Naw will win mip this year book it

18/5/5 43% FG 37.5% 3pt

Maybe in the latter half, but early on Im just looking for double digits.

quote:

---

I would shite myself with excitement but I just don't think he's quite that good

---

His stats in starts last season are pretty damn good:

13 games

45.9% FG
41.2% 3PT (on 7.5 3PA)

19 PTS
5 REB
3 AST

Obviously not saying he’s going to average that for the season, but he’s shown flashes

If NAW starts, I would say no... He would probably need to be the 4th or 5th leading scorer if we are winning games. So, I would say 12.5 a game. If he is 3rd, then we actually may have an issue with Graham or Joe V not producing to their mean.
If Joe is not getting you 15+ per game, then he is likely missing easy mid range shots, the majority of his 3's, offensive rebounding and putbacks are lacking and he is not getting to the line and/or hitting them at a 75% rate. Not good. U then are repeating a Steven Adams scenario but 2x more frustrated bc Joe is actually better offensively than Adams by a considerable margin. Joe should put up 17+ way more efficiently than in Memphis bc he should not be a focal point of a team's defensive strategy to key on this team like he was in Memphis. His dirty work game cleaning up behind Zion's action should merit him 6 pts alone per game.

Joe has to be the 3rd leading scorer for this reset to pay dividends. Graham, NAW and in the 2nd half of the year, add Trey (some nights), being able to alternate games who's got the hot hand in a given game, but Joe V HAS to be the 3rd consistent scorer, which he is more than capable of. He was 2nd on Memphis. They made the Playoffs. He has to be 3rd here. Period.

NAW will be counted on along with Graham to take pressure off of BI with end of quarter looks and possibly BI decoying for Graham/NAW to get a few game winner attempts, whomever is feeling it a particular game.

Also, we have too much depth for NAW to not be 1st or 2nd subbed-in for, especially if he's not impacting early or struggling defensively on his man. Hart and Graham will average more minutes than NAW. So that puts him as a 6th man in minutes. Plus, I expect Naji to impose his will on the coaches to give him quality minutes with the starters this year as well.

If NAW can just give double digits starting then he is doing his job. Trey and Naji, are the 2nd unit scorers, along with Zion if we dont go with Jax at the 4. Hart is lagniappe across the board. Kira is the enigma bc he may struggle with his role if its Point Zion with the 2nd unit.

But, like I said, almost rather Hart start, let him guard the best peremiter player and have a bomb squad for a 2nd unit and allow Zion to play point and find the shooters.

I see Zion, BI and Joe as the 20 per night guys and the rest of the squad, any # of players, on a given night, chippin in 10+ by committee until someone asserts themself. Might not be NAW every night, but hopefully we may not HAVE to have him put up 15+ a night to win.
If NAW is averaging 17+ and Joe getting his 17... We are a Top 5 seed in the West.

28(Zion)+25(BI)+18(NAW)+17(JV)= 88
Thats alot from just 4 off the starting unit and thats not accounting for Graham who I expect to average, low double digits himself if he plays to what is expected of him.

Scoring will not be a problem this year, as a team, but NAW averaging 18 is not likely as a starter. Maybe at or after the All Star break if he's just ballin out and knocking down 3 or 4 three-pointers a game on 7-10 attempts.

I checked the odds (LINK /). I didn't see NAW in the list. So he must be pretty far down. It is a good dark horse bet and would really pay off if you are right. I'd go for it, if I thought it would happen.

The top candidate (tied for first) in odds is Zion. I guess they figure he will be a MVP type of player this year. MIP would be a nice prize if he doesn't win MVP.

Going to be hard for NAW though. I think he would have to be our 1st or 2nd highest scoring player and be in that 17-19ppg at least. There are exceptions, but usually the MIP is a teams primary scorer. It could happen, especially if there is an injury. But not likely..

I think one thing nobody is taking into account is we don't know what the offense will look like yet.

When D'Antoni had Westbrook and Harden, those 2 averaged a combined 61.5 ppg, then you had

Eric Gordon 14.4
Capella 13.9
Jeff Green 12.2
Covington 11.6
House 10.5

That's kind of what I'm hoping to see here. Zion and Ingram feasting and everyone else eating the leftovers in a fairly distributed manner. If someone did emerge as a 3rd scorer I'd expect it to be Graham or JV before NAW.

I like NAW but he is flawed. He still dribbles way too high and isn't the greatest finisher at the rack

quote:

---

actually think he may be competing with Hayes for MIP

---

For the team or for the league?

quote:

---

Naw will win mip this year book it

---

mark me down for NOT BOOKING IT.

I personally do not think its guaranteed that NAW will win MIP.