To Tank or Not to Tank? The Curious Case of the Oklahoma City Thunder

            Mark Cuban raised some interesting thoughts about whether or not Oklahoma City should shut down Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to land a lottery pick in next year’s draft, and those thoughts have inspired us to introduce a new series called, “To Tank or Not to Tank?”. Naturally, our first team is O.K.C.

The Team = Oklahoma City Thunder

Current Record = 3-6, tied for eleventh in the West

Situation = Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are both out until late November, leaving the Thunder with Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, and a bunch of other dudes.

The Case to Tank = I can’t think of another championship contending NBA team that was so ravaged by injuries to start the season. O.K.C’s entire offense literally revolves around their two star players. There is no fancy motion offense, and few set plays. For the most part, Durant and Westbrook take turn jacking jumpers or driving to the basket.

            If they were in the East, it would be much more likely that they could stay within shouting distance of the eighth seed until their star players returned, but their place in the Western Conference makes that much more unlikely. Let’s say they have to go eight more games without Durant and Westbrook. If they were to go 2-6 in those games, that puts them at 5-12. 49 wins was what it took to make the playoffs in the West last year, and the Thunder would have to go 44-20 the rest of the way to match that. The talent is there to do it, but by the time they got to the playoffs, they might not have anything left in the tank for their first round series against the first or second seed.

            Tanking gives the opportunity for the Thunder to develop young players like Perry Jones (who was sensational before going down with an injury of his own), Reggie Jackson (a restricted free agent next season who the Thunder should keep), and Steven Adams. Add a lottery pick to this group, and the Thunder suddenly are a significantly deeper squad in 2015-16. A team this talented hasn’t been in the lottery since the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan in 1997, and that only happened because David Robinson was shut down for most of the season.

The Case to Not Tank = Can you say “Kevin Durant will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2016 season”? Enough has been written about the James Harden trade that we won’t rehash it here, but the seeds for Durant leaving may have been sown when The Beard was shipped to Houston. The Thunder’s notorious penny-pinching ways could be enough to convince Durant to flee to greener pastures. Throw in Russell Westbrook’s free agency a year after that, and you could be talking about a starless Thunder team that opens the 2017 season. The best way for the Thunder to convince Durant to stay is to win a title in one of the next two seasons. They are talented enough that they could make a deep playoff run regardless of which seed they end up with, and with some of the valuable experience earned by some of their younger players, they should be better equipped to give their star players rest during the playoffs. Last year the Thunder played Derek Fisher during the last ten minutes of their season, which is insane when you consider Fisher is now COACHING the Knicks. Replacing him with Perry Jones or Steven Adams would be a major talent upgrade.

No Credentials Final Verdict = We wouldn’t mail it in if we were running the Thunder. Plenty of contending clubs are stumbling out of the gate (as of this writing, the Spurs and Clippers would also be on the outside looking in if the playoffs started today), and as long as they get one of their star players back before Thanksgiving, there will be enough time for the Thunder to solidify their playoff position. A team that four years ago looked like it had a bright long term future is now less than two years away from facing Kevin Durant hitting the open market, so they need to maximize every opportunity to win a NBA championship. 

2014 No Credentials NBA 30

            We’re starting our first set of season ending awards here at No Credentials, and here’s the criteria for how it works.

-         Based on regular and post-season results, we picked three players for ten different “teams” (the NBA has been obsessed with “Big 3s”, so this number makes sense).

-         Players were chosen based on who we would want to have under contract for the next four years, so youth and potential are favorable traits. Likewise, players like Tim Duncan were left off the list.

-         The second and third picks for each team were based on who was previously drafted on another club; meaning one team didn’t select two point guards or two centers.

-         This list was made from memory without looking at statistics for each player, although stats will be used in each player’s write-up.

-         Potential rookies were not included on the list.

Without further ado, the 2014 No Credentials NBA 30

Third Wheels

30. DeMar DeRozan, SG, Toronto Raptors

            DeRozan posted career highs in points (22.7 per game), boards (4.3), and most importantly, assists (4.0) while helping lead the Raptors back into the postseason. He isn’t the most efficient player, but if he learns to stop chucking from the 3-point line (a shade over 30% while attempting almost 3 per game) that will improve. Quietly, he’s a top-5 SG at only the age of 24.

29. Al Jefferson, PF-C, Charlotte Hornets

            Big Al was the driving force behind Charlotte snagging the seventh seed in the East, posting his first season over 20 points and 10 boards per game since 2008-09. When it comes to scoring from the low post, few do it better than Jefferson.

28. Chris Bosh, PF, Miami Heat

            Bosh added semi-reliable three-point shooting to his skill-set this year, which added a new dimension to the Miami attack.             

27. Lance Stephenson, SG-SF, Indiana Pacers

            Stephenson obviously has his issues, but no one can question his desire to win. It would be interesting to see what could happen if we went to a team that offered a larger offensive workload, but he’s likely going to stay in Indiana.

26. Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto Raptors

            Criminally underrated to the point that he was left off of the All-Star team, Lowry was Toronto’s MVP after Rudy Gay was shipped to Sacramento. When his head is on straight, he’s a championship caliber player.

25. Serge Ibaka, PF-C, Oklahoma City Thunder

            Ibaka’s value was fully realized when he sat out the first two games of the Western Conference Finals. His improved shooting from three point range bodes well for the future of the Thunder offense.

24. Eric Bledsoe, PG-SG, Phoenix Suns

            Fellow Sun Goran Dragic was also in the mix to make the 30, but ultimately Bledsoe’s upside pushed him ahead of his teammate. Health is the only thing holding Bledsoe back, and barring another injury, we are expecting a full breakout next year.

23. Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers

            This feels a little low for Lillard, but when watching him he feels like a guy who’s already close to his ceiling. Comparing his numbers from his rookie and sophomore campaigns support that theory. Regardless, he’s still a big-time shot maker who delivered one of the top-5 moments of the playoffs with his series winning shot against the Rockets.

22. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Dallas Mavericks

            Dirk is the oldest guy on this list, but as good a shooter as he is we think he’d still hold value as a spot-up stretch four on the right team when he’s pushing 40.

21. Bradley Beal, SG, Washington Wizards

            Beal’s story is similar to DeRozan’s, except Beal can hit 3s and is four years younger. It isn’t ridiculous to think Beal could be the best shooting guard in the NBA as soon as next season.

Second Banana’s

20. Kevin Love, PF, Minnesota Timberwolves

            Love is a gifted offensive player and fantastic rebounder, but the rest of his defensive skills leave much to be desired. A championship can be won with Love, but a rim-protecting center and an elite point guard are needed.

19. Tony Parker, PG, San Antonio Spurs

            Parker’s getting up there in age, which is concerning considering his game is predicated on his ability to get into the paint. Regardless, his role as a catalyst on the team that just won the Finals earns him a spot on this list.

18. Carmelo Anthony, SF-PF, New York Knicks

            I considered copying and pasting what I typed about Kevin Love here, but instead I’ll just tell you to reread Love’s right up and swap out “Love’ for “Carmelo”.

17. Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers

            It’s not Irving’s fault that he plays for a team that fired the same coach twice within four years. There’s a good chance Irving’s best years will happen on another team sometime down the road.

16. Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers

            Griffin was a monster this year, but we’re still not putting him into the top-10. If he backs up the season he just had next year, we’ll have to push him that high.

15. Joakim Noah, PF-C, Chicago Bulls

            Noah was far and away the most consistent defensive player in the NBA this season, and he upped his value even more by posting a career high 5.4 assists per game this season. He’d be the perfect compliment for either Kevin Love or Carmelo Anthony.

14. James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets

            We’d like to see Harden revert more to his playmaking days from Oklahoma City rather than being a volume shot taker, but he’s still either the first or second best shooting guard in the league.

13. Dwight Howard, C, Houston Rockets

            Howard quietly delivered what the Rockets were looking for when they signed him last year, with the only disappointing number being his blocks dipping under 2 per game for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Howard seems to be understanding that he doesn’t need to dominate the ball in the post, and should be even more effective if Houston is able to land another star player this off-season.

12. Marc Gasol, C, Memphis Grizzlies

            Along with Howard, Gasol is the only other true center in the league that can adequately handle playing in a small-ball lineup. I’d like to see Memphis utilize him more, as his playmaking ability is elite for a man of his size.

11. DeMarcus Cousins, PF-C, Sacramento Kings

            I understand that Boogie is bonkers, but there’s no denying that he is the dominant low-post scorer in the NBA. If we didn’t have a history of behavior issues, he’d be in the top-5.

Franchise Players

10. Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers

            There’s a legitimate case to be made that Paul has a history of postseason choking, but there still isn’t another point guard I’d rather have running my half-court offense.

9. Paul George, SG-SF, Indiana Pacers

            George made a giant leap this season, but next year he needs to establish more game-to-game consistency to place him in the discussion of best players in the league.

8. John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards

            Even if Derrick Rose (who was left off this list due to health concerns) returns near full strength, Wall will still be the best point guard in the Eastern Conference. We’ll go out on a limb and predict Wall makes his first run at League MVP next season.

7. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, Portland Trail Blazers

            Aldridge is arguably the best 18-foot jump shooter in the league, which is a real asset for floor spacing. I don’t think anyone would’ve thought that Aldridge would be so highly regarded when he was drafted out of Texas.

6. Stephen Curry, PG-SG, Golden State Warriors

            The shot making has always been there, but it’s his 8.5 assists per game in 2013-14 that’s noteworthy. The turnovers need to come down, but Curry is well on his way to establishing himself as a true floor general.

5. Russell Westbrook, PG-SG, Oklahoma City Thunder

            More often than not this postseason, it was Westbrook taking the critical shots in crunch time instead of Kevin Durant. Whether that’s a bi-product of selfishness or being the guy with the biggest onions is up for debate, but there’s no doubt that Westbrook is a top-5 talent. Ultimately we’d love to see the Thunder find a point guard and shift Westbrook to the 2, as he would be fully unleashed to attack when he has the ball in his hands.

 

4. Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs

            At first glance, this seems like an epic overreaction to his NBA Finals MVP award, but Leonard truly deserves to be ranked this high. For starters, he’s only 22 years old. If he was on a team other than San Antonio, his points per game would be significantly higher, but his unselfishness makes him the perfect Spur. There’s no one better suited physically to guard Lebron James, and even when tasked with guarding the leagues best player he’s still able to produce on the offensive end. Do it all players like Leonard don’t grow on trees, and San Antonio is fortunate to have one of it’s pillars for the post Duncan era in place already.

3. Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans

            The Brow was an absolute monster this year, and looks poised to lead the next generation of NBA stars after Lebron and Durant move on. His defensive production was never in doubt when he came out of Kentucky, but you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who thought he could average more than 20 points per game as a 20-year old. The sky truly is the limit for him, and he’s a dark horse to finish first on this list next season.

2. Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder
            Durant is a post-up game away from being the most dominant player in the league. His playmaking skills are already improved (he posted a career high assist rate this year), but he needs to be able to get the ball closer than 25 feet away from the basket in crunch time.

1. Lebron James, SF, Miami Heat

            Lebron’s no longer the most dominant offensive player on the planet (Durant has passed him there), but it’s his defense that gives him the top spot on our list. He’s the only player in the NBA capable of guarding point guards, wings, and power forwards. James has the most impact on defense on a nightly basis, and at 29, still has some prime years left in him.

            Here’s what our ten trios ended up being. Feel free to comment here, on Facebook, or Twitter to pass along your thoughts on our first annual NBA 30.

Team	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3
1	Lebron James, Heat	DeMarcus Cousins, Kings	Bradley Beal, Wizards
2	Kevin Durant, Thunder	Marc Gasol, Grizzlies	Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
3	Anthony Davis, Hornets	Dwight Howard, Rockets	Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
4	Kawhi Leonard, Spurs	James Harden, Rockets	Eric Bledsoe, Suns
5	Russell Westbrook, Thunder	Joakim Noah, Bulls	Serge Ibaka, Thunder
6	Stephen Curry, Warriors	Blake Griffin, Clippers	Kyle Lowry, Raptors
7	LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers	Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers	Lance Stephenson, Pacers
8	John Wall, Wizards	Carmelo Anthony, Knicks	Chris Bosh, Heat
9	Paul George, Pacers	Tony Parker, Spurs	Al Jefferson, Raptors
10	Chris Paul, Clippers	Kevin Love, Timberwolves	DeMar DeRozan, Raptors

NBA Season Wrap-Up = OKC and Indiana

            Our latest edition of our NBA year-end recap looks at the two clubs who lost in their respective conference finals.

4. Indiana Pacers

No Credentials Pre-Season Rank = 8
Fantasy MVP = SG-SF Paul George (for the first three months of the year, was a top-4 ranked fantasy player, and finished the year inside the top-10)
            Indiana might have been the worst passing team in the history of man to make it to a conference finals. They couldn’t even get the ball into the post to take advantage of their size against the Heat. While most of the talk surrounding the Pacers revolves around whether or not they should resign Lance Stephenson, they really would benefit from adding a quality point guard. A star point guard isn’t necessary, just someone that can adequately get the ball into the post.
            As for Stephenson, No Credentials can’t figure out if Stephenson made or lost money during his wild and wacky playoff run. For all of his goofiness, he was still Indiana’s most important defender during their series against Miami, and at times was their best playmaker. There isn’t a viable replacement for him available on the open market, so for better or worse the Pacers and Stephenson are likely going to be together for the foreseeable future.

 

 

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

No Credentials Pre-Season Rank = 6
Fantasy MVP = SF Kevin Durant (don’t need to explain this one)
            Fresh off a loss in the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder are at multiple cross roads. We’ll address them in bullet form.

Would it be more beneficial long-term to split Durant and Russell Westbrook?

            The answer here is simple…only if a team makes a ridiculous offer for Westbrook. There were times against the Clippers and Spurs that Westbrook was the catalyst instead of Durant, and seems that they both are comfortable complimenting each other. Some stronger coaching (more on that later) is needed to reaffirm Russell’s place in the team pecking order, but that’s something that can be fixed. In a league dominated by rosters with multiple stars, it would make no sense to split the second best player and another top-10 player.

Should the Thunder finally amnesty Kendrick Perkins?

            Yes, yes, and yes again. Perkins is the easiest go to person to look at when evaluating how Oklahoma City built it’s supporting cast. The Thunder’s greatest advantage is the athletic ability of Durant-Westbrook-Ibaka, but with the exception of Reggie Jackson and Steven Adams, the rest of their playoff roster was made up of old washed up veterans. The fact that they went down in Game 6 with Derek Fisher as one of their five guys on the court is laughable (not as laughable as the amount of times Fisher found himself getting posted up on due to a pick-and-roll switch, but close). Perkins being let go would free up $9.5 million on their cap, which they should be able to spend on a player or players that would post a PER higher than –3.0. We’d also like to see them give guys like Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones III some more run during the regular season, as they do possess the natural athletic ability to compliment the core players. Amnestying Perkins makes tons of basketball sense, but we’re guessing the Thunder are too cheap to do it (they would still have to pay Perkins if they amnestied him, even though it wouldn’t count against their salary cap). At the very least, hopefully they don't play him very much next year.

Is Scott Brooks the right fit as Head Coach?

            Normally, I’m rational when discussing whether or not a coach who led his team to the NBA Final 4 should be kept, but the Thunder feel like a team that hasn’t hit it’s potential yet, and I don’t see Brooks being the guy to do it. He’s a good coach, but his offense is vanilla (it’s the talent of Durant and Westbrook that generate points here, not the Xs and Os), and his refusal to sit washed up veterans (to reiterate, Derek Fisher played the entire overtime in Game 6. Derek fucking Fisher!) rather than develop than roll with their younger bench players is detrimental to the team. Brooks is a good coach, but good isn’t good enough when given the talent he has at his disposal. The Chicago Bulls faced a similar situation when they fired Doug Collins after the 1990 season. Chicago was an up-and-coming team that couldn’t get past the Detroit Pistons. After losing in the Conference Finals, the Bulls canned Collins, hired Phil Jackson, and the rest is history. Oklahoma City should go down the same path here, but we’re guessing they are too cheap to fire Brooks and pay his buy out. So after all these words, we expect the Thunder to return in 2014-15 with virtually the same roster, and again be a championship contender.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (11/29-12/1)

10. Robinson Cano and New York Yankees Far Apart in Negotiations
            Cano is an interesting case study for “everyone knows 10-year mega deals are bad, but some team will be desperate enough to do it”. He’s probably worth $25 million for the next five years, but it will be interesting to see if a team takes the plunge (Dodgers, Nationals, Rangers), or if Cano settles for a shorter deal.

9. Nickpolean Dynafoles Tosses Three More Touchdowns

            2013 has been a weird year of football, but nothing is stranger than Nick Foles starting the year with 19 touchdown passes without throwing a single interception. You keep waiting for the wheels to come off, but he’s starting to look like a guy the Eagles can invest in long term.

8. Indiana Pacers Push Record To 16-1

            The Pacers look more and more like the team that has the best chance to knock the Heat out in the playoffs.

7. Russell Westbrook 3 Leads Thunder Over Warriors
            Oklahoma City did well to hold the fort while Russell Westbrook rounded into form, and now that he is, the Thunder have reestablished themselves as one of the elite teams in the Western Conference again.

6. Hershel, the Governor, and the Prison Go Down on “The Walking Dead”

            We would’ve liked to see the drunk guy go (he got shot, but it looks like he’ll live), but otherwise this episode covered everything No Credentials wanted in the mid-season finale.

5. Ohio State Hangs On For Dear Life Against Michigan
            After surviving in Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes need a win in the Big 10 Championship Game against Michigan State too (computers permitting) have a chance at a national title.

4. Denver Puts Up 28 Straight, Takes Control of AFC

            On what proved to be a bad day to go up against Peyton Manning and Eric Decker in fantasy, Kansas City proved once and for all that they aren’t quite ready for primetime.

3. Patriots Pull Out Victory Over Pesky Texans

            Based on the past two weeks, it wouldn’t be shocking if the Patriots demise were the result of some team running the ball down their throats.
       
2. Josh Gordon Carries My Fantasy Teams to Victory
            Sure it hasn’t resulted in real life wins, but Josh Gordon has been swinging fantasy leagues across the country. His stat line over the last two weeks is 24 receptions, 498 yards, and three touchdowns, which is all the more impressive when you consider the vast majority of these receptions were made while Brandon Weeden was throwing him the ball.

1. Auburn Runs Back Missed Field Goal, Stuns Alabama

            I guess anytime you can give a freshman who had made one of two field goal attempts this season (with the made field goal coming from 20 yards out) an oppurtunity to kick a 57-yard field goal with one second left in a tie game, you have to do it. Other than quitting the Miami Dolphins after just weeks earlier saying he wouldn’t take the Alabama job, this should go down as the biggest “W.T.F.” moment of Nick Saban’s career.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (11/1-11/3)

10. Justin Blackmon Suspended For Rest of 2013 Season
            I’m glad real life events don’t impact my Madden franchise.

9. Jimmie Johnson Dominates at Texas

            It might look like gloom and doom for the legions of 48-haters, but one must remember that Johnson also had a seven-point lead at this point in the standings last year over eventual champion Brad Keselowski.

8. Russell Westbrook Returns For the Thunder

            There’s no one happier about this development than Kevin Durant.

7. Nebraska Hits a Hail Mary as Time Expires Against Northwestern
            In Lawrence Phillips’ hey-day, the Cornhuskers would’ve been beating Northwestern by seventy points, but that’s a conversation for another day.

6. Brooklyn Nets Knock Off Miami in Home Debut

            A win on the first day of November will ultimately mean nothing in determining the NBA title, but at least the Nets displayed the necessary amount of chemistry to defeat the two-time defending champions. On a personal note, it’s really weird watching Pierce and Garnett in anything other than Celtics green.

5. Cowboys Need 90-Yard Drive to Beat the Third Worst Team in Football
            But hey, a win’s a win right?

4. Patriots Roll With Gronk and Amendola

            It’s a shame that these two guys will be lucky to be healthy for three more games together at the same time.
      
3. Red Sox Honor Boston Marathon Victims During World Series Parade
            Ultimately, the most lasting memory of the 2013 Red Sox will be David Ortiz declaring “This is our fucking city” the day after the marathon bomber was captured. It was fitting that the world champions stopped and paid an emotional tribute at the finish line.

2. Down 21-0, Seahawks Rally Against Winless Tampa Bay

            I was ready to unleash a 700-word rant about how I planned on ceasing my efforts to brainwash my son into becoming a Cowboys fan because they have been such a shitty team for 15 years and should be embarrassed about how they played against the Vikings, but then Seattle almost lost to one of the two winless teams in the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE at home.

1. The Pizza Man Delivers Seven Touchdown Passes

            For seriously fucked up fantasy football teams that were forced to call upon Nick Foles this week to cover a bye, your incompetence was rewarded.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (4/26-4/28)

10. Thunder Lose Russell Westbrook For Rest of Season
            God must’ve placed a preseason wager on Miami to repeat, because too many things have occurred that have enhanced their ability to win a second straight title. The Thunder will be lucky to make it to the conference finals.

9. Aaron Rodgers Becomes an Incredibly Wealthy Man

            This is a vast improvement over Rodgers’ financial situation last week, when he was merely a moderately wealthy man. He’ll get $40 million this year for his services on the gridiron.

8. Eagles Trade Up to Draft Matt Barkley in Fourth Round

7. New York Jets Use Second Round Pick on Geno Smith
            I’d mock the probable failure of both of these players more, but my Dallas Cowboys just delivered the worst draft class in the history of man.

6. Celtics Stave Off Elimination

            Great to see Boston win what will more than likely be Kevin Garnett’s final home game.

5. Jon Jones Dismantles Chael Sonnen
            Sonnen is a huge douche bag, so the more elbows inflicting serious harm on his face, the better.

4. Anibal Sanchez Whiffs 17 Braves

            For those not in the know, that’s a lot of fucking strikeouts.

3. Kevin Harvick Passes Six Cars in One Lap, Wins Richmond
            I duplicated this feat on NASCAR Thunder 2002 for PS2 back in the day, so this wasn’t really a big deal.

2. Thunder Pull Out Just Enough to Hold Off Rockets

            Kevin Durant better be prepared to take a beating for Oklahoma City’s remaining games this season.

1. Nate Robinson Loses His Mind, Bulls Win Triple-Overtime Thriller

            Nate Robinson directly resulted in my Charlie Sheen post a couple of years back becoming the most viewed page ever produced by this blog (on a day when he was laying in a hospital bed recovering from knee surgery no less), so whenever Nate goes ape shit and single-handedly wills a team into overtime, No Credentials approves.

Scoring System for Fantasy Basketball During NBA Lockout

            I’ve been running a fantasy basketball league for four seasons now, but sadly year five appears to be in jeopardy. Our draft is scheduled to happen in 10 days, but unfortunately we might be without NBA games for a year. In light of the league being unable to be decided by statistics, I’ve come up with a fairly simple scoring system to use during the lockout for my fantasy league, and I’m kind enough to share it with the world.

20 points for participating in a playground league game.

10 points for being on the cover of a grocery store magazine (bump Kris Humphries, aka “Mr. Kardashian”, up a few rounds).

40 points for making Sportcenter’s top 10 plays with a dunk over some poor European dude.

30 points for using a trending “#” on Twitter.

 -100 points for comparing NBA owners to “slave drivers”.

50 points for earning an invite to a fellow player’s all-star game, 100 points for hosting an all-star game.

75 points for legally changing a name (example: Meta World Peace).

15 points for getting arrested.

0.25 points for every day worked at a retail store (had to make Delonte West valuable somehow).

1 point for every anti-owners tweet.

30 points for recording a song.

25 points for creating a fetus (if we applied these rules back in fantasy basketball during the 1998-99 lockout, Shawn Kemp would’ve been a fantasy legend).

60 points for appearing in a movie.

-50 points for showing up at the first game post-lockout 30 pounds overweight (I’m looking at you Michael Beasley. Baron Davis is out of the running because he put on 40 pounds after getting traded to Cleveland).

10 points for airing a new commercial.

-20 points for saying that “we care about the fans”.

15 points for a player tweeting that they are hitting the gym (Russell Westbrook looks like the clubhouse leader in this category so far).

5 points for showing up at a NFL, MLB, NHL, or NASCAR event.

40 points for being involved in a nightclub altercation.

250 points for appearing in a porn movie (makes Greg Oden worth a late-round flyer).