Banter's 2020 NBA Awards

So, clearly this isn't how we expected the season to go.

2019-20 was perhaps the most bittersweet several months in NBA history. A season flooded with compelling storylines and newfound competitive parity was derailed by the tragic passings of two straight-up legends in David Stern and Kobe Bryant, before ultimately being stranded in purgatory by COVID-19.

While the season remains on pause and the league scrambles to cobble a contingency plan for this totally unprecedented situation, us fans are left to wait under an anxious blanket of uncertainty.

If this season is in fact ever completed - which given the USA's alarming response to the pandemic seems increasingly less likely - it will be drastically curtailed. Everything from a shortened offseason to a play-in tournament and 3-game series are being tabled for a playoff format. As a wise man once said; "desperate times call for desperate measures".

In the meantime, there remains the not-so-trivial subject of the NBA's regular season awards, and what the hell to do about those. Given the anticipated COVID timelines (regardless of Trump's blindly optimistic projections), it seems pretty safe to assume that the regular season, as we know it, is over.

With that being the case, and because frankly I'm pretty bored without any basketball to watch, now seems like a good time to roll out Banter's picks for the 2020 NBA Awards. So without further ado, envelopes please...

ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS

First Team: Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, Kendrick Nunn, Brandon Clarke, Tyler Herro

Second Team: RJ Barrett, Coby White, Eric Paschall, De'Andre Hunter, Terence Davis 


ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: JA MORANT, MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
There's sure to be a growing narrative around message board conspiracy theorists that Corona screwed Zion Williamson; that if the regular season had finished, he would've gained enough momentum - possibly dragging the Pelicans into the playoffs - to topple Morant's claim.

It's an unfortunate circumstance. Had Zion played a full season, he probably would have won Rookie of the Year, what with his endless highlights, over-performing team, and transcendent, ahead-of-his-years play.

But, in reality, while Zion accomplished those feats for six weeks, Morant did all the same things from Day One. He galvanized a team that was universally considered lottery fodder, sparking the NBA's biggest surprise, best feel-good story, and a League Pass MVT contender.

Morant led all rookies in points and assists by a mile; showcasing an offensive game that's as dynamic and lethal as it is flashy. He gets into the paint at will, is already an elite finisher, and has both the vision and audacity to hit open men anywhere. While he wasn't an amazing defender (rookie PGs seldom are), he showed the tenacity and awareness that will form a solid foundation on D.

Only bolstering Ja's argument is his team's narrative; the Grizzlies leapfrogging to playoff contenders, with Morant as their unquestioned leader. While team success typically doesn't define an ROY season, it certainly enhances a contender's performance when he's the main catalyst.

Morant comfortably cleared averages of 17 points and 6.5 assists on 45% shooting. These may not seem like eye-popping numbers, until you isolate them and realize that Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson are the only other rookies ever to do so.

Regards To: Zion Williamson, Kendrick Nunn, Brandon Clarke

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: MONTREZL HARRELL, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
This may seem unoriginal given that I'm running back last year's winner, but to hell with voter fatigue, Trez was equally deserving this season.

Harrell's season was a heightened version of last year, in which he (as mentioned) won Banter's 6MOY award, and finished third in the actual voting. 2019-20 saw him boost his scoring and rebounding averages (in virtually the same amount of playing time), only now flanked by two All-NBA players, who surely cannibalized points and rebounds organically.

Trez's advanced stats and efficiency indicators are all startlingly similar to his 2018-19 marks. Some slight fluctuations are natural with variance, but he was essentially the same player, only on a much improved team. It was the same smart, brutally effective hustle from Harrell, night in and out.

That he maintained those production levels adds credence to his Sixth Man candidacy; able to make the same contributions to a contender as a team overachieving as an 8-seed. Think of it like a kid skipping a grade and still getting the same marks, or a boxer fighting up a weight class and maintaining his record. 

He finished third in bench scoring, third in FG%, fifth in rebounds, and led all bench players in PER with a 23.17 mark that ranked 20th league-wide. Another close call for Clippers teammates, but Trez deserves the nod this year.

Regards To: Dennis Schroder, Lou Williams, Derrick Rose 


MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: LUKA DONCIC, DALLAS MAVERICKS

There seems to be an annual furor about the context of this award and what exactly it means to have "improved". There are a ton of interpretations, but many (myself included) contend that a player making "The Leap" - clearly evolving into a bonafide star - is the most impressive argument an MIP candidate can make.


There were no shortage of Leaps around the NBA this year, but the most impressive came from Doncic.

Skeptics might infer that Luka was bound for greatness, and that this type of progress from him was expected, if not preordained. To me, it's a weak rebuttal.

Yes, Doncic seemed destined for greatness after 2018's third-overall pick put on a historic rookie campaign that saw him drop the rarefied 20/5/5 line reserved for Hall-of-Fame talent (or Tyreke Evans). But for him to be this good, this soon, is entirely unexpected and unprecedented.

His basic popcorn stats shot up from 21.2/7.8/6 to 28.7/9.3/8.7, rounding out arguably the league's most robust basic line. His eFG% rose almost 10% to .531, despite him shouldering an increased load on offense (usage rate up 21%), and being one of the league's most-targeted players by opposing defenses. Through all this, his turnover rate decreased slightly, while all of his major advanced metrics rose noticeably on both sides of the ball.

Largely as a result of Doncic's precocious stardom, Dallas over-performed for much of the season. Expected to scrap for the final playoff spots, the Mavs were postseason locks by Christmas, sporting (*double-checks stat sheet*) the best team offensive rating in NBA history.

Doncic, already a star by most definitions, confidently entered the NBA's pantheon this season. He's going to be an All-NBA first-teamer, and will likely place top-5 in MVP voting. To be accomplishing this at 21 years of age - regardless of pedigree - is simply amazing.

We all knew Luka was going to be good, but this type of career arc is indicative of an all-time talent. As the league's burgeoning global popularity prepares for its post-LeBron era, it's safe to assume Doncic is more than capable of leading the new school.

Regards To: Bam Adebayo, Brandon Ingram, Jayson Tatum 

ALL-DEFENSE TEAMS

First Team: G-Patrick Beverley, G-Ben Simmons, F-Giannis Antetokounmpo, F-Anthony Davis, C-Rudy Gobert

Second Team: G-Eric Bledsoe, G-Marcus Smart, F-OG Anunoby, F-Bam Adebayo, C-Brook Lopez


DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE BUCKS
All jokes aside about reigning DPOY Rudy Gobert having "shut down the entire league";

Giannis put together an absolute juggernaut defensive season. Statistically speaking, it was very similar to last year, but the Jazz's inconsistency and Milwaukee's defensive dominance have put the spotlight where it should be.

Basically every metric points to Giannis being the NBA's best defender. He led the league in D-rating, D-win shares and DBPM this year. In doing so, he led Milwaukee to within a hair of being (statistically speaking) the best defense in league history.

Giannis is also beyond a doubt the most versatile defender in today's game, and arguably ever. He's able to switch seamlessly between assignments; a prototype for a league trending towards position-less ball. He can smother any player, anywhere on the court, acing the eye test in an unprecedented way.

The only even potential knock on Antetokounmpo's case for DPOY is that his steal and block %s are down slightly from last year. And it's really tough to count that against him when he still averaged one of each, and led all qualifying players in opponent FG% at the rim.

Gobert may have been the poster boy for the COVID outbreak, but Giannis has been shutting the league down since November.

Regards To: Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons


COACH OF THE YEAR: NICK NURSE, TORONTO RAPTORS
As usual, the Coach of the Year race was a melee this year, with at least five or six bench bosses meriting consideration for an abstract and very subjective award. But in the end, the trophy should go to Nurse, and it's not particularly close.

My basic logic for this award usually comes down to three questions:

- Who did the most with the least?
- Who overcame the most adversity? and,
- Which successful team owes the most to coaching?

In the context of this season, Nurse has to be at or near the top of all three of those criteria. Nobody could have blamed the Raptors for sliding down the standings after losing playoff demigod Kawhi Leonard in free agency. But instead, Nurse piloted them to a better winning percentage than last season (albeit one in which Leonard load-managed his way to 22 DNPs).

What makes that pace even more astonishing are all the potholes along the way. Toronto has been perpetually-injured this season, with, literally, every member of their rotation shuffling in-and-out of the lineup on a seemingly nightly basis.

All of this would submarine just about any team's season. Per Sportsnet via ManGamesLost, the Raptors led the NBA in win shares lost to injury. Obviously this depleted Toronto's talent pool, and gave them fewer options in terms of lineup diversity.

It also crushed any sense of continuity on the roster, as players spun in and out of floor-mates like a square dance at the Legion. Nurse was forced to not only mix-and-match new rotations weekly, but trust some of his younger and unproven players in key roles.

Things worked almost flawlessly. OG Anunoby and Norman Powell had career years. Terence Davis stood out among several out-of-nowhere rookies. Chris Boucher was very encouraging in his rotational debut. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson became serviceable again. Matt Thomas provided several relevant stints.

And the leaps made by already-established Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam have solidified the core around which the Raptors can build their future.

All that speaks to the amazing developmental culture that Nurse and his staff have instilled, yet another reason why he's the clear winner this season. One can only hope that a fully-healthy Raptors roster will eventually get the chance to defend their crown.

Regards To: Billy Donovan, Taylor Jenkins, Mike Budenholzer

ALL-NBA TEAMS

First Team: G-Luka Doncic, G-James Harden, F-Giannis Antetokounmpo, F-LeBron James, C-Nikola Jokic

Second Team: G-Damian Lillard, G-Chris Paul, F-Kawhi Leonard, F-Anthony Davis, C-Bam Adebayo

Third Team: G-Russell Westbrook, G-Ben Simmons, F-Jayson Tatum, F-Pascal Siakam, C-Joel Embiid


MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE BUCKS 
Yes, I'm giving Giannis the MVP/DPOY double-dip for the second year in a row. Not because I'm lazy or fanboying him, but because he's simply been that good.

Much respect to what LeBron James is somehow still doing in Year 17 against every notion of athletic decline that we hold. If there were a "Still Got It" award, he would sweep. But suggesting that he was better than Antetokounmpo over the course of this season is asinine.

Let's start with basic stats: Giannis put up a ridiculous line of 29.6/13.7/5.8 this year, adding one block and steal each for good measure. In today's popular (but flawed) context of comparing players' stat lines across eras, Giannis is singular. He's the only player in NBA history to ever do those numbers.

His advanced stats paint an equally-dominant picture: Giannis led the league in usage %, BPM, Defensive Rating and Win Shares per 48, finishing top-3 in a litany of other metrics. He tied for the fifth-best all-time PER, behind a single season from LeBron (08-09), and entries from Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

It's nothing short of historic. Giannis has a very realistic shot at joining Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players ever to win MVP and DPOY in the same season. Compound that with back-to-back MVPs at age 25, and Giannis is putting together a legacy resume that - championships pending - projects him among the game's all-time greats (I'm talking the top 10-15 range) when all is said and done.

The Bucks' dominance this season is only another facet to Giannis' MVP case. Milwaukee was among the very best regular-season teams ever: a top-5 all-time net rating, and only Giannis' late injury derailing their pace to flirt with the hallowed 70-win mark.

Unfortunately, we may never know how that dominance would have translated to the playoffs. But either way, Giannis will add some more hardware to his trophy case after an all-time season.

Regards To: LeBron James, Luka Doncic, James Harden

Banter's 2019 NBA Awards

Welcome, one and all to Basketball Banter's 2019 NBA Awards!

Obviously, it's been a while since I've posted on here; my last Banter post was 2018's Awards, exactly a year ago today.

I unfortunately have less time for writing these days, and that quota is largely devoted to my Memphis Grizzlies work for Beale Street Bears. But I felt inspired to knock the dust off my Blogger account this week, and toss my 2019 awards picks (however insignificantly) into the internet zeitgeist.

Let's get into it (stats accurate as of 04/10):

All-Rookie Teams
First Team: Luka Doncic, Trae Young, DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander


Second Team: Jaren Jackson Jr, Mitchell Robinson, Collin Sexton, Kevin Knox, Kevin Huerter

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: LUKA DONCIC
With his soggy build and lack of athleticism, many pundits questioned Doncic's NBA impact, despite him having dominated the World's second-best basketball league as a teenager.

It took just games for him to silence even the staunchest critics. Within weeks he was an internet phenomenon. By December, he was being compared to the best rookies ever. And by 2019, he was a nightly threat to drop a triple-double.

The end result is an absolute romp of a debut: 21.2/7.8/6.0. For context, Doncic averaged more points, assists and rebounds than LeBron James did in his rookie year, despite playing 23% fewer minutes per game. He also topped Rookie LeBron in most major advanced metrics.

Doncic was a one-man offense; converting on high-difficulty shots and passes time and again. His pedigree and instant success denied him any early grace period where a rookie is taken lightly. Guys went at him from the get.

The Rookie 20/5/5 Club is pretty exclusive: Doncic and James join Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and for some reason Tyreke Evans. Unless we're being guided by the outlier, this is indicative of a generational talent.

Much respect to Trae Young, who went completely nuclear over the season's second half, triggering a surprisingly-competent Hawks turnaround (despite being the NBA's literal worst defender). Notwithstanding, Doncic's rookie season was one of the finest on record; pure piff from the first tip.

Regards To: Trae Young, DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley


SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: MONTREZL HARRELL

Ironically, this award mainly comes down to two teammates. Un-ironically, they both hail from the scrappy, star-less overachievers that were this season's Los Angeles Clippers.

Lou Williams is a two-time former 6MOY winner, who dropped 20/game this year and was constant offense for a team that had often had no alpha scorer.

But if you dig a little deeper than points, Harrell's all-around impact on the Clippers is not debatable. He led the entire team in VORP, BPM, DBPM, win-shares, and PER (among qualifying players, sorry Boban). He also posted significantly higher ratings than Williams on both sides of the ball.

While there's plenty of blame to go around for the Clippers' refusal to die this season, many of the numbers paint Harrell as the chief culprit. His rugged hustle, relentless motor and consistent, high-IQ play were a model for the rest of L.A. (the Clippers, at least) to follow.

Regards To: Lou Williams, Domantas Sabonis, Derrick Rose

COACH OF THE YEAR: MIKE MALONE

As it's consistently been in years past, Coach of the Year was a bastion of arbitrariness again this year, fought for by several deserving candidates.

I can't knock a vote for Nate McMillan, who dragged the Pacers to another over-achieving season despite a slew of injuries. Nor for Doc Rivers, who Frankensteined a playoff team out of the Clippers' attempted rebuild.

Fringe contenders like Dave Jeorger, Kenny Atkinson, Nick Nurse and Steve Clifford also hold weight, but two candidates stand above the rest here: Mike Budenholzer, and Malone.

All due respect to Budenholzer, but I generally feel Milwaukee's season is as much an indictment of previous coaching as it is his triumph. It's also a massive chicken-or-egg race between he and Executive of the Year contender Jon Horst.

Last year's Bucks were a stacked squad that was highly maligned and misused. Adding Brook Lopez and a couple other pieces unlocked their potential, but spacing the floor around a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo is pretty basic stuff.

What sets Malone apart is how multi-faceted his performance was. The Nuggets were primed to make a leap this year, but many had them pegged for a mid-playoff team. Instead they jostled with the Warriors atop the West for months, despite prolonged absences to several key players.

Malone got the Nuggets to play top-10 defense, turning everyone's preseason concern about them into a strength. He milked max value out of former nobodies like Malik Beasley, Torrey Craig and Monte Morris, the latter of whom is now among the NBA's best backup PGs. And he maintained consistent success amid a violently oscillating lineup structure, with guys like Gary Harris out every other night, Trey Lyles wildly inconsistent, and Isaiah Thomas ultimately a dud.

Lots of deserving campaigns again, but Malone perhaps did the most with the least, and it was more than anyone - even at full strength - expected of Denver.

Regards to: Mike Budenholzer, Nate McMillan, Doc Rivers

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: PASCAL SIAKAM

What after a few weeks looked like De'Aaron Fox's award to lose was snared by Siakam's out-of-nowhere ascent to likely future All-Star. Fox could've put up a fight, but he staggered a bit as the season went on, along with the Kings' playoff hopes.

Conversely Siakam became a breakout sensation for a Raptors team that went almost half the season missing Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, or both. They still managed to win almost 60 games, buoyed by amazing depth and Siakam's two-way brilliance.

Siakam's numbers surged across the board, including a leap from .508 to .549 shooting, despite almost doubling his attempts per game, and certainly commanding more attention from defenders. Siakam was indispensable on D himself, one of the league's most switchable players, with long limbs, ridiculous motor, and an increasing sense of awareness.

Siakam's case is more bolstered by Toronto's success, and the organic nature of his development therein. Nothing was ascribed about his role this season, nor was there much room for error in the pressure cooker of a Leonard contract year.

What Siakam's given the Raptors is instant Leonard insurance. If Kawhi stays, they'll have one of the scariest frontcourts in the NBA. But even if he leaves, Toronto might not be in such bad shape.

Regards To: De'Aaron Fox, D'Angelo Russell, Paul George

All-Defense Teams
First Team: G-Marcus Smart, G-Jrue Holiday, F-Giannis Antetokounmpo, F-Paul George, C-Rudy Gobert

Second Team: G-Eric Bledsoe, G-Patrick Beverley, F-Derrick Favors, F-Anthony Davis, C-Myles Turner

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO

Lots of people are going to try and give this award to somebody else, on account of Antetokounmpo's MVP-esque campaign, and that somehow cannibalizing his case here.

If you're looking at the DPOY race impartially, it has to go to either Antetokounmpo, or reigning champ Rudy Gobert. And there are mere hairs between them as candidates. Both are ultimate disruptions, who shoulder each other at or near the top of every major defensive metric, and anchor the NBA's two best team defenses. Both grab a ton of rebounds, and avg 2.5-3 stocks per game.

While Gobert is both the ultimate deterrent and penalty against ill-advised forays to the rim, Giannis is a shape-shifting eraser, who can lock up swingmen as easily as snuff the league's best center. His position-amorphous style is increasingly indicative of NBA trends, and thus of great advantage to the Bucks, who can switch him onto literally any attacker, and bust up otherwise-commonplace pick-n-rolls. It's not an exaggeration that Antetokounmpo is the NBA's single most versatile defender.

As recently as last month, Giannis had a decent edge. Gobert made an impressive late season rally to tighten the individual metrics gap, pull Utah to 50 wins, and nudge them right behind Milwaukee in team defense.

It's at least made the decision extremely difficult, but if we're judging the entire body of work here, and analyzing within the context of an increasingly perimeter-oriented league, Giannis wins by the slimmest of margins.

Regards To: Rudy Gobert, Paul George, Myles Turner

All-NBA Teams
First Team: G-James Harden, G-Stephen Curry, F-Giannis Antetokounmpo, F-Paul George, C-Joel Embiid

Second Team: G-Damian Lillard, G-Kyrie Irving, F-Kevin Durant, F-Kawhi Leonard, C-Nikola Jokic

Third Team: G-Bradley Beal, G-Russell Westbrook, F-Blake Griffin, F-LeBron James, C-Rudy Gobert


MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO

This was tough. This was really, really tough. Honestly, I'd have voted for co-MVP between Giannis and James Harden if I could, but that's too much of a cop-out.

Harden pulled possibly the biggest "Team On My Back" in NBA history. The Rockets confounded the entire NBA with their ineptitude over the season's first two months, but Harden righted the ship with a simply staggering offensive display.

Let the record show that he averaged almost 44 points for an entire fucking month, and had teams literally opening driving lanes for him to prevent his patented step-back three.

Even amid his exaggerated sometimes-sleepy defense, Harden's contributions were Herculean. His 36 ppg average is the most ever by someone not named Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain; his game log peppered with triple-doubles and single-handed victories. As a result, Houston skyrocketed (sorry) from the West's basement to a homecourt seed, without both Chris Paul and Clint Capela for long stretches. It was nothing short of a historic season.

But Antetokounpo's case is just too bulletproof. He too had a historic year; the first guy to post averages of 27/12/5 in over 50 years. Of that rarefied list - on which he joins four straight-up NBA legends - Giannis posted by far the best eFG%, adding all-World defense for good measure. He sits neck-and-neck with Harden atop virtually every major advanced stat, bolstering one of the finest all-around statistical displays ever.

With two all-time great seasons placing Harden vs Antetokounmpo head & shoulders above the rest, Freak has the decisive edge in two areas:

1 - Defense. Harden's defensive commitment wanes from night to night, and even play to play. He's capable of heads-up stopping, but often mails in plays to save himself in between offensive possessions. As noted above, Antetokounmpo was (in my opinion) the NBA's best defender this year.

2 - Dominance. Houston was a total train wreck for the season's first six weeks, which definitely  can't be ignored. The Bucks' season was unimpeachable from the get; owning the NBA's best record and net rating, largely because of Giannis, and the system his unique physique and skill set permit.

It seems like robbery for Harden yet again. This could be his third narrow MVP loss in the past four years. But Giannis' steady ascent to the NBA's very peak reached its destination this season. He's 24 years old; his best is still yet to come.

Regards To: James Harden, Paul George, Joel Embiid

Banter's 2017 NBA Awards

Today marks the final stanza in a chaotic, indecisive and statistically hyperbolic NBA regular season. Uncertainty and disbelief were abound:"Can Joel Embiid please stay healthy?", "When will it click for the T-Wolves?", "Which PED did the Heat start taking?", "What is Rob Hennigan's endgame?", "How many times can Draymond Green kick someone in the junk?", "How long until a Kings fan assassinates Vivek Ranadive?"...The questions were endless.

True to form, this year's awards races were also highly nebulous. One award's would-be landslide winner fell victim to a technicality, four were contested battles among numerous worthy contenders, and a final one - the most important - required literally hair-splitting four historic individual seasons.

Let's try and make sense of the madness, with Banter's 2017 NBA Awards:

ALL ROOKIE TEAMS
First: G-Malcolm Brogdon, G-Buddy Hield, F-Dario Saric, F-Marquese Chriss, C-Joel Embiid
Second: G-Jamal Murray, G-Tyler Ulis, F-Jaylen Brown, F- Rodney McGruder, C-Willy Hernangomez


ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: DARIO SARIC 
Joel Embiid created the ultimate awards conundrum this year, putting forth a historic rookie season, only to have it cut short by a minutes restriction, and ultimately a torn meniscus. Embiid's health was the room's proverbial elephant well before he was drafted, a scenario that's only underscored now that he's proven himself a generational talent.

The cold reality is that I simply can't in good conscience give an award to a guy who barely played in a third of the season's games, regardless of how sensational he was in that time.

While few other rookies stepped forward to make a legit ROY claim, Dario Saric gave the Sixers plenty of hope for the future after Embiid went down. While he's struggled with his shot from distance, Saric is clearly a crafty-passing, multi-gifted threat who the Sixers can count as a core piece now that #TheProcess has begun to build. That the rest of the rookie class was so weak only makes him stand out more.

Regards To: Joel Embiid, Malcolm Brogdon
Preseason Pick: Joel Embiid (if only...)

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: JAMES JOHNSON

Up until this season, Johnson had spent his career flashing obvious skill and athleticism, but bouncing from team-to-team amid nebulous character and discipline issues. Few outsiders knew exactly why he pissed off every coach, but it was clear that given the opportunity, he could be a valuable addition to an NBA rotation.

Said opportunity came this year when the Heat were seemingly lottery-bound, and stud swing defender Justise Winslow went down for the year. With nothing to lose, Erik Spoelstra tossed Johnson major minutes off the pine.

Shedding a visible amount of his bulk, Johnson was still mean as ever, though noticeably quicker off the dribble and on re-jumps. Not only did Bloodsport uphold his reputation as a defensive wrecking ball, but became a multi-faceted scoring threat, secondary ball-handler, and crunch-time staple for the surging Heat. His 13/5/3.5/1/1 line came on 48% shooting with a top-20 defensive rating. Not sexy, but damn effective.

He brought a wider array of assets off the bench than anyone not named Andre Iguodala, playing a crucial role in the Heat's midseason miracle. Also an outside contender for MIP, Johnson's unlikely explosion couldn't have happened for a more appropriate team.

Regards To: Zach Randoph, Eric Gordon, Andre Iguodala, Greg Monroe, Lou Williams
Preseason Pick: Brandon Knight (possibly drunk at the time)

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO

2016-17 was the year of the Greek Freakout; an explosion of cataclysmic magnitude which had been observed on the horizon for years, but whose breadth was not fully understood at the time.

Instead of making the leap to NBA All-Star this year - the toughest leap to make as a basketball player - he leapfrogged to legit fringe MVP candidate.

The Freak may have hinted at this production after his move to point guard late last season, but having all his pieces come together this well, so soon, is transcendent. Giannis is about to finish Top 20 league-wide in points, rebounds, steals, blocks and field goal%, top-25 in assists, and his advanced stats portfolio has skyrocketed among the NBA's best.

What he did this year was nothing short of versatility history, and devastating for the rest of the league, knowing they'll be fed a steady diet of Antetokounmpo Stew for the next decade-plus. Leading a playoff team in all five "popcorn stat" categories at 22, a typical Giannis sequence can see him covering the stereotypical roles of all five positions. The guy does literally everything but shoot (even going from "god-awful" to merely "sub-par" in that department).

His rapid ascent is the only reason the Bucks weren't already dead in the water once Khris Middleton returned and resurrected their defense. When Giannis' shot arrives, it's all over for the rest of us.

Regards To: Nikola Jokic, Otto Porter, Myles Turner, Rudy Gobert, Bradley Beal
Preseason Pick: Myles Turner (not far off)

COACH OF THE YEAR: ERIK SPOELSTRA

This was supposed to be a down year in Miami. Hell, as recently as mid-January when the Heat were 20 games below .500 and about to punt the season's remainder for better draft position, it was a down year.

But then alchemist Erik Spoelstra engineered an imaginative and massively unlikely turnaround, weaving a rag-tag bunch of castaways and no-namers into one of the NBA's hottest teams. Miami is 28-11 since the season's midway point, their entire roster playing above expectations, and even at that greater than the sum of their parts.

Spo dramatically flipped this team's identity on both sides of the ball at a juncture where nobody could've blamed him for rolling over and playing dead. He was inventive enough to craft free-wheeling, 3-bombing lineups from a scrapheap, motivating journeymen like the aforementioned Johnson, noted headcase Dion Waiters and perpetually lost Wayne Ellington to play out of their minds with unprecedented consistency.

He did more with less than any coach in the NBA this year, did so seemingly overnight, on the fly mid-season, and as legendary competitor Pat Riley prepared to raise the white flag. In an award race that values an abstract variety of accomplishments, Spo's resonate loudest.

Regards To: Gregg Popovich, Mike D'Antoni, Scott Brooks, Brad Stevens
Preseason Pick: Quin Snyder (valiant effort)

ALL-DEFENSE TEAMS
First: G-Chris Paul, G-Tony Allen, F-Kawhi Leonard, F-Draymond Green, C-Rudy Gobert
Second: G-Patrick Beverley, G-Andre Roberson, F-Giannis Antetokounmpo, F-Anthony Davis, C-Hassan Whiteside

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DRAYMOND GREEN 

There was only so much holding him back. After losing this award narrowly to Kawhi Leonard in back-to-back seasons, it was finally Draymond's turn this year, and not because of some reputation nod (which should hold no governance over any award).

Draymond Green was the most versatile, disruptive, and simply best defender in the NBA this season, crushing the widespread preseason doubts about the Warriors' D. Instead of crumble, Golden State was within a hair of the league's best defensive rating all season, and Green was the glue holding it all together.

He defends all five positions at an elite level, able to switch effortlessly in pick-and-rolls, thus rendering the NBA's most common offensive weapon useless against him. His name is plastered at or near the top of every advanced defensive metric, and he joins Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only players to rack up both 100 blocks & steals.

Early on, the Warriors' surprise success on D was falsely attributed to Kevin Durant's increased effectiveness, a fallacy laid bare when he missed over a month without their D-rating budging an inch. Draymond was the difference all year, making this award undeniably his.

Regards To: Rudy Gobert, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis 
Preseason Pick: Draymond Green (bullseye)

ALL-NBA TEAMS
First: G-Russell Westbrook, G-James Harden, F-LeBron James, F-Kawhi Leonard, C-Anthony Davis
Second: G-Steph Curry, G-John Wall, F-Giannis Antetokounmpo, F-Jimmy Butler, C-Marc Gasol
Third: G-Chris Paul, G- Isaiah Thomas, F-Kevin Durant, F-Draymond Green, C-Rudy Gobert 

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: RUSSELL WESTBROOK

Westbrook just put forth a one-man act of destruction unlike any the NBA has ever seen (ball-hogging and stat-padding accusations notwithstanding).

He dragged one of the shallowest and least-proven rosters in the NBA to a 6-seed, for a franchise his re-signing directly rescued from a crippling rebuild (talk about value).

He led the league in scoring at a clip bested only three times in the past 20 years. To boot, he posted a better assist % than the assists per game leader, with whom he just happens to be tangling for this award.

He was the epitome of the eye test, a dizzying blur of perpetual motion who loomed with omnipresence; equal parts Bugatti Veyron and nuclear warhead.

He was beyond clutch in a litany of close calls, single-handedly winning innumerable games, like his much-fabled triumphs in Orlando and Denver.

As you perhaps have heard, he averaged a season-long triple double, breaking what was long thought to be among pro sports' untouchable records.

And he absolutely decimated some of the NBA's most valued advanced metrics this year, not only leading the league, but doing so by margins that weren't close at all (per Basketball Reference):



Westbrook also shattered the NBA's all-time Usage % record this season, or in layman's terms, the Thunder leaned on him more than any single team did a player in league history. While some might argue if it was for better or worse, a variety of statistics tell us OKC would have been completely fucked without him.

Westbrook did everything for a team that was only even remotely competitive because he did everything for them. History has predicated that the MVP must come from a top-3 team, but in a season where individual performances made an absolute mockery of historical precedent; this award should do the same. Ball-hogging and all.

Regards To: James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard
Preseason Pick: Kawhi Leonard (so close, yet so far)

The 2017 Halftime Awards

With every NBA team now across the season's midway point, it's time to check up on this year's
awards races at a key interval.

2017 brings an interesting mix of awards debates: some highly-contested, others non-existent. We're going to break them down in order from most to least obvious, which conveniently builds quite climatically:

(stats as of Jan 23)

ROOKIE OF THE HALF: JOEL EMBIID, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
Total cakewalk here. Not only is Embiid a transcendent rookie who's putting up eye-popping stats despite a minutes restriction and breathing life into The Process, he's facing a draft class as weak as any in recent memory.

Stuck on just 25 minutes a night, Embiid's per-36 numbers look made-up for a rookie: 28/11/3, 1 steal & 3.5 blocks. If he qualified, he'd lead the NBA in block% by a mile, and be 5th in defensive BPM.

Even on a short leash, he's been invaluable to the Sixers, who are suddenly 7-3 in their last 10 games, and maybe not even the second-worst team in their conference. Let's pray Embiid stays healthy; his is the case of something beyond potential; it's a promise.

Regards To: Malcolm Brogdon...Pascal Siakam? Dario Saric? God this year's rookie class stinks so far. (For the record, it would take a season-ending injury tomorrow, and ensuing PED scandal for Embiid to lose here)

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE BUCKS
This pick is also pretty obvious, but for underlying reasons. On the surface, Antetokounmpo's popcorn stats have all risen dramatically as he's made himself a league-wide storyline. However, adjusted vs last season's post-All-Star numbers (when he made the shift to point guard), his only large leap is in scoring.

But delve a little deeper, and you'll see his key advanced stats have increased noticeably across the board, skyrocketing in PER and both offensive and defensive BPM. His usage rate is up huge, but his turnover % has decreased; an impressive correlation, especially given how much he controls the ball in a spacing-deficient offense.

Giannis also chalks up bonus points in three areas:
- making an immediate leap into the NBA's upper-tier and MVP discussion; leapfrogging what's supposed to be the most difficult step as a player

- improving his play to elite levels in so many areas simultaneously

- doing so for a team that's more competitive than anyone thought, and succeeding largely due to his huge strides (pun completely intended).

Add it all up and we're in the midst of cataclysmic Greek Freak breakout that NBA heads have been bracing for. And the kid's still only 22; the best is yet to come.

Regards To: Myles Turner, Anthony Davis, Jabari Parker

SIXTH MAN OF THE HALF: ERIC GORDON, HOUSTON ROCKETS
There's a lot going right in Houston this year. Gordon is a huge part of it; an elite sniper who, while having regressed from his days as a stalwart defender, is still capable of bodying an array of opposing wings.

Gordon's been neck-and-neck with Lou Williams (who bolted out to an early lead in this race) as a bench assassin this year, only more efficiently, fueling the second unit of one of the NBA's best offenses ever.

It's Houston's surprise success that also allows Gordon to overcome the fact that Williams outranks him in a lot of advanced metrics. Those numbers a lot more hollow on a floundering team of youngsters - Gordon's getting his for the NBA's token overperformers, giving him an edge in the first race in which there should be much debate.

Regards To: Lou Williams, Enes Kanter, Patty Mills

COACH OF THE HALF: GREGG POPOVICH, SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Mike D'Antoni is the trendy pick here, with the Rockets shocking the NBA at 3rd in the West. This isn't to slight D'Antoni; he's done an amazing job, but been gifted with a situation tailor-made for his system.

The pieces all fit perfectly for him: from the front office's score-first mandate, to James Harden's awesomeness, a bevy of elite shooters, and emerging pick-n-roll potential. D'Antoni teams always over-perform in the regular season anyway, and while this is a regular season award, I can't help but feel like we're inflating Houston's stock just a bit.

Meanwhile, Popovich is steering the Spurs on a 65-win pace, having to revamp their identity on the fly with Tim Duncan gone, Tony Parker looking ancient, two old-school big men starting, all kinds of new rotation adjustments, and a serious downgrade in overall defensive talent. It's a dramatic transition, only one that appears seamless because Popovich is so fucking good at his job.

There's a lingering sentiment among some of the NBA's voting community that Popovich should win this award every year by default. Some years another contender does something impressive that can't be ignored, but this year that guy is Pop himself .

Regards To: Mike D'Antoni, Dave Fizdale, Brad Stevens

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE HALF: DRAYMOND GREEN, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
There's a serious bout for DPOY this year, and Kawhi Leonard isn't even really involved: Two-time runner up Draymond Green is squaring off against human fly-swatter Rudy Gobert. While the two dominate in generally different ways - Green by stopping anything he faces anywhere in its tracks, Gobert as an impenetrable fortress around the hoop - the tale of the tape leaves very little between them.

Both are absolutely crushing defensive stats this year: Gobert leads in blocks, defensive win shares and defensive rating . Draymond leads in defensive BPM, is right behind The Stifle Tower in D rating and D win shares, and sits third in steals as one of only two players in the Top-20 of both steals and blocks (Greek Freak being the other).

The teams they lead are even neck-and-neck in most defensive metrics, adjusting for Golden State's much greater pace. The Dubs and Jazz sit 1-2 in opponent FG%, points per shot, and overall defensive rating.

Ultimately though, this award should be Green's as of now. He's been the usual multi-faceted monster on D, doing an elite bit of everything for Golden State, while enabling them to unleash a new brand of Death Lineup and survive without Andrew Bogut. It's acceptably stated that his contributions have never meant more to their success, and have addressed a serious question mark for the Warriors going into this season.

Regards To: Rudy Gobert, Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul

Before we conclude the proceedings, a brief detour in honor of the first half's All-NBA recipients:

ALL-ROOKIE
FIRST TEAM
G-Joel Embiid, G-Joel Embiid, F-Joel Embiid, F-Joel Embiid, C- Joel Embiid

SECOND TEAM
G-Malcolm Brogdon, G-Andrew Harrison, F-Dario Saric, F-Pascal Siakam, C-Joel Embiid

ALL-DEFENSE
FIRST TEAM
G-Chris Paul, G-Tony Allen, F-Kawhi Leonard, F-Draymond Green, C-Rudy Gobert

SECOND TEAM
G-Patrick Beverley, G-Thabo Sefolosha, F-Giannis Antetokounmpo, F-Anthony Davis, C-DeAndre Jordan

ALL NBA
FIRST TEAM
G-Russell Westbrook, G-James Harden, F-Kevin Durant, F-LeBron James, C-Anthony Davis

SECOND TEAM
G-Chris Paul, G-Kyle Lowry, F-Kawhi Leonard, F-Draymond Green, C-Marc Gasol

THIRD TEAM 
G-Stephen Curry, G-John Wall, F-Jimmy Butler, F-Giannis Antetokounmpo, C-DeMarcus Cousins

...which leads us to...

MVP: RUSSELL WESTBROOK, OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Lastly by both design and coincidence, we have the MVP; a clusterfuck of compelling narratives if ever one existed. On the fringe, there are big men with absurd stats on awful teams (Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins), pint-sized point machines (Kyle Lowry, Isaiah Thomas), a guy who's steadily ascended the league's heirarchy (Jimmy Butler), an annual contender who refuses to regress (pre-injury Chris Paul), the NBA's quietest storm (Kawhi Leonard) - and its loudest (Draymond Green), a grizzly bear (Marc Gasol), a guy who defies explanation (Giannis Antetokounmpo), and two former MVPs doing what they've always done (LeBron James & Kevin Durant).

At the center are James Harden and Russell Westbrook, whose seasons are stretching the superlative stratosphere. Deciding between these two in any regard is like pulling teeth with rusty pliers; either is a worthy winner, and for maybe the first time in my life I could accept either choice without a single debate.

Harden's been an unparalleled offensive catalyst this season. Accounting for Houston's record pace of 3-point bombs, The Beard's producing a ridiculous 56ppg in pts+assts, while both the eye test and metrics suggest his once-comical defense is improving quickly. Patrick Beverley is the only Rocket with a better defensive BPM, and Harden actually sits 15th league-wide in defensive win shares, if you believe that.

Houston being wayyy the surprise of the NBA so far only fuels his candidacy, and while it's a legitimate narrative, it's been written by many pens. As alluded to in my COY pick, the Rockets' success has been a perfect storm of variables that have slid together seamlessly; it's entirely possible (read: somewhat likely) that Harden is benefiting as much from D'Antoni's system and the players around him as vice versa. His performance is especially inspiring after a sub-par 2015-16 run, but a comeback should really hold no weight here.

If we're talking pure value, Russell Westbrook is putting up one of the most epic seasons in NBA history. His narrative is as compelling as they come: a superstar spurned in a controversial exodus, who stayed loyal to a franchise he potentially saved in the process. After Durant's departure, few could have blamed Westbrook for wanting out of OKC, but he's kept them competitive, given them hope amid desolation, and is literally doing everything for them. He's the ultimate eye test player; he never stops competing.

You want stats? Westbrook is the league's leading scorer, and on pace to shatter the all-time record for usage rate. He also leads the league in BPM (by a mile), PER and VORP, three of the main pillars of advanced metrics. Even Harden's defensive strides loom in the shadow of Russ' 4.5  DBPM, second in the entire league. That's all without even mentioning the obvious (though it's worth re-stating) that he's on pace record the NBA's 2nd triple-double average ever, and first in 55 years.

And while Harden's blissfully cruised through this season in an absolutely ideal situation, Westbrook's spent time in relative trenches, grinding out a slew of tough wins with a young roster that, while showing potential, is maligned and completely fucked without him. He doesn't get to benefit from a tailor-made offense, or perfectly complementary talent, he's just too good to be stopped anyway - both on the court in the MVP race right now.

Regards To: James Harden, Kevin Durant, LeBron James

Enjoy the second half - Banter's All-Star benches are coming soon!

Banter's 2017 NBA All-Star Starters

I usually spend this opening paragraph rattling off some semi-cliché rant about the bastardization of the All-Star selection process, tainted by the competency of the average voter (which seems to be a common issue these days).

But just as the situation reached peak popularity contest and Zaza Fucking Pachulia was about to start in an actual NBA All-Star Game, the Adam Silver Innovation Wave washed over, giving me slightly less to worry about.

Half of the voting is now comprised of ballots from the media and players, who while capable of dubiousness themselves, are generally far more sane and educated than NBA Fan X. This adjustment may just push us past the days of the Yao Ming Exception, much like the elimination of the center position on the ballot delivered us from Jamal Magloire.

The system still isn't perfect - a guy averaging a triple-double apparently isn't starter-worthy - but it's absolutely a step in the right direction. A title that will eventually help shape a player's legacy (and in some cases be used as a Hall of Fame yardstick) deserves as much respect.

With the voting in safer hands, the competition for All-Star spots has fallen into a predictable pattern this year; a facile cakewalk in the East and an absolute bloodbath out West. Who's shone brightest so far? Here are the most deserving participants, beginning with the Starters:

EAST STARTERS

G - KYLE LOWRY, TORONTO RAPTORS
Even though the Celtics are only just now finding healthy legs, the Raptors have held

court as the East's 2nd-best team, led by Lowry's sublimely efficient scoring/playmaking, and bulldog defense. Scoring a career-high 22ppg on a completely incredulous .589 eFG% (ninth in the NBA and tops among all guards), Lowry's a staple in all of the Raptors' best lineups, leading a historically-great offense. His dominance is so consistent that one of the NBA's deadliest lineups this year - simply called "Lowry + Bench", features him and four Raptors reserves.

Some misled pundits and fans have attributed Toronto's offensive ascent to Demar DeRozan's scoring spree, slotting him as a backcourt starter. But both the eye test and RPM (where Lowry sits second league-wide, to DeRozan's 114th) suggest Lowry's all-around superiority, and true vitality in the Raptors' success.


G - ISAIAH THOMAS, BOSTON CELTICS
Lowry isn't the only East guard on a torrid offensive streak. Thomas is currently dropping 28.7ppg on .537 eFG%, which is great for any guard, and outright absurd for one who's 5'9". Thomas has become a fearless neo-Iverson, only smaller and more efficient. His whirlwind attacks of the hoop keep defenses constantly guessing, and powered the Celtics through a slew of early key injuries.

Thomas may be a bit of a one-way player, but it's tough to blame a guy for defensive shortcomings (get it) when any player he faces can easily outreach or shoot over him. I'd prefer to focus on his league-leading fourth-quarter scoring, on a team currently ranked fifth in close-game win %. Thomas is a flat-out killer.

While John Wall's been sublime this season, the Wizards started off pitifully, and only recently broke the .500 barrier. Thomas has led a better, injury-hampered team all season, giving him the edge in a close race.

F - JIMMY BUTLER, CHICAGO BULLS

Things are kind of going to shit in Chicago, now that their early 3-point charade has been exposed, and the Rajon Rondo Experience has hit worst-case-scenario. While the Bulls franchise implodes around him, Butler's been his ever-stellar self; a top-tier player on both sides of the ball with an underrated killer instinct.

Despite ball-stopping and lane clogging from Wade and (before his benching) Rondo, Butler's boosted his scoring by 19% to a career-high 24.8, getting to the line far more (9.7 FTA vs 7.1 last year) and hitting a career-best .866 while there. He's also posted a noticeable career-best in rebounds, while matching his best assist numbers, doing so with peak efficiency - his 25.9 PER is good for 10th overall.

The Bulls owe Butler a great debt for being anywhere near the playoffs right now (he's third in the league in win shares; mildly anomalous on a sub-.500 team). With justice it will come in the form of better surroundings, whether in Chicago or elsewhere.

F - LEBRON JAMES, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

LeBron's write-up for an East starting spot might be the most trite, useless words I wrangle together on a yearly basis. You know why he's here, and that he has to be, and that him starting in this game has become as much an annual certainty as taxes, Christmas, and DeMarcus Cousins trade rumors.

But just so he's not taken completely for granted, let the record show Bron has resurrected his 3-point shot (.375 on 4.8 attempts vs .309 on 3.7 last year), while tying his career high rebs+assts in his 14th season.

F - GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE BUCKS

This escalated quickly. Most of us knew to brace ourselves for more exponential improvement from the Greek Freak, but he's unleashing an extinction-level event upon the NBA. He's lifted the Bucks to improbable status as a likely playoff team, while leading them in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals and field goal%. If you think that's impressive, he's also threatening to be the first player to Top-20 all those categories since nobody. Ever.

We're witnessing a revolution, it is televised (if you have League Pass or live in Wisconsin), and it literally defies adjectives. Antetokounmpo does things we've never seen before, with gazelle-like grace and Stretch Armstrong-like elasticity. He's already a historically versatile force, sits 2nd in the NBA in PER, has arguably been the East's best player so far, and - here's the fun part - is 22 years old.


WEST STARTERS

G - RUSSELL WESTBROOK, OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

There's really only so much that needs to be said here beyond "He's averaging a triple-double", but I'll entertain the explanation:

Westbrook's not only on a shocking course to contest one of sports' most untouchable records, but he's doing so as the league's leading scorer, on a team that's a mortal lock for the playoffs. Westbrook is the Thunder as they weather Kevin Durant's departure, on pace to shatter the NBA's single-season usage rate record. His offensive RPM is bested only by James Harden, while sitting fifth in overall RPM.

What he lacks in efficiency, Westbrook more than makes up for in pure omnipresence, even amid a constant defensive swarm as his team's only major threat. Bound by laws of physics and energy unfamiliar to us mere mortals, he's a thrill to watch, and a total nightmare to try and contain.

G - JAMES HARDEN, HOUSTON ROCKETS

While Harden was already essentially a point guard (and MVP candidate), his insertion into the Mike D'Antoni Stat Steroid System has produced some incredible results. The Beard is accounting for the most offense of anyone in the NBA, scoring just under 29/game while dishing a (by far) league-leading 11.7 dimes.

Pick on his defense if you will (at least he's starting to show signs), but Houston isn't about D; they're openly bad at it. They're just going to outscore you, and so far they've done it far beyond anyone's expectations, as the 3-seed out West, once projected as low-rung playoff fodder at best.

Moreyball found its apex coach, and surrounded Harden with a bounty of elite shooters - he's taken full advantage.

F - KEVIN DURANT, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

It takes a pretty darn good player to walk into a whirlwind offensive juggernaut like the Golden State Warriors, and firmly commandeer it from the two-time reigning MVP.

Durant has done just that, relegating Steph Curry's role with a sublime offensive display. Aside from performing his most efficient scoring masterpiece yet, Durant's elevated his D to arguable All-Defense contention, finally tapping into the disruption his length allows him to cause on that end.

The Warriors have undoubtedly had a couple hiccups; every alignment of superstars does while they feel each other out. But they're still the NBA's best team, and Durant's their best player, so he has to be here.

F - KAWHI LEONARD, SAN ANTONIO SPURS

It's sickening how consistent the Spurs are. In what's very much a transition season for them - as much as transition exists in San Antonio - they're still motoring along exactly where they should be; slightly behind Golden State and slightly ahead of everyone else.

Leonard, as expected, has taken on a greater offensive load, while posting an elite 28.35 PER (good for third overall), and providing the same peerless defense. Leonard's defensive RPM has taken a hit (down to a pedestrian .99 - by far a career-low) because he now shares the court with several minus defenders instead of Tim Duncan, but he still manages to post a top-10 6.22 RPM overall.

Leonard's come along steadily; gradually evolving each season to a new level of beast. He's the NBA's two-way zenith, and enough reason in himself for Pop to keep coaching in the AD (anno Duncan).

F - MARC GASOL, MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
I tried my damndest to give this spot to Anthony Davis. The Brow's put up a superlative season so far, but ultimately the Pelicans just suck a little too much.

While Gasol might seem like a homer pick by a Grizzlies fan, he's got a ton working in his favor. Memphis is sixth in the West; somewhere they have absolutely no business being, given they lost Mike Conley for 12 games, have hardly seen Chandler Parsons, and sport a new coach with a rag-tag supporting cast that was wholly unproven prior to this year.

Heaps of credit have to go to Gasol; beyond his usual all-around beastery, he's extended his range on offense, giving the Grizz the spacing they need to adapt and survive in the modern NBA. He operates outside his traditional comfort zone, moonlighting as both perimeter gunner and playmaker. The ensuing space allows Zach Randolph to operate in the post undeterred, opens cutting lanes for Tony Allen, and gives Memphis' youngsters plenty of room to breathe.

He's also been a cold-hearted murderer down the stretch in a litany of close Memphis wins, coming up with huge plays on both sides of the ball, and nailing numerous game-winners. His stats don't jump off the page like Davis', but he's as well-rounded as elite centers come, and has done as much through adjustments and clutch performances to help his team as anyone in the league this year.

Stay tuned for the reserves, coming next week!