My picks for the NBA All-rookie teams 2019-20

Honestly, this class has not been as good as the previous ones, but this doesn’t mean it has been a weak class. These rookies have been exciting, and they do share an important similarity with the two that came before; it’s a two-man race. Just like Simmons vs Mitchell (2017-18) and Trae vs Luka (2018-19), this year has been dominated by Zion vs Ja even though Zion has only played in 19 games. However, where the 2019-20 class suffers is in its supporting class if you will. Outside of Ja and Zion barely any other rookies have made an impact this season. It’s understandable as, you know, they’re rookies after all. In a few years I hope to be wrong about that statement as I hope every player matures to become great in their own right. As Lebron and KD aren’t getting any younger, we need an influx of superstars to help carry this league for the next decade.

The All-rookie team is composed of two five-man line-ups: a first and second team. The players each receive 2 points for each first team vote and 1 point for each second team vote. The top five players with the highest point total make the first team and the next five making the second team.

My pick for Rookie of the Year, and for me that’s easy, is Ja Morant. I know Zion, in his limited sample size, has been amazing and has lived up to the hype. However, (god-forbid) if the season ended today, we, under no circumstance should ever give a guy who played 19 games the ROTY. But enough about him, Ja Morant has been just sensational for the Grizzles this season: 59 games, 17.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 49.1% FG%, 36.7% 3P%, 77% FT playing 30 minutes a game. He has become the face of Memphis overnight and is the main reason why they were contending for the playoffs instead of being a lottery team like many (included myself) predicted. He’s been exciting to watch on the court and has given the fans in Memphis hope that they glory days aren’t behind them but lie in their future.

Okay so here’s my NBA All-rookie 1^st team:

Guard	Ja Morant
Forward	Zion Williamson
Guard	Kendrick Nunn
Forward	Eric Pascall
Forward	Brandon Clarke

 

Zion Williamson – Took a little longer than we expected to see if he lived up to the hype and boy, did he ever live up to the hype. In just 19 games he became the 2^nd most talked about player in the league (behind Lebron of course) and for good reason. He’s a bull when he’s in the post and the most astonishing thing I’ve seen from him is his offensive rebounding. His hustle is impressive, and he can easily be the best player in this draft class if he stays healthy. Needs to work on: Free throws.

Stats: 19 games, 23.6 points 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 29.7 minutes per game, 58.9% FG, 46.2% 3P, 64.5% FT.

Kendrick Nunn – Going undrafted in the 2018 Draft, he spent a season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, and he impressed enough to be signed by the Heat. It certainly paid off. With a chip on his shoulder, Nunn has become a key part of this tough & young Miami team with his impressive three-point shooting and has even shown the ability to create some plays for his teammates. A true underdog story, Dunn has put the world on notice and should be a key piece of Miami in the future. Needs to work on: Defence.

Stats – 62 games, 15.6 points 2.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 29.8 minutes per game, 44.8% FG, 36.2% 3P, 83.7% FT.

Eric Paschall – He has single-handedly been the biggest bright spot of the Golden State Warriors’ season (not a big feat honestly). The 41^st pick in this year’s draft seems to be a sleeper and has impressed thanks to him getting adequate time to play because of the injuries the Warriors had to their roster. His moves in the post have been impressive and have shown glimpses of an outside shoot. He has the potential to be a small ball 5 and has an excellent teacher for that in a great defensive player and Mr. Triple Single himself, Draymond Green. Needs to work on: Three-point shooting.

Stats – 60 games, 14 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 27.6 minutes per game, 49.7% FG, 28.7% 3P, 77.4% FT.

Brandon Clarke – Let’s take this time to give the Memphis Grizzles’ front office a big round of applause for getting two incredible rookies. As much we can rave about Ja Morant we cannot forget to mention the stud Brendon Clarke has been. He’s been scoring with scary efficiency and there’s still hopes that he can translate his defensive prowess from college to the pros. He a perfect partner in crime for Ja to lead the Grizzles into the future. Needs to work on: Developing a three-point shot.

Stats – 50 games, 12 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 21.7 minutes per game, 62.3% FG, 40.4% 3P, 78.5% FT.

Now, here’s my NBA All-rookie 2^nd team:

Forward	Rui Hachimura
Forward	RJ Barrett
Guard	Tyler Herro
Forward	P.J. Washington
Guard	Terrance Davis

 

Rui Hachimura – Missed a couple of games after a December 16^th groin injury forced him to get surgery and honestly, he would’ve played 10 more games I’m pretty sure I would’ve had him in 1^st team. He’s been exciting to watch in the Wizard’s “offense only” game plan. It would be great to see him next season when John Wall comes back and this team reverts to normal. Needs to work on: Developing a three-point shot.

Stats – 41 games, 13.4 points, 6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 29.7 minutes per game, 47.8% FG, 27.4% 3P, 82.9% FT.

RJ Barrett – RJ’s rookie season could’ve been way better, but this is no fault of his own (cough cough Dolan). But poorly constructed roster aside, he has shown promise. However, he still tries to do too much and attempt bad shots with a decent amount of time left on the shot clock. Hopefully next season with a proper roster around him (don’t count on that.)  he can improve on this solid outing Needs to work on: Playmaking

Stats – 56 games, 14.3 points, 5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 30.4 minutes per game, 40.2% FG, 32% 3P, 61.4% FT.

Tyler Herro – Now it’s time to talk about my personal favourite rookie this season, the Boy Wonder himself. Just look at this guy! He exudes confidence and, to put it simply, he’s got swag. He's like Kyle Kuzma but WAY less cringey. He's a great shooter whether it’s a catch and shoot or a pull up jumper, he can knock it down. He still must polish up other areas of his game, but he should be a solid 6^th man coming off Miami’s bench. Needs to work on – Driving to the basket.

Stats – 47 games, 12.9 points, 4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 27.2 minutes per game, 41.4%, FG 39.1% 3P, 83.5% FT.

P.J. Washington – PJ has put together a very solid rookie season, which is very rare for the Hornets, as they tend to draft extremely poorly as their last decent rookie being Cody Zeller in 2013. He has shown his promise with his catch and shoot ability and his decent versatility on defence. The Hornets have begun rebuilding this season and it looks like Washington could play a very important role in the process. Needs to work on – Drawing more fouls in the paint.

Stats – 58 games, 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 30.3 minutes per game, 45.5% FG, 37.4% 3P, 64.7% FT.

Terrance Davis – Be proud of the fact that my bias isn’t that bad, and I didn’t put him in 1^st team. But do I think he’s the 10^th best rookie in the league? Hell yeah. The Raptors have once again picked up an undrafted player who is playing quality minutes and posting great numbers in our rotation. He has great efficiency & shot selection maybe because he did a lot of his development in college so there isn’t much growing pain. In his limited minutes he has produced more (in my opinion) than most rookies have in 20+ minutes. Needs to work on – Perimeter defence.

Stats – 64 games, 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 17 minutes per game, 46.3% FG, 39.6% 3P, 86.5% FT.

Honourable Mentions

Coby White, De’Andre Hunter, Darius Garland, Kevin Porter, Cam Reddish and Jordan McLaughlin

 

March 30^th 2020

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My picks for the All-Defensive Team 2019-20

It is safe to say that the last 18 days without basketball have felt more like centuries to most fans, where we pray every night for this virus to stop so we can just get back to the season. But alas dear basketball fans, life can be just like Kevin Durant joining a 73-win Golden State team; cruel and unfair. But whether or not the season starts back, we should take this time to self-isolate and practice social distancing. Because when you think about it, the sooner we self-isolate the quicker the season will start back (or something like that.) But enough about the depressive situation that the world is in right now. Let’s talk about the All-Defensive Team for a bit.

For those of you who don’t know, the NBA All-Defensive Team is composed of two five-man line-ups for a total of 10 players which are separated into a first and second team. Voting is conducted by a panel of 123 broadcasters and writers.

Before I get into it, I might as well tell you guys who my Defensive Player of the Year is and that’s going to be Anthony Davis. In all honesty, it’s not close now. Rudy Gobert really fell off after the all-star break and he was the only real competition for AD in my opinion. But throughout the season even though he has never been a slouch on defence, he stepped up his game now that he’s playing alongside Lebron and has defensive minded head coach in Frank Vogel. He can guard the opposing team’s best player on most nights thanks to his switch-ability and his freak athleticism. I'm not going to bore you too much with stats because he always puts-up double-digit blocks and steals but his defensive rating is 100.8, which is 4^th in the NBA. So do with that what you will.

And, without further ado, here’s my All-Defensive 1^st Team:

Guard	Ben Simmons
Guard	Marcus Smart
Forward	Anthony Davis
Forward	Giannis Antetokounmpo
Center	Brook Lopez

 

Ben Simmons – He always had the size and length to be a great defender, but I do think in this season he finally put it all together when it comes to his defence at least (still waiting on the jump shoot.) The 6-foot-10-point forward is a walking mismatch for opposing guards thanks to his size, length and athleticism and he also can flawlessly go between dodging picks to close out on smaller guards and to boding up big men in the paint. He is also first in steals with 2.1 a game which is a 0.7 increase from last season (1.4).

Marcus Smart – What else can you say about Smart’s defence? He gives you Westbrook level of intensity but on the defensive side, he gives you 110% on every play, every game no matter what. His size may be deceiving standing at only 6-foot-3, but this dog not only barks but he bites...hard. He’s constantly harassing guards, smoothly chasing them around screens but he can also make lives hard for bigs, as he doesn’t let them post him up easily. He is easily the heart and soul of the Celtic’s defence.

Giannis Antetokounmpo – If I must explain to you why the Greek Freak deserves to be a part of the top 5 defensive players in the NBA, then you my friend are living under a rock & clearly don’t watch basketball.

Brook Lopez – Hold up! Before you start saying, “WTF?!” in your head or to your friends, allow me to make his case. This season he has been the 2^nd best shot-blocker in the league with 2.4 a game (a career high) and his defensive rating of 99.0 is 2^nd in the league only to his Bucks teammate Giannis (96.3). Ever since he joined the Bucks, Lopez’s defensive rating has been in the top 10 in the league (9th and 2nd) and he has averaged >2 blocks (2.2 and 2.4) for the first time since his All-star season in 2012-13. And I know what you’re thinking, “He’s only doing this good because he’s on Giannis’ team,” to which I say, yes you have a point. But we cannot fault him for playing his role well and with the decline of Rudy Gobert and Joel Embiid missing 20 games I believe that this season is Brook Lopez’s time to shine.

Now, here’s my 2^nd team NBA All Defensive Team:

Guard	Eric Bledsoe
Guard	Kyle Lowry
Forward	Kawhi Leonard
Forward	Jason Tatum
Center	Rudy Gobert

 

Eric Bledsoe – Another bulldog that has benefitted from the great defensive scheme in Milwaukee. He’s always been a good defender but playing alongside other great defenders has really took his game to another level, constantly harassing opposing guards and fighting through screens to stay with his assignment. He is also 7^th in the league with a defensive rating of 103.0 and I don’t think he feel off from his defensive form from last season, but I do think Simmons has been more impressive.

Kyle Lowry – Since he’s my favourite player, I’ll keep my biases to a minimum. On a team with impressive defensive players like OG, Siakam, Ibaka and Gasol it is easy to say that Kyle Lowry is the heart and soul of not only the team but it’s defence. He’s tied for 1^st in the league in charges drawn, his basketball IQ allows him to keep everybody on their assignments and to make smart plays to change momentum of a game. And I love him dearly.

Kawhi Leonard – He’s the Klaw. Do I really need to explain why he deserves to be here? He arguably may not be as good as he once was before the injury, but he’s still clearly a defensive juggernaut. Just go back and watch Clipper games to get your proof (you know the one’s where he’s not doing load management.)

Jason Tatum –What has been overlooked since his offense took off after the all-star break, was just how good Tatum's defence has gotten. Career highs in blocks and steals per game (0.9 and 1.4), Tatum has shown the ability to switch on positions 1 through 4 and is very smart on his help defence and is a main reason that the Celtics have a top defence this season. Does he still have room for improvement? Yes, but he still has so much potential.  I am excited to see what he does next season.

Rudy Gobert – Yeah, he kind of fell off, but this was a tossup between him and Myles Turner. But I feel more comfortable giving it to the Stifle Tower. He’s still a great shot blocker but his flaws have been on display this season as he can be played off the court by smart teams who can switch onto a fast, crafty guard.

Honourable Mentions

Myles Turner (sigh, maybe next season man.), Pascal Siakam, Lebron James, Lonzo Ball, Jimmy Butler, Kris Dunn, Jrue Holiday. 

March 29^th 2020

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G League vs the NCAA

G League vs the NCAA

So, as we all know the NCAA is responsible for all collegiate sports in America and has basically been the gateway for athletes to move onto the pros in order to follow their dreams. They have ruled with an iron fist and has forced all athletes to conform to their rules and regulations no matter if you're Zion Williamson or a walk-on.

There were times were prospects could’ve entered the NBA Draft from high school but that was shot down in 2006 by the NBA. This made it so that every player now must spend at least one year in college before declaring for the draft. And ever since then the popularity of college basketball immediately skyrocketed. For 5-star recruits who have made a name for themselves before touching a college court, they’re just going to improve their draft stock and not fail any classes so that they can leave next year where all the glory and fame awaits them in the NBA.

But for top recruits, who know that its either basketball or bust, why should you bother with classes for your communication degrees and the rigorous schedule of the school/practice balance? Why can’t you just focus on ball and ball alone? Well if you find yourself in that category then the NBA G League might be the place for you.

History of the G League Pathway Program.

According to a report from the official NBA G League website; on the 18^th October 2018, the NBA G League announced that it would be offering Select Contracts for elite players who are at least 18 to be a part of their pathway program. These elite prospects must be eligible to play in the G League but not yet eligible for the NBA and they would be paid $125,000 for a five-month season.

The article goes on to state, “NBA G League Select Contracts are designed for year-round professional growth and will include opportunities for basketball development, life skills mentorship and academic scholarship. These offerings are slated to include basketball workouts during the summer months through existing NBA infrastructure like NBA Summer League and NBA Academies, year-round education programs designed to increase players’ ability to personally and professionally manage their careers, and a scholarship program for athletes who want to pursue higher education after their playing days. Additionally, the NBA G League will further enhance player experience through existing partner relationships and NBA player development programming.” They would hire a manager and a group who are responsible for finding eligible elite players and implementing the pathway program.

However, their first go went anything but smoothly. In an article by Ray Giller, “According to a G League spokesperson, three to five select contracts were available for elite players for the 2019–20 season. So far there have been no takers. Not a single one.”

The main reason that caused top prospects to turn down this option was the contract itself. Now, on the surface, $125,000 looks like a lot to anybody but these athletes are smarter now, they know how contracts work. According to an article from Ray Gillier, “Take away taxes and 4 percent to the NBA agent, and $125,000 is a pittance, especially with college programs offering more than that under the table.”

So that left people wondering, how did the G League fail? They are literally paying athletes to play however they are turning it down to play for “free” in college because the exposure is worth more. So, with that, the G League and its president Shareef Abdur-Rahim went back to the lab again with their tails between their legs.

Back to the drawing board

So, in order to making this pathway enticing for top prospects to join, members of the G League came up with a very simple solution: Pay them more. Instead of contracts being worth $125,000 they would now be paying players $500,000. So, is it that simple? Can one change make all the difference? Not to be a spoiler, but yes, yes it did.

Round 2, Fight.

The first domino fell on the 16^th of April 2020 when the number 1 prospect in the 2020 ESPN 100 Jalen Green announced that he will become the pathway’s first participant and bypass college altogether. This totally came out of left field and surprised not only the NCAA, but the entire country. With the #1 prospect committing to the pathway, who would follow?

A day later, the 14^th ranked prospect in the 2020 ESPN 100 Isaiah Todd decommitted from the University of Michigan to join Green in the program. Within two days, two of the top 15 most sought after high school players in the nation were gone, but they didn’t stop there.

On the 28^th of April, the 20^th ranked prospect in the 2020 ESPN 100 Daishen Nix, backed out from joining UCLA to be with both Green and Todd. Just like that, three of top 20 prospects are off the board and you know that the NCAA must be a little mad.

The previous year NBA G League got knocked down, but instead of lowering their standards and go after lower end prospects (no offense guys) they never faltered. They knew their offer was good, but it just needed tweaking and who knew offering people more money than before would help sweeten the deal.

Omar Little from the Wire (great show, you should binge it) said , “You come at the king, you best not miss.” Safe to say that this year the G League didn’t squander their opportunity. However the NCAA is like the Empire from Star Wars, no matter how many times you think they’re gone, they always end up coming back.

My thoughts

It’s going to take WAY more than one good year for we start to worry about the state of college basketball, but I do think that this is a great start for the NBA G League. It’s providing prospects a professional environment to work on their skills and get paid for it. My only concern with this program is that it might not give their players a chance to perform in a clutch moment with millions watching and it may hinder them in terms of developing their leadership skills.

I think we will see more players forgo college basketball whether it’s going to the G League or going overseas like Lamelo Ball and R.J. Hampton. This will allow them to play against grown men, get paid while doing it and develop and profit from their brand image.

The NCAA should think of this as a declaration of war and their enemy has fired the first shot. Now all we can do is sit back and wait to see what type of response that they come up with. Well NCAA, it’s your move now…

5^th of May 2020

https://gleague.nba.com/news/nba-g-league-introduces-professional-path-select-contracts-elite-basketball-prospects/

https://www.ozy.com/news-and-politics/the-nbas-g-league-literally-cant-pay-players-to-play/96787/

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Is it time to jump ship to Tampa Bay?

So, in case you missed it on the 20^th of March 2020 the goat, Tom Brady signed a 2-year $50 million contract to take the field with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 41 years old is starting a new chapter after he spent his first 20 seasons in Foxborough winning rings and setting records with Bill Belichick. But he didn’t go alone, he was able to bring long time teammate and current WWE 24/7 Champion (don’t believe me? Look it up) Rob Gronkowski out of retirement to join him.

These two will join stud wide receiver duo Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin, as well as a young and improving tight end O.J. Howard. Now this offense has a new look to it and that fans and media alike are taking note. They have bought into the hype and now suddenly, the Bucs have 16/1 odds according to CBS Sports and 13/1 odds according to Vegas Insider to win Superbowl 55, their highest odds for the more than a decade. They are suddenly a Superbowl contender and considered one of the top 5 teams in the NFL. I mean on paper it sure looks like that but before you drink the Kool-Aid, let's just dive in a bit deeper and examine how will this team stacks up. 

Pros

So, the Bucs now have the best quarterback to ever live, a top ten tight end of all time, and two Pro-bowl caliber wide receivers. Last year they were 3^rd in the league in terms of total offense as well as passing touchdowns with 33 and 1^st in passing offense with 4845 yards. But this time, providing that Brady doesn’t fall off a cliff (shout out Max Kellerman), they will be able to cut down on the interceptions as last year Jameis Winston threw a truly catastrophic yet somehow impressive league-leading 30 picks.

I also do believe that Brady and Bruce Arians will be able to instill more discipline into the offense to cut down on their penalties as they led the league with 133.

The addition of Gronk to go along with O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate gives Tampa great depth. All three are great pass catchers and respectful blockers for their position so this will help both the passing and running game. Expect some twin tight end sets next season.

They drafted Tristan Wirfs in the 1^st round to help sure up the o-line and protect Tom Brady.

Cons

Okay, so where do we start:

Last season the Bucs had one of the best offenses in the NFL, even with Jameis giving the ball to other teams because they asked nicely, but what about the other 6 players who were on the field with them. I’m talking about the running back and the offensive linemen. Last year Tampa Bay had one of if not the worst O-lines in the league which caused the running game to become ineffective majority of times. This is probably the reason why they led the league in passing yards (and interceptions):

Stat Name	TB Stats	League Ranking
Rushing Yards	1521	24th
Rushing Attempts	409	15th
Yards a Carry	3.7	27th
Rushing Touchdowns	15	15th
Sacks Allowed	47	22nd

(*rankings are in ascending order*)

Brady’s old team last year only gave up 28 sacks which was tied for 5^th in the league. This is relevant because as Tom got older Belichick made sure to protect him with a great offensive line and an above-average running game. This was done to ensure that he can minimize his workload and the blows he took, now he goes to a situation where he may take more shots. Besides drafting Wirfs 13^th overall, they have done little to nothing to give some protection besides signing some undrafted free agents.

Now let's talk about the other side of the ball. Last year the Bucs’ were ranked 29^th in the league in overall defense. But let’s read into it a bit more:

Stat Name	TB Stats	League Ranking
Total Passing Yards Allowed	4322	3rd
Total Pass Attempts	664	1st
Passing TDs Allowed	30	7th (tied)
Interceptions Caused	12	17th (tied)
Yards per Pass	6.1	20th (tied)
Total Rushing Yards Allowed	1181	32nd (best in the league)
Total Rush Attempts	362	29th
Rushing TDs Allowed	11	25th (tied)
Yards per Rush	3.3	31st (tied)
Tackles for Loss	87	5th (tied)
Sacks	47	7th (tied)

(*rankings are in ascending order*)

Now, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt because their quarterback was giving their opponents shorter fields and more drives. After all, he did throw 30 interceptions. These stats paint multiple pictures in terms of how we should feel about their defensive performance last season:

·         Worst passing defense and yet one of the best rushing defense.

·         Did teams throw so much because the Bucs had such a great run defensive? Or did they just not have the personnel to defend the pass adequately?

·         Did teams shy away from the run because their defense was too great? Or did they just know they can be more successful when throwing it?

·         If Jameis only threw half as many interceptions (15 in case you can't do the math), how much would that helped their defense in certain situations?

You see normally in cases like these, the picture is normally black and white, but when your offense throws 30 picks it’s no doubt going to affect the other side of the ball. Overall, I do believe that if Tampa’s secondary won’t defend the pass any better this season and think they will be in constant shoot outs, which is always a 50/50 gamble.

And finally, let's look at the cap space going forward. In all honesty I am not a cap expert, so I will only be able to scratch the surface a bit. Brady is making $25mill for the next 2 seasons, some core guys who are expiring after this season are Chris Godwin, Ndamukong Suh, Shaquil Barrett, and Lavonte David not to mention the cap most likely to go down due to the coronavirus. This could leave the Bucs in a hard situation in terms of who to keep or let walk and this also limits the money that they can spend in free agency next season.

So, we got 2 years to wait and see if Tom Brady brings any much-needed wins to the Tampa Bay area or if he loses the war with father time. One thing is for certain though; this is the most relevant Tampa has been in a decade and it presents them with their best chance to make the postseason for the first time since the 2007 season. If some success does come their way, I guess their fans can all agree on one thing, “it’s a beautiful day in Tampa Bay!”

19^th of May 2020

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