Kevin Pelton Awards picks: Kawhi 4th MVP, not Top 3 DPOY, Pop 2nd COY..

[spursistan]

MVP PICK COLUMN



All Defensive Teams:
http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/stor...dy-gobert-more

All the attention on this season's MVP race has obscured an equally impressive battle on the ballot. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert have both submitted seasons worthy of winning Defensive Player of the Year honors, and have done so with styles that highlight new and old ways to dominate defensively.

The 7-foot-1 Gobert, aka the Stifle Tower, aka the French Rejection, is the traditional force protecting the rim. According to SportVU tracking data on NBA.com/Stats, Gobert has defended the most shots inside 5 feet of any player (10.2 per game) while also allowing the lowest percentage of anyone who has faced at least 400 such shots.

Right behind Gobert in terms of opponent shooting at the rim? Green, who has faced fewer shots inside 5 feet (7.1 per game) because he's equally capable of chasing the NBA's new-wave stretch 4s around the perimeter.

Both Green's Warriors (second) and Gobert's Jazz (third) are among the NBA's top defensive teams on a per-possession basis. So who's the pick?

Using a combination of scouting and the limited defensive statistics that are available, I've made my selection for DPOY along with the rest of my All-Defensive teams, chosen by position.

Point guard

First team: Chris Paul, LA Clippers

Typically, defensive metrics such as ESPN's real plus-minus favor big men because they tend to have more defensive value, while perimeter players are better offensively. That makes it remarkable that Paul's plus-3.1 defensive RPM ranks 18th in the league, far and away the best for any full-time guard.

The Clippers have defended at an elite rate with Paul on the court, allowing 101.5 points per 100 possessions, which would rank third in the league.

Second team: Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets

Beverley has proclaimed himself "the best defender in the league" this season, which is tough to justify given the superior defensive value of big men. But he certainly might be the best at his position, though I gave Paul the slight edge. Beverley is the league's premier irritant, making life miserable for opponents and hampering opponents' efficiency.

Honorable Mention: Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans; Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves; Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics

Holiday's shot blocking and size have been key components of an underrated Pelicans defense this season.

My first team choice last season, Rubio, slipped a bit defensively in 2016-17 but remains a top-tier thief.

And Smart is the NBA's second-greatest irritant -- after Beverley -- and capable of defending bigger opponents.

Shooting guard:

First team: Andre Roberson, Oklahoma City Thunder

While Roberson slid to small forward after Kevin Durant's departure, he still takes the opposition's best wing scorer, and sometimes even point guards. A power forward in college, Roberson has become an exceptional one-on-one stopper who still uses his interior instincts as a shot blocker.

Second team: Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs

Overshadowed by playing alongside two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard, Green is an outstanding defender in his own right who uses long arms to hamper the vision of smaller opponents. Like Roberson, Green is a fine shot blocker with a unique knack for stopping multiple players as the lone man back on a fast break.

Honorable Mention: Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies; Thabo Sefolosha, Atlanta Hawks; Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

The absence of Avery Bradley, widely considered the NBA's best one-on-one perimeter defender, will surely stand out. Bradley has played just 50 games this season, and the Celtics have defended just as well without him. With Bradley's lack of box-score production and plus/minus impact, I'm not sure his ability to frustrate opponents is translating at the team level on a consistent basis.

Allen, a fixture on the All-Defensive teams, has lost a half-step at 35. I might still pick him if I just needed one stop, though.

Allen and Sefolosha are the top thieves among shooting guards and Sefolosha's size makes him effective at both wing spots.

Like Bradley, Thompson leaves few traces of his defensive value in the box score. Unlike Bradley and the Celtics, Thompson's team consistently defends better with him on the court.

Even with an increased offensive burden, Kawhi Leonard remains one of the league's best defensive forces. David Richard/USA TODAY Sports
Small forward

First team: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Leonard's defense hasn't been up to his DPOY standard over the full course of the 2016-17 season, but in crunch time there's nobody you'd rather have matched up with the league's top scorers. As ESPN's Tom Haberstroh recently explored, Leonard seems to be able to rip the ball away from opposing players at will.

And pay no mind to his middling defensive RPM, which is partially a product of opponent shooting that is largely out of Leonard's control.

Second team: Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers

Covington's early 3-point slump obscured how well he was playing defensively. Previously better against power forwards, Covington has worked to develop the footwork necessary to defend wings and even point guards.

No small forward better combines steals and blocked shots and Covington's defensive RPM is easily the best at the position.

Honorable Mention: Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Hornets; Luc Mbah a Moute, LA Clippers

After taking a step back as he developed into a top scorer last season, Butler has truly been a two-way standout this season.

Kidd-Gilchrist's return has made the Hornets' starting five elite defensively. (Their bench, not so much.)

Mbah a Moute has proven the best complement for the Clippers' four longtime starters thanks in large part of his ability to defend multiple spots.

Small forward might be the league's deepest defensive position, so despite putting some 3s at shooting guard I'm left with no room for Trevor Ariza of the Rockets, Jae Crowder of the Celtics or Kevin Durant of the Warriors.

Power forward:

First team and Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

For most of the season, I've been expecting to select Gobert for Defensive Player of the Year. But Green won me over with his defense after Kevin Durant was injured. Like everyone else, I expected the Warriors to miss Durant on defense. Instead, they have the league's lowest defensive rating since his injury. Over that span, Golden State has allowed 96.3 points per 100 possessions with Green on the court, 10.6 fewer than league average.


Second team: Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

Millsap is something of Draymond Lite. Like Green, he offers the athleticism to defend small forwards playing down a position with the strength necessary to battle in the paint. Millsap isn't quite the same rim protector and doesn't force as many steals, but he's become an excellent defender.

Honorable Mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks; James Johnson, Miami Heat; PJ Tucker, Toronto Raptors

Antetokounmpo's length and athleticism have made him a rim-protecting presence; only Kristaps Porzingis blocks shots more frequently among players who primarily play forward.

Johnson's strength allows him to defend taller opponents, and he's got the ability to switch on guards after drastically transforming his body under the guidance of the Heat's athletic training staff.

Tucker is nominally a small forward but emerged as Phoenix's best option against high-scoring 4s and has continued to play that role at times since his trade to Toronto.

Center:

First team: Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

Yes, everyone knows Gobert is a great rim protector. In the modern NBA, however, that's not enough to be a great defender. Roy Hibbert has actually held opponents to a similar percentage around the rim this season, but can't get off the bench for the Denver Nuggets (who have some of the NBA's worst rim protection) because of his other limitations.

So while Gobert might not be as versatile as Green defensively -- nobody is -- give him credit for being capable of playing the pick-and-roll multiple ways and contributing even when defending stretch 5s.

Second team: Dwight Howard, Atlanta Hawks

Surprisingly, the Hawks have remained a top-five defense with Millsap sidelined since mid-March. (Offense has been another story altogether.) Much of that credit has to go to Howard, who has been more mobile defensively after battling injuries in recent years.

While he's no longer close to the DPOY force he once was, Howard has played far more minutes than most of the league's other top defensive centers, giving him the nod for second-team honors.

Honorable Mention: Dewayne Dedmon, San Antonio Spurs; Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers; Amir Johnson, Boston Celtics

The Spurs' defense hasn't missed a beat without the retired Tim Duncan, and the infusion of athleticism Dedmon has provided in the paint has been a key.

Embiid was as dominant defensively during his limited playing time as anyone in the league, holding opponents to a lower percentage around the rim than Gobert. But it's tough to justify putting him on an All-Defensive team based on 786 minutes. (Rookie of the Year might be a different story.)

Johnson is one of the league's most underappreciated defenders, an old-school brawler in the paint who also has enough mobility to crossmatch with Al Horford at times against stretch 4s.

- Gotta love that Myers pick for Exec of the year. Yeah that took a lot of convincing when you have the most weak-minded superstar in the history of the league holding prayers during the Finals while rooting for GS loss so he can make an alltime gutless move seems more palatable..And then you have bunch of ring chasers flocking in to get on the gravy train in what essentially been pushing at open doors offseason for Myers..

Dennis Lindsey (Utah) or Morey (Rockets) deserve to get that award more than him..

[TheGreatYacht]

What a joke

#1 defense and no Top 3 DPOY candidates?

Curry over Wall?

Iggy and his 7ppg, 6MOY?

Lebron #2 in MVP race despite leading his team to a record worse than the Nets post ASB?

Bob Myers brought in a snake = GM of the year?

[BillMc]

Thanks for posting.

[spursistan]

What a joke

#1 defense and no Top 3 DPOY candidates?
Curry over Wall?
Iggy and his 7ppg, 6MOY?
Lebron #2 in MVP race despite leading his team to a record worse than the Nets post ASB?

the national media have been in the tank for Warriors for more than two years now..If I didn't knew, i would think Pelton is a local Dub beat writer.

[MaNu4Tres]

Guys, it's an opinion of one guy who doesn't watch the Spurs as much as some of us on this site. The guy is soft when it comes to debating ball. He's blocked me on twitter when I've challenged his takes.

Soft fella.

[Arcadian]

Leonard 4th...how ing disrespectful

He was 2nd last year and had a better year this year, asshole

[TheGreatYacht]

the national media have been in the tank for Warriors for more than two years now..If I didn't knew, i would think Pelton is a local Dub beat writer.

He's much worse. He's on that garbage True Hoop podcast.

Also, at him forcing Davis as a Center so he can fit Raymond on his third team....

[dabom]

60 wins first defense.

[spursistan]

* posted a full print screen of his MVP column.

[FkLA]

Iggy as 6MOY is the most hilarious pick. That Warriors bias, tbh.

[spursistan]

Chinook..the "hack" picked your boy for 2nd team ALL-NBA Defensive team..

Posted the All D teams column above..I actually think he nailed them..

[BillMc]

* posted a full print screen of his MVP column.

Thanks. Interesting that he has the 2 best players on the 2 best teams 4th and 5th in his MVP vote. Guess winning doesn't matter as much as it used to.

Here's a question:

If the Rockets have (according to Pelton) the better MVP candiadate, the better coaching job, and 2 of the 3 best 6th men while the Spurs have none, why do the Spurs have a better record?

Watching the Spurs torture Pringles is one of the great joys in life.

[BillMc]

What was his argument for not having Leonard in the top 3 on DPOY?

EDIT: I just saw OP's All Defensive Team post. Thanks.

[I. Hustle]

Two 6thMOY on the same team and candidates? Dwight over Kawhi for DPOY? This guy is gonzo.

[BillMc]

Happy to see Danny Green getting some all defense love.

He also gives honorable mention to Dedmon.

No tip of the hat to LMA's improved play on that end.

[spursistan]

Happy to see Danny Green getting some all defense love.

He also gives honorable mention to Dedmon.

No tip of the hat to LMA's improved play on that end.

Yeah I think it really should have been LMA with the honorable mention instead of Dedmon..His availability >> Dedmon's higher defensive peak..

[SPURt]

It seems Kevin Pelton has used his word limit for this lifetime. Time to take away his writing privkedges. Dwight Howard over Kawhi for DPOY is absurd.

[Canyonero]

His article gave me AIDS fwiw

[YGWHI]

What was his argument for not having Leonard in the top 3 on DPOY?

EDIT: I just saw OP's All Defensive Team post. Thanks.

Pelton never voted Kawhi as #1 in 2015 and 2016, his guy was always Dray

Also, he said that "Kawhi rates second to Westbrook in a per possessions basis, in my subjective evaluation, his lower minutes total relegated him to fourth in my MVP ranking"

So he basically says that Kawhi is way better than the 4th spot but Pelton punishes Kawhi for just playing less minutes with a coach who limits his playing-time.

[YGWHI]

He's blocked me on twitter when I've challenged his takes.

He blocked me, too . After I replied to him he punishes Kawhi for his less minutes when that's not related to Kawhi's decisions or performances.

[TheGreatYacht]

Hipster analytics nerds are killing basketball

[dabom]

Kawhi would have the MVP wrapped up if he were in NY, LA, or Chitown.

[dabom]

You wreck Harden 3-1

You wreck Westbrook 2-1

You wreck Lebron 2-0

You tie GSW 1-1

You got the best defense in the ing NBA

You got 60 ing wins.

You only got 1 All-Star

And you probably only get the easy answer for All NBA but nothing else. Wow.

[Horse]

This guy is a ing moron

[SAGirl]

Just another case the system overshadows the players in SA.