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CitySushi
Andrew Wiggin's burner account
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- Fav. Team #1
- Fav. Team #2
- Fav. Team #3
1. James Harden
2. Klay Thompson
3. DeMar Derozan
4. CJ McCollum
5. Nic Batum
6. Dwyane Wade
7. Bradley Beal
8. Avery Bradley
9. Khris Middleton
10. Kent Bazemore
This list was probably the most difficult for me, seeing as a whole bunch of players were really interchangeable based really off preference. I went with the above list for a few reasons:
1: Harden goes back to #1 for me because, in spite of his defense, he's going to have an MVP year under D'Antoni. With all the fire power the Rockets added, they're going to be an explosive offensive team. Harden's numbers are going to be right up there at the top of this list. Even with his turnstile defense, his net + factoring his offense is still going to be the best.
2-4: Klay I think will be at number 2, but an argument can be made his numbers may go down a bit. Klay is sometimes a volume shooter, but won't have as much volume this year. But he's improved every year on getting to the basket and finishing, as well as creating space for a mid-range jumper. I think you'll still see him hover at the 20 ppg mark and still play his really good defense. Derozan is what he is, and I don't think you can knock him for it. He's still going to be an allstar level player this year, despite the fact that I really don't love his game that much. McCollum will likely continue where he picked up last season and I don't see any reason for regression. He won't be an allstar because of the glut of guards in the West, but he'll have that type of production.
5-9: This is where it gets really tricky for me. Batum was a borderline all-star last year, and I think he continues that way. He just impacts the game in so many ways, that it's hard to ignore his production. His scoring could also potentially take a jump with both Jefferson and Lin gone.
I think Wade will be on a mission to prove that he's worth every penny he held out for. It's going to be really interesting though to see the fit of Chicago's backcourt. You have Rondo, Wade and Butler, all three who aren't very great outside shooters and all who like to have the ball in their hands. Wade could just as easily be 10 or even lower if the Bulls aren't able to mesh well. I have him at 6 because I saw enough from him last year to believe he's still got a good amount of gas in the tank.
Bradley Beal should be in store for a good season, but there's been lots of mention of him being permanently on a minutes restrictions for the rest of his career based on his previous injuries. So that factors in. Avery Bradley is the best defensive guard in the NBA and his offense has come a long ways. He could easily be higher on this list and I wouldn't have an argument against it.
Middleton rounds out the top 9, because even through a bad year last year, he averaged closed to 19, 4 and 5. Could be higher as well if he plays well.
10: Could have really gone in lots of different directions, but just giving a little love to Kent Bazemore. Really I didn't see a clear cut #10, so I went with a guy who's improved every year and is poised to continue that on a winning team. His defense is solid, his handle and shot have gotten better every year. He's going to be the x-factor in the Hawks success this year.
2. Klay Thompson
3. DeMar Derozan
4. CJ McCollum
5. Nic Batum
6. Dwyane Wade
7. Bradley Beal
8. Avery Bradley
9. Khris Middleton
10. Kent Bazemore
This list was probably the most difficult for me, seeing as a whole bunch of players were really interchangeable based really off preference. I went with the above list for a few reasons:
1: Harden goes back to #1 for me because, in spite of his defense, he's going to have an MVP year under D'Antoni. With all the fire power the Rockets added, they're going to be an explosive offensive team. Harden's numbers are going to be right up there at the top of this list. Even with his turnstile defense, his net + factoring his offense is still going to be the best.
2-4: Klay I think will be at number 2, but an argument can be made his numbers may go down a bit. Klay is sometimes a volume shooter, but won't have as much volume this year. But he's improved every year on getting to the basket and finishing, as well as creating space for a mid-range jumper. I think you'll still see him hover at the 20 ppg mark and still play his really good defense. Derozan is what he is, and I don't think you can knock him for it. He's still going to be an allstar level player this year, despite the fact that I really don't love his game that much. McCollum will likely continue where he picked up last season and I don't see any reason for regression. He won't be an allstar because of the glut of guards in the West, but he'll have that type of production.
5-9: This is where it gets really tricky for me. Batum was a borderline all-star last year, and I think he continues that way. He just impacts the game in so many ways, that it's hard to ignore his production. His scoring could also potentially take a jump with both Jefferson and Lin gone.
I think Wade will be on a mission to prove that he's worth every penny he held out for. It's going to be really interesting though to see the fit of Chicago's backcourt. You have Rondo, Wade and Butler, all three who aren't very great outside shooters and all who like to have the ball in their hands. Wade could just as easily be 10 or even lower if the Bulls aren't able to mesh well. I have him at 6 because I saw enough from him last year to believe he's still got a good amount of gas in the tank.
Bradley Beal should be in store for a good season, but there's been lots of mention of him being permanently on a minutes restrictions for the rest of his career based on his previous injuries. So that factors in. Avery Bradley is the best defensive guard in the NBA and his offense has come a long ways. He could easily be higher on this list and I wouldn't have an argument against it.
Middleton rounds out the top 9, because even through a bad year last year, he averaged closed to 19, 4 and 5. Could be higher as well if he plays well.
10: Could have really gone in lots of different directions, but just giving a little love to Kent Bazemore. Really I didn't see a clear cut #10, so I went with a guy who's improved every year and is poised to continue that on a winning team. His defense is solid, his handle and shot have gotten better every year. He's going to be the x-factor in the Hawks success this year.
