Mike Kahn's preaseason rankings

[Lurker]

No real surprises here....except for maybe the Miami Shaqs at #7.

Power Rankings: Preseason taste of things to come  
   By Mike Kahn
SportsLine.com Executive Editor
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  Figuring out Power Rankings before training camp is comparable to reviewing a dinner before it's even cooked.

There's no way to accurately assess the seasoning that has taken place.

It is way too early to tell what is ripe enough to be considered viable.

And until some time has passed, it is impossible to tell what has become stale and is no longer usable.

Indeed, that's food for thought as NBA training camp for the 2004-05 season opens. The preseason games begin next week, and regular-season games don't get under way until the first week of November.

Nonetheless, we are ready and willing to put our two cents on the line and begin our Power Rankings for the season. They won't be weekly until the regular season begins, but here's a look at what we believe as the Detroit Pistons set out to defend their 2004 title.

Preseason Power Rankings for Oct. 4:

POWER RANKINGS
Current Team Previous
1 Detroit Pistons 1
The defending champions have the potential to be even better this season, with more experience and a better bench with Antonio McDyess, Derrick Coleman and rookie Carlos Delfino.
2 San Antonio Spurs 2
It's hard not to believe in the Spurs defense as the most dominant component in the Western Conference. And the tough combination of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili now has Brent Barry, too.
3 Minnesota Timberwolves 3
They were very close to winning the West last season, and that's with half their rotation injured through January. And now that Kevin Garnett has a taste of success, he wants the whole enchilada.
4 Indiana Pacers 5
Their defense only gets tougher with the addition of guard Stephen Jackson on the perimeter. Major questions loom in the physical stability of Jamal Tinsley and the mental stability of Ron Artest.
5 Sacramento Kings 4
If the Kings were ever healthy, they might win the West, but that just seems like an impossibility with Bobby Jackson, Doug Christie and Greg Ostertag already hurt and their astonishing recent history.
6 Houston Rockets 6
This really is a solid group around Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, and much more logical players to fit into Jeff Van Gundy's system. The real question is who's going to run the team on the floor?
7 Miami Heat 7
Shaquille O'Neal has brought his "Diesel Show" to South Florida. Now we'll see how far along Dwyane Wade really is, how much Eddie Jones has left in his tank and if the other players picked up are ready to win.
8 Memphis Grizzlies 9
Adding Brian Cardinal was a minor move, but he brings some interior toughness the Grizzlies were lacking. They're in the NBA's most competitive division, but that doesn't mean they can't win 50 games again.
9 Denver Nuggets 8
Kenyon Martin and Nene have already locked horns during workouts, so there's a sense that the Nuggets are already a much tougher team. What we need to know is whether the backcourt is good enough to win.
10 Dallas Mavericks 10
There is so much talent here, but whether these disparate parts will fit into a cohesive unit that's capable of accepting limited minutes remains to be seen ... not to mention heard.
11 Utah Jazz 12
Overpaying free agents Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur to lure them to Salt Lake City, plus rookies Kirk Snyder and Kris Humphries, give coach Jerry Sloan a much better group than the one that almost made the playoffs last year.
12 Los Angeles Lakers 11
Considering that aging center Vlade Divac is already nursing a back problem, it's obvious the Lakers are going to lack a power game, so it will be up to Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom to lead them on the move.
13 Portland Trail Blazers 13
They don't exactly fit together, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim wants out, but there is still plenty of talent that can push the Blazers into playoff contention again.
14 New York Knicks 16
Open-floor players Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Tim Thomas and, presumably, Allan Houston (if his knee is sound) will score points. But what will Vin Baker, Kurt Thomas and Michael Sweetney do inside?
15 Boston Celtics 19
Assuming Gary Payton shows up ready to play, they should be much better with a healthy Raef LaFrentz, a happy Mark Blount and a less-stressed Paul Pierce, who now has additional help carrying the team.
16 Philadelphia 76ers 14
It's hard to know just how well everyone will adjust to Allen Iverson playing point guard, what Corliss Williamson requires "touch-wise" in the post and where Glenn Robinson fits into all of this.
17 Milwaukee Bucks 15
The Bucks were a surprise team last season, but they've lost players that helped and really haven't added anyone who can pick up the slack compared to the rest of the East.
18 New Orleans Hornets 17
Now that they know Jamal Mashburn won't be playing, it will be interesting to see how coach Byron Scott handles Baron Davis and the need for scoring from elsewhere.
19 Cleveland Cavaliers 21
We all know that they are expecting big things from LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, but the key will be if Drew Gooden has matured emotionally into his immense talents to replace Carlos Boozer.
20 Toronto Raptors 23
Expect Sam Mitchell to motivate Vince Carter and Jalen Rose to the point that this team will stop underachieving and, if healthy, make a solid push for a playoff spot.
21 Phoenix Suns 20
The Suns are lacking much of any power game beyond Amare Stoudemire, but their open-court game is as talented and deep as any other roster in the league ... although still a little young.
22 Seattle SuperSonics 22
There's not much coach Nate McMillan can count on beyond Ray Allen. With little size or defense, they do have a lot of shooters who will get hot on occasion and upset some teams.
23 Orlando Magic 27
If Johnny Davis can get everybody on the same page, they'll be much tougher and maybe even sneak up the ladder. And if Grant Hill can actually play, these guys might challenge for the playoffs.
24 Washington Wizards 24
Adding Antawn Jamison to the core of Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes could be construed as "Warriors East," but they're now older and better, with good, young talent around them.
25 Golden State Warriors 25
It's hard to figure what kind of feel career college coach Mike Montgomery will have for this team, but he'll find out early which players can handle the grind.
26 Los Angeles Clippers 26
If Mike Dunleavy can somehow keep Elton Brand, Corey Maggette and the rest of the frontcourt healthy, they will cause some damage in the Western Conference.
27 Atlanta Hawks 29
New coach Mike Woodson won't have trouble scoring points with Antoine Walker and Al Harrington up front and Kenny Anderson and Jon Barry pushing the ball, but it's hard to figure who's going to play defense.
28 New Jersey Nets 18
It's hard to understand how the Nets are going to win at all early considering Jason Kidd is still months away from playing, and gone are Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles, Lucious Harris and Rodney Rogers, with very little in return.
29 Chicago Bulls 28
Any team that is counting on the dietary tendencies of Eddy Curry to carry the team is really reaching, but if Scott Skiles can get the young guys to play hard and focus on defense, they'll improve from last season.
30 Charlotte Bobcats 30
Expansion teams equate to dilution of talent, and you know where all the leftovers land, don't you?
 
 

[Lurker]

Might as well add Marc Stein's ESPN view of the NBA world.....


Created On: Oct. 4, 2004 ESPN.com


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They're back! Not just the players. Marc Stein's Power Rankings, too.
With teams ending their summer vacations Monday, ESPN.com's NBA Power Rankings make their long-awaited return with this Training Camp Edition, rating every team from 1 through 30.

For the purposes of review, this initial set of rankings serves as a barometer of each team's standing heading into camp, based on Stein's special formula.

That formula? It gauges how good a team is along with how good their summer was ... with a dash of totally subjective whim factored in.

The next set of rankings will appear on Monday, Nov. 1 on the eve of Opening Night, after giving all 30 teams a month to impress us. The rankings will then continue every Monday through the regular season, with a weekly column running with it once the games start counting. Click here to comment on the first batch of rankings.

Editor's note: Last Week and Record categories are from the final Power Rankings of the 2003-04 season.


2005 Power Rankings: Training Camp
Rank (Last Wk) Team Rec. Comment
 1 (3) Pistons 54-28 You know by now the treatment defending champs get here. Especially when their roster looks better, with Dice and Delfino, than it did in June.
 2 (1) Spurs 57-25 Pop says he 'hated' the Shaq trade because beating the three-peaters was the ultimate challenge. The bet here is he'll get over it once these Spurs start rolling.
 3 (2) Timberwolves 58-24 No one doubts them in the playoffs any more. The doubts of note are attached to Cassell's hip, because Sam I Am absolutely has to be healthy for Minny to stay up here.
 4 (14) Heat 42-40 The committee has always found South Beach to be a bit overrated. But that was before it became Shaq-apulco.
 5 (4) Pacers 61-21 Yup. That really is three teams from the East in the top five. And, yes, Pacer People: Your arguably underrated squad has to start out third after what Detroit and Miami did.
 6 (9) Nuggets 43-39 It's a big jump up here, true, but Nuggets' frontcourt rotation really is one of the biggest and best. K-Mart, Camby, Nene . . . before you even get to Melo? Solid.
 7 (12) Rockets 45-37 As with Denver, some will say this is too steep a climb, especially since Rockets have PG issues. But we like the T-Mac move that much, along with the Juwan throw-in.
 8 (6) Kings 55-27 Maybe no team is harder to assess at this stage. Kings still have C-Webb, Peja, Bibby, Bobby Jax and Brad Miller . . . but start anew with more tension and doubt than they've seen in years.
 9 (10) Jazz 42-40 Joining Jerry Sloan's overachieving kids this week: Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and the rehabbed Matt Harpring. Three boosts for a team no one liked playing before.
 10 (7) Mavericks 52-30 There's still too much there to drop Dallas out of the top 10 sans Nash. That said, looks like Mavs still have too many scorers and not enough passers, even if they do improve on D.
 11 (21) Suns 29-53 Yet Nash is rated highly here, which is why Suns have risen so dramatically. The glut of swingmen, mind you, could be a trouble spot unless one of them (Marion most likely) is moved.
 12 ( Grizzlies 50-32 Hubie's back and Grizz might be even deeper than they were, but the surprise factor is gone. Memphis won't sneak up on anyone any more, which makes that next step even tougher.  
 13 (5) Lakers 56-26 It's only out of respect for Kobe's prodigious talents and Rudy T's ability to connect with stars that LA is this high. Seriously: LA's smallish roster is no lock for a playoff spot.
 14 (13) Trail Blazers 41-41 West is so ridiculously deep that Portland is hardly mentioned anywhere as a playoff contender, even after landing Van Exel to join Zach, Theo and Reef.
 15 (16) Warriors 37-45 This really isn't a top-15 team, but Warriors had a better summer than most clubs in this vicinity, just by hiring Mully and empowering him to start changing the culture up there.
 16 (15) Bucks 41-41 Milwaukee can handle not being able to sneak up on folks now. The bigger problem is replacing the guard play of T.J. Ford, a quietly huge factor in last season's breakout.
 17 (22) Cavaliers 35-47 You would have expected a steeper PR drop after Boozergate, but that's the state of the East outside of Detroit-Miami-Indiana. With LBJ, a playoff spot is forthcoming even without Booze.
 18 (20) Celtics 36-46 We might be shortchanging Boston. Doc Rivers has lots to do, but the volatility (GP/Ricky Ricky) is talented, and joined by Paul Pierce and a good frontline by East standards (Blount/Raef).
 19 (11) Nets 47-35 Like its opponents in the '02 Finals, Jersey lost a lot of its soul since the spring. And with Kidd unlikely to rush back from knee surgery, the first six weeks could empty out what's left at the Meadowlands.
 20 (17) Hornets 41-41 They have moved to the West. They have a franchise player (Baron) who wants to relocate. They have lost Mash for the season already. Summers don't get much worse.
 21 (18) Knicks 39-43 Instead of capitalizing on NJ's disintegration, look for NY to go the other way. That means a Lenny Watch, Steph passing sparingly and the usual logjam of undersized PFs.
 22 (29) Magic 21-61 The names sound somewhat appealing: Stevie Franchise, Cuttino, Hedo, Dwight Howard . . . maybe even a Grant Hill sighting. Of course, they're just names 'til we see some games.
 23 (23) 76ers 33-49 With Iverson, Dalembert and Coach Obie, you have to give Philly a chance to grab the eighth spot. But that's really all we can give.
 24 (24) Hawks 28-54 In talent and ticket-selling terms, Atlanta isn't any better off than it was. But just enough happened in the offseason ('Toine, Harrington, Woodson) to make us curious, if no one else.
 25 (26) Bulls 23-59 Kirk Hinrich is worth watching, and so is Andres Nocioni, but we're not going to be gullible again. Baby Bulls can expect little to zero slack from the committee.
 26 (27) Raptors 33-49 Vince is another guy who has exhausted our patience, which explains why a team that added two committee favorites -- new coach Sam Mitchell and Cal State Fullerton draftee Pape Sow -- is lower than it probably should be.
 27 (25) Wizards 25-57 Antawn Jamison will help, but only so much. It's tough to do well in the Power Rankings when you look so thin at the power positions.
 28 (28) Clippers 28-54 Last time Lakers cratered, after Magic Johnson's HIV-forced retirement, LA actually became a Clips town ever-so-briefly. Don't expect that miracle again.
 29 (19) SuperSonics 37-45 Only two teams in the West have no shot at the playoffs, and this is No. 1 on that list. The return of Nick Collison will help, but it was another way-too-quiet summer in Seattle.
 30 Bobcats - Emeka Okafor is a nice kid and a decent prospect . . . but that's probably the most positive thing we'll be able to say about these guys for a while.

[westkoast]

westkoast's power rankings

1 - Los Angeles Lakers - Why? Because they are my team.

2. Los Angeles Clippers - Why? Because I love JV Basketball

3. Sac-town Kings - To round off the westcoast bias

4. SA Spurs - Because I feel bad MSN.com just labeled him as a super star with no personality, should be #1 but they dont play in LA or on the westcoast.

5.  Detroit Pistons - I heard they drafted two new refs to blow whistles more frequent than every minute and a half per playoff game.