South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
No way to hand out awards
Premature balloting in NBA is an atrocity
For years, the contention here has been that the NBA’s annual awards should include the playoffs, which, with their two-month run in a typical season, extend nearly as long as a third of the regular season. Why dismiss the most meaningful games of the calendar? (As it is, the only postseason award is for the MVP of the NBA Finals, which factors in only one of the four postseason rounds.)
Instead, the league has gone the opposite way during this most unusual of seasons, opting not to factor into the award balloting the eight “seeding” games each of the 22 teams Disney World will play to conclude their regular seasons.
Understand, during a typical 82-game schedule, that would represent about a tenth of the regular season. This abbreviated season, it’s even more. As for the argument that the eight lottery teams not invited into the NBA’s quarantine setting would be shortchanged … well, don’t stink. Nearly three-quarters of the league is playing on.
For the Heat, the league’s decision halts what could have been momentum toward significant hardware.
Now, Bam Adebayo and New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram don’t get to battle to the wire for Most Improved Player.
Goran Dragic doesn’t get the
opportunity to improve his standing for the Sixth Man Award.
Tyler Herro is stunted in a bid to plant himself on an All-Rookie team. And Jimmy Butler’s placement on one of the three AllNBA teams, if there is to be one, won’t count his play in the final eight games.
The league says all the stats for those eight games count … except in the balloting. So we’re basically completing an election … and then holding the debates. You can still make your points, but it won’t assist in winning anything.
Still, if decisions must be made, might as well give it the requisite consideration before the Heat find themselves a week from now in games that count in the standings (but, again, not the award balloting).
Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo.
So simple to sum up: The best two-way player in the NBA, and on the NBA’s best team. Then consider that for as garish as the stats stand (averages of 29.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists), he’s done it in a meager 30.9 minutes per game. Imagine if the Milwaukee Bucks actually pushed him.
And, yet, dropping LeBron James to second on the ballot still stings for this reason: Game tied in the final seconds, who would you want with the ball in his hands — LeBron or Giannis? That element gets too easily dismissed.
So make it: 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, 2. LeBron James, 3. James Harden, 4. Luka Doncic, 5. Chris Paul.
Coach of the Year: Nick Nurse.
Lose one of the best players in the game and still wind up with the third-best record in the East? That just doesn’t happen in the NBA (as evidenced by LeBron’s three career departures).
While Kawhi Leonard didn’t make the MVP ballot above, that merely was because of the time given off this season to the Raptors’ MVP of last season’s NBA Finals.
So make it: 1. Nick Nurse, 2. Billy Donovan, 3. Erik Spoelstra.
Rookie of the Year: Ja Morant.
It should be unanimous for the Memphis Grizzlies guard, who has been dominant in his first season (although this is another case where counting the seeding games could have mattered, if, as unlikely as it would be, Zion Williamson is able to push the New Orleans Pelicans past Morant’s Grizzlies for No. 8 in the West).
For the Heat, the real rookie issue would be if, in eight more games, Tyler Herro could have pushed past Brandon Clarke, Terence Davis, R.J. Barrett, Coby White, P.J. Washington, Rui Hachimura, Matisse Thybulle or others for a final spot on an All-Rookie team.
So make it: 1. Ja Morant, 2. Zion Williamson, 3. Kendrick Nunn.
Sixth Man Award: Dennis Schroder.
This is among the toughest calls of all the awards, one where a player at the top of some ballots easily could be left off others. It is a field loaded with contenders, including a pair of Los Angeles Clippers, in Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, as well as Derrick Rose, Goran Dragic, Patty Mills, George Hill.
But Schroeder has led reserves in scoring and has helped spark the Oklahoma City Thunder to unexpected heights as part of a surprisingly successful smallball alignment (and another case where, with all due respect to uninvited Rose, the eight seeding games would have mattered plenty).
So make it: 1. Dennis Schroder, 2. Montrezl Harrell, 3. Lou Williams.
Most Improved Player: Bam Adebayo.
The irony here is that an argument could be made that Duncan Robinson actually is the most improved of all Heat players this season, based on his impact. Still, Adebayo fills more boxes, by basically filling them all (and it’s about more than the Heat simply clearing Hassan Whiteside out of the way).
But the field is loaded, from Brandon Ingram keeping the Pelicans afloat in Zion’s absences to Luka Doncic taking another step to 2019 winner Pascal Siakam reaching yet another level. And that’s not even getting into Jayson Tatum, Christian Wood, Devonte’ Graham or Shai Gilgeou-sAlexander.
So make it: 1. Bam Adebayo, 2. Brandon Ingram, 3. Jaylen Brown.
Defensive Player Award: Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Let’s see: Leads the NBA in defensive win shares, defensive rating and defensive rebounds. And is doing it on the NBA’s best defensive team.
Rudy Gobert still ranks at the top among those planted in the paint, with Kawhi and Marcus Smart continuing as perimeter pasts, and Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons and Patrick Beverley also worthy of consideration.
So make it: 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, 2. Rudy Gobert, 3. Kawhi Leonard.
IN THE LANE
HERE’S THE DEAL: Andre Iguodala’s acquisition by the Heat could lead to a full circle with the Golden State Warriors that could provide needed offseason Heat salary relief. When Iguodala was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies last July by Golden State, the Warriors were granted a $17.2 million one-year cap exception to utilize in a future trade. With the revised NBA schedule, that exception now will expire Oct. 24. Oh, and did we mention the Warriors wouldn’t mind adding an outside-shooting big man? As in, perhaps, Kelly Olynyk? Here’s the deal: Olynyk has a $12 million Heat player option for next season. Should he opt in, that salary could fit into Golden State’s trade exception, which then could ease a Heat path toward resigning impending free agent Meyers Leonard . In essence, that could give the Heat dual paths to move off Olynyk’s money, either if he opts out and becomes a free agent, or if he opts in and then could be dealt. With the Warriors about to return to win-now mode with the returns of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, it could be win-win for Golden State, as the San Jose Mercury News noted.
HOBBY TIME: The eyes of no Heat player lit up as much as Josh Richardson‘s when the Heat unveiled a DJ booth during training camps at Florida Atlantic University. Now the former Heat guard is back at it at Disney World, between practices with his Philadelphia 76ers. “I’ve been taking a couple of online classes, just to get better,” Richardson said of his ample free time in the NBA bubble. “I can already DJ. I’ve already DJ’d at a few clubs. But now I’m trying to get better at like just little stuff, scratching, making everything smoother. So it’s been going pretty good.”
TURNAROUND TIME: With a quick turnaround expected between seasons, several players who otherwise might have attempted to catch on with NBA teams have instead turned their attention overseas leagues, which will continue to play a more traditional fall-to-spring schedule. That has guard Daryl Macon, who opened last season with a Heat two-way contract, opting for a deal in Turkey. Macon eventually was replaced on his Heat two-way contract in January by guard Gabe Vincent, who remains on the Heat roster at Disney. Macon continued on as an unaffiliated player this past season with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, where he averaged 17 points and 4.8 assists. Similarly, center Angel Delgado, who also finished this past season with the Skyforce, has reached an agreement to play the upcoming season in Spain. The Spanish League also will remain the home for former Heat guard Zoran Dragic, brother of Heat guard Goran Dragic. Zoran Dragic, who appeared in 10 games with the Heat in 2014-15, won a Spanish League title this past season with Baskonia.
SECOND CHANCES: He doesn’t exactly stand as one that got away, at least not yet, but Heat 2019 camp prospect Jeremiah Martin is getting a chance to showcase his abilities for what’s left of the Brooklyn Nets during the Disney restart. Martin was plucked by the Nets in January from the roster of the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, where he averaged 18.5 points and 5.1 assists. As part of his twoway contract, the undrafted guard out of Memphis spent most of the season with the Nets’ G League affiliate. But now, with Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyrie Irving not with Brooklyn, the opportunity is there. “If I wasn’t here, I would be wanting to be here,” Martin said. Martin played on the same Memphis-area AAU team as former Florida guard Chris Chiozza, who now stands as the default Nets starting point guard.
NUMBER
11. Number of teams carrying the league-maximum 17 players on their roster for the Disney World, including the Heat. By contrast, seven teams are carrying 16 players, two are carrying 15, one is carrying 14 and one 13.