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With the 2022-2023 NBA season over halfway through, the NBA has announced their eastern and western conference all star starts and team captains. Let’s agree or disagree on who I think should have been on this list and taken off this list.

Captains 

Eastern Conference: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Western Conference: LeBron James 

        I do agree with the captains on both of the conferences as LeBron has been the best western conference player and Giannis has been the best eastern conference player thus far.

Starters

Western conference starters

• LeBron James 
• Stephen Curry
• Luka Doncic
• Zion Williamson
• Nikola Jokic

Eastern Conference starters 

• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Jayson Tatum
• Donovan Mitchell
• Kyrie Irving 
• Kevin Durant

I do agree completely with the western conference starters as they are all viewed as the top players in the western conference as some other top players in the west have missed significant time and are not valid for this list. For the eastern conference I do agree with the list other than the fact of Joel Embiid should have made the list as a true center, replacing Kevin Durant as he has missed significant time and there are already way to make wings and forwards on this list.

As we are closing in halfway through the NBA season, we are starting to have some clarity on who is going to be in the MVP conversation and what teams are good and what teams are underperforming from our original season expectations. Let’s go through my top three NBA MVP candidates as these players may not average the most points, but I take into account all aspects of the game like winning stats, and impact on the floor.

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is averaging a whopping 37 and 5 on very efficient shooting even at this stage in his career he is still one of the best players in the league and he’s doing it on an overachieving Brooklyn Nets team that has had many distractions this last off season and coming into this season. The Nets currently have the second best record in the east and look like a very scary team going into the playoffs.

Jayson Tatum

Tatum is averaging 31 8 and 4 on a very good Celtics team who currently has the best record in the NBA and look like the best all around team in the league as of right now. With Tatum being considered the best player in the league he is having a phenomenal season on both ends of the court, and his overall impact is huge for the Celtics team to make a playoff run.

Luka Doncic

Luka may not have the wins on his team but with what Luka has to work with on this Mavericks squad he can’t be doing any more. Luka is averaging 34 9 and 9 and he’s having historical games in what has not been done in a long long time. Even though Luka isn’t the greatest player on defense, his offense and what he does for this Mavericks team when he’s on the floor is astronomical.

As we are just about a third through the NBA season, let’s go through my top three NBA MVP candidates and why I think they should be ranked where they are in the most valuable player conversation. I’ll be measuring the MVPs with stats, team, ranking in position, and overall impact on their team when they’re on and off the court.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging a whopping 31 points ,11 rebounds and 5 assists on a Bucks team without another All Star caliber player this season. Even though Giannis isn’t having as good of a season as he usually does, he’s still my MVP favorite, considering where the Bucks are in the standings and what Giannis is doing when he’s on the floor.

2. Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum is most fans and media members MVPs as of right now but I currently have Tatum second on my list as I don’t consider him the best player in the world, but he is a phenomenal to a player in this league and what he’s doing in the east on the Celtics team is remarkable, Tatum is averaging 30 points 8 rebounds and 4 assists on pretty efficient numbers and playing well on the defensive end. Tatum and the Celtics are most peoples’ picks to get back to the finals this year and that’s largely due to the fact of what Tatum brings to the Celtics in this Boston team.

3. Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic is having a very underrated season even though his numbers aren’t eye-popping, Jokic is averaging 25 points 10 rebounds and 9 assists, which is a near triple double, for a center that’s remarkable. What Jokic is doing on this Denver team is crazy as he’s flown under the radar this year due to the fact he’s won the last two MVPs in a row and hasn’t had that equivalent to winning, with Jokic having remarkable games in the last week he’s really exploded onto the scene on many MVP ballots in the recent weeks.

We are over a quarter of the way into the season. It is starting to be easier to predict and look at which teams in the NBA are good or bad. Let’s go through my top three NBA teams thus far into the year and give my prediction on how each team will do during the season.

1. Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are the best team in the NBA as of today, due to the fact of the Celtics having a top eight player in the NBA in Jayson Tatum, an all-star guard in Jaylen Brown, and one of the deepest rosters in the league with depth at each position including some great defensive level players in Robert Williams, reigning defensive player of the year Marcus Smart, and others. With the Celtics reaching the finals last season this Celtics team has actually gotten better with key additions like Malcolm Brogdon and veteran big Blake Griffin who gives you that veteran poise. It’s easy to say the Celtics could make the finals again and with a weaker western conference, this Celtics team could win the championship.

2. Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are the second best team in the NBA even without All Star wing Khris Middleton. They still look like a great team, the Bucks may not have as good of a roster as previous years, but nonetheless they are still a phenomenal team and are a top three betting favorite to win the east, with having the best player in the NBA in Giannis Antetokounmpo, this bucks team can go very far and like the Celtics make the finals once again.

3. Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the highest ceilings in the NBA with a stacked roster including four potential All-Star players including Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris. This Sixers team is more of a boom or bust team as they’ve flamed out in the last few years in the playoffs against teams like the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat but this Sixers team is better than years past, and if they can stay healthy, they can win it all this season.

Through almost our first month of NBA action let’s go through my top three players of the week and discuss why I think they should be on this list, they don’t have to have the most points, rebounds or assists, but their impact on winning and on their team is what is most important, this list is in no order as these three players are my considered top three players.

Luka Doncic

As Luka Doncic leads the league in points per game, Luka is also crushing other statistical categories with an underperforming Dallas Mavericks team. Doncic has really had to carry the load on this team with Doncic leading the league in usage percentage at 37.7, Luka has had to really be the conductor and Savior of this Mavericks team, while Doncic isn’t winning a lot of games he’s playing so well there’s no one else who comes close right now.

Steph Curry

Steph Curry has quickly emerged himself as an MVP candidate and is looking to add a third MVP to his trophy room, Curry is averaging 32.8 points 6.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists on a Warriors team that’s massively under performing and with Curry having many stand out forty and fifty point games this season, He is arguably the best point guard in the league today.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

With what Shai is doing the season on a bad Oklahoma City Thunder team, what Shai is doing at the age of 24 is remarkable, Shai is averaging 32.3 points 4.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists and is also fourth in the league in steals per game with 1.9 with Shai being the focal point of this Thunder team and offense he definitely should be getting a recognition that he deserves at this young of an age.

Through almost our first month of NBA action let’s go through my top three players of the week and discuss why I think they should be on this list, they don’t have to have the most points, rebounds or assists, but their impact on winning and on their team is what is most important, this list is in no order as these three players are my considered top three players.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis is widely considered to be the best player in the world and his team is backing it up in the win column, having the best record in the NBA without their number two star Khris Middleton. Giannis is putting up great numbers with 32 points 12 rebounds and just over 5 assists a game. Considering Milwaukee hasn’t played close to their potential yet they look like one of the scariest teams in the league.

Stephen Curry

What Steph Curry is doing this late in his career is phenomenal. Curry is coming up on 35 years old and is playing the best basketball of his career thus far and with Curry averaging 33 7 and 7 a game, Steph has really evolved his game over these last few years and with what the Warriors starters are playing like Curry deserves a lot of the flowers.

Paolo Banchero

With what Paolo Banchero is doing in the league this year as a rookie is truly unreal, as he’s quietly averaging 23 8 and 4 on a terrible Orlando Magic team, Paolo was the number one draft pick in this year’s draft and even though he’s on a bad team, he still deserves the recognition as he is exceeding expectations even as a number one pick.

As we are over two weeks into the 2022-2023 NBA season let’s go through who are my top three players of the season thus far and why I put them on this list. These players don’t have to average the most points or be the leading player in any statistical category, but in the effort of winning and how they are playing will be mentioned on the list.

1. Luka Doncic

My number one player has to be Luka Doncic, as he is averaging a whopping 36 9 and 9, which leads the NBA in points even though the Dallas Mavericks are only 4-3 on the season, the Mavericks aren’t considered to have a great roster other than Luka, with roster moves in the off-season like losing Jalen Brunson in free agency and trading for forward Christian Wood, this Mavericks team isn’t even a top 10 roster in the NBA.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo in my opinion is the best player right now that’s far into the season as Giannis is averaging 34 13 and 5, while also being a top candidate for defensive player of the year early in the season, as the Bucks have the best record in the Eastern conference without Khris Middleton and other role players, Giannis has slowly become one of the most underrated players in the NBA considering how good he is.

3. Shai Gilgeous Alexander

Another player who is flying under the radar, considering how good he is playing, is Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous Alexander who is averaging 32 5 and 6, with 2.4 steals and over 1.1 blocks a game. Even though the Thunder aren’t a good team, Shai has become very underrated in these last few years since being traded from the Clippers to the Thunder, just due to the fact that the Thunder are considered one of the worst teams in the league.

Should LeBron James leave the Los Angeles Lakers and request a trade? In this article I will break down all the reasons I think LeBron should leave LA and request a trade from this Lakers organization, With LeBron James going into his fifth NBA season as a Los Angeles Laker he has had his ups and downs with the organization, from winning a NBA championship in 2022 to missing the playoffs, two out of the four years thus far even though LeBron James is 37 going on 38 years old he is still considered a top five NBA player in this league and paired with Anthony Davis, who is also a top 10 player when healthy this duo can win a championship and has won a championship with the right team around them.

From when LeBron was recruited to LA by Magic Johnson, LeBron was dealing with a team of young rookies and second year players including Lonzo ball, Kyle, Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and others, that year the Lakers did miss the playoffs as they were the fourth seed until injuries rattled that team in the second half of the year. By year number two that whole team was essentially gone as one of the biggest trades in NBA history went down with Anthony Davis getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and essentially the whole entire team besides, Kyle, Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell pope was traded for Davis in their first year of the Davis and LeBron pairing. They won a championship in the Orlando bubble year.

Going into year three the Lakers ran it back with essentially the same exact squad, and due to injuries they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns. 

In that next off-season one of the Lakers most tragic trades happened as the Lakers traded with the Washington wizards to get back All Star guard Russell Westbrook in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell pope and Kyle Kuzma, since that trade is happened the Lakers have been an absolute mess and haven’t put the right supporting cast around LeBron James, Lakers co star Anthony Davis has also not been the same player since winning the championship in 2020. 

As most media and fans predicted the Russell Westbrook pairing with the Lakers was going to be an absolute disaster and so far in the short two years it has been that with the Lakers. Since the Lakers have been attempting to get off Westbrook’s contract the census around the league is that the Lakers would have to give up two unprotected first round picks in exchange to get off Westbrook contract as the Lakers are unwilling to do so.

Going into year 19 LeBron James is averaging north of 25 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assist a game, with LeBron having this great of a year, the Lakers simply cannot waste another year of this amount of LeBron James production, earlier this week James posted on Instagram hinting at “You better not take for granted what you have”, James has reportedly been increasingly more and more frustrated with the organization and team built around him in the last two seasons, If I was LeBron James I would not waste another year with this organization and demand a trade in the coming weeks.

With one of the best primetime games being played this season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers facing off against the Baltimore Ravens on Amazon prime’s Thursday night football game, let’s do a deep dive into what each team’s X Factor will be and what the most likely outcome for this game will be.

First let’s start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and what their biggest key to winning this game against the Ravens will be, with the Buccaneers having multiple skill positions, players like Julio Jones, Cameron, Brate, and Russell Gage they should be relying heavily on the run game in Leonard Fournette. The Ravens secondary is banged up and with the Buccaneers losing back to back games Tom Brady will likely be pinpoint on his accuracy and timing.

The biggest X factor for the Ravens to win this game is definitely going to be Lamar Jackson distributing the ball to the Ravens playmakers, like the Buccaneers, the Ravens have one of the most banged up secondaries in the NFL with their top two cornerbacks being questionable and other defensive backs also being out, Baltimore should heavily rely on Lamar in his passing game. Now the Ravens might struggle to run the ball effectively due to the fact that starting running back J.K Dobbins is now on I.R, but with a very banged up Tampa Bay defense this Ravens team can give the Bucs major trouble, but the passing game will definitely be the key to winning for the ravens.

Overall I predict this game will be close but I do have Baltimore winning this game due to the fact that the Buccaneers are probably the most injury rattled team this season and multiple distractions coming in again this week I don’t see a scenario where Tampa Bay will win this game. I have the ravens winning 21-17.

This list isn’t in any order and will feature three NBA players who have either had a bounce back year or are looking to build off of their previous season. These players aren’t averaging the most points,rebounds or assists but their overall impact and play on the court will definitely be featured on this list.

First we’ll start with Ja Morant who has to be on his list as he’s leading the league with 35.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 7 assists a game. Currently the Grizzlies are 3-1 on season and have the second best record in the western conference. This season Ja has to improve his defense and stay healthy. If he could do those two things then the Grizzlies can be a very good team this year and definitely be in the mix to win the championship as Ja last season had a MVP caliber season, he is looking to build off of that and become a better player on and off the court.

With the best record in the NBA, Damian Lillard has to be on his list as he’s averaging 33.3 points. With 5.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists a game, Lillard and the Blazers were considered to be a borderline playoff team this season and have quickly proved the media and fans wrong as they are 4-0 and Lillard looks to be back to his normal self after coming off a down year caused by a major leg injury which he sustained early last season.

This may be a shocking one, but James Harden should be on the list due to the fact that he’s really had a bounce back season as the last two years he looked to be on the decline. This off-season Harden has worked really hard to get back into shape and get back to his former MVP self, Harden is averaging 26.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 9.8 assists on a loaded Philadelphia 76ers team that most consider are in contention to be a championship contender this year.