Now that every team has played at least 41 games, it's time to go through the Awards Winners and All Star Predictions at the half way point in the Season.
Most Valuable Player (MVP)
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
30 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 1. bpg
FG 55.3%, FT 61.5%, 3P 32.5 % (1.7 3PM), P.E.R 33.47
Freaky. That's all you can really say about Giannis...30 points a game in just 30 minutes. Almost 13 rebounds and 5.5 assists. If somebody could actually challenge the Bucks and push Giannis a bit than his numbers would look closer to 35 ppg and 15 rpg which is his per 36 minute numbers - the amount of time most 25 year old superstars would at least expect to play in a game.
His Player Efficiency Rating is off the charts, 33.47, the greatest P.E.R ever....by Far! For context Wilt has the next highest at 31.8 and 31.7 followed by MJ 31.7, Lebron 31.7, MJ again 31.6, Wilt again at 31.6 and Lebron again at 31.6, than Curry's unanimous MVP Year with 31.5. You get the picture. You got MJ, Lebron, Wilt and Curry's best year and Giannis blows them all out of the water by almost 2 full P.E.R points! Oh and the Bucks were 36-5 at the halfway point - on pace to tie the 72-10 record of the legendary 96 Bulls Team.
Added altogether, regardless if you think Lebron (or KD) is still the best player in the game; Giannis just like last year is this season's Most Valuable Player....and it's not particularly close.
2. Lebron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
25.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 10.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.5 bpg
FG 49.2%, FT 69.2%, 3P 34.4 % (2.1 3PM), P.E.R 26.5
After the disappointment last season of getting injured and missing the playoffs for the 1st time since his rookie season, Lebron bounced back stronger than anyone could have expected for a player in his 17th Year. Leading the league in assists for the 1st time in his Career AND still averaging over 25 ppg, the King has shown regardless if he wins MVP or not, he is still the best player currently in the game.
Yes the addition of Anthony Davis has clearly been the catalyst to start the Lakers turnaround, but there can be no doubt who deserves the bulk of the MVP chatter. Lebron looks young, Lebron looks bouncy and Lebron looks determined and poised. With his age defying athleticism and basketball IQ at its absolute Peak, this just may be the best version of Lebron yet and we should all be thankful we get to continue to witness his greatness.
3. Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
28.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 9 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.1 bpg
FG 46.7%, FT 78.2%, 3P 32.9 % (3 3PM), P.E.R 30.1
What can you say? Luka Doncic is having the Best Ever age 20 Season in NBA History. 29pts almost 10 rebounds and 9 assists with 12 Triple Doubles through the half way point is astounding for any age, let alone someone who is still not legally allowed to have drink!
Luka was out of this world in November when he won Player of Month averaging a 32 point Triple Double with 50% shooting despite taking 10 3s a game. If it wasn't for a frustrating ankle injury that robbed his and the Mavs momentum in Mid December, Luka could have been more of a threat to challenge Giannis and Lebron for MVP.
4. James Harden (Houston Rockets)
37.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 7.5 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.9 bpg
FG 44.6%, FT 86%, 3P 37.3 % (5 3PM), P.E.R 30.5
It's incredible that a guy that is averaging over 37ppg and already with games of 60,59,55,54 and 50 pts could be an afterthought in the MVP race. He averaged 39.5p/6.5r/7.5a on 39% shooting from 3 in November before turning it on even more December shooting a blistering 43% from 3 (on 13 attempts a game) including crazy back to back games where he scored 55 and 54 pts with 10 3s in each game at over 60% shooting! And to all his critics he only made 5 free throws one game and 6 the other to get his 55 and 54 point totals.
His scoring average is the 2nd most ever behind only Wilt. More than Kobe's greatest season. More than Mike's greatest season. But Harden still does not get the love and admiration or even respect sometimes for his amazing god given talents. Numbers wise it is hard to top Harden. But the fact is that this year's regular season is about the Bucks and Lakers, and with the Rockets dropping to 6th in the West after a 3 game losing streak, Harden also drops back to 4th in the MVP race behind Luka.
5. Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
27.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.5 spg, 2.6 bpg
FG 50.4%, FT 85.9%, 3P 29.7 % (1.1 3PM), P.E.R 28.4
Usually when a player leads their team in scoring he is their best player...Now imagine you are also the team's best defender...On any other team you would be considered the Best and Most Valuable Player. But other teams and superstars do not have Lebron James as a teammate.
Anthony Davis is a legitimate MVP candidate in his own right. 27pts, 9.5 reb and 2.5 blocks at over 50% from the field and 85% from the line are MVP numbers, and the only thing he doesn't beat Lebron in is Assists and 3s. But the eye test clearly shows that Lebron is the main engine and force behind the Lakers success and as long as this is the case, AD can go no higher than 5th.
Honurable Mention: Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat)
20.3 ppg, 7 rpg, 6.4 apg, 1.9 spg, 0.6 bpg
FG 44.4%, FT 82.3%, 3P 27.1 % (0.7 3PM), P.E.R 23.7
With the year the Miami Heat are having, I just could not talk about the MVP race without at least mentioning Jimmy Buckets.
Nobody had Miami as a top 3 seed and a legitimate threat to make the Conference Finals before the year started. But the genius recruiting of GM Pat Riley and masterclass in coaching job done by Erik Spoelstra, this young Heat team with Butler leading the way are one of the stories of the season.
I give Butler a lot of credit for not following and teaming up with other superstars and forging his own way in Miami. He is averaging a Career High 7 rebounds and a Career High 6.5 assists to go along with over 20 ppg and 1.9 steals per game (4th in the league). Everyone knows he can score and D up his man as good as anyone, but he is now showing his all around game and playmaking skills, as well as leadership and intangibles that we always knew he had inside of him. This is Jimmy Butler at his best.
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
2nd in the league in Blocks and Tied 2nd in Defensive Win Shares, there is no doubt that Anthony Davis's defense is one of the main reasons for the Lakers success. 14 times the Lakers have not allowed other teams to score 100pts (most in the West) and they won all 14 of these games largely thanks to their interior defense lead by Davis and supported by Centers McGee and Howard. He also leads the team in steals (1.5) and rebounds (9.2).
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
You could easily make a strong case for Giannis to win MVP and DPOY this season as he leads the whole league in rim protection allowing only 43.8% FG at the rim. He also leads the league in Defensive Rating and Defensive Win Shares and is 6th in rebounding at 12.7 rpg in just 30 minutes a game (which translates to a monstrous 15 rebounds per 36 minutes).
But after averaging over 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals through the 1st month of the season, Giannis is only averaging a below average 0.7 blocks and 0.8 steals since December 1st which is a bit low for any Defensive Player of the Year Candidate.
3. Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz)
The two time reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert will no doubt be one of the favourites to win it again. After a slow start to the season, The Stifle Tower has averaged over 15 rebounds and 2 blocks for the streaking Jazz who have won 16 out of 18 games.
For advanced stats, Gobert is tied 2nd in Defensive Win Shares and 6th in Defensive Rating and is once again among the league leading defenders at the rim (49.7%) so don't be surprised if Gobert matches Dwight Howard as the only player ever to win 3 consecutive DPOY awards.
Honourable Mentions:
Jonathan Isaac (Orlando Magic) & Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)
Big Men usually get most of the attention in the DPOY voting but we have to also mention 2 of the most versatile defenders Jonathan Isaac and Ben Simmons.
Isaac was a having a breakout year before a Season Ending knee injury hampered his chances to challenge for the DPOY award. Like AD, Isaac is top 5 in blocks (2.4bpg) and is also averaging over 1.5 steals per game while guarding the other team's best player on a regular basis. He defends the perimeter and protects the rim arguably better than any other player in the league. And the Orlando Magic was allowing a league low 103.9 pts per game which is unusual for a team below .500 to lead the whole NBA in this category.
Simmons on the other hand has been a beast defensively hounding other guards and forwards and leading the league in Steals (2.2) and Loose Balls recovered (1.1) and is Top 5 in deflections (3.8) as well. And he has had more clutch last minute defensive plays than anyone else in the league. No doubt he deserves strong consideration to make his 1st All Defensive Team this year.
Rookie of the Year
1. Ja Morant
17.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 7 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.3 bpg
FG 49.4%, FT 80.6%, 3P 40.2 % (0.9 3PM), P.E.R 18.7
With 1st pick Zion Williamson missing the whole 1st half of the season, Ja Morant is now running away with the award. 18pts and 7ast per game, shooting 50/40/80 as a Rookie point guard is impressive. He is Much Watch TV, a nightly highlight reel which is 2nd to none in this league. His athleticism, vision, poise and shooting defies his age and most importantly he has lead the unlikely Memphis Grizzlies into playoff position currently riding a 7 game winning streak.
2. Kendrick Nunn
16 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.5 apg, 0.9 spg, 0.2 bpg
FG 45.9%, FT 80.3%, 3P 35.2 % (2 3PM), P.E.R 14.2
3. Tyler Herro
13.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.2 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.1 bpg
FG 41.7%, FT 85.1%, 3P 38.5 % (2.1 3PM), P.E.R 11.6
Rookie teammates Nunn and Herro get 2nd and 3rd place with Nunn 2nd amongst all rookies in scoring at almost 16ppg. Herro edges out a host of other candidates because of his clutch shooting and scoring ability and the fact his team is 2nd in the East and he has been a big contributor to that.
Honourable Mentions: Eric Paschall, PJ Washington, Brandon Clarke, RJ Barrett, Darius Garland, De'Andre Hunter
6th Man of the Year
1. Dennis Schroder (Oklahoma City Thunder)
18.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.2 bpg
FG 46.5%, FT 82.2%, 3P 36 % (1.9 3PM), P.E.R 15.4
This year's 6th Man race is going to be close and you could easily argue either of the Clipper bench duo or even Derrick Rose and I wouldn't object. But Dennis Schroder has been spectacular especially in December where he was clutch in the 4th and averaged 22ppg on 50/40/90 shooting - a huge reason why OKC was able to turn their season around going 10-4 in the month.
2. Lou Williams / Montrezl Harrell Tie (L.A Clippers)
20/19.3 ppg, 3/7.1 rpg, 6.2/1.8 apg, 0.6/0.7 spg, 0.2/1.1 bpg
FG 43/58%, FT 87/64%, 3P 39% (2 3PM), P.E.R 18.9/23.1
How do you separate these two? 20ppg and 6apg for Lou and almost 20ppg and 7rpg for Trez. The Clippers have Two 20 point scorers off the Bench and both in their own right deserve to win the award. The only reason I am giving the slight edge to Schroder is because these two take turns on being the best bench player for the Clippers each night whereas Schroder is clearly the main man off the bench in Oklahoma City.
3. Derrick Rose (Detroit Pistons)
18.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 5.9 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.4 bpg
FG 50.3%, FT 88.1%, 3P 31.8 % (0.9 3PM), P.E.R 22.46
Rose has been ballin this year off the bench again and since the New Year he has been especially hot scoring 20 points in 8 consecutive games. But his Pistons are struggling out of playoff position which gives the players above the edge.
Honourable Mention: Goran Dragic
The Dragon has accepted his new bench role and has flourished averaging almost 16pts and 5ast while making many clutch shots for the 2nd place Heat.
Most Improved Player
1. Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)
25.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 14.3 apg, 0.9 spg, 0.8 bpg
FG 47.8%, FT 85.5%, 3P 40.1 % (2.5 3PM), P.E.R 21.41
This may be the toughest award to decide with multiple deserving candidates, but I am going with Ingram who has turned into an All Star player increasing his scoring by almost 8 ppg and also improving his rebounding, assists, steals, blocks and efficiency. B.I shot 33% on 3s last year with only 0.6 makes per game and only 67.5% from the FT line. This year he is at 41% on 3s with 2.5 makes per game and a scorching 86% from the line. Most players improve because they get more playing time but all this improvement is coming from playing the exact same minutes as a year ago which makes it even more impressive.
2. Shai Gilgeous Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
20 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.4 bpg
FG 47%, FT 82.5%, 3P 34.2 % (1.2 3PM), P.E.R 17.94
SGA is equally deserving of the award going from a below average starter to the leading scorer on a legitimate playoff team. He has doubled his scoring from 10 to 20ppg and he even recorded an extremely rare 20pt/20reb/10ast game showing off his huge potential. Really it could go either way between B.I and SGA.
3. Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
15.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.2 bpg
FG 58.7%, FT 68.1%, P.E.R 20.77
Bam also deserves serious consideration upping his averages from 9p/7r/2a to 16p/10.5r/4.5a and anchoring the defense of the team with the 2nd best record in the East. The most impressive part of his game has been his surprisingly good playmaking skills, even notching 2 triple doubles with 10 assists earlier this season. Expect Bam get the All Star nod in the East just over Andre Drummond and Nikola Vucevic.
Honourable Mentions: Devonte Graham, Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Pascal Siakam
Devonte Graham also deserves a mention as he went from a bonafide scrub at under 5ppg to the leader of the Hornets averaging almost 19pts and 9ast per game. But his efficiency is very bad (38% FG) and he even went on an NBA All Time record streak of 9 straight games shooting under 35% so I can't seriously consider him.
Trae and Luka both also have strong claims as they both improved their scoring dramatically to almost 30ppg. But both players we knew were All Star talents and since Luka is in the running for MVP he is almost too good to win this award.
Coach of the Year
1. Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat)
Record: 29-12 (2nd in East)
Home 18-1, Road 11-11
Another coin flip is the Coach of the Year with more than a handful of worthy candidates. But I am going with Erik Spoelstra who has not put a foot wrong all season. He made the correct decision to bench and ultimately trade Whiteside before the season to let Bam Adebayo blossom and looking back it was a genius move. Then he managed the 'tough to manage' Jimmy Butler bringing the best out of him and even turning him into an MVP candidate.
He also got a veteran starter in Goran Dragic to come off the bench and flourish and he has given confidence to his young players Nunn, Herro and Duncan Robinson to all be strong contributors on the 2nd best team in the East. And most importantly he is winning, turning the Miami Home Court into the toughest place to visit with only 1 loss all season at home. A masterful coaching job by Spoelstra.
2. Frank Vogel (L.A Lakers)
Record: 34-8 (1st in West)
Home 16-5, Road 18-3
I won't argue with anyone who says Vogel is the Coach of the Year for keeping the Lakers in 1st place since Day 1. He had the vision to move Lebron to point guard and keep a Big Man next to AD to preserve his body as much as possible. He also got the whole team including Lebron to buy into his defense first mentality and he managed his two big men Javale McGee and Dwight Howard perfectly to keep them both happy and motivated.
Vogel trusts his players even if they have a bad few games and this in turn has gained their trust too. He had confidence in KCP after a rough start when Laker fans wanted to drop him and KCP has repaid his faith by turning into the best and most reliable shooter on the team. The only blemish he has had is possibly failing to get the best out of 3rd scorer Kyle Kuzma, but it's hard to find enough minutes for him when all the bigs are playing so well.
3. Rick Carlisle (Dallas Mavericks)
Record: 27-15 (5th in West)
Home 13-10, Road 14-5
Nobody expected the Mavericks to be this good and Rick Carlisle deserves a lot of credit for masterminding one of the greatest offenses in NBA history. It was a great decision to move Luka to Point Guard full time and he has mastered his rotations to maximize Luka and all his teammates perfectly. He seems to get the best out of all his players and has turned ordinary role players like Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, Seth Curry, Finney Smith, Tim Hardaway Jr and Delon Wright into legitimate starters that blend perfectly with his young star.
Honourable Mentions: Nate McMillan, Brad Stevens, Mike Buden holzer.
These 3 coaches are all doing an amazing job as well. Nate has kept the Pacers in the Top 5 despite losing All Star Oladipo, leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic and starting point guard Darren Collison from last year. Stevens has also done a much better job this year despite losing Kyrie, Horford and Marcus Morris and Mike Budenholzer and the Bucks just keep winning and winning.
West All Stars
Starters:
F Lebron James
25.5p/8r/11a (P.E.R 26.5)
Best record in the West. Captain and without a doubt the best player in the Conference. Enough Said.
F Kawhi Leonard
27p/7.5r/5a (P.E.R 26.3)
Ramping it up since the New Year, his last 5 games the Klaw has scored 36,30,43,32 and 39 pts (36ppg) on 56% shooting and he is averaging a Career High in Points, (26.9), rebounds (7.3) and assists (5).
F Anthony Davis
27p/9.5r/3a (P.E.R 28.4)
The best offensive and defensive Big Man in the Game. Leads the Lakers in everything except assists and 3s.
G James Harden
37p/6r/7.5a (P.E.R 30.5)
Historical scoring season averaging more points than Jordan or Kobe ever did. But can he make it work with Russ with the Rockets now falling to 6th?
G Luka Doncic
29p/10r/9a (P.E.R 30.1)
Almost averaging a 30 point triple double and carrying the Mavs to the best offense and 3rd best point differential in the league.
Reserves:
F Nikola Jokic
19p/10r/6.5a (P.E.R 24.3)
After a slow start The Joker has been ballin averaging 24pts and 10 reb since the New Year after a 21p/9.5r/7.5a December where he shot and effcient 55/40/85. A lock to make the game, he should be the 1st reserve selected.
F Brandon Ingram
25.5p/7r/4.5a (P.E.R 21.4)
Brandon Ingram has been playing like an All Star all season averaging Career Highs across the board. Paul George has missed too many games and Ingram has played better than him anyway and deserves it more this year.
F Rudy Gobert
15.5p/14.5r/1.7a (P.E.R 22.5)
2nd in FG%, 2nd in Rebounds, 7th in Blocks and 1st in Screen Assists, this should finally be the year Rudy makes the game. Sure Karl Towns is better but he missed 15 games and I think 40 games of Rudy for the hottest team in the league team is better than 25 games of K.A.T for a disappointing Wolves team.
G Donovan Mitchell
25p/4.5r/4.5a (P.E.R 20.5)
Spida has been the best player on the Jazz this year aveaging almost 25ppg and if they only get one All Star than he should make it over Rudy.
G Damian Lillard
27p/4r/7.5a (P.E.R 24.7)
I don't care that the Blazers are currently out of the playoffs, Damian Lillard is an All Star and a disappointing team record cannot change my mind on that.
U Russell Westbrook
25p/8r/7a (P.E.R 19.2)
The last two utility spots go to the two Hall of Fame point guards traded for each other. Devin Booker has a real strong case for one of these spots, but Russ is still averaging over 25ppg, almost 8 reb and over 7 ast and the Rockets are better than the Suns. It would be disrespectful to not include Russ with All Star numbers like that.
U Chris Paul
17p/5r/6.5a (P.E.R 21)
He may have the least impressive stats out of all the reserves but in terms of impact Chris Paul is 2nd to none. Nobody thought OKC had a shot at the playoffs and they have been one of the hottest teams in the league with Paul closing game after game for them even averaging the most points in the clutch in the entire NBA.
Biggest Snubs: Devin Booker, Paul George, Karl Anthony Towns, DeMar DeRozan, Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Ja Morant
No doubt there are more deserving All Stars then spots available starting with Devin Booker who has been sensational averaging over 26pts and 6 assists on 50% shooting from the field and 90% from the line. If the Suns could have maintained a .500 record or at least hung on to a playoff spot then D-Book would have a much stronger case.
Paul George and Karl Anthony Towns are bona fide All Stars, no doubt about it. But both players have missed more than 15 games which is almost half the season so far. With so many other strong candidates, the missed games have to be the difference maker.
Shout out also to DeMar DeRozan who is on an historic streak of 13 straight games scoring over 20ppg on 50% shooting in each game - a feat never accomplished by a wing player in NBA history. But the Spurs are 6 games below .500 and out of the playoffs right now so in my opinion this will be the 1st year they do not have an All Star since 1997 (before the Tim Duncan era).
SGA also has a strong case but I gave the nod to CP3 for his impact and late game heroics. As for rookie Ja Morant, you could easily make a case with him considering Memphis is in the playoffs now but with all the guard competition in the West, there is no chance he makes it.
Injured: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins, Zion Williamson
If you think the West backcourt is crowded right now, imagine next year when Steph and Klay as well as a developing Ja Morant crash the party!
East All Stars
Starters:
F Giannis Antetokounmpo
30p/12r/5.5a (P.E.R 33)
Far and away the best player in the conference and it's not even close He may be captain of the East for the rest of this decade!
F Jimmy Butler
20p/7r/6.5a (P.E.R 23.7)
Enjoying his best season ever, Jimmy Buckets has showed off his all around game and impressive playmaking and leadership for the 2nd place Heat.
C Joel Embiid
23p/12.5r/3.5a (P.E.R 25.7)
Not the best year statistically for Jo averaging 23ppg compared to 27.5 last year, but without doubt he is still the best Center in the East.
G Kemba Walker
22p/4r/5a (P.E.R 22)
Kemba has fit in with Boston much better than Kyrie ever did and he is playing the best out of all guards on a winning team so he deserves to start.
G Trae Young
29p/4.5r/8.5a (P.E.R 23.6)
Forget the record, Trae Young is an All Star. Averaging over 29ppg and almost 9apg (top 5 in the league in both), the Hawks are actually an ok team with Trae on the floor and just fall apart when he sits. With no other clear cut option, I think we should give the fans what they want and start Ice Trae.
Reserves:
F Pascal Siakam
24p/7.5r/3.5a (P.E.R 19)
Although I think Jimmy deserves it more, according to the voting, Siakam will most likely start forming an African connection frontline with Giannis and Embiid. But Spicy P has also been phenomenal upping his scoring to over 24 ppg leading the Raptors to a top 4 record and Home Court in the 1st round.
F Jayson Tatum
21p/7r/3a (P.E.R 18)
Now that Kyrie is gone, we are finally seeing the Jayson Tatum that we thought we would, averaging a Career High 21.2 ppg including many clutch shots and All NBA level defense.
C Bam Adebayo
16p/10.5r/4.5a (P.E.R 20.8)
The best passing big on the East, he edges out Drummond and Vucevic based on team record.
G Kyle Lowry
20.5p/4.5r/7.5a (P.E.R 17.7)
His shooting % is a bit down but has upped his scoring from 14ppg last year to over 20ppg this year and the Raptors are winning. You can be sure he will get selected by coaches to make the bench.
G Ben Simmons
15.5p/7.5r/8.5a (P.E.R 19.8)
Bit of a strange year for Ben who has received both criticism for his unwillingness to shoot and passiveness in the clutch, and praise for his All NBA level defense which sees him leading the league in Steals including some clutch defensive plays at the end of games.
U Khris Middleton
19.5p/5.5r/4a (P.E.R 21.4)
Middleton's numbers may not be eye popping, but he is still averaging almost 20ppg on almost 50/40/90 shooting efficiency. The Bucks with their 70 win pace definitely deserve 2 All Stars so you can bet your house that Middleton will make it.
U Bradley Beal
27p/4.5r/6.5a (P.E.R 20.8)
The last spot goes to Bradley Beal, just edging out Dinwiddie, Lavine and Jaylen Brown. Beal is averaging a Career High 27.2ppg and 6.4 apg and even though his team is terrible there is no doubt Bradley Beal is an All Star.
Biggest Snubs: Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jaylen Brown, Zach Lavine, Domantas Sabonis, Andre Drummond, Nikola Vucevic
Kyrie Irving clearly hasn't played enough games to be considered but his replacement Spencer Dinwiddie does have a strong case. But with the Nets also struggling 5 games below .500 and Spencer struggling from 3 (under 28% since December 1st), he just misses out.
Jaylen Brown can't make it because the Celtics already have Kemba and Tatum and as for Zach Lavine, I think he is a future star and about as explosive as anyone in the league. He is avergaing over 30ppg since the New Year and if the Bulls weren't so disappointing, he would have a really strong case.
Up front Drummond (17ppg/16rpg) and Vucevic (19ppg/11rpg) just miss out while Domantas Sabonis probably has the strongest case out of the 3 considering the Pacers record, but I went with Tatum and Adebayo in the other front court spots next to Siakam.
Injured: Kevin Durant, Victor Oladipo, John Wall
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