Tag Archives: Minnesota

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2012 NFL Update #3

The problem with having something giant magically pop up in your life is that the old things slip – like putting an NFL update together in time.  Alas, my neglect of this – especially with the league going to Thursday games.  Obviously with Arizona’s execrable offensive line performance, the lofty perch the Cardinals hold in the pre-Week 4 power rankings will change.  At the same time, there is more of the league to observe, so here is a quick update with the rankings prior to Thursday.  Note that if we added Thursday to the soup the Rams would be #7 and the Cardinals would be #4.

Rank Team W L RPI Margin PairWins
1 Texans 4 0 0.627 (4) 21.083 (1) 29
2 Falcons 4 0 0.67 (3) 18.875 (3) 29
3 Cardinals 4 0 0.75 (1) 16.542 (5) 29
4 Ravens 3 1 0.625 (5) 16.25 (6) 27
5 Bears 3 1 0.604 (8) 13.063 (8) 25
6 Patriots 2 2 0.609 (7) 17.625 (4) 24
7 Eagles 3 1 0.677 (2) 3.938 (15) 24
8 Vikings 3 1 0.578 (10) 6.854 (11) 23
9 49ers 3 1 0.623 (6) 15.542 (7) 22
10 Broncos 2 2 0.563 (11) 19.375 (2) 21
11 Bengals 3 1 0.56 (12) 3.875 (16) 19
12 Rams 2 2 0.503 (15) 4.125 (14) 19
13 Seahawks 2 2 0.594 (9) 8 (10) 19
14 Packers 2 2 0.466 (21) 10.646 (9) 18
15 Chargers 3 1 0.554 (13) 3.667 (17) 15
16 Dolphins 1 3 0.499 (16) 4.458 (13) 14
17 Cowboys 2 2 0.498 (17) 2.646 (19) 13
18 Colts 1 2 0.479 (18) -3.333 (26) 12
19 Giants 2 2 0.448 (22) 6.458 (12) 10
20 Jaguars 1 3 0.552 (14) -1.917 (23) 9
21 Lions 1 3 0.429 (23) -2.188 (24) 9
22 Steelers 1 2 0.379 (28) 0 (20) 6
23 Redskins 2 2 0.401 (26) 2.708 (18) 6
24 Jets 2 2 0.467 (20) -2.208 (25) 5
25 Bills 2 2 0.388 (27) -5.042 (28) 3
26 Titans 1 3 0.469 (19) -7.792 (29) 3
27 Browns 0 4 0.411 (25) -3.375 (27) 3
28 Chiefs 1 3 0.417 (24) -7.917 (30) 2
29 Bucs 1 3 0.313 (30) -0.271 (21) 2
30 Panthers 1 3 0.307 (31) -1.188 (22) 1
31 Raiders 1 3 0.368 (29) -9.75 (32) 0
32 Saints 0 4 0.188 (32) -8.042 (31) 0

Some of the usual observations:

  • Despite the intro – the Cardinals 4-0(1) start is still pretty remarkable.  What is particular fascinating is that the entire NFC West is .500 or better – just think that two seasons ago this was the sickest joke in playoff football history.  Season is long, so there is time for this to change, but still.
  • Patriots sagging at 1-2 hung up a 45 point second half over the poor Buffalo Bills.  2-2 is not “fixed” by any means, but the 4th rated scoring margin portends to bigger things ahead.
  • We have talked about the NFC East as a surprise, but clearly the NFL’s biggest shock so far is the 3-1 start enjoyed by the Minnesota Vikings – who were largely expected to stink.  Adrian Peterson’s return has helped a ton, but really it is the development of Christian Ponder into an adequate NFL quarterback and a defense which has largely been good enough.  They have not piled up any of the Bears/Vikings games yet, but a win over Detroit at least for now seems like a nice feather.
  • The disappointment?  Well – it has to be the Saints, though last week represented progress.  Frankly, in prime time with Drew Brees ready to set a record, it would be hard to envision them losing to San Diego – although their defense is horrific enough to allow that possibility.  Can the Saints go 10-2 the rest of the way?  I wouldn’t put it past them, but clearly they are up against it now in the playoff chase.
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Dare to be Stupid – The Melo Deal

After much anticipation, we have unofficial word of Carmelo Anthony being dealt to the New York Knicks.  Honestly, I was hoping the deal would be made at halftime of the NBA All Star Game so he could switch uniforms at halftime.  Alas, no such luck.  However, the three team deal that made this happen – assuming this is the trade – is very interesting.

The Timberwolves get Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph from the Knicks.

The Knicks get Corey Brewer from the Timberwolves.  The Knicks get Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman from the Nuggets.

The Nuggets get Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Raymond Felton, a 2014 first round pick and 2012 and 2013 second rounders that belonged to the Warriors.

For the Timberwolves, this deal is pretty basic.  They get Eddy Curry’s salary cap space and Anthony Randolph’s otherworldly but as yet untapped talent in exchange for Corey Brewer – who is a nice player, but not somebody who will be a core player on the next good Timberwolves team.  Actually I like this for the Timberwolves, and if you look carefully David Kahn has done a good job accumulating talent – granted talent without any real fit, but talent.

For the Nuggets, they obviously are a loser.  When you give up the best player in the deal – it’s a loss.  However, if you accept that Carmelo was gone – then Denver did fairly well.  They got four starters from the Knicks, all up-tempo and can fit into the system Denver already runs.  Mozgov is a bit of a wildcard – he has been awful most of the year, but has delivered a couple of encouraging performances.  The starting caliber players do not make up for Anthony and Billups, but it gets them younger and cleans up their payroll.  The draft pick bounty is not as good as what New Jersey offered – that is the surprise about Denver taking this deal.  I guess your grade for Denver is directly related to how seriously you took Melo’s position.  Denver could have called his bluff and moved him to the Nets who seemed to be offering some sort of mini Herschel Walker package.  In making this move, they seemed spooked about Anthony’s willingness to facilitate a move to the better deal.  Whether that is true or not, we’ll never know.

The Knicks pretty clearly got the best players here.  That said, one questions the Knicks dealmaking – giving up so much in this sort of move when you had so much implied leverage, it was as if the Knicks were either A) being run by Isiah Thomas (maybe they ARE) or B) channeling Barack Obama in a room full of Republicans.  The Knicks got two elite starters in Anthony and Billups.  Going with Stoudemire, this is an exciting team.  However, especially with a new labor agreement coming, I do not know if there is cap room for the Knicks to add more.  If Anthony signs, this is their team for the foreseeable future – unless they think they can move Billups for a younger point guard.  This team looks like they will be better, and maybe even a dangerous floater in the East tournament.  However, did this deal make the Knicks a serious near term threat against Boston, Miami, Chicago or Orlando?  Is Carmelo Anthony that kind of player?  He is a good rebounder and great scorer – but is he a franchise changer?  I don’t know.  The Knicks won this deal by getting one of those sorts of players who are just serially hard to find.  However, I don’t know how far this will actually get them in the brutally difficult top heavy East.

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2011 NBA Power Rankings – Week 3

The Heat of course, lost a couple of times, the Celtics had a big win, and there are no longer any unbeatens in the Association.  How does this manifest itself in the rankings so far?  The method behind the madness is here:

Rank Team W L Off Def Road SOS Rating
1 Hornets 8 1 103.513 (7) 93.816 (3) 1.556 5.516 (1) 16.769
2 Heat 6 4 105.662 (3) 96.329 (6) 1.4 4.296 (4) 15.029
3 Celtics 8 2 102.756 (10) 95.554 (4) 2.1 4.235 (5) 13.536
4 Mavericks 7 2 102.836 (9) 95.662 (5) 1.167 2.441 (10) 10.782
5 Magic 7 3 101.247 (15) 92.73 (2) 1.05 0.448 (25) 10.015
6 Spurs 8 1 105 (5) 97.964 (8) 1.556 0.676 (24) 9.267
7 Lakers 8 2 108.585 (1) 100.93 (13) 1.05 0.252 (26) 8.957
8 Bucks 5 5 94.097 (28) 91.455 (1) 1.75 4.454 (3) 8.846
9 Nuggets 5 5 102.363 (11) 100.984 (14) 2.1 5.138 (2) 8.617
10 Bulls 5 3 102.291 (12) 96.851 (7) 0.875 1.274 (19) 7.59
11 Suns 6 4 105.882 (2) 104.285 (27) 1.75 3.613 (7) 6.96
12 Blazers 6 5 103.789 (6) 101.533 (18) 2.227 1.427 (17) 5.91
13 Jazz 7 4 101.592 (13) 101.433 (15) 2.227 1.992 (13) 4.378
14 Hawks 7 4 105.266 (4) 101.487 (17) 1.591 -1.048 (28) 4.322
15 Pacers 4 4 99.835 (18) 99.41 (9) 1.75 1.905 (15) 4.08
16 Sixers 2 8 98.66 (22) 99.85 (11) 2.1 2.801 (9) 3.712
17 Rockets 3 6 101.486 (14) 102.215 (19) 2.333 1.92 (14) 3.524
18 Bobcats 4 7 100.078 (17) 99.818 (10) 1.909 1.013 (21) 3.182
19 Thunder 6 4 103.223 (8) 105.522 (28) 1.4 2.022 (12) 1.122
20 Warriors 7 4 99.244 (21) 100.012 (12) 1.909 -0.189 (27) 0.952
21 Grizzlies 4 7 97.288 (26) 102.275 (21) 1.909 4.028 (6) 0.95
22 Raptors 2 8 99.536 (19) 104.1 (26) 2.1 2.383 (11) -0.081
23 Knicks 3 7 97.822 (24) 101.461 (16) 1.75 0.74 (22) -1.149
24 Pistons 4 7 98.172 (23) 102.587 (23) 2.227 0.697 (23) -1.491
25 Nets 4 6 99.486 (20) 103.63 (24) 1.4 1.179 (20) -1.566
26 Cavaliers 4 5 97.442 (25) 102.578 (22) 1.556 -1.275 (29) -4.855
27 Wizards 2 6 93.44 (30) 102.227 (20) 1.75 1.65 (16) -5.387
28 Timberwolves 3 9 93.477 (29) 103.721 (25) 2.333 1.406 (18) -6.505
29 Clippers 1 10 94.723 (27) 105.797 (29) 1.591 2.958 (8) -6.525
30 Kings 3 6 100.447 (16) 107.321 (30) 1.556 -3.063 (30) -8.381

Some observations about the third week?

  • After two weeks at the top, the rankings could not deny the New Orleans’ Hornets hot start any longer.  Chris Paul has been the league’s best player so far – until he falls apart, that does not seem to be changing.  But moreover, the Hornets (against a very good schedule to date) have succeeded with a good defensive approach.  They are 3rd in total defense, and strong on both the quality and quantity dimensions.  Their true shooting percentage against is 3rd in the league (so they do a good job preventing scoring chances from becoming baskets) and they allow the 6th fewest shots per possession (so they do a good job preventing scoring chances generally).
  • After showing some early evidence that they might be the worst team in recent history, the Timberwolves put together a couple of wins and have started to move up the charts a little bit.  Obviously a move from 30th to 28th is faint praise, but it’s something.  Their offense is still putrid, and is only saved at all by their league leading ability to generate shots (Kevin Love’s 31 and 31 for instance).
  • SPOTLIGHT TEAM:  This week, we check in on the Cleveland Cavaliers since LeBron, well … you know.  They had a fun emotional opening night victory over a Boston team which was playing a second night of a back to back after a jihad with the Heat.  The Cavaliers looked like they could be interesting.  Alas, they have slipped to 26th in the rankings, despite their 4-5 record (they have had a very favorable early schedule).  Their offense is currently 23rd after being 3rd place a year ago.  This is obviously not shocking.  A bit more surprising is that losing LeBron James, not a good three point shooter, their team three point proficiency has plummeted from 2nd in the league a year ago to a very pedestrian 21st.  Add the loss of free throw generation that LeBron took with him, the Cavs true shooting percentage has slipped from 3rd to 22nd.  This more than offsets the small gain in shot quantity they have added (perhaps by playing JJ Hickson more).  Defensively, their dropoff is also not a huge surprise, but for different reasons.  Bron is a great defensive player, but Mike Brown, their fired coach was a great defensive coach.  They have always been stout on that end – it is part of Brown’s DNA coaching under Larry Brown.  What is interesting this year is that their quantity stats are about the same – they force more turnovers, but defensively rebound less effectively – but across the board, their shooting defense is just a lot worse – down from 3rd to 21st in true shooting defense.  Really, this cannot be attributed to LeBron.
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2011 NBA Preview: Teams 30-25

The first part of our 2011 NBA Preview started with last year’s rankings recapped.  But of course, that was LAST year.  What about this year – and shouldn’t an NBA preview feature wanton, almost certainly incorrect assessments about who is most likely to raise the banner next season?  But of course!  But to reach the top, we start at the bottom, so we count down the teams to the favorite to take home the gold.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (29th ranked in 2010, 29th offense, 27th defense)

After a season where GM David Kahn decided to stockpile point guards – we now have a situation where he decided to stockpile small forwards.  We have #4 overall pick Wesley Johnson – who has NBA talent but is 23, so one wonders if he has any star future – we have the highly fungible Martell Webster, Corey Brewer – a glue guy on a team desperate for stuff to glue together, and Michael Beasley – who really should be playing power forward.  Alas, Kevin Love is occupying that spot because Kahn has been seduced by Darko Milicic as a center with a pulse.  The team has a lot of depth, but I am not sure any of them besides Love are any good at all.  They are horrid on both ends of the floor and there is not a lot in their offseason that offers evidence of change.  Kurt Rambis’ attempts to fit these guys into the triangle also showed real questions about his ability to coach a CYO team.

CAN WIN THE TITLE IF: A Godzilla like space creature comes in and marauds every other city in the country but, due to a fear of Prince music, leaves Minneapolis untouched.

29. Toronto Raptors (17th overall in 2010, 5th offense, 30th defense)

The Raptors, like many of the teams in the toilet bowl section of this preview, are a series of complimentary players waiting for a superstar to save them.  Of course Chris Bosh, their best player, walked out the door to fulfill a pinky swear promise with Wade and LeBron, and left this Charmin-soft band of misfits behind.  Props to Brian Colangelo for foisting Hedo Turkoglu’s deal on the unsuspecting Phoenix Suns, but what is left here might be the single least intimidating team in NBA history.  With Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, Linus Kleiza, Leandro Barbosa – they can score and shoot well.  They were the 5th best offense a year ago, and that will suffer with Bosh’s absence – though they should still be middle of the pack.  However, their appalling defense of a year ago (not just 30th, but 30th by a larger margin than the difference between 29th and 25th) figures to be even worse too.

CAN WIN THE TITLE IF: The NBA changes its rules to allow all games played in Canada to be decided by a game of 21 or Knockout.

28. Detroit Pistons (28th overall in 2010, 21st in offense, 26th in defense)

The real surprise over the years as the Pistons have fallen apart from their 2003-2008 heyday is how they still play a molasses slow pace, but are now incredibly easy to play against.  26th in defense!  How?  After losing Flip Saunders, their offense faded from super efficient to pretty shaky, but the defense has slid too.  We know Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon are not defensive aces, but Tayshaun Prince (when healthy), Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace (who to be fair, had a good season) – where is the accountability?  Really there feels like there is just a depression over the franchise – this has not been a crash, but a gradual descent into irrelevance, kind of incredible given that they were in the semifinals as recently as 2008.  The ownership change to Mike Ilitch, who knows winning with the Red Wings and Tigers, will help – but not yet.

CAN WIN THE TITLE IF: The clock turns back to 2004.

27. Cleveland Cavaliers (1st overall in 2010, 3rd offense, 8th defense)

The #1 team of last year is 27?  How?  Ummm … I don’t know.  Seriously, what LeBron’s loss will do for their previously 3rd ranked offense cannot be overstated.  Their offense relied on having lots of good shooters and LeBron to slice them up.  Now?  Well Ramon Sessions is a good pick and roll point guard, but nobody would call him a LeBron playmaker.  Actually the cupboard is not that bare on some level, Hickson and Varajeao could be a very good frontcourt and they did defend well in the past.  I would not be surprised if they did better, but I am not sure where the offense comes from.

CAN WIN THE TITLE IF:  They trade for Antawn Jamison to give LeBron that help … oh wait a minute.

26. New Jersey Nets (30th overall in 2010, 30th offense, 25th defense)

The 12-70 Nets can’t get a whole lot worse than last year.  Considering this team flirted with East postseasondom in 2009, and Devin Harris and Brook Lopez have all star ability in them, there are some raw materials.  I loved the pickup of Anthony Morrow, who is one dimensional, but elite at that dimension (shooting the rock).  If they surprise me, they have the pieces to do so.  That said, their first round pick, Derrick Favors, is more a guy to dream on in the future than the present.  Their coaching will be somewhat improved with Avery Johnson (since Kiki Vandeweghe was just a sacrificial lamb) although Lawrence Frank is not at all a bad coach – the marginal improvement from the beginning of last season to this year is pretty small.  Really I just don’t see how they got THAT much better despite all their claims about cap space.  Travis Outlaw does not an offseason make.

CAN WIN THE TITLE IF: Well, they add Carmelo Anthony without seriously injuring the core i.e. just moving Favors, they start becoming interesting.  They have the cap room and assets to make a big move, so on some level this is a team that can at least dream – just not with this roster.

25. Golden State Warriors (22nd overall in 2010, 14th offense, 28th defense)

The best thing that happened to them is that Chris Cohan sold his team.  I know nothing about the new owners, but if they are just adequate that will be plenty.  This year’s team will not bear the fruit of this infusion of competence, but still one of the best markets in the league has hope again.  The team will be fun. Stephon Curry is one of my favorite players in the league, though he is paired with one of my least favorites in Monta Ellis.  They will run and score – their pace last year was the fastest in the league by a wide margin.  They will not defend – and getting David Lee in the offseason only makes that worse – although new coach Keith Smart might at least pretend since unlike Don Nelson, he will give a shit.  Also unlike Don Nelson, Smart might play Brandan Wright, who has been either injured or treated unconscionably by Nelson in the past.  There is talent even if they can’t guard a traffic cone.

CAN WIN THE TITLE IF: The playoffs occur at Rucker Park.  Really at least the last three teams in this section still have some ceiling – maybe not title ceiling, but could at least keep their fans flipping the sports pages until March.  The Warriors will be zany, and they will unearth good NBDL talent – but this is still a year or two away from being really somebody.



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MLB Division Series Previews

After the marathon, now comes the four week sprint to the finish line.  The baseball playoffs are the most compelling of sporting events – tension in every pitch, and really the exact opposite set of skills being tested.  If the regular season is about run scoring and organizational depth, the postseason is about everyday lineup and the ability to prevent baserunners.  So with that, the previews of each of the four Division Series matchups.

Yankees vs Twins

On paper, the Yankees are the best team in the American League.  The lineup is unmatched and the bullpen is very strong.  The defense is not as bad as it has been in year’s past with Brett Gardner representing a huge upgrade over what they were wheeling out in the past.  That said, the rotation has sagged, with AJ Burnett turning from a coach back into a pumpkin, and Andy Pettitte’s effectiveness being not guaranteed.  The Twins were right there for best record until the last weekend, but when we look at the sort of components you need to win short series baseball, there is not a ton there:

  • Lineups: Puh-leeze.  The Yankees smashed other pitchers into oblivion all season, despite Alex Rodriguez fading to merely very good, and Derek Jeter slipping to somewhat above average.  Robinson Cano is a legitimate MVP candidate, and they get power out of so many positions.  The Twins get on base, but without Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer is the only scary hitter they have – although Jim Thome has had a nice wayback machine season. (Edge: Yankees)
  • Bullpen: Both have been good down the stretch, but the Yankees miss more bats.  The less contact at this time of year, the better. (Edge: Yankees)
  • Defense: Both solid here.  Twins always make it a priority, though Yanks might be better in the edges.  If we use Fangraphs runs saved, Twins are 3rd, the Yankees are 10th in the AL.  For UZR, Twins are 2nd, Yanks are 5th.  (Edge: Twins)
  • Rotation:  Yanks have more upside, though both teams only have one reliable starter.  Sabbathia must be a horse for the Yankees to make their dreams come true.  Liriano is an ace, though not sure he has the durability needed here. (Edge: Yankees)
  • Manager: Both are obsessed with smallball, and Girardi managed the Yankees out of basically 3 of their 4 losses in the postseason last year.  Gardenhire is less inclined to screw things up.  (Edge: Twins)

The Twins last year were the worst team ever to make the postseason.  This is a much better squad.  But for short series baseball, they are not the Yankees equal, even with the Yankees being worse than a year ago.  Yankees in 4

Rays vs Rangers

This is a fascinating matchup of youth and upside.  Two great farm systems bearing all their fruit – really this is as wide open an AL playoff as there has been in quite some time.  The Rays made the World Series in 2008, so we know their short series credentials are strong.  The Rangers less so, though this is far more dangerous than the Gonzalez-Pudge-Rick Helling teams they ran out in the mid to late 90s.

  • Lineup: The Rays lack star power.  Longoria is their one true stud, as Zobrist has not been as good as in year’s previous.  But they take excellent at-bats up and down the lineup.  They are a good on base team.  The Rangers are a better on base team, but in a better hitters park.  But Josh Hamilton has been magnificent and Nelson Cruz has shown a lot of power.  (Edge: Rangers, but not by much)
  • Rotation: David Price and Cliff Lee are both Cy Young caliber guys.  But behind them, stuff changes.  CJ Wilson has the stuff of an excellent #2, but the dropoff is solid.  The Rays with James Shields, Matt Garza, Wade Davis have more options, though Cliff Lee could pitch in short rest. (Edge: Rays)
  • Bullpen: Rafael Soriano and Neftali Feliz are great closers.  Both bullpens have lefty and righty options and good setup guys.  The Rays are a little better here .  (Edge: Rays, slightly)
  • Defense: The Rays are a terrific run preventing defense. (5th in Runs Saved, 3rd in UZR)  The Rangers are more middle of the pack (9th and 7th respectively)  The Rays rode their defense to a pennant in 2008 – we know they can do this. (Edge: Rays)
  • Managing: Maddon is solid, respects OBP, and has shown sound tactics all season.  He hurt them in 2008, but seems smarter.  Washington has been with the Rangers for years.  He is certainly not bad.  (Edge: Rays)

A Rangers win is not a surprise here.  They are so talented and young in so many places.  They could rule the West for years.  But the Rays are the best team in baseball.  Does that mean they escape the murderous AL?  I don’t know – because there are tough opponents like this.  Rays in 5

Braves vs Giants

The Braves have stumbled to the finish line under the weight of serious injury problems.  They are a terrific on-base team though it has not translated to runs – though Jason Heyward is going to be a superstar.  The pitching has been solid all year.  Fortunately they are facing another offensively starved team led by a young uberstar (Buster Posey) in the Giants.  Both of these teams should be cannon fodder for the team below, but this is the most fascinating of the first round series.

Offense: Both stink.  The Braves have so many guys hurt, and the Giants have just been anemic all season.  That said, the Giants play in such a pitcher’s park that will explain some of their horror show, and with revived Pat Burrell, Aubrey Huff and Posey, they have a bit more to offer personnel wise than the Braves who are Heyward, Brian McCann and hope.  (Edge: Giants, slightly)

Defense: Both good.  3rd and 4th in runs saved.  That said, the Giants UZR is much better – indicating they get to more balls possibly.  This is somewhat speculative but the Giants show a bit more. (Edge: Giants)

Rotation: Both strong.  Lincecum and Cain are studs and Jonathan Sanchez and Baumgartner are all good for the Giants.  The Braves had to fight to the last day and use Tim Hudson, their ace, to get in.  This means that Derek Lowe needs to be able to give 2 starts to win this series.  For that reaso alone the Giants have the edge.

Bullpen: Both excellent.   Both managers have a lot of weapons at their disposal, the Braves being the bigger surprise with Billy Wagner having a wayback machine season.  (Push)

Manager: Cox is one of the best ever.  Bochy is not.  But he’s not Dusty Baker either.  (Edge: Braves)

Braves got a gift matchup, and they need it given how badly they limped to the finish line.  The Giants have the sort of team that can win a short series with that nasty top 3 in the rotation and solid defense.  The Braves on-base talent though could be enough to squeeze this series out.  This is a serially weird series to call, but I have to pick something.  Giants in 5

Phillies vs Reds

Here we are, your World Series favorite.  The Phillies with Oswalt, have such a short series devastating rotation and a lineup comparable to a good AL team that it’s hard to not see them get to their 3rd world series in a row, and for once a rotation edge on any AL team.  The Reds are young and gifted though, but this is the wrong year to get this matchup.

Lineup: The Phillies have fewer holes than the average NL lineup.  When healthy Chase Utley is the best player in baseball, and Ryan Howard is a good hitting 1B albeit split heavy and overrated.  Werth has had a terrific contract year.  This is not as strong a lineup as they have had in the past but certainly good.  The Reds are younger and Joey Votto is an MVP candidate.  Jay Bruce is a serious upside guy also and Scott Rolen has had a nice wayback season.   Both teams enjoy hitting parks.  (Edge: Reds)

Rotation: The Reds have been better than one’d expect, with Cueto having a strong year.  But the Phillies run out two potential #1 types in Halladay and Hamels with Oswalt being a tick below but damn good.  Really this top 3 might make them the favorites to win it all, period this year. (Edge: Phillies big)

Bullpen: Neither team is especially good.  The difference is the rotations and usage patterns of each manager, which shift the balance here.  In a vacuum, it’s a push, but games are played in TV sets, not in vacuums.  (Edge: Phillies)

Defense:  The Reds have been strong, 4th in the NL is UZR and Runs Saved.  The Phillies are middle of the pack in both.  The outfield defense in particular with Ibanez and Victorino seems meh.  The Reds can field the ball, if the pitchers can keep it in the park.  (Edge: Reds)

Manager: Charlie Manuel is old school while Dusty Baker might have run his staff into the ground.  Somehow, the Reds got in despite it.  Manuel will trust his lineup and not overmanage.  Dusty of course, well … we know.  (Edge: Phillies)

The Phillies are the heavy favorite in the NL and could very well win the whole damn thing with that pitching.  They have short series muscle to the teeth.  The Reds are young and this series has some slugfest potential – some – but the Phils might end up doing most of the slugging with that Reds staff. Phillies in 3

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NFL Power Rankings – Week 2

(unrelated note: two more mobile feasts added to the food truck page)

Well, if we can come up with a model to rank college football teams, might as well do the same with the NFL.  The nice thing with the NFL is 1) two games in the books for everyone so strength of schedule numbers are cleaner and 2) no neutral site games to worry about aside from the Halloween 49ers-Broncos game in London.  With 2 weeks of datapoints in the books, where do we shake down?

Rank Team W L T Margin Sched Rtg SOS Rank
1 Steelers 2 0 0 36.75 28 1
2 Falcons 1 1 0 23.75 9.5 7
3 Texans 2 0 0 23.25 15 2
4 Packers 2 0 0 19.5 0.75 20
5 Chiefs 2 0 0 19 12.75 3
6 Colts 1 1 0 18.5 9.75 6
7 Chargers 1 1 0 17 6.25 11
8 Jets 1 1 0 12.75 6.25 11
9 Titans 1 1 0 12.5 4 13
10 Eagles 1 1 0 12.5 12.75 3
11 Browns 0 2 0 11 11.75 5
12 Broncos 1 1 0 8.5 1.75 15
13 Bears 2 0 0 5 -2.75 22
14 Vikings 0 2 0 4.75 7.5 9
15 Bucs 2 0 0 4 -5.75 26
16 Patriots 1 1 0 3.75 2 14
17 Ravens 1 1 0 3.25 1.75 15
18 Redskins 1 1 0 3 1.5 18
19 Seahawks 1 1 0 2.5 -3.25 24
20 Jaguars 1 1 0 -0.5 6.75 10
21 Lions 0 2 0 -0.5 1.75 15
22 Cowboys 0 2 0 -3.75 1 19
23 Dolphins 2 0 0 -4.5 -12.5 30
24 Bills 0 2 0 -5.25 9 8
25 Bengals 1 1 0 -5.75 -3 23
26 Saints 2 0 0 -7 -12.75 31
27 Cardinals 1 1 0 -11.375 -0.5 21
28 Giants 1 1 0 -13.5 -9.75 29
29 Raiders 1 1 0 -15.75 -6 27
30 49ers 0 2 0 -16.5 -4.25 25
31 Panthers 0 2 0 -20 -8.75 28
32 Rams 0 2 0 -26.625 -25.375 32

A few thoughts:

  • The methodology is the same as for college football.  As such, the Steelers being at the top is not a surprise.  Two solid wins over teams that kicked the tar out of its other opponent.  The Rams being the worst is a mild surprise given how pathetic the Bills have actually played compared to the Rams decent results.  But the Rams have played a couple of lousy teams and have little to show for it.
  • The two 0-2 teams with positive rankings are the Vikings and Browns.  The Browns seem a bit unsustainable, only because I am not sure the results of Kansas City and Tampa in the future will buoy the Browns so.  The Vikings however did play two good teams New Orleans and Miami (who I sense might be punching above their 23rd rank weight).
  • The Packers schedule is light like the Dolphins I suppose, but the Packers have crushed it so far – the Dolphins have been very impressive defensively, but it is hard to keep winning 15-10 games.
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Dare to Be Stupid – NBA Free Agency, Initial Notions

New Jersey Nets trade Yi Jianlian to the Washington Wizards for cash: Another straight salary dump.  The Nets are positioning themselves to make the biggest splash possible.  With Ivan Drago seeming wanting to put his stamp on the team as soon as possible, this makes sense.  For the Wizards, Yi has a measure of upside, and Andray Blatche has a broken ankle.  Nobody gets hurt here.

So, armed with cash and cap space, we see teams gunning for this unmatched Class of 2010.  LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Dirk Nowitzki – just a total who’s who of star NBA players of the last decade – and they are all free agents.  So the anticipation for today’s first day to talk to free agents has been palpable.  Add to it the backdrop of a lockout and drastically changed salary structure next offseason – and for a lot of guys this is the last chance for life changing money.  None of the huge chess pieces have moved yet.  However, a few deals have been struck, and guess what?  NBA GMs are like stupid drunk bachelors at the Cheetah Club, just waving money at any scantily clad FA walking their way.  To wit:

Hawks offer Joe Johnson 6 years, $119 million: The Hawks by maxing out Joe Johnson have just tied up their cap, gone up against the luxury tax threshold and have pinned their hopes to a 29 year old who was good enough to lead the Hawks to 8 straight double digit losses in the second round of playoffs.  As Charles Barkley would say, turrble … and this was just the beginning.

Milwaukee Bucks sign Drew Gooden for 5 years, $32 million: Gooden for the full midlevel??  Milwaukee needs size, but did they need it this badly?  John Hammond is a very smart GM considering the shrewd moves he made last year to get the Bucks to be a legitimately sexy team.  Drew Gooden gets a full five year deal – the Drew Gooden who is notorious for forgetting plays – the Drew Gooden who will be on his 9th team in his 9th season in the league??  Him?!!

Minnesota Timberwolves sign Darko Milicic for 4 years $20 million (final year partially guaranteed): Even with the partially guaranteed fourth year, this is an amazing deal for Darko to land – not so much in dollars but in job security.  For a guy who had one good half season (and only by his low standards) in Minnesota to suddenly warrant 4 years of job security is amazing.  Considering he has been accused of lacking passion for basketball – even worse.  Of course this is the team that drafted 18 small forwards last week.

Memphis Grizzlies decline tender on Ronnie Brewer: A starting caliber ace defending two guard can be locked up for a modest league average sort of wage – forcing teams to spend a 1st round pick to sign him … and Memphis let him go why?  It is easy to blame Chris Wallace, but petty clearly someone else is doing this.

OK, one piece of good news …

Minnesota Timberwolves sign Nikova Pekovic for 3 years, $13 million: apparently very good in Europe, a former 2nd round pick draft and stash.  Good value here.  I mean even if he is average, $4.3 million is a good price for average.

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2010 NBA Draft: Trades and More

Well, so much for the wisdom of my mock draft notions.  However, the trades continue – and almost all of them were driven by money.  We saw Chicago and Miami seriously clear the deck to possibly add one of the monster free agents.   We also saw a smaller, leaner team like Oklahoma City take advantage of the financial aid.  So let’s go through the trades and where we end up.  We discussed some of them previously, but now for draft night itself.

Chicago Bulls send Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick (Kevin Serraphin) to the Washington Wizards for a future 2nd round pick: In other words, the Bulls drove Kirk Hinrich to O’Hare in order to get themselves a chance to get 2 of the big kahuna free agents.  Obviously if this nets Lebron and Chris Bosh, this is a major win.  That said, the Wizards did pretty well.  One can quibble on the cash, but the Wizards got a young raw body in Serraphin they could try to develop or stuff overseas – and Hinrich is a very useful 3rd guard to go with Arenas and Wall.  The Wizards might suck next year, but there will be hope and interest.

New Orleans Hornets trade the 11th pick (Cole Aldrich) and Morris Peterson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 21st pick (Craig Brackins) and the 26th pick (Quincy Pondexter): The Hornets were up against the luxury tax – and these problems endangered the ability to keep the team together, and perhaps made a previously unfathomable Chris Paul trade even theoretically possible.  Fortunately for real NBA fans this might have been averted.  Of course count on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sam Presti to pounce on the chance to play the draft game.  The Thunder need more bench scoring and more size – Peterson can supply the former.  Cole Aldrich is not a star – but he is one of the surest things in the draft.  He is a rotation player.  The Hornets with Pondexter get an elite athlete and defender, and Craig Brackins has the inside-outside potential to be a good stretch-4 in the league.  Considering they did this deal for financial reasons – they got a solid talent haul.

Oklahoma City Thunder send the 18th pick (Eric Bledsoe) to the Los Angeles Clippers for a lottery protected future #1: Bill Belichick would have wept with joy at this trade.  The Thunder, seeing limited possibilities in this draft, end up spinning Bledsoe to the Clippers for a protected pick.  This keeps them with future draft assets, and if the Clippers make the playoffs it will be as a low seed so what the hell.  For the Clippers, they do get a talented guy who can possibly spell Baron Davis.

Dallas Mavericks trade cash to the Memphis Grizzlies for the 25th pick (Dominique Jones): The Grizzlies had a bunch of picks – they did not want to pay them all, so this made sense – though an international stash might have been better in a stronger international year.  Why the Mavericks moved up to get a guy who replicates what Jason Terry and Rodrique Beaubois do?  Hey, it’s Cuban’s money.

Dallas Mavericks trade the 50th pick (Solomon Alabi) to the Toronto Raptors for a future 2nd round pick and cash: Another roster spot the Mavs did not want to pay.  For the Raptors, who are so size deprived, this was a no brainer.  It’s a shot in the dark – but unlike a first rounder there is no onerous contract to worry about.

Atlanta Hawks trade the 24th pick (Damion James) to the New Jersey Nets for the 27th pick (Jordan Crawford) and the 31st pick (Tibor Pleiss) -  the Hawks spin the 31st pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for cash: Damion James is a nice player – one of the most NBA ready guys, though his upside is limited.  What is hard to understand is why the Nets dealt a valuable pick (#31) to move up 3 spots in the draft.  The marginal value of the move up is nil.  Jordan Crawford has much more upside than James does.  The Hawks wanted cash more than another player, so of course the Thunder swoop in to clean up the mess and collect another asset to stash overseas.

Minnesota Timberwolves trade the 16th pick (Luke Babbitt) and Ryan Gomes to the Portland TrailBlazers for Martell Webster: This is another curious deal.  Gomes is a useful and only partially guaranteed deal.  Luke Babbitt has as much upside as any wing in the draft.  Martell Webster is a promising young player – but has not really shown that wow.  How this is a fair match I don’t know.  Given that Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard was doing this after being told he would be canned – this is a much better deal than his employers deserve.

Minnesota Timberwolves trade the 23rd pick (Trevor Booker) and the 56th pick (Hamadi Ndiaye) to the Washington Wizards for the 30th pick (Lazar Hayward) and 35th pick (Nemanja Bjeilca): I have no opinion on this.  Booker can play – but I was surprised the Wizards agreed so much.

Indiana Pacers trade the 57th pick (Ryan Reid) and cash to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 51st pick (Magnum Rolle): Rolle is 24, but athletic and tall.  Pacers need that.  I have no idea who Reid is.  

********************************************************************************************

Overall, the Blazers, Thunder and Celtics (who got Avery Bradley – a Monta Ellis talent – with more defense – and Luke Harangody who profiles as the type of player NBA types undervalue) managed the exercise nicely.  The Timberwolves were full of sound and fury – but not sure where it took them.  And then there are the pants (h/t Esquire):

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Week 22 NBA Power Rankings

Running out of weeks to play.  The playoff picture getting a bit more focused.  The NBA took a night off to let the college kids have their time, and boy did they.  So, now — rankings.

Rank Team W L Off Def Road SOS Rating
1 Magic 54 23 103.713 (6) 95.914 (1) 1.773 3.267 (27) 12.839
2 Cavaliers 60 17 104.665 (2) 96.718 (7) 1.773 3.029 (30) 12.749
3 Spurs 47 29 102.671 (9) 97.506 (9) 1.704 3.584 (11) 10.453
4 Jazz 50 27 103.26 (8) 98.284 (10) 1.727 3.56 (14) 10.264
5 Suns 49 27 107.861 (1) 102.637 (23) 1.75 3.114 (29) 10.088
6 Lakers 55 22 101.294 (11) 96.823 (8) 1.727 3.77 (8) 9.969
7 Thunder 48 28 101.226 (12) 96.555 (5) 1.75 3.436 (19) 9.857
8 Nuggets 50 27 104.094 (3) 99.941 (15) 1.773 3.432 (20) 9.357
9 Celtics 48 28 100.901 (13) 96.616 (6) 1.704 3.345 (25) 9.334
10 Blazers 47 30 103.906 (5) 99.893 (14) 1.773 3.376 (24) 9.163
11 Hawks 49 27 104.001 (4) 100.115 (16) 1.704 3.409 (23) 8.999
12 Heat 43 34 99.965 (18) 96.422 (4) 1.773 3.508 (16) 8.824
13 Mavericks 50 27 102.106 (10) 99.447 (12) 1.727 3.552 (15) 7.938
14 Bobcats 40 36 97.01 (24) 96.108 (2) 1.75 3.615 (10) 6.267
15 Bucks 42 34 97.347 (22) 96.286 (3) 1.75 3.277 (26) 6.088
16 Rockets 38 38 99.689 (19) 100.882 (17) 1.75 3.952 (3) 4.51
17 Raptors 38 38 103.664 (7) 104.662 (30) 1.75 3.448 (18) 4.2
18 Grizzlies 39 37 100.66 (14) 102.277 (20) 1.704 3.577 (12) 3.664
19 Hornets 35 43 100.22 (16) 102.924 (24) 1.795 3.816 (7) 2.907
20 Bulls 38 39 96.552 (28) 98.94 (11) 1.773 3.427 (22) 2.812
21 Pacers 29 48 96.59 (27) 99.78 (13) 1.773 3.502 (17) 2.084
22 Warriors 23 53 100.499 (15) 104.281 (29) 1.704 4.02 (2) 1.942
23 Kings 24 53 97.795 (21) 101.817 (18) 1.818 3.82 (5) 1.615
24 Knicks 27 49 100.052 (17) 103.41 (25) 1.75 3.216 (28) 1.607
25 Sixers 26 50 98.484 (20) 102.482 (22) 1.75 3.432 (21) 1.184
26 Clippers 27 50 96.596 (26) 102.303 (21) 1.818 3.863 (4) -0.026
27 Wizards 23 53 96.693 (25) 102.046 (19) 1.75 3.564 (13) -0.039
28 Pistons 23 53 97.345 (23) 103.923 (28) 1.704 3.766 (9) -1.108
29 Timberwolves 15 62 94.647 (29) 103.848 (27) 1.773 4.172 (1) -3.256
30 Nets 11 66 94.028 (30) 103.845 (26) 1.727 3.818 (6) -4.272

Versus the best 10:

Rank Team W L Off Def Margin
1 Cavaliers 14 7 103.991 (1) 98.726 (3) 5.265
2 Nuggets 17 9 102.733 (3) 100.658 (9) 2.074
3 Lakers 15 12 97.273 (19) 97.215 (1) 0.058
4 Jazz 15 13 101.734 (4) 101.844 (11) -0.11
5 Magic 11 10 99.773 (6) 99.999 (6) -0.226
6 Thunder 10 15 97.072 (20) 98.387 (2) -1.316
7 Spurs 10 16 99.068 (10) 100.452 (8) -1.383
8 Celtics 10 12 98.047 (16) 99.583 (4) -1.536
9 Suns 10 13 103.402 (2) 105.325 (22) -1.924
10 Mavericks 14 15 99.404 (9) 101.711 (10) -2.307
11 Bobcats 10 15 96.764 (22) 99.832 (5) -3.068
12 Hawks 13 12 98.829 (11) 102.366 (14) -3.537
13 Rockets 12 19 98.659 (13) 102.21 (13) -3.551
14 Blazers 10 15 99.564 (8) 103.272 (17) -3.707
15 Grizzlies 12 16 99.751 (7) 104.802 (20) -5.051
16 Heat 7 17 97.331 (18) 102.615 (15) -5.284
17 Bucks 8 15 94.515 (28) 100.352 (7) -5.837
18 Pacers 5 18 96.068 (24) 102.173 (12) -6.106
19 Kings 5 25 97.582 (17) 103.842 (18) -6.26
20 Hornets 8 22 98.157 (15) 105.079 (21) -6.922
21 Knicks 3 19 98.326 (14) 106.958 (26) -8.631
22 Raptors 4 20 100.937 (5) 109.635 (30) -8.698
23 Bulls 8 14 93.965 (29) 103.155 (16) -9.189
24 Wizards 5 18 95.417 (25) 104.714 (19) -9.297
25 Sixers 4 20 98.703 (12) 108.308 (28) -9.605
26 Pistons 4 21 96.28 (23) 106.615 (23) -10.335
27 Warriors 3 26 96.876 (21) 108.376 (29) -11.5
28 Clippers 6 24 94.902 (27) 106.716 (24) -11.814
29 Timberwolves 3 27 95.037 (26) 107.029 (27) -11.992
30 Nets 2 23 92.045 (30) 106.89 (25) -14.844

Versus Middle 10:

Rank Team W L Off Def Margin
1 Magic 21 9 104.326 (4) 95.037 (2) 9.288
2 Jazz 16 8 103.995 (7) 95.464 (4) 8.531
3 Cavaliers 19 9 101.382 (14) 95.619 (5) 5.763
4 Thunder 15 10 101.391 (13) 95.824 (6) 5.567
5 Celtics 16 10 102.03 (11) 96.765 (7) 5.265
6 Hawks 15 9 104.282 (6) 99.208 (12) 5.074
7 Blazers 16 10 105.598 (1) 100.782 (15) 4.816
8 Spurs 16 10 102.608 (9) 98.288 (9) 4.32
9 Mavericks 16 7 104.786 (3) 100.954 (17) 3.832
10 Nuggets 15 10 104.303 (5) 100.763 (14) 3.54
11 Lakers 17 9 101.551 (12) 98.561 (10) 2.99
12 Suns 14 11 105.404 (2) 102.725 (25) 2.679
13 Heat 14 14 97.833 (20) 95.37 (3) 2.463
14 Bobcats 11 12 96.394 (23) 94.496 (1) 1.898
15 Bucks 13 11 98.589 (17) 96.886 (8) 1.703
16 Grizzlies 8 14 96.796 (22) 98.629 (11) -1.833
17 Rockets 9 12 98.865 (16) 100.937 (16) -2.072
18 Warriors 8 19 102.735 (8) 105.252 (30) -2.517
19 Hornets 10 12 99.107 (15) 101.673 (21) -2.566
20 Raptors 12 11 102.396 (10) 104.966 (29) -2.57
21 Knicks 9 19 98.554 (18) 102.553 (23) -4
22 Kings 7 17 98.215 (19) 103.043 (26) -4.828
23 Sixers 10 17 96.127 (26) 101.04 (18) -4.913
24 Bulls 10 16 95.63 (27) 100.658 (13) -5.028
25 Wizards 7 22 96.225 (25) 101.263 (19) -5.038
26 Clippers 8 17 97.372 (21) 102.558 (24) -5.185
27 Pistons 7 19 96.271 (24) 103.158 (27) -6.886
28 Pacers 7 23 95.236 (28) 102.265 (22) -7.029
29 Timberwolves 3 23 92.569 (30) 101.548 (20) -8.979
30 Nets 4 22 94.548 (29) 104.478 (28) -9.929

Versus the Bottom 10:

Rank Team W L Off Def Margin
1 Heat 22 3 104.914 (11) 91.584 (1) 13.33
2 Suns 25 3 113.59 (1) 100.426 (24) 13.164
3 Spurs 21 3 106.58 (5) 93.585 (3) 12.995
4 Magic 22 4 106.155 (7) 93.658 (4) 12.497
5 Cavaliers 27 1 108.459 (3) 96.303 (14) 12.156
6 Lakers 23 1 105.371 (8) 94.56 (9) 10.811
7 Blazers 21 5 106.413 (6) 95.749 (12) 10.664
8 Hawks 21 6 108.52 (2) 98.875 (20) 9.645
9 Thunder 23 3 105.01 (10) 95.515 (10) 9.495
10 Celtics 22 6 102.073 (18) 94.211 (6) 7.862
11 Jazz 19 6 104.255 (13) 96.97 (15) 7.285
12 Mavericks 20 5 102.712 (17) 95.552 (11) 7.16
13 Nuggets 18 8 105.228 (9) 98.479 (18) 6.749
14 Raptors 22 7 106.904 (4) 100.379 (23) 6.525
15 Bucks 21 8 98.589 (24) 92.536 (2) 6.053
16 Warriors 12 8 102.829 (16) 97.023 (16) 5.806
17 Bulls 20 9 99.236 (22) 94.333 (7) 4.902
18 Pacers 17 7 98.781 (23) 94.39 (8) 4.391
19 Bobcats 19 9 97.721 (27) 94.18 (5) 3.541
20 Rockets 17 7 101.713 (19) 99.138 (21) 2.576
21 Sixers 12 13 100.831 (20) 98.641 (19) 2.19
22 Grizzlies 19 7 104.893 (12) 102.717 (30) 2.176
23 Hornets 17 9 103.485 (14) 101.577 (27) 1.908
24 Clippers 13 9 98.01 (26) 96.13 (13) 1.88
25 Knicks 15 11 103.11 (15) 101.341 (26) 1.769
26 Kings 12 11 97.632 (28) 98.041 (17) -0.409
27 Wizards 11 13 98.442 (25) 100.479 (25) -2.037
28 Pistons 12 13 99.5 (21) 101.992 (28) -2.492
29 Nets 5 21 95.385 (30) 100.368 (22) -4.984
30 Timberwolves 9 12 96.612 (29) 102.208 (29) -5.596
  • As the Heat have surged lately – up to 43-34 and in good position for the #5 spot in the East, especially with Andrew Bogut’s horrific injury for the Bucks – one appreciates the Heat being the best team against the worst.  They have cleaned up against the dreck – and that has kept them going.
  • The Nets, barely 1 point behind Minnesota – have surged … 11-66 is terrible but Minnesota might actually be as bad.
  • A new number one.  Orlando and Cleveland have taken turns pulling away from the rest of the league – right now with Cleveland having some blah victories and a loss in Boston, Orlando has surged to the top.  The Lakers slippage, including beatdowns by Atlanta and San Antonio have given them a lot of work to do.
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Week 21 NBA Power Rankings – The Power of Ten

FIRST: An unrelated note on the ramen noodle reviews.  Erstwhile commenter and friend of this blog tsblogger offered up a critique on Shin Ramyun that deserved response:

Yeah Shin is definitely King. After many many years of trying various ramen. However, it is seriously unhealthy… I HAVE to do the 2 pots of water (one for the noodles, one separate one for the soup) method. Trying cooking the noodles in the pot of water, extract the noodles, and let the remaining water cool down to room temp and you’ll see what I mean (crap load of palm oil). The spicy flavor however has always been right with Shin. Drop a hot dog in, an egg, maybe some scallions …

Alas, my ratings did not factor health or the ability to enhance it.  Clearly he was raised better than I was – being raised like Mowgli means you miss out on some of life’s finer points.  Now back to the regularly scheduled programming.

…

The Power of Ten?  YES.  With the New Jersey Nets’ 90-84 triumph over San Antonio last night, they get the 10th win and thus keep the 1973 Philadelphia 76ers as the exalted worst finishing team of all time.  And really, when you check out the ratings, it was only justice.  Considering that the Nets were a whopping 3.4 points behind the Timberwolves as of the all star break, they have at least played hard and closed the gap to a very respectable 1.3 points.  Since the All Star Break, the Nets are a 6-16 while Minnesota has been a deplorable 3-20. (okay, they are both deplorable records, but it is a matter of degree)  The rankings for the rest?  Well …

Rank Team W L Off Def Road SOS Rating
1 Cavaliers 58 16 104.769 (2) 96.689 (8) 1.797 2.873 (30) 12.75
2 Magic 52 22 103.646 (6) 95.903 (1) 1.75 3.157 (27) 12.651
3 Lakers 54 20 101.465 (11) 96.479 (6) 1.75 3.599 (11) 10.335
4 Jazz 49 26 103.31 (7) 98.453 (10) 1.727 3.55 (14) 10.134
5 Spurs 44 29 102.362 (9) 97.512 (9) 1.726 3.469 (19) 10.045
6 Suns 47 26 107.541 (1) 102.553 (23) 1.678 3.355 (23) 10.021
7 Thunder 44 28 100.559 (13) 96.245 (4) 1.701 3.537 (16) 9.552
8 Celtics 47 26 100.557 (14) 96.016 (2) 1.774 3.153 (28) 9.468
9 Nuggets 48 27 104.097 (3) 100.145 (15) 1.82 3.463 (20) 9.235
10 Blazers 45 29 103.782 (5) 99.994 (14) 1.75 3.426 (22) 8.964
11 Hawks 47 26 103.926 (4) 100.182 (16) 1.726 3.304 (25) 8.775
12 Heat 40 34 99.771 (18) 96.587 (7) 1.703 3.703 (9) 8.59
13 Mavericks 49 25 102.268 (10) 99.292 (12) 1.75 3.428 (21) 8.154
14 Bobcats 38 35 97.093 (24) 96.326 (5) 1.774 3.658 (10) 6.199
15 Bucks 40 32 97.112 (23) 96.236 (3) 1.75 3.137 (29) 5.763
16 Rockets 36 36 99.614 (19) 100.311 (17) 1.701 3.963 (4) 4.968
17 Raptors 36 37 103.29 (8) 104.571 (30) 1.774 3.583 (12) 4.076
18 Grizzlies 38 35 100.935 (12) 102.446 (22) 1.726 3.48 (18) 3.695
19 Hornets 35 40 100.554 (15) 102.798 (24) 1.773 4.037 (3) 3.566
20 Bulls 35 38 96.123 (28) 98.923 (11) 1.774 3.549 (15) 2.523
21 Warriors 21 52 100.425 (16) 104.216 (29) 1.678 4.067 (2) 1.955
22 Knicks 26 47 99.983 (17) 103.02 (25) 1.678 3.234 (26) 1.876
23 Kings 24 50 97.928 (21) 101.787 (18) 1.797 3.936 (5) 1.875
24 Pacers 27 47 96.226 (27) 99.908 (13) 1.845 3.493 (17) 1.656
25 Sixers 26 47 98.613 (20) 102.145 (20) 1.774 3.331 (24) 1.573
26 Clippers 27 46 96.681 (25) 101.914 (19) 1.774 3.872 (6) 0.412
27 Wizards 21 51 96.541 (26) 102.216 (21) 1.75 3.743 (8) -0.182
28 Pistons 23 50 97.461 (22) 103.508 (26) 1.726 3.572 (13) -0.749
29 Timberwolves 14 60 94.437 (29) 103.768 (27) 1.797 4.153 (1) -3.381
30 Nets 10 64 93.528 (30) 103.847 (28) 1.75 3.869 (7) -4.7

Versus the Top 10

Rank Team W L Off Def Margin
1 Cavaliers 14 6 103.799 (1) 98.227 (3) 5.572
2 Nuggets 16 9 102.559 (3) 100.938 (9) 1.621
3 Jazz 15 12 102.272 (4) 101.797 (12) 0.476
4 Lakers 14 11 97.436 (17) 97.191 (1) 0.245
5 Magic 11 9 99.581 (8) 99.393 (5) 0.188
6 Thunder 9 15 96.412 (22) 97.897 (2) -1.485
7 Celtics 9 11 96.727 (21) 98.347 (4) -1.62
8 Mavericks 14 13 99.372 (9) 101.103 (10) -1.732
9 Suns 10 13 103.419 (2) 105.351 (22) -1.932
10 Spurs 8 16 98.26 (13) 100.58 (8) -2.32
11 Bobcats 10 15 96.78 (20) 99.855 (6) -3.075
12 Rockets 11 18 98.257 (14) 101.631 (11) -3.375
13 Blazers 10 14 99.784 (7) 103.208 (17) -3.424
14 Hawks 12 11 98.321 (12) 102.441 (14) -4.12
15 Grizzlies 12 15 100.036 (6) 104.714 (19) -4.677
16 Heat 7 17 97.347 (18) 102.64 (15) -5.293
17 Pacers 5 18 96.083 (24) 102.199 (13) -6.116
18 Kings 5 24 97.703 (16) 103.843 (18) -6.14
19 Bucks 7 14 93.745 (29) 99.993 (7) -6.247
20 Hornets 8 22 98.173 (15) 105.103 (21) -6.93
21 Knicks 3 18 98.543 (11) 106.403 (25) -7.861
22 Raptors 4 20 100.953 (5) 109.662 (30) -8.708
23 Sixers 4 19 99.048 (10) 108.183 (29) -9.135
24 Bulls 8 14 93.981 (28) 103.179 (16) -9.199
25 Wizards 5 18 95.432 (25) 104.739 (20) -9.306
26 Pistons 4 20 96.147 (23) 105.938 (23) -9.792
27 Warriors 3 25 97.237 (19) 108.125 (28) -10.888
28 Clippers 6 23 95.059 (26) 106.874 (26) -11.815
29 Timberwolves 3 26 94.718 (27) 106.906 (27) -12.188
30 Nets 2 22 91.499 (30) 106.274 (24) -14.775

The Middle 10

Rank Team W L Off Def Margin
1 Magic 19 9 104.174 (6) 95.507 (5) 8.667
2 Jazz 16 8 104.012 (7) 95.487 (4) 8.525
3 Celtics 16 9 101.869 (11) 96.206 (7) 5.663
4 Cavaliers 17 9 101.529 (13) 95.891 (6) 5.638
5 Thunder 14 10 100.827 (14) 95.32 (2) 5.507
6 Hawks 15 9 104.299 (5) 99.231 (12) 5.068
7 Blazers 16 10 105.615 (1) 100.805 (16) 4.81
8 Lakers 17 8 101.579 (12) 97.638 (9) 3.941
9 Mavericks 15 7 105.245 (3) 101.422 (20) 3.824
10 Spurs 15 10 102.173 (10) 98.425 (10) 3.748
11 Nuggets 15 10 104.32 (4) 100.786 (15) 3.533
12 Suns 14 10 105.402 (2) 102.333 (23) 3.069
13 Bobcats 10 11 96.91 (23) 94.339 (1) 2.571
14 Heat 14 14 97.849 (20) 95.394 (3) 2.456
15 Bucks 13 10 99.039 (16) 97.222 (8) 1.817
16 Rockets 9 12 98.881 (17) 100.96 (17) -2.079
17 Grizzlies 7 13 96.934 (22) 99.064 (11) -2.131
18 Hornets 10 11 99.447 (15) 101.615 (22) -2.169
19 Raptors 12 11 102.413 (9) 104.991 (28) -2.578
20 Warriors 7 19 102.688 (8) 105.521 (30) -2.833
21 Clippers 8 15 97.604 (21) 101.412 (19) -3.807
22 Knicks 9 19 98.57 (18) 102.577 (25) -4.007
23 Sixers 10 15 95.983 (26) 100.268 (13) -4.285
24 Kings 7 17 98.231 (19) 103.067 (27) -4.836
25 Wizards 6 20 96.17 (25) 101.409 (18) -5.239
26 Pistons 7 17 96.619 (24) 102.592 (26) -5.973
27 Bulls 8 15 94.237 (27) 100.325 (14) -6.088
28 Pacers 6 22 94.218 (28) 102.359 (24) -8.142
29 Timberwolves 3 22 92.727 (30) 101.434 (21) -8.706
30 Nets 3 22 93.706 (29) 105.233 (29) -11.527

Against the dreck:

Rank Team W L Off Def Margin
1 Heat 19 3 104.891 (11) 91.43 (1) 13.461
2 Spurs 21 3 106.598 (4) 93.607 (3) 12.991
3 Suns 23 3 112.997 (1) 100.374 (24) 12.623
4 Magic 22 4 106.173 (6) 93.68 (4) 12.492
5 Cavaliers 27 1 108.476 (3) 96.325 (14) 12.151
6 Lakers 23 1 105.388 (8) 94.581 (7) 10.807
7 Blazers 19 5 105.808 (7) 95.908 (13) 9.9
8 Hawks 20 6 108.515 (2) 99.092 (21) 9.422
9 Thunder 21 3 104.392 (13) 95.522 (10) 8.87
10 Celtics 22 6 102.089 (18) 94.234 (5) 7.856
11 Mavericks 20 5 102.729 (16) 95.574 (11) 7.155
12 Raptors 20 6 106.218 (5) 99.578 (22) 6.64
13 Nuggets 17 8 105.381 (9) 98.752 (20) 6.628
14 Jazz 18 6 103.775 (14) 97.615 (16) 6.16
15 Bucks 20 8 98.083 (24) 92.579 (2) 5.504
16 Warriors 11 8 102.106 (17) 96.658 (15) 5.448
17 Bulls 19 9 99.234 (22) 94.56 (6) 4.674
18 Pacers 16 7 98.814 (23) 94.641 (8) 4.173
19 Rockets 16 6 102.064 (19) 97.99 (18) 4.074
20 Hornets 17 7 104.413 (12) 101.051 (27) 3.361
21 Bobcats 18 9 97.513 (28) 94.668 (9) 2.845
22 Knicks 14 10 102.897 (15) 100.574 (25) 2.323
23 Sixers 12 13 100.847 (20) 98.664 (19) 2.183
24 Grizzlies 19 7 104.91 (10) 102.741 (30) 2.169
25 Clippers 13 8 97.897 (26) 95.73 (12) 2.168
26 Kings 12 9 97.891 (27) 97.642 (17) 0.249
27 Pistons 12 13 99.516 (21) 102.016 (28) -2.5
28 Wizards 10 13 98.038 (25) 100.653 (26) -2.615
29 Nets 5 20 95.262 (30) 100.209 (23) -4.947
30 Timberwolves 8 12 96.124 (29) 102.197 (29) -6.074