Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is the choice for Most Valuable Player one-third of the way through the 2022/23 NBA season, Nekias Duncan of BasketballNews.com argues in an early-season award ballot. Tatum is averaging over 30 points, eight rebounds, and four assists per game with terrific shooting numbers and is a candidate for an All-Defensive spot on the other end of the floor, according to Duncan, who contends that doing all that for the NBA’s best team makes the MVP award Tatum’s to lose.
Duncan also checks in on the NBA’s other award races, selecting Bucks center Brook Lopez as the top candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, Magic forward Paolo Banchero as the early Rookie of the Year frontrunner, and Bucks forward/center Bobby Portis as his Sixth Man of the Year choice, among others.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Which teams should be throwing in the towel on 2022/23 and focusing on next year’s draft? John Hollinger of The Athletic breaks down the potential tankers, ranging from the “pull the plug already” group (the Pistons and Hornets) to the “one injury away” tier, which includes playoff hopefuls like the Heat, Mavericks, and Raptors.
- A panel of SI.com basketball writers – including Howard Beck, Chris Mannix, and Chris Herring – prepared for NBA trade season by identifying a player they expect to be moved, picking an intriguing team to watch, and naming a trade they’d like to see happen this season. Three of the five panelists pointed to a Bradley Beal deal as one they’re hoping for, even if it’s probably unlikely in the first season of his five-year contract with the Wizards.
- Michael Pina of The Ringer poses and explores nine questions related to the trade market, including whether the league-wide parity we’ve seen so far this season will catalyze or stifle negotiations. Like those SI.com writers, Pina would welcome some action on the Beal front, referring to the union between the All-Star guard and the Wizards as “the most frustrating dead-end relationship in the entire NBA.”
No tanking this year, the boss said so.
If the Pelican finishes first in the West, Zion gets it.
He’d certainly be in the conversation, he has been the most dependable player on the Pelicans so far. If things hold as they are though I’d still go with Tatum or Antetokounmpo with an edge towards Tatum as Antetokounmpo has already won it twice. Each has excelled on both ends of the floor and are on contending teams.
While I do think the Pelicans are a contender to come out of the West, Zion often gets exposed on defense.
Funny, how is Tatum according to someone I’ve never heard of “defending well enough to be in discussion for an All-Defensive team selection”?
(He isn’t).
He’s +1.1 in EPM defensively. tied for 15th best rtg in the league behind 59 other players including several of his Celtics teammates.
Compare actual MVP front runner Giannis who outscores, outrebounds, and outassists Tatum, and is #12 defensively.
Probably based off Giannis game vs GSW the other night where he missed all but 1 jump shot.
I’m not arguing who deserves it more since I haven’t seen a single Boston game, but there’s a problem when a guy who can’t shoot insists on chucking up 14 jumpers (I believe that was the total, and he made the final attempt), including at least a handful of 3 pointers. Just a theory.
It isn’t going to happen but Jokic should again be in the MVP discussion. One game back of first in the West, averaging a triple double and hasn’t even been playing hard yet. We’re spoilt in this era of basketball. So many amazing players.
He’s at 4 on nba.com ladder.
There’s always been amazing players but I definitely love the way the game has grown
And the Nuggets have been playing really well even with Murray not quite himself yet coming off the ACL injury and MPJ missing a dozen games or so. Definitely has to be in the conversation.
Young Bol running away with the Monta Ellis Most Improved Player award.. link to m.youtube.com
Tanking is a front office thing, and first and foremost an off season thing.
DET, ORL, CHA, IND, HOU, SAS, OKC and UTH are all tankers this year. IND and UTH may have played well – so far – but both were projected lottery teams and neither FO has made significant moves since in (or since) this past offseason that was designed to make the team better on the court (what used to be their job). Until that happens, they’re tanking. Of course, other teams may join them, but, in most cases anyway, tanking is best done from the start of a year.
My predictions
MVP – Giannas
DPOY – Evan Mobley
6th man – Russ
Rookie – Paolo Banchero
Most improved – Bol Bol
MVP race IMO is…
1/ AD
2/ Jokic
3/ Embiid
4/ Luka
5/ KD
Beal will never get traded because ownership is not interested in fielding a winner, otherwise they would’ve never given him that insane supermax. Same as it has always been in recent memory. The Wizards are stuck in the purgatory of mediocrity. They should embrace the tank, but probably won’t.