Post Sim 2 Top 10 Rankings

[BigDaddyd8720]

Post Sim 2 Top 10 Power Rankings

Come one, come all as we get into another edition of Power Rankings that mean absolutely nothing and will probably not stay the same by the end of the season. We’re 2 sims down and have some information about where teams may be headed. Obviously, there’s still plenty of sim league left so there will be plenty of changes but let’s have some fun while we’re here. I know last season my playoff power rankings weren’t even close to being correct. I had the Celtics at #12 and they swept the first round series. My top 3 teams of the Warriors, Trailblazers, and Bullets all didn’t even make the Finals. So I guess you can say I wasn’t exactly correct in how I thought those playoffs were going to play out.

But here we are, a new day, a new season, a new power rankings article because I’m sure everyone is excited for another one of these. So let’s see if the information we have right now can be any indicator as to where these teams will finish the season. And just as Shang said in his hit song “I’ll make a man out of you” from the classic Disney movie “Mulan”... Let’s get down to business:

#10 Denver Nuggets: Now check this out! Here’s a team that I’m sure nobody would have thought twice about if you said they will be a bottom tier team again. They just had the #1 pick, they have three 1st round picks in the next draft, and they started off 3-4 with 2 of those wins against the Hawks and Mavericks who combined now have the same amount of wins as the Nuggets. But here we are, talking about them and how they really aren’t that far from being a playoff team as soon as this season. They took down the Kings and Trailblazers this past sim so they have already shown they can compete. Just need to see them do it all season. And nobody is playing lights out on this team but they seem like they are playing “as a team”. They still need to find some big men to help them out down low. If they can do that, watch out for this team to make a strong push to get to the postseason.

#9 Los Angeles Lakers: It seems like the Lakers are always in this same spot. Not a top tier team, but definitely not a bottom tier team. They stay above .500 and always know how to put up points. With 3 players averaging 20+ points a game, this team has a chance to win every time they step on to the court. Their defense is their biggest issue. Sure they score a lot of points but they also give up a lot of points too. They have the 2nd smallest point differential of all the teams on this list. They also commit the 2nd most fouls per game in the league. A stellar home record. Once this team figures out their defensive identity, this is going to be a very dangerous team that will be poised to make a deep playoff run.

#8 Cleveland Cavaliers: Even though the East is still pretty weak, this team is still boasting the #2 overall defense as well as the #2 defense in efficiency rating. The Cavaliers always find a way to stay competitive and this season is no different. A 5.1 point differential to go with a winning road record so far is a good start to being able to put together a really good season. This team is still not quite at championship contender level yet but if they add a few pieces to this roster, they could be competing with the Bucks for the spot in the Finals. Paxson and Moncrief are a fantastic duo who can generate a lot of scoring. They just need to find help from their other players too.

#7 Seattle Supersonics: Now I can see some people saying I may be a bit biased putting my own team above some of the others but there’s no questioning that this Supersonics team has already proven it’s gotten better from last season. We got off to a slow start at 3-4 but our first 7 games of the season were on the road. Then we came back in Sim 2 going 6-2 with half our games on the road. Currently sitting with a 6-5 road record while also having the #1 defense, I probably could have made a case for putting this team even higher. But before I do that, this team needs to find some more offense. It’s great that we are able to stop teams from scoring but we need someone else on this team to step up and help Wilkins out, he’s the only player scoring more than 17 points/game on this team. Once we figure out our offense, we can really look to make the jump into being a championship contender.

#6 New Jersey Nets: Feels like it’s been so long since this team won that championship but it seems like they are finally getting themselves back into the mix. While their division may be the weakest in the league, they are still taking care of business as they sit 4-0 in divisional games. Dawkins and Robinson are leading the way in scoring. I’m curious to see if they will let Herb Williams get some more playing time or if they will continue to let him come off the bench. Seems like he may be the missing piece this starting 5 needs to really put themselves into the conversation of best in the east with the Bucks

#5 San Diego Clippers: The Clippers got off to a really hot start after SIm 1 going 5-2 but they did falter a little bit this last sim going 4-3. They may have had a fairly easy schedule to start the season but losses to the Pacers (without Dantley), the Jazz and the Spurs aren’t a good look. They did beat the Trailblazers at home but they get them the next two games so we’ll have to see if they can continue beating them. Their only divisional loss so far came from the Warriors but other than that, they’ve taken care of business. This team looks poised to make it to the playoffs for the first time since the creation draft. Just need to see if they can prove the haters wrong and show that Reggie Theus is a true Purple Player

#4 Portland Trailblazers: This team is the epitome of depth. They always seem to be able to have 7-8 guys scoring double digit points every season. They just know how to get everyone involved and everybody buys into the system. This team plays really well together and they constantly find themselves in the playoff discussion, even when Wig says his team isn’t that good. Not to mention they have been #1 or #2 in the division every season since the creation draft. Bottom line, as long as Wig is leading this team, you know they are going to be a tough matchup so you better bring your A game.

#3 Kansas City Kings: Reigning champs looking like they haven’t missed a beat. They brought back their big 3 and even added a good young PG who looks like he’ll be ready to help win this team another championship in a couple of seasons. With Natt and King scoring 30+ points a game, you won’t be able to stop this team, only hope to slow them down. I’m sure they will make some moves to assure their team doesn’t take a step back in the case of an injury but if they can avoid the injury bug this season, we may very well be looking at our first repeat champion of the NPBSL.

#2 Milwaukee Bucks: If not for an 11 game win streak by the Warriors, I might have put the Bucks at #1. One of two teams undefeated at home, while also being undefeated in their own division and very close to having 7 players averaging 10+ points per game. This team looks like they are coming back with a vengeance after blowing the 3-1 lead in the Finals last season. And this time they look ready to avenge last season’s defeat. A top 5 offense to go with a top 3 defense, this team doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Unless the injury to Phil Ford proves to be more detrimental than what it seems to be

#1 Golden State Warriors: A very slow start to the season saw them go 2-3 in the first 5 games with losses to the Bullets, Clippers, and Lakers. But Greeple must have had a nice long talk with his team because they have been perfect since that third loss. Winning 11 in a row is no easy feat. But when you have arguably the two best big men in the game, it does make it a bit easier to attain. We know how last season ended. But the Warriors added some good pieces and look poised to make another run at the championship. 7 players scoring double digits with 3 of them scoring 20+ in a solid recipe for winning. #1 offense in the league with scoring 131.8 points per game is looking like they will be pretty difficult for any team to handle this season.

[greepleairport]

1500+ words, +5pts
Thanks for puttin' ya boy at numero uno lol...but giving an extra point for that would be like...i dunno...trumpy. so we'll keep her at 5. Great reads though, man, and not just 'cause i'm at the top! haha