April 22, 2024

Time to pick the winners of the annual NBA Awards. Naturally, I won’t select a Most Clutch Player, as it is a stupid award & I refuse to recognize it. Additionally, I will include my predictions doomed to fail from back in October. 

MVP

• Finalists
  1. Nikola Jokic (Favorite) (My Pick) – He undoubtedly deserves his 3rd, entrenching him in the conversation for a spot on the Top 20 All-Time List. Amazing 4-5 year run he’s on. If he manages to repeat and win a second championship, we need to begin speaking about Joker in a historical context. Is he a future Top 10 player ever?
  2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
  3. Luka Doncic
• Initial Predictions
  1. Nikola Jokic
  2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
  3. Luka Doncic
  4. Honorable mentions: Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Finalists
  1. Rudy Gobert (Favorite) (My Pick) – Best defensive player on the league’s best defensive team. The rumors of his demise clearly immature, the French Rejection continues to be a One-Man Top 10 Defense, regardless of the cast around him. Though I believe AD deserves a mention here, the award is Gobert’s once again, his 4th. 
  2. Bam Adebayo
  3. Victor Wembanyama
• Initial Predictions
  1. Anthony Davis
  2. Rudy Gobert
  3. Bam Adebayo
  4. Honorable mentions: Alex Caruso, Jaren Jackson Jr., Draymond Green, Evan Mobley

COACH OF THE YEAR

• Finalists
  1. Mark Daigneault (Favorite)
  2. Chris Finch (My Pick) – I think Finch deserves it over Daigneault, though certainly neither would be a poor choice. The reason I pick Finch here is simply that the pressure on him was far greater than on Daigneault. Figuring out the Gobert-Towns pairing, allowing Edwards to take that next step, surviving Towns’ injury, building the NBA’s best defense – incredible job by Finch.
  3. Jamahl Mosley
• Initial Predictions
  1. Chris Finch
  2. Taylor Jenkins
  3. Eric Spoelstra
  4. Honorable mentions: Darvin Ham, Steve Kerr, Mark Daigneault, Ty Lue

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR (aka MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE)

• Finalists
  1. Tyrese Maxey (Favorite)
  2. Coby White (My Pick) – Even for the biggest Sub-Zero supporters, few could have seen this Coby White season coming. Before the season started, there was discussion of him coming off the bench behind Javon Carter! He far outplayed the contract he signed this summer, which was a 3 year deal around $12 million per year. Imagine how much he’d make if his free agency was this summer! He’d be making twice that number, easily.
  3. Alperen Sengun
• Initial Predictions
  1. Desmond Bane
  2. Tyrese Maxey
  3. Mikel Bridges
  4. Honorable mentions: Coby White, Austin Reeves, Jaden McDaniels, Devin Vassell, Trey Murphy, Alperen Sengun

6TH MAN OF THE YEAR

• Finalists
  1. Naz Reid (Favorite)
  2. Malik Monk
  3. Bobby Portis (My Pick) – Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Portis has been in consideration here for years. Though I love Naz, and he played incredibly with KAT out, my pick goes to Bobby. The Bucks have had a wild ride of a season – new coach, injuries, controversies, etc. One of the few constants has been Portis off the bench. It’s time.
• Initial Predictions
  1. Bobby Portis
  2. Immanual Quickley
  3. Santi Aldama
  4. Honorable mentions: Malik Monk, Kyle Anderson, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Andrew Nembhard

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

• Finalists
  1. Victor Wembanyama (Favorite) (My Pick) – Yes, I typically like to give this award to a rookie who’s contributed to a winning team. But sometimes a player’s numbers and performance are so head & shoulders above everyone else’s, you simply must reward them accordingly. And being that Wemby stands literally a head & shoulders above everyone else, he’s getting this prize. We’ve never seen a player like him. He’s changing the game right before our eyes. I’ve counted dozens of highlight reel plays he made this year that were unprecedented in bball history. Assuming he stays more or less healthy, he’ll likely win 5+ DPOY awards, plus at least 1 MVP. 
  2. Chet Holmgren
  3. Brandon Miller
• Initial Predictions
  1. Victor Wembanyama
  2. Brandon Miller
  3. Jaime Jacquez
  4. Honorable mentions: Amen Thompson, Scoot Henderson, Keyonte George

NBA All-Star Selections – ’23-’24

Though it’s probably overdue to expand the official all-star selections from 12-15 players (ya know, the size of actual active NBA rosters), I’ll stick with the current format as is:

• The 10 starters – two guards and three frontcourt players per conference – are chosen by a combination of fans (50% of the vote), current players (25%) and media (25%).
• The 30 NBA coaches select the 14 reserves, voting for two guards, three frontcourt players and two players at any position in their respective conferences.
• Commissioner Adam Silver selects the replacement for any player unable to participate in the All-Star Game, choosing a player from the same conference as the player who is being replaced.

Inevitably, some greats are going to be left on the cutting room floor. Happens every year. If we expanded the rosters to 30 players each, there will still be players you shamefully need to leave off. Nature of the biz. I’m just glad these votes have no impact on players’ salaries, as the All-NBA votes do (which is insane, btw). Anywho, here we go:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

• STARTERS
  • Guards
    • Tyrese Haliburton – quickly becoming the face of the league, best offensive player not named Joker or Steph.
    • Damian Lillard – probably Mitchell should’ve gotten this spot, Dame’s crunch-time heroics disguise a down shooting year.
  • Frontcourt
    • Giannis Antetonkounmpo – 2nd best player in the world, a one-man wrecking crew.
    • Joel Embiid – 3rd best player in the world having an all-time great offensive season.
    • Jayson Tatum – best player on the league’s best team, hitting his prime soon.
• RESERVES
  • Guards
    • Donovan Mitchell – deserves to be starting, carrying banged up Cavs to 5th seed & climbing.
    • Jalen Brunson – the face of New York City basketball today.
  • Frontcourt
    • Bam Adebayo – Perennial Top 5 Center is quietly becoming the best player on his team.
    • Jaylen Brown – Is he still the 2nd best player on the Celtics? Their record gives JB this selection more than his actual play, which has been good, but not great.
    • Paolo Banchero – Magic’s best player, the team’s coming back down to earth after a early rise to the top of the East.
  • Wild Cards
    • Tyrese Maxey – Last year wasn’t a fluke. Fastest end-to-end guard in the league besides Fox, a legit number 2, in competition for Most Improved Player.
    • Scottie Barnes – Rap’s poor record dim the shine coming off Scottie’s wonderful all-around season. Darko was right – he’s becoming one of the faces of the league.
• 5 HONORABLE MENTIONS
  • Coby White – best player on an average team, he’ll be back here in the future
  • Trae Young – overrated player with amazing stats, the worst perimeter defender in the NBA
  • Dejounte Murray – Underrated season on a disappointing team, will soon be a Laker
  • Kristaps Porzingis – Thou shalt not pick 3 players from one team, will he play enough games
  • Jimmy Butler – won’t play enough games, but he doesn’t care

WESTERN CONFERENCE

• STARTERS
  • Guards
    • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – The best player the average fan doesn’t know of. Top 10 player now. Legit #1 on a contender
    • Luka Doncic – MVP candidate having another elite season. Will the team be good enough in the playoffs. No one will want to play against them in 7 game series.
  • Frontcourt
    • LeBron James – Kawhi probably deserves to start, but what LeBron is doing at age 39 is unprecedented. Still a Top 15 player – averaging 25, 7 & 7 on 52% from the field
    • Kevin Durant – Has had to carry a bigger load due to Beal’s injuries, still putting up amazing numbers for anyone his age. Also a Top 15 player.
    • Nikola Joker – The Best Player in the World is ready to repeat. He’s never looked better
• RESERVES
  • Guards
    • Anthony Edwards – Best player on the West’s best team. One of the young faces of the NBA, probably its most exciting player.
    • De’Aaron Fox – Best player on struggling Kings team, fastest end-to-end player just about to enter his prime.
  • Frontcourt
    • Domas Sabonis – One of the league leaders in points, rebounds and assists per game, he’s proving that you can win with a Non-Shot-Blocking Center.
    • Anthony Davis – 3rd best center in the league having a phenomenal season for underachieving Lakers, will compete with Gobert for DPOY award.
    • Kawhi Leonard – Best Player on the climbing Clippers, resembling 2019 Kawhi, can he stay healthy?
  • Wild Cards
    • Steph Curry – Grandfathered in despite down year individually and team-wise.
    • Paul George – the perfect #2 for the Clips, plug-n-play perfection who’s healthy and as good as ever.
• 7 HONORABLE MENTIONS
  • Desmond Bane – best player on a horrible team, possibly the Most Improved Player
  • Lauri Markkanen – also the best player on a horrible team, last year’s Most Improved Player
  • Rudy Gobert – 2nd best player on a great team, but is disliked throughout the league
  • Karl-Anthony Towns – 3rd best player on great team, is also disliked throughout the league
  • Devin Booker – Top 10 player in the league, the first injury replacement
  • Alperen Sengun – Half the league is kicking itself for passing on Baby Jokic in the draft
  • Jamal Murray – the 2nd half of the best 1-2 combo in the NBA, won’t play enough games

December 19th, 2023

Now that we’re a third of the way through the season, I’d like to take a look back and evaluate what I originally predicted the standings to look like in the East & West compared to where it is today. Per usual, I was way way way off on several of these projections (coughchicagocoughbullscough).

EASTERN CONFERENCE

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS                                     STANDINGS AS OF 12/19/23

1. Boston                                                                             1. Boston
2. Cleveland                                                                        2. Milwaukee
3. Milwaukee                                                                      3. Philadelphia
4. New York                                                                        4. Orlando
5. Philadelphia                                                                   5. New York
6. Chicago                                                                          6. Cleveland
7. Atlanta                                                                            7. Miami
8. Indiana                                                                           8. Indiana
9. Miami                                                                             9. Brooklyn
10. Orlando                                                                        10. Toronto
11. Toronto                                                                        11. Atlanta
12. Brooklyn                                                                      12. Chicago
13. Charlotte                                                                     13. Charlotte
14. Detroit                                                                         14. Washington
15. Washington                                                                15. Detroit

WHERE I WAS RIGHT AND WHERE I WAS WRONG

Boston has come out guns blazing. Arguably the most impressive team in the entire NBA. One of the few squads who are top 5 in both offensive and defensive rating. They’re on the short list of teams who can realistically win the ch’ip this year.

Milwaukee, New York, and Philly are all in the top 5 in both columns. That said, I thought the James Harden mess would set Philly back further. Instead, it’s unlocked Maxey, Embiid, and Nurse. Nobody will want to play them come playoff time. Also, what Milwaukee is doing is impressive, given they have so many new faces, including a first-time coach. 

I was right about Charlotte, Detroit, & Washington bringing in the rear of the conference. However, I was dead wrong about Chicago & Atlanta. Figured continuity would reign supreme. I figured wrong. Furthermore, Cleveland is about to take a tumble in the standings now too, as Garland and Mobley are injured. Plus Mitchell will likely be traded by the deadline. They’re a Play-In team potentially.

My biggest miss was Orlando though. I thought they were another year away. But defensively, they’ve arrived. One of the best defensive teams in all the NBA, even if they fall back in the standings a bit after this hot start, they’ve announced they’ll be a force to be reckoned with. And they’ve done this without their starting C (Carter Jr.) and their starting PG (Fultz). Plus they have tradable pieces if they wanted to make a midseason addition. Hat tip to the Magic.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS                                     STANDINGS AS OF 12/19/23

1. Sacramento                                                                     1. Minnesota
2. Minnesota                                                                        2. Oklahoma City
3. LA Clippers                                                                      3. Denver
4. Denver                                                                              4. Sacramento
5. Los Angeles                                                                    5. Dallas
6. Golden State                                                                   6. LA Clippers
7. Phoenix                                                                            7. New Orleans
8. Memphis                                                                          8. Los Angeles
9. Dallas                                                                                9. Houston
10. New Orleans                                                                  10. Phoenix
11. Oklahoma City                                                               11. Golden State
12. Houston                                                                          12. Utah
13. San Antonio                                                                    13. Memphis
14. Utah                                                                                 14. Portland
15. Portland                                                                          15. San Antonio

WHERE I WAS RIGHT AND WHERE I WAS WRONG

Very proud of my Sacramento, Minnesota, and Phoenix picks. I thought the Suns were a play-in team, too top-heavy, not enough depth, injury-prone. They didn’t disappoint. And I projected SacTown and ‘Sota to be among the best teams in the West. Teams that haven’t “been there before” (and by “there” I’m referring to 1st in the standings) will go extra hard in the regular season to get there. Teams that have “been there, done that” don’t value home court throughout the playoffs as much. Regardless, these teams aren’t going anywhere. The Kings were 3rd last year. They’re here to stay. And regarding Minnesota, this is officially a team that can win the championship. They’re well-coached, they have elite size, and AntMan believes he’s the best player on whatever court he steps on.

The big ones I got wrong here are the Thunder and Mavs. Generally, I bet against Kyrie, no matter what the odds. But Luka’s Greatness beats Irving’s Craziness, and the Mavs halfcourt offense is humming along as well as ever. I expect them to fall a little, but they’re playoff bound. The Thunder, like the Magic, I was too late on. I predicted it would take them another year. But Holmgren is playing like a vet, JDub is one of the best young Wings in the west, and SGA is one of the best players in the league. They’re young, exciting, and well-coached. They’re here to stay, IF they remain healthy.

In Defense of AKME

• by Paulie G of the NBA Index – 12/8/23

Defending Karnisovas and Eversley is no easy task. They were hired in April 2020, with the promise of fast-forwarding the ongoing rebuild the Bulls seemed perpetually stuck in. In the 3.5 years since, the Bulls have made the playoffs once, and won a single playoff game. They were recently voted dead last in the NBA in combined value of team assets. They aren’t exciting to watch. Their best players don’t play well together. Their young players haven’t developed as quickly as we hoped. And in a world where Ws (125) & Ls (133) are the only categories that matter, it’s hard to argue with the statement that the AKME regime, thus far, has been a failure.

However, I took a deeper dive into this and tried to look at it objectively. I’ve watched literally every single Bulls game since AKME took over and am well aware of the vitriolic hatred spewed on social media every time Patrick Williams steps out of bounce while Tyrese Haliburton hits another stepback 3. I didn’t do this to be a contrarian. My motivation isn’t to zig just because everyone else is zagging. I want to see the Bulls win just as much as anyone else. And that’s the reason why, after evaluating AKME’s performance so far, I’m still quite confident they’re going to turn this around.

Category 1 – Coaching Hire

Let’s begin with the first move they made – the hire of Billy Donovan, who had just led OKC to a 44-28 record in ’19-’20, good for 5th in the West in the first post-Westbrook season. They were expected to immediately go into tank mode, but Billy somehow turned a mixture of journeyman Dennis Schroeder, a 21 year old SGA, a supposedly washed-up Chris Paul, and Danilo Gallinari into a functioning basketball team who became a real threat. After that season, Sam Presti made the decision to dive headfirst into a rebuild, Billy didn’t want to stick around for it, and AKME swooped in and signed him merely days after his resignation from OKC. Billy’s career winning % is .559, known as a players-coach, but is well-respected throughout the league by players & coaches alike. The upgrade over Jim Boylen, by itself, merits a good grade. And though it hasn’t been all sunshine & rainbows here in Chicago, overall, the Billy Donovan hire was a Win for AKME.

Coaching Hire Grade: B+

Category 2 – Draft

Every Haliburton 25 & 10 game I’m sure causes AKME sleepless nights. I actually had Haliburton #1 on my board in 2020. Yes, even ahead of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball. Alas, they forgot to call me on draft day. Regardless, though I generally give rookies 4 or 5 years to judge what sort of player he’ll become, it’s fairly clear that the pick of Patrick Williams over Tyrese Haliburton (not to mention Desmond Bane & Devin Vassell) was a big miss. However, let’s quickly take a look back to the summer of 2020. If you recall, the pandemic had just taken over the world. Scouts and execs couldn’t travel to see players in person, the NCAA season was postponed, prospects couldn’t come in for tryouts, there was no pre-draft combine, and interviews were being done over Zoom. Not the ideal atmosphere for real evaluation. Furthermore, Patrick was one of the fastest risers leading up to the draft. In fact, the rumor was that Coach Pop had promised him the Spurs would take him at 11 (where they would eventually take Williams’ FSU teammate, Vassell). Either way, though it’s a miss, it certainly wasn’t a fireable offense (like Wiseman at 2, Bagley at 2, etc.). And, let me go on record here, I still am a firm believer in Patrick Williams. He was one of the youngest players in that draft class, and is still only 22. I think he’ll be an all-star one day.

Looking at the rest of their draft record, it’s way too early to come to a determination on guys like Ayo, Dalen, and Julian. Though there seems to be a universal desire to shit on the Dalen pick, particularly when passing on Walker Kessler, keep in mind that so did 20 other teams. WAY too early to come to any conclusion on Dalen. He’s played 40 games. Total. And he happens to play the same position as Demar. Did we really expect him to come in and produce immediately?

Lastly, can we keep in mind that Karnisovas was the same dude that drafted Nikola Jokic, and Jamal Murray, and Monte Morris, and Michael Porter Jr., not to mention making the draft day trade that landed the Nuggets both Gary Harris and Jusef Nurkic in exchange for Doug McDermott, getting the better of GarPax. With this sort of track record, shouldn’t we give AK a little more leash?

Draft Grade: C-

Category 3 – Trades and Strategy

At the core of this category sits 4 transactions: Lauri trade, Vuc trade, Demar Trade, Lonzo trade. The Demar trade was obviously a Win for the Bulls. Demar has significantly outplayed the cost to get him. The Lonzo trade started as a W, but his injuries render the grade an Incomplete. Still, for what they gave up to get him, it certainly wouldn’t be considered a Loss. That said, the Markkanen trade was a clear loss. They got back basically Derrick Jones Jr. & a future lottery-protected POR 1st rounder. DJJ has proven to be a valuable role player, he’s starting right now for the Dallas Mavericks and guarding the other team’s best perimeter player. Unfortunately for CHI, Lauri went on to become an all-star. They better make that POR pick count!

Now, the Vuc trade. The basic outline of that deal was Wendell Carter Jr., ’21 1st round pick (became Franz Wagner), ’23 1st round pick (became Jett Howard) for Vuc, who was coming over in his prime, during an all-star campaign, averaging 24 pts & 11 reb while shooting 40% from 3. Now, I don’t value mid-1st round picks as highly as others, and AKME assumed they’d be giving away 2 mid-tier 1sts for Vuc. If you recall, immediately after the Vuc trade, Zach got hurt, then got covid, then they went on a west-coast roadtrip and got smoked, cratering their place in the standings, directly leading to the Magic getting the 8th overall pick in ’21, who became one of the best young Wings in the league in Franz Wagner. If that pick was in the 12-18 range, the trade would be an unmitigated Win for AKME, as Franz would never have dropped that far. Additionally, if ORL had taken Franz with their own pick at #5 (instead of Suggs), or OKC at #6 (Giddey), or GS at #7 (Kuminga), it would have also been a W for AKME. Getting Vuc for WCJ, Kuminga, and Jett Howard sounds much better, doesn’t it? The point is they wanted out of the lottery, they wanted established talent rather than hopeful talent, they wanted the playoffs, they wanted to be relevant, and they were willing to risk a small % of their future to do it. If you think it was too much future, that’s fair. But I understand & respect the strategy.

Trades & Strategy Grade: C

Category 4 – Negotiations

There seems to be a common misconception that the Bulls routinely bid against themselves. But I challenge anyone to come forth with evidence showing that Demar had no other suiters willing to spend similar $ for him in ’21, or Zach in ’22, or Vuc & Coby & Ayo this summer. Why does everyone just assume they had no other offers? You may look around the league, come to that conclusion yourself, but that’s irresponsible because we truly don’t know. That said, if you think we overpaid for them regardless, that’s fine. But I think there’s value in NOT playing hardball with our own players. And besides, the Caruso contract alone should merit a good grade for AKME. And Coby’s is beginning to look pretty damn tasty too.

Negotiations Grade: B

Category 5 – Roster construction

Here lies AKME’s biggest failure. They hitched their wagon to an injury proned dude in Lonzo. They failed to surround a poor rim defender like Vuc with big wings who can help protect the paint. Furthermore, there seemed to be a lack of direction in Style of Play. If Billy wanted to play fast, why run so much through ISO-Centric Flow-Killing Ballstoppers like Zach & Demar? If Billy wants to run more offense through Vuc, why did he have him picking & popping so much for the first couple seasons. Also, they never should’ve started Pwill right away. Too much pressure placed on a 19 year old. They should have taken a note from the Spurs and made Patrick go to the G-League for a while. Get real reps, learn how to be a pro, and then let him join the big club. Additionally, they should have learned earlier that he wasn’t a PF and more of a Wing.

Roster Construction Grade: D

Category 6 – Flexibility:

I often hear that AKME is stubbornly refusing to acknowledge their own mistakes; that they’ve been unwilling to pivot once they (hypothetically) should have known their plan wasn’t going to work; that instead of being flexible and making changes, they chose to double-down. For example, once Lonzo went down, why did they not prioritize replacing him with a real Point Guard. In that instance, if you recall, they thought Lonzo was coming back for the ’22-’23 season. They didn’t learn until later that he was going to miss the whole year. So, looking at it objectively, if the Bulls started so well with Lonzo in the ’21-’22 season before he got hurt, it makes sense to wait and see what they look like when he returns without making any major changes until then. Unfortunately for AKME, Lonzo never returned, which is why AKME aggressively signed Jevon Carter this offseason. But they didn’t really double-down. It’s not like they mortgaged more Future for the current squad. On the flipside though, they clung to cherry-picking Win-Loss stats to show the hypothetical potential of their team. For example, I’ve never seen a front office be so proud of a post-trade deadline record of 14-9 when the only major addition was Patrick Beverly. They should have known after 1 season that the Zach-Demar combo was not going to work, and they should have traded at least one of them before this season began.

Flexibility Grade: C

Final Conclusion

The record is the record, so they’ve failed thus far. The roster construction is their biggest black mark. I do appreciate the strategy. Many GMs cling to their jobs by trading for pick after pick after pick and then selling Hope & Patience to the fanbase, saying “Yes, our team sucks right now, and will likely continue to suck for a few more years. But look at all these draft picks we’ve got!” Ultimately, AKME picked a lane and that lane hit a dead-end. However, they didn’t gamble away all their future assets to do it. And ultimately, shouldn’t we give a management group at least 5 years to turn things around? Jerry Krause had 15 seasons. GarPax had 17. Can’t we give AKME more than 3.5!?

Final Grade: C

We’re a quarter of the way through a roller-coaster of the season. Storylines are in abundance – the Pacers Offense, the Wolves Defense, the Celtics Everything, In-Season Tournament Success, In-Season Tournament Courts Failure, Kenny Smith’s beard, etc. But for this exercise, let’s hand out some awards!

To provide some clarity, these are my picks for who deserves these awards IF the season ended today. They are not my end of year predictions, which I’ve already written about.

Defensive Player of the Year

• Rudy Gobert
  • Defensive Win Shares: Ranked 1st in the NBA – 1.5
  • Total Reb%: 6th – 19.7
  • Reb/game: 4th – 11.6
  • Blocks/game: 5th – 2.4
  • MIN – 2nd in Points Allowed/game – 105.9
  • MIN – 1st in Defensive Rating – 107.94
• Deserves Mention:
  • Anthony Davis
  • Joel Embiid
  • Mitchell Robinson

Coach of the Year

• Jamahl Mosley – Orlando Magic
  • Record: 14-6
  • Last 10: 9-1
• Deserves Mention
  • Chris Finch – Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Mark Daigneault – Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Rick Carlisle – Indiana Pacers

6th Man of the Year

• Immanuel Quickley – New York Knicks
  • PPG: 15.4
  • 3pFG%: 37%
  • FT%: 88%
• Deserves Mention
  • Bobby Portis
  • Tim Hardaway Jr.
  • Kyle Anderson

Most Improved Player

• Tyrese Haliburton
  • PTS/Game – Last Year to This Year: 20.7 –> 27.0
  • AST/Game – Last Year to This Year: 10.4 –> 11.8
  • FG% – Last Year to This Year: 49% –> 52%
  • 3P% – Last Year to This Year: 40% –> 44.7% (8.8 attempts per game)
  • VORP: 1.7 (5th in NBA
  • Win Shares: 3.1 (5th in NBA)
• Deserves Mention:
  • Alperen Sengun
  • Tyrese Maxey
  • Franz Wagner

Rookie of the Year

• Chet Holmgren
  • PTS/game: 17.6
  • BLK/game: 2.2
  • Reb/game: 8.0
  • Ast/game: 2.6
  • Stl/game: 0.9
  • FG%: 53.1%
  • 3p%: 39.5%
  • OKC’s record: 13-6
• Deserves Mention:
  • Jaime Jacquez
  • Victor Wembanyama
  • Jordan Hawkins

Most Valuable Player

• Nikola Jokic
• Deserves Mention
  • Joel Embiid
  • Jayson Tatum
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo
  • Shae Gilgeous-Alexander
  • Tyrese Haliburton

All NBA Teams

• Using the updated rules, where positions do not apply, and players must play at least 79% of games to be eligible. This is based on the minimum games played rule of 65 out of an 82 game season.
• 1st Team:
  • Nikola Jokic
  • Joel Embiid
  • Tyrese Haliburton
  • Shae Gilgeous-Alexander
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo
• 2nd Team:
  • Steph Curry
  • Jayson Tatum
  • Anthony Edwards
  • Luka Doncic
  • Kevin Durant
• 3rd Team:
  • Damian Lillard
  • Jalen Brunson
  • Paolo Banchero
  • Bam Adebayo
  • Tyrese Maxey

Top 10 best players at each position

*For this exercise, though nearly every player in the league plays multiple positions or redefined positions or nontraditional positions or positionless basketball, we’ll be basing this list on the standard roles of Point Guard, Shooting Guard, Small Forward, Power Forward, & Center.

*This list is fluid. It will change each season, and often midseason.

*Also important to this exercise, we need to define what “best” actually means. So let me first explain what it does NOT mean.

• Most valuable player to their team
• Most physically talented player
• Best all-around player
• Most dominant player
• Player I’d want taking a last second shot
• Player I’d want in a must win game
• Player I’d start my organization with

All of those definitions are fine, but each is flawed. Additionally, we must eliminate variables that can influence the decision, such as contract, organizational situation, head coach, etc. However, variables that are included in consideration are things like proneness to injury and off-court issues, as these issues directly affect on-court availability.

Here is the most accurate way to define what “best” means in the NBA, and therefore, the criteria I use in formulating this list:

• The BEST PLAYER is the first player I would pick – from the entire pool of available NBA players – if I were starting a team today – with the goal of winning a championship THIS SEASON. 

So, based on this rule, and with the understanding that the answer will be different for anyone and everyone, here is my list.

-As of 10/24/23-

POINT GUARDS

1. Steph Curry
2. Luka Doncic
3. Damian Lillard
4. Jamal Murray
5. Tyrese Haliburton
6. De’Aaron Fox
7. LaMelo Ball
8. Darius Garland
9. Jrue Holiday
10. Tyrese Maxey

SHOOTING GUARDS

1. Devin Booker
2. SGA
3. Donovan Mitchell
4. Anthony Edwards
5. Desmond Bane
6. Jaylen Brown
7. Dejounte Murray
8. Zach Lavine
9. Klay Thompson
10. Bradley Beal

SMALL FORWARDS

1. Jayson Tatum
2. LeBron James
3. Kawhi Leonard
4. Jimmy Butler
5. Paul George
6. OG Anunoby
7. Mikel Bridges
8. Franz Wagner
9. Scottie Barnes
10. Demar DeRozen

POWER FORWARDS

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. Kevin Durant
3. Aaron Gordon
4. Lauri Markkanen
5. Pascal Siakam
6. Jaren Jackson Jr.
7. Paolo Banchero
8. Evan Mobley
9. Zion Williamson
10. Julius Randle

CENTERS

1. Nikola Jokic
2. Joel Embiid
3. Anthony Davis
4. Bam Adebayo
5. Domas Sabonis
6. Karl-Anthony Towns
7. Rudy Gobert
8. Kristaps Porzingis
9. Nikola Vucevic
10. Myles Turner

In the same way that “Remember when…” is the lowest form of conversation, coming up with trade proposals is the lowest form of basketball fandom.

First off, whatever idea you’ve thought up while on your lunch break or chatting with your friends, pro-sports organizations have entire departments consisting of really smart people whose job is literally to study the team, league, numbers, trends, analytics, contracts, and salary cap to come up with ways to improve the squad, often via trade. And they’ve surely discussed your idea months ago and likely poo-poo’d it. So, believe me when I tell you, I’m nowhere near my high-horse. I don’t own a horse, never wanted a horse, barely know how to ride a horse. I’m not discovering anything new.. 

Secondly, when a player gets traded, his wife gets traded, his kids get traded, their schools get traded, their friends and families get traded, etc. A trade completely upends a player’s life. Anyone can live in a fantasy world above the clouds and throw around ideas, but the reality is pretty sobering. Most people don’t want to get traded (unless their name is James Harden). So it shouldn’t be taken lightly.

That aside, here are some Zach Lavine trade ideas!

1. Timberwolves
   • Wolves receive Zach Lavine
   • Bulls receive KAT Towns
   • Why it works:
     • Minnesota needs shooting and halfcourt scoring. Zach provides both. Plus, they’d immediately have the 2 most athletic wings in the league with Zach and Ant-man. They won’t have to worry about any Towns vs Edwards battle over whose team it is anymore. And Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid can easily fill those KAT minutes and provide 75%+ of his production.
     • For Chicago, KAT would slide in at the 4-spot, immediately providing some much needed size and shooting. And if Billy can get a team with Demar, Zach, and Vuc to play top 5 caliber defense, then he can get KAT to be consistent at that end too.
   • Why it doesn’t work:
     • ‘Sota probably wants to see where this season is going. They’re the 2nd best team in the West right now, and they’re a real threat. They have size, defense, veteran leadership, shooting, coaching, and one of the most exciting players in the league in Edwards. They probably don’t want to make any crazy midseason trades and risk messing it up.
2. Knicks
   • Knicks receive: Zach Lavine
   • Bulls receive: RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier, 2025 Bucks 1st rounder, unprotected Pistons 2024 2nd rounder
   • Why it works: 
     
     • The rumors have swirled for about a year now that the Knicks made calls about the price of Lavine. For NY, Zach immediately becomes their 2nd best player and best scorer. Their halfcourt offense routinely stalls out and Zach would pump some life into it. Thibs tends to play a very basic, ISO-heavy offense, which Lavine would thrive in. 
     • The Bulls would be overjoyed with this haul. Fournier still has some life left. the 2nd round Pistons pick will certainly have value, though the Bucks pick likely will be in the 20s. But the key here is Barrett. He’s a real hooper, a reliable 20-5-5 guy who gets to the rim and plays defense. He’ll never be a superstar, but you could do worse as a 3rd or 4th option on a contending team.
   • Why it doesn’t work:
     • Word around the campfire is that the Knicks have soured on Zach since the summer, likely due to the fact that Barrett (and Quickely, DiVincenzo, & Hart) has looked so good. Zach’s a better player, but they can get 75% of the production for half the cost. Furthermore, it sounds like Zach’s Klutch representation doesn’t want to do business with the Knicks CAA connections, a’la Leon Rose.
3. Lakers
   • Lakers receive: Zach Lavine
   • Bulls receive: D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, 2029 unprotected Lakers 1st round pick, 2025 Clippers 2nd rounder
   • Why it works:
     • The expected rise of Austin Reaves has stalled slightly. The Lakers were relying on him to be the lead creator for 20 minutes a night while LeBron rests. That may be too much, too soon for Reaves. Enter Lavine, who would immediately become the 3rd best player on the team and potentially its leading scorer. LeBron would get the most out of him certainly. Plus the Klutch connections are undeniable. And besides, the Russell and Rui contracts were essentially written with a clause saying “We’re paying you this much because we’re probably going to trade you.” The longer the Mavs and Kyrie play well, the less likely he’s coming to LA. And Zach is a pretty good consolation prize.
     • For the Bulls, the draft pick is the main thing. That’s the prize here, as they’d be looking to replenish their draft stock. Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura just proved that they can play crunch-time minutes for a championship contending team. This deal would give the Bulls flexibility as well, in case they would want to continue making moves this offseason.
   • Why it doesn’t work:
     • It’s probably a useless exercise, honestly. All three Lakers players can’t be traded until December 15th at the earliest. And I predict AKME doesn’t want to wait that long, losing games while this cloud hangs over the team. Plus, 2 of them are guards, and the Bulls already have a crowded backcourt rotation. I like Rui and that 2029 pick could be gold, but I think the Bulls could do better.
4. 76ers
   • 76ers receive: Zach Lavine
   • Bulls receive: Tobias Harris, 76ers 2026 1st rounder, 2029 Clippers 1st Round Pick Swap, Knicks 2024 2nd rounder
   • Why it works:
     • Morey is on record saying he wants that 3rd star to make a real championship run. Zach would certainly suffice. They don’t want to waste anymore prime Embiid years, and this deal would immediately put them neck and neck with the Celtics. The draft picks are very valuable, but it’s a worthwhile cost for Lavine. Furthermore, though Tobias Harris has played well for them so far, getting Covington and Batum in the Harden deal should make Harris expendable.
     • For Chicago, the Harris’ contract expires at the end of the season, so no long term commitment. Meanwhile, this draft compensation is really enticing, particularly that 2029 Clippers 1st Round swap. The Clips core is getting older and is injury prone. By 2029, they’ll likely all be retired. And besides, and Clippers draft pick will almost always have value.
   • Why it doesn’t work:
     • Two main reasons. First, though Morey wants a 3rd star, he has the draft assets to go after bigger fish than Lavine. Second, the Sixers are playing the best ball they’ve played in 4 years right now. And Tyrese Maxey is the engine. I don’t think they would want to upset the chemistry they’re playing with right now. The Maxey-Embiid pairing is quickly climbing the ranks of best duos in the league. And guys like Melton, Covington, Batum, and Harris are the ideal role players to surround them with.
5. Raptors
   
   • Raps receive: Zach Lavine
   • Bulls receive: Pascal Siakim & 2026 1st round pick
   • Why it works:
     • The Raps need shooting and halfcourt scoring. Zach provides both. Furthermore, if they know Pascal is walking after this season, they can’t go down the Fred VanVleet road again. They have to get SOMETHING in exchange for their best player since Kawhi. And Zach is more than something. Plus he’s under contract for 4 years. The Raps would have to throw in a future 1st round pick because the Bulls are risking Siakim leaving next summer. But this deal allows Barnes to play PF, and they can run out Schroeder, Lavine, OG, Barnes, and Poeltl. That’s a bonafide playoff team in the east.
     • The Bulls would do this deal because they know Pat Williams isn’t a PF by now. He’d be moved to his more natural SF spot, where he & Pascal can provide the front line defense that Vuc doesn’t offer.
   • Why it doesn’t work:
     • The Bulls don’t want to trade one ballstopper for another. The criticism of Siakim has been, despite his obvious success, he often takes a lot of time to get into his shot, stalling an offensive flow. Though accurate in the past, Pascal has adapted his game and rarely pounds the air out of the ball anymore. But Chicago might not want to risk it anyway.
6. Pelicans
   • Pels receive: Zach Lavine
   • Bulls receive: Brandon Ingram and Kira Lewis
   • Why it works:
     • New Orleans is struggling right now, and besides health, the number 1 reason is lack of shooting. With Tre Murphy & CJ McCollum out, they’re actually relying on rookie Jordan Hawkins to spread the floor. Zach would immediately upgrade their offense via his shooting alone. Plus, with Zion, they have a bonafide Alpha that will allow Zach to play off the ball and be a secondary creator, which is a better fit for him. Furthermore, the Zion-Ingram tandem has always been a clunky fit because they both play best with the ball in their hands and they aren’t great C&S players. Additionally, with guys like Dyson Daniels, Tre Murphy, and Herb Jones waiting in the Wings, Ingram is somewhat expendable. Kira Lewis would be a throw-in for salary matching purposes.
     • Chicago could use the additional size Ingram will bring. Though not a great rebounder, he is better than Zach in that department. He’s young still and still has room for improvement. The Bulls need big wings.
   • Why it doesn’t work:
     • The last thing AKME wants is another ballstopper who doesn’t know how to play off the ball & refuses to catch and shoot when given open Catch & Shoot opportunities. I love the idea of Ingram, seems like a good kid who works hard and can get you 20+ on any given night. But he might just be a Forward version of Zach
7. Magic
   • Magic receives: Zach Lavine
   • Bulls receive: Jalen Suggs, Gary Harris, Jonathan Isaac, Magic 2025 1st rounder unprotected
   • Why it works:
     • For Orlando, they’re loaded with young talented players, especially in the backcourt. But it’s become a logjam because they essentially all offer the same exact skills – none of which is shooting. Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, and Anthony Black – all talented, but none are consistent shooters. Enter Lavine, who would immediately become their best player, while also won’t dominate the ball. He’ll allow Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero to continue to play their style and lead the team. Plus he’ll open up driving lanes for them. And he has that Seattle area connection to Paolo. Love this deal for the Magic.
     • This one is my favorite. To begin, I love Suggs. He’s not a shooter, but he’s a pitbull defensively and knows how to play. Plus he’s improving from beyond the arc. Isaac, as he showed against the Bulls already this week, still has some spring and plenty of defensive chops left, despite his poor injury history. He’d slide in at the 4 and immediately be our best rim protector. Harris would be needed for salary purposes. The 1st rounder would certainly be in the teens, as I don’t anticipate the Magic becoming a top flight team right away. But still valuable
   • Why it doesn’t work:
     • No reason, besides the Magic might just not be too into Zach Lavine. If Zach doesn’t show them something soon, this deal could be off the table entirely. He sucked in Game 1 this week. He has another opportunity tomorrow. 

See Red Fred, Paulie G of the NBA Index, and Basketball Historian Tim Gallagher discuss the win vs the Jazz, Dalen Terry, and the early season surprises in the NBA.

See Red Fred and The Podfather Doug Thonus discuss the sorry state of the Bulls after the loss to Denver. The Bulls stand at 2-5 and last place in the Central Division…SRF & DT discuss the reasons why.

Fred Pfeiffer & Mark Lewinthal recap the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Lone Star State and what it means for the team’s sluggish start to the season.

The James Harden Trade Details:

Clippers receive: 

• James Harden
• PJ Tucker
• Filip Petrusev (flipped to Sacramento)

Why the Clips decided to trade so much draft capital to the 76ers for Harden will never make sense to me. Nobody else wanted him! The market was dry. They were literally bidding against themselves. They had all the leverage, especially because they’ve looked good so far this season. 28 other teams in the league, and not a single one had any interest in James Harden. The Clips were the only game in town. And still, Morey got the better of them. Perhaps they looked around the West and realized, even IF Kawhi & PG13 are healthy come playoff time, they likely couldn’t beat the Suns, Lakers, or Warriors (much less the Nuggets). So I understand taking a swing, especially as they’re about to enter their new stadium, the Intuit Dome, next season. I just wish they didn’t swing for chronic quitter James Harden. Grade: C-

76ers receive:

• Nic Batum
• Rober Covington
• Marcus Morris
• KJ Martin
• Unprotected 2028 first-round pick (via Clippers)
• 2024 & 2029 2nd-round picks (via Clippers)
  • The 2024 second-round pick acquired by the Sixers will be either the Raptors’, Pacers’, Jazz’s, or Cavaliers’ pick, whichever is most favorable. If either the Jazz’s or Cavaliers’ pick is the most favorable, Philadelphia would instead receive the second-most favorable of the four.
• 2026 1st-round pick from Thunder
  • Either the Rockets’ (top-four protected), Clippers’, or Thunder’s 2026 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable)
• Top 3 protected 2029 1st-round pick swap (via Clippers)

Morey does it again. Don’t get me wrong. He’s received 4 role players, one of whom doesn’t even play anymore (Morris) and some draft capital for James Harden. Furthermore, if you took a 20,000 foot view of the assets involved in this, it actually looks much worse, as they essentially traded the 2016 #1 overall draft pick (Ben Simmons), the 2023 1st round pick (Brice Sensabaugh), their 2027 1st round pick, Seth Curry & Andre Drummond for 4 role players and some draft capital. However, when no one the league wanted him, except for one team in the other conference who doesn’t really even need him in the first place, the fact that they got the draft compensation haul to begin with is phenomenal. Plus, they get rid of a major headache, a team distraction, a selfish player whose game was slipping. Oh, and make no mistake, just because he led the league in assists doesn’t mean he’s unselfish. He was chasing those assists. He’s a stat padder. ESPN ranked him #43 on their overall player rankings. He’s lucky to be that high. Good riddance. Grade: C+

Thunder receive:

• Acquire the right to swap either their own 2027 first-round pick or the Nuggets’ 2027 first-round pick (top-five protected) for the Clippers’ 2027 first-round pick (unprotected) and cash ($1.1MM; from Clippers).

Basically, this means the Thunder now have the right to swap (what is likely) a mid to late 1st rounder (either theirs or the Nuggets’) for an unprotected 2027 Clippers 1st rounder, which, given the Clippers’ aging roster, has a chance to be pretty high. In other words, they’re betting on themselves to be much better than the Clips in 2027. Grade: C+

RECAP

Let me be clear: I hate James Harden. He and Bill Laimbeer are neck and beard competing for the number 1 spot on my Most Hated Players list. Harden is one of the most selfish “superstar” players in NBA history. The fact that he has managed to get his way, AGAIN, simply doesn’t sit well with me. So, I’m biased. My opinions should be taken with a big fat bottle of Morton Salt.

Let me be clear a second time: I’m all for Player Empowerment. 99.9999% of the time, I side with the players over management/ownership. But it’s important to identity the difference between Player Empowerment and Player Scumbag:

• Player Empowerment is LeBron deciding to leave Cleveland, as a free agent, to sign a $100mil contract to play basketball with his best friends in South Beach.
• Player Scumbag is James Harden quitting on 3 consecutive organizations despite A) initially demanding a trade to each of those organizations, and B) being under contract – a contract he willingly signed.

All this aside, this is not a “Don’t hate the player, hate the game” situation. Because I hate his game too. If the history of the NBA has proven anything, it’s that heliocentric basketball – one where an entire offense revolves around a single player whose usage rate is above 27% season after season FOR 10 YEARS – does not lead to playoff success.

Furthermore:

• He refuses to move without the ball
• He refuses to set screens
• He’s arguably the worst defender in the NBA not named Trae
• He flops and flails and plays the ref more than he does the defender
• He bitches and complains more than anyone not named Luka
• He fails over and over in the playoffs & never accepts accountability
• His “Dribble a Dozen Times, Make No Passes, Waste 20 Seconds on the Shot Clock, Then Shoot a Contested Stepback 3” style of offense is cringe-inducing.
  • Seriously, if anyone you speak with says he finds Harden’s game exciting, consider disassociating yourself from that person. For he/she does NOT know Ball.

Yes, he has some good qualities. Wait, let me rephrase. His Game has some good qualities. He’s a terrific 3pt shooter, solid ball handler, and is a pick and roll genius on the level of a Nash or Stockton. But, gross, I despise even giving this dude a compliment. He represents all that is wrong with the NBA. And that’s all I have to say about James Harden, the individual person or player.

What will the Clippers look like?

• Kawhi, Harden, Russ, and PG13 all play their best with the ball in their hands
• PG13 is probably the best player of that group (when Kawhi is banged up), and he’s really the only one that can play off the ball. He’ll make the biggest sacrifice.
• Norm Powell’s and Terrance Mann’s Field Goal attempts just took a massive hit
• Russ & Harden already have been teammates, twice. The last attempt didn’t work out well. Played one season in Houston and became sick of each other. I have no reason to believe this will turn out any differently.
• I anticipate they’ll use Harden as an “innings-eater,” meaning the guy who will carry a regular season load, allowing Kawhi & PG13 to stay healthy so they can take over from Harden come playoff time.

What will the 76ers look like?

• Maxey is now the man. He was already probably a better player than Harden anyway. Now he doesn’t have to worry about him.
• They’ve replaced Tucker with 3 guys who do Tucker-esque things, only better.
• Embiid is probably overjoyed that he doesn’t have to worry about the distraction anymore
• Their draft treasure chest is now restored, and Morey has stated publicly he wants to trade for another star caliber scorer (coughzachcoughlavinecough)