NBA Power Rankings - Training Camp

http://espn.go.com/nba/powerrankings/_/year/2014/week/-1

THESE ARE ONLY THE LAST 10.  Go to the link to see them all.


2013-14 Power Rankings: Training Camp
RANK TEAM / RECORD COMMENTS

20-----New Orleans-----27-55
The committee (of one) has indeed reached the point where we instinctively say and write Pelicans. Not there yet, though, when it comes to proclaiming New Orleans playoff material. The pieces are undeniably promising but The Unibrow, Jrue, Tyreke & Co. still have a lot of meshing to do.

21-----Los Angeles-----45-37
Sorry, folks. Won't pretend I've got a great fix on this group's ceiling -- since we don't know how soon we'll see Kobe Bryant -- but I ain't buyin' that the Lakers have lost their luster because one marquee free agent jilted them. Get your shots in while you can. Cause (Arnold voice) they'll be back.


22-----Sacramento-----28-54
How many of you, back in April, thought we'd see the Kings' logo on this list? Five months later? One of their most hated rivals just announced to the world that his new home is "Shaqramento." So before we even get into this season's prospects, let's just let Sac-Town revel in the moment.


23-----Toronto-----34-48
This week's announcement that the 2016 All-Star Game is Toronto-bound came as welcome news to your Canada-loving rankings curator. The Raps could make this a lot easier with a return to relevance, but now I'm guaranteed a trip to one of my favorite cities on Earth ... in a mere three-plus years.


24-----Orlando-----20-62
It's not often that the committee has to rethink things, but initial cool reviews of the Magic's post-Dwight Howard plan might have been premature. GM Hennigan has amassed coveted youngsters (Vucevic, Tobias Harris, Oladipo, Harkless) and managed to sell his fan base on a patient approach.


25-----Utah-----43-39
The Jazz have to feel fortunate. They let both of their marquee free agents walk in free agency, have committed to playing kids with Jefferson and Millsap gone and nonetheless appear to have widespread support from their fan base even with lots of losses ahead in the short term. Special.


26-----Milwaukee-----38-44
Our own Kevin Arnovitz wrote a comprehensive piece this month explaining why Senator Kohl cannot bear to let the Bucks bottom out in the quest for lottery salvation like the Phoenixes, Orlandos and Phillys of this world. But do you see 'em making the playoffs with the squad they've got?


27-----Boston-----41-40
They have to trade Rajon Rondo. You know it, I know it, everyone in basketball knows it. In the interim, though, hats off to Danny Ainge. By hiring Brad Stevens, he's found a way to keep the Celts riveting for the Boston die-hards while he's in the midst of all these tricky rebuilding transactions.


28-----Charlotte-----21-61
They'll only be the Bobcats for one more season, after which we'll see how long it takes us to get used to saying Hornets again. In the meantime: What's with all the Al Jefferson naysayers? His deal is not a crippler. And he's the frontcourt scorer the Bobcats haven't had since they were the Hornets.


29-----Phoenix-----25-57
The plan, Phoenix insists, is to play Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe together in the backcourt. Which is intriguing enough to get us tuning in -- especially when you throw in Jeff Hornacek as a rookie coach -- even though the same plan calls for stockpiling draft picks and essentially starting over.


30-----Philadelphia-----34-48
Philly didn't hire Brett Brown as coach until Aug. 14 and was the first team openly associated with tanking for Andrew Wiggins. None of that will earn the Sixers even one extra pingpong ball, but perhaps we can soften the blow of their consensus No. 30 status by calling them trendsetters?



bob
MY NOTE: We HAVE to trade Rondo?  Really?  Then where's the incentive for a top shelf free agent to come here?  With Rondo and Green a top shelf player has a shot at something.  Without Rondo?  No.  You have to have at least one superstar already on the team to draw other superstars.  That's why Howard wanted to go to LA (it didn't work out, short-term, but he agreed to it because they already had tons of talent waiting for him).  Who would we trade Rondo, at his very cheap contract, that would be as much of a draw as Rondo?  

One person's #27 is another person's #4 seed in the draft.  It's all about perspective.


.

Screw ESPN and screw predictions.

Sam