Post by Kruwaukee on Aug 1, 2009 0:21:32 GMT -5
Power is everything. In UOSLR if you don't have a * next to your name then you don't have shit. Many teams this season are vying for that almighty asterisk next to their name and right to change the colors of the league. Who right now is in the drivers seat? We'll soon find out on our countdown to #1.....
29. New York Knick
The Knicks have completely gutted their team to barebones after they shipped pretty much their heart and soul of their franchise to the Blazers in exchange for their dignity and self worth, ummI mean their own draft picks back. Unlike previous seasons, Knick fans actually have something to cheer for this year. Thats right the #1 pick! Chances are they will boo anyways.
28. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are really living up to their bad boy reputation but just not in the same sense. They are bad as in suck not as in badass. The Pistons will look to manufacture some talent via draft and free agency with a lot of salary coming off the books next season. It's a shame they couldn't lock up Brent Barry. After he left for Sonics it was amazing that suicide rate went down in Seattle and spiked to new levels in Detroit. Talk about die hards...literally!
27. Utah Jazz
Somebody hit stop on the music in Utah. The Streets of Salt Lake City are quiet and the Delta Center is empty after the departures of all the Jazz greats. The team is trying to sell the fans on Jalen Rose like he is some type of superstar but the fact remains that he isn't but he sure as hell is paid like one. The fans do enjoy the showboating skills of rookie point guard Rafer "Skip to my Lou" Alston. Still its not better to be known as a circus than a basketball team.
26. Houston Rockets
Houston we have a problem! The Rockets have desperately tried to blow up this franchise but have been unsuccessful in the complete rebuild of this franchise as they still have Kevin "KJ" Johnson on the books for another 14 mil next season. In addition to KJ, Mohommad Abdul-Rauf is under contract next year as well for 10 mil. Not the best rebuilding plan to occupy half of your cap space into 2 declining players. Vince Carter looks very promising though and he already been a regular guest of Sport Center's Top 10 plays.
25. Golden State Warriors
Talk about a motley crew of rag tag players in Golden State. Thank goodness fans are clueless in the Bay area because GM Aar would be out of a job. The Warriors have cemented themselves with long contracts that will help them sink to the bottom of this list....26...27...28....29. Nothing like having Dee Brown and Frankie King as the faces of your franchise for the next 3 seasons...yikes! No wonder why people like art.
24. Orlando Magic
It's pretty funny that the GM of the "Magic" can't seem to get any "luck" in the lotto or so he claims. Right now this team looks like a Mickey Mouse club in comparison to the rest of the league. The future however is promising, remember the Mickey Mouse club does tend to produce mega stars. Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears to name a few.
23. Boston Celtics
I hope this shows up. It's the Boston Celtics. It's amazing how the person who is in charge of the historic franchise of the Boston Celtics is an admitted Los Angeles Lakers fans. What the Fuck?!?!? Even so the Celtics have a lot invested in this past draft class with the selections of Larry Hughes, Ricky Davis, and Brad Miller. Hopefully for them they luck out.
22. Phoenix Suns
They are hoping to rise again in Phoenix but it doesn't seem likely in the near future. Derrick Coleman and Christian Laettner will most likely spend the rest of their careers with the Suns and that could be a problem. WWJD? What will Jah do?
21. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers stuck in FBB purgatory aka mediocrity. They have a good core of youth which will be cashing in this offseason and the Lakers really need to examine their franchise to see if these are the players who will help them win in the future if not they might be sent packing before they get paid. The Lakers aren't too far off from being a winning franchise.
20. New Jersey Nets
The Nets have something brewing in the swamps of Jersey. Chauncey "Big Shot" Billups is doing his thing making the Nets a winner. One could argue they could move up a few slots on this list but right now the Nets are just overachieving a bit. They have the 4th worst FG% in the league and they play just about no defense. The Nets are victims of good teams tanking.
19. SanAntonio Spurs
The Spurs have a good duo in Jerry Stackhouse and Michael Finley. It seems they also made the right pick in Michael Olowokandi who should be the anchor in San Antonio's front court. It should be interesting to see if they can find the right PG to run this team in the right direction.
18. Washington Bullets
The Bullets have tore it down making major trades in the past few days which has shot them down the power rankings. However they still have a man named Chris Webber who is a world class talent and the Bullets can filter their entire offense around him. Should be interesting to see how far down they can shoot themselves down on the quest to #1.
17. Dallas Mavericks
No matter how hard they try it just doesn't seem to work in Dallas. At least Houston seems to be taking some heat off of them in the local papers. However everyone is wondering when the Mavericks are just going to give it up and say lets rebuild? Some just say GM Idle is just trying to save his job instead of tearing it apart.
16. Sacramento Kings
The Kings are the most invested team in the league as they have over 50 million invested into their starting 5 and they really aren't a playoff quality team. Some think that the King's players have just lost faith in their leader and don't have any motivation to play. One thing is for sure someone is to blame for the woes in Sacramento.
15. Atlanta Hawks
Hawk fans have been on a roller coaster ride dealing with ownership. Talk radio stations have been going off the hook with discussion on what this team should be doing. Last season Hawk fans were hopeful for a championship then the Hawks traded away their "missing piece" in Vernon Maxwell away to the Bulls and it was thought they were going rebuild but now here they are sitting in the middle of the eastern conference. What gives? The team is playing above their means right now and we wouldn't be surprised to see Ellison and Tisdale on the move soon.
14. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers broke the bank for Penny last offseason and he seems bringing a lil brotherly love back to Philly. Penny and Jackson are really a great 1-2 punch but the sixers are still lacking a bit in the front court department. Jermaine O'Neal might never develop under his current contract.
13. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are still looking to recover from their offseason scandal when center Vlade Divac was caught using a "banned substance" which helped cause a drastic spike in his numbers last season. The Nuggets could be in trouble with the contracts of Rony Seikly and Cliff Robinson.
12. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets have disassembled their franchise and they are still a playoff caliber team. Larry Johnson is a beast of a man despite acting as an elderly woman in commercials. Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, and Mugsey Bogues all still have it. The Hornets still have the buzz to beat any team on any given day.
11. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are a great up and coming team. Glenn Robinson has really blossomed into a #1 option player and Petrovic has provided the veteran leadership needed for the Clippers to be a playoff caliber team. The move of Juwan Howard to C hasn't paid the dividends they were hoping.
10. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs are severely underachieving right now due to the lack of leadership in the front office. They've only made 1 DC change all season which didn't happen until today. It's pretty tough when your team is struggling and you decide to make your first change at almost the midseason mark. Cleveland should start rocking the 2nd half of the season.
9. TorontoRaptors
Well without his airness they really drop pretty far in the rankings. With him they could fly as high as #1. Yes he is that good. Mighty Mouse needs to do a little more scoring for this team to have a chance.
8. Indiana Pacers
Andrew is a little off pace from last seasons magical run. He is searching for some answers and he might have found it in the acquisition of Reggie Lewis. Lewis will bring the Pacers a ton of versatility which could help Andrew figure out the winning combination. The Pacers do possess enough balanced, depth, and size to win it all.
7. Seattle Supersonics
Perhaps they are underrated by many folks and some would argue that they deserve to be higher but we're not fooled by the gimmick. Just like rain in Seattle the supersonics will fall. They are a great offensive team which boasts #1 rated offense in PPG and FG% but they are a terrible rebounding team having a negative margin on the season and they allow their opponents an alarming rate in FG%. So if the Sonics have an off night shooting they are in trouble and that won't help them in a 7 game series.
6. Portland Trailblazers
The Blazers are very high on many people's lists but they really haven't shown much yet as being a cohesive unit. GM Outlawz hasn't been actively pursuing trade opportunities nor has he really even been to concerned with his team. It's disappointing to see his laissez faire approach to running his team.
5. Milwaukee Bucks
It's pretty amazing to think that this team hasn't reached it's potential. All 5 of their starters are 25 or younger. They have an enormous amount of depth and roster balance that should really prove helpful come playoff time. It remains to be seen whether Theo Ratliff can hold his starting position or if Barkley or Baker will crack the starting lineup. They should remain a lock for a top 3 seed in the Eastern Confernce.
4. Miami Heat
Miami is a tough place to live. There are so many temptations you face on a daily basis and Sherman Douglas is dealing with avoiding his with his battle with alcohol addiction and depression. The Heat have been knocked down a bit with this blow but they're hoping to have Sherm come back for the playoffs which will make them one of the favorites going into it. Whenever you have Karl "Championships" Malone on your team you're in good shape.
3. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are a scary team to face. They have 2 monster scorers and they are very tough defensively inside. They do have some holes though one being at the SF position and they might lack a little balance in team scoring. Priera isn't as good as advertised. He is better! Should be the MVP of the league this season.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
The T-Wolves are looking to ravage another championship to Minnesota. They have restructured their team Kidd and Dream may be the best 1-5 anchor combo in the league and Allan Houston is really coming into his own in this offense. He really has benefitted from playing along side Jason Kidd.
1. Vancouver Grizzlies
Heavy is the burden of #1. The Grizzlies have the diesel to carry the load in Shaquille O'Neal and David Robinson giving them the best front court in all of UOSLR. The great play of St. John's University living legend Chris Mullin. He has filled the void of Allan Houston quite well to go along with Strickland running the point and Simmons being the guy who takes out the trash. They also have capable backups at every position. I wouldn't be surprised to see the UOSLR trophy held up 9 ft in the air by Shaq and D-Rob at the season's end.
29. New York Knick
The Knicks have completely gutted their team to barebones after they shipped pretty much their heart and soul of their franchise to the Blazers in exchange for their dignity and self worth, ummI mean their own draft picks back. Unlike previous seasons, Knick fans actually have something to cheer for this year. Thats right the #1 pick! Chances are they will boo anyways.
28. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are really living up to their bad boy reputation but just not in the same sense. They are bad as in suck not as in badass. The Pistons will look to manufacture some talent via draft and free agency with a lot of salary coming off the books next season. It's a shame they couldn't lock up Brent Barry. After he left for Sonics it was amazing that suicide rate went down in Seattle and spiked to new levels in Detroit. Talk about die hards...literally!
27. Utah Jazz
Somebody hit stop on the music in Utah. The Streets of Salt Lake City are quiet and the Delta Center is empty after the departures of all the Jazz greats. The team is trying to sell the fans on Jalen Rose like he is some type of superstar but the fact remains that he isn't but he sure as hell is paid like one. The fans do enjoy the showboating skills of rookie point guard Rafer "Skip to my Lou" Alston. Still its not better to be known as a circus than a basketball team.
26. Houston Rockets
Houston we have a problem! The Rockets have desperately tried to blow up this franchise but have been unsuccessful in the complete rebuild of this franchise as they still have Kevin "KJ" Johnson on the books for another 14 mil next season. In addition to KJ, Mohommad Abdul-Rauf is under contract next year as well for 10 mil. Not the best rebuilding plan to occupy half of your cap space into 2 declining players. Vince Carter looks very promising though and he already been a regular guest of Sport Center's Top 10 plays.
25. Golden State Warriors
Talk about a motley crew of rag tag players in Golden State. Thank goodness fans are clueless in the Bay area because GM Aar would be out of a job. The Warriors have cemented themselves with long contracts that will help them sink to the bottom of this list....26...27...28....29. Nothing like having Dee Brown and Frankie King as the faces of your franchise for the next 3 seasons...yikes! No wonder why people like art.
24. Orlando Magic
It's pretty funny that the GM of the "Magic" can't seem to get any "luck" in the lotto or so he claims. Right now this team looks like a Mickey Mouse club in comparison to the rest of the league. The future however is promising, remember the Mickey Mouse club does tend to produce mega stars. Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears to name a few.
23. Boston Celtics
I hope this shows up. It's the Boston Celtics. It's amazing how the person who is in charge of the historic franchise of the Boston Celtics is an admitted Los Angeles Lakers fans. What the Fuck?!?!? Even so the Celtics have a lot invested in this past draft class with the selections of Larry Hughes, Ricky Davis, and Brad Miller. Hopefully for them they luck out.
22. Phoenix Suns
They are hoping to rise again in Phoenix but it doesn't seem likely in the near future. Derrick Coleman and Christian Laettner will most likely spend the rest of their careers with the Suns and that could be a problem. WWJD? What will Jah do?
21. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers stuck in FBB purgatory aka mediocrity. They have a good core of youth which will be cashing in this offseason and the Lakers really need to examine their franchise to see if these are the players who will help them win in the future if not they might be sent packing before they get paid. The Lakers aren't too far off from being a winning franchise.
20. New Jersey Nets
The Nets have something brewing in the swamps of Jersey. Chauncey "Big Shot" Billups is doing his thing making the Nets a winner. One could argue they could move up a few slots on this list but right now the Nets are just overachieving a bit. They have the 4th worst FG% in the league and they play just about no defense. The Nets are victims of good teams tanking.
19. SanAntonio Spurs
The Spurs have a good duo in Jerry Stackhouse and Michael Finley. It seems they also made the right pick in Michael Olowokandi who should be the anchor in San Antonio's front court. It should be interesting to see if they can find the right PG to run this team in the right direction.
18. Washington Bullets
The Bullets have tore it down making major trades in the past few days which has shot them down the power rankings. However they still have a man named Chris Webber who is a world class talent and the Bullets can filter their entire offense around him. Should be interesting to see how far down they can shoot themselves down on the quest to #1.
17. Dallas Mavericks
No matter how hard they try it just doesn't seem to work in Dallas. At least Houston seems to be taking some heat off of them in the local papers. However everyone is wondering when the Mavericks are just going to give it up and say lets rebuild? Some just say GM Idle is just trying to save his job instead of tearing it apart.
16. Sacramento Kings
The Kings are the most invested team in the league as they have over 50 million invested into their starting 5 and they really aren't a playoff quality team. Some think that the King's players have just lost faith in their leader and don't have any motivation to play. One thing is for sure someone is to blame for the woes in Sacramento.
15. Atlanta Hawks
Hawk fans have been on a roller coaster ride dealing with ownership. Talk radio stations have been going off the hook with discussion on what this team should be doing. Last season Hawk fans were hopeful for a championship then the Hawks traded away their "missing piece" in Vernon Maxwell away to the Bulls and it was thought they were going rebuild but now here they are sitting in the middle of the eastern conference. What gives? The team is playing above their means right now and we wouldn't be surprised to see Ellison and Tisdale on the move soon.
14. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers broke the bank for Penny last offseason and he seems bringing a lil brotherly love back to Philly. Penny and Jackson are really a great 1-2 punch but the sixers are still lacking a bit in the front court department. Jermaine O'Neal might never develop under his current contract.
13. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are still looking to recover from their offseason scandal when center Vlade Divac was caught using a "banned substance" which helped cause a drastic spike in his numbers last season. The Nuggets could be in trouble with the contracts of Rony Seikly and Cliff Robinson.
12. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets have disassembled their franchise and they are still a playoff caliber team. Larry Johnson is a beast of a man despite acting as an elderly woman in commercials. Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, and Mugsey Bogues all still have it. The Hornets still have the buzz to beat any team on any given day.
11. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are a great up and coming team. Glenn Robinson has really blossomed into a #1 option player and Petrovic has provided the veteran leadership needed for the Clippers to be a playoff caliber team. The move of Juwan Howard to C hasn't paid the dividends they were hoping.
10. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs are severely underachieving right now due to the lack of leadership in the front office. They've only made 1 DC change all season which didn't happen until today. It's pretty tough when your team is struggling and you decide to make your first change at almost the midseason mark. Cleveland should start rocking the 2nd half of the season.
9. TorontoRaptors
Well without his airness they really drop pretty far in the rankings. With him they could fly as high as #1. Yes he is that good. Mighty Mouse needs to do a little more scoring for this team to have a chance.
8. Indiana Pacers
Andrew is a little off pace from last seasons magical run. He is searching for some answers and he might have found it in the acquisition of Reggie Lewis. Lewis will bring the Pacers a ton of versatility which could help Andrew figure out the winning combination. The Pacers do possess enough balanced, depth, and size to win it all.
7. Seattle Supersonics
Perhaps they are underrated by many folks and some would argue that they deserve to be higher but we're not fooled by the gimmick. Just like rain in Seattle the supersonics will fall. They are a great offensive team which boasts #1 rated offense in PPG and FG% but they are a terrible rebounding team having a negative margin on the season and they allow their opponents an alarming rate in FG%. So if the Sonics have an off night shooting they are in trouble and that won't help them in a 7 game series.
6. Portland Trailblazers
The Blazers are very high on many people's lists but they really haven't shown much yet as being a cohesive unit. GM Outlawz hasn't been actively pursuing trade opportunities nor has he really even been to concerned with his team. It's disappointing to see his laissez faire approach to running his team.
5. Milwaukee Bucks
It's pretty amazing to think that this team hasn't reached it's potential. All 5 of their starters are 25 or younger. They have an enormous amount of depth and roster balance that should really prove helpful come playoff time. It remains to be seen whether Theo Ratliff can hold his starting position or if Barkley or Baker will crack the starting lineup. They should remain a lock for a top 3 seed in the Eastern Confernce.
4. Miami Heat
Miami is a tough place to live. There are so many temptations you face on a daily basis and Sherman Douglas is dealing with avoiding his with his battle with alcohol addiction and depression. The Heat have been knocked down a bit with this blow but they're hoping to have Sherm come back for the playoffs which will make them one of the favorites going into it. Whenever you have Karl "Championships" Malone on your team you're in good shape.
3. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are a scary team to face. They have 2 monster scorers and they are very tough defensively inside. They do have some holes though one being at the SF position and they might lack a little balance in team scoring. Priera isn't as good as advertised. He is better! Should be the MVP of the league this season.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
The T-Wolves are looking to ravage another championship to Minnesota. They have restructured their team Kidd and Dream may be the best 1-5 anchor combo in the league and Allan Houston is really coming into his own in this offense. He really has benefitted from playing along side Jason Kidd.
1. Vancouver Grizzlies
Heavy is the burden of #1. The Grizzlies have the diesel to carry the load in Shaquille O'Neal and David Robinson giving them the best front court in all of UOSLR. The great play of St. John's University living legend Chris Mullin. He has filled the void of Allan Houston quite well to go along with Strickland running the point and Simmons being the guy who takes out the trash. They also have capable backups at every position. I wouldn't be surprised to see the UOSLR trophy held up 9 ft in the air by Shaq and D-Rob at the season's end.
