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.
Previewing Thursday’s Portland Trail Blazers at Milwaukee Bucks betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and tips.
The Portland Trail Blazers (5-10) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (11-3) Thursday at Fiserv Forum. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Trail Blazers-Bucks odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Trail Blazers at Bucks: Key injuries
Trail Blazers
PG Damian Lillard (back) out
C Hassan Whiteside (hip) questionable
C Zach Collins (shoulder) out
C Jusuf Nurkic (leg) out
SG Anfernee Simmons (ankle) questionable
Milwaukee
SF Khris Middleton (thigh) out
Trail Blazers at Bucks: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12:30 p.m. ET.
The Bucks (-1000) enter as winners of five straight with the Trail Blazers (+625) dropping each of their last two. Milwaukee is 3-1 straight up at home and returns from a successful 3-0 road trip where it won each game by no fewer than eight points. Portland is 4-6 on the road (better than its 1-4 home record) but lost its last two games by a combined 35 points.
The Blazers had Wednesday off while the Bucks were taking care of the Atlanta Hawks (135-127). Even on the second half of a back-to-back, the Bucks won’t lose this game, but we’re not going to touch these odds.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Bucks to win outright returns a profit of $1.
The Blazers are 6-8 ATS overall, 5-5 ATS on the road. The Bucks are 7-7 overall and 2-2 at home. They are often favored by large amounts, but they cover by an average of two points. Portland falls an average of 3.5 points shy of the cover.
Milwaukee ranks first in the Eastern Conference and second in the NBA with an average point differential of plus-9.3, winning 119.6-110.3. Portland is outscored by 3.4 points on average with an average score of 115.3-111.9 in favor of the opposition.
Take the host BUCKS (-13.5, -106) with a $10 bet returning a profit of $9.43 should the hosts win by 14 or more.
Take the UNDER 226.5 (-106). The over is 9-6 in Blazers games, topping the projection by an average of 1.7 points per game. The Bucks are 7-6-1 in favor of the over, clearing the number by an average of 4.8 points. The injuries for Portland and the back-to-back situation for Milwaukee will temper the scoring.
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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is up to No. 3 in the latest MVP odds, trailing only the last two MVPs in the league.
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With the Los Angeles Lakers sitting atop the NBA standings with the NBA’s best defense, LeBron James is closing the gap between he and the two MVP finalists from the last two NBA seasons.
In updated odds released Wednesday from BetOnline, James is currently a very close third behind 2019 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and 2018 MVP James Harden to win the 2020 MVP award. While James is currently leading the NBA in assists, the other two have incredibly impressive statistical accolades while their teams are a bad Lakers week from passing L.A. in the standings.
2019-2020 NBA Regular Season Most Valuable Player
James Harden 7/4
Giannis Antetokounmpo 2/1
LeBron James 6/1
Luka Doncic 7/1
Anthony Davis 12/1
Kawhi Leonard 16/1
Joel Embiid 28/1
Nikola Jokic 28/1
Damian Lillard 33/1
Karl-Anthony Towns 33/1
Paul George 33/1
Pascal Siakam 50/1
Harden is averaging an astonishing 39.4 points per game in the first month of the season and has actually shot below his career shooting percentages. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo is averaging a monstrous 30 points, 14 rebounds and six assists per game.
Right now, LeBron has team success on his side and for the first time since he was with the Miami Heat, a claim at two-way excellence. He hasn’t taken home the MVP award since he took his talents from South Beach, so perhaps the reminders of those days are portending a reclaiming of the Most Valuable Players award that he hasn’t won since 2013.
If James manages to retake the MVP award seven years after his most recent one, that would be the longest stretch between MVP awards in NBA history, surpassing a six-year gap for Wilt Chamberlain (1960-66). A fifth MVP would also make him just the fourth player in NBA history to win five MVPs, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Bill Russell and Michael Jordan.
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.
Previewing Monday’s Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and tips.
The Milwaukee Bucks (9-3) visit the Chicago Bulls (4-9) Monday at United Center for an 8 p.m. ET start. We analyze the Bucks-Bulls odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Bucks at Bulls: Key injuries
Bulls
SF Otto Porter Jr.(foot) out
PG Zach LaVine (ankle) probable
Bucks at Bulls: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 11:10 a.m. ET.
The -304 line for the BUCKS is not an easy one to stomach but Chicago’s interior, without Porter, is problematic and Milwaukee should be able to expose that.
Can Chicago keep up with Milwaukee’s pace? The answer is likely no if Milwaukee shoots anywhere close to 50%. The Bulls have lost their last four meetings with the Bucks and the final three were by nine or more points. Milwaukee is 6-2 on the road while covering at plus-4.8 points per game above the projections.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Bucks to win outright returns a profit of $3.29.
The value play for this game is taking the BUCKS with the -7.5 points at -106 odds. A Milwaukee cover (win by eight or more points) returns a greater profit of $9.43.
Milwaukee is only 4-4 against the spread on the road but again a good bit above projections and has won six of its last seven away from Milwaukee. The Bulls struggle mightily at home, where they are 3-3 ATS but fall an average of 5.5 points per game below projections.
Lean slightly to the UNDER 230.5 (-115). Chicago plays a little more stout on defense and slows down a bit at home. It may be just enough to keep Milwaukee from scoring 120 and making the under an easier proposition Monday.
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Previewing Saturday’s Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.
The Milwaukee Bucks (8-3) travel to meet the Indiana Pacers (7-5) Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET. We analyze the Bucks-Pacers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Bucks at Pacers: Key injuries
Bucks: SF Khris Middleton (thigh) will be sidelined until early December.
Pacers: SG Malcolm Brogdon (back) is listed as questionable to face his former team, while C Myles Turner (ankle) is also a question mark.
Bucks at Pacers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.
PASS. The Bucks (-228) are rather expensive, as you need to lay more than two times the money for a meager return.
New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered that Milwaukee wins profits $0.44 if the Bucks prevail. (Ex: Bet $10 to win $4.40, $20 to win $8.80, $22.80 to win $10).
Take the BUCKS (-4.5, –129) for this road battle, although you’ll be ‘bucking’ some trends. Milwaukee is just 3-7 against the spread in the past 10 road games, and 0-4 ATS in the past four games overall. They are 18-7-1 ATS in the past 26 games inside the Central Division.
The favorite is also 8-2 ATS in the past 10 meetings in this series. However, for the Pacers (+4.5, +105), they’re 0-6-1 ATS in the past seven against teams with a winning overall record, and 3-10 ATS in the last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better.
The UNDER 225.5 (+105) is a decent bargain, especially at plus-money. The Under has connected in five straight meetings in Indianapolis, and six of the past seven in this series. The Under is also 3-1-1 in the past five home games for the Pacers, too.
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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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.
Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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.
