As the Autumn and Winter roll in, for many NBA fans, it marks one thing: the start of a new basketball season. Each season brings so many new storylines, prospects, teams, players, and so much more for fans to follow. However, we still need to answer the vital question of what Edgemont’s study body thinks about pro hoops action so far. To answer this question, I circulated a survey, and some of the results surprised me.
The first question on the form asked, “Which team is the best team in the league?” Although Edgemont’s beloved New York Knicks aren’t on the list, their rivals were. The Boston Celtics received the greatest portion of the votes, with almost 40%. The Milwaukee Bucks ranked second, with 25% of the votes, and the Suns third.
The Celtics are currently thriving, with the best record in the league and the most statistically efficient offense of all time. New coach Joe Mezulla took no time getting last year’s NBA-finalists up to speed, and the play of Jayson Tatum, an MVP candidate, has been the key to the continuing success of the team.
The Bucks have the second best record in the league, just behind the Celtics. They are fueled by yet another MVP-level season from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has received the honor twice before. In recent years, they have looked incredibly strong, and this year is no exception. The upcoming Celtics-Bucks matchups during the winter will be among the most hyped games this season.
The Suns, under the play of Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and head coach Monty Williams are having another great season, but after the recently getting blown-out by the Celtics, it’ll be interesting to see how they recover.
The next question we asked was “Who is your pick for MVP?”, or most valuable player. Jayson Tatum racked up 35% of the votes, the highest tally. Giannis was next at 28%. Tatum, the centerpiece of the Celtics, has been on a tear this season, putting up 30.5 points a game, along with 8 rebounds and 4 assists while playing stellar defense. He’s been a key to their success, and under his strong lead they’ve looked nearly untouchable.
Giannis, as previously mentioned, is also having a great season, averaging 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 5.5 assists a game, while simultaneously earning favorite status to earn the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Luka Dončić, of the Dallas Mavericks, was third in the voting and is having a stellar independent season. However, his team is only at 13-11, which hurts his MVP case.
The Knicks, voted Edgemont’s favorite team, were also voted the most disappointing. They aren’t doing too badly though, standing at 9th place in the Eastern Conference with a 14-13 record. The reason they are thought of as “disappointing” is because, as a New York team, expectations of them range form high to sky high.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander is the runaway favorite vote for the “Most Improved Player” category. As a young player at just 24 years-old, he’s developed rapidly, improving every season. This year, he seems to have taken an extra step forward and many already consider him a superstar. Playing for the struggling Oklahoma City Thunder, he’s been averaging 31 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds a game, an impressive statline.
One headline that came this season is the upcoming prospect Victor Webanyama. The 7 foot 3 inch French draft prospect is currently a professional in an overseas league and will likely be the first pick in the NBA draft. He’s been labeled as the best prospect since LeBron James.
The season is just over a quarter done, but nothing is set in stone for this year. Last year, the Warriors went on an unlikely playoff run and won the championship, despite being an average team at this point last season. Anything can happen in basketball.
Comments