I’ve been a “Spurs fan” for three seasons now, since DeMar DeRozan was traded there. After all, I’m going to root for my favorite player wherever he goes. But for the first two seasons, I wasn’t particularly attached to the rest of the roster. I don’t know exactly why. At the 2020 trade deadline, I was sort of hoping DeMar would get traded to somewhere new where he could win some games. He didn’t. This offseason, he picked up his player option. I get it, $27 million is more than he would have gotten in free agency, but I was kinda unhappy he was back with San Antonio. This season, my opinion has flipped.
The Spurs are really fun to watch. I like watching them so much that I might end up being a Spurs fan when (or if. At this point, if he resigns in the 2021 offseason, I wouldn’t even mind) DeMar leaves. Since I got NBA League Pass this year, I’ve been able to watch them a lot more (they were hardly on national TV prior years, of course), and I maybe have watched them more Bucks so far this year (I still watch the Bucks a lot). My favorite player on the Spurs besides DeMar is Keldon Johnson. He’s really good. He’s a great finisher and shooter. He plays good defense. He rebounds super well. He’s solidifying himself as a main part of the Spurs future, and I could see him being an All-Star one day. I also like Derrick White (I enjoyed watching him in the 2019 playoffs) and Dejounte Murray (who is probably the Spurs second best player). Patty Mills’s hot shooting has been fun.
Nobody thought the Spurs would be good (and definitely not fun) before the season (besides diehard Spurs fans). I agreed. I had them at 26th in my preseason power rankings (behind the Timberwolves. Yikes). That was 14th in the West (to be fair, I did that assuming that DeMar and LaMarcus would get traded. At this point, I doubt that will happen. But I still had them on the low side). Currently, they are 11-10 and tied for the 9th seed in the West. Of course, they aren’t contenders. But they’ve had some big wins. Their success this season with such a young core makes me super excited for their future. They’ve made some noise this year.
So, if you haven’t watched the Spurs yet this year, you should. DeMar DeRozan is having a legitimate All-Star year. Keldon Johnson is super impressive and versatile. Dejounte Murray is a great defender and playmaker. LaMarcus Aldridge’s old, slow self makes shots. Patty Mills makes shots. Rudy Gay makes shots (lots of shot making). Lonnie Walker is a bucket. Jakob Poeltl does nothing. Trey Lyles sucks (In a close game against the Timberwolves, he had a few opportunities to get clutch offensive rebounds, but he basically smacked the ball out of bounds instead. I won’t forget.) Gregg Popovich gives funny interviews. Coyote, their mascot, won the 2020-21 mascot of the year. A Spurs game is an enjoyable watch (as I’ve said 100 times in this article).
You might not care about the Spurs (which is lame), which means you might not have cared to read this article. But I just felt like enlightening my five followers (and anybody else who somehow stumbled upon this) to what the Spurs are up to this year. (If you’re one of the clowns who don’t care about the Spurs, thanks for reading. I appreciate it.) You should be like me, and hop on the Spurs train now before they are really good in five years and everybody calls you a bandwagon.
In conclusion, as Flight would say (or maybe not, he is a Warriors fan), look at the Spurs man, so inspirational.
We’re about a fifth of the way through the 2020-21 NBA season. That’s a pretty big sample size, or at least big enough where I can make some All-Star picks. I put together lists of every player I think has a case to make the game this year, and then cut it down to 13 guys per conference (12 man roster, one injury replacement). Each team has four backcourt players, six frontcourt players, and two wild cards.
To make these picks, I mostly looked at stats. Team success is a secondary factor, but only in some situations. That’s because team success usually matters less in All-Star selections than in All-NBA/MVP selections.
Of course, you will likely disagree with some of my picks. That’s cool. In fact, I’ll say it now, Rudy Gobert isn’t on here at all. Not sure if that’s super unpopular or not. Hopefully he doesn’t cry if he doesn’t make it this year.
(Note: The number of All-Star games next to each player is their real amount of selections plus this one.)
Injury Leave-Outs: Jimmy Butler, Ja Morant, C.J. McCollum, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis
Those five guys are players that were in consideration, but I don’t think they’ll make it because of the games they’ve missed (I’m not sure exactly what the minimum games played requirement is, but these guys have all played 6 games or less besides McCollum, and some are due to miss more time). This really could have been the year for C.J. to make it, but he’s about to miss four weeks and that won’t look good.
Eastern Conference Starters
G: James Harden, 9-Time All-Star
Harden is now the best guard in the East. I don’t need to explain myself too much. He’s averaging 24 PPG, 8 RPG, and a wild 12 APG in his first five games with the Nets. Those are MVP numbers, and definitely All-Star starter numbers.
G: Bradley Beal, 3-Time All-Star
I went into this expecting for Beal to be a fringe guy because team success does matter to some degree. But he’s averaging 34 PPG, and he’s simply just been better than the other guards that made the team. So Bradley Beal will be the starting two guard for the East. (It also helps Beal that lots of fans like him, so it’s definitely likely that he’ll get a lot of votes.)
F: Kevin Durant, 11-Time All-Star
I don’t need to explain this pick at all. Best player in the East, and arguably the best player in the league so far. 31 PPG, 7 RPG, 6 APG. Effortless scorer. Now that I’m not watching KD through a “I hate the Warriors” lense, I am really enjoying watching Kevin Durant. He’s very good (obviously).
F: Giannis Antetokounmpo, 5-Time All-Star
As much as Giannis can annoy me sometimes, it’s undeniable that he’s worthy of this spot. He’s averaging 27 PPG, 10 RPG, 5 APG, 1 SPG, and 1 BPG. Those are exceptional numbers. He’s gonna get the votes to be a starter. He’s gonna be in the MVP race again. Any MVP candidate should be an All-Star starter.
F: Joel Embiid, 4-Time All-Star
The 76ers are a top team in the East so far, and Embiid is having the best season of his career. He’s averaging 28 PPG and 11 RPG, and even shooting 40% from three. Joel Embiid is probably my least favorite player in the NBA, but I can’t deny that he’s been a top player in the East so far. It’s wild that he’s putting up the numbers he is and he still isn’t the best center in the NBA.
Eastern Conference Bench
G: Kyrie Irving, 7-Time All-Star
We’ll see if Kyrie will stay happy as a third option. I don’t even know if he’s happy with it now. But even if he causes locker room problems, his statistical production is worthy of an All-Star selection. He’s averaging 29/5/6, and even though his numbers will likely decline some before the All-Star break, he’ll still get this spot.
G: Jaylen Brown, 1-Time All-Star
Jayson Tatum is still the best player on the Celtics, but it’s super close. JB is very good. (He was projected 75th overall for fantasy basketball this year. I took him 41st in a 10 man league, and I don’t regret it one bit. He’s in the top three at his position.) Now, Jaylen is a forward this year, but I think positioning on All-Star teams is a little stupid, especially in a year where the game isn’t even being played. Therefore, I put Brown at guard so I didn’t have to leave Bam Adebayo off the team (spoiler alert).
F: Khris Middleton, 3-Time All-Star
Middleton is somehow still underrated. I don’t understand how people still think he’s some glorified role player. He’s having the best season of his career, averaging 22/6/6 while shooting 50/40/90 on high volume. He’s super good. I love watching him play. If he keeps up this production and doesn’t make the All-Star game, that would be a crime.
F: Jayson Tatum, 2-Time All-Star
Yeah, this was a pretty easy pick. He’s averaging 27/7/4, and he’s the best player on his team. I would be super surprised if Tatum doesn’t make the All-Star team this year. It’s crazy that he’s this good now and he isn’t even in his prime.
F:Domantas Sabonis, 2-Time All-Star
Last season, I thought Sabonis would be a dude who made the All-Star game once in his career. I wasn’t watching much Pacers basketball last year, and his numbers didn’t really stand out, so I totally disrespected him. But this year, he’s been elite. He’s averaging 22 PPG, 12 RPG, and 6 APG. The scoring really stands out because he’s a back-to-the-basket dude. The passing also stands out. He has a big playmaking role in the Pacers offense, and he’s performed. Sabonis is a lock for the game this year.
WC: Bam Adebayo, 2-Time All-Star
Bam Adebayo is still a top five center in the NBA. He just dropped 41 points last night. He is super versatile as a scorer, defender, and playmaker. His only weakness is his shooting. The only reason he’s a wild card and not a frontcourt bench player (I picked the frontcourt guys first, basically saying they’re better than the wild cards. I think that’s how it works anyways) is because the Heat are 6-9. Team success does matter to an extent, and it was a deciding factor here.
WC: Trae Young, 2-Time All-Star
Trae Young going from a starter last year to a wild card this year is crazy. But he just had a slump where he wasn’t very confident. He shot eight times in an entire game once. For a top scorer in the NBA, that’s inexcusable. But the other night he had 42 points with 8 threes, so he seems to be back. But that slump hurts him, so he only barely got this spot over the likes of Zach LaVine, Ben Simmons, Nikola Vucevic, Pascal Siakam, Julius Randle, Gordon Hayward, and Malcolm Brogdon (that’s right. I didn’t think I should list honorable mentions on here, so I snuck them in this paragraph).
Injury Replacement: Collin Sexton
Collin Sexton has been crazy good. He’s averaging 27 points per game on 50/40/80 shooting. The Cavaliers also have a winning record. His performance in overtime against the Nets was once of the best stretches of basketball I’ve ever watched. If someone on the team is injured for the game, Sexton will deserve to be the replacement for sure.
Western Conference Starters
G: Stephen Curry, 7-Time All-Star
This was another easy pick. Every starter besides Beal was basically a no brainer. Everybody knows Curry deserves this spot. So this is a short explanation, and that will probably be the case for the rest of the Western Starters.
G: Luka Doncic, 2-Time All-Star
Luka started off shooting 17% from three (or something like that), but now he’s playing at an MVP level (good, because I need to at least get one award correct. I’m hoping it’ll be MVP). He’s averaging 27/10/10 (I rounded up, but I do that for everybody), and he’s only 22. Easy pick to be a starter.
F: Kawhi Leonard, 5-Time All-Star
Yeah, another easy pick. I already warned y’all about the short explanations. He’s shooting the most efficient he ever has since his first All-Star appearance. The Klaw will be a starter again in the 2021 All-Star game.
F: LeBron James, 17-Time All-Star
It’s LeBron James. He’s always gonna get the votes to be an All-Star starter. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve it though. Cause he definitely does.
F: Nikola Jokic, 3-Time All-Star
The best center in the NBA has to be a starter in his conference. He’s averaging 26/12/10. Those are MVP numbers. Maybe I should have picked Jokic for MVP.
Western Conference Bench
G: Damian Lillard, 6-Time All-Star
Lillard is averaging 28/5/7. The Blazers have a good record. I’d say he’s a lock, but with McCollum and Nurkic out for long stretches, the Blazers may fall below .500. That wouldn’t look good for Dame, but everyone knows he’s the second best PG in the league (unless you consider Luka a PG).
G: Paul George, 7-Time All-Star
Paul George said many times that this would be a comeback year, and he’s backed his talk this year. He’s shooting on 50/50/90 splits. No one has ever done that before for a whole season. I don’t think he will, but he’s definitely on track to finish the year in the 50/40/90 club, and that’s All-Star worthy.
F: Anthony Davis,8-Time All-Star
This is also an easy choice. Though AD’s numbers have been somewhat down so far (22/9/4), we all know how good he is, and he has plenty of time to get back to full AD form before the All-Star break.
F: Brandon Ingram, 2-Time All-Star
This is where the positioning for the All-Star game gets questionable. Now, Ingram deserves this selection, but not over some other Western Conference guards who couldn’t get this spot because of positioning. After all, the Pelicans are 5-10. But Brandon Ingram is still deserving of a frontcourt spot. In fact, this isn’t even the worst choice I had to make.
F: DeMar DeRozan, 5-Time All-Star
Yeah, this is the worst choice I made. But it’s my favorite. DeMar is putting up All-Star numbers (21/5/7) as the best player on a team with a .500 record. I’m happy that my favorite player could very well make another All-Star game this year. But let’s be honest, if there wasn’t positioning for the All-Star game, he wouldn’t make it this year. (I’m sneaking in my HMs now: Christian Wood, D’Angelo Russell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, De’Aaron Fox. See how most of those guys are guards?) DeMar has become severely underrated though, and as I already said, I am happy to give him this spot.
WC: Donovan Mitchell, 2-Time All-Star
The Jazz are quietly a top team in the league this year, and Donovan leads that. He is an All-Star guard. He only fell down to the wild card spot because the West has so many good guards. But Donovan averages 24/4/5, and those are All-Star numbers for sure.
WC: Devin Booker, 2-Time All-Star
The Suns had a hot start to the year, but now they’ve fallen to 8-7. It’s funny because Book had a slow start to the year, and now is hitting his stride again. But that’s not a shot on Booker. We know he’s an All-Star type guy, and he’ll make it again this year.
Injury Replacement: Zion Williamson
I really didn’t think the Pelicans deserved two All-Stars, which is why DeMar got in over Zion. But Zion’s numbers are All-Star numbers, even if I think he’s easily game planned against (maybe I’ll write a short article about that sometime. Maybe not). So Zion would be my replacement if somebody got injured in the West.
So those are my All-Star picks! Do you agree, or do you disagree. Who are your All-Stars? Feel free to contact me and let me know! (I think I have some of my contact info somewhere on this website.)
Jeez, James. Hopefully now that you’re more motivated you’ll drop a couple pounds.
James Harden finally got traded. After all of the things James Harden was saying and the way he was acting, we all knew that it was going to happen. It doesn’t make the trade any less crazy, though. What makes the trade even crazier is that there are four teams involved, and Harden isn’t the only big name switching teams. This trade shook up the whole league. I’m going to talk about all four teams in this trade, and what it means for them.
Brooklyn Nets
Get: James Harden
Give up: Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, Rodions Kurucs, 4 Unprotected First Round Picks, 4 First Round Pick Swaps
Oh my, are the Brooklyn Nets scary now. Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving are a top trio ever. On paper. On the court, too. If you have three players of that caliber, you’re going to win games, even if the chemistry isn’t perfect. That’s the big knock against these three. All of them are top offensive players who need the ball a lot. The good news is that no one else on the Nets this season needs the ball a lot. So I actually think this team will work. The only team I think would beat the Nets in a 7 game series the majority of the time is the Lakers. I only say that because no one in Brooklyn is stopping AD. Even if the Nets aren’t deep, they are too talented at the top to beat. The only thing that can stop the Nets while KD, Harden, and Kyrie are under contract is themselves.
(Because, what is Kyrie doing? He’s a nutcase. He did get fined recently, but it was for going to a family event without a mask. Imagine if LeBron skipped three or four games for literally no reason. That would be a big deal for the league, and he would get penalized. I don’t know what Kyrie is doing, but I think he should be suspended for a little while. He should not be allowed to skip a game because he doesn’t want to play.)
Houston Rockets
Get: Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, 3 Unprotected First Round Picks, 4 First Round Pick Swaps
Give up: James Harden, 2023 Second Round Pick
I’m actually kind of confused on Houston’s intentions with this deal. They had to trade Harden, and they got a good haul. Eight first round picks is crazy. That’s really valuable for the Rockets because they had very little draft capital before this deal. The confusing part is the LeVert-Oladipo thing. Why would Houston want Oladipo over LeVert? LeVert is really good, and he would really shine on a team like Houston. Oladipo is a guy on an expiring deal who wants to be in Miami right now. Like, does Houston want to keep winning? They could definitely make the playoffs, they have a good roster, but there’s no way they make it past the first round. I really think they should have taken LeVert instead of flipping him for Oladipo. But who knows, maybe I’ll be proved wrong.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Get: Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince
Give up: Dante Exum, Unprotected First Round Pick (via MIL)
Cleveland just finessed their way into getting Jarrett Allen. All they had to give up was Dante Exum and a Bucks pick that won’t be very valuable. At the moment, Cleveland’s big rotation is packed (Andre Drummond, JaVale McGee, and now Jarrett Allen), but unless Cleveland decides they want to make the playoffs, Drummond will get moved at the deadline. Even if they do keep Drummond, he’ll be gone this offseason and Jarrett can step into the starting role. Jarrett Allen has been playing very well for Brooklyn, and he’s a great fit for Cleveland’s timeline as a center alongside Collin Sexton and Darius Garland.
Indiana Pacers
Get: Caris LeVert, 2023 Second Round Pick
Give up: Victor Oladipo
Indiana won big with this trade. Caris LeVert is really good, and a bigger role with the Pacers will be great for him. Oladipo clearly wanted out, and instead of letting him walk this offseason, Indy flipped him for LeVert. Though Oladipo is a better player right now, LeVert is a better option for the Pacers. They were smart to capitalize on this opportunity to flip VO.
So, in the end, I don’t think there are any losers in this trade yet. Every team got a good haul. If anybody loses this trade, it will be decided in the future. But this is the biggest trade that happened the last few years, and I’m excited to see how all the players do on their new teams.
The NBA has been back for a couple weeks now. Every team has played at least five games. There have been plenty of suprises and disappointments so far. Today I’ll be listing five players that have been impressive so far. It is early, so these players might come back down to earth, but for now, each of these guys have been very good. (These players are in no particular order.) There are plenty of guys who have been impressive, but I just picked five. Let’s get in to the list.
Jaylen Brown
Despite the Celtics starting off only 3-3, Jaylen Brown has been excellent. He’s averaging 27 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Those are definent All-Star numbers. I knew Jaylen Brown was going to be good this year, but not this good. Of course, Kemba Walker hasn’t returned yet, and when he does Jaylen’s numbers could take a hit. But maybe not. Kemba is an unselfish player, and since Jaylen’s playing this well, Kemba might slide into a third option role. With Jaylen playing like this, the Celtics will have a much better shot at making (and maybe even winning) the Finals. Even if they don’t do it this year, they’ll be set for a long time with JB and Jayson Tatum.
Christian Wood
Christain Wood is playing like an All-Star so far. He’s put up 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game in the Rockets first four games. I haven’t watched the Rockets yet this year, but Wood’s performance in the first few weeks are making me excited to tune in. Wood is a great shooter, and the rim protection he’s shown this year just makes him look ten times better. He’s primed for a great career where he could even make a few All-Star games if he keeps this up. Wood is a perfect fit next to Harden, as a big who can shoot, catch lobs, and play defense. Maybe Harden will consider staying in Houston because of how good Christian Wood has been so far.
Julius Randle
Julius Randle is potentially the worst 20 point-per-game scorer ever. His shot selection is sometimes questionable, he is kind of a ball stopper, and he isn’t a great defender for his size (0.5 career BPG). But this year, the Knicks are 3-3 (pulling off big wins against the Bucks and the Pacers), and Julius Randle has been their guy. He’s averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists (far and away a career high), and shooting 50% from three. Those are crazy good numbers, especially for a guy like Randle. I don’t really expect him to keep up those numbers throughout the whole season (mostly just the assists and 3-point percentage), but if he averages 21/10/5 on a Knicks team that can somehow stay in the playoff hunt, then Julius could make and All-Star game. I’m probably overreacting a little with the All-Star part, but his play has been that good. Julius Randle is looking like he could surpass his title as the worst 20 PPG scorer ever.
Jerami Grant
Jerami Grant got a large contract this offseason, a contract that usually goes to a top option on a team. Grant had been a off-ball scorer for the first six years of his career, with a lot of his value coming on defense. But this year, he’s come out showing that’s he’s worth the big deal. He’s averaging 23 points and 5 rebounds. He’s showcased improved shot creation, which is a big factor in his increased production. Usually players in Grant’s situation would be inefficient, but Grant has shot decently well (44% from the field, 33% from three). This Pistons have started off 1-4, which isn’t a suprise, but Grant has still been great. He’s entering the prime of his career this season (he’ll turn 27 in March), but he could still improve even more and become a top 3-and-D power forward.
Donte Divincenzo
Donte simply doesn’t miss. He’s shot a sizzling 63% from three so far this year. Those are video game numbers. Obviously, efficiency like that isn’t sustainable, but if Donte can shoot 45% this year, that would be huge. He’s becoming a big part of the Bucks offense. His shot creation could still use a little work, but luckily there’s no rush for Donte because he has Giannis, Middleton, and Jrue to handle that for him. He’s only 24, and still has a lot of room to grow. But if he continues to be a knock down shooter like he has been, he’ll be a big player alongside Giannis for the forseeable future.
So those are five players I’ve found impressive! Do you agree with my picks, or do you disagree? Who else have you found impressive? I hope you enjoyed reading!
(Look for five disappointing players in the near future)
Ah, NBA Instagram. Full of a bunch of casual fans who watch one game and think they know everything. The recency bias is there. The only-knowing-big-name-players is there. The pure stupidity is there. All of these factors create a ton of awful takes. I’ve spent a couple weeks finding the absolute worst takes to write about. (All of the takes are polls posted by NBA themed pages. Followers can vote on these polls. There’s probably 5,000+ people voting on most of these. Maybe even 10,000.) All of these takes are from recently (in fact, I found a few of these while writing the article). So, without any more delay, let’s get into the takes.
Zion over Karl-Anthony Towns
How? How can you choose Zion over Karl-Anthony Towns? KAT is the third best center in the NBA. He’s made two All-Star teams, and one All-NBA team. Zion has done nothing. I mean, of course Zion has nothing (he’s young), but that’s exactly it. 58% of people picked a dude who has played 30 NBA games over a top three center. Here’s a head-to-head comparison between the two.
Finishing: Zion (I made this pick reluctantly)
Mid-range: KAT
Threes: KAT
Defense: KAT
Rebounding: KAT
Passing: KAT
KAT wins 5-1 on individual categories. He also takes the win for team value. KAT is probably the best shooter at the center position ever (High volume, high percentage. No other center has done it). He averages five assists, which is great for a big. He rebounds in the double digits. KAT actually puts in effort on defense. Zion only takes finishing because KAT looks to shoot before he looks to finish. Towns is easily better, but apparently the 8 year olds who started watching basketball last week don’t know that. Maybe people didn’t know KAT means Karl-Anthony Towns.
Zion as a 2021 NBA All-Star
Dude. This is a terrible take. You’re telling me that a guy who averages 17 and 7 is an All-Star? He’s the second best player on a team who will probably miss the playoffs. That’s not a recipe for an All-Star season. Besides that, the West is a loaded conference. Zion has too much competition to get a spot. He’ll be competing for a frontcourt spot with Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Brandon Ingram, Rudy Gobert, Paul George, and DeMar DeRozan. All of those guys have a better shot than him. The main factor is that the Pels will probably only get one All-Star (if any), and if Zion makes it over Ingram, that would be a crime. The only way Zion gets in is if the fans vote him in, and if that happens, then fans shouldn’t be allowed to vote anymore.
John Collins over Nikola Vucevic
Why do people still disrespect Vucevic? He’s basically carried the Magic to the playoffs the last few years. He’s one of the most complete centers in the NBA. He’s made an All-Star game. Here’s a head-to-head:
Finishing: JC
Mid-Range: Vucevic
Threes: Vucevic
Defense: Vucevic
Rebounding: Vucevic
Passing: Vucevic
5-1 Vucevic (6-1 with team value). Vucevic is an All-Star and the sixth best center in the NBA. Collins has the potential to be better than Vucevic, but at least for this season Vucevic is the better player.
Michael Porter Jr. over John Collins
This one’s awesome. Why? Because the fans voting on these polls just told me that Michael Porter Jr. is better than Nikola Vucevic. But we’ll get there in a second. Because we have to talk about this take. MPJ is not better than John Collins by any stretch. I actually have no idea where all this MPJ hype came from, or why people like him so much. He’s really not that special yet. John Collins is a 20-10 guy who can shoot 40% from three and get a block a game. MPJ is a 17-7 guy. So Collins is definently better. But if these fans think MPJ is better than Collins, and they also think Collins is better than Vucevic! (see take above.) That’s wild! A shot chucker who’s a below average defender (and who’s only played 60 NBA games up to this point) is better than an All-Star? I guess no one pays attention to Vucevic because he plays for Orlando, and that’s the whole thing. Casual fans who look at Michael Porter’s numbers and say “this guy is better than a top 40 player (and a top 6 center).” I seriously need someone to tell me why people think MPJ is so good.
Ja Morant over Ben Simmons
This one made me laugh out loud. Remember when I mentioned recency bias? Look no further than these next few Ja Morant takes. This one is a mutant combination of recency bias and Ben Simmons hate. The internet just won’t give Ben Simmons a break. We all know it’s because of his jumper (or lack of a jumper). Here’s the head-to-head:
Finishing: Simmons
Mid-Range: Ja
Threes: Ja
Defense: Simmons (far and away)
Rebounding: Simmons
Playmaking: Simmons
Ben wins 4-2. (I’d give team value to Morant, but remember, team value is just a tie breaker in these situations. It doesn’t mean as much when comparing two individual players based on their skill.) Ja is only better than Simmons in Ben’s weak categories. In every strong category for Simmons, he wins. Ja is a good playmaker, but Ben is better. Ja is a good finisher, Ben is better. Get my point? Ben Simmons is a lot better than Ja at this point (Ja could be better in the future, but Simmons has really high potential too). This take really comes down to Ja being a well-liked guy and Ben being generally hated.
Ja Morant over Trae Young
This one is somewhat understandable. Ja Morant is a more balanced player than Trae. But somewhat doesn’t mean it’s actually understandable. Trae is simply a better basketball player. He already scores better than Ja ever will, and is also probably a better playmaker. Ja only takes Trae in defense, rebounding, and finishing. So if the race is close, why isn’t the vote closer? I also find this one interesting because Trae often gets the edge on polls putting him up against other top point guards (i.e. Ben Simmons, Chris Paul, Kemba Walker, Kyle Lowry). Those takes are all reasonable, but why Trae over Ja? Ja isn’t better than any of those guys yet, and if Trae is better than them, how is Ja better than Trae? (I know this is a confusing reasoning, but I’m basically just writing exactly what comes to my head. Trae is better than Ja though. No question.)
Ja Morant over Jaylen Brown
You thought we were done. Nope. We have another bad take involving Ja Morant. This one is debunked with a simple head-to-head.
Finishing: Jaylen
Mid-Range: Jaylen
Threes: Jaylen
Defense: Jaylen
Rebounding: Jaylen
Passing: Ja
5-1 Jaylen. Jaylen is legitimatley an All-Star type guy this year. Ja will have trouble making it for a few years while Curry, Lillard, Luka, Jamal, De’Aaron, CP3, and D’Lo all compete for a guard spot. Jaylen is a much better all-around basketball player, and it shows.
Kristaps Porzingis over Domantas Sabonis
This one is bad. Look at it! 74% of people think KP is better than Sabonis. That’s not even close. It should honestly be the other way around. Here’s a head-to-head:
Finishing: Sabonis (I hate watching Porzingis. He’ll get a post up oppurtunity on a guard and fade away instead of taking it to the hoop. It’s really stupid.)
Mid-Range: Sabonis
Threes: KP
Defense: KP
Rebounding: Sabonis
Passing: Sabonis
4-2 Sabonis. Sabonis is a really good versitle big. He can stretch the floor (not quite as well as Porzingis), rebound at a super high rate, and Domantas is a great playmaker. He’s a lot more active of a player than KP (I’m watching Pacers vs. Cavaliers right now. Sabonis is always moving and looking to make players. Porzingis often looks stiff). I’m not really sure how people think Porzingis is better. (Sabonis was underrated last year, but I have a bad feeling about what’s going to happen now that he’s been playing so well so far this season.)
Joe Harris over Will Barton
We’re wrapping up this article with a take that, though still bad, isn’t as terrible as the others. This is just an example of the voters seemingly only knowing big-name players. I bet they’ve heard of Joe Harris just because he won a three point contest. But Will Barton is better, and I had to mention this one.
Finishing: Barton
Mid-Range: Barton
Threes: Harris
Defense: Barton (this was an easy decision)
Rebounding: Barton
Passing: Barton
5-1 Barton. Barton is a jack-off-all-trades forward who should be starting for the Nuggets (over MPJ). Joe Harris is an excellent shooter, but nothing else. Barton is the better, as well as more valuable, player.
Reggie Bullock’s Jersey Mishap
Yeah, I know this isn’t a really take. But how do 15% of people think this isn’t funny? I guess it’s the depressed Knicks fans. Even Pixar has been slandering the Knicks (did you watch Soul? That was one of my favorite parts of the movie). In all seriousness, the Knicks have had a decent start to this year (I can’t believe the Bucks lost). But going back to the take, even depressed Knicks fans should find this funny. I hope the 15% of people who didn’t find this funny were just mistaps.
That’s it! Thanks for reading this article (which was basically a long rant)! I hope you enjoyed. See you next time!
(I’ll try to leave MPJ out of the next article. I think everyone’s probably tired of reading about how I think he’s extremely overrated.)
Read the article to understand why Mfiondu is here instead of Kawhi
Today, I am becoming the general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers. How am I doing this? NBA2K21! Now, I know 2K isn’t always super accurate, but it’s still the best option for a basketball simulation. I’m using 2K’s MyNBA mode and taking over the Clippers.
So how is this gonna work? Well, I’m going to be making realistic moves to set the Clippers in the direction I think they should go in. (Note: I have trade override on, simply because 2K’s trade system is iffy sometimes. You often have to throw in a ton of draft picks to get a trade done. Just trust that I’ll make realistic trades. You’ll get to see them.) I’ll be controlling the Clippers for the 2020-21 season and the 2021 offseason. I’ll make all the trades, free agent signings, staff signings, and draft choices that I think the Clippers should do to send them in the right direction. (Another note: If I, for example, sign a player in free agency, I’m not saying the Clippers will sign them next year. Obviously. This is all hypothetical.)
What’s my plan for the Clippers? I want to win now, obviously. The Clippers already gave up their entire future for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, so I have to try to win. I have some general trades in mind that I want to make, and I will trade any draft picks the Clippers have left to win a championship before Kawhi leaves.
I hope I’ve explained how this works well enough, so here we go! (I copy/pasted the first two paragraphs from the Spurs article. I should have explained it well.)
Beginning of the 2020-21 Regular Season
Signing: Gary Payton II
The Clippers had an open roster spot, so I picked up GPII on a 1 year deal. He can defend and shoot. He probably won’t play much, but he’ll be part of the squad.
I don’t have any need for Kabengele, so there’s no need to stunt his growth. I get Mike Muscala who can be a third string center, and I get some seconds that I could use in a future trade. OKC gets a center who is just in his second year, so they don’t mind giving up Muscala and the picks to get him
Now it’s time to set the rotation. I’m a fan of 10 man rotations, and the Clippers are deep enough to run one. I honestly could run a 13 man, but that’s unrealistic. Here’s what we’re starting out with:
Starters: Patrick Beverley, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr., Serge Ibaka
Bench: Lou Williams, Ivica Zubac, Luke Kennard, Nicolas Batum, Patrick Patterson
December
We played 14 games in December. Our record was 9-5. I don’t like that. I know it’s early, so I’m going to give it a month before I make any changes.
January
We are now 20-10, which is good for second in the West. I like that. I think I’m going to ride out with this team until the trade deadline. I am going to make some changes to the rotation.
Starters: Reggie Jackson, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr., Serge Ibaka
Bench: Lou Williams, Ivica Zubac, Luke Kennard, Nicolas Batum, Daniel Oturu
Patrick Beverley wasn’t doing a good job, averaging 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 37% shooting. I don’t care if he’s good defensively, Pat Bev was already on the hot seat and now he’s losing his minutes. I’m giving Oturu some playing time to increase his value for a trade around the deadline.
(Also, if you care, Kabengele is averaging 14 points and 7 rebounds for OKC. Looks like I missed out)
Contract Extension Deadline
I’m giving Lou Williams a 2 year, $10 million extension. He’s getting older, so he’s not worth more than that. It’s actually more than he expected. Although Lou can’t defend, his consistent scoring will be useful as we try to win.
Trade Deadline
Trade #2: Pat Bev to New Orleans
Pelicans get: Patrick Beverley, Daniel Oturu, 2021 2nd round pick (via OKC), 2022 2nd round pick, 2022 2nd round pick, 2023 second round pick
Clippers get: Eric Bledsoe
Well, Bledsoe wasn’t the first on my list of point guards I would have liked to pick up. I looked at Malcolm Brogdon and Kyle Lowry, but couldn’t make anything work. So instead, I’m bringing Bledsoe back to LA. The Pelicans had two point guards that deserved to start, in Bledsoe and Lonzo Ball, and Bledsoe was the odd man out for what I think NOLA wants to do. Patrick Beverley will still be useful for New Orleans while they try to win games, but he doesn’t need to start. I’m also giving them Oturu and four 2nd round picks for their trouble. If I didn’t give them those things, why would they want Patrick?
I wanted a two-way point guard. That’s why Brogdon would have been great. But Bledsoe, although he isn’t the best offensive player, is elite defensively. He’ll be a big upgrade at the starting point guard position.
Trade #3: Mann to Houston
Rockets get: Terance Mann
Clippers get: David Nwaba
This trade also includes a second round pick swap. Mann is in the same boat as Kabengele was, where I don’t want to waste Mann’s potential by not playing him. Houston could use some youth. Nwaba is a good two way wing who will play some nice situational minutes for me.
Signing: Ersan Ilyasova
I cleared up a roster spot in the Bledsoe deal, so I picked up Ersan. He can stretch the floor and will be a nice veteran for this team.
So now, after the moves I made, the rotation looks like this:
Starters: Eric Bledsoe, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr., Serge Ibaka
Bench: Lou Williams, Ivica Zubac, Luke Kennard, David Nwaba, Ersan Ilyasova
All-Star Break
At the break, we’re 34-23. That’s 4th in the West. I think the trades I made will be enough to put us back into a top 2 seed. Kawhi Leonard was an All-Star starter. Mfiondu Kabengele made the Rising Stars game averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds. Maybe I should have kept him.
Second Half of the Season/NBA Awards
The Clippers finished 53-29, which landed us at the 2 seed. I won executive of the year. Kawhi Leonard made All-NBA 2nd team and All-Defensive 1st. Here are the stats:
K. Leonard: 25 PPG/7 RPG/5 APG
P. George: 20/5/4
L. Williams: 17/2/5
E. Bledsoe: 15/3/7
L. Kennard: 11/2/3
S. Ibaka: 11/7/1
M. Morris Sr: 11/4/1
R. Jackson: 9/3/3
I. Zubac: 9/8/1
P. Patterson: 4/2/1
E. Ilyasova: 3/2/0
D. Nwaba: 4/2/1
N. Batum: 3/3/2
This was a great season for our role players. Reggie, Patterson, Nwaba, Ilyasova, and Batum all did their jobs well. Zubac had a great year off the bench. Lou Will brought the scoring I knew he would. Bledsoe did great. 7 assists is really good for him. I’m glad I made the trade.
Mfiondu Kabengele averaged 13/7/1 and was third on the Thunder in scoring. Opportunity is all young guys need in the NBA, I guess.
2021 Playoffs
Well crap. We lost in the first round! The 7-seeded Phoenix Suns beat us in 6 games. Unbelievable. Paul George choked again, averaging 17/4/5. That sucks! Everyone’s numbers got worse or stayed the same except for Kawhi. I don’t know what else to do. Time for the offseason, I guess.
2021 Offseason
We have the 29th pick in the draft. I don’t think I’m going to draft. I’m gonna make a trade this offseason.
Draft Pick: Al Williamson
With the 29th pick in the 2021 draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select point guard Al Williamson from St. John’s. This is an auto generated guy (that means he’s not a real player). He’s not here to stay. I wasn’t allowed to trade the pick because of the Stepien Rule.
Player Options
Kawhi declined his option! Panic mode! I’m gonna have to give this guy the big bag if I want him to come back. I am now worried.
Resigning: Kawhi Leonard
He’s back! I gave him a 4 year, $155 million dollar deal. I was surprised he didn’t want more. The problem now is that I need to sign 6 players, and I have no cap space.
I had to trade Marcus. Someone had to go. Jae Crowder is a better defender than Marcus, but I’m sacrificing some offense. The Suns had to throw in Jevon Carter to match salary, so I’m giving them the seconds to make up for it. The Suns are doing this trade because after they beat me in the first round, they want to get even better. Marcus Morris is another name to help them do that.
Signing: Paul Millsap
I’m bringing in Paul Millsap on a 1 year, $4 million deal. He will be the starter next year unless he gets worse. Millsap can defend and stretch the floor, and will be a very valuable player next season.
Signing: Torrey Craig
I’m picking up Torrey Craig on a one year deal. He will bring excellent wing defense off the bench (because Luke Kennard can’t). A minimum deal is a steal, but that’s what he wanted.
Resigning: Gary Payton II
I’m bringing Gary Payton back on a two year deal. He’ll also bring wing defense.
Signing: Robin Lopez
RoLo is a stretch center who can also defend the paint. He’ll be a great third string veteran center this year.
Signing: Mike Scott
I’m bringing Mike Scott in to fill the role Patrick Patterson and Ersan left: stretch four. He can shoot, and that’s why I’m bringing him in.
So those are my signings, but the roster isn’t set.
Signing: Mfiondu Kabengele
I’m bringing in the goat himself. He might get traded, or I’ll trade RoLo instead and keep him. I saw Kabengele was still available at the end of free agency, and had to sign him.
I told you that I didn’t want Williamson. John Wall is getting older for Houston, and I’m giving them a young point guard who was a first round pick and can develop to take Wall’s spot when he retires. They’re giving me seconds. Easy deal for both sides.
Waiving: Robin Lopez
Well, RoLo was just around for training camp. He got worse this offseason, and I want to keep Kabengele instead. Sorry Robin, I’m sure you’ll find a job somewhere else.
Signing: C.J. Miles
Since I didn’t need Robin, I signed C.J. Miles. He’ll bring third string 3-and-D minutes.
(Now, I could have kept RoLo. I know that was confusing. Basically, I was planning on trading Al Williamson for a player, but I didn’t do so. Therefore I had a roster spot to keep RoLo, but I forgot and cut him. Either way, I didn’t need him. So I have C.J.)
Beginning of the 2021-22 regular season
My time as the Clippers GM is now over. Here’s a look at my final roster:
PG: Eric Bledsoe, Lou Williams, Jevon Carter
SG: Paul George, Luke Kennard, Gary Payton II
SF: Kawhi Leonard, Torrey Craig, C.J. Miles
PF: Jae Crowder, Paul Millsap, Mike Scott
C: Ivica Zubac, Serge Ibaka, Mfiodnu Kabengele
I think that this is a championship level team. Any team with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will always be competitive, but I think the role players I picked up around them are excellent. This team’s floor is probably a second round exit in 2022, and their ceiling is a championship.
So, let me know what you think about the roster I set up! Do you agree that the Clippers should go all in, or do you think they should try to retool with a younger roster? Do you think Kawhi will stay after this season? Also, let me know if I should make any changes to the way I did this (for future GM tenures). Thanks for reading!
I was originally gonna put KD’s picutre here, but after PG’s performance, he earned it
(I wrote this article on the 22nd, but I edited and posted it on the 23rd. That’s why I’ll say tonight instead of last night, and things like that.)
Today, after 71 long days, NBA basketball returned. You best believe that I skipped gaming with the guys so I could watch basketball (that’s something that happens a lot during the season). And I was definently rewarded for my decision (watching basketball is always a reward, though). It felt great to listen to Charles Barkley ramble again. Now, I have some breakdowns (and potentially some overreactions) of teams and players based on what I saw in the first two games of the 2021 NBA season.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets looked elite tonight. They blew out the Golden State Warriors, which doesn’t happen very often. They played nice team basketball. There were plenty of good passes and nice shots all around.
Kevin Durant
Boy, was KD on tonight. He really justified his number two placement on my top 100 player list. He dropped 22 points in 25 minutes. He showcased his effortless scoring. I didn’t even like Kevin Durant while he played for Golden State (I’m not a Warriors guy), but it was really fun to watch KD play. They call him Easy Money Sniper for a reason.
Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving is always a safe bet for a big scoring night. He did it again tonight, dropping 26 points in 25 minutes. He also added 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Kyrie is a walking highlight with the way he dribbles, shoots, and finishes. Marv Albert made a good point after Kyrie hit a corner three. Kyrie caught the ball in the corner, hesisated, then pulled. Marv said that it’s difficult to guard a guy like Kyrie while he’s in triple threat, because if you jump to contest him, he’ll drive right past. If Irving can stay healthy, he’ll be having nights like this one all the time.
Caris LeVert
Caris LeVert could be the Net’s third best player this year. He looked really good tonight. He had 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists in 25 big minutes off the bench. Marv and Chris Webber had another good point when they said that LeVert is basically a starter off the bench. Coming off the bench will be good for LeVert’s production, because he won’t have to share the ball with Kyrie and KD as often. I think Caris is a really good player, and this type of game should be the new norm for him this year.
Spencer Dinwiddie
Dinwiddie looked a little shaky tonight. He missed a three badly early and then airballed one a couple possesions later. But I liked how he still looked to make good passes (looked to, not necessarily made) while he was struggling shooting the ball. He finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. I’m not too worried about him, though, because he just has to get used to playing with KD and Kyrie in the starting lineup (if he continues to start, then my 6MOY pick will be ruined).
DeAndre Jordan
I kinda felt bad for DJ out there tonight. Dinwiddie kept trying to throw him lobs, and failed multiple times. What is DeAndre supposed to do there? But DJ still did his thing while starting (I was kinda suprised Jarrett Allen didn’t start), and grabbed 11 rebounds. I saw exactly what I expected from DeAndre Jordan.
Taurean Prince
I don’t have very much to say about Taurean Prince, but looking at the box score now, I see that he played 16 minutes. I hardly noticed that he was on the court for that long. That’s bad. But whatever, it’s just Taurean Prince, so I’m sure Steve Nash and the other coaches aren’t too worried about his performance.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
Timothe only played 7 minutes tonight, and I don’t expect him to play more, but that reflects the Nets depth. I doubt you guys remember, but TLC was sneaky good for the Nets in the bubble. He can really shoot the ball. His stroke looks nice. TLC will play some great situational minutes for Brooklyn this year.
Bruce Brown
I was pretty suprised to see that Bruce only played 8 minutes. I think that he was a really nice pickup for Brooklyn. He does a lot of things pretty well. I guess that’s just another reflection on Brooklyn’s depth.
Tyler Johnson
Tyler Johnson didn’t do much in his 6 minutes of play, he’s only getting mentioned because I hate his hair. That’s all I have to say.
Nicolas Claxton
Claxton didn’t play tonight because of injury, I just thought it was worth mentioning that he looked like Young Thug sitting on the bench tonight. They have the same hairstyle, and from a distance, he looked like Thugger.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors had a bad night, starting off their season on the losing end of a blowout. For the most part, their whole team struggled. They had some questionable lineups on the court that relied on Wiggins to run the offense, which wasn’t good because Wiggs didn’t play well. I’m not gonna overreact and say the Warriors miss the playoffs this year though. They won’t be a high seed, but this is just game one for a team who hasn’t played basketball since March.
Stephen Curry
Curry’s numbers looked pretty good tonight (20 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists), but he shot 7 for 21 from the field, and 2 for 10 from three. That’s pretty terrible. The 10 assists is great though, and we already knew Curry’s a great playmaker. I give Steph a pass for his inefficient performance because he hasn’t played since March, and he’s coming off a hand injury. This game shouldn’t be a scare for anybody.
Andrew Wiggins
Wiggs had another inefficient scoring performance tonight. He’s such an on-and-off player. He looked a little uncomfortable in lineups where he was the main scorer. I thought that Wiggins would be more efficient with other players to take the pressure off of him, but unfortunately there’s no stat to tell me what Andrew’s FG% was while Curry was on the floor and what his % was when Curry was resting. But Wiggins hasn’t played in while either, and he should get better.
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Kelly Oubre is the third Warrior who had an inefficient night. He took a lot of jumpers, and didn’t make many. His shot selection was questionable in general. Kelly is always good for some highlight dunks though, and tonight was no different. Oubre is coming off a knee injury, so he’s just getting back into the swing of things.
James Wiseman
Wiseman had a good debut tonight. He got some dunks, he got some rebounds, he got some steals. He looked comfortable shooting jumpers (though he took a lot of long heel-on-the-line midrangers, which are probably the worst shot in basketball). He already looks like a good fit in Golden State, and if he keeps this up, he will be Rookie of the Year.
Juan Toscano-Anderson
Juan had a sneaky good game tonight. He had 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. His LeBron-esque block was a top highlight of the game. He even picked up KD on a couple possesions. It’s too bad JTA is on a two-way contract this year, because he could bring some nice rotational value for the Warriors if he was on a full contract.
Mychal Mulder
Mulder is a bucket. 8 points on 3-3 shooting (2-2 from three) in 7 minutes. Don’t sleep. (Just kidding. Sleep all you want. I trust Steve Kerr would play Mulder if he was actually worth playing. I just think it’s fun when guys come off the end of the bench in “garbage time” and have nice games.)
Los Angeles Clippers
Despite the win, this was still a shaky game for the Clippers in general. A 20 point lead headed into the second quarter ended up in a 7 point win. But the Clippers made a lot of good hustle plays that kept them from losing the lead.
Paul George
MVP of opening night goes to PG13. He had 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. He was scoring like the pre-bubble version of himself. PG had 20+ points (don’t remember the exact number) in the second half. He hit lots of nice jumpers. Paul George looked really good tonight for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi had an alright game. He had 26 points, but he shot 10-26 from the field and 1-8 from three. I was also suprised to see that he didn’t guard LeBron on many possesions. I don’t know what’s up with that. I guess that’s how they’ll load manage him without actually load managing him?
Ivica Zubac
Zubac had a really good game. He had 11 points and 6 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench. He showed really good hustle and rebounding. He did start every game for the Clippers in 2019-20, and his energy will be very valuable for the Clippers off the bench this season.
Luke Kennard
Luke didn’t look good this game. He definently didn’t look like a guy who deserves a $64 million contract. He shot 2-6 from the field (0-3 from three) which stinks because he’s on the court to shoot. He can’t defend, and he showcased that tonight.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers had a pretty off night, but I don’t think they’re too worried. After all, they lost to the Clippers on 2020 opening night as well, and went on to win a championship. They cut a 20 point deficit to 7, which is good.
LeBron James
LeBron kinda had an off night tonight. 22 points and 5 assists isn’t bad, but LeBron looked like he just needs to find his legs. He missed a couple easy layups, but I’m not too worried. The layups and threes will fall later in the year (but the free throws won’t).
Anthony Davis
AD was also off from his usual tonight. He finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds. I liked that he was guarding Kawhi on some possessions. It shows his defensive versitility. The shots will fall for AD as well as he gets back into the groove.
Marc Gasol
What the heck Marc? 0 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 5 fouls in 12 minutes? That’s not good. If this keeps up, then LA might want to start Montrezl.
Dennis Schroder
Tonight was a excellent Lakres debut for Dennis. He had 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. He looked really good on the court. He probably won’t have too many double-doubles with rebounds this year, but if he can keep up the good passing, that will be great for the Lakers.
Montrezl Harrell
I see the hustle Montrezl brings. He finishes and he rebounds. He had a good game tonight. You could tell he was motivated to play well against his former team. 17 points and 10 rebounds are around the numbers that he should average this year.
Kyle Kuzma
For some reason, Kuzma is just the best at top-of-the-key, off the dribble pull-up 18 footers. That’s a specific shot, but if you have watched the Lakers, you should know what I’m talking about. Kuzma was having an ineffecient game until he made three shots of that variety. He’s one of the most inconsistent guys in the league though, and he needs to hit his shots at a higher rate.
Alex Caruso
1-5 from the field? No big deal. The goat’s just warming up. He’ll be shooting 50-50 every night later in the year. (But in all seriousness, most of AC’s value comes from defense and playmaking. If he can just be a little more cosistent from behind the arc, he would be a lot better. Better than he already is, of course. He’s already the goat.)
So those are my thoughts on what happened on 2021 opening night. I’m excited for the rest of the season!
(And depending on how the Bucks do, I’ll probably write an article about their first game as well.)
Today, I am becoming the general manager of the San Antonio Spurs. How am I doing this? NBA2K21! Now, I know 2K isn’t always super accurate, but it’s still the best option for a basketball simulation. I’m using 2K’s MyNBA mode and taking over the Spurs.
So how is this gonna work? Well, I’m going to be making realistic moves to set the Spurs in the direction I think they should go in. (Note: I have trade override on, simply because 2K’s trade system is iffy sometimes. You often have to throw in a ton of draft picks to get a trade done. Just trust that I’ll make realistic trades. You’ll get to see them.) I’ll be controlling the Spurs for the 2020-21 season and the 2021 offseason. I’ll make all the trades, free agent signings, staff signings, and draft choices that I think the Spurs should do to send them in the right direction. (Another note: If I, for example, sign a player in free agency, I’m not saying the Spurs will sign them next year. Obviously. This is all hypothetical.)
What direction am I taking the Spurs in? A youth direction. The Spurs have a great young core. I’ll be trading some veterans for picks and younger guys, and I will definently be trading DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge by the trade deadline.
I hope I’ve explained how this works well enough, so here we go!
Like I already said, I’m going younger. I think Rudy Gay just isn’t needed on the Spurs anymore, and would be better for a team trying to contend, like the Nets. Prince is 8 years younger, and is a decent 3&D guy. I also get a second rounder, and that’s the main prize of this trade
Now it’s time to set the rotation. Keldon Johnson and Derrick White will both be missing time at the beginning of the year, which takes out my starting SG and backup SF.
Starters: Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker IV, DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Jakob Poeltl
Bench: Patty Mills, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones, Trey Lyles, Taurean Prince
I don’t think Jakob Poeltl is the long-term starting center for the Spurs, so I dabbled with starting LA at center, but I don’t have any young power forwards I’d rather start. Therefore Poeltl gets the nod. Dejounte Murray will be the guy throughout this simulation, and he’s getting heavy minutes.
December
In our first 14 games through the month of December, we went 11-3. That’s really good! Derrick White and Keldon Johnson returned early, and I slid them into the rotation. I also singed Noah Vonleh to a 1-year deal because we had an open roster spot. The rotation now looks like this.
(Note: After this first month, I turned of injuries out of frustration. Though injuries are a real thing, I didn’t want that to mess with my season, so I just turned them off. Like it would suck if Dejounte tore his ACL, and then the record didn’t accurately represent the success I think the team would have based on the moves I’m making. I hope you understand.)
January
Now we’re 17-10. We calmed down a little. Dejounte is having a really good start to the season, averaging 14 PPG, 7 RPG, and 6 APG. DeMar is probably a big reason we’re winning, as he’s averaging 24 PPG, 5 RPG, and 5 APG. I would keep him if I though the Spurs were going in a direction where he would be needed. Derrick White’s been a little underwhelming (10 PPG, 5 APG), but I think he’ll step it up.
Contract Extension Deadline
Only two eligible players were willing to sign an extension: DeMar and Patty. I gave Patty a two year minimum extension, but not because I want to keep him around. I also gave DeMar a two year extension worth $32 million ($16 million a year). He would have less trade value if I didn’t. After all, who wants to make a big trade for a star and have them leave after the season?
Trade #2: Patty Mills to OKC
Thunder get: Patty Mills, Drew Eubanks
Spurs get: Ty Jerome, Darius Miller, 2021 2nd Round pick (via MIN)
I was originally going to keep Patty around for the rest of the season and let him walk after, but then when he wanted an extension I decided to trade him. Ty Jerome (for some reason) only played one minute for OKC all year, so I brought him in to get some playing time. Darius Miller won’t play. Drew Eubanks wasn’t gonna play, so I don’t mind trading him. The second rounder might be something.
After the trade, now the rotation looks like this:
I didn’t get a young player in return for DeMar (he was making too much money), but I still got a good haul. The 2022 first rounder is a great asset. Evan Fournier is on an expiring deal, so he’s just a rental. Aminu is a salary filler, Vonleh is a roster filler. I’m going to buy out Aminu after this trade.
I also explored a trade sending DeMar to Memphis, but this was the better deal.
Trade #4: LaMarcus to Detroit
Pistons get: LaMarcus Aldridge
Spurs get: Jerami Grant
This trade also involves a 2025 first round pick swap. Just like with DeMar, LaMarcus is on a big deal making him hard to move. I’m doing this because I think Jerami Grant is a good player who can still grow, and he will be a great fit in San Antonio. The Pistons would do this because they suck and need a player who can help them stay relevant.
I looked to send LA back to Portland, but they didn’t have the players making enough money to make a (realistic) trade happen.
Trade #5: Trey Lyles to Atlanta
Hawks get: Trey Lyles
Spurs get: Solomon Hill, 2021 2nd round pick (via MIA)
This trade is simply a salary dump of two million dollars. Trey wasn’t getting many minutes, and I’d rather have Solomon Hill to mentor some young guys than a dude making $5 million to barely play.
Signing: Jordan Bell
After the DeMar trade, I bought out Al-Farouq Aminu to clear up a roster spot. I signed Jordan Bell to a two year, $4 million deal with a team option on the second year.
All-Star Break
At the All-Star break, the San Antonio Spurs are 29-26. That’s good for seventh in the West. I expect our record to go down a little. After all, I just made a few big trades that will shake up team chemisty, and now our team is younger without an All-Star to carry us in big games.
Dejounte is playing great, averaging 14/7/6. Derrick White’s numbers have improved, and he’s averaging 12/2/4. Devin Vassell was averaging 9/3/1 off the bench, and now that he’s starting his numbers should get better.
Going into the second half of the season, the rotation looks like this:
Bench: Evan Fournier, Keldon Johnson, Lonnie Walker IV, Jordan Bell, Taurean Prince
Prince is getting his first real playing time of the season. Vassell moves into the starting lineup. Evan Fournier is coming off the bench because I want to prioritze my young guys.
Second Half of the Season/NBA Awards
The Spurs finished 36-46, which is good for 14th in the West. I knew our record would decline. The guys looked great though. Here’s some stats:
E. Fournier: 17 PPG/1 RPG/3 APG
D. Murray: 16/7/6
D. White: 14/3/4
J. Grant: 13/3/1
D. Vassell: 9/4/2
L. Walker IV: 8/3/1
K. Johnson: 8/4/1
T. Jerome: 6/1/2
T. Prince: 6/3/1
J. Bell: 5/5/1
J. Poeltl: 5/8/2
I am super proud of Derrick White and Dejounte. I knew White’s numbers would get better (it’s a good thing they did, considering the extension he just got). Dejounte’s numbers are also great all-around. How he didn’t make an All-Defensive team, I don’t know. The other young guys looked good. I am disappointed in Jakob Poeltl. He started every game this year and his numbers don’t reflect that. I’ll probably look to trade him.
2021 Offseason
We have the 7th, 37th, 38th, 45th, 46th, and 53rd picks in the 2021 draft. That’s a haul of second rounders. I’m not going to keep all of them.
I don’t need the seconds, and the first round pick is a small price to pay for Claxton. Claxton didn’t play at all during the simulation, but I think he can be a good young backup center going forward.
Freaking Gregg Popovich retired! I also have to fill out our assistant coach positions.
Staff Signing: Mike Brown
I signed Mike Brown, who was an assistant for the Warriors, to be the next coach of the Spurs. I did not expect Gregg to retire. Brown should be decent.
Draft Pick: Evan Mobley
(Note: I downloaded a 2021 draft class that someone made. It seems to be pretty accurate. I don’t know too much about college basketball, so I don’t know for sure. Just roll with who I take.)
With the 7th pick in the 2021 NBA draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Evan Mobley from USC! Mobley is the best big available at my position, and I’m taking him. He fills a team need, and I’ve heard great things about him.
I didn’t sign either of my second round picks because no one caught my eye at that point.
Team Options
I’m bringing back Keldon Johnson, Lonnie Walker, Luka Samanic, and Ty Jerome. All of them are solid young guys. Since I drafted Evan Mobley, I’m letting Jordan Bell walk.
Signing: Bruce Brown
I’m bringing in Bruce Brown on a 3-year, $16 million deal. Bruce Brown is a great combo guard who can shoot, finish, pass, and defend. He’ll be a great guy to play in San Antonio.
Signing: Terrance Ferguson
Terrance Ferguson is young forward who already has starter experience for the Thunder. He won’t start here, that’s for sure, but he’ll be a solid young guy off the bench who could still become something.
Beginning of the 2021-22regular season
So that’s that! My tenure as the GM of the San Antonio Spurs is over. Lets take a look at the roster.
I think I sent the Spurs in a great direction. San Antonio’s player development has been great, and a roster like this could be a playoff team in a few years because of that.
So, let me know what you think about the roster I set up! Do you agree that the Spurs should go young, or do you think they should keep DeMar and LA and try to compete? Also, let me know if I should make any changes to the way I did this (for future GM tenures). Thanks for reading!
The 2020-21 NBA season starts tomorrow! Hurray! It hasn’t even been that long since we last had basketball, but it feels like a long time. I’m going to be watching basketball all week (The Christmas day games will definitely be playing while we are at my Grandma’s). So these are my preseason power rankings. I took a few things into consideration: talent of roster (of course), predicted team success (these aren’t just regular season power rankings, they include playoffs too. A team that I think will do better in the playoffs will be higher than a team I think will do better in the regular season), previous season success (if a team’s roster didn’t change much, I considered how they looked last year. This doesn’t have much weight though), and what conference the team is in (it’s still easier to win games in the East, even though the East improved). So yeah. Here are my 2021 NBA power rankings!
1: Los Angeles Lakers (1st in West)
Potential Starters: Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol
The Lakers won a championship in 2020. Now they’ve improved. The best team in the league got better. The Lakers seem like a lock to be the best team in the league for 2021 (though that doesn’t mean they’ll win the championship again). LA’s roster is one of the most talented in the league, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the helm. Even if LeBron has a relaxed regular season, Anthony Davis will take over every game he plays (and be the number one option during the regular season). Dennis Schroder, KCP, and Marc Gasol are great fits for the starting lineup. Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, Markieff Morris, Alex Caruso, and Wesley Matthews is one of the best benches in the league. The Lakers are in a perfect position to repeat as champions, and that puts them at number one in my power rankings.
2: Brooklyn Nets (2nd in East)
Potential Starters: Kyrie Irving, Caris Levert, Joe Harris, Kevin Durant, Jarrett Allen
This is an example of a team I think is built for the playoffs. The Nets won’t be too worried about winning games in the regular season. But they will still win a lot of games. Even with one of Kyrie or KD out, a team of Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, Jarrett Allen, is still capable of winning games. The Nets are looking really good.They are my favorites to make the finals in the East (sorry Bucks). Steve Nash is a first year coach, but Mike D’Antoni as an assistant will help him learn the ropes. The Nets only problem looked to be depth beyond their top seven, but the additions of Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, Landry Shamet as well as the returns of Tyler Johnson and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will make them one of the deepest teams in the entire NBA. The only thing that could hold the Nets back next year is injuries.
The Bucks did it. They got Giannis to resign. Now, they can focus on just winning. The Bucks have been a top regular season team for the last few years, and that will happen again. Jrue Holiday was a really good pickup to make them better. I think the Bucks depth improved by getting a whole new bench. The only thing the Bucks need to do now is make a deep playoff run. They’re geared to do it, and they matched up pretty well against the other top teams in the league. Now that Giannis has resigned, the Bucks are set for a competitive next 6+ years, and 2021 will be the first year of that.
4: Los Angeles Clippers (3rd in West)
Potential Starters: Patrick Beverley, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr., Serge Ibaka
Last season, the Clippers were supposed to be a team that was built for the playoffs. They proved everyone wrong by blowing a 3-1 lead against the Nuggets. LA tried to improve this offseason. Serge Ibaka will be a better fit than Montrezl Harrell. They traded for Luke Kennard and gave him an extension worth $16 mil a year to only shoot. Kennard is one of the worst defenders in the NBA, which isn’t good for a defense based team. But I’m not really a fan of the Clippers roster behind Kawhi, PG13, and Serge Ibaka. Patrick Beverley isn’t very good. He’s a scrappy defender with an ok three-pointer, but he’s not even close to being a guy who can start at point guard for a championship team. Lou Williams is a great scorer, but they need to find a more balanced guy to be a 6th man (that’s why LAC wanted Rondo). Marcus Morris can score, but he got overpaid a little this offseason. The Clippers will still be capable of making a deep playoff run, but don’t be surprised if they get knocked out early by a team like Denver or Dallas.
5: Boston Celtics (3rd in East)
Potential Starters: Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Daniel Theis
Tatum and JB are a top young duo in the NBA. This is their year to shine as Boston attempts to return to the conference finals (and go further). What’s holding back Boston for me is Kemba Walker. He’s a great scorer and an unselfish teammate, but I think that this year he takes a step back. His knees are a problem. Boston needs him to at least average 18 PPG and 6 APG, as well as step up in the playoffs, if they want to reach their full potential. But Boston will be a top offensive and defensive team this year, as well as the 3rd seed in the East once again.
6: Miami Heat (4th in East)
Potential Starters: Goran Dragic, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Kelly Olynyk, Bam Adebayo
The Heat had a surprisingly good 2020 season. Jimmy Butler is the perfect leader, and he turned a young Heat team into a contender. They will contend again this year with Jimmy, Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, as well as a strong core of young players (Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn, Precious Achiuwa) and role players (Andre Iguodala, Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, Mo Harkless). Miami will be a top defensive team in the NBA again (Jimmy is a top five defender in the NBA, Bam Adebayo is the Giannis stopper). What would really push them to the favorites in the East would be bigger jumps from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
7: Denver Nuggets (2nd in West)
Potential Starters: Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Michael Porter Jr., Nikola Jokic
Jokic and Jamal Murray are another top young duo in the league. The Nuggets have been a great regular season team for the last few years, and will be again (hence why I have them being the 2 seed in the West). But after last year, they have shown they can also be a strong playoff contender as well. Jokic is the best center in the NBA, Jamal Murray can be a top thirty player this year, Michael Porter Jr. is looking to have an MIP type season, and the Nuggets group of role players is one of the best in the NBA (Will Barton, Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, Monte Morris, JaMychal Green). The Nuggets will be a top team again in 2021.
8: Toronto Raptors (5th in East)
Potential Starters: Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Aron Baynes
The Raptors are another team that has been great in the regular season during the last few seasons. This year, they will take a step back record wise. Toronto’s roster just isn’t built for the playoffs. They don’t have a player who can be the number one guy. Siakam choked in the 2020 playoffs. This team roster-wise could put them lower on these power rankings, but the Raptors are always a team with lots of chemistry who win a lot of games. I think OG will take a big jump this year. Hopefully Siakam won’t suck in the playoffs again. Cause if he does, then the Raptors could be facing a first round exit this year.
9: Dallas Mavericks (4th in West)
Potential Starters: Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Richardson, Kristaps Porzingis, Dwight Powell
Welcome to the Luka show. If Luka Doncic wasn’t my MVP favorite this year, the Mavs would be lower on this ranking. Their roster works because of Luka. Kristaps likely won’t be the second best player on a championship team during his career, but there’s still a chance he can do it behind Luka. The role players around Luka are also really good. The Mavericks have a super deep roster, and with Luka at the helm, they will be a top five seed in the West looking to make a deep playoff run early in Luka’s career.
10: Philadelphia 76ers (6th in East)
Potential Starters: Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Danny Green, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid
Philly’s success this season rides on Ben Simmons. Philly retooled their roster and added spacing. Trading Al Horford means that Tobias can slide back to his natural four spot. Joel Embiid is as good as he’ll ever be. It all depends on how well Ben can play. Can he become a top five point guard? Will he add a jump shot? We’ll see. But I think Joel Embiid won’t ever be the number one guy on a championship team (he’d be a perfect sidekick), so Ben Simmons will have to be the best guy. But I don’t think this is Philly’s year, and they’ll probably face another first round exit in 2021.
Portland’s offseason was really good. The Blazer’s front office got a really good deep team around Dame. Robert Covington was a huge pickup for improving Portland’s defense. Bringing back Melo was good. Derrick Jones Jr, Enes Kanter, and Harry Giles are good bench pieces. This will be Portland’s most competitive team in a while. They will have a good regular season, and look to have a deep playoff run in 2021.
12: Golden State Warriors (6th in West)
Potential Starters: Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr., Draymond Green, James Wiseman
The Klay Thompson reinjury is very unfortunate for Golden State. Wiggins and Oubre can match Klay’s production, but not his value. Luckily for the Warriors, Stephen Curry is really good. We know that. James Wiseman is a perfect fit for the Warriors. Draymond Green is still an excellent glue guy. The Warriors could have been a lot better this season if Klay didn’t get injured. But they fall here, as a team that no one will want to play in the first round.
After an 8-0 record in the bubble, Phoenix realized that now is the time to start competing. The Chris Paul trade reflects that. CP3 is the leader Phoenix needs. Devin Booker is on his way to superstardom, and will be the bucket getter that he always is, just now for a winning team. Ayton will have an MIP type year and will be a great third best player for Phoenix. Along with the collection of good young guys and solid role players that Phoenix has, their top three will lead them to a playoff appearance in 2021.
Atlanta is another 2020 lottery team who made moves to become competitive in the 2020 offseason. And those moves were good. The Hawks now have a super deep rotation. The Hawks won’t immediately be a contender, because they have a lot of young players that are still growing (Trae Young, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, Cam Reddish, Kevin Huerter). But ATL is still looking good this season, and should clinch a playoff berth in 2021.
15: Utah Jazz (8th in West)
Potential Starters: Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert
Utah’s downfall for the 2021 season is that they simply didn’t improve. Utah has a solid roster. Donovan Mitchell is a top shooting guard, and has been the best player on a playoff team before in his young career. Bojan Bogdanovic brings the secondary scoring. Rudy Gobert is the defensive anchor. The Jazz are a solid team who can win games. They just aren’t good enough to be anywhere higher than the 8 seed for this season.
16: Washington Wizards (8th in East)
Potential Starters: Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, Deni Avdija, Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant
The John Wall-Russell Westbrook trade makes the Wizards a playoff team in the East. The backcourt of Russ and Beal alone is good enough to make the playoffs as a bottom seed. But they also have a bunch of solid young players in Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant, Deni Avdija, Troy Brown, and Mo Wagner who are already good enough to be role players for a playoff team, but if they make jumps that would be even better for Washington. The Wizards have a solid future and a solid now, and they will finish as a playoff team in the East this year.
17: Indiana Pacers (9th in East)
Potential Starters: Malcolm Brogdon, Victor Oladipo, T.J. Warren, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner
Just like the Jazz, the Pacers didn’t improve. The Pacers do have a really good starting lineup, but they don’t have a guy who can lead them to the playoffs again over the improving bottom teams in the East. The Pacers only hope is if Victor Oladipo can return to All-NBA level. I don’t think he’ll do that, and the Pacers will slide to mediocracy by missing the playoffs in 2021.
18: New Orleans Pelicans (9th in West)
Potential Starters: Lonzo Ball, J.J. Redick, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Steven Adams
The Pelicans starting lineup looks really solid. The Pelicans are just too young and inexperienced to make the playoffs. Brandon Ingram is really good, and Zion Williamson will look to show that he can produce in a full season (if he even stays healthy for a full season). But the New Orleans Pelicans have no one to replace Jrue Holiday as the guy who can be a leader on both ends, and they will feel that loss while trying to compete this year.
19: Houston Rockets (10th in West)
Potential Starters: John Wall, James Harden, Danuel House, Christian Wood, DeMarcus Cousins
The Rockets missing the playoffs? What? Well, I made this pick assuming James Harden won’t be on the Rockets for too much longer. Otherwise, this team would be in top 10 contention. John Wall will still be a really good point guard. Christain Wood is a young guy who is looking to replicate his production from last year, just in more games. DeMarcus Cousins will be a solid center. It all depends on who the Rockets get back for Harden if they win more games than this. The 10th seed is still good enough for the Houston Rockets to crack the play in tournament.
20: Memphis Grizzlies (11th in West)
Potential Starters: Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jonas Valanciunas
The Grizzlies almost made the playoffs last year. This year they’ll be further away from making it. The Grizzlies improvement will come from young guys getting better, but no roster improvement is what does it. The Grizzlies have a very bright future behind Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson, and Brandon Clarke, but this season they will fail in trying to replicate the borderline playoff year they had in 2020.
21: Orlando Magic (10th in East)
Potential Starters: Markelle Fultz, Evan Fournier, James Ennis, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic
The Magic have been mediocre for the last few years. They only made the playoffs because they are in the East. Their roster is ok, as Nikola Vucevic is an All-Star type center, but they don’t have any actual perennial All-Stars. Jonathan Isaac getting injured really blows for the Magic. They will still crack the play-in tournament, but the Magic will be in the lottery this year.
22: Minnesota Timberwolves (12th in West)
Potential Starters: D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Anthony Edwards, Juan Hernangomez, Karl-Anthony Towns
The Timberwolves are trying to be competitive, and the D’Lo and Beasley trades last season reflected that. The problem is that the Timberwolves roster isn’t actually isn’t good enough to do it. KAT is a top three center, D’Lo is a top ten point guard, Ricky Rubio is a top playmaker, and Malik Beasley is a good two-way guard, but after that the roster falls off to a bunch of young dudes with mixed potentials who need to really improve if Minnesota wants to compete for a spot in the playoff tournaments.
23: Chicago Bulls (11th in East)
Potential Starters: Coby White, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr.
The Bulls have boom-or-bust potential this season. They have four young guys in their starting lineup that are primed for good seasons. But all four would have to do it for the Bulls to be competitive. Zach LaVine is a top thirty player, and he will carry the Bulls offense again if Lauri Markkanen and Coby White don’t step up. The Bulls could be a playoff team in the next few years, but for now they fall down here.
24: Charlotte Hornets (12th in East)
Potential Starters: Devonte’ Graham, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, P.J. Washington, Cody Zeller
The Hornets could be surprisingly decent this year. Their roster looks ok. Their young core is pretty good, with Graham, Washington, Miles Bridges, and LaMelo Ball all having great upside. But they won’t be good this year, just decent. They might be fun to watch. We’ll see. I just think that their roster is good enough to win some games in the East.
The Kings actually have a high upside as a young team. They just won’t be anywhere near that upside this year. The Kings just simply aren’t good enough to be competitive. De’Aaron Fox is a top young point guard, and Marvin Bagley still has high potential. Buddy Hield is a good player. But Sacramento will finish in the lottery again in 2021.
If the Spurs kept this roster all year, then they could compete for a spot in the play-in tournament. But I highly doubt they will. The young guys San Antonio has are really good. Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Lonnie Walker are all great backcourt guys, and Devin Vassell has some upside too (especially in the Spurs development system). They don’t have a bad roster, but they will be very mid this year until they trade DeMar and LaMarcus, which means they can then enter rebuild mode.
27: Cleveland Cavaliers (13th in East)
Potential Starters: Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro, Kevin Love, Andre Drummond
The Cavalier’s roster actually isn’t that bad. Drummond is a top ten center, Collin Sexton is a bucket, and Kevin Love is still a good player too (though he’d be a lot more valuable for a competitive team). I wouldn’t be that surprised if the Cavs made a run at the play-in tournament this year. They just don’t have the depth or the All-Star to make them a lock for that 10th spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons have some decent young players. But why the heck would they throw the back at role players like Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee? Best case scenario, they trade those veterans for draft capital mid season. But if they don’t, then the Pistons made a big mistake for using roster spots on veterans instead of young guys. The only reason they won’t completely suck is because of those veterans, but if the Pistons want a high lottery pick next year, then winning some games isn’t what they will want.
29: New York Knicks (15th in East)
Potential Starters: Elfrid Payton, R.J. Barrett, Kevin Knox, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson
The Knicks suck. The young guys they have never pan out because they can’t develop players. My example is how New York killed Dennis Smith Jr.’s career. They will be awful again this year. Obi Toppin will probably be a bright spot. I don’t have much else to say.
30: Oklahoma City Thunder (15th in West)
Potential Starters: George Hill, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, Al Horford
Taking the last spot on this list is the OKC Thunder. They will be terrible in the short term. But in the long term, OKC will be better. Their roster is full of young guys who could be something. They also own a buttload of draft picks. So OKC has a pretty bright future, but they will be the worst team in the NBA this season.
Rudy Gobert just got a big-time bag. 5 years, $205 million. That’s the largest contract ever for a big man. Did he deserve it? No! Rudy Gobert is an overappreciated player. He’s the fifth best center in the NBA going into the season (behind Jokic, Embiid, KAT, and Bam), and he could fall lower than that this year (DeAndre Ayton is coming for that spot). He’s not even the best player on his team. So how did he earn this contract?
I guess the Jazz just felt forced to pay him. After he declined a max extension and demanded the supermax, the Jazz must have went into panic mode. Rudy Gobert isn’t a superstar by any extent (he’s not even a defensive superstar. His elite interior presence isn’t enough to make him a top five defender due to his lack of perimeter defense. He shouldn’t have more than one DPOYs), but he is still an All-Star player that you want to keep around. But that doesn’t mean he’s worth one of the biggest contracts in the NBA. He’ll be making the most money in year five of the extension (almost $47 million). He’ll be 33 at that time. I highly doubt Rudy will be as good then as he is now, so backloading the contract was even stupider than giving him the deal in the first place.
So, who is worth the supermax? How many players are worth contracts that take up 35% of a team’s salary cap? Well, only teams that drafted a player (or traded for a player while they were on their rookie deal) can offer that player a supermax, rewarding loyalty. You also have to have won an MVP in the last three years, or All-NBA/DPOY in the most recent season. Therefore only a certain few players are eligible for a supermax. Here’s a list of players (in no particular order) on a supermax (no player is eligible that hasn’t recieved one), and my thoughts on if they’re worth it or not.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Ona supermax)- Giannis just recently signed his supermax extension with the Bucks, which is also the biggest in NBA history. Is he worth it? Yes. A player who’s already won two MVPs and a DPOY at the age of 26 is most definitely worth that type of contract. He’s not the best player in the NBA, but he could be in a few years.
Stephen Curry (On)- Top 2 point guard ever and the best in the league right now? Best shooter ever? Only unanimous MVP ever? Obviously he’s worth the supermax. It would be disrespectful to Steph if the Warriors didn’t pay him, after all he’s done for their organization.
James Harden (On)- The NBA’s leading scorer for three years straight? One time MVP, and top three in voting four other times? Number one in win shares for the last five years? An offensive genius, and one of the best scorers ever? The Beard is a supermax player. Harden did so much for Houston that he had to get paid. Now, as Harden looks for a trade, the supermax makes it hard to move him.
Damian Lillard (On)- Damian Lillard is a supermax player in my eyes, but he’s not an obvious guy like Giannis, Curry, and Harden. Dame has had a great career with Portland, and has been super loyal, so Portland rewarded him with a supermax extension. The reason why I would question Lillard as a supermax player is the winning. Portland has always been competitive, but they haven’t made the Finals throughout Lillard’s whole career. But Lillard is still a top two point guard, and is deserving of the contract he’s on.
Russell Westbrook (On)- I have Russell Westbrook as the 20th best player for 2021 on my top 100 ranking. Is the 20th best player in the NBA worth a supermax? Nope. At the time he got paid, it could be justified, as he was coming off his MVP season. But now, Russell Westbrook his highly overpaid. He’s paid like a guy who could be a number one player on a championship team, which he isn’t. My opinion is that Russell Westbrook isn’t good enough to play the way he does. He’s extremely ball dominant. I am sure that the Wizards would rather have Westbrook than Wall at this point, but the Wizards are still in a bad cap situation for a team that will be a bottom playoff seed.
John Wall (On)- John Wall is not worth a supermax contract at this point, and it’s quite obvious. He wasn’t even really worth it when he got paid. It’s not his fault, of course, because you can’t blame him for the injuries. It’s just unfortunate that he’s getting paid this much because he’s not worth it.
That’s everybody. Not many guys are eligible with all the player movement nowadays. If any player could be offered a supermax at any time, here are some other players I would say are worthy of the big bag:
LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, Luka Doncic
Luka likely won’t switch teams for a while unless something bad happens in Dallas where he wants out, so he’ll be eligible at some point in his career. The other guys I listed won’t ever get one because they’ve switched teams.
In conclusion, you have to be really good to receive a supermax. The requirements help with that a little bit so $200 million isn’t just getting thrown at some random All-Star, but they don’t really represent what a true supermax player is. A guy has to be truly special to really deserve the supermax. But as the salary cap increases and average contracts do too, expect every eligible player to receive the bag. After all, who doesn’t want to make $200+ million dollars to play basketball?
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