Checklist

A list of NBA takeaways after 22 weeks.

Welcome to Glass Slipper! Those beautiful Red Raiders saw my bracket headed towards the paper shredder, and collectively wagged their fingers; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

**NOTICE: Glass Slipper will arrive on Tuesday and Friday next week.

Here are my 10 biggest takeaways through 22 weeks of the NBA season.

  1. Legend-killer.

D’Angelo Russell - who is somehow still in his 20s, by the way - has made more career threes than Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird combined. I don’t really have a larger point here; that fact is just hilarious to me.

  1. A glaring flaw.

Giannis Antetokounmpo. Let’s get this free throw thing figured out, my guy. 60.2% from the line? If you need some context for how putrid that is, 2002-03 Shaq finished at 62.2%.

Lock yourself in a gym this summer, and don’t come out until you’re connecting at a respectable rate. I’ll even be your full-time rebounder, if you want. No charge.

  1. Race to the bottom.

Six weeks ago, I declared Tidjane Salaun the worst player in the NBA. Cody Williams is trying his absolute best to steal that championship belt.

To me, the most jarring part of this disastrous rookie campaign is that Williams has attempted 40 free throws in 1,036 minutes. Like, how is that even possible? 33-27-73 shooting splits, and he’s not a particularly good defender right now. Yikes, Utah.

  1. No cameras.

Here’s the perpetually-overlooked Desmond Bane in this year - even after laying an absolute egg last night - lined up next to the professional headline-hijacker himself.

Desmond Bane

VS.

Jimmy Butler

18.7

Points Per Game

17.1

6.1

Rebounds Per Game

5.6

5.5

Assists Per Game

5.5

48.1

FG%

49.1

38.5

3P%

28.0

88.3

FT%

82.4

44-29

Team Record

41-31

You tell me which dude deserves our attention.

  1. Give AD his flowers.

The Anthony Davis slander has reached unacceptable levels, and I won’t allow it. At 32, he’s an NBA champion, a two-time gold medalist, and has made nine All-Star games. Don’t bash him just because he’s not as good as Luka.

Davis - with absolutely no hope of making any postseason noise - is now trying to single-handedly keep that gross Phoenix squad out of the play-in. This is a national hero, folks.

  1. Perfection.

OG Anunoby. Oh, how I love you so. Zero off-court drama, tough as nails, lockdown defense, stoic demeanor. I fell in love during his Bloomington days, and those feelings have yet to subside.

The Knicks fans that whine about his contract are clueless. OG deserves it all.

  1. Fixed it for you.

In 2019, the Carolina Panthers finished with the second-worst defense in the NFL; they proceeded to use all seven of their draft picks on that side of the ball.

There’s your blueprint, Orlando. You know that this group is horrid from beyond the arc. Each of those four upcoming selections should be spent on players who project as elite shooters. Literally just take the best one available every time. Liam McNeeley at 15, Kam Jones at 25, Isaiah Evans at 42, Walter Clayton at 57.

Fling a few of your high-ceiling role guys at the Spurs, and bring Devin Vassell back to Florida. Then throw a bag at Myles Turner in free agency, and call it day. I just created a path to contention. You’re welcome.

  1. SOS.

Lauri Markkanen has logged 450 career contests without appearing in a playoff game. Only 14 dudes are ahead of him on that sad all-time list, and he’s way better than every single one of them.

Markkanen will be 33 years old when he hits the open market again; by that point, this misery-inducing Jazz rebuild might have stripped away his love for the sport entirely. Someone come rescue this man.

  1. A flicker of hope.

I recently suggested that the third 70-win team in league history could be floating out there, and then proceeded to write a whole segment about Cleveland. Perhaps I was focusing on the wrong squad.

Oklahoma City needs to run the table in order to join the club. Here’s the remainder of the schedule; I’d love to know where the loss is coming.

  • vs Indiana

  • vs Chicago

  • vs Detroit

  • @ Houston

  • vs Los Angeles Lakers

  • vs Los Angeles Lakers

  • @ Phoenix

  • @ Utah

  • @ New Orleans

It’s within reach.

  1. My updated MVP ladder.

1) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder

2) Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

3) Cade Cunningham, Pistons

4) Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks

5) Jayson Tatum, Celtics

6) Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

7) Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

8) Evan Mobley, Cavaliers

9) Pascal Siakam, Pacers

10) Darius Garland, Cavaliers

Pressroom

I want them to know we’re better than them.

Hunter Dickinson after transferring to Kansas; he then led the Jayhawks to their two worst seasons in the last 36 years.

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