We’re one week into the NBA season so it’s time to take our first look at who is in contention for the NBA awards, even though the sample size is small, and it is way too early to tell. Yesterday we covered the MVP-race, today we’ll be taking a look at the rest.
Rookie of the year: Kendrick Nunn (Miami Heat)
Runners up: R.J. Barrett and Ja Morant
Kendrick Nunn went undrafted last year, before being signed by the Warriors and then waived just before the season started. The Heat took a chance on him and he hasn’t looked back since. He scored 40 points in the last preseason game against the Rockets, which basically cemented a place in the rotation for him, and with Jimmy Butler out for the first 3 games of the season he got more playing time and touches and delivered there as well.
Nunn is averaging 21 points on 49% shooting and 44% from deep while going perfect from the charity stripe. He leads the rookies and the Heat in scoring while going 3-1, which gives him the edge over Barrett and Morant. Both of them have been great as well, but their play hasn’t had the same impact in the win column.
Most improved player: Devonte’ Graham (Charlotte Hornets)
Runner up: Shai-Gilgeous Alexander
The Hornets have been pretty bad to begin the season, winning one game by one point against the Bulls and suffering 3 losses by 15+ points in their first 4 games. Their bright point has been Devonte’ Graham’s improvement. The second-year player has been Charlotte’s best scorer and playmaker, averaging 17.5 points and 7.3 assists a game. He’s also shooting 44% from the field and 54% from deep.
SGA has also shown quite the improvement, but everyone knew he was a nice piece in the trade the Thunder made, which sent Paul George to the Clippers. His numbers have also seen a huge bump as he has to take on more responsibility now, but not as much as Graham’s. It will be interesting to see who’ll be able to grab this year’s MIP award.
6th man of the year: Derrick Rose (Detroit Pistons)
Runners-up: Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell
Derrick Rose has turned out to be a fantastic pickup for the Pistons. The former MVP is averaging 21.5 points on 55/50/94 shooting. His impact off the bench has been huge, definitely since Reggie Jackson has been a huge disappointment as the starting point guard. He’s been their best scorer and playmaker, and his numbers would be even better if he didn’t have an off night against the Pacers in their last game, scoring just 10 points on 4/16 shooting. However, even in that game he managed to come up huge, as he scored the go-ahead basket to win them the game.
It looks like it’s only a matter of time before Rose gets pushed to a starting role, which makes it even more likely that one of the Clippers’ guys will get it. Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell have both been exceptional to start the season, but Rose gets the edge as he has similar numbers, but in less minutes played (and because the Pistons aren’t stacked like crazy).
Defensive player of the year: Patrick Beverley (Los Angeles Clippers)
It’s easy to see why Patrick Beverley is the defensive player of the year. Simply put, he’s a dog and a pest to play against. He has put the clamps on everyone except Devin Booker, which happens to be their only loss this season. Beverley’s defense is an instrumental part to the Clippers’ success. He causes so many turnovers and offensive fouls while frustrating his opponents.
Judging candidates for DPOY is difficult after one game, because as a defender you depend on the player you’re guarding, and not everyone has played against very tough offensive players. But what Beverley did to LeBron James in the season opener and then again against Stephen Curry the next game warrants this pick.
Courtside 