NBA

Top Ten NBA Players of All Time

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Top Ten NBA Players of All Time

The top ten NBA players of all time is a big debate when it comes to sports. Everybody has their own opinion about who they think is better, but ten players stand out from the rest.

 

  1. Bill Russell

Everyone is familiar with the 11 time NBA champion! He was dominant in every aspect of the game. He averaged 15.1 points, 4.3 assists, and a staggering 22.5 rebounds per game! The best player the NBA has ever seen in his era. The reason he isn’t higher on my list is that his era was not as competitive as it is today. Besides this reason, he is still one of the best players of all time.

 

  1. Magic Johnson

Earvin Johnson Jr. AKA Magic Johnson was a once in a generation talent. His ability to pass, shoot, and be a lockdown defender helped him win 5 rings with the Lakers. His specialty was his ability to pass. He racked up 10,141 assists as well as 17,707 points.

 

  1. Shaquille O’neal

Everyone knows the giant himself, Shaq. He played 19 seasons for 6 different teams! The big man through those 19 seasons averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game! He was also able to grab 4 championships.

 

  1. Tim Duncan

The man who made bank shots popular, with 1,934 made bank shots! He played on the Spurs his whole career from 1997 to 2015. He averaged 19 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Though his stats aren’t the best he was a huge force in the game. In his long career he was able to earn 5 rings, 2 MVP’s, and 3 finals MVPs. 

 

  1. Kobe Bryant

You’ve been living under a rock if you have never heard of the Black Mamba before. Kobe Bryant was famous for his mentality and his ability to score in every way. He averaged 25.0 points, 4.7 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game. Kobe Bryant has won 5 NBA championships, two-time finals MVP, 18 time all-star, and an MVP. Kobe was a huge inspiration for the upcoming generation of the NBA.

 

  1. Larry Bird

One of the best shooters the NBA has ever seen, Larry Bird was something else. He was able to score in every way. During his 13 season career he averaged 24.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 10 rebounds! Just by the stats alone you can tell he was great. The big bird won 3 MVPs, 3 rings, and 2 NBA finals MVPs! The bird was definitely something else. 

 

  1. Wilt Chamberlain

If we want to talk about stats Wilt’s stats will blow your mind. This man averaged 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists! If you aren’t impressed yet he holds the title for most points in a single game with… 100 POINTS! He also holds the record for most rebounds in a game with an impossible 55 rebounds! During his dominating career he racked up 2 rings, 4 MVPs, and one finals MVP. Wilt was definitely the most dominant player in history, but the reason he is not higher is because his era was not as talented as it is now.

  1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Did you know the NCAA had to ban dunking for 10 years because Kareem was too dominant? This is true, no one could stop Kareem so the only way to stop him was to ban dunking. With his famous skyhook that was unguardable he was able to average 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Kareem was able to hold the scoring record for 38 years with 38,387 points! During his legendary career he was able to have a total of 6 MVPs, 6 time NBA champions, and a 19 time all star. Kareem and his sky hook were legendary.

 

  1. Michael Jordan

The biggest idol for NBA players was always MJ. Everyone wanted to be as great as him. The reason for this could be that he went 6-0 in the finals or that he averaged the most points in NBA history with 30.1. Some more of his accolades include, 6 finals MVPs, 5 MVPs, and a 14 time all star. Every part of his game was perfect, from shooting to defense, MJ was one of the greatest.

 

Honorable Mentions

 Some of the honorable mentions include: Steph Curry, Hakeem Olajawon, Jerry West, Karl Malone, Oscar Robertson, Julius Erving. Though these players were great they didn’t make my list for many reasons. 

  1. LeBron James

The king, the chosen one, The GOAT. LeBron is the best basketball player of all time. Everyone knew he would be great straight out of High School. LeBron has played 20 seasons and counting. Through those 20 seans he has won 4 Championships, 4 MVPs, 4 final MVPs, and a 19 time all star. We can’t forget that he holds the all time scoring record with 38,450 points! The reason that he is the GOAT of basketball is because of how dominant he has been through his whole career. LeBron is truly the GOAT.

 

Who I Think Will Win the NBA MVP

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Who I Think Will Win the NBA MVP

In this article I will not only be covering who I think will win the NBA MVP, but also the Rookie of the Year, 6th Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, Coach of the year, Defensive Player of the Year. Although the NBA has already released a few awards, such as the last six awards listed, I will still cover who I think should win.

The NBA has already released the Defensive Player of the Year award, the Clutch Player of the Year award, the Sixth Man of the Year award, the Most Improved Player award, the Rookie of the Year award, and the Coach of the Year award. The winners are as listed above; Jaren Jackson Jr., De’Aaron Fox, Malcolm Brogdon, Lauri Markkanen, Paulo Banchero, and Mike Brown. I won’t cover the Clutch Player of the Year because the statistics were too confusing for me to understand.

 

MVP

  1. Joel Embiid

While NBA.com has Nikola Jokic being the frontrunner for an MVP, I believe that Joel Embiid will take home his first MVP. Joel Embiid is an offensive force. After winning 2 straight NBA scoring titles, and no MVP’s, I believe its his time to take home an MVP. He is currently averaging 33.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 4.2 apg. Most points per game plus 10.2 rebounds in my opinion is an MVP caliber stat line. NBA.com has him 2nd in the Kia MVP ladder.

2. Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic may become the first player to “three-peat” an MVP award since Larry Bird did so in 1983-86. He may join the 4 player club as an MVP “three-peater”. He is currently averaging 24.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 9.8 apg. He is averaging the most assists by a center this year(3rd in NBA), and the 2nd most rebounds by a center and all players. NBA.com has him as 1st in the Kia MVP ladder.

3. Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum co-led the Celtics to a 2nd place spot in the Eastern Conference, only 1 game behind NBA.com’s 3rd place MVP contender, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is averaging 30.1 ppg, 8.8 ppg, 4.6 apg. A near double-double from this year’s All-Star game MVP with a NBA record 55 points. NBA.com has him 4th in the Kia MVP ladder.

4-10

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo

5. Donovan Mitchell

6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

7. Domantis Sabonis

8. Luka Doncic

9. Kevin Durant

10. James Harden

The winner of the 2023 MVP award is yet to be announced, but hopefully will some time in May.

 

Rookie of the Year (ROTY)

The Rookie of the Year award has been dominated since day 1 by one person: Paolo Banchero. He was the consensus 1st overall pick. The only player that could’ve stolen it from him was injured rookie Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

1.Paolo Banchero

Paolo Banchero was the consensus first overall pick of last year’s draft to whoever had it. The Magic were the lucky winners and, of course they picked Banchero. Averaging 20 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.7 apg, he leads all rookies in scoring. NBA.com has him 1st for ROTY.

2. Bennedict Mathurin

Bennedict popped off in his first few games as the Pacers 6th man. In those first couple of games he averaged 24 ppg. Overall, Mathurin averaged 16.7 points, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 apg. NBA.com has him 4th for ROTY.

3. Jalen Williams

Jalen Williams was a standout at Santa Clara, and became a prolific scorer for the Thunder in the second half of the year. He averaged 17.24 ppg in the second half of the year. Overall, he averaged 14.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.3 apg. NBA.com has him 3rd for ROTY.

4-10

4. Walker Kessler

5. Jaden Ivey

6. Keegan Murray

7. Jabari Smith Jr.

8. Jeremy Sochan

9. Malaki Branham

10. Shaedon Sharpe

The winner of the 2023 ROTY award was Orlando Magic forward Paulo Banchero.

 

MOY

1. Bobby Portis

Bobby Portis is currently second in the 6MOY runnings. He is on the Bucks team that s looking to claim their second title in 3 years. He is averaging 14.1 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.5 apg.

2. Malcolm Brogdon

Malcolm Brogdon is the 6th man for the Boston Celtics. His team is looking to claim their first title since 2008, and edge out the LA Lakers in the race for the most titles. They are both currently tied at 17 rings. Malcolm is averaging 14.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.7 apg.

3. Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley is the 6th man for the surprising Knicks team. The Knicks are currently hoping to get past the Cavaliers in the first round, which would be the first time in 10 years they won a round in the playoffs. Quickley is averaging 14.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.4 apg.

The winner of the 2023 6MOY award was Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon.

 

MIP

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai has upped his number from last year(24.5 ppg, 45.3 FG%, 30.0 3pt%, 5.0 rpg, 5.9 apg) to 31.4  ppg, 51.0 FG%, 34.5 3pt%, 4.8 rpg, 5.5 apg. He is also sixth in the MVP runnings. He led the Thunder to a play-in berth, and a 9/10 game win versus the Pelicans with 32 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. This year he was a first time all-star.

2. Lauri Markkanen

Lauri has made a huge improvement from last year. Last season he averaged 14.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.3 apg on 44.5 FG% and 35.8 3pt%. This season he is averaging 25.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.9 apg on 49.9 FG% and 39.1 3pt%. He is well deserving of the award he took -although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should’ve won. However, he failed to bring the Jazz to a play-in berth, finishing 12th place in the Western Conference.

3. Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson is- in my opinion- one of the most underrated players in the league. Averaging 24.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 6.2 apg on 49.1 FG% and 41.6 3pt% he is a top 20 scorer. He is the bringer of Julius Randle’s comeback(even though he won MIP in 2019-2020). Last year his stats were: 16.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.8 apg on 50.2 FG% and 37.3 3pt%.

The winner of the 2023 MIP award was Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen

 

COTY

1. Mike Brown

After winning in a literal landslide, Mike Brown coached the Sacramento Kings to their very first playoff berth since the 2005-2006 season. He had help from the Clutch Player of the Year award winner De’ Aaron Fox, and the rebound title winner Domatas Sabonis.

2. Mark Daigneault

“Coach D” -as many people abbreviate his name- led the OKC Thunder to a play-in berth after a horrible losing season last year. Without the 2nd overall draft pick from 2022, his team was led by 12th overall Jalen Williams and Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander.

3. Joe Mazzulla

He was supposed to be the Celtics assistant coach after Will Hardy moved to the Utah Jazz, but after the Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was fired, he took the reigns of one of the most dominant teams ever.

The winner of the 2023 COTY award was Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown.

 

DPOY

1. Jaren Jackson Jr.

The Grizzlies PF/C led the Grizzlies to a 2nd seed berth in the 2023 playoffs. He averaged 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. The Grizzlies were the 2nd best rated defensive team during the playoffs. The Grizzlies were the 7th best defensive team during the regular season.

2. Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez was the 3rd star for the Milwaukee bucks this year. He averaged 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. In the playoffs, the Bucks were the 14th best defensive team, but during the season, they were the 5th best team.

3. Evan Mobely

This year for Cleveland he averaged 8 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks. In the playoffs, the Cavaliers were the best defensive teams with the defensive rating. During the regular season, they were the best team.

The winner of the 2023 DPOY award was Jaren Jackson Jr.

The NBA Teams With the Brightest Future

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If we’re talking about bright futures, we have to talk about the OKC Thunder. The youngest team in basketball made the play-in, and was one game shy of the playoffs. With MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the helm, the Thunder can expect a few changes in the next upcoming years.

The Magic are also a great candidate for brightest future. With Paulo Banchero as a rookie, he averaged more than 20 ppg, and with a chance to get Scoot Henderson or Victor Wembanyama, their future has never been better.

The Rockets also have great potential with Jabari Smith Jr, Jalen Green, and a 14% chance to get the before mentioned Victor or Scoot. They were battling with the Spurs for 15th in the Western Conference, which they tied, only winning a measly 22 games. For example, the Bucks won 58 games and lost 24.

The Detroit Pistons already were the worst team in all of basketball, but this season didn’t help. But, with rising stars like Cade Cunningham Jalen Duren, and Jaden Ivey, they only won 16 games. They could’ve done better, but their team leader, and the player they depend on most Cade Cunningham got injured after just 12 games. They went 3-9 with Cade, which is a win percentage of just 25%. It is still better than their season long percentage of 19%.

These next teams have the dimmest futures.

The Milwaukee Bucks have a problem no one is talking about. They have an average age of 29.47, and their lone star, Giannis Antetokounmpo is 28 years old, Jrue Holiday is 32, Khris Middleton is 31. They have traded almost all of their picks away, with only having 5 in the next 6 years. 3 of them are second rounders.

Miami Heat’s average age is 28.13. They too are experiencing the same problem as the Bucks. Only 4 draft picks in the next 4 years, none in this draft. On the bright side, 3 of the draft picks are first round draft picks. With star Jimmy Butler only doing good in the NBA playoffs, and Bam Adebayo’s being able to go into free agency in 2026, the Heat are in trouble.

The Phoenix Suns have one of the best current cores for a basketball team. 26 year old Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Kevin Durant, that trio is good for another year or so. Kevin Durant is now 34, CP3 is a whopping 38 years old,

Top 10 NBA teams to win the Title 2023-24

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Top 10 NBA teams to win the Title 2023-24

In the NBA, there are many great teams, and players. But who is the best? Below are my top ten favorite teams to win the NBA in the 2023-24 season. It may be too early to tell, because we’re not even at the All-star break yet, but the Celtics, Thunder, Clippers, and Bucks are my favorites. 

#1 Boston Celtics

Currently 1st in the Eastern Conference, they have  a record of 38-12, which is the best across the NBA. in the off-season, they acquired “unicorn” Kristaps Porzingas, who has been averaging 20 ppg, 7 rpg, and 2 apg. Jayson Tatum has been averaging 27 ppg, a step down from last year, 8 rpg, and 5 apg. Jaylen Brown was extended to a 304 million dollar contract during the off-season, where the Celtics also traded reigning 6th Man of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon, and Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart. Jrue Holiday was also acquired during the off-season, making for a great defensive and offensive team. 

#2 OKC Thunder

The Thunder is the 2nd youngest team on average, and they are currently tied 1st in the Western Conference, with a 35-15 record. They have a bright future, so even if they don’t win this year, they are still my favorite for the years to come. Led by All-star guard and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they are in the top 5 of 6 different team stats.  

#3 LA Clippers

After they added James Harden, they have won 30 games and lost 13. They are first in the Power Rankings, but 3rd in the Western Conference. Will an All-star Caliber roster consisting of Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Paul  George, and James Harden be enough to get them to the NBA Finals? Maybe. Will it be enough to win? No. Maybe if this were 5 or 6 years ago when all of these players were in there prime. 

#4 Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are coming off a Finals victory over the Miami Heat. They have a top three player in the league in Nikola Jokic. This team is a solid squad, currently sitting at 4th in the Western Conference, only behind the T-wolves, Thunder and Clippers. Nikola Jokic is the 2nd favorite to win the MVP award, only behind Joel Embiid, who may not even play enough games to qualify for the award.

#5 Minnesota Timberwolves

Currently tied 1st in the Western Conference, the Timberwolves have  a 35-15 record. They are led by the defensive focused, All-star trio of Anthony Edwards, Karl Anthony-Towns, and DPOY Rudy Gobert. They have the second lowest defensive field goal % of all the NBA teams, only behind the Boston Celtics. 

#6 Milwaukee Bucks

They fired their coach, Adrian Griffin despite having a 30-13 record. Since then, they hired Doc Rivers, a coach who won a title with the Celtics in 2008 and have gone 3-4. Led by All-star duo Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, they are 2nd in the Eastern Conference. 

#7 Philadelphia 76ers

The ‘6ers are currently 5th in the Western Conference with a record of 30-18. Embiid, their star player has only played 34 of those 48 games. But he has been averaging 35 ppg in those 34 games, one of which he dropped 70 against Rookie of the Year favorite Victor Wembamyama. 

#8 Cleveland Cavaliers

Currently 3rd in the Eastern Conference, this team is led by former All-stars Donavon Mitchell and Darius Garland. Jarrett Allen helps get boards and Evan Mobley adds in 16 ppg. This team led by the former Utah Jazz guard is 18-4 in the last 22 games. The team is 31-16 overall.

#9 New York Knicks

4th in the Eastern Conference at 32-18, the Knicks have been having a great year. Led by Jalen Brunson, they are 8th in the Power Rankings. Jalen Brunson has been averaging 27 ppg, and 7 apg, whereas his teammate, Julius Randle, has been averaging 24.0 ppg, 9 rpg, and 5 apg. They went on a nine-game win streak, which ended in Crypto.com arena against the Lakers. 

#10 Phoenix Suns

With great potential comes expectations. The trio of former MVP Kevin Durant, 3 time All-stars Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal have led “The Valley” to 6th in the Western Conference at 29-21. In the off-season, they acquired notable guard Bradley Beal in a three-team trade that sent Chris Paul to the Warriors and Jordan Poole to the Wizards. 

The article may be done, but the question still remains. Who do you think will win the NBA title? Leave your guesses down below. (Records and stats are from 2-7-24)

Sources: NBA, ESPN

Similar articles: My favorites to win the NBA 2022-23, NBA teams with the brightest future 2022-23, NBA players to win awards 2022-23, the best and worst teams in the NBA 2022-23

Top NBA Teams to Win the Title

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8. Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler told NBA reporters at media day that the Miami Heat will win the 2024 championship. The Heat lost to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Finals in five games. Miami has reached two Finals in the Butler era, which began in 2019-20, but the team is 0-2.

7. L.A. Clippers

It only took one week into the 2023-24 NBA season for the championship odds to get a major shakeup with the report James Harden will be traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Clippers.The Clippers will receive Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev from the 76ers for Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum,+ they have good defense KJ Martin plus a package of four draft picks and a 2029 pick swap.

6. Denver Nuggets 

Denver still has Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the rest of what has been an elite starting lineup (plus-11.8 points per 100 possessions over 1,082 total minutes last season). And that’s enough to give them a good chance to repeat.

5. L.A. Lakers

Is the Lakers a strong team?

The Lakers have a franchise winning percentage of . 619, the best in the Association and the best in any of the four major American professional sports leagues. They have 440 playoff wins, per Basketball-Reference, 96 more than any other team.+ they have a bunch of amazing players on there team they have a bunch of units.

The official site of the NBA for the latest NBA Scores, Stats & News. | NBA.com

4. Phoenix Suns

Phoenix possesses the offensive firepower to make a title run with Durant, Booker and Beal as the top three options. That should open more opportunities for new center Jusuf Nurkic, who might be somewhat of a downgrade from Deandre Ayton

3. Golden State Warriors 

The reasons they are on the list is because they are not the best defense team but they are a super good offense team and they all are buckets. They have key, curry, and cp3 and some more units. They all are super competitive and determined and have good awareness on the floor.

2. Boston Celtics 

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have hit their prime and now have a ridiculous amount of talent around them in the likes of Kristaps Porzingis, Jeru Holiday, Derrick White, and Al Horford. Boston possesses an absurd Top 6 that has to be the envy of the rest of the league.

1. The Milwaukee Bucks

  key is that the Bucks find their identity on defense, find some coverages they can go to in late game situations that work, and be sharp enough with their communication that they can seamlessly transition from one style to another possession by possession

Evaluating All 30 NBA Teams Before the Playoffs

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The playoffs are less than 15 games away and some teams still haven’t found their groove. The standings could change dramatically in the coming days, as the 4-12 seeds in the west are all within 4 games of each other. There have been many surprises this season, from blockbuster trades, to shake ups in the standings, so let’s take a look at everything that’s happened this season team by team.

 

The Western Conference

 

 

Pacific Division

 

Sacramento Kings: The Sacramento Kings have jumped from a team not even in the play-in last year, to the two seed and they have De’Aaron Fox and Domontas Sabonis to thank for that because they have been huge for them this year. 

 

Phoenix Suns: The Phoenix Suns are currently in the 4 seed, but that doesn’t tell their full story. They recently acquired Kevin Durant, but he has only played in a handful of games due to a sprained ankle during warm ups that is keeping him sidelined, they are looking deadly once Durant comes back. 

 

Los Angeles Clippers: The Los Angeles Clippers are tied with the Suns, and it seems that when both their stars, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard play, they are pretty good, unfortunately they will be without one of them for the next 2-3 weeks so they could be done for.

 

Golden State Warriors: Next we have the Golden State Warriors who are a game behind the Clippers and have been an interesting story this season. They have gone from the 3 seed and winning the championship last year, to the 6 seed and only two more wins on the road, as they have losses at home.

 

Los Angeles Lakers: The last team in the Pacific Division is the Los Angeles Lakers, who have had a similar story to last season, struggling to get anything going, but with the acquisition of D’Angelo and other pieces, they could make some noise if they can make it into the playoffs and get LeBron James back from injury, which could be soon.

 

Northwest Division

 

Denver Nuggets: The Denver Nuggets are another team that has been surprising this year, they have gone from the 6 seed to 1 seed in just a year, thanks to fabulous play once again from two time MVP Nikola Jokic who is looking to become just the fourth player ever to win three consecutively, but also from Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr, who have both constantly been injured in the past. They have also clinched a playoff spot.

 

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Rudy Gobert during the off season, but he hasn’t quite clicked with the team, and they sit at the 7 seed for the second year in a row. 

 

Oklahoma City Thunder: Right now the OKC Thunder are the 11 seed, but they have had stellar play from guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well as Josh Giddey and their rookies. They look to improve with their many, many picks they can use as trade pieces or to draft players, but also make it into the play-in.

 

Utah Jazz: The Utah Jazz started out with the league on notice, even without Donovan Mitchel and Rudy Gobert, but they have slowed down tremendously and are on the outside of the play-in looking in, but only a half game from it, and have seen the growth of Lauri Markkanen into a star.

 

Portland Trail Blazers: The Portland Trail Blazers don’t have CJ McCollum anymore, but it seems they have found a replacement in Anfernee Simons, despite this, they have still struggled and are a bottom three team in the west.

 

Southwest Division

 

Memphis Grizzlies: The Memphis Grizzlies are in the same spot they were last season, the 2 seed, have clinched a playoff spot, and they have almost everyone back, Ja Morant is back from his suspension, and Stephen Adams could be back if they make a run in the playoffs.

 

Dallas Mavericks: The Dallas Mavericks, who were looked at as potential contenders, are currently in the play-in and Kyrie continues to be injured, and even with him the team has not performed well.

 

New Orleans Pelicans: The New Orleans Pelicans are another team that started out hot, but have really struggled recently, possibly because Zion Williamson is once again injured, they are currently the 9 seed and in the play-in. 

 

San Antonio Spurs: Everyone knew the San Antonio Spurs would be bad, after they traded away their best players, Jakob Poeltl and Dejounte Murray, but they are really bad, sitting at the 14 seed with only 19 wins. 

 

Houston Rockets: The Houston Rockets are also incredibly bad, at the bottom team in the west with 18 wins, but on the bright side, their young core continues to grow.

 

The Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

 

Philadelphia 76ers: The Philadelphia 76ers are on a roll right now, winning 8 games straight, Joel Embiid in MVP conversations, and James Harden leading the league in assists, they sit at the 3 seed and have clinched a playoff spot.

 

Boston Celtics: The Boston Celtics are currently a half game up on the 76ers, and they are the 2 seed and are looking to make it back to the finals for the second year in a row, and have some pretty good chances too.

 

New York Knicks: The New York Knicks have surprised the league this year. After not even making the playoffs last year, they have played well with the same roster, besides the acquisition of Jalen Brunson in the off season, they sit at the 5 seed, but have struggled recently with Brunson being out.

 

Brooklyn Nets: The Brooklyn Nets started out the season looking like contenders again, until they blew the team up right before the trade deadline, sending Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks and Kevin Durant to the Suns. Since then they have struggled, but acquisition Mikal Bridges has shone on his new team, they sit at the 7 seed, which is probably around where they will sit until the end of the season. 

 

Toronto Raptors: The Toronto Raptors have had a downgraded season compared to last year, not really changing anything about the roster, they are currently sitting at the 9 seed.

 

Central Division

 

Milwaukee Bucks: The Milwaukee Bucks are looking good, once again, sitting atop the conference looking to win their second title in three years and have clinched a playoff spot.

 

Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking dangerous, both right now and for the future of the franchise. Their young core will continue to grow and they are already extremely good, sitting at the 4 seed. 

 

Chicago Bulls: The Chicago Bulls, who were the six seed last year, are currently a game and a half into the play-in at the 10 seed and have struggled, and similarly to the Raptors they haven’t changed anything about the roster and Lonzo Ball continues to be unable to play due to injury. 

 

Indiana Pacers: The Indiana Pacers aren’t exactly in a winning situation, but could make it into the play-in if things play out right. Tyrese Haliburton has been great and rookie Bennedict Mathurin has too, so Indiana could be playoff bound once again in the coming years.

 

Detroit Pistons: The Detroit Pistons are the worst team in the conference, at the 15 seed, and Cade Cunningham has been out for most of the year, so they still look to rebuild and gain more young pieces.

 

Southeast Division

 

Miami Heat: The Heat, who were the 1 seed last season, are sitting at the 6 seed, only a half game up on the Nets, which is causing some frustration within the organization. 

 

Atlanta Hawks: The Atlanta Hawks acquired Dejounte Murray during the off season, and it hasn’t changed much, they still sit at the 8 seed. 

 

Washington Wizards: The Washington Wizards are in a tough situation, their core is getting older, they don’t have many young pieces, but they also aren’t good, and are currently the 12 seed, so they either need to go all in or rebuild the team. 

 

Orlando Magic: The Orlando Magic have struggled, which is to be expected, but rookie Paolo Banchero has looked amazing, and Markelle Fultz has started to grow as he actually plays. Jonathan Isaac, who hasn’t played for multiple seasons, came back for a few games then went out with injury again, so hopefully he can get healthy, and this team could be dangerous in the future, they are the 13 seed. 

 

Charlotte Hornets: The Charlotte Hornets have about half the amount of wins they had last season right now, due to LaMelo Ball spending extensive time sitting out with injury and the loss of Miles Bridges during the off season, the Hornets organization needs to figure something out because it’s not working right now, they are sitting at the 14 seed.

The Best Players in the NBA This Season

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The Best Players in the NBA This Season

The NBA is one of the most entertaining things to watch especially when you are watching some of the best players do crazy plays. There are lots of really good players in the NBA, but some rise above the rest and that’s what we’ll be talking about today.

 

Stephen Curry

 

Wardell Stephen Curry II, or the “Baby Faced Assassin” is undoubtedly the best shooter of all time and makes a case for MVP every year winning it twice with the only unanimous MVP. So far he’s had a really good season averaging 25 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and a steal per game which is some of the best stats so far this season. He is also playing for the team with the best record so far at 8-1.

Stephen Curry shooting before a game

 

Kevin Durant

 

KD is having an amazing season so far with the Nets, even though the team together isn’t doing the greatest, it might just have something to do with Kyrie, but that’s a different story.  So far this season he is averaging about 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists per game which is crazy. He’s on a team with another big scorer in James Harden, so if they both score a lot the Nets could be a threat.

KD in a game this season

 

Jimmy Butler

 

Jimmy “Buckets” Butler is another player having a really good season, with stats that aren’t as good as KD, but still, some of the best in the league, averaging 25 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals per game. Butler is on a Heat team that looks really good so far this season at 7-3 with the best record in the East.

Jimmy Butler heading back down to the other side of the court

 

Paul George

 

“PG-13” is having a career year so far averaging about 27 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2.5 steals a game, all of those are his best career stats except for his points because in 2018 he averaged 28. He’s playing for the Clippers who have won 5 games in a row and seem to have got things going.

George taking the ball down the court for the Clippers

 

LeBron James

 

“The King” always makes a case for MVP and so far this season he’s continuing that averaging 25 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and a block a game. The Lakers are always a championship contender, especially when you have one of the best players of all time.

LeBron flexing in a game against the Golden State Warriors

 

Trae Young

 

“Ice Trae” entered the league only four years ago and has already impressed everyone. So far this year he continues to impress averaging 24 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, and a steal per game. He’s currently playing for the Atlanta Hawks who haven’t been very good so far this season at 4-8 and their loss total is double their win total.

Trae Young finishing at the rim

 

 

Giannis Antetokounmpo

 

“The Greek Freak” is having a really good year on a not-so-good Bucks team so far. They are below .500, but Giannis is averaging 28 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks per game, he’s a double-double machine! Giannis isn’t just getting rebounds because he’s tall, he’s also very athletic and good at boxing out.

Giannis screaming happily 

 

Luka Dončić

 

Luka is another player having an outstanding year so far in his fourth season. He’s averaging 25 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and a steal per game. It’s not his best stats, but they are still really good and very close to his best. He’s had one of the biggest moments in the NBA so far this season when he drained a 3 pointer to put the Mavericks up by 3 on the Celtics with only a few seconds left in the game.

Dončić shooting a free throw during a home game

 

James Harden

 

“The Beard” isn’t having the best season of his career, but still has good stats. He’s averaging about 20 points 8 rebounds, 9 assists, a steal, and a block per game which is still really good. The only problem with how he’s playing is that he’s not getting the same fouls called that he was getting before, so he isn’t getting nearly as many points, but he’s still shooting really well from the field.

Harden flexing after making a play

 

DeMar DeRozan

 

DeRozan is having one of his best seasons averaging 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal on the year. His best game so far was when he had 38 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, a steal, and a block.

DeRozan in a Bulls Uniform for the first year

 

Nikola Jokić

 

“The Joker” is having yet another MVP-worthy season averaging, 26 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, a steal, and a block. He’s the reigning MVP and had an amazing year last year and is just continuing that this year.

Jokić shooting a free throw

Why is team chemistry more important than overall talent?

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Why is team chemistry more important than overall talent?

The 2021-2022 Lakers squad has had a very dissapointing start to this season, as of writing this article they are 10-11. What is the reason for their struggle, and has this happened before?

 

There are 2 keys to success in the NBA nowadays. The first one is skill and stardom. Every team should be built around a superstar, a guy you see as the future and leader of the squad. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo is that guy. A guy who draws a lot of attention and night in and out consistently puts up very good numbers.

 

The second key is chemistry. All of the talent you may have means nothing if none of it works together. A team like the Phoenix Suns may not have the biggest stars in the league, but they still made it to the NBA Finals last season due to their impressive chemistry. A team that plays better together is better than a team that plays the best by themselves. Kevin Durant once said, “Chemistry is important. If you like your teammates, it’s going to be easier to play with them on the court”.

 

Going into this season, the Lakers were the team to watch. They were expected to match up against the Nets in the NBA Finals for a fantastic matchup. However, the Lakers have been very disappointing thus far. The Lakers are a measly 10-11, and it seems every week they play worse and worse teams and continue to lose. What is the reason for these losses, you may ask?

 

It’s quite noticeable when you watch Lakers games what their issue is: they don’t know how to play as a unit. I don’t even watch basketball, and even I can notice it. There is too much stardom in Los Angeles and not enough chemistry to go around. Guys like Lebron James, Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony, and Russell Westbrook all on the same team are not working well. All 4 of those guys are players to build a team around. All of them would be leading scorers on most teams in the league. All of them want the ball, and when one player takes too many shots, the other guys become useless. They need to learn how to distribute all of their talents equally around and use all of their strengths to combine them.

 

Unfortunately, if everyone can’t figure it out, they may end up trading people away. Fill some weaknesses the Lakers have and not have as many stars on the floor at once. This is the unfortunate route they may have to take, but it is very much an option.

 

Now, the Lakers are not the only example of this. In the NBA’s entire history this happens essentially every year. The Nets are last season’s example and have had the same issue this season as well. The Big 3 the Nets traded for and signed, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden have not played well together. All 3 of them shoot the ball too much. However, James and Kevin have started to figure it out, Kyrie has left them behind. Kyrie has not been allowed to play due to his unwillingness to get the COVID-19 Vaccine, and Kevin and James are being good teammates and not being negative towards Irving. Kevin says, “He’s a part of our team”.

 

It begs the question, does chemistry mean more than talent? Yes, teams that have very good chemistry have always done better than extremely talented teams. Take the 2020 Milwaukee Bucks for example. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the biggest name in the Finals for that squad, but other than that, there was not much star power. But, everyone knew their role. Jrue Holiday knew he was not going to be the scoring point guard, and so he focused on his biggest strength, that being his defense. The same is not said for Khris Middleton however, as he was expected to be the best 3 point shooter on that team, and he was. All of these parts came together and formed a championship team. Even their opponents in the Finals had great chemistry and were built similarly to Milwaukee, but the Bucks were bigger and stronger and ended up winning.

 

Time and time again it has been proved that teams with better chemistry will win more games than a team with extraordinary talent. If all the parts come together, they can form a special squad. But, the teams that have the right amount of talent and chemistry, become dynasties and can go down as some of the greatest teams of all time.

 

The Life of John Stockton

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The Life of John Stockton

John Stockton is one of the best basketball players in history. He has the most assists in a season for the NBA. Growing up he was the star of his High school basketball team. He has won many awards in his lifetime. He played in the NBA for many seasons. He also has lots of kids. There are so many cool things about him. Stick around to learn more about John Stockton.

 

Early Life

John Stockton was born March 26, 1962, in Spokane Washington, to his parents Clementine and Jack Stockton. He has 3 siblings Steave, Leane, and Stacy. John’s dad played Basketball and that’s where he learned all his basketball skills from. He loved playing basketball with his dad learning and improving every day. In high school, he went to Gonzaga Preparatory School. John was the star player on his school team scoring about 20.9 points and 7.2 assists a game in his Seiner year of high school. He scored over 1,000 points in high school. 

 

Adult life

For college, John went to Gonzaga University in Washington. He majored in Busines Administration. In college, he became Gonzaga’s all-time leader in steals and assists. John had 3,265 steals and 15,806 Assists in his college career. In the West Coast Athletic Conference, he Had the most points, assists, and steals. He had an average of 57% shooting rank. John graduated in 1984 with a 3.30 GPA. On august 16, 1986 jhon got married to Nada Stepovich. He and his wife had 6 kids together. their names are David, Michael, Laura, Samuel, Lindsay, and Houston. John and his 6 kids still live happily together.

 

Career

John Stockton went to the NBA in 1984. Witch means he was about 22 years old. He was the 16th overall pick in the first round to the Utah jazz. Jhon played Point guard for the Jazz for his 19 seasons. He has the most Assist on the jazz team. His shooting percentage was 51.5%. He had an 83% free-through percentage. Right now John Stockton has the most steals in the NBA. His salary in the NBA was $95 million. He retired from playing professional basketball in 2003. 

 

Awards

John has won many awards throughout his career here are some of them. John won the NBA player of the month in February 1988. In the 1990-1991 season, he had the most assists in a season having 1,164 Assist. In 1993 he won the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP award. in 1997, 1995, and 1992 John and his team won NBA All-Defensive Team. Also, in 1992 he won the Olympic gold. In 1995, and 1994 They won the All-NBA Team award. in 1993 he won co-MVP along with his teammate Karl Malone. in 1996 he was named one of the greatest 50 players in NBA history. John Stockton has won so many more awards.

 

Fun facts

John Stockton has many interesting facts about him here are some of them:

  • His nickname is Stock Because he is short.
  • He made the most steals in NBA history.
  • If you want to follow john Stockton here is his Instagram account @johnstockton12.
  • He always wore Nike shoes to his games.
  • He played his whole career with the Jazz.
  • Each year Stockton played with the Jazz they have made it to the playoffs.

John Stockton is an amazing basketball player. He has the most assists in a season for the NBA. He has also, won a lot more awards. Throughout his whole life, he played basketball. While he was growing up he would play with his dad. On the Jazz team, he was one of the best players along with Karel Malone. He is an awesome basketball player but an even better person.

 

NBA Christmas Day Games

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This year’s Christmas day games are going to be good and competitive. They have the Lakers playing the Nets, the two supposed powerhouses that should run through every team like it’s nothing. But both have problems that could be exploited. The Net’s have two ball-dominant star guards. Will they be able to mesh because if they can’t one of them might have to go? But if they do mesh that is three 25 to 30 point scorers about 8 assists each and if the other teams decide that they aren’t going to let the big three of James Harden Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant score the entire rest of the roster is filled with three-point snipers so as long as one two or all three of them are on the floor there will be at least one player wide open and all they have to do is hit a three. Then the Lakers have LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. That is three current All- star’s, two former MVP’s and then they have a very well-rounded bench. But their problem is they have zero shooting. And an explosive guard that is slowly declining and can’t seem to get a jumper past the three-point line Russel Westbrook. Then they have Anthony Davis who just can’t stay healthy enough to play a full season but when he is playing he is a beast. He is a good shooter for a big man, a great finisher, good handles, and a defensive beast. And now finally LeBron James he is thirty-six years old and has a decent jump shot and good court vision he is slowly on the decline defensively. Every year he is losing his explosive first step that said he has a good post-game and is doing everything possible to stay at a halt decline-wise or keep the decline as slow as possible. Last year his age started to show after he had injury after injury. The biggest problem with the Lakers is the age of all of their players. The average age of all of their players except for two of them is 33 or older. The Christmas day game with the Nets and Lakers is one to watch if both of these teams find a way to work to their max potential.

The next game that I am going to talk about is Jazz, Mavericks. Now I think that this game should have been The Clippers vs either one of these two because both the Mavericks and the Jazz have become playoff rivals to the Clippers after the past two years. But I still expect this game to be a game that will be very close. The Mavericks and Jazz have had regular-season showdowns but nothing as big as what both teams have had against the Clippers. I expect the Jazz to win the game by about five points. There are no big concerns with these teams like the Lakers and Nets but if they could get some better players around their young stars that would help the team’s move to the next level. For the big matchup of the game, I expect the high thirties to mid to low forties from Mitchell and I expect somewhere from mid-twenties to low thirties with around ten assists from Luka.

Now we have the Hawks and the Knicks. Last year they both had unexpected playoff berths as two middle seeded teams being the fourth and fifth seed’s. Everyone expected the Knicks to walk away with the series but they did what they do best they choked. Their best player Julies Randle couldn’t make a shot to save his life and they fell apart defensively they were the best defensive team in the league. But that doesn’t mean the Hawks would have lost if they played normally because Trae Young was cooking and he wouldn’t miss if he tried. John Collins was dunking everything inside the Hawks were just on a whole nother level. But I think the Knicks are going to want some revenge after what happened in the playoffs. I think this game is going to be good but most importantly the matchup. I think Trae Young has thirty to forty with some assists and I think that Julies Randle will have mid-twenties to thirty with two blocks a steal and some rebounds. I expect the Hawks to win but it will be a fun game.
Next, we have the Warriors and Suns. This game is going to be insane outside of the fact that they have no existing rivalry outside of Steph and Paul who have been going at each other for years. The Warriors are coming off a season where Steph couldn’t be stopped. He averaged 32 a game THIRTY-TWO. That is insane. He is the oldest player in NBA history to average that he had an entire month where he scored thirty or more that is insane. He didn’t have much help last year and missed the playoffs while Chris Paul went to the finals. I think that Chris Paul and Steph are going to duel. I expect forty to fifty from Curry and a double-double from Chris Paul. But the scoring duel is going to be Curry and Booker. But the Warriors have newly acquired rookie Jonathan Kuminga who is a defensive hound so we will just have to see how fast Kuminga adapts to be the top scorer in the league.

Last but not least we have the Celtics and the Bucks. This game is going to be good. We have last year’s NBA champions in the Milwaukee Buck and we have a team with a first-round exit to the Nets in last year’s playoffs the Celtics. Now, this doesn’t seem interesting but the Celtics had their second-best player Jalen Brown go down right before the playoffs with a torn wrist ligament so even if they managed to beat the Nets without him they wouldn’t have gotten him back for the finals. But last year the Celtics had lots of injuries and a lot of players go down to Covid, but in the middle part of the season when everyone was healthy and on the floor, they were winning games and they were looking like a championship team like the year before but then the injuries and the Covid cases piled upright as the season came to an end. If all of the players can manage to stay healthy on both teams this might be one of the better games and these teams don’t have a lot of weaknesses both teams have good shooters, good finishers, good defenders, good play-makers and most importantly good chemistry both of these teams have been playing together for at least three seasons with minor adjustments to the roster year to year but nothing major. The only problem with these two teams is player health but other than that they’re both really good.

The games that I am most excited for in order are Celtics Bucks if healthy, Jazz Mavericks, Warriors Suns, Hawks Knicks, and Nets Lakers. I think that this year’s Christmas Day games are going to be some of the most competitive in recent years. But that is just my opinion and my opinion is the only one that matters. Just kidding, all opinions matter.

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