Handing out 2016's NBA Playoff Awards
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors' dream run was obliterated by one of the most stirring postseason conclusions in memory. LeBron James ascended, carrying his Cleveland Cavaliers with him, snatching up the only trophy that mattered.
At least the Dubs will get their share of consolation playoff hardware.
Curry's six games on the sideline hurt him in our postseason awards. Yet, minute for minute, you could make the case he was his team's most important player. And since that team made it within 53 seconds and a Kyrie Irving dagger of a second championship, that had to count for something.
But we couldn't overlook the fact that he missed a quarter of his team's playoff games and was hardly himself during the ones he played. Curry's struggles and the Warriors' collapse made these awards for overall postseason excellence a lot trickier than they would have been otherwise.
Playoff MVP
Winner: LeBron James
Full disclosure: This trophy had James' name on it back when the Cavs were down 3-1.
He'd been the best player all postseason to that point, and even a gentleman's sweep in the NBA Finals wouldn't have changed that.
And then James put together the greatest three-game stretch in Finals history.
LBJ and Co. had already scorched the East, laying waste to a conference that never presented a true challenger. In three pre-Finals series, James averaged a cartoonish 24.6 points on 54.6 shooting from the field, 8.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. And though he faced far tougher competition on the ultimate stage (hi there, Andre Iguodala!), James' numbers only improved.
Try these Finals stats on for size: 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.3 blocks and 2.6 steals per game.
He logged back-to-back 41-point efforts followed by just the third Game 7 triple-double in Finals history. Also this, per ESPN:
And finally, maybe the best defensive play we've ever seen in the postseason:
Everybody oohed over last year's one-man show, but James' solitary, slow-it-down performance in the 2015 Finals was inefficient and awful to watch. This was something else: a marriage of statistical dominance, unbending will and ridiculous efficiency (he shot 49.4 percent from the field in the Finals and 52.5 percent for the entire playoffs).
The restoration of the status quo never felt so invigorating: James is the best player in the world, and he proved it again in this legacy-defining postseason.
He'll need an extra hand to carry this trophy, though:
Good problem to have.
Runners-Up: Kyrie Irving and Draymond Green
For Irving, mainly because of this:
For Green, because he was a do-it-all force, a defensive tone-setter and the key to the Warriors' best small lineups. If there were positive points awarded for extracurriculars, Green might have given James an even better run for the award. But, of course, Green's suspension for Game 5 killed his chances. That swung the series in Cleveland's favor.
Defensive Player of the Playoffs
Winner: Draymond Green
You could pick almost any defensive sequence from the Finals and find Green barreling around like a heat-seeking wrecking ball with electrified tentacles and opponent's-next-move clairvoyance. But this one, highlighted by Hardwood Paroxysm's Scott Rafferty, shows just how much of an impact Golden State's 6'7" forward/center/destroyer can make—even when he's merely a help defender:
This one's great, too:
"Draymond defense https://t.co/2YIdSOCzit
— Basketball Forever (@Bballforeverfb) June 11, 2016"
Green isn't even in the frame until he arrives at top speed, ready to tear apart Cleveland's best-laid plans.
Timing help rotations perfectly, competing like a maniac, making three and four extra efforts—Green is incomparably intelligent and irrepressible on D.
Yes, the same fire that helps him incinerate opposing offenses sometimes burns too hot. But the Warriors couldn't have handled the Oklahoma City Thunder's big lineups without Green battling giants, and we saw the way his absence torpedoed the Golden State defense in Game 5 of the Finals.
Runner-Up: LeBron James
I mean...you saw the block, right?
James also tied Green for the postseason lead in defensive win shares, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Green got the nod partly because we can't just give everything to James and partly because he defended with purpose through four rounds. James was a monster in the Finals, but these are awards for a full two-month stretch.
Playoff Rookie of the Year
Winner: Dion Waiters
We're stretching the rookie designation here because, as you might expect, true first-year players don't tend to make playoff impacts. As such, Dion Waiters, who is not a rookie but who also hadn't logged a postseason minute until this year, got the nod.
He wasn't a transformative force, averaging just 8.4 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting (though he did hit 37.5 percent of his threes). Yet he warrants an award because he salvaged a reputation that seemed irredeemable.
The dude repopulated Waiters Island, per ESPN.com's Zach Lowe: "The Warriors rely on tough shots: Shaun Livingston post-ups, random Marreese Speights outbursts and [Harrison] Barnes pull-up shots over bigger guys. The Thunder have made those shots even tougher. Shooting guard Dion Waiters has morphed into The Thing walling off Livingston's post-ups."
That's Waiters getting praise for defense. Drink it in.
Miscast for most of his career as a second-unit leader, Waiters proved he was best as a terrific one-on-one defender who could operate as a third or fourth option with the starting group. He was at his best alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook—not relieving them as a sub.
Maybe Waiters' effectiveness in the postseason—especially in the early stages of the Western Conference Finals—was a mirage. Maybe he'll revert back to the shot-hunting, snoozy defender he's been in the past. Or maybe we saw the beginning of a new chapter.
Runners-Up: Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow
Here we have two actual rookies who made impacts—albeit limited ones. Josh Richardson provided steady three-point shooting and energetic defense, while Justise Winslow featured even more prominently in the Miami Heat's best defensive units (his absence by coach's decision in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals notwithstanding).
Coach of the Playoffs
Winner: Billy Donovan
It took Billy Donovan a while to figure out his team shouldn't spend much time with both Durant and Westbrook on the bench. Couple that with a stagnant offense that looked a lot like the one run under former Thunder head coach Scott Brooks, and it was hard to see Donovan as much of an improvement.
But then the playoffs rolled around, his rotations sharpened up, the defense buckled down and he pushed all the right buttons.
Per Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post:
"Tactically, Donovan has been brilliant during these playoffs. His decision to play [Enes] Kanter alongside center Steven Adams—and instead of longtime starter Serge Ibaka—for extended periods of time against the San Antonio Spurs after the Thunder was routed in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals was a master stroke, allowing the Thunder to hammer the Spurs inside and paving the way for Oklahoma City to claim the series in six games.
"
Donovan showed skill by manipulating lineups against specific opponents, going big against San Antonio and effectively removing Kanter from the equation against Golden State. He found ways to use Andre Roberson despite the guard's busted jumper. He got Waiters into situations that made sense.
There was a learning curve, but Donovan finished on a major upswing.
Runner-Up: Tyronn Lue
Steve Kerr nearly won another ring despite the fact Curry looked nothing like himself after coming back from injury, despite Green's crushing suspension and despite the loss of Andrew Bogut in Game 5 of the Finals. But he was his own worst enemy in key moments, and his misplaced trust in Festus Ezeli and Anderson Varejao may have cost his team a second straight title.
Like, seriously. And everyone knew it as it was happening:
Lue made his share of mistakes, too. He sat Tristan Thompson for a brutal eight-minute stretch during the first half of Game 7 when Thompson had only two fouls, which allowed the Warriors to open up a lead. But considering the challenges he faced in taking over for David Blatt midway through the year and the 3-1 deficit from which he guided his team back in the Finals, Lue deserved high marks.
Sixth Man of the Playoffs
Winner: Andre Iguodala
We couldn't give him the defensive award because Green was more versatile and impactful for the bulk of the playoffs. And we couldn't give him MVP because he spent the first two rounds coasting before a bad back felled him late in the Finals.
But Iguodala did more than enough to earn the Sixth Man honor.
In fact, the only argument against him is that he started occasionally (three games)—but only when the Warriors needed an extra jolt. Known for his individual defense and great hands, Iguodala also advertised his anticipation and next-level help instincts.
He blew up possessions by himself.
What's more, he knocked down plenty of timely shots and stabilized the Golden State offense, logging more total minutes than every teammate but Green and Thompson. Those are contributions of a top-flight starter, which makes Iguodala's bench efforts stand out even more.
Runner-Up: Enes Kanter
New rule: If your presence on the floor is the biggest component of a strategic adjustment that topples the 67-win Spurs in six games, you're a really good bench player.
Kanter's defense remained shaky, and he was unplayable in the wrong matchups. But as a spot-use specialist who crushed everyone on the boards and scored with wild efficiency, he was a fantastic asset.
Most Improved of the Playoffs
Winner: Toronto Raptors
It didn't take much for the Toronto Raptors to win this award. Simply not getting embarrassingly bounced in the first round would have constituted an improvement over last year's showing (and the year before that).
But Toronto did far more than avoid a disappointing collapse. It gutted out a run that extended all the way to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. And though the Raptors never really had a chance to beat the Cavs, they got as far as they did with Kyle Lowry ailing and Jonas Valanciunas missing a critical stretch of games.
DeMar DeRozan caught heat for his occasional disappearances, and Paul George nearly played him off the floor in the first round. But Toronto's shooting guard was resilient enough to average 23 points per game on 50 percent shooting in the conference finals. His was a smaller redemption within the Raptors' much larger one.
Runner-Up: Steven Adams
Adams went from averaging just 18.4 minutes and 3.9 points per game during the 2014 playoffs to 30.7 minutes, 10.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest this postseason. He was integral against the Spurs, forced the Warriors to play a conventional big man whenever he was on the floor and flashed new skills like this:
Adams is still only 22 years old, by the way.
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