Basketball Banter's 2018 NBA Awards

Coming to you live from my parents' place where I'm recovering from foot surgery, it's the 2018 Basketball Banter Awards!

Let's face it; you're not here for an intro. You're going to read fourteen awards columns this week anyway, most with intros saying more or less the same thing. I'll spare you the agony here; on with the show:

ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS
FIRST
G-Ben Simmons, G-Donovan Mitchell, F-Kyle Kuzma, F-Jayson Tatum, C-Lauri Markkanen

SECOND
G-Dennis Smith Jr, G-Bogdan Bogdanovic, F-Dillon Brooks, F-John Collins, C-Jarrett Allen

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - BEN SIMMONS
In a harvest plentiful of talent, two first year (technically) phenoms rose above the rest and made this award truly painful to figure out. The beef is legit here; it's a very close race.

In one corner, Donovan Mitchell single-handedly saved Utah's season, coming out of nowhere as a dynamic lead scorer on a team bereft of offense. His unlikely role in the Jazz's equally-unlikely ascension to homecourt in the West is a convenient narrative.

But there's also Simmons, who despite his much-trumpeted aversion to threes does so much at an elite level right from the get.

He's already one of the NBA's best playmakers, with that rare  LeBron/Nash/Rubio third eye for passing lanes. He's lethal off the dribble; a soft finisher who's too long for guards and too quick for bigs. And on D he's a prototypical uber-stopper who can switch between all positions and is highly mismatch-proof.

His numbers are unique and speak for themselves. Unlike virtually all top picks, he earned his for a playoff team that - pending Joel Embiid's return - will be terrifying for a core making its postseason debut.

Regards To: Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Kyle Kuzma

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR - LOU WILLIAMS 

Any time a sixth man is legitimately part of the All-Star discussion (let alone in a conference as
talent-packed as the West), this award is pretty much a wrap.

The Clippers were hit with wave after wave of injuries and seismic trades this year. Nightly they trotted out hastily-cobbled replacement rosters whose anonymity quickly became a running joke in NBA circles.

Yet somehow they remained competitive far longer than conceivable, clawing for a playoff berth until the season's final days. Doc Rivers seriously redeemed himself as a coach, but Williams was indispensable as go-to offense while Blake Griffin was either injured or traded. Lou BBQ'ed just about every team in the league during a Dec-Jan stretch that ranked among the season's loudest statements by any team or player.

Sure, he's not exactly a stout defender, and the Clippers did end up missing the playoffs. But this award has never been about two-way play or team success. Lou only checks a couple boxes, but does them with enough force to make this a landslide win.

Regards To: Fred VanVleet, Eric Gordon, Will Barton

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - VICTOR OLADIPO

The most obvious of the award winners is also perhaps the most unlikely. Oladipo arrived in Indiana with his career firmly in neutral after several seasons of Orlando’s dysfunction and Russell Westbrook’s megalomania. He had the pedigree of a #2 pick, but doubts were beginning to grow that any upside remained.

We'll never know exactly what got to Vic. Maybe it was one too many look-offs from Russ. Maybe it was hearing all summer how badly Indiana was ostensibly robbed for Paul George. Whatever it was, something....changed.

Like he stumbled across a video game power-up, Oladipo ascended overnight to a level none of us knew he had. He was dropping 20+ nightly on more efficient shooting clips, while also raising his stats across the board; enough so in steals to lead the league.

Oladipo's emancipation coincided with the Pacers' wholly-unforeseen return to the West playoffs. He firmly claimed Indiana's top-dog status before Myles Turner could even get back on the court. As a result, the George trade has been heavily re-evaluated (word to Domantas Sabonis), and Indiana's "rebuild" lasted only a couple of weeks. 

Regards To: Spencer Dinwiddie, Demar DeRozan, Andre Drummond

ALL-DEFENSE TEAMS
FIRST
G-Chris Paul, G-Jimmy Butler, F-Draymond Green, F-Anthony Davis, C-Rudy Gobert

SECOND
G-Ben Simmons, G-Jrue Holiday, F-Giannis Antetokounmpo, F-Kevin Durant, C-Joel Embiid

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - ANTHONY DAVIS

Very strange year for DPOY voting. Kawhi Leonard - the default pick - played in like two games. Draymond Green - the reigning champ - spent many games in cruise control, and had his candidacy largely neutered  by his own teammate.

Rudy Gobert - who was widely-regarded as being an injury-free season away from the award - inevitably got injured. What this award comes down to is whether anyone else did enough to outweigh the 26 games he missed.

Some may see Gobert's impact as undeniable for a Jazz team that played within a hair of the league's best defensive rating and far exceeded projections. But Davis was just too much of a force, particularly over the back half of the season when he turned the NBA into his own Marvel movie.

Brow led the league in blocks by a mile, while finishing fifth in rebounds and 15th in steals. If the raw numbers don't impress enough, he was third in defensive win shares, and 11th in defensive rating. He was also practically the only Pelican with over 50 appearances and a positive DBPM (Jrue Holiday's 0.3 hardly counts).

A motivated Davis is also one of the rare players whose absurd numbers still betray "eye test" intangibles. The Brow offers dynamic disruption unlike few others; a high-IQ stopper with an apex combination of length and quick leaping, who can close out on a quick wing just as easily as he can erase a floater or smother a low-post brute.

It was long-posited that Davis had all the tools to become a revolutionary stopper. He hasn't even given us the full treatment yet, but in this season of would-be candidates, it's enough for the trophy.

Regards To: Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green/Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid

COACH OF THE YEAR - BRAD STEVENS 

Trying to sort out coach of the year is always s bit of a mindfuck, since it’s arguably the most arbitrary of all the awards, and usually predicated on some unforeseen circumstance altering a team’s season (#narratives). 

This year was especially difficult with a litany of coaches running convincing campaigns: Terry Stotts defied expectations again by piloting the Blazers to the top of the West’s bloated midsection. Nate McMillan did the same with the Pacers in the East, in an even less likely case. Dwayne Casey re-animated Toronto’s offense, unearthing the NBA’s best bench in the process.

Quin Snyder dealt with his usual onslaught of injuries, keeping the lotto-projected Jazz competitive. Doc Rivers went from "how does he still have a job" to "how is his team still in the playoff hunt". And even reigning champ Mike D’Antoni put on an epic title defense, withstanding injuries to both his stars while snaring the seemingly-untouchable #1 seed from Golden State.  

But Stevens was Optimus Prime this year. The Celtics have absolutely zero business being anywhere near the East’s #1 seed. Not after flipping 2/3 of their roster, losing Gordon Hayward five minutes into the season, and having their last month torpedoed by injuries to their best player and whole rotation. 

There’s a mounting body of evidence that suggests Stevens is the NBA’s neo-Popovich: from his teams annually exceeding expectation, to his X and Os wizardry, maximization of unconventional lineups, and the ongoing regressions of players Boston trades away. One could make the argument that Stevens is beginning to deserve the same default vote of confidence many voters have awarded Pop for years. 

Weigh the result of his season against all the obstacles he faced, and it’s tough to compute a different winner for this award.

Regards To: Quin Snyder, Nate McMillan, Terry Stotts

ALL NBA TEAMS
FIRST
G-James Harden, G-Damian Lillard, F-LeBron James, F-Kevin Durant, C-Anthony Davis

SECOND
G-Russell Westbrook, G-Demar DeRozan, F-Giannis Antetokounmpo, F-LaMarcus Aldridge C-Joel Embiid

THIRD 
G-Chris Paul, G-Victor Oladipo, F-Jimmy Butler, F-Karl-Anthony Towns, C-Al Horford

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - JAMES HARDEN 

And so, the odyssey of a player who seemed destined for Susan Lucci status after several seasons of narrow MVP misses is capped.

While LeBron James and Anthony Davis both mounted formidable late rallies and made this award at least a debate, ultimately Harden's candidacy had built itself too strong a stratosphere to be punctured.

Davis responded to DeMarcus Cousins' injury with a catastrophic 30/12/3.5blk/1.5stl post-All Star
split that has - against all likelihood - kept the Pelicans in the playoffs. LeBron had flat-out one of the best seasons in a 15-year career that is unequaled in the longevity of its all-around dominance.

On the flip side, when Cousins was healthy, Davis wasn't even the Pelicans' best player for stretches. And LeBron's agelessness aside, this season was a multi-faceted disaster for the rest of the Cavs, which - fair or not - kind of hurts his case.

Harden meanwhile has meshed seamlessly with Chris Paul, without giving up an iota of his role as Houston's driving force. His assists and rebound numbers dipped (natural with Paul's arrival and Clint Capela's emergence), but Harden's 31/5/9 line is a monster output, on a sublime .620 TS%.

For those unimpressed by "popcorn stats", he demolished advanced metrics, leading the league in win shares, PER, BPM and USG%, finishing behind only LeBron in VORP.

All this while powering a 66-win juggernaut that did the almost-unthinkable in nabbing the West's #1 seed from Golden State, despite on-the-low not being so healthy themselves.

Reputation nods aside, it was Harden's turn this year, and he made a case that was impossible to ignore.

Regards To: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard

Banter's 2017 All-Star Reserves

The NBA All-Star reserves were announced last night, rounding out the rosters that will be lacing up their exclusive-makeup kicks in Charlotte New Orleans next month.

It's sure to be an unreal offensive display, and while puritans whine about the game's lack of defense and competitive nature, the All-Star Game is what it is; a showcase for all fans that's supposed to maximize highlights and minimize injuries. Those same talking heads would likely be crowing about the ASG's danger to players if someone were to Paul George themselves.

Regardless of your view on its pure basketball value, the All-Star Game is the single best collection of basketball players on the same court, anywhere, every year. For that reason alone, it should always be significant.

So who are those players this year anyway? Before we get to the reserves, a quick refresher on my starters:

EAST STARTERS
G - Kyle Lowry
G - Isaiah Thomas
F - Jimmy Butler
F - LeBron James
F - Giannis Antetokounmpo

WEST STARTERS
G - Russell Westbrook
G - James Harden
F - Kevin Durant
F - Kawhi Leonard
F - Marc Gasol

As I alluded to in my starters column, the conferences have been two vastly different landscapes in terms of top-tier talent this season. The voting tribunal selected the exact same 12 players I did in the East and it couldn't have been more obvious, while with so much talent in the West there were bound to be a slew of worthy snubs. Let's dive in:

EAST RESERVES

G - Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers 

All-Star Because: He's having by far the best scoring season of his career for a first-place team
Not Starting Because: Defense remains an issue, Playoff Kyrie > Regular Season Kyrie

G - John Wall, Washington Wizards
All-Star Because: Absolutely crushing statisically for a team that's suddenly an overperformer
Not Starting Because: Washington sucked for the first quarter of the season

F - Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
All-Star Because: Has cracked the 20-point & double-double avg plateaus; both firsts as a Cavalier
Not Starting Because: LeBron

F - Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks
All Star Because: His all-around excellence has kept Atlanta competitive amid a minor identity crisis
Not Starting Because: He started the season in a major slump, and Giannis isn't human

F - Paul George, Indiana Pacers
All-Star Because: Even on cruise control, he's still likely a top-15 player league-wide
Not Starting Because: Of the time he's spent on cruise control & Indiana's somewhat lackluster start

WC - Demar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
All-Star Because: Has taken the mid-range game to new heights this year for Toronto's elite offense
Not Starting Because: He's not even the best guard in his own backcourt

WC - Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets 
All-Star Because: Having a remarkably efficient career-year for a team that needs his scoring
Not Starting Because: Lowry and Thomas are having more apex-efficiency seasons for better teams

EAST SNUBS
Kristaps Porzingis - The Knicks have underwhelmed, and Melo/Rose prevent a full unleashing
Joel Embiid - Undeniable impact aside, he's spent too much time on the pine for a 17-27 team
Dwight Howard - The Hawks aren't quite good enough to justify a 2nd All-Star
Bradley Beal - Neither are the Wizards
Andre Drummond - Detroit has been one of the NBA's biggest disappointments

WEST RESERVES

G - Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers


All Star Because: He's the same sublime 2-way monster he's been his whole career
Not Starting Because: Harden and Westbrook are having two of the best seasons in modern history

G - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
All-Star Because: If you're a reigning unanimous MVP, your All-Star spot is a mere formality
Not Starting Because: Kevin Durant's clearly established himself as the Warriors' alpha dog

F - Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
All-Star Because: He's having an absurd statistical season, even by his own lofty standards
Not Starting Because: The Pelicans continue to surround him with crap

F - DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings 
All-Star Because: He's too good for his team to consider trading someone so volatile
Not Starting Because: He plays for a team with perhaps the sketchiest braintrust in professional sports

F - Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
All-Star Because: He's a historically versatile force and DPOY frontrunner for NBA's best team
Not Starting Because: The West is unfairly stocked with talent right now

WC - Damian Lillard, Portland Trailblazers
All Star Because: He's one of most feared scorers in the league
Not Starting Because: He's one of the most inviting defenders in the league

WC - Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
All-Star Because: Utah succeeds by their D, and Gobert is quite arguably the NBA's best defender
Not Starting Because: Still not a massive offensive presence,

WEST SNUBS
Klay Thompson - The Warriors' fourth-best player, and thus, odd man out
Gordon Hayward - Very possibly not the Jazz's most important player
Mike Conley - Broke his back (though somehow only missed three weeks)
CJ McCollum - Just wayy too many elite guards in the West
LaMarcus Aldridge - Having his least impactful statisical season in a decade
Blake Griffin - got himself injured for the like 80th straight season
DeAndre Jordan - Still a give/take player, while Clippers have cooled off
Karl-Anthony Towns - Give Minnesota a couple years
Eric Bledsoe - Give him a better team

Banter's 2015-16 NBA Preview: Part III - The Hardware

Now that you've endured me blabbering on about every team's season prognosis for several thousand words, we get to the fun part: the awards; the hardware; the glory.

What follows are Banter's predictions for the NBA's All-Stars, awards, and playoff results. These picks are more or less who I believe will be selected, more so than who should be. It's tough to completely compartmentalize that bias when making these predictions, but I'll try.

Before we get to that madness, a brief pause to acknowledge the passing of T-Wolves' Coach/GM Flip Saunders; a longtime and widely-beloved NBA fixture who tragically lost a battle with cancer at age 60. Thoughts are definitely with the Wolves and Saunders family during this tough time; Flip will be missed.

And so, without further ado...

EAST ALL-STARS:

STARTERS: G- John Wall, G- Kyrie Irving, F- LeBron James, F- Carmelo Anthony, F- Pau Gasol

BENCH: G- Jeff Teague, G- Jimmy Butler, F- Chris Bosh, F- Paul Millsap, F- Kevin Love, WC- Kyle Lowry, WC- Paul George

WEST ALL-STARS:STARTERS: G- Steph Curry, G- Chris Paul, F- Kevin Durant, F- Anthony Davis, F- Marc Gasol

BENCH: G- James Harden, G- Russell Westbrook, F- Blake Griffin, F- Kawhi Leonard, F- DeMarcus Cousins, WC- LaMarcus Aldridge, WC- Klay Thompson

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
This is going to be a pretty interesting race this year. Myles Turner could blow up. D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay will both be thrust into the spotlight as contribution-heavy starters. Jahlil Okafor has an NBA-ready game, vying for the one award where team success has (or should have) no bearing at all.

That said, Towns is a total bully on the block who might have most NBA-suited body we've seen on a rookie in years. He'll be stuffed into a low-expectation, high-upside unit where he'll be able to contribute from Day 1 without any fear of a short leash. His energy and physicality suggest he's a very unlikely candidate to hit the 'rookie wall', and every scout who's seen him play at length is very high on him. Time to make Flip proud.
Contenders: Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay, Myles Turner

All-Rookie Teams: First- G- D'Angelo Russell, G- Emmanuel Mudiay, F- Stanley Johnson, F- Karl-Anthony Towns, C- Jahlil Okafor

Second- G- Jerian Grant, G- Justise Winslow, F- Trey Lyles, F- Mario Hezonja, C- Myles Turner

COACH OF THE YEAR: Who Knows
Trying to predict this award is a painfully futile process. The winner usually winds up coaching a team that defied or exceeded expectations (and therefore wasn't a logical prediction pick). If the team was supposed to be good, that usually somehow counts as a strike against Coach X (which is totally counterintuitive but I digress..). Place your bets and hope for the best.
Contenders: Gregg Popovich, Brad Stevens, Jason Kidd, Fred Hoiberg

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
Early indications out of Chicago are that Fred Hoiberg favors a Gasol-Mirotic frontline that spaces the floor in the trendy NBA offensive setup. If this holds true, Noah would have to be the favorite for Sixth Man, as a high-energy menace off the bench who could see minutes at both 4 and 5.

I'm predicting Noah will bounce back after an off year in which he seemed visibly burnt out by the Tom Thibodeau Grind. With Thibs out the door, Noah - who doesn't know how to take a possession off - will get to pick his spots a little better and play with max energy and primacy more consistently.

If he remains a reserve this award might be a wrap, but a reclamation of his starting spot could open the door up for...
Contenders: Isaiah Thomas, Ryan Anderson, Dennis Schroder, Nikola Mirotic


MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: CJ McCollum, Portland Trailblazers
The reality of this award is that its definition warps from season-to-season on a strangely arbitrary basis. Its nature also defies predictions to a large extent because it appeals to the unexpected. So I'm fully expecting my prediction here to backfire, but McCollum - who was red-hot during the post and pre-season - will have ample opportunity to make his mark.

He should be starting by December, and will be able to take advantage of a decimated Blazers roster that's short on any kind of consistent offensive backup for Damian Lillard. McCollum was always touted as an NBA-ready draft prospect, but had his first two seasons derailed by injuries and heavy competition for minutes. Both those factors - along with expectations for Portland - are gone, leaving all the pieces in place for a serious MIP push.
Contenders: Bradley Beal, Meyers Leonard, Nicolas Batum, Elfrid Payton

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
This just feels like a slow train coming, albeit not that slowly. Davis is an otherworldly defensive freak in the pivot, the likes of which the NBA hasn't seen since Hakeem Olajuwon (all apologies to Ben Wallace). He put up eye-popping numbers last year, most of which he played as a 21 year-old.

Now give him another year of growth (both physicality and ability terms), and shift him from a team that played at a glacial pace to one that's going to run more than Forrest Gump. Simply put, Davis' raw statistics are going to be unfathomable this year; it's hard to place a ceiling on what he might do. Beyond that, his versatility as a big man is unparalleled; he's mobile enough to chase larger wings and stretch bigs, while closing out on jump shooters and pick & rolls better than pretty much anyone.

With all the trendy focus on defensive metrics, there's sure to be plenty of convoluted arguments for a variety of players, but I'm thinking Davis at fully-spread wings will be too much to ignore.
Contenders: Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Serge Ibaka

All-Defensive Teams: First- G- Chris Paul, G- Tony Allen, F- Kawhi Leonard, F- Anthony Davis, C- Rudy Gobert

Second- G- Mike Conley, G- Jimmy Butler, F- Draymond Green, F- Serge Ibaka, C- Andrew Bogut


MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Ya, I've got Davis doing the double-dip this year. Instead of go on about why he should win MVP this year, instead let's talk about why all the other contenders probably won't:

Steph Curry: Won an insanely-competitive MVP race last year in surprisingly-decisive fashion (#GroupThink). This was mostly due to the Warriors' dominance of a conference that's highly-unlikely to yield another 67-win team (since the rest of its Top 5 all improved noticeably in the offseason).

James Harden: Last year's runner-up as an all-around stat monster. He'll still be a killer this year, but will be slightly less of an omnipresent force for Houston with Ty Lawson alongside him and a healthier frontcourt. His numbers should dip accordingly, bringing his MVP case with them.

LeBron James: Unless Cleveland absolutely pummels the East this year (and teams "playing for June" like the Cavs seldom do), it's going to be tough to give LeBron a nod. He knows he's the best player alive and is likely spending most of the regular season on relative cruise control as he inches further into his 30's.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook: Are likely to cancel each other out this year. There's a reason why Shaq & Kobe only have one MVP each.

Of course some other unknown contender might throw his hat into the ring, but at this point it would be foolish to bet against Davis on a healthier team, with a better coach, and the "His Time is Now" narrative likely to fuel lots of subconscious motivation in the minds of voters. The Pelicans will need a rival injury to crack the West's top-6, but Davis is going to be good enough to seriously challenge the notion that the MVP has to come from a contender.

All-NBA Teams: First- G- Stephen Curry, G- James Harden, F- LeBron James, F- Anthony Davis, C- Marc Gasol

Second- G- Russell Westbrook, G- Chris Paul, F- Kawhi Leonard, F- Kevin Durant, C- DeMarcus Cousins


Third- G- John Wall, G- Jimmy Butler, F- Paul George, F- Blake Griffin, C- Al Horford

PLAYOFFS:
East Finals: Cavs over Bulls
West Finals: Spurs over Warriors

NBA CHAMPION: Cleveland Cavaliers
Ya. There it is. I'm going against the grain of the West's clear superiority, if for no other reason than it's going to be toughest conference ever to escape intact in the playoffs. These teams are going to beat the living shit out of each other over a plethora of seven-game series, while the Cavs could walk rested and untested to a Finals where they'll (odds are heavy) be healthier than last year when LeBron came within two games of winning a title with Tristan Thompson as his 2nd-best player. They'll have continuity and more experience on their side as well (remember last year was both Love and Irving's first trip to the postseason), not having to work a new roster together on the fly throughout the season. LeBron's lost his last two trips to the Finals, and much like the last time, I don't see him standing for a third.

That's it for the Preview kids, it's time for the 2015-16 NBA season to unfold...

Free Agency Power Rankings

So a couple weeks ago, all hell broke loose in the NBA, as the annual bonanza known as Free Agency kicked off and stuffed a massive amount of landscape-shifting into a several-day window.

In a dizzying flurry of player movement and dollar signs, franchises hit homes runs, stayed the course, confounded us, and whiffed miserably. With salaries bloating under the impeding TV cash influx, money was being spewed away like never before, but with unprecedented cap room and a very "Contend or Bust" mentality about NBA front offices, there would be plenty of risk-taking by someone either way.

What matters is how calculated those risks are, and how likely they are to improve a team. Some front offices are taking active steps, while others seem to just be spending money for the fuck of it.

The implications of the past few wekks are heavy for both franchises and players, and are scattered everywhere from dreams-come-true, to waking nightmares. Though the full stories won't play out for some time, here's a look at who's winning right now; the Free Agency Power Rankings:

Wherever Last Is. Portland Trailblazers/Damian Lillard
Shit just got real in RIP City. Six months ago, this team had an outside chance at the NBA title. Then in a single week, they lost three starters, including their best player, for nothing. Trading Nic Batum for Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh was a wise preemptive move that freed up money and gave them a potential prospect, but Vonleh's a long way off, and didn't show much as a rookie.

The bottom line's a devastating blow to the Blazers, to Portland, and to Lillard, who must be feeling like a bit of a sucka right now, entering his prime while locked into a difficult rebuilding project. For any star, let alone one as competitive as Dame Dash, being completely deserted like this is a rare and deflating predicament in the NBA.

340. Sacramento Kings
There's a scene in The Dark Knight where Alfred tries to allegorically decipher the Joker's addiction to senseless chaos. He surmises that some evil has no desire for personal gain; it's twisted enough to "watch the World burn" and be content.

Of course, this is in reference to a deranged comic book villain who commits random acts of mass terror, but Alfred could just as easily be talking about Vivek Ranadive, which is all you really need to know about the Kings' predicament.

267. Carmelo Anthony

Oops. That Big Apple money starting to not sit too well.

Now that the Knicks are over a year into the Phil Experience and still pitiful, the grass is starting to look far greener in other pastures. Chicago in particular would've been an awesome fit, or really anywhere that wasn't mired in a high-profile, long-term rebuilding project.

Melo now has two options: stay the course and waste what's left of your prime in the Lottery, or play the difficult, self-defacing Trade Demand Card. Neither is a great option, and Anthony can only blame himself. Unfortunately, all the millions in the World can't buy him the one ring he still hasn't come close to.

204. Dallas Mavericks
There's plenty of takes one can have on the delirious 24 hour love triangle that DeAndre Jordan just locked the Mavs and Clippers into, but when all was settled, there was one undeniable reality: Jordan won't be in Dallas next year.

You can say whatever you want about Jordan's integrity, the Clippers' tactics, Blake Griffin's mediation skills, Chandler Parsons' Twitter game, Chris Broussard's 'sources', Wesley Matthew's ankle, or the nuclear bomb Mark Cuban is about to detonate. The Mavs had Jordan - one of the NBA's best centers regardless of free-throw woes - and now they don't. And that really sucks for them.

151. Los Angeles Lakers
This franchise is just completely soulless right now.

As if they somehow felt short on manic volume-chuckers, they went out and added Lou Williams to the Kobe/Swaggy P brigade, a pure cap-space bonfire if ever there was one.

They traded for Roy Hibbert, and while a second-round pick wasn't a huge price, they're now forking over $15 mil to a guy who's an absolute lummox on offense, and might not be the best fit defensively in LA. Hibbert's an elite rim-protector, but he's also not very quick; he'll struggle to beat attackers (and there will be plenty of them with so much rancid D on the Lakers' perimeter) to spots and use his "Verticality" to his advantage.

They may not be paying Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer a combined $30mil+ anymore this year, but they're paying Kobe almost that much as he continues to lurk over the franchise like a creepy ex driving by slowly at 12:57 am.

The Lakers lack both talent and cohesion, and have begun the post-Jerry era in stunning irrelevancy. They fanned on free agency, and still have a coach who thinks shooting 3's is a bad idea. At least they can chase the Top-3 Lottery status that will save them from shipping a pick to Philly, and hope to pair D'Angelo Russell with another building block,

119. Rajon Rondo
He's essentially looking to bank his future on this one season, not wanting to sign long-term when his value's at an all-time low. Problem for Rondo is that he disgraced himself so badly in Dallas that nobody wanted him, so he was left to sign with quite possibly the most dysfunctional team in the NBA, where he'll be dealing with an off-kilter owner, a conflict-oriented coach, and perhaps the single most volatile star in the NBA. Sounds like exactly the right place for a fresh start.

98. Atlanta Hawks
Between losing DeMarre Carroll and dealing with the reality that their acceptance of Tiago Splitter's salary allowed the Spurs to lay an absolute gamebreaker on the rest of the NBA, the summer's gotten off to an even rockier star than last regular season.

74. Arron Afflalo
Afflalo has two reasons to be unhappy right now: 1. Even with this salary cap boom, he barely got any kind of pay spike, and 2. He now plays for the Knicks. Enjoy being an on-the-low media target and having Carmelo look you off all year.



59. Phoenix Suns
Not really sure what they're doing here, but there's no question that they're still semi-reeling from
losing Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas for a gumball machine and a pair of Pumas back in February. Now, they've sunk long-term bucks into an aging center to stifle the growth of Alex Len, who once seemed like The Future. After what this team did the last time they had preseason doubters, it's hard to write them off, but their gameplan seems to be going in different directions at once.

46. Brandan Wright
A textbook win/lose. Sure, he's now got a secure role on a fringe contender after being passed around the NBA like frathouse bong last season. But, dude... fire your agent. 3 years/$18 mil??
Aron Baynes got more skrill than you.

34. Indiana Pacers
Losing Hibbert is a wash for Indiana, as his plodding, inconsistent play was becoming less and less a part of what helped them win. Essentially trading centers with L.A, the Pacers then signed Jordan Hill, giving them center of similar effectiveness at a third of the cost. Adding Monta Ellis however is a huge upgrade over Rodney Stuckey; one that should offset any offensive punch lost with David West's departure.

25. Cleveland Cavaliers
Even with Tristan Thompson's increasingly-awkward lingering no-deal, this has been a win so far for Cleveland. Even though he's wildly underutilized on the Cavs, locking up Kevin Love has to feel nice after a season of widespread tension between their de facto GM and the Dude They Just Traded Andrew Wiggins For.

18. Memphis Grizzlies
Brandan Wright is a large addition for them at a great value. Locking up Marc Gasol is also massive, though there was a roughly .00015% chance he was ever leaving anyway.

12. Dwyane Wade
See, I get that Wade's an icon in Miami, and the cap increase, yadda yadda. But last year the guy missed a quarter of the season - one in which he was already slightly overpaid at $15mil - as his body continued to go the way of an NFL running back. He had one of his worst-shooting campaigns ever, and turned the ball over more, in fewer minutes, than he has this decade. Dude opted out and got a 33% raise to stay well-rested this year with the deepest team he's ever played on. And is still married to Gabrielle Union. Life's nice in South Beach.

10. Reggie Jackson
He's got his money and alpha-status in Detroit's backcourt on what might just be a Playoff team this year. Hope he's happy now.

9. Toronto Raptors

First off, Landry Fields came off the books. Immediate win.

The Raptors nailed the first signing of the Free Agency period, snaring DeMarre Carroll from the Hawks after a season in which he was subtly one of the NBA's most effective players. His ability to produce on a team whose ball movement is nowhere close to as good as Atlanta's will dictate whether his contract's a bargain or a burden, but it can't possibly go worse than some of Toronto's previous cap space blunders. He's a large upgrade over Terrence Ross' inconsistency on both sides of the ball.

Picking up Bismack Biyombo was a nice move at a good price; while he's abhorrent offensively, he's among the NBA's better paint defenders and will give the Raptors a much-needed deterrent against attackers. Cory Joseph is also a great defender (and underrated offensive player) who will help bolster this team's identity on D, after too many soft spots exposed them last season.

There's no question the Raps will miss Amir Johnson's length and hustle, but Patrick Patterson just might be ready for an increased role, and at the very least is a high-IQ guy who bangs the glass and space the floor very well. But while losing the reigning Sixth Man of the Year might seem like a deep cut, Lou Williams was an overrated chucked who ruined any semblance of team offense, complemented by defense ranging from "casual" to "absent".

The Raptors may not have taken a full step forward yet, but after a year in which their offensive punch was repeatedly betrayed by their defensive incompetence, they're at least stepping in the right direction.

8. Houston Rockets
They kept Corey Brewer at a reasonable price, signed Patrick Beverley to one of the best deals in the NBA, and won't be hit that badly by the Josh Smith departure with Motiejunas returning. Stealing the embattled Ty Lawson from the Nuggets was yet another savvy asset pillage that gives the Rockets one of the NBA's most dangerous backcourts. Morey wins again; maybe his team might someday.

7. Milwaukee Bucks

Step one was locking up Khris Middleton, one of the most subtly sought-after players on the market.
He was a vital part of what the Bucks did last year, and will provide plenty of incentive for defenses not to double down on...

Greg Monroe Baby! What a home-run signing for a team without a go-to scorer or any semblance of inside offensive presence. Moose will likely flourish in a system with more spacing than he ever had in Detroit (Michael Carter-Williams notwithstanding), no longer forced to share touches with Josh Smith and Andre Drummond.

Add him to a unit that's welcoming back Jabari Parker and will get to reach deeper into Giannis Antetokounmpo's complex toolbox, and you probably have a dark horse East contender if all breaks right.

6. "3 & D" Guys
They're the trendiest commodity in the NBA at the perfect time: gritty defenders who can cover a variety of matchups, also provide that most coveted of offensive assets: spacing. Two-way play has never been more easily quantified (and thus extrapolated to the realms of contract negotiations), so guys like the aforementioned DeMarre Carroll and Khris Middleton are getting PAID.

5. Jimmy Butler
Very seldom does turning down big guaranteed money work out for players as well as it did for Butler, who told the Bulls' cheapskate ownership to fuck off at 4 yrs/$44mil last October, then proceeded to win the NBA's Most Improved Player award. Because Jimmy Butler's either both smart or very well-represented, and also extremely good at basketball, he's also now $50 million richer than he would've been behind Door A.

4. Draymond Green
Now both has a championship, and makes over ten times as much money as he did last season. Talk about a Contract Year.


3. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans may have just inked the largest contract in NBA history, but if there was a single player
in the league right now who you'd wanted secured long-term, they now have him.

Anthony Davis is going to be a destructive force of incomprehensible magnitude for the next decade. He's now given the Pelicans five of the best years of his career to build a winner around him, after a spirited run to the 8-seed. They've started by hiring a real coach (sorry Monty), and while Eric Gordon understandably exercised his gaudy $15-milly player option, they have room to grow with very little money tied up long-term and the salary cap exploding imminently.

But let's not overthink anything, this is really simple: The Brow is yours for at least the next five years. Twenty-nine teams are envious.

2. Los Angeles Clippers

The DeAndre Jordan heist was perhaps the greatest free agency coup in recent memory; cornering the
quasi-star center in his house and literally locking the team's braintrust in a room with him until he re-signed. You can crow all you want about the so-called 'ethics' of the whole thing but there's no arguing its result is absolutely massive for the Clippers.

That alone is worth a high spot on this summer's rankings, but L.A. also shored up their painfully shallow roster with the additions of Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson, and most recently Josh Smith. Pierce will bring poise, swag, and infinitely better spacing than Matt Barnes; even in his career's twilight, he's still got it. While Stephenson and (to a lesser extent) Smith can be wild cards, both will be massive upgrades over anything the Clippers had coming off the bench last year, even if there are occasional headaches.

The Clippers beat the Spurs in an epic first-round battle with Austin Rivers as a 6th Man, which is basically to say they did it with no bench whatsoever. If Smith and Stephenson don't carelessly implode in their new roles (and they're less likely to do it under a no-bullshit coach like Doc Rivers), this roster will be a nightmare for opponents and definite contender.


1. The Dark Side of the Alamo
The Spurs always win. It's just what they do. Even when they lost in the playoffs this year, they went down in one of the greatest displays of defeat ever.

So they feel they need to level up - how do they respond? Oh you know, just by scooping the best fucking player available; a fringe MVP-type who will allow Tim Duncan to pick his spots on offense and Kawhi Leonard to blossom in the Pippen role he's best suited for (LaMarcus Aldridge, not Jimmer Fredette).

Speaking of Kawhi, they inked him and Danny Green to bargain-basement deals, while convincing David West to sign with them for the veteran's minimum; bolstering what was already one of the NBA's deepest rosters (and making Ray Allen eat his words).

They should be favored to notch another title next year, though given that the Spurs always win, that shouldn't really surprise anyone.

The Requisite MVP Favorites Column

"(excluding LeBron, KD and The Brow) I have as good of a chance of winning (MVP) as any remaining NBA player" - Me, being an idiot, October 2014

Occasionally, making a bold prediction results in your words being eaten, and I've been binge-snacking on my own stupidity for several months.

The NBA is neck-deep into the most wide open MVP race the league's seen in quite some time, and not in the "has anyone really made a case for this award?" sense (see: Nash, Steve; 2005), but more "there's a lot of guys playing out of their fucking minds right now".

Depending on how you want to define "value" in the intentionally-ambiguous context of this award, it could go to any of several players, all of whom are deserving in a sense. The sudden obsession with advanced metrics has only muddied the water, adding even more facets to what was already a complex issue. Anyone with an educated MVP argument now has to consider elements like "Win Shares" and "True +/-"; concepts that for most intents and purposes didn't even exist a few years ago.

This year's MVP race has become a dizzying, confounding debate in which no fewer than five players hold very legitimate claims to the trophy, with razor-thin margins between them. It's a compelling, entertaining, all-out war for supremacy where powers trade places on a weekly basis. It's basically a Game of Thrones season playing out on a basketball court. Spring is coming, so it's almost time for the winner to be crowned - who stands the best shot?

The Pretenders
These are the guys on the outside looking in; the ones who've heard their name and "MVP" in the same sentence a couple times this year, but mostly by under-educated fans or attention-seeking media, and usually in conjunction with alcohol or meth consumption:

- DeMarcus Cousins (has had a very good year for a very dysfunctional franchise)

- Jeff Teague (sorry, but if you think one player on Atlanta deserves to be singled out in the MVP race, you're completely delusional about what makes them successful)

- Klay Thompson & Damian Lillard (if you're not your own team's MVP, you can't be the league's MVP) 

The Tweeners
These guys have had absolutely stellar seasons that in any lesser year would surely be legitimate MVP campaigns, but can't quite call themselves contenders in 2015:

- Chris Paul (as superb as he's been in a snapshot, the Clippers have just been way too inconsistent, while CP3 has oscillated between mailing-in stretches and taking over games)

- LaMarcus Aldridge (decided to forego hand surgery that would've sent Portland's season straight into the toilet, and instead has put up sublimely-efficient 20/10 lines for a likely Top-4 seed out West)

 - Marc Gasol (got off to a torrid start, only to see his output dissipate slightly amid a recent slump for Memphis, who are showing cracks for the first time all season)

The Contenders
...And here are the five players who are going to make picking an MVP this year an outright nightmare:

Anthony Davis


Davis just turned 22, and he's already a WMD on both sides of the ball, and terrifying the entire league with what they're in store for over the next decade. His defensive dominance and all-around brilliance are incredibly precocious, and he's carried an injury-ravaged Pelicans squad to within striking distance of the NBA's promise land: The West Playoffs.

Davis' odds of winning are likely heavily-predicated on that stupidly arbitrary benchmark of New Orleans making the Playoffs, which seems unlikely after they dropped four straight, falling to 10th in the West. That said, it bears noting that he's on pace for a PER of 31.31, a mark bested ever only by Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan. Again, this guy is 22 years old. He stands a very slim chance of winning MVP this year, but will certainly be filling that void in his trophy case soon.

LeBron James


The season started off in pretty disastrous fashion for the Default MVP; the Cavs were underwhelmingly crappy, and LeBron was, by his own lofty standards, casual and sluggish. There was much ado about all the miles his herculean body had logged, his ability to placate a ball-dominatrix like Kyrie Irving, and David Blatt's viability as an NBA coach.

Then LeBron took a much-needed (and more-chronicled) two week siesta in South Beach, and came back every bit the dream-crusher we all knew him to be. Not-so-coincidentally, the Cavs were suddenly steamrolling their way up the East standings, and looking like the contender they were pegged as preseason.

LeBron - for the first time in ages - is likely only a fringe contender to the MVP crown this year. If we're looking at his complete body of work, his first 28 games were largely a disappointment, and then he gave himself an 8-game vacation to get right. Regardless of how much he needed it, and the results it yielded, we're talking almost half a season there. Worse yet for his case, the next three guys have put in blatantly ridiculous seasons.

Stephen Curry

Steph Curry's having an outstanding season for an outstanding team; a mind-warping offensive threat who shreds teams like few others ever have. But it's the 'outstanding team' part that should be hurting his case.

With all due respect to Curry - and to common MVP voting logic - the MVP is an individual award. There's this awkward bias toward rewarding the 'best player on the best team' - which Curry absolutely is - that misplaces the sense of the word 'valuable'.

Team success should definitely be factored into the decision, but arbitrarily rewarding that 'best player on the best team' is missing the forest for the trees. Curry's been dominant, no question, but the Warriors' thriving this season has come from many directions:

- Andrew Bogut's been extremely healthy by his standards.
- Klay Thompson's taken a mini leap to "Legitimate All-Star" and "Guy Who Scored 37 Points in a Single Quarter".
- Draymond Green holds a very serious case in both the MIP and DPOY races.
- Their bench is much deeper than it was last season.
- Steve Kerr is, by all evidence, a large upgrade over Mark Jackson on the sidelines.
- David Lee's early injury conveniently forced them into the realization that they're better with a spacing, ball-moving 4, and without Lee's ghastly defense.

Speaking of defense, it's not exactly Curry's specialty either. While he's among the league's steals leaders, he's a gambler who gets beaten off the dribble easily, and is often 'hidden' as the weakest link of Golden State's league-leading D.

Added all up, while Curry's having an offensively-transcendent season, and creates so much of the Dubs' scoring, this is still very much a dominant team that excels for a variety of reasons. Saying he's carried them for any stretch this season would be dumb and unfair, much unlike the following two players:

Russell Westbrook

What Westbrook's done to the rest of the league since returning from a hand injury probably qualifies as abuse in some countries. Attacking opposition with a bloodthirsty relentlessness, he's carried the Thunder while decimating box score sheets, defying most concepts of human stamina, and making trading Kevin Durant an actually-talked-about thing.

Dropping 49 points and a triple-double simultaneously doesn't happen very often. Neither does averaging a triple-double for an entire month. Russell Westbrook did those things to people this year. He averaged a triple-double for an entire fucking month. He even went ballistic in the All-Star game for crying out loud.

Say what you want about his shot selection and conversion rate (.427; .301 from distance), he not only finishes possessions (leads the NBA in scoring), but creates them through rebounds (leads all guards) and steals (2nd in NBA), while having to put up with Dion Waiters in the backcourt.

He's been the Thunder's one consistent heartbeat, and the reason they're likely to make the Playoffs without Durant, whose now-confirmed absence can be another feather in Westy's MVP cap if OKC closes the season strong.There will also be more time to bloat his already-absurd averages of 27/8.7/7 w 2.2 steals and a 29.60 PER (which is the second-highest ever for a point guard). Westbrook's already putting up a strong MVP case, and if any contender has the most upside over the final 10 games (which absolutely matter in a race this close), it's probably him.

James Harden 


Harden's MVP narrative is multi-faceted, and speaks most directly to the meaning of 'value'. At this point, he should probably be considered the favorite. Maybe. Sort of. Who knows.

This season was supposed to be shitty for Houston. They'd largely been regarded as last offseason's Biggest Losers, dropping half their key rotation players and fanning on a third star. Things didn't look much better when Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones both went down early with injuries that would plague them all season. All hope seemed lost, but Harden uncorked a 27/7/6 masterpiece that has highly-improbably kept Houston in the fight for homecourt in the West.

There's detractors who will incorrectly point to Harden's once-comical defense, but his efforts and positioning have improved mightily over the past 12 months, and he's averaging almost 2 steals and a block per game. There's a reason why no sequels to James Harden Defensive Juggernaut have been made.

He aces pretty much all of the key MVP criteria, the only of the contenders who can truly make these claims:

- Statistically dominant, both in basic and advanced measures? Check.

- Successful and/or better-than-expected team? Absolutely.

- Carried said team for large stretches? More-so than any other player.

- Healthy all season? Yup.

Better yet, he's the only candidate who doesn't really have any legitimate, glaring holes in a year when every minor scuff or smudge on a resume has to count. Unlike LeBron's sleepwalking through the early season, Westbrook's injury and occasional spazz-outs, Curry's all-around team brilliance or The Brow's lack thereof, there's no real knock on Harden's 2014-15 campaign. Which is why he's (maybe, sort of, who knows) the likeliest MVP at this point, but in a race this close, anything can happen over the season's final month...

Banter's 2015 NBA All-Stars

Basketball Banter has returned after a(nother) prolonged absence, to break down the All-Star ballot and figure out who should really be playing under the Garden's bright lights next month.

Normally I'd also be handing out some midseason awards this time of year, but I just finished those up for BallOverAll this weekend as most teams crossed the 40-game threshold. I figured re-typing the whole thing would be a pretty futile exercise, so you can check out the picks here.

Now onto the All-Stars, for whom fan voting officially ended yesterday. While the 'fans' have generally gotten better at actually paying attention to the league and not just voting for the most recognizable names, their collective appraisal of a few players (#Kobe) still leaves a lot to be desired. As such we're likely to see a few deserving players get the dreaded snub, but that's something to bitch about later. For now all that can be done is to hope to coaches get it right when casting their ballots for reserves - a process that is usually a challenge in itself.

My logic in voting is based on a somewhat-abstract weight of individual performance, and team relevance so far this season. Obviously there's a certain floor for teams standards; someone on, oh...I dunno, let's just say...the Knicks, can't even be brought up. But barring a complete Hindenburg of a season by a given player's team, they'll be considered. This is the All-Star Game after all, the best teams will get their due in the Playoffs.

Further, I take into account the player' entire body of work - including the 'popcorn stats' (pts/rebs/asts, etc), efficiency indicators, importance of their contributions to the team's success, and any other intangibles (like Damian Lillard's pathological cold-bloodedness in the waning minutes of close games).

What follows is a breakdown of each conference: The Starters (two guards, three frontcourt), The Bench (two guards, three frontcourt, and two "wild card" players of any position), as well as the "Regards To" (your basic snubs, the guys who I actually considered at some point), and "Milk Carton" (perennial All-Stars who, for a variety of reasons, just weren't in the conversation).

Let's get into it:

EAST ALL-STARS
STARTERS:

Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Lowry easily could've been Toronto's All-Star last year in Demar DeRozan's stead. But this season he's channeled yet another level, becoming an elite point guard in an era where the position's just completely, utterly stacked. He's been the pace-setter for the best NBA team Canada's ever put forth, looking svelte, and playing with a gritty tenacity that belies his new fat contract (among by buddies he's affectionately known as "Pudge Lowry", a nickname we might have to retire). One of the very best guards on both sides of the ball this year, Lowry's not only a no-brainer All-Star, but a fringe MVP candidate.

Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
Somewhere between sorta and completely out of nowhere, Butler evolved into one of the NBA's most effective two-way players. This past summer, he summoned a quasi-deadly off-the-bounce game from scratch, and improved his shaky jumper, becoming a welcome offensive presence for the Bulls. He still plays suffocating defense, only with the added cachet of being the go-to perimeter option that Derrick Rose hasn't consistently provided. Like Lowry, he's been a monster on both sides of the ball, and his inclusion here - despite a strong showing from John Wall - is a must.

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
So let's face facts: The Cavs have been depressingly underwhelming over the first half of this year, and the Default MVP is having a blatantly pedestrian season by his standards. But this is LeBron we're talking about here, the Best In The Game, the guy who was relevant, pompous, good enough to have brought the NBA to a standstill and caused pop-culture cataclysm with his last two free agencies. The only thing keeping him from being a starter in this Eastern Conference is a JR Smith-related suspension.

Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are absolutely crushing right now - winners of 13 straight, comfortably atop the East, and playing a selfless, balanced game that reflects Mike Budenholzer's 17-year tenure as an assistant on the Spurs bench. They could field (in some people's opinion) as many as four contenders for spots on this team. Despite a recent a surge from Al Horford, Millsap has been their best big man, comfortable shooting form distance or in the post, and leading all PF/Cs in steals. He's also pulling down over a rebound more than Horford each game, and looking like a great alternative to the guy he replaced in ATL.

Pau Gasol, Chicago Bulls
He's still got it. Buried on some gawdawful Lakers teams for a few injury-nagged seasons, the O.G. (Original Gasol) is back, as nasty as he ever was. Pau's giving Chicago 19/game with career-bests in rebounds and blocks, as one of the rare uninjured Bulls this season. His recent 46/18 pulverization of Milwaukee was one of the season's standout performances thus far, and his play is one of the main reasons nobody's counting Chicago out in the East.

BENCH:

Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks
Teague's been monstrous for the Hawks, and is even getting some distant MVP burn. He plays with deadly quickness, but precise control, and is piloting the NBA's hottest team right now.

John Wall, Washington Wizards
Speaking of deadly quickness, Wall's playing extremely well and buoying the East's Dark Horse through early injuries. A near-starter.

Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
While the Heat have been pretty suspect this year, Bosh is doing what he can; rediscovering his identity as a go-to option. An easy selection in a weak conference.

Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic
It's hard to penalize Voose for playing on a crappy team, not in the East where most of the teams are pretty crappy, and he's basically doing 20/11 for a squad that's only four games back of 8th in the East, despite being fourteen games under .500.

Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons

Since exorcising Josh Smith from their roster, the Pistons are on a serious Playoff push, and Drummond has gone full Hulk Smash after a very shaky start to this year.

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
I honestly thought Wade was going to start coming apart at the seams this year - so much for that. He's been impressive when suiting up and - despite recent shooting woes - appears to have something left in the tank.

Brandon Knight, Milwaukee Bucks
The last wild-card spot came down to a deathmatch between a bunch of guys who really didn't scream "All Star!". Knight takes the last East jersey with his strong, efficient line for (Hawks aside) the East's surprise team.

Regards to: Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Marcin Gortat, Kyle Korver, Kemba Walker

Milk Carton: Al Jefferson, Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony

...And now to head out West, where we find perhaps the most confusing, abstract clusterfuck of potential title contenders in NBA history. A lot of very talented players make up those teams, and plenty of deserving candidates won't be getting the All-Star spot they'd surely earn in the East. Life's unfair sometimes I guess.

WEST ALL-STARS
STARTERS:

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Let me first start this off by pointing out how ludicrously unfair it is to have to pick two starters from a flock of West guards that's playing in the ether right now. A theoretical MVP Top-10 right now could plausibly be half-filled with players eligible for these spots; cutting so many to the bench seemed insulting.

With that said, Steph Curry might be the MVP at this point. So he's here. Curry's just been nothing short of lethal for the NBA's surprise best team. His gaudy numbers have slid inches with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green becoming more diverse and integral offensive cogs, but the Warriors' dominance this year makes Curry's lines all the more impressive.

James Harden, Houston Rockets
Neck-and-neck with Curry for MVP, and perhaps slightly ahead by most definitions, Harden's been a nuclear force on offense (and noticeably improved defender), carrying the Rockets to one of the West's best records through a slew of first-half injuries.

Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Just when every prototype of a future power forward was supposedly a floor-spacing perimeter gunner, along came the Brow and reminded us that there will always be a place for omni-talented freak athletes with massive wingspans who bounce off the hardcourt like a trampoline. Such has been Davis' year, putting up eye-popping stat lines off of minimal touches (his usage rate is fucking 36th in the NBA. Actually.), producing one of the most all-around efficient seasons in NBA history.

Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
He's been argued as the NBA's best all-around big man for a couple seasons now, but this year Gasol's come out and just ended the debate with a well-rounded romp that's put him in the center (accidental pun) of the MVP discussion. He does everything short of filling the Gatorade coolers for Memphis, who have solidified themselves in the upper tier of West contenders.

DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
The NBA (properly) developed the "Frontcourt" designation for All-Star voting a few seasons back, to recognize the more abstract and perimeter-oriented nature of positions in today's game (and spare us from the token mediocre, clearly-not-an-"All Star" center getting an ascribed nod). Well, with freedom comes excess, and I'm using it to start two centers, along with a guy who could be one in most systems. Screw it - needs to be done.

Boogie's been Godzilla on the block this year, demoralizing teams from the low-post while becoming one of the NBA's best-passing centers, and actually trying on defense. The Kings' performance during his bout with viral meningitis was a night-and-day difference, as this former-headcase of a behemoth is finally "getting it".

BENCH:

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
The Clips have been inconsistent through stretches this year, but it's hard to blame CP3, who's putting in a monstrous year in terms of point guard efficiency.

Damian Lillard, Portland Trailblazers
Illard, Killard, Thrillard; whatever you want to call him, he's become the most feared late-game gunner in the NBA (with good reason), and has taken his defense to new heights, propelling the Blazers to a higher level.


Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
Griffin's fallen in love with his jumper a bit too much at times, which has seen his shooting dip below 50%. but he's still one of the game's better all-around bigs and can't be excluded from the bench.

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Father Time once came knocking for Tim Duncan, and got a bank shot nailed from the high post over his outstretched arm. This season's been a vintage Timmy performance, still so smooth after all these years.

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trailblazers
Lillard's been Portland's most high-profile monster this year, but Aldridge has been no slouch himself, defying the stigma of the mid-range jumper as the NBA's best PF with two eyebrows.

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
He may have been injured for the season's first month, but Westbrook has just been devastating since returning, putting up MVP numbers and loudly demanding a spot, regardless of time missed.

Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
The other Splash Brother's broken through to bonafide All-Star status, with his more diverse offensive arsenal playing a key role in the Warriors' dominance this year.

Regards to: (clears throat) Mike Conley, Monta Ellis, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwight Howard, Serge Ibaka, DeAndre Jordan, Tyson Chandler, Zach Randolph, Eric Bledsoe, Rudy Gay, Ty Lawson, Jrue Holiday & Draymond Green

Milk Carton: Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo, Goran Dragic, David Lee

And that's the truth. Let's hope the real rosters look something like this next month in the Big Apple.

P.E.D Watch 2014

It's time for another fond Basketball Banter tradition; the annual scrutinizing of which players have re-invented themselves to start this season, and essentially birthed the race for this season's Most Improved Player award.

It's time to give due to those who've put in work over the summer (or added an aggressive, undetectable training supplement to their regimen), expanded their games, and taken on greater roles while forcing the rest of the NBA to take notice.

It's time for P.E.D Watch 2014:

Anthony Davis
I mean, really, what else is there to say about the guy at this point. He's been an omnipotent force all over NBA courts this year. At 21 years old, he's years away from his prime. It's very possible that he's either a super-athletic alien cyborg or Hakeem Olajuwon's son. This is greatness in the making.

Evan Fournier
Count me among the many who face-palmed upon learning that the Magic had given Arron Afflalo back to the Nuggets for this unproven Frenchman. You can also count me among those with his foot partially inserted into his own mouth. Fournier's proven himself a capable starter (albeit on a certain lottery team); a dangerous shooter and surprisingly cagey defender for a frail kid from a country known for surrendering. His numbers are up across the board, and he'll continue to grow with the rest of the Magic's young core.

Darren Collison
The battle to fill Isaiah Thomas' pint-sized shoes as the Kings' starting PG was supposed to be a war of attrition, but Collison won the job out of training camp and never looked back, dropping a career year in his Sac-Town debut. No longer stuck behind Chris Paul or in the confines of an Indiana offense, Collison has set new bests in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Even with their franchise in an awkward purgatory with a wrongfully-fired coach and an owner openly talking about playing 4-on-5 defense, the Kings can be confident that they nailed this signing.

Klay Thompson
While he may have already been worth that offseason extension the Warriors cut for him, Kassius Klay has leveled up so far in 2014. Part of this has to do with the extra touches and floor space that David Lee's absence has afforded Golden State's offense, but Thompson's responded by not only raising his scoring average, but becoming a more diverse offensive weapon - a better playmaker who's also becoming a threat off the dribble and getting to the line at a career rate. The Dubs are the NBA's best team thus far, and Thompson certainly deserves some of the blame.

Draymond Green
Of course, not to slight Mr. Thompson, but he's not even the most improved player on his own team

so far this year. Green has assumed the de-facto starting PF spot, and played so well that it's highly unlikely he'll lose it when Lee returns. Dr. Dray's been a dangerously effective and versatile swing-forward; strong and long enough to contain larger bodies, while still mobile and agile on the perimeter and containing pick-and-rolls. He's averaging career-highs across the board and enabled the Warriors to find perhaps their ideal scheme on both sides of the ball.

Donatas Motiejunas
While we're on the topic of injured power forwards, credit has to be given to the Rockets' Don Dada, who's stepped up considerably with Houston's front line in shambles. Motiejunas has put together a strong 2014 debut, showing flashes of stardom in his new starting role and perhaps giving Daryl Morey yet another appealing trade asset with which to manipulate opposing GMs. Motiejunas has not only proven his crafty post game, but played with an increased toughness, and an improving awareness that will only get better as his consistent playing time rises. He nails the eye and numbers tests, and only if his role diminishes significantly when Terrence Jones returns will he not contend for this award.

Jimmy Butler
I can't really make up my mind as to whether this season's outburst from Butler has been more overdue or unexpected, but in any case it's damn impressive. His scoring and shooting averages have leapt up alarmingly; no longer just a spot-up 3-and-D guy who doesn't shoot very well, Butler's become a dangerous mid-range threat off the dribble. His status as Chicago's offensive alpha-dog was hardly ascribed - with Derrick Rose's return and Pau Gasol's arrival - but he seized the opportunity and now looks like one of the NBA's most complete two-way players.

Marc GasolLast but not least we have Marcy Marc; a complex addition to this list who may not get the attention he truly deserves as an MIP candidate, simply because he's also firmly in the running for MVP. There's an unwritten (but fairly well-anchored within NBA circles) rule that a leap from starter to star is more difficult and relevant (and thus in this award's context, more valuable) than a rise from nowhere to relevance. Thus it should logically follow that a sudden rise from stardom (considered by many to be the NBA's best all-around center) to the league's pantheon deserves an adjusted score as well. Gasol's upped his scoring to almost 20/game, with his assists close to his career-best. He's accounted for a higher clip of Memphis' offense while still providing an elite defensive foundation. Most of his numbers across the board are on par with his personal bests; Gasol is a nimbler, more confident version of the beast he always was, he stays within the flow of the game and never "does too much" to the detriment of his team. His steadiness as a facilitator has been key to Memphis' all-around improved offense, which is the main reason they're so dangerous this season.

The Start of Something Good

I usually try and avoid writing too much at the beginning of the NBA Season for 3 reasons that all stem from the same root - the small sample size of games we've seen:

1. Opinions and analysis are fickle and changing at an NFL-like rate
2. It's much harder to make educated observations and not use terms like "so far" and "it seems"
3. Many assertions are totally liable to turn upside-down and make me sound like an idiot

That said, with nearly a month gone by in the season, and 10+ games for all teams, we're beginning to see what trends are emerging with serious traction, and will play a relevant role in how this season plays out. The good news for NBA junkies is that most of it points to this season being one of heavy competition - at least outside of Philadelphia, which is where I begin my rants about some of the things that have stood out to me this season:

The Sixers are Historically Awful
Philadelphia was clearly shook after gracefully losing 26 straight games last year and not getting the Draft's top pick, or even a guy who'd play his rookie season for the second straight year. So they gutted their roster even further and now pose a very realistic threat at breaking the NBA's all-time mark for the worst single-season record at 9-73 - also held by the Sixers.

I don't like using my own NBA knowledge as a benchmark for a team's relevance, but have to in this case. I know very little about most of Philadelphia's roster (and don't feel compelled to since most of them will be out of the league soon enough) which says a thing or two about just what they're fielding this season. I take Michael Carter Williams' open letter at face value; they are  trying, it's just that their talent level is woefully outmatched by every other team in the league.

This roster's worse than the one the the that preceded it, and unfortunately for the Sixers (or perhaps fortunately for their clear motives) there aren't two handfuls of teams chasing Lotto balls this year, which makes for far fewer winnable games.


The Kings are This Year's Suns (Or are the Pelicans?)
Last night's NBA slate saw an intriguing encounter between two West upstarts seeking to break onto the Playoff scene. One of them was highly probably to ascend the conference's stiff hierarchy this year, while the other has instantly vaulted itself from lottery doormat to early-season powerhouse.

Let's settle something quickly: the Sacramento Kings aren't as good as the season's first couple of weeks suggested. Granted, they beat up on some tough competition, but have shown cracks in their consistency over the past few games, allowing New Orleans to overwhelm them offensively in last night's third quarter, while themselves losing their offensive rhythm and playing sloppy, turnover-prone ball. The same sort of meltdown cost them a seemingly-inevitable W against Memphis last week. They should be in the mix for a lower-tier Playoff spot however, with both their team defense and ball movement having improved noticeably from last year, and DeMarcus Cousins playing like a can't-miss All Star.

New Orleans will also contend for the postseason barring a serious injury. Their roster is undeniably shallow, but they field a killer 7/8-man rotation that can contort to pretty much any size opposition, and score at absurd rates when they're all clicking (and Tyreke Evans isn't in pseudo-LeBron mode). Which brings us to:

Anthony Davis Probably Isn't Human
Quick question: Who holds the NBA's all-time record for single-season PER?

You'll have to go diggin' in the crates for the answer, all the way back to Wilt Chamberlain's 1962-63 season: a PER of 31.82. For the record, he averaged 45 points & 24 rebounds per game that year.

He's closely followed by a slew of seasons in the 31 PER range by somewhat-notable names like Michael Jordan. LeBron James, and Shaquille O'Neal. Kevin Garnett's best season was a 29.44, Dirk Nowitzki's a 28.06, and Tim Duncan's a 27.06.

Keep that in mind when noting that 21-year-old Anthony Davis is currently on pace for a PER of 36.16, or in basic English, the most efficiently dominant NBA season in history by a considerably wide margin. 

The Thunder Are In Trouble
My title here was going to be "Thunder Can't Catch a Break" but that would just be, as politically-correct people say, 'too soon'.

Two broken bones - one in Kevin Durant's foot, the other in Russell Westbrook's hand - have put OKC's season in serious turmoil, as their offensively-challenged teammates struggle to keep pace in the meantime. Even Perry Jones couldn't stay on the floor once he emerged as the unlikeliest of point-producers.

Whether you want to blame God, Lil' B, or some Sonics fan with a Clay Bennett voodoo doll, the Thunder are suddenly in a deep hole when you consider how competitive the West has become. Last year, in a nightmare conference that was still softer than this year's version, the 8th seeded Mavs lost 33 games. By that loose standard (which should be give-or-take about this year's mark), OKC will currently have to win 65% of its remaining games just to make the Playoffs.

That number will only amplify the more they dip beneath .500 with fewer games remaining. Westbrook is still around two weeks away from returning, and there's been a conspicuous lack of updates surrounding Durant's progress. Any delays to their rehab, or extended periods of acclimation, will likely sink the Thunder's season.


David Lee Should be Dealt
A lot has been made about the Warriors' roaring start to this season, particularly their having been able to do so 'without David Lee'. Well, allow me to posit another take on things: The Warriors are better 'without David Lee'.

Golden State's M.O. is pretty clear: They're a strong defensive team who relies more offensively on floor-spacing and wing scoring than any other roster. A truly strong defensive  team is a lot like a Greek phalanx, with each part protecting not only itself, but another; one glitch in the armor exposes the whole unit. The Warriors already field one "glitch" in Steph Curry, who gambles too much and is bullied by bigger guards. In addition, Lee - rebounding aside - is, by some metrics, the very worst post defender in the NBA. That's 40% of your 'strong defensive team''s starting lineup being somewhere between "sketchy" and "complete fucking liability" on defense.

Meanwhile, Lee's replacements - Marreese Speights, and lots of small-ball sets with Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes - have provided the Warriors with more toughness and mobility on D, and better offensive spacing; they patch up Lee's gaping defensive shortcomings while conforming to the team's scoring M.O. This is to say that Lee's net detriment to the Dubs' defense is greater than his marginal benefit on offense. It's pure addition by subtraction; we saw it in 2013 when they over-performed without him in the Playoffs, and we're seeing it again now. It should become an issue when Lee makes his return.

The Concern About Cleveland was Misplaced
First of all, the obvious: Cleveland is absolutely abhorrent defensively. Everyone suspected as much with their leaks at PG and PF and no semblance of a post-bound rim protector, but the results have been rock-bottom. Their 104 oppg is the worst mark of any likely Playoff team, and their offense hasn't yet reached the consistent level of omnipotence it was pegged for (though since their six-assist game it's definitely turned a corner).

But there's room for this figure to improve: first, the Cavs have faced an inordinately high number of good offensive teams; only two of their opponents so far (Utah, and of course, the Knicks) rank in the League's bottom half scoring-wise. Second, their poor team defense should improve marginally over time, not only in welcoming back Matthew Dellavedova (by far their best-defending guard), but becoming more accustomed to each others' habits and deficiencies. Third, Cleveland holds a valuable trade exception, which will almost certainly be used to pilfer a rim protector from one of the many teams hoarding cap space like food before a nuclear holocaust.

The real problem: Cleveland is relying far too heavily on its Big 3, who presently rank 3rd, 4th, and 5th in minutes per game. This is bad for a number of reasons; not only does it make Cleveland more of a static roster that doesn't conform well to mismatches, but it obviously puts them an injury away from serious issues (see: Thunder, Oklahoma City). More damning, it wears down their stars for an expected Playoff run, which is terrible news since a) LeBron has more miles on his body in the last decade than anyone in the NBA and, b) Neither Irving nor Love has ever been to the Playoffs, and have no concept of saving something in the tank for the postseason grind.

How 'Bout Them Grizzlies?!?!
And then there were my beloved Grizzlies, atop the West at 10-1 after a miraculous comeback against the Kings, and total ass-kicking of Houston in a battle of the West's best. This comes as a surprise to many, but not necessarily myself, all bias aside.

Memphis was saddled by injury for most of last season, missing Tony Allen and two-way beast Marc Gasol for large chunks of the regular season. When healthy, they sported one of the West's best records, and then came within a Zach Randolph suspension hair of knocking off the Thunder in the first round.

This year they return the same suffocating defense, only with an added boost on offense, not only from the continuity of a revitalized Courtney Lee (a midseason addition last year), but the arrival of Vince Carter, who suddenly actually plays defense. As a plus, Mike Conley's becoming ever-more proficient as a scorer-distributor, and Allen's made up for his critical lack of shooting and ballhandling by becoming one of the NBA's best guards at moving without the ball, whether it be well-timed screens, or back-door cuts on sleeping defenders. This overall attack has made it much harder for opposing defenses to sag down on Gasol and Randolph in the post, which used to be an easy foil for the Grizzlies' offense (anyone who watched the 2013 West Finals knows this all too well).

So for those of you who seem to think another team is destined to rise to the West's penthouse, be warned that it won't be an easy entry. Whether it's the Warriors, Clippers, Spurs, or eventually Thunder who come knocking, this is a different iteration of the Grizzlies; a much more capable two-way team, and one who will play with a constant chip on its shoulder, in one of the NBA's most uninviting home arenas. I'm not prepared to call Memphis the West's undisputed best team, but if they're still here in April, don't act surprised.

Banter's 2014-15 NBA Preview

"Guess who's back in the muthafuckin' house..."


What's up everyone, hope your summer went better than Paul George's.

Banter took another prolonged sabbatical this offseason as I helped open up a restaurant and was otherwise heavily devoted to my traditional summer routine of Beer-BQs, cottage parties, Floatie Nation, and aggressive patio-surfing.

But as it tends to in Canada, the weather's grown crappier of late, conveniently coinciding with the buildup to an event I fiend for like a hyperactive child does Christmas morning: the start of the NBA Season. Pro basketball's return is a perfect excuse for me to me to spend more time inside, avoiding the eventual snow, wind and -20 abyss, while binge-watching League Pass like a perpetual Netflix series.

The NBA has its own prime-time drama's worth of compelling storylines this year; from LeBron's "Return" to KD's sudden injury (#BasedGodCurse), D-Rose's latest comeback, a loaded rookie class, and the Zen Master's attempt to rescue the New York Knicks. Anthony Davis will continue evolving into a MUTO, James Harden's defense will continue amusing us, and we'll be served up steady script material for the inevitable Kobe-Nick Young buddy comedy. We'll get to devise some "Lob City"-ish nickname for the T-Wolves, sweat a Western Conference that's somehow even more competitive than last year's, and rejoice that the Charlotte Hornets - albeit minus the pinstriped teal - exist again. Not to mention there's a wide-open race for the Larry O; the Spurs have plenty of hungry foes aiming for the crown.

So what can we expect amid all the excitement? Here's Banter's preview, starting with the Top 9 Bold Predictions for 2014-15:

DISCLAIMER: As Grantland tends to do, they beat me to the punch with a recent article that makes predictions about every possible angle of the upcoming season (33 in all). Unavoidably, some of their thought processes overlap with mine, but their logic did nothing to influence what you're about to read. Every prediction I've made here was drafted before their article was published. 

9. Dwyane Wade will begin unraveling

I placed this so low because it's sort of already started happening, but I see the next few months as the beginning of the end. Wade's played his career with the reckless abandon of an NFL running back, and as I'd seen coming miles away, the strain caught up with him sooner than any Heat "fan" had hoped. Even as LeBron's second fiddle last year, he was only effective when rested, and wore down disturbingly quickly as the Playoff intensity took its toll.

So what's to be of him now that the best player alive is no longer his running mate? He won't be able to take as many games off, and will be counted on more and more each night for Miami to remain competitive, increasing the demands on his body. He'll turn 33 before the All-Star break, and age is a much greater factor for someone with Wade's checkered injury history. There's several factors working against him concurrently; all added up, it could spell the untimely demise of a truly special player.


8. The Raptors will continue to rise

Being a Canadian, I by default hear more about the Raptors than just about any NBA team, especially now that they're finally relevant on the league-wide scene. I've faced many questions about whether they've plateaued with this roster, or whether they'll improve, and I'm highly convinced that their ceiling hasn't been reached for several reasons:

1) They'll benefit from the continuity of bringing back an almost identical rotation (swapping Lou Williams in for John Salmons is hardly a crucial shift). 2) They'll be playing with more of a purpose; an experienced squad looking to avenge a bitter playoff upset, rather than riding a momentum wave as a surprise overachiever. And most importantly; 3) With the exception of Kyle Lowry (who's never played better basketball), their whole roster still undeniably has growth and improvement to realize before hitting their prime.

They're young, they're hungry, and while we can't expect Toronto to finish any higher in the East (with the Conference's top 4-5 teams becoming much better overall), there's no reason the Raptors shouldn't be rising with the tide.


7. In-season job security among NBA head coaches will remain record-high

Last season's startlingly-low total of one axed coach leveled off this summer when more bodies hit the floor than the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan. Looking around the NBA, there doesn't appear to be many coaches left on the proverbial "hot seat". As noted above, many teams - the Knicks, Warriors, Nets, Bucks, Jazz, Cavs, Pistons and Lakers - have undergone coaching changes since April, meaning their new guys will get a fair bit of patience.

Elsewhere, there's plenty of coaches who will never, ever be fired (Pop, Thibs, etc), are doing very well in new roles (Jeff Hornacek, Mike Bundeholzer, Steve Clifford), recently survived a front-office shredding (Dave Jeorger), have the co-sign from rebuilding franchises (Brett Brown, Brad Stevens) or who probably would've been fired already if it were going to happen (Kevin McHale, Frank Vogel, Scott Brooks). So sleep easy, NBA coaches, there probably won't be many of you getting canned this season.

6. The Trade Deadline will be a dud again
Perhaps the dominant theme from this summer was the notion that the Free Agency period has almost become its own season, engulfing the trade market and making (most) teams far less anxious to pull the trigger on mid-season deals. That trend is almost certainly going to amplify in the coming months.

Thanks to the NBA's new multi-quadrillion-dollar TV deal,  the salary cap (as currently projected) will undergo far-and-away its biggest single-year increase in history next summer, giving almost every team cap room, and leading any player with wiggle room in his contract to opt out and cash in. The market is going to be absolutely ridiculous next July, so while a few contenders might be looking to tweak their lineups come February, the vast majority of teams will be biding their time and slow-playing their hands.

5. Rajon Rondo will be traded to the Houston Rockets

First off: Rondo's gonna get dealt this year, don't kid yourself. His recent trade request is the final nail in a coffin Danny Ainge had been slowly building for the past few seasons by dangling him at every opportunity. Rondo's injury last season (resulting in a temporary trade value dip) is probably the only reason he's still a Celtic. With Kevin Love off the trade slate, Rondo is the lone All-Star who's openly available right now, and if he's going to be traded (which he is) Houston is the most logical destination.

Not only do the Rockets fancy themselves contenders (though they currently have no chance in hell of even making it out of the Playoffs' first round), but they just took a step back this offseason, that included whiffing on several would-be star signings. They must be feeling somewhat desperate right now, and have enough assets to cobble together an attractive offer for Boston (something like Pat Beverley, Terrence Jones, a few of the shitload of draft picks they have stashed, and cash). They also have one of the most ballsy and persistent GMs in the NBA; they'll pursue this. Pairing Rondo with James Harden and Dwight Howard also makes sense on paper; a versatile PG who can quell Harden's shitty defense without depleting his shot count, and has a dangerous penetrate-and-kick game that fits Morey's "key or three" model very well.

4. The Indiana Pacers will miss the Playoffs; it won't even really be close

Toss up: what was the uglier tumble, Paul George's gruesome crash landing into a basket support, or the fall from grace Indiana's been in the midst of since last February? Already mired in an identity crisis that ruined last season, the reigning #1 seed lost George and Lance Stephenson, and will field easily the weakest offensive squad in the NBA this season.

This team will be comically terrible in its efforts to score; David West is their only consistent threat, and defense-belying Rodney Stuckey will likely see heavy minutes just to keep them afloat. Roy Hibbert can't be counted on, George Hill's unproven as a score-first guard, and Luis Scola was basically a Walking Dead extra for most of last year. Even if Chris Copeland comes out on some PED shit, it's going to be a painfully dull season in Indiana.

3. The Knicks' revival will get off to a slow start

Much like the Pacers will struggle to score, the Knicks will struggle to prevent their opponents from doing it to them at will. New York was atrocious defensively last season, and of course, addressed the problem by trading their former DPOY for a center with positioning A.D.D (Sam Dalembert), and one of the two or three worst defensive point guards in the NBA (Jose Calderon). Surround them with guys like JR Smith, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire (who've never been committed defenders), and Andrea Bargnani (not even going there), and there's no hope of them stopping anyone. Iman Shumpert can't do it all by himself. The Zen Master's rebuild looks more like a 2-3 year plan.

2. Anthony Davis will come very close to winning the MVP

There's a perfect storm of momentum drumming up this year that will almost lift Davis to the game's most exalted individual honor. First off, he's really fucking good, and getting better every month; he's going to absolutely wreck shit on both sides of the ball this year. Second, the Pelicans are going to be better than anyone thinks; they'll win 45+ games and are a rival injury away from being a Playoff Team in the West. Third, and I hate using this excuse because it shouldn't be valid, but there will inevitably be a wave of boredom bias from media who are tired of the LeBron vs. KD debate, and will look to inject new blood into the MVP race. As we all know, some of the voters aren't exactly the most enlightened minds, and will get swept up the hoopla regardless of how deserving Davis may be. It probably won't be enough to tip the scales, but it's gonna be damn close. 

1. The Spurs will repeat
More on this in a second...

EAST STANDINGS                                       WEST STANDINGS
1. Chicago Bulls                                                1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Cleveland Cavaliers                                      2. Los Angeles Clippers
3. Washington Wizards                                     3. Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Toronto Raptors                                            4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Charlotte Hornets                                          5. Golden State Warriors
6. Miami Heat                                                   6. Portland Trail Blazers
7. Brooklyn Nets                                               7. Houston Rockets
8. Atlanta Hawks                                               8. Dallas Mavericks
9. Detroit Pistons                                               9. New Orleans Pelicans
10. New York Knicks                                       10. Phoenix Suns
11. Indiana Pacers                                             11. Denver Nuggets
12. Orlando Magic                                            12. Los Angeles Lakers
13. Boston Celtics                                             13. Minnesota Timberwolves
14. Milwaukee Bucks                                       14. Sacramento Kings
15. Philadelphia 76ers                                       15. Utah Jazz

East Finals: Cavs over Bulls                           West Finals: Spurs over Thunder

Rookie of the Year: Jabari Parker
This one's a no-brainer. Easily the most NBA-ready rookie in terms of skill set and polish, Parker gets dumped on a decrepit roster (especially on offense) where he'll be the undisputed man. He's a heavy favorite for this award, and anyone who tells you otherwise is either being a contrarian or experiencing a mild seizure.
Contenders: Marcus Smart, Andrew Wiggins, Nerlens Noel 

Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis

As mentioned above, Davis is growing more into his immeasurable potential seemingly by the game. Watching his evolution is truly special (or terrifying if you're affiliated with any of the other 29 teams); he grasps such vast aspects of basketball stupidly quick, and shifts between them seamlessly like he's just discovered a cheat code in a video game. His specialty of course is making life hell for opposing offenses pretty much anywhere inside the arc. With Omer Asik now patrolling the low post, Davis is going get an absolutely mind-numbing amount of weak-side blocks this year, and many more off the lost fools who try to actually score on him. We're likely looking at the highest stocks average (word to Bill Simmons) since Hakeem the Dream, and for that, the Brow gets the DPOY.
Contenders: Joakim Noah, Serge Ibaka, LeBron James

Sixth Man of the Year: Isaiah Thomas
Now that the Suns finally came to their senses and paid Eric Bledsoe, Thomas figures to be a highly over-qualified backup as the third "starting" point guard on their roster. Though he's drastically under-sized and will only see minutes at the true PG spot, he's bound to work his way into a bunch of quirky Jeff Hornacek lineups, where he'll be an instant dose of scoring on a high-octane roster. So long as he and Dragic don't share the floor for extended stretches against attacking two guards (and there's fewer of them today than there's ever been in the NBA), it shouldn't be hard to make this odd PGx3 rotation work in the Suns' favor.
Contenders: Jamal Crawford, Pau Gasol/Taj Gibson, whichever Pelican winds up not starting

Coach of the Year: David Blatt
I always love (read: fucking hate) trying to predict this award because it's so subjective and results-oriented that picking someone this far in advance is a general waste of time. Usually, it goes to a coach who overcame a serious hurdle to have a successful season, over-performed greatly, or - as was the case last year - was so clearly head-and-shoulders above the competition that he had to be crowned. Gregg Popovich's much-deserved love-fest hit its apex with their much-lauded Finals romp last June; it seems pretty unlikely that he'll repeat while still basking in the afterglow of his finest hour. So I'm putting my money on David Blatt, because Cleveland's going to be very good, and anyone - LeBron or no LeBron - will look good filling Mike Brown's shoes.
Contenders: Tom Thibodeau, Stan Van Gundy, Rick Carlisle

Most Improved Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo
This is the year he makes a huge leap. He's got a full season of NBA play and conditioning under his belt, has figured out a fair deal about his capabilities, can focus on games instead of answering a zillion stupid questions about his hand size and his name's pronunciation, and has just been handed the keys to his team's starting PG spot by one of the position's all-time greats. The sky's the limit for a kid with such gazelle-like athleticism and diverse skill set, and 2014-15 should see it all come together.
Contenders: Anthony Bennett, Terrence Jones, Victor Oladipo

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James 
1. He's the best player alive.
2. Everyone and their grandma's back on his nuts after he came back to Cleveland.
3. The Cavs might have some adjustment issues at first, but are still a mortal lock for a top-2 seed in the suddenly-not-so-pitiful East.
4. Kevin Durant's going to miss the season's first month+ and will be shaking off his foot injury for the next few weeks after that.
5. Anthony Davis - explosion of momentum and dominance aside - isn't quite there yet.
6. I have as good a chance of winning this award as any remaining NBA player.
Contenders: Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant

All-Rookie Teams
First:  G-Marcus Smart, G-Andrew Wiggins, F-Jabari Parker, F-Aaron Gordon, C-Nerlens Noel
Second: G- Nik Stauskas, G-Rodney Hood, F-Doug McDermott, F-Adreian Payne, C-Mitch McGary

All-Defense Teams
First: G-Chris Paul, G-Tony Allen, F-Anthony Davis, F-Serge Ibaka, C-Joakim Noah
Second: G-Mike Conley, G-Kyle Lowry, F-LeBron James, F-Kawhi Leonard, C-Marc Gasol

All-NBA Teams
First: G-Chris Paul, G-Russell Westbrook, F-LeBron James, F-Anthony Davis, C-Dwight Howard
Second: G-Steph Curry, G-James Harden, F-Kevin Durant, F-LaMarcus Aldridge, C-Marc Gasol
Third: G-Damian Lillard, G-Bradley Beal, F-Carmelo Anthony, F-Blake Griffin, C-Al Jefferson

NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs

And, I mean, why bet against them? They have by far the best coach in the NBA, by far the deepest and most cohesive team unit, and by far the most experience down the stretch of the Playoffs. Through a combination of magic elixirs and Pop's playing-time constraints, they've combated the aging of their stars flawlessly. Their reigning Finals MVP is a timid giant-killer who's only scratching the surface of consistent dominance. And they'll be playing with plenty of motivation to send Timmy D off into the sunset with a title in what's surely his last NBA season.

Cleveland may get it together (though they're going to suffer heavily on defense), Chicago may hold it together (though a lot is going to depend on D-Rose's shaky knees and rusty jumper), the Thunder will no doubt dump Kendrick Perkins' expiring deal at the Deadline for a useful upgrade, and the Clippers might be a viable threat this year without the Sterling Saga distracting them at the worst possible time. But for now, I see the Spurs as the team to beat, and look forward to having a team prove me wrong, because anyone who beats this team over seven games will truly deserve the title.

Here's to another awesome NBA season.