Top pick Paolo Banchero has missed some games due to an ankle sprain but the top pick of the draft still leads ESPN Jonathan Givony’s rookie power rankings (Insider link). The Magic forward was averaging 21.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game entering the week. The sixth overall pick, the Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin, sits in second place while averaging 18.5 points off the bench. Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (15.9 points, 4.3 assists) holds the No. 3 spot.
We have more NBA-related info:
- Celtics forward Jayson Tatum tops USA Today/Gannett staffers’ early-season Most Valuable Player ratings, propelled by Boston’s strong start. Tatum entered Monday’s action ranked fifth in the league in scoring (30.7). Former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo holds the runner-up spot with the Suns’ Devin Booker in third place.
- Negotiating the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the first time, National Basketball Players Association executive director Tamika Tremaglio is leaning on players agents to determine the best course of action, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal reports. Tremaglio has reached out to all NBPA-certified agents for advice and is having frequent discussions with the most influential agents. One likely point of contention is the NBA’s desire for a stronger upper limit on player salaries, which some agents view as a hard cap.
- Traveling calls are piling up, culminating in 13 such turnovers during the Cavaliers–Knicks game on Sunday. Carrying and palming calls are also on the rise. “My job as the head coach — for lack of a better description — of our team, is to make sure that the rule book is being enforced,” the NBA’s senior vice president of referee development and training, Monty McCutchen, said to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “And when we emphasize traveling and sequencing and it picks up another part of footwork, then it needs to be adjudicated properly.”
They need to crack down on carrying and traveling.
It’s hard enough at that level to guard a LEGAL move.
Practically impossible to guard an illegal one.
I know they want scoring up but damn, don’t let the game become a mockery of real basketball.
If they start calling carrying on Doncic I’ll believe it’s legit. Otherwise, it’s just another way for selective calls by refs to impact which team wins.
Tatum has it for now and rightly so, but as per always as the season winds down it’ll be more about the narrative.
The argument will be, If you take Tatum away from the Celtics they are still a really good side. Smart Brown Brogdan Grant and Rob Will Horford Derrick White. Whereas the bucks without Giannas I don’t think are nearly as good.
But there will also be the talk, but Celtics lost their head coach that took them to the finals and all that drama. And the bucks argument will be, but Giannas didn’t have Middleton his second best player and was right behind the Celtics. If Tatum didn’t have Brown the Celtics would be far worse off.
Then it’ll be about legacy and Tatum getting his first at MVP at 24, the same age of Bron MJ and Ginny’s getting their first. Destined for greatness blah blah blah. But for Giannis it’ll be his third MVP at 27, more than other all time PFs like Duncan and Karl Malone and tied now with Magic and Larry. Can he catch Bron on 4 or MJ on 5?? Where does that rank him all time? Is he top 10?
It’s the MVP most valuable player and I think Ginnas to the bucks is more valuable than Tatum. I think Giannas is a better player than Tatum and I think Giannis narrative at the end of the season will be the stronger.
You’re correct that it’s the prevailing narrative, but don’t make the mistake of thinking the definition of the phrase “most valuable” means what it says.
The league intentionally didn’t give a clear definition or criteria so the voters can vote for the prevailing narrative in a given season. Sometimes, it’s “the player with the best stats”, like Westbrook or Jokic, other times it’s “best player on the team with the best record”.
And people tell me todays players are more skilled
Take away the illegal stuff they do and see how the games go. Next stop call Carrie’s and watch how so called great ball handlers are suddenly turnover machines
Don’t matter, they didn’t call carries and travelling back then and they won’t call it now. Jordan, Iverson and Hardaway all were prolific with simple ball handling violations.
Except they are calling it a lot more this season, but sadly not on some of the major offenders.
MVP race is…
1/ AD
2/ Luka
3/ Jokic
JT, Giannis & Booker are just the 3 best players of the 3 best teams, nothing to do with the MVP award!!!
AD has to keep it up over a longer period of time for keeping to truly consider him the leagues MVP.
Lately, yeah, he has been killing it, but I just cannot trust him to maintain this kind of production for any lengthy period of time. When I watch AD, it’s like I almost expect him to come down from a dunk or a rebound limping or grabbing at his back at any moment…
I really hope I’m wrong, because just like Zion, him and AD are ALL-WORLD talents when they’re healthy, and they are two games changers for their respective teams.
However, both are going to have to prove they can stay healthy, before I can really get behind them for any awards..
How is Luka Doncic not the runaway MVP, or atleast mentioned? Wilt Chamberlain/Larry Bird syndrome. The media will say he was good 10-20 years after he retires. But never qualify him as one of the greats. In Wilts case the greatest that ever played.
Luka hasn’t proved his worth yet, plus zero D results in zero MVPs.
Yes he’s carried the Mavs to some good PO runs but his stats are bloated on a lotto team without him. Imagine JT, Steph etc numbers without their Brown, Klay 2nds etc they’d be Harden 18/19 level(he didn’t win MVP that year and still had good D). even Jordan won nothing until he shared the ball with Pippen. Defensive, even Harden had near 1 block & 3 steals in his MVP season. And Stephs 1st was because they had one of the best team seasons in league history.
Either best player on best team, or best overall league player, Luka is neither, yet.
Booker was the 3rd mentioned in the article,(GA,Tatum,Booker) and he is one of the worst defensive players in the league practically. Luka is more valuable than GA or Booker in my opinion. I am not decided on Tatum yet, as this is his first season wowing me. He was good before, but the team & he have stepped up their game even from last seasons successful run. Kevin Durant has been More imprwssive than GA or Booker in my opinion also. Steph Curry has been pretty good too. Anthony Davis can runaway with it if he plays the rest of the season like last week, but he has to have more than 50 games played at that level to be considered, so he is way out of the conversation at this point. Missed too many games to start the season. Luka’s defense is better than Curry’s. By a fairly large margin, and Curry won an MVP? Lebron James has received several also for his awful defensive ability.
Again it’s based more on team performance than individual talent. It’s no surprise Book and JT are the current picks. the two best players on the best teams in the east and west so far. Shocker!
Giannis is by far the best player this year, on both offence and D. He may be looking at MVP&DPOTY. He’s playing better than his MVP seasons w/ 31-11-6 with defensive lockdown. He’s the first anyone would take on their team including me. Followed by Tatum the Luka. That don’t make them the best in the league. It makes them the best players to put a team around.
If any of the top players played for Mavs RN they’d be putting up 40+ Along with 10+ easy boards off poor shots and 10+ assist of passing to open players off double teams.
I love Luka as I stated above. But until he can prove he’s a top guy and not eating up stats on an average team, he won’t be MVP or a champ. Only reason they got to WCF was because Jazz were disjointed and Suns had an injury hit implosion, Plus Bruson playing his way to the Knicks contract.
Luka will be the top guy, just not yet. Don’t forget he still young and hasn’t hit prime yet. He’ll get better, then justify his top guys status. I’m sure he’ll get the players, get gold and win MVP in his career but he’s not there yet. Stats can be deceiving.
Then it isn’t an MVP award, its an MVT award. New Orleans deserves the MVT award as a team since no one player stands out on the roster, and the team is successful. I have disagreed with the vetting process of the winners of this award since its inception, and disagree with the qualifying criteria used season in & out. Pretty much my point for why excluding Doncic is acceptable. The best player in the NBA currently in my opinion. (Unless Anthony Davis keeps it up) I don’t love Doncic or anything, (not that type of fan) but he is the most skilled player on the floor usually.
Based on the current Booker/Tatum. Yea you’re right, And agreed with Pels. but if it was “MVP” Luka would still be behind JT Giannis and a couple others. Because of points already stated previously.
It was the same thing with ROY last year. Being a rockets fan, I still think Cade or Mobley were robbed because of team stats. And the whole Simmons argument of “F*** Green put herb Jones in because his team is doing well”.
But I get your view. And honestly I’d love Luka, but I have to be realistic, his numbers look good but it’s only a small percentage of the story of him as a player and how good he truly is, and it’s no knock on him, get your numbers kid, But he still has some way to go to justify his level. If any star becomes available Mavs should move anything not named Luka. Mortgage your draft for 10 years. That seems to do it lately.
Seems like Chicago is gonna be looking to sell in the near future. Derozan in Dallas would be a plus+ for Dallas. Even Caruso, and Dragic would bolster the Mavs.
Not a bad take. If I’m mavs I’d rather try for Lavine if they blow it up. But Demar is a good 2-way player who is one of the best inside the arc shooters of all time.
If not they could try for Lauri from Jazz or Kuz/Beal from wiz. Any of these guys would be better contributors.
But first point of call is bringing 20-10 CWood off the bench!!!
Lavine has me a little uneasy. Its not his fault he scored 40+ and the team lost, but his lack of cutting, whether that’s utilizing screens, or going to the hole off the dribble has me nervous about his future. Lavine is a fantastic shooter, and is capable of Hardaway Jr. #’s the rest of his career if he declines more physically, but the 40 million is a big commitment. I’d throw that at Beal if I had the option. Beal, Kuzma, Gafford, Markannen, Ivica Zubac, Derozan any & all would give Doncic some cushion. For once…
The only reason you should feel uneasy would be because of his injury worries. But as a contributor he’s a perfect 2nd as would be Beal, the issue with Beal again is his injury record the bigger, huge, massive contract and his age, (seems they didn’t learn their lesson with Wall). Between the two I’d take Lavine over Beal. But all the others mentioned, all can contribute and would probably look good along side Luka as long as he shares the love.
Wilt Chamberlain was the greatest individual player of all time. 50 ppg season/100 points in one game/highest mpg player for a season at 48.5/only center to lead the league in assists/most 50+ games in career/highest vertical at 49”/probably the best shot blocker ever/
AD
Giannis
JT
Steph
In that order, if the season ended today and it was based on the “player” and not the “team”. AD has been the best on both ends of the floor especially when you factor efficiency etc. Giannis is close behind again for his 2 way performance not just scoring. JT just isn’t on par defensive, Yes he’s very good but the other 2 are miles ahead and Although Steph is arguably playing some of his best ball, the others are playing better.
But again they have based it on the player on the best team. Nothing against that. But on player performance AD pips it. As painful as it is to praise a Laker RN.
Hon mentions would be SGA, Booker, Jokic, Luka & Embiid but the others are just playing better RN. Before Luka homers kick off, he has no idea what D is. Just a stat packer without having to share.
I agree traveling and palming.