MIP 10-11??
I get that I'm being a homer here but I say Roy Hibbert will at least be in the conversation. He has been working as hard as anybody in the NBA this offseason and if he can get 10 rebounds a game instead of 6 and the Pacers even make it to an 8th seed it will really turn heads. I mean if he had 15 ppg, 10 rpg, and 2 blocks per game you would at least have to give the guy some consideration.
I think the players with the best chance of winning most improved would be beasley, demar derozan and jj hickson. Beasley is going to get alot of touches and if minny doesnt force him to play defense, he could pretend he's at KU all over again and maybe he'll do well. Demar derozan will have the opportunity to be the "next Vince Carter" (yeah right) he will get alot of touches and opportunities to score so i expect him to have a pretty good year. Lastly jj hickson because cleveland really has no one else. This is contingent on whether cleveland plays antawn jamison more minutes than hickson so we'll see how it turns out. And to rudeboy.... Mother teresa and mr rogers as parents... Fuccing hilarious
hmm i'd love to see either James Harden or Serge Ibaka step up big time this year. My biased number would be like 14 and 4 for Harden and 12 and 7 with 2 blocks for Ibaka, but thats wishful thinking probably. In reality, Beasley could go back to his KSU game and play really well, but I don't think he's in the right situation. Derozan would really need to step up his offense this season for a team that isn't looking to hot, but i don't see him over 12ppg. Honorable mention might go to Hedo Turkoglu, in the suns running game he can take some ball handling from nash and play real well. Maybe 17 5 5? However, my prediction is Nick Young. I know he'll have to challenge Wall and Arenas for mintues, but I think with 25 MPG he could get 14 and 5 easily, and if he gets closer to 30MPG, i see him averaging 15+ PPG and being that 6th man for the wizards.
derozan will have a very good chance to win as he'll be a number2 scoring option and with his increased range could be looking at 17 5 and 2 type yr. Look at trevor ariza, nothing more than a good role player, given free reign over the scoring for the rockets and excelled. i think he was even avg around 17 or 18 prior to the kevin martin trade. derozan has much better natural gifts and a more "smooth" game.
other candidates could include t-will,holiday,tyrus, one could even say felton potentially.
Not so sure ibaka and harden will get the role or minutes to have a chance at mip.
I don't know about Beasley, he will struggle fighting for the starting job with draft classmate K-love. But he might be a strong candidate for 6th man of the year.
Derozan should do well now that Bosh is gone, but I expect Bargnani to take the team to "stardom" They need to find a center to compliment Bargnani and fast. It is painful to watch him play Center.
Now that Tyreke is not the man in Sac-town, but they have actually developed around with other up and coming stars such as Cousins, I think he will still do well but he will not have the same type of numbers he had last year. At best he will probably 25, 3 rpg, and 3 apg. Now we will see the the true Evans, and I think we will be disappointed compared to last season. But if he gets those numbers, he will not be considered for MIP, because that award goes to someone for their hard work and seemingly unforseen rise into stardom. Only hard work and dedication can help a player reach that level. Certainly Tyreke has this as do many other competitors for MIP, but he does not possess the "seemingly unforseen rise into stardom" because of what he did last year.
One player I think we are all forgetting about is CJ Miles. I think he could steal the show and really show who he is, he could really help Utah. I saw hints of this last year in the playoffs and I liked what I saw. Honestly, I don't know who to really compare him too because he has only shown hints of his rising talent, but I have heard of a Michael Finley comparison, that isn't too shabby. You are all underestimating him, and he will prove you all wrong. I am expecting numbers like this 15, 5rpg, and 2apg. I expect him to be the #3 scorer right behind Dwill and Big Al.
I go with Javale Mcgee. Most likely he'll make Team USA by default, and carry that momentum on possibly a gold metal team and a great summer league to the season. He could put up Joakim Noah type #'s this year with more blocks however. I could see somewhere around 3 if he get enough min and he should.
I see The B-Easy and Love Show making dramatic improvements this year......
not sure either of them take MIP though.
Any thoughts on Al Jefferson getting it a couple years after his surgery and
now playing with a legit All Star PG?
I think he could have a monster year.....
If Randolph puts up those numbers next season, it will make the Knicks a lot more attractive to FA's in the next few years. If he gets the time I think he could do pretty well playing in Mike's system, maybe not 17-10 but like 14-8-3 with 2 bpg could be completely possible if he gets the time and team chemistry correct.
Michael Beasley 21-8-2-1-1
Kevin Love 18-14-3-1-1
Let's see, you think Minnesota will get 39 points, 22 rebounds, and 3 assists from their power forwards? Really? I think Beasley will end up being their starter at the 4, and could very well end up their leading scorer. Such a belief, however, means Love stays on the bench and plays fewer minutes. Also, your faith in Kevin Love's mad shot blocking prowess needs to be tamed. He'll never average 1 per.
Anthony Randolph 17-10-3-1-2/3
No chance he plays enough. He won't get minutes at the 3 or 4 with Gallinari and Stoudemire being locks for 35 when healthy. So the assumption would have to be that he will get minutes as the small ball 5, but Stoudemire wouldn't want to go for that against most of the teams in the East. Amare doesn't want to guard the post scorer for the opponent, and Randolph isn't physically capable of doing so. Also, D'Antoni, like most coaches, doesn't like handing big minutes to dumb players. He'll bench Randolph for doing things the wrong way just like Nellie did.
DeMar DeRozan 15-5-2-1-1
Get back to me when he does anything a wing has to do to be an efficient player. He is athletic, and that is about it. I actually think Toronto will be a better team with Barbosa and Kleiza starting and having him come off the bench where he is more likely to get the cheapies he has to rely on. Honestly, if DeRozan does get that stat line, I would love Toronto's chances of getting the top pick in 2011.
Brandon Jennings 23-4-8-2-0,2
A player can't average as many shots as points, so he needs to find a way so that some of those shots with no rotation he puts up don't knuckle out. With Ridnour gone, he should get a longer leash, but it could also mean Keyon Dooling just becomes the safety valve for those 4-15 nights.
J.J.Hickson 17-9-2-1-1
Let me put it this way, Hickson has had three games in his career where he has had at least 17 points and 9 rebounds. He has had 3 assists in a game all of twice.
Andrea Bargnani 23-8-2-0,5-2
His role isn't changing. It isn't like with Hedo and Bosh gone that they are just going to feed Bargnani. They have gone without Bosh for stretches before, and it isn't like Bargnani's numbers change. He isn't a go-to guy, and doesn't have the mentality to be one.
Greg Oden 16-11-2-0,5-3
How many games?
Terrence Williams 12-6-5-1-0,5
He is actually a guy who might see his minutes decline. New GM, owner, and coach who brought in their own guys in Outlaw and Morrow.
Jrue Holiday 14-4-8-2-0,5
He isn't a good enough point to average 8 assists per game.
DeJuan Blair 13-10-2-1-1
How? Duncan and Splitter are starting, and behind them are Bonner, Blair, and McDyess. Blair can't play against length, so he will always be a bit player.
Rodrigue Beaubois 14-4-5-2-0,5
Where is he getting the minutes and shots to do that?
Serge Ibaka 11-8-1-1-3
Laughable. The guy is a fouling machine, and anyone who thinks he is going to see his role grow has to consider the fact that he is going to be in foul trouble all the time. A guy can hack all he wants if they only want him for 15 minutes, but a player can't do that if a team expects more.
Earl Clark 14-7-2-1-1
He isn't going to see the floor.
D.J.Augustin 15-3-8-1-0
Time share with Livingston, so unless he gets hurt this is much too high.
James Harden 15-4-4-1-0,5
He'll never guard his position well enough to get those kind of numbers. His minutes aren't going to increase much.
Tyreke Evans 25-7-7-2-1
His numbers are not going to increase much. He might be able to raising his scoring output a bit improving his shot. The other numbers aren't going move. If anything, his rebounding numbers will go down.
Tyrus Thomas 15-9-2-2-3
Inconsistent effort and a tendency to not think will always keep him from reaching the potential people think is there.
Michael Beasley 21-8-2-1-1
Anthony Randolph 17-10-3-1-2/3
DeMar DeRozan 15-5-2-1-1
Brandon Jennings 23-4-8-2-0,2
Kevin Love 18-14-3-1-1
J.J.Hickson 17-9-2-1-1
Andrea Bargnani 23-8-2-0,5-2
Greg Oden 16-11-2-0,5-3
Terrence Williams 12-6-5-1-0,5
Jrue Holiday 14-4-8-2-0,5
DeJuan Blair 13-10-2-1-1
Rodrigue Beaubois 14-4-5-2-0,5
Serge Ibaka 11-8-1-1-3
Earl Clark 14-7-2-1-1
D.J.Augustin 15-3-8-1-0
James Harden 15-4-4-1-0,5
Tyreke Evans 25-7-7-2-1
Tyrus Thomas 15-9-2-2-3