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- Jacob Rhee

Here are my 10 biggest takeaways through six weeks of the NBA season.

1. Washed King?

I’m the biggest LeBron guy you’ll find, but it wouldn’t be fair for me to turn a blind eye when he’s reeling. There’s no doubt that he looks a half step slower this year. Even after a respectable individual performance against Miami, here he is in his last seven contests.

• 2-5 team record

• 18.6 points per game, 8.6 assists per game, 7.1 rebounds per game

• 5.0 turnovers per game

• 44% FG, 12% 3P (Yes, this is the real number.)

Yikes. We all know that some ridiculous 11-game stretch is coming, where James makes all of the folks celebrating his downfall sound dumb; let’s not forget who we’re talking about here. But I wonder what it looks like in May. Will he have enough gas to power LA to a deep postseason run? With a straight face, I told you that the Lakers were going to win the title. I certainly didn’t anticipate LeBron being my biggest concern.

2. A new champ.

Amen Thompson engages in almost as much alien activity as the extra terrestrial himself in San Antonio. Like, some of the plays he makes are actually weird. Humans aren’t supposed to glide, swerve, and launch like that. Russell Westbrook was the NBA’s best athlete for a long time, before he ultimately passed the title to Ja Morant. I think Amen may have the crown now. It’s amazing to watch.

3. What if the Sixers get Cooper Flagg?

Look, I obviously don’t believe this is super realistic. But I’d like to point out that if the campaign ended right now, only three franchises would possess better odds than Philadelphia to land the No. 1 pick.

A Maxey-McCain-George-Flagg-Embiid closing five? That’s a fascinating possibility.

4. Within reach.

People claim that no one will ever surpass John Stockton’s 15,806 assists. A certain floor general down in Atlanta may be a legitimate challenger.

• John Stockton through 429 career games: 4200 assists

• Trae Young through 429 career games: 4131 assists

Go get it, Trae. I’m pulling for you, buddy.

5. Where does Kawhi Leonard rank all time?

This is becoming one of the toughest legacies to evaluate in league history. Leonard has more Finals MVPs than Wilt Chamberlain, and fewer All-Star appearances than Joe Johnson. CJ McCollum - who was drafted two years after Kawhi - has more career points than him. What am I supposed to do with all of that information?

I think I’d throw Kawhi somewhere in the 30-35 range. It feels low for a dude that was the second-best player in the world at his peak. It feels high for a player that has competed in more than 68 games in a season exactly twice. Let’s hope he gets healthy.

6. The biggest disappointment in professional sports.

New Orleans is averaging 103.3 points a night at the moment. That’s the lowest number that we’ve seen in the NBA in quite some time, and I’m not even going to look it up to make sure. I don’t need to.

The Warriors claimed the No. 10 seed in the West last year, with a 46-36 record. New Orleans would have to go 42-18 the rest of the way to match that mark. Not happening.

7. Jamahl Mosely is elite.

Orlando’s head coach has won 13 of his last 15, with no superstars to speak of. There are some casual NBA fans that are still unaware of his existence. Give the man his respect.

8. Are the Rockets real?

The answer is no. Sorry, Houston. Longtime readers can already guess why I’m a skeptic. True contenders have five dudes that you can totally trust in crunch time of a playoff game. The Rockets have… one?

This defensive dominance feels more like a fluke than sustainable excellence. Perhaps Houston steals a play-in spot and sneaks through to the first round, but that will be all.

9. The problem with the Pacers.

These guys don’t love each other. It’s simply not a very joyful or connected bunch. I highly doubt that this group is playing video games together on off days.

Tyrese Haliburton went on a worldwide parade over the summer, and returned to Indianapolis entirely unfocused. His teammates do not seem thrilled about it.

10. My current MVP ladder.

1) Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

2) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder

3) Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

4) Jayson Tatum, Celtics

5) Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks

6) Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers

7) Anthony Davis, Lakers

8) Jalen Brunson, Knicks

9) Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

10) Luka Doncic, Mavericks

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