by Brett Edwards
Every week The Association Blog will rank the top 3 teams in the NBA. This ranking will be determined by:
- How well the best of the best are playing, and
- If the playoffs started today, who would win the championship?
Why only three teams, you ask? Why not rank all of the teams, so I can see where my (insert favorite perennially mediocre team here) ranks this week?
A few reasons. First, there are only 3 or 4 teams every year with a legitimate shot to win the whole thing. While I am eager to watch a meaningless Charlotte vs. Chicago game in December, there is no reason to discuss these teams' place in the league, except to say that neither one is winning the title this year. Second, there is an inevitable skew in the rankings early in the season, where average teams build good records against inferior competition. Finally, there are plenty of places you can go to read a meaningless league-wide ranking system, no need to rehash that here.
Now that the ground rules are set, here is the first edition of The Top Three:
1. Detroit Pistons
Can't argue with 6-0, and DET is seriously playing to prove they don't need "pound for pound" to win the title. Veteran team with clutch players hanging around for 3 quarters then winning with clutch shots at the end. We'll see if they can continue the intensity for 82 games.
2. Indiana Pacers
Only two losses were by two points and one point, and both were on the road, and both were winnable. Big plus getting two early season wins over MIA, with or without Shaq.
3. San Antonio Spurs
You will realize as time goes by that I really do not like the Spurs. They are too boring and too nice for me. I almost vomited during the Finals with the whole Popovich/Brown love-fest. With that out of the way, I can say that my basketball IQ tells me they are a very talented and solid team. They should win the whole thing again, but two blowout road losses keeps them in the 3-spot this week.
Thankyou for a very entertaining and enlightening piece. It definitly opened my eyes to allot of things I had not thought of before.
Posted by: Asics Tiger | May 20, 2011 at 02:02 AM