NBN 2020's All-Decade 3rd Team

[cop5414]

NBN 2020's All-Decade 3rd Team

PG Tyrese Haliburton



Stats:
Games: 563
MPG: 38.6
PPG: 24.4
APG: 10.1
RPG: 5.2
SPG: 1.9
BPG: 0.2
TOPG: 1.9
FG%: .475
FT%: .845
3P%: .431

Awards:
2023 - All-League Second Team
2024 - All-Star Game Participant
2024 - All-League Third Team
2025 - All-Star Game Participant
2025 - All-League Third Team
2026 - All-Star Game Participant
2026 - All-League Third Team
2027 - All-Star Game Participant
2027 - All-League Second Team
2029 - All-Star Game Participant
2029 - All-League First Team


Achievements:
Championships: 0
Player of the Game: 260
Player of the Week: 15
Player of the Month: 3
Double Doubles: 316
Triple Doubles: 15

While I view Maxey and Fox as a 1a & 1b type of ranking, I took this 3rd spot as a 2a vs 2b between Tyrese Haliburton and LaMelo Ball. I was orginally leaning more towards Ball in this spot. Ball's shooting percentages are crazy good, then if you look at his early career he was an elite distributor of the ball. High turnovers sure, but he's worth the contract. Bypassing all that, Haliburton laid claim to this 3rd spot. Him being the only other PG to lay claim to an All-League 1st team in this decade helps. I did want to avoid possible homerism, but I did recieve an opinion on the boards from a reputable GM ucfinfan86. So I'll let that carry the weight. Haliburton is the career leader in assists, and has averaged only 1.9 TOPG, his scoring is a step below the others, however he happebs to be the only one averaging a double-double in his career. Probably some debate, but a respectable choice for the 3rd Team.

SG Devin Booker



Stats:
Games: 563
MPG: 37.0
PPG: 26.2
APG: 3.7
RPG: 6.2
SPG: 1.3
BPG: 0.2
TOPG: 2.0
FG%: .460
FT%: .828
3P%: .408

Awards:
2023 - All-Star Game Participant
2023 - All-League Third Team
2025 - All-Star Game Participant
2025 - All-League Third Team
2026 - All-Star Game Participant
2026 - All-League First Team
2027 - All-Star Game Participant
2027 - All-League First Team

Achievements:
Championships: 0
Player of the Game: 105
Player of the Week: 0
Player of the Month: 0
Double Doubles: 71
Triple Doubles: 1

Not a name mentioned once in the previous discussion so I'd imagine I'm about to get unfavorable reviews for placing Devin Booker here instead of Anthony Edwards. My reasoning, I love shooting guards that provide scoring and passing at If it can be paired with low turnovers and servicable defense/rebounding I approve. Apparantley my only gripe with Ant is the handles, rather silly to be honest. I did reconsider to put him in his stead, but I'll stick to my original intentions. Booker has been on the decline and is seemingly been regulated to mentor. Thing is though that he is the top scorer among the qualified canidates. Averaging 26.2 over his career, he's never been much for producing defensive stats but I am of the belief that offensive production is the number one priority of shooting guards, rebounds/stocks are just the bonus. So yeah Ant got snubbed but you can't claim that Booker hasn't had an wonderful career to this point.

SF Trey Murphy III



Stats:
Games: 573
MPG: 34.1
PPG: 18.6
APG: 2.3
RPG: 5.9
SPG: 1.2
BPG: 0.3
TOPG: 1.3
FG%: .461
FT%: .820
3P%: .439

Awards:
2024 - All-League Third Team
2025 - All-Star Game Participant
2025 - All-League Third Team
2026 - All-Star Game Participant


Achievements:
Championships: 0
Player of the Game: 34
Player of the Week: 0
Player of the Month: 0
Double Doubles: 56
Triple Doubles: 0

Keegan Murray, Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, Jayson Tatum, Scottie Barnes, Dame Sarr, Brandon Ingram,
Trey Murphy III, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, and Cody Williams. That's the full list of SF canidates. Could go Dame Sarr but I don't think he's been around and good long enough. This was a last second switch. I'd planned to put Josh Giddey here, maybe as reconcile for his 2.0 version, but upon a 2nd look. Trey Murphy III, while not HOF caliber has had the more consistent career. Posting four consecutive +20ppg seasons. Shooting percentages that are superior, lower turnovers, more steals. Not quite the rebounder, but until recently there hasn't been many small forawrds with that skill set. He'll have a name that'll be ignored by most when he retires, but I can say he probably had one of the better stretchez among the SF position in the 2020's.

PF Kevin Durant



Stats:
Games: 166
MPG: 31.0
PPG: 26.9
APG: 2.5
RPG: 8.5
SPG: 1.1
BPG: 1.0
TOPG: 2.3
FG%: .490
FT%: .795
3P%: .466

Awards:
2023 - All-Star Game Participant
2023 - All-League Second Team
2024 - All-Star Game Participant
2024 - All-League First Team

Achievements:

Championships: 0
Player of the Game: 38
Player of the Week: 0
Player of the Month: 1
Double Doubles: 58
Triple Doubles: 0


I was not here during his NBN 3.0 tenure, and while a player like the recently retired Giannis might make more sense in this spot, as up and down as his late seasons were, I thought I'd throw a representative of the oldies in this league's revival. A 2025 retirement class which also consisted of Chris Paul, Lebron James, Demar DeRozen, Kevin Love, Jimmy Butler, etc. Now Durant might not be the ideal PF in a league such as this. Not a good rebounder unlike Williamson, and produced minimal stocks at his given position. But given his age a basic forced retirment, the fact that he was throwing up 28.6ppg on efficient scoring was impressive. Something that Giannis didn't exactly represent with 2x the turnovers . Unfair maybe, but the guy was a centerpiece on two of my playoff teams. I've the right to a wrongful opinion. If this version of the league lasts, I wonder how KD becomes reincarnated. KD Jr.? Devin Kurant? Hopefully he won't be constrained to the modern NBA postioning, dude should be a SF.

C Nikola Jokic



Stats:
Games: 534
MPG: 35.6
PPG: 29.0
APG: 4.8
RPG: 13.3
SPG: 1.6
BPG: 0.5
TOPG: 1.9
FG%: .470
FT%: .797
3P%: .411

Awards:
2023 - All-Star Game Participant
2023 - Most Valuable Player
2023 - All-League First Team
2024 - All-Star Game Participant
2024 - All-League Second Team
2025 - All-Star Game Participant
2025 - All-League Second Team
2026 - All-Star Game Participant
2026 - All-League Third Team
2027 - All-Star Game Participant
2027 - All-League First Team
2028 - All-Star Game Participant
2028 - All-League Second Team
2029 - All-Star Game Participant

Achievements:
Championships: 0
Player of the Game: 258
Player of the Week: 13
Player of the Month: 5
Double Doubles: 435
Triple Doubles: 22

The Joker isn't your typical center, he's not the typical rim protector, he still rebounds rather well, scored better than every other center in the league, and dishes the ball out better than the Jared McCains and Xiavian Lees of the world. Until Wemby's 2029 MVP season he stood as the only non-PG to win the award back in 2023. Somewhat impressive since the game seems to require big men to average +5stpg before giving an MVP. We could also sit here and argue that he deserved it at least a couple of other times in his career. Honestly I'd have no problem interchanging these three centers at any given position, as their skills set and success in the league is shown every year. This is probably the best spot however, as Jokic didn't have the same post season success on the 76ers as Embiid and couldn't lead a team like Wemby. Damned good player though

"Snubs"/Qualifiers

PG:

Tyrese Maxey 4x 1st Team 1x 2nd Team

Tyrese Haliburton 1x 1st Team 2x 2nd Team 3x 3rd Team

LaMelo Ball 2x 2nd Team 3x 3rd Team 

Luka Donic 1x 2nd Team

De'Aaron Fox 2x 1st Team 1x 2nd Team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 1x 3rd Team

SG:

Anthony Edwards 2x 1st Team 1x 2nd Team 2x 3rd Team

Judah Mintz 3x 2nd Team

D.J Wagner 1x 1st Team 1x 2nd Team 2x 3rd Team

Devin Booker 2x 1st Team 2x 3rd Team

Austin Reaves 2x 1st Team 1x 2nd Team

Devin Vassell 1x 3rd Team

Desmond Bane 1x 2nd Team

SF:

Keegan Murray 1x 1st Team

Matas Buzelis 1x 2nd Team

Josh Giddey 1x 3rd Team

Jayson Tatum 4x 1st Team 2x 2nd Team

Scottie Barnes 2x 1st Team 3x 2nd Team 

Dame Sarr 1x 3rd Team

Brandon Ingram 1x 3rd Team

Trey Murphy III 2x 3rd Team

Jimmy Butler 1x 2nd Team

Kawhi Leonard 1x 3rd Team
Cody Williams 1x 3rd Team

PF:

Cooper Flagg 4x 1st Team

Zion Williamson 4x 2nd Team

Giannis Antetokounmpo 2x 1st Team 1x 3rd Team

Cameron Boozer 2x 3rd Team

Evan Mobley 2x 2nd Team

Lauri Markkanen 3x 3rd Team

Kevin Durant 1x 1st Team 1x 2nd Team
Daron Holmes III 1x 3rd Team

C:

Victor Wembanyama 3x 1st Team 1x 3rd Team

Nikola Jokic 2x 1st Team 3x 2nd Team 1x 3rd Team

Chet Holmgren 1x 2nd Team 2x 3rd Team

Joel Embiid 1x 1st Team 3x 2nd Team 1x 3rd Team 

Anthony Davis 1x 1st Team 1x 3rd Team

Domantas Sabonis 1x 3rd Team

[cop5414]

Honestly thought placing Booker over Ant would cause some turmoil.

[SpikeLee14]

I didn’t wanna be the one to start it. You obviously just hate Ant at this point lol

[Rog]

It's not even worth discussing at this point. Ant is the leagues best SG, has been since basically the beginning. He has the awards and title to prove it. All the discussions were had in the last thread. No reason to rehash it because Cop decided to lay a bait trap

[josephballin11]

L interaction baiting at this point

[cop5414]

Sept 20, 2024 20:25:57 GMT josephballin11 said:

L interaction baiting at this point

Need that +$50

[zheld32]

No you made the right call im fine with it

[A. Silver]

Trey Murphy III at SF is another obvious bait pick. It's the Skip Bayless strategy, just say outlandish shit and hope for reactions.

[cop5414]

Sept 21, 2024 3:09:04 GMT A. Silver said:

Trey Murphy III at SF is another obvious bait pick. It's the Skip Bayless strategy, just say outlandish shit and hope for reactions.

Who else could I put there? Couldn't be Keegan Murray as he had only one good season.

[vanimmer]

Haliburton and Jikic are fair picks.
The other 3 wouldnt have been my choices. Giannis, Ant have their place in the top3. Sf would be the hardest after Tatum and Barnes there isnt a clear ut nr 3

[ucfinfan86]

Keegan clear choice at SF. His one season alone sets him apart. Playoff MVP!

[leflop]

I wonder what prime jokic would have looked like on better teams. good read!

[carlos]

Sept 21, 2024 21:24:46 GMT leflop said:

I wonder what prime jokic would have looked like on better teams. good read!

I would say he was still in his prime in Philly and had a championship caliber roster around him

I think it's really hard to win without a defensive anchor at C. The fact that Jokic would never be that and that he makes so much really limits his team's ceiling despite how great he is

[carlos]

Ant at SG is obvious. I thought SF would be stronger but it really drops off after Tatum and Barnes. I probably would've gone Murray there too though

[A. Silver]

Sept 21, 2024 3:28:03 GMT cop5414 said:

Sept 21, 2024 3:09:04 GMT A. Silver said:

Trey Murphy III at SF is another obvious bait pick. It's the Skip Bayless strategy, just say outlandish shit and hope for reactions.

Who else could I put there? Couldn't be Keegan Murray as he had only one good season.

Maybe he only had one “good season” but his other less good seasons were still pretty much equal to Trey’s best season ever.