4 Weeks into the season what do you predict will be the top 5 teams and has anything changed your mind so far of what you thought at the beginning of the season?
1A. San Antonio1B. Dallas3. Utah4. Phoenix5. HoustonI am holding out on teams like Detroit, Orlando and Los Angeles for the time being because of their soft schedules. Poor Golden State a winning record, ranked 1st in SOS and 2nd in RPI (Utah and Phoenix also ranked top 5 in both) but yet I can't find room for them in the top 5 :no1:
You have to put Utah up high since they've beaten the Mavs and Spurs recently.1a. Dallas1b. Utah1c.San Antonio4. Houston5. OrlandoWith Detroit and PHX following them at 6 and 7 respectively.
I don't care what the records say at this point, in my opinion these are the top 5 teams in the NBA (in order):1. Dallas Mavericks2. San Antonio Spurs3. Phoenix Suns4. Miami Heat (healthy)5. Detroit PistonsYou can say what you want about Miami right now, I'll have the last laugh come April. They will get down to business by playoff team. Detroit is finally getting everything together, they started off slow but now they are getting on track. They were crushed last year when they lost in the ECF, they will come out with that certain fire/passion in the playoffs this year.
I still think the Suns, Mavs and Spurs are the top 3 with a healthy Utah team behind and the Cavs at #5. I didn't expect the Cavs or Utah to be this good but they'll be big challenge in the playoffs. I'd love to see a Suns-Cavs finals. It would be tough for both teams to make it but it would be great to see.
Sorry Orlando and Detroit are both playing better than the Cavs right now, and the Jazz just beat the Spurs, so I'd have them above the Suns as well.
I don't expect the Orlando Magic to keep up their great playing throughout the entire season. They have a decent and young roster, but other teams, such as the Wizards and the Heat, who got off to slow and rocky starts, will pick it up and pick the Magic off.The Jazz are injury prone. Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko have a niche for getting injured and missing large stretches of games. They have a great record so far, the best record in the league, but they often have hot starts. I honestly don't think they can keep this fire for the entire season.1. San Antonio2. Dallas3. Detroit4. Phoenix5. Miami
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Marvinmartian @ Dec 1 2006, 01:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Sorry Orlando and Detroit are both playing better than the Cavs right now, and the Jazz just beat the Spurs, so I'd have them above the Suns as well.</div> These are for the end of the season, not power rankings, and that's what I'm predicting.
MiamiSan AntonioPhoenixDallasOrlandoCommon stuff, but I think Orlando's legit. If it was top 6 I would put Utah.
1. San Antonio 2. Dallas 3. Phoenix 4. Detroit 5. Utah I don't remember who I had in the preseason but this is my top 5 title threats. I don't care what the record is now, these teams always rise up. I give Detroit and edge because Utah's big's are injury prone and with of the physical style they play it could prove fatal, and because of Detroit's experience factor.
