Fife Dawg's Power Rankings

1. Tampa Bay Ballers (8-2 in Preseason)-The Preseason Tournament Champs still come in at #1 despite a late season trade that dealt fan favorite Amare Stoudamire to the New York Knicks.
2. Los Angeles Lakers (9-2)-It was a close second for the Lakers, but they have yet to beat the Ballers in a head to head matchup when it counted. The Lakers (as always) have made moves right before the deadline that could take them past the Ballers or move them down this list.
3. Louisville Wildcats (9-3)-The Runner Up of the Preseason Tournament took a step down from #2 after losing to the Lakers in a Preseason matchup, but look strong after adding more shooters to the roster. The move to put Kobe on the bench though could come back to bite them.
4. California Crips (9-2)-The Crips have not made any movement but to fill out there 15 man roster. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is the mantra they live by. The Crips feature one of the more athletic teams offensively & defensively. Dwayne Wade will need to step it up though if they are going going to contend for the Western Conference Crown.
5. Elite Hoops (7-3)-Hoops seemed to mortgage their future when Tim Duncan & Alvin Robertson where dealt to Dallas for Ralph Sampson but responded nicely to acquire Hakeem Olajuwon & Dikembe Mutombo before the dead period.
6. Atlanta Hawks (9-3)-The surprise team of the League. After starting the season off slowly, Coach Bill Sharman has picked up the morale of the team and turned them into a contender for the Eastern Conference Crown.
7. Black Mudd Bandits (8-4)-The Bandits started out strong, but have faltered towards the start of the preseason. A loss to the Miami Marauders seemed to crush the ego of the players. We will see if they are able to pick it back up.
8. Houston Rockets (8-4)-The Rockets have yet found the team unity to be able to make a push towards the top of the West. Drafting Tyreke Evans & Monta Ellis in the Free Agent Draft shows the Rockets have no trust in Point Guard Baron Davis.
9. Philadelphia 76ers (5-2)-The 76ers made a push for the Eastern Conference title by adding bigs Artis Gilmore & Ralph Sampson but inconsistency in the team led to the firing of Jeff Van Gundy and the hiring of “The Czar” Mike Fratello. It’s up to Fratello to get them to there goal.
10. New York Knicks (6-4)-The Knicks made the biggest splash right before the dead period adding scorers Amare Stoudamire & Josh Howard to go with Kareem. The Knicks have been inconsistent, but watch out if they ever get going.
11. Boston Celtics (6-5)-The Celtics made a good showing for themselves in the Preseason Tournament, but have struggled against top quality opponents. Red Auerbach made some moves in the Free Agent draft that may help correct that but ultimately it’s gonna fall on Nowitzki & Russell.
12. Orlando Magic (4-6)-The Magic have been on a roller coaster all preseason, but a move to put LeBron at point guard could turn them around. The Magic also put together some moves in acquiring Reggie Miller & adding Clark Kellogg via Free Agency to give LeBron the scoring options he needs to be successful.
13. San Antonio Spurs (4-6)-The Spurs have been juggling lineups and players the whole preseason and nothing still seems concrete at the start of the season. One thing for sure is that Tracy McGrady will probably be one of the top scorers in the league this season. If the Spurs can find someone that can consistently help McGrady with scoring they should be a playoff team.
14. Sacramento Kings (3-5)-King fans gasped at the fact that Shaq would no longer be a King. After infuriating management with his lackluster defensive effort, the Kings dealt the big man for Chris Mullin, Raef LaFrentz & Reggie Theus. Now the Kings sport one of the finest shooting teams in the League. Will it work? We shall see.
15. Shelbyville Bobcats (4-6)-The Bobcats may have traded themselves into a decent playoff spot when Charles Barkley was dealt to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Marcus Camby. With the Bobcats slow down & tough style the Bobcats will give a lot of running teams fits in the halfcourt.
16. Chicago Bulls-The Bulls where recently where recently acquired by a new owner. Can he turn them into a legit competitor? The Bulls do have talent for sure with Karl Malone, Alan Iverson & Isiah Thomas and have upgraded a short bench by acquiring George McGinnis & Spencer Haywood.
17. Miami Marauders (4-6)-The Marauders struggled mightily in the beginning of preseason but a lineup change with inserting Samuel Dalembert resulted in a upset of the Black Mudd Bandits. The Marauders have good talent and may have added a starting center with the selection of Andres Bierdrins so look out for the Marauders they could make a move up on this list.
18. San Francisco Quakes (3-7)-The Quakes have just not been able to keep up with the rest of the league and adding Jerry West has not helped. Jermaine O’Neal has exploded on to scene after a ho hum stint with the 76ers although Larry Bird has not showed any type of his greatness after Julius Erving left town. Without Bird this team will never fly.