Great stats, bad teams, big money
Credit to Author: Michael Angelo B. Asis| Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2019 16:15:21 +0000
Zach Lavine of the Chicago Bulls is known more for being one of the best dunkers in the game after the classic showdowns against Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic. Both were highly anticipated prospects of the 2014 draft.
As always, most of the top draftees will end up on bad teams, unless there is a trade orchestrated by Danny Ainge. This is why these supposed to be great players will end up becoming “great stats on bad teams” players.
The easy, literal translation is that these players will put up big numbers, but their teams will keep on losing, which will virtually disqualify them from MVP voting. They would also not get the proper respect from the non-casual basketball fans who would snobbishly declare that their achievements are shallow.
The Kevin Love award
If there were awards given to players like these, it should be named the Kevin Love award. Prior to being traded to Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 as part of the “Welcome Back, LeBron” package, Love was a top 5 player in both points and rebounds in the 2013-2014 season.
You must understand how difficult that was — no other player did it. In points, he joined Kevin Durant, LeBron James, James Harden and a functional Carmelo Anthony. In rebounds, he joined functional Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Drummond and De Andre Jordan. Those were two very differently specialized groups and only Love was able to transcend both.
This is why the rumor mill of the 2014-2015 NBA was littered with Kevin Love trades. He’s definitely talented, but he languished on a Minnesota team with Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer as his best teammates. Love entered the league in 2008, and he never made the playoffs with the Timberwolves.
He would join Team USA in the Olympics in 2012 and 2016 and his Olympic teammates would talk about their playoffs exploits — Love was an outsider.
He became MVP candidate to third wheel in Cleveland, won his first and only NBA championship.
Candidates for the Love Award
There are many great stats, bad team (GS/BT) players. Zach Lavine just racked up 13 three pointers in a game, tying Steph Curry for all-time 2nd place (behind Klay Thompson’s 14) and has been on a tear the past two seasons, but the Bulls are not at all a contender, even a playoff team.
One top candidate for the award is Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns. He had the third best individual scoring performances in a game (after Wilt’s 100 and Kobe’s 82), but he won’t be on first-name basis as the other two since he, like Love in Minnesota, could not even make the playoffs.
But if the criteria for the Love award is a franchise player taking a smaller role on a contender, then the top two candidates are narrowed down.
The frontrunner would be Kemba Walker. He had All-Star, even MVP-level stats on the Charlotte Hornets, but imagine Klay Thompson getting upset over his inclusion in the NBA third-team. Typical reaction for the GS/BT players.
Now, Walker is with the East-leading Boston Celtics and they could give him the chance to finally go deep in the playoffs.
The second candidate needs some work: Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards is second in scoring in the NBA, after James Harden’s incomprehensible 38ppg. There is already #freeBradleyBeal and it could be the transaction worth monitoring come February. Don’t tell Danny Ainge.
Side note: Our very own Jordan Clarkson just beat Kevin Love out of being the Cavs GS/BT player, and Kevin is likely happy to leave that phase behind.
Big money for bad teams
When conspiracy theories become exposed as reality, its proponents become sages, no longer madmen.
Those of us who harbored the farm team conspiracy in the PBA get their just vindication, as Columbia and Blackwater are poised to get the top two picks in the PBA Draft.
Interesting that the deadline to declare is Nov.29, just a week before the actual draft on Dec. 8. It’s like the players have to consult some team officials before they make a decision. Hmmm.