2016-17 NBA Awards: Naming Favorites in Each Category Through November
The NBA doesn't hand out its major awards—Most Improved Player, Coach of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player—until the season has run its course.
But we're jumping the gun here, turning yearly awards into monthly honors and rewarding those who have performed best up to the relevant point in the season.
We don't have to worry about who will win the actual trophies. Instead, we're concerned with who should win them—an important clarification for awards such as MVP, since we're willing to congratulate a player who's not on a true contender, even if that's more unlikely at the end of the year.
Prepare for the hardware.
Most Improved Player Through November: Giannis Antetokounmpo
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Team: Milwaukee Bucks
2016-17 Per-Game Stats: 22.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.9 steals, 2.1 blocks
The Milwaukee Bucks knew Giannis Antetokounmpo was special. They couldn't possibly have realized he'd develop into a bona fide All-Star this soon.
But that's exactly what the aptly named "Greek Freak" has done during his fourth NBA season, blossoming into a positionless player who only has one distinct weakness. Antetokounmpo can't threaten defenses with his outside jumper, but it doesn't matter—he still torments them with a dizzying array of skills.
That per-game line—one of the most unique in NBA history—doesn't do justice to the 21-year-old's exploits. It doesn't showcase his affinity for transition Eurostepping, monstrous dunks or highlight-reel assists. Nor does it make clear that he's doing all this while shooting 51.4 percent from the field, keeping his turnover numbers in check and performing like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
Antetokounmpo has been a valuable contributor since he entered the Association, and he's continuously improved. He made a big jump to reach his 2015-16 level—bolstered by head coach Jason Kidd's decision to play him as a de facto point guard. But his strides this year are even larger, per NBA Math:
| 2013-14 | Minus-90.7 | 25.4 | Minus-65.3 |
| 2014-15 | Minus-84.68 | 104.6 | 19.92 |
| 2015-16 | 55.4 | 83.1 | 138.5 |
| 2016-17 (Prorated) | 228.07 | 216.7 | 444.77 |
Excluding Russell Westbrook, who won't win this award because he entered the season already playing at an MVP level (see: Stephen Curry in 2015-16), no one has improved his total points added by a larger amount.
Apologies To: Mike Conley, Julius Randle, Kemba Walker
Coach of the Year Through November: Luke Walton
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Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 9-9
Let's stick with improved players for a little longer: According to NBA Math, four of the 15 biggest TPA leaps this year belong to members of the Los Angeles Lakers: Julius Randle (No. 3), Nick Young (No. 9), Larry Nance Jr. (No. 10) and D'Angelo Russell (No. 14). While some of those improvements could be chalked up to natural development, they all have a head coach in common—Luke Walton.
Randle, in particular, looked like a bust under Byron Scott, but the Lakers' regime change has allowed him to regain his predraft promise. Even though he and Nance haven't developed jumpers, they've been useful presences.
But Young is the man upon whom Walton's candidacy hinges.
Last year was the worst of Young's professional career, both emotionally and from a statistical perspective. Even a gunner shouldn't be knocking down just 33.9 percent of his shots from the field over the course of 54 appearances. As Baxter Holmes wrote for ESPN.com, "Many believed Young's NBA career might well be over and that his only options were to play in China, though even that didn't seem like a guarantee."
The straits aren't so dire anymore, as Young told Holmes:
"I was a little disappointed how everything ended last year, the last two years. [But] Coach has given me the ultimate confidence and [his] believing in me, it makes me want to run through a wall for him. ... It's unbelievable that a coach could come in and just change the whole mindset and the program. It's great.
"
Sure, the 9-9 record is impressive enough for a down-in-the-dumps franchise with ever-present expectations of success. So, too, is the fact that this team looks competitive against bona fide contenders. But it's the internal improvement that has Walton in the lead for this award.
Apologies To: Fred Hoiberg, Tyronn Lue, Doc Rivers
Sixth Man of the Year Through November: Wilson Chandler
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Team: Denver Nuggets
2016-17 Per-Game Stats: 18.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks
"Oh my goodness, he's like a security blanket. When he's back there, you just feel—I probably played him too many minutes, 35 minutes, but we needed a win," Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said about Wilson Chandler after a Nov. 16 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
"Wilson's a hell of a player," Malone added. "He's been playing at a very high level, so happy he's healthy."
Chandler sat out all of last season with a hip injury. This year, he's been an integral part of the Nuggets' moderate levels of success, shining in all facets of the game while playing with unmitigated confidence. The team is far better when he's on the floor:
| On Court | 107.9 | 106.2 | 1.7 |
| Off Court | 103.6 | 110.4 | Minus-6.8 |
Has Chandler been perfect? Of course not.
His defense could improve, though his numbers aren't indicative of his abilities. Malone has had enough confidence to use him while matching up against opposing 4s in small-ball lineups or shifting to shooting guard in order to slow down a DeMar DeRozan's mid-range assault.
It's that versatility that makes Chandler so valuable, especially given the Nuggets' youthful collection of developing players. Without the man Emmanuel Mudiay called "a mismatch nightmare," Denver would be forced to adapt in every situation rather than spurring the opposition to do the same.
Apologies To: Tyler Johnson, Mike Muscala, Lou Williams
Rookie of the Year Through November: Joel Embiid
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Team: Philadelphia 76ers
2016-17 Per-Game Stats: 18.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 2.4 blocks
Even though Jamal Murray is starting to heat up for the Nuggets, this is a one-man race. It's Joel Embiid and then a large gap...and then another gap...and then everyone else. The Philadelphia 76ers have put their star center on a minutes restriction during his long-anticipated (and delayed) rookie season, but it hasn't stopped him from posting monstrous numbers.
Along with Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo, he's one of just three players to average at least 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks while shooting no worse than 48 percent from the field—numbers only six rookies in NBA history, all of whom are in or will soon join the Hall of Fame, have cleared.
As if that's not enough, he's playing high-quality defense and holding opponents to just 43.2 percent shooting at the rim while facing 7.9 shots per game, per NBA.com's SportVU data. Among the 53 players squaring off against at least five shots per contest, just six are stingier. If that's still not enough, he's knocking down 50 percent of his triples while taking 2.5 per game.
The Sixers can't function without him at this point.
They're still posting a negative net rating when he's on the floor (minus-2.0), but that's far more palatable than the atrocious minus-14.1 net rating earned while he's resting or inactive. A differential that large is something you'd expect from an MVP candidate (it's larger than Kevin Durant's), not a first-year player still learning how to function in the Association.
Embiid is not without his warts—most prominently, his unfortunate propensity for coughing the ball up and trying to do too much on his own. But it's abundantly clear he's a budding superstar.
An injury (everyone, cross your fingers) is the only thing capable of keeping him from winning Rookie of the Year.
Apologies To: Malcolm Brogdon, Jamal Murray, Dario Saric
Defensive Player of the Year Through November: Draymond Green
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Team: Golden State Warriors
2016-17 Per-Game Stats: 10.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 2.1 steals, 1.8 blocks
Draymond Green told ESPN.com's Chris Haynes he wants to win Defensive Player of the Year:
"That doesn't bother me to say I'm selfish in that regard. I want that award bad. And that's because I view myself as a defender. It's like if I view myself as a scorer then I want to win the scoring title. If I am a scorer and I say I'm a scorer and that's what I do, I want to win the scoring title because it says I was the best in this year at what I do. So that is something that I want to win.
"
The Golden State Warriors power forward has finished second to Kawhi Leonard each of the last two seasons, but this is the year he finally surges to the front of the pack.
He's been crucial to the Dubs' moderate levels of success on the preventing end, allowing Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant to focus on sparking the best offense in league history. Without him, the defense has fallen apart, allowing a 107.7 defensive rating that would rank 20th throughout the league.
NBA Math shows he's saved more points on defense than anyone but Russell Westbrook, and point guards rarely win this award (the last to do so was Gary Payton in 1996). ESPN.com's defensive real plus/minus has him ahead of everyone. NBA.com reveals he's holding opponents to just 42.0 percent at the rim and depressing his assignments' field-goal percentages by 6.2 percentage points.
His resume was great in previous seasons. This year, especially while Leonard is declining defensively due to increased offensive responsibilities, it's impeccable.
Apologies To: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, Dwight Howard
Most Valuable Player Through November: Russell Westbrook
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Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
2016-17 Per-Game Stats: 30.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.4 blocks
At this point in the season, you could throw five names into a hat, pick one randomly and then find a way to justify your MVP selection of Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Chris Paul or Russell Westbrook. Differentiating between the leading quintet of candidates is a difficult task, but we won't cop out here. Instead, let's turn to a trio of advanced metrics that help steer us in the right direction:
- Percentage of team points each player is responsible for (based on points scored per game and NBA.com's assist points created)
- Net rating impact (the differential between the team's net rating with and without each player, per Basketball-Reference.com)
- Defensive points saved (per data provided by NBA Math)
| Kevin Durant | 33.08 | Plus-7.4 | 27.26 |
| James Harden | 53.01 | Plus-18.4 | 3.81 |
| LeBron James | 44.02 | Plus-24 | 17.44 |
| Chris Paul | 34.79 | Plus-18.1 | 34.46 |
| Russell Westbrook | 49.6 | Plus-21.3 | 58.12 |
In terms of offensive responsibility, Westbrook and Harden are in a class of their own. Each is almost solely responsible for generating points, always possessing the rock and striving to strike a balance between scoring and facilitating.
Every player has a substantial impact on his team's net rating, but Westbrook and James reign supreme. As for defense, it's Westbrook (the league's No. 1 player in defensive points saved) and Paul who rise above the rest.
Notice who shows up at or near the top of all three categories?
Apologies To: Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Chris Paul
Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.
Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com or NBA Math and are current heading into games on Nov. 29, and all quotes obtained firsthand.
