I am known around the office for bad takes. Or, rather, my co-workers claim that I have bad takes. Maybe it’s the Dave Matthews Band fan in me. Maybe it’s my affection for “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Or maybe it’s because I believe that the retired power forward Antoine Walker would easily be a top-10 player today.

It’s time to hold me accountable for my takes, particularly my basketball ones. And I’ve had some doozies in the past few years. One year, I predicted that Anthony Davis would have more 40-point games than Russell Westbrook would have triple-doubles. Westbrook would go on to average a triple-double. Another year, I thought Sebastian Telfair was the best point guard on the Boston Celtics. That year was 2006. Rajon Rondo was also on the team.

Some of those predictions made it into The New York Times last year. In an effort to keep me honest, on the doorstep of a new season, I thought I would take a gander at what I said would happen last year.

Most Valuable Player

Prediction: Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans)

Actual: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)

Mea Culpa: Not totally indefensible but a weird pick in hindsight. Trade speculation was already swirling around Davis before the season, and he wasn’t doing much to tamp it down. The Pelicans had a decent roster, with the underrated Jrue Holiday helping anchor the offense. But this was never a top-tier team, and M.V.P.’s typically come from top-tier teams. Davis did have an M.V.P. year, though, putting up 26 points a game along with career highs in rebounds and assists .