Raptor DeMar DeRozan an MVP long-shot
The money’s on Dwayne Casey to win coach of the year
As the NBA rushes quickly to the end of the regular season, the focus shifts slightly to the various end-of-the season awards.
The 125 or so writers and broadcasters who will determine the winners are pouring over stats and reports to see who might win what before vote have to be submitted by midnight April 13. And with a strong proviso that the order of many of these may change depending on the next few days because team success is an integral part of the voting, here’s a look at what my final submissions will be in the six key categories: MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
The ballot: James Harden, Houston; LeBron James, Cleveland; Anthony Davis, New Orleans; DeMar DeRozan, Toronto; Damian Lillard, Portland.
The only thing in doubt is the order of the final three on the only five-man ballot in the group.
Harden not only found a way to smoothly coexist with another ball-dominant guard in Chris Paul while still piling up numbers, he’s playing at the highest level of his career. James is the most dominant physical specimen in the game but he was part of a group that stumbled out of the gate and that counts.
DeRozan does belong in this group for expanding and changing his game while Lillard and Davis have almost single-handedly made their teams relevant, especially Davis in the wake of the season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins. The snubs
Kevin Durant, Golden State; Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City; Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Donovan Mitchell, Utah; Ben Simmons, Philadelphia; Jayson Tatum, Boston.
This one is very much in doubt because Simmons is doing things no rookie has done for decades and the order of the top two might come down to which team finishes the season better.
Simmons’s stats aside — and they are astounding — in this day and age, doesn’t a player at least have to had made one threepointer to win this award?
Mitchell’s play salvaged what looked to be a lost season in Utah: Gordon Hayward gone, Rudy Gobert hurt and he lifted that team to relevance.
But there is still some thinking
to be done over the last six days before a final decision is made. The snubs
Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers; Dennis Smith, Jr., Dallas; Lauri Markkanen, Chicago. SIXTH MAN
The ballot: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers; Fred VanVleet, Toronto; Eric Gordon, Houston
Imagine where the Clippers, having traded Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and suffered a series of debilitating injuries to key players, would be without Williams, who is leading the team in scoring and dominating fourth quarters.
VanVleet’s maybe the best story of the season, an undrafted, undersized guard closing games for the top team in the East as the best defensive player on the team and the most important player on the best backup unit.
Gordon’s been very good but others have simply been better. The snubs Jordan Clarkson, Cleveland; Will Barton, Denver. DEFENSIVE PLAYER
The ballot: Rudy Gobert, Utah; Al Horford, Boston; Anthony Davis, New Orleans
Gobert, frankly, is a freak. His ability to protect the rim, get back in transition and dissuade even the most hearty opponent from entering the paint is unbelievable.
Horford anchors the best defence in the league and Davis rebounds, gets steals and blocks shots. The snubs
Draymond Green, Golden State, Paul George, Oklahoma City; Joel Embiid, Philadelphia. COACH OF THE YEAR The ballot: Dwane Casey, Toronto; Nate McMillan, Indiana; Brad Stevens, Boston.
There are probably eight guys who could legitimately be in the conversation for this award, that’s how deep the coaching ranks have been this year. There might be some Eastern Conference influence at the moment so the final two spots could very well change by the middle of next week.
Casey’s willingness to change his team’s offence, his way of getting his key players to buy in and having the patience and trust to develop the best backup unit in the league gives him the nod. He’s mixed and matched his rosters to the best season in team history.
McMillan has the Pacers where no one imagined they would be in the post-Paul George era and Stevens crafted a lot out of a little. The snubs
Quin Snyder, Utah; Brett Brown, Philadelphia; Mike D’Antoni, Houston; Terry Stotts, Portland. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER The ballot: Victor Oladipo, Indiana; Fred VanVleet, Toronto; Clint Capela, Houston.
There’s no single way to determine who has improved the most because so much of it has to do with opportunity, maybe a move to a new system, a new coach or new teammates.
But Oladipo has blossomed in Indiana and has put up better numbers in every key category.
VanVleet’s obviously benefited from a bigger role but did he get that bigger role because his game has improved so much? He’s a better shooter, a better finisher at the rim while still being a dogged defender on a team lurking near 60 wins. The snubs
Steven Adams, Oklahoma City; DeMar DeRozan, Toronto; Andre Drummond, Detroit.