Handing Out Awards for Every NBA Team
With the 2016-17 NBA season all but over with the playoffs starting Saturday, it's time to hand out hardware.
And at the risk of falling into the much-maligned participation-trophy wussification of America, we're distributing lots of it.
Awards will include MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Best Newcomer/Biggest Surprise and a wild-card option to cover anything else worth discussing for every team.
Every. Team.
That's 120 honors, if you're counting.
This is going to be longer than the Oscars.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
MVP: Paul Millsap
The Atlanta Hawks are 3-9 in games Millsap hasn't played this season, which feels about right considering he's the team's most versatile defender, its best offensive weapon and its steadiest overall performer.
Few clubs head into the playoffs looking as vulnerable as the Hawks, though that wouldn't be the case if Millsap's late-season knee injury weren't still limiting him to mostly coming off the bench.
DPOY: Dwight Howard
Both Thabo Sefolosha and Dwight Howard have higher defensive box plus-minus figures than Millsap, and even if ESPN's defensive real plus-minus likes Millsap slightly more than D12, Howard has played more games this season. In a close race, volume can make the difference, and Howard has been in the lineup more often.
Atlanta's defense has hung around the top five all season because it has several great stoppers. Howard wins out over a couple of other deserving teammates.
Best Newcomer: Dwight Howard
He's not a superstar anymore, but Howard defended the rim while hoarding over a dozen boards per game.
Strangest Script Flip Award: The teardown that wasn't.
Trading Kyle Korver to the Cleveland Cavaliers looked like a clear signal of imminent roster deconstruction. With Millsap ticketed for unrestricted free agency, Atlanta profiled as a deadline seller. Instead, the Hawks held on to Millsap, eschewed tanking and settled into a mid-tier playoff seed. Nobody saw that coming.
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
MVP: Isaiah Thomas
After one of the best offensive seasons in Boston Celtics history, Isaiah Thomas is the easy choice.
According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe: "On March 29, he became just the sixth Celtic to score 2,000 points in a season. He is also the franchise leader for three-pointers in a season (236 and counting) and will likely finish second all time in club scoring average."
DPOY: Marcus Smart
The numbers don't like Avery Bradley nearly as much as Amir Johnson, who tops the Celtics in ESPN's DRPM, and Bradley's the guy with the shutdown reputation. But Marcus Smart is such a monstrously physical and irritating presence on D that he has to win the award.
Big enough to defend forwards, always willing to flop and pesky against ball-handlers, Smart is one of the three or four most annoying covers in the league. And that's a compliment.
Best Newcomer: Al Horford
Al Horford's team rankings among Boston regulars: first in rebounds per game (6.8), first in blocks (1.3), second in assists (5.0), third in scoring (14.0 PPG) and second in PER (17.6).
1-Way Superstar Award: Isaiah Thomas
Thomas is the worst defender in the NBA, according to ESPN's DRPM. Maybe you could make a case that he's not quite that bad, but it feels safe to say no player in the league offers a wider chasm between what his benefits are on one end and his costs are on the other.
Brooklyn Nets
3 of 30
MVP: Brook Lopez
This is an award by default because the Brooklyn Nets didn't have another above-average NBA player in the lineup for most of the season, but Brook Lopez did some amazing things this year. He added high-volume three-point shooting to his game and has been integral in Brooklyn's late-season return to respectability (seven wins in March) despite the fact it clinched the league's worst record.
Also, he's a world champion in the attitude department, as this comment to the New York Times' Filip Bondy indicates: "I definitely think I'm lucky. When people look back on me and my career, I'd like them to say I was one of the people who helped start something big in Brooklyn. Started a legacy where players want to come and play."
DPOY: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Everybody on Brooklyn who played significant minutes had a defensive rating above 106, but the Nets allowed about three points per hundred possessions fewer with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson on the floor. His length and his versatility helped him tie for the team's best defensive box plus-minus figure.
Best Newcomer: Jeremy Lin
It's amazing what capable point guard play can do for an offense based on space, pace and lots of three-point attempts.
Brooklyn's March excellence (relatively speaking) coincided with Jeremy Lin's return to the lineup from a lingering hamstring injury. From March 1 to April 8, the Nets were 10-11 in games Lin played.
Glimmer of Hope Award: The entire month of March.
A 7-10 month (after an 0-10 February) in which Lin ran a solid offense, Lopez scored like a star and rookie Caris LeVert showed more signs of his combo guard future certainly counts as a bright spot in a 60-plus-loss season.
The Nets won't be the worst team in the league next year. Mark it down.
Charlotte Hornets
4 of 30
MVP: Kemba Walker
It's always a good sign when one breakout year follows another.
Kemba Walker bested his career marks in scoring, three-point accuracy, total treys made, usage rate and player efficiency rating—all of which he set last season. Charlotte's massive midseason swoon had nothing to do with him, and his first All-Star nod looks like it won't be his last.
DPOY: Cody Zeller
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's reputation is legit. He's a fantastic rover off the ball who helps effectively and patrols the passing lanes. But Cody Zeller's block and steal averages are right in line with MKG's, and the on-off splits show Charlotte's defensive improvement with Zeller on the floor was greater than it was with Kidd-Gilchrist.
Biggest Surprise: Kemba Walker
We're doubling down on this angle because nobody expected Walker to do anything but regress following his performance last season.
Maximum Security Award: Charlotte had a disappointing season, but at least it didn't beat itself with turnovers. No team coughed the ball up on a smaller percentage of its possessions.
Chicago Bulls
5 of 30
MVP: Jimmy Butler
No mystery here. Despite being surrounded by a roster that made little sense (too many guards who needed the ball, not enough shooters spacing the floor), Jimmy Butler put together the best season of his career. A third straight All-Star nod was the natural result of career highs in points, rebounds, assists, true shooting percentage, PER and usage rate.
Butler's defensive chops combine with massive production to make him one of the dozen best players in the NBA. He proved that more than ever this season.
DPOY: Jimmy Butler
The team leader in steals (1.9 per game), Butler handles every opponent's toughest wing. There aren't many superior perimeter defenders in the league.
Biggest Surprise: Cameron Payne
Like, what?
Taj Gibson is headed for free agency, and Doug McDermott's tenure in Chicago might be best described as hit-and-miss. But Payne had done nothing with the Bulls to prove he was a rotation player, and he's been an NBA Development League assignee almost from the moment he came over in a baffling trade with the Thunder that sent Gibson and McDermott to OKC just before the Feb. 23 trade deadline.
With personnel moves from the front office like this, it's hard to pin the Bulls' struggles on head coach Fred Hoiberg.
Incredibly Predictable Award: Every preseason pundit
Groupthink got it right this time, as poor spacing and a roster ill-suited to Hoiberg's offensive philosophy struggled to hang around .500 all season. It was remarkably easy to see this coming, and the only surprise is Butler was good enough to overcome his team's inbuilt issues.
Cleveland Cavaliers
6 of 30
MVP: LeBron James
He will not win his fifth MVP award, but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone willing to argue LeBron James isn't the best basketball-playing human alive.
James will finish the year with higher rebound and assist averages than he's ever had, and the return of his three-point shot makes him as unstoppable as ever.
DPOY: Nobody
Defense isn't a priority for the Cavs, who've been bad on that end all year and particularly abysmal since seemingly agreeing to mail it in after the All-Star break.
Biggest Surprise: LeBron James' minutes
You'd think the Cavs would be looking for any excuse to reduce the load on their best player. But in a move that may only be defensible because James is a cyborg, Cleveland's answer to every problem this year has been the same: lean harder on LeBron.
James will finish the season with at least 200 more minutes than anyone else on the roster, a total bloated by an inexplicable 52-minute stint April 2 against the Indiana Pacers.
Most Whispered Question: Are we sure Tyronn Lue is a good coach?
This is related to the minutes issue, as Tyronn Lue is either foolishly risking his team's fate by demanding too much from James or lacking the authority to sit his best player. Either way, it doesn't reflect well on him.
Dallas Mavericks
7 of 30
MVP: Harrison Barnes
We tend to attach negative connotations to the term "volume scorer," but the truth is not everyone has the game to fill that role.
So while Harrison Barnes' posted career lows in rebounds and assists per 36 minutes in his new position with the Dallas Mavericks, he also led the team in shots, scoring and free-throw attempts per game. Healthy all year and reliable for moderately efficient point production, Barnes was the Mavs' mainstay during a tumultuous campaign.
DPOY: Nerlens Noel
The health questions linger, and Dallas must decide whether he's worth a max extension. But Nerlens Noel's defensive impact isn't a variable.
He improved the Mavs' defensive rating by over three points per 100 possessions when on the floor, and his mobility changed the dynamics of Dallas' defense entirely.
Biggest Surprise: Harrison Barnes not falling flat
Nothing about Barnes' game as a Golden State Warrior suggested he'd produce like this. Mechanical and deliberate, uncomfortable creating his own looks, the last thing Barnes should have excelled at in his new digs was isolation scoring.
But that's where he made hay with the Mavs, ranking seventh in the league in points scored via isolation plays.
Midstream Rebuild Award: Entire Mavs organization
Adding Noel, finding Seth Curry, empowering Barnes and testing out an obscene number of undrafted free agents, the Mavericks made the most of the first sub-.500 season since the 38-year-old Dirk Nowitzki was a second-year player. Nobody is expecting a vault up the standings next season, but Dallas is in better long-term shape than it has a right to be.
Denver Nuggets
8 of 30
MVP: Nikola Jokic
"When [Nikola] Jokic is playing well, the Nuggets are one of the best offensive teams in basketball, cutting and moving around their swift passing big man to score points in droves," Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post wrote.
He's played well since taking over starting duties Dec. 15, which is mainly why the Denver Nuggets have scored more efficiently than anyone in that span.
Jokic trails only Russell Westbrook, James Harden and LeBron James in triple-doubles and owns the title of best offensive center in the NBA without much dispute.
DPOY: Hahahahahahaha! Haha! Hahahahaha! *Pauses to catch breath.* Ha.
Denver has spent the entire season ranked either 29th or 30th in defensive efficiency. So no. Just, no.
Best Newcomer: Jamal Murray and Juancho Hernangomez (tie)
It's been a weak rookie crop this season, but Jamal Murray's smooth stroke an multifaceted scoring attack make him (at least from a scouting perspective) one of the most promising first-year players in his class. Juancho Hernangomez profiles as a floor-stretching forward who rebounds, defends nimbly for his size and fits the Nuggets' offensive mold.
Both will play major minutes for several years in Denver.
Vastly Underrated Award: Gary Harris
Gary Harris was the Nuggets' only high-volume three-point shooter to hit more than 40 percent of his treys, and he developed a useful mind meld with Jokic, leading to one or two perfect give-and-go cuts per game.
It's easy to forget Harris is only 22.
Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
MVP: Andre Drummond
Picking Andre Drummond tests the parameters of normal MVP discussions. His team played better with him off the floor, and both Ish Smith and Aron Baynes outproduced him in net rating. But at some point, double-doubles nearly every night on a team lacking both scoring and rebounding in general have to mean something.
Still, by some measures, Drummond objectively killed his team this season. No team MVP selection is thornier than this one.
DPOY: Andre Drummond
You won't convince me that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Baynes or Stanley Johnson made a bigger impact than Drummond on D. The Pistons were a top-10 defense this season, and Drummond logged more minutes in the middle than any other big man.
Biggest Surprise: Terrible, terrible stars.
Detroit's five best RPM figures were not put up by Reggie Jackson, Drummond or KCP, and that stat adjusts to consider who's on the court with you. Basically, everyone who was supposed to help the Pistons win this year failed.
It was a strange season.
Wrong Direction Award: Reggie Jackson
Let's hope Jackson's across-the-board statistical decline was the result of preseason knee surgery. Otherwise, Detroit is stuck with a starting point guard who posted a minus-8.8 on-court net rating before being shut down for good in March.
Golden State Warriors
10 of 30
MVP: Stephen Curry
It's an oversimplification, but the Golden State Warriors hit their stride when Kevin Durant went down and Stephen Curry reassumed total control of the team.
The Dubs are at their best when Curry is torching opponents in the pick-and-roll, and there's still no single offensive player who warps a defensive scheme like the two-time MVP.
DPOY: Draymond Green
When a guy is sure to finish either first or second in the league's Defensive Player of the Year race, there's not much discussion about where he ranks on his own team.
Draymond Green was second in the NBA in steals and 11th in blocks while guarding all five positions and defending the rim more effectively than anyone but Rudy Gobert (until Monday's game threw the stats in his favor). Easy choice.
Biggest Surprise: David West
Turns out the veteran bruiser can pass.
West averaged 6.4 assists per 36 minutes this year, which ranked sixth among players who haven't started a single game this season. Much of Golden State's second-unit offensive success stemmed from West's hitting cutters for layups.
Just Fit In Award: Kevin Durant
We're awarding this one now, but Durant will have to earn it in the postseason.
There's no question his presence on the team changed the ball-sharing dynamics and, for nearly half the season, shelved high-volume pick-and-roll usage. That the Warriors hit their stride without him signals the onus falls on him to assimilate in the playoffs.
Houston Rockets
11 of 30
MVP: James Harden
When you lead the league by creating over 27 points per game via assists and score another 29 all by yourself, you're the team MVP. Oh, and when you might also win the regular MVP, you're also team MVP.
Sometimes, these are simple.
DPOY: Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverley led the Houston Rockets in defensive box plus-minus among regulars, played a couple more games than Clint Capela and generally made life more difficult for opponents than anyone else on his team. Houston quietly finished right in the middle of the pack in defensive efficiency too, much to the surprise of those expecting a one-way performance.
Best Newcomer: Mike D'Antoni
The pieces just fit. Head coach Mike D'Antoni got a do-everything ball-handler to run his spread pick-and-roll system, surrounded him with shooters and let the magic happen. Maybe he is a system coach, but his system sure does work when he has the right personnel.
Best Use of Space: Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson
Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson routinely set up several feet behind the three-point arc on their catch-and-shoot treys, forcing defenders to cover much more space than they were used to and creating even more space for Harden to slice into the lane. Both ranked in the top six in total attempts from 25-29 feet this season.
When you see a dozen teams utilizing spot-up marksmen like this next year, remember that Gordon and Anderson started the trend.
Indiana Pacers
12 of 30
MVP: Paul George
There aren't many players who can go toe-to-toe with LeBron James, but Paul George did it with 43 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a double-overtime loss April 2.
George led the Indiana Pacers in scoring and steals, ranked second in assists (minus Lance Stephenson's small sample size since his return to Indiana) and was unquestionably the team's star.
DPOY: Myles Turner
George still has that extra shutdown gear that puts him as close to Kawhi Leonard's level as anyone on the wing, but he didn't engage it enough this year. The numbers prefer Myles Turner, who topped PG in ESPN's defensive RPM, defensive box plus-minus and on-court defensive rating while leading Indy in blocks and ranking fifth in steals per game.
Best Newcomer: Jeff Teague
We just saw the best season of Jeff Teague's career.
He's never posted a higher true shooting percentage, VORP (value over replacement player) or box plus-minus. He's never produced more win shares or played in more games. George Hill was better when healthy, but Indiana got the most out of its offseason point guard swap.
Almost There Award: Myles Turner
Sure, he's already his team's best defender. But Turner is tantalizingly close to making the Pacers a legitimate two-star team. He improved just about everywhere as a sophomore but notably added range to his shot, bumped up his block rate and got to the foul line more.
Get ready for a major breakout next season.
Los Angeles Clippers
13 of 30
MVP: Chris Paul
The race is already crowded enough, but it's worth noting the Los Angeles Clippers' most valuable player was good enough this year to warrant consideration for the league's honor. That is, if he hadn't missed time with a hand injury.
"If Chris Paul didn't get hurt, there would be five not-wrong choices for MVP," NBA.com's John Schuhmann tweeted, backing it up by noting the difference between L.A.'s net rating with CP3 on and off the court is the largest in the NBA.
DPOY: Chris Paul
Take it away, ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton:
"Typically, defensive metrics such as ESPN's real plus-minus favor big men because they tend to have more defensive value, while perimeter players are better offensively. That makes it remarkable that Paul's plus-3.1 defensive RPM ranks 18th in the league, far and away the best for any full-time guard.
The Clippers have defended at an elite rate with Paul on the court, allowing 101.5 points per 100 possessions, which would rank third in the league.
"
Biggest Surprise: Absolutely nothing
The Clippers may be the ultimate "they are what they are" known commodity in the league. The offense, orchestrated by Paul and Blake Griffin, is always excellent. DeAndre Jordan defends the paint, J.J. Redick terrifies opponents with off-ball sprints into catch-and-shoot treys and Jamal Crawford wins a game or two with fourth-quarter heroics.
We know the Clippers down to the inevitable month or so Paul and Griffin miss every year.
We All Saw It Coming Award: Remember when the Clips bench was responsible for the elite defensive rating fueling the best start in franchise history?
That didn't last.
It turns out luck had something to do with units of Marreese Speights, Jamal Crawford and Raymond Felton playing great D. Duh.
Los Angeles Lakers
14 of 30
MVP: D'Angelo Russell
D'Angelo Russell sat nearly 20 percent of his team's games this season but posted an above-average PER and hit the biggest shots. His 40-point night against the Cavs on March 19 felt like a bit of an arrival.
DPOY: Larry Nance Jr.
The Los Angeles Lakers hung around the bottom three in defense for most of the year, but Larry Nance Jr. led them in defensive box plus-minus and steal rate. He gets the nod by default.
Best Newcomer: Luke Walton
If only because he came from a record-setting 73-win team to one that needed to lose in order to protect its lottery position, head coach Luke Walton deserves recognition. It's difficult to imagine a greater culture shock.
For the most part, the Lakers played hard for Walton. And he did the best he could in a situation where failure wasn't the goal (wink wink)—except it was.
Palace Intrigue Award: The Buss family coup
Jeanie Buss ditched her brother Jim as co-trustee, seized control of the organization and put Magic Johnson in charge of basketball operations. That's a wild sentence to type.
Memphis Grizzlies
15 of 30
MVP: Marc Gasol
Though his defense slipped, Marc Gasol added a three-point shot and produced the highest scoring average of his career. Outside of Mike Conley and the occasional bench assistance of Zach Randolph, the Memphis Grizzlies didn't have many reliable supporters in their push for the playoffs.
Gasol spent months carrying them.
DPOY: Tony Allen
Still unscreenable, intimidating and possessed of preternatural passing-lane anticipation, Tony Allen stood out more consistently than Gasol, whose performance on D dropped off markedly in the second half.
Biggest Surprise: Memphis vs. Aging—and Memphis wins
Vince Carter did some ridiculous stuff during a season in which he celebrated his 40th birthday, and both Conley and Gasol tossed up their most productive offensive seasons ever.
Age does not affect Grizzlies, it seems.
It Can Only Get Better Award: Chandler Parsons
In the first year of a max deal, Chandler Parsons played 34 games, shot 33.8 percent from the field, had zero lift and looked nothing like a rotation-quality player before being shut down for knee surgery in March. It would be difficult for him to have a worse season next year.
Miami Heat
16 of 30
MVP: Goran Dragic
If we can't pick head coach Erik Spoelstra and have to go with someone who played, Goran Dragic is the clear selection.
He rediscovered the All-NBA level he reached three years ago with the Phoenix Suns, leading the Miami Heat in total points, assists and steals while hitting over 40 percent from long range. His relentless pace pushing helped key the Heat's incredible second-half surge.
DPOY: James Johnson
If you're into blocks, Hassan Whiteside is your man. But the Heat were about three points per 100 possessions better on D when their starting center sat. Meanwhile, James Johnson guarded wings and bigs while being one of only seven players to accumulate at least 75 steals and 85 blocks in 2016-17.
He led Miami in defensive box plus-minus and improved its defensive rating by over four points when he was on the floor.
Best Newcomer: Dion Waiters
All You Have to Do Is Ask Award: Hassan Whiteside
"Coach told me, 'We're going to need 20 rebounds from you,'" Whiteside told reporters after grabbing exactly that many boards in a 112-99 road win over the Hornets last Wednesday. "I said, 'OK. Check.' Somebody order 20 rebounds—and I'll deliver."
Milwaukee Bucks
17 of 30
MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo
DPOY: Giannis Antetokounmpo
We'll wrap both awards into one package here, as Giannis Antetokounmpo's phenomenal season was appropriately about doing everything at once.
He's on pace to become the first player in league history to finish in the top 20 in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, per Justin Kubatko of Statmuse. And he got all those numbers while influencing the game in other ways that were harder to quantify—like being the scariest transition ball-handler this side of John Wall and Russell Westbrook and by morphing into one of the most intimidating defenders in the NBA.
In a normal year, Antetokounmpo would be on the shortlist of the league's MVP candidates. He'll have to settle for winning the honor on his own team by a landslide.
Biggest Surprise: Malcolm Brogdon
Even if his four-year stay in college suggested he'd be ready to play, Malcolm Brogdon, a second-round pick, was far more effective than anyone could have imagined.
After taking the starting point guard job from Matthew Dellavedova, Brogdon's physical strength, reliable three-point shooting and quicker-than-you-think drive game made him a top-line contender for Rookie of the Year.
Something to Keep In Mind Award: Jabari Parker
We don't know whether the Bucks are flat-out better without Jabari Parker, who went down with a torn ACL in early February. But we know they're better with him out and Khris Middleton in.
That's not to say Parker's bad, but it's an opportunity to emphasize just how good Middleton is...and that he's the true sidekick to Antetokounmpo going forward.
Minnesota Timberwolves
18 of 30
MVP: Karl-Anthony Towns
As measured by box plus-minus, Karl-Anthony Towns just finished up an age-21 season better than the ones posted by Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Paul Pierce, Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, Kyrie Irving, Paul Millsap and Chris Bosh, just to name a few.
We didn't need reminders, but Towns' 40-point, 21-rebound game against the Lakers on Sunday solidified it: He's a superstar.
DPOY: TBD
We'll let you know whether anyone decides to play defense in the Minnesota Timberwolves' final game of the season. Nobody's tried it to this point, so picking a winner is tough.
Seriously, though, Minnesota has been in the bottom five on D all year. If forced to pick somebody, maybe it's Gorgui Dieng—who is in no way a good defender by objective standards but blocks shots once in a while. That counts for something.
Biggest Surprise: Kris Dunn
And not in a good way.
Picked fifth overall in the 2016 draft, Kris Dunn looked profoundly overmatched as a rookie and spent time as the third-string point guard. Considering he's already 23, that's a problem.
'You Stay You' Award: Tom Thibodeau
Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach Lavine (before he tore his ACL) all averaged at least 36 minutes per game. And Towns logged 41 in that meaningless loss to the Lakers on Sunday.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau's heavy minute demands followed him from Chicago. If the Wolves are lucky, the defense, seemingly lost en route, will arrive next year.
New Orleans Pelicans
19 of 30
MVP: Anthony Davis
DPOY: Anthony Davis
This may be as indicative of terrible backup play as anything else, but Anthony Davis' presence on the floor had more to do with the New Orleans Pelicans' consistently solid defense than anything else this season.
When he sat, New Orleans' defensive rating spiked up over 110. When he was on the court, that figure was nearly eight points per 100 possessions lower.
AD's production—28.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and a 27.5 PER—puts him in consideration for a first-team All-NBA selection, and he should be a lock for no worse than a second-team nod.
He's New Orleans' MVP and DPOY without much competition.
Biggest Surprise: Alvin Gentry
The embattled head coach kept his job after a wildly disappointing 2015-16 season and a 1-9 start to 2016-17.
Good for him.
Flight Risk Award: Jrue Holiday
Jrue Holiday did enough in his walk year to generate significant interest on the free-agent market, and while you'd think any point guard would want to play with a couple of assist generators like Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, Holiday's stats indicate he might not be a great fit.
After the deadline, Holiday's production dipped. And he was particularly ineffective with Cousins, who tends to hold the ball while others stand around and wait for kickouts—not exactly Holiday's specialty.
Considering the overall organizational instability in New Orleans, nobody would blame Holiday for skipping town.
New York Knicks
20 of 30
MVP: Carmelo Anthony
You're pretty much required to bash Carmelo Anthony for not wanting to win these days, but the guy's entitled to play where he wants and was smart enough to swindle a no-trade clause out of the New York Knicks. He's earned his power.
And hey, Melo's still good. He led the Knicks in minutes, points, made threes, made free throws and handed out more assists than any non-point guard on the roster. The Knicks will belong to Kristaps Porzingis next year, but Anthony was his team's best player in 2016-17.
DPOY: Justin Holiday
Another by-default winner, Justin Holiday had the lowest on-court defensive rating of any Knick who played at least 500 minutes, finished second among rotation players in steal rate and generally tried hard.
Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah warrant mentions, if only for their reputations.
Best Newcomer: Willy Hernangomez
Quick: Who led the Knicks in total rebounds?
Yep, Willy Hernangomez did it. The rookie also posted an 18.9 PER (second on the team) and produced real breakout games—like the one against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, when he scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished five assists.
This'll Fix It Award: The triangle offense
There's no malady it can't cure, no affliction it can't assuage. Whether systemic, endemic, harmonic, demonic or chronic—the triangle offense solves every problem. Don't worry! Everything that fell to bits this season will be made new next year, when we finally run the triangle full time, right from the start.
—Phil Jackson...probably
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
MVP: Russell Westbrook
What is there to say?
Russell Westbrook's incredible season, loaded with more triple-doubles than any in recorded history and capped with a scoring title, will be hard to forget. Whether he wins MVP or not, Russ' assault on the stat sheet will be the first thing everyone thinks of when discussing the 2016-17 season.
DPOY: Andre Roberson
Rangy, attentive, impossible to shake when running through screens—Andre Roberson is everything a wing stopper should be. That he can slide up a spot and guard most power forwards is merely an added bonus.
Best Newcomer: Taj Gibson
The sample is small, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are 14-8 with trade-deadline acquisition Taj Gibson in their lineup. His toughness, rebounding and occasional mid-range jumper give the Thunder their most complete option at power forward.
Toughen Up Award: Domantas Sabonis
From Oct. 26 to Dec. 14, Domantas Sabonis played 554 minutes over 26 games, attempting 153 shots.
He took two free throws in that span.
Had he sustained that pace, Sabonis would have shattered the all-time record for lowest free-throw rate (free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt), which Matt Bonner set in 2008-09. But Sabonis got tough and added 59 free-throw attempts from that point through April 10, effectively increasing his foul-shot rate by a factor of 10.
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
MVP: Elfrid Payton
This is a tough call, as Elfrid Payton is deeply flawed as a shooter and was even removed from the starting lineup for stretches this season. But he led the Orlando Magic in VORP (value over replacement player) while also registering the most assists and steals.
Though Orlando's net rating with him on the floor is minus-3.2, it craters to minus-13.3 without him.
DPOY: Nikola Vucevic
I know. I'm as shocked as you are.
Nikola Vucevic's reputation on D is terrible, but he led the Magic in DRPM and defensive box plus-minus while passing the eye test more often than ever before. Whereas he used to be nonexistent in pick-and-roll defense, Vucevic now makes the right reads more often. He cleans the glass, defends the rim fairly well given his limited bounce and has generally performed far better than his track record.
Biggest Surprise: The defense
Having said several nice things about Vucevic, Orlando's collective performance on D was shockingly disappointing. Head coach Frank Vogel was supposed to bring his foolproof system from Indiana, and by adding Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo to a core that already included Aaron Gordon and Payton, the Magic were sure to rank among the top 10 on D.
Instead, they'll finish in the bottom 10.
Face-Palm Award: Whiteboards
Orlando couldn't do anything right this year. It refused to let Gordon play the 4 regularly until after the deadline, botched trades and never found a way to get something from Mario Hezonja.
But accidentally broadcasting trade and free-agent targets was a new and embarrassing low.
Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30
MVP: Joel Embiid
DPOY: Joel Embiid
Best Newcomer: Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid Award: Joel Embiid
We've consolidated everything here because the top item of consequence in the Philadelphia 76ers' season was the 31-game emergence of Joel Embiid.
With him on the floor, Philly outscored opponents by 3.2 points per 100 possessions. This is a team with an overall net rating of minus-5.8.
Embiid posted otherworldly per-36-minute averages of 28.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 3.0 assists. He drew fouls whenever he touched the ball, hit threes, drove the lane and fostered more hope than the Sixers have had in years.
A torn meniscus ended things early, and injuries will always dog Embiid until he proves he's past them.
But nothing—not Robert Covington defending ably, not Dario Saric pumping up his numbers down the stretch and not T.J. McConnell hitting a couple of game-winners—mattered more than Embiid.
He's it for this team. He's just it.
Phoenix Suns
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MVP: Eric Bledsoe
Eric Bledsoe didn't play a full season, but he was easily the Phoenix Suns' best player this year. Anyone shouting about Devin Booker should remember defense counts—and so does passing the ball to your teammates once in a while. Booker will finish the year with 268 assists and 241 turnovers.
Bledsoe led the Suns in PER, assists per game and VORP while posting a higher true shooting percentage than Booker.
DPOY: Jared Dudley
PJ Tucker got traded, Tyson Chandler played 47 games and the Suns defended better with Bledsoe on the bench. So the award goes to Jared Dudley, whose presence on the court improved Phoenix's defensive rating by over six points per 100 possessions.
Best Newcomer: Marquese Chriss
Marquese Chriss had all the athleticism in the world from the second he took the floor as a rookie this year, but his development as a shooter is encouraging. And the second-half glimmers of basketball IQ he's flashed have been exciting as well.
There was a time early in the season when Chriss' lack of recognition and feel made it seem like he'd never develop into a positive contributor. He's come a long way.
More, Please Award: Dragan Bender
About 13 minutes per game over roughly half a season wasn't enough to give us a clue about Dragan Bender's future. It's possible he'll become a floor-stretching center who drives closeouts and sets up teammates, but we didn't see enough to be confident about that.
Here's hoping next year offers more time for Bender studies.
Portland Trail Blazers
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MVP: Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard's 59 points against the Utah Jazz on Saturday gave him the highest total in franchise history, but he could have scored zero and still easily earned team MVP honors.
Dame led the Portland Trail Blazers in minutes, points and assists per game while posting a team-high 24.0 PER.
DPOY: Al-Farouq Aminu
Al-Farouq Aminu ranked among the top 25 in DRPM and posted a 105.9 on-court defensive rating, which was the lowest of any big-minute regular not named Noah Vonleh. And a quick viewing of Vonleh's work reveals his seemingly solid defensive stats have everything to do with largely playing alongside starters.
Best Newcomer: Jusuf Nurkic
This is a no-brainer, as Jusuf Nurkic's post-deadline arrival coincided with the resuscitation of the Blazers' playoff push. Portland was 14-6 in games he played before he went down with a leg fracture.
Have It Both Ways Award: The Nurkic trade
Yes, the Nuggets had more 2017 first-rounders than their roster could accommodate next year. And yes, Jokic's ascent made backup center a much less important priority—especially with Nurkic half-stepping it in Denver.
But the Blazers got a potential franchise big man. And a first-round pick. And took the Nuggets' playoff spot.
That's a good deal.
Sacramento Kings
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MVP: Darren Collison
DeMarcus Cousins was the easy pick, but he got traded.
Rudy Gay was playing well until he tore his Achilles after 30 games.
That leaves Darren Collison and his 13.2 points and 4.6 assists per game as the Sacramento Kings' MVP.
Wow.
DPOY: Kosta Koufos
You could make a case for Willie Cauley-Stein or even Garrett Temple, but Kosta Koufos' veteran smarts and always-on competitiveness made him the Kings' steadiest defensive piece. Not especially quick and bouncy enough to scare drivers into floaters, Koufos generally held his own by playing good positional D and working himself into the right spots.
He was the Kings' highest finisher in DRPM.
Best Newcomers: Buddy Hield, Skal Labissiere and Cauley-Stein
These three get lumped together because they spent the second half of the season giving Kings fans hope.
Hield was the West's Rookie of the Month in March, Labissiere flashed tantalizing guard skills in a center's body and Cauley-Stein rolled and rebounded his way to starting status.
Rip the Band-Aid Off Award: Kings management
The capriciousness of the process and the bumbling nature of the execution were on-brand, but at least the Kings finally divested themselves of Cousins. It was never going to work with him, and though that's no guarantee it will work without him, that relationship had run its course.
San Antonio Spurs
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MVP: Kawhi Leonard
DPOY: Kawhi Leonard
Pretty simple here: Kawhi Leonard likely won't win the NBA MVP or DPOY, but he'll finish in the top four for both—something no other player will do.
Leonard's apparent slippage on D had more to do with bad luck—opponents hitting threes and free throws at higher rates when he was on the floor—than anything else, though it's true he may have taken a tiny step back while adding so much to his offensive responsibilities.
He remains the best perimeter defender in the league, and his newfound ability to generate efficient offense at high volume will keep him in MVP conversations for the next decade or so.
Best Newcomer: Dewayne Dedmon
Playing on a minimum deal, Dewayne Dedmon averaged 5.1 points and 6.5 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game heading into Tuesday. His box plus-minus ranks fifth on the team, and his defensive mobility earned him a starting spot over Pau Gasol.
Yep, the San Antonio Spurs did it again.
David Lee Can Still Play? Award: David Lee
It looked to be over for David Lee after he split last year doing mop-up duty for the Mavs and Celtics, but a 61.5 true shooting percentage and consistent minutes on one of the league's best second units could mean another couple of seasons for the 33-year-old two-time All-Star.
Even Lee's cringeworthy defense has looked a bit better with the Spurs.
Toronto Raptors
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MVP: DeMar DeRozan
Kyle Lowry is the Toronto Raptors' best player, but DeMar DeRozan is going to wind up playing 15 more games than his backcourt buddy.
DeRozan's ability to generate acceptably efficient offense with an exceptionally inefficient style is a big reason the Raptors survived Lowry's wrist injury. He's still a sieve on defense, and we've seen him come unglued against playoff schemes designed to thwart his isolation game, but DeRozan has been Toronto's most consistent, productive contributor this year.
He'll finish the season with nearly 700 more points scored than any teammate.
DPOY: Lucas Nogueira
The Raptors' leader in DRPM and defensive box plus-minus by a huge margin, Lucas Nogueira will finish the season with the most blocks on the team.
Best Newcomer: PJ Tucker
PJ Tucker has transformed the Raptors on defense, joining fellow newcomer Serge Ibaka to form a potent lineup that can handle elite wings, stretch the floor and bang with conventional post-up threats underneath.
Don't Let the Door Hit You Award: Jonas Valanciunas
You have to wonder what the Raps will do with JV after this season. Nogueira defends better, Ibaka (assuming he re-signs) is a more versatile modern offensive option and low-post centers just aren't consistently showing up in big roles on good teams.
Utah Jazz
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MVP: Rudy Gobert
DPOY: Rudy Gobert
The best rim protector in the game is now also a double-double machine who makes a major impact on offense.
Rudy Gobert is the only player in Basketball Reference's database to average at least 14 points, 12 rebounds and 2.7 blocks while posting a 68 true shooting percentage.
He also leads the league in both of those last two categories.
Improved hands and better timing as a roller and cutter make Gobert an offensive weapon. The Utah Jazz score about four points per 100 possessions more when he's on the floor.
Best Newcomer: George Hill
Injuries cost George Hill more than 30 games, but he transformed the Jazz with his pick-and-roll ball-handling and spot-up shooting whenever he was healthy enough to play.
What If? Award: Utah's best units
The Jazz are 11-2 when Hill, Rodney Hood, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Gobert are all healthy enough to play. And when Hill, Hayward and Favors were on the court together, they produced a plus-11.9 net rating in 897 minutes. Only the Warriors and Clippers boasted three-man units more potent than that.
Washington Wizards
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MVP: John Wall
John Wall led the Washington Wizards in scoring, assists and steals per game while posting a team-high 23.2 PER.
He created more points via assists than anyone but James Harden, and those chase-down blocks are always fun—even if they obscure the fact Wall slipped on D this season.
DPOY: Otto Porter
If Ian Mahinmi had played even half the season, this award would have gone to him. But with Marcin Gortat and Otto Porter the only other viable options on a defense that quietly unraveled in the second half, we'll go with the latter, who was second on the team in steals and third in defensive box plus-minus (behind Mahinmi and Gortat).
Gortat's failure to affect pick-and-roll defense and general lack of mobility hurts him here. He just looked too slow, even if some metrics like him better than Porter.
Biggest Surprise: Porter's shooting.
Porter is shooting 43.7 percent from distance this year, which ranks fourth in the league. For a guy with such funky form and a previous career high of 36.7 percent, that's a bit of a shock.
A close second would be Kelly Oubre Jr.'s transformation into a viable defender of power forwards.
Double Leap Award: Otto Porter and Bradley Beal
You usually don't get two of these, but Porter and Bradley Beal made leaps in the same season.
Beal dropped 30 or more points 13 times this year after totaling just four such games in his first three campaigns, and he revealed new layers in his offensive game beyond spot-up shooting.
The Wizards are going to have to pay to keep this group together, but they have a terrific wing pairing to go with Wall.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise indicated and are accurate through games played Monday, April 10.
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