The JPPI returns with the same formula from last year and the same original 25 players with 5 add-ons:
Dwight Howard
John Wall
Kyle Korver
Marc Gasol
Anthony Davis
Let’s get started then!
30. Kobe Bryant SG LA Lakers v 6
Kobe Bryant, what really is left to say about him? He is old, over paid, and injury prone. Honestly it is sad to see one of the all-time greats play so long as to see his play dip below the average player. He shot a terribly low 37.3% from the field and his only good statistics were an 81.3% FT and a surprisingly high 9.10% TRB. Other than that he is 36 and makes $23,500,000 a year.
29. Rajon Rondo PG Dallas Mavericks v 6
Rajon Rondo is one of those guys who is frustrating to watch. A few years ago he was one of the most promising point guards in the league but now he is merely just another aging guard. A guard who was quite embarrassing in the playoffs prompting the “Where’s Rondo?” gimmick. Had the Dallas fans looked hard enough they would have noticed Rondo was in the same place he was in the regular season, playing below average ball. He shot an absolutely horrific 39.7% FT, how does a PG collect a check with that number?
28. Derrick Rose PG Chicago Bulls v 3
Actually Derrick Rose had a promising season in his return to action. He is definitely a guy that I am rooting for to return to his former self. In the case of the countdown however, he is near the bottom due to a high salary and the fact that he is a 29% 3PT shooter. Also he shot a low 40.5% FG, well below the average of the group. Hopefully next year D-Rose will climb his way up the list rather than down.
27. Paul George SF Indiana Pacers v 13
I’m not going to taint this superstar’s talents with disclosing his stats in the 6 games he played. If you want to know look them up for yourself.
26. Dwyane Wade SG Miami Heat v 15
Without LeBron James and for a lot of the season, Chris Bosh his numbers saw a significant drop. The biggest thing was that his FG% dropped by about 10% and his SPT ratio was much lower than last season. Plus he makes about $18M so he would need to put up phenomenal numbers to warrant that money.
25. Carmelo Anthony SF NY Knicks v 9
Melo is the product of a superstar talent playing for a terrible team. He is forced to throw up stupid shots and is often playing from behind. His numbers are actually pretty good, which is no surprise but the man makes more money than anyone in the NBA. He’s going to need team help to move up the chart.
24. Kyle Lowry PG Toronto Raptors v 9
There is no excuse for this drop. Actually Lowry had a good season and made the All-Star team but with injuries to himself and many of the other starters, including DeRozan, he was hindered down the stretch. Hopefully next year the team will come back together and his numbers will go on the rise.
23. Udonis Haslem PF Miami Heat v 4
Udonis Haslem, a man who makes money based solely off of his on court hustle. In fact as he ages I am afraid I might have to take this one time NBA Value Team member off of the list completely. Hopefully the 35 year old continues to be a surprising name in the countdown. His numbers are what they are, he is a great rebounder and he is consistent for the price.
22. CJ Miles SG/SF Indiana Pacers v 13
CJ Miles had a rough outing from the field this season. Just under 40% FG and about 34% 3PT shooting and that is why he finds himself falling from number 9 last season to 22 this season. This is a heartbreaking fall for anyone who is a fan of the role players on the list.
21. Russell Westbrook PG OKC Thunder v 1
Actually Westbrook was my MVP of the league this season so him being this low is shocking to me. Basically what it comes to is this, he scores a lot but he takes a lot of shots. He also makes over $16M, which I think is more than fair for a player of his caliber. When a player gets as many triple doubles as he does you know he is something special. The thing with the formula is it doesn’t reward players who have to carry their team in scoring, for example Melo and D-Wade.
20. John Wall PG Washington Wizards – N/A
John Wall is a great young talent, his main issue is that for a PG he doesn’t shoot 3PTs well. He actually shot well this season with a 47.3% eFG. He also has a fairly low salary so it is a tad surprising that he is this low on the chart. He did manage the top 20 in his first attempt so he isn’t doing terrible.
19. JR Smith SG Cleveland Cavaliers ^ 3
JR Smith is the first man to move up the chart so far and he cracks the top 20 for the first time. Actually there is nothing to say about JR that you don’t know, he shoots and he shoots well. But because he is such a good shooter he shoots a lot, so even when he is 0/15 he does not back down from that 16th shot.
18. James Harden SG Houston Rockets v 1
The MVP runner-up falls one spot to 18th on the list. His per game stats are very good, however his percentages and per minute stats are average to less than average. That’s really what it boils down to at this point, even good players can find themselves low on the list.
17. LeBron James SF Cleveland Cavaliers v 15
From number 2 to out of the top 15, the King LeBron James finds himself at 17. Now don’t misunderstand this, LBJ is the best player in basketball and it is possible he is the greatest of all-time. The thing about LBJ is he is at the point in his career that all he is concerned about is winning enough games to make the playoffs, so that is what he does. Also he is a guy that doesn’t care about percentages, he will get his points.
16. Kevin Love PF Cleveland Cavaliers v 6
The former Minnesota standout now playing for the Cleveland LeBrons. Love went from an all-around player with multiple talents into a shell of the man he used to be. Cleveland wants him to be a 3PT specialist, which he isn’t and that is the reason they acquired JR Smith and Iman Shumpert. I hate it for Love, even though he is making great money.
15. Kyrie Irving PG Cleveland Cavaliers ^ 6
Kyrie moves up six spots to crack the top 15. He is also the third straight Cav and the 4th out of the last 5 on the list. Kyrie being the top Cav is no surprise since he doesn’t have to score all the points and he has all of these great weapons to pass to. In fact he probably should have been a little higher with all of those factors.
14. Blake Griffin PF LA Clippers v 8
Blake Griffin is just a true PF. Big rebounder and efficient scorer. Blake however tries to play PG a little too much for my liking and with that he turns the ball over a lot. Also he doesn’t block shots as efficiently as a man his size and athleticism should.
13. Al-Farouq Aminu SF/PF Dallas Mavericks v 1
I love Aminu. You know if you have him you are going to get a very solid player and since he is in the role player role you’re going to get him cheap. I would like to see what Aminu could do with more minutes, and since he is only 24 this could come to fruition in a couple years or so.
12. Marc Gasol PF/C Memphis Grizzlies – N/A
Marc led his team to one of their best franchise seasons. He played pretty phenomenally but didn’t rebound quite well enough to move up this list any more than he is now.
11. Pau Gasol PF Chicago Bulls ^ 7
Well Pau barely beat out younger brother Marc and actually he had to move up 7 spots from last year to do it. 2 points was the difference between Marc and Pau. The difference had nothing to do with FG%, both shot 49.4% from the field. Amazing that the two brothers shot the same percentage.
10. Serge Ibaka PF/C OKC Thunder v 7
Serge fell down 7 spots but still managed to crack the top 10. Iblaka, Serge Protector, whatever you want to call him his blocking ability is the second highest on the list. He has the same problem as Marc, he doesn’t rebound quite well enough to move up high on a very competitive list.
9. Tim Duncan PF/C San Antonio Spurs ^ 4
Timmy Fundamentals is 39 years old and moving up the list! He is one of the greatest, if not the greatest players of all-time. Yes I said it, the old man might be the greatest basketball player ever. He wins and he doesn’t age. He had a phenomenal year and had great numbers, love it!
8. Kevin Durant SF OKC Thunder v 3
One of the best players in the NBA right now and he falls down the list due to injuries. This is sad but oh well the countdown has no mercy. KD still put up good numbers despite the injuries and I think he should be ready for a bounce back next season.
7. Chris Paul PG LA Clippers – SAME
CP3 stayed at number 7 and is the true definition of a PG. Good percentages and great assist and steal numbers keep CP3 up near the top. His price tag keeps him from being in the top 5 but for a guy who was the only player on his team who tried to win in the playoffs. It was sad what the team did to him, Jordan and Griffin just didn’t show up against Houston and Paul was left trying to do it all by himself.
6. Kyle Korver SG Atlanta Hawks – N/A
Korver is a pure shooter. He shot a near 50% from the 3PT line so that paid his salary. Because of the 3PT shooting he had the highest eFG% at 67%. Really all Korver does is shoot and scoring is very important to the ratings so Korver is number 6.
5. Steph Curry PG Golden State Warriors ^ 3
Steph Curry, the MVP of the league, is probably the best shooter in the league. Even though percentage wise Kyle Korver is a better shooter he lacks the ability to create. Steph Curry was also the 4th best assister on the list behind Chris Paul, John Wall, and Russell Westbrook. Overall Curry had a very good year and is right in his prime at the age of 27. Steph Curry is one of the worst rebounders on the list so that hurts his ability to get closer to the top. The MVP does make it to the top 5 and surprisingly enough last year’s MVP, Kevin Durant, was ranked 5th in the rankings during his MVP year and Steph was ranked 8th, the place KD finds himself now.
4. Marcin Gortat C Washington Wizards – SAME
The Polish Hammer holds his spot at number 4 on the list. Gortat is a phenomenal rebounder and an efficient shooter. Also Gortat got his fair share of blocks this season so that helped his case. The big man actually saw a 10 point increase in his rating but still found himself at the same spot on the list. That just goes to show how great the top 3 played this season.
3. Dwight Howard C Houston Rockets – N/A
A newbie to the list grabs the number 3 spot. Howard is my favorite center in the league, watching him is like watching that one kid who was 6’5” in 7th grade and was just too big and strong for everyone else. He was the best rebounder on the list and shot the best FG% on the list. Surprisingly Howard also shot the best 3PT% on the list at 50%. When making the formula I was wondering how to handle big men and their 3s. Sometimes you see a guy go 1/1 or maybe 0/0 and that could help and hurt the guy respectively. I decided not to adjust anything because I am rewarding the big men for picking their spots.
2. Kawhi Leonard SF San Antonio Spurs v 1
Last year’s NBA Value MVP falls 1 spot in his Defensive Player of the Year campaign. Again Kawhi had good numbers on every category and lead the list in SPT. Leonard to me benefits from not having to be the guy. I think that when Leonard does have to be the guy he will still put up great numbers. I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out for that one but for now Kawhi is the greatest player in NBA Value history.
1. Anthony Davis PF New Orleans - N/A
AD had a great year. He was in the top 3 in SPT, and he had the top BPM. He shot plus 50% from the field and plus 80% from FT. Plus he is on a small contract so that helps him. Davis also is a great rebounder. Overall AD has the potential to be one of the greats and definitely deserves the NBA Value MVP, good job unibrow!
Starting Five
PG Steph Curry
SG Kyle Korver
SF Kawhi Leonard
PF Anthony Davis
C Marcin Gortat
Sixth Man
PF/C Serge Ibaka
Total Salary
$35.16M
Dwight Howard
John Wall
Kyle Korver
Marc Gasol
Anthony Davis
Let’s get started then!
30. Kobe Bryant SG LA Lakers v 6
Kobe Bryant, what really is left to say about him? He is old, over paid, and injury prone. Honestly it is sad to see one of the all-time greats play so long as to see his play dip below the average player. He shot a terribly low 37.3% from the field and his only good statistics were an 81.3% FT and a surprisingly high 9.10% TRB. Other than that he is 36 and makes $23,500,000 a year.
29. Rajon Rondo PG Dallas Mavericks v 6
Rajon Rondo is one of those guys who is frustrating to watch. A few years ago he was one of the most promising point guards in the league but now he is merely just another aging guard. A guard who was quite embarrassing in the playoffs prompting the “Where’s Rondo?” gimmick. Had the Dallas fans looked hard enough they would have noticed Rondo was in the same place he was in the regular season, playing below average ball. He shot an absolutely horrific 39.7% FT, how does a PG collect a check with that number?
28. Derrick Rose PG Chicago Bulls v 3
Actually Derrick Rose had a promising season in his return to action. He is definitely a guy that I am rooting for to return to his former self. In the case of the countdown however, he is near the bottom due to a high salary and the fact that he is a 29% 3PT shooter. Also he shot a low 40.5% FG, well below the average of the group. Hopefully next year D-Rose will climb his way up the list rather than down.
27. Paul George SF Indiana Pacers v 13
I’m not going to taint this superstar’s talents with disclosing his stats in the 6 games he played. If you want to know look them up for yourself.
26. Dwyane Wade SG Miami Heat v 15
Without LeBron James and for a lot of the season, Chris Bosh his numbers saw a significant drop. The biggest thing was that his FG% dropped by about 10% and his SPT ratio was much lower than last season. Plus he makes about $18M so he would need to put up phenomenal numbers to warrant that money.
25. Carmelo Anthony SF NY Knicks v 9
Melo is the product of a superstar talent playing for a terrible team. He is forced to throw up stupid shots and is often playing from behind. His numbers are actually pretty good, which is no surprise but the man makes more money than anyone in the NBA. He’s going to need team help to move up the chart.
24. Kyle Lowry PG Toronto Raptors v 9
There is no excuse for this drop. Actually Lowry had a good season and made the All-Star team but with injuries to himself and many of the other starters, including DeRozan, he was hindered down the stretch. Hopefully next year the team will come back together and his numbers will go on the rise.
23. Udonis Haslem PF Miami Heat v 4
Udonis Haslem, a man who makes money based solely off of his on court hustle. In fact as he ages I am afraid I might have to take this one time NBA Value Team member off of the list completely. Hopefully the 35 year old continues to be a surprising name in the countdown. His numbers are what they are, he is a great rebounder and he is consistent for the price.
22. CJ Miles SG/SF Indiana Pacers v 13
CJ Miles had a rough outing from the field this season. Just under 40% FG and about 34% 3PT shooting and that is why he finds himself falling from number 9 last season to 22 this season. This is a heartbreaking fall for anyone who is a fan of the role players on the list.
21. Russell Westbrook PG OKC Thunder v 1
Actually Westbrook was my MVP of the league this season so him being this low is shocking to me. Basically what it comes to is this, he scores a lot but he takes a lot of shots. He also makes over $16M, which I think is more than fair for a player of his caliber. When a player gets as many triple doubles as he does you know he is something special. The thing with the formula is it doesn’t reward players who have to carry their team in scoring, for example Melo and D-Wade.
20. John Wall PG Washington Wizards – N/A
John Wall is a great young talent, his main issue is that for a PG he doesn’t shoot 3PTs well. He actually shot well this season with a 47.3% eFG. He also has a fairly low salary so it is a tad surprising that he is this low on the chart. He did manage the top 20 in his first attempt so he isn’t doing terrible.
19. JR Smith SG Cleveland Cavaliers ^ 3
JR Smith is the first man to move up the chart so far and he cracks the top 20 for the first time. Actually there is nothing to say about JR that you don’t know, he shoots and he shoots well. But because he is such a good shooter he shoots a lot, so even when he is 0/15 he does not back down from that 16th shot.
18. James Harden SG Houston Rockets v 1
The MVP runner-up falls one spot to 18th on the list. His per game stats are very good, however his percentages and per minute stats are average to less than average. That’s really what it boils down to at this point, even good players can find themselves low on the list.
17. LeBron James SF Cleveland Cavaliers v 15
From number 2 to out of the top 15, the King LeBron James finds himself at 17. Now don’t misunderstand this, LBJ is the best player in basketball and it is possible he is the greatest of all-time. The thing about LBJ is he is at the point in his career that all he is concerned about is winning enough games to make the playoffs, so that is what he does. Also he is a guy that doesn’t care about percentages, he will get his points.
16. Kevin Love PF Cleveland Cavaliers v 6
The former Minnesota standout now playing for the Cleveland LeBrons. Love went from an all-around player with multiple talents into a shell of the man he used to be. Cleveland wants him to be a 3PT specialist, which he isn’t and that is the reason they acquired JR Smith and Iman Shumpert. I hate it for Love, even though he is making great money.
15. Kyrie Irving PG Cleveland Cavaliers ^ 6
Kyrie moves up six spots to crack the top 15. He is also the third straight Cav and the 4th out of the last 5 on the list. Kyrie being the top Cav is no surprise since he doesn’t have to score all the points and he has all of these great weapons to pass to. In fact he probably should have been a little higher with all of those factors.
14. Blake Griffin PF LA Clippers v 8
Blake Griffin is just a true PF. Big rebounder and efficient scorer. Blake however tries to play PG a little too much for my liking and with that he turns the ball over a lot. Also he doesn’t block shots as efficiently as a man his size and athleticism should.
13. Al-Farouq Aminu SF/PF Dallas Mavericks v 1
I love Aminu. You know if you have him you are going to get a very solid player and since he is in the role player role you’re going to get him cheap. I would like to see what Aminu could do with more minutes, and since he is only 24 this could come to fruition in a couple years or so.
12. Marc Gasol PF/C Memphis Grizzlies – N/A
Marc led his team to one of their best franchise seasons. He played pretty phenomenally but didn’t rebound quite well enough to move up this list any more than he is now.
11. Pau Gasol PF Chicago Bulls ^ 7
Well Pau barely beat out younger brother Marc and actually he had to move up 7 spots from last year to do it. 2 points was the difference between Marc and Pau. The difference had nothing to do with FG%, both shot 49.4% from the field. Amazing that the two brothers shot the same percentage.
10. Serge Ibaka PF/C OKC Thunder v 7
Serge fell down 7 spots but still managed to crack the top 10. Iblaka, Serge Protector, whatever you want to call him his blocking ability is the second highest on the list. He has the same problem as Marc, he doesn’t rebound quite well enough to move up high on a very competitive list.
9. Tim Duncan PF/C San Antonio Spurs ^ 4
Timmy Fundamentals is 39 years old and moving up the list! He is one of the greatest, if not the greatest players of all-time. Yes I said it, the old man might be the greatest basketball player ever. He wins and he doesn’t age. He had a phenomenal year and had great numbers, love it!
8. Kevin Durant SF OKC Thunder v 3
One of the best players in the NBA right now and he falls down the list due to injuries. This is sad but oh well the countdown has no mercy. KD still put up good numbers despite the injuries and I think he should be ready for a bounce back next season.
7. Chris Paul PG LA Clippers – SAME
CP3 stayed at number 7 and is the true definition of a PG. Good percentages and great assist and steal numbers keep CP3 up near the top. His price tag keeps him from being in the top 5 but for a guy who was the only player on his team who tried to win in the playoffs. It was sad what the team did to him, Jordan and Griffin just didn’t show up against Houston and Paul was left trying to do it all by himself.
6. Kyle Korver SG Atlanta Hawks – N/A
Korver is a pure shooter. He shot a near 50% from the 3PT line so that paid his salary. Because of the 3PT shooting he had the highest eFG% at 67%. Really all Korver does is shoot and scoring is very important to the ratings so Korver is number 6.
5. Steph Curry PG Golden State Warriors ^ 3
Steph Curry, the MVP of the league, is probably the best shooter in the league. Even though percentage wise Kyle Korver is a better shooter he lacks the ability to create. Steph Curry was also the 4th best assister on the list behind Chris Paul, John Wall, and Russell Westbrook. Overall Curry had a very good year and is right in his prime at the age of 27. Steph Curry is one of the worst rebounders on the list so that hurts his ability to get closer to the top. The MVP does make it to the top 5 and surprisingly enough last year’s MVP, Kevin Durant, was ranked 5th in the rankings during his MVP year and Steph was ranked 8th, the place KD finds himself now.
4. Marcin Gortat C Washington Wizards – SAME
The Polish Hammer holds his spot at number 4 on the list. Gortat is a phenomenal rebounder and an efficient shooter. Also Gortat got his fair share of blocks this season so that helped his case. The big man actually saw a 10 point increase in his rating but still found himself at the same spot on the list. That just goes to show how great the top 3 played this season.
3. Dwight Howard C Houston Rockets – N/A
A newbie to the list grabs the number 3 spot. Howard is my favorite center in the league, watching him is like watching that one kid who was 6’5” in 7th grade and was just too big and strong for everyone else. He was the best rebounder on the list and shot the best FG% on the list. Surprisingly Howard also shot the best 3PT% on the list at 50%. When making the formula I was wondering how to handle big men and their 3s. Sometimes you see a guy go 1/1 or maybe 0/0 and that could help and hurt the guy respectively. I decided not to adjust anything because I am rewarding the big men for picking their spots.
2. Kawhi Leonard SF San Antonio Spurs v 1
Last year’s NBA Value MVP falls 1 spot in his Defensive Player of the Year campaign. Again Kawhi had good numbers on every category and lead the list in SPT. Leonard to me benefits from not having to be the guy. I think that when Leonard does have to be the guy he will still put up great numbers. I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out for that one but for now Kawhi is the greatest player in NBA Value history.
1. Anthony Davis PF New Orleans - N/A
AD had a great year. He was in the top 3 in SPT, and he had the top BPM. He shot plus 50% from the field and plus 80% from FT. Plus he is on a small contract so that helps him. Davis also is a great rebounder. Overall AD has the potential to be one of the greats and definitely deserves the NBA Value MVP, good job unibrow!
Starting Five
PG Steph Curry
SG Kyle Korver
SF Kawhi Leonard
PF Anthony Davis
C Marcin Gortat
Sixth Man
PF/C Serge Ibaka
Total Salary
$35.16M