I like the moves the Hornets made, but they should not be ranked ahead of the Lakers. They were one of the worst teams in the second half of the season, and you don't what the new additions of Chandler and Peja will bring right away. Also the loss of PJ Brown's leadership will have effects on a young team. The rankings put us as the 7th best team in the West. Full Rankings
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Lakers4Life:</div><div class="quote_post">Lakers will always rank #1 in my book.</div> It's ok to be optimistic, but to rank them #1 is naive, IMO.
Well BSPN is always biased againts LA teams. (Off Topic....why are the Trojans always ranked number 3 with BSPN? BS.) Same with the Lakers, they should be ahead of the Hornets, Rockets and the Cavs....I hate that they always rank the Rockets up high like if they've ever shown to be a power house with Tracy and Yao. Until they dont show signs of being top ten teams in the NBA they should be all the way in the bottom. My top ten Power Rankings... 1. Mavs-Nowitzki's season to be MVP 2. Spurs- until Tim Duncan retires Spurs will always be number two. 3. Suns - another MVP season for Nash? I dont think so....but Amare is back. 4. Heat - old and aging....not another title in Shaq's life time. 5. Pistons - still have the swagger to be an elite team and compete againts the West. 6. Clippers - NBA WFC finals appereance again? Only if they are not injury prone. 7. Lakers - breakout season for Odom and Kwame. Kobe will compete with Nowitzki for MVP 8. Nets - i had to start putting some Eastern Conference teams. East = Weak No #8 by default. 9. Cavs - Lebron will never win a tittle in Cleveland. 10. Nuggets - Neither will Carmelo in Denver.
Lakers havent shown signs of being a top 10 team either. Who have the Lakers added that will make a significant impact. Only Vladman if you wanna stretch his ability. He hasn't proved he can be that player in the NBA yet. Maurice Evans will rot on the bench backing up Kobe Bryant. The Rockets have added Shane Battier who is a proven defender and a reliable 10 points a night and Bonzi Wells who is ultimately better than Vladman by himself. Lakers have Kobe bryant who is a beast within a beast who is better than Tmac in my opinion, but the second best player on the lakers is Lamar Odom and He hasn't shown signs of life in this system. Yao Ming being the second best player for the Rockets is easily better than Lamar Odom or who ever else you wanna throw at us. On paper the Rockets are much better than the Lakers, BUT and this is a big BUT they aren't proven. Pre season rankings are all based on paper so you shouldnt get worked up about them.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bahir:</div><div class="quote_post">It's ok to be optimistic, but to rank them #1 is naive, IMO.</div> Everyone is entitled to their own little oppinion. I clearly stated that they're always ranked number in "my book". If that's hard to understand, I don't know what to tell you. IMO
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TmacGarnett:</div><div class="quote_post">Lakers havent shown signs of being a top 10 team either. Who have the Lakers added that will make a significant impact. Only Vladman if you wanna stretch his ability. He hasn't proved he can be that player in the NBA yet. Maurice Evans will rot on the bench backing up Kobe Bryant. The Rockets have added Shane Battier who is a proven defender and a reliable 10 points a night and Bonzi Wells who is ultimately better than Vladman by himself. Lakers have Kobe bryant who is a beast within a beast who is better than Tmac in my opinion, but the second best player on the lakers is Lamar Odom and He hasn't shown signs of life in this system. Yao Ming being the second best player for the Rockets is easily better than Lamar Odom or who ever else you wanna throw at us. On paper the Rockets are much better than the Lakers, BUT and this is a big BUT they aren't proven. Pre season rankings are all based on paper so you shouldnt get worked up about them.</div> This is an outdated revelation about Lamar Odom. The first half of the season, yes Lamar looked dazed and confused in the system. However, once the trade deadline passed and the organization stuck with Odom and showed him they are dedicated to him, he completely bought into the Triangle offense. During the second half of the season he was consistently producing and averaged a near triple double in most games. Overall he outplayed Shawn Marion in the Phoenix series and was a big part for the Lakers taking a 3-1 lead. So when you say, he hasn't shown any life in the system, I strongly disagree. Should the Lakers rank higher than Houston at this point? I'd say so. Going back two seasons ago, a healthy duo of TMac and Yao didn't exactly dominate in the West.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Well BSPN is always biased againts LA teams. (Off Topic....why are the Trojans always ranked number 3 with BSPN? BS.) Same with the Lakers, they should be ahead of the Hornets, Rockets and the Cavs....I hate that they always rank the Rockets up high like if they've ever shown to be a power house with Tracy and Yao. Until they dont show signs of being top ten teams in the NBA they should be all the way in the bottom.</div> Well, you kinda put the Lakers in the same spot that "BSPN" did so I don't get the ultimate point you're trying to bring. The Rockets are rated high because their off-season has been greater then the Lakers. Shane Battier and Bonzi are greater accquisitions then Vladamir and Maurice Evans. Lakers had a decent off-season but their roster still seems less complete then that of the Rockets. If T-Mac and Yao can stay consistent with thier injuries for once, the Rockets have a much greater shot then the Lakers at contending for a 'ship.
Anyone who puts the lakers ahead of the rockets this season is blinded. last seaosn was an anamoly two stars injured, this year with bonzi they are going to be tough.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">This is an outdated revelation about Lamar Odom. The first half of the season, yes Lamar looked dazed and confused in the system. However, once the trade deadline passed and the organization stuck with Odom and showed him they are dedicated to him, he completely bought into the Triangle offense. During the second half of the season he was consistently producing and averaged a near triple double in most games. Overall he outplayed Shawn Marion in the Phoenix series and was a big part for the Lakers taking a 3-1 lead. So when you say, he hasn't shown any life in the system, I strongly disagree. Should the Lakers rank higher than Houston at this point? I'd say so. Going back two seasons ago, a healthy duo of TMac and Yao didn't exactly dominate in the West.</div> Shape my arguement's point wasn't that Odom didn't have even a slight impact, but it was that Yao ming is a better player than Odom is. The combo of Tmac and Yao is much better than kobe and Odom.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brasco:</div><div class="quote_post">Anyone who puts the lakers ahead of the rockets this season is blinded. last seaosn was an anamoly two stars injured, this year with bonzi they are going to be tough.</div> I think anyone who follows the NBA understands you have to throw out last season in regards to the Rockets. But going back two seasons ago, the duo of Yao & TMac only won 51 games against an overall weaker Western Conference. Bringing in Bonzi and Battier are great additions, but until the playoffs, Bonzi wasn't doing anything spectacular in Sacramento. Lakers had a stable offseason and didn't lose any players.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TmacGarnett:</div><div class="quote_post">Shape my arguement's point wasn't that Odom didn't have even a slight impact, but it was that Yao ming is a better player than Odom is. The combo of Tmac and Yao is much better than kobe and Odom.</div> How do you come to the conclusion TMac & Yao are better than Kobe & Odom?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">How do you come to the conclusion TMac & Yao are better than Kobe & Odom?</div> Oh common, are you seriously going to tell me that Tmac and Yao are not better than Kobe and Odom. Tmac and Yao are argueably 2 of the top 10 players in the NBA. Statistically Tmac and Yao TOGETHER win more games than Kobe and Odom do and they have better stats.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TmacGarnett:</div><div class="quote_post">Oh common, are you seriously going to tell me that Tmac and Yao are not better than Kobe and Odom. Tmac and Yao are argueably 2 of the top 10 players in the NBA. Statistically Tmac and Yao TOGETHER win more games than Kobe and Odom do and they have better stats.</div> I'm not saying they are or aren't, I just wanted to know what you're premise was for making that statement. Where is the statistical evidence to support your claim?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brasco:</div><div class="quote_post">Anyone who puts the lakers ahead of the rockets this season is blinded. last seaosn was an anamoly two stars injured, this year with bonzi they are going to be tough.</div> Rockets look great on paper and they should be a force this season IF everything comes together. However, until they go out and prove it on the court, I don't think they should be ranked ahead of the Lakers. Ranking an unproven team in the top 10 makes no sense to me.
Until the Rockets can prove to me that their duo is better than Kobe and Odom, the Lakers are ahead of the Rockets in my book. The Lakers made the post season, and almost moved to the 2nd round in last years playoffs. What were the Rockets doing? Watching at home. There has been so much hype sayin T-mac and Yao were the new Kobe and Shaq in the West, but I have yet to see any resemblence.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TmacGarnett:</div><div class="quote_post">Oh common, are you seriously going to tell me that Tmac and Yao are not better than Kobe and Odom. Tmac and Yao are argueably 2 of the top 10 players in the NBA. Statistically Tmac and Yao TOGETHER win more games than Kobe and Odom do and they have better stats.</div> Forget Odom! Kobe is better than Stretcher and the Great wall of China.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Pablo23:</div><div class="quote_post">I hate that they always rank the Rockets up high like if they've ever shown to be a power house with Tracy and Yao. Until they dont show signs of being top ten teams in the NBA they should be all the way in the bottom. </div> The Rockets should be at the bottom, unless they're a top 10 team? Huh? Lakers last two seasons: 2005: 34 wins, injury-plagued year 2006: 45 wins Rockets last two seasons: 2005: 51 wins 2006: 34 wins, injury-plagued year At least be consistent. The Lakers have not shown any more signs of being a top-10 team than the Rockets have. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm not saying they are or aren't, I just wanted to know what you're premise was for making that statement. Where is the statistical evidence to support your claim?</div> One way of looking at this could be to compare the "W-L" record of the Rockets the last 2 seasons with McGrady and Yao on the court to that of the Lakers the last two seasons with Kobe and Odom on the court. By "W-L" record, I mean for a "W" the number of games in which Rockets (Lakers) outscored the opponent with McGrady & Yao (Kobe & Odom) on the court, and for a "L" the number of games in which the Rockets (Lakers) were outscored by the opponent with McGrady & Yao (Kobe & Odom) on the court. 82games.com tracks this: <div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><br/><font color=""Navy"">20052006Total<br/>W L W L W L W%</font><br/>McGrady & Yao 47281911663963%<br/>Bryant & Odom 24244231665555% <br/></div> In what way would you say Kobe & Odom are better than Tracy & Yao? <div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheBlackMamba:</div><div class="quote_post">The only resemblence Tmac/Yao have to Shaq are the injuries. They're always injured.</div> Before last season, Yao missed only 2 games in three years and McGrady had played in at least 75 games in 5 of the previous 6 years. Kobe Bryant can't even say that.
