NBA Midseason Report and Hot Takes

Well we have reached the halfway point of the season and as predicted I don't know a damn thing about what is going to happen. That is not gonna stop me however from giving you, my fives of readers what you want...NAY! What you need! My unsolicited opinion!

Most Surprising Team:
Denver Nuggets
Uh what? Who chose the Nuggets to be at the time I write this to be one of the top two teams in the hyper competitive Western Conference. This is due in large part to Mr. Do Everything himself, Nikola Jokic. He leads the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. He may have taken the title of best passing big man from Kevin Love this season with some of the dimes he's dropped.

When they finally get Michael Porter Jr and Isaiah Thomas on the court this team could be quite interesting and make them a squad to watch for years to come.

Most Surprising Player:
De'Aaron Fox-Sacramento Kings

Oh my damn Swipa.

I knew Fox was gonna be good when he was drafted last year, I didn't think he'd be this good so fast however. He's increased his scoring by 6 points per game, assists by 3 per game, almost doubled his steals, and is shooting 7 percentage points higher from three point range. He is making everyone (Puma included) that had Lonzo and Fultz ahead of him look quite foolish.

Most Disappointing Team
The Chicago Bulls
Ok, let's get this out the way. I had no delusions of grandeur about this Bulls team. I knew we were a lottery team but my Lord this is a damn embarrassment on a scale I thought was out of reach even for this train wreck of an organization. Coming into the season Sacramento appeared to be the worst run team, GarPax said "oh yeah? hold my beer." Ok let's just do a quick rundown of some of this foolishness.

Let's go live to the Berto Center.

-Fired Fred Hoiberg, and replaced him with Jim Boylen.-Players immediately revolted and almost sat out a game as a form of protest against him.
-Boylen didn't play Wendell Carter so he could learn. Learn what? Well that's to be determined.
-Gave Jabari Parker a 40 million dollar contract.
-By November they removed Jabari Parker from the rotation.
-By December it appeared his time with the team was up.
-By January he was back in the rotation.

It's just the All-Star break.

Most Disappointing Player
Andrew Wiggins- Minnesota Timberwolves

"We gotta play 4 quarters bruh?"

I'm not sure anyone had Wiggins being an MVP candidate but we at least hoped he would look like he wanted to be out there. If you watch a A T-Wolves game he has a dunk or two and may even post a good stat line from a cursory glance, I mean he is still averaging 17.8 points and 4.2 rebounds. The problem appears to be he could do so much more. The talent is undeniable, sometimes the effort leaves much to be desired. This season alone a deep dive into the analytics will show a troubling season. Of 470 players, Wiggins is 431st in value over replacement player (VORP), in terms of win shares, Wiggins is 301st. Wiggins is also 307th in box-plus/minus and 284th in PER, and 440th in offensive win shares. 

Capt. Jack is not here for play-play.

Also you gotta question his decision making when you take shots at Stephen Jackson.
Most Played Out Story
"The Redemption of Derrick Rose"

Derrick Rose used to be one of my favorite players. Then came the injuries, wiping out full seasons of his once surefire hall of fame trajectory he was on. While injured he was involved in a civil trial alleging he and a few friends raped an ex girlfriend. While he was found not guilty reading the details of the trial a few details unsettled me. He didn't seem to know what consent was and admitted that he and his friends did indeed have sex with an intoxicated woman. After scoring 50 points and having somewhat of a resurgent season there has been talks of him overcoming the odds. But...when the odds are from not knowing what consent is and potentially assaulting an ex-girlfriend I can't heap praise on the guy. I won't root against him on the court or wish ill to the man, but the days of me rooting for him have passed.

Most Important Player Who I Hate Seeing Play
James Harden- Houston Rockets

James Harden is one of the greatest players of his generation. A scoring guard that comes along once in a great while. However...watching him play is one of the most infuriating things I have ever seen. From the questionable step-backs to the generous foul calls he's quite effective at what he does but if you are not a Rockets fan it is one of the most annoying styles of play to watch. Again, this isn't hating on his skill set in the least, just the aesthetics of it. Guess that's why he is a top player of his generation and I am a self proclaimed genius.

Well there we have it folks, just a few thoughts from your boy on this season. Perhaps I'll actually get some of my preseason thoughts correct or perhaps James Harden will keep step backing all over my predictions! Jerk.