#NBAVineRank: 5: New Orleans Pelicans
By Ian Levy
Welcome back to #NBAVineRank, our latest project here at The Friendly Bounce. We’ve ranked all 30 teams in terms of Vineability, and are counting them down as we kill time in the offseason. Today we check in on the Milwaukee Bucks, who have come in at six.
25-21: Hey look, there are the Pacers
19-16: This is the Lake Show, but don’t drown though
15-11: Miami Heat just miss the top 10
10-9: Wizards and Spurs crack the top 10
7: Rockets and Timberwolves tie for seventh
5 New Orleans Pelicans (8.25)
Which award does Anthony Davis steal from Steph Curry first: MVP or MVP (Most Vineable Player)?
Ryne (@ryneprinz): Steph’s ability to shoot off the dribble, pull up in transition and maneuver his way to the bucket will never get old. I’m expecting AD to win Most Valuable Player in the next 3 seasons, so I’ll roll with that.
Wesley (@wshareNBA): Steph is so Vineable that his daughter’s inherited it genetically. I think Brow in an up-tempo offense is already the Most Valuable Player this season, so I’ll take that one.
Taylor (@TaylorBojangles): Pretty sure I picked Davis to win MVP this season, so I guess I’ll stick with that. But I bet he takes both from Steph this year.
Chris (@ChrisBarnewall): Anthony Davis is still one of those players that can somehow get better, which is just insane, and that should cause all of us to be on watch as he takes home the most Vineable player award this season. He won’t win MVP, because the Pelicans won’t win enough games, and at the moment voters still believe that matters.
Matt (@Matt_Cianfrone): Vineable Player. Davis is still a few years away from Valuable Player because the Pelicans won’t be good enough. But he doesn’t need his team to do the insane things that win Vinable Player.
Jack (@jackhaveitall): I think Most Vineable Player comes first. Most Valuable Player Awards are in his future, but I think that’s further down the line. Honestly he could be the Most Vineable Player this year.
How long into the Pelicans’ first game will it take Davis to do something that sends Twitter dot com into a frenzy?
Ryne: Oooooh, the Pelicans open the season against the Warriors. I’m guessing it’ll be 2 minutes into the 2nd quarter.
Wesley: Anthony Davis eating a Spicy Italian at Subway would send Twitter into a frenzy. So, uh, let’s go with the first time he touches the ball.
Taylor: I’ll say 31 seconds.
Chris: He’s gonna hit a 3-pointer early in the game so I’ll give him the first five minutes.
Matt: The first minute. AD typically does something insane early in games so combine opening night energy with that and we get a fun play really fast.
Jack: Easily before the first TV timeout. Probably going to block a Steph three or something.
Who is the most Vineable player on the Pellies besides Davis?
Ryne: I’m riding with Alonzo Gee. The guy has thrown down some emphatic dunks in the last couple of years.
Wesley: Jrue Holiday. He’s pretty shifty and has a really light on-court personality, which gets lost in the shuffle since he’s played 74 games in two years. I hope we get to see a whole lot more of him this season in a more aesthetically pleasing system.
Taylor: Gee is a nice pick, but I feel like Kendrick Perkins (if he plays) is typically good for a handful of hilarious/awful Vines a year.
Chris: Tyreke Evans can be really fun when he’s playing at his best.
Matt: This is tough. Jrue and Reke at their best don’t really produce plays that are Vineable despite being good. Ryan Anderson may catch fire from three so that I guess counts. But my answer is a tie between Norris Cole who is bound for some insane confidence vines both good and bad, and Alexis Ajinca because of his post moves. This team outside of Davis is kind of not Vineable.
Jack: Ah man, the Pels are so top heavy with Davis. I guess I’ll go with a combination Jrue Holiday/Tyreke Evans. They can be the combination Taco Bell/KFC of NBA backcourts. And that is 100 percent a compliment.