Week 7 Eastern Conference Fanalyst Rankings: Star Power

With the All-Stars announced this week and next, the teams with the most stars shine brightest in Week 7 of the East Fanalyst Rankings.

This spreadsheet lists the 2012 all-star voting results that will be used in this week's Fanalyst Rankings.

There are two sides to every NBA Power Ranking: the Fanalytical and the Fanatical. As a Miami HEAT blogger living on the east coast, MHI played the Eastern Conference fanalyst for games thru Friday. As a Denver Nuggets fan living west of the Mississippi River, Mrs. NBA played the fan for games thru Saturday (apparently the time change is a bitch). The roles are reversed for the Western Conference Rankings.

1. Miami HEAT (17-6, Last Week #2)

MHI: The HEAT beat the Bulls and passed them in schedule-adjusted efficiency differential this week for the 2nd-best rating in the NBA, according to nbastuffer.com. Of course, they also have the most star power in the East (and the NBA) with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Joel Anthony getting 3.12 million all-star votes. That should be more than enough to go at least 3-1 next week against the Cavs, @Magic (2nd night of a back-to-back), @Wizards and @Hawks.

Mrs. NBA: Star power didn’t work in beating the Bucks, huh???? Hell, it wasn’t even enough to beat the star-less Nuggets. Shoot, Heat lost to the Bucks not once but twice. TWICE. Does Chris Bosh have a fling with Brandon Jennings…

2. Chicago Bulls (20-6, Last Week #1)

MHI: The Bulls lost their 5th straight game to the HEAT and it’s obvious to the fans that Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer and Richard Hamilton just don’t have enough star power to beat Miami. That’s why five players on the Bulls got 800,000 less all-star votes than four players on the HEAT. Chicago still got the 2nd most votes in the East, though, and that should be enough for them to go at least 3-1 next week on the road against the Nets, Hornets, Bobcats and Celtics.

Mrs. NBA: How convenient you forgot to mention Deng’s absence. It’s funny with your alleged basketball IQ, you realize it’s the fan vote of entertainment that gets players in… it’s not a measure of their talent. But, then again, you are a #FakeAssFan.

3. Atlanta Hawks (16-8, Last Week #3)

MHI: The Hawks got off to a great start that’s allowed them to still have the best schedule-adjusted efficiency differential in the NBA without Al Horford, but they’re starting to slip. They only rank 17th in that category over the last 5 games. Fans recognize the Hawks just don’t have enough star power with Josh Smith and Joe Johnson to maintain that elite level of performance without him and that’s why they only rank 7th in the East all-star voting with almost 50,000 less votes than the Raptors. No, that’s not a typo. It’s an indictment of the Atlanta fanbase and front office.

Mrs. NBA: Convenient that you put them ahead of the Sixers... funny indeed.

4. Philadelphia 76ers (17-7, Last Week #4)

MHI: The Sixers have played the easiest schedule in the NBA, but still have the 5th-best schedule-adjusted efficiency differential. Their two blowout losses to the HEAT in consecutive weeks show this team’s real flaw: no star power. The Sixers didn’t finish in the top 10 in the East in all-star votes, but the Nets, Wizards and Cavs did. Next week they get the Lakers, Spurs and Clippers in their building before going to Cleveland on the 2nd night of a back-to-back. They should go 4-0, but the fans will know why if they don’t.

Mrs. NBA: YAWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!! What about them Bucks, tho???

5. Boston Celtics (12-10, Last Week #5)

MHI: The Celtics went 4-1 in their last five games with the 4th-best schedule-adjusted efficiency differential in the NBA without their best player, Rajon Rondo, for the most part. His return to the starting lineup that ranked fifth in the East all-star voting with 1.5 million votes for Rondo, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will be essential for the Celtics to defend their home-court against the Lakers and the Bulls next week.

Mrs. NBA: I give credit to their play without Rondo, but it’s still Team Nursing home…

6. Indiana Pacers (16-7, Last Week #6)

MHI: The Pacers have the 4th-best schedule-adjusted efficiency differential in the NBA this season and the 2nd-best over the last 5 games when they went 4-1. So why are they ranked 6th? Because that loss was to the Celtics, a team with much more star power than the Pacers. Like the Sixers, the Pacers were shutout of the top 10 for the East all-star voting. Talent wins out in the NBA and the Pacers won’t be able to sustain their current performance over two sets of back-to-backs next week.

Mrs. NBA: Have you always been a Star groupie… or is it because you have tasted Wade’s nuts and you can’t look past and enjoy basketball for what it is? #FakeAssFan

7. Milwaukee Bucks (10-13, Last Week #8)

MHI: The Bucks did what the Sixers couldn’t and beat the HEAT twice in the last two weeks. They rank 6th in the East in schedule-adjusted efficiency differential this season but fall outside the top 10 in East all-star voting. If Brandon Jennings continues to play well enough to be voted into the all-star game by the coaches, then he will be able to carry the Bucks into the playoffs.

Mrs. NBA: How ironic you place the Bucks here… very ironic indeed. How does Brandon Jenning’s dick taste??? Salty??? I would be too, if my team lost to the Bucks twice.

8. New York Knicks (9-15, Last Week Unranked)

MHI: The Knicks beat out the Magic for the last spot in the Fanalyst Rankings because they have a better schedule-adjusted efficiency differential over the last 5 games (Knicks rank 13th, Magic rank 24th) and Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler have almost the same star power as Dwight Howard (Knicks have just 12,289 less all-star votes than the Magic). The biggest reason is that the Knicks will likely keep their star power for the rest of the season while the Magic will not. Once Howard leaves the Magic, the Magic leave the playoff race and the Knicks take their place.

Mrs. NBA: FUCK THIS!! Knicks can’t even beat the Celtics… It took Jeremy Lin to lead the team to a win over the Nets… the bloody Nets… even a dead goldfish doesn’t base rankings upon star power… #FAKEASSFAN!