Here at the ICT Zone our rankings are molded after Ric Flair's famous quote, "to be the man, you gotta beat the man." The week's ranking are based solely on the week's results so if a lower ranked team defeats a higher ranked team, the two teams automatically swap rankings.
As expected, the number one team midway through March is 12th seeded Atlanta Hawks. They've been shockingly competent over the past couple of months, which shows the promise of the Hawks' young core. Unfortunately, their success has lowered their chances of hitting big in the NBA draft lottery and potentially landing one of the top few prospects in the draft. Even then, the 6th spot in the draft is still desirable and Atlanta should have no trouble building around Trae Young and John Collins.
Despite winning their previous nine games, the loss the Houston Rockets faced at the hands of the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday pushed the Rockets all the way down to the 28 spot in this week's rankings. The Rockets have a cupcake schedule coming up, however, and could even look to compete with the Denver Nuggets for the 2nd seed in the West. If you're hoping for a team to stop the Warriors' reign in this year's playoffs, the Rockets are as good of a bet as anyone.
Here are the current NBA Power Rankings, as determined by Ric Flair's legendary quote, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man":
1. Atlanta Hawks +20
(24-45)
2. San Antonio Spurs
(39-29)
3. Philadelphia 76ers +23
(43-25)
4. Milwaukee Bucks +11
(51-17)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder +23
(42-27)
6. Brooklyn Nets +4
(36-34)
7. Denver Nuggets +13
(44-22)
8. Golden State Warriors +5
(46-21)
9. Portland Trail Blazers +13
(41-26)
10. Miami Heat -7
(32-35)
11. Detroit Pistons -6
(34-33)
12. Los Angeles Clippers +6
(39-30)
13. Utah Jazz -12
(38-29)
14. Los Angeles Lakers +16
(31-37)
15. Cleveland Cavaliers +2
(17-52)
16. Charlotte Hornets
(30-37)
17. Toronto Raptors -6
(49-20)
18. Boston Celtics -6
(42-27)
19. Memphis Grizzlies -13
(28-41)
20. Minnesota Timberwolves -13
(32-36)
21. New Orleans Pelicans -2
(30-40)
22. Phoenix Suns -13
(16-53)
23. Washington Wizards +1
(29-39)
24. Sacramento Kings -1
(33-34)
25. Orlando Magic +4
(32-38)
26. Indiana Pacers -22
(44-25)
27. New York Knicks
(13-55)
28. Houston Rockets -20
(42-26)
29. Dallas Mavericks -4
(27-40)
30. Chicago Bulls -16
(19-50)
A new season is upon us, and with it comes plenty of intriguing storylines. From massive traves and superstar uncertainty in the East to a West perhaps the deepest it has ever been, here is an early season NBA Power ranking.
It is time to throw away the American inferiority complex with its place in the sport, where many blindly claim that technique should come above all in choosing and developing the best prospects and that the U.S. is not an international power because it cares too much about athleticism.
Following last year's list of nine underground teams to watch, I bring the list back with eight new teams you need to follow. From entertaining amateur players to professional coaches revolutionizing the sport from behind the scenes, here are eight underground soccer teams to watch this season.
