The NBA Thread

[Kormodd]

Though we're only 10 games in, the Knicks look hopeless. Their solid performance (well, solid by their standards) last season seems to have been fool's gold.

- It seems as if Shumpert's going to be traded for reasons unknown. The Knicks will probably get garbage in return.

- Amare is completely useless.

- JR Smith and Felton brick three point attempts on every other possession. JR Smith seems to get wasted the night before every game. The Sixth Man of the Year award needs to be rescinded.

- There's a 95% chance they're going to get trounced by the Pacers tonight.

- Carmelo seems unhappy. Seems like there's a good chance he'll leave once he becomes a free agent.

The only bright spots are Prigioni being a steal for them (though they fired the GM who signed him) and Bargnani playing reasonably well. They might *gasp* not even make the playoffs. At least the odious Brooklyn Nets aren't doing much better.

[dave from knoxville]

Now that my brain is coming back together following that ugly summer and fall, I have decided to try to get my NBA rankings back together. I am up to date through November 10th, and will post the updates from the end of each week (Sunday) until I catch up to current. Here's through about 4 and a half weeks back

1 Indiana Pacers 11.2
2 Minnesota Timberwolves 10
3 San Antonio Spurs 9.6
4 Golden State Warriors 9.5
5 Orlando Magic 8.7
6 Phoenix Suns 8.5
7 LA Clippers 8.4
8 Miami Heat 8.4
9 Portland Trail Blazers 7.9
10 Dallas Mavericks 7.8
11 Oklahoma City Thunder 7.7
12 New Orleans Hornets 7.4
13 Houston Rockets 7
14 Detroit Pistons 7
15 Toronto Raptors 6.9
16 Atlanta Hawks 6.7
17 Memphis Grizzlies 6.6
18 Philadelphia Sixers 5.8
19 Washington Wizards 5.6
20 Chicago Bulls 5.5
21 Boston Celtics 5.1
22 Milwaukee Bucks 5
23 Brooklyn Nets 5
24 Cleveland Cavaliers 4.1
25 New York Knicks 3.9
26 Charlotte Bobcats 3.4
27 Denver Nuggets 3.4
28 Sacramento Kings 3.1
29 LA Lakers 2.8
30 Utah Jazz 0

[dave from knoxville]

Through November 17

1 Indiana Pacers 9.7
2 San Antonio Spurs 9.6
3 Minnesota Timberwolves 9.3
4 Golden State Warriors 9.1
5 Miami Heat 8.5
6 LA Clippers 8
7 Portland Trail Blazers 8
8 Chicago Bulls 7.6
9 Phoenix Suns 7.1
10 Dallas Mavericks 7
11 Atlanta Hawks 7
12 Oklahoma City Thunder 6.4
13 Houston Rockets 6.3
14 New Orleans Hornets 6
15 Orlando Magic 5.7
16 Denver Nuggets 5.2
17 Memphis Grizzlies 5.1
18 Toronto Raptors 4.8
19 Sacramento Kings 4.7
20 Detroit Pistons 3.9
21 LA Lakers 3.9
22 Boston Celtics 3.4
23 New York Knicks 3
24 Brooklyn Nets 2.9
25 Washington Wizards 2.9
26 Charlotte Bobcats 2.7
27 Philadelphia Sixers 2.3
28 Cleveland Cavaliers 1.6
29 Milwaukee Bucks 1.2
30 Utah Jazz 0

[dave from knoxville]

Through November 24th

1 San Antonio Spurs 10.8
2 Indiana Pacers 9.4
3 Miami Heat 9.2
4 Minnesota Timberwolves 8.6
5 Portland Trail Blazers 8.4
6 LA Clippers 8.1
7 Golden State Warriors 7.6
8 Oklahoma City Thunder 7.3
9 Phoenix Suns 7
10 Atlanta Hawks 6.9
11 Houston Rockets 6.9
12 Dallas Mavericks 6.7
13 New Orleans Hornets 6.1
14 Denver Nuggets 6
15 Chicago Bulls 5.6
16 Toronto Raptors 5.5
17 Memphis Grizzlies 5.5
18 LA Lakers 5
19 Sacramento Kings 4.8
20 Detroit Pistons 4.5
21 Orlando Magic 4.4
22 Washington Wizards 4.1
23 Charlotte Bobcats 3.9
24 Boston Celtics 3.6
25 Philadelphia Sixers 2.9
26 New York Knicks 2.8
27 Brooklyn Nets 1.7
28 Cleveland Cavaliers 1.1
29 Milwaukee Bucks 0.6
30 Utah Jazz 0

[dave from knoxville]

Through December 1st

1 Indiana Pacers 9.9
2 San Antonio Spurs 9.9
3 Miami Heat 8.7
4 Houston Rockets 7.8
5 LA Clippers 7.6
6 Portland Trail Blazers 7.4
7 Oklahoma City Thunder 7.3
8 Minnesota Timberwolves 7.1
9 Golden State Warriors 6.6
10 Denver Nuggets 6.4
11 Phoenix Suns 6.1
12 Dallas Mavericks 5.6
13 New Orleans Hornets 5.5
14 Detroit Pistons 5.3
15 Chicago Bulls 5.2
16 Atlanta Hawks 4.6
17 Memphis Grizzlies 4.6
18 LA Lakers 4.4
19 Orlando Magic 4.4
20 Toronto Raptors 4.3
21 Sacramento Kings 4.2
22 Washington Wizards 3.8
23 Boston Celtics 3.5
24 Charlotte Bobcats 3.2
25 New York Knicks 2.2
26 Brooklyn Nets 1.8
27 Philadelphia Sixers 1.6
28 Cleveland Cavaliers 0.7
29 Utah Jazz 0.6
30 Milwaukee Bucks 0

[dave from knoxville]

Through December 8

1 San Antonio Spurs 8.8
2 Indiana Pacers 8.5
3 Miami Heat 7.7
4 Portland Trail Blazers 7.7
5 Oklahoma City Thunder 7.4
6 Houston Rockets 7.1
7 LA Clippers 6.7
8 Golden State Warriors 6.3
9 Minnesota Timberwolves 6.2
10 Denver Nuggets 5.9
11 Phoenix Suns 5.5
12 Detroit Pistons 5.4
13 Dallas Mavericks 5.4
14 Atlanta Hawks 5.1
15 Chicago Bulls 4.9
16 New Orleans Hornets 4.7
17 Boston Celtics 4.5
18 Toronto Raptors 3.9
19 LA Lakers 3.9
20 Sacramento Kings 3.9
21 Washington Wizards 3.7
22 Memphis Grizzlies 3.6
23 Charlotte Bobcats 3.3
24 New York Knicks 2.8
25 Orlando Magic 2.3
26 Philadelphia Sixers 1
27 Cleveland Cavaliers 0.9
28 Brooklyn Nets 0.5
29 Utah Jazz 0.1
30 Milwaukee Bucks 0

[fonpr]

You have time for all this but, no time to Skype?

You are an interesting person, Knoxville.

[dave from knoxville]

Fredericks, can I be honest with you? I forgot. I will try to break free tomorrow?

[erg79]

I'm a Lakers fan (born and raised in LA, please don't hate me), but I'm happy to see the re-emergence of the Blazers. It's good to have some new possible contenders in the West, and Lillard is an electrifying player. The crop of young point guards who can shoot the ball from outside is a really welcome development.

[dave from knoxville]

Through December 15th

1 San Antonio Spurs 9.4
2 Indiana Pacers 8.4
3 Oklahoma City Thunder 8
4 Portland Trail Blazers 7.8
5 Miami Heat 7.4
6 Houston Rockets 6.8
7 LA Clippers 6.7
8 Minnesota Timberwolves 6.5
9 Phoenix Suns 5.8
10 Golden State Warriors 5.8
11 Denver Nuggets 5.6
12 Dallas Mavericks 5
13 Atlanta Hawks 4.6
14 New Orleans Hornets 4.6
15 Detroit Pistons 4.6
16 Boston Celtics 4.5
17 Toronto Raptors 4.3
18 Sacramento Kings 3.9
19 Chicago Bulls 3.8
20 Washington Wizards 3.5
21 Memphis Grizzlies 3.3
22 LA Lakers 3.3
23 Charlotte Bobcats 3.2
24 New York Knicks 2.7
25 Orlando Magic 2.3
26 Cleveland Cavaliers 1.6
27 Brooklyn Nets 1.3
28 Utah Jazz 1
29 Philadelphia Sixers 0.4
30 Milwaukee Bucks 0

[dave from knoxville]

Through games of Dec 15th

1 San Antonio Spurs 9.5
2 Indiana Pacers 8.5
3 Portland Trail Blazers 8.2
4 Oklahoma City Thunder 8.1
5 Miami Heat 7.5
6 LA Clippers 6.7
7 Minnesota Timberwolves 6.6
8 Houston Rockets 6.6
9 Phoenix Suns 5.9
10 Golden State Warriors 5.9
11 Denver Nuggets 5.7
12 Dallas Mavericks 5.1
13 New Orleans Hornets 4.7
14 Atlanta Hawks 4.7
15 Detroit Pistons 4.7
16 Toronto Raptors 4.4
17 Boston Celtics 4.2
18 Sacramento Kings 4
19 Chicago Bulls 3.9
20 Washington Wizards 3.5
21 LA Lakers 3.4
22 Memphis Grizzlies 3.4
23 Charlotte Bobcats 3.2
24 New York Knicks 2.8
25 Orlando Magic 2.4
26 Cleveland Cavaliers 1.7
27 Brooklyn Nets 1.4
28 Utah Jazz 1.1
29 Philadelphia Sixers 0.5
30 Milwaukee Bucks 0

[dave from knoxville]

Through games of December 22

1 Indiana Pacers 9
2 San Antonio Spurs 8.4
3 Oklahoma City Thunder 8.2
4 Miami Heat 8.1
5 LA Clippers 7.6
6 Portland Trail Blazers 7.6
7 Houston Rockets 6.4
8 Minnesota Timberwolves 6.2
9 Golden State Warriors 6.2
10 Phoenix Suns 6
11 Atlanta Hawks 5.8
12 Dallas Mavericks 5
13 Denver Nuggets 4.9
14 Toronto Raptors 4.6
15 Detroit Pistons 4.4
16 New Orleans Hornets 4.3
17 Washington Wizards 3.9
18 Boston Celtics 3.9
19 Chicago Bulls 3.8
20 Charlotte Bobcats 3.7
21 Sacramento Kings 3.4
22 LA Lakers 3.3
23 Memphis Grizzlies 3.3
24 New York Knicks 2.9
25 Orlando Magic 2.4
26 Brooklyn Nets 2.2
27 Cleveland Cavaliers 1.7
28 Utah Jazz 0.7
29 Milwaukee Bucks 0.4
30 Philadelphia Sixers 0

[dave from knoxville]

Up to date through last night! I have also altered the scale to more accurately reflect actual game margins. It's literally impossible to get any system to to that with regularity, but this is, by a least squares measure, the most accurate measure of spread between teams that is possible.

1 Indiana Pacers 17.9
2 Oklahoma City Thunder 17.7
3 San Antonio Spurs 17.1
4 Portland Trail Blazers 15.6
5 LA Clippers 15.6
6 Miami Heat 15
7 Golden State Warriors 14.6
8 Houston Rockets 13.8
9 Minnesota Timberwolves 13.7
10 Phoenix Suns 12.7
11 Atlanta Hawks 11
12 Dallas Mavericks 10.8
13 New Orleans Hornets 9.9
14 Denver Nuggets 9.7
15 Toronto Raptors 9.4
16 Detroit Pistons 8.6
17 Memphis Grizzlies 8.1
18 Sacramento Kings 8
19 Chicago Bulls 7.8
20 Boston Celtics 7.4
21 LA Lakers 7.1
22 Charlotte Bobcats 7
23 Washington Wizards 6.6
24 Orlando Magic 5.5
25 New York Knicks 4.9
26 Brooklyn Nets 3.7
27 Cleveland Cavaliers 3
28 Utah Jazz 3
29 Milwaukee Bucks 0
30 Philadelphia Sixers 0

Greggulator, worst in the NBA? How could this have even happened?

[Kormodd]

Probably false rumors are going around about the Knicks wanting to make a trade for Lin. I like Lin as player (and loathe the false humility and bible thumping), but I doubt he'll be significantly better than Felton. Either way, Felton needs to go. I hope the Knicks can get Lowry somehow.

[InspectorHound]

A social media intern is getting fired...