2016 has arrived, and with it the NBA’s first trimester has finished. The Warriors and Spurs are obliterating the league, with the Thunder and Cavaliers hot on their trails as league’s awesome foursome separate themselves from the competition. The Sixers have won three games, two of those since the recent arrival of Mike D’Antoni.
Efficiency continues to hit new heights as players and teams continuously look to improve on already phenomenal numbers. The high usage, low efficiency scorer is a dying breed, as the Rudy Gay’s of the world are cast out as bad rather than good. Playmaking bigs are redefining the game and the small ball revolution is in full swing.
So which players are taking home the league’s awards if they were given out today? Last Word Hoops asked two of it’s writers to hand out theirs:
NBA Awards For The First Trimester
Western Conference MVP
Adam Joseph: It can only be Steph Curry. Golden State’s transcendent talent is inspiring millions of kids to shoot outrageous threes and will provoke a style much like Michael Jordan did in the 1990’s. Basic numbers of 29.7ppg, 5.5rpg, 6.3apg & 2.2spg, on 51-44-90 percent shooting splits. The league leader in PER (31.7), true shooting percentage (.678), offensive win shares (5.8) and total win shares (7.5) & box plus minus (11.7). His rivals are catching him, but right now Curry has taken the mantle at the top of basketball. Long live the king.
Pete Lillo: This was like last year, pretty much a no-brainer. Stephen Curry once again garners the praise from us and everyone. He hasn’t missed a step since winning the award and the NBA Championship last year, hitting more 3-pointers than anyone can imagine and finding ways to win games leading the Warriors to an incredible start to this season. The Western Conference is stocked with talent, so the second choice so far goes to Damian Lillard. His stellar play and growing talent makes him an easy choice at this point in the season, and it’s exciting to watch him play on a nightly basis.
Honorable mentions: Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green.
Eastern Conference MVP
AJ: Jimmy Butler. LeBron James has to be mentioned. He’s coasting, but there’s no arguing he’s also in decline. Meanwhile Chicago’s Butler is rising fast. He’s carried a horrendous Derrick Rose and inconsistent Bulls squad to 21-12 (the 6th best record in the NBA) including big wins over the Spurs, Cavaliers and both home and road wins over the Thunder. His numbers mirror last season’s, but the Bulls are his team now and it’s obvious. His 40-point second half against the Raptors confirmed his place in the elite, and his two way ability means he might be the best shooting guard in the entire NBA.
PL: It’s always easy to choose the King, each and every year. This midway point, I’ll go in a different direction. It wasn’t an easy choice, but I’ll take Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors. No, the team from Canada isn’t lighting up the basketball world, and they are underachieving from last year, but Lowry is one of the bright spots in the league, and his baseline to baseline performance every night is something that highlights the Eastern Conference. A close second was Jimmy Butler, who is really carrying the Bulls this season, but we’ll save him for later.
Honorable Mentions: Paul George, LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan.
Most Improved Player
AJ: Draymond Green. Green has proved in Steph Curry’s absence how pivotal he is, and that he’s not simply a system player. There’s nobody in the game like him and it’s what makes the Warriors so lethal on both ends. The Curry/Green pick and roll is simply devastating. Green’s numbers are crazy (15.0ppg, 9.5rpg, 7.5apg, 1.4bpg & 1.4spg) showcases how he does it all. 13th in offensive win shares, 4th defensively and 6th overall, Green is now arguably the best overall power forward in basketball and a true superstar of the league.
PL: This one was easy. Jimmy Butler of the Bulls wins the award hands down. He has carried the team most of the way despite his teammates struggles. He comes to play each and every game, and things are looking up in Chicago where there has been a championship drought for over 16 years. The fans have a lot to look forward to with his play. The second choice wasn’t easy, but it looks like JR Smith of the Cavs. He’s the player everyone loves to hate for his crazy on and off the court antics, but he seems to find his game when it counts the most or when LeBron needs that extra boost at the end of the game.
Honorable Mentions: CJ McCollum, Kent Bazemore, Steph Curry, Will Barton.
Defensive Player of the Year
AJ: Kawhi Leonard. The man with the giant hands is the best lockdown defender in the league. No pass or the ball in general is safe in the vicinity of the Spurs superstar. He leads the league in defensive win shares (3.0) and the Spurs posted a defensive rating of 92 this season with Leonard on court, whilst the team leads the league in defensive efficiency by some margin (93.1, 4.7 ahead of second placed Boston). The Spurs have won every game without Tim Duncan and don’t miss a beat when he is out. Leonard is why.
PL: The ‘brow’, Anthony Davis from a pretty bad Pelicans team gets the award. He continues to be a strong presence in the middle for New Orleans and his prowess to block shots is something that opposing players try to avoid. If he can stay healthy and the team starts winning games, he could be the next MVP in the league. He certainly has the talent. Second place winner is a bit unconventional, since it’s only his first year in the league – Kristap Porzingis from the Knicks. Yes he’s a rookie and only has played in less than half a season, but he defensive abilities in blocking shots despite not playing in the US before is a bright spot for the Knicks this season – already matching last year’s win total of 17.
Honorable Mentions: Draymond Green, Tim Duncan, Paul George, Andre Drummond.
Rookie of the Year
AJ: Karl Anthony Towns. Towns might already be in the top 30 players in the league. The Wolves aren’t playing him huge minutes (28.9 currently) but have a look at his per 36 minutes numbers: 19.9ppg, 11.7rpg and 2.3bpg on 53-36-85 percent splits. A PER of 21.6 (just outside the top 20), 3.2 win shares, 6th in block percentage (5.3) and 13th in rebound percentage (18.5). Towns is already a monster, and he’s just getting started.
PL: Kristaps Porzingis. Remember on the night of the draft when all Knicks fans booed this choice and thought Phil Jackson had lost his mind? Who was this kid from Latvia who looked like a beanpole, who couldn’t match up with the best in the NBA? Obviously now Jackson looks like the genius he is and Porzingis is proving everyone wrong with his shooting and defensive abilities. The Knicks actually look like a real NBA team.
Sixth Man of the Year
AJ: Ryan Anderson. One of the few bright spots for the Pelicans this season, Anderson is priming as a supreme trade chip on an expiring contract before the deadline comes next month if the Pelicans choose to blow it up. Playing 31.2mpg, Anderson is filling it up with 16.8ppg & 6.3rpg on 44-38-89 percent splits. Anderson is getting paid this summer, and he would fit very nicely on a few contenders if New Orleans decide the season is lost and hit the reset button now.
PL: So far it looks like Isaiah Thomas of the Celtics get the nod. He continues to play solid basketball for the ever improving Celtics, and his contribution to the team is something that the diehard Celtic fans have been looking to cheer for years.
Honorable Mentions: Victor Oladipo, Enes Kanter, Will Barton.
All NBA First Team
AJ: Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry
PL: DeMarcus Cousins, LeBron James, Paul George, Kyle Lowry, Steph Curry
All NBA Second Team
AJ: DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Chris Paul
PL: Draymond Green, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard
All NBA Third Team
AJ: Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, Paul George, James Harden, Kyle Lowry
PL: Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, James Harden
