Giannis Antetokounmpo was a runaway winner as the NBA’s best player in an ESPN poll of 15 coaches, scouts and executives. The Bucks star collected 11 votes, with three going to NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry and one to LeBron James. Antetokounmpo tied with Kevin Durant for the top spot in the survey last year.
“He’s healthy, you can put the ball in his hands or play off the ball as a screen-and-roll guy, and his defensive effectiveness,” a Western Conference scout in choosing Antetokounmpo. “I think Durant is the most talented guy because of his shooting and scoring ability, [but] Giannis’ will, the human, the winner, the mentality, the everyday effort, raising the effort of guys around him … it’s hard to top that.”
The 27-year-old Antetokounmpo was also projected to be the league’s best player in five years, narrowly edging Luka Doncic, and he won a tight race to be named MVP for the upcoming season. In other significant categories, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren tied as the best rookie in five years, Donovan Mitchell is almost unanimously expected to be with the Knicks by the trade deadline, the Celtics were picked as the team that had the best offseason and the Mavericks were tabbed as having the worst offseason.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA has revised its health and safety protocols relating to COVID-19 for the 2022/23 season, tweets Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Unvaccinated players will have to undergo coronavirus testing once each week, while vaccinated players will be tested only when they show symptoms. Isolation measures will be implemented immediately following a positive test, and face masks won’t be required in team settings.
- French center Victor Wembanyama and G League guard Scoot Henderson top the projected 2023 draft class, according to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype. “Wembanyama is a physical freak who plays like a guard that can hit step-back shots and handle the ball,” a general manager told Scotto. “His durability is a concern. He’s not Kristaps Porzingis. I think he’s more talented. Defensively, he’s like Evan Mobley. Offensively, he’s like Porzingis.”
- The Fort Wayne Mad Ants – the Pacers‘ G League affiliate – announced in a press release that they have picked up the returning player rights to David Stockton in a G League trade with the Memphis Hustle.
My mavs are getting hate for a successful off-season and I don’t get why. Obviously we lost Brunson, but he had a good playoff run and that’s it. Even last season I didn’t really care about him that much. He’s a solid 15ppg scorer but isn’t a secondary star and I think Christian Wood is a lot better. I was actually wishing we would trade Brunson for Wood at the deadline. Wood averaged 18 and 10 last year without any playmaking. We have arguably the best playmaker in the league in Luka, and next to him Wood could easily average 25 and 10, win Most Improved Player and make an all star appearance. We also got JaVale Mcgee who is one of the best backup centers in the NBA, which means he can easily be a good starter. And lastly we got a steal in Hardy who was the projected 2nd pick. We can easily compete even in such a stacked west with Luka being one of the best players in the NBA. I’m not saying we did anything too huge, but give us some credit ESPN.
Brunson averaged 20.7/7.5/3.9 without Luka during the regular season. He also averaged 32/5.3/5.3 without Luka in the series against the Jazz. Good luck getting that out of Christian Wood.
Overall I think the Mavs will be OK without Brunson, especially with Hardaway returning to help pick up some of Brunson’s scoring and Dinwiddie will help out with secondary playmaking but overall it’s a small step back.
Thier best bet to take the next step is the 2024 off-season when they can have $51 million in cap space if they so choose to throw at Jaylen Brown or Paskal Siakim.
It’s not ESPN not giving you credit. It’s the rest of the league. Who I also happen to agree with.
If Christian Wood was so great he wouldn’t be on his 3rd team. From everything you hear he’s not the greatest teammate and I don’t know why you think he’d be capable of putting up the same numbers Brunson did. He put 18 and 10 up on a Houston team that wasn’t great and didn’t have many options.
To be fair, a guy like Wood being on bad teams like the Pistons and Rockets probably did him no favors. Going to a good team with a head coach who is going to hold him accountable is either going to make or break him.
But if he does make it, there is no reason he cannot exceed or match those numbers as a possible #2 option this season. For one thing, his shooting is underrated, with many of his threes having been contested with the Rockets. That’s not going to be the case with Luka. It would not surprise me if he’s making 3 threes a game this season.
The start is likely going to be bumpy, but if he can keep his head on straight, his ego in check and bring playable defense (the biggest concern IMO) I think it can pay off big for the Mavs. And if not, the cost to get him wasn’t too high to begin with.
The Mavs had the second best offseson after the Wolves and Bulls.
You’re the gm of the new Las Vegas expansion team, which of these 7 talented youngsters do you take to build your team around, Tim Duncan 98, Giannis Antetokounmpo 14, Larry Bird 80, Luka Doncic 19, Stephen Curry 10, Kobe Bryant 97 or Victor Wembanyama 23? Rank a top3 if possible…
what are the numbers next to them?
The yr they came into the league. You’re getting the 1980 Bird, the 2023 Wembanyama & so on
ohhh ok. gotta be luka, duncan or kobe
Duncan 1a and maybe Bird 1b. Mostly because I saw Duncan in person and didn’t see Bird till maybe 89 at the earliest.
Then it’s a toss up between Victor and Luka, I’d probably go Luka as a guard he hit what we think is his early peak already, so if Vic takes a few years to get his offense off as a 1st option then I likely go Luka. But Vic is the truth. He’s the Chet/Mobley/Rudy hybrid
Rookie Steph and early Kobe weren’t ready for prime time.
Man you’re forgetting how great Steph was as a rookie. He was amazing. His supporting cast & coaching staff were subpar but he was great offensively… link to m.youtube.com .. also you’d have them for more than their rookie yr
I remember Duncan leading the break at Wake. He like Garnett would have had way more freedom in today’s game where bigs get more leeway for creation from coaches. Imagine KG being able to be the PnR ball handler 15 times a game as a young KG, like Simmons, Giannis and Joker get to do.
Idk about KG or Duncan handling the ball in p&r bro. Both those guys are so perfect as bigs. Seem like you’d be limiting their effectiveness using them as lead ballhandlers. Ben, Giannis are much better ballhandlers while Garnett/Duncan are much better in the low/high post area & as roll/pop bigs in p&r & p&p. If KG & Duncan were developed as guards from youth like Ben I could see them handling the ball like Ben/Magic & big guys like that but they both learned the game & were developed as post players & thats where they were strongest.
KG not Duncan. But Duncan handled way less than what could have been.
#1 Luka
#2 Bird
#3 Duncan
Duncan. Bird. And Luka by default.
Seriously? Not one vote for Jokic? I understand his defense isn’t as stellar as Giannis’, but he’s more versatile on offense
Jokic is definitely in the conversation of best player in the nba. No doubt about it. But when it comes to a single vote I can understand the runaway win for Giannis.
He’s just an incredible freak of nature with the length, yet ball handling ability of a guard. Jokic has size and ball handling ability and I don’t think anybody would be wrong by saying Jokic is the best player in the nba.
The reason why Curry received a couple of votes is the “latest shiny object” thing. Warriors just won the championship and Curry was out of this world amazing carrying the team to a couple of wins. Of course LeBron’s going to receive a vote because he’s in the conversation of Best Player all time.
The draft class is getting weaker every year. I’m glad to have witnessed the 1996 best all time draft.
Kids don’t have that hard work ethics no more. They want everything to be given to them while they play video games and date IG models. Ayton, Cade etc wouldn’t sniff the draft first round in 90’s.
yeah how dare have someone have an outside life and date people :0 they’re monsters fr
Like Kobe taking Brandy to the prom and then picking him own team in the draft then averaging single digits as a rookie, right. Damn kids, get off my virtual lawn in the metaverse.
So glad to have Giannis in Wisconsin, the man’s a class act and a great competitor.
Huge facts
i like comments like this there’s too much drama and stubborn opinions on this site so this was honestly refreshing to see
Beauchamp gets to learn from the best
ABCD!