2017–2018 Award Season: Legends Way picks for NBA awards.
It’s that time of the year, when the sun finally overthrows the long cold windy nights and the Bright Lights fixate on the hardwood, a long 82 game schedule has ended and the Post-Season is around the corner. The past offseason was insane, I don’t believe All stars have fled their teams in such a mass Exodus at any other point in NBA history. Still Injuries this year were up and the result is a very different ballot for rewards then we would have expected when the leaves were just beginning to fall. So without much further ado, I bring you the rewards picks.
ROTY: Ben Simmons
Let me Preface this, I am ignoring the red-shirt rookie argument. Is there a clear advantage to having access to those trainings facilities and NBA level staff? Sure, but it’s not like Ben was a 46th pick and an afterthought. He was billed to be this, he showed these flashes before his injury. Sure he probably wouldn’t have been this good the year prior but it doesn’t take away from he’s doing now. I know there’s a lot of talk on his offensive numbers, but here’s the crazy thing: He’s better at Defense. He’s 4th in Defensive plus minus, 9th in Defensive rating and 18th overall plus and minus as a rookie. He still needs to learn how to shoot from distance to truly unlock everything on a basketball court and ascend to the top 3 player status he is seemingly destined to become in his prime. He is also turn over prone being 4th in turnovers in the NBA. He’s a star now, who knows what’s to come in his future.
But with him being favored, lets talks about Donovan Mitchell. He’s fantastic, a shocker how well he’s become this season the Utah Jazz, leading them to the postseason is no small feat in one of the most stacked conferences ever. He also holds the NBA record for three pointers as a rookie and is almost certainly a sure-fire all NBA guy in his prime. But with this, he’s playing against the best rookie season this side of Blake Griffin. He Deserves votes, and in almost any other year he would have won.
Six Man of the Year: Lou Williams
I would make a compelling argument about how his stat line has never been replicated for a man coming off of the bench in NBA history, let alone someone who’s leading an above .500 team in the Western Conference this year. I would bring up the magnitude of his 22.6 points per game off the bench and how when he’s on the court his team plays like top 7th NBA offense. I would bring his massive step forward in his 31st year on this earth (A huge rare) up as well. But I just don’t see any coherent argument for anybody else winning this award this season. Marcus Smart and Eric Gordon both have had decent cases, but Lou Williams has stolen the show. You go Lou Will. I really want to write more, but I don’t understand how you can conceivably give it to anybody else.
Most Improved Player: Victor Oladipo
Victor Oladipo deserves this just like Lou Williams deserves his. He was an Afterthought to the Paul George Trade, Salary filler. I knew this was coming, perhaps one of the few Victor believes left after he peaked in Orlando and was misused in Oklahoma. I knew he had it in him, and boy did he deliver the goods. He has stolen the show leading the once thought lottery bound Pacers to the 12th best NBA offense and 14th best Defense while toeing the line of 50 wins. As for his personal stats let’s look at two stat lines:
15.9 ppg 4.3 Rpg 2.6 Apg 44.2% FG 36.1 3pt% 1.2 SPG 33.2 MPG
23.1 ppg 5.2 RPG 4.3 APG 47.7% FG 37.1 3pt% 2.4 SPG 34 MPG
He increased literally everything with roughly 45 seconds more of game time this season. The Stats speak for themselves. Oladipo should run unopposed in this award. He doubled his steals, making himself the steal leader of the NBA for the 2017–2018 season. Oladipo has lived up to his billing as the number overall two pick. As he begins to enter his prime you can’t help but feel the Pacers are on the path to bigger and better things.
Defensive Player of the Year: Al Horford
Now let’s stop playing it safe with the no brainer awards. There is no Bias in picking Horford, yes those block numbers aren’t there, nor is the traditionalist in the paint prototype in his game. He is a switchy center who is a very capable offensive facilitator, but this is the defensive player of the year. He quarterbacks the best defensive unit in basketball. Yes I am aware Utah is behind them by 0.1 and played better defense in the latter half of the season, but the whole season matters. It was Horford’s Defensive poweress lead them to a 55 win season despite having injuries to two of it’s three all stars and key bench pieces throughout the year. His Switchability and ability to lock down the big men in the paint is invaluable But it’s the fact at the same he is able to switch out and effectively guard a perimeter shooter. It’s very valuable in today’s game, and it’s where him and Rudy Gobert differ. As for Embiid, his team is right behind the Celtics and he also has this switchability, but this is where I factor injuries in. Horford lost Smart for 20 plus games (Widely considered to be the best defender on Boston, he is 5th in Defensive Win Shares in the NBA despite missing this much time.) and lost Theis and half of the defenders of the past season. This amount of Turnover and being able to lead the BEST defense for the whole NBA season is quite simply why he deserves this award, he’s a mix of Draymond Green and the Centers of old. That being said, if Embiid or even Davis won the award I wouldn’t put up much of a fight.
Coach of the Year: Dwayne Casey
I want to give this to Brad Stevens, he feels like the Leonardo Dicaprio of the NBA, always constantly putting up top tier performances only for the one hit wonder to one up him. Dwayne has transformed the Toronto Raptors into a 59 win team and no longer the iso-dependent team of the Chokonto Craptors days. (I am a Celtics fan, Pierce on Brooklyn and then the Wizards forever ingrained in my mind.) Reinventing the offense is only the surface. Here’s why I believe Casey deserves it: The Bench. He took a team of young young bench pieces and turned them into the best overall Bench in the whole NBA. That’s coaching, Vanfleet leading the way as an undrafted point guard without overwhelming athleticism is also a sign of Casey’s coaching. CJ miles has had a very good year and their teams reinvented itself. But there was never a question if the Raptors could play well in the regular season. All eyes are on the North to see if they can claim the NBA finals that is seemingly fate for them at this point.
Let’s make a small case for Stevens though, his team has had more injuries than a Three Stooges audition casting. Frankly, we shouldn’t be here. It almost makes me sad to think what could have happened had that Alley Oop gone differently. But what is said is said and what is done is done. Hayward is running and doing basketball drills again, Kyrie is out with an infection. Marcus smart broke his thumb in the most Marcus Smart play he could have. Theis is done. Our teams banged up but they will pushed through to a 55 win season and the best NBA defense in a league with alot of top tier defenses this season.
Most Valuable Player: James Harden
Let’s be real this should be Nick Young’s award (I am kidding.). It’s been locked up since roughly March that this was Hardens award for me. There is some cases for Lebron due to his dominance, but his team is the 4th seed and he posted a negative rating (I believe the worst of the month of January) for a whole calendar month. I can in good conscience give to anybody else this year. Yes it’s true Harden has been snubbed at two other junctures but this isn’t a makeup choice. He earned this MVP with 30.4 ppg to give with 5.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists (A rather remarkable number with his teammate being Chris Paul). He has 15.4 win shares (1.4 more then Karl Anthony Towns and Lebron James) , 1st in plus and minus, 1st in points, and 3rd in Assists per game. This is MVP.
That isn’t to say Lebron or Dame wouldn’t have had a shot, had both of their teams not fizzled out or gotten a slow start to the season. What Lebron is doing in his 15th NBA season is insane, Lillard and even Davis have gone supernova. But their records and their teams hold them back.(Houston is the best record in the NBA and their Franchise History). It’s Hardens year and the Rockets are primed for launch off to make some noise as they escape the stratosphere and attempt to bring a title back to Houston for the first time in 20 plus years.
Inconclusion it’s been a great regular season despite all the injuries. I am very excited for the playoffs. In the mean time enjoy this video of Yabusele dabbing.
