In a media straw poll to replicate MVP voting, James Harden now ranks fourth behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic.
Despite historic scoring numbers at nearly 40 points per game, Houston Rockets star James Harden might not even be in the current top three of the media’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) race for the 2019-20 NBA season.
In an ESPN straw poll released Wednesday of 101 media members representing all local NBA markets, as well as national and international reporters, Harden ranked fourth in voting behind Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks; LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers; and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
In terms of first-place votes, Antetokounmpo had 48, followed by 29 for James, 14 for Doncic, and nine for Harden. The complete voting breakdown can be read in the ESPN story.
Giannis? Harden? LeBron? Luka? This year’s MVP race looks like it’ll be as competitive as any in history. So far, though, there’s a clear leader. How do we know? We asked the people who will determine the winner. Here are the results of our MVP straw poll: https://t.co/IH8AIHfJDG
It is unclear how many of the 101 media members polled will actually have MVP votes in the spring, but it does seem to capture the current sentiment with the 2019-20 season about a quarter of the way complete.
Both the Bucks and Lakers entered Wednesday with 18-3 records, which is several games better than Harden’s Rockets at 13-7. The “team success” factor is often a persuasive argument for many voters, as it seemed to be when Antetokounmpo (on the 60-22 Bucks) edged out Harden (on the 53-29 Rockets) in the 2018-19 MVP race.
But the Doncic-led Mavs entered Tuesday with an identical record to the Rockets, yet Doncic had a combined 39 first- or second-place votes from the panel, as compared to just 25 for Harden. Thus, it’s harder to explain that disparity strictly through the lens of team record.
The interesting part about this is how the media views Kawhi Leonard. Do we view him as Toronto Kawhi or what the future holds? Not sure he would be in my top 5 in the MVP conversation based on his first 16 games. The Harden ranking is stunning (I had him no. 1). https://t.co/ea90uo1vKN
Doncic is averaging 30.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 9.4 assists, while Harden is at 39.5 points, 7.8 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game. That 39.5 total would be the third-highest scoring season in league history, and the top mark since Wilt Chamberlain (44.8) back in 1962-63.
Now 30 years old, Harden won MVP in 2917-18 and has finished in the top two in voting after four of the last five seasons — which may contribute to voter fatigue about him. To that point, Rockets GM Daryl Morey has wondered aloud if voters will again “rob” Harden of the award.
Former MVP winner Russell Westbrook, who now stars alongside Harden in the Houston backcourt, recently suggested that media members were trying to “normalize” Harden’s historic numbers.
Russell Westbrook remains amazed by James Harden:
“A lot of people like to normalize greatness when you see it over and over again, but it’s not normal because there’s nobody else that can do it.” pic.twitter.com/KTnqmf0ncY
Fortunately for Harden and the Rockets, approximately three-quarters of the 2019-20 season remains to potentially change the current voting narrative. The easiest way for them to do that would be to win a higher percentage of games and potentially climb up the standings, which they’ll have a chance to do beginning with Thursday’s game at Toronto.
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. Which stars have stood out thus far?
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who are in the mix for the 2019-20 MVP award due to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
Joel Embiid creeps into our MVP rankings for the first time, as he has led the Philadelphia 76ers to a 15-6 record, and four straight victories. It’s interesting that this is finally the week Embiid has broken into our weekly ranking series, considering the fact that last Monday, he started the week off with the worst game of his career, going scoreless against the Toronto Raptors on 0-for-11 shooting. However, in the three games after that horrific performance, Embiid has averaged 30.7 points, 14.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while attempting nearly 15 free throws per contest. Perhaps his horrid showing against Toronto was the best thing that could have happened for Embiid/Philadelphia, since it has unlocked a new level of aggression from the supremely talented center. If he can maintain that level of play, he’ll continue to creep up our rankings as the season progresses, as well as help the Sixers win a whole lot of games.
After suffering a scary next injury last weekend, Kemba Walker bounced back wonderfully this week, dropping 39 points against the Brooklyn Nets in his first game back on Wednesday, and averaging 24.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists in the three outings since his return. Walker has helped push Boston to a 14-5 record this season not just with his All-Star-level play, but by being such a positive locker-room presence in the stead of the now-departed Kyrie Irving. Walker’s leadership has been huge for the Celtics, and head coach Brad Stevens has taken notice:
"He's one of the best leaders I've been around. He brings the most out of the guys he's playing with." – #Celtics Brad Stevens when asked about Kemba Walker's leadership.
Boston has two big games coming up this week, facing the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets, two teams near the top of their respective conferences, and with a couple of big performances, Walker could shoot his way up this ranking ahead of next week.
It appears that after a worryingly slow start, the Portland Trail Blazers have finally turned things around, and a lot of that has to do with the consistently awesome level of play they’re getting out of Damian Lillard. The 29-year-old is averaging career-highs in points, assists and free-throw percentage this season, and with the addition of a motivated Carmelo Anthony (who just won Player of the Week in the Western Conference, by the way), Lillard should be able to help lead Portland right back into the thick of the cutthroat playoff race out west. Lillard ranks seventh in Value Over Replacement Player, sixth in Win Shares and 10th in Player Efficiency Rating in 2019-20.
According to most advanced metrics, Karl-Anthony Towns has hovered around Top-5 player status this season, and just by looking at his raw averages, it’s easy to see why. Towns is distributing the basketball better than ever before this year (career-high 22.1 percent assist rate) while continuing to protect the rim and knock down threes at ridiculous paces (he’s launching nearly nine threes nightly and making them at a 42.1 percent clip, the ninth-most accurate mark in the league). Most importantly, Towns’ play has pushed the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 10-9 record, placing them 7th in the Western Conference playoff race. The Wolves will need Towns to maintain his level of form in order to reach the postseason with how loaded the West is, but considering how easy Towns is making it look, that shouldn’t be a problem for the big man.
Raptors swingman Pascal Siakam is playing at such an insane level that there’s actual talk out there that he might deserve to take home Most Improved Player honors for the second year in a row. Siakam is shooting 6.5 threes per game (up from his previous career-best of 2.7) and knocking them down at the most accurate rate of his career, a healthy 39 percent. The 25-year-old is one of the most impactful two-way wings in basketball, capable of doing a multitude of things, including make plays for others, throw it down in transition and knock down open threes, all while being a multi-positional defender on the other end of the floor. Siakam has been so good that even without team leader Kyle Lowry around due to injury for the last few weeks, he still has Toronto, who have won seven games in a row, absolutely humming. The trajectory Siakam is presently on is downright scary.
The No. 2 option on the best team in the league (by record, at least), Anthony Davis is performing at a ridiculous level considering it’s his first time suiting up for a team with championship expectations. Davis ranks eighth league-wide in nightly scoring and is tied in first in blocks per game, which just goes to show how much of an impact he makes on both ends of the floor on a nightly basis. The Los Angeles Lakers will want him to improve his three-point shooting a bit (34.4 percent for the year), but other than that, it’s been smooth sailing for Davis, who set the record last week for highest scoring performance in a player’s first game against their former team, when he dropped 41 on the New Orleans Pelicans.
Davis’ super teammate, LeBron James, also had a great week, averaging 27.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 11.0 assists over four games. James currently leads the league in nightly assists while ranking 11th in points per game. It’s crazy to see how productive he remains despite being in Year-16, not just statistically, but with his ability to much such a strong impact on winning. This upcoming week will be a big one for LeBron and Co., as, after a relatively soft schedule in November, they’re set to face the Nuggets, Jazz, Blazers and Timberwolves, giving them the chance to silence those who believe their 17-3 record is mostly a byproduct of a weak strength of schedule.
Posting one of the greatest statistical second-year campaigns of all time, Luka Doncic has absolutely exploded as a sophomore. Even Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki admitted to being surprised by how quickly Doncic has acclimated to the NBA game, and with good reason; 20-year-olds shouldn’t be as productive as Doncic has been. Doncic currently ranks third in the league in scoring, 17th in rebounds and second in assists while guiding (carrying, really), the Mavericks to a 13-6 record, including a huge road win against the Lakers on Sunday. The contest featured a near Doncic triple-double and a step-back three over LeBron that will be featured in Doncic’s 2019-20 highlight tape for eternity.
Luka Doncic hits a stepback three in Lebron's face, so smooth he almost makes those jerseys look good pic.twitter.com/BiXakyvYCd
James Harden’s scoring has been so otherworldly that he dropped 60 points on Saturday and didn’t even win Player of the Week for the Western Conference. His game may not be the prettiest (he currently has the second-highest nightly free-throw attempt average… ever), but there’s no doubt he’s a maestro when it comes to putting the ball in the hoop. The only thing preventing Harden from ranking higher on this list is the fact that the Houston Rockets have a worse record and a lower net rating than those of the No. 1 ranked player’s team. Even so, barring injury or an unpredictable drop in form, Harden will be one of the top finalists for MVP come the end of the season.
A destructive force on both ends of the floor, Giannis Antetokounmpo is an early frontrunner to win his second MVP trophy in a row. Over four games last week, the Greek Freak averaged 34.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. The Milwaukee Bucks won all four games by a total of 63 points. And that’s why we rank Giannis No. 1 in this week’s ranking: Not only is he putting up insane numbers while defending at an extremely high level – he’s also the best player on the best team in the league. Milwaukee is tied with L.A. in record at 17-3, but is first in net rating by a long shot at +10.3. The next closest team in net rating are the Raptors, who are at +8.8. What’s more, the Bucks are 10.7 points per 100 possessions better with Antetokounmpo on the floor, proving his importance to the squad. Giannis is a force of nature, and if he keeps this up, he’ll be adding a second MVP trophy to his mantle.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. Which stars have stood out thus far?
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who are in the mix for the 2019-20 MVP award due to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
Leonard hasn’t been super effective in the three games that he’s played since returning from a left knee contusion. The Clippers managed to win all three contests (over the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans), but Leonard seems a bit limited. Sure, Kawhi at 70-80 percent is better than most players at 100 percent, but we dropped him down our rankings a bit as he gets back to full strength. It’s worth noting that Leonard has been much less efficient than usual this season, which is something that the 28-year-old will surely work on. He’s shooting just 43.5 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three-point range – both of which would easily be career-lows for Leonard. He’s only appeared in 12 games, though, so perhaps it’s just a small sample size. Fortunately for the Clippers (and basketball fans in general), Leonard and Paul George are finally playing together and it’s been fun to watch. So far, L.A. is undefeated when they have their two stars in the lineup at the same time.
Monday’s game against the Chicago Bulls was a perfect example of how adding Carmelo Anthony may help the Blazers win some additional games this season. Lillard scored just 13 points on 40.0 percent shooting from the field and 25.0 percent from three, but Portland still won because Anthony had 25 points on 50.0 percent shooting from the field and 57.1 percent from three. Lillard has been outstanding for the Blazers this year, but one player can only do so much. If Anthony continues to score this efficiently, it’ll be difficult for defenses to shut down Carmelo, Lillard and CJ McCollum. Lillard recently missed a game due to back spasms (insert joke about Dame carrying the Blazers on his back) and the point guard said that the issue is going to linger for a bit, so that may be why he’s struggling as of late. On the season, Lillard ranks fifth in Offensive Box Plus/Minus (6.9), seventh in Win Shares (2.4), seventh in Value Over Replacement Player (1.1) and 10th in Player Efficiency Rating (25.0).
This is Butler’s first time cracking our MVP rankings this season, but he’s been playing well all year for the Heat. Butler’s decision to leave the Philadelphia 76ers for Miami was one of the biggest surprises of this past offseason, but the 30-year-old forward has fit in perfectly with the Heat’s culture. With Butler leading the way on the perimeter, Miami currently has the second-best defense in the NBA (allowing just 100 points per 100 possessions). This has helped the Heat get off to a 12-4 start, which is the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Over the weekend, Butler returned to Philadelphia to face off against the Sixers for the first time since his departure and while he would’ve loved to have a monster showing and get the win, he finished with just 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals while shooting 30.8 percent from the field (including 0-2 from three) in a losing effort. Still, Butler is having a strong campaign and he has the Heat near the top of the East, which is why he’s in our Top 10 this week.
Siakam has emerged as an elite scorer this season, while continuing to play the strong defense that we’ve seen from him in the past. At the moment, Siakam is ranked ninth among all players in Defensive Win Shares (0.9), 16th in Win Shares (1.8) and 18th in Value Over Replacement Player (.7). Interestingly, Siakam’s stats (25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.3 threes, 0.8 steals, 47.4 FG%, 37.4 3P%) are actually very similar to the numbers of his former teammate Kawhi Leonard (25.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.8 threes, 2.1 steals, 43.5 FG%, 30.0 3P%). Everyone expected the 25-year-old to take on a bigger role this season and show some progress in Leonard’s absence, but this kind of leap is just incredible. He’s becoming one of the game’s elite two-way players and he seems poised for superstardom. Not bad for someone who didn’t play organized basketball for the first time until he was nearly 18 years old!
Towns continues to shoot the ball extremely well, making 44.4 percent of his three-pointers on 9.0 attempts per game. He’s more than doubled his number of three-pointers per game this season, which has made him an even scarier offensive weapon for Minnesota. Believe it or not, Towns’ 57 three-pointers is third-best in the NBA behind only James Harden (79) and Devonte’ Graham (60). The 24-year-old’s game perfectly fits in the modern NBA. Between Towns’ strong play and Andrew Wiggins’drastic improvement, it’s possible that the Wolves could shock everyone and sneak into the playoffs for just the second time in 16 years. After winning three-straight games (including an impressive victory over the Miami Heat), Minnesota has the seventh-best record in the Western Conference at 9-8.
The Lakers’ roster features 11 new players (including Davis), but you’d never know it from watching this team play. Rather than struggling out of the gate as they try to develop chemistry and get everyone on the same page, L.A. opened their season by winning 15 of their first 17 games. Davis and LeBron James have been a terrific one-two punch out of the gate, bringing the best out of each other. Davis may not be posting the jaw-dropping stat lines we got used to seeing from him with the New Orleans Pelicans, but that’s because he has a better supporting cast now and the Lakers aren’t asking him to carry the team on his own. Still, he’s been a dominant rim protector (leading the league in blocks) and he’s capable of scoring from anywhere on the court (averaging a career-high 1.2 threes per game). It may be tough for Davis to win MVP because he’s playing alongside James (and vice versa, perhaps), but there’s no question that he’s having a terrific season. It’ll be interesting to see how this Lakers team looks at midseason once they’re even more cohesive (and once their schedule gets a bit more difficult).
Last week, we praised Harden’s offensive output and moved him up our rankings because the Rockets held the second-best record in the league and were in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. Unfortunately, Houston went on to drop their next three games to tough teams (the Denver Nuggets, L.A. Clippers and Dallas Mavericks). Harden continues to score at will, despite constantly being double-teamed by opponents. He recently voiced his displeasure with the constant double-teaming, telling reporters: “The whole season, they’re running doubles teams at me. I’ve never seen that in an NBA game where you’ve got really good defenders and someone else running at the top of the key. Y’all let me know the last time you’ve seen that.” He uses this to his advantage at times, drawing contact from both defenders and getting to the foul line (which he’s doing more often than anyone since prime Wilt Chamberlain). With the Rockets’ current losing streak, Harden dropped one spot this week, but there’s no question that he’ll be in the mix for this award come the end of the season as long as he stays healthy.
The Bucks have now won 13 of their last 14 games (including eight-straight), climbing to No. 1 in the Eastern Conference standings. Not only have they lost just one game in the month of November, they’re winning convincingly – as evidenced by their +9.3 average point differential, the highest in the NBA. That’s in large part due to Antetokounmpo, who continues to dominate on both ends of the floor. On Monday, he had perhaps his best outing of the season in a win over the Utah Jazz, finishing with 50 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 threes, 2 steals and 0 turnovers. The Jazz entered the game with the NBA’s top-ranked defense (allowing just 99.3 points per 100 possessions), yet Giannis did whatever he wanted against them. Antetokounmpo became just the second player in NBA history to hit all of those statistical marks in a single game, joining Michael Jordan (who did it against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1989-90).
Recently, a courtside fan captured a funny interaction between James and a referee, with James saying, “I know you’ve been reading and they’re saying that I haven’t been playing defense these last couple of years, but it’s a new year!” Well, this season, it seems that James’ main focuses are defending and facilitating. His much-improved defense is perhaps the starkest difference between 2018-19 and this year. James ranks fifth in the NBA in Defensive Win Shares (+1.0) and 20th in Defensive Rating (101.9), and his effort on that end of the floor has been significantly better. Perhaps Anthony Davis deserves credit for this, as he’s been saying since the offseason that he was going to hold LeBron accountable and push him to play at an All-Defensive-Team level like he’s capable of doing. After Monday’s games, the Lakers actually have the best defense in the NBA (allowing just 99.7 points per 100 possessions). As for LeBron’s playmaking, he leads the league in assists per game (10.8) and assist percentage (50.7) by wide margins. In fact, he’s been involved in 49.0 percent of the Lakers’ points, which is easily the highest percentage among all NBA players this season. Los Angeles has won eight-straight and sit at 15-2, which is the NBA’s best record.
Early in the season, people were praising Doncic’s game while wondering when the sophomore would come back down to the Earth. Well, rather than regressing, Luka has only gotten better and he’s even closer to averaging 30-10-10. Doncic currently leads all NBA players in Win Shares (3.6), Box Plus/Minus (14.2), Value Over Replacement Player (2.2) and Player Efficiency Rating (33.3). In fact, his 33.3 PER puts him on pace for the best single-season efficiency rating of all-time. He makes the game look incredibly easy, destroying teams offensively. Not only does he have the league’s second-best scoring average (30.6), he ranks second in the NBA in assists per game (9.8) and assist percentage (48.9), showing just how many buckets he’s creating for himself and others. Doncic secured this week’s top spot after delivering an MVP-like performance in Dallas’ win over James Harden and the Houston Rockets, finishing with 41 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 threes, 2 steals and 1 block. And his production is translating into victories for the Mavs, as they’ve now won five-straight games. Dallas is 11-5, which is the fourth-best record in the Western Conference. Right now, Doncic may be the frontrunner for the Most Valuable Player award and the Most Improved Player award.
On a night with just two games scheduled, The Greek Freak stole the show while Melo held his own against one of the NBA’s top teams.
LAST NIGHT IN THE ASSOCIATION: Thursday night featured a fun battle between the old school and the new school.
🦌 Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo posted another crazy stat line, going off for 24 points, 19 rebounds, (a career-high) 15 assists, three steals and one block in a 137-129 Milwaukee victory. In the process,Antetokounmpo became the first Bucks player ever to drop a 20-15-15 stat line, which is ridiculous considering stat-stuffers such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson are part of the team’s illustrious history.
😮 Opposite Antetokounmpo stood future Hall-of-Famer Carmelo Anthony, who looked much better than he did in his first game for the Blazers. Anthony dropped 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Portland, nailing three of his five three-point attempts for the evening. Though the Blazers lost again, falling to 5-11 on the season, if Anthony can give Portland that type of production once Damian Lillard gets healthy (which projects to be Saturday), he might be able to help Portland get off the schneid.
NO NURK IN 2019:Jusuf Nurkic shot down a report that he could be return from his brutal leg injury soon, tweeting that he won’t be back until 2020.
PAU TO SPAIN?Barcelona really, really want to sign Pau Gasol ahead of his retirement after the 2020 Olympic Games. Could you imagine a starting frontcourt of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic playing in Spain?
ACCLIMATING NICELY: Speaking of Butler, The Athletic’s Michael Lee interviewed him recently about how he’s feeling in Miami, how he felt about leaving Philadelphia, and much more.
R.I.P.: Reports came out on Thursday that Wataru “Wat” Misaka, the first Asian/non-white person to play professional basketball,passed away at the age of 95. Misaka appeared in three games for the New York Knicks in the 1947-48 season.
Giannis isn’t exactly a great three point shooter…yet
To say Giannis Antetokounmpo has never been the NBA’s best shooter is a massive understatement. Once he picks up the ball and chucks it at the basket like a shot put, that’s a win fore the defense.
They’d rather him do that than have him gliding to the rim and casually dunking all over the defense. That strategy has worked against him relatively speaking — he did win the MVP last season, after all.
But that broken jumper is part of the reason why the Raptors were able to turn the tables on the Bucks midway through their playoff series last year. It was a legit weakness. At least until now, it seems.
That said… I still don’t really trust it.
Giannis is a better, but inconsistent, shooter
Defenses should still give Antetokounmpo all the cushion they need to stop him from getting to the rim. That’s where he’s most dangerous at, obviously.
But even on top of that, his 3-point shot isn’t prolific, by any means. He’s shooting 30 percent on 4.9 attempts per game. For a player of his caliber, that’s more than enough to give defenses pause. But a dive a bit deeper into the numbers says this shooting might not last.
Right now, Antetokounmpo’s three point field goals are coming after three to six dribbles according to NBA.com’s stats database. He’s shooting 34.1% on those, which is just a dip below league average. That’s a good number and it gets even better. He hits 37.5 percent of his 3-pointers when he takes just one dribble.
Most of his makes from deep are pull-up shots like this one.
Those dribbles on his makes are used to establish his rhythm and make the shot all one smooth-ish motion. It’s still not a great jumper, but it’s good enough.
When he grabs the ball off the catch, he’s still lining the shot up and getting his feet right. When he catches the ball, it’s like he’s still loading up.
His shot has made some progress, but it’s still inconsistent enough that you’ll live with it as a result if you’re the defense. He only shoots 30 percent for a reason.
Defenses should still give him this shot
Here’s where the concern comes in: He’s only hitting 15.4 percent of his spot-up attempts and is only taking 0.9 threes per game without a single dribble. That’s typically the easiest three you can take — especially from the corner. Yet he doesn’t take them and, when he does, he doesn’t hit them.
There’s a theme here. Antetokounmpo isn’t a great stand-still shooter. He’s shot under 30 percent from 3-point range after not taking a single dribble in five of the seven years of his career. The only two he was above 30 percent were his rookie year when he shot 32 percent and the 2017-18 season when he shot 34.5 percent.
He’s got the ball in his hands for most of the game, so he’s largely able to pick and choose what shots from deep he’s going to take. But pull-up 3’s are hard, even when no one is guarding you.
The Bucks, as a team, are shooting 37.9 percent off of one dribble but 30 percent from deep off of three to six dribbles. The more they dribble, the worse the shot quality gets.
Giannis is becoming a threat from deep, but he’s not a great one. So while he’s shooting a bit more, it’s not quite a wrap for the rest of the NBA just yet. If he keeps progressing like this, though? Good luck.
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives their Top 10 candidates for this season’s Most Valuable Player award. Check out this week’s rankings.
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who are in the mix for the 2019-20 MVP award due to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
Siakam is making the Raptors look smart for giving him that four-year, $130 million extension. This is Siakam’s first appearance in our Top 10, but he’s been playing well all season. Even if he doesn’t receive significant MVP love this year because there are so many great candidates, it’s possible that he could become the first player in NBA history to win the Most Improved Player award twice. One could make the argument that his growth over the last year (+8.8 ppg, +1.7 rpg, +1.1 apg) is just as impressive as his sophomore-to-junior leap (+9.6 ppg, +2.4 rpg, +1.1 apg). Regardless of whether he wins MIP for a second-straight year, he’s made huge strides this season. Becoming a team’s No. 1 option and a 25-point-per-game scorer is extremely hard, but Siakam has made it look easy. The 25-year-old has essentially filled the Kawhi Leonard role in this offense and it’s been amazing to watch his development in recent years. He has the Raptors sitting at 9-4, which is the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Leonard dropped down our list over the last week because he’s missed three-straight games due to a left-knee contusion that he suffered in the Clippers’ loss to the Houston Rockets last Wednesday. Leonard has been terrific on both ends of the floor when he’s suited up, but he’s now missed five of a possible 14 games this season. As we wrote in this space last week, voters tend to reward players who haven’t missed significant time when considering Most Valuable Player. The last 15 MVP winners have missed an average of 3.93 games in the season in which they won the award (with no individual missing more than 10 games). The Clippers are likely going to be cautious with Leonard moving forward to ensure that he’ll be at 100 percent for their playoff run (like the Toronto Raptors’ approach that worked so well last year). Also, when two MVP candidates have teamed up in the past (like Kevin Durant and Steph Curry on the Golden State Warriors), voters weren’t sure what to do and they basically canceled each other out. It’s possible that could happen with Leonard and 2018-19 MVP finalist Paul George, who returned recently.
The big news in the NBA over the last week was the Trail Blazers’ decision to sign free agent Carmelo Anthony. After sustaining numerous injuries and getting off to a slow start (5-9, which is the third-worst record in the Western Conference), Portland is hoping that Anthony can help revitalize this team. Last time Anthony was in the NBA, he averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 threes while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from three-point range in 10 games with the Houston Rockets. It remains to be seen how much this addition will impact Lillard and CJ McCollum, who are Portland’s top options on offense. Lillard is averaging career-highs across the board, but he’s received little help from his supporting cast, which is why the Blazers are struggling so much.
Not only has Towns been filling the stat sheet, he’s been extraordinarily efficient in the process. He’s shooting 51.2 percent from the field on 17.9 field goal attempts and he’s making 43.5 percent of his threes on 9.0 attempts. Only James Harden (4.9) is making more threes per game than Towns (3.9), and the big man’s three-point percentage is 6.5 percentage points higher than Harden’s. Also, Towns currently ranks fourth in Box Plus/Minus (+10.1), fourth in PER (30.4) and fifth in Value Over Replacement Player (1.2). With Towns making his presence felt all over the court and Andrew Wiggins playing the best basketball of his career, the Timberwolves are now 8-6 and holding the Western Conference’s eighth seed, putting them just 3.5 games back from the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.
It didn’t take long for Davis and LeBron James long to develop chemistry, as they’ve been a terrific one-two punch for the Lakers thus far. As our Bryan Kalbroskynoted, James is passing the ball to Davis 25.2 times per 36 minutes, which is more than he dished to any other past teammate, including Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, Chris Bosh and Kevin Love. It’s clear that James trusts his big man and if they’re playing this well with very little time spent getting acclimated to each other (and their many new teammates), it’ll be interesting to see how well they’ll be playing together toward the end of the season when they’ve learned each other’s tendencies more. Davis is leading the NBA in blocks per game and he’s swatted 24 shots in his last seven games.
Kyrie Irving who? When news broke over the summer that Irving (and Al Horford) planned to leave Boston via free agency, it seemed like the Celtics were going to take a significant step back. It would’ve been understandable if they shifted their focus to developing Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Co. Instead, the Celtics found a terrific replacement for Irving in Kemba Walker. The 29-year-old is posting impressive numbers and he has Boston sitting at No. 1 in the Eastern Conference standings with an 11-2 record (which is also tied for the best record in the entire NBA). It seems that Walker brings production similar to that of Irving without the behind-the-scenes drama and chemistry issues that hurt the Celtics last year. If Boston can keep this up and sit atop the East, Walker would get some MVP consideration (and deservedly so) and Brad Stevens would likely get some Coach of the Year love. And as Walker gets more comfortable with his new team, his play should only improve. With that said, there seems to be a significant gap between the Top-4 players on this list and everyone else.
Doncic is used to having unprecedented success for someone his age. Remember, he won the Euroleague MVP award at 19 years old prior to entering the NBA. Now, as a 20-year-old sophomore in the Association, his numbers aren’t too far off from what Russell Westbrook averaged back in 2016-17 when he won MVP (31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.6 steals). While posting triple-doubles no longer seems to draw the same jaw-dropping reaction since Westbrook normalized it, it’s unheard of for a 20-year-old to be having this kind of success. He had an MVP performance on Monday night, dropping 42 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds and 5 threes in a win over the San Antonio Spurs. Only two players in NBA history have posted a 40-point triple-double at age-20: Doncic and LeBron James. The sophomore is having a special campaign, his Mavericks are fifth in the West at 8-5 and he deserves to be high on this list as long as he keeps this up.
If the season ended today, Harden’s 39.2 scoring average would be the highest since Wilt Chamberlain posted 44.8 points per game in the 1962-63 season. In fact, Harden is on pace to join Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to average 39 or more points in a season. (Michael Jordan came close in 1986-87, but he finished the campaign averaging 37.1 points). Harden’s shooting percentages aren’t pretty – 42.5 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from deep – but when Houston is winning and he’s averaging nearly 40 points and eight assists per game, it feels like nitpicking to complain about his efficiency. Also, it’s worth noting that his True Shooting Percentage (.618) is actually up from last season. The Rockets have won eight-straight games and are 11-3, which is the second-best record in the Western Conference (and the third-best record in the NBA). If Harden continues at this pace, this season will go down as one of the most impressive offensive displays in league history.
At this point, James has the “best player on the best team” argument going for him. He’s filling the stat sheet on a nightly basis and it’s translating into wins for the Lakers, who are an NBA-best 11-2 (with a league-best +10.2 average point differential) thus far. Can the Lakers sustain this level of play? That remains to be seen, but James will have a strong case as long as they do. If James were to win his fifth MVP award this season, he’d become the second-oldest MVP in NBA history behind only Karl Malone (who was named Most Valuable Player in his age-35 season). Malone was 35 years and 284 days old at the end of the 1998-99 regular season. James is also in his age-35 season, but he would only be 35 years and 107 days old at the end of this regular season. Whether he ultimately wins the honor or not, nobody can deny how impressive it is for James to be producing like this at 35 years old.
Antetokounmpo is having another incredible season and while it may not feel like past years because his cheat-code dominance is no longer fresh and surprising, at the end of the day, he’s the reigning MVP and he has somehow managed to improve his stats across the board. He’s averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, three-pointers made, three-point percentage, Player Efficiency Rating, Box Plus/Minus, Defensive Rating and the list goes on and on. The advance stats love him too, as he leads all NBA players in Box Plus/Minus, Value Over Replacement Player and PER. He’s led the Bucks to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 10-3 (with an East-best +9.5 average point differential). He has the numbers, record and signature performances to potentially win back-to-back MVP awards. Also, he’s doing this without another star on his team, unlike LeBron James (who has Anthony Davis) and James Harden (who has Russell Westbrook). It remains to be seen if voters will take that into consideration, as they have in the past.
LeBron James and Luka Doncic are the best point guards in the NBA…but they’re also forwards.
We’ve seen positionless basketball take hold of the league since the days of LeBron James’ Miami Heat. The Warriors were the apex of that with Curry playing off ball and Draymond Green running point.
Now, we see that style of play more than ever in so many different ways. It isn’t just centers stepping out and playing the perimeter like Chris Bosh did back then. Now, we’ve got small forwards shifting to the four, everybody switching every thing on defense and gigantic centers stepping out and shooting threes.
Maybe the most impressive trend, and probably the one we take for granted the most, is the evolution of the lead ball handler in the NBA. No longer is it just reserved for guards. More and more, teams are just handing the ball to their best player and letting them cook.
It’s been a joy to watch over the last decade and, honestly, it’s something we probably don’t think about so much because we’re so spoiled by LeBron James.
Just taking a look at the league’s leading ball handlers over the last decade, though, shows us that this isn’t what we’re used to.
Ball handler isn’t the same as point guard anymore
Let’s hop back in time for a bit. Five years ago in the 2014-15 NBA season, there was only one non-guard that ranked in the league’s top 20 assist leaders and, of course, it was James.
He and Blake Griffin were also the only two non-guards ranked in the top 20 in touches per game around the league. They were 10th and 12, respectively.
Let’s fast forward back to today. Five years later, three forwards are the league’s leaders in touches per game starting with Luka Doncic (103.3), James (97.1) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (91.0). It’s not a coincidence that those three are leading most people’s MVP conversations right now.
There’s more. James and Doncic rank first and second in the league in assists. Antetokounmpo ranks 17th and leads his team with 6.5 assists per game. Those three, along with Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler, are the only non-guards that rank in the top 20 in assists.
If we go buy the old school basketball rule of “you are what you guard” then, technically, all of those guys with the exception of the 6’10 Simmons are playing forward. Yet, they’ve all got the entire offense at their fingertips.
It’s not just a gimmick, either. They’re all actually good at it. I mean, look at these numbers from James the other night.
LeBron was KILLING it was a facilitator last night vs the Warriors.
And this creativity from Doncic here is insane — for anybody, not just a forward.
And those two are just the tip of the iceberg. We haven’t even talked about Draymond Green, Nikola Jokic and Kawhi Leonard, who have all run point at front court positions this season.
This is the game’s natural evolution
As things have become more spread out and teams are thinking about how to best utilize their talent, they’ve begun to trust their best playmakers to actually make plays no matter what position they’re playing.
There have always been solid passers from bigger positions. Think about Arvydas Sabonis back in his hayday or even someone like Al Horford, who is proficient but has never played that “point center” role like a Nikola Jokic is right now.
Some of that is a matter of coming up at the wrong place and wrong time. Most of it is just the evolution of modern basketball and putting players in the best positions they can to thrive.
“We have to view this team in a different lens,” Spoelstra said. “When we try to think conventionally and put guys in certain boxes or positions, it really hamstrings us. Not only in terms of our flow but mentally, too. We developed that term [position-less] just for guys to understand our versatility and how we need to play.”
Now, instead of it just being one team that is positionless, it’s multiple. And the game of basketball is so much better because of it.
Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey said he’s wondering “what new criteria/narrative” could be used by the NBA’s MVP voters to deny James Harden.
Rockets guard James Harden appears well on his way to another historic NBA season, with an astonishing nightly scoring average of 38.2 points over Houston’s first 11 games of the 2019-20 season.
The league-leading numbers from the 30-year-old superstar are even more incredible over the last five games, in which he has posted 41.6 points, 8.8 assists, and 6.8 rebounds per game. Harden’s Rockets (8-3) have won all five of those games, which currently places them second in the Western Conference standings.
Normally, one might expect the combination of historic numbers and team success to lead to a Most Valuable Player (MVP) coronation.
Harden's scoring run to start the season has moved him past Michael Jordan and Rick Barry and into the rarefied '62-63 Wilt territory. His 420 points (in 401 minutes) is the most through the first 11 games of a season since Chamberlain had 592 in 1962-63. https://t.co/UbydRuuAcE
But Rockets GM Daryl Morey doesn’t seem convinced that Harden’s historic production, should it continue over the remainder of the season, will necessarily translate into appreciation from MVP voters.
While Harden did win the media-voted MVP award in 2018, he has finished in second place after three different votes (2015, 2017, 2019) within the last five seasons. Given that context, Morey responded on Twitter to a post speculating about another second-place finish.
I always try to dream up what new criteria/narrative they will dream up to rob him of the award each year.
I always try to dream up what new criteria/narrative they will dream up to rob him of the award each year
The “new criteria” line would appear to be in reference to the discrepancy in voting patterns between the 2017 and 2019 races.
In 2017, when the league’s MVP finalists were clearly Harden and Russell Westbrook (then with Oklahoma City), one of the advantages to Harden’s case on paper was that his contributions came on a superior team — with the Rockets winning eight more games in the 2016-17 regular season than the Thunder.
However, Westbrook was the first NBA player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson in the 1961-62 season, and the historic nature of that argument appeared to be most persuasive with voters. Westbrook finished with 69 first-place votes to Harden’s 22.
By contrast, in the 2019 race between Harden and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Harden was the one with history on his side. With an average of 36.1 points, Harden became just the fourth player in league history — and the first in the last 30 years — to average at least 36 points per game for an entire NBA season. He also had a stretch of scoring at least 30 points in 32 consecutive games, which was the second-longest such streak in NBA history.
On the other hand, one of the main arguments for Antetokounmpo, relative to Harden, was that his team won seven more games. Unlike the 2017 vote, team success did seem to be valued at a high level by voters in 2019, and Antetokounmpo won by a comfortable margin.
47 points for Harden tonight. Don’t get numb to the historic scoring that we are seeing from Harden on a nightly basis. This was the 82nd (!!!!!!!) 40 point game of his career. Most NBA players’ career high scoring games are less than 40 pts 🤯 https://t.co/Mu6IeXh77g
As for the present, Harden has repeatedly made clear that his “only goal” this season is an NBA title. There have been very little, if any, references to the upcoming MVP race by Houston players.
However, there is understandably some lingering bitterness from many around the Rockets about how prior votes went down.
Watch the Milwaukee Bucks Live Online this season.
All Giannis, all the time. That’s what life is like in Milwaukee these days as the Bucks have become a must-see attraction in not just the NBA, but the world of sports. That’s how big of an impact the “Greek Freak” has had since his emergence as the top player in the league. The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player carried his team to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. This season, the Bucks are looking to take it one step further by bringing a championship back to the Cream City for the first time since 1971.
Watch the Milwaukee Bucks 2019-20 Season
Next game: vs. Chicago Bulls, Nov. 14, 8:00 p.m. ET
Local TV affiliate for the season: FOX Sports Wisconsin
Streaming option for the season: fuboTV (watch for free)
It doesn’t appear as if the league has found a way to stop Giannis yet. After dominating the regular season in 2018-19, the 24-year-old superstar has picked up right where left off. He is among the top five in the league in both scoring and rebounding through the first 10 games of the season. His extraordinary exploits have led to the Bucks once again being considered among the favorites in the East.
While Giannis will certainly get most of the attention, the Bucks wouldn’t be in the position that they are without a great supporting cast. Milwaukee’s four other starters also average double-digits in scoring, led by forward Khris Middleton, who has emerged as a very valuable asset by Giannis’ side. Throw in the likes of Eric Bledsoe and Brook Lopez, along with veteran sharpshooter Kyle Korver off the bench and there’s no reason not to expect the Bucks to be contending for a title come the spring.
Bucks November 2019 Schedule
All Times ET
Thu. Nov. 14 vs. Bulls, 8:00 PM
Sat. Nov. 16 @ Pacers, 7:00 PM
Mon. Nov. 18 @ Bulls, 8:00 PM
Wed. Nov. 20 @ Hawks, 7:30 PM
Thu. Nov. 21 vs. Trail Blazers, 8:00 PM
Sat. Nov. 23 vs. Pistons, 8:30 PM
Mon. Nov. 25 vs. Jazz, 8:00 PM
Wed. Nov. 27 vs. Hawks, 8:00 PM
Fri. Nov. 29 @ Cavaliers, 7:30 PM
Sat. Nov. 30 vs. Bobcats 8:00 PM
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PASS. The Bucks (-770) are overwhelming favorites for this one, and while they’re expected to win, it will be interesting to see how they adjust to life without Middleton for a few weeks. The Bulls (+525) look to spring the upset, but they still have to contend with defending MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and that’s no easy feat.
New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered that Milwaukee wins profits $0.13 if the Bucks prevail. (Ex: Bet $10 to win $1.30, $20 to win $2.60, $77 to win $10).
I am ‘bullish’ on the visiting BULLS (+12.5, –125), who are 4-1 ATS in their past five trips to Cream City. The road team is also 10-1 ATS in the past 11 meetings in this series, a trend also pointing to Chicago.
The Bulls are just 2-5 ATS in the past seven on the road, and they’re 1-8 ATS in the past nine Central Division battles. The Bucks are 3-9 ATS in the past 12 when allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. And, remember the Middleton factor.
The UNDER 232.5 (-115) is worth a look, going 4-1 in Chicago’s past five road outings, and seven of their past 10 Central Division battles. The under is 7-0 in Milwaukee’s past seven when working on three or more days of rest, too.
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