2021-22 NBA Thread: The Bucks are Reigning Champs

[The Sultan]

LBJ is 5th in VORP, which for a 37 year old is pretty darn amazing.  But he's not MVP.  Jokic followed by Giannis and Embid are the leaders there.

[PGsHeroes32]

No. A good case can be made for any of the 3 guys.

They are all so good that no one talks about Booker, Curry, or LeBron - who is having a career year at 37 years old. I think the last time MJ averaged 30 pts. was when he was 32.

Embiid has a case against everyone outside of the top 2. Really his only statistical case over Joker is team performance.

Booker is definitely one who is finally getting more convo and should be getting it. Hell of a year for clearly the best team. That didnt miss a beat without CP3.

Lebron? His team sucks no chance he should or would be in convo.

Curry? Hes now hurt and his season while still really good is nowhere near the others, his team is nowhere near the others and its a season that isnt even top of the line for Curry himself.

The convo should really be between GIannis and Joker with Booker and Embiid getting some love as the next two.

[JWags85]

Curry? Hes now hurt and his season while still really good is nowhere near the others, his team is nowhere near the others and its a season that isnt even top of the line for Curry himself.

I know MVP has turned into "best player on one of the top teams" but in terms of value, Curry's impact is kind of amazing.  They were 47-22, tied with Memphis for 2nd in the West.  Curry gets hurt, they lose 6 of 7, and to some bad teams.  Meanwhile, the Grizz lose Morant for awhile and win 5 straight including over the Bucks and Nets.

[BM1090]

I think it should be Jokic, but Giannis should be 2nd and ahead of Embiid. Embiid has been phenomenal but I don't think he's quite at the level of the other two.

[PGsHeroes32]

I know MVP has turned into "best player on one of the top teams" but in terms of value, Curry's impact is kind of amazing.  They were 47-22, tied with Memphis for 2nd in the West.  Curry gets hurt, they lose 6 of 7, and to some bad teams.  Meanwhile, the Grizz lose Morant for awhile and win 5 straight including over the Bucks and Nets.

Oh 100% hes definitely still got crazy value. Though an argument to that is its still not just him. They struggled without Draymond as well.

But you are definitely right, Curry means a heck of a lot more to the Warriors than most stars to their teams. Morant being a great example even if its probably a bit flukish.

[Jockey]

I know MVP has turned into "best player on one of the top teams" but in terms of value, Curry's impact is kind of amazing.  They were 47-22, tied with Memphis for 2nd in the West.  Curry gets hurt, they lose 6 of 7, and to some bad teams.  Meanwhile, the Grizz lose Morant for awhile and win 5 straight including over the Bucks and Nets.

I see the 'V' and think that is what it is all about. We saw what happened to the Nets w/out Durant. Same would happen to Philly, Boston, Milwaukee, Denver if they lost their star. Denver & Boston would be affected the worst, I think.

But the NBA takes turns with the MVP. It's Embiid's turn.

[MuggsyB]

I don't think I could make that block Giannis had on Embiid on an 8 foot rim.  I know I couldn't replicate the Ayton block on any rim height.  I still don't think Giannis has reached his ceiling/peak level.

[wadesworld]

The absolute only argument Embiid has for MVP over either Giannis or Jokic is "He hasn't won one yet." It should be a two horse race, and in my opinion Jokic should win it if he can keep the Nuggets from the play in game.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Are you implying they aren't vaccinated and thus can't get into Canada?

I like my source

[JWags85]

I like my source

I'm not doubting in any way.  Was just curious for clarification

[MU82]

The absolute only argument Embiid has for MVP over either Giannis or Jokic is "He hasn't won one yet." It should be a two horse race, and in my opinion Jokic should win it if he can keep the Nuggets from the play in game.

Agree with you, wades. Should be a 2-horse race, but I still have a feeling Horse 3 is gonna win it.

[wadesworld]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg-aPCp9me8&t=39s

Dear God talk about a guy with a lack of self awareness.  Embiid telling KD (or anyone, for that matter) not to flop and to stay up if he draws contact is absolutely absurd.

[PGsHeroes32]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg-aPCp9me8&t=39s

Dear God talk about a guy with a lack of self awareness.  Embiid telling KD (or anyone, for that matter) not to flop and to stay up if he draws contact is absolutely absurd.

Give him credit for quickly calling out JJ not having Giannis top 3.

[JWags85]

Give him credit for quickly calling out JJ not having Giannis top 3.

Yea.  That was absurd.  I usually really like JJ and think he's become a good insider voice in the league.  But thats just silly.

I can't tell if its a ploy to get social media buzz or if he's just capping for a former teammate, but saying Giannis is not top 3 is preposterous.  Especially since he routinely destroys Embiid

[MuggsyB]

"He's in the next group"?   Ridiculous comment from J.J. Reddick.

[GB Warrior]

If JJ had a teammate as good as Giannis, he could have ridden his coattails to actually win something

[JWags85]

If JJ had a teammate as good as Giannis, he could have ridden his coattails to actually win something

Come on now.  We can mock a bad take, but no need to disparage a really good career.  He's top 15 all time in 3P makes.  A career 41.5% shooter from deep, if you take out the weird years in Orlando where he wasn't really 3P shooter (less than 3 attempts per game), it bumps up to 43% and he's top 10 all time.  Thats on nearly 5000 atttempts. 

The only other player to shoot 4000+ 3s and shoot a higher percentage is Steph.  The only one with 3500+ to best him is Nash. 

Dude is an all time shooting great.  He didn't need to ride coattails.  He just got unlucky with those Clippers teams that Blake and CP3 couldn't get over the hump and then Brett Brown not getting it done in Philly.

[lawdog77]

Come on now.  We can mock a bad take, but no need to disparage a really good career.  He's top 15 all time in 3P makes.  A career 41.5% shooter from deep, if you take out the weird years in Orlando where he wasn't really 3P shooter (less than 3 attempts per game), it bumps up to 43% and he's top 10 all time.  Thats on nearly 5000 atttempts. 

The only other player to shoot 4000+ 3s and shoot a higher percentage is Steph.  The only one with 3500+ to best him is Nash. 

Dude is an all time shooting great.  He didn't need to ride coattails.  He just got unlucky with those Clippers teams that Blake and CP3 couldn't get over the hump and then Brett Brown not getting it done in Philly.

100%. A lot of people like to hate on JJ, mainly because of his Duke ties. He really was an elite shooter.

[Jockey]

100%. A lot of people like to hate on JJ, mainly because of his Duke ties. He really was an elite shooter.

He had 2 elite skills - shooting and intensity. He was nowhere near good enough to help a team win a title if he was the 2nd or 3rd best player on the team, though.

[MuggsyB]

He had 2 elite skills - shooting and intensity. He was nowhere near good enough to help a team win a title if he was the 2nd or 3rd best player on the team, though.

Nope.  Good point Jockey.  Primarily a reallt good spot shooter.  Regardless his comment on Giannis was utterly ridiculous.

[JWags85]

He had 2 elite skills - shooting and intensity. He was nowhere near good enough to help a team win a title if he was the 2nd or 3rd best player on the team, though.

Don't disagree.  But he was never expected or put in the position to be. Whether in LA or Philly.  He did his role extremely well and would have been incredibly valuable if the stats on his teams did theirs

[MuggsyB]

It appears Giannis is getting zero help tonight in Brooklyn.

[MuggsyB]

Newsflash:

If you really think "Giannis is in the next tier" behind Embiid, Durant, and Jokic you lack basic observational skills and are a total clown.   I would say that's beyond a bad take by J.J. Reddick.

[MU82]

I don't know who this Giannis kid is, but I hear he's got some potential.

[cheebs09]

I think some of the Redick dislike around these parts also stems from a guy who we traded Tobias Harris for that kind of mailed it in. I had always heard he was not happy to be in Milwaukee and was on the first thing smoking out of here.