USA TODAY International Edition
Early contenders impress
Halfway home, Harden, Giannis in dead heat for MVP
Minus Harden, the Rockets would be mediocre and rooted near the bottom of the Western Conference.
The NBA season has reached the halfway point. Before we know it, the Feb. 7 trade deadline will be here, followed by the All-Star Game and the push for the playoffs. Every team in the NBA has played at least 41 games, and by now the season has taken shape, including the race for individual awards. The debate is strong with a deep, impressive field in several categories.
James Harden or Giannis Antetokounmpo for MVP? Mike Budenholzer, Dave Joerger or Mike Malone for Coach of the Year? Rookie of the Year? That one’s easy. His name is Luka Doncic.
Let’s look at the midseason awards, with picks from USA TODAY NBA writers Jeff Zillgitt and Martin Rogers. (Note: Statistics through Monday.)
MVP
Contenders: Nikola Jokic (Denver), Stephen Curry (Golden State), Harden (Houston), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), Paul George (Oklahoma City), Kawhi Leonard (Toronto)
Harden’s recent stretch of games — 38.1 points, 8.5 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 5.5 3-pointers per game since Dec. 1 — has elevated his candidacy and revived Houston’s season. Minus Harden, the Rockets would be mediocre and rooted near the bottom of the Western Conference.
Antetokounmpo has been excellent all season, averaging 26.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals and shooting 57.9 percent from the field. He has the Bucks in second place in the Eastern Conference, and they’re the only team in the NBA ranked in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating.
Zillgitt: Antetokounmpo
Rogers: Harden
Defensive Player of the Year
Contenders: Draymond Green (Golden State), George (Oklahoma City), Embiid (Philadelphia), Rudy Gobert (Utah)
Green still believes he can win the award even though he has missed games, and he has a case: The Warriors are one of the best defensive teams in the league when he’s on the court and just average when he’s not.
George’s comfort level in his second season with the Thunder is obvious on both ends of the floor. His ability to defend, especially his lockdown ability on the perimeter, gives Oklahoma City the best defensive rating in the league, allowing 102.9 points per 100 possessions. Players are shooting just 41.8 percent against George, including 30.4 percent on 3-pointers, according to NBA.com/ stats.
Zillgitt: George
Rogers: George
Coach of the Year
Contenders: Malone (Denver), Doc Rivers (Los Angeles Clippers), Budenholzer (Milwaukee), Joerger (Sacramento), Gregg Popovich (San Antonio), Nick Nurse (Toronto)
It’s a deep field, showing how valuable a coach can be to a team, even though the NBA is considered a players’ league. The Spurs started the season 1114, and it looked like their streak of 21 playoff appearances would end. But Pop does what he does, and the Spurs are 14-6 since and have the fifth-best offense despite making just 9.8 3-pointers per game (24th in the NBA).
It’s impossible to ignore what Malone has done with the Nuggets, atop the Western Conference with a giant game against Golden State on Tuesday.
In his first season with the Bucks, Budenholzer has lifted them from playoff team to conference title contender. The Bucks went from 10th offensively and 18th defensively last season to second and third this season, due in large part to Budenholzer’s acumen.
Most other contenders for this award have been set up for success and blessed with high-quality rosters. Joerger has made the Kings relevant with young talent.
Zillgitt: Budenholzer
Rogers: Joerger
Sixth Man
Contenders: Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn), Domantas Sabonis (Indiana), Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell (Clippers), Derrick Rose (Minnesota)
Williams is always in consideration for this award, and Rose’s offensive production, especially as a 3-point shooter (46.8 percent), was not expected. Dinwiddie’s scoring is a major part of Brooklyn’s renaissance, and Harrell’s numbers don’t even tell half the story. He’s ferocious, tenacious and utterly critical to the Clippers’ identity.
Indiana’s offense and defense hum with Sabonis on the court. He can defend, shoot, pass and rebound; he averages 15.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and three assists per game and +six net rating. Zillgitt: Sabonis
Rogers: Harrell
Rookie of the Year
Contenders: Trae Young (Atlanta), Doncic (Dallas), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis), Deandre Ayton (Phoenix)
Not just the best rookie by a distance of many Slovenian kilometers, but Doncic, 19, is already one of the top players regardless of NBA experience.
He’s a unique offensive creator via his shooting, passing, dribbling and vision (20.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and five assists per game), and his performance in clutch situations belies his rookie status.
But don’t discount what Ayton, Jackson, Young and others have done. This is an impressive rookie class.
Zillgitt: Doncic
Rogers: Doncic
Most Improved Player
Contenders: John Collins (Atlanta), Justise Winslow (Miami), De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield (Sacramento), Bryn Forbes (San Antonio), Pascal Siakam (Toronto)
This is always one of the more difficult awards because voters must discern if better stats are the product of opportunity/more minutes or if the player truly improved.
Yes, Siakam has a bigger role this season. He earned it, and he’s showing why: He’s a better scorer, shooter and rebounder this season than he was last season.
He’s a strong defender — Toronto’s version of Draymond Green — and a perfect fit for what the Raptors need. Zillgitt: Siakam
Rogers: Siakam