Early predictions for 2021-22 All-NBA First Team
Ahh, predicting the All-NBA First team. In the NBA, often picking who is the best in the league at any given time becomes an exhaustive debate. Debates range from who should be added despite playing less than stellar defense or defenders who can't shoot. What is true is that talent always rises to the top, and this year could be as dramatic as we've seen recently given all the turnover of the Eastern Conference. Who deserves to make the NBA's most important postseason team and what are your criteria for making the team? Let me know in the comments.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the team.
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Point Guard: Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Predicted stat line: 33 ppg, 7.5 apg, 4.8 rpg
Steph Curry was so good last season that many began to speak of him as right behind Magic Johnson in an all-time point guard sense. He put the Golden State Warriors on his back and made so many impossible shots along the way. I don't see any reason why 2021-22 will be any different until Klay Thompson returns. The Warriors looked outstanding in pre-season, with Steph Curry's dead eye from anywhere in and outside Oakland. How far over 30 points will Steph Curry average on the postseason NBA accolades trail?
Shooting guard: James Harden (Brooklyn Nets)
One of the greatest of his generation is now one of the greatest of all-time.
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Predicted stat line: 2020-21: 32.6 points per game, 6.9 boards, 12.8 dimes
James Harden is masterful at what he does, and this might be the first postseason mention, and not the last. He's poised to have one of his Houston Rockets seasons where he's north of 35 points a game. Many say that the Brooklyn Nets have to score in incredible bunches to win. Yet in the East, where possessions are maximized, the Brooklyn Nets simply have to make more shots. He'll have more of the floor now that Kyrie Irving is sidelined, and the triple double numbers will be outlandish with Kevin Durant and Joe Harris on either side. The key for James Harden obviously is to stay healthy, and if he does that with all the Brooklyn Nets TV appearances, his numbers will be highlighted like the next player on this list.