CheChe23's NBA Power Rankings (Nov. 28, 2007)

What a crazy week for Boston. The Celtics nearly lost their second game of the season Saturday but got saved with an amazingly lucky three pointer by Ray Allen. Last night they weren't so lucky as the Cavaliers outlasted Boston in overtime thanks to LeBron James who had 38 points and 13 assists. The Cavs' thrilling win vaulted them into the top 10 and left my rankings with a new No. 1, though I'm not sure how long either will last. It's still early enough in the NBA season where anything can happen and every team is alive. But some teams are starting to show their true colors while others are starting make what was once thought as irregular, something to expect. Here is my rundown for the final week of November.

BIGGEST RISE: Indiana Pacers from 25nd to 16th.
BIGGEST FALL: Washington Wizards from 14th to 20th.

(Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking from CheChe23's previous week. —RTW)

CheChe23's Power Rankings: November 28, 2007
TEAM	RK (LW)	W-L	COMMENT
	1 (2)	12-3	I have to admit, San Antonio would have been a close second to Boston if my rankings came out yesterday. The Spurs had won five straight (including an 18 point win vs ORL) before losing the second game of a road back-to-back Monday to Sacramento. But because Boston lost last night and I'm going to the Spurs/Wolves game at the Target Center on Friday, I can't help but to move them up (who doesn't want to see first play worst?). The Spurs are still unbeaten at home (8-0).
	2 (1)	11-2	Boston's overtime loss to the Cavaliers along with their close call against Charlotte Saturday is enough to let San Antonio slip ahead. If Ray Allen and Paul Pierce can match Kevin Garnett's emotion, the Celtics will reclaim the top spot.
	3 (3)	11-3	The Suns have scored over 100 in all but two games this season and had won eight straight before losing to Golden State on Monday. My third best team is good enough to be ranked first in ESPN's Marc Stein's Power Rankings. Even though Phoenix is able to match any big three in the NBA with Nash, Marion and Amare, it still doesn't appear they warrant a ranking above Boston or San Antonio -- yet.
	4 (6)	13-3	The Magic have won eight of their last nine and seem to be the biggest surprise in the NBA. A match-up against Phoenix on Friday will clear things up in the rankings, not to mention make for a great early season clash of the leagues best.
	5 (7)	10-5	The Jazz won't go away and keep producing wins. Despite dropping the second game on a road back-to-back in New York, Utah moves up in my rankings thanks to wins over New Jersey and two of my top 10 teams (NO, DET). I can't help to see a glimpse of Josh Howard in Ronnie Brewer. Brewer, a 14th overall pick in 2006, is breaking out and propelling the Jazz at the same time. He's scored in double figures in all but one game this season (only hit double figures seven times all last season) and he is also contributing in multiple ways (13.3 points, 2.3 assists, 2.6 steals, 2.7 rebounds, 52.3 FG% and 85.5 FT%).
	6 (4)	9-5	Dallas didn't look good this past week. After winning five in a row, the Mavs have lost the last three. A match-up with the Timberwolves this evening should get the Mavericks back on track. Devin Harris is averaging 15.6 points and 5.5 assists per game.
	7 (13)	9-6	Thank you MOJO, the original HD programming tailored to the lifestyle interests of the modern man, for airing the Cavaliers/Celtics game last night. What a great game and what a great seven game series that would be. Lucky for us game two of the regular season series is Sunday, this time in Boston. Something nice to see: Against Boston Tuesday, LeBron was 14/15 from the stripe.
	8 (8)	10-6	The Hornets have lost four of their last five including giving the Timberwolves a win, ouch. But a fast start and a roster healing from recent injuries keeps the Hornets at 8th overall for the second straight week. Three days off then Atlanta on Friday should help.
	9 (10)	8-5	Detroit will move further up the rankings if they can win against conference rival Cleveland tonight at home. Detroit hasn't had to face any of my top three teams, but their schedule gets tougher over the next two weeks. Some confidence was lost when Rasheed Wallace went down Sunday, but he is expected to play against the Cavs -- although he was expected to play in the other two games he's missed.
	10 (5)	9-6	Denver lost a nail-biter to the Pacers last night but is still playing great despite the setbacks. Kenyon Martin is the most recent Nugget to go down. Before losing Martin Sunday the Nuggets saw injuries to Chucky Atkins (out through December), Nene (out another four weeks) and Steven Hunter (out six weeks). Iverson (23.6) and Carmelo (25.2) continue to score and Camby continues to rebound (15.0) and block (3.4) at some of the highest averages in the NBA.

OUTSIDE THE TOP 10:

11. Houston Rockets (8-7): The Rockets have good depth and leaders at the top. If Houston can capture convincing wins over Phoenix tonight and Golden State tomorrow, it might make up for dropping six straight in the middle of this month.
12. Los Angeles Lakers (8-6): I can't figure this team out. They took a dive in my rankings after dropping three in a row before last night's win over Seattle.
13. New Jersey Nets (7-8): Jason Kidd is closer to averaging a triple-double than LeBron James. Kidd averages 11.4 points per game, 10.4 assists and 8.4 rebounds.
14. Toronto Raptors (7-7): Injuries don't seem to bother this team because they are 15 players deep. The Jason Kapono offseason pick-up is looking pretty good with Garbajosa sidelined for the season. Bryan Colangelo is unreal.
15. Milwaukee Bucks (7-5): I'm not going to over estimate the Bucks chances just yet. Michael Redd is on fire scoring 24.5 points per game good enough for seventh best in the NBA.
16. Indiana Pacers (7-8): Mike Dunleavy (15.4 points) and Danny Granger (18.8) lead the Pacers in scoring and they looked great in a win over the Nuggets last night -- Dunleavy had 30 points, Granger had 9 points and 9 rebounds. Respect might be due.
17. Charlotte Bobcats (6-8): Four straight losses doesn't move them up, chemistry is an issue.
18. Golden State Warriors (6-7): The Warriors have won six of their last seven, but need to prove they are for real in back-to-back games against Sacramento and Houston.
19. Atlanta Hawks (5-8): Josh Smith is a fantasy stud and Al Horford is averaging nearly 10 rebounds per game, but this team needs a better game face to be taken seriously.
20. Washington Wizards (7-7): The biggest rise of last week is the biggest fall this week. The Wizards are a .500 team without Gilbert Arenas, but Caron Butler might be able to keep their playoff hopes alive.
21. Memphis Grizzlies (5-9): Losing Mike Conley for at least two weeks might hurt his rookie start, but it will give a chance for Kyle Lowry to prove he's the best of the bunch. Lowry is averaging 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game this season.
22. Sacramento Kings (5-9): I still think that the Kings are a lot better than their record suggests. They are a hard team to match-up against and won't go down easy to any team. The Kings are winless away from Arco Arena (0-7).
23. Portland Trail Blazers (5-9): Happy Birthday Taurean Green (he's 23 today), you are projected to be the least talented of the Gator Boy's (still plenty of time left), but regardless, you are one of my favorite college guards ever. Thanks for accepting my facebook invitation before you became popular, I understand why you removed me.
24. Miami Heat (4-10): Shaq, not Wade, looks like the leader, but the Heat need to put together a couple of win streaks to make up for their terrible start.
25. Chicago Bulls (3-10): Well, I am starting to see the Bulls as a bottom feeder. This team is desperate for a shake up, a potential trade for Kobe Braynt or Pau Gasol might have to be my next Rumor Mill post.
26. Los Angeles Clippers (6-7): A hamstring tweak sidelined the Clippers leading scorer Corey Maggette for four games, but he returned Monday to score 25. I still like the rebounding the Clippers are getting from Chris Kaman, but as the only big man -- he might need some more help.
27. Philadelphia 76ers (4-9): Louis Williams looks like he watched J.J. Reddick's Better Basketball Shooting II training video -- Williams leads the Sixers in field goal percentage (52.0), free throw percentage (75.8) and three point percentage (50.0). Andre Iguodala leads the team in the more important categories: points (18.2), assists (5.0) and steals (1.8).
28. New York Knicks (4-9): The fact that everyone hates the Knicks might be enough motivation to start winning.
29. Seattle Sonics (2-13): I don't really care for the majority of the Sonics roster, but Jeff Green could be a player. Green had 14 rebounds in back to back games last week and he's averaging nearly 10 points a game.
30. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-10): Corey Brewer can't dribble, he has no confidence, he doesn't have a good shot and his potential is questionable.

HOT HOT HOT

1. Steve Nash - Nash is having an MVP type season, 19.2 points/11.0 assists. Nash has tallied a double-double in 10 of the 14 games this season.
2. Andrew Bynum - The 20 year old kid has had a double-double in five of his last six and is averaging one for the season (11.0 points, 10.2 rebounds).
3. Kevin Durant - Last season's NCAA Player of the Year and early favorite for this season's NBA Rookie of the Year, Kevin Durant has scored 25 points in consecutive games. Durant is averaging almost 19 points per game, tops for all rookies.

NOT NOT NOT

1. Mehmet Okur - The Jazz big man has seen his averages take another hit this season. Okur averaged 18 points and 9 rebounds in 2005-06, he's putting up just 11.6 and 5.4 this season.
2. Jamaal Magloire - What was supposed to be the replacement to Mikki Moore has been a big disappointment. Once this season he played 28 minutes and pulled in 12 rebounds, but the for the season he's averaging less than two points per game.
3. Tyson Chandler - Chandler might not be ice cold, but he sure isn't himself lately. You have to have high standards for Chandler, something I developed last season when he averaged 12.4 rebounds per game. Chandler hasn't reach double digit rebounds in his last five games and hasn't scored more than 15 points all season -- the output he had in his first game.

CheChe23's NBA Power Rankings (Nov. 21, 2007)

As we near Thanksgiving, it might be hard to transition from football to basketball. The NBA season is long, but as I mentioned last week in my first Power Rankings article, I'll be dissecting the teams from top to bottom every Wednesday -- all season long. Here is what I have for the second installment.

BIGGEST RISE: Washington Wizards from 22nd to 14th.
BIGGEST FALL: Chicago Bulls from 10th to 19th.

(Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking from CheChe23's previous week. —RTW)

CheChe23's Power Rankings: November 21, 2007
TEAM	RK (LW)	W-L	COMMENT
	1 (1)	8-1	Boston remains number one for the second consecutive week despite losing their first game of the season Sunday (Paul Pierce missed a shot at the end of regulation that would have forced overtime). Regardless of the minor blemish, Boston still looks like the team to beat. Rajon Rando leads the C's in field goal percentage (57.5%) and assists per game (4.8) not to mention he's averaging over 10 points per game as well.
	2 (2)	9-2	The Spurs came out of their Texas round-robin with a loss to Dallas and a win against Houston. The remainder of November should be fairly simple after their match-up with Orlando tonight. Tony Parker is as consistent as his team. Parker's number this season are nearly identical to his averages over the last three seasons (18 points, almost 6 assists, and just over 3 rebounds per game).
	3 (5)	9-2	The Suns are hot. Phoenix already has 10-point victories over Cleveland, Charlotte, Houston, New York, Chicago and Orlando. Leandro Barbosa is leading the Suns in scoring (19.9) and Shawn Marion is pulling down 11.7 rebounds per game (almost 2.0 more than last season). Production from Grant Hill has given the Suns an edge on both ends of the court, but don't pretend Hill will be playing 30 plus minutes per night all season -- throughout his career he's averaged just 52.9 games per season.
	4 (8)	8-2	Dallas keeps winning and continues showing they are nothing but business this season. Dirk might be making an early case for back-to-back MVP's, but as solid as Dirk is night in and night out -- Josh Howard is just as good. Howard is averaging almost 23 points per game, grabbing his usual six rebounds and shooting almost 55% from the floor. 15 points and 6 assists a night from Devin Harris is a nice plus.
	5 (7)	8-3	The Nuggets pulled ahead of the Jazz for the Northwest division lead thanks to a six game win streak in which they won each game by an average of almost 20. The winning might continue as they have should-win games in four of their next six. Denver's the NBA's highest scoring team and they've started to play defense -- holding teams to just under 100. Surprising stat: Linas Kleiza is averaging 11.5 points per game.
	6 (9)	10-2	After winning over the seemly unbeatable Boston Celtics and becoming NBA's fastest team to reach 10 wins, the Magic are flirting with the top five in my power rankings. It might be time to recognize that Orlando is a contender for the Eastern Conference title. Player of the Week Dwight Howard is putting up numbers are on par with the best power forwards in the NBA (DH is second in the NBA in rebounds per game) and his teammates are playing great around him. Plus, with a $2.6 million injury exemption (from Tony Battie), the Magic are looking to sign a big body for more glass help.
	7 (6)	8-4	I don't really know what was wrong in the 20-point loss to the Pacers Saturday, but I don't really think it's a big deal. The Jazz are still scoring (third in the league) and they're still unselfish (first in the league with 26.7 assists per game). Friday's game against New Orleans should be a good test for the Jazz and a good indicator of where both teams should be ranked.
	8 (12)	9-3	Losing Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler might be reason enough to keep the Hornets out of the top 10, but the 9-3 record is hard to ignore and the injuries arn't supposed to be lengthy. I was convinced over the weekend that New Orleans could be for real after watching David West score 40 and lead New Orleans to the win against the Grizzlies in Memphis. West has scored in double figures in every game this year and is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game. A close loss to Orlando on Monday night without Paul at point is a good sign for the Hornets.
	9 (16)	7-3	The Lakers have put together four straight wins to move all the way from 16th into the top 10. It's hard to deny that the Lakers belong in the top 10 after they finished a week beating fellow top 10 hopefuls Houston, Detroit and Chicago. Andrew Bynum, Luke Walton and Jordan Farmer are playing well enough to keep Kobe's mouth shut, but how long will the love last?
	10 (4)	6-4	Detroit has lost three of the last four games after starting the season winning five of their first six. Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups have been absent from two games this year and Antonio McDyess has missed three games. I'm thinking that the Pistons are starting to show their age, but still a top ten team nonetheless.

OUTSIDE THE TOP 10:

11. Houston Rockets (6-5): Houston's already playing games without Tracy McGrady, who is a perennial causality for Houston. I'm not counting the Rockets out, but they are definitely down.
12. Toronto Raptors (5-6): The Raptors are in the top 10 in rebounding and assists, but need to play better at home -- things could be worse.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (5-6): The Cavaliers don't need to sign Varejao when they are getting a career best 12.1 rebounds per game from Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Daniel Gibson is scoring well (26 points in last night's loss, 11.6 per game), but needs to have better vision (3 assists per game, 2 turnovers).
14. Washington Wizards (5-5): Washington is finally starting to roll (five straight wins). The Wizards are getting a great boost from Brandon Haywood who is putting up 10 points and 10 rebounds on a nightly basis.
15. Charlotte Bobcats (6-4): Charlotte is an all-around team that gets contribution and production from their entire roster -- The Bobcats are a wannabe Raptors.
16. Milwaukee Bucks (5-4): The Bucks have a roster full of talent, they are just trying to put the pieces together.
17. New Jersey Nets (4-7): New Jersey hasn't won since Nov. 8th -- the game before Vince Carter got injured (six straight losses).
18. Sacramento Kings (4-7): Sacramento hasn't let the Bibby injury stop them -- they got 26 points and six assists from Beno Udrih in a win against Detroit Sunday. With Ron Artest, Kevin Martin, Brad Miller, John Salmons and Francisco Garcia, the Kings might just keep up in the Pacific division.
19. Chicago Bulls (2-8): Following the Loul Deng injury, there's not much hope for Chicago right now. Kirk Hinrich is reminding me more and more of Rex Grossman. But Joakim Noah might be the answer (7/10, 16 points, 8 rebounds last night).
20. Memphis Grizzlies (3-7): The Grizzlies have lost three of their last four by a combined total of eight -- I'm still keeping them in the top 20.
21. Portland Trail Blazers (4-7): Still winless on the road (0-7) but unbeaten at home (4-0) -- four straight home games coming up could mean four straight wins.
22. Golden State Warriors (3-6): The Warriors are starting to get used to the regular season pace again, they've managed to win three in a row after dropping the first six out of the gate.
23. Miami Heat (2-8): Wade is back, Miami should start their rise up the division standings.
24. Atlanta Hawks (3-7): Atlanta is winless on the road and is falling back to earth in the standings.
25. Indiana Pacers (4-7): Five players are averaging double figures in scoring, two others are averaging 8.0 -- good depth, not enough stardom.
26. Philadelphia 76ers (3-7): With Kyle Korver injured, Willie Green and Louis Williams will get a better chance to show what they can do.
27. Los Angeles Clippers (5-4): Los Angeles is starting to realize how valuable Elton Brand is.
28. Seattle Sonics (2-10): Just keep in mind that every game-winning three put in by Kevin Durant means a worse percentage in next year's lottery.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-7): Minnesota has seen great glimpses from Rashad McCants and Al Jefferson. But it's still going to be a long year.
30. New York Knicks (2-8): Seven straight losses after starting 2-1, the Knicks are a joke.

HOT HOT HOT

1. LeBron James - James is almost averaging a triple-double and will single-handedly keep the Cavs in every game this year.
2. Chris Kaman - The Caveman has been a maniac on the boards grabbing a career best 13.3 per game and he's averaging a career best 18.7 points (better than last year's per game average by 8.6).
3. Gerald Wallace - He may have started the season slow, but Wallace is showing his fantasy value lately. He's had three straight games with 27 points and had six steals Monday in a win over Portland.

NOT NOT NOT

1. Tyrus Thomas - After scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds on November 8th, Thomas has been relatively silent. Thomas is averaging just seven points and five rebounds, almost exactly the same as his rookie year. Over the last three games Thomas has played a total 8 minutes, 13 and 10.
2. Kwame Brown - Before going out indefinitely with a bum knee, Brown wasn't doing much. His season scoring high was seven and he's averaging 5.0 rebounds per game.
3. Francisco Garcia - Garcia is a fine NBA player with a bright future, but with the return of Ron Artest and the increase in play from Beno Udrih has caused Garcia's numbers to decline.

NBA RUMOR MILL (11/16/07)

The New York Knicks are the drama mill of the NBA. Recently it has been reported that Isiah will be fired, Marbury traded to Portland or Sacramento or even bought out altogether.

As of Friday morning, the Knicks have expressed interest in trading Marbury to the Kings -- who will be without Mike Bibby for up to half the season, as you all know. One possible swap would send Brad Miller to the Knicks, but it was reported that they'd be happy to get a combination of forwards Kenny Thomas and Sharif Abdur-Rahim.

Another option that the Knicks are currently exploring is the possibility of sending Marbury to Portland in exchange for center Raef LaFrentz, whose contract expires in '09, and swingman Darius Miles, who has a contract through 2010. One thing that was reported is that LeBron James wants nothing to do with Marbury. "I couldn't have a guy like that on my team," James said flatly Wednesday.

An article that was written earlier today by Peter Vecsey, a columnist for the New York Post, wrote that Isiah Thomas could be fired as soon as tonight -- saying that his job was "in severe jeopardy." The one thing that could be stopping New York from cutting ties with Thomas is the fact that they need to find a suitable replacement. Apparently the same source that tipped Vecsey off that the Knicks had decided to buy out Larry Brown informed him of the possibility that a firing could go down before the game against the Kings.

In other NBA news, Luke Ridnour's MRI revealed a torn left quadriceps which means the Sonics might seek to replace him. Perhaps they will sign one of the free agent point guards on the market which include, Earl Boykins, Keither McLeod and John Lucas. A rumor has been floating around that the Sonics are interested in returning Gary Payton to the Seattle squad in hope that it will rejuvenate the fan base. Previous reports had Payton and Boykins going out to Scaramento to replace Bibby -- but the Kings are over the salary cap and out of exceptions.

And here we go again with the Jermaine O'Neal trade rumors, slash demands, slash talk. Even though Larry Bird told the media this week that they aren't talking about trading O'Neal, he still said he would have "No hard feelings" if he was traded. O'Neal was quoted by the Boston Globe this week as saying "If that situation presents itself, then that's what it is... I told those guys this summer that if you feel like you need a situation that you can better this team, I'm all for it because they've given me the opportunity to really achieve some of the things that I wanted to achieve and also establish my name. It would be no hard feelings whatsoever." Nice try, O'Neal. We all know you don't want to waste your "prime" playing for an underachieving Pacer team. But thanks for not pulling a Kobe.

CheChe23's NBA Power Rankings (Nov. 13, 2007)

With the NBA season stretching over six months, it is sometimes hard to tell which teams are playoff bound and which teams are leading the lottery race. Every Wednesday throughout the season I plan on taking on the challenge of putting the 30 NBA teams in order from top to bottom. The rankings will be based entirely on my own opinion and should be debated, but for the most part I'm going rank teams based on record, team statistics and overall potential. What I find ironic about my first post is that I have my hometown team last and Garnett's new team first -- nothing new for a Minnesota fan watching a Boston team.

BIGGEST RISE: Charlotte Bobcats from 20th to 14th.
BIGGEST FALL: Golden State Warriors from 16th to 27th.

(Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking from CheChe23's previous article -- in this case, his preseason rankings. —RTW)

CheChe23's Power Rankings: November 13, 2007
TEAM	RK (LW)	W-L	COMMENT
	1 (6)	6-0	So far, so good in Boston, the Celtics are putting on a show. As if Kevin Garnett wasn't a pre-season favorite for league MVP, his numbers this season are outstanding, he's serious about winning and he's recorded a double-double in all six games. This begs the question: Was KG actually trying in Minnesota?
	2 (2)	7-1	I love to bet the moneyline on San Antonio -- it's the safest gamble in sports. Some experts say a team must have a talented bench to win consistently in the regular season. Some experts say a team must have a talented starting five to win in the post-season. The Spurs have both and do both.
	3 (4)	6-2	Houston has everything clicking so far and they look like they will be able to keep up with the rest of Texas. ESPN ranks them third, FoxSports ranks them fifth and NBA.com puts Houston ahead of everybody but Boston. We will have a good idea of who the Rockets really are after they go back-to-back against San Antonio and Phoenix on Friday and Saturday.
	4 (10)	5-2	Without a doubt the Pistons have shown they are not ready to give up the Eastern Conference's Central division. With Chicago taking longer to get going than most expected and Cleveland fussing over Anderson Varejao, Detroit has been able to get a head start on the rest of the division. Even though before the season started I said that Detroit's starting five was past their prime -- I'm not surprised to see them here.
	5 (3)	6-2	With Nash scoring more, the Suns have a different style this season. Injuries will always be an issue for the Suns because they often use just seven or eight players. Phoenix will test its depth after losing Raja Bell in Sunday's win at Orlando. Leandro Barbosa filled in nicely as he normally does, scoring a career high 39 points including eight three pointers.
	6 (8)	6-1	The Jazz can score. Utah is averaging the most points so far in the NBA scoring almost 112 points per game. One reason for the scoring splurg might be Carlos Boozer. Boozer is shooting the best percentage of his career and putting up 26.3 points per game -- an increase of nearly 6.0 ppg from last year. Another reason for Utah's increase in scoring could be credited to Ronnie Brewer's surprised 15.0 per game. But the overall success will be determined by the all-around ability of Andrei Kirilenko. When AK47 is playing on top of his game, the Jazz boast a solid big three of their own (Boozer, Deron Williams and Kirilenko).
	7 (1)	5-3	Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby have become the big three of the Northwest division. With Nene sidelined for six weeks, Linas Kleiza and Kenyon Martin will be called upon to step up. Kleiza (IPO: Linas Kleiza) has played an average of 24 minutes and is putting up over 10 points per game. Martin's 5.2 rebounds per game has been solid, but will need to improve in order to replace Nene's presence on the glass. Denver's defense is still their weak spot, they are allowing opponents to score the sixth most points per game against them -- lucky for them, the Nuggets are scoring the third most.
	8 (5)	5-2	The Mavericks can start whatever line-up they want as long as Jason Terry gets his 30 plus minutes per night. Terry is playing great, too great to start from the bench, averaging a career best 21.8 points per game. As the Mavericks get healthy -- Devin Harris has played in just three games, Josh Howard in four -- and they get used to playing together (five new faces) they'll keep winning. One problem the Mavericks will deal with all season won't be from their own roster, but rather their own division, which is by far the best in the NBA.
	9 (12)	6-2	The Magic have put together a solid start to the season, record wise -- but can they continue at this pace for all 82? Despite starting 13-4 in 2006, Orlando finished 40-42. Early on in the NBA season, it appears that Orlando is balling in one of the weakest divisions in the NBA. If Miami, Washington, Charlotte and Atlanta don't take hold of things, look for Orlando to use their fast start to run away with the Southeast division.
	10 (7)	1-5	The majority of people's pre-season predictions paired Chicago with Boston in the Eastern Conference Championship. With a roster containing depth and skill across all positions -- it won't be long before the Bulls rise back to the same level as the Celtics. Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni and Kirk Hinrich appear to be the Bulls best bet starting five, but lack size. Ben Wallace has played awful so far this season. If Wallace gets good playing time (25 plus minutes per), he needs to do more than score 3.5 points and grab 4.8 rebounds per game. For now, Chicago's potential keeps them in my top 10.

OUTSIDE THE TOP 10:

11. New Jersey Nets (4-3): Losing Carter could mean more reliance on Antoine Wright, who doesn't seem to mind.
12. New Orleans Hornets (6-2): Lucky wins, flaky roster. I'm still not sold on the Hornets being a top 10 team.
13. Toronto Raptors (4-3): Defense and rebounding are needs that need to be met for the Raptors.
14. Charlotte Bobcats (4-3): The Bobcats are on the verge of becoming a playoff team -- the verge.
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-4): As long as the Cavs have nightly triple-double threat LeBron James, they'll be fine.
16. Los Angeles Lakers (3-3): The possibilities are good in L.A. if Bynum continues to rebound like he has (just over 10 per) and Odom returns to form.
17. Portland Trail Blazers (4-3): The Blazers are undefeated at home, but haven't won on the road.
18. Milwaukee Bucks (2-4): Yi vs. Yao put Milwaukee on the map, but I'm not so certain the Bucks will stay there.
19. Sacramento Kings (2-5): Kevin Martin is taking advantage of injuries and a lack of leadership in Sacramento -- he's third in the NBA in scoring.
20. Memphis Grizzlies (2-5): Pau Gasol, Mike Miller and Rudy Guy are a poor man's big three, but the Grizzlies need more from Darko Milicic, Hakim Warrick and Stromile Swift to be considered a legit threat.
21. Atlanta Hawks (2-4): Atlanta has the weapons to make a run -- oh wait, what about a point guard?
22. Washington Wizards (1-5): The Wizards are getting 20 points a night from each of the big three (Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler), but not much from anyone else.
23. Miami Heat (1-6): It's like having a substitute teacher, class just isn't the same. Wade will teach the lesson plans soon enough.
24. Indiana Pacers (3-4): The Pacers won't be the leagues worst team, but they won't be good either.
25. Los Angeles Clippers (4-2): Injuries and lack of talent is slowly catching up to the Clippers (two straight losses after 4-0 start).
26. Philadelphia 76ers (2-5): Philadelphia is a relatively weak team, with little expectations. Willie Green and Louis Williams are playing surprisingly well, Iguodala is forced to do too much (lower FG% and higher TOs).
27. Golden State Warriors (0-5): This is a very talented team, still launching from deep (second most from three per game), they just need to make more (only converting 34.4%).
28. New York Knicks (2-4): Stephon Marbury has played his last game as a Knick, that might actually make them better.
29. Seattle Sonics (0-8): Seattle might not be better than the Minnesota, but at least they have a stud player named Kevin.
30. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-5): The Timberwolves have good potential, but it hasn't produced any wins.

HOT HOT HOT

1. Kobe Bryant - Not only does Kobe lead the NBA in scoring, but his mouth has been shut as far as trade demands go -- oh, and he's rebounding (7.6) and passing (5.0) at a premium pace too.
2. Richard Jefferson - It's perfect timing for Jefferson's role to increase with Vince Carter sidelined; Jefferson's playing some of the best basketball of his career (scoring low this season: 22 points).
3. Marcus Camby - Camby has been a rebounding machine (14.0 per game), he's grabbed double digits in all but one game this year. Camby has also continued to make his case as the next legendary shot blocker, swatting nearly three per game and 11 over his last two games.

NOT NOT NOT

1. Jorge Garbajosa - The second year Raptors forward lost his starting roster spot and hasn't scored more than five points this year.
2. Ben Wallace - Ben Wallace is the same, which is worse. His numbers have consistently gone down since his 2004 season when he averaged almost 10 points and 12 rebounds a game. Down so far that this year he's yet to eclipse double digits in either one.
3. Charlie Villanueva - The Bucks depth at small forward hasn't been good for Villanueva. The 7th overall pick in 2005 played in just 39 games last year due to injury, scoring nearly what he did his rookie season (11.9 ppg). It's taking a little longer for Villanueva to get started this season, he's only averaging 6.7 per game.

11/11: Four Ones, Four One-Seeds (Nov. 11, 2007)

With the date being November 11th, I thought it would be an appropriate day to go over the four No. 1 seeds that will represent college basketball in the Final Four come early April.


1. University of North Carolina
-- As much as I hate the fact that the pre-season number one will go the entire year as the best team, UNC should do it.

AP Rank: No. 1
ESPN Rank:
PT Rank: No. 1
PT$: $174.00

UNC will return two first round NBA draft picks in Ty Lawson and Ty Hansbrough. Although the Tar Heels did lose Brandan Wright and Reyshawn Terry to the pros, they have the replacements waiting. Wayne Ellington and Deon Thompson will have to step up if UNC wants to return to the Final Four. Roy Williams has recruited a roster talented enough to run the table and win the National Championship.


1. University of Memphis
-- This team is no longer using their conference as a crutch, the Tigers have enough talent to make it to the Final Four.

AP Rank: No. 3
ESPN Rank: No. 3
PT Rank: No. 3
PT$: $151.00

After two consecutive Elite Eight appearances, the Tigers will look to get over the hump by returning five starters and adding one of the nation's top recruits. Derrick Rose -- who has been described as the fastest player in college basketball, a more talented Jason Kidd and an automatic lottery pick whenever he wants to be -- will join veterans Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier, Willie Kemp and Antonio Anderson. If the Tigers don't make it to the first Monday in April, they'll consider the season a disappointment.


1. Indiana University
-- Regardless of having to play sub-par Big Ten teams all year, the Hoosiers roster has the potential to sneak their way to the Final Four.

AP Rank: No. 9
ESPN Rank: No. 9
PT Rank: No. 7
PT$: $123.50

Ralph Sampson has made headlines for his recruiting practices, but that doesn't mean he can't win. Sampson has averaged 25 wins over the past eight seasons. Indiana will be satisfied with no less than 25 wins this season. One thing that will decide the fate of the Hoosiers is their size. Indiana's roster has just two players listed at 6'9" and two at 6'8". If Indiana's talented back court carries their smaller front court, the Hoosiers could return the National Championship game for the first time since 2002.


1. University of Tennessee
-- Tennessee will use last year's experience, talented transfer recruits and a player of the year candidate to get to the Final Four.

AP Rank: No. 7
ESPN Rank: No. 7
PT Rank: No. 8
PT$: $123.00

Get ready to hear this a lot: Tennessee's men's basketball team is starting to play on the same level as the women's team. As a school known for it's football team and the success of the women's basketball team -- the men's squad will be making the title run this year. The Vols return starters Chris Lofton (20.8 points), JaJuan Smith (15.2 points), Ramar Smith (10.7 points) and Wayne Chism (9.1 points). Tennessee also adds one of the nation's best transfer recruits Tyler Smith, who averaged 14.9 points last season at Iowa. Florida's reign over the SEC is over and Tennessee should begin a reign of their own.


Completing the Elite Eight:
UCLA, Kansas, Kansas State, Georgetown

Week 10 Could Be's (11/9/07)

Could Be Great:

QB: Ben Roethlisberger vs CLE
-- Big Ben stood tall last Monday and quickly turned what would have been a nice evening of football into a turn the channel blow-out. Pittsburgh's offense is rolling because of their amazing defense which ranks first in the NFL in yards allowed. In addition to the fact that Roethlisberger is having a career year, he gets Cleveland this weekend. Roethlisberger won't have a problem racking up yards against the Browns -- who have allowed more yards per game than any NFL team. A match-up of first vs worst on defense should allow Roethlisberger to be great.

RB: Joseph Addai vs SD
-- Last weekend the Chargers gave up a record number of rushing yards by an individual player, need I say more?

WR: Hines Ward vs CLE
-- Roethlisberger has to throw to somebody. Ward hasn't had a great statistical year (just 302 receiving yards), but there are still plenty of games left to get himself going before the Steelers make a run for their second Super Bowl championship in three years.


Could Be Good:

QB: Marc Bulger vs NO
-- St. Louis hasn't looked like a quality NFL team through the first nine weeks of 2007. They will get back on track offensively with the Saints coming to town. Look for Bulger to find his confidence and get back to being an elite quarterback. Bulger hasn't been healthy, but that is no excuse for tossing just three touchdown passes in six appearances. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get three touchdown strikes on Sunday. I would, on the other hand, be surprised if the Rams were able to get their first win of the season.

RB: Justin Fargas vs CHI
-- I know what you might be thinking: Chad, Fargas is playing the Bears he won't be good. Wrong. The 2007 Bears haven't been anything like the '06 Bears. Chicago allows the 6th most yards per game and has the 7th worst offense. Yes, I do have Fargas in my portfolio at up over 225%, and Yea, I do plan on keeping him for the remainder of the season. But that isn't why he's my pick to be good this weekend. Fargas is a beast (looks a lot bigger than 220), he runs over people (5.4 yards per carry this season) and he's the only consistent thing going for the Raiders.

WR: Reggie Wayne vs SD
-- The Chargers will have to focus on the run which should allow Peyton Manning to find Wayne for a couple long bombs and perhaps a score or two. This season is becoming more and more the season of the changing of the guard: From Harrison to Wayne. Maybe week 10 will be a microcosm of what the future holds.


Could Be Bad:

QB: Donovan McNabb vs WASH
-- From the front office to the playing field, McNabb will suffer from a lack of focus and a lack of talent. The only way that McNabb has a chance to get going is if Westbrook can open up the field on a few draws or screen passes. Otherwise, it will be a long day against a tough Redskins secondary.

RB: Shaun Alexander vs SF
-- Remember the Madden commercial that taught us how to spell Shaun's first name. S-h-a-U-n. Well, we need a refresher because he's not reminding people lately. Sean's rushing numbers over the last four weekends: 25, 35, 47 and 32. Shawn hasn't scored since week two and has just two touchdowns all year. After 27 touchdowns two years ago, the seven he totaled last year are even looking unreachable. Yikes!

WR: Dwayne Bowe vs DEN
-- Kansas City. What can I say. What's up with the quarterbacks? What's up with the running backs? And the wide-outs? After Dwayne Bowe started the year with scores in three out of the first four games -- it's looking like downhill from here on.

NCAA Basketball Preview (11/7/07)

1. North Carolina
2. Tennessee
3. Memphis
4. Indiana
5. UCLA
6. USC
7. Louisville
8. Kansas
9. Kansas St.
10. Georgetown
11. Michigan St.
12. Marquette
13. Duke
14. Arizona
15. Gonzaga
16. Syracuse
17. Texas
18. N.C. State
19. Oregon
20. Washington St.
21. Villanova
22. Kentucky
23. Texas A&M
24. Arkansas
25. Stanford

Just out of the top 25:
UCONN, Pittsburgh, Southern Illinois, Ohio State, Butler, Washington, Florida, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Illinois, Maryland, Davidson, VCU, California

Player of the Year Candidates
-- Roy Hibbert, 7-0, C, Georgetown Hoyas
-- Tyler Hansbrough, 6-9, PF, North Carolina Tar Heels
-- Michael Beasley, 6-10, Kansas State

Pre-Season First Team
C - Roy Hibbert, Georgetown
PF - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
SF - Michael Beasley, Kansas State
SG - OJ Mayo, USC
PG - Chris Lofton, Tennessee

Pre-Season Second Team
C - Kevin Love, UCLA
PF - Brandon Costner, NC State
SF - DJ White, Indiana
SG - Darren Collison, UCLA
PG - Ty Lawson, UNC

Pre-Season Third Team
C - Joey Dorsey, Memphis
PF - Chase Budinger, Arizona
SF - Taj Gibson, USC
SG - Jamont Gordon, MSU
PG - DJ Augustin, Texas

Diaper Dandies
Michael Beasley, 6-10/240, Kansas State
OJ Mayo, 6-5/200, Southern Cal
Derrick Rose, 6-4/195, Memphis
Eric Gordon, 6-4/220, Indiana
Kevin Love, 6-10/250, UCLA