The nearly two-month long festival of professional basketball that is the NBA Playoffs kicked off on April 15, and with it the 2017 regular season drew to a close. The annual tradition of selecting the best players in the league during the 82-game regular season will officially take place in New York City on June 26, but before the picks come out, let’s take a look at who should receive the 2017 accolades.
NBA MVP – Russell Westbrook, Point Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder
Move over Steph Curry, take a seat Lebron, this year’s MVP was without a doubt Russell Westbrook. This decision really shouldn’t come as a surprise (except maybe to some disgruntled Houston fans).
Westbrook was dominant this season, averaging — yes averaging — a triple-double at 35.0 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game and 11.3 assists per game. In addition to those incredible numbers, Westbrook also led his team in steals at 3.0 per game.
Stats aren’t everything, however. The term Most Valuable Player means a player that was utterly indispensable to his team. Without Westbrook this season, the Thunder probably would have only won 30-35 games. With him, the team won 47 games and clinched the sixth seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.
Yes, it is true that Westbrook would be the first MVP from a team with less than 50 wins since the early ‘80s, but his sheer dominance on the court simply must be rewarded with the award. If averaging a triple-double, garnering the most triple-doubles in a season at 42 (which broke a 55-year-old record) and recording four 50-point games doesn’t warrant the league’s most valuable player, what does?
Defensive Player of the Year – Kawhi Leonard, Small Forward, San Antonio Spurs
Kawhi Leonard was the toughest defender to go up against this season due to his quickness on the court and his ability to read opposing players. Without Leonard on the floor this season, the San Antonio Spurs allowed 7.9 more points per 100 possessions than when he was on the floor.
Teams did just about all they could to get Leonard away from the basketball, even if this meant putting their top scorer, the player Leonard was usually guarding, in the corner and taking their chances four on four.
Leonard doesn’t lead the league in steals at 1.8 per game or blocks at 0.7 per game, but the facts are clear, the Spurs are an incredibly worse defensive team without him on the floor. For this reason, he should take home his third-straight defensive player of the year award.
Rookie of the Year – Joel Embiid, Center, Philadelphia 76ers
Nicknamed “The Process,” Joel Embiid made a splash in the NBA this season after sitting out the past two due to injury. While Embiid only appeared in 31 games in 2016-17 before a left-knee meniscus tear sidelined him, his performance in those 31 games was nothing short of dominant.
Embiid used all of his 7-foot, 250-pound frame to push defenders around inside the paint, averaging 20.2 points per game. The Cameroon native also averaged 7.8 rebounds per game and 2.5 blocks per game.
“The Process” was a force on both ends of the court, forcing players to pull up from outside the paint to avoid getting swatted on the defensive end and a nightmare to guard on the offensive end due to his versatility. A healthy Embiid can do it all, and his size only makes him even scarier.
It’s crazy to think of the damage Embiid could have done if he had played a full season. The 76ers won 13 of the 31 games Embiid played this season. Of the other 51 games, the 76ers only won 15 games.
Sixth Man of the Year – Eric Gordon, Shooting Guard, Houston Rockets
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey should be lauded by Rockets fans everywhere for his work during the offseason this past year. Morey picked up two really big names, Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson, both of whom came from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Gordon came off the bench this season for the Rockets, but he was easily one of the best players the team had to offer. Gordon averaged 31 minutes per game during the regular season and put up 16.2 points per game.
Gordon’s defensive ability and 3-point shot greatly advantaged Houston this season. Gordon was a key cog in head coach Mike D’Antoni’s new defensive plan and he helped out tremendously on the offensive end with his shooting ability. The fact that he came off of the bench only added to opposing teams’ struggles.
Most Improved Player – Isaiah Thomas, Point Guard, Boston Celtics
While not entirely unknown last season, Isaiah Thomas really burst onto the NBA scene this season, his fifth in the league. The 5-foot, 9-inch guard from Washington University perplexed defenses with his nimble footwork and play-making ability.
Thomas averaged 28.9 points per game in 2016-17, up 6.7 points than last season. In addition to scoring, Thomas also dished out nearly six assists per game.
The real headline this season for Thomas, though, was his ability to win games. A year ago, the Boston Celtics went 48-34 and finished fifth in the Eastern Conference. This season, due in high part to Thomas’ improvement, the Celtics went 53-29 and finished first in the conference.
Nicknamed “Mr. 4th Quarter,” Thomas hit one clutch shot after another during the course of the regular season. The fact that someone under 6 feet averaged nearly 30 points a game during the regular season in the NBA just plain ridiculous. All in all, Thomas deserves this award because in improving his skill, he drastically helped improve his team’s overall performance.
Coach of the Year – Mike D’Antoni, Head Coach, Houston Rockets
Coach Mike D’Antoni returned to the NBA after a three-year hiatus, last coaching for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014. D’Antoni did some incredible work with the Rockets in his first season in Houston, compiling 55 wins and nabbing the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
To put it into perspective, the Rockets won only 41 games in 2015-16. For a new coach to take over and do so well warrants recognition. D’Antoni turned a team that was known solely for its offense and turned it into an offensive powerhouse. The Rockets broke the all-time record for team 3-pointers in a season this year, compiling over 1,050 of them.
In addition to being an offensive juggernaut, D’Antoni also helped the Rockets improve their defensive play. According to stats.NBA.com, Houston went from 17th overall in general defense in 2015-16 to third in 2016-17.
