The Magic Hour

It would be hard to say that this was the biggest upset of SlamNation’s playoff runs, as we’ve had #3 and #4 seeds come through to take it all. However, this playoff run for #2 seeded Eron, Joven, and Chandler sure had the feel of an epic story as they took down two heavily favored teams on their way to a championship. Heck, before this, this franchise had never even won a single playoff game despite being in the post-season two previous times. On top of that, owner Chris was coming off a 6-13 rookie season last year, and didn’t seem to have the pieces ready to contend yet. I’m getting ready to lay on the superlatives for this stunning victory because Chris and his magical team really deserve it.

Recall, it was only two off-seasons ago that Chris took over a struggling 2005 NBA All Stars franchise and then proceeded to revamp it so completely that it went from a team of old fogeys -- Jason Kidd, Jason Richardson, Antawn Jamison, Manu Ginobili for keepers anyone? -- to a David capable of knocking off two Goliaths. Through a series of trades, GM Chris completely revamped his roster and built it around Carmelo Anthony and Blake Griffin. Then he added a key veteran piece mid-season, Dirk Nowitzki, and went for the gold. And we have to say, the strategy worked completely!

Let’s review who Eron, Joven, and Chandler were facing off against, after their dispatching of division foe Half Man Half ImAsian in round one. First up was Chamberlain Conference juggernaut Sour Snails, who EJC took down last week with a barrage of 3PT. Then they had to face the Russell Conference number one seeded NJ All-Stars, fresh off an all-in trade of their own.

The final victory was 7-2-0, but it was a matchup that had fans on the edge of their seats all week long. While EJC mostly held the category lead -- sometimes going up 8-1-0 -- NJ All-Stars were never too far behind. It seemed like every category was up for grabs and with a heavy slate of Sunday games for both teams, a comeback victory for All-Stars was not out of the question. As it happened, All-Stars lost by a handful in each category, with 2 STL or 2 BLK being the closest. However, this win was no fluke, as EJC proved to be the better team all-around. I mean, they took out All-Stars at their strength, even winning 3PT against them, which seemed impossible beforehand. Dirk Nowitzki dropped 13 3PT himself, while Jordan Crawford did his best Jamal Crawford impersonation with 8 3PT of his own.

So many heroes for EJC! How about Carmelo Anthony, best known for his scoring and sometimes knocked for an underrated fantasy game. For title week, Melo added 11 STL, clearly outpacing his season average. Heck, EJC even sat Ricky Rubio for a game, thinking to preserve his team's FG%. Rubio returned to drop 31 dimes in his three games, which proved crucial in a tight AST matchup. And then there was Blake Griffin, who missed Monday’s game to injury but fought back valiantly for three outings, including a triple double on Thursday, and an eye-popping 8 BLK for a non-rim protector!

On the season, EJC only had one statistical strength, as they ranked third in PTS. Other than that, they were pretty average in FG%, REB, AST, STL, 3PT, and even week in the other categories. Their worst category, BLK, was mitigated by the fact that their final opponent was just as weak in that category. Overall, it really was kismet, as EJC pulled everything together to turn in the most thrilling playoff run we've seen, well, maybe last year.

Sure, we’ve seen other upsets before, but this one was powered by a team that nobody was looking at all season as EJC kept winning under the shadow of more glamorous teams. Eventually they upended two of the more intimidating teams that SlamNation had ever seen. (And they did it without much injury loss by their opponent, which has often been the key to an upset.) In the end, EJC won nine of their last ten games, grabbed the first ring for Transformers division, and now Chris will take his rightful place among the SlamNation legends. Huge congratulations to a wild ride and a thrilling victory!

Unfortunately, in every upset tale there’s a "should’ve would’ve didn’t" winner. In this case, it’s NJ All-Stars. This is Eddie’s second Finals appearance in his mere three years as an owner. And while he’s obviously had many sterling seasons, he keeps getting upset. Last year it was eventual champion 100 Acre Wood Pooh Bears (now Spade) and this time by EJC. All signs pre-playoffs pointed to an epic confrontation between All-Stars and Sour Snails, but that narrative was smashed to bits.

When Eddie saw Snails go down, he must have felt confident, as there were four games each of LeBron James, Paul George, Joakim Noah, and Lance Stephenson lined up for him. That should have been plenty right? Yes, his team lost Kyle Lowry for the week, but EJC had their own injuries to Griffin and Crawford. Or maybe it was NJ All-Star's three less games played, although might not have mattered since he needed to recover more than one category. LeBron had a monster week with 30.3 PTS, 6.0 REB, 6.8 AST, 1.8 3PT/STL, and 55.1 FG% as he tried to will All-Stars to victory, but somehow Eddie's team still came up a little short. Sorry, maybe the third Finals is the charm?

Last thing: I wanted to take a quick look at EJC’s team construction, to highlight how they seemed to have bucked normal quick turnaround convention, and how far they've come. (Also, does their improbable run remind you of the 2011 Dallas Mavericks championship or what?) First, the trades. In his first off-season, before Chris had even played a game, he flipped Dwight Howard for Carmelo and Blake. This past off-season, he moved Jeff Teague for Jeff Green, a move that we questioned since point guards are usually fantasy gold. Then EJC acquired Dirk and Jamal Crawford in exchange for Green and Derrick Favors, greatly upping his offensive firepower at the expense of more balance. There’s no question this move allowed EJC to compete with the high powered Snails and NJ All-Stars.

And how about this: not one player from EJC’s 2014 draft stuck around long enough to be used in the playoffs for Chris (D- grade for RD1 selection Cody Zeller). The supporting cast of Devin Harris, Matt Barnes, Jordan Crawford, and Caron Butler were all free agent pickups, and none of them flashy names. Also, the only homegrown keeper talent has been Enes Kanter, who has been flashing signs, but was far from his breakout season, even though he contributed 12.8 PTS and 9.5 REB during championship week. All in all, EJC’s team proves that it’s not about the biggest stars or the best players, but team identity and making the right moves matter. A dash of good fortune also helps, but as Chris has proven, the bold moves of a champion is the key to victory!

2014 Toilet Bowl: Split the Pot

Well, it’s not like there was much suspense heading into this Toilet Bowl. Evan had the win locked up, so it was just a matter of whether Chunky Monkeys or Fat Jubas would enter the record books. Fittingly, the game ended in a 4-4-1 tie! It was a gallant gesture by Eric to play manage his team so well and give Evan two high picks for the loaded 2015 NBA draft. After a 2014 off-season that featured a slightly weaker keeper lot, we’re pretty sure Monkeys’ 2016 keepers will be significantly upgraded.

Analysts weren’t sure if either team was going to be trying since the outcome was predetermined. Jubas led most of the week but as Sunday rolled around, Monkeys took a bit of a lead and then somehow, it all came out to break even. To be honest, I doubt much of SlamNation was watching this matchup (I know I wasn't), as the outcome was meaningless and the Finals matchup was so riveting. However, I suspect there was some nice moments here, such as James Harden throwing up 30.8 PTS, 7.0 AST, 5.0 REB, 2.5 STL, 2.8 3PT. Pretty good for a glorified pickup game.

This also marks the first Toilet Bowl where two #1 seeds both advanced to the finals, as there’s traditionally always an upset team that makes it to the end. The real congrats came after last week for Evan’s trade foresight, Toilet Bowl run, and sterling future, but it doesn’t hurt to say “congrats” once again! Also, did we not call it during our pre-season preview? "Tanking (but won't admit it). With two first round picks next year, Monkeys are likely fighting for a loaded draft class." Perfectly executed plan all season GM Evan!

2014 Finals Previews

FINALS PREVIEW
#1 NJ All-Stars (14-5) vs #2 Eron, Joven and Chandler (13-6)
Our Russell Conference favorites cruised to the Finals despite facing off against a potentially dangerous Spade team. NJ All-Stars dominated just about every category as they got a full slate of games from their big guns, plus three great games from recent acquisition Joakim Noah. By midweek, it was clear Spade was headed toward a loss despite their best efforts. LeBron James averaged 25.0 PTS, 7.8 REB, 6.0 AST on 55.4 FG% to lead the rout, but Paul George’s continued slump might be troubling -- George has shot less than forty percent in eight of his last nine games. This will be Eddie's second Finals appearance, after reaching the 2012 Finals as the underdog they'll be the heavy favorites this time out.

Over in the other conference finals, it was a whirlwind of a week as underdogs EJC jumped out to a huge early lead and then never relinquished it. Sour Snails tried to make a furious comeback on Sunday, and almost succeeded, but ultimately fell by 2 3PT, 7 REB, or 2 BLK. This was eerily similar to their upset last year by Buffy, also in the Chamberlain Conference finals, where Sour Snails was bounced by 2 3PT, 3 BLK, or 4 TOs. In retrospect, it looks like a missed game by Russell Westbrook might have been the difference this week, or even the half game missed by DeMarcus Cousins. For EJC, it was Carmelo Anthony and Jamal Crawford combining for 21 threes (out of 30 team total) that really pushed them to an unexpected victory. I mean, Sour Snails was ranked #2 in 3PT while EJC was just league average this season. Like we say, "That's why they play the game!"

So now we have NJ All-Stars versus Eron, Joven and Chandler for the championship. Short of a similar 3PT misfire, All-Stars will likely dominate in 3PT, while taking STL and probably REB. EJC has become an offensive juggernaut recently though, with the midseasons additions of Dirk Nowitzki and Jamal Crawford, and can match All-Stars in PTS. Lucas’ team will have a clear edge in TOs, while also possibly an edge in both percentage categories too. The hotly contested categories will then be BLK and PTS, where the two teams are very evenly matched. Also, it seems like both teams will have a full slate of games for their stars, although EJC is staring at minor injuries to Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford, which will cause both to miss at least one game each. If there's a time for Carmelo to prove that he's better than LeBron, this is the week!


TOILET BOWL FINALS PREVIEW
#1 Chunky Monkeys (9-10) vs #1 Fat Jubas (9-10)
Well, well, this Toilet Bowl finals is really a victory lap for GM Evan and the entire Chunky Monkeys organization. They’ve secured the #1 and #2 overall picks next year, since they own Fat Jubas’ 2015 pick from the Chris Paul trade. So it looks like Evan’s most difficult decision will be figuring out which two super freshmen to lead his team into the next decade. Who’s jealous?

Fat Jubas swatted aside Fob Stars, who came out very flat after a great previous week. Jimmy’s team collapsed under pressure as they missed Isaiah Thomas all week. While Dion Waiters did his best to step in, Jubas had five games worth of Nicolas Batum, Chris Paul’s usual domination, and nice weeks by Jonas Valanciunas and Markieff Morris to shut the door on a potential upset.

On the other side of the bracket, Evan had to sweat out his victory as Inept Henchmen put up a vicious fight despite injuries to his big men, Dwight Howard and Andre Bogut. In turn, the week came down to an assists battle. (Technically, Henchmen were fighting for Funk Coalition’s selection, due to the Dwight exchange. A victory would have given Funk two of the top three overall picks next season.) Despite a Herculean assists effort by Jarrett Jack early Sunday -- to compensate for Tony Parker’s entire off week -- Monkeys took the win as his team spread the ball around more successfully. The unexpected savior for Evan turned out to be gunner Wesley Matthews, who dropped five dimes in his late Sunday game. Will Evan and Eric even play out the Toilet Bowl Finals? Or will they just kick back and watch Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker, and Dante Exum declare for the NBA draft?

RD2 Previews: 2014

Chamberlain Conference
#1 Sour Snails (17-2) vs #2 Eron, Joven and Chandler (13-6)
As expected, Trieu’s team cruised through this matchup, losing only the TO category. Trevor Ariza contributed heavily, with four games worth of 13.0 PTS, 6.3 REB, 2.3 STL, 2.0 STL on 48.3 FG%. Squirtle Squad tried to put up a fight but this matchup was basically over with before the weekend games. The only downer for Sour Snails is that they’ll be without the full time services of Russell Westbrook, who will miss, at least, the tail end of all back-to-backs for the stretch run.

In contrast to the earlier game, the matchup between EJC and Half Man Half ImAsian was a tug-of-war all week long. The two teams took turns taking the lead from each other and it wasn’t until Sunday that the game was finally decided. As predicted, the injury to LaMarcus Aldridge really hurt Oliver’s team, and they ended up losing by a mere 3 REB, 9 PTS, and was tied in BLKs. A healthy Aldridge could have changed that equation of course. Ricky Rubio shot 56.7 FG% on his way to 13.0 PTS, 10.7 AST, 2.3 STL. He’ll be a key player for this conference quarter finals as the hotly contested categories should be 3PT, AST, STL, and BLK against Sour Snails. Can Carmelo, Blake, and Dirk can keep up with Sour Snails explosive roster? We’ll see!

Russell Conference
#1 NJ All-Stars (14-5) vs #3 Spade (12-7)
Featuring a non-upset of an upset, Spade wiped the floor with So Buckets despite being lower ranked. Already without the services of Kyrie Irving, Buckets suffered additional injuries to Andre Iguodala and Nikola Pekovic, plus Pau Gasol had to be taken to the hospital during the second half of Sunday’s game, perhaps nauseous from his team’s impending defeat. Spade basically got an extra week for Eric Bledsoe to round into shape, while watching Kevin Love put in three games of 30.0 PTS per.

Top ranked NJ All-Stars had a slightly tougher go of it during their matchup against Fighting Dragons, who featured a feisty John Wall (20.3 PTS, 10.0 AST, 2.3 STL/3PT in four games). LeBron James missed a game but Lance Stephenson did his best LBJ impression with 19.0 PTS, 6.3 REB, 1.3 3PT on 53.8 FG% for the week. Eddie’s top five guys all had four game weeks this matchup, so maybe the schedule thins out next week. New addition Joakim Noah contributed 15.3 PTS, 10.3 REB, 5.3 AST, 2.3 BLK, 2.0 STL during his three games with All-Stars. Those numbers will come in handy versus a Spade team that is super competitive with All-Stars on AST, STL, BLK. Game of the week right here guys!

TOILET BOWL
#1 Fat Jubas (9-10) vs #2 Fob Stars (8-11)
Astonishingly, first ranked Jubas almost lost to an undermanned and undermanaged Jedi Knights squad. Lum’s team hasn’t been touched since late November, and they were running seven players, with O.J. Mayo out for most of the week’s matchups. It was basically six on eleven, with Eric trotting out just about his whole roster for this unexpected dog fight. Going into Sunday’s games, Jubas was actually down in categories. As it was, they still ended up barely narrowly edging Jedi in PTS, STL, BLK, TO.  Would Jimmy Butler’s 15.8 PTS, 4.5 REB, 3.3 AST, 2.5 AST, 1.8 3PT off the bench have made a difference? I guess we’ll never know! Markieff Morris paced Jubas with 15.5 PTS, 7.5 REB, 1.0 STL in his four games, and the hope is that CP3 will play more than two games in next week’s crucial matchup.

As for Fob Stars, they did well in advancing past Buffy, despite having their depth sapped by the trade of Joakim Noah. Still, Jimmy’s squad managed to put up a ton of PTS, REB, AST, 3PT and are looking good heading into the next round. Marcin Gortat has been playing very well, with six double-doubles in his last seven games, and even averaged 16.0 PTS last week. If Isaiah Thomas’ injury doesn’t linger, and Fob Stars can steal the REB crown, they should have a good chance to pull off an upset. Note: None of the four teams remaining in the Toilet Bowl have ever been to the TB Finals, so it should be extra motivation for them.

#1 Chunky Monkeys (9-10) vs #2 Inept Henchmen (6-12-1)
There isn’t much to say about Monkeys’ 8-1 trashing of an undermanned Funk Coalition team. Funk only won REB, and even lost TO due to playing three more games. Coach Evan added insult to injury by only playing seven guys, as Luol Deng missed most of the week, to no real ill effect. Quite a few big scoring games were had this past week for Monkeys, including Terrence Jones’ 30 points from Monday, Jeff Teague’s 34 points on Tuesday, and then a pedestrian 37 points from James Harden on Saturday. This team is peaking at the right time and only a slight lack of depth -- resulting from Deng's injury -- could torpedo Evan’s dream scenario of getting both the #1 and #2 overall draft slots.

Their opponent, the rejuvenated Inept Henchmen, made a huge trade before the deadline but surprisingly, it wasn’t Dwight Howard who won the week for them, but their newly assembled backcourt. In fact, Howard was a surprise scratch from all his games during the week and it was up to newcomers Tony Parker and Avery Bradley -- combining for 45.2 PTS per game -- to help the team jump out to an easy win over MoRRie’s Pogiboys. Kenneth Faried has been balling lately, averaging 17.8 PTS, 9.2 REB, 1.2 STL, 1.0 BLK during his past nine games. Trevor’s team will be faced with a very tough matchup this week, as they try to take out a team that overmatches them in almost every category. "And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Toilet Bowl 2014: Russell Conference

Matchups:

• #1 Chunky Monkeys (9-10) vs #4 Funk Coalition (5-14)
• #2 Inept Henchmen (6-12-1) vs #3 MoRRie’s Pogiboys (6-13)

#1 Chunky Monkeys (9-10)
The Monkeys went 11-7-1 last year and advanced a round into the postseason before getting upended by the eventual champs. This year, with rebuilding on his mind, Evan jettisoned Chris Paul and set his sights on a quick restructure. The last time the Monkeys hit the Toilet Bowl was 2011 and they don’t plan on being back anytime soon. With two high possible draft picks, Chunky Monkeys definitely has incentive to see himself -- and Fat Jubas -- take an extended trip into Losertown. They are peaking at just the right time too, as they’ve won five of their last six games.

As outlined in a previous article, the Monkeys are very close to being the perfectly balanced team. The emergence of Goran Dragic really helped alleviate the loss of CP3, and while Jeff Teague and Jrue Holiday both had their ups and downs, they are fantastic complementary point guard options. With James Harden at shooting guard and Wesley Matthews at small forward (he leads the team in GP), this team is high octane and offense first. If only they could arm the frontline similarly. While center Marc Gasol has had a horrible injury inflicted season, he’s been rounding into shape. His absence allowed 2014 RD6 pick Taj Gibson and free agent pickup Terence Jones to blossom and although neither are likely to be keepers, they will be counted on to keep the Monkeys competitive on the boards and blocks for the stretch run. And what a stretch run it could be as Evan has both top-seeded teams in the Toilet Bowl playing for his future. If Monkeys can get #1 and #2 overall picks for a loaded 2015 draft, they'll have a supernova bright future.

MVP: The Slovenian Dragon! Goran Dragic averaged 20.6 PTS, 6.2 AST, 1.3 STL, 1.6 3PT on 51.0 FG% to break out as a top five point guard.
LVP: Nobody. The rare team that didn’t really suffer many disappointments, unless you count injuries to Gasol and Holiday. Even Luol Deng’s decline as a 2014 RD1 pick wasn’t too painful as he still managed 16.5 PTS and 6.0 REB.

#2 Inept Henchmen (6-12-1)
It was a rough adjustment for Trevor in his first season in SlamNation. Franchise cornerstone Derrick Rose was lost for the year early on and played ten games total. Dispersal pick and keeper Gerald Wallace proved that he was indeed over the hill. Inept Henchmen also had their 2014 RD1 and RD3 traded away by the previous administration. (That outgoing management went 1-17-1 last year, the worst record in the history of SlamNation.) It took awhile for Trevor to clear out the bad mojo as he stumbled to an early 2-7 record. However, despite a very tough second half schedule that included only three under 0.500 opponents, Henchmen emerged an encouraging 4-5-1. This scrappy team never gave up and during the last week of the regular season, they even took out division rival MoRRie's Pogiboys to gain the higher seed for their rematch in the first week of the Toilet Bowl. This six win season already represents the second best regular season record in the history of the franchise. Not bad!

The iron man for Henchmen turned out, ironically, to be previously injured plagued shooting guard Eric Gordon. Gordon averaged 15.6 PTS, 3.2 AST, 1.2 STL, and 1.6 3PT to lead the team in GP. Right behind him in GP was Jamal Crawford and Kenneth Faried, which speaks volumes about how the overall season went. GM Trevor was quick to make moves though, as a mid-season trade exchanged Dirk Nowitzki and Crawford for Jeff Green, Derrick Favors, and Darren Collison. That shifted the focus of the season on rebuilding, and gave the team a clear direction. Late breaking news: Inept Henchmen acquire Dwight Howard for his Toilet Bowl stretch run, unloading the corpse of Derrick Rose. Wow! What was once a three man future backcourt of Rose, Gordon, Green will now be Tony Parker, spare guards, and a huge front line of Howard, Favors, Kenneth Faried, and Andrew Bogut. Howard and Bogut will form a very solid defensive backbone. Sidenote: Bogut stayed healthy for the most part, and contributed a solid 10.1 REB and 1.9 BLK. Trevor’s squad faces an uphill battle but if it’s the journey that makes a champion, he’s off to a good start.

MVP: The new medical staff, as they managed to get 57 games from Gordon and 52 from Bogut. What about Derrick Rose you say? Well, miracles can't happen in threes. At least now he's gone.
LVP: Kevin Garnett, the 2014 RD1 pick only gave the team 29 games played and 6.7 PTS/REB before being traded last week.

#3 MoRRie’s Pogiboys (6-13)
Incredibly, Alvin’s team is in the Toilet Bowl for another season, even after recent hauls that included high draft picks Anthony Davis and Victor Oladipo. Pogiboys haven’t been in the playoffs since the 2010 reset year and their fans are growing very impatient. They stumbled out of the gates this year 1-5 and never recovered, and limped to the finish line on a four game losing streak. New acquisition Brook Lopez only played fifteen games for this team, and Anthony Davis lost quite a few games to injury too. That often left Roy Hibbert as the lone man in the middle, and while Hibbert led the team in GP, his 11.3 PTS, 7.3 REB, 46.3 FG% must be disappointing, even with his 2.4 BLK accounted for.

The good news is that Oladipo looks like the real deal, likely the best of an underwhelming draft class. John Henson was a nice find on the front line too, with his 1.9 BLK, but he’ll likely have to be sacrificed during keeper cuts. Same with young side pieces like Alec Burks and Miles Plumlee. This team did have trouble shooting all season, from the field and the line. Brandon Jennings' 37.8 FG% helped Pogiboys rank dead last in that category -- along with J.R. Smith’s 39.5% -- but Jennings did quietly average 16.4 PTS, 7.9 AST, 1.9 3PT, and 1.4 STL to compensate. And then there’s Mike Conley, who has matured into a solid all-around point guard who contributes evenly across all categories. With a core that’s balanced between three nice guards and three big centers, this team should be way better. Perhaps adding another high draft pick will finally elevate them into the postseason. Wait, what am I saying, Alvin should let someone else hit the Toilet Bowl finals for once!

MVP: Anthony Davis emerged as a top five fantasy player with 20.6 PTS, 10.2 REB, 1.4 STL, 2.9 BLK, 51.9 FG%, and 77.8 FT%.
LVP: Otto Porter Jr., 2014 RD2 pick and total rookie bust. How about 8.8 minutes a game to the tune of 1.6 PTS and 1.3 REB? He's also inexplicably still on the roster.

#4 Funk Coalition (5-14)
A league leading seven game losing streak between WK4-10 doomed this team to the Toilet Bowl. A team heavy on big men sunk like the Detroit Pistons with an unbalanced scheme and roster. Amid allegations of tanking, GM Jon was forced to admit that he was actually trying to win some games early on. A horrific draft unfolded like this, in order: Anthony Bennett, Iman Shumpert, Andrei Kirilenko, Avery Bradley, Kevin Seraphin, Jared Dudley, Thomas Robinson. Only one semi-useful piece emerged from that pile of crap -- a just returned from injury Avery Bradley -- and the team was mismanaged all season long. The good news is that Al Jefferson is playing out of his mind with 21.3 PTS, 10.3 REB, 1.1 BLK, 1.0 STL, and 50.5 FG% despite being on the trade block all season. Second year man-child Andre Drummond is a bigger Dennis Rodman, and Dwight Howard has returned to almost full Dwightian glory. [Edit: Although Mr. Howard is now out of town.]

For most of the season, the backcourt was a complete mess as Rajon Rondo was hurt most of the year and Tony Parker had been dinged up often. An imposing front line had no spacing to work with as Funk ranked last in 3PT and third-to-last in PTS. Small forward Josh Smith is on his way to one of the worst NBA shooting seasons ever. And while J-Clank's all around game is still there, his putrid 41.8 FG% really hurts. When DeJuan Blair and Shumpert have received lots of GP for your team, that's not good. Late season adds like Louis Williams and Khris Middleton gave this team some spark but Funk limp into the Toilet Bowl on a three game losing streak -- and with Drummond hurt. A last minute desperation move to reassemble the 2008 Celtics will hopefully help them upend their way to a top pick.

MVP: A tie between Al Jefferson and Dwight Howard, the latter who bounced back with 18.7 PTS, 12.4 REB, 1.8 BLK, and 58.5 FG% this season. Both are having outstanding years and are arguably top three centers. Along with Drummond, this frontline is headed to the Hall of Fame!
LVP: Anthony Bennet, who else? It’s not even just that he was the worst #1 pick in NBA history, but he was kept on the roster all the way until the last week of the regular season. Sorry Alvin, for making fun of you about Otto...