2021-2022 Around the NBA Thread

[Scoot26]

Also, people are talking Jokic and Embiid for MVP. No doubt they are deserving but I really think it should go to Booker. Best record in the league. His stat line plus top notch defense. CP3 goes out. Booker just adapts. The guy went from a walking bucket to a walking everything.

Booker just recently entered the conversation in the Top 10. But I don't think he wins MVP.

Booker has some problems with efficiency that voters are going to count against him. While voters love to pick the MVP from the team with the best record, they're unlikely to pick Booker. While I don't ever watch Phoenix, I can't go by an eye test such as you may be using, I can only look at stat lines. He basically looks like a scorer who has somewhat improved his defense this season.

His advanced metrics are:
PER: 21.4 (23rd)
WS/48: .158 (33rd)
BPM: 4.0 (T-21st)
VORP: 3.3 (T-17th)

Meanwhile a few of his peers in the MVP voting race:
Jokic
PER: 32.7 (1st)
WS/48: .288 (1st)
BPM: 13.8 (1st)
VORP: 9.1 (1st)

Greek:
PER: 32.2 (2nd)
WS/48: .288 (2nd)
BPM: 11.2 (2nd)
VORP: 6.7 (2nd)

Embiid:
PER: 31.1 (3rd)
WS/48: .254 (5th)
BPM: 9.5 (3rd)
VORP: 5.9 (3rd)

Luka:
PER: 24.1 (10th)
WS/48: .144 (45th)
BPM: 7.8 (4th)
VORP: 5.1 (4th)

The only category he beats any of these players is Luka in WS/48.

 

[Scoot26]

Warriors have been playing terribly. Their defense has fallen apart. They are a streaky team

Their defense still ranks 2nd in the league. Their offense has taken a huge hit it more so seems like.

Warriors are 1-6 since Curry went out.

 

[knoxville7]

Cause the guy is right there. His month of march has been outstanding. Dude is a problem and just turned 24

He’s a good player, I get it. I just remember you declaring him “arrived” back in the playoff bubble, then he and the Celtics got punked by jimmy butler and the heat. Not saying Tatum can’t end up a superstar, hes still plenty young obviously

 

[Scoot26]

He’s a good player, I get it. I just remember you declaring him “arrived” back in the playoff bubble, then he and the Celtics got punked by jimmy butler and the heat. Not saying Tatum can’t end up a superstar, hes still plenty young obviously

Tatum has shown flashes for years, but never puts a full season together. He, like Booker, also has efficiency issues.

If we're talking advanced metrics, he's a better pick for MVP than Booker though.

20th in PER, 26th in WS/48, 15th in BPM, and 6th in VORP.

 

[SilenceS]

He’s a good player, I get it. I just remember you declaring him “arrived” back in the playoff bubble, then he and the Celtics got punked by jimmy butler and the heat. Not saying Tatum can’t end up a superstar, hes still plenty young obviously

That bubble was a shame in many ways. lol

Booker just recently entered the conversation in the Top 10. But I don't think he wins MVP.

Booker has some problems with efficiency that voters are going to count against him. While voters love to pick the MVP from the team with the best record, they're unlikely to pick Booker. While I don't ever watch Phoenix, I can't go by an eye test such as you may be using, I can only look at stat lines. He basically looks like a scorer who has somewhat improved his defense this season.

His advanced metrics are:
PER: 21.4 (23rd)
WS/48: .158 (33rd)
BPM: 4.0 (T-21st)
VORP: 3.3 (T-17th)

Meanwhile a few of his peers in the MVP voting race:
Jokic
PER: 32.7 (1st)
WS/48: .288 (1st)
BPM: 13.8 (1st)
VORP: 9.1 (1st)

Greek:
PER: 32.2 (2nd)
WS/48: .288 (2nd)
BPM: 11.2 (2nd)
VORP: 6.7 (2nd)

Embiid:
PER: 31.1 (3rd)
WS/48: .254 (5th)
BPM: 9.5 (3rd)
VORP: 5.9 (3rd)

Luka:
PER: 24.1 (10th)
WS/48: .144 (45th)
BPM: 7.8 (4th)
VORP: 5.1 (4th)

The only category he beats any of these players is Luka in WS/48.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1507376362121834501

 

[clonetrooper264]

Ja and Jackson didnt' play for Memphis either.

Bane did play, but Jackson Jr didn't, so same difference I guess. Like I said, wouldn't have changed the outcome much if Warriors guys were playing anyway.

 

[Scoot26]

Bane did play, but Jackson Jr didn't, so same difference I guess. Like I said, wouldn't have changed the outcome much if Warriors guys were playing anyway.

I edited my post.

 

[Scoot26]

That bubble was a shame in many ways. lol

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1507376362121834501

Should have linked me to the statmuse tweet, not Isiah Thomas's weird obsessive push for Devin Booker for MVP.

 

[knoxville7]

That bubble was a shame in many ways. lol

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1507376362121834501

I’m afraid Boston losing Williams will keep the Celtics and Tatum from shining too much in the playoffs

 

[knoxville7]

Should have linked me to the statmuse tweet, not Isiah Thomas's weird obsessive push for Devin Booker for MVP.

It’s gotta be Embiid this year

 

[SilenceS]

It’s gotta be Embiid this year

I dont have a problem with that or Jokic. It was just weird to me until recently people were ignoring what he was doing out there. But, it seems as a whole, the Suns arent talked about much. They just go in and win.

 

[SilenceS]

I’m afraid Boston losing Williams will keep the Celtics and Tatum from shining too much in the playoffs

I like to see how their defense looks. They are long and can switch with bodies to match. Williams is a blow, soi it will be interesting.

 

[knoxville7]

I dont have a problem with that or Jokic. It was just weird to me until recently people were ignoring what he was doing out there. But, it seems as a whole, the Suns arent talked about much. They just go in and win.

I think why Booker didn’t gain traction despite the suns still rolling without Paul, is because when Paul went down…the suns were already running away with the league standings. So there was never any real threat to them dropping in the standings when Paul went down. That’s my opinion at least

 

[Scoot26]

It’s gotta be Embiid this year

Likely. Statistically it's Jokic, but Denver sitting pretty much locked in at #6 doesn't help.

Philly managing to snag the #1 seed would help voters decision though. The voters do have a love of the team that sits at #1. They don't always pick that though. I just think there is enough against Booker for him not to get the nod. I am still not sure there is any real clear cut MVP this season as I don't really see anyone running away with first place votes.

But to look at this .800 winning percentage thing... So that on the season is 66 wins or more. There are not many teams in NBA history to actually accomplish that.

And of those that did, and did not have the MVP:
-2016-17 Warriors, who had Curry and Durant, who just missed having being in the 5 apg/rpg requirement. MVP instead went to Russell Westbrook on the 6th seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
-2015-16 Spurs, who had Kawhi Leonard, who did not come close to averaging 25/5/5. MVP went to Curry who led the 73-9 Warriors.
-2007-08 Celtics, who had KG, Pierce, Ray Allen, none of whom came close to average 25/5/5. Kobe won MVP with better numbers than anyone on the Celtics.
-1996-97 Bulls, who had Jordan. Voters narrowly gave this award to Karl Malone because they wanted Jordan to take it personally.
And that looks like that's it. The other 14 instances all have MVPs.

 

[knoxville7]

Likely. Statistically it's Jokic, but Denver sitting pretty much locked in at #6 doesn't help.

Philly managing to snag the #1 seed would help voters decision though. The voters do have a love of the team that sits at #1. They don't always pick that though. I just think there is enough against Booker for him not to get the nod. I am still not sure there is any real clear cut MVP this season as I don't really see anyone running away with first place votes.

But to look at this .800 winning percentage thing... So that on the season is 66 wins or more. There are not many teams in NBA history to actually accomplish that.

And of those that did, and did not have the MVP:
-2016-17 Warriors, who had Curry and Durant, who just missed having being in the 5 apg/rpg requirement. MVP instead went to Russell Westbrook on the 6th seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
-2015-16 Spurs, who had Kawhi Leonard, who did not come close to averaging 25/5/5. MVP went to Curry who led the 73-9 Warriors.
-2007-08 Celtics, who had KG, Pierce, Ray Allen, none of whom came close to average 25/5/5. Kobe won MVP with better numbers than anyone on the Celtics.
-1996-97 Bulls, who had Jordan. Voters narrowly gave this award to Karl Malone because they wanted Jordan to take it personally.
And that looks like that's it. The other 14 instances all have MVPs.

Stats are only part of it. Joker has won it already. As we know, if it was truly about who the MVP of the league is…then Jordan and Lebron would of been MVP most years they were in the league

 

[Scoot26]

Stats are only part of it. Joker has won it already. As we know, if it was truly about who the MVP of the league is…then Jordan and Lebron would of been MVP most years they were in the league

Yeah I know stats are only part of it.

If I recall, Magic Johnson barely won those MVPs in 89 and 90. The Bulls were a bit down in 93, so Barkley winning that one isn't a surprise. 97 does just seem like a voter fatigue for Jordan. The Bulls went 69-13, better record than the Jazz.. Jordan was still the top player, yet they gave the MVP to Malone.

 

[Scoot26]

NBA MVP straw poll: Why the Joker could be getting a sequel

In the third and final edition of the 2021-22 NBA MVP straw poll, Nikola Jokic has flipped the script on Joel Embiid.

www.espn.com

To gauge where the race stands with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, ESPN asked 100 media members to participate in an informal poll that mimics the postseason awards voting. To make the balloting as realistic as possible, there were at least two voters from each of the league's 28 markets, as well as a cross section of national and international reporters. Votes were collected from Thursday to Saturday.

As with the NBA's official vote at the end of season, voters were asked to submit a five-player ballot, and results were tabulated using the league's scoring system: 10 points for each first-place vote, followed by seven points for second place, five points for third, three points for fourth and one point for fifth.

Jokic finished ahead of the pack with those 62 first-place votes and a total of 860 points, followed by Embiid, who had 29 first-place votes and 719 total points, and Antetokounmpo, who had nine first-place votes and 593 total points. They were the only players to be named to all 100 ballots and the only ones to receive a first-place vote.

 

[Scoot26]

Warriors have fallen to 4th in the West.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Will Kawhi every play again?

 

[Scoot26]

Will Kawhi every play again?

Next year.. Every other game.