The 2008-2009 NBA regular season schedule has reached the 1/4 pole, as all 30 teams have played at least 20 games. Given the history of this league and …
… it is helpful to evaluate where they rank against one another at this juncture.
QUALITY RATING & QUALITY INDEX RANKING
NBA 2008-2009 [as of Mon Dec 15 2008]
Team
W/L
Win%
PDR
PAR
RDR
QR
QIR
EC
WC
Cavaliers
20/4
.833
1
1
3
5
1
2
Celtics
23/2
.920
3
2
1
6
2
1
Hornets
13/7
.650
6
3
10
19
3
4
Blazers
15/10
.600
10
9
1
20
T-4
7
Rockets
15/9
.625
8
5
7
20
T-4
5
Lakers
20/3
.870
2
14
6
22
6
1
Spurs
15/8
.652
7
6
11
24
7
3
76ers
10/14
.417
16
8
4
28
11
Jazz
15/11
.577
9
11
9
29
8
8
Mavericks
13/10
.625
11
16
7
34
9
Nuggets
17/7
.708
4
15
16
35
9
2
Hawks
15/9
.625
12
7
17
36
10
4
Magic
19/6
.760
5
10
24
39
11
3
Bucks
11/15
.423
18
17
5
40
10
Pistons
13/9
.591
14
12
22
48
12
5
Suns
15/10
.600
13
22
14
49
13
6
Bobcats
7/18
.280
24
4
22
50
14
Heat
12/12
.500
15
13
25
53
14
7
Nets
12/11
.522
20
24
12
56
15
6
Bulls
11/12
.478
17
21
18
56
16
8
Pacers
8/16
.333
21
25
13
59
13
Grizzlies
9/15
.375
22
18
19
59
10
Timberwolves
4/20
.167
28
23
14
65
14
Clippers
6/17
.261
25
19
25
69
13
Raptors
10/14
.417
23
20
30
73
12
Thunder
2/23
.080
30
26
20
76
15
Knicks
11/13
.458
19
29
28
76
9
Kings
7/18
.280
29
28
20
77
11
Wizards
4/18
.182
27
27
27
81
15
Warriors
7/18
.261
26
30
29
85
12
Legend: W-L – Won Loss Record; Win% - Winning Percentage; PDR – Points Differential Rank; PAR – Points Allowed Rank; RDR – Rebound Differential Rank; QR – Quality Rating; QIR – Quality Index Ranking; EC – Eastern Conference Playoff Position; WC – Western Conference Playoff Position
Note: 1. Since 2000-2001 each NBA Champion and Finalist has had a QR ≤ 34.
2. Since 2000-2001 each NBA Champion has had a QIR ≤ #9.
3. Since 2000-2001 7 of the 8 NBA Champions have had a QIR ≤ #4.
Take note of where your favourite team stands today … and where it will need to get to, over the course of the next five months, in order to be considered a legit contender for the 2009 NBA Championship.
The NBA’s regular season schedule is now in full swing with each team having played a minimum of 13 games.
As was mentioned earlier in this space, there are three tiers of teams in this League that reveal themselves on an annual basis:
1. HIGH END [above a .549 Win %]
2. MIDDLE-of-the-Pack [between a .450-.549 Win %]
3. LOW END [below a .450 Win %]
At this point, here’s what each team’s W-L record is, in conjunction with their respective Rebounding Differential Ranking [which regular readers here know is a crucial factor towards playoff success]:
HIGH END
1 LA Lakers 12-1/.923; +5.00/#3 2 Boston 14-2/.875; +3.43/#7
3 Cleveland 12-3/.750; +4.33/#5 4 Phoenix 11-5/.688; -0.25/#14 T5 Detroit 9-5/.643; +0.92/#11 T5 Atlanta 9-5/.643; -0.42/#16
T5 Orlando 12-4/.643; -0.37/#15 T5 New Orleans 9-5/.643; +0.07/#13
T9 Utah 10-6/.625; +3.50/#6
T9 Portland 10-6/.625; +4.37/#4
T9 Houston 10-6/.625; +2.06/#9 T9 Denver 10-6/.625; -0.43/#17
13 San Antonio 8-6/.571; -2.28/#24 *
MIDDLE
T14 Dallas 7-7/.500; +3.07/#8
T14 New Jersey 7-7/.500; +0.21/#12
T14 Toronto 7-7/.500; -2.14/#23
T17 Miami 7-8/.467; -5.26/#28
T17 Philadelphia 6-7/.467; +6.33/#1
T17 New York 7-8/.467; -7.20/#30
LOW END
20 Chicago 7-9/.438; -1.31/#19
21 Indiana 6-8/.429; +1.00/#10
22 Milwaukee 7-10/.412; +5.58/#2
23 Golden State 5-10/.333; -3.20/#26
24 Sacramento 5-12/.294; -1.64/#20
25 Memphis 4-11/.267; -2.40/#25
26 Charlotte 4-10/.286; -2.07/#22
27 Minnesota 3-10/.231; -1.30/#18
28 Washington 2-11/.154; -3.46/#27
29 LA Clippers/2-13/.133; -5.53/#29
30 Oklahoma City 1-15/.063; -1.81/#21
* Have played mostly without Ginobili-M and Parker-T, thus far.
When this corner of the sports blogosphere told you earlier this fall/summer that the Raptors trade for Jermaine O’Neal was not going to be enough, by itself, to fundamentally improve Toronto’s Rebounding Deficiency from the last few seasons there were boatloads of delusional fans some who did not want to believe this specific assessment of this team, in advance of actually seeing real live NBA games this season with their own two eyes.
—————–
How could the acquisition of a former 6-time NBA All-Star …
in exchange for a smallish, erractic [but talented] Point Guard [i.e. TJ Ford], an over-the-hill, lumbering, strictly speaking part-time Center [i.e. Rasho Nesterovic], the 15th player from their roster last season [i.e. Maceo Baston], and a flip-flop of the No. 17 [overall] and No. 41 Draft Picks from the 2008 NBA Draft, who turned out to be Roy Hibbert [C] and Nathan Jawai [C], respectively …
possibly NOT improve the Raptors decidely mediocre rebounding numbers from the last few years in any significant way, shape or form?
—————–
Well … as of Thursday, November 6, 2008 the Basketball Acumen of this specific correspondent seems to be as sharp [and accurate] as ever:
When a certain NBA observer tells you something about ‘How the Game actually Works in this League’, in advance … it might well be in your best interests to believe what this person has to say, even though you are not able to fully comprehend it, at that point in time.
—————–
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” – Anonymous
The NBA’s pre-season schedulae of games is rapidly coming to a close.
In general, how a team fares in its pre-season games … in this League, at least … provides a preliminary indication of where it actually stands, relative to the competition, heading into the new campaign.
Annually, there are three major categories of teams in the NBA:
what you see, with only 4 days left, is generally speaking fairly representative of what you should now expect to get over the course of the 82-game regular season from these teams, in a broad sense.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Above .549 Orlando, Detroit, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia
.450-.549 Indiana, New York, Toronto
Below .450 Chicago, New Jersey, Washington [playing without Arenas], Cleveland [playing few minutes with LBJ] , Miami, Milwaukee, Charlotte
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Above .549 New Orleans, Minnesota, Denver, Houston, LA Lakers, Phoenix, Golden State, LA Clippers, Portland, Utah
.450-.549 Dallas, San Antonio [playing with Ginobili]
Below .450 Memphis, Oklahoma City, Sacramento
——————————————-
Although it’s not uncommon for a team to shift from the High End to the Middle over the course of the regular season; it is rare for a team to move from the High End to the Low End … and vice versa … once the regular season starts unless, of course, it has to play [or is playing currently] without 1 or more of its marquee players for an extending number of games.
What is usually the most interesting thing to see, however, over the course of the 82-game regular season, is which few teams are able to elevate their performance (i) from the Middle into the High End, and (ii) from the Low End into the Middle … automatically making them one of the ‘Feel Good’ stories of the year; and, which few teams, if any, will go in the opposite direction … automatically making them one of the ‘Biggest Disappointment’ stories.
Into which specific category does it look as though your favourite team is going to fit this season?
High End now that stays in the High End
High End now that drops down into the Middle
Middle now that steps up into the High End
Middle now that stays in the Middle
Middle now that drops down into the Low End
Low End now that steps up into the Middle
Low End now that stays in the Low End
The first time these ears actually heard him speak, in-person, was in the immediate aftermath of the 1984 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game when … after vanquishing the Houston Cougars (including his long-time rival and fellow 2008 Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, Hakeem Olajuwon) … he stood speechless, beside his teammate and friend, Reggie Williams, lost for words to describe what he was feeling at that precise moment.
To think …
from humble beginnings like THIS …
Part II
“What I’ve watched Patrick do is to adjust to difficult conditions … and then face them … which is what good leaders do.” – Steve Jenkins, 8th Grade Coach
‘the Big Man’ … originally from Kingston, Jamaica, and then Cambridge’s (MA) Rindge & Latin High School, and then Georgetown University (Washington, DC) … has the utmost (and unquestionnable) RESPECT of this corner.
Kudos to you, Patrick Ewing … Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (2008) … you’ve come a long way!
as, given these results for the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery …
this team SHOULD now be back in business, in a BIG Way … fast.
==========================================
Who was the saddest looking man in Secaucus (NJ) last night?
He who shoulda waited two more weeks … before signing his contract to become the next head coach for the New York Knicks.
(watch that vid-clip again, beginning at the 1:00 minute mark, when the Charlotte Bobcats were announced with the #9 selection, and check out his ‘reaction’ for yourself, at the 1:32 mark)
Billy Donovan was allowed a Do Over last year … why not Mike D’Antoni?
Q1. When the Code by which you live is, “Run, Run, Run …“, how can you possibly hope to respond … during times of hardship … with steadfastness?
A1. In all likelihood … you can’t.
———————————-
After an oftentimes spectacular 4+ years at the helm of the Phoenix Suns, head coach, Mike D’Antoni seems as though he will soon be moving on to - what he hopes will be – greener pastures.
In a searing indictment of all that’s at the root of the Basketball Philosophy, ‘Seven Seconds or Less‘ (Jack McCallum), Adrian Wojnarowski (Yahoo! Sports) explains the how’s & why’s.
Q1. What will be the impact of today’s announcement in New York on the Toronto Raptors?
A1. Unfortunately, in due time, fans of the Toronto Raptors will look back and rue the day their team was taken into the vortex of treadmill h*ll … during the 2005-2006, 2006-2007 & 2007-2008 seasons, on account of the decisions made by MLSE, and then Bryan Colangelo (President/GM).
* MLSE should not have hired Colangelo to run their NBA franchise.
* Araujo-R should not have been traded for Humphries-K.
* Villanueva-C should not have been traded for Ford-TJ.
* Bargnani-A should not have been the No. 1 Overall Draft Pick.
* Mitchell-S (& staff) should not have been retained to coach this team.
* Ford should not have been given a contract extension.
* Peterson-M should have been resigned.
* Kapono-J should not have been signed as a Free Agent.
* Delfino-C should not have been signed.
The Raptors should have been allowed to get worse before taking positive baby steps to get better from the abyss of 27-55.
It has always been foolhardy to EXPECT that the Celtics and the Knicks and the 76ers and the Nets were just going to sit by idly and ‘allow’ the Raptors to ascend to a permanent spot atop the Atlantic Division standings and, likewise, re: the Pistons, Cavaliers, Wizards, Magic, Bulls, Heat & Pacers, in terms of achieving supremacy in the Eastern Conference.
The people who run MLSE have no idea what it takes to build a championship team, either in the NHL or the NBA. MLSE knows how to do one thing exceptionally well … make $$$ … but they do not know what they’re doing when it comes to building a championship pro sports franchise.
Donnie Walsh’s move to the run the New York Knicks … means that the window of opportunity which once existed in Toronto for the Raptors … with Chris Bosh … is closing.
Record vs >.500 Opp: 3-3 (.500)
Record vs ≤.500 Opp: 7-3 (.700)
===============================================
Key Possessions which determined the W-L result:
Some NBA games are decided during the first 5 minutes of the 3rd Quarter … like this one, when
12:00-07:35 … Toronto scored on 7 of their first 8 possessions in the 2nd Half (87.5%); while preventing New York from scoring on 7 of their first 8 possessions (13.5%) … rapidly extending their intermission lead from 3 to 17 pts (TOR 72, Nyk 55)
Key Raptors: Jose Calderon (2-2, FGA/100.0%; 2-2, 3FGA/100.0%; 1 Rb), Andrea Bargnani (2-3, FGA/66.7%; 1-2, 3FGA/50.0%; 2 Ast; 1 BS), Anthony Parker (2-2, FGA/100.0%; 1-1, 3FGA/100.0%), Jamario Moon (1 Ast; 1 BS) & Chris Bosh (1-1, FGA/100.0%; 3 Rbs; 1 Ast)
Vital Components: - when the Raptors start the 2nd Half with this type of execution – Defensively, Offensively & Rebounding - led by their two best players, Bosh & Calderon, Toronto is an ‘above average’ team in the Eastern Conference, and a far superior squad to the stumbling, bumbling Knicks.
Record vs >.500 Opp: 3-3 (.500)
Record vs ≤.500 Opp: 6-3 (.667)
===============================================
Key Possessions which determined the W-L result:
Some NBA games are decided during (I) a specific segment in the early stages, and (II) the final minute of play … like this one, when
Part I
2nd Quarter 10:23 … Jamal Crawford (G) subbed back in for Malik Rose (NYK 12, TOR 25) 08:38 … Andrea Bargnani (C) subbed back in for Chris Bosh 08:09-06:24 … Toronto scored on only 1 of 4 possessions; while New York scored on 5 of 6 … allowing the Knicks to get back into the game by reducing a 14 pt deficit (16-30) to just 6 pts (26-32) … on the strength of 4 consecutive FG’s by Crawford & 1 FG by Fred Jones (G) vs the Raptors’ backcourt tandem of TJ Ford (PG) & Carlos Delfino (OG)
Part II
4th Quarter 01:01 … Delfino missed the 2nd of two FTA’s (Tor 95, NYK 97) 00:40 … Zach Randolph saved a busted play by miraculously dribbling between his legs, driving into the lane (from the top of the key), and scoring 1-on-1 vs Bosh (NYK 99, Tor 95) 00:39 … Jose Calderon shot an airball on an uncontested 3 (46.6%), off a sideline out-of-bounds play (Tor 95, NYK 99) 00:20 … Bosh took only his 7th 3-pt shot of the season, and missed (Tor 95, NYK 99) 00:07 … Delfino missed a 3-pt shot (Tor 95, NYK 99) 00:03-00:00 … Nate Robinson put the game on ice by making 4 consecutive FT’s
Key Raptors:
TJ Ford (2 TO), Jose Calderon (0-1, FGA/00.0%; 0-1, 3FGA/00.0%) & Chris Bosh (0-1, FGA/00.0%; 0-1, 3FGA/00.0%)
Vital Components:
- Part I … Kris Humphries‘ ‘missed Layup Shot’ sandwiched between 2 TO’s by Ford, while Calderon & Bosh were out
- Part II … uncharacteristically poor play (i.e. execution & decision-making) by Toronto’s two best players, Bosh & Calderon
Note 1: When Bosh & Calderon DO NOTplay like this … the Raptors are just an ‘average-above average’ team in the Eastern Conference.
