As we approach the seventh season that ESPN.com has entrusted me with its NBA Power Rankings, this seemed like the perfect appetizer.
Remember that "surprise" we vaguely mentioned in our final regular-season helping on April 14? As requested by a few loyal readers, we have tallied up how all 30 clubs have fared with the committee (of one) since the 2002-03 campaign.
We've clicked back through the archives to find the rankings highs, lows and average placement for every team in our weekly, thoroughly un-automated pulse take of the league. The annual batch of rankings that will take us into training camp for the start of the 2008-09 season is coming Monday.
1. Spurs
2. Mavericks
3. Pistons
| QUOTE |
| Hard to imagine that anyone would claim that Detroit hasn't fully deserved its regular spot in our top five. Frustrated as Pistons fans might be to come away from six consecutive trips to the East finals with only one championship, there's been only one source of positive consistency emanating from the Leastern Conference since Michael Jordan's retirement … and this team is it. |