Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top Colorado Rockies.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Colorado had another abysmal year, but there was a new entry and some fluctuation.

As always, we present our top five, which had one change.

1. Todd Helton

2. Larry Walker                     

3. Nolan Arenado

4. Troy Tulowitzki

5. Charlie Blackmon

You can find the entire list here.

Blackmon just did enough to make it into the top five, moving from #6 to #5.

Pitchers, German Marquez moved up one spot to #15, and Kyle Freeland, advanced two ranks to #17.

The biggest jump was by Infielder, Ryan McMahon, who advanced ten spots to #32.

First Baseman, C.J. Cron, is the lone new entrant, debuting at #50.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

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 third year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 100 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 230 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 232 Cup Points:  58 Games, 24.3 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 10.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 31.3 PER, 12.6 WS.  (#1 on last ranking)

The two-time defending MVP (and NIHOF Cup Champion) remains at the top, despite the pleas of Kendrick Perkins. Jokic is leading the league in PER (31.3), Win Shares (12.6), VORP (7.4) and Box Plus/Minus (13.0).  He is also averaging a triple-double, leading the NBA in that stat, and is third in Rebounds per Game.

2. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 227 Cup Points:  57 Games, 33.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 29.6 PER, 9.4 WS.  (#2 on last ranking)

Doncic holds at #2, but that spot appears to be in jeopardy as he was recently injured with a thigh injury and is second in scoring (33.0), VORP (6.0) and Box Plus/Minus (9.5) while currently placing third in PER (29.6) and fourth in Win Shares (9.4).  He was an early MVP contender, but that might not be the case anymore.

3 (TIE). Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 225 Cup Points:  62 Games, 30.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 23.7 PER, 8.7 WS.  (#4 on last ranking)

Tatum climbed back into the top three.  He is still a huge threat to win this award, as well as the MVP, though some of his advanced statistics are lacking.  He should finish over 30 Points per Game (he is currently sixth).

3 (TIE). Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, 225 Cup Points:  52 Games, 33.3 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 30.8 PER, 9.4 WS.  (#5 on last ranking)

Embiid gets back to the top three, and is a bona fide MVP contender.  He is currently the scoring leader (33.3) and is second in PER (30.8).  Embiid is also in the top five in Wins Shares, VORP and Box Plus/Minus.  Could this be the season he takes Philadelphia all the way?

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 219 Cup Points:  52 Games, 31.2 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 5.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 28.5 PER, 7.1 WS. (#3 on last ranking)

The two-time MVP would have probably been on the top had he not missed a series of Games earlier in the season, and he is now dealing with another ailment, which caused him to drop two spots.  He is now a six-time All-Star, and is in the top five in both Points and Rebounds per Game.

6. Julius Randle, New York Knicks, 208 Cup Points:  67 Games, 25.3 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 4.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 21.0 PER, 7.9 WS. (#6 on last ranking)

Randle continues to climb the list, and currently has a higher PPG (25.3), than his first All-Star year two years ago (24.1).

7. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 207 Cup Points:  57 Games, 31.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 27.3 PER, 9.4 WS. (#8 on last ranking)

Gilgeous-Alexander went to his first All-Star Game, and is shattering last year’s averages, which were already good.  He is currently dealing with some nagging injuries, but you have to imagine just how pathetic the Thunder would be without SGA.

8. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, 205 Cup Points:  53 Games, 27.1 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 8.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 23.8 PER, 5.6 WS. (#6 on last ranking)

The last two weeks of Morant’s life has been a disaster, with a bevy of poor personal decisions that has led to a suspension.  Currently away from the Grizzlies, he has dropped two spots in Cup Point standings from the last update.  This is a man with serious growing up to do.

9. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks, 198 Cup Points:  59 Games, 26.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 10.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 22.3 PER, 5.4 WS. (#9 on last ranking)

Young is the face of an intriguing Hawks squad, but was unable to make the NBA All-Star Team.  

10. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz, 189 Cup Points:  59 Games, 25.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 22.5 PER, 7.8 WS.  (#10 on last ranking)

Markkanen is now the first player from Finland to be an All-Star and after two months, he returns to the top ten in Cup Points.  This the year of his life.

Our next update will happen after the first player breaches 240 Cup Points.

C.J. Cron was an average player (at best) for years, first making the Majors with the Angels in 2014, but faltering by 2020 with Detroit, where they had no problem letting him go.  Cron was signed to a Minor League deal by the Rockies to little fanfare, and most people in the Mile High City likely didn’t notice.  That would eventually change.

Cron won the starting job at First for the Rockies in 2021, showing his usual power (28 Home Runs) but batting .281, his highest to date.  He got off to a great start in 2022, earning his first trip to the All-Star Game, an unlikely achievement considering where he was two years before.  He finished the year with career-highs in Hits (148) and RBIs (102) with 29 Home Runs. 

Cron regressed in 2023, and dealt with injuries.  With the Angels desperate to try t make the playoffs in a bid to keep Shohei Ohtani, the Rockies dealt Cron there, ending his run in Colorado.  Overall, Cron had 334 Hits and the best run of his career.

There are very few sports organizations around the world  that have the history and legacy of the Boston Celtics. Since being founded in 1946, the Celtics have gone on to win 32 division titles, 10 conference titles and 17 NBA Finals while seeing nearly 40 of their former players be inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame including 23 of them having their numbers retired by the organization. 

Below, we’ll take a look at several of those hall of famers that played for the green and white over the franchise’s nearly 80-year history. Who will be the next Celtic to be inducted into the hall of fame? Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum…Using a BetMGM Massachusetts bonus code is a must now that online sports betting is about to be legalized in the state of Massachusetts.

Bill Russell

Widely considered one of the greatest basketball players ever, Russell is arguably the greatest winner in sports history winning 11 NBA titles during his career, all with the Boston Celtics between 1956 and 1969 in his 14-year NBA career. He was also a five-time MVP, a 12-time NBA All-Star, a three-time All-NBA First Team selection, and an eight-time All-NBA second team selection. He was also named to the NBA’s 25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th anniversary teams while also having his No.6 jersey retired by not just the Boston Celtics but league wide as well, with no player on any team being allowed to wear the number. 

Larry Bird

Another player widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history. Bird is a three-time NBA Champion, a three-time NBA MVP, a 12-time NBA All-Star, a nine-time All-NBA first team selection, and the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980 among many other accolades. Quite simply, Bird is one of the greatest players to ever suit up and he has had his No.33 jersey retired at the high school, collegiate, and NBA level. 

Kevin McHale 

Another Celtics legend from the 1980s, McHale was a three-time NBA Champion for the Celtics alongside Larry Bird as well as a seven-time NBA All-Star, a three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, a three-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection and a two-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year award winner. He also was named to the NBA All-Rookie team in 1981 as well as being a 50th and 75th NBA anniversary team selection. His No.32 jersey is retired by the Boston Celtics. 

Paul Pierce

Pierce is the most recent Celtic on this list, playing for the organization from 1998 through 2013. Pierce is considered one of the best small forwards of the last 30 years and was a 10-time NBA All-Star as well as a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team. Pierce would go on to be a first-ballot NBA Hall of Famer while also having his No.34 jersey retired by the team in 2018. 

John Havlicek

Another key part of the Celtics dynasty in the 1960s and 1970s, Havlicek helped lead the organization to eight NBA titles over 16 seasons while being a 13-time NBA All-Star and being named to the All-NBA first team four-times. He also was one of the best defenders of his era, being named to five NBA All-Defensive First Teams and three NBA All-Defensive Second Teams. The Celtics retired his No.17 in 1978 immediately after his retirement following the 1978 season. 

Robert Parrish

One of the greatest centers of his era, Parrish was another member of the Celtics success in the 1980s winning three titles with the organization between 1980 and 1994. He was also a nine-time NBA All-Star during his 21-year career with all nine appearances coming while a member of the Celtics. He was a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams and has his double zero jersey retired by the Celtics. 

These of course are just a handful of the 37 players that have played for the Celtics before being inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Other notable Hall of Fame players include Pete Maravich, Dave Cowens, Bill Walton, Dennis Johnson, Gary Paton, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Dominique Wilkins, Bob McAdoo.

 Future NBA Hall of Famers that played for the Celtics include Rajon Rondo and Kyrie Irving. Outside of those two point guards, the next best chance for hall of fame candidacy is likely of star forward Jayson Tatum. While the 25-year old still has a long ways to go in his career to reach that point, his career is off to a great start including being a four-time NBA All_Star, being an All-NBA First Team selection, an All-NBA Third Team selection and being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2018.