Looking at SLN from the Sky
Posted: August 20th, 2024, 12:26 pm
As is tradition in Orlando, I bring you, Bored on a Plane. With today’s flight, I’ll take a look around the league making some general observations with perhaps a few spicy takes (not likely, we eat the most bland food in Orlando).
1. Big Breakouts
Myles Turner - NYK
What an outstanding start to the season Myles has had. I hate that the gimmicky SF thing works as a basketball purist but props to Nav for unlocking all of Myles’ potential there and creating new stips killing future Turners. Compared to Rasheed Wallace by many, this looks pretty accurate thus far. I doubt his shooting stays THIS good but it’ll be fine. If Embiid doesn’t resign, Nav will have a very interesting decision ahead on whether it’s time to cash in on a sky-high stock or risk it for the biscuit.
Devin Booker - ORL
His coach was an absolute idiot last year and stubbornly refused to play him as the Magic were truly disappointing and managed to miss more shots than known possible. After a terrific super camp/TC jumping to B+/A outside heading into year 3, Booker has responded with 23/6/5 on .461/.508/.822 as the #1 option.
Kevon Looney - TOR
He’s beginning to look like Baby Diop. Just completely allergic to shooting the ball while providing 13.6 boards per 36 and 2.6 blocks per 36, ladies and gentlemen, your next great big butt!
Kristaps Porzingis - VAN
Showing massive jumps in both production and efficiency, Kristaps has started to become a potential All SLN guy. Will be interesting to see if the efficiency holds or ticks down a bit over the rest of the season but the early returns are amazing. His blocks are a touch low for what you’d expect from KP and the turnovers a bit high, but this guy is going to be a problem for a long time. Also B+ rebounding for a guy with massive rebounding issues in his notes is pretty incredible.
Karl-Anthony Towns - MIN
Finally got a chance to play starter minutes and KAT has more than responded. 17/10 with 2 blocks and 47% from the field is a nice start. Similar to KP, the efficiency might not quite hold but KAT is a future All SLN guy and will be a dominant force with Giannis for years to come.
The Lakers Young Fellas
No one has truly broken out yet but Poeltl and Bam both look pretty nice and Andrew Wiggins has taken massive steps in every category.
Jabari Parker - GSW
Starting in his natural role as PF, Jabari has responded 20 ppg and a positive stock to turnover while shooting nearly 50/40/90. I have no clue what he looks like on defense but Jabari looks to have tapped into his immense potential.
HM: Marquese Chriss and Jerami Grant
2. Is this real?
Lou Williams - NJSD
Amidst an offseason filled with never ending trade rumors, the real Ladies’ Man of SLN has responded with a career high 32.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, and 2.4 spg at .496/.470/.899. I think this is semi-real. He’ll cool off a tad but Lou is 31 and at the end of peak prime. The real question is does Steven ride this out for the year or try to move Lou into a more manageable salary cap situation.
Yaroslav Korolev - TOR
Look, I think Yaro is good and always have. Is he this good? I doubt it. Dude had 17 rebounds against me at SG in game 1 smh. He’s currently at career highs in basically every single stat category and is dragging Tony Parker’s corpse through the backcourt to a great record. Expect some negative regression to elite 4/5th starter status.
Zach LaVine - CLE
Took a massive jump to clear the 30 ppg barrier with hardly any change in turnovers, albeit already high. Zach had some amazing TC defensive luck to go from a one way player to 2 steals per game and A- defense. [TC gods, feel free to do this to Devin Booker] I think this is real. Been a bit LaVine fan for SLN from the beginning, he’s a stud.
Marcus Morris - MIN
A forgotten man in the Twin Cities. Mook is quietly having the best season of his career and playing like a beast as the 5th guy for the Wolves. 15.5/6 on .497/.564/.826, Mook is definitely helping to drive this train forward and could be an intriguing FA target for wing needy teams in the offseason. I’m going to say…real, Mook is a good starter.
Derrick Rose - LAC
It’s so real, he’s a SG! 28.7 points on .547/.436/.885, DRose is really really good. My only concern, if you can call it that, is if he’s good enough to make the Clippers interesting to where Bobby doesn’t capitalize on his trade value. DRose could be the best player available in a trade right now.
3. NDL Guys to Watch
Dorian Finney-Smith: He’s diminished but the path is clear for Doe to get his game off
OG Anunoby: Can’t wait to see what he looks like. If there’s some offensive volume here, OG can get some sick gains and look really good in the future.
Kris Dunn: Just here for the Pot. He’s gonna sweep award SZN.
Luke Kennard: JJ Redick 2.0. Went to Duke and plays for Santa Cruz. He’s all shooting and nothing else. Expect 3 years of insane gains.
Jake Layman: Because I’m assuming he’s the best NDLer ever and that’s why he’s being preemptively recalled on Day 60?
4. Is he dead?
Tony Parker - TOR
These shooting averages are SO bad. There has to be positive regression because my goodness. Think we may be seeing the end of SLN’s greatest PG. The coroner hasn’t completely called it yet out of respect for Tony but he’s ready to.
Primoz Brezec - PHI
He died last year and his zombified corpse will be ring chasing with LeBron
Ben Gordon - MIN
Hot take, not dead! Just not that great anymore. Got some positive regression. He’s probably headed to hospice care but still has a pulse
Gilbert Arena - HOU
RIP, died after being traded with 800 RP for Chris Paul
5. Other Random Thoughts Since Our Flight Is Almost Landing
The Atlantic is the best division in SLN this year. When one of our bad teams is LeBron/LMA/CP3 and the other is Dame/Klay/Wade, you don’t get a lot of easy games. Smart by Wes to choose these few years to tank.
Brad Beal might just be kinda bad. Only 19.4 PPG on a team with no scoring and 3.4 TO’s to go with C+ Def and C- Reb…yikes. On the bright side, he signed for less than the rookie max and is only owed $68M?
Pascal Siakam needs TC Jesus
Andre Drummond is good. Pacers will be a monster at the end of the season unless Tong tears it down from boredom
Nerlens is amazing but in 3 months people will complain he’s way overpaid on podcasts
RoCo, I’m gonna need some more from you my dawg.
Is it time for the Heat to start gauging Dame and Klay’s trade value? I think so. Dame looks like Troy Hudson but on a great deal
Draymond kind of has nice counting stats now?
Perk and Biedrins were great pick ups for the short term Hawks. The 2022 FRP could be one to watch in the future.
Nolan gifting his brother a likely top 5 pick is either the nicest unintentional gift ever or pure collusion! Honestly, just awful luck from Nolan in FA. SLN giveth Shaun Livingston and a title, then it taketh everyone
I was wrong on the pod when I said the Wolves would win the MidBest Division. Grizzlies are very nice after the Conley acquisition. Looking forward to see if there are more moves over the course of the season.
Tyus Jones looks like Jason Hart took steroids and I’m sad I traded him. Other spurs thought, RoLo might be kinda good now?
Jazz are really solid but am sad watching Al Hefty start to decline. Makes me feel SLN old
Ryan Anderson is such a unique player. Think he could be really nice to have but always gets paid a giant salary matching number
Monta Ellis…still really good. Otto Porter has to be one of the best never talked about players. Not a star, but just good.
Ben Simmons doesn’t look as bad as I thought he would. He might end up really interesting and like a guy Jesse trades for in 3 seasons and hypes up as a superstar
Somebody free Rashad McCants!
1. Big Breakouts
Myles Turner - NYK
What an outstanding start to the season Myles has had. I hate that the gimmicky SF thing works as a basketball purist but props to Nav for unlocking all of Myles’ potential there and creating new stips killing future Turners. Compared to Rasheed Wallace by many, this looks pretty accurate thus far. I doubt his shooting stays THIS good but it’ll be fine. If Embiid doesn’t resign, Nav will have a very interesting decision ahead on whether it’s time to cash in on a sky-high stock or risk it for the biscuit.
Devin Booker - ORL
His coach was an absolute idiot last year and stubbornly refused to play him as the Magic were truly disappointing and managed to miss more shots than known possible. After a terrific super camp/TC jumping to B+/A outside heading into year 3, Booker has responded with 23/6/5 on .461/.508/.822 as the #1 option.
Kevon Looney - TOR
He’s beginning to look like Baby Diop. Just completely allergic to shooting the ball while providing 13.6 boards per 36 and 2.6 blocks per 36, ladies and gentlemen, your next great big butt!
Kristaps Porzingis - VAN
Showing massive jumps in both production and efficiency, Kristaps has started to become a potential All SLN guy. Will be interesting to see if the efficiency holds or ticks down a bit over the rest of the season but the early returns are amazing. His blocks are a touch low for what you’d expect from KP and the turnovers a bit high, but this guy is going to be a problem for a long time. Also B+ rebounding for a guy with massive rebounding issues in his notes is pretty incredible.
Karl-Anthony Towns - MIN
Finally got a chance to play starter minutes and KAT has more than responded. 17/10 with 2 blocks and 47% from the field is a nice start. Similar to KP, the efficiency might not quite hold but KAT is a future All SLN guy and will be a dominant force with Giannis for years to come.
The Lakers Young Fellas
No one has truly broken out yet but Poeltl and Bam both look pretty nice and Andrew Wiggins has taken massive steps in every category.
Jabari Parker - GSW
Starting in his natural role as PF, Jabari has responded 20 ppg and a positive stock to turnover while shooting nearly 50/40/90. I have no clue what he looks like on defense but Jabari looks to have tapped into his immense potential.
HM: Marquese Chriss and Jerami Grant
2. Is this real?
Lou Williams - NJSD
Amidst an offseason filled with never ending trade rumors, the real Ladies’ Man of SLN has responded with a career high 32.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, and 2.4 spg at .496/.470/.899. I think this is semi-real. He’ll cool off a tad but Lou is 31 and at the end of peak prime. The real question is does Steven ride this out for the year or try to move Lou into a more manageable salary cap situation.
Yaroslav Korolev - TOR
Look, I think Yaro is good and always have. Is he this good? I doubt it. Dude had 17 rebounds against me at SG in game 1 smh. He’s currently at career highs in basically every single stat category and is dragging Tony Parker’s corpse through the backcourt to a great record. Expect some negative regression to elite 4/5th starter status.
Zach LaVine - CLE
Took a massive jump to clear the 30 ppg barrier with hardly any change in turnovers, albeit already high. Zach had some amazing TC defensive luck to go from a one way player to 2 steals per game and A- defense. [TC gods, feel free to do this to Devin Booker] I think this is real. Been a bit LaVine fan for SLN from the beginning, he’s a stud.
Marcus Morris - MIN
A forgotten man in the Twin Cities. Mook is quietly having the best season of his career and playing like a beast as the 5th guy for the Wolves. 15.5/6 on .497/.564/.826, Mook is definitely helping to drive this train forward and could be an intriguing FA target for wing needy teams in the offseason. I’m going to say…real, Mook is a good starter.
Derrick Rose - LAC
It’s so real, he’s a SG! 28.7 points on .547/.436/.885, DRose is really really good. My only concern, if you can call it that, is if he’s good enough to make the Clippers interesting to where Bobby doesn’t capitalize on his trade value. DRose could be the best player available in a trade right now.
3. NDL Guys to Watch
Dorian Finney-Smith: He’s diminished but the path is clear for Doe to get his game off
OG Anunoby: Can’t wait to see what he looks like. If there’s some offensive volume here, OG can get some sick gains and look really good in the future.
Kris Dunn: Just here for the Pot. He’s gonna sweep award SZN.
Luke Kennard: JJ Redick 2.0. Went to Duke and plays for Santa Cruz. He’s all shooting and nothing else. Expect 3 years of insane gains.
Jake Layman: Because I’m assuming he’s the best NDLer ever and that’s why he’s being preemptively recalled on Day 60?
4. Is he dead?
Tony Parker - TOR
These shooting averages are SO bad. There has to be positive regression because my goodness. Think we may be seeing the end of SLN’s greatest PG. The coroner hasn’t completely called it yet out of respect for Tony but he’s ready to.
Primoz Brezec - PHI
He died last year and his zombified corpse will be ring chasing with LeBron
Ben Gordon - MIN
Hot take, not dead! Just not that great anymore. Got some positive regression. He’s probably headed to hospice care but still has a pulse
Gilbert Arena - HOU
RIP, died after being traded with 800 RP for Chris Paul
5. Other Random Thoughts Since Our Flight Is Almost Landing
The Atlantic is the best division in SLN this year. When one of our bad teams is LeBron/LMA/CP3 and the other is Dame/Klay/Wade, you don’t get a lot of easy games. Smart by Wes to choose these few years to tank.
Brad Beal might just be kinda bad. Only 19.4 PPG on a team with no scoring and 3.4 TO’s to go with C+ Def and C- Reb…yikes. On the bright side, he signed for less than the rookie max and is only owed $68M?
Pascal Siakam needs TC Jesus
Andre Drummond is good. Pacers will be a monster at the end of the season unless Tong tears it down from boredom
Nerlens is amazing but in 3 months people will complain he’s way overpaid on podcasts
RoCo, I’m gonna need some more from you my dawg.
Is it time for the Heat to start gauging Dame and Klay’s trade value? I think so. Dame looks like Troy Hudson but on a great deal
Draymond kind of has nice counting stats now?
Perk and Biedrins were great pick ups for the short term Hawks. The 2022 FRP could be one to watch in the future.
Nolan gifting his brother a likely top 5 pick is either the nicest unintentional gift ever or pure collusion! Honestly, just awful luck from Nolan in FA. SLN giveth Shaun Livingston and a title, then it taketh everyone
I was wrong on the pod when I said the Wolves would win the MidBest Division. Grizzlies are very nice after the Conley acquisition. Looking forward to see if there are more moves over the course of the season.
Tyus Jones looks like Jason Hart took steroids and I’m sad I traded him. Other spurs thought, RoLo might be kinda good now?
Jazz are really solid but am sad watching Al Hefty start to decline. Makes me feel SLN old
Ryan Anderson is such a unique player. Think he could be really nice to have but always gets paid a giant salary matching number
Monta Ellis…still really good. Otto Porter has to be one of the best never talked about players. Not a star, but just good.
Ben Simmons doesn’t look as bad as I thought he would. He might end up really interesting and like a guy Jesse trades for in 3 seasons and hypes up as a superstar
Somebody free Rashad McCants!