The Washington Wizards trading Russell Westbrook: 1 MORE: 'I pretty much do everything great': KD on his 2K rating It was clear all three stars were on a level unto themselves at this point. The only other name even mentioned by those polled was James, though he ultimately didn't receive any votes. "Health is a big if going forward, but his combination of scoring and defense is tough to bear." "A healthy Durant gives more on both ends than anybody else," an East scout said. In addition to Durant's overall offensive dominance, several of those who ultimately picked the Brooklyn Nets superstar said the difference came down to him not having the same kind of obvious flaw in his game as compared to Antetokounmpo's ongoing battle at the free throw line. "The things he's able to do offensively are generational, and I don't know if you can stop him. "I think he's the best scorer in the league, I don't think it's close, and he's pretty good defensively too," a Western Conference scout said. Those who favored Durant, on the other hand, had an equally compelling argument: his ongoing status as the league's most complete and dominant offensive force - possibly the greatest the sport has ever seen. "You can certainly argue for Durant and LeBron, but between injury and age, can they consistently do it?" "He's unlocked a different cheat code at both ends that gives him that spot," he said. "People love to focus on his faults," an Eastern Conference executive said of Antetokounmpo, "but he's a hell of a player."Īnother East executive pointed to past stars who have taken another step forward after breaking through and winning a title, and he expects Antetokounmpo to do the same. Who is the best player in the NBA heading into the 2021-22 season?Īfter Antetokounmpo powered the Bucks to an NBA title and Durant - following his incredible performance against Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference semifinals - led Team USA to a fourth straight gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, the two of them split the voting for the honor of the league's top player going into next season.įor those who backed Antetokounmpo, the reasoning was obvious: the way he guided Milwaukee through the playoffs and to the franchise's first title in 50 years. Now that it's in the books, what will next season bring? Here's what a panel of 10 NBA scouts and executives had to say about what has transpired over the past few weeks and what it all means for the 2021-22 campaign. That served as the unofficial end of the 2021 NBA offseason. Those feelings were kicked off by the NBA returning to its typical summer league schedule this month following last year's hiatus, with the annual showcases for the league's incoming class of players taking place in California, Utah and, ultimately, Nevada, where the Sacramento Kings beat the Boston Celtics to win the Las Vegas Summer League title on Tuesday night. And, with it, a boosting of the league's bottom line heading into the 2022-23 campaign next summer, based off recent projections the NBA released about where the salary-cap and luxury tax lines are expected to land. Now, even as the pandemic rages on, the hope and expectation is that next season will see as much of a return to normalcy across the NBA as possible. ![]() The COVID-19 pandemic has caused as much upheaval across the NBA as any sports league in North America and beyond, with the 2019-20 season ending in a bubble inside the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, and most of last season being played in front of empty arenas across the league.īy the end of the 2020-21 campaign, however, the arenas in Milwaukee and Phoenix were packed to the gills during the NBA Finals - and, in Milwaukee's case, saw a sea of people congregating outside of them - to watch the Bucks knock off the Suns and win the franchise's first championship in half a century. The past two seasons have seen the NBA - like the rest of the world - deal with unprecedented circumstances. NBA, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns NBA offseason survey: Execs, scouts on the biggest deals, best players and 2022 title favorites You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |