Banter's 2015-16 NBA Awards

With the regular season running on fumes and all but one playoff spot decided, now seems like a pretty safe time to roll out my selections for this season's NBA hardware; before I read a bunch of analysts' picks and have my objectivity poisoned by groupthink.

This year's awards offered contests from every end of the spectrum: a few very competitive battles, an impasse of reluctant mediocrity, and two outright romps. So who takes home the hardware? Envelopes please...

All Rookie Teams:
First- G-D'Angelo Russell, G-Devin Booker, F-Kristaps Porgingis, F-Jahlil Okafor, C- Karl-Anthony Towns
Second: G-Emmanuel Mudiay, G-Jonathon Simmons, F-Justise Winslow, F-Myles Turner, C- Nikola Jokic

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS
The ROY race started off as an intriguing three-headed argument that Towns eventually left in his dust. While Kristaps Porzingis could've easily taken it most seasons, Towns was nothing short of historic. He beasted through Sam Mitchell's stubborn refusal to play him more than 30 mpg most of the season, putting up per-36 numbers frighteningly similar to Tim Duncan's landmark rookie year, only demonstrating greater range and athleticism.

It's very seldom that you can watch a guy play for one season and say "If he doesn't get hurt, he's going to be a Hall of Famer". You can with Towns. This should be unanimous, even among what's shaping up to be a rookie class for the ages.
Regards To: Kristaps Porzingis, Jahlil Okafor, Nikola Jokic

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: CJ MCCOLLUM
This award was a doozy, with a bunch of guys putting up monster years in MIP context. Jae Crowder came somewhat out of left field, becoming one of the NBA's most coveted 3-&-D guys. Draymond Green doubled down on last year's 2nd-place Most Improved finish, taking another, bolder, leap to MVP candidate and statistical unicorn. Speaking of MVPs and 2nd place, that's very likely where Steph Curry will wind up in this year's voting, escalating his dominance to a realm beyond our familiarity.

Those cases notwithstanding, McCollum's all-around explosion is just too much to ignore, regardless of his increased minutes or opportunity. The leap he made in scoring itself - from 7 to 21 ppg - is seismic enough that only a single player (Dale Ellis) has eclipsed it in the MIP's thirty-year history. Then also consider McCollum's doubled his steals, doubled his rebounds, and quadrupled his assists, while improving his shooting across the board. The Blazers' supremely unlikely run to the playoffs is another feather in his cap, and rounds out one of the most compelling Most Improved arguments we've ever seen.
Regards To: Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jae Crowder

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: EVAN TURNER

A year of "What-Ifs" for this award. The only reason there's a discussion at all is because Hassan Whiteside is ineligible by a slim margin. Then there was Jrue Holiday, who was brilliant when healthy, but seldom healthy. Zach Randolph was an emerging candidate, but Memphis' injury onslaught ruined his bid. Enes Kanter put up an astonishing top-10 PER season, but I can't in good conscience disregard that he also ranked 446th in defensive real plus-minus.

Nobody really screams "winner" this year. My desperate search for a worthy 6MOY came down to five players: Jeremy Lin, Jamal Crawford, Ryan Anderson, Evan Turner and Will Barton; none of whom had stellar seasons, but any of whom could realistically win this award.

My vote goes to Turner by the narrowest of margins, for his all-around impact and feisty two-way play on one of this season's more deserving teams.
Regards To: Will Barton, Ryan Anderson, Jamal Crawford

COACH OF THE YEAR: BRAD STEVENS
This award was way too close to call this year, with so many coaches putting up very compelling arguments: Gregg Popovich steered the Spurs on a historic pace with a new identity. Terry Stotts shockingly jump-started Portland's rebuild by two or three years. Dave Joerger weathered a historic number of injuries to lead Memphis into the playoffs with a D-League roster. Rick Carlisle kept the Mavs competitive with a plethora of factors stacked against him. Dwane Casey made the most of his defensive upgrades, presiding over the Raptors' unlikely Best Season Ever. And if one person had coached the Warriors for the whole season, we wouldn't even be having this debate.

Stevens grabs the COY nod for two reasons: The first being, simply, he's the total package as a coach. He's an X's and O's ace, who's relentlessly creative with lineups and who players like and play hard for. The second is that, unlike so many others, his success has come with a team that wasn't really built to win. Boston's current state is very much that of a rebuild; a franchise stockpiling assets and playing up the trade value of guys who don't necessarily fit together or into the Celtics' long-term plans. Stevens is just too good for his team to tank through the motions, though I doubt many Boston fans will mind.
Regards To: Terry Stotts, Gregg Popovich, Dave Jeorger

All-Defense Teams:
First: G-Kyle Lowry, G-Chris Paul, F-Kawhi Leonard, F-Draymond Green, C-Rudy Gobert
Second: G-Tony Allen, G-Jimmy Butler, F-Paul George, F-Paul Millsap, C-Hassan Whiteside

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: KAWHI LEONARD
I'm no stranger to the concept of selective plays in fantasy basketball, but never before have I just benched players all season against a particular opponent in outright fear. That's more or less what happened this year with Leonard, and it played very seldom to my regret.

Draymond Green deserves a lot of credit for punishing anyone who entered his realm, and making the DPOY a tough call for the second year in a row. But Leonard is just too consistent; too automatic.

Picking one over the other statistically is splitting hairs; Green and Leonard are both among the league leaders in key defensive metrics, with each holding an edge. Draymond's intensity and versatility on D give him a leg up, but Kawhi ultimately lands a haymaker case as the resident stopper on a team that completely pummeled the NBA defensively this year. Another very close call between these two.
Regards To: Draymond Green, Rudy Gobert, Kyle Lowry

All-NBA Teams:
First: G-Stephen Curry, G-Chris Paul, F-LeBron James, F-Kawhi Leonard, C-DeMarcus Cousins
Second: G-Russell Westbrook, G-Kyle Lowry, F-Kevin Durant, F-Draymond Green, C- Anthony Davis
Third: G-Damian Lillard, G-James Harden, F-Paul George, F-Paul Millsap, C-Andre Drummond

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: STEPHEN CURRY

You were expecting Ty Lawson?

This was in the bag months ago. What Curry did to the NBA this year was ruthless and unfair; dominating at an unheard-of rate, displaying unseen range and handles, breaking records about as casually as (in)humanly possible.

Even more so than Towns' ROY win, Curry's should be unanimous here; he was the best player in the NBA this year beyond any reasonable doubt, and hopefully the ballots will reflect as such. To any "voter" that disagrees and tries to weave a biased dissenting narrative, please hand in your press pass.
Regards To: Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Chris Paul 

Banter's Halftime Awards

We're just about in the middle of the NBA season, with every team at or across the 41-game Halftime threshold. While the All-Star Break won't happen for a few weeks, this is as good a time as any to check up on who's making moves for the league's end-of-season awards. Here are Banter's picks for the first half:

Rookie of the Half: Karl-Anthony Towns

Not even three full months in, the 2015 Draft Class is already looking like a smash. Three of the top four picks are probable-to-certain future All-Stars, and a number of players from all over the board are flashing skills and contributing regularly.

But among all the early hype, Towns has been delivering a rookie season for the books: 15.5/9.5/1.7 in just 29 minutes per game (to contrast, as rookies, Alonzo Mourning averaged 34, Hakeem Olajuwon 35.5, and Tim Duncan just under 40). Towns is a consistent two-way bull who delivers the trifecta of currently-coveted NBA big men skills (floor-running, shooting range and rim protection), while at 85% from the charity stripe is already tied w/ teammate Gorgui Dieng to lead all centers.

Plenty of the names that got called last June sound like they might ring out in years to come, but Towns' already does. Very loudly.

Regards To: Kristaps Porzingis, Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Barksdale Russell

All-Rookie Teams
First: G-D'Angelo Russell, G-Devin Booker, F-Kristaps Porzingis, F/C-Jahlil Okafor, C-Karl-Anthony Towns

Second: G-Emmanuel Mudiay, G-Jonathon Simmons, F-Stanley Johnson, F-Bobby Portis, C-Nikola Jokic

Most Improved Player of the Half: CJ McCollum

A lot of guys are making noise for this award, and it's not all from the usual places. Jae Crowder has come semi-out of nowhere to become a highly coveted 3-and-D wing. Draymond Green - last year's runner up - took an unlikely step from fringe All-Star to fringe MVP candidate. And speaking of MVPs, last year's winner is very much in the race for this year's Most Improved, which is maybe the ultimate testament to just how badly Steph Curry is crushing the NBA right now.

But beyond the compelling narratives worn by Green and Curry, McCollum is delivering a textbook MIP campaign that can't be ignored. Obviously the offseason exodus from Portland left huge voids to be filled in the Blazers' lineup, but CJ's responded by tripling his scoring average to over 20ppg, while doubling his rebounding output and more than quadrupling his assists. He's maintained identical shooting clips from the field and on threes through his vastly increased volume, and is shooting a full 10% better from the line (just under 80%). Lots of people expected a leap from him, but McCollum's blown up bigger, sooner than just about anyone saw coming.

Regards To: Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, Jae Crowder

Coach of the Half: Luke Walton

I have no patience for the nonsense about Walton not being credited for the Warriors' wins; far as I see it if he can win Coach of the Month, he can win Coach of the Half. Nor do I think it's valid to hold the ease of coaching the Warriors against him in deciding this award; the ease of playing with them didn't seem to hurt Steph Curry much in last year's MVP race.

Here's an interim coach charged with meeting the sky-high expectations of not only defending the NBA Championship, but silencing the many doubters - media, players and owners alike - who emerged around the league in the months since. He's piloted a roster that's already dealt with more injury issues than all of last season, steering them on course for the best record in NBA history - which is pretty much a benchmark for an automatic COY.

Regards To: Gregg Popovich, Rick Carlisle, Stan Van Gundy

Sixth Man of the Half: Ryan Anderson 

Tough call here. Especially since none of the contenders are putting up Must-Win seasons, and I find it really hard to reward someone on the Pelicans, who've been a gross disappointment. Yes, I know, they started off the season hurt. Everyone's heard that violin. But the Pels have had Tyreke Evans back for 20 games; Jrue Holiday's been back to full duty. They're still 13 games under .500 in a conference where many teams are reeling. They also bafflingly traded away Ish Smith.

But it wouldn't really be fair to punish Anderson for the Pelicans' organizational misfortune; bouncing back from a stretch marred by both serious injury and personal tragedy, to basically become his old self again. With retro-Anderson shooting %'s and a per-36 scoring clip on par with his career high (and a dispiriting lack of growth from Anthony Davis), he's been perhaps the lone consistent bright spot on the Pelicans' roster.

It's tough to say what the second half will bring for Anderson's viability - with his name appearing constantly in trade rumors and Zach Randolph possibly qualifying for the award - but for now he's got the top spot among sixth men.

Regards To: Victor Oladipo, Will Barton, Zach Randolph

Defensive Player of the Half: Kawhi Leonard

It's hard to say whether Leonard will pull off the DPOY double-dip; history certainly isn't on his side.You'd have to go back to 1984 and Sidney Moncrief - the award's first winner - as the only perimeter player ever to repeat.

That said, Kawhi's a transcendent defensive player, spearheading a team that is just crippling the league on D this season. He could make history, and should, as he's far and away the best defender in the NBA right now. I've legitimately stopped playing my fantasy teams' swingmen against San Antonio.

Regards To: Draymond Green, Kyle Lowry, Hassan Whiteside

All-Defense Teams
First: G-Kyle Lowry, G-Tony Allen, F-Kawhi Leonard, F-Draymond Green, C-Hassan Whiteside

Second: G-Chris Paul, G-Jimmy Butler, F-Anthony Davis, F-Serge Ibaka, C-DeAndre Jordan

MVP of the Half: Stephen Curry 

Obviously Steph Curry is on an island right now in terms of the MVP race, we can just get that out of the way. Instead of waxing poetic or dropping rhetorical stats about all the ways Curry is revolutionizing basketball right now, let's instead hypothetically imagine (god forbid) he were to bust his ankle tomorrow and be out until til the playoffs. Who then emerges as the favorite?

Chris Paul - Had a shaky, turnover-heavy start to the season, but has been absolutely dominant for a Clippers team that's completely turned its season around despite the absence of Blake Griffin (who himself was an MVP candidate prior to his injury).

Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook - The Thunder are starting to roll with Durant healthy and Westbrook doing Westbrook things, but regardless of how high they lift OKC, they're likely to sabotage each other's chances here.

LeBron James - Kept the Cavs safely atop the East through Kyrie's absence with the usual LeBron stat-stuffing we've come to take for granted (although note that he's shooting a rancid 29% on four three-pointers/game).

Kawhi Leonard - He's slowly swimming out to Curry Island. With every passing game, the Spurs solidify themselves as a historic regular-season team perhaps on par with Golden State. And Kawhi's dominance on both ends can't be ignored. Easily the NBA's best defender and flirting with a 50/50/90 (a mark nobody has ever hit for a season), for a team on pace to win 71 games with the best net rating ever.

But give Curry credit where it's due, he was already on top of the basketball world, then took flight up into the ether. We may only be halfway, but it seems like barring that hypothetical injury, he may not be brought down.

Regards To: Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook 

All-NBA Teams
First: G-Stephen Curry, G-Russell Westbrook, F-LeBron James, F-Kawhi Leonard, C-DeMarcus Cousins

Second: G-Chris Paul, G-Jimmy Butler, F-Draymond Green, F-Kevin Durant, C-Pau Gasol

Third: G-Kyle Lowry, G-John Wall, F-Paul George, F-Anthony Davis, C-Andre Drummond

That's all for now - check back next week as we try and make sense of this mess called "All Star Voting".

One Month In: Thoughts on the Early NBA Season

It's hard to know exactly what to make of this 2015-16 NBA season thus far.

A few things are clear:

The Lakers are a total Autobahn crash. Towns, Okafor and Porzingod are for real. Paul George may have missed an entire season, but hasn't missed a beat. Trying to box out Andre Drummond is a futile effort. Trying to figure out the Sacramento Kings is too. A defensive-minded coach was a good fit for Orlando. Lance Stephenson wasn't a good fit for the Clippers. You should never count out Dirk Nowitzki and Rick Carlisle. And most notably, it is a very, extremely, unfathomably stupid idea to piss off Chef Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

But lurking beyond is a murky quagmire of uncertainty that's yet to settle from the season's initial impact:

The Bucks seemed destined for a mini-leap and are now in mini-panic mode. The Rockets seemed destined to contend and are well into complete panic mode. The Clippers are baring a troubling resemblance to their Staples Center roommates. The Pacers are 3rd in the East. The Wizards are last in their division. The East is experiencing a dynamic power struggle for the right to lose to Cleveland in the Conference Finals, and what was once thought to be a clear West playoff picture now looks about as well-defined as Oliver Miller's arm fat.

Sifting through the madness, here are a few random takes from the season thus far:

STATE OF WAR:
Getting the obvious out of the way; Golden State is completely crushing the NBA right now; off to by far the hottest start in league history, and seriously threatening to notch hi-scores for both longest win streak and best record ever.

That they're doing this is remarkable, but perhaps not entirely surprising. The Warriors were historically great last year, got to benefit from an unaltered roster, several guys who hadn't hit their ceilings yet, and listened to far too many morons crow about how they "got lucky" in the playoffs. For perhaps the first time ever, the champs came back with something to prove, and have served up a cold reminder of how golden silence can be.

- On a related note, the fact that Luke Walton can win Coach of the Month, but isn't getting credit for his victories on the Dubs' bench is one of the most ass-backward things I've seen in ages.

- How happy are the 5-15 Pelicans that they don't have to worry about Anthony Davis bolting for at least another five years?

LEAST NO MORE?
- Since Michael Jordan's 2nd Retirement (that just feels like a proper noun), the West has more or less dominated the NBA's balance of power. Sure, the Heat, Pistons and Celtics snuck in for a few titles, but the East has unquestionably been the weaker of the two conferences, accounting for both overall depth, and the several seasons where the title was effectively decided in the West Finals.

This season is so far suggesting an unlikely shift in that balance (the West was supposed to be better than ever this year), with the East's top 10 teams all above .500 for the first time in an eternity, and the 8-10 Wolves holding down the 8-seed out West. And this isn't just a result of the West roughing each other up. As I write this, 11 of the East's 15 teams have winning records cross-conference, including (gasp!) The Knicks.

There are many factors working against the West in this instant: The Warriors are beating the shit out of everybody. Several elite talents (Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, DeMarcus Cousins) have missed time early. The Rockets and Pelicans have gotten off to complete nightmare starts. The Grizzlies' first two weeks were nothing to write home about either. And the Blazers diiiid just lose five of their six best players.

Some of these things are bound to shift back to the Left Coast, but don't discount the possibility that - with so much money available to every NBA team next summer - this might be signaling a trend towards greater league parity.

- Watching Luis Scola in 60-70% of on-court situations is like seeing that guy at a bar who's like 20-30 years too old to be at said bar.

- Conversely, for all the talk of Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan's agelessness, Pau Gasol, at 35 - especially given all the international mileage he's clocked - is still such a beast.

- "They got Lawson for nothing" they said. "What's the worst that could happen??" they said...

HORNETS ABUZZ
One of the season's biggest early surprises has been Charlotte's wholly unlikely ascension to Legit Offense status, riding a balanced attack (six players averaging double-figures) to a robust 102 ppg - good for sixth in the league.

One obvious attribution is swapping in Nic Batum for Michael Kidd Gilchrist, who despite his defensive brilliance was limited on the other end, especially far from the hoop. Defenders were often able to sag off MKG, into the paint against Al Jefferson post-ups and Kemba Walker slashes. Not only does Batum's range prevent that, he's bluntly a far more-rounded offensive player. The Hornets also benefit from the addition of The Jeremys - Lin and Lamb - giving a pulse to a bench that sorely lacked a consistent scorer (unless you're counting the 13 games Mo Williams came off it).

This is all happening with Al Jefferson scoring fewer points than he has in almost a decade, which is a nice insurance policy for the Hornets in case of an injury/mismatch.

- To the suckers like me who took Nerlens Noel with your 2nd-round fantasy pick this year, my condolences.

- If Steph Curry ever allows the MVP Race to become a thing, Kawhi Leonard's looking like a very viable contender.

NEW EDITION
This year's rookie crop has produced encouraging early results, with the positive bolstered by the Towns/Okafor/Porzingis trio that are going to make Rookie of the Year a very fun race.


Okafor's endured some early-season um, turmoil, but looks every bit as good as advertised, with much more of an NBA body than he rocked last year (sidebar, to the guy(s) he banged out in Boston: you got what you had coming). Towns (who still likely has the highest ceiling of the three) might already be the best player in the Draft, and Porzingis (who figured to be a long-term prospect) is already an athletic multi-skilled asset with an impressive highlight resume (sorry LaMarcus).

Towns was my preseason pick, and despite the close margins (and his recent minutes cut), I still feel like he's the safest pick. He plays a sustainable, consistent game and is probably the least likely of these guys to hit the dreaded "Rookie Wall". But credit Porzingis; he's won over everyone from me to La La Anthony, and brought a badly-needed boost of optimism and excitement to the Knicks.

- The hypothetical 'Comeback Player of the Year' award would be an interesting sweat this year.

- And finally, one player who isn't coming back:

Kobe Bryant played his final game in his hometown this week, having recently announced his retirement after what will be two full decades in the NBA. It was a sobering reminder of the mileage and injuries he's endured over those years; watching him try and channel the player he used to be. He shot 7-26, meekly launching jumpers as the Lakers became the first team this season to suck more than the Sixers for 48 minutes.

As legendary a player as he was (we're talking - bar none - one of the ten best basketball players ever to walk the Earth), he couldn't dominate forever. The decision to hang it up must've been the hardest moment of Kobe's life (and yes, I'm counting this); not only a sociopathic competitor, but someone whose passion for the game was truly unparalleled - to the point of it alienating many who played with him.

Basketball has been Kobe Bryant's life. He walked, talked, ate, slept, showered, and breathed it. Through all the comparisons between Kobe and Jordan, the biggest difference between the two might've been that Kobe never, ever, in a million years would have quit to play another sport at the peak of his powers. He loved the game way too much.

For one of the most legendarily narcissistic egos in sports history to finally break down and admit he's no longer got it - consummating a divorce more painful for him than Colorado could've caused - is significant. An NBA without Kobe will take some getting used to; he was not only the closest thing to Jordan we might ever see, but a polarizing and fascinating persona. Instead of dwell on his somewhat lackluster exit from the league, let's remember the good times:      

Banter's 2015-16 NBA Preview: Part III - The Hardware

Now that you've endured me blabbering on about every team's season prognosis for several thousand words, we get to the fun part: the awards; the hardware; the glory.

What follows are Banter's predictions for the NBA's All-Stars, awards, and playoff results. These picks are more or less who I believe will be selected, more so than who should be. It's tough to completely compartmentalize that bias when making these predictions, but I'll try.

Before we get to that madness, a brief pause to acknowledge the passing of T-Wolves' Coach/GM Flip Saunders; a longtime and widely-beloved NBA fixture who tragically lost a battle with cancer at age 60. Thoughts are definitely with the Wolves and Saunders family during this tough time; Flip will be missed.

And so, without further ado...

EAST ALL-STARS:

STARTERS: G- John Wall, G- Kyrie Irving, F- LeBron James, F- Carmelo Anthony, F- Pau Gasol

BENCH: G- Jeff Teague, G- Jimmy Butler, F- Chris Bosh, F- Paul Millsap, F- Kevin Love, WC- Kyle Lowry, WC- Paul George

WEST ALL-STARS:STARTERS: G- Steph Curry, G- Chris Paul, F- Kevin Durant, F- Anthony Davis, F- Marc Gasol

BENCH: G- James Harden, G- Russell Westbrook, F- Blake Griffin, F- Kawhi Leonard, F- DeMarcus Cousins, WC- LaMarcus Aldridge, WC- Klay Thompson

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
This is going to be a pretty interesting race this year. Myles Turner could blow up. D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay will both be thrust into the spotlight as contribution-heavy starters. Jahlil Okafor has an NBA-ready game, vying for the one award where team success has (or should have) no bearing at all.

That said, Towns is a total bully on the block who might have most NBA-suited body we've seen on a rookie in years. He'll be stuffed into a low-expectation, high-upside unit where he'll be able to contribute from Day 1 without any fear of a short leash. His energy and physicality suggest he's a very unlikely candidate to hit the 'rookie wall', and every scout who's seen him play at length is very high on him. Time to make Flip proud.
Contenders: Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay, Myles Turner

All-Rookie Teams: First- G- D'Angelo Russell, G- Emmanuel Mudiay, F- Stanley Johnson, F- Karl-Anthony Towns, C- Jahlil Okafor

Second- G- Jerian Grant, G- Justise Winslow, F- Trey Lyles, F- Mario Hezonja, C- Myles Turner

COACH OF THE YEAR: Who Knows
Trying to predict this award is a painfully futile process. The winner usually winds up coaching a team that defied or exceeded expectations (and therefore wasn't a logical prediction pick). If the team was supposed to be good, that usually somehow counts as a strike against Coach X (which is totally counterintuitive but I digress..). Place your bets and hope for the best.
Contenders: Gregg Popovich, Brad Stevens, Jason Kidd, Fred Hoiberg

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
Early indications out of Chicago are that Fred Hoiberg favors a Gasol-Mirotic frontline that spaces the floor in the trendy NBA offensive setup. If this holds true, Noah would have to be the favorite for Sixth Man, as a high-energy menace off the bench who could see minutes at both 4 and 5.

I'm predicting Noah will bounce back after an off year in which he seemed visibly burnt out by the Tom Thibodeau Grind. With Thibs out the door, Noah - who doesn't know how to take a possession off - will get to pick his spots a little better and play with max energy and primacy more consistently.

If he remains a reserve this award might be a wrap, but a reclamation of his starting spot could open the door up for...
Contenders: Isaiah Thomas, Ryan Anderson, Dennis Schroder, Nikola Mirotic


MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: CJ McCollum, Portland Trailblazers
The reality of this award is that its definition warps from season-to-season on a strangely arbitrary basis. Its nature also defies predictions to a large extent because it appeals to the unexpected. So I'm fully expecting my prediction here to backfire, but McCollum - who was red-hot during the post and pre-season - will have ample opportunity to make his mark.

He should be starting by December, and will be able to take advantage of a decimated Blazers roster that's short on any kind of consistent offensive backup for Damian Lillard. McCollum was always touted as an NBA-ready draft prospect, but had his first two seasons derailed by injuries and heavy competition for minutes. Both those factors - along with expectations for Portland - are gone, leaving all the pieces in place for a serious MIP push.
Contenders: Bradley Beal, Meyers Leonard, Nicolas Batum, Elfrid Payton

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
This just feels like a slow train coming, albeit not that slowly. Davis is an otherworldly defensive freak in the pivot, the likes of which the NBA hasn't seen since Hakeem Olajuwon (all apologies to Ben Wallace). He put up eye-popping numbers last year, most of which he played as a 21 year-old.

Now give him another year of growth (both physicality and ability terms), and shift him from a team that played at a glacial pace to one that's going to run more than Forrest Gump. Simply put, Davis' raw statistics are going to be unfathomable this year; it's hard to place a ceiling on what he might do. Beyond that, his versatility as a big man is unparalleled; he's mobile enough to chase larger wings and stretch bigs, while closing out on jump shooters and pick & rolls better than pretty much anyone.

With all the trendy focus on defensive metrics, there's sure to be plenty of convoluted arguments for a variety of players, but I'm thinking Davis at fully-spread wings will be too much to ignore.
Contenders: Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Serge Ibaka

All-Defensive Teams: First- G- Chris Paul, G- Tony Allen, F- Kawhi Leonard, F- Anthony Davis, C- Rudy Gobert

Second- G- Mike Conley, G- Jimmy Butler, F- Draymond Green, F- Serge Ibaka, C- Andrew Bogut


MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Ya, I've got Davis doing the double-dip this year. Instead of go on about why he should win MVP this year, instead let's talk about why all the other contenders probably won't:

Steph Curry: Won an insanely-competitive MVP race last year in surprisingly-decisive fashion (#GroupThink). This was mostly due to the Warriors' dominance of a conference that's highly-unlikely to yield another 67-win team (since the rest of its Top 5 all improved noticeably in the offseason).

James Harden: Last year's runner-up as an all-around stat monster. He'll still be a killer this year, but will be slightly less of an omnipresent force for Houston with Ty Lawson alongside him and a healthier frontcourt. His numbers should dip accordingly, bringing his MVP case with them.

LeBron James: Unless Cleveland absolutely pummels the East this year (and teams "playing for June" like the Cavs seldom do), it's going to be tough to give LeBron a nod. He knows he's the best player alive and is likely spending most of the regular season on relative cruise control as he inches further into his 30's.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook: Are likely to cancel each other out this year. There's a reason why Shaq & Kobe only have one MVP each.

Of course some other unknown contender might throw his hat into the ring, but at this point it would be foolish to bet against Davis on a healthier team, with a better coach, and the "His Time is Now" narrative likely to fuel lots of subconscious motivation in the minds of voters. The Pelicans will need a rival injury to crack the West's top-6, but Davis is going to be good enough to seriously challenge the notion that the MVP has to come from a contender.

All-NBA Teams: First- G- Stephen Curry, G- James Harden, F- LeBron James, F- Anthony Davis, C- Marc Gasol

Second- G- Russell Westbrook, G- Chris Paul, F- Kawhi Leonard, F- Kevin Durant, C- DeMarcus Cousins


Third- G- John Wall, G- Jimmy Butler, F- Paul George, F- Blake Griffin, C- Al Horford

PLAYOFFS:
East Finals: Cavs over Bulls
West Finals: Spurs over Warriors

NBA CHAMPION: Cleveland Cavaliers
Ya. There it is. I'm going against the grain of the West's clear superiority, if for no other reason than it's going to be toughest conference ever to escape intact in the playoffs. These teams are going to beat the living shit out of each other over a plethora of seven-game series, while the Cavs could walk rested and untested to a Finals where they'll (odds are heavy) be healthier than last year when LeBron came within two games of winning a title with Tristan Thompson as his 2nd-best player. They'll have continuity and more experience on their side as well (remember last year was both Love and Irving's first trip to the postseason), not having to work a new roster together on the fly throughout the season. LeBron's lost his last two trips to the Finals, and much like the last time, I don't see him standing for a third.

That's it for the Preview kids, it's time for the 2015-16 NBA season to unfold...