Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*ZqJqPWWlSfOK0IIfAqFw9w.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><h1 id="5c3c">FORWARDS</h1><h2 id="9244">First Team: LeBron James, Kevin Durant</h2><p id="9a61">Even with Davis at center, there are still three forwards for two First Team spots: LeBron, KD, and Giannis.</p><p id="20f4">LeBron loafed his way through half the season with a garbage roster, but he also has that same garbage roster in position to walk into the East 3-seed. He’s at 27/9/9 on the season, has played every game, and leads the league in minutes in his 15th season. That’s insane. He’s also shooting better than ever and, if you prefer round numbers, he’s averaging a 30/10/10 triple-double since January. For awhile, it looked like James might not make First Team All-NBA for the first time since it was composed of Kobe, Nash, Dirk, Duncan, and Amare in 2007. That seems nuts now, in more ways than one.</p><p id="9da3">Durant takes the second spot over Giannis. Greek Freak hasn’t been as much of a playmaker this season while Durant’s playmaking has increased, so that’s a wash now. So is the scoring. Antetokounmpo has better rebounding numbers and better raw defensive numbers. Durant is the far more dynamic offensive player. Giannis has done more individually on defense, but he’s done it on a defense that still ranks in the bottom half of the league. Durant has played less, but only eight games for now, and he’s contributed slightly less to a far, far better team. Antetokounmpo’s Bucks are barely going to squeak into the playoffs, and only because there isn’t a ninth contender out East.</p><p id="39b2">Both players have been awesome. And if Durant misses another couple weeks, maybe the minutes difference is enough to give Giannis the nod. But All-NBA is about the best players from that season. As good as Antetokounmpo is right now, is there any question which of the two you’d take if you had to play this season over again? Stunningly, this would be Durant’s first time on First Team All-NBA since his 2014 MVP season. That feels forever ago now.</p><h2 id="c71c">Second Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler</h2><p id="9c8b">We’ve said enough about Greek Freak. In a more deserving world, he gets a First Team spot too and we just pick one guard. Alas. It’s not so much a drop-off as a cliff from those three guys to the rest of the forwards. It’s like we have three First Team guys and no Second Team.</p><p id="0306">Jimmy Butler gets the spot because he was a bottom of the ballot MVP candidate until his injury. Don’t tell me you’d take Paul George over Jimmy Butler. Butler is a better defender, a better creator, a better scorer, and a better leader. He’s even got a higher true shooting percentage, 59 to 57%. Paul George is an elite second banana. Jimmy Butler is an MVP candidate leading man. Don’t @ me.</p><div id="df9f" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://94feetreport.com/jimmy-butler-knee-injury-minnesota-timberwolves-nba-meniscus-wolves-silver-linings-4d9244b64e44">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>What Does the Jimmy Butler Injury Mean for the Minnesota Timberwolves?</h2>
            <div><h3>10 silver linings for a franchise desperate for some good news</h3></div>
            <div><p></p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*MIn2f7-ADL9aAYpOxvqzDQ.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><h2 id="9277">Third Team: Paul George, Ben Simmons</h2><p id="beeb">Paul George has been great in a Klay Thompson sort of way. He’s making more threes than ever but hasn’t really seen the efficiency jump we expected, mostly because he still takes way too many twos and doesn’t make enough of them, just 46% this season. That includes 34% outside of three feet, and it’s simply not good enough for a guy with that much volume. Still, PG is an elite defender and deserving enough of All-NBA.</p><p id="60b9">The forward field is really light this year. Kawhi is hurt. Aldridge and Horford play more center now. Love and Griffin aren’t what they once were and missed a bunch of time. So we’re giving the last spot to Simmons, whatever position he happens to be. This is a rookie averaging 16/8/8 shooting 54% from the field, playing outstanding defense, and acting as the primary handler for a team that might finish with the same record as LeBron’s. That’s crazy. Simmons is a special passer and creator. Guys just aren’t supposed to be this good their first season in the NBA, especially primary handlers.</p><h2 id="7442">Honorable mentions: Draymond Green, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love</h2><p id="d3c9">Not sure anyone has much of a case here except maybe Draymond. Green leads the Warriors in assists and is still slashing 11/8/7 with three stocks a game. His three-point shot is M.I.A. and he has been “only” a top ten defender this season instead of his usual do-everything pitbull style as age and injuries kick in. He’s a fine choice if you think Simmons doesn’t count.</p><p id="eaae">Nobody watched Blake or Love this year and thought they were watching an All-NBA player. Griffin’s 22/7/6 line flatters him. Love had an awesome shooting season, but he’s played fewer minutes than Kristaps Porzingis. I’d rather cheat and give a forward spot to Aldridge, Horford, or DeMar DeRozan.</p><p id="3e9c">Oops. Spoiler alert.</p><div id="a8ab" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://94feetreport.com/we-watched-it-detroit-pistons-sacramento-kings-nba-basketball-justin-jackson-stanley-johnson-blake-griffin-289f4ef6c47e">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>We Watched It So You Didn’t Have To: Pistons vs Kings</h2>
            <div><h3>Justin Jackson outshines Stanley Johnson and Blake-Drummond isn’t working for two teams going nowhere fast</h3></div>
            <div><p></p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*8LW5ZLxqMG-xqI6TEKZ-nA.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>

Options

      </a>
    </div><h1 id="499d">GUARDS</h1><h2 id="56cb">First Team: James Harden, Damian Lillard</h2><p id="faae">We don’t need to talk about Harden. He should be the unanimous MVP. The only question is which guard joins him on First Team. There are really three choices here: Lillard, Russell Westbrook, and Steph Curry.</p><p id="12c5">If Curry had played more, he’s still the no-brainer pick. This is his second best offensive season. He’s hitting 60% of his twos, 92% from the line, and 42% from deep. Stephen Curry leads the league in true shooting, a stat built to reward 7-footers who dunk half the time. But he played only 51 games, less than two-thirds of the season. Thirty-one is a lot of games to miss, and it costs him First Team.</p><p id="7ec4">Westbrook is currently 22 rebounds away from averaging a triple-double in consecutive seasons. He leads the league in assists but also in turnovers and two-point attempts, and he’s back below 30% on threes. Quantity aside, he was flat out bad the first quarter of the season. Lillard can’t beat Westbrook in a numbers argument. He’s down six boards and three dimes a game. But he’s carrying a two-man offense to nearly top-ten in the league on an awesome 60% true shooting. He’s third in the league in threes per game and has become an elite iso scorer and fearsome crunch time option.</p><p id="4229">Nobody needs to tell you Russ and Lillard have been great. So why does Lillard get the nod? Paul George is better than C.J. McCollum. Steven Adams is far superior to Jusuf Nurkic. Carmelo Anthony is better than… Evan Turner? Dame’s team is far less talented but looks headed to the West 3-seed the Thunder were supposed to take. And Lillard’s playing on the better defense this year, too. Who could’ve seen that coming?</p><h2 id="ed97">Second Team: Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook</h2><p id="81da">You can argue against Westbrook’s relative inefficiency or against Curry’s lack of playing time, but it’s just too big a drop to any of the other options. Kyrie Irving played only 60 games, and Chris Paul is seven games from that number. And as for those talented shooting guards DeMar DeRozan, Victor Oladipo, and Bradley Beal? Please. Don’t pretend for a second you’d take one of those guys for a season over all these elite point guards.</p><div id="bc49" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://94feetreport.com/washington-wizards-milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-bradley-beal-jabari-parker-nba-ray-allen-8f8c8a2bf9bc">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>We Watched It So You Didn’t Have To: Wizards vs Bucks</h2>
            <div><h3>Jabari’s back, Giannis is Freaking, and Bradley Beal is young Ray Allen</h3></div>
            <div><p></p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*fOLkqYcpO3q1xVuVYTMP0A.png)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><h2 id="bbd2">Third Team: Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving</h2><p id="e805">The only reason to leave Chris Paul off is games played, and he’s going to get to 60 so that’s just not enough of a reason. The Rockets have lost twice in two months. They’ve lost two games all season with their top three healthy, and they’re on pace for 66 wins. That’s the biggest argument in Chris Paul’s favor, but history and player greatness is on his side, too.</p><p id="6866">The numbers alone don’t get get you there at 19/6/8, but but Rockets have been so good Paul doesn’t have to put up huge numbers. Paul is actually at or near career-highs in points and rebounds per-36, and he’s fifth in the league in assists as a secondary creator. He might shoot 50–40–90 season, too. There’s just no way we’re leaving CP3 off our All-NBA teams. Not this year, not on this Rockets team.</p><p id="cc33">And that leaves one spot remaining for Kyrie Irving and all those great shooting guards. Somehow we made it to the last All-NBA spot and have picked just one player from the East’s top four teams combined. Holy cow.</p><p id="c376">First, let’s toss out Klay Thompson. This year’s Warriors don’t need four All-NBA selections, and Thompson is the fourth-best Warrior. The world’s second best shooter is still terrific on defense too, but he hasn’t done anywhere near as much as someone like Bradley Beal, who’s shot almost as well while carrying the Wizards offense into the playoffs.</p><p id="395c">Beal, Oladipo, and DeRozan have nearly indistinguishable numbers. They’re each about 23 points a game and each around nine rebounds and assists combined. Oladipo’s team has exceeded expectations the most. Beal has kept his team right in the mix despite missing John Wall. DeRozan is on the best team in the East, but he’s still only 32% on threes despite all the buzz, and he’s lowest of the three in true shooting even with all his free throws. Look how close these guys are!</p><figure id="38d5"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*zsBVKxNj8rjCohZ1Nh66dA.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p id="bd47">Notice how the fourth guy in the mix is just a bit better at everything offensively. He shoots better on twos, threes, and free throws, and he scores the most points in the fewest minutes per game. Irving’s 61% true shooting outpaces the other three, all below 57%. Kyrie Irving swapped out the the best player of this generation for a team flanked by a bunch of kids, started playing defense, took on a far heavier workload, and <i>improved</i> his numbers.</p><p id="6f09">Of course, Kyrie is also going to end up playing 20 games fewer than the other three, and the margin here is razor thin. He’s my pick, but you can make a case for any of the other three. But you only get one this year.</p><h2 id="54b9">Honorable mention: Victor Oladipo, DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal</h2><p id="5d7d"><i>Follow Brandon on Medium or <a href="https://twitter.com/wheatonbrando">@wheatonbrando</a> for more sports, humor, TV, pop culture, and life musings. Visit the rest of Brandon’s <a href="https://readmedium.com/brandon-anderson-writing-archives-6b3ee1a29301#.6cteu050v">writing archives here</a>. Thanks to <a href="undefined">Basketball Reference</a> as always.</i></p></article></body>

Choosing the Perfect 2018 All-NBA Teams

Who’s the second First Team guard? Does LeBron make First Team? And which guards miss the cut completely?

March Madness grabbed our attention the last few weeks, but we’re ten games from the NBA playoffs and the races for the final playoff spots and awards are heating up! We all know who this year’s MVP is, and awards like Most Improved and 6th Man have long since been decided. But the All-NBA teams this year are super interesting, thanks to a glut of awesome guards and four incredible forwards fighting for two First Team spots.

All-NBA is about choosing the 15 best guys to represent that season. Games played matters a little, but mostly we’re just interested in the best players. So who makes First, Second, and Third Team All-NBA?

The Super Official 2017–18 NBA Awards

James Harden is MVP, but who’s Rookie or Coach of the Year? Let’s hand out some NBA hardware…

CENTER

First Team: Anthony Davis

We’re going in reverse order because guard is the most interesting and because the most important decision on the ballot is what to do with Anthony Davis. Davis has played 46% of his minutes at center, according to Basketball Reference, and that edges closer to 50% each game. If Davis is a forward, he’s fighting for one of two spots with LeBron, Durant, and Giannis, and three (or four) of those guys deserve to be First Team All-NBA. Center it is.

Davis has been magnificent and may still finish second in the MVP race. Even without Boogie by his side the past two months, Brow has the Pelicans safely in the playoffs and in contention for a home series. That would have been unfathomable in October. He’s carrying a monster load on offense, doing it efficiently, and playing awesome defense, too.

Whatever position Davis is, he belongs on the First Team.

Second Team: Joel Embiid

Embiid gets bumped for Anthony Davis, but he’ll have other chances. The Process hasn’t even played 100 games in his NBA career, but you’d never know it the way he dominates on both ends.

Embiid’s offensive numbers aren’t as efficient as some of the elite offensive centers like Davis, Towns, and Jokic — his shooting numbers put him more in the Aldridge or Horford range, for now — but he more than makes up for that difference on the boards and on defense. He’s cut down his turnover rate but still turns it over too often. The three-point shot isn’t great at 31%, though the respect it draws from defenses is just as valuable.

Still, for all those nitpicks, this is a possible Defensive Player of the Year who’s that has played essentially one full season. There are stretches where Embiid just takes over the game and looks like he can score anytime if opponents don’t send the double team. This is what we’ve been waiting for.

Third Team: Karl-Anthony Towns

Has Minnesota been disappointing or impressive this season? Public opinion always seems a month or two behind on the Wolves. Most would probably say “disappointing,” but this is a team set to make the playoffs in a tough race despite missing an MVP candidate while built around two stars age 23 and under, one of whom isn’t actually a star. Many are also fixated on Towns’ defense, which has improved to at least passable most nights. And with all the focus on bad defense and disappointed expectations, we may be missing what a spectacular season this 22-year-old is having offensively.

Towns is averaging 21 and 12 on 55/43/86 shooting. He’s a few free throws from joining the 50–40–90 club as a 7-footer that should still be playing in next week’s Final Four. Towns has stepped up his game even further with Butler sidelined, averaging 24 and 13. He’s top ten in the NBA at 65% true shooting, ahead of Kevin Durant and slightly behind Steph Curry, up there with the big men who take all their shots at the rim.

Towns has been a workhorse for the Wolves. He’s played every game and is top ten in minutes, almost 40% more time on the court this season than Embiid. The defense is a problem. The lack of touches are frustrating, but not his fault. But the offensive game is magnificent and once in a generation. In the absence of other top two-way centers, he’s an easy Third Team selection.

Honorable mentions: Nikola Jokic, LaMarcus Aldridge, Al Horford

Jokic would be my Third Team choice if Davis moves to forward. Like Towns, his defense and lack of team success has obscured another awesome offensive season. Jokic is slashing 18/11/6 with outstanding shooting.

Aldridge and Horford are the team success guys, but with both teams stumbling to the finish, that argument comes up wanting. Aldridge’s 23 and 8 are fine. Horford’s 13/7/5 underrates him. Both have been really good, really valuable players this season. Just not All-NBA ones. And that’s okay. Rudy Gobert has been awesome, but he’s played as many games as Boogie Cousins and a full 1000 fewer minutes than Towns.

2018 NBA Draft Big Board Manifesto

Trae is awesome, Ayton shouldn't go #1, and everything else you need to know for NBA Draft Day…

medium.com

FORWARDS

First Team: LeBron James, Kevin Durant

Even with Davis at center, there are still three forwards for two First Team spots: LeBron, KD, and Giannis.

LeBron loafed his way through half the season with a garbage roster, but he also has that same garbage roster in position to walk into the East 3-seed. He’s at 27/9/9 on the season, has played every game, and leads the league in minutes in his 15th season. That’s insane. He’s also shooting better than ever and, if you prefer round numbers, he’s averaging a 30/10/10 triple-double since January. For awhile, it looked like James might not make First Team All-NBA for the first time since it was composed of Kobe, Nash, Dirk, Duncan, and Amare in 2007. That seems nuts now, in more ways than one.

Durant takes the second spot over Giannis. Greek Freak hasn’t been as much of a playmaker this season while Durant’s playmaking has increased, so that’s a wash now. So is the scoring. Antetokounmpo has better rebounding numbers and better raw defensive numbers. Durant is the far more dynamic offensive player. Giannis has done more individually on defense, but he’s done it on a defense that still ranks in the bottom half of the league. Durant has played less, but only eight games for now, and he’s contributed slightly less to a far, far better team. Antetokounmpo’s Bucks are barely going to squeak into the playoffs, and only because there isn’t a ninth contender out East.

Both players have been awesome. And if Durant misses another couple weeks, maybe the minutes difference is enough to give Giannis the nod. But All-NBA is about the best players from that season. As good as Antetokounmpo is right now, is there any question which of the two you’d take if you had to play this season over again? Stunningly, this would be Durant’s first time on First Team All-NBA since his 2014 MVP season. That feels forever ago now.

Second Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler

We’ve said enough about Greek Freak. In a more deserving world, he gets a First Team spot too and we just pick one guard. Alas. It’s not so much a drop-off as a cliff from those three guys to the rest of the forwards. It’s like we have three First Team guys and no Second Team.

Jimmy Butler gets the spot because he was a bottom of the ballot MVP candidate until his injury. Don’t tell me you’d take Paul George over Jimmy Butler. Butler is a better defender, a better creator, a better scorer, and a better leader. He’s even got a higher true shooting percentage, 59 to 57%. Paul George is an elite second banana. Jimmy Butler is an MVP candidate leading man. Don’t @ me.

What Does the Jimmy Butler Injury Mean for the Minnesota Timberwolves?

10 silver linings for a franchise desperate for some good news

Third Team: Paul George, Ben Simmons

Paul George has been great in a Klay Thompson sort of way. He’s making more threes than ever but hasn’t really seen the efficiency jump we expected, mostly because he still takes way too many twos and doesn’t make enough of them, just 46% this season. That includes 34% outside of three feet, and it’s simply not good enough for a guy with that much volume. Still, PG is an elite defender and deserving enough of All-NBA.

The forward field is really light this year. Kawhi is hurt. Aldridge and Horford play more center now. Love and Griffin aren’t what they once were and missed a bunch of time. So we’re giving the last spot to Simmons, whatever position he happens to be. This is a rookie averaging 16/8/8 shooting 54% from the field, playing outstanding defense, and acting as the primary handler for a team that might finish with the same record as LeBron’s. That’s crazy. Simmons is a special passer and creator. Guys just aren’t supposed to be this good their first season in the NBA, especially primary handlers.

Honorable mentions: Draymond Green, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love

Not sure anyone has much of a case here except maybe Draymond. Green leads the Warriors in assists and is still slashing 11/8/7 with three stocks a game. His three-point shot is M.I.A. and he has been “only” a top ten defender this season instead of his usual do-everything pitbull style as age and injuries kick in. He’s a fine choice if you think Simmons doesn’t count.

Nobody watched Blake or Love this year and thought they were watching an All-NBA player. Griffin’s 22/7/6 line flatters him. Love had an awesome shooting season, but he’s played fewer minutes than Kristaps Porzingis. I’d rather cheat and give a forward spot to Aldridge, Horford, or DeMar DeRozan.

Oops. Spoiler alert.

We Watched It So You Didn’t Have To: Pistons vs Kings

Justin Jackson outshines Stanley Johnson and Blake-Drummond isn’t working for two teams going nowhere fast

GUARDS

First Team: James Harden, Damian Lillard

We don’t need to talk about Harden. He should be the unanimous MVP. The only question is which guard joins him on First Team. There are really three choices here: Lillard, Russell Westbrook, and Steph Curry.

If Curry had played more, he’s still the no-brainer pick. This is his second best offensive season. He’s hitting 60% of his twos, 92% from the line, and 42% from deep. Stephen Curry leads the league in true shooting, a stat built to reward 7-footers who dunk half the time. But he played only 51 games, less than two-thirds of the season. Thirty-one is a lot of games to miss, and it costs him First Team.

Westbrook is currently 22 rebounds away from averaging a triple-double in consecutive seasons. He leads the league in assists but also in turnovers and two-point attempts, and he’s back below 30% on threes. Quantity aside, he was flat out bad the first quarter of the season. Lillard can’t beat Westbrook in a numbers argument. He’s down six boards and three dimes a game. But he’s carrying a two-man offense to nearly top-ten in the league on an awesome 60% true shooting. He’s third in the league in threes per game and has become an elite iso scorer and fearsome crunch time option.

Nobody needs to tell you Russ and Lillard have been great. So why does Lillard get the nod? Paul George is better than C.J. McCollum. Steven Adams is far superior to Jusuf Nurkic. Carmelo Anthony is better than… Evan Turner? Dame’s team is far less talented but looks headed to the West 3-seed the Thunder were supposed to take. And Lillard’s playing on the better defense this year, too. Who could’ve seen that coming?

Second Team: Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook

You can argue against Westbrook’s relative inefficiency or against Curry’s lack of playing time, but it’s just too big a drop to any of the other options. Kyrie Irving played only 60 games, and Chris Paul is seven games from that number. And as for those talented shooting guards DeMar DeRozan, Victor Oladipo, and Bradley Beal? Please. Don’t pretend for a second you’d take one of those guys for a season over all these elite point guards.

We Watched It So You Didn’t Have To: Wizards vs Bucks

Jabari’s back, Giannis is Freaking, and Bradley Beal is young Ray Allen

Third Team: Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving

The only reason to leave Chris Paul off is games played, and he’s going to get to 60 so that’s just not enough of a reason. The Rockets have lost twice in two months. They’ve lost two games all season with their top three healthy, and they’re on pace for 66 wins. That’s the biggest argument in Chris Paul’s favor, but history and player greatness is on his side, too.

The numbers alone don’t get get you there at 19/6/8, but but Rockets have been so good Paul doesn’t have to put up huge numbers. Paul is actually at or near career-highs in points and rebounds per-36, and he’s fifth in the league in assists as a secondary creator. He might shoot 50–40–90 season, too. There’s just no way we’re leaving CP3 off our All-NBA teams. Not this year, not on this Rockets team.

And that leaves one spot remaining for Kyrie Irving and all those great shooting guards. Somehow we made it to the last All-NBA spot and have picked just one player from the East’s top four teams combined. Holy cow.

First, let’s toss out Klay Thompson. This year’s Warriors don’t need four All-NBA selections, and Thompson is the fourth-best Warrior. The world’s second best shooter is still terrific on defense too, but he hasn’t done anywhere near as much as someone like Bradley Beal, who’s shot almost as well while carrying the Wizards offense into the playoffs.

Beal, Oladipo, and DeRozan have nearly indistinguishable numbers. They’re each about 23 points a game and each around nine rebounds and assists combined. Oladipo’s team has exceeded expectations the most. Beal has kept his team right in the mix despite missing John Wall. DeRozan is on the best team in the East, but he’s still only 32% on threes despite all the buzz, and he’s lowest of the three in true shooting even with all his free throws. Look how close these guys are!

Notice how the fourth guy in the mix is just a bit better at everything offensively. He shoots better on twos, threes, and free throws, and he scores the most points in the fewest minutes per game. Irving’s 61% true shooting outpaces the other three, all below 57%. Kyrie Irving swapped out the the best player of this generation for a team flanked by a bunch of kids, started playing defense, took on a far heavier workload, and improved his numbers.

Of course, Kyrie is also going to end up playing 20 games fewer than the other three, and the margin here is razor thin. He’s my pick, but you can make a case for any of the other three. But you only get one this year.

Honorable mention: Victor Oladipo, DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal

Follow Brandon on Medium or @wheatonbrando for more sports, humor, TV, pop culture, and life musings. Visit the rest of Brandon’s writing archives here. Thanks to Basketball Reference as always.