SB Nation New York - NBA Power Rankings 2012: SB Nation New York Weekly Top 5/Bottom 5, Carmelo Anthony Earns Top Spot

NBA Power Rankings 2012: SBNation New York Top 5/Bottom 5, Carmelo Anthony On Top

2012-04-17T15:20:16Z

As we near to the conclusion of this wild 2011-12 NBA season, the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets are two teams hoping for totally different results. With six games left for the Knicks, winning half of them will probably secure a playoff spot. The Knicks and their fans had higher hopes entering the season, but after the longest 66-game season ever that felt like five different seasons in one (that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but work with me here), the Knicks will gladly sign up for a spot in the second season.

The Nets hope they can find a way into the top 3 in the NBA Draft lottery so that they can keep their draft pick. If not it goes to the TrailBlazers because of the Gerald Wallace trade. Enjoy your parting gift, New Jersey.

SBNation New York Top 5

1. Carmelo Anthony - Knicks

If you were putting together full-league player power rankings for the past month of so, you'd have to consider putting Anthony somewhere near the top. The shorthanded Knicks have needed him to be great, and he's been great. He's averaging nearly 33 points per game in his last five, going for 43 and 42 in a win against the Bulls and a loss to the Heat, respectively. He'll always have his detractors, like the New York Post's Peter Vecsey, who currently has a piece up with the headline "If New York Knicks offense goes through Carmelo Anthony, team can't win". So with the Knicks enduring the Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire injuries, it totally makes sense for them to run their offense through Landry Fields, Baron Davis, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert. Right.

2. Gerald Green - Nets

Not all has been lost for the Nets this season. Green, a first round pick in 2005, was out of the NBA when New Jersey came calling. He has responded by showing off the athleticism that got him to the league right out of high school to begin with. Over the last week he's averaged over 15 points a game in addition to one jaw-dropping slam a night.

3. J.R. Smith - Knicks

We've been through the whimsical experience that is watching J.R. Smith play basketball before, but he lands here almost solely on the heels of one shot. His late three-pointer to put the Knicks up over the Bucks last Wednesday was the Knicks' biggest make of the season. With the Knicks' current roster as is, they need Smith's offense.

4. Tyson Chandler - Knicks

The most consistent Knick all season keeps on churning, and last week was a monster on the boards. His rebound totals in the Knicks' past five games are 5, 15, 11, 15 and 16. Unfortunately, the five came on Sunday against the Heat, and you'll want to see more from Chandler against the big boys. But we're nitpicking - it's been near impossible to criticize him all season.

5. Kris Humphries - Nets

In the news once again because of things having nothing to do with basketball -- thanks, Kanye -- Humphries just kept on grinding out a career year. The forward put up an impressive double-double the last week of over 18 points and 10 rebounds. Not too bad for a guy that couldn't get a contract until just before the season started.

SB Nation New York Bottom Five

1. Sundiata Gaines - Nets

Perfect example of a guy that has a job simply because the Nets can't keep anyone healthy. Gaines played 12, 8 and 33 minutes in games this week and New Jersey's only win was the one that found him never getting off the bench. He showed some signs of life against the Heat, but not enough to get him off of this list.

2. Landry Fields - Knicks

At some point you have to start wondering whether Fields is even deserving of the "starting" shooting guard spot. Fields isn't the first option for Mike Woodson, as J.R. Smith has commandeered the fourth quarter shooting guard minutes from Fields, and with good reason. A very lackluster performance on Sunday vs. the Heat only further illustrated that Fields is in a bad way right now.

3. Johan Petro - Knicks

You won't believe me, but someone is going to take Petro off the Nets' hands during the offseason and not just because he's an expiring contract. Sure, he's a walking turnover that is constantly pushed around, but every so often he makes a move around the rim that makes you rewind the DVR to make sure the announcers got the name right. When you are seven feet and just 26 years old, there's always hope you can be salvaged.

4. DeShawn Stevenson - Nets

Another stellar week in what has been the worst season of Stevenson's career. He averaged three points in nearly 17 minutes and shot 4-for-17.

5. J.R. Smith's Evil Twin Brother - Knicks

Please stay away for the remainder of the season. Thanks.

Here's where SBNation's NBA guru Tom Ziller has the Knicks and Nets ranked in his latest weekly NBA Power Rankings:

14. New York Knicks: Peeling off one game in a playoff series has to be considered a win at this point, right? The thing is: this team should be better than the Knicks exactly one year ago. Those Knicks didn't have a tenable point guard (Chauncey Billups was injured) and Amar'e Stoudemire was banged up. But this version has Tyson Chandler. The Knicks should be a lot better than "flirting with .500."

23. New Jersey Nets: The Nets have two more games in New Jersey. Given that the opponents are the Knicks and Sixers, Nets fans will almost assuredly be outnumbered. Sounds about right. (It's kinda criminal how the Ratner and Prokhorov management teams treated Newark and north Jersey. We'll see if the league ever gives Newark another shot with a committed club that isn't just biding time.)

NBA Power Rankings 2012: SBNation New York Top 5/Bottom 5

2012-04-03T14:10:04Z

The volatile season for New York area basketball continued last week, with the New Jersey Nets surprisingly winning three straight while more injuries and controversy shrouded over the New York Knicks. After watching last night's NCAA National Championship game, it might be a good idea for the Nets to start losing some games, since the pick they sent to Portland in the Gerald Wallace deal is top-3 protected (meaning they'll keep it if the pick ends up being 1-3), and Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Thomas Robinson would all look pretty good in a Brooklyn Nets uniform next season. As for the beaten and battered Knicks, they're trying to keep the 8^th seed in the Eastern Conference and ward off the ever-charging Milwaukee Bucks, but will have to do so without Jeremy Lin. See how last week's performances shifted our SBNation New York Player Power Rankings:

SBNation New York Top 5

1. Gerald Wallace - Nets
For the first time all season, the Nets won three straight and Wallace was leading the charge. He averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds this week, including a monster 24 and 18 game against the Golden State Warriors. Wallace is giving Deron Williams the help on offense New Jersey thought they would have all season with Brook Lopez.

2. Carmelo Anthony - Knicks

The talk of this now being Carmelo's job to get done has heated up, and Anthony has responded by playing more akin to the perennial All-Star the Knicks acquired last February. Against the Magic last Wednesday, Anthony scored 25 points, doled out 6 assists and pulled down 5 boards, all while sitting out the entire 4^th quarter. In an ugly win over the Cavaliers on Saturday, Anthony shot 50% and collected 19 points. Making 27 out of 53 field goal attempts (a 51% clip) in the Knicks' past three games? New York will sign up for that the rest of the way.

3. Deron Williams - Nets
Being able to focus on distributing -- and not having to be a "one-man band" as Avery Johnson said this week -- has helped push New Jersey past the Pacers, Warriors and Kings. Sure, Williams still did plenty of scoring -- just over 19 points a game -- but averaged nearly 15 assists, including 20 at Golden State. He might not stay with the Nets when they make the move to Brooklyn, but you can't accuse him of doing anything but giving it his all down the stretch of these meaningless games.

4. Iman Shumpert - Knicks

Good luck figuring out Iman Shumpert. He looks like Dwyane Wade on some nights, Ricky Davis on others. He has two-straight 25-point efforts last week, against the Magic and Hawks, but then went just 3-of-12 against the Cavaliers. With Lin down, Baron Davis looking old and beaten and the ever-unreliable J.R. Smith getting serious minutes, the Knicks could use more of the Wade-like Shumpert the rest of the way.

5. Kris Humphries - Nets

The only person happier to have Wallace around other than Williams is Humphries. The forward no longer has to do all the dirty work on the glass and knows he has help above the rim from the high flying Wallace. No doubt Humphries will gladly "only" pull down 10 rebounds a game -- as he did this week -- if it means he doesn't have to take the beating that comes along with carrying the load.

SBNation New York Bottom 5

1. Jeremy Lin - Knicks

It's not Lin's play that ended him up in our Bottom 5, but that his meniscus tear and subsequent surgery couldn't have come at a worse possible time for the Knicks. With his absence severely hampering the Knicks' chances of getting into the Top 6 of the East, there's a good chance the next time we see Lin in a Knicks uniform will be in October.

2. Sundiata Gaines - Nets

The one thing that didn't change during the Nets winning streak was Avery Johnson holding his breath every time Deron Williams hit the bench. In the first two wins of the week, Williams had a +26 while Gaines could manage a -12. Certainly plus/minus can often be misleading, but with these two it's the perfect example of why New Jersey has trouble holding onto leads. Who knew losing Jordan Farmar would be such a blow to the Nets?

3. Baron Davis - Knicks

Davis looks old, slow and hurt - wait, he doesn't just look those things, he is those things...but the Knicks are going to need more from their point guard position if they want to safely secure a playoff spot. Davis averaged just 7 points and 5 assists last week, and more importantly, can't really crack the 30-minute plateau. It's not exactly Davis' fault, but remember when we all thought he'd be the savior? All we can say is thank goodness for Jeremy Lin.

4. Johan Petro - Nets

You know it's a good week when even Petro only ends up here because this section was created for him. He's actually looked like an NBA player during the Nets winning streak, averaging eight points and six rebounds. Even with a solid handful of games by his standards, few around the team would argue all parties are best served with Petro staying on the bench.

5. James Dolan/Mort Zuckerman/Cablevision/Daily News

You're all a bunch of clowns.

Here's where SBNation's Tim Ziller has the Knicks and Nets in his latest NBA Power Rankings:

18. New York Knicks - The loss of Jeremy Lin is incredibly unfortunate, not only because it makes Baron Davis a starter, but also because it makes Toney Douglas a rotation player.

23. New Jersey Nets - Deron Williams, 35 assists in a back-to-back this weekend, also ranks highly on the Bad Team MVP ladder, but I refuse to acknowledge that the Nets are even a team. The Nets are the NBA's version of a weird mid-career concept album.

NBA Power Rankings 2012: SB Nation New York Weekly Top 5/Bottom 5, Stoudemire's Final Appearance?

2012-03-27T14:56:12Z

The New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets have had very different weeks. The Mike Woodson-led Knicks continued their resurgence in the race for a playoff birth, going 4-1 while the Nets could only pull off a victory over the lowly Charlotte Bobcats for a 1-3 week.

Both teams will face a difficult week with the Knicks being dealt injuries to Amar'e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin and the Nets caught in between keeping PG Deron Williams happy and doing all they can to snag a top 3 pick in June's draft.

As the 2011-12 NBA season winds down, it's clear these two franchises are in very different places. Here is a look at the best and worst for each team over the last week.

SBNation New York Top 5

1. Amar'e Stoudemire

Unfortunately for the Knicks, this could be the last time Stoudemire finds himself in the "Top" of our rankings. With the news yesterday that he has a bulging disk in his back and is out indefinitely, the Knicks will have to move on without Stoudemire for now. It's even more crushing given Stoudemire's recent play. Last week, he really started to come around and looked as though he regained the "spring" and athleticism that many thought he had lost. Against the Sixers last Thursday, Stoudemire was the best player on the floor, leading the way with 21 points and chipping in defensively as well.

2. Tyson Chandler

Chandler kept plugging along since our last rankings, staying consistent with scoring, rebounding and defense. In their last five games, the Knicks have given up an average of 84.2 points. The Knicks simply can't do that over any five-game stretch without Chandler patrolling the middle.

3. Deron Williams

Most of the Nets players may be mailing it in, but not Williams. He continues to play with fire every night, though that recently has meant showing more frustration than we are used to seeing. Over the last week Williams averaged over 18 points and nine assists, often single-handedly keeping New Jersey in games.

4. Jeremy Lin

Lin missed Monday's win over the Bucks with a knee injury, but it's not expected to be serious. That's a good thing for the Knicks, who will need Lin to pick up some of the offensive slack with Stoudemire out. In his four games since our last rankings, Lin wasn't spectacular but was efficient. In last Thurdsay's big win over the Sixers, Lin scored 16 fourth quarter points.

5. Gerald Green

The athletic Green continues to look like a keeper for the Nets. To go along with the nightly highlight-reel dunks, he has provided an offensive spark off the bench, picking up the slack for MarShon Brooks, who has hit the rookie wall. Last week Green averaged over 11 points per game, including a 20 point outburst against the Utah Jazz.

SBNation New York Bottom 5

1. Landry Fields

If Mike Woodson's taking over for Mike D'Antoni had the wrong impact on anyone, it's Fields. He averaged just 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2 assists in the past five games, and Woodson almost always favors Iman Shumpert or J.R. Smith and the 2-guard in crucial minutes.

2. Baron Davis

Everybody railed against Jeremy Lin for turning the ball over, and he's essentially a rookie. The veteran Davis should be better at taking care of the ball, but he had more turnovers (20) than assists (18) since our last rankings. If Lin is out for any more time, Davis simply has to hold onto the ball better.

3. Jordan Farmar

A groin injury could end his season, but it's safe to say no matter what he's had to deal with, Farmar has been a disappointment for the Nets. He returned for two games this week and in 28 minutes of action had three assists to go along with three turnovers. New Jersey's lack of any sort of legitimate backup PG has been a huge reason for losing close games thanks to the second unit's inability to hold the fort.

4. Toney Douglas

What did Toney Douglas do to the Knicks to get completely banished from the lineup? With Lin out Monday, Mike Bibby played 12 minutes backing up Davis. There's no rationale for that.

5. Johan Petro

After a season of teasing, Nets head coach Avery Johnson may finally be on the verge of eliminating Petro from the lineup. Rookie Jordan Williams has taken on an increased role off the bench and should allow the front court to operate without the services of the disappointing center.

Take a look at the latest rankings from SB Nation to see how the Knicks and Nets match up against the rest of the league.

19. New York Knicks

Just when the Knicks make it seem like it's all clicking, they do something like "lose to the Raptors." It's just the Knick way.

27. New Jersey Nets

But they beat the Bobcats! (Oh, god.)

NBA Power Rankings 2012: SBNation New York Top 5, Mike Woodson Edition

2012-03-20T14:00:27Z

Since our last edition of the SBNation New York NBA Power Rankings, there was a seismic event in New York area basketball. Out went Mike D'Antoni as head coach of the Knicks, and in came Mike Woodson in the interim. The Knicks have responded by going 3-0 under Woodson.

As for the Nets, they acquired Gerald Wallace from the Portland TrailBlazers, but unfortunately it looks as though he might be their marquee guy in the move to Brooklyn next year. With Dwight Howard re-upping in Orlando for another year, Deron Williams is expected to test the free agency waters this summer. For a week at least, it seems as if the two teams are going in opposite directions.

Related: Carmelo Anthony Admits He Is Player Harder Now

SBNation New York Top 5

1. Mike Woodson

With the resignation of Mike D'Antoni last Wednesday, in stepped Woodson as the interim coach. The immediate results? A renewed energy, a stiffer defense, and a 3-0 record. Sure, in just three games it's impossible to say that Woodson is a savior of any sort. But the Knicks have no doubt responded to the changing of the guard.

2. Carmelo Anthony

Anthony was going to come under some fire for D'Antoni's resignation, as most believe it was his unhappiness with the coach that led to the "mutual" parting of the ways. Now it's time for Anthony to put up or shut up, and while he hasn't put up gigantic numbers since D'Antoni left, he's been efficient. He's averaged 5 assists per game in the 3-game winning streak. The Knicks haven't been in a close game late in the fourth quarter under Woodson yet, and when that happens, you'll see Anthony get the lion's share of the touches. As he should.

3. Gerald Green
In what has been a disastrous final season in New Jersey, there have been few pleasant surprises. Green has been the rare exception, turning a couple 10-day contracts into a deal for the rest of the season thanks to another solid week. He started off with a 26 point effort against the Toronto Raptors in the Nets only win on Wednesday night and averaged over 15 points.

4. Deron Williams
He missed the Nets first two games of the week, but returned Saturday against the New Orleans Hornets and didn't miss a beat. Turning in performances of 20 and 28 points, Williams continues to be the only consistent option head coach Avery Johnson has on offense. The frustration is building with Williams, but it hasn't hurt his production.

5. J.R. Smith

Despite being a headache as expected (like tweeting a picture of his girlfriend's butt, and earning a technical for hanging on the rim late in a blowout against the Pacers) Smith has provided the Knicks with some hot shooting off the bench. After not scoring last Monday against the Bulls, Smith is averaging over 16 points per game in the Knicks' last three games. A lot of his points came in garbage time, but Smith finding his stroke is a good sign for the Knicks.

SBNation New York Bottom 5

1. Mike D'Antoni

The mutual parting of ways by D'Antoni and the Knicks last Wednesday proved that D'Antoni is a stubborn, one-dimensional coach. Him and Carmelo Anthony were never a good fit, but it's pretty tough to call yourself an "offensive genius" when you can't fashion a consistent offense with the likes of Anthony and Amare Stoudemire on your roster. D'Antoni is married to his ball movement, heavy-on-spacing offense where the focal point is the point guard. He's simply lost in any other scenario.

Think of this: Pat Riley successfully guided the "Showtime" Lakers of the 80s, a team that ran through Magic Johnson, its best player. When Riley came to the Knicks in the early 90s, he didn't force that same style on a roster that wasn't shaped for it. He knew better than to play run-and-gun through Derek Harper. He saw the roster (Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, John Starks) and ran a slow-down, drag it out style through its best player, Ewing. He adapted. Mike D'Antoni has just a bout proven that he can't. That's the last time D'Antoni and Riley should be mentioned in the same sentence.

2. Kris Humphries
A rare below average week for the power forward. In what has been a second fantastic season with New Jersey, Humphries didn't have any luck on offense, but at least he still managed to pull down nearly 13 rebounds per game.

3. MarShon Brooks
Along with Green, the rookie from Providence has been a bright spot for New Jersey. It would appear, however, Brooks has hit a wall. He struggled with his shot all week, headlined by an atrocious 1-for-11 against the Magic. Things didn't get much better as the week wrapped up with the Cleveland Cavaliers holding him to 3-for-10 from the field.

4. Baron Davis

This isn't for Davis' on-court performance, but rather his hard luck in getting injured last Friday against the Pacers. Davis needs to be healthy, because if not, Mike Bibby will be forced to play minutes.

5. Sundiata Gaines
It's never a good sign when you are immediately replaced in the rotation by a D-League call-up. That's exactly what happened this week with Gaines and Jerry Smith from the Springfield Armor.

Here is where SBNation's Tom Ziller has the Knicks and Nets ranked in his latest NBA Power Rankings:

15. New York Knicks: Mike Woodson hasn't inspired this much excitement since everyone noticed he burned off his eyebrows in a freak chemistry experiment.

26. New Jersey Nets: You make a trade to show Deron Williams that you're tired of losing and committed to winning. Two days later, you lose to the New Orleans Hornets. Is this a bad dream?

NBA Power Rankings 2012: SB Nation New York Top 5, Knicks And Nets Both Struggle

2012-03-14T18:15:31Z

The roller coaster that has been the 2011-12 NBA season for the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets continued this past week. The Knicks weren't able to win and while the Nets picked up two solid wins, they quickly headed south without the services of PG Deron Williams.

Not only has the Linsanity calmed down around MSG, but the rumored feud between Carmelo Anthony and Mike D'Antoni has reached a fever pitch for the Knicks that forced the head coach to resign.

Compounding the loss of center Brook Lopez with a calf strain for Williams has simply been too much for New Jersey to handle.The short-handed Nets stayed close with the Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks but couldn't hold on in games that were vital to their slim playoff hopes.

SB Nation New York Top 5

1. Kris Humphries

Keep booing, folks. The Nets power forward seems to feed off the negative energy from opposing fans as he turned in another solid week. In addition to a monster effort against the Bucks with 31 points and 18 rebounds, Humphries also carried New Jersey to a win over the Charlotte Bobcats with 20 points and 15 boards.

2. Amar'e Stoudemire

Stoudemire has not been good this season, at all, but he seems to be starting to turn around his game a bit. Despite the Knicks losing all five of their games since our last rankings, over that span Stoudemire is averaging 20 points a game. More importantly he's shooting 585 from the field, a mark that is much more like it than his 46% for the season. It hasn't translated into wins for the now-dysfunctional Knicks, but Stoudemire may finally be coming around.

3. Gerald Green

It takes a lot these days to get excited about an in-game dunk. Green went to "a lot" and jumped four levels past that with his unreal windmill alley-oop throw down against the Rockets. The athletic forward isn't all dunks though, as he put up 26 points in the game vs. Houston and is finally giving New Jersey production at small forward.

4. Tyson Chandler

Chandler earns this spot despite missing two games last week. The Knicks are a totally different team when Chandler isn't in the lineup, as their defense reverts back to what it looked like most of last year -- and most of D'Antoni's tenure during the Knicks -- and that's abysmal. In the two games since his return, he's averaged 10.5 points and 11 rebounds, as he continues to be one of the only consistent Knicks this season. He's also one of the only ones who visibly gives a damn

5. Jeremy Lin

He's averaged 16.6 points and 7.8 assists over the Knicks' last five games. If Lin can settle into those type of numbers, the Knicks will take that from their surprise starting point guard.

Bottom 5

1. Mike D'Antoni

(See below)

2. Carmelo Anthony

The Knicks would have been doomed if both D'Antoni and Anthony stayed around. As usual, the player won out in this dispute, but now the pressure is squarely on Anthony. If the Knicks star still cannot produce, it will fall on his shoulders and not the coach he couldn't get along with.

3. DeShawn Stevenson

When the Nets were getting healthy, it was looking like Stevenson would be able to scale his minutes back. Instead, he has stayed in the rotation and continued to do anything productive. He averaged just 3.2 points and 2 rebounds this week. The emergence of Green could help keep him minutes down.

4. J.R. Smith

If you're going to start doing things like tweeting pictures of your girlfriend's backside, you better start hitting some shots, J.R.

5. Johan Petro

He is staying on this list until the Nets find a team silly enough to take him off their hands. Another empty week of games from the big man.

NBA Power Rankings 2012: SB Nation New York Top 5, Deron Williams Edition

2012-03-06T16:28:44Z

The New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets came off the All-Star break with big victories and a tough loss to the Boston Celtics. For the Knicks, the second unit shined in a huge second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers last Wednesday, while the Nets saw Brook Lopez put together a great effort vs. the Mavericks but injure himself later in the week, hurting both the Nets' playoff chances and the ability to acquire Dwight Howard. And of course, there's Deron Williams, who had a career-high 57 points on Sunday against the hapless Bobcats. That performance earned him the top spot in out weekly rankings.

Related: NBA Power Rankings From SB Nation

SB Nation New York Top 5

1. Deron Williams - Nets

After scoring 20 points in the All Star game to help bring the East to the verge of a huge come from behind win, Williams turned in the best performance of his career. He dropped a mind-boggling 57 points against the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday. Unlike some big-time scoring performances we've seen in the past, the Nets needed every one of D-Will's baskets in their 104-101 victory. With Brook Lopez out for at least three weeks, the point guard will need to stay offensive-minded every night.

2. Carmelo Anthony - Knicks

Those who are painting Anthony as an un-clutch based on missing a potential game-winner against the Celtics are totally lost (here's looking at you, mainstream New York media). First off, the Knicks had no chance of beating the Celtics if it weren't for Anthony, who matched Paul Pierce big shot for big shot in the fourth quarter until he missed at the buzzer. His 11 fourth quarter points were exactly what the Knicks need from him going forward, the ability to take over in crunch time. This time, he was just short of closing the game. Additionally, he had a very efficient 22 points, 5 rebound and 4 assist effort in the Knicks' win over the Cavs last week.

3. Brook Lopez - Nets

Speaking of the all-of-a-sudden injury prone center, Lopez earns a spot here for possibly the last time this season. He came out of the gate after the break like a man on a mission. He put up 38 in a win over the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday, 28 points against the Boston Celtics Friday and was getting into a groove early against the Bobcats (six points in 15 minutes) before severely spraining his ankle.

4. Jeremy Lin - Knicks

Despite not playing particularly well in the Knicks' loss to the Celtics last Sunday, Lin remains in the Top 5. On Sunday despite the overall underwhelming performance, Lin bounced back and showed a little more flair for the dramatic, scoring five huge points down the stretch to help the Knicks grab a lead, which of course they surrendered thanks to Paul Pierce's clutch 3-pointer. In last week's win against the Cavaliers, Lin had 19 points and 13 assists.

5. Gerald Green - Nets

He has only played three games with the Nets since signing his 10-day contract, but Green quickly showed he had what the team has been lacking all season: athleticism. He scored 11 points against the Celtics and despite only making one basket in the win over the Bobcats, it was a beautiful alley-oop. Finally seeing a Nets player live above the rim is a welcome change of pace.

SB Nation New York Bottom 5

1. Brook Lopez - Nets

For the first time in the history of our rankings, a player shows up in the Top 5 and Bottom 5. It's hard to blame a player for rolling an ankle, but the iron man label Lopez earned his first three seasons in the NBA is now clearly gone. This latest injury not only deals a blow to the Nets pursuit of Dwight Howard, but also their slim playoff hopes.

2. The Boston Celtics

They continue to beat the Knicks in haunting, gut-punching ways. I just dug up this unofficial stat: Kevin Garnett has set 47 illegal screens in his past six games against the Knicks, over the course of which Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have yet to miss a shot. Again, these stats are unofficial.

They also handed the Nets their only loss in their three games last week.

3. DeShawn Stevenson - Nets

His defensive intensity will always get him in the rotation, but it shouldn't be long before Green takes his spot in the starting lineup. Stevenson averaged a whopping 1 point and 3 rebounds this week, and put up an ugly 1-for-6 shooting Friday in a loss to the Celtics.

4. Landry Fields - Knicks

It was a rough week for Fields, who scored a combined five points in the Knicks' two games since the All-Star break. He was also replaced in crunch time against the Celtics by Iman Shumpert, a trend that will likely continue in tight games given Shumpert's excellent defense.

5. Johan Petro - Nets

Another downside to the Lopez injury is Petro will continue to stay in the rotation. Over the last week he has averaged 1.3 points and 6.3 points, shooting 2-for-9.

NBA Power Rankings 2012: SB Nation New York First Half Top 5, Getting To The Point

2012-02-28T16:44:11Z

The New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets looked very similar for most of the first half of the 2011-12 NBA season. Both teams were hit by the injury bug up and down their roster and were in a tailspin heading towards the lottery.

Then Linsanity hit and all of a sudden the Knicks looked a whole lot like a contender in the Eastern Conference. Despite ending the first half losing three of their final five (including one at home to the Nets), New York heads to the second half healthy and ready to make a run thanks in large part to the shot of life from point guard Jeremy Lin.

Like the Knicks, the Nets best player in the first half was running the show. Deron Williams, playing most nights as the only offensive weapon in head coach Avery Johnson's arsenal, was fantastic while finding a way to get New Jersey 10 wins. New Jersey is also a team starting to get healthy, including the return of center Brook Lopez from a broken foot.

Entering this short second half of the season, the Knicks are right in the thick of the playoff race, but the Nets are poised to finish up as the best "bad" team in the league thanks to Lopez and the rest of the walking wounded in New Jersey getting healthy.

Before we shine the spotlight on the final 31 games, we need to look back at the best and worst players for the Knicks and Nets in the first half.

SB Nation New York Top 5

1. Jeremy Lin, Knicks

The Knicks went from perhaps the NBA's biggest disappointment to the most talked about team in the league and a probably playoff side thanks to Jeremy Lin, who has become a worldwide sensation. Even though he's only been a prominent figure on the team for a month, the Knicks are 9-3 since Lin started getting serious minutes. He took a dead team and gave it life.

2. Deron Williams, Nets

Thanks to the non-stop injuries, Williams has been forced to play along side the least amount of talent in his career. All he has done is take on the burden of scorer and distributor for New Jersey, pouring in 22.2 points and handing out 8.2 assists per game. The point guard might not know how to handle having both Lopez and impressive rookie MarShon Brooks on the floor with him in the second half.

3. Tyson Chandler, Knicks

He's been everything that the Knicks could have expected and then some more. He's averaging nearly a double-double and is making 70% of his shots. Most impressively has been him overall impact on the Knicks' team defense. Yes, the Knicks finally have more than a few players who are good defenders, but Chandler makes all the difference by patrolling the paint. New York is fifth in the league in Defense Rating, allowing 99.6 points per 100 possessions.

4. Kris Humphries, Nets

This man deserves an award just for having to deal with dumb NBA fans. Humphries is booed at almost every stop along the way for... well, no one is really sure what for. Sure, his short-lived marriage to Kim Kardashian is worthy of the occasional sign or chant, but the non-stop booing is bizarre. All he has done to answer his critics in the stands every night is put together the best season of his life. Humphries is averaging 13.6 points and 10.5 rebounds, both career-highs.

5. Steve Novak, Knicks

There were a myriad of guys who could have been in this spot, namely Landry Fields, Iman Shumpert or Jared Jeffries. I'll give it to Novak because he's made himself an indispensable part of this team who simply needs to get minutes every night on a talented bunch. He's been a beneficiary of Lin's spectacular play, but Novak's clutch three point shooting has become a major asset for the Knicks. That fourth quarter show against the Mavericks a few weeks ago was wild.

SB Nation New York Bottom 5

1. Amar'e Stoudemire, Knicks

Stoudemire came into the season with lingering back and knee issues, and he lost his brother in a tragic car accident in early February, so the reasons are palpable, but he just doesn't look the same this year. Stoudemire's scoring hasn't been this low since his '02-'03 rookie season (not counting '05-'06 where he only played three games), and more concerning is his visible lack of explosiveness.His usually reliable mid-range jumpshot -- which should be a real weapon with Lin now running the show -- has been off all year. It was a short while ago that Stoudemire played like an MVP candidate for New York and played an unbelievable Game 1 against the Celtics in the playoffs last year. What happened?

2. Brook Lopez, Nets

A low-blow, I know. It's not right to hold a broken foot against a player, but it's impossible to look at how bad the Nets season has gone and think about how much different it would be if Lopez had been healthy. Not only would New Jersey be a playoff team, but the Orlando Magic would have been given plenty to see leading up to their decision to trade Dwight Howard.

3. Carmelo Anthony, Knicks

Don't let the fact that Anthony just started in the All-Star Game fool you. This has not been a good season so far for the Knicks' prized possession. He's shooting a career-worst 40% from the field and his points per game (21.4) is the third-lowest of his career, and he's down by nearly 5 full points from last season. The hard questions are starting to be asked, and despite Lin's surge, most people know the Knicks are Anthony's team. He will simply have to start playing better if the Knicks are going to make any sort of playoff run.

4. Shawne Williams, Nets

Remember when the Knicks and Nets were fighting for his services before the season began? Williams came into the season with an injury, which led to more injuries and now he is out for the season after surgery on his foot. He averaged 4.5 points in 25 games this season and is all but assured now to pick up his player-option for 2012-13.

5. Johan Petro, Nets

Take our backup center... please! There is no bigger disappointment in the area than Petro. With Lopez out for most of the season, he had a chance to prove he was worth the confidence GM Billy King showed in him last year with a long-term contract. Instead of stepping up, Petro has turned dropping perfect passes into an art form.

NBA Power Rankings 2012: SB Nation New York Top 5, Jeremy Lin and Deron Williams Go Head To Head

2012-02-21T20:46:04Z

On Monday, the last night of the “week” that makes up our SBNation New York Power Rankings, Deron Williams’ domination led the Nets to a victory over Jeremy Lin and the Knicks. It was a great performance for Williams, but it wasn’t enough to keep Lin from the top spot in our player power rankings. Despite two losses during the week, Lin still led the Knicks to three wins, including perhaps the most Linsane moment of all last Tuesday with his near-buzzer beater against the Raptors, and maybe his best overall performance in helping the Knicks beat the defending champion Mavericks on Sunday. It’s getting close at the top, but Lin reigns once again.

SB Nation New York Top 5

1. Jeremy Lin, Knicks
On Tuesday, Lin led the Knicks to a frantic come from behind win over the Toronto Raptors, hitting the biggest shot of his young career with the game on the line. Lin’s 3-pointer went through with 0.5 seconds left to give the Knicks a 90-87 win. But perhaps most impressively was Lin’s performance this past Sunday against the Mavericks. The Knicks jumped out to an early lead before the Mavs appeared to take control with a double digit third quarter advantage. But the Lin took over.

His steal-and-dunk at the very end of the third quarter gave the Knicks all the momentum heading into the fourth. And while Steve Novak drained 14 points in the final frame, Lin hit a pair of big 3’s as well, and finished with 28 points and 14 assists. All against one of the best defensive teams in the league and the defending champions? Impressive stuff.

2. Deron Williams, Nets
The Nets were 2-3 since the last rankings and it was the continued fantastic play of Williams that helped New Jersey down the best team in the East, the Miami Heat, and the suddenly surging Knicks. He averaged an out of this world 29.6 points and seven assists last week while shooting 21-for-45 from beyond the arc (47 percent). No one on the Nets is happier to finally have Brook Lopez back, giving the point guard the opportunity to play without always being double teamed.

3. Landry Fields, Knicks
Fields has steadily improved since a cold opening to the season, and last week he continued his solid play with two double-doubles and an excellent first half against the Mavericks on Sunday. I’m not sure why he didn’t see a lot of time in the fourth quarter against the Mavericks despite the Knicks winning – you’ll have to ask Mike D’Antoni that one.

4. Kris Humphries, Nets
The second happiest Net to see Lopez suiting up again? That would be Humphries. He’s done an admirable job picking up the slack on offense while Lopez was out, but he is better just worrying about rebounds and picking up his points on putbacks and dunks. After a week in which he averaged 17 points and 11.4 rebounds, Humphries will get the benefit of going back to being the “clean up crew” as defenses focus on Williams and Lopez.

5. Iman Shumpert, Knicks
Shumpert cracks the Top 5 for his role in two games this past week; and one of those games he didn’t play in. In the Knicks’ victory over the Raptors on Tuesday, Toronto point guard Jose Calderon had 25 points heading into the fourth quarter, doing a number on Jeremy Lin (which is slowly becoming the main negative trait of Lin thus far). Shumpert guarded Calderon in the fourth, and Calderon didn’t score a single point. Before Jeremy Lin’s final six points of that game, Shumpert pick-pocketed Calderon at half court and took the ball in for a dunk. Then, on Monday against the Nets, Shumpert’s value to the Knicks was proven when Deron Williams went totally off, with nobody on the Knicks able to shut him down with Shumpert injured. He’s the Knicks’ best on the ball defender, and Lin’s surge has allowed him to slide into a tailor-made role.

SB Nation New York Bottom 5

1. DeShawn Stevenson, Nets
Under most circumstances, Stevenson wouldn’t be putting in 25+ minutes a game, but the Nets injury situation has forced head coach Avery Johnson’s hand. In addition to averaging a whopping 3.8 points per game, the veteran also committed a silly flagrant foul late against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday that threw a wrench into the Nets comeback attempt.

2. Amare Stoudemire, Knicks
This was Stoudemire’s first week back since the death of his brother, which caused him to miss about a week’s worth of action, but Stoudemire just hasn’t looked the same all year, and he had a rough week. his best performance (26 and 12) came in a home loss against New Orleans, and he continues to struggle on his usually reliable mid-range jumpshot. Stoudemire is still acclimating himself back into the lineup, but it has been a down year so far on all accounts for the All-Star.

3. Johan Petro, Nets
In the first game back for Lopez, Petro only logged two minutes of action. Don’t worry, he still managed to miss a shot and turn the ball over in that time. If the Nets can keep their center healthy, that should mean the end of Petro playing many meaningful minutes the rest of the way

4. Sundiata Gaines, Nets
He had 11 points and seven assists in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, but few moments worth mentioning beyond that. With Deron Williams sitting against the Knicks due to fouls, Gaines missed two jumpers, one free throw, turned the ball over once and had a shot clock violation in the final four minutes of the game.

5. Toney Douglas
Will Toney Douglas ever suit up for the Knicks again? Fair question. With Baron Davis coming back from injury, the Knicks signing J.R. Smith and all the Linsanity, it’s certainly possible Douglas will be shipped out of town soon.

Below is where the Knicks and Nets rank in the latest SBNation NBA Power Rankings:

7. New York Knicks: The Knicks saw their streak end, but began an important, telling stretch on the right foot in beating Dallas on national TV on Sunday. Carmelo Anthony could return Monday against the Nets, then the Knicks go back-to-back against the Hawks and Heat before the All-Star break. New York would love to catch the Hawks in the standings, and a national TV win over the Heat before the break would be one helluva statement.

27. New Jersey Nets: Brook Lopez in his return: 28 minutes, two rebounds. Didn’t miss a beat.