Move over Oscars, for the first time in league history, the NBA will announced its individual award winners at a dedicated awards show. Though the red carpet won’t roll out in New York City until June 26, the deadline for voters is still April 14.
As the regular-season comes to a close, here are In the Clutch’s picks as the NBA’s top performers of the year.
MVP: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
My choice for the NBA MVP Award should come as no surprise. A few weeks ago, right here in In The Clutch I spelled out the reasons that Russell Westbrook was a no-brainer as the regular-season MVP. Since that article was published on stlamerican.com on March 29, Westbrook recorded triple doubles in five of the seven games he played to end the season. He also eclipsed 40 points four times during those final seven games, including a 57-point outburst against the Magic.
Westbrook accumulated 42 triple doubles in this season, breaking Oscar Robertson’s historic record of 41, set in the 1961-62 season. His main competitor, James Harden, tallied 21. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ 12-14 record since the All-Star Break should knock LeBron James out of the conversation. As great as Kawhi Leonard is as a two-way player, this season, his numbers just don’t add up.
Runner up: James Harden, Houston Rockets
Rookie of the Year: Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee Bucks
Rookie of the Year is a tough award to hand out this season as only one rookie really had a stellar season. Joel Embiid would have been a shoe-in for the award, had he not been limited to just 31 games due to a torn meniscus. The oft-injured Embiid put the NBA on notice by averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. As great as he was, it’s nearly impossible to name him Rookie of the Year after missing nearly two-thirds of the season.
After Embiid, the talent pool drops significantly in terms of finding an impact player. His teammate, Dario Saric, was second in scoring by rookies with 12.8 points per game. However, Saric’s buckets had little impact for the 76ers, who finished 28-53.
Hello Malcolm Brogdon.
Brogdon’s stats certainly don’t jump off the page. The #36 pick in the 2016 draft averaged 10.2 points, 4.2 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. Brogdon only started 27 games, but he was a consistent and key contributor for the playoff-bound Bucks. While Saric is a liability on defense for the 76ers, Brogdon is a bright spot for the Bucks.
Runner up: Dario Saric, Philadelphia 76ers
Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Out of the NBA’s steals leaders, 14 out of the top 15 players are either point guards or small forwards. The exception? Warriors power forward Draymond, who tops the list. Green and perhaps the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, are the only two players in the league who can guard every position on the court competently. With all due respects to Antetokoumpo, he’s nowhere near Green’s league as a defender (yet).
Green is as disruptive as a defender as there is in the league. The versatility is what (slightly) sets him apart from Leonard and the Utah Jazz’s Rudy Golbert, the league’s other two premier defenders. Furthermore, Green has a penchant for coming up with steals or blocks at critical times in the game and is the reason the Warriors didn’t falter after Kevin Durant went down with his injury.
Runner up: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Sixth Man of the Year: Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies
Zach Randolph could’ve sulked and pouted after being benched in favor of JaMychal Green this season. However, the Memphis fan-favorite and 15-year vet went out and did what he always does. He produced.
Randolph averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in just 24.5 minutes per game for the Grizzzlies. The league’s runaway favorite, Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets, needed 31.0 minutes per game (typical minutes for a starter) to put up 16.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Sure, the Rockets have the better record, but Randolph was more important to the Grizzlies’ success. Without him, the Grizz would be watching the playoffs from home.
Runner up: Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
Most Improved Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
If it weren’t for the absolutely ridiculous seasons by Westbrook and Harden, Antetokounmpo would be getting buzz as a possible MVP contender. The ‘Greek Freak’ averaged 23.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. With those numbers, he joined James, Dave Cowens, Scottie Pippen and Kevin Garnett as just the fifth player in NBA history to lead his team in all five major statistical categories in a season.
In how many of those categories did Antetokoumpo lead the Bucks last season? Zero.
He also helped lead the Bucks to the playoffs despite missing Khris Middleton for the first half of the season and Jabari Parker for the second half. Now he hopes to lead the Bucks out of the first-round of the playoffs for the first time since 2001.
Runner up: Harrison Barnes, Dallas Mavericks
Coach of the Year: Mike D’Antoni, Houston Rockets
Mike D’Antoni inherited a talented-but-underachieving team that was going through a lot of turmoil. Last season, the Rockets finished .500 and just snuck into the playoffs with the #8. Dwight Howard was on his way out and nobody knew how good, or bad, the Rockets would be in the 2016-17 season.
The Rockets managed to take the league by storm as D’Antoni’s “Seven Seconds or Less” offense meshed well with his superstar guard’s skillset. The results have been incredible. Harden has had a spectacular season, averaging 29.1 points, 11.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game. Those numbers would’ve likely earned him a unanimous MVP Award in any season except this one. Furthermore, those 41-41 Rockets will finish the season with at least 54 wins this season and a #3 seed in the mighty west, behind the juggernaut Warriors and Spurs.
Unlike the Spurs, Warriors and Cavaliers, the Rockets don’t have any bona fide superstars playing behind Harden. However, D’Antoni has maximized the production of guys like Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson and Trevor Ariza. The Rockets’ 115.2 points per game is second in the league behind the Warriors.
Runner up: Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics
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