Momma There Goes That Man

This is the first edition of the MTGTM Weekly Rankings. Both Dave and I ranked the teams 1-30 and averaged out the scores to get the rankings below. Agree or disagree? Where do you think the teams rank. Let us know.

1. Lakers (60) – The two time defending champs receive their rings on opening night. They added depth to what was already the deepest team in the Association. Even Dave E. Gold has to be wondering if a three peat is in the stars. (PB)

2. Celtics (58) – They’re the defending Conference Champions, team chemistry is easily the best in the league and have a legitimate 6^th man contender in Glen Davis. Oh yeah, and Kendrick Perkins is returning in December. Ask Kobe who he’d rather meet in the NBA Finals. Ask him. (DEG)

3. Orlando (56) ­– Orlando keeps shedding talent every season but keeps their core the same. I think Van Gundy is actually a good coach despiste is humorous appearance. I put them ahead of the Heat because the Magic have “been there” before and it’s being overlooked that Miami has no answer for Dwight Howard. With rumors of Gilbert Arenas heading down to Orlando, the Magic are sitting pretty. (DEG)

4. Heat (54) – I don’t think there is any other team that has such an enormous gap in talent between their starters and their bench than the Miami Heat. With Miller out, this squad is looking more and more flimsy. Thankfully, tomorrow’s game will reveal much more about this team than we know now. But Pat Riley’s fooling himself if he thinks the Heat can play 3 on 5 for 80+ games. The post season is a whole other monster. (DEG)

5. Bulls (49) – Rose, Noah, Boozer and Thibodeau. It’s a nasty combination with tons of potential. Boozer’s injury shouldn’t drop their ranking very much considering they were already a good team before him. I’m excited to see what Thibs does for their defense and what a happy and excited Boozer brings to this team. Expect to see Chicago take Boston or Miami to 7 games in the 2^nd round. (DEG)

5. Thunder (49) – It’s hard not to like this young group. They have a legitimate star in Durant, an ultra quick point guard in Westbrook and some of the best role players money can buy. Not to mention, they gave the Lakers all they can handle in the first round. (PB)

5. Mavericks (49) – When this team added Caron Butler and Brendon Haywood last season, it gave me a little scare. Now, with added chemistry and Tyson Chandler for depth up front, it’s easy to see this team finishing in one of the top three spots in the West this year. (PB)

8. Jazz (46) – I have and will always hate the Utah Jazz, but Deron Williams is fun as hell to watch. (PB)

9. Spurs (45) – The Duncan-Parker-Ginobili core are on their last leg. We’ve been taught to never underestimate the heart of a champion, but  it’s hard imagining Duncan finishing his career with a fifth ring. (PB)

10. Blazers (42) – When Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla get healthy, they’ll have one of the largest front lines in the league. Injuries have been this team’s only Achilles Heel in the past few seasons. A healthy Blazers team is a scary Blazers team, especially when my favorite player in Brandon Roy has things going. (PB)

11. Rockets (41) – A lot of people are very high on this Rockets team. Scrappy is an understatement; however, a lot of their success will depend on the health of Yao Ming. He has the size and talent to make this a top 4 WC squad, but if he can’t stay on the floor, this team is fighting for a playoff berth. (PB)

12. Bucks (37) – Bogut is out but Jennings and Salmons will manage to create enough flare for this team to cruise into the playoffs. They’re an exciting team to watch and can easily take a championship contender to 5 or 6 games if they’re not careful. (DEG)

13. Suns (35) – I’ve grown to love the greatness that is Steve Nash and I feel for him this season. I want nothing more than the Suns to fail, but Steve Nash shouldn’t have to fail along side this collection of rejects and scraps. (PB)

14. Hawks (34) – The Hawks are the team version of LeBron James. They’re young, athletic but leave you unsatisfied like a woman who just got “jackrabbited”. Joe Johnson’s payday is gonna come back and haunt them eventually. (DEG)

14. Nuggets (34) – Blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah Carmelo Anthony, Blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blah more Carmelo Anthony. (PB)

16. Knicks (26) – New York will always be talked about despite how bad they may be, sorta like the Cowboys. Amare is definitely gonna add some flare to this squad which will in turn breathe some new life into their fanbase. Now with serious talks of Melo heading over and possibly either Parker or Paul, Boston’s biggest threat will quickly shift from Miami to New York. Sorry LeBron, send my deepest regards to your legacy. (DEG)

16. Wizards (26) – The Wizards are guard loaded with Arenas, Henrich and Wall. With Wall contending for ROY, they’ll be a fun team to keep tabs on throughout the season. They’re somewhat young and show promise in obtaining that coveted 8th seed spot come playoff time. Too bad Boston or Miami will have to steamroll them in the 1^st Round. (DEG)

16. Hornets (26) – This is another case of a great point guard having to play with garbage. If this off season told me anything it was that this could probably be a down season for Chris Paul on the court. He’s definitely gone as soon as his contract as up, but is he already gone mentally? (PB)

16. Grizzlies (26) – Rudy Gay received a max deal. Rudy Gay received a max deal. Rudy Gay received a max deal. Rudy Gay received a max deal. Rudy Gay received a max deal. Rudy Gay received a max deal. Rudy Gay received a max deal. (PB)

20. Clippers (23) – This is a team that will surprise a lot of people. Baron Davis promises to be more interested, Blake Griffin is who we thought he was and they have Chris Kaman participating in caveman-like activities. I like this Clippers team. I really do. (PB)

21. 76ers (18) – Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner give some promise to this squad’s future. But as for now, Elton Brand’s karma for screwing B. Davis will finally kick in and keep the 6er’s under .500 and out of the playoffs. (DEG)

22. Nets (16) ­– Nothing went well for the Nets this off season. Caracter has outshined Favors so far. And aside from Avery Johnson, Jordan Farmar was their biggest acquisition. Nothing to write home to mom about. The team moving to Brooklyn will probably be their next headline worthy story, don’t count on Carmelo inking a deal with the Nets. Ever. (DEG)

23. Kings (16) – Demarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans, oh my. Even if they don’t win a lot of games, this game is going to be incredibly fun to watch. They’re doing all the right things in building this team in SacTown, they’re a year or two away from being extremely good. (PB)

24. Bobcats (15) – The Bobcats have this plastered on their official homepage: PICK 5 PLAN “The Only Way to Guarantee Miami” … pathetic. Oh yeah, and Kwame Brown and Jordan are reunited. (DEG)

25. Warriors (12) – Can Monta Ellis and Stephon Curry exist in the same back court? Can David Lee continue his 20-10 nights out West? Will this team play a lick of defense? The answer to one of these questions will undoubtedly be “no”. The real question is: which one? (PB)

26. Cavs (11) – Cleveland is in as good of a position as a team in their condition can hope for. Think about it. They just lost their best player who screwed them over in the worst possible way. They’re bitter, their city is bitter and they have absolutely ZERO pressure to do well this season. I pick them to be the sleeper team that swoops in and snags the 8th seed from Washington. How fun would a 1st round matchup be between Miami and Cleveland? (DEG)

27. Pistons (9) ­– The Pistons’ biggest downfall is more of lack of execution than lack of talent. They’ve got Prince and Hamilton, both would instantly turn a playoff contender into a Conference Champion contender. So their trade potential is extremely intriguing. And let’s be honest and admit we’re curious to see what McGrady can do for this team. (PB)

28. Pacers (8) – Collison and Hansbrough invite curiosity. And the addition of James Posey may add that veteran voice in the locker-room to give this young team some direction. (DEG)

29. Timberwolves (5) – This is the most random collection of ball players in NBA history. (PB)

30. Raptors (3) – The Raps weren’t ever really much to talk about when Bosh WAS there, so you can imagine their relevancy now. Now he’s gone and so is Hedo. Get ready for Buffalo Bills -like comparisons and bad taste debates of who would win between the Toronto Raptors and the Iowa Energy. (DEG)