Why is the Western Conference so much stronger than the East?

An oft-used tactic in detracting the greatness of Lebron James is the argument that, "He has the easiest road to the finals! If he was in the West he'd never make the finals!"

While this argument is untrue (he could obviously have made it to the finals at least 3 times, since he beat the best in the West 3 times to win the championship), there is definitely a serious amount of disparity between the two conferences.

In the past 5 seasons, the #1 win-loss record has been held by a western conference team. In those same 5 seasons, a western conference team also claimed the #2 record. Twice, they also had the 3rd best record.

 In the 2013-14 season, the Western Conference playoff teams combined for a record of 436 wins and 220 losses. The Eastern Conference playoff teams won 365 games and lost 291 games. In 2014-15, the WC playoff teams went 435-221, while the EC playoff teams went 377-279. 2015-16: 417 wins in the West compared to 394 in the east. 2016-17: 416 wins in the west compared to 372 in the east. And this year, the Western Conference playoff teams combined for 410 wins vs. the 395 wins of the Eastern Conference playoff teams. So, while the Western Conference has been steadily declining for the past 5 years, there is still a marked disparity between the two conferences.

The big question: WHY?

Why is the Western Conference so consistently better than the Eastern Conference? On paper, it shouldn't be. Both conferences have the same access to players, coaches, equipment, etc. So why is it that the best players consistently head to the Western Conference?

I asked my wife (a non-NBA fan) if she had any theories as to why this could be happening. Her immediate thought was that maybe there were more big-market teams in the Western Conference. She argued that if a fanbase is larger, players are more likely to want to play there. This theory makes a certain amount of sense, but doesn't hold up when you look at the numbers. 5 of the top 10 biggest market teams are in the Eastern Conference, and 6 of the top 10 didn't even make the playoffs this year. So the conclusion we can come to from this data is that big market doesn't always translate to big success.

Another theory I've heard bounced around on social media before is that Lebron James himself is the reason for the disparity between conferences in the NBA. The argument is that nobody wants to contend with Lebron in the East, so they head west to avoid him in the early rounds of the playoffs. Again, there may be a certain amount of truth in this theory. However, if I was a superstar in the NBA and there were 8 good teams in the West and only 2 good teams in the East, I'd want to go East, even if it did mean facing Lebron James! 

The theory I've come up with (and that I'm going to assume is true, for now) is that this tendency is just part of the natural ebb and flow of the NBA. The 60s and 70s were dominated by the Celtics in the East. Then in the 80s the Lakers took control. In the 90s the balance of power shifted back to the east with the Bulls. In the 2000s, the Lakers and Spurs battled for supremacy. In the early 2010s the Heat started a mini-dynasty.

And now we are firmly entrenched in the Golden State Warriors dynasty. It is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The Rockets looked like they were going to emerge as a contender, but with their 41 point loss in the Western Conference Finals last night, Golden State looks more untouchable than ever.

Taking a look at how Golden State took over the NBA, it becomes clear that the NBA draft has made far more difference than anything. It started in 2009 with the 'risky' pick of Davidson phenom Steph Curry. It was considered a risky pick because of his size, as well as his constant struggle with ankle injuries. The risk, however, quickly paid dividends. Curry has since won back-to-back MVPs and led his team to 2 out of the last 3 NBA championships.

In 2011 Golden State drafted Klay Thompson, son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson. Klay Thompson has never looked super flashy, but his catch-and-shoot abilities are second only to Curry himself and Kyle Korver on the Cavs. When Klay is hot, there is no stopping him. He holds the NBA record for most points in a single quarter with 37. Seriously?! Most teams don't score 37 in a quarter, let alone alone a single player.

In 2012 the Warriors used their #7 pick on Harrison Barnes. Barnes, while contributing to GS's 2014-15 championship, never fully developed into the star GS thought he would. The real steal of the 2012 draft, though, came in the second round when Golden State selected Draymond Green. I, personally, hate Draymond Green. I think he's a dirty player who can't control his emotions. Also, he looks like Donkey from Shrek.

Despite my dislike, Draymond Green is as much a part of the dynasty as Curry himself.

And then Kevin Durant happened. Durant, desperate to win a ring, made the weakest move in NBA history by joining the already-stacked Warriors. Stars want to win rings, and the easiest way to do that is to team up with a bunch of other stars.

It's pretty clear, then, how much of an impact the draft made in the current dominance of the Western Conference.

But, like I said above, there is a natural ebb and flow to these things. Being the best team in the league ensures that you will get the worst draft picks, and eventually the Warriors' stars are going to get old. The Eastern Conference will then poised to retake control.

For the same reasons that Golden State came into power, Philadelphia and Boston are now using the draft to build up their own 'super teams.' Philly's young core of Embiid, Simmons, and Fultz have the potential to be special for a lot of years. Boston's Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum are already leading their squad to a likely trip to the Finals, and Terry Rozier is also developing faster than anyone expected.

I expect that aging stars will now begin making their way to Philly and Boston to win their rings.

The draft is what makes the difference. A few years of good luck can change the entire course of the NBA. Golden State was the butt of a lot of jokes for a lot of years, but now they are stupid good.

Boston and Philly will both be good for a long time. Expect the balance of power to shift completely to the Eastern Conference in the next few years. 

The Westbrook Cancer

Russell Westbrook: 2016-17 season MVP; triple-double king; athletic freak; ball hog; cancer.

On April 9, 2017, Westbrook became the new king of triple-doubles, breaking Oscar Robertson's 55- year record of 41 triple-doubles in a single season. Obviously, 42 triple-doubles in one season is a very impressive statistic, and is unlikely to ever be broken again.

But, when all is said and done, how much does that triple-double record really mean for Russell Westbrook? In a league where only championship rings matter, the triple-double record will mean next to nothing in the 'greatest players of all time' arguments.

Westbrook's selfish style of play has led his team to 2 consecutive first-round exits from the playoffs. Last year, Westbrook supporters were quick to point out that "He had no help!" which is true because Kevin Durant slithered over to Golden State in free agency. This year, however, the Thunder made a big effort to surround Westbrook with more talent, bringing in all-stars Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. And guess what? A first round loss to a very inexperienced Jazz team led by rookie Donovan Mitchell was the result.

He didn't take it very well.

Aside from the lack of real results, Westbrook has continually held his teammates back. Figuratively, and sometimes even literally when he needs a few more rebounds to reach his precious triple-double. 

Take a look at Victor Oladipo, for example. Oladipo was traded to Indiana in the Paul George trade, and subsequently improved very significantly in each of the major statistical categories, most notable of which is his improvement from 15 points per game to 23 points per game. He even made the all-star team, something that never would have happened playing on the same team as Westbrook. 

Domantas Sabonis, who also went to Indiana in the Paul George trade, is another great example, more than doubling his points per game, assists per game, and rebounds per game. He even recorded multiple 20+ point games against Lebron James and the Cavs in their first round playoff matchup.

And then there's Kevin Durant. Durant obviously needed to escape OKC and Westbrook. He needed to play in a system where he could play his game without worrying about upsetting  Russell Westbrook. He needed teammates who weren't focused on individual stats, but rather on winning championships. So he chose Golden State. 

Now, I don't  condone what Durant did in joining the Warriors. In fact, I think it was downright repulsive. He's a snake, and he should probably be kicked out of the NBA. But I do understand his decision. He wanted to get away from Westbrook, and the easiest option was Golden State.

Westbrook is, essentially, a cancer. One that needs to be excised before OKC can go into remission. I can only imagine they are kicking themselves for signing him to a 5-year, $205,000,000 contract. But hey, only 4 more years of cancer! Hopefully it doesn't metastasize to the other players on his team.

Tanking--Does it Work?

For those unfamiliar with the term, 'tanking' is a strategy that bad teams employ in order to ensure themselves a good draft pick. These teams will often sit their best players for significant minutes each game in order to lose more games than the other bad teams lose. On paper, it's a somewhat viable strategy: you get your inexperienced young guys a lot of minutes, you generally avoid bad injuries for star players, and, ultimately, get one of the best players in the draft.

Does it work, though? Let's take a look at the perennial tankers of the last few seasons.

Los Angeles Lakers

In 2013, the Lakers were 45 and 37. Not a horrible season, but definitely not a great one. Kobe was definitely on the decline, and because he still had a huge salary, the Lakers couldn't afford to bring in a bunch of other firepower.

In 2014, the Lakers decided to try their hand at the tanking game. They ended that season with just 27 wins, their worst season in the Kobe era. For their efforts (or lack thereof) they were rewarded with the 7th pick in the draft. With that pick they drafted Julius Randle.

Randle has been a pretty solid player ever since, averaging over 13 points per game in his career on 49% shooting, and 16 points per game this year on 55% shooting.

Did the acquisition of Randle lead to more success in the following season? Unfortunately, no. The Lakers finished the 2014-2015 season with a record of 21 and 61, six games worse than the previous season. Obviously, a lot of the blame still rested on the shoulders of a declining Kobe, but so far, tanking hadn't paid off. 

For their next draft pick, the Lakers selected D'Angelo Russell as the #2 overall pick. 

Russell turned out to be a bust. Statistically, he's not bad, averaging about 15 points per game. However, drama between Russell and Nick 'Swaggy P' Young led to a divided locker room, something no team really recovers from. The Lakers front office decided they'd be better off removing the Russell cancer, and traded him just a couple of seasons after drafting him.

In 2016, the Lakers had their worst season yet. Completely distracted by Kobe's protracted 'Farewell Tour', the Lakers finished the season with an abysmal 17 wins. Sad. But I guess when you're tanking, you might as well do it right!

For their best tanking effort in years, the Lakers scored another #2 pick. Brandon Ingram became the newest Laker, and the first Laker to play in Los Angeles after the end of the Kobe era. 

Ingram didn't start producing big numbers right away, but has since developed into a solid player, especially this season in which he improved his 3 point % to 39%. Not bad.

Sadly, the Lakers continued to tank. They finished the 2016-17 season at 26 and 56, better than the last couple of years, but still terrible. For the third year in a row, the Lakers secured the #2 pick in the draft. 

And who did they choose? 

Oh, wait, that's not Lonzo. That's his horribly obnoxious dad, Lavar.

Here's Lonzo: 

Lonzo Ball, the Lakers' new anointed one. He can shoot the three better than Steph Curry, pass better than Magic Johnson, and finish at the rim better than Lebron James (according to his dad).

Well, with the addition of Ball, the Lakers can stop tanking, right?...Right? Guys? 

The Lakers finished this season at 35 wins and 47 losses, their best record in years. 

So has tanking helped the Lakers? ANSWER: NOT YET, but maybe soon.

Philadelphia 76ers

As good as the Lakers were at tanking, the Sixers will always be the undisputed masters. They turned tanking from a strategy into an art form.  Their last legitimate season before starting the tanking game was 2013, when they had 34 wins and 48 losses. In 2014, they took a nosedive (albeit on purpose) and finished the season with a record of 19-63. 

In the draft following that season, the Sixers received the #3 overall pick, and with it drafted the new face of the franchise: Joel Embiid. 

Unluckily for Philly, Embiid spent his first couple of seasons injured, and was therefore unable to contribute. The sixers, though, saw their misfortune as an opportunity to tank for a little while longer. In the 2014-15 season, the 76ers won 1 game less than they did the year before, which is actually kind of impressive. It's hard to do worse than 19 and 63. But if anyone could do it, it'd be Philly.

With the 3rd pick in the 2015 draft, the Sixers shot themselves in the foot.

Jahlil Okafor has been basically nonexistent since his NBA debut, and has somehow managed to get worse each season. Phila was able to dump him off to Brooklyn this season, where he has been equally ineffective.

Anyways, Jahlil didn't help the 76ers at all, and in 2016 they recorded the second worst season in league history, winning just 10 games. The worst season in history? Also the 76ers, clear back in 1973. They won only 9 games that year. I guess Philly has been tanking since long before any of their roster was born! 

For the ultimate tank, the sixers were awarded the #1 pick in the draft. Finally, they had attained their ultimate goal. With that pick, they selected LSU phenom Ben Simmons, who was widely believed to be the heir apparent to Lebron James. 

Like Embiid before him, though, Simmons spent his entire rookie year on the injured list, leaving Philadelphia to once again try their hand at the tank. That season ended with a record of 28 and 54, which is actually somewhat respectable considering their previous season.

Once again, the Sixers were poised to get a top pick in the draft. Through a series of unlikely trades, Philadelphia ended up with another #1 pick. They might have chosen Lonzo Ball with that pick, had it not been for Lonzo's obnoxious father (see above). Instead, they ended up with Markelle Fultz. 

Fultz (as so many Sixer drafts before him) spent a lot of his rookie year on the bench in a suit and tie due to injuries. When he did play, though, there was nothing remarkable about his game. In fact, he didn't play a single minute in the eastern conference semifinals against the Celtics, which should tell you something.

HOWEVER, the 76ers seem to finally have 'trusted the process' long enough to see some payoff. They ended the season at 52 and 30, good enough for the 3 seed in the eastern conference playoffs. 

Has tanking worked for the Sixers, then? ANSWER: YES, but it was a long, arduous process.

Expect them to be good for quite a while.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns haven't had as much practice at tanking as the Sixers have, but they seem to be getting the hang of it. In 2015 they had a decent season at 39 and 43, but still landed themselves outside of playoff contention. They weren't really excited about any of their players, and so the tank started rolling.

The 2015-16 season finished with a record of 23 and 59, their worst since 1969. The 4th overall pick was theirs for the taking, and they chose...Dragan Bender...

Whoops!

Bender has averaged just over 5 points per game on 37% field goal percentage. Not exactly who you want as your 'franchise player.' 

Fortunately for Phoenix, their draft pick from the year before (a young upstart named Devin Booker) started to find a groove. He turned into a prolific scorer, even putting up 70 points on one occasion.

But even with Booker coming into his own, Phoenix wanted to roll around in the garbage for a little while longer.

At the end of the 2016-2017 season they recorded 24 wins and 58 losses, just one game better than the previous season. This sorry excuse for a record lead to the #4 overall pick in the draft, which they used to pick up Josh Jackson. 

Jackson has actually been somewhat of a bright spot for the Suns, averaging 13 points per game in his rookie season. However, Jackson and Booker and Bender assembled another atrocious season, finishing with 21 wins and 61 losses, the worst record in the league.

Has the tanking worked for the suns? ANSWER: NOT EVEN CLOSE, though they'll get another                                                                                  good draft pick this year.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets might never be good again.

After making the playoffs in 2013, 2014, and 2015, the Nets have been a perennial contender for worst record in the league. How did the shift happen so quickly? It all started with a few dumb decisions from the Nets' front office.

Focused on short-term success, the Nets traded away 3 first round draft picks in 2012 to acquire Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. In 2013, they gave away 3 MORE first round picks to get veterans Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. See a trend? Brooklyn traded away young potential talent for old, worn-out, broken veterans in the hopes of winning a championship. And you know how far those hopes got them? A loss in the first round of the playoffs, a loss in the second round, and another loss in the first round.

...and then they had no draft picks.

Thus, the tanking began.

In 2016, the Nets posted 21 wins and 61 losses, not bad for a team with literally no one left. In the draft lottery that year, they drew the #3 overall pick, but had already traded it away to the Celtics. The Celtics drafted Jaylen Brown, who has proven to be a great asset.

Sorry, Nets! You blew it!

In the 2016-17 season, the Nets finished at 20-62, a game worse than the previous season. They were awarded the #1 pick in the draft, but PSYCH! They had already traded it away to Boston, who had then traded it to Philadelphia. Philadelphia drafted Markelle Fultz, who we have already discussed above. He hasn't produced much so far, but will develop more next season as he (hopefully) spends less time on the injured list and more time on the court. Anyways, the point is that he's not on the Nets.

The Nets finished the 2017-18 season with a record of 28 and 54, so it looks like they're on the rise! JK lol. 28-54 still sucks. 

For this coming draft, the Nets are projected to land the #8 pick, but again, that pick has already been traded away. This time, it's the Cavaliers that will be the beneficiaries.

So, has tanking worked for the Nets? ANSWER: NOT EVEN CLOSE, but that's mostly due to bad decisions.

Can it work for the Nets? ANSWER: MAYBE NEVER.

lol

Best and Worst NBA Nicknames

Nicknames are fun. Back in high school my buddies and I came up with nicknames for everyone on our basketball team. Some of them hated their nicknames at first, but if you call someone something for long enough, for some reason they start to love it. In my experience, anyway. Some of the nicknames we came up with included: Big Dumb Cody (he resented it at first, but eventually owned it), Goose, Fluff, Reverend (Rev for short), Smyrna, Salty Dog, Dearest, Moose, Tubbs, and K-Poo to name just a few.

One of the funnier things about nicknames is that when someone tries to come up with their own nickname, it never sticks! I remember a kid who was a couple years older than me tried to get everyone to call him T-Mac. Of course no one did, because that's ridiculous. For one thing, his initials were SP, and for another he was short and white.

Anyways, what are some of the best (and worst) nicknames in NBA history?

Best nicknames, in no particular order:

Tyrone 'Muggsy' Bogues

In case you're completely unfamiliar with NBA history, Muggsy is the short guy in the picture above. But seriously, where did the name Muggsy come from?! Who in the world looked at him and was like, "He looks like a Muggsy"? But it stuck, and now it's awesome

Vince 'Vinsanity' Carter

Everyone loves Vince Carter. His dunks were 'Vinsane.'

Anthony 'Brow' Davis

 

Check out that brow, dude. Most people are embarrassed by unibrows, and you'd think that Davis would be extra self-conscious about it because he's on national television all the time. Also, he has the cash to get Laser Hair Removal. BUT HE OWNS THE BROW! What a guy.

Darryl 'Chocolate Thunder' Dawkins

Perhaps best known for breaking backboards, Darryl Dawkins was ahead of his time as far as dunking goes. He's the reason that breakaway rims were invented. 'Chocolate Thunder' is a pretty good description of his style of play, I think.

Paul 'PG-13' George

It's hard to come up with a more perfect nickname. His initials are PG, his number is 13, and some of his content may not be approved for children under the age of 13.

Andrei 'AK-47' Kirilenko

If there is a nickname more perfect than PG-13, then it's definitely AK-47. His initials are AK, his number is 47, and an AK-47 is a Russian gun. Kirilenko is Russian. So perfect.

Rudy 'The Stifle Tower' Gobert

The name Stifle Tower would be appropriate just because of his blocking ability, but the fact that Gobert is French makes the nickname that much more fitting.

Earvin 'Magic' Johnson 

You know you've got a good nickname when people think your nickname is actually your real name. You call him Earvin Johnson and no one knows who the heck you're talking about, but you call him Magic Johnson and everyone knows.

Shaquille 'Shaq', 'Shaq Daddy', 'Shaq Fu', 'Diesel', 'The Big Aristotle', 'Superman', 'MDE' (Most Dominant Ever), 'The Big Maravich', 'The Big Fella', 'The Big Shaqtus', 'The Big Cordially', 'Big Shamrock', 'O'Nealovic', 'Shaqovic', 'Shaq Attack', 'Saškuille', 'Wilt Chamberneezy' O'neal

Shaq has so many nicknames that it's almost annoying. Almost. My personal favorites are 'The Big Shaqtus' (when he played in Phoenix), 'The Big Shamrock' (when he was a Celtic), and 'The Big Aristotle' (after he got his PhD).

David 'The Admiral' Robinson

Wow. Look at those arms. 'The Admiral' is a great nickname not only because he's freaking intimidating, but also because he served in the Navy.

Worst nicknames, in no particular order:

Paul 'The Truth' Pierce

The Truth? What the heck does that even mean? Paul Pierce poops his pants, and that's the truth.

Allen 'The Answer' Iverson

If Allen Iverson is the answer, then what was the question? "Should we practice tonight?" 

Tim 'The Big Fundamental' Duncan

Wow. If someone tried to call me the big fundamental, I'd smack them upside the head. Might as well call him 'The Big Boring.'

Kobe 'The Black Mamba' Bryant

Remember how I said that nicknames suck if a person gives it to himself? Well, here's Kobe Bryant, giving himself a crappy nickname. 'Black Mamba' might be a cool nickname if the snake is the first thing I think of when I hear 'mamba'. Instead, I think of a bad dance move.

Karl 'The Mailman' Malone

Listen, I love Karl Malone. But can you think of anything less intimidating than 'The Mailman'? Me neither.

Kenyon 'K-Mart' Martin

Lol. Even though the nickname fits his real name very well, who wants to be a trashy version of Wal-Mart?

Nick 'Swaggy P' Young

So Nick...are you a rapper? No? Are you a male prostitute? No? Hmm...what the heck does swaggy P even mean? There's not even a P in your name!

Well, there you go. Some really good nicknames out there. Some really, really dumb ones, too.

Kobe Bryant, Degenerate

Kobe Bryant is, undoubtedly, one of the greatest basketball players of all time. His impact on the game is absolutely undeniable. With a championship ring for every finger on one hand, he's obviously a very talented individual who knows exactly what it takes to win.

BUT (and this is a pretty big but) are talent and the ability to win a basketball game good enough reasons to admire a person? Remember the last few weeks of his 'farewell tour' in 2016? What I remember is trying not to gag at the (literally) hundreds of Facebook posts praising Kobe more than any man short of a deity deserves.

WHY? Why does everybody love Kobe? I honestly can't wrap my brain around it. Has everybody forgotten that the dude straight-up raped a girl back in 2003? Did they forgot that he then tried to bribe the police officers so they wouldn't tell anybody? It sure seems like they've forgotten.

Kobe trying to look sad about raping someone

Imagine if something happened like that today. Imagine if Steph Curry or Lebron James got caught raping a girl and trying to bribe officers of the law. Social media would explode with outcries for the offender to be banned from ever touching a basketball ever again, and the league would oblige. But what happened to Kobe in 2003? Not even a slap on the wrist. He was allowed to play the entire next season, was never issued a fine, and his jersey sales actually went UP.

Wait, what? Kobe fans must be a special kind of disgusting if jersey sales went up following what most people consider to be one of the worst crimes a person can commit. It makes absolutely no sense. I think there is a special place in purgatory reserved for everyone who bought a Kobe jersey that season.

"But, he turned his life around after that!" scream Kobe supporters across the nation. Uhhh...do you even follow basketball at all? True, he never raped anyone again (that we know of), but that certainly doesn't mean he was a good person. If you think that's false, just ask Kobe's teammates. Everybody who played with the guy hated him because he was constantly calling them out, whether in private or right in front of the media. He didn't care. His teammates never mattered to him. And the few players that might actually call him their 'friend' are also horrible people: Ron Artest (or Meta World Peace), Lamar Odom, Derrek Fisher...I could go on, but I think I've made my point. Kobe was a toxic influence on every team he was ever part of.

Lamar Odom 

Now, what I find hardest to understand about the whole Kobe phenomenon is when people call Kobe their hero. I saw a friend's post on Facebook the other day, talking about how Kobe has been his hero since childhood and how much he had learned from Kobe's example and blah blah blah. I was like, "Hmm, interesting choice. Who are your other heroes, O. J. Simpson and Michael Vick?"

O. J. Simpson

Look, all I'm trying to say is this: DON'T BE BLIND. Yes, Kobe is a great basketball player. He is not, however, a hero in any way, shape, or form. He is not a good husband, a good father, a good friend, a good teammate, or a good person. Stop thinking he is. Our children can't afford to grow up with such 'heroes.'

Kobe Bryant is not a man to be admired, but a criminal who deserves to be in jail.

Top Five Most Underappreciated Players

Anyone who watches the NBA knows that there are only a few elite superstars. Surrounding those superstars, however, are role players who are only slightly less influential in any given game. Take Steve Kerr, for example. In game six of the 1997 NBA finals. The Bulls and Jazz were tied at 86 with just seconds left on the clock. The invincible Michael Jordan couldn't find an opening in the Jazz defense. Surprisingly, he passed. Steve Kerr put up the biggest shot of his career, putting the Bulls up by 2 with just 5 seconds left in the game. The Jazz weren't able to convert on the other end, and the finals were over. Kerr was a hero.

All these years later, though, many don't even remember Steve's big shot. All they can remember is Michael Jordan (and sometimes Scottie Pippen gets an honorable mention). But who was it who actually hit the game-winner? Not Michael Jordan.

Role players are important.

So, who are the role players in the NBA today who aren't getting enough credit?

#1 on my list is the Trailblazers' second option, C. J. McCollum.


C. J. doesn't get enough credit due to the fact that he shares a backcourt with Damian Lillard. Many casual fans would be able to pick Dame Dolla out of a crowd, but have no idea who C. J. McCollum is. The stats, though, speak for themselves: in 81 games played this season, C. J. averaged 21.4 points, 4 rebounds, 3.4 assists. He shot 44.3% on field goals and 39.7% from 3.
Lillard's stats tell just about the same story: in 73 games played this season, the Dame averaged 26.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists. His field goal % was 43.9%, and just 36.1% from behind the arc.

Sure, McCollum scores less, but both his field goal % and 3 point % are better than Lillard's. If McCollum had the ball in his hands as often as Lillard does, I'm sure he would score the same amount of points or more than Lillard.

When the Blazers play against my team, I feel more threatened when McCollum has the ball than when Lillard has the ball, and that should tell you something


#2 on my list is Al Horford from the Boston Celtics.


I, personally, am not a fan of Al Horford. This dislike probably has more to do with Horford's sister than it does with Horford himself, which isn't all that fair to Horford, but who cares? Why don't I like Horford's sister, you ask? She spouts her mouth off on Twitter worse than Ayesha Curry!

Cavs fans keep calling Al my husband. He's my brother. Im sure that kind of thing is allowed in Ohio but it's frowned upon most other places


This is just one of many, many examples of Anna Horford's asininity. If I was Al, I'd tell her to Tweet under a different name, please.

Anyways, back to the topic at hand. Al Horford doesn't get enough credit. It's easy to get overshadowed by players like Kyrie Irving, and even Gordon Hayward, who only played a few minutes this hole season, is always mentioned when fans speak of the Celtics. Not Horford, though. His style of play isn't at all flashy, so he goes largely unnoticed. He's like a Tim Duncan: workhorse, fundamental style basketball. He can get it done.

Also, in case you missed it, he hit a big game-winner, followed up with a game-sealing steal to put the Celtics up 3-0 over the Sixers just a few days ago.

Even though I don't like him, I have to give the man credit.


#3: Channing Frye


Many will probably disagree with this one. Frye's career stats are nothing special (in fact, they're pretty lame), and now he's just getting old. He barely played at all for the Lakers this year after being traded from Cleveland mid-season.

So why is Channing (not Tatum) so important to a team?

Frye is what NBA players refer to as a 'glue guy.' Glue guys are exactly what the name implies: they hold the team together.

It's a huge stretch to say that Frye was the most important part of the Cavs championship run in 2016, because to say that it wasn't Lebron would be unpardonable. But I honestly believe Frye was the second-most important part of that team. Before Frye was traded from Orlando, the Cavs' locker room was a nightmare; Lebron and Kevin Love could hardly stand each other. They tolerated one another for the sake of the team, but outside of practice or games they never said a word to each other. All of that changed when Frye hopped on board.

Specifically, what Frye did was as simple as starting a group chat with all of the teammates. The title of the chat was 'Bored' and he would often pose silly questions to his teammates when he was bored. This might sound like a little thing, but it was huge for team chemistry. As an added extension of the group chat, Channing would often post questions about dinner plans and could get everyone on board to go to the same place, something that rarely happened before his arrival.

Team chemistry can never be overestimated. And Channing Frye brings it hardcore.


#4 on my list goes to another Lebron teammate, Kyle Korver.


Kyle is amazing. I mean, just the fact that he could double as Ashton Kutcher gives him plenty of street cred, but to be good at basketball on top of that? The dude's got it all.

Not many people, though, realize just how much credit Korver deserves on the basketball court. Korver is, obviously, one of the greatest 3 point shooters of all time. He is 4th in all-time three pointers made, trailing only Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, and Jason Terry. That's pretty good company to be in (other than Jason Terry, who is a shrew). Korver's value, however, is so much more than his shooting ability.

Lebron James plays a very specific kind of game, and that game requires elite shooters for him to have maximum efficiency. Lebron loves to drive the lane. It's been his bread and butter from the moment he picked up a basketball. When he drives the lane, he has two options: take the ball to the rack, or dish it out for an outside shot. With Korver on the floor, the lane becomes a highway. Defenders are forced to stick to Korver, so they can't sag and give help after Lebron blows by his man. And then, after Lebron makes two or three easy finishes, defenders have to start sagging to slow him down. Luckily, Lebron is one of the best passers in the league, and he will find Korver for the open three all night.

Kyle's game was made to supplement James.


And last, but not least, #5 on my list is anyone on the Rockets not named James Harden or Chris Paul.


The Rockets are obviously really good. The best record in the league speaks for itself. Most of the credit goes (rightly so) to James Harden and Chris Paul. However, their supporting crew is deserving of a considerable amount of credit as well.

If you've watched the Rockets play this season, you know that either Harden or Paul is on the court at all times. Coach D'Antoni has given them the green light to do whatever the heck they want. A lot of times, Harden will dawdle around the 3 point line, play some iso ball, then either take the ball to the hole or shuffle back (traveling about 90% of the time) for his newly-patented step-back jumper. Harden lead the league in points per game this season, so he's obviously doing something right. Chris Paul plays a similar game, but he isn't quite as confident from 3 point range and prefers the 15 footer from the free-throw line extended.

So what are their teammates doing while Harden and Paul are doing everything by themselves? Well, usually nothing. Capella will set a whole bunch of illegal screens, but most of the rest of the team will just camp out on the three point line waiting for an unlikely kick out. Some of them are lucky to take 2 or 3 shots per game.

Why, then, do I believe that these players deserve more recognition? Because of the sheer amount of patience and humility it would take to play in this system. No plays ever get called for them. Their stats are never going to look impressive. They probably get bored watching Harden shoot 30 free throws per game. Honestly, it would suck being on the Rockets. But somehow, these guys put up with it. I think that if they go all the way this year, it will have been worth it. But if they get beat by the Warriors next round, I can see a revolt developing. D'Antoni's system might just come crashing down around him, similar to his failed experiment with the Phoenix Suns last decade.



Honorable Mention: Zebow! the Alien here rarely gets the credit he deserves for playing the greatest
2v2 season of all time. Somehow, despite Zebow!'s obvious superiority, Kemp was named MVP. What a rip off.