Angle Fantasy Basketball

Trade season is heating up! Rumors surrounding names like Pascal Siakam, Dejounte Murray as well as various Lakers are starting to swirl. With Jon Kuminga recently criticizing coach Kerr, I think we can expect a trade there soon. Also, shoutout to Ricky Rubio! He always was a fun watch and I wish him the best.

The Star 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing so well that I am going to give him his own section separate from the rest of his great OKC teammates. He is making an argument to be the #1 dynasty ranked player all while playing a 90s/00s style of basketball. I swear every game I see flashes of Kobe, MJ, TMac, Wade, and Melo. Watch the tapes. It is not outrageous to suggest Shai is the most deserving of the MVP award this season. He’s the best player on one of the best teams in the league. There is no player Shai can’t cook. This will likely be his 2nd All NBA season in a row. Shai is top 6 in the league in deflections, defensive rating, and defensive impact per 100 possessions. The last players to average over at least 2.5 SPG and .8 BPG in a season were Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Oh, look at that, another MJ comparison. Okay I’ll calm down, but still, Shai is very good.

The Squad 

Now let’s talk about the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder. They are the best team in the West even if the record doesn’t show it yet. They recently beat the #1 team in the west, the defending champions and the team with the best record in the NBA in a 7 day span. They have a coach of the year candidate in Mark Daigneault. They have a rookie of the year candidate in Chet Holmgren. Their true rookie, Cason Wallace, is looking like a great choice for them in the 2023 draft. Jalen Williams has been playing much better of late. High profile members of the media are now admitting the Thunder are legit. They’ve officially gotten Stephen A Smith’s attention, and you can watch that here. The guys on a recent TNT broadcast also said OKC is not getting enough attention. We can all see the storm coming. Some think it’s already here. 

The Bald Eagle

Let’s talk about another great player on a great team that has nothing to do with OKC. Derrick White is an All Star in real life and fantasy basketball. On a 9-category basis there is not a single category that White hurts you in. In fact, he is a contributor to all 9-categories this season. White is ranked 14th on the season per Yahoo and BBM. As was stated earlier, he should be an All Star this season. White is averaging 17 points, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and almost 3 three pointers per game while playing for the best team in the league. Marcus Smart getting traded has turned out to be a genius move by the Celtics. Not because of getting Jrue, (who is a great backcourt partner for white) but because it has fully unlocked Derrick White’s potential.  Also I love the new bald look this season.