Those Damn Devils And Weekly NBA Power Rankings

If the Cowboys are the most hated team in my sports universe, Duke basketball is a close 2nd (or maybe even 1-A). Even as I write this, just thinking about Duke is making me angry. There is just something so smug and smarmy about the Blue Devils. Coach K, the refs constantly giving them every call, the “Cameron crazies,” Dickie V’s slobbering all over them until the end of time, the fact that they always have at least 1 really goofy, ugly, unathletic white guy (Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek, Ryan Kelly, etc.) that actually fits their system perfectly somehow and is essential to their team’s success…I’m not sure that their being white has anything to do with it, but they are in fact white. In reality, it’s mostly that they are just consistently really good every year. But besides the “hateable white guy,” their star player is usually pretty detestable for some reason or another too. Battier was just too squeaky clean. He was almost like “Tebow-lite” before there was even a Tebow…hitting the same pick-and-pop top of the key 3-pointer at least 3 times a game, becoming so good at taking charges that he got the benefit of the doubt from the refs anytime he flopped, being a great student, having a great work ethic…it was all just too much to take. Reddick was maybe the best pure shooter that I have ever seen in the college game, but he came off as such an arrogant prick on the court. (Strangely, I’ve kind of become a fan of Reddick now that he’s a pro…I think he turned me when he was on a Bill Simmons podcast once.) And now Austin Rivers…Rivers is everything you could hate about Duke rolled into 1 guy. He’s good, he’s mouthy to the refs and opposing players alike, he’s Doc River’s kid (nothing against Doc, but it just makes his son even more of a target), he called out LeBron when he was still in high school (if you want to call people out, you better be on their level, and Rivers doesn’t appear to be on LeBron’s), and he appears to have a very high opinion of himself in general judging on how he carries himself on and off the court. So, when he hit a buzzer-beating 3 to beat North Carolina last night, the only thing that would have soured my night more would have been if it came against Maryland. Anyway, let’s move on to my weekly NBA Power Rankings. (I can say “weekly” if I’ve done it 2 weeks in a row, right?)

Wipe that smug look off your face, Reddick!

1. Miami Heat (PR=1, 19-7)…Went 3-1 since last week’s rankings, and they got walloped by Orlando last night, but maybe they deserve a little slack given that it was their 3rd game in 4 nights. However, they finish up a 6 game road trip next Friday with potentially tough stops in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Indiana, and Cleveland.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (PR=2, 20-5)…They continue to quietly chug along with the league’s best record, and Durant, Westbrook, and company look poised to take over the #1 spot should the Heatles slip up on their current road trip.

3. Chicago Bulls (PR=3, 22-6)…No movement among the top 3, but Chicago went 3-0 since last week’s rankings while the Heat and OKC each suffered 1 loss apiece. If they beat the Celtics in Boston on Sunday, it will be tough to keep them out of the top 2 next week though.

4. San Antonio Spurs (PR=Not Ranked, 18-9)…A 6 game win streak has given San Antonio the 2nd best record in the West all of the sudden. The Spurs continue to find good young role players (Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, James Anderson) who fit their system and compliment their core. With a favorable road schedule this upcoming week (Nets, Pistons, and Raptors) and the return of Manu looming while other key Western Conference contenders are losing key players (Billups, Gallinari), the Spurs are poised to hold on to a top 5 spot for the foreseeable future.

5. LA Clippers (PR=5, 15-8)…This upcoming week may tell us a lot about how Lob City fairs the rest of the season. They started off the week by throttling the Wizards in DC and beating the Magic in Orlando in double overtime. Not bad…but that win proved costly, as they lost Chauncey Billups for the year with a torn achilles. Fortunately for the Clips, they have plenty of backcourt depth (CP3, Mo Williams, Randy Foye, Tough Juice) and frontcourt reinforcements on the way (Kenyon Martin), but it may be close to impossible to replace Billups’ toughness, leadership, and clutchness.

Lob City might be all flash without Mr. Big Shot.

26. New Jersey Nets (PR=Not Ranked, 8-19)…Were just outside of the bottom 5 last week, but the combination of Detroit winning 3 straight and the Nets’ 4 game slide (which included losses to the depleted Knicks and the Pistons themselves) caused them to join the ranks of the bottom-feeders. Their Deron Williams gamble doesn’t appear that it will pay off, as it’s harder and harder to envision him re-upping with New Jersey or soon-to-be Brooklyn with every passing loss. The Nets could maybe at least flip-flop in the rankings with Detroit again, as they play again tomorrow.

27. Toronto Raptors (PR=26, 8-19)…In what had to be 2 of the most painful television minutes of my life, I flipped to the Wizards-Raptors game the other night, and Toronto’s 5 on the floor were Amir Johnson, James Johnson, DeMar DeRozan, Jerryd Bayless, and Anthony Carter…blech.

28. Washington Wizards (PR=27, 5-21)…Hard to drop in the rankings with the other teams in the bottom 5, but that’s what the Wiz did this week. They still seem to be going for the title of “the best of the worst,” as they are a combined 4-1 this year against Toronto and Charlotte. Their games within the next week though: home for the Heat, at Detroit, at Portland, and at the Clippers…good luck.

29. New Orleans Hornets (PR=28, 4-22)…As I was glancing over the standings, I had the Hornets all but penciled into the last spot, as they are owner’s of the worst record in the West and a 7 game losing streak. Until…

30. Charlotte Bobcats (PR=30, 3-22)…How could I forget about the Bobcats? The losses are at 12 in a row and counting, and their next 4 games are against teams who are 0.500 or better, so it’s not going to get better anytime soon.

Rising: Boston (winners of 5 in a row and 9 of 10), New York (in terms of talent, less is apparently more), and Detroit (3 W’s in a row has them out of the bottom 5)

Falling: Denver (lost Gallinari and 4 straight)