It’s the middle of the NBA playoffs and all of this year’s major prize winners are already at home and in the playoffs just like you and me. With that being the case, I felt it was the right time to win some new awards midway through the postseason.
Let’s give out the same awards (most valuable player, sixth player, coach, defensive player of the year) for the first two rounds of the playoffs. The rookie is not included in the playoffs, given how few rookies record minutes during these playoffs.
most valuable player
Winner: Jimmy Butler
Butler’s second-round performance against the New York Knicks wasn’t nearly as stunning as his demolition of the Milwaukee Bucks by Giannis Antetokounmpo, but what he did in that opening inning still carried an incredible amount of weight. Ten games into the playoffs, he averaged 31.1 points per game on 52.7/36.1/79.2 shooting while leading the Heat to four more wins in another Finals appearance—that, we warned, was on the horizon in November of last year. He’s my MVP so far, and if you think highly of Butler as I currently do, you can have him in a +1400 possibility to win Finals MVP (at BetMGM).
Honorable Mention: Nikola Jokic
A quick shout out to Devin Booker for a historic playoff run. He would have had this award had he not run out of fuel in Games 5 and 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals. My vote for MVP of the Qualifiers would have gone to Jokic too. I mean 30.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game? Silly things. In the end, I give Jimmy a little nudge to put his Play-In Tournament team on his back and get them to the point, but that shouldn’t undo what the Joker does. I’m excited to see him make it to the Conference Finals against Anthony Davis and the Lakers defense force.
Defensive player in the playoffs
Winner: Anthony Davis
Speaking of strong defense, was there a better defender in the NBA this postseason than Davis? The answer is no, out loud no. Whether he’s erasing shots on the rim, turning into flanking players, or simply having the size and defensive DNA to deter opposing offensive players from stepping into the paint, he anchors what was the best defensive team in the playoffs. I upset Davis and Jokic match already once and I will do it again. can’t wait.
honorific
Nobody is within walking distance of Davis, so I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this one. What if I gave some quick props to a few guys? Aaron Gordon, Draymond Green, Bam Adebayo – see you all.
Sixth man in the playoffs
Winner: Malcolm Brogdon
6MOY Regular Season deserves the top spot in the playoffs. On several occasions during the first two innings, I asked myself, “Are we sure he shouldn’t start?” While watching Brogdon put together powerful outings at both ends of the pitch. His stats in the post-season are nearly identical to those of the regular season, which is hard to do because the competition raises another level in April, May, and June. Moreover, his draw with the team leader plus-minus (+6.2) per match indicates just how influential he is when he’s on the field.
Honorable Mention: Bruce Brown
Brown fits into a team full of guys who do their jobs. However, something about his hard work is just a little more exciting than the others. Brown’s dynamism and energy seemed to capture the attention of the other team while at the same time giving his team a boost. I don’t know, maybe I’m coming up with this, but I really appreciate the ability of a Braun spark plug.
Qualifying coach
Winner: Eric Spoelstra
If you look at this Miami Heat roster, it’s not certain that they should be in the position they are in right now. Yet here they are, still playing basketball with a shot at advancing to the NBA Finals. Give all of these guys a round of applause for their efforts in continuing down this unimaginable path, and give Jimmy Butler the respect he deserves. But don’t forget Spoolstra. I would say this current playoff run is shaping up to be one of his best as a head coach. Maybe the bubble takes the cake, but I’m willing to give up that run for second place if Miami takes it back.
Honorable Mention: Michael Malone
When you have the league’s MVP on your roster, your success as a head coach isn’t often appreciated in the same way as a coach who pulls the little engine that can fall off the tracks – something like this happened with Spoelstra, the Heatles, and even Ty Lue with Cavs, off the top of my head. However, a similar situation seems to be happening with Malone. He barely earned his due just for having this Nuggets team in the Summit West all season and for looking through the first two rounds of these playoffs. I’m here to give him his flowers.
Most improved player
Winner: Devin Booker
Let’s go back to the 2021-22 NBA postseason, where Booker struggled through sustained team combinations from opposing defenses while juggling a bad hamstring in the process. The results were far from legendary—averaging 23.3 points, 4.4 assists per game, and 3.2 turnover—and the postseason ended in disaster at the hands of Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Seems like ages ago, right? A year later, Booker increased his points per game by 10.4, dropped a playoff-best 7.2 cents per game and played some of the best defense of his career. Kevin Durant standing along the perimeter certainly gave Booker a cleaner path to production than ever before. But still, the task was difficult and he had made something out of nothing on many occasions. What’s even more impressive is that Booker has made a giant leap as a table setter, which I think is a more realistic takeaway than his ridiculous competence.
Overall, no one has improved more than Book from the last postseason to this one. It’s a shame he finally ran out of steam.
Honorable Mention: Aaron Gordon
Statistically, there isn’t much that’s improved from the last postseason to the current one. But Gordon doesn’t feel like an offensive liability as he did on several occasions against the Warriors a season ago. After Denver’s exit from Golden State last postseason, he expressed a need to raise his basketball IQ and become a student more in the game. I would say he did just that. Consider him a real x-factor in this Lakers-Nuggets series.
(Photo by Jimmy Butler: Mike Ehrman/Getty Images)