Are The Boston Celtics Contenders? Week 16 Power Rankings
From one thing every top team needs to win a title to an expert Superbowl breakdown, here are my Week 16 Power Rankings.
Are the Boston Celtics contenders? What is one thing every top team needs to win it all? What happened in the Super Bowl? I answered all those questions and more in my week 16 power rankings.
Week 16 Power Rankings
What is one thing every top team needs to win it all? A few teams need their stars to be stars. Others need better coaching/scheming. Every team could use a little extra help in their efforts for the Larry O’Brien trophy. But, what exactly do they need? Let’s find out.
#10 – Boston Celtics
Record: (33-25)
Offensive Rating: 109.7 (20th)
Defensive Rating: 105.5 (2nd)
Net Rating: 4.8 (4th)
The Jay’s Have To Go Ballistic
The Celtics have been dominating the league since the calendar year started. Their stout defense has led them to have an absurd 14.6 net rating over the past 15 games. If they want to win it all, they have to lean on their stars.
The addition of Derrick White helps their depth, but the Celtics are still star-heavy. Their two All-Star wings will lead them into the unknown.
Jaylen Brown has been hampered by injuries all year long, but remains a viable second option. The real catalyst for Boston, however, is Tatum.
Tatum is having another great season, but you know he can do better. The battle for Tatum has always been shot selection.
When he’s attacking the rim, it’s impossible to stop him. When he settles for perimeter shots, he becomes limited. Tatum has to make sure he’s attacking the rim, putting pressure on defenses. Getting to the free-throw line 6+ times is a must. If Tatum attacks the rim, it gives him more room to hit those outside shots. Attacking the basket would truly unlock his game.
Their elite defense can keep them in games and playoff series. If the Boston Celtics want another deep playoff run, it’s time for their All-Stars to be All-Stars.
#9 – Dallas Mavericks
Record: (33-24)
Offensive Rating: 110.3 (16th)
Defensive Rating: 106.9 (5th)
Net Rating: 3.4 (9th)
Their Trade Deadline Deal Has To Work
Dallas’s rejuvenated defense has given them title ambitions. With that in mind, they made a polarizing trade deadline move. Moving Kristaps Porzingis to Washington was a weird deal, but I liked it more than others. But even I can admit that it’s a massive risk.
Porzingis was having a solid season, but injuries continued to plague him. In return for the unicorn, the Mavericks got two enigmas. They are boom or bust prospects for Dallas, but the reality of this deal blowing up in their faces is large.
Before tearing his ACL during the 2021 season, Spencer Dinwiddie would have been perfect for Luka Doncic. Since that injury and the subsequent terrible 3-year contract from the Wizards, Dinwiddie is a mystery. He has shown he’s talented, but can he unlock those talents on a contending team? He was awful next to Bradley Beal, but the Mavericks need him to return to form.
The other player they got from Washington is Davis Bertans. After one great shooting season, Bertans was awarded an $80 million dollar contract from Washington. Is it any surprise that that didn’t work out as planned? Bertans is shooting just 35% from the field this year. He’s one of the most overpaid players in the league.
The Mavericks are playing a dangerous game. With how great Luka Doncic and this defense have been, trading for these two guys stirs the pot. They traded away Porzingis, the player they gave up a boatload to acquire and gave a boatload to stay around.
Dallas’s title chances are in the hands of Dinwiddie and Bertans. God help us all.
#8 – Philadelphia 76ers
Record: (34-22)
Offensive Rating: 111.2 (14th)
Defensive Rating: 108.4 (8th)
Net Rating: 2.8 (10th)
James Harden Has To Be An MVP
With Joel Embiid having a historically good season, the 76ers knew they had to go all in. Trading for James Harden checks that box, but the 76ers still have an uphill battle to the title. Most people ignored some of the potential problems with this move, opting to just gaze at a new duo in the East.
But some of those problems aren’t exactly minor. Losing Seth Curry is a bigger deal than it may seem. Not only are they losing one of the few good shooters they had, but Embiid also loses his screening partner. Harden might be better than Curry, but he has to be way better than Curry for this to work.
This season, James Harden hasn’t played at an MVP level. The 76ers need him to do so if they want to win. At the very least, they need to see better effort from the Beard.
If Harden displays the same amount of effort that he did in his final days with the Nets, then Philly is doomed. Harden’s partnership with Embiid has the potential to win a championship. It’s up to Harden to hold up his end of the deal.
#7 – Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: (35-22)
Offensive Rating: 109.7 (19th)
Defensive Rating: 105.3 (3rd)
Net Rating: 4.4 (7th)
Caris Levert Needs To Fit In
The Cavaliers have burst onto the scene as a playoff team in the East. Their lengthy frontcourt heads one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. Darius Garland takes care of the offense. A deadline move to acquire Indiana’s Caris Levert was a move I loved. I think that Levert is the key for the Cavs.
Levert is everything the Cavs need. He can create shots for himself, and he loves to get to the rim. His fit within the Cavs’ offense is the only potential snag.
Levert isn’t a catch-and-shoot threat. He attempts just 1.8 catch-and-shoot threes per game, so you’re not expecting a lot of C&S action. Some people have said that Levert is a “ball-stopper,” which I detest, but his fit with Garland is weird.
In a perfect world, Levert plays half his minutes without Garland, allowed to run the offense on his own. His other minutes will be a balancing act, trying to strike a good balance between scoring and facilitating.
The Cavs would become a threat in the East if Levert gets going. A paper-soft second-half schedule should give Levert a chance to figure things out.
#6 – Milwaukee Bucks
Record: (35-22)
Offensive Rating: 112.5 (6th)
Defensive Rating: 109.0 (12th)
Net Rating: 3.5 (8th)
Serge Ibaka Has To Bridge The Gap
The Bucks have played 2720 minutes without Brook Lopez this season. Their starting center from their title run has been out all year with back surgery. He is progressing towards a pre-playoff return, but Milwaukee has tried to find minutes down low.
Other than Giannis and Bobby Portis, their options are bleak. The DeMarcus Cousins experiment was a failure. Milwaukee hopes that their Serge Ibaka endeavors are more prosperous. Ibaka hasn’t been the same since leaving Toronto, dealing with a myriad of injuries.
When healthy, Ibaka can serve as a rim protector and a floor spacer. Until Lopez comes back, Ibaka could be the band-aid solution to their problem.
#5 – Chicago Bulls
Record: (36-21)
Offensive Rating: 113.2 (4th)
Defensive Rating: 111.4 (19th)
Net Rating: 1.8 (13th)
GET HEALTHY
The Bulls just need to get healthier;
Alex Caruso
Lonzo Ball
Derrick Jones Jr
Zach Lavine???
They are somehow still second in the Eastern Conference. If they’re fully healthy for the playoffs, you can put them in the category of a dark horse.
#4 – Miami Heat
Record: (37-20)
Offensive Rating: 112.2 (7th)
Defensive Rating: 107.4 (6th)
Net Rating: 4.7 (5th)
Rest The Veterans
The Miami Heat’s depth has been the bane of my existence this season. Before the season, I questioned whether or not they had the depth to win it all. With an older roster, that poor depth would be devastating. While the Heat have been cruising, I worry about their playoff hopes.
Not only is their depth still questionable, but their old guys are playing a lot. Playing aging veterans like Lowry and Tucker this much is risky. While it might get you more wins in the regular season, can they hold up in the playoffs?
Miami didn’t do anything at the trade deadline, which looking back at it now, was a mistake. They need depth. Not because they need to win more games, but because they need their vets to be as fresh as possible. You’re not going to beat the Bucks with a gassed Kyle Lowry.
#3 – Memphis Grizzlies
Record: (40-18)
Offensive Rating: 112.8 (5th)
Defensive Rating: 108.2 (7th)
Net Rating: 4.6 (6th)
Ja Morant Needs To Be Careful
Ja Morant is the Cape Canaveral of the NBA. His gravity-defying antics are the stuff of Carter, Wilkins, and Jordan. His raw athleticism is something we’ve never seen before. But, with all those highlight plays comes a major risk.
Without how much Morant is in the air, the chances of ankle/knee injuries are high. Morant also tends to be a bit reckless, throwing himself in the air, leaving his health in the hands of gravity. Not to be the bearer of bad news, but Derrick Rose wasn’t the same after his first ACL tear.
Plays like this would not only end Memphis’s chances at a ring, but also Morant’s career;
For the Grizzlies to become contenders for the first time in their short history, Ja Morant has to be healthy. That may mean fewer highlights, but the greater good could care less about how many likes his acrobatics get.
#2 – Golden State Warriors
Record: (42-15)
Offensive Rating: 111.5 (12th)
Defensive Rating: 104.1 (1st)
Net Rating: 7.3 (2nd)
Getting Draymond Green Healthy
The Warriors started off slowly without Draymond Green. They followed that up with nine straight wins. Even with that long winning streak to get back on track, the Warriors miss their leader. Green remains the heart and soul of this team, an irreplaceable player.
Not only is Green an elite defender, but his presence is also unlike any other. His screaming, from the bench and on the court, is a tone-setter. Offensively, his passing and ball-handling abilities make him the perfect mediator for all their shooters.
His telekinetic connection with Steph Curry is also impossible to stop. The Warriors will not push Green back to the floor (obv), but they need him healthy. For the fourth title in this dynasty, the Warriors need their heartbeat back in their chests.
#1 – Phoenix Suns
Record: (46-10)
Offensive Rating: 113.6 (2nd)
Defensive Rating: 105.4 (4th)
Net Rating: 8.2 (1st)
Keep Doing What You’re Doing
The Phoenix Suns don’t make sense. They are a machine, a team that will not stop for anybody. They have no real weakness. Their offense is a balanced cast of role players, headed by a lethal backcourt. Defensively, their frontcourt leads the way to an all-around unit.
The Suns got better during the deadline, adding Torrey Craig and Aaron Holiday for pocket change. They haven’t slowed down, currently running away with the Western Conference.
The only thing that can stop this team is injuries. Their hunger from last year’s blown Finals is fueling them. Last year wasn’t a fluke, and the Suns are proving it.
Breaking Down The Superbowl
I don’t know if you knew this, but there was a pretty uneventful football game last night. It went under the radar. Here are my thoughts on that underground game.
Joe Burrow Deserves Better
Watching Joe Burrow getting demolished in the 2nd half was heartbreaking. You knew the Rams’ front seven was going to get to him, but my god. Aaron Donald was a monster, Von Miller was killer (bars), and Joe Burrow’s legs are nonexistent.
The Bengals have a lot of cap space this offseason. They know where they need to improve. On the O-Line and cornerback, aka Eli Apple’s spot.
Glorious Refball
This video sums things up well. From the Superbowl back to week 1, this was one of the poorest officiated seasons ever. All the “taunting” and “roughing the passer” flags grew tedious. It was like watching the NBA in 2021 with all the foul-baiting.
Jalen Ramsey’s head got ripped off down the sideline. No flag.
Logan Wilson touched Cooper Kupp in the red zone on third down. Holding.
Eli Apple exists. Holding. (ok, maybe that one was deserved)
You get the point here. No matter the league, when the officials make the game about them, you can’t look at the game the same way.
The Rams Deserve This (but not their owner)
So many deserving players got rings for the Rams;
Aaron Donald, one of the best defensive players ever, added to his hall of fame resume.
Mattew Stafford escaped Detroit and is a winner.
Andrew Whitworth beat his former team and became the oldest starting tackle in Super Bowl history.
OBJ tore his ACL in the first half, but still grabbed his first ring.
Cooper Kupp completed his magical season.
Eric Weddle came out of retirement, tore his pec, and got a ring.
Sean McVay is the youngest Super Bowl-winning head coach ever.
The NBA-equivalent to so many deserving players getting rings is the Suns, who are the best team in the NBA. Just saying.
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