This time of the year is when all things NBA grind to an almost stationary crawl. ESPN tries to drum up interest by prognosticating winners or various awards and season ending ranking and players most likely to be traded etc, etc. Seems like a good idea to me.
We’ll be doing a multi-part version of our own forecast, now in its third year, the Boredcast. This time we’re using the DBB on 3 set up to do it.
Here we go with part 1:
1. Who are your top three predictions for Rookie of the Year in the NBA? Who will be the Pistons’ ROY?
Steve Hinson:
1. Luka Doncic - He’s the most NBA-ready player in the class and his fit in Dallas should be terrific.
2. Trae Young - It may not be pretty, but he’ll put up some big numbers.
3. Jaren Jackson - Long term, Jackson could be the best two-way player in the class. He might not get the minutes to be in the top three, but his production should be solid.
I don’t think Khyri Thomas or Bruce Brown will really even see the court for the Pistons, so...I guess Henry Ellenson.
Lazarus Jackson: Luka, Luka, and Luka, because HE SPITS HOT FIRE. No, honestly, EuroLeague MVP Luka Doncic was already the best player in the class - don’t let the fact that he didn’t play a second of summer league distract you from that fact. If anything, Doncic not playing summer league is a positive - it enables him to recover from the wear and tear of the playoff series he was a part of - you know, the one where he led Real Madrid to a championship?
Considering anyone else for RoY is utterly baffling to me, no offense to anyone in the thread who does so.
As for Pistons RoY, my heart says Bruce Brown when he steps up in the Dwight Buycks role in case of another point guard injury, but my head says Khyri Thomas, who leverages the high floor of his team defense and ability to make corner threes to wedge his way into three-guard lineups.
Ryan Pravato: Wendell Carter, Luka Doncic, Jaren Jackson Jr.
As for the Pistons, let’s go with Luke Kennard -- because SVG didn’t play him enough last season so in my book he’s still kind of a rookie ;0. Truth is truth.
Justin Lambregtse:
1. Luka Doncic
2. DeAndre Ayton
3. Collin Sexton
For the Pistons: I guess Khyri Thomas because he is the Pistons rookie I see most likely to get playing time even though I doubt he will.
David Fernandez:
1. DeAndre Ayton - Bad team, big man, will feast.
2. Luka Doncic - Possibly best player in the draft, on a possibly-horrid, perhaps middling team, who’ll be given as green as a light as Carlislenian-possible.
3. Mo Bamba - Bad team, big man, will put up some gawdy defensive numbers, and will impress on the offensive side of the ball too.
While I’m more excited about Bruce Brown Jr. in totality, Khyri Thomas nets Pistons ROY. His ready-now shooting skill set and comparable on-ball defense to Brown, makes him more likely to find a role in the Pistons rotation next season.
*(Note: Votes were placed for RoY for the illustrious DeAndre Austin and Greg Robinson III. We wish them both luck, wherever they are.)
2. Who are your top three predictions for Most Improved Player in the NBA? Who will be the Pistons’ MIP?
Steve Hinson:
1. Kevin Love - With LeBron gone, Love goes back to something near his Minnesota numbers. He’s going to remind folks just how good he is.
2. Jarrett Allen - He was so good last year in limited minutes. This year with another year under his belt and bigger minutes, Allen will raise some eyebrows.
3. Markelle Fultz - Because if he’s not, Philly’s ceiling looks much different.
The Pistons’ will be Luke Kennard.
Ben Gulker: For the Pistons, please basketball gods, let it be Jon Leuer. If it isn’t, the Pistons have a pretty serious depth problem up front.
Lazarus Jackson: MIP is a tough pick, because so much of it is tied to the unknown - which guy got traded to a team that will feature him better? Who really filled in some holes in their game during the offseason? Whose coach is finally ready to trust in him? Which guy is finally healthy? With all that said, I like Brandon Ingram (good combination of “age-related improvement” and “going to look much better as a tertiary option next to LeBron”), Mario Hezonja (figured some things out at the end of last season, will absorb a lot of possessions in a major media market), and Zach LaVine (going to put up a metric ton of counting stats for a bad team).
For Pistons, MIP, if the answer ISN’T Stanley Johnson or Henry Ellenson, they are in deep trouble.
Ryan Pravato: I like Jonathan Isaac. He’s only 20 and going into just his second season, so I’ll likely be picking him for MIP for the next three seasons to cover that base. Dante Exum or Caris Levert are probably stronger options at this point. Ingram and Jarrett Allen are good names to keep an eye out for, too.
Pistons most improved will be Andre Drummond. Call me a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. If Andre is a shoo-in for the All-Star team then the Pistons are a top-four team in the conference -- take that to the bank.
My second pick is Ellenson. The kid has talent -- it’s there -- can he put something together and have that all-important confidence take off for good?
Justin Lambregtse: I honestly can’t really make a prediction for this because it is usually somebody who comes out of nowhere
For the Pistons: my man Henry Ellenson. Yeah, go ahead and laugh, but I think he will be the stretch 4 that Jon Leuer is too scared to be.
David Fernandez:
1. Jaylen Brown - Brown is a special player with another year under his belt and another summer of developing his skills. He may net his first All-Star selection this year, and will prove why he’s undoubtedly the second best player from the 2016 draft.
2. Mario Hezonja - I don’t think Hezonja only caught lightning in a bottle during the second half of the 2017-18 season, there’s something there.
3. Jeremy Lin - Played maybe one game last season, so he’s not on the national conscience. Lin is good, he’ll l have an opportunity to do what he does well, score the ball.
Jon Leuer, like Jeremy Lin, missed almost the entire season last year. If he can somehow find his 2016 (pre All-Star break) form, it’d give Detroit some insurance at the PF spot, one of their weakest positions on the roster. If JL can take something (ANYTHING) off of Blake’s plate, which helps Blake remains healthy, then Leuer would have earned his year’s salary.
3. Who are your top three predictions for 6th Man of the Year in the NBA? Who will be the Pistons’ 6th Man of the Year?
Steve Hinson:
1. Carmelo Anthony - Sympathy award for him being a good sport coming off the bench.
2. Isaiah Thomas - I think he’ll thrive in Denver, particularly to be the closer the team badly needs to take pressure off Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
3. Jae Crowder - Probably isn’t enough of a scorer to get this many votes, but if Utah is able to take the next step into the upper tier of the Western Conference, Crowder will be a big reason why.
Hopefully the Pistons get a full season out of Reggie Jackson so that it can be Ish Smith.
Ben Gulker: NBA: Whoever scores the most points per game coming off the bench!
Pistons: I think it goes to Reggie Bullock or Luke Kennard, depending on which one wins the starting job. If somehow both of them end up starting, Ish Smith seems like the next guy up.
Lazarus Jackson: Lou Williams, Fred VanVleet, and Eric Gordon - dudes who come off the bench and score points, same as it ever was. Don’t mind Steve’s Isaiah Thomas pick, either, in that same vein.
For the Pistons, if they’re foolish enough to do the smart thing and not listen to me, their 6MoY will be Luke Kennard, who (although he should be starting) will... come off the bench and score points in bunches. I sense a theme.
Ryan Pravato: Terry Rozier, if he’s coming off the bench for the Celtics. Austin Rivers (Wizards) and Trey Lyles (Nuggets) are also intriguing, perhaps. Some of the names others have written above me are good bets as well.
For the Pistons -- it’s Ish Smith. He will show that he’s a consistent and shifty weapon as one of the very best backup point guards in the league. The key word is backup.
Justin Lambregtse: Whoever scores the most points off the bench because that is usually how this award goes. It will probably be Lou Williams again.
For the Pistons: Luke Kennard. I think the Pistons will play him off the bench and feature him and he will become their go-to scorer off the bench.
David Fernandez: 1. Terry Rozier - Had his coming out party last season, is definitely a starting level point guard who’s reduced to a bench role since Boston is so damn greedy, he’ll get some big minutes and put up solid numbers.
2. Eric Gordon - The Rockets are really really good, and so is EG.
3. Glenn Robinson III - Just putting this into the ethos for the Basketball Gods to contemplate.
For the Pistons, see above.
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Those are who we’re feeling...how about you all? Please play along in the comments below!
1. Who are your top three predictions for Rookie of the Year in the NBA? Who will be the Pistons’ ROY?
2. Who are your top three predictions for Most Improved Player in the NBA? Who will be the Pistons’ MIP?
3. Who are your top three predictions for 6th Man of the Year in the NBA? Who will be the Pistons’ 6th Man of the Year?