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The DeAnd'Rankings: Season 2, Volume I

There is a lot going on in the basketball world here in Christmas week of 2020. The craziest story to me thus far is that James Harden, who skipped camp because he wanted to go to parties at strip clubs, then maybe attended another strip club DURING camp, is somehow not one of the Houston Rockets who is going to be quarantined for one week due to COVID concerns. 

Flummoxing defenses as only James Harden can. I don't get it.

Anyway, the DeAnd'Rankings are back, and this season may feature a bit more general basketball talk and less in-depth rankings of the players, unless one is notably good or bad. One very exciting aspect of this year's rankings is the team aspect: Our 4 men of honor are all on good-to-great teams. The Nets are title favorites, the Suns have arrived and would be devastated to miss the playoffs, the Raptors are constantly in the top-5 in the east, and the Hawks are in the same boat as the Suns. 

What a time to be named DeAndre (or some variation thereof) in the NBA!

For those experiencing the DAR for the first time, please note that we host, without question, the definitive ranking of the NBA players named DeAndre (or variations thereof) on the internet. 

For those of you who've been here before, you might remember that one of the constant/very dumb gimmicks of the rankings is that we always start with five questions, so let's begin.

Q1: How much time did you spend thinking about the DeAnd'Rankings over the last 9 months?

Nine months.

Q2: Have you really started thinking about expanding to football and ranking the DaVantes?

Yes, but their name doesn't blend into a word like "rankings," so Adams, Freeman, Booker, Bond, Parker, et. al (including the numerous guys currently in college) will have to wait for their real time to shine.

Q3: Does the Committee decorate for Christmas?

Our offices are socially distanced and have a pine scented candle. We go pretty wild.

Q4: Will there one day be an award for the winner of the DeAnd'Rankings?

Science-willing, yes. But it will have to wait until a real season is played. 

Q5: Ready?

Ready.

Without further ado, the Committee presents Volume I of season 2 of the DeAnd'Rankings.

4. DeAndre' Bembry

Bembry is going to need some luck to elevate himself out of the 4 spot for the season, as Toronto just has too much depth for him to see the floor. He's on a 2-year minimum contract and played 6 minutes in their first game. He did record a block, but that's it. There's not a lot to expect out of him this season.

3. De'Andre Hunter

The 3/2 debate this week is a hot one, but De'Andre Hunter is going to drop into the 3 spot just by a hair. It was hard to read too much into his productivity in game 1's asbolute beat-down of the Bulls. Hunter started though! With the Hawks being suddenly loaded with wing players, the fact that De'Andre is the early-season starter is a big win for him. His defense is going to keep him high in the rankings, and the Committee admits a small bias toward winning teams (it's an inexact science, not unlike the MVP voting). Look for this guy to sneak into the top-2 if he plays well alongside Trae and co.

2. DeAndre Jordan

The Original DJ just keeps plugging along. The Nets look incredible through two games, and DJ's 18 rebounds per 36 minutes certainly help. He's altering shots at the rim, he's finishing the occasional lob, and he's just doing what he's been doing for the last 8 seasons, except now he's on one of the best teams in the league (OK I realize he was on a really good Clippers team but no one ever took them seriously. This is different). 

The Committee doesn't expect that DJ will stay at the top of his game forever, but he has looked quite spry through a couple of games - spry enough to hold onto the #2 spot.

1. Deandre Ayton

Ayton is once again finding himself atop the rankings almost by default. His stat-line from game 1 left a lot to be desired: 13/8 with 2 blocks is fine. But the real story here is that he's going to be working with Chris Paul, and that by itself is going to boost his value in the rankings. He'll get easy buckets, his team will win games, and he'll continue to get better as he is now just 22-years-old. 

I like Ayton. And without much to go on in this just-started season, that's enough to give him the edge over Jordan and Hunter, even if those two played really nice games in their first efforts. 


2020-2021 Season Standings:

4. DeAndre' Bembry - 1 point
3. De'Andre Hunter - 2 points
2. DeAndre Jordan - 3 points
1. Deandre Ayton - 4 points

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