'25-26 NBA Thread

[wadesworld]

Weird that the Bucks can play just okay and still win games when they're not playing EITHER the starters OR the bench the entire game.  Did Doc figure out that you can play a mix of bench guys and starters at the same time?  Big, if so.

[WhiteTrash]

Are the Bulls elite

No, but Giannis is.

[PointWarrior]

Are the Bulls elite

After 6 games they were declared the NBA champs.

[cheebs09]

After 6 games they were declared the NBA champs.

The NBA Cup proves the true elite teams.

[Uncle Rico]

After 6 games they were declared the NBA champs.

By who?

[MU82]

After 6 games they were declared the NBA champs.

The Bulls are who we thought they were!

[Shaka Shart]

By who?

People who think it's bad to get excited about a fun young core of a team. Lots of those around here

[Uncle Rico]

People who think it's bad to get excited about a fun young core of a team. Lots of those around here

Right?

[Shaka Shart]

Right?

Well now they are 6-2 after losing away games to two of the better teams in the east. It's Joever

[GB Warrior]

Well now they are 6-2 after losing away games to two of the better teams in the east. It's Joever

No shame in losing to the champs

[Shaka Shart]

No shame in losing to the champs

We haven't played UConn yet

[GB Warrior]

We haven't played UConn yet

Could UConn beat the Wizards

[tower912]

Could UConn beat the Wizards

Probably Hufflepuff.

[Shaka Shart]

Could UConn beat the Wizards

Dentists still refer to them as the bullets due to out of control crime

[wadesworld]

Dentists still refer to them as the bullets due to out of control crime

And not allowing snowflakes to ruin everything good in this country.

[MU82]

The Athletic polled dozens of writers, podcasters and editors to list the top 25 players of the last 25 years.

The top 10:

1. LeBron James
2. Stephen Curry
3. Tim Duncan
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Nicola Jokic
6. Kevin Durant
7. Shaquille O'Neal
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo
9. Dirk Nowitzki
10. Dwyane Wade

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6779342/2025/11/10/nba-top-25-21st-century-ranking/?

[WhiteTrash]

The Athletic polled dozens of writers, podcasters and editors to list the top 25 players of the last 25 years.

The top 10:

1. LeBron James
2. Stephen Curry
3. Tim Duncan
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Nicola Jokic
6. Kevin Durant
7. Shaquille O'Neal
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo
9. Dirk Nowitzki
10. Dwyane Wade

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6779342/2025/11/10/nba-top-25-21st-century-ranking/?

Looks fair to me. I think Joker will move up. I'd guess Zach LaVine is #11. 

[JWags85]

The Athletic polled dozens of writers, podcasters and editors to list the top 25 players of the last 25 years.

The top 10:

1. LeBron James
2. Stephen Curry
3. Tim Duncan
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Nicola Jokic
6. Kevin Durant
7. Shaquille O'Neal
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo
9. Dirk Nowitzki
10. Dwyane Wade

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6779342/2025/11/10/nba-top-25-21st-century-ranking/?

Longevity absolutely comes into play, but I'd argue Jokic's peak easily clears Duncan's.  I'm not sure there is anything Duncan did that Jokic does just as well if not do better, other than blocking shots.

MVP era Jokic has a higher FG% than MVP era Duncan by close to 10% at times, whilst shooting more 3s by the All Star break than Timmy D did in a 20 year career.  Better FT shooter too.  Rebounding numbers are pretty level.  Jokic is a FAR better and prolific passer and can initiate offense from both inside and outside the arc.  And what he gives up to Duncan in blocks, he makes up for by being more disruptive in passing lanes.

I cant even process the terror that would be Jokic on those Spurs teams with 2-3 other HOFs and Pop running the show.

[WhiteTrash]

Longevity absolutely comes into play, but I'd argue Jokic's peak easily clears Duncan's.  I'm not sure there is anything Duncan did that Jokic does just as well if not do better, other than blocking shots.

MVP era Jokic has a higher FG% than MVP era Duncan by close to 10% at times, whilst shooting more 3s by the All Star break than Timmy D did in a 20 year career.  Better FT shooter too.  Rebounding numbers are pretty level.  Jokic is a FAR better and prolific passer and can initiate offense from both inside and outside the arc.  And what he gives up to Duncan in blocks, he makes up for by being more disruptive in passing lanes.

I cant even process the terror that would be Jokic on those Spurs teams with 2-3 other HOFs and Pop running the show.

I was at the game Saturday night and Joker could/should have a triple double in the first quarter. He is not an athletic freak, but he is a basketball freak of nature.

[wadesworld]

Longevity absolutely comes into play, but I'd argue Jokic's peak easily clears Duncan's.  I'm not sure there is anything Duncan did that Jokic does just as well if not do better, other than blocking shots.

MVP era Jokic has a higher FG% than MVP era Duncan by close to 10% at times, whilst shooting more 3s by the All Star break than Timmy D did in a 20 year career.  Better FT shooter too.  Rebounding numbers are pretty level.  Jokic is a FAR better and prolific passer and can initiate offense from both inside and outside the arc.  And what he gives up to Duncan in blocks, he makes up for by being more disruptive in passing lanes.

I cant even process the terror that would be Jokic on those Spurs teams with 2-3 other HOFs and Pop running the show.

Oh come on.  Jokic is awesome, but you're selling Duncan WAY short, especially on the defensive end.  Duncan was NBA All Defense 15 times and was top 5 in DPOY voting 6 times, with a bunch of other top 10 finishes.  His Defensive Rating for his career was 96, which is absolutely insane.  He never once had a Defensive Rating of over 101 for a season in his career.  Jokic's career Defensive Rating is 108 and he's had 1 season (not including 9 games this year where he's at 103) below a 105 Defensive Rating for a season (and that was his first year in the NBA).

[WhiteTrash]

Oh come on.  Jokic is awesome, but you're selling Duncan WAY short, especially on the defensive end.  Duncan was NBA All Defense 15 times and was top 5 in DPOY voting 6 times, with a bunch of other top 10 finishes.  His Defensive Rating for his career was 96, which is absolutely insane.  He never once had a Defensive Rating of over 101 in his career.  Jokic's career Defensive Rating is 108 and he's had 1 season (not including 9 games this year where h's at 103) below a 105 Defensive Rating for a season.

As a LeBron fan told me once, "defense is only like 25% of the game".

[MuggsyB]

RIP Lenny Wilkens.

[Shaka Shart]

Duncan was absolutely insane. Any slander of him is his lack of flashiness.

Kobe above Shaq is dumb as hell.

My hot-ish take, Jokic's peak significantly better than Kobe.

[The Sultan]

Kobe above Shaq is dumb as hell.

It's defensable when you look at it being over the past 25 years, which cuts out Shaq's dominance from early in his career.

[MU82]

Longevity absolutely comes into play, but I'd argue Jokic's peak easily clears Duncan's.  I'm not sure there is anything Duncan did that Jokic does just as well if not do better, other than blocking shots.

MVP era Jokic has a higher FG% than MVP era Duncan by close to 10% at times, whilst shooting more 3s by the All Star break than Timmy D did in a 20 year career.  Better FT shooter too.  Rebounding numbers are pretty level.  Jokic is a FAR better and prolific passer and can initiate offense from both inside and outside the arc.  And what he gives up to Duncan in blocks, he makes up for by being more disruptive in passing lanes.

I cant even process the terror that would be Jokic on those Spurs teams with 2-3 other HOFs and Pop running the show.

Duncan wasn't just a good defensive big, he was elite, arguably one of the best ever.

Voters in these kinds of things also tend to be influenced by team performance, and Duncan out-championshiped Jokic 5-to-1.

I'm a big Jokic fan, so I get what you're saying. But I don't think it's all that difficult to justify Duncan being ranked higher. (As if it even matters.)