Did the media get the NBA Awards right?
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| Giannis poses with family after winning 2019 Kia NBA MVP Award. Credit: USA Today |
Kia NBA Most Valuable Player
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| Giannis' tears up during emotional MVP acceptance speech. Credit: Florida News |
Winner: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo snagged this year's MVP vote with 78 first place votes which came as a shocker given that the Giannis vs. Harden debate was very divided during the waning days of the regular season. I agree with the outcome but I am not sure it should have been a runaway nod for the Greek Freak.
Ultimately, I think the media got this one right because Giannis was elite on both ends of the court and put up 27 PPG, 12 RPG and nearly 6 APG while leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 60 win season. Giannis was also 1st in the league in offensive win shares per 48 minutes and 1st in player efficiency rating while also placing 3rd in the league in both offensive and defensive win shares. From opening day Giannis brought dominance on both ends of the floor and though I do think the
I do understand that Harden had a legit argument because he went on an offensive tear, one of which has not been seen done for an entirety of a season since Kobe Bryant's 2006 season, Michael Jordan's 1987 season or Wilt Chamberlain's dominance in the 1960s. I do understand that he held down a team that was 11-14 when CP3 went down but my rebuttal to that is why was the team in that hole to begin with?
I think this year's MVP, as well as the last couple since the adoption of the NBA Award Show, has a bit of a sour taste due to the playoffs being in recent memory. After Giannis loosing the head to head match up with Kawhi Leonard and being visibly frustrated with the way he was being defended, it leaves NBA consumers all over craving true closure. If I had to go with a MVP winner today it would be Kawhi. With all of that being said, I do hope the NBA pushes to have the awards occur before the playoffs begin. Timing is everything.
Lastly, to put this years voting into perspective I want to just point out that LeBron James and Rudy Gobert tied for one 5th place MVP vote.
Voting Results: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (78 1st place votes), 2nd: James Harden, Houston Rockets (23 1st place votes, 78 2nd place votes), 3rd: Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder (58 3rd place votes, 19 4th place votes, 9 5th place votes), 4th: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (16 3rd place votes, 39 4th place votes, 15 5th place votes), 5th: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (16 3rd place votes, 25 4th place votes, 20 5th place votes)
Kia Rookie of the Year
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| Luka Doncic poses with Kia Rookie of the Year Award. Credit: NESN.com |
Luka Doncic winning Rookie of the Year should come as no surprise for everyone. Doncic was the most consistent, high-level rookie for the entirety of the regular season so the NBA Awards is 2/2 in my book so far.
Luka put up 21 PPG, nearly 8 RPG and 6 APG in a very productive rookie season that even got him in All-Star conversations. Though we saw his shooting numbers drop off, he shot the ball very well to start the season off. His shooting touch is smooth and it looks like teams will have to account for him at all times for the next decade.
Another thing that impressed me outside of the numbers was his ability to seamlessly transition to the NBA. The Slovenia-native was able to handle his 30.5 usage effectively as well as perform well in high pressure situations. I love how he create space off the dribble and how skilled he is which helps him despite not having elite athleticism.
Of course there will be some rumblings of a Trae Young argument and after January he certainly won over a lot of critics. Young shined in college but late inconsistent play left hesitation by many GMs. Young, who averaged 19 PPG, 8 APG and 3 RPG, proved that he can perform at the NBA level and that he is certainly a gifted deep shooter. Unfortunately for him the award looks at the totality of production for the entire season and we can not overlook his struggles early in the season.
The Mavs clearly have a gem and I am certainly enticed by the idea of pairing Luka with Kristaps Porzingis and potentially another star. Mark Cuban is building another quality team.
Voting Results: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks (98 1st votes, 2 2nd place votes),
2nd: Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks (2 1st place, 97 second place), 3rd: Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns 1 2nd place vote, 63 3rd place votes)
Kia NBA Sixth Man Award
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| Lou Williams gives speech after winning Kia NBA Sixth Man Award. Credit: The Standard |
I think it is time to consider Lou Williams as a starter that comes off of the bench and to name this the Lou Williams Sixth Man of the Year Award.
I am still torn between if we should commend Lou Williams for fully embracing and embodying the sixth man role or if he is being disrespected by not being a starter in this stage of his career. Regardless, he is a player that is hard not to like and is class act on and off the court.
Lou-Will dropped 20 PPG and 5 APG off the bench in nearly 27 minutes per game. Williams also shot 36% from beyond the arc and performed at a 21.2 Player Efficiency Rating. After the Tobias Harris trade, he led the team in scoring and to a playoff bid when everyone wrote them off in a crowded Western Conference.
The 32 year-old looked especially impressive in the first round of the Western Conference Playoff match up against the Golden State Warriors. He hit tough shots, scored in a hurry and was virtually unstoppable in pick-and-roll sets with Montrezl Harrell.
Speaking of Harrell, off the bench for the Clippers, he put up 16 PPG and 6 RPG in the 26 minutes he played per contest. I loved the energy he brought every game and he is certainly a force off the bench. Excluding Williams from the conversation, Harrell was my pick for the award. What pushes him over the edge in my eyes is his 23.4 PER. Harrell also had the second most 1st place votes.
I do want to also point of that Spencer Dinwidde (who finished 4th in voting) and Domantes Sabonis (who finished 2nd in voting) also had strong arguments for this award as well.
I will go ahead and give the nod to the voters as well on this one, though I do believe it might be time to start considering Williams as a starter moving forward.
Voting Results: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers (96 1st place votes 3 second place votes), 2nd: Domantes Sabonis, Indiana Pacers (1 1st place vote, 52 second place votes, 29 3rd place votes), 3rd: Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Clippers (2 1st place votes, 30 second place votes, 42 3rd place votes)
Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year
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| Rudy Gobert flexes his two Defensive Player of the Year Awards. Credit: CBS Sports |
We did not see any tears from the Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert. The 7'1 French big man put up nearly 16 PPG and 13 RPG along with 2 blocks per contest in his quest of his second Defensive Player of the Year feat.
Rudy Gobert was certainly an intrigue part in Utah's 50 win season. He is at the core of the Jazz's defensive identity for head coach Quin Snyder by holding down the paint with elite rim protection with his take nothing mindset. He adding 5.7 defensive win shares while also showcasing his durability this year playing 81/82 games.
Okay, you ready for a disagreement? Though I do understand this pick, I do think Giannis Antetokounmpo is more deserving of this award and should have walked away with both the MVP and DPOY. Here's why
Giannis showcased pure dominance on the defensive side of the ball while guarding multiple positions. He took the challenge on guarding the opposing team's best offensive player and essentially took the defensive win shares per game crown (he finished with a score of 0.164 which is only behind RJ Hunter).
Giannis had a higher defensive rating placing 2nd in the league which was two spots higher than Gobert, virtually had the same defensive rebound percentage and the both tied with defensive win shares plus minus at a score of 5. It might be a case of splitting hairs but the Greek Freak was more valuable defensively last year.
Paul George, who finished third in voting, should not be dismissed if he feels slighted. George, who led the league in steals per game also placed 5th in defensive win shares while taking on hefty defensive duties as well.
What is also interesting about the votes for this award is that six players received at least one first place vote that includes: Rudy Gobert, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, Joel Embiid, Draymond Green, and Kawhi Leonard.
Right now in my book, the voters are 3/4.
Voting Results: Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz 65 1st place votes, 27 2nd place votes, 5 3rd place votes, 2nd: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (26 1st place votes, 44 2nd place votes, 18 3rd place votes), 3rd: Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder (6 1st place votes, 23 2nd place votes, 51 3rd place votes)
Kia NBA Most Improved Player
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| Pascal Siakam with new Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award. Credit: CBS Sports |
Pascal Siakam's play clearly showed that he deserved this award and his play in the NBA Finals should remove any doubters. Siakam is everything you want from your modern-day power forward. He's excellent in transition, puts in effort on the boards, defends well, long and efficient.
Siakam fully embraced and thrived in his role for the Raptors, putting up roughly 17 PPG, 7 RPG and 3 APG. Spicy P added a 9.3 win share score and an 18.7 PER. What really helped him thrive was his ability to shot the ball very well by shooting 55% from the floor and 37% from three.
He fits in seamlessly with Toronto's scheme and his production next year will be something to keep an eye on, especially if Kawhi plays elsewhere.
D'Angelo Russell showed exceptional growth with his a great season and led the Nets to a playoff berth as well. He increased his efficiency and shooting but Siakam edged him out by scoring more than double his average from a year before.
Sacramento Kings teammates De'Aron Fox and Buddy Hield, who finished third and fourth respectively, also displayed promise and should be big contributors in a potential playoff push for next season.
My scorecard for the voters is now 4/5
Voting Results: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors (86 1st place votes, 13 second place votes),
2nd: D'Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets (59 2nd place place votes), 3rd: De'Aron Fox, Sacramento Kings (33 3rd place votes)
NBA Coach of the Year
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| Coach Mike Budenholzer strikes a pose with family. Credit: NBA.com |
Coach of the Year was one of the most controversial award discussions along with MVP and DPOY. I can see why Coach Budenholzer walked away with the award but I feel Doc Rivers should have came home with this one.
First let's state the case for Coach Bud who did an excellent job with the Milwaukee Bucks. Leading his team to league-best 60 wins came as shocker given that teams like the Celtics, Raptors and 76ers started the season as bigger heavyweights.
The Bucks had the best road record in the league at 27-14 and they were a league leading 45-5 in games decided by 10 or more points. Additionally, they had the best team defensive rating and the biggest average margin of victory. They had a great system and surrounded Giannis with the shooters and role players to complement is style of play.
However, Coach Rivers should have came away with this one because he had a lot of production with leftover parts. Rivers led the Clippers to 48 wins despite trading their leading scorer in Tobias Harris away midseason. They still ended up placing 9th in offensive rating, placed 2nd in team 3P% and had the Golden State Warriors on the ropes in the first round of the playoffs.
Coach Rivers revitalized the team, giving them an identity even when everyone wrote them off. He made sure his team played with a chip on their shoulder and maximized the play from everyone in their rotation.
The same argument can be used for Indiana Pacers coach Nate McMillan who was certainly overshadowed this season. He did an excellent job with his team even after the Victor Oladipo season ending injury placing 5th in the East.
Just like DPOY, multiple candidates received at least one first place vote. The suitors were: Mike Budenholzer, Doc Rivers, Mike Malone, Nate McMillan, Kenny Atkinson and Dave Joerger.
Also, I want to point out that if the playoffs were included in the voting, champion Nick Nurse from the Toronto Raptors would be the favorite in my eyes.
The official scorecard ends with a 4/6 result.
Voting Results: Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee Bucks (77 1st place votes),
2nd: Doc Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers (36 2nd place votes, 200 total points), 3rd: Mike Malone, Denver Nuggets (34 2nd place votes, 22 3rd place votes, 154 total points)
House of Highlights Award
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| Derrick Rose releases a yell during 50 point game vs. the Utah Jazz. Credit: House of Highlights YouTube |
I want to add this in here to shake it up a little and because this was a heart-filled moment that sports fans all over appreciated.
Derrick Rose, former 2011 NBA MVP, suffered catastrophic knee injuries and even after recovering he also experienced multiple lingering injuries and ultimately ended up just a shadow of his glory days. Though he still showed glimpses of himself in New York, his brief absence from the team and his woes in Cleveland turned his once electrifying career as an after thought.
However, this last season in Minnesota certainly revitalized his career and he showed that he still has productive play to offer.
This was on clear display when he dropped 50 points on the Utah Jazz, which is his career high in points. On October 31st, 2018, he led the Timberwolves to a narrow victory on 19/31 shooting including 4/7 shooting from deep. He hit tough shots all night and gave an emotional post game interview that highlighted the adversary he overcame and what that performance meant to him. This was definitely the moment of the regular season.
Overall, I feel that the voters did a solid job (4/6) and I do not have much rebuttal on the award recipients but I do hope Adam Silver makes a strong push to host the awards immediately after the season.
*Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference
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