NBA Updates 7
Adu Reghuram
As teams follow through with their hectic schedule and practices, NBA players and organizations grow. As we witness over time, we see teams execute and run different plays in different ways. The playoffs are when an immense amount of hate and pressure approaches teams and individual players. While this is true, the NBA is getting repetitive and sluggish during this time until the All-Star break arrives. With millions of NBA takes dispersing throughout the year, the media tends to analyze the minor abnormalities within players and organizations.
Even though we see NBA teams improving throughout the year, players are still absorbing hate from us! If one small little casualty affects the team, who knows how much hate teams will get from the media? We know how much the NBA has evolved over the years, but what about the media? How does the media take to affect those athletic beasts we see dribbling on a court.? As you may have inferred, the media has also evolved substantially. From the press following NBA players as they reach the locker room, to witnessing Stephen A. Smith talking crap about the New York Knicks; NBA players may feel as if they are trapped. We as human beings respect privacy from others and ourselves, but NBA players? Not just the players, but how does their family react to this? Social media does not just exist in the basketball world but affects other fields. This may be something the NBA as an organization should take about in the future.
Hello, basketball fans! Welcome back to another weekly update. In this week's segment, we will be talking about the MVP ladder, All-Star voting, and finally the games to watch for this week. Without further ado, let's dive into it!
As I said before, players are improving as the season continues which means the ladder will keep changing. The top 3 players in our MVP ladder have not been a surprise. Coming in at number 3, we have Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid missed three straight games from Jan. 4-8, but returned with a vengeance, averaging 34.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 1.8 BPG. The Sixers have won four in a row on their current five-game West road trip and have won eight of their first 10 games in January to move into a second-place tie with the Bucks. I think it is safe to say that Philadelphia's success is much dependent on Embiid's production on both ends of the floor. I can’t wait to see what he offers in the postseason. Coming in at number 2, we have Jayson Tatum. There is no doubt that Jayson is a top-ten player but MVP? Yes, as of recent stats, Jayson Tatum has been averaging 31.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 4.3 APG. He also dropped 34 points with a career-high 19 rebounds in Boston’s overtime win against Golden State. Dating back to the last three games of the 2022 NBA Finals, Boston had lost four in a row to Golden State, but that changed on Thursday night. “We lost the championship. No one can bring that back,” Tatum said when discussing the Celtics’ mindset going into the game. Coming in at number 1, We have the Joker! Nikola Jokic’s performance has been borderline boring at this point. From winning back-to-back MVP awards to improving every single season. Nikola Jokic is now at 90 career triple-doubles. He is averaging 25.1 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 9.9 APG. The all-time-assists leader in Nuggets franchise history, Jokic has dropped 37 dimes in just his last three games as Denver has won eight in a row.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Western and Eastern Conferences respectively, in the third fan returns of NBA All-Star voting. Giannis has moved ahead of Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant by 132,014 votes for the top overall spot in the Eastern Conference. Jayson Tatum has extended his lead over Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid to 203,379 votes. In the Western Conference, the top three front-court spots are held by James, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, and Zion Williamson. The All-Star games are what keep the sport alive during the middle of the season. I can't wait to see what these superstars have in their bags!
Games To Watch This Week!
Hawks vs Bulls - 1/23/23
Celtics vs Heat - 1/24/23
Hornets vs Suns - 1/24/23
Nets vs 76ers - 1/25/23
Nuggets vs Bucks - 1/25/23
