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NBA Power Rankings: New Year, New Number One

By Joe Boikess | January 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Dwight Howard - Keith Allison/Flickr.com

It's been two weeks since the last edition of my power rankings, where the East's mighty trio of Boston, Cleveland and Orlando took the top three spots. But that was last year, and now that 2008 has come and gone, it's time for a new leader: the Lakers. There was plenty of repositioning elsewhere as well, including the Detroit Pistons re-entering the top-10 for the first time since mid-November.1. Los Angeles Lakers (27-5) - Technically the Lakers are still a half-game behind the Celtics for the NBA's best record, but after L.A. beat Boston pretty convincingly on Christmas Day, then downed both Utah and Portland by double digits, there's no question who should be #1.2. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-6) - LeBron couldn't rally the Cavs past the Heat last week on his birthday despite dropping 24 of his 38 in the second half, and I can forgive him for that. But...

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No Southern Hospitality?

By Jamie Lucas | December 31, 2008 | Solid Gold

Someone very important was missing tonight from the Denver Nuggets' starting line up, and the Atlanta Hawks absolutely exploited his absence in their 109-91 victory Monday night. Denver went without big man and NBA field goal percentage leader Nene due to a sore neck from a fall in last night's 117-110 victory in New York. The Hawks manhandled the undersized Denver line up all night, beating them 44-27 on the boards and capitalizing on their many second chance opportunities. It was a game in which Denver's tempers flared and Mike Bibby's shots fell. The Nuggets became frustrated with the physicality of Atlanta's play, and Atlanta reveled in Denver's agitation. Bibby shot 5-6 from behind the three-point line, and he shot from WELL beyond the arc several times. Denver's collective frustration manifested itself in the form of two technical foul calls, with one on each of their leaders; Carmelo Anthony...

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NBA Studs and Duds: 12/30/08

By Stu Holdren | December 30, 2008 | NBA Noise

Studs: Jason Terry, Dallas MavericksAs the Mavericks fell 29 points behind the Timberwolves, Jason Terry came to the rescue. Terry scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half to lead the Mavs to their largest comeback in franchise history. Terry buried 5 threes to go along with his 3 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. [boxscore]Chris Paul, New Orleans HornetsCP3 tied a Hornets record with his seventh career triple-double in tonight's 97-85 victory against the Washington Wizards. Paul finished with 15 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds.[boxscore]Joe Johnson, Atlanta HawksJoe Johnson had another great game tonight, dropping in 27 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter and the team's last 5. Johnson also chipped in 7 rebounds and 5 assists to help lead the Hawks to a 110-104 victory over the Pacers. [boxscore]Duds:Baron Davis, Los Angeles ClippersBDiddy's struggles continue as he built a brick skyscraper with a 3...

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Baron Davis, Boston Celtics, Chris Paul, Dallas Mavericks, Jason Terry, Joe Johnson, Los Angeles Clippers, NBA, New Orleans Hornets, Ray Allen, Studs and Duds

Power Rankings: Green Comes Out on Top

By Celticsfanatic | December 24, 2008 | Celtics 17

Rajon Rondo on the Jumbotron - culhanen

Today on Celtics17, we will be having our very own power rankings! We will be breaking the top fifteen teams in the NBA. Who comes out on top? We'll see soon enough.2008 Power Rankings1. Boston Celtics - Ranked second in John Hollinger's power rankings, first in Marc Stein's power rankings, and first in Joe Boikess's power rankings, the Celtics are near the top in just about every single one. Heading into the Staples Center, they have a 19 game winning streak, and a record 27-2 start this year. Now thats impressive.2. Cleveland Cavaliers - Ranked first in John Hollinger's rankings (link above), the Cavs are one of the toughest teams you could think of in the NBA. Their league leading margin of victory is +13.04, and they have one of the most dominant players in the game, LeBron James, who is averaging 27.6 points per game.3. Orlando Magic - Their...

Read more | 4 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Power Rankings, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz

NBA Studs and Duds: 12/23/08

By Stu Holdren | December 23, 2008 | NBA Noise

Studs: Joe Johnson, Atlanta HawksJoe Johnson is not so quietly developing into one of the best shooting guards in the league. He is (at times) unassuming, but he can affect the game in a multitude of ways. This was certainly the case as Johnson produced the second triple-double of his career. Johnson's 21 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds led the Hawks to a 99-88 win over Oklahoma City. [boxscore]Emeka Okafor, Charlotte BobcatsSince the departure of Jason Richardson, even more responsibility has been placed on the shoulders of Emeka Okafor. As the Bobcats matched up against the frontcourt-depleted Wizards, Okafor certainly stepped up to the plate tonight in a 80-72 victory. Okafor scored 29 points, snagged 18 rebounds and blocked 3 shots.[boxscore]Devin Harris, New Jersey NetsDevin Harris contributed an excellent line of 29 points, 11 assists, 5 boards and 2 steals. These are numbers that are beginning to come as...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Antawn Jamison, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Deron Williams, Detroit Pistons, Devin Harris, Dwyane Wade, Emeka Okafor, Joe Johnson, Joel Przybilla, Miami HEAT, Mike James, NBA, New Jersey Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, Rodney Stuckey, Studs and Duds, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

NBA Stock Market: Rondo Keeping Celtics on Record Pace

By Joe Boikess | December 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Rajon Rondo surveying the floor (Photo via culhanen/flickr.com)

Note: We at MVN Outsider have re-organized our posting schedule in an effort to make our sports coverage more well rounded and timely. For those of you expecting to see the NBA Power Rankings today, that post has been moved to Tuesdays. With these changes, get ready to see more fresh content every day on every major sport. Thanks, and enjoy!Rising:Boston Celtics - Honestly, this team has been on the rise this entire season, piling up wins at a rate that we haven't seen since the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. They now have won 18 in a row and have tied the league mark for the best start (26-2) for a team with two losses. Their recent success has been due in large part to the play of point guard Rajon Rondo. When the team needs him to score, he does it (as we saw on Sunday in the C's win...

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Eight-Second Violation: Thursday, December 18, 2008

By Zach Harper | December 18, 2008 | Talk Hoops

News and Notes By Zach Harper Elton Brand Dislocates Shoulder During Wednesday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Elton Brand jumped in the air when he bought on the Luc Richard Mbah a Moute pumpfake. When he came down, he tumbled over Mbah a Moute and awkwardly landed on the ground with his arm taking the brunt of the force. It caused his right shoulder to become dislocated and since he's human and not a cyborg, he had to leave the game. If he was Detective Riggs from the Lethal Weapon series, he would have run over to the staunchon, slammed his body into the corner of it, and popped that sucker back into place. He then would have taken a glock, unloaded 25 to 35 shots with a single clip, and saved the day from some drug dealers. Unfortunately, this isn't Lethal Weapon and Elton Brand is still...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Elton Brand, Joe Johnson, Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, Marcus Camby, NBA, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors

Starting From Scratch: LeBron Scores 32 as Cavs Tame Timberwolves, 93-70

By Amar Panchmatia | December 18, 2008 | Cavalier Attitude

Highlights ll BoxRemember back when the Cavaliers had their first winning streak of the season, the eight-game streak, snapped at Detroit and how fans were upset at the prospect of starting a new one?Well, that "new" streak ended up being a better one. And Cavs fans can only hope that Wednesday's 93-70 eyesore in the Twin Cities is the start of something even better.This was a little closer than the score indicates. Considering that the Cavs came in 20-4 while the Wolves were 4-20 and losers of 10 straight, you had to wonder what the hell Minnesota was doing down by just one at 57-56 with 3:27 left in the third quarter. The old lackadaisical Cavs who played down to their opponents almost looked to be back, and the team appeared to be sleepwalking despite being without their starting center and top backcourt reserve.The Timberwolves simply could not stop LeBron....

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Anderson Varejao, Atlanta Hawks, Carmelo Anthony, Cleveland Cavaliers, Delonte West, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Mike Brown, Minnesota Timberwolves, Mo Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Zydrunas Ilgauskas

NBA Power Rankings: New Year, New Number One

By Joe Boikess | January 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Dwight Howard - Keith Allison/Flickr.com

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NBA Stock Market: Rondo Keeping Celtics on Record Pace

By Joe Boikess | December 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Rajon Rondo surveying the floor (Photo via culhanen/flickr.com)

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, NBA, NBA Outsider, New York Knicks

NBA Stock Market: Smith returns to surging Hawks

By Joe Boikess | December 4, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Rajon Rondo dunks as Bill Belichick looks on (flickr.com/Eric Kilby)

Wednesday night was a busy one in the NBA, and here's some teams and players that are on the move...Rising:Atlanta Hawks - Without Josh Smith, the Hawks' most complete player and best defender, the Hawks floundered after starting the season 6-0. He made his return last night against Memphis, and his presence opened up the floor for Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby, who combined to shoot over 65 percent from the field. Smith was active defensively from the start, finishing with a couple steals and a block in addition to 14 points, six rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes. The Hawks are a much better team with Smith in the lineup, and they'll need him as they prepare to tackle the Texas triangle beginning on Saturday in Dallas.Rajon Rondo - In guiding the Celtics to their league-best 18th win of the year on Wednesday, the wiry point guard got...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Rajon Rondo, Utah Jazz

NBA Stock Market: Mavericks getting back on track

By Joe Boikess | November 20, 2008 | MVN Outsider

var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(234,183,276630,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}()Last night was a busy one in the NBA, with two-thirds of the league in uniform and on the court. A number of intriguing matchups took place, including the Cavaliers at Pistons, Mavericks at Rockets, and Bulls at Trail Blazers. Which teams came out on top, and who has been playing well of late? Keep reading to find out who's been looking good, and who might be needing another pep talk from Lou Holtz.Rising:Dallas Mavericks - One of the more intriguing story lines throughout the early part of the season has involved the three Texas teams. Both the Spurs and Mavericks have been struggling, while the Rockets have been trying to figure out how to best integrate Ron Artest into their gameplan. On Wednesday night, the Mavericks got their second chance to show the world that they are still a force to be reckoned with, as...Read more

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Top ten surprises of the NBA season so far

By Jon Burkett | November 18, 2008 | MVN Outsider

With most teams past the 10 game point in the NBA season, subplots and storylines are emerging. While the Lakers and Celtics are clearly the top teams in the league, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are playing well as the best of the rest. Other teams have not been up to the challenge. Heading in to Tuesday's action, here are the top ten surprises of the NBA season so far... 10. Mark Cuban's alleged insider trading - The league's most entertaining and passionate owner has been on the wrong side of David Stern before. He has a reputation for being a bit of a rogue, but always follows the law. The most surprising aspect of the story to me is public reaction fueled by speculation. Sure, the NBA is still reeling from image issues of the Tim Donaghy scandal two summers ago. But every piece of gossip is not...Read more

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clipppers, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, NBA Outsider, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards

NBA Week 2 Power Rankings

By Joe Boikess | November 10, 2008 | MVN Outsider

A week ago there were seven undefeated teams left. Now there's only two, and who would have thought that one of them would be the Hawks? Atlanta is the big winner this week, but they weren't the team that made the biggest rise in my week 2 power rankings...1. Los Angeles Lakers (5-0) - After a 2-0 week was punctuated by a dominating win against the Rockets, the Lakers are one of only two undefeated teams remaining.2. Boston Celtics (6-1) - More impressive than Boston's spoiling of Iverson's debut in Detroit has been the play of Tony Allen and the C's bench.3. Phoenix Suns (5-2) - The Suns rested Shaq during their loss to Chicago last week, but he sure did make his mark the next night, notching his first 25/10 game since last November.4. Atlanta Hawks (5-0) - Losing Josh Smith for a few weeks will hurt, but Atlanta...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, NBA Outsider, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz

NBA 2008-9: Who Will Break Out, Who Will Break Down

By Bijan Bayne | October 7, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Each NBA season features a few performers who exceed previous performances or expectations, and others who demonstrate that they are no longer able to contribute at the level to which we and they have become accustomed. Which players will cross either the positive or negative threshold this season, any why? Comers: LaMarcus Aldridge, F, Portland Trailblazers- While a 17.8 scoring clip and 7.6 rebounds�are nothing to sneeze at, L.A. accomplished these things in a lineup where much more was asked of him than will be this season. The reason, of course, is that Greg Oden will be patrolling the pivot. Aldridge will continue to display his considerable defensive gifts, and blossom as a scorer, but free of primary responsibilties to police the lane. His defensive assignments will change. Their will be help when opponents penetrate. There will be more possessions and fast breaks triggered by Oden's rebounds and blocked shots....Read more

Read more | 6 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Bobcats, Cavaliers, Charlotte Bobcats, Clippers, Los Angeles Clippers, NBA, Trail Blazers, Warriors

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