Ball Don't Lie - NBA


The BDL NBA Power Rankings combine two parts Crystal Pepsi with one part flippant observation to create the most unbalanced ranking possible, and to offer the least accurate look at the state of the NBA on a weekly basis. If you disagree with your team's spot, feel free to go crazy in the comments or spit venom via email.

1. Los Angeles Lakers — With an NBA-best 11-1 record, the Lakers have now equaled their best start since an identical record in '01-02. That team, led by Mark Madsen, went on to win a title. Conclusion: Mitch Kupchak needs to trade for Mark Madsen. [JE]

2. Boston Celtics — They're up to 17th in offense! They're up to 17th in offense! Magic (16th), can you feel it breathing down your neck? A team of basketball players, breathing down (not just "on") your neck for some reason, even though they're on their way to California and you play in Florida tonight? And you're a not a person with a neck, but a team, a team called "Magic"? Can you feel it? [Kelly Dwyer]

3. Cleveland Cavaliers"... It's time, once again, to look into the future." ... "The future, LeBron?" ... "That's right, Danny. Let's look to the future, all the way to the year 2010!" [JE]

4. Houston Rockets — Two wins in a row with no major injuries. Just crippling fatigue. Progress. [KD]

5. Denver NuggetsCan Billups play for the Broncos? [JE]

6. Phoenix Suns — Terry Porter's "defensive mindset" now has the Suns playing worse defense (19th) than any of Mike D'Antoni's Suns teams. [KD]

7. Utah Jazz — Before you hoot and holler, consider this: "With Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver and Jarron Collins all missing Saturday’s game, the Jazz now have lost 40 games due to injury or illness this season. What's remarkable is they missed a combined 42 games in the entire 2007-08 season." 9-5? First in the Northwest? Not bad. [JE]

8. Portland Trail Blazers — The biggest "all O, no D" team in the NBA, it's not even close, and nobody knows about it because Nate McMillan has this team barely evading eight second violations every time down court. [KD]

9. Orlando Magic — Many beginners know how to perform simple magic tricks, but few think about putting them together into an entertaining set or show. Here's advice on taking those tricks and organizing them into a set — take your show on the road. [JE]

10. New Orleans Hornets — The defense is way down, the offense is surprisingly stout, but that tends to happen when you play a guy who averages 21 points, 12 assists, and three steals. Three steals have nothing to do with offense, you say? Well, you've got us. Finally. We're totally in the tank for Chris Paul. Deron Williams sucks. [KD]


11. Detroit Pistons — Good news: Antonio McDyess to return to Pistons. Bad news: Foye helps Timberwolves rout Pistons in Detroit. Weird news: Clergyman hospitalized with potato in his rear. [JE]

12. Philadelphia 76ers — It's not so much that they "need shooters," it's that they "don't need Andre Iguodala," apparently, and "can't afford for Lou Williams to play like Lou Barlow." Lou Barlow sucks. That declaration, I meant. [KD]

13. Dallas Mavericks — "Nothing beats winning. If you lose all the time, it's not fun to be around a losing program. We had to get it turned around quick. That New York win was big. We found a way to get that win. And we all know this league is a lot about confidence. If you have confidence down the stretch, you're going to beat some people."  — Dirk Nowitzki, pounding his chest, on flipping a five-game skid into a four-game win streak. [JE]

14. Atlanta Hawks — You drool over a team's defense for two weeks, and how do they repay you? 25th in D by November 24th. Classy, guys. Real classy. Have fun at the next in-store autograph function that nobody shows up to. [KD]

15. San Antonio Spurs — I don't know where to put this team, but I'm not alone, cause right outside my window, there's two people just falling in love. [JE]

16. Miami HeatB.J. Novak has these guys playing better defense, and they run more than most Pat Riley teams, but what's the point when Michael Beasley takes the first shots of both halves and then disappears for the rest of the game? If Pat Riley wanted James Edwards, he would have drafted him. And then he would have been committed. And it would have been strange, and a little sad. And I'm not sure he would have even had to draft James Edwards, because he's technically a free agent, and could have just been signed outright. Though Edwards would have likely declined, because he hasn't played in over 12 years. But, yeah, more plays for Michael Beasley, please. [KD]

17. New York Knicks — Via Free Darko, behold the world's ugliest box score. [JE]

18. Milwaukee BucksMalik Allen jokes aside, the fact that Scott Skiles has this team 9th in defense is pretty flippin' sick. This is a team that gets almost 42 minutes a game from Luke Ridnour and Tyronn Lue, and it's up from 30th to 9th this year. [KD]

19. New Jersey Nets — After an emotional win over the Raptors on Friday — shakes fist angrily at Melas — the Nets returned home and took care of business Saturday, scoring a comfortable win over the Clippers to get back to .500. That may not sound impressive — it was the Clips after all — but that baby had "letdown game" written all over it. In marker. Big win. [JE]

20. Toronto Raptors — Let's give Skeets this one, actually:

"****! *&^$^! *$#in', that $#@& from the old #$%& with the stupid handle?!? And you just let him %$** the whole &^%& instead of [attempting to] #@%& an entire &%$#in' bottle? Do you LIKE the way that feels?!?" [KD]


21. Indiana PacersHollinger's pocket protector tells us Indy is one of the better teams in the league, but I just don't see it. They can't hold onto the ball, they can't win on the road, and they can't finish off games. That, and Dunleavy still has tendinitis. [JE]

22. Chicago Bulls — Let's let KD have this one:

Let's watch him silently weep. Everyone give him some room, but let's watch. Is he going ... yes, he's going for Hot Space! Just throwin' it on there. Classic Dwyer. What's on his knuckles? R ... is that an "R?" R-O-S-E. Whoa, that's messed up. Messed up, dude. I hope that's just Sharpie ink. Totally messed up. Let’s get out of here before he YouTubes Ron Harper again. Yes, he's a he. [KD]

23. Golden State Warriors — The Dubs failed to take advantage of a 17-day stretch in which they never left the state of California, going 4-4. They now hit the road for eight of their next nine. Can't wait to watch Crawford jack up 162 threes over the course of the trip. [JE]

24. Sacramento Kings — Defense (30th) that Yogi Stewart couldn’t even help. Rookie Yogi. Pre-Pitino. Pre-Raptors. Mission accomplished: I got the point across, and kept my cred with the 12 people who were big fans of the non-MJ NBA in 1997-98. See you in the lobby, guys! [KD]

25. Memphis Grizzlies — I'm sad to report, due to real life "things", Matt Moore's Grizzlies Semi-Chub won't appear here this week. Please back away from the ledge. [JE]

26. Minnesota Timberwolves — 3-9, bad coaching, poor offense, poor execution late. At least you guys didn't draft Russell Westbrook. [KD]

27. Charlotte Bobcats — The Bobcats couldn't score in a brothel with a fat wad of fifties. [JE]

28. Los Angeles ClippersZach Randolph, Baron Davis, Ricky Davis … while Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman fight for frontcourt minutes. And we laughed at the Knicks. [KD]

29. Washington Wizards — The mic is yours, Goatman: "The Wizards went 0-4 this past week. They currently rank 24th in offensive efficiency and 28th in defense. Their star player (who hasn't been 100% since 2007) is saying that he's okay with rooting for a high lottery pick. Their lone bright spot is a rookie who has averaged 8 points and 5 rebounds a game. They continue to employ Eddie Jordan. The Wizards are not good." EDIT: The Wizards did employ Eddie Jordan. [JE]

30. Oklahoma City Thunder — The new James Bond is pretty good. Not great, but a fun watch. I was really looking forward to the Aston Martin vs. Alfa Romeo race, but there were way too many shots of the Aston's clutch as Bond changed gears 400 times. Still, it was pretty good. I like the fact that the Russian actress didn’t look all that Russian. I usually like pasty, but wasn't into it that night. Still, a good night out even though I had a cold coming on and haven't really seen a Bond movie since "Never Say Never Again." And that was when I was, like, five. On cable. It's been a while. And Earl Watson's turnover ratio is at 16.1, and that's way too high for anyone, much less a point guard. No wonder this team is at 30th in offense. [KD]

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179 Comments

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  1. Clash City
    1. Posted by Clash City Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:43 pm EDT

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    Yahoo needs to have somebody else write these power rankings. You're not funny Skeets. Stop trying so hard.
  2. Be Mo
    2. Posted by Be Mo Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

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    Umm is this Canadian new math at work? How have the Jazz (#7) lost 40 games this season due to injury? I could be mistaken but they have played just 14 games as of today. Whats the deal Skeets? :)
  3. thelegendarygregostertag
    3. Posted by thelegendarygregostertag Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:04 pm EDT

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    BDL, I like where your head's at...
    ...Besides the Deron Williams sucks bit. The refs have been warning him to keep his voice down while on the bench. Better believe that he's running the show.
  4. CHRIS p
    4. Posted by CHRIS p Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:17 pm EDT

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    so when LBJ resigns with Cleveland in 2010, will you start asking where he is going in 2014?
  5. bgres07
    5. Posted by bgres07 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:06 pm EDT

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    Wow, do some research. Tyron Lue plays a mere 10 minutes per game for the Bucks. No wonder nobody goes to Yahoo for sports info.
  6. El Padrote
    6. Posted by El Padrote Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:17 pm EDT

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    He means that the total games missed from players being injured is 40 games...he just didn't say it clearly.
  7. Bill
    7. Posted by Bill Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:32 pm EDT

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    Be Mo - If four people are out for one game, then that's four games out to injury. Multiply that by 10 games, and that's 40 games out to injury over a 10 game span. We like to call that "arithmetic", not "Canadian new math." You'll get to it in a few years.
    b g, the same goes for you. If you add the 10 minutes Lue plays to the 32 that Ridnour plays, you get "42 minutes a game from Luke Ridnour and Tyronn Lue."
    Man. this elementary level math stuff can solve lots of life's little problems. Maybe the school system should teach that rather than "how to congratulate yourself over the internet"
  8. epiphany
    8. Posted by epiphany Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:57 pm EDT

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    #3 - hes talking about combined injuries. If you combine how many days each player has missed, its a combined 40 days.
    #6 - if you read the whole sentence and took a minute to understand it, he meant tyron lue and luke ridnour combined come out for almost 42 minutes a game.
  9. jimtron11
    9. Posted by jimtron11 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

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    Terrible Article...Confusing, all over the place, pointless...Come on Yahoo...
  10. mcwelk
    10. Posted by mcwelk Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:14 pm EDT

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    That beatdown the Jazz gave in Memphis sans Williams, Boozer & Korver was epic. Right, Matt Moore?
  11. Austin B
    11. Posted by Austin B Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:28 pm EDT

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    what he meant was that Rindour and Lue COMBINE to play 40 minutes a game. Oh and they mean 40 man games Be Mo. If a player misses a game, thats one man game.
  12. eric b
    12. Posted by eric b Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:52 pm EDT

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    Do you think Kevin McHale would turn down the impending Farmar & Ariza for Mark Madsen trade offer? Seems like something he would do...
  13. Be Mo
    13. Posted by Be Mo Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

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    Bill, DweebCake, and Fank B:
    If JE meant they missed a combined 40 games he should have written that. Instead he wrote that the Jazz have LOST 40 GAMES this season due to injury. I understand what he was trying to say, but he didn't say it.
    And who doesn't like poking fun at a Canadian every now and then, if I'm not mistaken JE prcatically makes a living at it. Im really just jealous of their health care system, Mounties and their national reserve of maple syrup.
    Also, Frank B you need a hug... what is wrong with you? Did your big sister dress you in womens clothing as a kid or something?
  14. curtis
    14. Posted by curtis Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:18 pm EDT

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    Has there ever been a better mustache to grace the NBA than James Edwards's beautimous cookie duster? I saw no. Plus he had a good jump shot for a big man, especially since he had no back-to-the-basket game.
  15. mcwelk
    15. Posted by mcwelk Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:14 pm EDT

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    P.S. Sebadoh slays: http://aolradio.podcast.aol.com/aolmusic/mp3s/sebadoh_soul-and-firea-coustic-demo.mp3
  16. Steve F
    16. Posted by Steve F Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:58 pm EDT

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    whoever wrote all of this is a straight dbag
  17. BlackHat
    17. Posted by BlackHat Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:26 pm EDT

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    booooo! bring back steve kerr!
  18. Norris
    18. Posted by Norris Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:41 pm EDT

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    Did anyone look at the flip side of the Knicks box score referenced for the #17 Knicks in the blog? Check out Milwaukee's Malik Allen's numbers: 1-3, 1 assist, and 1 bs in 16 seconds? How does he jack up 3 shots in 16 seconds - talk about making the most of garbage time.
  19. Steve
    19. Posted by Steve Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:30 pm EDT

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    #6 - that's 42 minutes from Ridnour and Lue COMBINED. not each.
    #3 - I think that 40 games is from all players combined. if 2 players miss 5 games each, that's 10 total missed games.
  20. Steve
    20. Posted by Steve Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:30 pm EDT

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    #24 - that's crazy! and his +/- was +11. in 16 seconds!
  21. Brandon G- Talkhoops.net
    21. Posted by Brandon G- Talkhoops.net Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:09 pm EDT

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    I'm laughing big time at #19 and curtis Kevin Ollie has the best mustache in the NBA. Ollie's mustache and Tom Sellecks mustache should get an apartment together.
  22. 4:20 is where its at
    22. Posted by 4:20 is where its at Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:58 pm EDT

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    y are the Lakers ranked so low ?
  23. M
    23. Posted by M Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:53 pm EDT

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    i agree, Steve Kerr was the only sensible writer on yahoo blogs. these guys sound like sixteen year olds trying to impress their girlfriend's dads...such trash.
  24. Ralphredimix
    24. Posted by Ralphredimix Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:27 pm EDT

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    The quality of the NBA writing has declined rapidly on this site over the last two years. Now it's pretty obvious that it's almost entirely handled by a few young Toronto fans with almost no sportswriting credentials and who are mostly out-of-touch with daily happenings of the NBA.
    I know you guys love basketball, but that's really not enough to qualify you to be a journalist. Every day this site becomes less and less about quality sports journalism and more of a giant blog joke filled with kitschy internet memes. Time to find a new AP news outlet. Sorry, Yahoo.
    Compare this article with the last published power rankings and you'll find that both articles are essentially meaningless drivel with the teams assembled pretty much in the same order of their standings column.
  25. M
    25. Posted by M Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:53 pm EDT

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    And Kenny Smith's articles sound like his drivel on TNT. He probably doesn't even write them, just has a ball boy (like KD) transcribe them and make them into a list. Top reasons lakers won't win. Or top 5 offensive teams in the 4th quarter of games in the last week of the month. From having 4 to 5 good writers, yahoo blogs don't have a single one left now...sad...maybe nba.com has better writers?

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