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Power Rankings: All good things must come to an end

Wayne A. Lett; Fans 24/7 Staff — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:06:17 +0000

With the regular season over and the post-season beginning, it’s time to see where each teams power rankings are at for going into the 2009 season.

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Angels · Trends	1
	Once more, with feeling: The Angels outscored their opponents by 68 runs and finished 100-62; the Yankees outscored their opponents by 62 runs and finished 89-73. This can mean one of several things: that the Angels were incredibly lucky; that the Angels were amazingly fortunate; or that the Angels were astonishingly blessed. I’m leaning towards a combo of explanations one and three … Three months into his Angels tenure, Mark Teixeira finally gets to play in games that matter. Bully for him.
	2	Rays · Trends	3
	I’ll just come out and say it right up front: I think they win it all. They’ve got speed, defense, depth and pitchers who miss bats (that’s the cool way to say “strikeouts” nowadays, dontcha know). I’d feel even more confident if I thought Joe Maddon would leave Troy Percival off the playoff roster and give his innings to certified L.D. crush Grant Balfour … Don’t discount Carl Crawford’s value as a pinch-runner/late-inning defensive replacement … After thinking about it for days and crunching the numbers, I’ve come up with two viable candidates to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Rays’ first playoff game: Hall of Famer Wade Boggs and Tampa mainstay Hulk Hogan.
	3	Cubs · Trends	2
	It figures that they’d have the bad fortune to face the one playoff team without much lefty pitching. Jim Edmonds becomes a crucial player against the Dodgers’ glut of righties … I accept that the networks dictate the hour at which every non-WNBA sporting event will be played, but an 8:30 p.m. local start for Game 2 of Dodgers-Cubs still seems willfully stupid … Of course Cubs fans should be worried about Carlos Zambrano. The team would be better off right now if somebody had singled off Big Z during the early innings of his no-hitter, which would’ve allowed Lou to remove him from the game (and preserve his arm) without enraging the masses.
	4	Red Sox · Trends	4
	At full strength, the Red Sox are baseball’s best team. With Mike Lowell down and the status of J.D. Drew and Josh Beckett up in the air, they ain’t at full strength… All the time off — the Red Sox-Angels series has one of those NBA-ish day-on/day-off rotations — plays to Boston’s advantage … I can’t imagine how this doesn’t go five games.
	5	Phillies · Trends	5
	They catch a break in that the Brewers can only use CC Sabathia once in the first four games of the series. The Phillies should tee off on the Brewers’ righty starters; their lefty-leaning lineup will have more trouble with big CC … Brett Myers was awful until mid-summer, devastating between then and Sept. 14, then awful again in his final two starts. Go ahead, you figure him out … Yes, Brad Lidge gave up two monstrous dingers during the Astros’ postseason run in 2005. Big deal. He has mostly been a wonderful pitcher since then. I don’t buy into the whole psychological-wounds thing.
	6	Twins · Trends	8
	I’m writing this before Tuesday night’s for-all-the-marbles clash … The Twins get ranked ahead of the White Sox owing to last week’s unlikely sweep … Not to be the rain-on-parade guy here, but if the Twins still had Johan Santana we’d be talking about them as a World Series contender … I underestimated the Twins all season long, to be honest. I figured the young pitchers would take much longer to develop and that the limp-noodle bats at third base and in the outfield would prove too much to overcome. My bad … Of course, I’m still predicting that Tampa pastes whoever wins the play-in game.
	7	White Sox · Trends	6
	Hello, symmetry, part I: Through 162 games, the White Sox and Twins have the same record (88-74), the same home (53-28) and road (35-46) records, and almost the same number of runs scored (829 for Minny, 810 for Chicago) and allowed (744 for Minny, 729 for Chicago) … So the White Sox drop five straight final-week games to the Twins and Indians, but they’re still “clutch” because they rebounded to win one against the Indians and another against the indifferent Tigers? Whatever.
	8	Yankees · Trends	10
	Hello, symmetry, part II: The Yankees and Mets finished 2008 with the same record (89-73), the same home (48-33) and road (41-40) records, and within 15 runs of one another in runs scored and allowed. The Yankees, of course, put up those numbers against the AL’s big-boy competition … I’m about to sound like a massive Yankee apologist, but if you had said in April that they would lose Chien-Ming Wang, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui for most of the season, get nothing out of Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy, and see Robinson Cano regress into a poor man’s Mariano Duncan … well, 89 wins would’ve sounded pretty good, right?
	9	Brewers · Trends	12
	They came up big when they had to, or at least CC Sabathia and Ryan Braun did. Were Corey Hart, J.J. Hardy or Bill Hall even on the active roster last week? … Chances are the Brewers have as little idea what to expect from Yovani Gallardo against the Phillies in Game 1 as you or I … It’s a great story, this once-proud franchise finally getting its act together and making the playoffs after a 92-year drought, but the Brewers chip away at the happy narrative with all the crap-talking, chest-pounding and shirt-untucking they do.
	10	Blue Jays · Trends	9
	I can’t decide whether the Jays’ 86-76 campaign was a success or a disappointment. They surrendered the fewest runs of any team in baseball, but the hitters didn’t do much until it was too late … J.P. Ricciardi lives to see another season, ostensibly under the condition that he doesn’t return phone calls from David Eckstein’s agent … I’m trying to think of scenarios that are less probable than A.J. Burnett opting out of his contract and testing the free-agent waters. A surprise visit by Halley’s Comet? A Stephen Hawking victory on Dancing with the Stars?
	11	Mets · Trends	7
	Five runs in the final three games are as much a reason the Mets are packing up their shower shoes and toiletries as the travails of the super-maligned bullpen … Late Sunday night, I watched a local sportscaster rail about ‘THE CULTURE OF LOSING!!!’ that has supposedly engulfed the poor, sweet Metsies. Here’s the thing: If one or two balls had bounced differently in any of the close games they lost during the past two seasons, you’re looking at a team with a three-season playoff streak, not one that has been tattooed with the “loserhead” tag. This is unfair and shortsighted … Despite all the screams for franchise-revolutionizing change, there aren’t a lot of moves to be made. Omar Minaya has his new four-year deal (lovely PR work, letting news of it slip as Rome burned last week), the players and media have embraced Jerry Manuel, and the team would be foolish to disturb the Reyes/Wright/Beltran/Santana/Pelfrey core … The obvious solution? Take a deep breath, then set about finding guys like Matt Lindstrom and Heath Bell — who the Mets gave away in recent years — to plug the middle-relief leaks.
	12	Dodgers · Trends	11
	I won’t pretend to speak for all Yankee fans, but yeah, many of us are sincerely happy for Joe Torre … The Dodgers have played nothing competition for the past five weeks, which has as much to do with their surge as Manny Ramirez. Their last series against a legit team concluded on Aug. 25 … Rafael Furcal treated the season-ending series against San Francisco as “spring training.” There’s probably still some rust to be shaken off.
	13	Marlins · Trends	14
	There’s a lot to like here moving forward: the cache of young starters, frisky kids like Cameron Maybin, Matt Lindstrom in the ‘pen — but the usual financial issues will force them to deal off Kevin Gregg and others … Maybe you take some of the slow-footed sluggers due for hefty raises, like Mike Jacobs or Dan Uggla, and trade them for pitching depth and guys who can field their position. The Marlins have plenty of offense; they can get by with a defense-minded player at second base.
	14	Astros · Trends	15
	Fine, they finished strong. Now comes the hangover, when the Astros wake up to an organization that’s creaky and devoid of prospects … We all expected more from Hunter Pence this year, but he’s still only 25 on Opening Day 2009 … I don’t care how scrappily they stepped up in 2008. If Mark Loretta, Geoff Blum, Brad Ausmus or Darin Erstad are on the Houston roster next season, the government ought to intervene.
	15	Cardinals · Trends	17
	As per usual for a La Russa-helmed team, they were better than the sum of their parts … Nice move signing Kyle Lohse for a slightly-below-market deal before the start of free agency … You know who’s pretty good? Albert Pujols, that’s who … It might not be a bad idea to re-up wise geniusy pitching guru Dave Duncan before a big-dollar team that wants to placate its fan base realizes he’s on the market.
	16	Indians · Trends	13
	It mostly came down to health — winning without your middle-of-the-order cogs is not easy, clearly — but the Indians shouldn’t get a full pass. For all the things they do right, they haven’t had a big-time corner-outfield bat since Manny Ramirez and nothing they’ve tried in the bullpen has worked … It’s time to cut bait on Andy Marte (perhaps it’s no coincidence that few of the hot prospects traded away by John Schuerholz have blossomed). Move Peralta to third and Cabrera to short (where he should be playing in the first place), then go find a second baseman to complete what should prove a productive offensive and defensive infield.
	17	Diamondbacks · Trends	16
	Baseball’s most disappointing team in 2008, hands down. At least the Indians can blame their fate on a wave of injuries. The Diamondbacks have no excuse except underperformance … Somebody’s going to overpay Orlando Hudson by $15 million, owing to his defensive rep and his good-guy clubhouse demeanor … “Hope that the kids improve” isn’t much of an organizational game plan, but it’s the only rational one for the D-Backs heading into 2009. They’re too smart to deal guys like Chris Young when their value is at its lowest.
	18	Athletics · Trends	18
	The last-weekend sweep at Seattle’s hands was unseemly, but the Dan Haren, Nick Swisher, Rich Harden and Joe Blanton deals have stocked the organization with all kinds of useful parts … I wonder what it’s like to be an A’s fan. Your team runs its business smartly and efficiently, yet there aren’t any post-Bash-Brothers championship banners flying high over the stadium. There’s always hope, at least, and you can sleep at night knowing that smart people are in charge. I’m rooting for your patience to pay off.
	19	Rangers · Trends	20
	Today’s duh-really assessment: they need pitching. Rangers fans are as bored reading it as I am writing it, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Maybe it has finally sunk in that they should go after guys who keep the ball down — which, of course, would require an overhaul of their middle-infield defense … They’ve quietly built one hell of a farm system, plus they have what no other MLB organization does: a glut of catching.
	20	Royals · Trends	21
	The effort is there; the talent is not. And talent trumps effort … They finished strong, with an 18-8 September … If they decided to deal Gil Meche (three years, $30-plus million left on his contract) for a handful of prospects, no fewer than eight teams would participate in the bidding. As tough as it is to deal a starter who has succeeded in the batty AL, maybe that’s the best way to go about replenishing the system.
	21	Tigers · Trends	22
	What a bunch of quitters. The way the Tigers rushed through Monday’s game against the White Sox, you have to wonder if they had a cab with a running meter waiting outside the park … Let’s not let everybody’s super-pal Jim Leyland off the hook here. When the Tigers stumbled, he stopped pinch-hitting and started to leave his pitchers (especially Justin Verlander) in the game several batters too long … This is an aging team with an inability to catch the ball, no inclination to spend on needed upgrades and few prospects in the wake of the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis deal. Good luck righting this ship in a single offseason.
	22	Reds · Trends	19
	With a few savvy moves, they could contend in 2009. The wish list starts with a corner-outfield bat and a replacement for low-energy 3B Edwin Encarnacion (Adrian Beltre via trade?). They could use a shortstop, too, as Jeff Keppinger is most useful in a super-utility role … Dusty Baker didn’t run any pitchers into the ground this season, nor did he smother any of his young players with a pillow. This constitutes progress. Now, if he could only quit Corey Patterson …
	23	Rockies · Trends	24
	At this time last season, they were baseball’s fresh-faced darlings. No, really, they were. You can look it up … Some regression to the mean had to be expected, but nearly every player not named Matt, Brad or Ubaldo disappointed … They have four legit starters and a nice morsel of trade bait in Garrett Atkins (to the Yankees for some pitching?), but Brian Fuentes will flee via free agency and Holliday’s expiring contract will fuel 720,000 rumors. Difficult decisions lie ahead.
	24	Giants · Trends	23
	If you’d told me before the season the Giants would not end 2008 as one of baseball’s five worst teams, I’d have called you a crazy person, then backed away slowly while maintaining eye contact and dialing 911 on my cell … The positional players remain a mess — enjoy those next four years of a decaying Aaron Rowand, Giants fans — but the young arms are abundant … I keep hearing that Matt Cain will be dangled in a deal for the soon-to-get-very-very-very-expensive Ryan Howard or Prince Fielder. Bare positional-prospect cupboard or not, that strikes me as a big risk for the Giants to take.
	25	Braves · Trends	25
	The 2008 Braves, in nine words: injuries bad luck injuries injuries injuries bad luck injuries … Remember when the Braves used to trot out a functional outfield? Boy, that sure takes me back … Tim Hudson won’t be back until August at the very earliest, so the Braves are at least two starting pitchers short of a marginal rotation. Veterans like Derek Lowe or Brad Penny could be a nice fit.
	26	Pirates · Trends	26
	The two New York teams win 89 games and get labeled by slow-blinking fans as weak-willed losers. Pirates devotees must see that and think, “Unappreciative a–holes” … The first postseason move was to fire the first base coach — that’ll sure fix what ails ‘em … Neither the Pirates nor their players took anything resembling a step forward in 2008. The season’s biggest success? Nate McLouth, I guess, or maybe that Matt Capps’ arm remains attached to his torso … Most people reading this aren’t old enough to remember a time when the Pirates were a competitive franchise. That’s tragic, in a circle-of-life/one-generation-giving-way-to-the-next sense.
	27	Orioles · Trends	27
	The best thing one can say about the Orioles is that Andy MacPhail has both a clue and, by most accounts, autonomy to build this team as he sees fit, without intervention from Peter Angelos or his fantasy-baseball-loving sons … Get Nick Markakis’ name on a long-term deal, stat … As great a player as Brian Roberts is, chances are he’ll be in decline when the Orioles get around to contending. He’s the obvious guy to move this offseason (to Cleveland?).
	28	Padres · Trends	28
	They scored the fewest runs (3.9 per game) and had the lowest on-base percentage (.319) in the NL … On one hand, Kevin Towers & Co. know how to tailor a roster to the spacious confines of their ballpark (knuckleballer Charlie Haeger could not possibly have found a better home). On the other, the Padres plan to cut payroll — owner John Moores’ soon-to-be ex-wife is about to drain his bank account — and have few high-ceiling regulars in their midst. Right now, they look to be short three starters, three relievers, a catcher, a second baseman and a left fielder.
	29	Mariners · Trends	30
	$118 million payroll, 101 losses. That’s a lot of suck for their buck … Simple declarative sentences are for simple declarative people, but the Mariners are an atrociously run organization with little hope of winning until 2011. ‘Nuff said.
	30	Nationals · Trends	29
	The franchise is a bigger mess now than it was before 2008, and before 2008 it was the baseball equivalent of a clogged sewer grate … That 1-9 sprint to the finish netted them the first pick in next year’s draft. Perhaps the Nationals will even sign their guy this time around. To dreeeeam the impossible dreeeeam … I know we’re all supposed to love Manny Acta, because he’s funny and he thinks before he speaks and he keeps a copy of Baseball Prospectus on his bedside table. But is there a single thing we can point to that he did well this year? While injuries and bewildering personnel moves contributed heavily to the damage, Acta didn’t exactly distinguish himself as a master strategist or motivator.

Parity Week; NBA Power Rankings

Wayne A. Lett; Fans 24/7 Staff — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:58:01 +0000

This may have been the most interesting seven days of the season so far. We didn’t have the marquee matchups that we had last week on Christmas, but we had the first 15-game night in NBA history and plenty of late-game drama.

We also had plenty of upsets, capped off by a bloody Sunday, when three of last week’s top five lost to three of last week’s bottom ten. That typified the last seven days though.

Only three teams, the Pistons, Lakers and Suns, went without a loss this week, and the Lakers played just two games. Only one team, the Clippers, went without a win. The other 26 teams had at least one of each.

In a season where the Cavs, Celtics and Lakers have clearly been head and shoulders above the rest of the league, and where seven or eight teams can only seem to beat each other, this was a change of pace for sure.

What does it mean in the long run? Probably not much. The Raptors, Wizards and Knicks still need to show us more before we’re ready to call them playoff teams. But it’s good to see some fight in those squads that have shown little until now.

• Last Week: A Banner Year
• This Time Last Year: Channeling Carnac — The Celtics returned to the top spot, Manu Ginobili returned from injury, Andrew Bynum was blossoming, the Suns couldn’t beat good teams, and the Cavs and Rockets were both at .500.

Hero Team of the Week: Detroit (4-0)
Zero Team of the Week: Chicago (1-3)

High jumps of the week: New York (+8), Detroit (+4), Toronto (+4)
Free falls of the week: Golden State (-7), Chicago (-3), Houston (-3), L.A. Clippers (-3), Philadelphia (-3)

East vs. West: The East leads 100-80 (.556) in inter-conference games, and was 9-9 this week.

Off: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Def: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
The league averages through Sunday are 90.3 possessions (per team) per game and 108.1 points scored per 100 possessions.

As always, the stats don’t determine the rankings, but they help evaluate each team and provide a picture of where they stand on both sides of the ball.

	TEAM (LAST WEEK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
1	L.A. Lakers (2)	27-5	Off: 114.5 (1), Def: 103.9 (4) Thanks to some upsets in the East and an impressive win over the Blazers, the Lakers are back to having the best record in the league. They’re also the most efficient offense for the first time this season. As much as the Pau Gasol trade helped the Lakers last season, the deal they made for Trevor Ariza last November is looking pretty good too.
2	Boston (3)	29-6	Off: 111.4 (5), Def: 100.4 (1) The Celtics’ 19-game winning streak has been followed by four losses in six games, including a 12-point defeat in New York on Sunday. Even against bad defenses like Golden State, Portland and New York, Boston’s offense has been ugly for extended stretches. Stephon to the rescue!
3	Cleveland (1)	27-6	Off: 114.2 (2), Def: 100.9 (2) When Anderson Varejao scored a career-high 26 points against the Bulls on Friday, it didn’t look like the Cavs were going to miss Zydrunas Ilgauskas (out for a month) much. Varejao isn’t the offensive liability that he used to be. But then Cleveland went and had their worst offensive game of the season Sunday in Washington … and LeBron got called for a travel.
4	San Antonio (5)	22-11	Off: 109.9 (10), Def: 106.2 (7) Tony Parker hit the buzzer-beater against the Sixers on Saturday, but Tim Duncan shot an incredible 19-for-24 in the Spurs’ two wins this weekend. Sometimes, we need a reminder of how good he is. San Antonio lost to the Bucks (again) this week, but they’ve won seven of their last eight.
5	Orlando (4)	26-8	Off: 110.1 (9), Def: 102.4 (3) Dwight Howard scored a season-high 39 points, but Sunday’s loss in Toronto was one of the Magic’s worst defensive games of the season. You you could probably chalk that up to the early start, because their defense has been excellent of late otherwise.
6	Atlanta (6)	22-11	Off: 111.3 (6), Def: 107.6 (15) Vince Carter’s 30-foot buzzer-beater ended the Hawks’ six-game winning streak, but Mike Bibby drilled a game-winner the next night against Houston. A home-and-home with Orlando this week could go a long way in the standings, Power Rankings and for the Hawks’ confidence.
7	Denver (8)	23-12	Off: 111.1 (7), Def: 107.7 (16) The Nuggets began a seven-game homestand by blowing a 26-point lead to the Hornets on Saturday, but escaping with a win. On the same night, NBA TV celebrated Linas Kleiza’s 24th birthday with “24 seconds of Linas,” which was mostly footage of Kleiza watching from the bench during the game highlights.
8	New Orleans (7)	20-10	Off: 110.8 (8), Def: 106.3 (8) The Hornets are a better team when Tyson Chandler is on the floor, but he’s played just 52 percent of his team’s minutes this season thanks to injuries, foul trouble, the birth of his child and a one-game suspension for a forearm to Joel Przybilla this week. Last season, Chandler played 70 percent of his team’s minutes.
9	Phoenix (12)	19-12	Off: 112.6 (4), Def: 111.2 (24) Someone woke up The Diesel. Shaq is averaging 21.9 points, 10.4 boards and 1.86 blocks over his last seven games. More important, the Suns are 5-2 and have been more efficient on both ends of the floor during that stretch.
10	Detroit (14)	21-11	Off: 107.9 (16), Def: 106.8 (12) Detroit has won seven straight and got its first Sunday win in seven tries with a narrow victory over the Clippers in L.A. With a defensive rating of 99.0 during the streak, they’re starting to look like the Pistons again. Visits to Portland, Denver and Utah this week make for a challenging trip.
	TEAM (LAST WEEK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
11	Dallas (9)	20-13	Off: 109.4 (11), Def: 106.7 (10) The Mavs came back from 29 down to beat Minnesota on Tuesday, came back from 12 down to beat Philly on Friday, but couldn’t come back in Memphis on Sunday. When you play with fire…
12	Portland (11)	20-14	Off: 114.1 (3), Def: 110.8 (21) The Blazers were able to beat the Celtics without Brandon Roy, but not the Hornets and Lakers. The Boston win was huge, but they should have saved that six-men-on-the-floor trick for the playoffs. Portland has some extended time off this week, but Roy is out at least one more game with his sore hamstring.
13	Houston (10)	21-14	Off: 108.2 (14), Def: 105.1 (6) With Tracy McGrady playing injured and/or poorly, the Rockets offense has been pretty bad of late. Friday’s 21-point loss in Toronto was rock bottom. But with McGrady, Ron Artest and Shane Battier out, it was their defense that stunk in Atlanta on Saturday. Houston has now lost five of their last seven.
14	Utah (13)	19-15	Off: 109.4 (13), Def: 106.4 (9) Carlos Boozer will have surgery to clean out his left knee on Friday and is expected to miss another month. The Jazz are currently a game behind Portland for the eighth spot in the West, but they’re 13-4 (only the Lakers are better) within the conference. A four-game homestand could help keep them afloat.
15	Miami (15)	18-14	Off: 107.2 (20), Def: 106.8 (13) With a more consistent defense, the Heat have won six of their last eight, including Tuesday’s big win over the Cavs. But here’s where their schedule gets really tough. They host the Spurs on Monday and then head out for a seven-game trip.
16	Milwaukee (17)	16-19	Off: 105.4 (22), Def: 105.0 (5) Splitting a back-to-back in Texas (with a win in San Antonio) is a good thing. Splitting a back-to-back with the Bobcats is not. Andrew Bogut’s absence had a lot to do with Saturday’s loss in Charlotte, where the Bucks played one of their worst defensive games of the season.
17	New Jersey (16)	16-18	Off: 109.4 (12), Def: 112.3 (27) The Nets’ defense showed some improvement this week, but Devin Harris (who missed Saturday’s loss in Miami) and Vince Carter combined to shoot just 39 percent and the offense took a step back over their four games. As a result, they were a Carter 30-footer against Atlanta from going 0-4.
18	Toronto (22)	14-20	Off: 107.8 (17), Def: 110.9 (23) Don’t look now, but the Raptors have won two straight, both against quality opponents. With Jose Calderon out, they got a big bucket from Roko Ukic and big stops (really) from their defense down the stretch against the Magic on Sunday.
19	Indiana (20)	12-21	Off: 107.5 (19), Def: 109.5 (18) The Pacers may be several spots out of the playoff picture in the East, but they’re getting plenty of late-game experience. Each of their last seven games has been decided by six points or less. That streak will likely end as they embark on a tough five-game trip out west this week.
20	New York (28)	13-19	Off: 107.6 (18), Def: 110.8 (22) Mike D’Antoni has made some lineup changes to get more defensive, and it has worked. The Knicks’ last three games, highlighted by Sunday’s shocking win over the Celtics, have been three of their best defensive games of the season.
	TEAM (LAST WEEK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
21	Chicago (18)	14-20	Off: 106.0 (21), Def: 110.0 (19) Kirk Hinrich is ahead of schedule on his rehab, and that’s great news considering the Bulls began their five-game homestand by losing to the Timberwolves on Saturday. The return of Hinrich and Luol Deng could go a long way to shore up the Chicago defense.
22	Philadelphia (19)	13-20	Off: 104.7 (26), Def: 106.7 (11) Since Elton Brand went down with a dislocated shoulder, Andre Iguodala is averaging 22.3 points on 51 percent shooting. That’s probably not a coincidence, and neither is the Sixers’ 1-6 record in that time.
23	Charlotte (21)	12-22	Off: 104.0 (28), Def: 107.0 (14) The Bobcats split a home-and-home with the Bucks this weekend, but now have a rough stretch coming up: A four-game trip (they’re 3-10 on the road) sandwiched by home games against the Celtics, Blazers and Spurs. They need Raja Bell, and could have him back Tuesday.
24	Minnesota (27)	8-25	Off: 105.0 (25), Def: 111.5 (26) The Timberwolves ended 2008 by blowing a 29-point lead in Dallas on Tuesday. But they’ve begun 2009 with their first winning streak (two games) of the season. Mike Miller’s return and a soft schedule could help them keep it going.
25	Memphis (24)	11-23	Off: 105.1 (24), Def: 110.6 (20) Put your fists to your head for Darius Miles, who saw his first regular season action since April of 2006 in Sunday’s win over the Mavs. Miles is nine more garbage-time appearances from putting a serious hurt on the Blazers’ cap space.
26	Washington (26)	7-25	Off: 105.4 (23), Def: 112.7 (28) The Wizards got some revenge for their Christmas Day disappointment by holding off the Cavs on Sunday. They’ve got a tough trip to Orlando on Tuesday, but after that, they have a schedule that can allow them to build some momentum.
27	Sacramento (29)	8-26	Off: 104.1 (27), Def: 114.1 (29) Though he shot just 5-for-14, the Kings got a win in Kevin Martin’s return on Tuesday. He scored 45 Saturday in Indiana, but that wasn’t enough to overcome his team’s shoddy defense.
28	L.A. Clippers (25)	8-25	Off: 101.0 (30), Def: 107.7 (17) Eric Gordon’s performance against the Pistons (even though he missed the potential game-winner) was the bright spot in what was a dismal week for the Clippers. By the end of the game, they had just eight healthy bodies, and that includes guys like Brian Skinner, Mardy Collins and Paul Davis.
29	Oklahoma City (30)	4-30	Off: 102.3 (29), Def: 111.4 (25) The Thunder lost 14 games between wins one and two, lost eight between wins two and three, and lost just five between wins three and four. That’s progress, and if it wasn’t for Carmelo Anthony’s buzzer beater Friday, they would actually have a winning streak going.
30	Golden State (23)	10-25	Off: 108.1 (15), Def: 114.2 (30) Wednesday’s loss in Oklahoma City sends the Warriors straight to the bottom and Friday’s loss in Minnesota does nothing to help them move back up.

NFL Power Rankings

Wayne A. Lett; Fans 24/7 Staff — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:15:32 +0000

With the arrival of the playoffs, we mark the final regular-season edition of ESPN.com’s 2008 NFL Power Rankings.

The Tennessee Titans finished our balloting as the league’s top team, edging the New York Giants for that distinction by seven points in the weekly polling of our experts. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts, respectively, round out our top five.

The New England Patriots, who entered the season as our top-rated team, are deemed the NFL’s ninth-best this week. Unfortunately for the Patriots, that ballot finish and their 11-5 record did not translate into a playoff berth. Of the playoff qualifiers, the No. 13 Arizona Cardinals are the lowest-ranked team. The Cardinals, who played poorly after locking up the NFC West title early, used a Week 17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks to vault six places in the rankings. One indication of how unpredictable the season has been is the Atlanta Falcons‘ finish. Atlanta, which was 4-12 in 2007, began this season considered the league’s worst team by our experts. But after a 34-21 season-opening victory over none other than the Detroit Lions, the Falcons began a surge to lofty heights. They finished the regular season ranked seventh and visit the Cardinals on Saturday in an NFC wild-card playoff game. Perhaps the most intriguing playoff matchup will feature two of the league’s hottest teams, each coming off mercurial rides in our rankings. The Colts, who closed the regular season on a nine-game winning streak, ranked as low as No. 18 entering Week 9 of our rankings. On Saturday, they’ll visit the No. 12 San Diego Chargers. As recently as Week 14, the Bolts were ranked a mediocre No. 23. A four-game flourish boosted them to the AFC West title and playoff berth. Given the turnarounds of teams such as the Falcons and Miami Dolphins, the 0-16 Lions should take heart for 2009. The Lions, 7-9 in 2007, entered this season ranked 26th. You know where they finished.
(Editor’s note: LW indicates each team’s ranking last week.)

2008 Power Rankings: Week 18
	RK (LW)	TEAM	REC	COMMENT
	1 (1)	Titans	13-3-0	Coach Jeff Fisher earned the right to play his backups and play vanilla in Indianapolis. (PK)
	2 (2)	Giants	12-4-0	I know they’ve lost three of four, but the Giants are still the best team in the league. (MM)
	3 (4)	Steelers	12-4-0	No one needs a bye week more than QB Ben Roethlisberger. (JW)
	4 (3)	Panthers	12-4-0	Kicker John Kasay came through to save the division title and the No. 2 seed. That gives a banged-up defensive front some time to heal. (PY)
	5 (5)	Colts	12-4-0	Can the league’s hottest team go to San Diego, beat the Chargers a second time and avenge last season’s playoff ouster? (PK)
	6 (6)	Ravens	11-5-0	Although the Ravens are the AFC’s No. 6 seed, they like their chances against anybody. (JW)
	7 (7)	Falcons	11-5-0	The Falcons closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak. That’s plenty of momentum, and a road playoff game at Arizona is at least winnable. (PY)
	8 (9)	Dolphins	11-5-0	The Dolphins pulled off an unprecedented turnaround by beating the Jets to clinch the AFC East title. (TG)
	9 (8)	Patriots	11-5-0	The Patriots deserved better. They’re only the second 11-win team in NFL history not to make the playoffs. (TG)
	10 (11)	Vikings	10-6-0	The first home playoff game in eight years awaits the Vikings this weekend. (KS)
	11 (15)	Eagles	9-6-1	What an amazing turn of events Sunday. This team will be dangerous in January. (MM)
	12 (16)	Chargers	8-8-0	Forget the regular season. The Chargers are in the playoffs and are mighty dangerous. (BW)
	13 (19)	Cardinals	9-7-0	Only the Lions, Rams, Broncos and Chiefs allowed more points this season. (MS)
	14 (10)	Cowboys	9-7-0	Jerry Jones will stay the course with a “changed” Wade Phillips. Much rejoicing in the land. (MM)
	15 (13)	Bears	9-7-0	Coach Lovie Smith needs to take apart his defense before he can put it together again. (KS)
	16 (12)	Buccaneers	9-7-0	If the Jets and Cowboys weren’t in such big markets, people around the country would be talking about Tampa Bay’s collapse. As it is, folks in Florida are griping about a team that went from a 9-3 start to missing the playoffs. (PY)
	17 (14)	Jets	9-7-0	The nosedive continued even after Sunday’s final gun. The Jets need a new coach and maybe a new quarterback. (TG)
	18 (21)	Texans	8-8-0	Despite the big finish, the Texans have a lot of roster revisions to make. (PK)
	19 (17)	Saints	8-8-0	Drew Brees threw for 5,000 yards, but it didn’t really matter. You must at least be able to run a bit and play some defense to reach the playoffs. (PY)
	20 (23)	49ers	7-9-0	The Niners are lamenting that Monday night defeat at Arizona. (MS)
	21 (18)	Redskins	8-8-0	The hot start is a distant memory. This team has a lot of questions to address heading into 2009. (MM)
	22 (20)	Broncos	8-8-0	It will be a long, cold winter in Denver as the Broncos chew on their historic collapse. (BW)
	23 (22)	Bills	7-9-0	For the third straight season, the Bills finished 7-9. How inspiring. (TG)
	24 (24)	Packers	6-10-0	The Packers will look for help on both lines this offseason. (KS)
	25 (25)	Jaguars	5-11-0	Last year, the Jaguars made a big trade up to No. 8 in the draft. This time, the Jags earned it all on their own. (PK)
	26 (27)	Raiders	5-11-0	Is Oakland on its way up? Well, two wins to end the season won’t hurt the Raiders’ psyche. (BW)
	27 (29)	Bengals	4-11-1	A season-ending three-game winning streak provides a ray of hope for 2009. (JW)
	28 (26)	Seahawks	4-12-0	The Seahawks need to find a pass rush in a hurry. (MS)
	29 (28)	Browns	4-12-0	The Browns will start from scratch for the fourth time in 10 years. (JW)
	30 (30)	Chiefs	2-14-0	A season of change is upon us in Kansas City. (BW)
	31 (31)	Rams	2-14-0	The Rams need to become more physical on both sides of ball. (MS)
	32 (32)	Lions	0-16-0	Are the Lions actually pushing continuity after finishing 0-16? (KS)

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Wayne A. Lett; Fans 24/7 Staff — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:40:57 +0000

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