December 31, 2007 -- Sorting out the rankings, even at the very top and very bottom, usually takes some real thought each week, because most of the top teams lose a game or two, and a handful of the bottom group have picked up a win in the last seven days. And it's rare when two teams next to each other go head-to-head, which makes for an easy decision.
Not so this week.
Four teams (Detroit, Boston, Portland and New Orleans) in last week's top 10 didn't lose. And each of last week's bottom six went without a win this week. That's right. Teams 25-30 went a combined 0-17 over the past seven days.
But leaving the bottom six as is would be boring, so I made a couple of small adjustments. Specifically, I moved Miami and New York each down a spot, because they were especially bad.
But I appreciate the consistency at the top and bottom, especially during the holidays. It makes my job a little easier.
As always, if you've got beef with the rankings, drop me a line.
Game Team of the Week: Boston (4-0) Lame Team of the Week: Miami (0-4)
High jumps of the week: New Jersey (+4), Houston (+3), Orlando (+2), Philadelphia (+2), Portland (+2), San Antonio (+2), Seattle (+2), Washington (+2) Free falls of the week: Indiana (-6), Dallas (-5), Sacramento (-4), Utah (-4)
Off: Points scored per 100 possessions Def: Points allowed per 100 possessions The league averages 92.0 possessions (per team) per game and 107.1 points per 100 possessions.
TEAM (LAST WK)
REC.
BREAKDOWN
1
Detroit (1)
23-7
Off: 113.7 (1), Def: 102.9 (2) -- The Pistons have now won eight straight (their offense is as sharp as it has been in a long time), but after Monday's matinee against the Bucks, they play 10 of 14 on the road.
2
Boston (2)
26-3
Off: 111.8 (6), Def: 96.5 (1) -- The Celtics went 4-0 (in five nights) on their first trip out West. Consider that test passed. The Detroit rematch takes place on Saturday at the Palace.
Off: 113.5 (2), Def: 107.6 (15) -- Am I going to dwell on the two losses to the Lakers no matter what the Suns do against the rest of the league? Well, at least until Jan. 17, when they play again.
5
Portland (7)
18-12
Off: 108.6 (12), Def: 108.3 (17) -- I don't want to spoil the fun of a 13-game streak, but the Blazers are still just 3-9 on the road and 10 of their next 12 are away from the Rose Garden.
TEAM (LAST WK)
REC.
BREAKDOWN
6
L.A. Lakers (6)
19-11
Off: 111.2 (7), Def: 106.4 (12) -- Getting spanked by Boston brings the Lakers back down to earth a little, but the upcoming schedule is pretty favorable, so cracking the top five is still a distinct possibility in the next few weeks. And of course, bonus points for the short shorts.
7
New Orleans (8)
20-10
Off: 108.0 (13), Def: 103.5 (4) -- Last week, Tyson Chandler blogged that he wanted his team to get to 20-10. Well, they're there, and the next two games are very winnable too.
8
Dallas (3)
20-11
Off: 112.7 (3), Def: 109.0 (23) -- Thursday's loss to Cleveland was the Mavs' worst offensive performance of the season, but they recovered to gets a solid win over the Hawks on Saturday.
9
Orlando (11)
21-11
Off: 109.5 (10), Def: 105.6 (9) -- After dropping seven of nine, the Magic have won three straight over three of our bottom six, but Jameer Nelson's play is still a big concern.
10
Denver (9)
18-12
Off: 107.2 (15), Def: 103.9 (5) -- With Sunday's loss to the Warriors, the Nuggets' lead in the Northwest Division is now completely gone, and a tough January awaits.
11
Golden State (10)
18-13
Off: 110.9 (8), Def: 108.8 (22) -- Friday's game at Golden State definitely lived up to my expectations: a fast-paced, tight game that saw the best of both teams. But Sunday's rematch in Denver was a bit of a disappointment, as neither squad really got into rhythm.
12
Atlanta (13)
15-13
Off: 105.2 (19), Def: 105.7 (10) -- I think by now, we've all taken notice of the Hawks, who are fourth in the East, but has anyone else noticed that Marvin Williams is averaging 19.9 points on .560 shooting over the last eight games?
13
Toronto (14)
16-15
Off: 108.8 (11), Def: 106.9 (13) -- Friday's win in San Antonio was one of the Raptors' best defensive games of the season. Saturday's loss in Houston was their worst offensive game of the season. Their seven-game trip (they're currently 2-4) concludes Monday night in New Orleans.
14
Washington (16)
15-14
Off: 110.1 (9), Def: 108.1 (16) -- The Gilbert-less Wizards may lead the league in X-factors, and Andray Blatche is probably the biggest of them. They're back above .500 and, after Wednesday's game against Detroit, they have the upcoming schedule to keep them there.
15
Houston (18)
15-15
Off: 104.9 (20), Def: 103.4 (3) -- OK. I take back what I said last week about the Rockets being the most disappointing team in the league, and there are signs of promise, but this is not good news.
16
New Jersey (20)
14-16
Off: 102.8 (26), Def: 108.3 (19) -- The Nets are 4-2 with their new starting lineup and their offensive rating is at 109.9 (up from 101.0 through their first 24 games). And the big difference has been the points in the paint (31.3 per game in the first 24, 41.3 in the last six).
17
Cleveland (17)
14-17
Off: 104.3 (21), Def: 108.4 (21) -- Their defense is showing some signs of improvement, but the Cavs aren't going anywhere if Larry Hughes (.321) and Sasha Pavlovic (.338) continue to shoot like this.
18
Indiana (12)
15-16
Off: 106.7 (16), Def: 107.4 (14) -- Dropping the Pacers six spots when they had to play the Pistons twice in three days probably isn't fair, but the teams around them took advantage.
19
Utah (15)
16-16
Off: 112.6 (4), Def: 108.3 (18) -- Kyle Korver will make his Jazz debut Monday night against Portland and then face his former team on Wednesday. The Jazz rank last in the league in threes per game with just 3.7, so to say that he fills a need is an understatement.
20
Chicago (21)
11-17
Off: 100.7 (29), Def: 105.1 (8) -- Jim Boylan is 2-0 as the new coach and Ben Gordon is averaging 28.0 points on .543 shooting off the bench in the two games. Of course, the Bucks and Knicks are exactly what any team that's struggling offensively needs.
21
Philadelphia (23)
13-17
Off: 103.4 (23), Def: 104.7 (7) -- The Sixers are trying to keep their heads above water in the middle of a brutal stretch with a ton of tough road games over the next couple of weeks.
22
Seattle (24)
9-21
Off: 102.1 (28), Def: 108.4 (20) -- With a win over the Sixers Monday night, the Sonics could have a 7-7 December, but Kevin Durant and Chris Wilcox are both questionable. At least they got their first non-Wednesday-or-Friday win this week.
Off: 105.6 (17), Def: 111.0 (27) -- The Bucks lead the league with 14 road losses, and with seven of the next nine away from the Bradley Center, that may not change anytime soon.
25
Charlotte (25)
10-18
Off: 103.2 (24), Def: 109.2 (25) -- It's your turn. Give me your thoughts on the Bobcats and I'll post the best e-mails in the Court Reporters on Wednesday.
26
Memphis (27)
8-22
Off: 107.5 (14), Def: 112.8 (30) -- I think it's safe to say that the Grizzlies are happy to hang up their new calendars after going 3-12 in December.
27
Miami (26)
8-23
Off: 103.2 (25), Def: 109.1 (24) -- Ira Winderman: "Yes, the season is over."
28
L.A. Clippers (29)
9-19
Off: 100.2 (30), Def: 106.0 (11) -- The Clippers play their next six at home, but five of the six visitors are in our top 10. The sixth is tonight's opponent...
29
New York (28)
8-21
Off: 103.5 (22), Def: 112.5 (29) -- The look on Isiah Thomas' face at the end of Sunday's loss to the Bulls said it all.
30
Minnesota (30)
4-25
Off: 102.4 (27), Def: 111.9 (28) -- Here's an honest question for Timberwolves fans: Which trade are you banging your head over more these days, the KG trade or the Roy-for-Foye deal?
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