THE WINNERS ARE ...
Triple- double king Westbrook gets our MVP nod
With the voting deadline having passed at midnight ET on Friday and results planned for the NBA awards show in New York on June 26, here’s how USA TODAY Sports’ top NBA reporters see the league’s major awards shaking out:
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Amick: 1. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City. 2. James Harden, Houston. 3. LeBron James, Cleveland. 4. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio. 5. Isaiah Thomas, Boston.
Zillgitt: 1. Westbrook. 2. Harden. 3. James. 4. Leonard. 5. Stephen Curry, Golden State.
Rationale: For all the hype about Westbrook becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson 55 years ago to average a triple- double for a full season, it would have meant nothing if it wasn’t part of a success story. Yet after the Thunder lost a former MVP in Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors in July, Westbrook sent a strong, stubborn message to his teammates by signing a three- year, $ 85 million extension a month later, then took a team that many thought might implode on a season- long joy ride.
Any assertion that Westbrook spent his nights selfishly hunting for those triple- double stats falls on deaf ears here because the Thunder were 33- 9 when he hit that magical mark. Westbrook averaged a league- leading 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists ( third) per game overall.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Amick: 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee. 2. Rudy Gobert, Utah. Thomas. Zillgitt: 1. Antetokounmpo. 2. Gob- ert. 3. Gary Harris, Denver.
Rationale: We knew Antetokounmpo would get better this season, but this was a whole different learning curve. Not only did “The Greek Freak” post career highs in points ( 22.9), rebounds ( 8.8), assists ( 5.4), steals ( 1.6) and blocks ( 1.9) in his fourth season, but he also became the first player in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in all of those categories.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER
Amick: 1. Draymond Green, Golden State. 2. Gobert. 3. Leonard. Zillgitt: 1. Green. 2. Gobert. 3. Leonard.
Rationale: There’s not a bad pick in this bunch, but Green’s combination of versatility ( guarding positions one through five), consistency ( leading a Warriors unit that was second to San Antonio in defensive rating) and welltimed will ( game- saving defensive highlights all season long) might win him this award. Gobert has an extremely strong case, too, having forged a reputation as the Bill Russell of today’s era for a team that was third in defensive rating.
SIXTH MAN
Amick: 1. Eric Gordon, Houston. 2. Andre Iguodala, Golden State. Zach Randolph, Memphis. Zillgitt: 1. Iguodala. 2. Gordon. 3. Greg Monroe, Milwaukee.
Rationale for Gordon: When the Rockets gave injury- prone Gordon a four- year, $ 53 million deal last summer, few saw this coming. Gordon, 28, logged 75 games for a team that finished third in the West and fit perfectly with coach
Mike D’Antoni’s three- point- heavy system ( 246 made; fourth in the NBA) while giving the Rockets a needed playmaker and scorer off the bench. He averaged 16.2 points, 2.5 assists and 31 minutes per game.
Rationale for Iguodala: The Warriors’ sixth man was more vital than ever because of the departure of reserves Mo Speights, Festus Ezeli, Leandro Barbosa and Brandon Rush last summer — an understandable price to pay in exchange for getting Durant. And while Iguodala’s raw production ( 7.6 points, 4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 26.3 minutes per game) doesn’t match that of the conventional candidate, his versatility on offense and defense is a major reason the Warriors spend most nights dominating from beginning to end.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Amick: 1. Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee. 2. Dario Saric, Philadelphia. 3. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia.
Zillgitt: 1. Brogdon. 2. Saric. 3. Buddy Hield, Sacramento.
Rationale: Embiid would have been the runaway winner had he stayed healthy. Brogdon, 24, played meaningful minutes, elevating the offense ( 10.2 points) and contributing to the defense ( 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals).
COACH OF THE YEAR
Amick: 1. Mike D’Antoni, Houston, 2. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio. 3. Scott Brooks, Washington
Zillgitt: 1. D’Antoni. 2. Brooks. 3, Erik Spoelstra, Miami.
Rationale: The Rockets surprised the masses last summer by hiring an offensive- minded coach in D’Antoni amid all the noise about their defense being the problem. But the against- the- grain approach paid off in a major way for him and the Rockets. They went from 41- 41 and a first- round playoff exit last season to 55- 27 this year, breaking the NBA record for three- pointers made ( 1,181) and attempted ( 3,306). D’Antoni’s decision to move Harden from shooting guard to point guard was the move that unlocked it all, leading to one of the best individual seasons in NBA history ( 29.1 points, 11.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds).