{"id":113107,"date":"2024-12-19T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T13:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=113107"},"modified":"2024-12-19T07:31:34","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T12:31:34","slug":"mccain-spoelstra-hawks-headline-espns-award-winners-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/19\/mccain-spoelstra-hawks-headline-espns-award-winners-list\/","title":{"rendered":"McCain, Spoelstra, Hawks Headline ESPN\u2019s Award Winners List"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Emirates NBA Cup<\/a> crowned the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a> as champions after a dominant performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>. As Kevin Pelton<\/a> of ESPN<\/em> highlights the superlatives of the tournament, several award winners stood out for their exceptional contributions and moments of triumph\u2014or disappointment.<\/p>\n

McCain, Spoelstra, Hawks Headline ESPN\u2019s Award Winners List<\/h2>\n

MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks<\/h3>\n

Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a> claimed the MVP title for his commanding presence throughout the knockout stages. He averaged 31.7 points per game, delivering clutch performances in critical moments. For the whole cup, he averaged<\/a> 30.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.8 blocks on a true shooting of 68.2%.<\/p>\n

In the semifinals, Antetokounmpo nearly recorded a triple-double and then achieved one in the final against Oklahoma City. His defensive intensity set the tone for Milwaukee, highlighted by his crucial block on Trae Young<\/a> in the semifinals. Against the Thunder, he added three blocks and two steals. These efforts solidified his dominance as the undisputed MVP. Often times, Giannis’ achievements go unnoticed because people have gotten used to his ridiculous efficiency. Truthfully, he is a player the NBA has never seen in its history. Hopefully this could give Antetokounmpo\u2019s NBA MVP campaign<\/a> a boost and add to his MVP wins.<\/p>\n

All-NBA Cup Team<\/h3>\n

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks<\/h4>\n

Antetokounmpo\u2019s stellar play left no room for debate. He led the Bucks to an undefeated run and dominated on both ends.<\/p>\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder<\/h4>\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> carried the Thunder with consistent scoring and leadership, helping them reach their first NBA Cup final. He averaged<\/a> 30.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 0.6 blocks on 59.8% true shooting. Ultimately, he was subdued in the final going for just 21<\/a> points on 8-for-24 shooting. He should use this disappointing performance to grow in his role as a franchise cornerstone.<\/p>\n

Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks<\/h4>\n

Damian Lillard<\/a> complemented Antetokounmpo perfectly, averaging<\/a> 27.3 points and 8.3 assists on 69.1% true shooting in the tournament. He even had a 37-point against the Miami Heat in group play in Giannis’ absence.<\/p>\n

Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets<\/h4>\n

Alperen Sengun\u2019s<\/a> standout performance<\/a> in the quarterfinals against Golden State earned him a spot over his teammates, despite inconsistent efficiency. He averaged<\/a> 19.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.8 blocks on 51.9% true shooting in the cup.<\/p>\n

Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks<\/h4>\n

Trae Young<\/a> powered the Hawks semifinal run, leading all players in assists (10.8)<\/a> and averaging 24.2 points per game.<\/p>\n

Coach of the NBA Cup: Doc Rivers, Milwaukee Bucks<\/h3>\n

Doc Rivers orchestrated Milwaukee\u2019s defensive turnaround, leading them to a flawless NBA Cup campaign. His game plan forced opponents into tough shots, particularly in the final. The Bucks finished as second<\/a> in the NBA Cup in defensive rating despite being 13th<\/a> in that category in the regular season.<\/p>\n

Biggest Coaching Miscue: Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat<\/h3>\n

Erik Spoelstra\u2019s costly timeout error in overtime against the Pistons overshadowed his reputation as one of the NBA\u2019s top coaches. Up two points with under two seconds left, Spoelstra called a timeout Miami didn\u2019t have. This allowed Detroit to win on a technical free throw. The mistake derailed Miami\u2019s NBA Cup campaign early, eliminating their chances of advancing.<\/p>\n

Rookie of the NBA Cup: Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers<\/h3>\n

Jared McCain<\/a> emerged as the tournament\u2019s top rookie with an impressive group stage performance. He averaged<\/a> 24.8 points and shot 51.4% from beyond the arc. His scoring outpaced all other rookies. McCain\u2019s knee injury<\/a> prevented him from contributing further, but his group-stage dominance earned him this honor.<\/p>\n

Most Improved Team: Atlanta Hawks<\/h3>\n

The Atlanta Hawks surprised many with their run to the semifinals. They entered the tournament with a 4-7 record but went 4-2<\/a> in NBA Cup play. Young\u2019s leadership and strong performances powered their improvement. Atlanta also rebounded from last year\u2019s poor showing, where they finished with the worst point differential among group-stage teams.<\/p>\n

Biggest Disappointment: Cleveland Cavaliers<\/h3>\n

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered as one of the Eastern Conference\u2019s top teams but failed to advance from group play. Losses to Atlanta and Boston sealed their fate. With a golden opportunity to claim a banner, Cleveland\u2019s disappointing 2-2<\/a> record left fans wanting more.<\/p>\n

Best Game: Golden State 120, Dallas 117<\/h3>\n

Golden State\u2019s thrilling victory over Dallas on the first night of group play stood out as the tournament\u2019s best game<\/a>. Klay Thompson<\/a> returned to face his former team, scoring 22 points, including six 3-pointers. Stephen Curry\u2019s<\/a> (37 points) late-game heroics, scoring the Warriors\u2019 final 12 points, completed the comeback.<\/p>\n

Most Disappointing Injury: Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic<\/h3>\n

Franz Wagner<\/a> shined in the group stage, averaging<\/a> 30.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.5 steals on 61.7% true shooting. However, Wagner\u2019s oblique tear<\/a> sidelined him before the quarterfinals. Without Wagner, the Magic fought hard but fell to Milwaukee, ending their NBA Cup hopes.<\/p>\n

ESPN Awards Winners List Encapsulates a Thrilling NBA Cup in 2024<\/h3>\n

The NBA Cup continues to evolve, producing exciting moments and new stars. This year\u2019s winners, from Giannis to McCain, showcased the talent and drama that make the tournament special.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Emirates NBA Cup crowned the Milwaukee Bucks as champions after a dominant performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder. As Kevin Pelton of ESPN highlights the superlatives of the tournament, several award winners stood out for their exceptional contributions and moments of triumph\u2014or disappointment. McCain, Spoelstra, Hawks Headline ESPN\u2019s Award Winners List MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,4,1608,9,30,25,16,15,22,17],"tags":[4293,187,190,49614,583,979,4127,306,49067,70,49902,4745,564,1489,48,1349],"class_list":["post-113107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nba","category-hawks","category-basketball","category-cavaliers","category-mavericks","category-warriors","category-heat","category-bucks","category-thunder","category-magic","tag-alperen-sengun","tag-damian-lillard","tag-doc-rivers","tag-emirates-nba-cup","tag-erik-spoelstra","tag-espn","tag-franz-wagner","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","tag-jared-mccain","tag-klay-thompson","tag-nba-cup-mvp","tag-nba-injuries","tag-nba-mvp","tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander","tag-stephen-curry","tag-trae-young"],"modified_by":"Kenny Kluska","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113107"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113161,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113107\/revisions\/113161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}