#NBAVineRank: 19-16: This is the Lake Show, but don’t drown though
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 let’s see who’s hanging out in the middle of the pack.
25-21: Hey look, there are the Pacers
19 New York Knicks (5.125)
19 Toronto Raptors (5.125)
18 Chicago Bulls (5.25)
17 Los Angeles Lakers (5.5625)
16 Sacramento Kings (5.75)
Are…are…are the Lakers going to be kind of fun this year?
Taylor (@TaylorBojangles): Yes (maybe)! Health permitting, the Lakers might be kinda fun! A bunch of fun young guys plus Kobe and the obligatory TV shots of irrationally cocky Laker fans. They’re probably gonna suck, of course, but I think they’re underrated here at 17.
Donnie (@donniebuckets): More fun, probably, but I think this is too high for them. Unless someone replaced Byron Scott and didn’t tell me, the offense is still going to be among the most boring to watch in the league. D’Angelo Russell passes and Kobe death stares will certainly help.
Zach (@ZachOliverNBA): They’ll have their moments, and, of course, they still have Nick Young, which helps in their Vineability. I think we could get some highlights from D’Angelo Russell and, of course, Kobe will probably dunk and someone will freak out and Vine it, so, they’ll have some fun, but still be pretty boring overall.
Wes (@wcgoldberg): Kobe? D’Angelo Russell? Swaggy? Iggy? Why not?! Oh, that’s right, because Byron Scott is still the coach and the team is still bad. Yeah, no, after about 10 games, this team will not be even kind of fun.
Chris (@ChrisBarnewall): Kobe possibly healthy? D’Angelo Russell and a healthy Julius Randle? Nick Young? Look, they’re gonna be an abomination of a basketball team, but they’re gonna have some cool moment stoo.
Matt (@Matt_Cianfrone): I don’t think so and I gave them just a 4 in the voting. I guess D’Angelo Russell could be fun if he gets the ball and Nick Young is always fun. But that is about it as I get more sad than anything watching Kobe at this point.
Jack (@jackhaveitall): Ahh, I mean compared to last year, yeah. But compared to the rest of the league? Not really. They’re still going to be really bad, and the excitement of D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle won’t last too long. Still, they should be rather Vineable as long as Swaggy P is getting consistent minutes and Kobe stays healthy.
What’s up with the Bulls? Shouldn’t they be higher?
Taylor: The Bulls are kind of a TBD, since we don’t really know what they’ll look like under Fred Hoiberg. The grind-it-out style with Thibs made them a rough watch at times. Plenty of Vine potential, though.
Donnie: I think the Bulls should be higher for the same reason the Pacers should be: The new style should be a lot more fun. Derrick Rose isn’t an elite viner anymore since he conserves his energy, but he still makes some wow plays. Jimmy Butler is one of the few guys who’s Vineable on both ends, and Joakim Noah has some all-time Vines trolling the other team. Losing the Thibs sideline Vines does hurt, though.
Zach: No. The Bulls are pretty boring to me, so, they’re probably about right in the middle of the pack.
Wes: No.
Chris: Why are the Bulls this high in the first place?
Matt: Maybe. If healthy Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah can be fun and Fred Hoiberg may play more uptempo. Lots of ifs so I don’t really buy it but I can see the case I guess.
Jack: Nah. The Bulls are like the Grizzlies. Very solid team. Not very Vineable.
Who’s the most Vineable player in this group?
Taylor: It’s Kobe. Sorry, Boogie and Kristaps, but there’s no way around Kobe here. Even if he gets hurt again, the Vines of him looking incredulous on the bench nudge him into the top spot.
Donnie: Elite talent. Wears his emotions on his sleeves. Tension with his coach. And his team was put together by insane people? NBA Vines are going to be a Boogie wonderland this year, people.
Zach: Swaggy. Easily Swaggy.
Wes: Boogie Cousins, by a long shot. He’s easily the best player out of this group, he’s not afraid to exit his comfort zone on the floor or take the ball down the court, and the suspense factor is always there because you don’t quite know what he will do next.
Chris: Gonna go with a dark horse here and say Rudy Gay. He had some awesome dunks last season, and probably one of the greatest reaction shots in NBA history.
Matt: Of course Chris went with Rudy Gay. Anyway I’m gonna agree go with a new name and say DeMar DeRozan. Toronto for the most part can be boring but DeRozan can sky and throw down some nasty dunks. I love Boogie but most of his game is low post oriented which doesn’t produce great highlights. Considering I think DeRozan kind of takes over the Raptors a bit more from Kyle Lowry this season and I think we get some great vines from him.
Jack: Nooooo, it’s Rudy Gay! Nooooo! Noooooo! Not this guy!
But seriously, the most Vineable player in this group is Swaggy P. Simple. There’s no debate.