2017 RealGM POY & Awards Voting Thread

[Doctor MJ]

Deadline: End of Day, July 7, Pacific time

Alright voters, here is what you are committing to:

1. Voting will take place beginning July 1st and may go only 3 days (I reserve the right to extend the deadline). This will occur in a new thread I'll create at that time.

2. Voting will cover the following awards:

Player of the Year
Offensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
Rookie of the Year
Most Improved Player
6th Man of the Year
Coach of the Year
Executive of the Year

You don't have to vote for all of the awards, but those you do you will need to complete full ballots for.
5 for Player of the Year
3 for all other awards.

3. You will be voting based on what the person in question accomplished this season. You can absolutely "curve" that based on context, but you cannot ignore what the person actually did.

4. No joke votes, no honoring guys above their station. We'll have no PJ Browns here.

Below are the most common contributors to the POY Discussion thread. They each get a vote.

1. clyde21
2. bondom34
3. E-Balla
4. Doctor MJ
5. lorak
6. SideshowBob
7. eminence
8. Colbinii
9. HeartBreakKid
10. Texas Chuck
11. therealbig3
12. GSP
13. Clyde Frazier
14. Dr Spaceman
15. Starboy
16. The-Power
17. RSCD3_
18. MisterHibachi
19. Krodis
20. Dupp

Others who have asked for votes that are definite yesses.

21. kayess
22. Fundamentals21
23. Dr Positivity
24. bondom34
25. HurricaneKid
26. RCM88x
27. PCProductions
28. JordansBulls
29. PaulieWei
30. Prez
31. Outside
32. ardee
33. micahclay
34. JoeyWheeler
35. dreamshake
36. laika
37. JLei

If your name was left off because you didn't register, go register soon.

[eminence]

SSB so valuable he gets two votes ehh? Seems fair

Player of the Year -
1. Stephen Curry - Dead even with LeBron in individual play in my mind. I'll be completely honest my tie-breaker winds up being their team success, seeing such massive impact on such an elite team is so rare (could count on one hand the number of times it's happened). Entered my top tier of GOAT level peaks with this one.
2. LeBron James - Yet another monstrous season. Never saw that extra bounce on defense in the playoffs even in the earlier rounds that he'd need to separate from Curry. Wish I could give a tied vote between these top two.
3. Draymond Green - A very deserving DPOY, didn't suffer from any of the injury issues a lot of the guys close to him talent-wise did throughout the season. The Portland series was a masterclass in modern defense.
4. Russell Westbrook - Think several guys were better when healthy, but there's something to be said for carrying such a monstrous burden and not breaking down.
5. Kevin Durant - Showed a level in the finals that put him up there with the top two on this list, but didn't show that same level through the regular season or to start the playoffs. Excited to watch GS continue to gel.

HM - Kawhi, CP3, Gobert, Harden being the top ones. Kawhi eliminated from contention due to playoff injury, Gobert damaged by his own. Harden just not quite there. Had CP3 in basically a tie with WB/Durant, had to pick somebody. Game 7 left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth despite him playing a masterful series up to that point. Had everyone been healthy all season Dray/KD/Kawhi/CP3 take up my 3-6 spots in some order. Westbrook/Harden/Gobert a half tier behind that. Excited to see all the new superstar combos next season (CP3/Harden, Westbrook/George, Davis/Cousins).

Offensive Player of the Year -
1. Stephen Curry
2. LeBron James
3. Chris Paul

With the healthy playoff run I'm now comfortable giving Curry the GOAT offensive peak title.

Defensive Player of the Year -
1. Rudy Gobert
2. Draymond Green
3. Paul Millsap

Sap was a very distant 3rd in this one though, close close race between the top two.

[SideshowBob]

SSB so valuable he gets two votes ehh? Seems fair

And reserving this one for my ballot, will probably only vote on RPOY, Offensive, Defensive, and Rookie.

[bondom34]

Setting my template, may have time tonight:


Player of the Year -
1. Lebron James: Every year it feels like he gets doubted (he does) then turns it on. I can't penalize a player for being on a purely outclassed team, no matter your beliefs on his role in that.
2. Steph Curry: Best player on the champion, I debated him at 2/3, but he was really good in the postseason after a regular season that relative to his last 2 was unremarkable.
3. Russell Westbrook: Had this ended after the RS he was my POY given the load he carried and leading a team that was largely devoid of offensive talent to nearly 50 wins. I watched too many leads disappear when he sat, and look forward to him having a legit running mate now.
4. Kawhi Leonard: Really wish he would have been healthy as he could have challenged for 1/2 here with a win. But I'm not fully sold his defense fell off as much as others and his offensive game keeps evolving.
5. James Harden: He's been around here the whole time for me, but was really really good offensively during the regular season. The playoff ending keeps him here though.

From here on out explanations are only in spots:

Offensive Player of the Year -
1. Curry
2. Westbrook
3. IT


Defensive Player of the Year -
1. Gobert
2. Green
3. Millsap


Rookie of the Year -
1. Brogdon (I was on the Saric bandwagon but shifted here after reanalyzing)
2. Embiid (not enough games)
3. Murray


Most Improved Player -
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. Joe Ingles
3. Isaiah Thomas


6th Man of the Year -
1. James Johnson
2. Eric Gordon
3. Andre Iguodala



Coach of the Year -
1. MDA
2. Spoelstra
3. Snyder


Executive of the Year -
1. Myers
2. Morey
3. I am totally lost here, so I'm asking "Who do I think is better directionally and position wise than a year ago?". And honestly, Dallas strikes me, so there it is, Nelson.

[lorak]

POY

1. LeBron
2. Curry

It is really close between them, but while LJ is worse on offense at the same time he is better overall, because of his versatility. If they would have teams equally good (in terms of fit) I think LeBron’s squad would do a bit better.

3. Draymond
4. Gobert
5. CP3

Penalizing players for missing games because of injury doesn’t make any sense, because it is a random thing and that’s why Paul is on my list as his impact was no doubt top 5 worthy. The same applies to Gobert and his playoffs as his missed games doesn’t change the fact that he had DPOTY level impact on defense and was positive/neutral on offense.

Not that it matters, but Westbrook would be definitely above Harden.

ROY

1. Embiid
2. Brogdon
3. Willy Hernangomez

OPY

1. Curry
2. LeBron
3. Kawhi

First two choices are obvious, but as much as I criticized Leonard for his defense, on offense this year he made tremendous improvement. The way he scores really remains me Jordan and it’s so sad he wasn’t able to play vs GSW, because it would be really great series if everyone would be healthy.

1. Draymond
2. Gobert



3. Anthony Davis

Some people use argument, that rim protection is more important than 3P defense, and thus Gobert is better defender, because his defense in the paint is superior to Green’s. The former is probably true, but not necessary the latter, because Draymond is elite in the paint on his own, what combines with his 3P and midrange defense makes him at least equally valuable. First of all some numbers:

Code: Select all

DFG%   DFGA/G   DFGA/36   Gobert
0,439   10,2   10,8   at rim
0,477   3,5   3,8   non rim 2P
0,303   1,8   1,9   3P   
         
DFG%   DFG/G   DFG/36   Green
0,440   7,0   7,8   at rim
0,445   4,2   4,6   non rim 2P
0,295   4,6   5,1   3P


As we see both of them are elite as rim and 3P defenders (however Gobert is much worse in midrange defense!), but with different volume, what is obviously what was expected considering their style of play. Knowing these numbers and league averages we can calculate how many points they saved in comparison to average defender.

Code: Select all

PTS SAV   Gobert
156   at rim
-2   non rim 2P
23   3P
178   TOTAL
2,19   p/G
2,33   p/36
      
PTS SAV   Green
100   at rim
18   non rim 2P
67   3P
185   TOTAL
2,43   p/G
2,69   p/36


So yes, Gobert’s rim defense is more valuable than Green’s 3P defense, but overall they are very close, because Rudy’s midrange D is average and Draymond in the paint is great on his own. On per game or per 36 basis Green has slightly advantage as shot defender and while it’s the most important part of defense, forcing turnovers matters too – and Green’s superiority here is obvious:

Code: Select all

PLAYER   STL   CHRG DRAWN   DEFLECTIONS
Gobert   49   2   133
Green   154   13   295


So I think Draymond is overall better defender, because he defends shots as elite bigs and at the same time disturbs passing lanes like the best perimeter players.

[THKNKG]

Player of the Year
1. Lebron James
2. Stephen Curry
3. Kawhi Leonard
4. Kevin Durant
5. Draymond Green
HM: Gobert, Westbrook, Harden, CP3, Wall, AD, Butler, Giannis, IT, Durant (wow this league is deep right now)

Short version: Lebron had the typical Lebron season, and one of his best PS ever. Led a legendary PS offense, but ran into a juggernaut. Steph was amazing as well, but he's second by virtue of the fact that Lebron is just better, as well as that Lebron played excellent defense in the PS until he got gassed.

Offensive Player of the Year
1. Stephen Curry
2. Lebron James
3. Russell Westbrook
HM: Wall, IT, Durant, Harden

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Draymond Green
2. Rudy Gobert
3. Anthony Davis
HM: PS Lebron, Porzingis

Rookie of the Year
1. Joel Embiid
2. Malcolm Brogdon
3. Dario Saric

Most Improved Player
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. Isaiah Thomas
3. Nikola Jokic

Coach of the Year
1. Gregg Popovich
2. Mike D'Antoni
3. Snyder

[clyde21]

Players of the Year

1. LeBron James
Just absolutely incredible what he's still able to do at this stage of his career with how many minutes he's accumulated over the last few seasons. Still the best player in the league, with the ability to carry teams into title contention single handedly. Capped off a great season with tremendous playoffs and finals performances.

2. Stephen Curry
Started the year off relatively slow as Kevin Durant was getting accommodated into the system and flow, but still finished the regular season as impactful as ever: 1st in RAPM, 3rd in RPM, 2nd in RPM WINS and first in the entire league in plus/minus, and went on to have a great playoff showcase, averaging almost a triple double in the finals.

3. Kawhi Leonard
Had Kawhi lower for the majority of the year as the Spurs were more or less performing the same without him during the RS, but in the postseason he displayed just how truly amazing he is, getting a +22.2 On/Off rating in the playoffs. Still a great defender as well, and like Curry, one of the few players in the league that can contribute at an elite level both on and off the ball.

4. Russell Westbrook
Best regular season performance in the league. Everyone is talking about the triple double average for obvious reasons, but even more incredible is the sheer amount of non-stop intensity and energy that he brings on the court with him every single game. Is an absolute menace getting to the basket, and can shoulder the load like few others can.

5. Chris Paul
Before he got hurt he was actually my leading MVP candidate. Was absolutely remarkable the first half of the season, and was killing it from an advanced stats standpoint. He was leading the league in RPM and it wasn't even close. Even though he couldn't close it, had an amazing playoff series vs. the Jazz averaging 25/5/10 on 59 TS% and 28 PER.


Offensive Player of the Year

1. Russell Westbrook
Lead the league in PPG, assist percentage and PER. His game is flawed at the team level, but the individual talent and ability put pressure on opposing defenses is tremendous.

2. Stephen Curry
"Down" year overall, but is the engine behind one of the greatest offenses of all time. His ability to be a menace on and off the ball, to dribble drive, and to facilitate and play-make are what make him an anomaly.

3. Kevin Durant
Insane efficiency throughout the year with a 65 TS%, doesn't have a single bad match up. 27 PER, 53.7% from the field and an easy 25ppg.


Defensive Player of the Year

1. Draymond Green
DPOY, ability to guard the post as well as the perimeter, and 1-5 is just an incredible asset and it's a no wonder advanced stats love him.

2. Rudy Gobert
Best rim-protector in the NBA is a shot-altering extraordinaire and in any other year would've probably won DPOY. Top-10 in RPM just by virtue of how good he is defensively.

3. Andre Roberson
Picked up a lot of slack defensively for OKC this year, being one of the main reasons they were one of the best defensive teams in the entire NBA. Can guard 1-3 no problem.


Rookie of the Year

1. Joel Embiid
It's crazy that I'd give this award to a player that missed that many games, but he was that good and this rookie class is that underwhelming. 20/6/8 with 2.5 blocks in just 25 minutes per game is unbelievable.

2. Malcolm Brogdon
The official ROY this year. 10/3/4 in 24 minutes per game. Played decently enough in the playoffs as well for the Bucks. 24-year-old rookie, though, so I'm not sure what the ceiling is here.

3. Dario Saric
13/6/2. Also on the older side, and was given the green light in Philly this year so just go out there and score, but looks to be a guy that's not scared of the moment and has some nice games scattered throughout the year.



Most Improved Player

1. Nikola Jokic
I choose Jokic over Antetokounmpo for two reasons, 1) Jokic was more of an unknown last year as he came on the season, and 2) Jokic has developed into one of the premier impact players in the NBA. Top 10 in both RAPM and RPM. As soon as he took over that Center position for the Nuggets, they turned into one of the best offenses in the entire league.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Doesn't need much analysis here. Improved across the board in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, carrying the Bucks to the playoffs despite injuries to Middleton and Parker.

3. Rudy Gobert
Like Jokic, but on the defensive side. Unbelievable defensive impact and while he showed a lot of flashes last year, to become arguably the best defender in the entire NBA this quickly is impressive.


6th man of the year

1. James Johnson
Not sure why he was overlooked for much of the year, but was on of the reasons Miami went on a huge run late in the year. A better PER and TS% than Eric Gordon, better defensive presence and still averaged 13/5/3.5 off the bench

3. Gary Harris
Played only 56 games but Harris is one of the NBA's best kept secrets. Averaged 15/3/3 on 17 PER and 61 TS%.

3. Eric Gordon
A reigning 6th man of the year, averaged 16/2.5/2.5 off the bench for Houston. Shot his worst 3PT% in four years though with a below average PER.


Coach of the Year

1. Greg Popovich
Was able to get 60+ wins again with only one true star on his team and a bunch of role players. Developed a tremendous system and a bench that has emerged as the best in the NBA. Even without Kawhi he went 7-1 in the RS.

2. Mike D'Antoni
8th seed last year to the 3rd seed this year. Incredible offensive system that can output points regardless of who's out there on the court. Underwhelmed in the POs though which is why I dropped him here.

3. Erik Spoelstra
Most peope thought Miami was dead in the water this year but there was fighting for a playoff spot late in the year and had one of the best 1 month run of any team. Brought the best out of guys like Waiters and Johnson.


Executive of the Year

1. Daryl Morey
Nabbing D'Antoni when no one else would give him another chance, and building a team that fits his system perfectly.

2. Bob Myers
I won't give him the KD signing because it was more so KD wanting to play with us that anything Myers did to make it happen (also Jerry West had a lot to do with it), but he did grab guys like West, Pachulia and McGee that contributed all year long. Also drafting Patrick McCaw in the 2nd was brilliant.

3. R.C. Buford
Grabbing unheralded guys like Simmons, Bertans and Murray that keep feeding the machine that is the Spurs. The Aldridge signing is haunting them a bit so that's a mark against him, but he's always one of the best in the entire league.

[eminence]

Might want to give all the voters a quote Doc, turnout seems a little low

[RCM88x]

POY:

1. Lebron
2. Curry
3. Westbrook
4. Kawhi
5. Harden (I leave Durant out because of missed games and the fact that his impact wasn't needed for GS until the Finals. His team played their best during the RS when he was out and his playoff contribution wasn't enough to pickup for the lost games)

COY:
1. Pop
2. Brad Stevens
3. Quin Synder (was able to win 51 games with a roster often banged up and injured, has developed multiple guys wonderfully and built a system that is able to get the most out of a lot of guys)

Offensive POY:
1. Curry
2. Westbrook
3. Lebron (I penalize Harden for not being the team lifter that these other guys were, Houston was still a great offensive team even with Harden on the bench and the drop-off wasn't that sever.)

Defensive POY:
1. Draymond
2. Gobert
3. AD (don't really feel anyone deserves the 3rd spot here, Gobert and Draymond separated themselves massively from the rest of the pack)

[JordansBulls]

POY

1. Russell Westbrook - Set a record with the most triple double in a season and averaged a triple double for the season and playoffs, also had the highest Box Plus/Minus in a season. Played against a superior team and lost to them.

2. Kawhi Leonard - A beast in the season and playoffs on both ends. Was 3rd in PER in the season and first in the playoffs also got the best of each of the stars in head to head matchups this season. Lost to a superior team

3. James Harden - Best season of his career and for the most part was the 2nd best player thru the regular season. Team significantly overachieved as well. Unfortunately ran up against a better team and lost.

4. Steph Curry - Was in the conversation for MVP during the regular season, had a great overall playoffs as well and only missed 3 games this season. Stepped it up when it mattered.

5. Lebron James - Great overall playoffs and finals until the last minute of game 3. Underachieved mightily in the regular season for the squad and didn't have the best numbers in the season either.

HM: Kevin Durant (simply missed too many games in the season), Isaiah Thomas, Giannis Antetokounmpo


Offensive Player of the Year

1. Russell Westbrook - Led the league in PPG in the season and even playoffs and also had the highest Offensive Box Plus/Minus in the league

2. Steph Curry - Led one of the greatest offensives of all time due to his motor and how much pressure he puts on teams.

3. James Harden - 2nd in the league in PPG and a force on that end of the floor. Had his team overachieve all year long.


Defensive Player of the Year

1. Draymond Green - Just was all over the place on this end of the floor in the season and the for the most part the playoffs.

2. Rudy Gobert - Great big man who was dominant on this end of the floor and really the engine for why the Jazz improved soo much this season.

3. Kawhi Leonard - Great overall on this end, just a step down due to more of a need to take over for the team and do more.


Rookie of the Year

1. Malcolm Brogdon

2. Joel Embiid

3. Dario Saric


Most Improved Player

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (This is just an easy one)

2. Isaiah Thomas (Easy one as well)

3. Nikola Jokic (Easty one as well)



Coach of the Year

1. Mike D'Antoni

2. Gregg Popovich

3. Quin Snyder

[Joey Wheeler]

POY

1-Russell Westbrook
For better and for worse, this NBA year will end up being defined for posterity as Westbrook's year from an individual standpoint. Everyone knows about his triple double exploits and impossible game winning shots in the regular season, but what most failed to notice is that he then went on to average a 37p triple double in the playoffs as well, leading the playoffs in ppg and apg (2nd in rebounds) and actually outplaying a much superior team while he was on the floor.

2-Kawhi Leonard
Only player in the league who's been top 10 on both ends of the floor. Led a not-that-talented Spurs roster to the 2nd seed in the West and was actually looking pretty good vs GSW before he got injured.

3-Lebron James
Coasted in regular season, but was still better than most anyway. Absolutely dominated the playoffs and The Finals. Still the best player in the game, would most likely be #1 if he had been fully engaged during the regular season.

4-James Harden
Produced more points than anyone ever had during the regular season. His playoffs were ok (though not as good as RS) until that infamous game 6 in San Antonio but I'm not one to judge an entire year based on one game or even one series. What keeps Harden from being any higher is the fact that he plays absolutely no defense...

5-John Wall
The heart and soul of a very good and fun to watch young Washington team. Might not have had the gaudy statistics of Harden or Westbrook (when it comes to scoring at least), but was a better playmaker/facilitator and played well on both sides of the ball to make up for it. Also further elevated his game in the playoffs despite a bad ending to game 7 in Boston.

HMs: Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant

Offensive Player of the Year

1-Russell Westbrook
Aside from his production, the pressure Westbrook put on opposing defenses with his relentless attacking of the basket has no equal. There has never been a player in the NBA attacking the rim as relentlessly as Westbrook did this year.

2-James Harden
Basically same reasons why he was # for POY, he certainly wasn't there because of his defense.

3-Lebron James
Still the same freight train to the basket as always, still one of the best playmakers in basketball and actually shot pretty well from distance this year too.

Defensive Player of the Year

1-Rudy Gobert
2-Draymond Green
3-Anthony Davis

Rookie of the Year

1-Malcolm Brodgon
2-Joel Embiid
3-Dejonte Murray

Most Improved Player

1-Giannis Antetokounmpo
2-Nikola Jokic
3-Isiah Thomas

6th man of the Year

1-Eric Gordon
2-James Johnson
3-Lou Williams

Coach of the Year

1-Greg Popovich
2-Erik Spolestra
3-Mike d'Antoni

[Prez]

POY:

1. LeBron James - Best all-around player I’ve ever seen, Cleveland’s RS underachieving was concerning but LeBron himself was brilliant and the way he led that team to totally flip a switch in the playoffs was amazing. His level in the playoffs outside of a couple bad games against Boston (where he was rumored to be sick?) was just awe-inspiring. Never seen someone with complete control of every facet of the game…playmaking, game management, versatile scoring, etc.

2. Stephen Curry - Will never get the full credit he deserves, he’s the Dirk of point guards and his impact will never be fully appreciated by the general public. His offensive gravity and the way he capitalizes on it with his playmaking has him in that best-offensive-player-ever conversation. The true engine behind the GOAT team. If you took him off GSW I think people would be seriously shocked by how “ordinary” they become over an 82 game season + PO.

3. Russell Westbrook - Dude is a machine of chaos from a different planet. There is zero reason OKC should’ve only dropped 8 wins after losing Kevin Durant and yet he made it happen. Otherworldly raw stats but with the impact to match it. Watching some of the bums on that team (sorry OKC fans) piss away lead after lead was one of the most infuriating things I saw this year.

4. Kawhi Leonard - He’s finally arrived as a bonafide superstar two-way player. Had some question marks and underwhelming offensive showings in previous years, but absolutely destroyed those concerns this year with his playoff performance. Just an awesome player on both ends, even if his defense slipped a bit this year. Was cool watching Kawhi wreck Durant and crew in game 1. Screw you Zaza.

5. Kevin Durant - Dislike him as a player now but he’s incredible. The missed games hurt him though and I'm firmly in the ‘Curry is the player on GSW’ camp, but Durant is amazing in his own right and there is super high value in being an unstoppable scoring option, all on top of being a solid playmaker and terrific all-around defender.

OPOY:

1. Stephen Curry
2. LeBron James
3. Russell Westbrook

DPOY:

1. Draymond Green
2. Rudy Gobert
3. Robert Covington (probably overrating him a bit but I just have to mention him if no one else will)

ROY:

1. Malcolm Brogdon
2. Joel Embiid
3. Willy Hernangomez

MIP:

1. Rudy Gobert
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
3. Joe Ingles

6MOY:

1. Andre Iguodala
2. Eric Gordon
3. Lou Williams

COY:

1. Gregg Popovich
2. Erik Spoelstra
3. Brad Stevens

EOY:

1. Bob Myers
2. Daryl Morey
3. RC Buford

[Starboy]

Not having Curry in top 5 players and offensive players without one word about omitting him is silly for a "realgm vote".

[clyde21]

Not having Curry in top 5 players and offensive players without one word about omitting him is silly for a "realgm vote".



Reserved for my vote.

That dude's agenda's been obvious for a while, but it's his vote. I did laugh at John Wall>Curry tho.

[Joey Wheeler]

Not having Curry in top 5 players and offensive players without one word about omitting him is silly for a "realgm vote".



Reserved for my vote.

I explained it in the discussion thread not too long ago. Besides, as far as I know this is not a Curry fan forum, so I'm not required to explain why I 'dared' omit Also it's hardly a revolutionary opinion; of the 100 MVP ballots, 66 didn't contain Curry in the top 5, he also got a grand total of 0 votes for FMVP and was behind both Westbrook and Harden for all-NBA first team. Let's not act like this is an egregious exclusion. If anything requires an explanation it's the people leaving out the guy who averaged a triple double both in the regular season and the playoffs and absolutely dominated the MVP race or ranking someone like Draymond Green ahead of the aforementioned guy.

Also, even if I were to explain why I left certain players out, the 1st Warriors player on the list would be Kevin Durant, you know the guy who's actually the best player on Curry's team.

Not having Curry in top 5 players and offensive players without one word about omitting him is silly for a "realgm vote".



Reserved for my vote.

That dude's agenda's been obvious for a while, but it's his vote. I did laugh at John Wall>Curry tho.

No agenda. Curry would have been my #1 vote for 2016 if I were here at the time actually.

Here's hoping other fanbases aren't so touchy about their favorite player getting left out or I'll have a lot of replying to do in this thread as Curry isn't even the best player I left out.

[Starboy]

Player of the Year:

1. Lebron
2. Curry

Very close here. If Curry didn't have a bad game 4 I might have put him at #1. Lebron wasn't flawless either, his second half performances in the finals were below average for him (regardless of why barring injury, which he wasn't). Lebron's defense was also a little exposed, but that was expected since he couldn't play safety anymore. But his ridiculous first half performances along with the strong end to the season (incl. first 3 rounds) were enough to put him up at #1.

3. Durant

Didn't miss major playoff time, was the best player in the finals, made the clutch shots and 100% deserved the Finals MVP.

4. Kawhi

Just like Durant, not his fault he got injured, but I don't think he was ever the better player than any of the top 3. His offensive game has progressed impressively. Looks like a stiffer MJ out there sometimes.

5. Westbrook

I don't think his style of play is parallel to the highest levels of success in NBA. He's a hair over Harden based on Harden's horrible Game 6. That's how little of a margin there was. I couldn't separate the two if I tried until that game.

Offensive Player of the Year

1. Curry

most portable superstar of all time proves that once again he's one of the greatest offensive talents of all time. He's in tier of his own as far as offense goes at the time.

2. Lebron
3. Harden

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Green

fantastic team defender, great clutch time defender, one of the top perimeter and paint protectors.

2. Gobert

the traditional anchor. Not much of an argument for him over draymond, but he's clearly #2 by a solid margin.

3. Andre Roberson

the amount of work he has on the defensive end is ridiculous. If he could shoot at an average level he'd be one of the most desired wings in the NBA.

Most Improved Player
1. Jokic (who? the most unknown name in a while to get to such a high level in one season)
2. Giannis
3. IT


Coach of the Year

1. Popovich

Greatest coach of all time does it again.

2. Snyder
3. MDA

MDA was #2 through the reg season, but yet again his style of play drops off in playoffs.

[kayess]

Doc, will he be required to explain his vote? It's not quite not voting LeBron in 09 level, but no Curry this year (and with Wall over him!!) is rough.

[kayess]

Doc, will he be required to explain his vote? It's not quite not voting LeBron in 09 level, but no Curry this year (and with Wall over him!!) is rough.

[Outside]

Player of the Year
1. Steph Curry
2. Kevin Durant
3. LeBron James
4. Kawhi Leonard
5. Russell Westbrook

The postseason figures heavily here, though I do an internal balancing rather than a strict formula. I give Curry the edge because he was very productive in his own right, has more gravitational impact than anyone, and was a major factor in Durant having such a hyper-efficient RS and PS. Durant gets second based on his combination of production and efficiency, especially in the postseason, plus impactful defense. I downgraded him a bit because of games lost.

LeBron obviously has great value and had a great postseason, but he took the RS off defensively and was exposed as a mediocre individual defender in the finals. I also downgraded him because the Cavs underperformed dramatically in the RS, particularly after the all star break.

Kawhi's production offensively is really impressive, and he was as go-to a guy as the Spurs had, but he's still a level below the others offensively. I'm not sure what to make of his defense, especially considering some of his defensive metrics were way down. I didn't watch a lot of Spurs games, but when I did, I paid particular attention to Kawhi's defense, and he was good but not as great as in recent years, yet the Spurs still wound up with the top defensive rating, so how bad could he be? In the end, I think a certain amount of his value on both sides of the ball is a reflection of being in a great system.

Westbrook gets in here based on his triple-double season and his value to the Thunder. His efficiency was poor, and his fourth quarter performances against Houston weren't good. But the man brings it, and I respect that. No coasting here.

Harden and Conley were my next choices. I was particularly impressed with Harden's passing this year, but I didn't include him in the top five due to his embarrassing no-show in the Spurs series and the plague he started of drawing fouls on three-pointers that aren't even valid shots. I love Conley's all-around game on both sides of the ball, his tremendous leadership, and his very good PS performance, but I just can't put him above the other five.

Offensive Player of the Year
1. Steph Curry
2. Lebron James
3. Kevin Durant

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Draymond Green
2. Rudy Gobert
3. Kawhi Leonard

Rookie of the Year
1. Malcolm Brogdon
2. Joel Embiid
3. Dario Saric

Embiid was obviously the best rookie, but 31 games isn't even a full college season, let alone NBA. Brogdon is a pretty clear number 1 for me, but it really drops off after that, so Embiid gets 2nd due to the weakness of the field.

Most Improved Player
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. Nikola Jokic
3. James Johnson

I thought about putting Kawhi in here but just couldn't do it.

6th Man of the Year
1. Andre Iguodala
2. Eric Gordon
3. Patty Mills

Andre goes against 6th man stereotype, which usually goes to someone who provides scoring off the bench, which would be Gordon or Lou Williams this year. But Andre provides everything else, plus the occasional scoring binge. The Spurs second unit is special, and Mills anchors them like Iguodala does for the Warriors.

Coach of the Year
1. Eric Spoelstra
2. Mike D'Antoni
3. Gregg Popovich

I had a hard time keeping Brad Stevens and Quin Snyder off this list.

Executive of the Year
1. Bob Myers
2. David Griffin
3. Daryl Morey

Myers gets it, not just for signing Durant, but for executing a multi-year plan to make signing Durant possible. Yes, the cap spike played a big part, but Myers set things up so they would've been able to make a pitch even without it, though it would've required parting ways with Iguodala and Livingston. Myers worked for years to target Durant's free agency, arranging contacts to expire at the right time.

Griffin worked minor miracles with the maxed-out Cavs to get Kyle Korver for the injured Mo Williams and Mike Dunleavy, pick up Derrick Williams, and leave room to sign Andrew Bogut and Deron Williams off waivers. Those moves didn't help them against Golden State, but getting that done while over the cap and dealing with both injuries and pressure from LeBron was better than should have been possible.

Morey did a really good job remaking the Houston roster from a Harden/Howard-based team to a D'Antoni run and gun team.

[mikejames23]

POY

1. LeBron James
2. Steph Curry
3. Russell Westbrook
4. Kevin Durant
5. Kawhi Leonard

HM: Chris Paul, James Harden

Thoughts:

LeBron and Curry were going to be #1 and #2. Eye Test, numbers, advanced numbers, etc. were all aligned for this sort of result. No one can catch their impact.

Then comes Russell Westbrook. I said this in the discussion thread, but I way way too impressed with his raw box score numbers, the nightly triple double, BPM, VORP, W/S etc. This was on the level of a good year from Kobe or Wade, and it absolutely deserves praise. The MVP was well deserved and with Paul George on the team we'll see what he's capable of with a top 15 type of 2nd banana instead of someone on Durant's level.

Kevin Durant and Kawhi round off my list. I had to mark down Kawhi for the injury, as much as I hated it. Durant proved himself across the playoffs on both ends of the floor. He didn't have nearly as much responsibility as anyone else on this list, but credit's due where it's due and there were times where he looked like the best player on the floor even with LeBron and Curry.

Kawhi was rock solid as the Spurs fort when healthy. He'll be back next season and I am curious to see what kind of strides he makes. If not for Westbrook, Kawhi would've been my MVP pick.

Just Missed the cut:

Chris Paul - Last season it was Paul at 5 and Kawhi at 6. Now the two switched spots. With all of Paul's chemistry/off court issues and leadership problems coming out along with another weak ending to the year - couldn't help but exclude him. By the way I am all aboard the train that Paul doesn't deserve the blame. That being said there are 5 others that outperformed him this year. This is the season you finally started to hear Chris Paul criticism.

James Harden. I really like the guy when he's not being weird like he did in Game 6 at Home. I trust him less than Chris Paul to lead my franchise, at least this season. Deserves to be said I think he played impressively in the SA series through 5 games or so, went toe to toe with Kawhi and then boom. I hate to knock a guy for one game, and I would never knock anyone for 1 BAD game, but this is really inexplicable.

OPOY

1. Steph Curry
2. LeBron James
3. Kevin Durant

Not much to say here I think. Just the 3 best in the league when it comes to offense.

DPOY

1. Draymond Green
2. Rudy Gobert
3. Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis is like a tier below the first 2. With Kawhi picking up his offense and officially exiting the DPOY race for maybe the rest of his career, Draymond, Gobert and maybe some up and coming talent like Embiid will be at the top every year.

ROY

1. Brogdon
2. Embiid
3. Hernangomez

Brogdon is pretty much default. Trust the Process, of course, rising star. Hernangomez is the quiet sort of guy that won't be noticed by does display some serious potential.

MIP

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. Nikola Jokic
3. Joe Ingles

Nikola and Giannis figure to be future MVP candidates. Excited for the two.

6th Man

1. Eric Gordon
2. James Johnson
3. Andre Igouadala

I shall never, ever, exclude Iggy. Ever since he figured out his role when he transitioned out of Philly he's been fantastic, and he's been one of the finest 6th man till date. Johnson and Gordon both had great years for Miami and Houston - Miami especially has a strong roleplaying cast, and it was impressive for Johnson to contribute the way he did on both ends.

COY

1. Greg Popovich
2. MDA
3. Erik Spolestra

Great transition after retirement of Duncan. Look at all the roleplayers and their developed defensive capacities. Dedmon. Anderson. Green. Simmons. Helped Kawhi transition into bigger offensive role. i think with Duncan people doubted how much of a role he had in developing a player, but after watching Kawhi's progress over the years you can't help but be impressed.

MDA can take #2.

Spo - For any Heat fans I hate the fact that they missed the playoffs, but if anyone paid close attention to this team, it was masterful execution of incorporating the bevvy of roleplayers - Winslow, Richardson, Johnson, etc. and building around Whiteside to an excellent 2nd half of the year.

Executive of Year

1. Bob Myers
2. Daryl Morey
3. RC Buford

Durant earns auto #1, and Morey made the right moves to make HOU relevant. I am impressed with all the young talent Buford continues to bring in, and hope he gets good value for LMA this offseason.