By Joe Browne

The Milwaukee Brewers have quietly been one of the best teams in baseball all season long. One again, they are running away with the NL Central crown as the season winds down. Despite a vast amount of change and a little amount of player acquisition this offseason, the Brewers are still a force to be reckoned with. Jackson Chourio, the twenty year old former top prospect has been a major reason for the Brewers success this year. Prior to the 2024 season Choruio inked a 8 year 82 million dollar extension with the Brewers before he even stepped foot in a MLB clubhouse. An aggressive move by Brewers GM Matt Arnold that so far has paid off. Milwaukee will reap the benefits of this decision more and more as the years go on.

Getting Chourio on that cheap of a deal for the production that he will provide is remarkable. Through his first 127 career big league games Chourio is slashing a respectable .276/.331/.466 with 19 homers and 20 swipes to boot. With his next homer, Chourio will become just the fifteenth rookie in MLB history to achieve a 20/20 season. Chourio has done all of this despite his sluggish start to his young career. Through his fifty games Chourio posted a measly .210 average and only five home runs. In his next 77 games Chourio has caught fire hitting .316 with fourteen home runs and has raised his overall numbers to a very respectable clip as previously mentioned. He has pulled his OPS up just a tad shy of the .800 mark to .798. Also, his OPS+ is currently sitting at a very solid 119. Chourio has done it on both sides of the ball as well, recording a 84th percentile 3 outs above average in the outfield. The best part about this budding star is that this is just the beginning for him and the best is yet to come. Chourio is far from a finished product; he has improvements to make in his discipline. In his rookie campaign Chourio has chased 32.5% of the time which is not terrible but also not great. He also has only walked in 7.2% of plate appearances.

As Chourio matures as a big league hitter I fully expect him to lower his chase rate and in turn increase his walk rate. It is easy to forget that this kid is still only 20 years old. When the Brewers lock up the NL Central in the coming days, Chourio will not be (legally) allowed to drink. It is mind boggling to think about how the Brewers have been led by a 20 year old kid since Christian Yelich’s season ending injury. Before we know it, Chourio will get his first taste of postseason baseball and it will certainly be a treat to watch. Without Chourio’s production in the last 3 months it is hard to see the Brewers in the position that they are currently in. He is quickly molding into the new face of the franchise for the Brewers and leading the charge in this new era of Brewers baseball.

Sources:

Baseball Reference

Baseball Savant

FanGraphs

MLB.com

Statmuse

57hits.com

By Jonah Drew

Record: 53-29

The 76ers had a very typical 76ers season last season. Joel Embiid was absolutely dominant when he was healthy and on the court but like every year, he struggled with injuries. When the 76ers had Joel Embiid, they were a whopping 31-8, without him, just 16-27. Goes to show just how good Joel Embiid is when healthy. The Sixers made probably the biggest move of the offseason, going out and signing Paul George to a 4 year, 212 Million Dollar contract. I love this move, it was clear after they were bounced by the Knicks in the first round that they needed more self creation outside of Embiid and Maxey. Paul George can provide that, the ability to explode and go for 30+ on any given night while not dominating the ball. Even at his age, he can still provide good point of attack, which was also a need coming into this offseason. Hopefully some of the load being taken off of Joel Embiid’s shoulders by Paul George will help him obtain a clean bill of help. There was also some addition by subtraction, the 76ers finally got off of Tobias Harris’ god awful contract. I would like to see his spare minutes allocated to a combination of KJ Martin and Ricky Council. 2 young athletic wings who could provide some spark off the bench. I like the addition of Caleb Martin, he is a quality do it all wing who complements the Big 3 well. I do have my concerns about him playing the 4 though, the inability to help Embiid on the glass was an issue last year, with Martin starting at the 4, that issue could be even more prevalent. I do like the veteran acquisitions of Kyle Lowry and Andre Drummond. Outside of the leadership they bring off the court, which is vital, they both will be impactful on the court. Lowry can orchestrate the offense while not taking boneheaded shots like Reggie Jackson. Drummond can provide solid Non-Embiid minutes, as opposed to Paul Reed who was frankly unplayable for stretches. This team has potential to be one of the best in basketball if the ball bounces their way.

MVP: Joel Embiid

It has become a trend to hate on Joel Embiid and I just will not stand for it. Is it annoying watching him flop? Absolutely. Can he be a bit “Cringey” at times? Sure. But do either of these things make him not a Top 5 player in basketball and not one of the most skilled bigs we have ever seen? Of course not. As I previously stated, with a healthy Embiid, the 76ers went 31-8, with an improved roster around him, watch out. From an individual standpoint, Joel Embiid was comically elite. He was putting up 35/11/6 on 53%/39%/88% splits. That is one of the better offensive stretches we have seen this century but you won’t hear about it because it is Joel Embiid. Looking deeper, is in the 99th percentile in Post up impact, Mid range talent, and Catch and Shoot shot making efficiency. Embiid is as elite of a 3 level scorer we have in today’s game. He is also a 98th percentile rim protector. You name it, Joel Embiid is great at it, just an absurd basketball player.

DPOY: Kelly Oubre

Kelly Oubre continues to be one of the more underappreciated players in the game. The 76ers got him on a major bargain this past offseason, paying him 26 million across 2 years. Oubre was a key cog down the stretch for philly last season, he was one of the main reasons that Knicks series was so tightly contested. He gave Jalen Brunson a hard time when almost nobody could. Oubre’s combination of length and quickness makes him a nightmare for guards and wings alike. He is an uber aggresive defensive player, not afraid to get up into anybody or take risks going for steals. Unsuprisingly, this is a blessing and a curse. He is in the 89th percentile in pick pocket rating, the 83rd percentile in passing lane defense, and the 81st percentile in defensive playmaking. On the other hand, he is also in the 83rd percentile in stable fouls per 75. This fearlessness comes with it’s drawbacks but the way I see it, the good outweighs the bad.

Breakout: Ricky Council IV

Ricky Council was one of my favorite under the radar players to watch this past season and I was very dissapointed to see him iced out of the rotation in the playoffs. He is an exhilirating athletic young wing who can jump out of the gym. He can also shoot the rock, albeit on low volume, he was shot 36.6% from beyond the arc. He was comfortably above average on the offensive end, posting a 2.1 OBPM but he struggled a bit on the defensive end. I expect that to change, he is plenty capable of being a solid defender. One thing he was great at on the defensive end though was passing lane defense, ranking in the 81st percentile in that area. If he can continue this it will allow him to get out in transition which is where he flourishes. If given the opportunity Council could pop in 2024.

Sources

Basketball Index

Basketball Reference

ESPN

nba.com

Statmuse

By Jonah Drew

Record: 53-29

For the first time in a long time, the New York Knicks are not the laughing stock of the NBA. In fact, they are quite the opposite, they are absolutely not to be messed with. This tide began turn when Tom Thibodeau, a hiring that was heavily questioned and still questioned to this day despite his success. What really changed the Franchise though, was the signing of Jalen Brunson. Like the Thibs hiring, the Brunson signing was heavily scrutinized. To say Brunson has proved those doubters wrong would be the understatement of the century. Brunson went from the most overpaid player in the NBA, to the most underpaid in a matter of 2 years. He has overtaken Julius Randle as this team’s number 1 option and now as the king of New York. Brunson’s second year in New York saw the Knicks reach heights they haven’t in a long long time. The Knicks won 50 games and earned the second seed in the eastern conference. Come playoff time, things did not go the way the Knicks would have hoped, they were bounced by a 6 seeded Pacers team in 7 games. It is definitely worth mentioning that the Knicks were not at full strength, Julius Randle was out, OG Anunoby was hurt, Mitchell Robinson was hurt, and Bojan Bogdonovic was hurt. Despite the early exit, 2023-24 was a smashing success for NY, it saw them get OG Anunoby, the escalation of the Nova boys, and steady improvement in all aspects. This offseason has also been a hit for Leon Rose and the rest of the front office. They paid OG Anunoby, they had Jalen Brunson take a historic paycut, and most importantly, they made a block buster move to complete the Villanova infinity stones. They traded a plethora of first round picks across town to bring over Mikal Bridges. I expect Bridges to excel in his role with significantly less offensive creation responsibility. This Knicks defense should be tremendous once again, partly because they play with an unmatched intensity but also because of the defensive ability. Outside of Jalen Brunson and maybe Julius Randle, basically everyone in this rotation is an above average defender, Donte Divincenzo, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, Deuce Mcbride, the list goes on. There was a clear emphasis on defense when this roster was constructed, sort of bucking the trend of the modern NBA. That seems with the Knicks, they are not afraid to go against the grain. They are built on grit, heart, hustle, defense, and depth, all of which seem to be dying arts in the today’s NBA. We will see how far they can zig to the NBA’s zag, but so far, so good.

MVP: Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson is officially the king of New York. He took a historic paycut to stay in New York long term while giving Leon Rose and Co. the opportunity to put even more talent around him. Jalen Brunson was not always this king, this superstar, he is today though. He was a second round pick, overlooked due to his stature, despite his illustrious college career at Villanova that featured multiple National titles. At the pro level, he was heavily overshadowed by Luka Doncic. Brunson was productive coming off the bench but nobody could have ever seen what was coming when Brunson came to the big apple. Brunson has blossomed into a true superstar and absolutely one of the 10-15 best players in all of basketball. Brunson is one of the most ball dominant players in the NBA, the Knicks offense goes as he does, he is in the 99th percentile in offensive involvement. Brunson is very unique, despite his small stature, Brunson does a lot of his work around the cup. He loves to get downhill and play at his own pace, for my money, Jalen Brunson has the best footwork in the NBA. He is also one of the best pull-up shooters in the association. He is in the 100th percentile in Mid Range Pull up talent and Mid Range shot creation. On top of all the artistry Jalen Brunson does, he is deadly from down town. He was a 40.1% 3 point shooter on 7 3pt attempts per game. Jalen Brunson is an offensive maestro, despite his poor shot quality, Jalen Brunson is an uber efficient offensive player. Do not be shocked if Jalen Brunson comes out and drops 30 a night this upcoming season, he did it for significant stretches last season.

DPOY: OG Anunoby

OG has always had a spoty bill of health but when healthy, he is one of the most impactful defenders in the game. It is certainly not a coincidence that in the regular season, the Knicks were a crazy 20-3 when OG suited up. OG is one of the more versatile defenders in hoops, he ranks in the 94th percentile in defensive positional versatility. I don’t think anything represents that better than him holding his own on one of the shiftiest guards in the NBA in Tyrese Maxey and one of the most dominant big men ever in Joel Embiid, I doubt there is more than 3 guys in the NBA who can do that. He is in the 97th percentile in perimeter isolation defense. He is also in the 78th percentile in post defense and defensive playmaking. In December, the Knicks had a Defensive rating of 123.6, the worst in basketball. In January, the Knicks had a Defensive rating of 104.4, the best in basketball, that is a wild jump. The Knicks traded for OG Anunoby on December 30th.

Breakout: Miles McBride

Miles McBride is an excellent point of attack defender who really showed flashes of offensive brilliance down the stretch last season. Due to some injuries, Deuce McBride was forced to take on a heavier offensive load in the playoffs. He stepped up nicely, putting up 11 PPG on .536 eFG%. I would like to see McBride improve as a playmaker though, he only averaged 2 APG in the postseason and 1.7 in the regular season. It seems the Knicks share my concern as they made playmaking behind Brunson a priority this past offseason, going out and signing Cam Payne and drafting Tyler Kolek out of Marquette. Deuce took strides as a 3 point shooter, shooting sub 30% in his first 2 NBA seasons but shooting above 40% this past year. I see him as more of a 2 guard, but if he can provide spectacular perimeter defense while being a great tertiary bucket getter, that is a very valuable player, especially off the bench.

Sources

Basketball Index

Basketball Reference

ESPN

nba.com