Latest Bucks Diary "PVOA Power Rankings"

Here are my latest PVOA, or "point value over average" Power Rankings. They are assembled based exclusively on the PVOA formula... there is no subjective input at all.

Click on the red PVOA for a full explanation of what it is.

In a nutshell, PVOA is an attempt to assess how a team is playing regardless of record by comparing that team's performances against the average performances produced by the rest of the league against a similar set of opponents.

The week that was

The one thing that the PVOA system is proving to me is how difficult it is to maintain consistent play in the NBA. The wild swings continue. They will flatten out as the season goes along, but they are nonetheless eye-opening.

For example, Portland was playing brilliant basketball until last Wednesday. Since then they have put in 4 consecutive below average performances on both offense and defense. Ditto for the Detroit Pistons, who seem to be a much different team on the road than at home... which is surprising for a team comprised of veterans. And Atlanta, who started out with such promise, is falling fast as well.

Notice a couple of other things about my rankings. The Clippers and Nets are way down, having turned in some abysmal performances, whereas the Lakers are rated higher than most subjective polls would have them, as are the Washington Bullets (for the unfamiliar, I don't ever use the lame nickname Wizards, especially when referring to a franchise that once had the coolest nickname in sports).

Here are the week's awards, and then the rankings.

Best teams last week: Golden State Warriors; Orlando Magic
Teams falling like rocks: New Jersey Nets; LA Clippers
Better than you think: Washington Bullets
As bad as you suspected: New York Knicks; Chicago Bulls
Not as good as you thought: Cleveland Cavaliers
Flash in the pans: Atlanta Hawks; Portland Trailblazers
I'll tumble 4 ya: Toronto Raptors; Detroit Pistons
Slow and steady: Denver Nuggets

PVOA Power Rankings 11-19-07

1. Boston +12.47 (--)
2. LA Lakers +10.14 (up 1)
3. Orlando +9.17 (up 7)
4. San Antonio +8.36 (--)
5. New Orleans +7.90 (up 2)
6. Dallas +6.88 (up 6)
7. Phoenix +5.23 (up 4)
8. Toronto +5.12 (down 6)
9. Denver +4.30 (--)
10. Houston +3.30 (down 4)
11. Detroit +3.06 (down 6)
12. Washington +2.43 (up 5)
13. Utah +1.57 (up 1)
14. Golden State -0.15 (up 10)
15. Cleveland -0.26 (--)
16. Indiana -0.89 (up 4)
17. Portland -1.02 (down 9)
18. Atlanta -1.50 (down 5)
19. Charlotte -2.39 (up 6)
20. Memphis -2.45 (up 7)
21. Miami -3.88 (down 3)
22. Sacramento -4.64 (--)
23. Philadelphia -4.82 (down 4)
24. Milwaukee -5.15 (up 4)
25. Chicago -6.02 (up 4)
26. LA Clippers -6.70 (down 10)
27. New Jersey -7.35 (down 6)
28. New York -8.79 (down 5)
29. Seattle -10.25 (down 3)
30. Minnesota -10.90 (--)