Handing out NBA Awards… Except One
You don’t need to hear more about the incredible MVP race
By now everyone has heard enough about the incredible regular-season campaigns of MVP candidates James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook (listed here in alphabetical order for those looking to stir up trouble). Obviously the MVP announcement will be the most tightly contested award, and someone will undoubtedly walk away feeling like their incredible achievements in the 2016–17 season were ignored. That is inevitable. Regardless of who wins the award, as basketball fans it is our responsibility to recognize their tireless effort and awesome output over the past 82 (wink) games.
As some know, the new NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a “Veteran Designated Player Rule” (or Designated Player Exception Rule) designed to allow teams to retain their homegrown talent in free agency by allowing them to offer their stars more lucrative maximum contracts than any other team. For some, “more lucrative” could mean around $40 million more than the next highest bidder. However, what “star” means exactly is important. According to the CBA, a player only qualifies for the VDP rule for a contract extension or free agent signing if:
1. He makes one of the three all-NBA teams or is named either defensive player of the year or most valuable player for this prior season.
2. He has made one of the three all-NBA teams or has been named the defensive player of the year in two of the prior three seasons or the league’s most valuable player in one of the three prior seasons.
And this crucial stipulation: He has to be either on the team that drafted him, or has to have been traded on his rookie deal to another team.
By allowing All NBA selections to determine VDP status, the league has given immense power to the voting media members. In effect, the hundred voters will most likely determine whether or not Paul George remains a Pacer and Gordon Hayward remains a member of the Jazz. Is that right? I don’t know. But I do know that it makes the All NBA process a lot more interesting.
Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green
The three main candidates for this award, at least from what I’ve been hearing, are Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and Kawhi Leonard. I know that Gobert is an incredible defensive anchor for the Jazz, and his presence in the paint strikes the fear of God into opposing players, but I question the true importance of that kind of rim-protector in today’s NBA. I’m not saying that such a player isn’t an immensely valuable asset for any team, but I would much rather build my defense around a lockdown defender who can guard my opponent’s best player regardless of position and switch on all the pick and rolls that get thrown his way. To beat Gobert, teams have started pulling their centers into very high pick and roll situations, effectively drawing Gobert out of the paint and forcing him to defend around the perimeter, thereby taking his shot-blocking ability out of the equation. On the other hand, there really is no simple way to deal with Leonard or Green. Both are elite defenders and have the ability to guard and shut down their assignments regardless of that player’s position. For the Warriors, Green’s ability to anchor their defense is also the catalyst for the success of their Death Lineup. Without him, their smaller players would get hammered non-stop on the glass and their mind-blowing offense would be irrelevant because of their defensive weakness. His effort on the defensive end allows the rest of the team to thrive. Factor in the fact that Draymond plays on a team filled with defensive liabilities while Kawhi’s teammate Danny Green just made Zach Lowe’s All-Defense Team, I would argue that Draymond’s singular contribution to his team on that end of the floor, at least during this regular season, was better. You’ll probably still disagree with me. Whatever.
All NBA Selections
First Team:
G: James Harden
G: Russell Westbrook
F: LeBron James
F: Kawhi Leonard
C: Anthony Davis
The only issue here was deciding whether to count Anthony Davis as a center rather than a power forward. Simple answer: he played center most often this season so I’m counting him as a center.
Second Team:
G: Stephen Curry
G: Isaiah Thomas
F: Draymond Green
F: Giannis Antetokounmpo
C: Rudy Gobert
The Wall v. IT argument took me a while, but ultimately I reconciled it with this: while Wall is the better player, Thomas was the better player in this regular season. A month ago they were tied, but since then the Wizards have struggled and the Celtics clinched the top-seed in the East riding on Thomas’s back. However, I still think Wall will carry the Wizards to the Conference Finals and wouldn’t be surprised if the Celtics had a hard time in their first round series against the Bulls.
Third Team:
G: Chris Paul
G: John Wall
F: Kevin Durant
F: Gordon Hayward
C: Nikola Jokic
Choosing Gordon Hayward over Paul George is tough, but it came down to their performance over the entire season and how that performance impacted their team. Gordon Hayward is THE guy on a 5-seed (technically tied for 4th place but they lost the tie-breaker with the Clippers so they drop). He carries a big load offensively, he’s their leader and the guy they look to at the end of big games to take them the distance. Paul George is an amazing player… WHEN HE PLAYS. The Paul George we saw the last few weeks is a top-10 player in the league, but we didn’t see that guy all season. Had he played like that the whole way, there would be no question about whether he should make one of these teams. I look forward to watching him reclaim his rightful spot next year as he goes on a revenge tour to make sure he gets his massive DVP contract. Shoutout to Jimmy Butler, another great forward who I hope will claim a spot on this list next year. Chris Paul and Kevin Durant, though they didn’t play in every game, played enough for their incredible seasons to be recognized. I would take the ~60 game Durant season this year over the ~70ish game Gordon Hayward season if it came down to it. I struggled picking the center but ultimately used the same argument for Jokic as I did for Durant and Paul. Though he didn’t start until around a quarter through the season, the other three quarters were spectacular. Sometimes I would find myself watching Nuggets games just to see what he would do. Others I’d be perusing box scores and finding that he casually put up yet another triple-double. Apologies to Marc Gasol, KAT, and DeAndre Jordan.
As usual, if you feel like I missed anything or disagree with what I wrote please leave a comment so we can get the discussion going.
