The Knicks are having their best NBA season and it’s about time that we show some love to them.
The Tom Thibodeau-coached squad has an 18-18 win-loss card, and the idea of them returning to the postseason is looking promising by the day.
Meanwhile, here at SBOTOP, we also continue to monitor the NBA 2021 odds of certain individual awards such as the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player as we’re approaching the halfway part of the 2020/21 season.
Read on below as we got you covered with the latest NBA 2021 updates.
Can the Knicks sustain their surprising run?
The Knicks have been a pleasant surprise this season because of how well they have been playing as of late.
Now perched as a sixth seed in the East, Tom Thibodeau’s coaching chops are in full display as his old-school, no-nonsense approach is rubbing the young Knicks the right way.
One of the main beneficiaries of Thibodeau’s arrival is Julius Randle, who recently got his first-ever All-Star citation.
The burly forward is having a career season with norms of 23.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game, and he is the alpha dog for the Knicks who are making a push for its first playoff run since 2013.
Julius Randle is currently on a contract year and his outstanding campaign should earn for himself a lucrative contract next season. He has made it clear that he wants to remain a Knick.
RJ Barrett is also enjoying a fruitful campaign under Thibodeau by emerging as the team’s second-leading scorer. The leftie swingman averages 16.5 points per game and he has shown major improvement on both ends of the floor.
Coming into the season, the Knicks were expected to languish once again in the lottery. However, they have proven doubters wrong.
Whether the Knicks end up snagging a playoff spot or not at the end of this term, they have now built a viable foundation that New York fans will look forward to in the next few seasons.
LaMelo Ball is running away with the Rookie of the Year
From the moment he took on the reins as the Hornets’ point guard, LaMelo Ball is showing everyone why he should be the Rookie of the Year.
With averages of 20.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game, the lanky playmaker was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for February. At the same time, he leads all rookies in PPG, RPG, APG, and SPG.
Ball has been the Swiss-knife the Hornets needed because he can score, pass, and create for his teammates, while his physical tools help him become a decent defender.
PJ Washington and Miles Bridges have been on the receiving end of his superb passes, and those forwards have improved their numbers playing alongside the rookie point guard.
His exploits have put Charlotte to the eighth spot in the East with a 16-18 record and they are in good shape to make it back into the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Like the Knicks, the Hornets have something to look forward to in the foreseeable future with LaMelo Ball as their foundational piece.
The MVP award remains up for grabs
LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid remain as the big favourites as far this season’s MVP award is concerned. They have been putting up monster numbers especially last month as they try to lead their respective teams.
Nikola Jokic is a one-man wrecking crew for the Nuggets as he leads them in scoring and assists with averages of 27.1 points and 8.5 assists per game. However, his team is currently 19-15 so far.
Joel Embiid, meanwhile, is having a great season under head coach Doc Rivers with norms of 29.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He is the main reason why the Sixers are leading the East right now.
But for me the real favourite for this award is LeBron James as he is steering the ship for the wounded Lakers.
James’ numbers may be pedestrian compared to Embiid and Jokic. However, without him on the floor, the Lakers are basically an average team.
The 36-year-old forward leads by example in the Lakers’ attempt to make up for Anthony Davis’ absence. To make up for their inconsistent offence, the Lakers have the best defencive rating (102.6) with James leading the way.
With Davis, Kuzma, and their other offseason additions in Schroder and Gasol having missed time, the pressure rests on James’ broad shoulders to deliver for Los Angeles each and every game.
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