ESPN "Power Rankings"

[aj1987]

What are these rankings based on? They seem absolutely idiotic. For instance, the Pacers went 3-7 in the last 10 games and dropped to the 10th seed, while the Heat went 6-4 and are the 7th seed. Yet, the Pacers actually moved UP a rank to the 15th spot and the Heat is in the 17th. Jazz have gone 5-5 and are the 11th seed and 13th in the rankings.

Another one: The Cav's and the Clips are 8-2 in their last 10, but the Clips have a better record than the Cav's. The Cav's are #2 and the Clips are #6 (moved up one spot after going 8-2 in their last 10 including winning 7 in a row).

[TheMan]

What are these rankings based on? They seem absolutely idiotic. For instance, the Pacers went 3-7 in the last 10 games and dropped to the 10th seed, while the Heat went 6-4 and are the 7th seed. Yet, the Pacers actually moved UP a rank to the 15th spot and the Heat is in the 17th. Jazz have gone 5-5 and are the 11th seed and 13th in the rankings.

Another one: The Cav's and the Clips are 8-2 in their last 10, but the Clips have a better record than the Cav's. The Cav's are #2 and the Clips are #6 (moved up one spot after going 8-2 in their last 10 including winning 7 in a row).

Short answer...ESPN are a bunch of idiots.

Long answer...ESPN are a bunch of idiots.

BTW, I hope you guys knock out the Cavs if you play them, that would be funny as hell.

[aj1987]

Short answer...ESPN are a bunch of idiots.

Long answer...ESPN are a bunch of idiots.

BTW, I hope you guys knock out the Cavs if you play them, that would be funny as hell.

They are a bunch of idiots, but how can they even justify those rankings? Even mentally challenged people would come up with a better list.

Yeah, I hope so as well. Just wish Wade's knees hold up (he just suffered a knee contusion). Would be nice to see Wade and LeBron going at it in the Playoffs. Wade beating LeBron in a series would literally shut ISH down for a week.

[RedBlackAttack]

What are these rankings based on? They seem absolutely idiotic. For instance, the Pacers went 3-7 in the last 10 games and dropped to the 10th seed, while the Heat went 6-4 and are the 7th seed. Yet, the Pacers actually moved UP a rank to the 15th spot and the Heat is in the 17th. Jazz have gone 5-5 and are the 11th seed and 13th in the rankings.

Another one: The Cav's and the Clips are 8-2 in their last 10, but the Clips have a better record than the Cav's. The Cav's are #2 and the Clips are #6 (moved up one spot after going 8-2 in their last 10 including winning 7 in a row).

I'm not going to defend ESPN because they care much less about being accurate than getting web clicks, but the Cavs-Clippers argument seems to be lacking.

Why are you just losing the last 10 games as a barometer of how the two teams are trending? The Cavs are now 28-7 over their last 35 games. That's the best record in the league since Jan. 15. They've won 16 straight home games -- the best mark in the league -- and they've beaten the Clippers twice (once in LA and once in Cleveland) in the last couple months.

The Clippers are a very good 23-12 over that same span (since Jan. 15)... but they've still lost five more games than the Cavs and are 0-2 against Cleveland in that span.

It would make very little sense to have the Clippers ahead of the Cavs in terms of how the two teams are trending... which generally speaking is what "Power Rankings" attempt to do.

I prefer Sports Illustrated's Power Rankings... and they have the same top teams...

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/03/23/nba...-thunder-hawks

[aj1987]

I'm not going to defend ESPN because they care much less about being accurate than getting web clicks, but the Cavs-Clippers argument seems to be lacking.

Why are you just losing the last 10 games as a barometer of how the two teams are trending? The Cavs are now 28-7 over their last 35 games. That's the best record in the league since Jan. 15. They've won 16 straight home games -- the best mark in the league -- and they've beaten the Clippers twice (once in LA and once in Cleveland) in the last couple months.

The Clippers are a very good 23-12 over that same span (since Jan. 15)... but they've still lost five more games than the Cavs and are 0-2 against Cleveland in that span.

It would make very little sense to have the Clippers ahead of the Cavs in terms of how the two teams are trending... which generally speaking is what "Power Rankings" attempt to do.

I prefer Sports Illustrated's Power Rankings... and they have the same top teams...

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/03/23/nba...-thunder-hawks

Simple. They update that list every week and the teams' ranks change depending upon their performance since the previous week. The Hawks are 6-4 in their last 10 and they are in the same spot. Shouldn't they move down a spot or 2 as they haven't been playing at an elite level? It's just idiotic.