JagCurtis
10-28-2009, 01:42 AM
Time to end the speculation
By John Schuhmann, NBA.com
Posted Oct 27 2009 3:09PM
It's been 134 days since we last watched a live NBA game that counted.
134 miserable days.
Since then we've watched a lot of games that didn't count and rewatched some that did. And finally, we've arrived at the start of the 2009-10 season.
Before the Celtics and Cavs tip things off from Cleveland on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), it's time for one last evaluation of how the 30 teams in the league shape up. The rankings below are more about where the teams stand now than where we project them to be at the end of the season, but if you want predictions, we've got 'em.
Preseason games don't count, but they do matter. And what happens in October can be an indication of what's going to happen in the months ahead. So preseason performance -- not necessarily record, but how well a team played overall -- was a small factor as our mid-August rankings were rearranged.
Starting next week though, the rankings below get completely erased and we start from scratch. And if the Sacramento Kings start the season 3-0, you'll see them in the top five next Monday.
For now, the top five is who you expect it to be, and those five teams could be arranged in any of 120 ways. The Cavs, Celtics, Lakers, Magic and Spurs are head-and-shoulders above the 25 other teams and all have a real shot at a championship. It's just a matter of staying healthy and having the ball bounce your way come April.
By John Schuhmann, NBA.com
Posted Oct 27 2009 3:09PM
It's been 134 days since we last watched a live NBA game that counted.
134 miserable days.
Since then we've watched a lot of games that didn't count and rewatched some that did. And finally, we've arrived at the start of the 2009-10 season.
Before the Celtics and Cavs tip things off from Cleveland on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), it's time for one last evaluation of how the 30 teams in the league shape up. The rankings below are more about where the teams stand now than where we project them to be at the end of the season, but if you want predictions, we've got 'em.
Preseason games don't count, but they do matter. And what happens in October can be an indication of what's going to happen in the months ahead. So preseason performance -- not necessarily record, but how well a team played overall -- was a small factor as our mid-August rankings were rearranged.
Starting next week though, the rankings below get completely erased and we start from scratch. And if the Sacramento Kings start the season 3-0, you'll see them in the top five next Monday.
For now, the top five is who you expect it to be, and those five teams could be arranged in any of 120 ways. The Cavs, Celtics, Lakers, Magic and Spurs are head-and-shoulders above the 25 other teams and all have a real shot at a championship. It's just a matter of staying healthy and having the ball bounce your way come April.