2017 NBA Awards
Tonight, the NBA will hold their first (and hopefully last) league-wide awards show. They will be hosted by Drake and will serve as the medium to distribute all of the personal awards that in every other season were handed out during the first week of the postseason, not two weeks after the Finals wrapped up. I think this whole extravaganza is problematic for the NBA for multiple reasons, but most all because these are regular season awards and by not handing out the awards until long after the postseason has ended, everyone's judgement is clouded by what took place during the playoffs. For example, when the MVP is announced many will say, "Why isn't Kevin Durant MVP?" The answer is simple: He played in only 62 games during the regular season. But the regular season will be the last thing on the average fan's mind. Anyways, here is who I think will claim the major awards for the 2016-2017 regular season.
Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green ..... Draymond is the most versatile defender in the NBA, point blank. He can literally guard every position on the basketball court. If it not for the existence of Kawhi Leonard, Draymond might be looking at his third consecutive DPOY. While this will be his first, I have a sneaking suspicion that this won't be his last.
Most Improved Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo .... This is the easiest award to handicap. Giannis made immeasurable leaps and bounds this season. Outside of LeBron, I think one could make the case that the Greek Freak is the best player in the Eastern Conference.
Coach of the Year: Mike D'Antoni .... D'Antoni's notorious "7 Seconds or Less" offense transformed the Rockets into a legitimate threat in the Western Conference. It was under D'Antoni's tutelage that James Harden molded into a point guard, as he led the league in assists and ranked in the top three in points per game. Many have criticized D'Antoni over the years, but the success that he had with the Rockets in elevating them in the Western Conference should earn him Coach of the Year honors.
Sixth Man of the Year: Eric Gordon ..... Gordon got off to a hot start and then cooled off, but there isn't too much competition for this award so the Rocket's shooting guard will take it home by default. Averaging 16 points per game, Gordon played a key role in the Rocket's success this season, particularly when James Harden was on the bench resting as the offense then flowed through him.
Rookie of the Year: Malcolm Brogdon .... Joel Embiid was the most electrifying rookie this season. That's not debatable, but he only appeared in 31 games. That is just not enough to merit an award. Brogdon, who came into the league with minimal expectations, performed like a seasoned veteran. He played major minutes for a playoff team, scoring over 10 points per game and dishing out a handful of assists. Overall, it was a pretty lame rookie class, but Brogdon will win the award for best rookie.
MVP: Russell Westbrook .... James Harden is deserving of consideration, as is Kawhi Leonard, but if Russell Westbrook - the man who averaged a triple double - fails to win the MVP award the NBA needs to find new voters. Seriously. Westbrook was surrounded by mediocrity, especially after the departure of Kevin Durant, but he kept the Thunder afloat and led them to a playoff berth while posting one of the most spectacular single season stat lines in the history of the sport.
