These power rankings are not for the entire season that is why they come out every week or two..so how New Jersey played in say November has little impact on what these rankings indicate....anyway.
I do agree that Detroit is better, in my opinion Miami is questionable even with Shaq. In my opinion until Shaq gets into shape his pressence isnt as big of a factor as many people want to believe...over a 7-game series of course Shaq is too much to deal with for a team like the Nets. But the Heat are very beatable by a team with a decent inside pressence, it doesnt even have to be great anymore like years past. A couple of years ago you could have only named two teams with enough inside presence to deal with Shaq...that was Detroit with the Wallace Boys and Ducan out in San Antionio...but with the condition that Shaq is in now..I honeslty beleive more teams can contend with him down low...
Now to the teams that people are saying are better then New Jersey...Memphis, I dont know, I think losing Damon Stoudamire ends a chance of that...he is there best playmaker and a strong shooter in the clutch. Washington...ummm no. Washington doesnt not have the ball movement or team play to be better then us. that team is way too much one on one with Arenas to be taken serious. Cleveland I dont know, you can say by the way we have played them not only this year but last year that we are clearly better. But in a seven game series, I think they would be a hear out for the Nets. The reason why the Nets play well against Cleveland is because of the job Jefferson does on Lebron, he seems to find way to make things just unconfortable enough for Lebron, for New Jersey to get the win. But in a seven game series playing the same team game in and game out, you would think a guy like Lebron would adjust to away a guy plays him. And then that means strong # across the board for Lebron. And once that happens and you factor in that the Nets dont have the type of frontcourt Cleveland does, thats a hard out.
The Clippers, like Memphis play in a different conference then us..so its hard to compare causethey are buit for victory alot different then we are...they play in the West with alot of run & gun jumpshooting especially in their division with Sacro, Golden State and Phoenix. And the Clippers are built pretty much like them for that style. We on the other hand run & gun, but we factor more on our wing guys getting into the paint. And I think the edge goes to the team that looks to do that, oppose to a team that takes 18 footers all night. But when Maggette finally gets into their lineup consistently. And adds that penetrating, slashing factor, then you might can say the Clippers are as good. But even then it will be hard to say better. They dont have any winning expereince on that roster besides Cassell and a little bit with Mobley, while New Jersey has it up & down the roster with Kidd, Jefferson, Collins, Robinson. Winng expereince is a facotr in my opinion on how good a team is...the expereince of knowing what it takes to end a skid is the reason we have been able to turn around our season.
After Detroit and San Antonio the league is really paired off in my opionion...from about teams 4-10 you cant really say one team is clearly better then the other. I remember saying it was going to be like this during the offseason.
