Playoff MVP Race: Khris Middleton making strides

HoopsHype ranks the Top 15 players in the 2020-21 NBA Playoff MVP Race, with Khris Middleton making his debut on the list.

With the 2021 NBA Finals fast approaching and a new superstar guaranteed to get their first ring this year, the playoff MVP race has never been so hotly contested.

This week, we even have a proven All-Star playing for arguably the top contender remaining making his debut in this ranking series.

Below, check out the latest part of our playoff MVP series, as voted on by our team of writers.

2010 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been

Injuries and certain players failing to live up to expectations turned the 2010 class into one of the weaker ones in the last decade.

The 2010 NBA Draft had some serious potential, but injuries and certain players flat-out failing to live up to expectations turned that class into one of the weaker ones in the last decade.

Currently, just one player drafted in 2010 can be considered a legitimate star, and that’s Paul George, who was drafted 10th overall by the Indiana Pacers.

John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, taken first and fifth that draft respectively, were at that level when healthy, but both have been injured for quite some time – and there are legitimate questions about whether or not they’ll ever find that elite form again.

Besides those three, Gordon HaywardEric Bledsoe and Derrick Favors have also turned into very productive pros, as has Hassan Whiteside, who fell to the second round that draft.

Below, we re-draft the 2010 class the way it should have gone.

2009 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been

The 2009 NBA Draft possessed some serious firepower, though, in hindsight, it wasn’t selected in the proper order.

The 2009 NBA Draft possessed some serious firepower, though, in hindsight, it wasn’t selected in the proper order.

The actual No. 1 pick that year, Blake Griffin, has enjoyed a very successful career, including five All-NBA selections, but injuries have prevented him from reaching an even higher level. What’s more, that year’s No. 2 and No. 4 picks, Hasheem Thabeet and Tyreke Evans, aren’t even in the NBA anymore, though for very different reasons.

Thabeet being taken over James Harden, a future league MVP, and Evans being taken over Stephen Curry, a league-changing talent and two-time MVP, are borderline indefensible decisions a decade later.

Below, we re-draft the 2009 class the way it should have gone.

Playoff MVP Race: Despite elimination, Kevin Durant takes top spot (for now)

HoopsHype ranks the Top 15 players in the 2020-21 NBA Playoff MVP Race, with Kevin Durant taking the top spot this week despite elimination.

With the Atlanta Hawks joining the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks in the Conference Finals, we have adjusted our MVP rankings, just maybe not in the way you might think.

That’s because a player who was recently eliminated just took the top spot in our aggregate ranking, despite the fact we won’t be seeing him again until, reportedly, the Olympics.

Below, check out the latest part of our playoff MVP series, as voted on by our team of writers.

2007 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been

The 2007 NBA draft will be remembered mostly for what happened with the top two picks when the Portland Trail Blazers passed on Kevin Durant in favor of Greg Oden. KD will go down as one of the best scorers basketball has ever seen and a multi-time …

The 2007 NBA draft will be remembered mostly for what happened with the top two picks when the Portland Trail Blazers passed on Kevin Durant in favor of Greg Oden. KD will go down as one of the best scorers basketball has ever seen and a multi-time champion while Oden’s career lasted just three seasons due to injuries.

That year’s class also featured one of the biggest steals in second-round history, Marc Gasol, who went No. 48 overall and would go on to become an eventual champion, Defensive Player of the Year and 1st Team All-NBA member.

Besides Durant and Gasol, the 2007 draft was pretty weak in star talent, as Joakim Noah and Al Horford were the only other selections who’d go on to post special careers.

Below, we re-draft the 2007 class.

Playoff MVP Race: Devin Booker moving up fast

HoopsHype ranks the Top 15 players in the 2020-21 NBA Playoff MVP Race, with Devin Booker entering the Top 5 for the first time this week.

With one team already qualified for the conference finals, and the other three series looking pretty evenly matched for the most part, the time has come for another installment of our weekly Playoff MVP Race series.

This will feature both players still alive in the hunt for a championship and a few who have already been eliminated, with the former grouping obviously getting a bit of an advantage when it comes to their spot in the ranking.

Below, check out the latest part of our playoff MVP series, as voted on by our team of writers.

Playoff MVP Race: Devin Booker moving up fast

HoopsHype ranks the Top 15 players in the 2020-21 NBA Playoff MVP Race, with Devin Booker entering the Top 5 for the first time this week.

With one team already qualified for the conference finals, and the other three series looking pretty evenly matched for the most part, the time has come for another installment of our weekly Playoff MVP Race series.

This will feature both players still alive in the hunt for a championship and a few who have already been eliminated, with the former grouping obviously getting a bit of an advantage when it comes to their spot in the ranking.

Below, check out the latest part of our playoff MVP series, as voted on by our team of writers.

Playoff MVP Race: Kawhi Leonard the inaugural No. 1

HoopsHype ranks the Top 15 players in the 2020-21 NBA Playoff MVP Race, led by Kawhi Leonard in the first edition of the new series.

The 2020-21 NBA playoffs have started off with a bang.

One team is already eliminated, and they were the Eastern Conference champions last year. (If we were doing a Not-Playoff-MVP ranking, that team would feature two players at the top of the list.)

Another franchise has already clawed back from a 2-0 series deficit after both losses took place at home.

The Western Conference champions, meanwhile, suffered two major blows this weekend, losing a crucial Game 4 as well as potentially one of their two best players.

Regardless, today, we begin a new series in which we rank the Top 15 players in the Playoff MVP race, as voted on by all of our writers.

Let’s jump right in.

2004 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been

The 2004 NBA draft wasn’t a completely weak one per se, but it did feature merely two players who would make at least one All-NBA team in their careers, and they were Dwight Howard and Al Jefferson. Besides Howard, the 2004 class didn’t produce …

The 2004 NBA draft wasn’t a completely weak one per se, but it did feature merely two players who would make at least one All-NBA team in their careers, and they were Dwight Howard and Al Jefferson.

Besides Howard, the 2004 class didn’t produce another superstar, though it did have some decent depth. Among the solid players who enjoyed long careers drafted that year: Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, Jameer Nelson, Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza and Devin Harris.

Below, we re-draft the 2004 class in the order we believe they should have gone.

2003 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been

In the running for one of the greatest classes in NBA history, the 2003 NBA Draft class featured multiple future Hall-of-Famers and various excellent role players. Among the legends taken in the 2003 class: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony …

In the running for one of the greatest classes in NBA history, the 2003 NBA Draft class featured multiple future Hall-of-Famers and various excellent role players.

Among the legends taken in the 2003 class: LeBron JamesDwyane WadeCarmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh, all taken within the top five selections. The fifth player to go in the Top 5, however, Darko Milicic, will go down as one of the worst picks in draft history considering the players who went directly after him.

Besides those top-notch players, the 2003 class also included many super solid role players, including Kyle KorverDavid WestChris KamanMo WilliamsJosh HowardKirk HinrichNick Collison and Luke Ridnour.

Below, we re-draft the 2003 draft class in the order we think they should have gone in.