My NBA Power Rankings (November)

These are the second batch of Power Rankings, but the first since the season kicked off 2 weeks ago. A lot has changed in that small length of time, lets see how your favorite team stacks up...

Team             Rank                 Record                     Synopsis                                                                  

        1.                     7-1                     Sure the Lakers stumbled against the Pistons, but when you                                                         are beating opponents by an average of 21 ppg you probably shouldn't lose at home.

          2.                      9-2                  In 1 week Boston knocks off the unbeaten Hawks then    

                                                           loses to the Denver Nuggets at home. Whats up with that?

 

        3.                        8-2                LeBron has scored over 40 points in 3 out of their last 5

                                                        games, but the bigger story is the play of Mo Williams.

                                                        Batman may finally have a Robin in Cleveland.

        4.                       7-3                 A.I seems to to be fitting in just fine after that big win in LA
                                                        on Friday. If Detroit can somehow duplicate that scoring
                                                        balance; they will be tough to beat come June.

        5.                     6-3                 Remember that hot 6-0 start that had Atlanta thinking playoffs
                                                      again? Well 3 losses later the hawks have landed after the
                                                        Nets gave them 2 L's out of the 3. Hurry back Josh Smith.

        6.                     8-3             Phoenix would be higher on this list if they could just be more
                                                    consistent. After an ugly loss to the Rockets, then a Huge win
                                                    over the Pistons; you never know which team is going to show
                                                                    up.

        7.                     5-4             The Hornets are really relying on CP3 to go for 20-10 every
                                                    night. The bench is a major concern for this team; but on the
                                                    bright side the James Posey trade is working out..except for that
                                                    3 Kobe hit to seal the Laker win. (Ouch)

        8.                 6-4                 With Mr. Big Shot in town Melo is free to take any shot he
                                                    wants, and the team looks like they are playing a little bit of
                                                    Defense. Big win in Boston should stamp the approval for the
                                                    A.I Chauncey switch.

         9.              6-4                 Mike D'Antoni has the Knicks firing on all cylinders..on the

                                                offensive end. Theres still no defense in New York but if they keep

                                                playing hard the playoffs could be back in the Big Apple.

        10.             6-4                 The Jazz just seem to keep getting it done even when they didn't
                                                have D-Will for the majority of the season thus far. Quality minutes
                                                from the bench have kept this team afloat; particularly Paul Milsap
                                                and Ronnie Brewer.

        11.             7-3                 Dwight Howard may have to be Superman the entire season
                                                (30pts, 19bds, 10blks) as he was the other night. Lack of
                                                firepower in the back court may hurt them down the stretch. Hedo
                                                and Rashard Lewis are both playing well though.

        12.             6-4                 Oden could be finding his footing 10 games into the season, but
                                                they play of Rudy Fernandez has people talking about Rookie of
                                                the Year. This Blazer team is deep and should make the playoffs if
                                                Roy continues to play like an All-Star.

        13.             5-4                 Bosh and O'neal seem to be fitting together perfectly which bodes
                                                well for the maturation of this team. Now only if Bargnani can live
                                                up to the hype of being the #1 overall pick.

        14.             4-5                 For a minute there I thought the Spurs looked old and washed up,
                                                then the young guys started earning their paychecks. But with
                                                Parker out for 2 weeks they will continue to hover around .500.

        15.             6-4                 Yes they are leading in their division, so one may ask why they are
                                                ranked lower than the Spurs and the Hornets? I'm just not sold on
                                                this team yet, there doesn't seem to be enough balls to go around
                                                                and Yao slows the team down when they are built to run.

        16.           5-5                 Boy do they ever miss Shaq in the paint after Portland killed them
                                                on the glass last week. I don't think Marion is the answer, so look
                                                for the next big trade to involve him for some front court help.
                                                Then the playoffs could be a strong consideration.

         17.         4-6                 Can you believe Golden State is 2 games under .500 without Monta
                                              Ellis? Captain Jack is living up to his nickname, while Al Harrington
                                              wants out as fast as possible. Once he is traded and Ellis comes
                                              back they may make a late season run..again.

        18.        4-5                 Vince and Devin Harris took apart the once unbeaten Hawks not
                                            once but twice in the same week. They are a matchup nightmare,
                                            especially when Yi hits 5 three pointers in 1 night.

        19.      5-5                 Imagine you drove an old car that was rusty but got you from point A
                                            to B then you get a shiny new car and have no idea how to drive.
                                           That sums up the Sixers, who are still learning how to use Elton Brand
                                        while remaining true to pushing the ball up the court. Hope they figure it
                                                            out soon, the East is no slouch this year.

        20.     5-5                     Rose is starting to figure it out, but when the jump shots aren't falling
                                            this team is horrible to watch. Gordon and Deng are not the players
                                            of the future that the Bulls thought they were, so look for someone to
                                            go via trade in order to address the needs in the front court.

        21.     5-6                     Its hard to figure the Bucks out, especially since Redd is still injured.
                                            Once he gets back we will finally see what this team is made of.
                                            Kudos to Scott Skiles for getting the most out of this rag-tag group
                                            while Michael Redd heals up.

        22.     4-7                     The Kings are struggling to score the ball, and with the return of Brad

                                            Miller some of the youngsters will have to now sit. 1 bright spot is the

                                            play of Bobby Brown(not that 1)who seems like he will be around

                                            the league for quite a while...cant say the same for Reggie Theus.

        23.     3-6                     MJ wants to buy the team from Bob Johnson, but what he needs to

                                            do is go buy a scorer who he can pair up with Plastic Man 2 Gerald

                                            Wallace.

        24.     3-7                     Who knew Dallas would struggle this bad..I DID! Avery Johnson
                                            was wrongfully ran out of town leaving Rick Carlisle to sort out the
                                            mess. Out of there 3 wins 2 came in Overtime, not sure this team has
                                                            an identity.

        25.     4-5                     The Pacers play hard every night, and that can't be said for every
                                             team. Give them credit for beating the C's first, but they wont beat
                                            too many teams with the lack of fire/star power in the starting lineup.

        26.     1-8                     Ok, so 2 of their 8 losses came to the Lakers who started out red
                                            hot, but home losses to the Warriors and the Kings aren't acceptable.
                                            I wonder if Baron is re-thinking his decision to move back home?

        27.     1-6                     Gilbert Arenas is one of my favorite players, but when he comes
                                            back he will not be enough to bring the Wizards out of the Eastern
                                            Conference cellar .

        28.     3-7                     Memphis has to love what they are getting out of rookie sensations
                                            O.J Mayo and Marc Gasol. They have a solid foundation with
                                            Conley and Gay; and will be very competitive in the future. Love how
                                            they competed with the Suns on the road.

        29.     1-8                     The clock has to be ticking on Randy Wittman if some improvement
                                            is not made. Oh, and it doesn't help that out of the top 5 rookies
                                            Love is having the smallest impact. The biggest stat that jumps out is
                                            the 0-6 record on the road.

        30.     1-9                     OKC is giving up an average of 100ppg! Defense has to be
                                            emphasized if this team wants to make any noise in the ultra
                                            competitive west.

Peace,
Agent 34 

No Playing Time, No Trade..No Problem?

Here is a look at a few players who are in NBA limbo with no resolution in sight.  Most of the time when a player cant crack the rotation for his respected team, that team would either waive him, exercise a buyout, or trade him for another player with equal or lesser value.  But..when your name happens to be Stephon Marbury or Antoine Walker doing any of the above is never as easy as it sounds.  Lets take a look at both players and see how they are in NBA limbo with no resolution in sight.

First up is Starbury whom some consider a pass first point guard who helped run the Knicks once proud franchise in the ground. After 2 failed attempts at Resurrection with Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas new head coach Mike D'Antoni has publicly stated that he will not play or trade Marbury; because he does not see the guard in the Knicks longterm plans.  Here is the main issue, Marbury is one of the highest paid players in the NBA with $20 Million due to him this year (whether he plays or not) and because of his brutal contract it makes him 10x's harder to trade.  So why not a buyout?  Well, at a $20 Million price tag and the fact that the Knicks lead the league in paying luxury taxes you can imagine why new G.M Donnie Walsh doesn't want to go down that road.  However, I feel for Marbury in the fact that he sounds like a changed man (nothing like this) when he says he wants to fit into the system and be the leader of the team.  Not only is he not been giving a chance to lead, he has not played a single minute in the Knicks 5-3 start this year.  I'm confused as to how a team can "afford" to not play, trade, or waive a player of his stature versus just sitting him on the bench.  Look for Marbury to seek arbitration on the matter and either force a trade or a buyout on the grounds that the Knicks are sabotaging his career.  Some potential suitors include the Bucks, Raptors, and maybe the 1-6 Wizards who desperatly need a point guard while Gilbert Arenas is injured. Stay tuned to see what happens to Starbury; but for now he sorely resides on the Knicks bench. 

Next up is my guy Antoine Walker who is one of the most misunderstood players in NBA history.  After leading Kentucky to the 1996 NCAA tittle, he was the most sought after player in that highly touted draft class.                                                                                                        

 

With a seal of approval from his Airness, Walker started his career in Boston following in the shadows of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.  Paul Pierce and Walker combined for a lethal tag team as they led the C's to the Conference Finals during their tenure together.  Ultimately the 2 were split up and now Antoine is currently sitting it out on the bench of the Memphis Grizzlies.  With a salary that is due to pay him $9 Million this season, he is the highest player on his team; and also the least amount of playing time.  The Grizzles refuse to play Walker even though he is perfectly healthy and able to contribute.  Even though Walker is notorious for his shot selection (.325 on 3's) I still don't understand how a team can afford to just sit him. and force him to travel and practice everyday.  Both of these players are on the downward swing in their respected careers, but put them on a contender and see how they produce; like a Michael Finley or Allen Iverson.  I hope the NBA takes a look at teams that are not buying out the contracts of veteran players in an effort to save luxury tax money, and also not playing them which sabotages their trade value.

Honorable Mentions-Eddy Curry:New York Knicks

                                    

Peace,

Agent 34

On the Hip-Hop Side...

Here is an extended trailer for the upcoming Biography of the Notorious B.I.G. Gravy who is actually a good up and coming rapper does a great job of portraying Biggie, as well as Derrick Luke who represents Diddy in the film. Other co-stars are Angela Bassett as Voletta Wallace, and Anthony Mackie (8 Mile) as Tupac. Check out the video below...

Peace,
Agent34