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 240 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 241 Cup Points: 60 Games, 24.7 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 10.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 31.6 PER, 13.2 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 (31.6), Win Shares (13.2), VORP (7.7) 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. 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 is now in the number two hole, and is a bona fide MVP contender, and in a dogfight with Jokic. 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
3. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 230 Cup Points: 63 Games, 30.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 23.8 PER, 8.8 WS. (#3 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).
4. 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 dropped two spots to #4, which was due mostly to a thigh injury, and inactivity since the last update. He 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 is not be the case anymore.
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. (#5 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 continues to cost him. 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, 216 Cup Points: 70 Games, 25.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 4.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 20.7 PER, 7.8 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, 213 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. (#7 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. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks, 198 Cup Points: 61 Games, 26.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 10.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 22.5 PER, 5.8 WS. (#9 on last ranking)
Young is the face of an intriguing Hawks squad, but was unable to make the NBA All-Star Team.
9. 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. (#8 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.
10. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz, 194 Cup Points: 60 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.
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