Hoops Rumors’ 2018 NBA Award Picks: Defensive Player Of The Year
While the NBA won’t announce this year’s award winners until late in June, we’re making our picks for the year’s major awards now.
The Hoops Rumors writing team has weighed in with our choices below, but we also want to know which players, coaches, and executives you think are most deserving of the hardware this season, so jump into the comments section below to share your thoughts.
We’re keeping things going today with the award for Defensive Player of the Year. Here are our selections:
Austin Kent: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Although he missed a significant chunk of the 2017/18 season, it’s hard to give this award to anybody but Gobert, whose defensive rating is in a class of its own. More importantly, Gobert has singlehandedly given his team an identity as a defensive force. Gobert meets the analytics test and the eye test, all while serving as a physical deterrent that opposing coaches need to build their sets around. Quite frankly, it’s strange he hasn’t won the award already.
Arthur Hill: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
The Jazz became an elite team once Gobert returned from a pair of knee injuries, and it wasn’t because of his scoring. He is one of the NBA’s top rim protectors with 2.3 blocks per game, which makes defensive schemes much easier for his teammates. Utah put up the league’s best defensive numbers after Gobert got healthy in mid-January, and it can be attributed to the intimidating presence he brings in the middle.
Chris Crouse: Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
Rudy Gobert, who should have been the clear winner had he played around 70 games, opened the door for other candidates by only suiting up in 56. Joel Embiid‘s defensive work this season has been beautiful to watch, but he only played in 63 games. Then there’s Davis, a freak defender who continues to grow on both sides of the court and someone who will be in contention for this award every season as long as he remains healthy.
I entered the writing of this pick without a decision made. I’d be fine with any of the aforementioned players taking home the honors. Same with Al Horford, who is one of the Celtics’ two best players. But, my vote goes to Davis. He shared the floor with several minus defenders possession after possession (and the Pelicans had the most possessions in the league this season) and willed them to an above average mark on the defensive side of the court so that he could take care of business on the other end. Giving him the award this season feels right.
Dana Gauruder: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Utah finished second in the league in fewest points allowed in the paint and first in fewest second-chance points. Gobert is the primary reason for that. He’s arguably the league’s premier interior defender and shot-blocker. Donovan Mitchell will grab all the headlines for Utah, but Gobert is just as important to the team’s success.
Luke Adams: Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
On a game-by-game basis, Rudy Gobert and Joel Embiid may have edged out Davis in terms of defensive impact. But giving a major award to a player who misses a significant chunk of the season doesn’t sit right with me, making it difficult for me to give my vote to Gobert (56 games) or Embiid (63).
Gobert and Embiid are terrific defensive centers and should have plenty of chances to win this award in future seasons, but I believe Davis is deserving of the nod this year. The Pelicans’ defensive rating improved by approximately seven points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor, and he led the NBA in blocks (2.6 BPG) for the third time in the last five years. Davis also didn’t have the same level of defensive help that the other candidates did, particularly in the frontcourt, where he often played alongside mediocre defenders like DeMarcus Cousins and Nikola Mirotic.
The Pelicans’ defense wasn’t elite, but without Davis’ efforts, it likely would’ve been among the NBA’s worst.
Clark Crum: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
I realize Gobert missed 26 games, but the Jazz’ defensive numbers when he was on the floor are just too impressive to overlook. The team’s defensive rating when Gobert was on the court was 97.7, which is 3.8 points better than the Celtics’ league-leading rating of 101.5. To put that difference in perspective, a team with a rating of 105.3 – 3.8 points worse than the Celtics – would have placed 12th in defensive rating.
Gobert’s individual defensive rating of 97.7 led the NBA among players who averaged at least 30 MPG in 10 or more games. Add to that the fact that the Jazz’ record was 11-15 without him – a winning percentage similar to the Lakers’ 35-47 mark – and 37-19 with him – akin to the Celtics’ 55-27 record – and it’s easy to see why Gobert deserves this award.
Previously:
- Executive of the Year
- Coach of the Year
- Most Improved Player
- Sixth Man of the Year
- Rookie of the Year
Still to come:
- Most Valuable Player
Raptors Notes: Casey, Powell, VanVleet, DeRozan
Multiple reports on Tuesday indicated that the Raptors are believed to be leaning toward making a coaching change and replacing Dwane Casey. If that’s the case though, team president Masai Ujiri didn’t tip his hand when he spoke to the media today, telling reporters that Toronto’s evaluation process is ongoing — not just for Casey, but for all aspects of the organization.
As for Casey himself, he still spoke of the Raptors as “we” during the press conference, and sounded like someone ready to move forward with the club, joking that the team hadn’t changed the locks on him within the last couple days.
While we wait to see whether the Raptors decide to move on from Casey, let’s round up a few more notes out of Toronto, including more items from today’s presser:
- Asked about the possibility of blowing up the roster and tanking, Ujiri dismissed that idea, per Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun (Twitter link). “We’re not doing that (tanking) here,” Ujiri said, adding that the plan is to continue trying to contend while simultaneously identifying and developing young talent.
- Ujiri also said that it’s his job to find ways to improve the Raptors’ roster despite the club’s cap limitations, tweets Wolstat. “Put it on me. We’ll get better here,” Ujiri said.
- The Raptors’ decision to sign Norman Powell to a four-year, $41MM+ extension last offseason looks questionable, given that Powell wasn’t a real part of the team’s rotation down the stretch. However, Ujiri remains optimistic, pointing out that every NBA team is looking for wings, and the Raps still believe Powell can be that sort of two-way player (Twitter link via Eric Koreen of The Athletic).
- Fred VanVleet, a restricted free agent this summer, says winning will be his top priority as he considers his next deal, but he sounds interested in staying in Toronto (Twitter link via Wolstat). “I love it here,” VanVleet said. “This is the place that gave me a chance, gave me the opportunity. I’m a loyal guy.” As Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic tweets, VanVleet will see a specialist and spend time this summer reworking his shooting form after suffering a shoulder injury last month.
- A panel of ESPN writers offer up four potential trade ideas involving DeMar DeRozan in the event that the Raptors look to drastically reshape their roster.
Draft Workouts: Raptors, Lakers, Knicks, Wolves
The Raptors won’t have any picks in the 2018 NBA draft unless they trade back in, having sent their first-rounder to the Nets in last summer’s DeMarre Carroll trade and their second-rounder to the Suns as part of their deal for P.J. Tucker. Still, Toronto should be able to bring in several prospects for workouts in the coming weeks. Given the success they had with an undrafted rookie like Fred VanVleet, the Raptors will be keeping an eye out for draft-eligible players who might not be selected with one of this year’s 60 picks.
According to an announcement from the team (Twitter link), the Raptors are holding a pre-draft workout on Wednesday with Giddy Potts (Middle Tennessee State), Joe Chealey (Charleston), Alan Herndon (Wyoming), and – most notably – Kostas Antetokounmpo (Dayton). Antetokounmpo is, of course, the younger brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- The Lakers‘ workouts will continue on Wednesday, with the team bringing in D.J. Hogg (Texas A&M), Cody Martin (Nevada), Chimezie Metu (USC), Shake Milton (SMU), Allonzo Trier (Arizona), and Lindell Wigginton (Iowa State), according to a press release.
- The Knicks worked out Georgetown center Jessie Govan earlier this week, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Scotto notes, Govan – who is testing the draft waters – was coached by former Knicks star Patrick Ewing at Georgetown.
- The Timberwolves will host a workout on Thursday, with Deng Adel (Louisville), Devon Hall (Virginia), and Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech) among the prospects expected to take part, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
Kings Promote Peja Stojakovic To Assistant GM
Former Kings All-Star Peja Stojakovic, a member of the team’s front office since 2015, has received a promotion, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Kings, Stojakovic will serve as an assistant general manager for Sacramento going forward.
Stojakovic, who had previously been the Kings’ vice president of basketball and team development, will assume more responsibilities related to player development and talent evaluation in his new position, per the team. He will also gain additional oversight over the organization’s G League affiliate, the newly-relocated Stockton Kings.
“I am thrilled to announce that Peja will serve in this expanded role,” general manager Vlade Divac said in a statement. “His experience as a player and basketball executive combined with his ability to develop players and assess talent is a valuable asset to the Kings.”
The Kings had already employed a pair of assistant GMs in Brandon Williams and Ken Catanella. According to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee, Williams’ and Catanella’s roles will remain unchanged following the promotion of Stojakovic.
Poll: Houston Rockets Vs. Golden State Warriors
While the Western Conference playoffs generated some drama in the first couple rounds, the Conference Finals matchup is the one we’ve all anticipated for months. After the Rockets eliminated the Jazz on Tuesday night, and the Warriors followed suit by dispatching the Pelicans, Houston and Golden State are set to meet in the WCF, with the series tipping off on Monday.
The Warriors, who were a single victory away from having won the last three NBA championships, have to be considered the favorites to keep winning titles until someone stops them. However, many fans and league observers believe Houston can be that team.
The Rockets claimed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference this season, finishing seven games ahead of the No. 2 Warriors with a 65-17 record. Houston was virtually unstoppable when James Harden, Chris Paul, and Clint Capela suited up together — the Rockets only lost three regular-season contests when the trio played, so the Warriors will have to top that number in a seven-game series in order to eliminate the West’s top seed.
Despite the Rockets’ incredible regular season run and their home court advantage though, Las Vegas oddsmakers still favor the defending champions. As David Purdum of ESPN details, the Westgate SuperBook in Vegas has made the Warriors the initial favorites, and early bets have leaned in Golden State’s direction. With Stephen Curry now back in the lineup, joining Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson, that’s not entirely surprising.
This will be a fascinating series, one that could end up being more compelling than the actual NBA Finals. The Rockets have built their roster in recent years with an eye toward knocking off the Warriors, and they’ll have their best chance yet in this series. Still, Mike D’Antoni, Harden, and Paul have fallen short in the postseason in the past, and to reach the Finals this year, they’ll have to defeat a potential dynasty.
What do you think? Which team do you expect to represent the West in the NBA Finals this spring? Place your vote, then jump into the comment section below to discuss the series.
Which team will win the Western Conference Finals?
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Golden State Warriors 63% (1,128)
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Houston Rockets 37% (654)
Total votes: 1,782
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Celtics’ Shane Larkin Out For ‘Foreseeable Future’
Celtics guard Shane Larkin will miss Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals after leaving Game 4 with a shoulder injury, the team announced today (Twitter link). Larkin, diagnosed with a left shoulder sprain, had his status downgraded in advance of Wednesday night’s game.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said today that the imaging results on Larkin’s ailing shoulder suggested surgery likely won’t be required (Twitter link). However, the veteran guard is still “very, very sore” and will remain sidelined for the “foreseeable future,” according to Stevens.
Larkin, 25, averaged just 14.4 minutes per game in 54 regular season contests for the Celtics this season. However, the team leaned on him a little more heavily early in the postseason, with both Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart on the shelf with injuries of their own. Larkin had continued to play a rotation role in the second round against the Sixers, but now seems unlikely to return for the rest of the series.
With Larkin out, Terry Rozier and Smart figure to shoulder an even greater workload in the Celtics’ backcourt. Boston currently holds a 3-1 lead over Philadelphia in the series.
Pelicans Notes: Offseason, Rondo, Cousins, Okafor
While the Pelicans’ season came to an end on Tuesday night in Golden State, there’s reason for optimism in New Orleans going forward, writes Ron Higgins of The Times-Picayune. As Higgins details, head coach Alvin Gentry said after the game that he believes the Pelicans are “headed in the right direction as a franchise,” praising Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday as long-term anchors.
The 2017/18 season was also one of redemption for general manager Dell Demps, says Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. Demps was believed to be on the hot seat a year ago, but kept his job and saw the roster he built blossom during the eighth year of his tenure in New Orleans.
Demps’ decision to sign Rajon Rondo to a one-year, $3.3MM deal last offseason was one of his best moves in recent memory, as Duncan notes. In Higgins’ view, re-signing Rondo to a new contract in the coming months should be at or near the top of Demps’ list of priorities. It’s imperative that the team bring back at least one – or both – of Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins in order to continue its uphill climb, Higgins contends.
Here’s more on the Pelicans as their offseason gets underway:
- Asked after the game about whether he wants the Pelicans to re-sign Cousins, Gentry suggested it “goes without saying” that he’d want the big man back. “That’s something we’ll discuss,” Gentry said, per Ben Golliver of SI.com (video link). “The guy is averaging 26 points and 12 points, you’d like to have him on your team.”
- The Cousins situation will be the biggest question for the Pelicans to answer this summer, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) writes in his preview of the team’s offseason. As Marks outlines, letting Cousins walk wouldn’t open up cap space, and moving him in a sign-and-trade probably isn’t realistic, so the Pels should make a strong effort to re-sign him. However, New Orleans will also have to be careful not to overpay a player coming off a major Achilles injury, especially given the luxury-tax implications.
- In his end-of-season look at New Orleans’ next moves, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer suggests that a Cousins/Otto Porter trade would make sense for both the Pelicans and the Wizards. However, as Marks details in his article, a straight-up swap of the two wouldn’t work within CBA rules, so some maneuvering would be required.
- Having returned to the NBA this season following a layoff of nearly five years, veteran center Emeka Okafor is eager to continue his career in 2018/19, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “I want to play as long as I can,” Okafor said. “We’ll see with New Orleans. … It’s sports. You don’t know. I know my profession. I know anything can happen. But I am very happy to be here. I’m having a great time, and it feels like home.”
Raptors’ Dwane Casey Wins Coaching Award
9:09am: The National Basketball Coaches Association has made Casey’s win official, issuing a press release to confirm the news.
“The Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award for the top NBA Coach as voted by his peers is one of the most meaningful in all of pro sports,” Mavs coach and NBCA president Rick Carlisle said in a statement. “Dwane Casey once again maximized the Toronto roster to achieve the top record in the Eastern Conference. Congratulations to Dwane on this prestigious recognition.”
8:32am: While rumors swirl about his job security, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey will be recognized by his fellow NBA coaches, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times. According to Stein, Casey has been named the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year for 2017/18. He’ll be formally announced as the winner later today, Stein adds.
This award, introduced in 2017, isn’t the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award, which is voted on by media members and is represented by the Red Auerbach Trophy. That award will be presented at the league’s awards show in June. The Coaches Association’s version of Coach of the Year is voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches.
Casey did an excellent job with the Raptors during the regular season, leading the club to a franchise-record 59-wins despite some speculation that Toronto would take a step back this season. Casey revamped the Raps’ offense to rely more heavily on ball movement and three-point shooting, and put together arguably the league’s best five-man bench unit.
However, the Raptors’ head coach now finds himself on the hot seat due to the team’s performance in the postseason. For a third straight year, Toronto was eliminated in the playoffs by Cleveland, and there’s a sense that a new voice may be needed on the sidelines. The Raptors have now lost 10 consecutive playoff games to the Cavs, and struggled to make adjustments to slow down Cleveland’s offense during this year’s four-game sweep.
While winning this award doesn’t necessarily make Casey the frontrunner to be named the NBA’s Coach of the Year in June, he figures to be a strong candidate, whether or not he still has his job by the time that award is announced. A year ago, Mike D’Antoni and Erik Spoelstra were co-recipients of the NBCA’s first Coach of the Year award. D’Antoni later won the NBA’s Coach of the Year award, with Spoelstra among the three finalists.
According to Stein, D’Antoni was one of seven other coaches besides Casey to receive at least one vote for the NBCA’s award this season. The rest were Brett Brown, Nate McMillan, Gregg Popovich, Quin Snyder, Terry Stotts, and Doc Rivers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Draft Notes: Washington, Ward, Brown, Hudson
Kentucky freshman forward PJ Washington is working out for the Clippers this week and will meet with the Timberwolves and Bucks before next week’s draft combine, Fletcher Page of the Louisville Journal Courier reports. Washington, who has already visited the Celtics and Nets, has a pinky finger injury that will require surgery, Page continues. Father Paul Washington told Page that his son isn’t assured of staying in the draft.
“It’s real simple — if he’s guaranteed a first round pick, then he’ll stay in the draft,” Paul Washington said. “If he doesn’t get that, we’ll have to make a decision. It’s PJ’s decision.”
The 6’8” Washington is listed at No. 51 among Jonathan Givony’s top 100 prospects at ESPN.com. He averaged 10.8 PPG and 5.7 RPG for the Wildcats.
In other draft developments:
- Michigan State sophomore center Nick Ward will work out for the Pistons this weekend, Brendan Quinn of The Athletic tweets. Ward has already worked out for the Knicks and Thunder and at least eight other teams are interested in bringing him in, Quinn adds. He averaged 12.4 PPG and 7.1 RPG for the Spartans. He is not listed among Givony’s top 100 prospects.
- The Hawks are bringing in six prospects on Wednesday, according to a team press release. South Carolina forward Brian Bowen, Auburn guard Bryce Brown, Purdue guard Nojel Eastern, Maryland forward Bruno Fernando, Florida shooting guard Jalen Hudson and Utah Valley center Akolda Manyang are the players visiting Atlanta. Hudson, ranked No. 45 by Givony, is the most prominent member of the group.
Pacers’ Pritchard: We Hit Jackpot With Oladipo
Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard lavished praise on Victor Oladipo and revealed he consulted the team’s current star on potential moves, Dakota Crawford of the Indianapolis Star relays. Pritchard’s comments were made during radio interviews with ESPN’s Dan Dakich and CBS Sports Radio’s Kent Sterling. Pritchard said Oladipo changed the organization after being acquired from the Thunder in the Paul George deal last summer, not only with his breakout season but with his personality.
“We feel like we hit the jackpot,” Pritchard said. “No offense to Paul George, he’s having success and he’s going to go wherever he wants this offseason …”
Pritchard texts regularly with Oladipo and indicated he’d ask for the guard’s input on future decisions. Pritchard began doing that at the trade deadline.
“We looked at two or three deals. Two of them were just OK. But one of them, we really looked at. We went to Victor … he said some things, and we (kind of decided to leave it on the table).”
In other nuggets from the interviews:
- Pritchard said he’d like to retain forward Thaddeus Young, who has a player option on his contract. “He didn’t talk a lot in the locker room, but when he did it was powerful. Thad was amazing. We hope he comes back.”
- Pritchard hinted he wasn’t interested in pursuing George in free agency. Front office executives aren’t allowed to speak specifically about opposing players. “One of the things we’re about, we don’t care about big names, we don’t care about big personalities we don’t care about big brands. What we care about is being humble … Anybody that fits in, yeah, we’re interested … But if they don’t fit that, I’m not interested. It’s that simple.”
- Pritchard liked the way the contracts of Darren Collison and Bojan Bogdanovic worked out and indicated he might take the same approach this offseason. Both were signed to two-year deals with a team option. “We think big, but the challenge is, if we lose a lot of our pieces to go big … are you better off with a couple major players, or are you better off with a really good group of players that don’t make the $30 million? That (instead) make the $10 or $12 million.”