More than half of the 2018-2019 NBA season has passed, and many players have made strong cases for one of the many NBA awards. Through scoring bursts, triple doubles, and record-breaking performances, fans have been entertained by many players, young and old. Here is a look at my 2-3 picks for each category.
Rookie of the Year
Luka Doncic: The 19-year-old Slovenian was expected to be decent in the NBA, he had after all carried his team. Real Madrid CF, to a championship win in the Euroleague. Averaging 20 points and 7 rebounds, he has leaped bounds beyond original expectations for his play. Even the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond Green, who isn’t one to give out compliments, had something positive to say about Doncic’s play during a post game interview after squeezing out a win against Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks. “That dude is nice. He has lifted their franchise.” As a 6’7 guard, Doncic has the ability to make contested shots over defenders with ease. Currently, his level of play is unbelievable. His field goal percentage is 43%. Although he was snubbed from the All-star game, he placed third in fan votes behind Lebron and Giannis. Luka is definitely the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year Award.
Deandre Ayton: Being picked first in the NBA draft, Ayton had a lot of expectations placed upon him before he played a single game. Averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds, Ayton has produced strong, but not outstanding numbers. With a record of 11-44, his team, the Phoenix Suns, is still in its arduous rebuilding phase, experimenting with multiple players that fit around their franchise player Devin Booker. With an underdeveloped team, it will be difficult for Ayton to convince many in the league to vote him Rookie of the Year. Still, Ayton has a great deal of potential and could possibly be an all star in the coming years.
Trae Young: Because of his huge scoring outing last season at the University of Oklahoma, many NBA analysts identified Young as the second coming of Stephen Curry. High-level scoring is clearly in his arsenal: he averaged 27 points in college. However, his athleticism has been in question since most of his shots in college were from behind the three-point arc. In addition, another worry for teams arose from his inability to lead a team and set teammates up for open shots. Averaging 17 points and 7 assists, he has somewhat cemented himself as a passer in the NBA. However, shooting around 30 percent from the 3 point line, the cornerstone of Young’s college game needs improvement. With his high scoring and assists average in comparison to most of the rookies this season, it is clear why he is on this list.
Most Improved Player
De’aaron Fox: As the starting point guard of the Sacramento Kings, Fox has made serious strides from last season. He has increased his scoring average from 11 to 17 points per game while dishing out about 7 assists game. What makes him my number one pick currently for the award is the increase in his field goal percentage. He has had a 5 to 6 percentage increase in both field goal and three point percentages. Despite his improvement in these categories, his three point attempts are very low for most 6’3 guards. Shooting only 36 percent from the three, he must perfect his shooting behind the arc if he wants to increase the longevity of his career.
Paskal Siakam: The lean 6’9 power forward for the Toronto Raptors has had a complete turn around offensively. Compared to last season, Siakam has more than doubled his scoring average to 15 points a game. His assists and steals have increased slightly. With his new play, Siakam has been one of the key pieces on the Raptors. He has helped relieve the offensive burden from teammates Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry, helping lead the team to a second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Sixth Man of the Year
Derrick Rose: For Rose, it has been a tough stretch of years while switching teams and trying to find the explosiveness that he once had before his devastating ACL injury in 2011. This season, he was given a fresh start for the Minnesota Timberwolves and began to look like his former self. He is averaging around 18 points and 5 assists. Rose is having his best year shooting 40 percent from the 3 point line. His efficiency overall is currently at his second best for his entire career. On November 1, 2018, he scored a career high of 50 points against the Utah Jazz. This performance cemented his return to his old type of play, causing me to believe that he should be the sixth man of the year.
Spencer Dinwiddie: After receiving a three year extension with the Brooklyn Nets, Dinwiddie has increased his scoring to 17 points per game. With teammates D’angelo Russel and Caris Levert taking a good portion of the offensive load, Dinwiddie’s points off the bench are crucial to the offensive firepower and stability of Brookyln. Most importantly his overall field goal percentage is at its highest of his career, 46 percent. There have been a few moments when Dinwiddie has shone and scored 20 plus points against strong defensive teams. His shooting has helped put him in this category as a valuable player who comes off the bench.
Defensive Player of the Year
Rudy Gobert: Gobert is an obvious pick for this award. He has consistently been averaging two blocks a game every year except for his rookie season. However, what puts him at the top of this list is the number of defensive rebounds that he accumulates per game this year. Gobert is averaging nine defensive rebounds per game. Although he isn’t in the All Star game, he has become a huge defensive presence in the paint. His long wingspan disrupts the offensive flow of many all star bigs such as Karl Anthony Towns and Joel Embid.
Kawhi Leonard: There’s a reason why Leonard is nicknamed The Claw. It is because of his huge hands. Standing 6’7 and having a wingspan of 7’3, Kawhi Leonard is able to make multiple deflections and rack up steals throughout games. Throughout his whole career Leonard has been roughly averaging 2 steals a game. This consistency speaks to how gifted he is defensively. Disrupting stars like Lebron James and James Harden speaks to how his defensive prowess overpowers his often stellar opponents.
MVP
Paul George: George is playing his best season in his NBA career, even though he suffered a gruesome leg injury only a few years ago. This year he has the second highest scoring average (29 points), dishes out 4 assists, and grabs 8 rebounds per game. This stat line compared to other all stars on this list might seem normal, but his incredible efficiency is what sets him apart from the other candidates. He has increased his 3 point field goal attempts. In addition, his efficiency from the 3-point line has grown drastically. His defensive capababilities have increased as well, averaging 2.3 steals per game and becoming the league leader in that category. By becoming a huge presence on both sides of the floor, Paul George has become a definite MVP candidate.
James Harden: Harden has been on an absolute tear offensively. This past January, Harden averaged over 40 points per game and shot over 40 percent from the field. Despite boasting the highest scoring average, his 3 point field goal percentage has been put into question this season. Shooting a mediocre 37 percent from the field, his efficiency has been on the decline. In addition, his team has been performing worse than expected. Due to James Harden having the ball most of the time, the scoring is not distributed amongst the players allowing teams to just focus on defending Harden. This has caused the Rockets to drop a few seeds down compared to last season.
Wizards in a game on January 15, 2018
photo courtesy of Keith Allison from Flickr
Giannis Antetokounmpo: The Greek Freak is averaging 27 points, dishing out 6 assists, and grabbing 12 rebounds per game. In addition, his overall field goal percentage has increased from 53 to 58 percent. These numbers alone solidify his place in the MVP race. Currently, he has been leading his team positively, placing the Bucks first in the Eastern Conference. With his team doing well and his individual stats gradually increasing, he seems to be one of the favorites in winning the MVP award.
