In general, there is a distinction for recognizing the best players in the league in descending order. At the top of the food chain, we have a legitimate MVP candidate. Not MVP material, but there are better All-NBA players than just All-Stars. And then there are the All Stars.
But this season, three players stand out who fit perfectly into none of those categories. I’m going to call them sub-MVPs in that their value to their respective teams is as high as just about everyone in the league, but in the same way it’s not Rock that they’re trying to succeed . An All-Star team, not an All-NBA team.
They are:
Indiana had to give up a really good player in Domantas Sabonis to get Halliburton. It’s not a guarantee.
Whether he succeeds or not, Halliburton’s worth Pacersone of the league’s two most amazing teams (along with kings), which feels much better than the usual All-Stars. This year was supposed to be a wash in Indiana. Instead, they are just one game behind the top six seeds.
Indiana operates on tight profit margins. Only two teams have played more clutch games than this (he had five points in the last five minutes), and when Halliburton is on the floor, he has 15 in such games. 10 wins and 10 losses. We tend to think of the best clutch performers as bucket getters like DeMar DeRozan, but Halliburton continues to create crunch time for his teammates. His 18 clutch assists are second only to Nikolajokic and Luka Doncic.
Indiana’s Hope Meter soared with Halliburton at the helm. He is second in the league with his 10.2 assists per night. He leads all-time in assists, fourth in all-time steals and tenth in all-time 3-pointers made. No other player finished in the top 10 in all three categories. In fact, even if he could get Halliburton’s assists down to 5 per game, over 39% of the time he’s averaging 20 points, 5 assists and 1.5 steals on 39% of his shots in the league. is the only player Forget that funky shape. This guy is cash.
Halliburton’s Joy factor is also off the charts. This is important in terms of the vibe that influences the product on and off the floor. ? Haliburton is a wizard at will. He has to drop more no-look dimes than anyone other than the name Nikola Jokic. He launches into the air with the ball, which should be a big no-no, but he delivers dishes consistently and on time from twisted and rotated positions. For a small market/non-free agent destination team, it’s a great asset in recruiting time, if only for the right role players.
To me, if Halliburton didn’t make the All-Star team, it would be a joke. I can’t imagine him not. But that difference alone isn’t enough to justify what he’s come to mean to this franchise in such a short time: he’s not his MVP contender. But he sits at the top of my sub-MVP list.
Branson is Knicks To… wait… an absolutely competent basketball team. They don’t often beat themselves up. They average the fourth-lowest turnovers and make the fourth-most free throws. Branson is behind both those numbers. His ability to get into the paint (he’s 18.9 drives per game, his fourth-highest in the league) opens everything up to a New York offense that was arrhythmic before his arrival.
Branson’s footwork around the rim is great. pivot. Spin. up and under. fade away. No guard in the league has made as many shots in the paint as Brunson. He was patient when he stopped, never speeding up, and took a small chip from Luka Doncic’s block. He has already registered four 40-point games this season, the same number he recorded in four years in Dallas. Given more opportunities, Branson is clearly the most valuable player the Knicks have acquired in a while.
With Branson in control, everything is more organized. Julius Randle is no longer miscast as the primary initiator. You can see how good he is when deployed properly. The sturdiness of a prized off-season pick-up, especially the trusty Knicks under stretch. His 95 clutch at Branson is the only two players to have scored more than his points, and he has slipped more than his 55% in those conditions.
Defense has been central to New York’s recent win, and Branson hasn’t played a big part in it. I do not care. Brunson is at the heart of an important Knicks move, with Quentin Grimes on board, and according to Cleaning the Glass, he outscores opponents with 11 points per 100 possessions. He may not make the All-Star team. Regardless, his value outweighs that distinction.
Confirm that you would like to subscribe by checking the opt-in box.
Thank you for your registration.
Keep an eye on your inbox.
sorry!
An error occurred while processing the subscription.
De’Aaron Fox could very well be the Kings player we’re talking about here, but I’d go with Sabonis. They became a real team when the Kings traded him for him, as they come into play on Saturday, where he is fourth in the West. It’s even crazy to write.
Sabonis is Yokirite. His 48.1 frontcourt touches per game rank him third in the league behind Jokic and Joel Embiid. He is the Kings’ third-ranked offensive centerpiece, dribbling his handoffs, screens, high-post passes, popping his jumpers, Sabonis is a master of it all. He shoots 50% of his shots between the restricted area and his 3-point line. He’s almost 40% off his 3.
And that’s all before he gets close to the basket, and it’s impossible for him to deny. Sabonis makes nearly 70% of his shots within five feet. He leads the league in rebounding. He draws fouls on more than 20% of his shot attempts, much like Embiid, who draws fouls more effectively than anyone in the league.
This, along with Fox’s improved shooting and spacing advantage for players like Kevin Harter and Keegan Murray, means the Kings are more than just a pace team, ranking third in half-court offenses according to the CTG. Sabonis is a good bet to make an All-Star team, and while he may be better positioned than the Foxes in terms of position, he really should listen to Fringe MVP.
I’m not talking straight. He doesn’t belong in that category. But it’s not just the guy in the All-Star cutline whose name is mentioned here and there. Because in the context of an organization that hasn’t made the playoffs in 16 years, there are only a handful of guys who mean more to the team this season.
