The DeAndr-ankings

What a time for the NBA. All-Star selections, All-Star snubs, All-Star games amid a pandemic - high drama for a league that is as much about off-court drama as it is about on-court product. But let's take a moment and consider this week's rant topic: The 3-pointer. The 3-pointer has been something of a hot-button issue over the last 5-8 years in the NBA. Has it ruined the game? Are teams taking too many of them? Are all teams basically playing the same style? Should they add a 4-point line? Is there any place for variety in the NBA or are we soon going to see 70% of shots taken from beyond the arc? Some of these are fair questions, some are stupid. The "problem" surrounding the 3-pointer is that it's worth more points and thus it's more valuable, therefore teams are going to take more of them. That's it. There is literally nothing else to it. So how do we solve this "problem?" Adding a 4-point line is not gonna do it, because then the math shifts...

Welcome back. Glad to have you. If this is your first time, we here at the DeAnd'Rankings are in the business of ranking the NBA's four players named DeAndre (or some variation thereof) on a maybe-kinda weekly basis. Is it silly? Yes. Is it useful? Not really, no. Is it making a difference? Also probably not. But does it give the Committee a reason to ramble on about basketball so that Mrs. Committee doesn't have to be the recipient? Hell yes. So let's dig into this week's opening thoughts. While part of the world is still metaphorically burning, none of it is blazing quite like the Utah Jazz. They don't have any DeAndres, which certainly gives them a disadvantage in the eyes of the Committee, but even so, this team is on an absolute heater.  In this season of COVID absences, compressed schedules, increased DNP-Injury Management/rest, and goofy travel restrictions, it seems like every good team is just trying to find their way through. The Jazz are no different ...

The Rankings are back, and the Committee has some things to talk about. While there have been some undulations in the value of the league's DeAndres, let's take a moment to talk about what's going on in the league.  Item : An All-Star game is stupid. The only way it can be even remotely palatable is if the league breaks on Friday, holds a game Sunday, then gives every team the next week off. It's not even about COVID safety at that point (obviously - as holding the game at all proves that COVID safety is not a primary concern), it's about giving something  to the players in exchange for how they've met the league's demands in bizarre ways over the last 12 months. Give them extra time off at the mid-season mark and hold a no-frills exhibition game and then get the guys out of town immediately. Item : The Mavericks are bad? They've won 3 out of 4, but have been outscored by about 20 points over that 4-game stretch. Health is still a concern, and Luka's...