The NBA regular season has come to an end. Throughout all the dunks, ankle-breakers, surprising teams, disappointing teams, and the many mistakes by the referees, the season once again did not disappoint. With the door closing on the regular season and opening on the playoffs, the discussion surrounding the NBA’s regular season awards now heats up. Since one opinion isn’t enough, fellow staff writer Colby Stoesz, and I will give our take on who’ll win each award.
Most Valuable Player
Candidates: Bucks SF Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rockets SG James Harden, Thunder SF Paul George, Warriors PG Stephen Curry
Yaw Bonsu: James Harden
All season, in my opinion, James Harden has undoubtedly been the MVP. As always, let’s start off with the numbers.
Harden averaged 36.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 7.6 assists during the regular season. To put into context how good that is, his average points are the most since Michael Jordan during the 1986-87 season. If that’s not enough, Harden ALONE averages 28 points within the first three-quarters of the game. That average would still be second in the NBA by a tenth of a point. James Harden has been dominance personified, and it doesn’t stop there. Shall I continue?
Let’s not forget about the tear Harden went on with 32 straight games of 30+ points. This streak had Harden drop 30 or more on 23 different teams, including seven games of 45+ points. If scoring isn’t everything to you, it’s worth noting that Harden led the Rockets to a 21-11 record over the span of this streak. This is Harden’s case for MVP based only on putting the ball in the basket a lot. His season has been much more than that.
Harden is the only player this season in the top-10 in points (first with 36.2) and assists (seventh with 7.6). He’s been often criticized for his iso/hero-ball play-style, but “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” right? Of course, with every MVP conversation comes the question of if the candidate impacts team winning. Harden does just that.
Some say Giannis is the MVP, and that’s a respectable stance. However, Harden has literally put the team on his back the whole season in order for them to be in the position they are now. Yes, Giannis is doing extraordinary things on the best team in the NBA, but take him off the Bucks, and they’re still a formidable team in the East.
Take Harden off the Rockets. Then you just have a star playmaker grouped with a bunch of shooters. Harden has been Houston’s crutch all season long. Although Giannis has been important for the Bucks (understatement), he’s not as relied on as Harden is to grind the team out wins. In other words, Giannis has a better team around him than James Harden does.
Maybe Harden doesn’t have the top record in his conference like another potential MVP winner, but he has led his team to a top-three seed in their conference which is still a testament to his impact on winning in Houston. The MVP is usually given to the best player on the best team, right? But, just like Russell Westbrook in ’17, Harden has proven to have the same case here.
Although Houston only holds the fourth seed in the West, Harden’s stats are just too efficient and too great to overlook. The MVP should (and in some cases) have been based on complete individual performance. Harden vs. Giannis has been one of the most intriguing MVP races in recent memory. Despite that, Harden, himself, had one of the BEST seasons in NBA history. He’s without a doubt the MVP.
And, last, the eye-test. James Harden is unguardable. That step-back of his never gets old and has been torching defenders all season. When that’s not an option, he takes it to the paint with so much force that he gets an (imaginary) nose bleed. James Harden is the MVP.
Colby Stoesz: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Strong arguments can be made for both “the Beard” and “the Greek Freak,” but, in my mind, Giannis still remains the frontrunner.
In the history of the NBA, the league’s leading scorer and the best player on the best team have clashed for the MVP ten times. Of those ten instances, the best player on the best team has won eight of them. 80% of the time, the best player on the best team beats out the scoring champ for MVP. That alone points heavily towards Antetekounmpo.
The NBA’s Most Valuable Player is awarded to the player who proves most valuable to their team throughout the season. The WHOLE season. Giannis Antetokounmpo has carried his Bucks to the top record in the league, and they’ve been top two in the East the entire season. Until James Harden went on his 30-point streak, the Rockets were one of the worst teams in the West, even with a healthy Chris Paul and Clint Capela.
Giannis is averaging 27.7 points, 12.5 boards, and 5.9 assists a night this season. The last (and only) player to ever average that stat-line was “the Big O” back in 1961-62 (the year Robertson averaged a triple-double). Giannis is first in defensive rating, as well as first in defensive win shares. He’s the best defender on the league’s best defense. To put it into perspective, James Harden is 68th in defensive rating, even while averaging two steals a game. The Rockets defensive ranks 17th in the association.
Antetokounmpo’s value to his team is unprecedented. The Bucks went from the 16th record in the league last season, to the league-best record this season, all while keeping relatively the same team. Milwaukee is also only the eighth team in NBA history with 45 double-digit wins in a single season. The Houston Rockets held the top record in the league last year but have fallen down to fifth this season. Some of the blame can be put on injuries to Paul and Capela, but the Rockets were healthy during their awful stretch at the beginning of the season.
There’s no doubt that James Harden has been outstanding the last three-fifths of the season, but it isn’t a three-fifths of the season award. Giannis has consistently carried his team all season, while also managing to dominate the league in ways we haven’t seen since Shaq. His dominance has made his team eons better than they were last year, while Harden has put up numbers that barely lift the Rockets’ over their opponents. Giannis is MVP.
Rookie of the Year
Candidates: Mavericks SF Luka Doncic, Hawks PG Trae Young
Yaw Bonsu: Trae Young
I’ll admit I was the on Luka Doncic bandwagon to begin the season. But, as most would probably expect, Trae Young is a player that flipped the switch after the All-Star break. I’ve written an article discussing how close Young is to being Rookie of the Year. Since then, it’s clear, at least to me, that Trae Young deserves the award.
Usually, when we discuss this award, winning isn’t a factor. Why is that? Because these players join the worst the NBA has to offer, and it’s their first team in the league. It’s rare to see rookies have a large winning impact in their first season. Because of this, we turn to the numbers, as this race is clearly only between Young and Doncic.
Among rookies, Trae Young is second in scoring (19.1 PPG), first in assists (8.1 APG) and third in efficiency rating (18.3). On top of that, compared to other candidates Luka Doncic (106.7), Young has a 107.2 offensive rating. The solid case for Doncic above Young would be the fact that Doncic has been consistent over the entire course of the season. Young, on the other hand, has just begun to catch his stride after the All-Star break. Despite this, more consistency doesn’t mean Doncic is the better player. Leave this to the eye-test, which tells us the rest of what we need to know for this argument.
What does it tell us? It tells just how efficient a player is, and how good of a player they actually are. If the stats don’t tell the whole story, then watching these players live certainly will. Young isn’t afraid of ANY player in the league. His pitbull mentality on the court hasn’t only been unmatched by Doncic’s (overall) but has translated into an ascending of his game. That meant an over seven-point increase in his points average, a 4% increase in his field goal percentage, and a 4% increase in his three-point percentage.
The Hawks are bad, there’s no doubt about that. But, with Young on that squad, playing 81 games, he’s played hard for each and every one. The fact that, since the All-Star break, he leads all rookies and is 16th in the league in scoring, is just insane. Trae Young has had a better season than Luka Doncic, and he’s the Rookie of the Year.
Colby Stoesz: Luka Doncic
Much like the MVP race, the fight for Rookie of the Year has been a two-headed battle, with strong cases being made for both sides. Luka Doncic was, in most minds, the unanimous winner for the first half of the season. However, Trae Young’s recent play has convinced some otherwise. In my opinion, the race is as much Luka’s as it’s always been. Here’s why.
Luka has been consistently good all season. He leads rookies in points with 21.2 a night, is second in rebounds per game with 7.7, and also leads rookies with seven triple-doubles this season.
As much as Trae is known for his shooting from deep, Luka actually makes 0.4 more threes a game, while shooting at the exact same percentage as Young from there. Trae has been playing really well since the All-Star break, but he’s seemed to have overshadowed the fact that Luka’s been playing well all season.
“Wonder Boy” hasn’t had a stretch of games worthy of being called a “slump” this season. Trae Young has. Back in November, Trae shot only 20% from beyond the arc and averaged only 14 points a night in 16 games. Luka hasn’t had a stretch like this.
Doncic has been the frontrunner for ROTY, and those that think otherwise are simply prisoners of the moment. Has Trae played great lately? Yes. But, earlier in the season, he wasn’t. “Halle-Luka” has played well all season long and hasn’t really slowed down at all.
Rookies don’t receive the award for “finally figuring it out,” so why should the award be taken away from Luka just because another rookie is finally playing up to par with him halfway through the season?
Defensive Player of the Year
Candidates: Thunder SF Paul George, Jazz C Rudy Gobert, 76ers C Joel Embiid, Bucks SF Giannis Antetokounmpo
Yaw Bonsu: Giannis Antetokounmpo
For this honor, I’m taking Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Defensive Player of the Year. For starters, Giannis doesn’t take a single possession off on the defensive end. He plays with 100% intensity on the defensive end, and it’s shown all season.
He averages 10.3 defensive rebounds per game which is second behind Joel Embiid. When looking at the candidates for this award, it’s a given that you look at their defensive rating. For Giannis, he’s ranked third in the league with a 100.8 defensive rating. This is behind Joe Ingles and Derrick Favors. However, an even better stat to measure is defensive win shares.
Defensive win shares measure the multiple calculations combining every aspect of a player’s defense. This includes minutes played on/off the court, team defensive possessions, team pace, league pace, defensive rating, and overall marginal defense. Putting all of these numbers together, Giannis Antetokounmpo is FIRST with a defensive win share total of 4.8. Andre Drummond, Rudy Gobert, Russell Westbrook, and Paul George round out the top five.
And, lastly, Giannis is number one in defensive rebound percentage among non-centers. What this tells us is that Giannis has more of a case than anyone you can name. If you have Giannis as your MVP (which I don’t), it should be even easier to consider him for Defensive Player of the Year. He’s a large part of the Bucks’ league-leading defensive efficiency (104.7) and overall, at least to me, he SHOULD be the Defensive Player of the Year.
Colby Stoesz: Rudy Gobert
Gobert is still the most dominant defensive force in the league, and robbing him of his second consecutive DPOY would be a crime. In many minds, including my own, “the Stifle Tower” has Defensive Player of the Year locked up. First, let’s look at the stats.
Rudy Gobert is averaging 2.3 blocks a game this season, which is the exact same as he did last year. This is good enough to put him third in the blocks column, behind young guns Myles Turner and Mitchell Robinson. Rudy’s also averaging the same amount of steals as last season (0.8), tying his career-high. Rudy’s blocks and steals may have stayed the same as last year (which was still enough for him to win DPOY in 2018), but where the Frenchman has truly dominated and improved is on the defensive glass.
Gobert averages 12.9 boards a night, up from 10.7 last year. 9.1 of those rebounds come on the defensive glass, again up from 7.8 in 2018. As good as he’s been in previous years, it seems that Rudy has found a second gear to his defensive dominance, and honestly, stats don’t do him justice.
If you haven’t had the chance this season, watch a Utah Jazz game and keep your eye on Gobert for a few possessions. He’s always in the right place at the right time, and that’s no coincidence. Rudy possesses one of the greatest defensive minds in the league, and he has the length and height to match that. Is he a lacking perimeter defender compared to other award candidates? Sure. But, Rudy’s proved year after year that he’s not only the league’s top rim-protector but also it’s most dominant interior defender. “The Stifle Tower” will be this year’s Defensive Player of the Year, for the second year in a row.
Sixth Man Of The Year
Candidates: Clippers SG Lou Williams, Nets PG Spencer Dinwiddie, Pacers C Domantas Sabonis, Clippers C Montrezl Harrell
If this award isn’t obvious enough, both Colby and I believe that Lou Williams is the Sixth Man of the Year. The Clippers have defied all odds this season, and even after trading their best player (Tobias Harris), they made the playoffs. It’s odd to say that a sixth man is a team’s best player going into the playoffs, but that’s the case here.
During the regular season, Williams notched averages of 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. It’s hard to imagine that a player coming off the bench, not even in the top-30 in scoring, is the team’s best player. But, nevertheless, this is, in fact, the case for the Clippers. That’s why Lou Williams is the Sixth Man of the Year. The numbers don’t even need to be talked about.
Of course, the Clippers’ season was a team effort considering anyone on that team can break out at any time. But, just knowing that, once again, the SIXTH man is the one that brought it all together is just amazing. 33 was the projected win total for this squad. With Williams at the forefront, they’ve exceeded expectations. Because of that, Lou Williams is the Sixth Man of the Year.
Most Improved Player
Candidates: Nets PG D’Angelo Russell, Hawks PF John Collins, Raptors PF Pascal Siakam, Kings PG De’Aaron Fox
Yaw Bonsu: D’Angelo Russell
Most fans think that Raptors PF Pascal Siakam should be the recipient of this award. However, let me point you to another candidate: Nets PG D’Angelo Russell. After being traded to the Nets, many thought that Russell would just be a part of a rebuilding project in New York. That certainly was not in any of Russell’s plans. This season, he showed up and showed out.
Of course, when this award is discussed, it must be brought up as to how much a player improved from last season to this season. D’Angelo was a first-time All-Star this season and has greatly improved in terms of stats. This season, Russell is averaging 21.1 points (+5.6) and 7.0 assists (+1.8). That’s all while shooting 43% overall, which was a two percent improvement as well. The common response against Russell would be that he didn’t improve as much as Pascal Siakam did over the course of the last season to now. However, it’s more than just the numbers.
The Nets finished 28-54 in Russell’s first season with the team. This was obviously an awful record and something had to change. Here comes the new and improved D’Angelo Russell. With the improved stats that were previously discussed, Russell flipped Brooklyn’s fortunes around. This was to the point where they finished with a 42-40 record, good enough for the sixth seed in the East.
On top of that, it’s safe to say that, when the game was close, Russell was the man to grind out the wins. In a tough East race for the bottom three seeds, without Russell in crunch time, the Nets would’ve been doomed in terms of making the playoffs. The Pistons, Cavaliers, Thunder, Lakers, Pelicans, Grizzlies, Bulls, Magic, Raptors, Hornets, and Spurs win or lose, have felt the effect of the man with ice in his veins.
Yes, Siakam has improved mightily. But, that’s all on a team that had the best record in the East a little over a year ago. Russell has clawed back from the lottery to the playoffs this season with his mind set on leading the Nets as far as he can. The stats may not say so, but watching Russell perform and improve truly shows that D’Angelo Russell is the Most Improved Player.
Colby Stoesz: Pascal Siakam
I’ve written multiple articles this season proclaiming Pascal Siakam as this year’s Most Improved Player, and I’m even surer now that he’s a lock for the award.
“Spicy-P” is averaging almost 10 more points a night than last year, with 16.9 PPG this season. On the boards, he’s up from 4.5 RPG to 6.9 RPG. He’s become much more efficient this year as well, shooting 54% from the field and 36% from deep (compared to 50% and 22% last season).
Siakam’s greatest improvement is his incorporation of the three-ball to his arsenal. Not only has he improved 14% from deep, but he’s also attempting 1.1 more threes a game. His corner three has become one of his signature shots, and he’s made 41 more shots from there this season than last, all while shooting 14% better from that area.
Siakam’s role on the Raptors is one of the biggest testaments to his improvement. He’s grown from a piece of Toronto’s “Bench Mob” to the second leading scorer on the squad. Watch highlights of him last year compared to this year. His bag of tricks has deepened tenfold, and he’s left defenders dazed all season with his improved ball-handling and trademark spin-o-rama. Pascal’s court vision isn’t justified by his assist numbers, but it’s obvious when watching him that he has the eyes of a PG.
The improvement of other candidates for MIP is simply minuscule compared to that of Siakam. While others improved from fringe All-Stars to All-Stars, Pascal went from the eighth man to a top-two player on a championship-contending team. This is the only award that I don’t think is even up for debate.
Coach Of The Year
Candidates: Bucks’ Mike Budenholzer, Pacers’ Nate McMillian, Nuggets’ Mike Malone, Clippers’ Doc Rivers
Yaw Bonsu: Mike Budenholzer
For me, this award was pretty obvious as well. Mike Budenholzer is the Coach of the Year. The Milwaukee Bucks finished last season with an overall record of 44-38 and the seventh seed in the East. Once again, the Bucks didn’t make it out of the first round. In an active offseason, the Bucks had one of the better pickups in the hiring of Mike Budenholzer.
Fast forward to today. Budenholzer has absolutely transformed the franchise. He coached the Bucks to a 60-21 record, not only the best in the East, but the best in the NBA. The Bucks now have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Not only that, but Budenholzer has the Bucks playing on a different level than the rest of the league. The Bucks led the league in points per game (118.1), rebounds (49.7), net rating (8.8), and defensive rating (104.8). That’s along with being top-three in blocks per game (6.0), field goal percentage (47.6), three-pointers made (1090), and offensive rating (113.6). It’s safe to say, the Bucks have been efficient in almost every aspect of basketball.
Every coach has their setbacks, but for Budenholzer, I guess all you need is Antetokounmpo to succeed. On a serious note, the fact that other candidates (such as Denver’s Mike Malone) were able to flourish with multiple injuries, shouldn’t be held against Budenholzer.
All of the “what ifs” shouldn’t be a factor when discussing who wins what award. We should focus on the present and what’s known. Budenholzer has led the best team in the NBA to home-court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. Through it all, as I said before, he’s also produced an MVP candidate.
To sum it up, all of the above stats are solely the effect of a great coach and that’s what Budenholzer has been for Milwaukee. Many coaches can be discussed for the award, but none of them took a team to 16 more wins than last season AND the best record in the NBA. There’s no doubt that Mike Budenholzer is the NBA’s Coach of the Year.
Colby Stoesz: Mike Malone
With Coach Mike Malone at the wheel, the Denver Nuggets have successfully navigated their way to a top-three seed in the West. This alone is impressive, as the West is as competitive of a conference as I can remember in recent years. What’s even more impressive is the adversity the Nuggets have had to overcome. The conquering of the team’s hurdles is why Michael Malone is deserving of the Coach of the Year award.
Denver has been the league’s most-injured team this season by way of combined missed games. With a lack of healthy players, Coach Malone has not only managed to improve the Nuggets record but has turned them into a top team in the league. Let’s dive into the stats of Denver’s improvement since last year.
The Nuggets finished ninth in the West in 2018, winning a total of 46 games. This year, the Nuggets won a total of 54 games and finished second in the conference, already a substantial improvement. Denver is averaging almost 2.5 more assists a game this season, and this is largely due to the increased usage of Nikola Jokic as a playmaker. Malone has utilized “the Joker’s” impeccable court vision and passing ability all season long, and it’s given Denver something no other team has: a 7-foot point guard.
Unlike award-favorite Mike Budenholzer, Malone doesn’t have an unstoppable scoring freak of nature to work with. Instead, Malone has utilized his team’s chemistry and natural passing talent. The Nuggets are second in the league in assists per game, compared to their fifth place position last year.
Starting guard Will Barton has only played half the season, and rookie Michael Porter Jr. hasn’t even touched the floor this year. Shorthanded, the Nuggets have not only managed, but they’ve thrived in the West, leading the conference for a large chunk of the season.
Mike Malone is my pick for Coach of the Year. The unfortunate injuries to his squad haven’t hindered their success in the slightest, and the coach has even managed to improve his team. His development of Denver’s young talent is finally starting to show, and the team improving in most statistical categories. Malone is the COTY.
That was a lot of opinions, stats, miscellaneous numbers, and everything in between. Nevertheless, these are our picks for each respective NBA Award. Do you have a different opinion? PerSources is scattered all over social media. Let us know.
Twitter: @colbystoesz
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Yaw Bonsu:
Twitter: @jailbodyaw
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