fortunately, I've already suffered through my losses to Jeff and Michael, but I've got to face the guys directly surrounding me in the standings over the season's final weeks: Karan, then Steven, then Paul; and then I get Duarte in the season's final week. Pau's been a great acquisition, but I've struggled with injuries and inconsistencies from guys like Mo Williams, now-dropped Daniel Gibson, Gerald Wallace, and Dirk. It's gonna be a fun finish, but I hope this 9th-place ranking doesn't hold for much longer. For now, I certainly deserve it.
THE BOTTOM THREE
10. Vinegar Strokes - Cody's been the "best of the bottom 3" over the last few weeks, but that's not saying much. His 7-1 win was against Duarte, but he's suffered four losses of his last 5 weeks after a three-week win streak. Not up to the usual Cody standards, but I think this is two years in a row that he'll miss the playoffs. Back with a vengeance next year?
11. Money $hooters - Five straight losses; as I learned last year, you can't have as many big guys as Matt does and lose blocks and FG% as much as Matt does. He's made some moves, but nothing has really got his butt in gear. As has Matt's motto so many times in this league: better luck next year.
12. Tastykake Phanatics - Trent ranked him 11th in his Power Rankings in about Week 14, and Duarte must have really taken that to heart: after a six win in eight weeks stretch, Duarte's fallen from grace and lost 5 straight (and BADLY: 2-7, 1-7, 3-6, 1-7, 2-6) to all but kill his playoff hopes. He'll have the chance to play spoiler to some teams, facing Steven, Paul, and I down the stretch.
There you have it; the final four weeks are going to be crazy for that middle bunch -- the most parity we've seen in this league in years. Let the games begin, and enjoy the all-star break and a few brief days away from stattracker.
Labels: nba, power rankings
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