If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NHL Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at Thanksgiving, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will be doing updates every Monday.

Here is the sixth current top ten in Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins. 78 Cup Points:  38 Games, 24 G, 31 A, 55 P, +11, 6.8 PS. (#1 Last Week)

The Boston Bruins (like last year) have been the best team early in the season, and it is David Pastrnak who has led their offensive threat.  He is the league-leader in Shots (189), is third in Points (55), sixth in Goals (24), and is Boston’s leading scorer, and is in the top ten in most essential offensive categories.  Could he win his first Hart, but if not, maybe his first NIHOF Cup?

2. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning.  71 Cup Points, 40 Games, 28 G, 39 A, 67 P, -3, 7.7 PS.  (#2 Last Week)

Kucherov is in his tenth season in Tampa, and is putting forth a season that could gain him another Hart or Art Ross.  He is leading the NHL in Points (67) and is second in Goals (28) and third in Assists (39).  It is a minor surprise that he is not first in Cup Points, but he is close.

3.  Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs, 63 Cup Points:  33 Games, 30 G, 15 A, 45 P, +7, 6.0 PS. (#3 Last Week)

The American sniper is back as the league’s top goal-scorer, holding the lead in that (30) and Even-Strength Goals (22).  If he holds that, Matthews will win his third Rocket Richard Trophy, though Kucherov is closing in fast.

4 (TIE). Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators, 60 Cup Points:  40 Games, 21 G, 24 A, 45 P, +7, 5.4 PS (#4 Last Week)

Forsberg is off to the best start of his career and should make his second All-Star Game, though other than Even-Strength Goals (2^nd with 19) and Game-Winning Goals (3^rd with 5), he is not in the top ten in any major offensive category. 

4 (TIE). Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers.  58 Cup Points, 38 Games, 25 G, 30 A, 55 P, +2, 6.5 PS. (#10 Last Week)

Panarin returns to the top ten, and is strange to think that he fell out of it at all.  The Russian Left Wing is third in Points (55), fourth in Goals (25), and tenth in Assists (30), and is poised to have his best goal-scoring campaign to date.

5.  Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche, 59 Cup Points:  40 Games, 22 G, 43 A, 65 P, +9, 7.1 PS. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

MacKinnon returns to the top ten as his teammate, Mikko Rantanen fell off.  He took over the league-lead in Assists (43) and is second in Points (65), and eighth in Goals (22). 

7 (TIE). Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers, 58 Cup Points:  34 Games, 13 4, 40 A, 54 P, +10, 5.6 PS.  (#8 Last Week)

The Edmonton Oilers have been a disappointment thus far, and McDavid has not been lighting the lamp like he did last year, but he has however been a great playmaker, and is second in Assists (40) and fifth in Points (54).  Can he make it back to the top of the mountain?

7. (TIE). Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers, 58 Cup Points:  39 Games, 28 G, 22 A, 50 P, +17, 7.0 PS.  (#6 Last Week)

Currently having the best year of his life, Reinhart is the current leader in Power Play Goals (13), Game-Winning Goals (7). and Shooting Percentage (27.7), and is also second in Goals (28), and eighth in Points (50).  Historically a good player, Reinhart has never had a first half like this before.

9. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, 56 Cup Points:  22 Games, 22 G, 19 A, 41 P, +14, 5.4 PS.  (Not on the Top Ten Last Week)

We have to admit we are happy to see Sidney Crosby in the top ten, as even though “Sid the Kid” is over 35, but this is a legend!  Crosby is eighth in Goals (22) and ninth in Even Strength Goals (16) as of this writing.

10. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs, 55 Cup Points:  37 Games, 21 G, 33 A, 54 P, +5, 5.9 PS.  (Not Ranked in the Top Ten Last Week)

Matthews is the star of the Leafs, by Nylander might be the top player this year.  He is currently fifth in Points and seventh in Assists (33).

Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen, Nashville’s Juuse Saros and New Jersey’s Jack Hughes fell out of the top ten.  Notably, we have no Goalies in the top ten for the first time.

Our next update will be next Monday.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the fourth year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic winning the first two, and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers winning last year.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at Thanksgiving.  We will update this every Monday.

Here is the current top ten:

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 146 Cup Points, 37 Games, 3.95 Cup Points per Game, 25.5, PPG, 11.8 RPG, 9.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 31.3 PER, 7.8 WS.  Last Week, #1.

Clinging to the top is Nikola Jokic, who last year became an NBA Champion and Finals MVP.  At present, the Joker is leading the NBA in Defensive Rebounds (332), Win Shares (7.8), Offensive Win Shares (5.6) Box Plus/Minus (13.9), VORP (5.0) and Triple Doubles (11).  He is also second in PER (31.2), third in Assists per Game (9.2), fourth in Rebounds per Game (11.8).  Jokic also was named the November Player of the Month, which is his seventh overall.  Based on the last two weeks, we would not be surprised if the Joker falls off the top when we do this again next week.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 142 Cup Points:  35 Games, 4.06 Cup Points per Game, 31.6 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 30.1 PER, 6.3 WS.  Last Week, #2.

The two-time MVP has never had a better supporting cast than he does now, and he is responding by doing what he always does: dominate.  Antetokounmpo, however has slightly less metrics than previous years, but the arrival of Damian Lillard means he does not have to always carry the load.  He is third in Points per Game (31.8), sixth in Rebounds per Game (11.6), and is the league-leader in Field Goals (410).  Recently, Giannis won his tenth Player of the Month Award and is the biggest threat to overtake the Joker for the top spot since we started promoting this season’s Cup Standings.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 140 Cup Points:  33 Games, 4.24 Cup Points Per Game, 31.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.4 APG, 2.4 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 31.1 PER, 7.2 WS.  Last Week #3.

Gilgeous-Alexander broke through to the upper-tier last season, and he is proving that this was no fluke.  He is leading the NBA in Steals per Game (2.4), is second in Win Shares (7.2) and VORP (3.6), third in PER (31.1), and Box Plus/Minus (10.4) and is fourth in Points per Game (31.5).  The Canadian is now an MVP contender, and could join Steve Nash in that exclusive club.  Even if he doesn’t this year, SGA added his first Player of the Month Award in December.

4. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 131 Cup Points:  31 Games, 3.97 Cup Points per Game, 33.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 9.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 27.6 PER, 5.3 WS.  Last Week #4.

Doncic is on a four-year streak of First Team All-NBA stars, and he is on pace to add a fifth.  Hs is the league-leader in Points (1,111), second on Points per Game (33.7), fourth in Assists (9.2), and is in the top seven in PER (27.6), Box Plus/Minus (9.5), VORP (3.5) and Win Shares (5.3).

5 (TIE). Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 121 Cup Points:  33 Games, 3.67 Cup Points per Game, 27.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 21.8 PER, 4.6 WS.  Last Week #6.

Tatum begins the year the way he ended the last one: an MVP contender on a power team.  He has already a nabbed a Player of the Week Award, is eighth in PPG (27.5) and is poised to take the Celtics on his back to a title.

5 (TIE). Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, 121 Cup Points, 27 Games, 4.48 Cup Points per Game, 34.6, PPG, 11.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 34.1 PER, 5.7 WS.  Last Week #5

Embiid is the reigning MVP, NIHOF Cup Winner, and two-time scoring champion, and he is currently leading the NBA in scoring again (34.6).  The 76er is also first in Usage Percentage (36.0), and PER (34.1), and is in the top ten in Rebounds and Blocks per Game.  Embiid has missed a few games earlier in the season, which has caused his drop on the list.  Had he been healthy, he might be #1, but he is number one in Cup Points per Game.

7. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, 114 Cup Points:  35 Games, 3.26 Cup Points per Game, 25.2 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 2.6 BPG, 25.8 PER, 5.8 WS.  (#8 Last Week)

Davis is currently second in Rebounds per Game (12.2), and is the healthiest he has been in years.   He is also fourth in Blocks per Game (2.6) and Win Shares (5.5) and seventh in PER (26.6). 

8 (TIE). Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, 110 Cup Points:  34 Games, 3.24 Cup Points per Game, 27.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 20.6 PER, 3.4 WS. (Last Week #9)

Curry makes his return to the top ten, and it looks like he is slowing down a bit, though the other similarly aged pieces around him are aging must faster.  He has moved up to tenth in PPG (27.1) and has drained the most 3-Point Field Goals (155).

8 (TIE). Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers, 110 Cup Points:  32 Games, 3.43 Cup Points per Game, 24.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 12.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 26.4 PER, 5.4 WS. (Last Week #9)

Last year, Haliburton was a surprise entrant in the top ten, and here he is again, though there is not a shock in 2024.  Haliburton is the league-leader in Assists per Game (12.7), Assists (410), Assist Percentage (50.7) and is flirting with 25 Points per Game, which is a mark he never made.  He is also sixth in PER (26.4).

10 (TIE). LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, 110 Cup Points:  34 Games, 3.24 Cup Points per Game, 25.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 23.7 PER, 3.9 WS.  #9 Last Week.

James set the all-time scoring record last year, and he continues to defy time by playing at an elite level.  The legend added another accolade by leading Los Angeles to the first In-Season Tournament Championship.

10 (TIE). Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns, 110 Cup Points:  29 Games, 3.82 Cup Points Per Game, 29.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 6.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 24.1 PER, 4.0 WS.  Last Week #7.

Durant remains a superstar and when he is healthy, he is among the best in the world.  KD is scoring as good as always, but the chemistry in Phoenix is not there and we are seeing the same pattern that we have seen before.  He is still an All-Star, a first-ballot Hall of Fame entrant, but does he make teams better?  Lately, no.

Nobody fell off the top ten.

Our next update will be up on next Monday.

Jim Rice patrolled left field at Fenway Park for the entirety of his 16-season career (1974–1989), serving as the successor to the "Lifer" lineage established by Williams and Yastrzemski. Arriving in late 1974, Rice became a full-time fixture the following year, providing the middle-of-the-order muscle that propelled the Red Sox to the legendary 1975 World Series. From the moment he stepped into the box, Rice established himself as the most feared power hitter of his generation.

Rice’s peak from 1977 to 1979 remains one of the most productive three-year stretches in American League history. In his 1978 MVP campaign, he authored a season of the ages, leading the league in Home Runs (46), RBIs (139), Hits (213), and Triples (15), an incredible feat for a power hitter of his stature.  He swept the efficiency metrics as well, topping the AL in Slugging (.600) and Total Bases (406), becoming the first AL player to eclipse 400 total bases in 41 years.

The "Sultan of the Fens" remained a premier threat well into the 1980s. He secured his third Home Run Title in 1983 with 39 blasts and his second RBI crown with 126, finishing fourth in the MVP race. An eight-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, Rice’s consistency was his hallmark; even in 1986, he provided the veteran leadership and production (.324 average and 20 HRs) necessary to lead Boston back to the World Series, finishing third in the MVP voting that season.

Rice concluded his career in 1989 with a résumé that defined an era of Boston baseball. He amassed 382 home runs, 1,451 RBIs, and a lifetime .854 OPS. While his path to Cooperstown famously required the full 15-year eligibility window, the Red Sox organization never wavered in its recognition of his greatness. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1995, and his Number 14 was officially retired in 2009.

From the moment the Atlanta Braves signed Ronald Acuna Jr. as an amateur Free Agent from Venezuela, they knew they had someone special.  From a baseball family, Acuna wasted little time in making the Braves roster, receiving a call-up while still a teenager on April 25, 2018, and would win the Rookie of the Year award with 26 HR/.917 OPS year. 

Acuna was an All-Star in his second season, blasting 41 Home Runs with 101 RBIs and was the league-leader in Runs (127) and Stolen Bases (138).  Also winning his first Silver Slugger, Acuna was fifth in MVP voting and took his spot as one of the most exciting players in Baseball.  Acuna was 12th in MVP voting in the COVID-shortened year, with a second Silver Slugger (14 HR/.985 OPS), and was an All-Star again in 2021, but tore his ACL before the mid-summer classic, ending what could have been his first MVP year, though he had some consolation when the Braves won the World Series.

Acuna returned in late April the following year and was voted into his third All-Star Game, though it was a down year for the Outfielder, who only had 19 Home Runs and an OPS of.764, but he exploded in 2023, where he was the best player in baseball.  Acuna led the NL in Runs (149), Hits (217), OBP (.416), OPS (1,012), and OPS+ (168).  He also took advantage of the relaxed base-stealing rules, topping the league with 73 swipes and creating the first-ever 40/70 club.  Acuna won the Silver Slugger, MVP, and Major League Player of the Year, and contended for the Batting Title (.337).

Unfortunately for Acuna, he had a slow start to the 2024 season and tore his ACL in May.  A year later, Acuna was back in the Majors, and he was an All-Star again and the worthy winner of the NL Comeback Player of the Year.

Still a Brave and still in his prime, Acuna has top ten potential in an already crowded field.