The Super Official 2016-17 NBA Awards

Crowning an MVP, discrediting Kawhi Leonard, and a bunch of other fun awards in between

Most Improved Player

1. Isaiah Thomas 2. James Johnson 3. Bradley Beal

Shouts: Tyler Johnson, Seth Curry, Jimmy Butler

I have one key MIP rule: you’re ineligible if you’re still playing on your rookie deal. Young players either improve by leaps and bounds or they’re out of the league. Giannis Antetkounmpo got a lot better. So did Jokic, Gobert, Towns, Porter, Randle, Caldwell-Pope, and others. It’s far more impressive when a veteran makes the leap after years of toil, long after their athleticism peaked. And what Isaiah Thomas did this year was spectacular. Without any warning, he transformed himself into a carbon copy of last year’s unanimous MVP:

Thomas put up nearly identical shooting numbers and scored more points per game while obviously surrounded by fewer offensive threats. Players aren’t supposed to make a leap like this out of nowhere. This is a guy two franchises simply gave away, a former draft Mr. Irrelevant, and he just put up MVP numbers as the sole offensive threat on a 1-seed.

James Johnson became the heart and soul of a Miami Heat team that started 11–30 and finished 30–11. He hit career highs in every major stat, added a three-point shot, and anchored a top-five defense. Bradley Beal got a massive raise this summer, then went out and became the player he’s getting paid to be. He increased his true shooting to 60% from a career 52% and became one of the league’s top shooting guards.

Defensive Player of the Year

1a. Draymond Green 1b. Rudy Gobert 3.

Shouts: Hassan Whiteside, Kawhi Leonard, Andre Roberson, Kevin Durant

I’m submitting a two-man ballot because Draymond and Rudy were just that much better than anyone else in the league this year on defense. Both have been spectacular for two of the best three defenses in the league.

In the end, I gave a slight edge to Draymond Green for one main reason — he just has a bigger, tougher role in today’s NBA. He can and does guard one to five, from the perimeter to the rim. His defense is central to every play. Gobert is absolutely dominant at the rim but not as valuable away from it. Draymond is incredible everywhere. He single-handedly saved several games.

6th Man of the Year

1. Andre Iguodala 2. Lou Williams 3. James Johnson

Shouts: Enes Kanter, Zach Randolph, Eric Gordon, Joe Ingles

Ah, the annual Which Guy Scored 16 Points Against Backups Jamal Crawford Memorial award. There’s more to the NBA than shooting a ball.

Lou Williams still makes my list. He slowed down a bit in Houston but is still scored 26 uber-efficient points per 36 minutes. You already read about James Johnson. He’s been the engine that made the Heat go, a point center on offense and Draymond-lite on defense.

But everyone knows Andre Iguodala is the best bench player in the league, and it’s time he’s rewarded for it. He’s probably the fourth most important player on a 67-win team. He also tied for the league-lead in Offensive Rating with a career-high 62% true shooting. Good enough for me.

By the way, the guy who’s probably going to win Eric Gordon is putting up a 13/2/2 since the All-Star break shooting 34% with a -13.1 plus/minus. Yay?

Rookie of the Year

1. Joel Embiid 2. Malcolm Brogdon 3. Buddy Hield

Shouts: Dario Saric, Yogi Ferrell

In a terrible rookie class, you have to make up your own rules. Whoever wins 2017 Rookie of the Year will be the least deserving ROY ever. Given the lack of competition, Embiid’s dominance in 31 games is way more than enough to make him a runaway winner over any other candidate.

Brogdon was a solid replacement-level player for a .500 team. In this tragic field, that’s good enough for second. Hield really came on late like Saric and ended with better metrics. Saric finished 25th in rookie win shares, behind failed dunk contest participant Derrick Jones Jr and barely ahead of rookie 76er you’ve literally never heard of, Shawn Long.

Joel Embiid was historically dominant and far more valuable in 31 games than any of the rest of these guys in 80. This is why he’s the clear pick:

Coach of the Year

1. Mike D’Antoni 2. Eric Spoelstra 3. Scotty Brooks

Shouts: Greg Popovich, Steve Kerr

D’Antoni’s system is the MVP. His system maximizes his players’ offensive value and keeps them healthy and rested, and you can see it in Eric Gordon, Pat Beverley, and the trio of Houston centers among the league’s most efficient players, and of course Harden. Harden gets credit for being a great player, but D’Antoni’s attack amplifies everything and consistently produces historically great offenses when in place.

Spo was incredible turning a bunch of nobodies into Most Improved candidates and a playoff team. He’s not being penalized here because he lost a tiebreaker, but rather because he coached the 11–30 half too. I’ve never been a Scotty Brooks believer as an in-game coach, but the man can develop young talent. Under his watch, Beal and Porter became MIP guys, Oubre a useful bench player, and Wall a dark-horse MVP candidate.

Executive of the Year

1. Masai Ujiri 2. Donnie Nelson 3. Sam Presti

Shouts: Bob Myers, Dennis Lindsey

Ujiri made two awesome deadline deals to pick up Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker and gave Toronto the best chance they’ve ever had at making the Finals in a year when Cleveland looks so vulnerable. He cashed in on an already-good team at the right moment, the anti-Danny Ainge.

Nelson got free seasons out of Andrew Bogut and Deron Williams, added the valuable Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell backcourt for almost nothing, and saw something in Harrison Barnes the rest of us missed (or mocked). Presti lost the franchise player but rebuilt on the fly, nimble enough to have a Durant plus Horford plan while still moving on from Ibaka in a slam dunk deal and adding spare pieces that kept his team in the playoffs against all odds. Anyone can sign Kevin Durant, but it takes a masterful executive to lose him and contend anyway.

All-Rookie Teams

First Team

Joel Embiid, Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Dario Saric, Yogi Ferrell

Second Team

Jamal Murray, Willy Hernangomez, Jaylen Brown, Juancho Hernangomez, Davis Bertans

The Second Team didn’t get as many minutes as other candidates, but in a weak field, I’ll take the guys that looked useful in part-time roles. Murray looks like the guy from this year’s class with the highest upside (with Ben Simmons sidelined). Brown had a limited role but is the only rookie playing real minutes on a contender, an X-factor on defense. Bertans probably would too but won’t get much playing time in the playoffs.

Then there’s Los Hermanos Hernangomezes or Hernangomeces or Hernangomi or whatever the correct plural is. Juancho was fantastic but could never get enough minutes in a deep Denver rotation. He looks like a great stretch four. Willy was one of few positive contributors for the Knicks, a difficult achievement for anyone but especially a rookie.

All-Sophomore Teams

First Team

Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Myles Turner, D’Angelo Russell, Devin Booker

Second Team

Kristaps Porzingis, Montrezl Harrell, T.J. McConnell, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Larry Nance Jr.

We spend so much time analyzing rookies when it’s the sophomores that really take off — and wow did Jokic and Towns take off! Jokic as a starter averaged 18 points, 10 boards, and 5 assists. The only guys to do that for a season are Bird, Wilt, Elgin, KG, Oscar, Kareem, Barkley, Walton, Webber, Cunningham, Ruland, Weeks, and Westbrook. Towns had 29 and 13 over the final 30 games of the season. Only Wilt, Kareem, Baylor, Shaq, McAdoo, Moses, and Bellamy have done that. These guys are pretty good.

Turner edges out Porzingis for the last First-Team frontcourt spot thanks to his defensive impact. Knicks fans hope Porzingis gets to be the face of their franchise next season; Pacers fans hope Turner isn’t. Russell and Booker look better by the numbers than they’ve actually played. Russell is equaling Booker as a shooter, though Booker isn’t far off the pace as a playmaker. Both are awful defensively and led terrible teams, so there’s a long ways to go.

It doesn’t say much for Jahlil Okafor or Emmanuel Mudiay that neither would have even made a hypothetical Third Team here.

All-NBA Teams

Guards

First Team: Russell Westbrook, James Harden Second Team: Steph Curry, John Wall Third Team: Isaiah Thomas, Chris Paul Shouts: Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley, Damian Lillard

All-NBA is more about sheer numbers than the other awards, with minutes played and defense good tiebreakers.

Westbrook and Harden are the obvious First Teamers. Curry, Wall, and Thomas are the next three in some order. Though overshadowed by the nightly triple-double race, all three had historic seasons of their own. It’s a razor-thin margin, so defense sends Thomas to the Third Team.

Paul is just as deserving as the others but missed a quarter of the season, as Lowry did as well. Both were better in their limited time than players like Conley or Dame were in more minutes, and Lowry is far more valuable than his backcourt mate, who should be on the Sixth or Seventh Team.

Forwards

First Team: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo Second Team: Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant Third Team: Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green Shouts: Gordon Hayward, Paul George, Blake Griffin

Assuming Butler is a forward and Anthony Davis is a center, these have to be the six choices. Hayward is next in line but only after a drop-off, and he’s clearly more deserving than PG or Blake or anyone else.

Durant was so good that he makes Second Team despite missing 20 games. He was my midseason MVP, and 25/8/5 on 65% true shooting with elite rim protection in 62 games is good enough for me. I don’t honestly know who should be Second or Third Team, but Greek Freak grabbed Kawhi’s First Team spot. We’ll get back to that.

Centers

First Team: Rudy Gobert Second Team: Anthony Davis Third Team: Karl-Anthony Towns Shouts: Nikola Jokic, Boogie Cousins, Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan

The center revolution is here. A year ago we were lamenting the death of the position and wishing it off All-Star and All-NBA ballots. There are seven deserving candidates now, and that doesn’t even include defensive stalwarts Hassan Whiteside and Dwight Howard or young stars Joel Embiid, Myles Turner, or Kristaps Porzingis. Last year Bill Simmons said Steven Adams might be the best center in the league. Now he may not even be a top-15 center.

Boogie is posting an absurd 27/11/4.5 line but I can’t reward him when he got traded for a nickel and has such a toxic reputation. Towns edges out Jokic for the final spot. Jokic has been a little better, but Towns played almost 1000 more minutes. It’s just silly that both are 22.

It’s tough to compare Gobert and Davis, unique players with massive impacts. Brow scores twice as much, but Gobert dwarfs him on defense and his advanced metrics are off the charts. Gobert led the league in both Offensive Rating and Defensive Rating. He’s also first in block rate, defensive win shares, and true shooting percentage. He is a deserving First Team choice.

The Tim Duncan All Stars

Starters

Patty Mills, Seth Curry, James Johnson, JaMychal Green, Dewayne Dedmon

Bench

Yogi Ferrell, Dion Waiters, Will Barton, Joe Ingles, Kyle O’Quinn, Alan Williams, JaVale McGee, Nene

No NBA team can contend without some bargain-bin players performing far above and beyond expectations. Take a look at this year’s selection of veterans who combine to make a little more than Chandler Parsons this year:

All-NBA 30th Team

Rajon Rondo, Emmanuel Mudiay, Solomon Hill, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah

We have First Team NBA as well as Second and Third, so why not Thirtieth as well? Who are the worst regular starters in the entire NBA, the guys that kept logging minutes all years hurting their team?

Deng and Noah used to be awesome. Then Thibs murdered them, they signed for $145 million combined this summer, then helped run two historic franchises even further into the ground. Deng had his worst Offensive and Defensive Ratings ever. Noah had his worst defensive year, plus a litany of injury and off-court issues. As an added bonus, both blocked precious Brandon Ingram and Kristaps Porzingis development time.

Rondo’s horribleness goes beyond the numbers. He was worse than ever and every touch he had was one less possession for Butler or Wade. The saddest part is that he’s still clearly the best point guard for a playoff team. Mudiay’s 1400 minutes probably cost Denver their playoff berth. He is terrible at pretty much everything and has shown no real signs of improvement. Poor Solo Hill made 2.3 field goals a game in 30 minutes for the Pels with horrible defense out of position all year. Technically Domantas Sabonis was the worst NBA starter this season but it’s cruel to list rookies here.

I hope Tony Parker was saving himself for the playoffs.

Most Valuable Player

1. Russell Westbrook 2. James Harden 3. Kevin Durant 4. LeBron James 5. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Shouts: Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Steph Curry, John Wall, Isaiah Thomas, Draymond Green, Kyle Lowry, Chris Paul, Rudy Gobert, we didn’t start the fire!

Kevin Durant was the real MVP this season. He’s the guy Kawhi voters wish they were voting for. Durant was insanely efficient, the best player on an all-time offense, while adding all-defense value to the league’s actual best defense. He is the best player on the best team, he was probably the best two-way player, and he might just be the best player period.

The MVP historically plays for a really, really good team, and many have used that to argue against Westbrook. The truth is that it would eliminate Harden and LeBron as well — all three would have the fewest wins for an MVP since the 80s. MVPs since 1990 average 63 wins. This was a season with one superteam, one really good one, and a lot of average teams. Every single 67+ win team had a player finish among the top two in MVP voting, and all but three had the MVP. The Warriors are the team this year and they’re supposed to have the MVP — and they do, but he missed twenty games and that matters.

Durant played 12 fewer games than LeBron, but his team won 16 more times. LeBron had his best statistical season but was the leader of a team that mailed most of the season, and that simply can’t equate to a regular season award.

Kawhi Leonard is not the MVP. The Spurs MVP is depth, coaching, and culture. In another season where the Spurs had the best record in the league and there are no strong secondary candidates, Kawhi can win the best-player-best-team argument. The Spurs aren’t the best team. Kawhi is not the league’s best player. He doesn’t have the best stats. He’s been really good for a really good team, and a few other guys have been better or more valuable for theirs. I’ll take Kawhi over anyone not named LeBron in the playoffs, but this is a regular season award and it’s not Kawhi’s season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, for one, was better. You can basically stack up his numbers next to LeBron and Kawhi and barely even notice a difference. His usage and true shooting are the same, his win shares are the same, and he has better defensive metrics, and he’s doing it as a 22-year-old on an unquestionably worse team while missing his second or third best player all season. He’s the first player ever to finish top 20 in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. The future is here.

In the end, I’ll be happy enough if either Westbrook or Harden wins. Both had spectacular historic seasons. Westbrook is my winner because he traded in Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka for an overmatched rookie and a 76ers castoff and still carried his team to a playoff spot he personally secured a month ago. Teams that lose an MVP aren’t supposed to win 47 games and coast into the playoffs. We’ve never given the MVP to a 47-game winner, but we’ve never had a player carry his team with this fury and with these results all year either. Westbrook’s usage is absurd, and his crunch time stats are even more so. This is his season. Anyone who picks another candidate begins by first discrediting Westbrook’s more obvious winner season.

Russell Westbrook is da real MVP.

Thanks as always to Basketball Reference, second to oxygen among daily necessities. Follow Brandon on Medium or @wheatonbrando for more sports, humor, pop culture, & life musings. Visit Brandon’s writing archives here.