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.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had a quality start to his second NBA season.
In a season that’s still young, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as one of the NBA’s top young players.
Gilgeous-Alexander averages 20.1 points a game and leads the Thunder in scoring. He’s second on the team in rebounds behind Steven Adams, and he’s also one of the Thunder’s best 3-point shooters; he’s shooting 40.4% from the 3-point line.
But through all of his success, Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t been arrogant. According to a story from The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto, Gilgeous-Alexander attributes his humbleness to his mother, Charmaine Gilgeous.
Gilgeous was an Olympic sprinter, and she competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Here’s what Gilgeous-Alexander said about what his mom taught him:
“Growing up, with anything we did, she never let us get cocky,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of his mom. “She always told us and showed us to have confidence in ourselves, but never take it overboard. Keep it as confidence.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has taken a leap so far this season. A rookie with the Los Angeles Clippers last season, Gilgeous-Alexander was traded to OKC in the Paul George deal.
Last season, he didn’t take nearly as many shots. Both his field goal attempts and 3-point attempts have gone up. His usage percentage is currently at 25.3%, and last season he finished with an 18.3% usage percentage.
Tied for 25th in the league for points per game, Gilgeous-Alexander is one of three second-year players ranked in the top 25 of the league for scoring, according to NBA.com. Luka Doncic ranks fourth (28.5), and Trae Young ranks seventh (27.3).
With Gilgeous-Alexander being the Thunder’s focal point, he’s primed to continue having a quality sophomore season.
The Thunder will play the Philadelphia 76ers at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Friday night.
Each week, HoopsHype ranks the Top 10 candidates for this season’s Most Valuable Player award. Find out who made this week’s rankings!
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff ranks the Top 10 candidates for this season’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who have entered the 2019-20 MVP discussion thanks to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out thus far? Who can sustain this production as the sample size increases? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
Drummond has been dominant through the first 10 games of the season. It’s impressive when a player has a single 20-point, 20-rebound performance, but the 26-year-old is nearly averaging that. He’s scored 20 or more points in six games, and he’s grabbed 20 or more rebounds in five games. He’s also doing a good job of finding open teammates, as he’s averaging 5.4 assists in November (and he has 25 assists in his last four games). Drummond is posting video-game numbers and shows no sign of slowing down. The Pistons are getting Blake Griffin back from injury, which should only help them as they look to improve their record (4-6) and climb up the Eastern Conference standings.
Towns missed two games due to his suspension for fighting Joel Embiid, but he’s been a beast in the seven contests in which he’s played. He’s posting career-highs across the board and he’s been able to score the ball with ease this season, inside and out. In fact, Towns has more than doubled his three-point attempts (from 4.6 last year to 9.3 this year), yet his three-point percentage has stayed at 40.0 percent. His 3.7 threes per game is fourth in the NBA behind only James Harden (4.3), Damian Lillard (4.0) and Kemba Walker (3.8). Minnesota is currently 5-4, which is ninth-best in the Western Conference and just two games out of first place.
HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina recently wrote a great article breaking down Booker’s impressive start to the season and what he’s doing differently this year. The 23-year-old is playing the most efficient basketball of his career, finishing in the paint better than ever and locking down opponents on the defensive end. Newcomers Aron Baynes and Ricky Rubio have made a huge difference for Booker too. The Suns are the NBA’s biggest surprise thus far, sitting at 6-3 with the league’s third-best offense (scoring 109.1 points per 100 possessions) and ninth-best defense (allowing 101.1 points per 100 possessions). There’s no question that Booker is a huge reason for their early success. The red-hot Suns will face off against the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in a game that will feature three players from this list.
Harden is once again leading the league in scoring. The main issue for Harden (and the reason he isn’t higher on this list) has been his shooting percentages. He’s currently shooting an ugly 39.4 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three-point range – both of which are career-lows. It’s taking him 24.2 field goal attempts (and 14.4 three-point attempts) per game to get to his 37.1 scoring average. Those numbers must drastically improve if he wants to compete for this year’s MVP award. There’s always an adjustment period when a team is integrating a new star and that’s what Harden and the Rockets are doing with Russell Westbrook. Still, Houston is 6-3, which is tied for the third-best record in the Western Conference.
There’s a reason LeBron James badly wanted to team up with this guy. Davis is once again filling the stat sheet and making his presence felt all over the court, helping the Lakers win seven of their first nine games. He gives opposing head coaches nightmares, as he’s been the best rim protector in the league and he’s scoring at will. Davis is currently ranked first in Defensive Win Shares (0.9) and third in Win Shares (1.7, tied with James). He’s new to the Lakers and still getting acclimated, but you’d never know it based on his early play. It remains to be seen if voters will dock points from James and/or Davis because they’re on the same team. Opposing teams certainly hate that these two stars teamed up, as they’ve struggled to slow them down thus far.
Lillard is having the best season of his career, but he can only do so much for the Blazers. He’s getting little help from his supporting cast, which is why the Blazers are 4-6 and in 10th place in the Western Conference despite Lillard playing out of his mind. That was on display in Portland’s recent loss to the Brooklyn Nets, when Lillard had 60 points (including 7 threes), 5 assists and 4 rebounds while shooting 57.6 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from deep, but the Nets won 119-115. Injuries have been an issue for the Blazers, but they also have a new-look roster after losing Al-Farouq Aminu, Maurice Harkless, Evan Turner, Meyers Leonard, Enes Kanter and Seth Curry among others. Still, Lillard is averaging the second-most points in the league while also ranking first in Win Shares (2.4) and second in Value Over Replacement Player (1.1).
Leonard’s decision to sit out the nationally televised showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks relaunched the load-management debate. It seems that Leonard will continue to sit out during back-to-backs to ensure that he’s 100 percent for the playoffs. Leonard credits load management for his monster 2019 postseason with the Toronto Raptors and while this is probably a smart move for the Clippers, it likely means Leonard won’t have a shot at winning this year’s MVP award. Voters seem to disqualify players who rest, regardless of how productive they are when they play. HoopsHype looked at the last 15 MVP winners and they missed an average of 3.93 games in their MVP season (with no player missing more than 10 games). Leonard missed 22 games last season and he’s on pace to miss 18 contests this year, which would seemingly remove him from the MVP discussion (like last year). Still, Leonard is playing well and the Clippers are 6-3, which is tied for the third-best record in the West. If the Clippers stop resting Leonard – or the NBA decides that he’s healthy and must play – perhaps he becomes a serious candidate.
Doncic is the only player in the league who currently ranks Top 11 in points per game (sixth), assists per game (second) and rebounds per game (11th). As if Luka’s counting stats weren’t impressive enough, his advanced stats jump off the page as well: Doncic ranks third in Value Over Replacement Player (1.0), fourth in Box Plus/Minus (10.3) and fifth in Win Shares (1.6). The 20-year-old is the youngest player in NBA history to record 10 or more triple-doubles, passing LeBron James and Magic Johnson. He also became the second player with at least three 20-point triple-doubles in the first six games of a season, joining Oscar Robertson. Doncic must continue to limit his turnovers (4.9 per game) and improve his three-point percentage (32.1 percent on 8.7 attempts per game). But that feels like nitpicking when the kid is nearly averaging a triple-double and winning games for the Mavericks, who are 6-3 (which is tied for the third-best record in the West).
Antetokounmpo had an MVP performance in the Bucks’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. After struggling in the first half, Antetokounmpo ripped his jersey and kicked a hole in a Thunder sign while walking back to the locker room at halftime. In the second half, MVP Giannis showed up and he finished the game with 35 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 threes, 1 block and 1 steal while shooting an efficient 68.4 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range. Antetokounmpo has now scored 30 or more points in five-straight games. The Bucks are 7-3, which puts them in third place in the Eastern Conference and just one game back from the top-seeded Boston Celtics. Antetokounmpo currently leads all players in Value Over Replacement Player (1.3), Box Plus/Minus (13.9) and Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (.325).
As Tommy Beer of Forbes recently pointed out, no player in NBA history has ever averaged more than 7.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in their age-35 season. Well, James is currently posting those marks with ease (24.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 11.0 assists). When all is said and done, one could make the argument that James was the best teenager in NBA history (he holds the NBA record for most career points, rebounds and assists before turning 20 years old) and the best mid-30s player in NBA history (if he keeps this up). LeBron’s longevity is remarkable; in the load-management era, he’s playing 35.1 minutes per game, which is the most of any Laker and 12th-most in the league. James is currently No. 1 on this list because his individual production has been impressive and it’s translated into team success, as the Lakers currently have the NBA’s second-best record at 7-2. One area where James must improve is his three-point shooting; he’s attempting 5.2 threes per game, but he’s making just 31.9 percent thus far.
After falling to 2-8 on the season, key Knicks executives held an impromptu press conference where they said a lot but nothing at the same time.
FIZDALE’S SEAT GETTING TOASTY: On Sunday, the New York Knicks dropped their eighth game in 10 tries, falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-87 in a game that wasn’t even as close as the final scoreline would indicate. Things got interesting after the contest, when two of the team’s top decision makers, president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry,held an awkward impromptu press conference where they declared their displeasure with New York’s progress this season while maintaining their faith in the plan they put together and in their head coach, David Fizdale. Really, though, it felt like the two executives said a whole lot of nothing, making the entire exercise rather pointless.
Regardless, it goes without saying that if the Knicks continue going down the porous path they currently find themselves on, Fizdale,who feels the pressure,will be gone. At the same time, is that really going to change anything? The team’s management had a terrible offseason, no matter how the Knicks try to spin it, one where they failed to land a marquee free agent despite having loads of cap space, and responded by signing multiple middling power forwards and no point guards. Basically, years and years of poor decision-making out of New York’s front office continued in the summer of 2019.
And what’s the common thread that all of those poor Knicks offseasons have? They have pretty much all occurred over the last 20 years, when James Dolan became the team’s owner. It’s pretty clear what New York’s principal problem is, and until that problem is no longer there, the team won’t escape this purgatory they’ve been in for multiple decades.
David Fizdale is now 19-73 as Knicks head coach.
ON AAU AND LOAD MANAGEMENT:HoopsHype spoke to various NBA players to find out their thoughts on whether young athletes getting overworked during their AAU days is leading to a need for load management when they get older. Some very interesting comments here from Zach LaVine, Myles Turner and others.
ANOTHER OFF-COURT WAITERS INCIDENT: Miami Heat guardDion Waiters suffered a panic attack on Thursday during the team’s flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles. The cause of the panic attack? A weed gummy given to him by a teammate.
🤦 It’s far from Waiters’ first issue this season, giving Miami little choice but tosuspend the mercurial 2-guard for 10 games without pay. This is Waiters’ second suspension of the young season. Waiters never playing another minute for the Heat is quickly becoming a very real possibility.
SUPERMAN BACK IN THE DUNK CONTEST? Dwight Howard is playing the most impactful basketball he’s played in years.We broke down his game here. Howard is feeling so good, in fact, thathe told TMZ he’s thought about doing the dunk contest this season. Howard has one dunk contest victory to his name, which came back in 2008.
LUKA MVP CAMPAIGN: Based on his play so far, there’s a very good chance Mavs guard Luka Doncic receives MVP votes at the end of the season. He would be the youngest international player ever to achieve that, beating Hakeem Olajuwon.
CURRY RETURN: Brandon Payne, Stephen Curry’s personal trainer, spoke to NBC Sports’ Tom Haberstroh and told him thatCurry wants to return this season, but it’ll depend on how his rehab goes.
HAYWARD GOES DOWN… AGAIN: Celtics swingman Gordon Hayward, who was playing the best basketball he has since his brutal leg injury,got hurt again this weekend, fracturing his left hand against the Spurs. A doctor who spoke to the Boston Sports Journal sayshe could be out for at least four weeks depending on whether he has surgery or not.Â
RONDO’S SEASON DEBUT POSTPONED: Rajon Rondo was supposed to make his return against the Raptors on Sunday, buthad his season debut postponed yet again. Once he does return, one has to wonder how much playing time he gets. Head coach Frank Vogel will have to determine how much he values Rondo’s defense and ability to run the offense versus his poor three-point shooting.
STAR SET TO RETURN: Pistons forward Blake Griffin has been listed as probable for Detroit’s game against the Timberwolves on Monday. It would be his first game action since April 22.
POTENTIAL TOP PICK INELIGIBLE: On Friday, the NCAA announced 2020 potential No. 1 pickJames Wiseman has been deemed ineligible. If he doesn’t play again this season, it’ll be interesting to note how much that affects his draft stock.
GETTING PAPER: According to a report, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has a new five-year contract with the company, one that will pay him $8 million per year.That’s more than all but 150 NBA players, and as much as Lou Williams makes on his Clippers deal.
LeBron James made more franchise history for the Los Angeles Lakers even in their first loss in eight games.
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Sunday night was the first time in two weeks that the Los Angeles Lakers felt what it was like to lose as the Toronto Raptors used a huge second half to end the Lakers seven-game win-streak. But even in the loss, LeBron James managed to make a small bit of Lakers history with his play.
With 13 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds, James recorded his fourth triple-double of the season. James became the first player in Lakers franchise history to record four triple-doubles in the first 10 games of the season. Interestingly enough, Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic has also accomplished the same feat this season. The Lakers still have one game left before they get to 10 as they sit at 7-2 after nine games.
LeBron James had his 4th triple double of the season, the 5th different player with 4 triple-doubles through his team's first 10 games and the 1st @Lakers to do so.
LeBron & Luka Doncic have each done it this season and have 1 team game remaining to add on.
Although James gets into the history books for the Lakers, he had a particularly bad night in his attempts to score the ball against a rangy and athletic Raptors front court. James was 5-15 from the field on Sunday and an uncharacteristic 3-6 from the free-throw line.
LeBron and the Lakers will head to Phoenix on Tuesday for a quick trip before returning to L.A. on Wednesday to face the Golden State Warriors.
