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.

A Red Sox for the entirety of his career (1974-89), Jim Rice patrolled the Outfield and launched Home Runs past it.  Called up in 1974, Rice was there to stay the following year, helping propel Boston to an appearance in that year’s World Series.

From 1977 to 1979, Rice was one of the most feared hitters in Baseball, winning back-to-back Home Run Titles (1977 & 1978), and the MVP in ’78.  That year, Rice not only led the league in taters (46), he topped all in RBIs (139), Hits (213), Triples (15), Slugging (.600), OPS (.970) and OPS+ (157) and in the two years that book-ended his MVP, he finished fourth and fifth for that award respectively.

Rice was still solid in the early 80s, winning a third Home Run Title in 1983 (39), along with another RBI Title (126) and was fourth in MVP voting.  Rice also won his first of two straight Silver Sluggers, and in 1986, he had his last good year, with a 20 HR/.324 BA year where he was third in MVP voting.

The eight-time All-Star played until 1989, and smacked 382 Home Runs, 1,451 RBIs with an OPS of .854.  Rice would need the entire 15 years of eligibility to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame, but was quickly inducted into Boston’s Hall in 1995.  His #14 was retired by the team 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 callup while still a teenager on April 25, 2018, and would win the Rookie of the Year with a 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 12rh 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).

Unfortunatly for Acuna, he had a slow start to the 2024 season, and tore his ACL in May.  If he bounces back, he will rocket back up this list.

1954 SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the years up to 1953.

For “1954” a Preliminary Vote with over 130 players whose playing career ended by 1948. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

A week later, the voters were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

30 Votes took place, with the top five advancing.

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the Coaches/Contributors

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the Class of the 1954 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!