Sort of Early NBA Award Predictions

This NBA season has been quite interesting with many stories worth following. From Lebron trying to drag the Lakers to the playoffs to the Pacers somehow keeping their winning record without their all star shooting guard, Victor Oladipo. By far the most interesting narrative to me has been the highly competitive ROTY and MVP races. Without further ado, let’s take a look at my picks for the NBA awards this year.

Rookie of the Year: Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks

Stats: 20.9pts 7.2reb 5.5ast 1stl 43.4%fg
The third pick in this year’s draft, Doncic already displays the makings of an all-star; and was nearly voted in as one. He looks like a younger Klay Thompson everytime he steps on the floor. Many of the fadeaway shots from halfcourt he takes seem impossible, unless your name happens to be Luka Doncic (or Steph Curry for that matter). He is already incredibly well rounded as a player yet he still has plenty of room for improvement, particularly on the defensive end. Runner ups for this award include Atlanta Hawks point guard, Trae Young (18.2pts 3.4reb 7.8ast 41.5%fg) who has already notched notched himself a 49pt 8reb 16ast game in a four overtime loss to the Bulls. Doncic is more deserving because Young has only recently been putting up incredible numbers while Doncic has been consistently amazing all season long. Another runner up for this year’s rookie of the year award is Phoenix Suns big man Deandre Ayton. While ayton is averaging a pretty impressive double double (16.6pts 10.5reb 1.9ast 0.9blk 59.3%fg), he happens to be on the team with the second worst record in the league at 14-51. In order for Ayton to pass Doncic as the favorite to win the award, he would have to put up some huge numbers in this final stretch of the season and actually get some wins.

Sixth man of the Year: Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers

Stats: 19.8pts 2.9reb 5.4ast 0.7stl 42.1%fg
This should come as no surprise to anyone. Williams has already won the award twice (2014-15, 2017-2018) and has provided a pretty convincing case for his third. Every team in the league would love to have 20ppg coming from just one man off the bench, and he is a big reason that the Clippers have remained in the running for a playoff spot in the post lob-city era. Realistically, Williams is an all-star and could be a starter if he wanted to be however; Williams is a rare breed of player whose full potential is realized when he comes off the bench and ruins the opposing team’s second unit. Runner ups for this award include Derrick Rose of the Minnesota Timberwolves (18.0pts 2.8reb 4.4ast 0.6stl 48.0%fg) and Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets (17.2pts 2.4reb 5.0ast 0.6stl 46.0%fg). All three of these candidates are well deserving of this award and the front runner will likely change throughout the rest of the season making this award worth paying attention to.

Most Improved Player: Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors

Stats: Last season: 7.3pts 4.5reb 2.0ast 50.8%fg This season: 16.4pts 7.1reb 2.9ast 55.0%fg
Pascal Siakam is easily the biggest surprise in a season full of surprises. His improved level of play has been instrumental in making the Toronto Raptors one of the best teams in the league with a 46-19 record, good for second in the east. He has increased his shots taken per game since last season while also increasing his efficiency. He also has managed to more than double his ppg since last season and he shows no signs of slowing down. For the Raptors, his evolution as a player could not have come at a better time as they have a legitimate shot to dethrone the Warriors this season. Runner ups for this award include De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings (last season: 11.6pts 2.8reb 4.4ast 1.0stl 41.2%fg this season: 17.2pts 3.7reb 7.2ast 1.7stl 45.8%fg) and Derrick Rose of the Minnesota Timberwolves (last season: 5.8pts 0.7reb 1.2ast 42.6%fg this season: 18.0pts 2.8reb 4.4ast 48.0%fg). De’Aaron Fox has been great for the Kings this season and is truly living up to the expectations that come with being a high draft pick (#5 in 2017). His play is largely why the Kings are in the race for a low playoff spot despite expectations of another season of tanking. Meanwhile, Derrick Rose is on the path to returning to his old MVP self from 2011. His shooting percentages are up (especially his three-point percentage from 16.7% to 37.5%) and his point production is vital for the Timberwolves. He is playing with much more confidence and he even notched himself a 50 point game in a win over the Utah Jazz. The only reason I feel Siakam is more deserving of this award than Rose is because we have seen that Rose is capable of so much more, evident from his early days in Chicago.

Coach of the Year: Mike Budenholzer of the Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 50-17 1st in the East
Typically, it is difficult to judge how effective a coach is at doing their job yet; this season I feel that Budenholzer is highly deserving of this award. So far, he has managed to position the Bucks to the best record in the NBA at 50-17 after they went 44-38 last year before he was hired. This is all while the team made no large changes to the roster between last season and this season. Runner ups for this award include Mike Malone of the Denver Nuggets (43-22) and Nate McMillan of the Indiana Pacers (42-25). Malone has used the tools at his disposal like an expert craftsman as he runs the offense through all-star big man Nikola Jokic who is known for his incredible passing ability not many centers possess. As for McMillan, he has been dealt a difficult hand as his all-star shooting guard, Victor Oladipo has been injured since January 24th. Despite this, he has somehow kept this team rolling to a 42-25 record; good for 4th in the Eastern Conference.

Defensive Player of the Year: Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder

Stats: 2.2stl 0.4blk 102.9defrtg 3.8 deflections per game.
Paul George has been incredible on both ends of the floor this season for the Thunder, yet his defense is what sticks out the most. He is #1 in steals per game and loose balls recovered per game. He also boasts one of the best defensive ratings in the league at 102.9. George is almost always guarding the opposing team’s best player, and for good reason. His long arms combined with his quickness allow him to always be a threat to the opposing team’s passing lanes. His relentless effort on defense is a large reason why the Thunder are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. Runner ups for this award include Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz (0.7stl 2.2blk 103.4defrtg) and Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors (1.9stl 0.4blk 108.3defrtg). Rudy Gobert won DPOY last year thanks in large part to his incredible shot blocking. This year, he ranks 4th in blocks per game and his 7’9″ wingspan allows him to harass defenders all game long. Kawhi Leonard is always a contender for this award and this year is no different. Much like Paul George, Kawhi Leonard is almost always guarding the opponent’s biggest offensive threat and he never relaxes on defense. His 7’3″ wingspan on a 6’7″ body allows him to effectively guard every position besides the 5. Paul George is the front runner for this award thanks to the frequency of his steals combined with his versatility and defensive rating.

Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks

Stats: 27.1pts 12.6reb 6.0ast 1.4stl 1.4blk 57.9%fg
What can I say that already hasn’t been said about the Greek Freak? If you look up unguardable in the dictionary will find this man’s incredibly long name listed alongside James Harden’s stepback and Lebron’s fadeaway. Admittedly, it was difficult to give this award to Giannis over Paul George given that I’m a die hard Thunder fan, however I can’t argue with the way Giannis has been the perfect leader for the best team in the league all season long. His play on both ends of the floor has been unstoppable and the stats back it up. If he develops a reliable jumpshot in the future, I don’t have any doubts that he will be the best player in the league when Lebron retires. Runner ups for this award include Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder (28.6pts 8.1reb 4.2ast 2.2stl 44.3%fg) and James Harden of the Houston Rockets (36.6pts 6.5reb 7.5ast 2.2stl 43.9%fg). Paul George (much like Giannis) has been incredible on both ends of the floor this season and is currently averaging career highs in the 4 previously mentioned statistical categories. He also has become the go-to player for clutch moments as he already made 3 game winning shots this season against the Jazz, Sixers, and the Nets. Unfortunately, his play has dropped off since the all-star break (mostly due to a shoulder injury) which has allowed Giannis and Harden to pass him in the race. As for Harden, if you are just looking at the stats you would probably think he should be running away with this award however, he hasn’t brought the team the same amount of success that Giannis has brought the Bucks. Scoring 50+ points in a game is an amazing accomplishment but if you still end up losing, how important was it?