I think size is a big deal. Outside of Steph, how many elite teams have guys the size of Maxey carrying them to finals? It’s just so tough. I like Cade because that isn’t an issue and he has had a terrible situation so I give him some grace. Zion would be higher but injuries and not sure how his play style translates to big time playoff spots.
Zion’s upside is so much higher than most of these guys (at least it was, he seems physically diminished already which is a concern) but the guy just never ever plays.
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Banchero’s major flaw is still shooting. He’s in a good tier with Ja, Trae and Hali IMO.
Health is why he’s lower in my rankings. He needs to lose weight, but is he willing to do it? Guy in his size and how he plays isn’t sustainable long term.
The bottom line is I still believe in Cade because he has shown me just enough to lead me to believe he can be the guy people thought he could be and his situation is total trash, along with his injuries.
But with his size that isn’t what he is relying on. Leading your team to the 4-5 game as a second year player and really going off in the playoffs is quite phenomenal. None of the guys ahead of him could do that really.
I am very low on Trae Young because why would you start your team with someone who has no chance at being the best player on a championship team? At least with a guy like Cade there is a chance they could be that dude if they live up to the potential and even if they don’t you would be getting a second best player on a championship team which is what Trae Young is at his best.
My concern also is that I think some of the damage from his weight is just done at this stage, and he’s not getting that explosiveness back no matter what now that the feet and stuff are compromised.
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Cade has no chance to be the best player on a championship team. That’s pretty clear by now. Trae has been the best team on some pretty good teams before his ownership group made every wrong move
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I think the Luka and Ant Man debate is interesting here. Luka is the better player if you don’t have a great supporting cast, but in order to win a championship you need a supporting cast and I think Ant fits better with good players. Pretty much I think Ant CAN be the system if you need him to be, but if not he fits seamlessly with other good players whereas Luka might be a bit of a clunky fit with other stars so I think Ant gives you the best chance at forming a championship team.
A guy like Trae who is even smaller and way more incompetent on defense than Steph will not be the best player on a championship team, plain and simple. I agree it is very likely Cade will never get to that point, but he just finished pretty much his second season (injured in his true second) and has had no help. Let’s see what he can do when he isn’t in a dumpster fire. At the very least, Cade has shown he can be the second best player on a championship team down the road which is the same as Trae.
I just don’t think he’ll ever get to the top tier. He’s more of a Ant Davis type aka a really good 1B player but isn’t quite good enough for the top dog.
I can be persuaded to move Ant up to #2 based on future prospects but for right now, Luka is ahead because he done it in the past.
They should just make a rule that you can’t win the MVP award twice in a row. Spread the wealth. Especially if there are contractual bonuses for winning.
I don’t really understand that. What Banchero is doing is so underrated at his age.
He is different from AD because you give Banchero the ball and tell him to do his thing. AD was always gonna be reliant on a primary perimeter creator because that isn’t his skill set.
Saying Ant is a 1B strikes me as wild RN
He MAY be
But also may be…MVP level
I don’t think Banchero can carry the team on his back which is why I consider him 1B because there will be moments where he’ll dominate, but he can’t do it on the same level as prime LBJ, Steph, Joker, etc. That’s why I think he’s 1B hence he’s a bit lower in my rankings.
I disagree. You vote for MVP that deserves to win the award. Prevent someone from getting it because they already won 2 in a row is silly IMO.
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He is 21 lol ofc he isn’t doing that yet but he seems to be on his way.
Makes me wonder if NBA has team doctor do medical check like the NFL did for the NFL combine. I bet they would’ve redflagged Lamelo, Zo, Zion, etc for potential health issues.
I know that MPJ dropped because of his neck/back issues. That was the only one I know of has medical concern pre-draft.