People LOVE Power Rankings in sports. It’s pretty stupid. So, of course, I have MY Stupid Power Rankings. I take 10 things from the NBA and WNBA (or not) in the past week and rank them accordingly. You don’t like them? Make your own rankings!
This list has quite a few items on the newly-minted NBA Most Valuable Player. Well, it’s good AND bad. Let’s check the list.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images.)
1) Rising From the Ashes and Into the West Finals
This is just impressive by the Phoenix Suns.
They were going absolutely nowhere, even in the 2019-20 season. Then the bubble happened and they shocked everyone by going 8-0. They didn’t make the postseason but a culture and an attitude were established.
They got Chris Paul and Jae Crowder in the offseason and they were off to the races. The Suns still surprised everyone by getting the #2 seed in the tough Western Conference. And then they went on to eliminate both West Finalists from last season. Now the Suns are Western Conference Finalists themselves and they are looking legit right now. Could a Finals return after 28 years actually happen? Can CP3 finally make the NBA Finals?
Stay tuned.
“Two things you only dream of coming together.”
Little did we know, this Taco Bell commercial was predicting the future for the Denver Nuggets.
*started from the bottom now we HAVE NIKOLA JOKIC THE MVP* pic.twitter.com/ZQJhjvcLlY
— Katy Winge (@katywinge) June 8, 2021
2) #41 Pick Wins NBA MVP Award
I don’t think this gets said enough but Nikola Jokic winning MVP is remarkable in many ways. He was picked in the second round. He was bypassed 40 times in the draft before the Denver Nuggets selected him. His selection wasn’t even televised and a taco ad was being shown instead.
Then he worked steadily to become the centerpiece of that franchise. Now he’s the MVP. It’s an incredible story and it bucks a lot of NBA trends. He may be the exception, not the rule, but it doesn’t make it less awesome.
Congratulations, Nikola Jokic.
BLAKE ON GIANNIS. OH MY. pic.twitter.com/GOKC3pdYs8
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 8, 2021
3) Blake Griffin Can Still Do This
Blake Griffin decided to go into his KIA, play How Bizarre, and dunk on Giannis.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Benny Sieu/USA Today.)
4) Rudy Gobert Wins Third Defensive Player of the Year Award
Dikembe Mutombo. Ben Wallace. Dwight Howard. All of them have won, at least, three Defensive Player of the Year awards. Rudy Gobert joined this illustrious company. And he proved it by even going out to the perimeter to seal Game 1 with a block on Marcus Morris!
(PHOTO CREDIT: Ron Hoskins/Getty Images.)
5) Candace Parker Has Returned
Candace Parker is back and the WNBA is better for it. It also coincided with the Chicago Sky finally stopping their long 7-game losing streak. Her statline wasn’t gaudy in her first game back but in the next game, she went for 20 points and 14 boards. The Sky won both games with Parker back in the line-up.
“Yep, he the MVP.” 😂@DeandreAyton is amazed by Nikola Jokic’s statline. #ThatsGame pic.twitter.com/pH1Ra1zb9T
— NBA (@NBA) June 12, 2021
6) Deandre Ayton’s Reaction to Jokic’s Line
Believe me; I didn’t know Jokic went for 32-20-10 in Game 3. My reaction was pretty much like Ayton’s.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Kelvin Kuo/USA Today.)
7) The Clippers Baffle Me
The Clippers had golden opportunities to steal a game in Utah as the Jazz were without Mike Conley in both games. But they lost both games on the road and missed a chance to steal home court. I know they won against Dallas in a bizarre 7-game series where no team won a home game until Game 7. But the Clippers are a championship-caliber team that should be able to do better.
They did win Game 3; the Jazz were still without Conley. But they SHOULD be holding serve against Utah here.
I think.
Nikola Jokic : 22 points on 9-17 shooting, 1-4 from 3, 3-4 from the FT line, 11 rebounds & 4 assists in 28 minutes (Ejected with 3:52 left in the 3rd quarter for this flagrant 2 foul against Cameron Payne) pic.twitter.com/ownFsH0Abs
— Lee Harvey (@AyeThatsLee) June 14, 2021
8) Nikola Jokic Swipe
This was really ill-advised by Jokic. He wanted to do a hard foul to change the complexion of the game but he inadvertently hit Cameron Payne in the face. Your mileage may vary on the judgment but the fact of the matter is that he put himself in that position for the officials to make that call.
What a way to end Denver’s season.
JRUE NUTMEGGED KD 🤯
GIANNIS DUNKED ON BLAKE 😳 pic.twitter.com/l47tnEwhHv
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 13, 2021
9) The Brooklyn Nets Look Shook With Injuries
I hate that this is happening to the Nets.
They had already lost James Harden to a hamstring injury and then, in Game 4, they lost Kyrie Irving to a horrific ankle injury. That leaves Kevin Durant alone from that vaunted Big Three. They did NOT look great against the Bucks, especially with P.J. Tucker all over Durant.
Speaking of THAT match-up…
Kevin Durant and PJ Tucker got right into each other’s faces. pic.twitter.com/wB4IvtAUxv
— ESPN (@espn) June 11, 2021
10) Overzealous Bodyguard
Durant and Tucker got into a little… discussion in Game 3. And then Durant’s bodyguard, who was hired by the Nets this season, went on the court and pushed Tucker during the little tiff.
Yeah, that is NOT cool at all. They can shield and deescalate but they shouldn’t be pushing players like that. He was rightfully banned from both venues the rest of the series.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the NBA as well.
You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else.
R.I.P. Nala.