Top 5 - Bottom 3 (Week 1)

Welcome to the newest weekly feature here at the Club.. the Top 5 & Bottom 3. Each week we will determine the absolute cream of the NBA crop, as well as determine the bottom dwellers raping the other franchises via revenue sharing.

Got beef with our rankings? Let us know what you think. Got serious beef with the rankings? Get the F out da Club. Now without further ado, the best and worst the National Basketball Association has to offer...


Top 5

1. Miami Heat (Record: 16-6)
The defending champs have had minimal bumps thus far in their title defense. Lack of interest in the regular season could be this team's only weakness(other than depth in the frontcourt, but I digress). LeBron & Co. are simply waiting for the postseason to begin to dominate the Eastern Conference with their #1 seed and home court throughout the playoffs.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-4)
The Thunder deserve to be in the number one spot with their stellar play and impressive game of early MVP Kevin Durant. Last year's failures in the NBA Finals still seem more important than records through a 1/4th of this season, thus landing OKC at #2. The NBA Finals rematch on Christmas day against Miami will likely determine next week's top team.

3. Los Angeles Clippers (18-6)
Lob City has come out of the gate very sharp and have put up W's to match their sexy play. While NBA fans love seeing Blake Griffin jump out the building on a regular basis, Vinny Del Negro is doing something right with his roster and has put together an impressive 10 game winning streak. The Clips are currently reigning supreme in the Staples Center and are very much a contender for the title.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (16-6)
The Griz are the surprise of the NBA right now and are playing similarly to their playoff run two seasons ago.  Z-Bo is quietly putting up MVP numbers for his squad, averaging 17 points and almost 13 rebounds a game (good for 2nd best in the NBA). Rudy Gay, the other Gasol, and Mike Conley round out a core group of players that could challenge in the West.

5. New York Knicks (18-6)
As a 76ers fan, it pains me to put the Knickerbockers in the top five. Their play and stratospheric shooting numbers (averaging 12 three's made per game, by far best in the league) have the island of Manhattan excited about the Knicks chances for the first time in a long time. The imminent return of Amar'e will disrupt the teams rhythm and the inevitable decline in shooting % will doom the team.. but for now Knicks fans enjoy the VIP, the champagne, and being labeled as one of the best in the Club. 
 

Bottom 3

1. Washington Wizards (Record: 3-19)
The Wiz kids currently sit in the cellar with only three wins approaching Christmas. Injuries to stars John Wall and Nene certainly haven't helped this helpless franchise, but a winning percent of .136 is inexcusable. Washington has started 11 different players already this season, with neither Wall or Nene being one of them. Eleven!

2. Charlotte Bobcats (7-17)
The doormat of the association since 2004, Charlotte's NBA team is so bad most people think they still have a different animal as a mascot. The Hornets, er, Bobcats, started the season strong with seven wins, but are winless since beating the Wizards in OT around Thanksgiving. The Bobcats are currently caught in a losing streak of 12 games, making them an easy choice for the bottom three. Twelve!


3. Phoenix Suns (10-15)
While teams like New Orleans and Cleveland have much worse records than the Suns, those teams can at least attribute poor play to injuries to stars (i.e. Uncle Drew's broken hand, the Unibrow's busted ankle). The Suns lack star power, unless Marcin Gortat arouses you, and the majority of their wins are against the trash of the NBA. The Suns wins include Cleveland (twice), Detroit, Charlotte, New Oreleans, etc. The Suns, like all NBA teams, are permitted to have 13 players on their active roster. Thirteen!

You know what would've helped the Sixers last night? Andrew Bynum.

Got to another Sixers game last night at home against the Bucks.  Despite a valiant 24-9 run to tie the game at 82 at end the third quarter, the Sixers looked lost.  One of the worst defensive performances by a Doug Collins' coached team that I have ever seen.  I shutter when I say it about a Philadelphia sports team, but at times the Sixers looked... well, soft.  Now don't get it completely twisted.  I realize the Sixers were in a tough spot last night after winning 3 straight on the road and coming home to a game that they were "supposed" to win, but I still expect them to keep the Bucks under 100 points at home.

Now to elaborate on my "soft" comment.  Brandon Jennings went bananas.  Put up 33 points (not to mention 8 assists and 4 steals) and was slicing through the lane with the ease of a knife through warm butter.  Not one time did any of the Sixer big men (or any other Sixer for that matter) think of laying a hard foul on the little guy (he literally looked like a 12 year old when compared to the other guys on the court).  Does not make any sense.  Put the guy on his ass and he is going to be thinking of that the next time he tries to drive the lane.  Karl Malone would have never let that happen.  Shaq would've never let that happen.  But the Sixers let it happen time and time again.  I realize the culture in professional sports has changed across the board with every league emphasizing player safety, but all I am asking for here is a hard foul.  You know who would be the perfect man for the job?  Andrew Bynum.

I know this is an extreme case, but I am just trying to make a point.  The Sixers need Bynum in the lineup and they needed him yesterday.  He'll provide the big man presence they need on defense, and although this post has not focused at all on the offensive end, he'll provide an inside game the likes of which the Sixers haven't seen since Dr. J.  This will give the Sixers the unique ability to play a half court style when he is on the floor and a fast past, run and gun style when he is on the bench.  That is going to prove a very difficult task for teams to game plan for defensively because the two styles of play are such polar opposites.

I'd be remiss not to mention Jrue's line of 25 points and 6 assists on 10-18 from the field.  He has been nothing short of magnificent on the offensive end to start the year; now he just needs to cut down on his 6 turnovers per game average.