Top Ten NBA Players

Top 10 NBA Players Now
While this list consists of the top 10 players now, the past is taken to account, but it is not a list of the best players who happen to be active. Previous ranks posted on June 24, 2019.

#	David (PR)	Mike (Previous Rank)
1	LeBron (1)	LeBron (3)
2	Antetokounmpo (7)	Antetokounmpo (2)
3	Harden (2)	Kawhi (10)
4	Kawhi (6)	Harden (1)
5	A. Davis  (9)	A. Davis (NR)
6	J. Butler (NR)	Lillard (NR)
7	Jokic (8)	Doncic (NR)
8	Doncic (NR)	J. Butler (NR)
9	Lillard (10)	Embiid (NR)
10	Westbrook (4)	Jokic (4)

Top 10 NBA Careers Among Active Players
You're making a list of the ten best players in NBA history, but there's one caveat; you can only include players who played during the 2019-20 season. These are our choices, taking the players' entire careers into account. Previous ranks posted on June 24, 2019.

#	David (PR)	Mike (Previous Rank)
1	LeBron (1)	LeBron (1)
2	Durant (2)	Durant (4)
3	Curry (4)	Curry (6)
4	Westbrook (5)	Paul (5)
5	Harden (7)	Westbrook (7)
6	Paul (6)	Harden (8)
7	D. Howard (10)	D. Howard (9)
8	Kawhi (NR)	Carmelo (10)
9	A. Davis (NR)	A. Davis (NR)
10	Carmelo (NR)	V. Carter (NR)

Top 10 NBA Franchise Players
This list is about which players you would pick to start a franchise right now. They must have played in an NBA game. Previous ranks posted on June 24, 2019.

#	David (PR)	Mike (Previous Rank)
1	Doncic (10)	Doncic (10)
2	Antetokounmpo (1)	Antetokounmpo (1)
3	Zion (NR)	A. Davis (8)
4	Jokic (5)	Kawhi (7)
5	Adebayo (NR)	LeBron (4)
6	Tatum (6)	Harden (2)
7	Morant (7)	Lillard (NR)
8	Simmons (3)	Durant (NR)
9	Towns (4)	Curry (NR)
10	Mitcchell (NR)	Tatum (NR)

Donald Trump's Terrible Debate Shows He's Unqualified

Don't be fooled, Trump didn't throw up words all over the stage last night as he did in the first debate, but when we actually got to hear his answers, we now know why he used that strategy the first time around.

Trump's answer to whether he has a plan for covid-19 was shamefully. He compared the deaths that have already taken place to imaginary projections. He showed no remorse for those who have died and no vision forward. At one point, he uttered the hilariously obtuse, "I take full responsibility. It's not my fault."

Trump's answer to the question of his child separation policy at the border was horrific. The parents of over 500 kids cannot be located after the government forcibly separated them from their children. He lied about coyotes and was shamed by Biden. But his answer that the kids are well-taken care up was an answer equally callous and incompetent. What if I took your children away from you, but at least they have nice cages.

I don't understand why the Trump administration thinks it's a good idea to bring up H1N1. I remember those swine flu days when I was stuck at hope after losing my job. Grocery shopping could amount to a death sentence while travel was out of the question. I couldn't visit my mom for months. Except, that didn't happen.

At least for me, H1N1 had so little impact on my life I didn't even realize it had happened during Obama's tenure as president. I would've guessed 2003 of something. To compare how the administrations' handling H1N1 and coronavirus, is obviously a losing battle for Trump.

Trump has a tactic of hurling accusations at opponents for which he has been accused. He actually blamed Biden for his son's interactions in- get this- Russia, Ukraine, and China! Trump's affinity for Russia's dictator Vladimir Putin is at best bizarre. His attempted shakedown of the Ukrainian president is the reason he was impeached. Trump makes money from the Chinese government in a gross conflict of interest.

One area Trump actually believes his own rhetoric is with North Korea. Do you remember the North Korean war of 2014? What was Obama thinking? Except that never happened. Trump's greatest foreign policy success in his own mind is averting war with North Korea. Of course, we haven't had a war with North Korea for 70 years. Trump has legitimized a brutal dictator and received nothing in return. It is a horrible failure.

Trump has not been the best president for black Americans. Besides a few token accomplishments that pale in comparison to those of other presidents, his racist rhetoric as made black Americans even more vulnerable. Hate groups love Trump because he legitimizes them and their message. His pandering to black voters isn't actually about gaining their votes. It's about making white voters feel less racist for voting for him.

In fairness, Trump might still be a top ten president for black people. Remember, 11 presidents owned slaves. Segregation was legal under 12 presidents. It says more about our society and the racist presidents we've elected than it does about Trump. Presidents have helped free the slaves, integrated the army, and pass the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. Presidents have used federal power to ensure the integration of schools and to provide justice for black victims when southern localities wouldn't. Trump, a man who called some neo-Nazis "very fine people" claimed last night, "I am the least racist person in this room."

In a horrible debate performance, perhaps Trump's worst moment was on health care. It has been five years since he first ran for president. He has been president for almost four years. He has consistently tried to repeal the ACA. Through it all, he has no health care plan. As late as 2017, he didn't even understand what it is, confusing it with life insurance. 

Isn't it odd that a party that doesn't believe in evolution advocates for a health care system that boils down to survival of the fittest?

Top Ten Pound-for-Pound

 Here's my pound-for-pound list. I take into account ability and accomplishment. The previous list was posted on April 26, 2020.

1. Saul Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) [1]
2. Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs) [3]
3. Terence Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) [4]
4. Errol Spence (26-0, 21 KOs) [5]
5. Gennady Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs) [6]
6. Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) [Not Rated]

7. Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs) [2]
8. Olexandr Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) [7]
9. Leo Santa Cruz (36-1-1, 19 KOs) [8]
10. Josh Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs) [9]

Exit: Jose Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs) [10]

1. Canelo might not be fighting for a while after a dispute with his promoter and network. It'll be hard to keep the top spot if he's inactive for too long.

2. Inoue has a battle with the credible Jason Maloney at the end of the month.

3. Crawford faces a faded Kell Brook next month. Crawford's best win is still his decision victory over Viktor Postol four years ago. His talent is undeniable, but it's hard to keep him high up the list when he isn't fighting the same level of opponent as the others.

4. Spence fights Danny Garcia in December. While Garcia isn't at the same level as he was a few years ago, Spence could leapfrog Crawford with an impressive win.

5. Golovkin has been inactive for a year, which is understandable given the virus.

6. Lopez makes the list on the strength of his win over Lomachenko and his impressive knockout of Richard Commey. I thought the fight with Lomachenko was a draw, but I could see Lopez winning 8-4. Julie Lederman is the best boxing judge. She's so good that if I disagree with her, I usually just assume that I was wrong. This is the first time when I strongly disagree with her 119-109 card.

7. I thought Lomachenko's fight with Lopez was a draw. I placed him a slot lower than Lopez because I thought the fight could have been between 6-6 and 8-4 Lopez and the official cards were for Lopeza.

8. Usyk faces Derek Chisora on October 31. Chisora is better than a journeyman, but he's not on the championship level.

9. Santa Cruz has a very tough match against Gervonta Davis on october 31. The winner will likely be on this list.

10. Taylor beat an overmatched opponent this fall. He beat Postol better than Jose Ramirez did, so he remains just ahead of Ramirez.

Exit: Ramirez wasn't impressive against Postol this fall. I had him ranked tenth, but with Lopez's ascent, he likely would have fallen off the list anyway. I still have him 11th.

Game 6 - Lakers Win 17th Title

 In the middle of the second quarter, the Lakers ran away with the trophy.  Le Bron James won the Finals MVP award. He finished the series with a strong 28 point triple double and played strong defense on Jimmy Butler, who struggled mightily.

LeBron had help. Anthony Davis added 19 points and 15 boards to win his first title. Rajon Rondo went 8 for 11 from the floor to score 19 and win his second championship. The Lakers are very strong when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shoots a respectable percentage. He did in Game 6 for his 17 points. Danny Green won back-to-back titles by adding 11.

Miami showed grit, as they have all playoffs, and whittled the lead down to 13 by game's end. Only Bam Adebayo played well with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. Too often in today's NBA, teams make drastic changes after coming up short. Miami should try to keep this roster together as much as possible for next season. They relied heavily on three rookies who should only get better. Goran Dragic, who made it out onto the floor for Game 6, is one player who might be fading. He had an amazing playoffs, one that will be hard for him to replicate next seasons. But Adebayo is making huge strides and looks like a future superstar while Butler is one now. They have good shooting big men, which brings a nice blend to the team.

After every season, everyone wants to anoint the best player on the championship team as an all-time great. Let's wait. But LeBron has personally been the best player on a Finals team in 9 of the last 10 seasons, a remarkable achievement. His a champion four-times over. After so many years in the league, he is still the best player in the game. He posts meaningful triple doubles with ease. He can even shutdown the opponent's best player defensively in a close-out game.

Game 5 - Butler Continues to Write His Legacy

 Miami ran out to their customary early lead, but the Lakers darted back by the end of the first quarter. The Lakers raced by, but Miami  has shown that, for the part, they don't cave in the same way as many teams do these days. Miami went into the half with a tenuous four point lead. They had played better than the slim margin suggested.

It seemed as if the Lakers would gallop off with the championship in the third quarter, but the Heat actually ended the quarter extending their lead. Rookie Duncan Robinson had the game of his young career with 26 points on 7 for 13 shooting from beyond the arc. Another rookie, Kendrick Nunn, bounced back with a strong 14 point game.

Still, the Lakers were hungry to finish the season in Game 5 and the two teams battled down the stretch with the game in the balance. Jimmy Butler hit two clutch free throws to put the Heat up one. But L.A. scored to lead 108-107. Butler drove to the basket and was fouled. He made two more free throws.

The game became a duel between LeBron James and Butler. LeBron scored 40 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, dished 7 assists and grabbed three steals. He had the ball in his hands and drove. He threw a pass just off the mark to Danny Green, who fumbled it, collected it, and fired. The errant pass took him out of his rhythm and the shot missed. But Markieff Morris grabbed the rebound. He is not a great passer and attempted a post pass to Anthony Davis (who had 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks) but the pass sailed far away from the Unibrow.

Tyler Herro knocked down two clutch free throws and the Lakers weren't able to get a clear shot at the buzzer. Miami won 11-108 to trim L.A.'s series lead to 3-2.

Butler was the hero. Not only did he carry the team to victory down the stretch, but he dragged them all game long. He scored 35 points on 11-19 shooting. He made all 12 of his free throws. He added 12 boards, 11 dimes, and 5 thefts. Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Jae Crowder all added double figures, but none had a good game. Herro contributed those free throws at the end. Adebayo played solid defense on James int he fourth. Crowder didn't help much. Miami had been a team this season, but int he Finals, they have needed Butler to be legendary even to win close games.

The Lakers are likely going to get big games from LeBron and Davis. They need some of their other players to shoot well, which they failed to do in Game 5. It might make sense for L.A. to play LeBron on Butler more. LeBron is not the defensive player he used to be, but he can show flashes of his former defensive prowess. LeBron doesn't need to lead the team in scoring for the Lakers to win. The offense can go through Davis and filter out to open shooters. That way LeBron can focus defensively on Butler. Miami can't beat the Lakers if Butler doesn't play at an elite level unless they get 4 or 5 other players who have career games. The Lakers have a more versatile attack.

Game 4 - A King, a Pope, and a Unibrow

 Bame Adebayo was back for the Miami Heat, buoying their hopes for a series victory. Game 4 would be essential towards that aim.

Throughout the playoffs, Miami has customarily gotten up to quick starts. Sometimes that means racing out to a big lead and sometimes, as in Game 4, it means hanging with a hot-shooting opponent.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope opened the game smoking from distance. He also scored two key buckets late to finish with 15 points on 6 for 12 shooting. Pope is somewhat of a bellwether. He hasn't shot well in this series and the Lakers can win without him. But when he's making his shots consistently, the Lakers are very tough to beat.

LeBron James was two assists from a triple double. He committed 6 turnovers but scored 28 points on efficient shooting. He got to the line 12 times. Anthony Davis added 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, and Markieff Morris all shot 50% from the field.

Despite the efficient shooting of L.A.'s stars, it was a close game throughout. Yet, the result somehow seemed like an inevitable cloud hovering over Orlando. There were nine lead changes and the Lakers never held a double figures lead, and Adebayo played well in his return with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Yet it never really seemed that Miami would finish on top.

Jimmy Butler was merely human- a superstar basketball playing human- but still just human. He scored 22 points and was one assist away from a triple double. He added three steals and cemented his status as a top ten player, but he needs to be the best player or his teammates need to play outside themselves.

Rookies Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson scored a lot with 21 and 17 points respectively. Herro's shooting wasn't as bad as its been, but still not as strong as it needs to be. Another rookie Kendrick Nunn was horrible shooting 2 for 11 from the floor. Kelly Olynyk, who had been playing very well, was nonexistent. Andre Iguodala  didn't influence the game as the Head needed.

The Lakers won 102-96 in a game that never seemed as close as the score was throughout. The Lakers take a commanding 3-1 lead.

Game 3 - Miami Outhustles L.A.

 The Heat showed early they weren't going to roll over. They jumped on the Lakers early. Everyone knew the Lakers would come back. And they did.

Miami held a precarious three point lead heading into the first. But the Heat wouldn't give in. The expended the lead once again. But the Lakers came back. The lead was just four heading into the half.

Miami needed two changes from Game 2 to have a shot to win in Game 3. With Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic out again, the Heat needed the Lakers to be a bit disinterested. And they needed Jimmy Butler to carry them even more than in Game 2. Both happened.

Miami raced out to start the third quarter. The took a 14 point lead. It still seemed obvious that the Lakers would wake up and come back. They did. Miami took a five point lead into the fourth. L.A. tied the game in the fourth.

But Miami kept answering the Lakers' runs. Butler ended with 40 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. He shot 70% from the field and 12 for 14 from the line. Notably, he didn't shoot a three.

Kelly Olynyk added 17 points and 7 rebounds. No one else played particularly well. Tyler Herro scored 17,  Duncan Robinson had 13, and Jae Crowder added 12, but none of them shot well at all. Andre Iguodala had a rare poor game.

But the Lakers were unfocused. The turned the ball over too much. Anthony Davis was saddled with foul trouble. LeBron scored 25 points and was two assists from a triple double, but he was two turnovers from double figures as well. Kyle Kuzma and Markieff Morris each had 19 points. But Davis only scored 15 and only grabbed 5 rebounds. He committed 5 turnovers. No other Lakers could carry the load.

Miami pulled out late and won 115-104 to tighten the series.

Game 2 - Lakers Coast

 Defeating the Los Angeles Lakers isn't an easy proposition under perfect circumstances. The Miami Heat entered Game 2 minus two key players, Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo.

The game wen t back-and-forth at the outset, proving the Heat would not give in, But the Lakers took a first quarter lead and led the rest of the way. Jimmy Butler's effort was valiant. He scored 25 points, dished 13 assists, and grabbed 8 rebounds.

Butler had some help. Tyler Herro replaced Dragic and scored 17. Meyers Leonard replaced Adebayo and 7 in 9 minutes. Kelly Olynyk poured in 24 and added 9 rebounds. Kendrick Nunn had 13 and Jae Crowder scored 12. The Heat played well; they just didn't have enough talent for it to matter.

The Lakers went into halftime with a comfortable 14 point lead. In the NBA, a 14-point lead can evaporate in a blink, but the Lakers' lead seemed secure. That lead ballooned to 18 before Miami cut it to single digits in the fourth, briefly threatening.

L.A. was simply too talented. Anthony Davis scored 32 points on 15 for 20 shooting and pulled down 14 rebounds. LeBron James scored a game-high 33 points while missing a triple double by one rebound and an assist. Rajon Rondo added 16 points and 10 assists. Kyle Kuzma added 11 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had a second straight game scoring in double figures on poor shooting.

The Lakers won 124-114 to take a commanding 2-0 lead. Miami played as well as they could and wasn't really a serious challenger. The only thing that can stop the Lakers in this series is boredom.

Game 1- Lakers Scorch Heat

 The Los Angeles Lakers strolled into the 2020 Finals as the heavy favorite. It's LeBron James's ninth Finals in the last ten years for three different teams. It's Anthony Davis's first Finals, but he has been a top ten player for the last few years. Perennial playoff star Rajon Rondo and former three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard aren't in their prime, but they are key players for the California powerhouse. Danny Green is a champion and Kyle Kuzma is a rising star.

The Lakers finished first in the West before dropping the first game of the playoffs to the eighth seed, Portland. L.A. then won four straight and followed the same pattern against the Houston Rockets in the West semis. They then went up three games to one against the Denver Nuggets, a dangerous place to be. For the first time in NBA history, the Nuggets had come back down 3-1 in two series in the same playoffs. The Lakers won Game Five thanks to a stellar fourth quarter by LeBron.

The Miami Heat finished the regular season fifth in the weaker East. The seemed to come together in the bubble and swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round. Their records were similar, there was no homecourt advantage due to the pandemic, and the Pacers had key players missing. Miami's most impressive series was against the far-and-away best team in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat jumped out to a surprising three-zero lead and closed out the Bucks, who lost two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for the last two, in five. In took six games to beat Boston, but the Heat held 2-0 and 3-1 leads in the series.

Though Jimmy Butler has been a top fifteen player for most of the last seven years, Miami has played team ball, particularly defensively. Goran Dragic spent much of the season coming off the bench, but the veteran earned a starting job in the playoffs and impressed. Bam Adebayo made his first All Star team and continued to prove that he's a future superstar. Rookies Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro contributed at different points of the season with Nunn falling out of favor in the bubble and Hero coming on.

Miami jumped out to a 13 point lead in the first, 23-10. The Lakers chopped away at the lead before racing by the Heat. The Lakers were up 11 at the half and 20 after three quarters. the Lakers pushed the lead to 32 before the Heat came back to tighter the score a bit. The Lakers took Game 1 116-98.

Butler scored 22 for Miami. Nunn had his best game in the bubble with 18 points late. Andre Iguodala, making his sixth straight NBA Finals, had a decent all around game with 7 points, and team-leading marks in assists (6), and rebounds (5). But Herro struggled with 14 points on 18 shots. Dragic and Adebayo both bowed out with injuries.

LeBron was an assists away from a triple double. Davis poured in 34 points and added 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. Danny Green also played well. Alex Caruso scored 10 efficiently off the bench. Even J.R. Smith, Jared Dudley, and Quinn Cook got into the game, a rarity for each.