Since the Blazers aren't giving us much positive to talk about, I thought this might be an interesting question, especially leading into the Clippers game. Say hypothetically you're a GM forming an NBA team for this season and this season only--who's the first player you take? Is it still Lebron? Is it Kawhi? Giannis? Dame, maybe?
You know what the messed up thing is about our current record? Dame is having his best season yet, and his numbers rival Steph's MVP year. 31-7-5 on 49/41/90 shooting splits.
I picked Kawhi because, well he won the championship doing a one year rental with the Raptors. While Giannis is extremely tempting, he's just like Harden and is a near lock for MVP of the regular season; I want someone who is proven to lead a team to the promised land.
Kawhi is an amazing player, but it took injuries to Durant and Thompson for Toronto to win a championship.
Fair point, but for the sake of argument both are still injured this year, so I would still take him personally.
This is an interesting question. Dame is the homer pick. I don't know if I trust AD to be healthy. Giannis is crazy good. Doncic is legit, but he's still super duper young. Not sure about Kawhi, Harden seems to always get to the playoffs and his game doesn't translate that well. Gonna have to think about this one.
Agree on Kawhi. He needs a solid team around him to get thru the regular season when he's sitting out. But Giannis got absolutely exposed last year in the conference finals. Kawhi took his lunch and ate it. They were defending him like Pop defended Lebron in 07 before James learned how to shoot. Giannis is definitely my pick if this were a long term poll. But for one year (especially this year, after he's had 6 months of rest), gimme Lebron.
If all are healthy I'd pick Kawhi. LeBron doesn't have the defense. I picked Giannis because you dont lose much and far better health than Kawhi Lebron. Any of them could be the best player in a series, so it really comes down to who else is on their roster if healthy. Harden and Dame are a tier below those. Maybe Lebron age decline will put him below Dame but it could go either way. AD at his best may be in that first tier but I havent seen it enough to trust him, I might even put Dame Harden above AD.
No interest in KAT, given the way he's been performing this year? Too small a sample size to trust that it's sustainable? There's something special about a guy who can lead the league in 3-point shooting (total made/game) from the center spot, and also provide top-tier rebounding, rim-protection.
The knock has been he's not a good defensive player. Indications are that he's better this year, but it's not like he's Embiid out there.
Giannis but I'm shocked there's no Anthony Tolliver love in the poll....Kawhi bailed on two teams in a row that were contenders with him...Spurs and Raptors...fuck him. He also sat out a season just like Anthony Davis throwing his team under the bus for his own selfish reasons...I build around Dame or Giannis....Giannis is just such a gifted young superstar and yet Dame is a great leader....that's a tough one. Dame would be my plan B building a roster. I couldn't pass on the Greek Freak for any reason period
Seting aside Dame Kawhi because he won a championship on a one year all in deal. He makes the most sense. Giannis is right there with him, I would have pick him, but he has never won a championship. He hasn't been quite the same player in the playoffs that he is in the regular season. Lebron is meh
I find it hard to believe that anyone would select anyone other than LeBron for one year as of now. He's healthy and he's showing that he's clearly the best player in the game. He always has been as long as he's healthy.
They played the clippers in essentially a home game and lost. Then their schedule has been AT HOME vs the Jazz when Conley played one of the worst games of his career, at home vs the Hornets, and Grizzlies. The Mavs and Spurs were "ok" wins, and then against a ridiculously bad Chicago team. I'm totally shocked that people haven't bought it yet...? It's like 6-8 games in for most teams.
