It is the last day of the NBA regular season. 14 of the 30 NBA teams will pack their bags home, and hope they got a good selection in the upcoming NBA draft lottery. 15 of the remaining teams will compete in the playoffs for the honor to get swept by the Warriors. With the end of the season comes the awards. Today, we will be listing our winners for all of the major awards, while also naming the All-NBA teams.
Most Valuable Player
The debate that has taken the NBA by storm is whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will edge out James Harden to win his first MVP or not. Both players have had absolutely spectacular seasons. Harden has scored the ball like an absolute maniac this season, torching defenses for 36 points per game and scoring the most points a night since Kobe in 2006. Meanwhile, Giannis has been living up to his "Greek Freak" moniker, putting up 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists while also shooting 58% from the field. Only Kareem-Abdul Jabbar has put up offensive stats like that. While this argument could certainly go both ways, Giannis has the upper hand for two main reasons: defense and team success. Both of the players offensive games have been equally impactful, but Giannis trumps Harden defensively any day of the week. While Harden has taken strides in his game, he is not the best defender on the league's best defense. Giannis just blocked Joel Embiid 4 times in one game! Also, the Bucks have locked up the NBA's record and are the only 60 win team, which further backs Giannis' case as MVP.
As for other candidates potentially deserving of the MVP award, Paul George, Nikola Jokic, and Stephen Curry round out the top five. George is arguably the best two way player in the league, and has emerged as the number one option for OKC. Jokić carried the Nuggets to a top seed in the West amid an injury plagued season, while Curry once again proved to be the anchor of the Warriors, and has led them to the best record in the West.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. James Harden
3. Paul George
Defensive Player of the Year
Once again, this race is widely debated upon among the NBA community. The competition is narrowed down to three players: Rudy Gobert, Giannis, and Paul George, as Joel Embiid has missed games because of numerous injuries. This race is also one that could go any way. Gobert has remained a defensive stalwart this season, and is a dominating presence in the paint that opposing players want no part of. He has led the Utah Jazz, who are otherwise pretty thin at defenders, to the second overall defensive rating in the league. Giannis, like Gobert, is his teams defensive anchor, but impacts his team in different ways. Giannis might be the most versatile defender ever, and can lock up all positions. Additionally, the Bucks have the best defensive rating in the league. However, the Bucks do have excellent defenders in Eric Bledsoe and Brook Lopez to accompany Giannis. George came out of the season blazing, and was the pick for DPOY back when we made predictions at midseason. Also, a late season slump has seen a dip in George's production on both ends, so his candidacy has been a bit weakened.
1. Rudy Gobert
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
3. Paul George
Coach of the Year
The three contestants for this race are Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, Clippers coach Doc Rivers, and Nuggets coach Mike Malone. All three have impacted their teams greatly in largely different ways. Budenholzer was given the reins after Jason Kidd was fired last year. He has transformed the Bucks into the NBAs best team, and has made Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton all-star caliber players. His signing of Brook Lopez was also huge, as the Bucks have a seven footer that is third in the league in blocks that can also launch from 25 feet out. Doc Rivers has also been admirable for the Clippers, and somehow has coached them into the playoffs despite them trading away their best player(Tobias Harris) at the trade deadline. His decision to bring Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell off the bench was basketball genius. Malone has helped the Nuggets to a very high seed in the West, but due to their recent slump might be at a disadvantage.
1. Mike Budenholzer
2. Doc Rivers
3. Mike Malone
Sixth Man of the Year
For seemingly the millionth time in a row, bench ace Lou Williams will take home the award for the league's best backup. Somehow, Williams just excels at leading the second unit, and recently became the highest scoring bench player in NBA history. He is second in the league in fourth quarter scoring, and leads the playoff bound LA Clippers in points per game. While teammate Montrezl Harrell and Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis could give him some competition, it is not too close. Trez has been very good for LA, but his production might just be an effect of Williams. Sabonis has also put up good numbers behind Thaddeus Young, but is not close to the level of scoring that Williams puts out each night.
1. Lou Williams
2. Montrezl Harrell
3. Domantas Sabonis
Rookie of the Year
Yay! Competition! Back in January, Luka Doncic was so ahead of the rest of the competition that we did not bother listing other candidates. Since then, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young has been on fire, and has improved his game a lot. However, this perception of competition might be just a false sense of hope, as Luka is still averaging over 20 points per game and is putting up numbers that only Oscar Robertson did as a rookie. It will be very hard to over look the first half of the season when Young shot 19% from three. As for a third spot in the race, number one overall pick DeAndre Ayton is averaging a double double and is putting up solid numbers for the Phoenix Suns.
1. Luka Doncic
2. Trae Young
3. DeAndre Ayton
Most Improved Player
This race is down to Pascal Siakam, De'Aaron Fox, and D'Angelo Russell. Spicy P has been phenomenal for Toronto, and might actually be their second option. He has scored more points than Kyle Lowry, and has taken huge strides defensively as well. He re-defines the word improvement, and is averaging 10 points and 3 rebounds more than last season. Russell has also been a key factor for the Nets, and his clutch shot making might be the reason Brooklyn is in the playoffs. However, he was injured last season, so it is hard to say how much improvement he has underwent. Fox has also been excellent, but improvement in a players sophomore season is expected, as they are just getting used to professional basketball in their first year.
1. Pascal Siakam
2. D'Angelo Russell
3. De'Aaron Fox
All-NBA Teams
First Team:Stephen Curry, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, Nikola Jokic
What a surprise! The top 5 MVP candidates make up the best player at each position! In all seriousness, these five players have all earned their spots with not much competition. Both Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard missed games, while Dame Lillard was outplayed by Curry. Kevin Durant could be inserted where George is, but George's defensive prowess gives him the edge.
Second Team: Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid
Kyrie Irving carried the Celtics for much of the season and had a career year. Lillard is the heartbeat of the Blazers and they would miss the playoffs without him. Durant and Leonard are stars that are walking buckets. Embiid put the team on his back at times and proved he is key to the 76ers. LeBron James doesn't get a spot here due to his injury, while Rudy Gobert doesn't match Embiid's offensive abilities.
Third Team: Kemba Walker, Bradley Beal, LeBron James, Blake Griffin, Rudy Gobert
To the relief of both of them, but not their teams, Kemba and Beal get All-NBA spots and are eligible for super-max extensions this summer. LeBron is LeBron, and the sun will blow up before the King doesn't make an All-NBA team. Blake Griffin re-emerged as an offensive star for the Pistons, and is the reason they are in the playoffs. To learn about Rudy Gobert, scroll up to the defensive player of the year section.
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