Today I will be continuing my 82 Burning Questions Series. In Part 1 I did 3 topics, the Warriors biggest challenge, the meme of the summer and if the Cavs were the best East team. I recommend checking that out! However on to today, where I will do questions 4-6. Let’s get into it!
4. Will Dirk finish season 5th all-time in scoring?
I don’t think Dirk will finish the season 5th all-time in scoring because I don’t think he can play 82 games, I don’t think he will play even 65 games. Last season he played 54 games, while also scoring 14.2 points, 4.1 less points then in 2015.
For Dirk Nowitzki to become 5th all-time in scoring, he needs to surpass 31,419 points held by Wilt Chamberlin. Right now he has 30,260 points meaning he needs only 1,159 more points to be in the top 5 of all-time scoring.
Let’s do the math. If he only needs 1,159 more points and he plays 82 games, he needs 14.2 points every game. If he only plays 75 games, he needs 15.5 points per game. Now you gave to consider his age, knowing he probably won’t play over 70 games. If he plays 65 games, he needs to average close to 18 points a game.
You have to remember Dirk has played 19 seasons in the NBA, making him 39 years old. That is why he went from 18.3 PPG in the 2015-16 NBA Season to 14.2 PPG in the 2016-17 NBA Season. This means that he statistically he should drop of in points by about 2. If he averages 12.2 PPG, he would need to play 95 games. I don’t think the Mavericks will make the Post Season, and because of the stats, he won’t be Top 5 in scoring by the end of this year.
5. Will Westbrook lead league in triple doubles?
Of course Westbrook will lead the league in triple doubles! I understand Westbrook won’t get as many rebounds, however this question is not asking if he will average a triple double. It is asking if he leads the league in triple doubles. Last season he had 42 triple doubles, while James Harden came second with 22. Then you had Lebron James and Nikola Jokic behind those 2, with James getting 13 and Jokic with 6. We know Westbrook will get passed 6 triple doubles, as well as getting passed 13 will be simple.
Remember when Kevin Durant was in an Oklahoma City jersey? Well that season Westbrook had 18 triple doubles. This shows with another star on the court, he will still get the triple doubles he needs to lead the league. I know what you are thinking right now, there are 2 stars on the Thunder court, not just 1. You have to remember that Durant in the 2015-16 season averaged 8.2 rebounds. Paul George averaged 6.6 rebounds a night, while last year Melo only had 5.9 rebounds per game. These two players aren’t great at rebounding, at least not as good as Durant was. If Coach Billy Donovan plays Carmelo Anthony at PF, Steven Adams will be forced to grab boards. To be honest, if I’m going for a championship I’m not relying on Steven Adams. And that is no disrespect to Steven Adams as he is a fantastic Center. Westbrook will still be asked to grab 8 rebounds a night. This means some nights he will grab 10 boards.
It is just a question if he beat out James Harden. I think he can because last year at PG he had 11.2 APG. But when he played as a shooting guard, he only had 7.5 APG. He will be playing SG for the Rockets this year as Chris Paul is the point guard. Harden may not be able to get 10 assists as much as Westbrook can. I believe because of this and the other reasons I stated, Westbrook will lead the league in triple doubles.
6. Will we reach 50 wedgies again?
A wedgie in basketball terms is when a basketball gets stuck between the rim and the back board. Here is an example:
NBA.com
This is pretty tough to get in the NBA as last year we only reached 50. This year they also want to get 50 but I don’t think it will happen. Players are very accurate with their shots and accuracy is improving each year. I think last year was a one off situation, this year the NBA will not hit 50 wedgies.
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Four Foot Nuttin 