2017–18 NBA Awards Predictions
Last season’s NBA Awards were highly contentious- the MVP race had four candidates who had very good cases, there were three fantastic Defensive Player of the Year nominees, and even two players more than worthy of winning Rookie of the Year Award (and Malcolm Brogdon).
Hopefully, this year will be no different. Watching players vie for the trophies is always fun, especially when they aren’t in contention for significant playoff success.
The question is, who will win the NBA Awards this season?
Rookie of the Year
The Pick: Dennis Smith Jr. (+350)
The Mavericks this year are an example of a team who doesn’t have a legitimate chance at making the playoffs, but will still be tons of fun to watch every night- and the biggest reason is their rookie super-athlete who will likely compile impressive stats playing with a roster designed to help him excel. He has an elite rim runner for pick-and-rolls in Nerlens Noel, along with the best stretch big of all time in Dirk Nowitzki. He also has good shooters and scorers around him, so he won’t have too much pressure on his shoulders right away.
Best Value Picks: Markelle Fultz (+1000), Malik Monk (+2000), Milos Teodosic (+2200), John Collins (+2500), Jonathan Isaac (+3300)
Sixth Man of the Year
The Pick: Milos Teodosic (+1100)
The newest member of the LA Clippers is known for his jaw-dropping passing ability that tops the passing of anybody else on the planet. He is going to serve as a fantastic spark running the second unit for LA, and will be the Internet’s favorite player in a very short time.
Best Value Picks: Norman Powell (+3000), Joe Johnson (+5000)
Most Improved Player
The Pick: Rodney Hood (+700)
The Utah Jazz are going to be hurt deeply on the court by the loss of Gordon Hayward, that much is clear. But they are such a deep team, that they are still more than capable of getting into the playoffs in the deep Western Conference. One of the things they need, though, is for Rodney Hood to step up and become a consistent quality scorer. He has the tools to do so, and if he can help lead the Jazz to the postseason, he will likely be atop the list for the MIP.
Best Value Picks: Myles Turner (+750), Clint Capela (+5000)
Coach of the Year
The Pick: Mike Malone (+3000)
The Denver Nuggets are going to be this year’s most surprising team, with a good chance of even winning 50 games. They have two All-Star caliber big men in Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic who fit perfectly together, surrounded by a plethora of talented perimeter players like Wilson Chandler, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Jamal Murray and Emmanuel Mudiay. Their one question is the Point Guard position and whether or not Mudiay and Jameer Nelson can carry the load. If not, Denver could possibly be in the trade market for a reinforcement such as Eric Bledsoe. Be ready for the Nuggets to be this year’s feel-good story, with Head Coach Mike Malone reaping the benefits.
Best Value Picks: Brett Brown (+2000), Quin Snyder (+2500)
Defensive Player of the Year
The Pick: Rudy Gobert (+350)
Rudy Gobert is the best rim protecter in the entire NBA who has played more than 31 games, and was severely underrated during his unbelievably good season last year. But this year with the added element of Gordon Hayward being gone, more people will likely pay attention to Utah and their fantastic center.
Best Value Picks: DeAndre Jordan (+3000), Joel Embiid (+3300), Marc Gasol (+8000)
Most Valuable Player
The Pick: Kawhi Leonard (+450)
Using the last two decades as evidence, these are the requirements that apply (nearly) every year when the voters choose the MVP:
1) The player must be on a team that is one of the top three seeds in their conference.
2) The player must carry an extreme offensive load.
3) The player must make big shots in big games.
4a) The player must either be good on defense, or…
4b) The player must have good defensive stats.
5) The player can not have a fantastic supporting cast.
Kawhi Leonard somehow checks each and every box- most importantly, the last one. His only other starting-caliber teammates are Patty Mills, who is almost exclusively a jump-shooter, and LaMarcus Aldridge, who everyone is now realizing has been incredibly overrated for a long time. Kawhi has the big-shot ability that the media loves, the two-way play that they need, and a team that doesn’t look good on paper but will win upwards of 50 games with ease.
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