Following on from the quarter way selections, I have updated the All-NBA teams and dished out the player awards for the first half of the season.
Most Valuable Player – Stephen Curry
Curry has to be up there as one of the most exciting non-dunkers in the history of basketball. He has a solitary dunk for the season, yet has become one of the most watchable players in the NBA. His soaring popularity is evident in his second placing in both jersey sales and All-Star votes this season, trailing only Lebron in each category.
In a world of giants and supreme athletes, Curry is neither.
Instead he uses skill, guile and the quickest, purest shooting stoke in the game to dominate opponents.
He has made shooting sexy again while leading his Golden State Warriors to the best record in the league.
An interesting subplot to Curry’s season is whether he can join the 50/40/90 club. He has remained a percent or two below in his field goal percentage all season. Reaching it would cap a special season.
Defensive Player of the Year – Tim Duncan
I don’t know what surprises me more, that Tim Duncan doesn’t have a Defensive Player of the Year trophy in his career or at age 38 he is the front-runner for this year’s award.
As the season’s ticks by, it’s obvious Duncan’s best defence is played on Father Time with his on-court production continuing to defy his age.
‘The Big Fundamental’ is sixth in the league for blocks per game and he leads the league in Defensive Real Plus Minus. We will have to wait to see if Duncan will play enough minutes in the second half of the season to win the award.
He was forced to play more than San Antonio like in the first half of the season due to the Spurs’ injury toll and Popovich has already begun tapering his minutes as his teammates return.
Rookie of the Year – Andrew Wiggins
Wiggins was much hyped out of high school, dubbed the best high school baller since Lebron James. The hype was facilitated by his extreme athleticism which spawned some dazzling mix-tapes on YouTube that went viral.
Cleveland selected Wiggins with the first pick in the draft before trading him to Minnesota in the Kevin Love trade. He started the year off slowly, but has taken off since his revenge game against the Cavs when he dropped 27 points.
Since then Wiggins has averaged 21ppg over the last 13 games, including a career high 31 points in his last outing. He is realising his potential faster than many thought and seems destined for super stardom.
Sixth Man of the Year – Lou Williams
After being traded from Atlanta to Toronto in the off-season as a salary dump, Williams has been sensational off the bench for the Raptors. He is averaging a career high in points per game at 15 and providing a much needed scoring punch for Toronto’s second unit.
The inclusion of Williams is the major reason why the Raptors have improved their bench scoring from 27th last season to fifth this season. Williams will fit in well with past winners of the award, with ‘gunners’ featuring heavily.
Most Improved Player – Jimmy Butler
Sometimes this award can seem cheap as it often going to young players whose production is improved simply by increased minutes.
This is not the case with Butler who is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists and blocks while playing only one extra minute of play than last season. Once considered a defensive specialist, Butler has turned himself into legitimate two-way player which are a highly valued commodity in the modern NBA.
After the Bulls failed to lock up Butler during the off-season, they are now on the hook for the max contract Butler has earned with his improvement.
G – Stephen Curry – 23.3ppg, 8apg, 4.9rpg, 27.73PER
2nd team: Russell Westbrook
3rd team: John WallG – James Harden – 26.6ppg, 6.7apg, 5.7rpg, 26.68PER
2nd team: Klay Thompson
3rd team: Jimmy ButlerF – LeBron James – 26ppg, 7.4apg, 5.5rpg, 25.59PER
2nd team: Gordon Hayward
3rd team: Kawhi LeonardF – Anthony Davis – 24.2ppg, 10.4rpg, 2.9blkpg, 31.40PER
2nd team: Tim Duncan
3rd team: Paul MillsapC – Marc Gasol – 19.2ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.7blkpg, 22.49PER
2nd team: Demarcus Cousins
3rd team: Pau Gasolppg = points per game, apg = assists per game, rpg = rebounds per game, blkpg = blocks per game PER = player efficiency rating
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