The Sophomores

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Jordan Clarkson, Otto Porter Jr., CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45393918

 The Rookies get all of the headlines for the young talent in the NBA, don't they? After your rookie season, you don't really get much hype until your on an all-star team or lead your team to wins. While the rookies were great this season, we completely ignored the 2nd year players once against. So let's take a look at some of the best Sophomore players.

Top 5 in scoring:
              5. Zach LaVine (14 PPG): This high flying sophomore is still being overlooked as a player. He averaged a good 14 PPG for this young Timberwolves team. Not only that but he played a big role in the offense. Against the Wizards, Zach LaVine came in clutch as he hit 2 three pointers in overtime to send the game into double overtime where the Wolves would win. LaVine had 25 points that night. He is still able to score behind Wiggins and Towns. There is more to LaVine than his dunks.

              4. Jabari Parker (14.1 PPG): After his injury, Jabari Parker seemed to be forgotten. However, he made a strong comeback this season. He scoring proved valuable to this Bucks team as Parker averaged a solid 15 points in their wins. Parker and this young Bucks team have what it takes to become a powerhouse with all of their talent.
              
             3. Rodney Hood (14.5 PPG): He was selected as the 23rd pick in the 2014 draft. His rookie season wasn't that great as he only averaged 8.7 PPG off the bench. Then came the 2015-16 season. Hood looked better than ever. The kid scored 30 points in a half against the Lakers. He played a key role for the Jazz not only offensively, but defensively too. He played great. That was when Hood finally started to get recognition. Now, he's starting to look like a steal in the draft.

         
           2. Jordan Clarkson (15 .5 PPG): 2nd round pick, Jordan Clarkson is a scorer. That is what he's shown to us this season. He probably would've gone top 5 if the draft was redone. While Jordan Clarkson is a scorer. He is a consistent scorer. He never had a game over 30 points this season but he's made tons of 20 point games. Clarkson had very few games with less than 10 points. Everytime I watch Clarkson I always think, how could all of these scouts miss him? How could they not see his potential?

           1. Andrew Wiggins (20.7 PPG): I've heard a lot of people say that Wiggins doesn't have what it takes to be a star player. The guy averages over 20 points in his second season. Steve Nash never averaged over 20 points once in his career and he has 2 MVP trophies. I'm not saying he's going to be better than Nash, all I'm saying is he can be a go to guy in the league. He had ten 30 points games this season! He only had 4 games with under 10 points. He is a scorer. He is going to be sharing the spotlight with Karl-Anthony Towns, not sitting in the shadows. This guy can score. He is the only Sophomore to average over 20 points this year and is looking like the best sophomore this year.

So those are the outstanding sophomores of the 2015-16 season, and we didn't even mention guys like Julius Randle and Nerlens Noel.  So next time the rookie of the year and MVP awards come out, don't forget about the sophomores.

Fantasy Friday (Nov. 6)

So, let me start by saying that this has been a great week for fantasy. I do want to note that lots of people have been playing really good. So let's take a look at the players from this week.

Over-Performers Of The Week

1. Festus Ezeli: Let me tell ya something, Festus is a great player, and I expect him to keep it up, at least until Andrew Bogut comes back. He is also owned by only 13% of fantasy owners so he is also a candidate for pick-ups.
2. Tristan Thompson: He didn't look the best early on but he has definitely turned it around. In the last 7 days he has averaged over 10 points and 10 rebounds along with 1.7 blocks. Great job Tristan!
3. Karl-Anthony Towns: This boy has averaged 15 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks! he is one of the best defensive players and he has been doing it in 27 minutes per game.

Under-Performers Of The Week

1. Anthony Davis: This guy really has shot the best from the field. In fact, it has been horrible. He shot 4-20 one night and 3-12 another. He could really do better because he isn't looking like the best player in fantasy right now.
2. Robert Covington: Come on Covington! He is only averaging 4 points and shooting 11% from the field. People are going to have to drop him soon.
3. Andrew Wiggins: Most people thought that he was going to have a wonderful season, and that could still happen, but it has been disappointing so far. He has only shot 29% from the field and doesn't look the best so far.

Pick-Ups Of The Week 

1. Festus Ezeli: He has played well early on and will continue until Bogut comes back. He is only owned by 13% from Yahoo and 8.4% on ESPN. He is a great player to pick up if you need blocks, rebounds, and some extra points.
2. Rodney Hood: He has looked really good this week as he has averaged 12.8 PPG, 3.2 APG, and 1 steal. He is owned by only 56% on Yahoo and 29.5% on ESPN.
3. T.J. McConnell: A name that you need to know. While he is only averaging 4.8 PPG, he is also 4.8 RPG, 8 APG, and 1.5 steals while shooting over 50% from the field. Only 33% of leagues own him on yahoo and only 13.9% on ESPN.

Well, that is all for now, hope you guys have another great week. See you next time!  

Fantasy Friday: Small Forwards

Small Forwards can be great players to have on your team. If you remember, there were actually 3 Small Forwards starting for the East in the 2014 All-star game. There are a lot of great Small Forwards and you must pick them wisely. Hopefully, this article with help you with that problem. So without further ado, here are the top ten NBA fantasy Small Forwards for the 2015-16 season.

10. Luol Deng: This man is slowing down. No doubt. But he will be a big influence on the upcoming season for the Heat. What does he have to offer you say? Maybe a steal or an assist? Well, he will give you about 5 RPG and 14 PPG. That's it? Well, he is a good shot selection. He will give you about 35% from three. But the main thing is he shoots a high FG%. Really high. Infact, he has a FG% of 46.9% and shoots over 50% from inside the three point line. This veteran player will give you some scoring and great shot selection.

9. Nicolas Batum: He had an off-season last year but I expect him to get back on track with his new team. You might say that Batum is getting too old but the fact is that he is only 28 and if Batum was going to have a breakout season, this would be the season. Last year he dipped down to 9.4 PPG after he averaged over 13 the year before, scaring fantasy owners. But with a change of scenery, Batum could be a great fantasy player seeming that he is a great rebounds and can pass the ball well. Not only that, he is a great defender with his length. Batum would be a great guy to pick up for your fantasy team.

8. Chandler Parsons: Parsons is going into only his 5th season in the NBA. He averaged over 15 PPG last season and I wouldn't be surprised if he raised that this upcoming season. Let's face it, Dirk is getting old, and he can't keep taking on this big scoring load, someone is going to have to take a little weight off. And Parsons is the man. He will provide few turnovers and will give you great shooting.  Parsons is a great offensive player and would be a great addition to your team.

7. Gordon Hayward: He is perhaps the best player that is not yet an all-star. He averaged 19.3 PPG last season and he lead his team in a great second half of the season run. Hayward is most likely going to be snubbed in your fantasy draft so pick him up now!

6. Andrew Wiggins: After almost averaging 17 PPG last season in his rookie campaign, Wiggins is looking to make the all-star team this season as the game will be held in his native homeland, Canada. Wiggins was a dominant figure on offense last season for the Timberwolves but he also was a big help on defense, taking on big guys like James Harden and LeBron James. He proved he could guard them both, blocking both of them when the Wolves played them. Wiggins will provide some defense but will bring a boat load of offense to whoever has him.

5. Kawhi Leonard: Averaging 16.5 PPG last season for the Spurs, Kawhi proved why he was the 2014 Finals MVP. He had shown that he could score well and this next year, he is looking for his first all-star appearance. However, it isn't Kawhi's scoring that makes him stand out to fantasy owners. Kawhi averaged 7.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.8 Blocks, and 2.3 Steals while only averaging 1.5 Turnovers last season. If he improves even more next season, expect Kawhi to be one of the ultimate fantasy players.

4. Carmelo Anthony: When Injuries struck last season, Carmelo went down and averaged only 24.2 PPG. Carmelo is now 31. He is obviously on the decline. While he will give you scoring and rebounding, his numbers will most likely start to drop. Another thing is if he can stay healthy. His health has proved to be questionable every year. That is why I put him at 4.

3. Rudy Gay: He averaged a career high of 21.1 PPG last season and I expect it to get even higher this next season. Gay is a great Defensive player that will also help a little in the assist and rebound department. Unlike LeBron James though, Rudy Gay is a great shooter. He is going to give you threes and will do a lot of scoring. Scoring is Gay's main category. If you need a scorer, Gay will show you the way.

2. LeBron James: He averaged 25.3 PPG, 7.4 APG, 6 RPG, and 1.6 steals last season, LeBron is a stat machine. However, he will hurt you in turnovers and shooting. To be fair, LeBron is not the best shooter and that is the main reason why he is not the best Small Forwards in fantasy. However, he is a really great player to have on your fantasy team. Most likely he will be taken very early on though, so I don't think you will be able to get him at a good position.

1. Kevin Durant: KD is not nice. Leading the league in score for 3 consecutive years is not nice. Shooting way above average from FG, 3, and FT is not nice. Being an above average defender and averaging 1.2 steals and 1 block over his career is not nice. Being a great overall player by averaging 3.5 APG and 7 RPG over his career is not nice. KD may have injured last season, but in all of his other seasons, KD never missed more than 8 games. That's not nice. Let's face it KD is not a nice player... Unless he is on your fantasy team. 

So, are you going to listen too me. I don't know. I honestly don't care how you run your fantasy team. I'm just trying to help. You might choose Andre Iguogala as your first pick. I would say that is a stupid decision, then with my luck, Iggy would have a 24 PPG, 9 RPG, 6 APG, 1.6 Blocks, and 2.3 steals per game season. Then you would tell me I was wrong and I would feel like an idiot. So, I'm just going to save the time and just not even care how you run your fantasy team and let you do what you want. These are just who I think will be the best small forwards for the NBA fantasy in the 2015-16 season. So go ahead and listen to me or take Iggy, I don't care. Take some chances and have some fun this fantasy season. See you next Friday fantasy lovers.

Do You Remember The Klay and Love Trade Talks?

Do you remember the Klay Thompson and Kevin Love trade talks. Back when Kevin Love wanted to be traded from Minnesota and Minnesota was offering Kevin Love for Klay Thompson. But in the end, the Warriors said no and the Wolves ended up trading him off to the Cavs. Let's take a look at how it would affect the 4 teams.

"Kevin Love (15847116411)" by Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Kevin Love. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kevin_Love_(15847116411).jpg#/media/File:Kevin_Love_(15847116411).jpg

"Klay Thompson in 2015" by Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Klay Thompson. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Klay_Thompson_in_2015.jpg#/media/File:Klay_Thompson_in_2015.jpg

Cavaliers: If Love was traded to the Warriors, the Cavs would have Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, unless they found another team to trade them off to. But they wanted Love. Who else would be willing to trade off a franchise PF for these 2 first picks in the NBA draft two consecutive years. I'll tell you who. The 76ers. Of course this team would trade off Thaddeus Young, K.J. McDaniels, and draft picks for Wiggy and Bennett. They would be more than willing to do that. So you would probably see Thaddeus Young on this team and I honestly think that he would fit better for that role in Cleveland than Love. K.J. McDaniels would be a solid role player for the team. Now, I could go and breakdown how this would affect the Nets and all of that, but I'm not going to.

76ers: The 76ers would have Wiggins and Bennett (most likely). They would start both of them and they wouldn't have Mbah a Moute. It would be Carter-Williams, Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, Nerleans Noel, and most likely Freeland. Carter-Williams wouldn't be traded off since they have all the talent they want as it will be a great starting 5 when Embiid comes back. This would be a team how the Timberwolves are except with even more potential. This would be a dominating future team.

Timberwolves: This would be a playoff team. They would have David Lee and Klay Thompson starting along with Rubio, Pekovic, and Brewer. Along with LaVine, Budinger, Mo Williams, Shabazz Muhammad, and Dieng off the bench. Great roster. I would actually expect this team to make the playoffs. Klay Thompson would work so well with Rubio and Klay would become an all-star. Brewer wouldn't be traded. Neither would Mo Williams. This would be a content team and they really wouldn't be the future team that you would think. The big thing though, K.G. might not come back to the Wolves. I honestly think that Kevin Garnett wouldn't come back to the Wolves unless the Wolves were to trade off David Lee for him. There would be no Wiggins on this team. That just wouldn't be there. It would be a totally different team with Klay Thompson as the face of it.

Warriors: The Warriors would take a big effect. They would have Curry passing to Love off great pick and pops with Kevin Martin coming off of weak side screens. That would be amazing. I honestly thought at the time that if the Warriors made this trade, they would be the best team in the NBA. I honestly thought they made a big mistake. And I still do. I think that if they took the trade, you would have so much better of a team. I know Klay is great. I know that. But Klay Thompson and a David Lee who has rarely played at all this season for Kevin Love and Kevin Martin who are both averaged over 15 PPG this season. I'd say that it would be worth it. That would be a great team. Not only that but you would have Draymond Green coming off the bench. A great player coming off the bench. So your bench would have a lot of strength. This team would have been unstoppable. And they are right now to.

So as you can see, it's very complicated. And I just did those 4 teams. As you can see, the Warriors and the Cavs would still be great, but the Wolves and the 76ers would have big changes.

All Rookie Teams: The Next Stars of the NBA

The all rookie teams were announced today and the rookies have come a long way this season. Let's take a look at them.

1st Team All-Rookie

F- Andrew Wiggins
F- Nikola Mirotic
C- Nerlens Noel
G- Elfrid Payton
G- Jordan Clarkson

2nd Team All-Rookie

F- Bojan Bogdanovic
F- Langston Galloway
C- Jusuf Nurkic
G- Marcus Smart
G- Zach LaVine

Now, I want to take a look at the First Team all rookie first. I agree with Andrew Wiggins. Look at this kid. He won the rookie of the year. You can't tell me that this kid isn't on the first team all rookie. He lead all rookies in scoring. Next is Nikola Mirotic. He cam off the bench, shot well from 3 point range. He did a great job rebounding. Coming off the bench he played great in close games and played a big role for the Bulls. Nerlens Noel lead rookies in steals, blocks, rebounds, and he averaged over 10 PPG. Of course he will be on this list. Jordan Clarkson averaged about 11 PPG and did a great job shooting the ball. He was a great offensive player and he deserves to be on this list. The only one I had to disagree with was Elfrid Payton. I honestly think that Zach LaVine deserved it more than Elfrid Payton. Take a look at the stats that these guys had.

Elfrid Payton                                                                   Zach LaVine

• 8.9 PPG                                                                       10.1 PPG
• 6.5 APG                                                                        3.6 APG
• 4.3 RPG                                                                        2.8 RPG
• 26.2% 3-point                                                               34.1% 3-point
• 55.1% FT                                                                      84.2% FT
• 1.7 Steals                                                                       0.7 Steals
• 2.5 Turnovers                                                                2.5 Turnovers 

 As you can see, Zach LaVine is just the better offensive player. He shoots well, he can score, and he can get to the free throw line in produce. And if you look at LaVine, he porduced better while only playing 77 games and starting in just 40 of them. Payton started in 63 but played all 82 games. LaVine scored really well and shot well from the floor too. And people criticized LaVine for all his turnovers but Payton averaged the same amount. I have to put LaVine on there instead of Payton because Payton just didn't have enough production. However, should have Langston Galloway made the 1st team all rookie? Yes, he did only play 45 games. I get that. But he averaged a good 11.8 PPG, 3.3 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 35.2% from 3 point range. That is better than LaVine. The problem is, he played only 45 games. If we put him on the list, then we might as well put Jabari Parker on too, who played only 25 games. Yes, people that play, should be rewarded. That's why I think Zach LaVine gets this 1st team all rookie. To me, he should. I think Payton just didn't score and shoot well enough. I feel like Zach LaVine did rebound, assist, and stole the ball well enough. I felt like he just had a better season.

That is how I feel about the All-rookie teams. If you disagree please comment and tell me why. I am interested in how the rest of the world thinks about the All-Rookie team. And remember folks, I'll be keeping you updated on all NBA playoff action! Join the NBA Inside the Play Nation today.

Aaron's Awards for the 2014-15 season

I may be wrong, but I will stand by my opinion and support it with facts. If you have your own opinion, great. I will supply facts for both sides. I hope you enjoy this annual edition of Aaron's Awards.

Rookie Of The Year: This one I think is pretty obvious. It is down to 2 players really. Many people put Nikola Mirotic and Elfrid Payton in this race but I don't think they are in there. I don't agree with Payton because he averages under 10 PPG. Wiggins averages about 7 more PPG than him. Mirotic averages around 10 PPG so I don't think that he should either knowing that Wiggins averages around 17. Now you say, how can Noel be in it if he averages about 10 PPG? Noel is great on defense and is probably one of the best defensive players in the league. Knowing that Noel has been great on Defense and Offense, that puts him ahead of Mirotic. Looking at Andrew Wiggins though, he averages about the same amount of points as John Wall does. That's pretty good. Not to mention, Noel gets his points on Dunks and Post-ups mainly. Wiggins can score in so many different ways. He can score with Isolation, Post-up, Drives, and Spot-ups. Wiggins is just a better offensive player. It's a close race. Who is my winner though?
Winner: Andrew Wiggins

Sixth Man Of The Year: Okay, we are sick of Jamal Crawford winning this award. You got to love Louis Williams, sometimes. Actually, I don't really like this guy. I do have to say though, Jamal does great things all the time, it's just that Lou has had more of the headlines. What I'm saying is that Louis has never been like this before so he deserves it more than Jamal.
Winner: Louis Williams

Defensive Player Of The Year: Wow, this one is tough. You have Marc Gasol, DeAndrea Jordan, Rudy Gobert, and Draymond Green. I will tell you right now, do not compare their defensive ratings for this award because your defensive rating is affected by your teammates. I do have to say though, Draymond Green is probably the best defender out of all of them. He doesn't just guard in the paint, which is waht all these other defenders do. He comes out and will guard on the perimeter too. That is why I have to say that Green should get it
Winner: Draymond Green

Most Improved Player: Draymond Green has improved and so has Jimmy Butler. But the title "most improved player" meens the most improved guy. I honestly think it is Hassan Whiteside. Hassan is averaging a double-double and is a great defender. He is not averaging that many blocks, but he is averaging the second most in blocks per 48 minutes. He is a great defender. Hassan Has exceeded everyones' expectations more than he has for anyone else. Just ask yourself, would you expect Hassan to put up his number more than Jimmy Butler's. No. Most of you would be like, who is Hassan Whiteside, before the season. That is why I think Whiteside should get this award.
Winner: Hassan Whiteside

Most Valuable Player: You really can't go wrong with either James Harden or Stephen Curry. I thought Stephen Curry was MVP, then James had his 50 point nights. Then Curry started doing better. I have to hand it to Curry though. He broke the NBA most three pointers in a season and lead his team to the best record. Jame didn't do that. Sure, he is doing great with free throws and scoring, but he hasn't lead his team to the best record. That is why Curry is my MVP.
Winner: Stephen Curry

Those are my awards. Comment below. Do you agree, or disagree. Explain why you agree or diagree. I am interested to hear the opinions of the rest of the NBA population. Remember, these are my opinions mixed with facts. Support your own opinions with facts.

Is Wiggins Rookie Of The Year?

Everybody has been telling me, Wiggins is ROY. I honestly have to agree. Others have said Mirotic is ROY. Nobody has really told me that Noel is ROY. Coach Nick has told me that Payton is ROY. I honestly think it's a little lopsided though and it's leaning toward Wiggins.

Here is what Coach Nick had to say. I don't agree with him but I thought it was a great point. I don't think Payton should just be ROY just because he broke a record though. He just hasn't been the better player in the obvious stats I will show you.


Let's take a look at some stats (credit NBA.com)

If we take a look at Noel, His offense is okay, but when have you seen a rookie of the year only average 10 PPG. His defense somewhat makes up for it though.

• 10 PPG
• 46.4% FG
• 0% 3pt
• 61.2% FT
• 1.9 Free Throws Made Per Game
• 8.2 RPG
• 1.7 APG
• 2 Turnovers per game
• 1.8 Steals Per Game
• 1.9 Blocks Per Game
• 100 Defensive rating (the lower the better)
• 91.3 Offensive Rating (the higher the better) 

Let's take a Look at Wiggins now. His offense is great, and he shoots quite a bit of FTs. His defense is okay as he is averaging over 1 steal. It's not as good as Noel's though.

• 16.3 PPG
• 43.6% FG
• 32.2% 3pt
• 75.3% FT
• 3.9 Free Throws Made Per Game
• 4.4 RPG
• 1.9 APG
• 2.1 Turnovers Per Game
• 1.1 Steals Per Game
• 0.6 Blocks Per Game
• 109.9 Defensive Rating
• 100.1 Offensive Rating

 Now it's time for Nikola Mirotic. He has the best defensive and offensive ratings, but remember, those ratings factor in the players you play with, so it doesn't help Mirotic's case. He averages less than 10 PPG. Many people say he should be rookie of the year because if he started, he would be better than Wiggins. The fact is, he doesn't.

• 9.9 PPG
• 41.1% FG
• 30.6% 3pt
• 80.3% FT
• 2.7 Free Throw Makes Per Game
• 5 RPG
• 1.2 APG
• 1.1 Turnovers Per Game
• 0.6 Steals Per Game
• 0.7 Blocks Per Game
• 99.4 Defensive Rating
• 105.3 Offensive Rating

 Lets look at Elfrid Payton. He averages barley any points. He can't shoot the three. His Free Throw is worse than Noel. However, He averages 6.3 APG.

• 8.9 PPG
• 42.9% FG
• 22.9% 3pt
• 54.3% FT
• 1.4 Free Throw Makes Per Game
• 4.3 RPG
• 6.3 APG
• 2.5 Turnovers Per game
• 1.6 Steals Per Game
• 0.2 Blocks Per Game
• 105.5 Defensive Rating
• 101.3 Offensive Rating

You will see that I made the best guys at the category green and the worst red. I did however factor in their positions they play (example: Noel isn't red in the 3pt%) Now to my point. I have never seen a rookie of the year average under 10 points. I am going to take Payton and Mirotic off right away for that. I think it comes down to Noel and Wiggins. The fact is though, Wiggins can score anyway; Post up, Spot up, Three Pointers, Free Throws, Dunks and layups. Noel can score inside, that's about it. Does his Defense make up for it? A little. I don't think he has been a better player than Wiggins though. Wiggins is the Dominant Rookie.

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest on Monday night!

Monday night was what could be a future dunk contest next year in Toronto at the all-star weekend. Andrew Wiggins had four monster Dunks (two on Rudy Gobert) last night at the Wolves vs Jazz games. His teammate Zach LaVine also had a great dunk. Everyone was saying, wow, these are amazing dunks! Nobody can top that! But the whole NBA was dunking last night. DeMar DeRozan had a great dunk. One of my favorites though, was the Jeff Green dunk. It was a night of Dunking last night. Everyone was throwing it down.