Handing Out All-Star Break Awards: From MVP To Worst Event
From the MVP award to the worst All-Star event, here is the official All-Star break Award show, hosted by yours truly.
Getty Images/Ringer illustration
To get the bad taste of the Dunk Contest out of our mouths, let’s hand out some awards. But this isn’t going to be your traditional award show. Sure, we’ll hand out an MVP and the Rookie of the Year awards, but we’ll also go a bit deeper.
Which All-Star event was the worst? Who has had the most disappointing season in the NBA thus far? Who is going to win Defensive Player of the Year?
Without further ado, live from my desk, here is the All-Star break Award Show.
Most Valuable Player (MVP)
There are three frontrunners for this narrative-driven award. The two time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic. If you’re picking an MVP winner, it has to be one of these three guys.
And, honestly, I think we can eliminate Giannis from this discussion. This award will be a battle between the two best centers in the NBA. Is it Embiid? Is it Jokic? In my opinion, there’s an obvious choice;
Nikola Jokic
Jokic’s narrative to win the award is solid. He’s led the Nuggets to the 6th seed without Murray and Porter Jr. for the entire season. He’s missed just six games, staying as durable as ever. Voter fatigue could hurt him, as it’s hard to convince people you’re the best player in the league for two straight seasons.
But, if anybody should do it, it’s Jokic. He’s putting on a season for ages, doing things that the center position has never seen. No offense to Embiid, but that’s not true for him.
26.0 points
13.8 rebounds
7.9 assists
2.0 stocks
65% TS
Jokic’s counting stats are already jaw-dropping. A center averaging 26 and 14 would be crazy enough. But add in 8 assists a night? From a center? That doesn’t make sense. He’s more efficient than he was last season, too.
Those numbers are just one side to Jokic’s brilliance. If you delve into the advanced metrics, things get even crazier.
7.5 Offensive Win Shares (1st)
10.6 Win Shares (1st)
.296 Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (1st)
9.4 Offensive Box Plus/Minus (1st)
4.6 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (1st)
14.0 Box Plus/Minus (1st)
7.0 Value Over Replacement Player (1st)
32.6 Player Efficient Rating (PER – 1st)
Best offensive player in the league? Check
Most valuable player in the league? Check
Most efficient season of all time? Check
Oh yeah, and he’s doing this;
Why Jokic (Probably Won’t Win The Award)
Even with all the numbers I listed, I find it hard to believe the Joker will hold his title for a second straight year. For one, players who are the 6th seed generally don’t win MVP. Jokic did that very thing last season, but will voters do it again? Will they take the due diligence to look at how impactful Jokic has been this season?
Probably not. It’s unfortunate, but that’s how the award works. It’s so much easier to see Embiid’s impact; he scores. That’s it. And, because Embiid didn’t win last year because of injury, you know voters will give him some sympathy votes.
If Jokic doesn’t win MVP, it says more about the award than it does about Jokic. The reality is, who has time for the best advanced season ever when Embiid is leading the league in scoring?
God, I hate this award.
Rookie of the Year (ROTY)
Only one rookie is deserving of this award. It’s not Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, or Jalen ‘can’t dunk’ Green. Evan Mobley is winning this award, and it should be unanimous.
Ever since the Cavs drafted Mobley, I thought it was a great pick. Now that we’re at the All-Star break, I have doubled down on that thinking.
Mobley can do it all. Even with his lack of strength, he’s a solid scorer. I would love for him to shoot more, but he’s still been an interior presence next to Allen. He can pass, handle, and set screens very well for his position.
On top of that, he’s already an All-NBA caliber defender. From guards to centers, he can take on anybody. He’s averaging 2.4 steals + blocks this season, the first rookie to do that since Mitchell Robinson.
The definition of versatile comes with a picture of Evan Mobley. He’s having one of the best rookie seasons we’ve seen in a while. If anybody else receives a vote for rookie of the year, it will be a travesty.
14.9 points – 8.1 rebounds (1.9 ORB) – 2.4 stocks – 55% TS – 1.7 DBPM
The Best & Worst of All-Star Saturday
The NBA made some changes to the All-Star Saturday format. From a new version of the Skills Challenge to the dead dunk contest, here were my thoughts on the events from last night.
Skills Competiton – Good
I’ve never been a fan of the usual skills contest, but this new version was fun. I thought the idea of putting teams of three against each other was fun. Now, I don’t know whose idea it was for the Antetokounmpo’s to get in, but that’s not the point.
The events themselves were pretty fun, save the first one where only Darius Garland looked good. The passing competition was different. The revamped skills course was more challenging. I liked that you had to shoot over those windmills things instead of just dribbling around obstacles.
The best way to describe the skills competition was different, and I liked it.
The 3-PT Contest – Good
The most consistent All-Star event was again exciting last night. We saw Karl Anthony-Towns, the best 3-PT shooting center ever, win the contest. He became the first center ever to do so.
It’s always easy to get behind the 3-PT contest. I would have loved to see a Splash Brother in the competition, but Luke Kennard is good enough.
Pushing the MTN Dew shot back is my only request. Why not make it 35 feet and worth four points? I think that would be a bigger payoff than what it currently is.
But, other than that, the 3-PT contest was how it usually is. Solid.
The Dunk Contest – wtf
One of the most groundbreaking events in All-Star history has become a joke. Gone are the days when Dr. J’s free-throw line jams would captivate audiences. No more duels between Jordan and Wilkins. Vince Carter’s high-flying antics are a thing of the past.
Of the many problems with this contest, the main one is glaring. Why is this the last event? It leaves a sour taste in your mouth when it bombs. You forget about all the other fun stuff from earlier on that night. Instead of putting it last, why not second? The 3-PT contest is always good, no matter the participants.
Secondly, they need to get stars back in the dunk contest. We need to see Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Aaron Gordon, and Zach Lavine in these contests. I don’t want to see Cole Anthony in Timberland boots or Jalen Green with a phone around his neck.
Stars have always made the dunk contest special. No offense to Juan Toscano Anderson, but he’s not going to captivate an audience.
A New Format Is Needed
It’s clear that this contest needs a new format. We’ve seen almost every dunk imaginable. Being impressed by this event is impossible. Getting stars back into the dunk contest would help, but we need some change.
Maybe we can do three different rounds. One round is where you copy a classic dunk with a twist. Another round could be the most creative dunk. Or we could have a trio of dunkers, similar to the skills competition, and they have to nominate a few of their best dunks.
As you can tell, I don’t have many ideas for this contest. But, this event needs to be revived. Whether that be with a 2000 Vince Carter-esque performance or a new format, something needs to change.
Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)
He might not be the most likable player in the NBA, but this award has to go to Rudy Gobert. There’s a reason why he’s won this award three times already. If you want the most impactful player in the NBA, you’re looking at him.
| Utah Jazz Defense With Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz Defense W/O Rudy Gobert |
| 108.6 Defensive Rating (44 games) | 115.3 Defensive Rating (14 games) |
| 105.6 Opp PPG | 110.9 Opp PPG |
| 44.2% Opp FG | 47.8% Opp FG |
The NBA houses great defenders. None are quite as impactful as the Stifle Tower.
Most Improved Player (MIP)
Again, there’s no real need for debating this award. If it doesn’t go to the player I’m about to name, we riot.
The only player deserving of the Most Improved Player Award is Dejounte Murray. While the Spurs aren’t an exciting team, Murray is. He’s racking up triple-doubles like they’re a video game objective. He continues to be an elite defensive player.
There are two barriers of entry to winning this award. You can’t be a sophomore, and you have to improve across the board statistically. Sorry, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Anfernee Simons. This award belongs to mustard.
(Condiment Joke Counter: 1 – Probably 1 Too Many)
| Dejounte Murray In 2021 | Dejounte Murray in 2022 |
| 15.7 points | 19.9 points |
| 7.1 rebounds | 8.3 rebounds |
| 5.4 assists | 9.3 assists |
| 1.5 steals | 2.0 steals |
| 51% TS | 52% TS |
| 0.8 BPM | 5.2 BPM |
| 4 Triple-Doubles | 11 Triple-Doubles |
To say Dejounte Murray has improved would be an understatement. He’s running away with this award. If you want improvement, look no further than Murray.
6th Man of the Year (6MOY)
(Looks up who’s leading the league in bench scoring)
(Statmuse: Tyler Herro)
Tyler Herro is your 6th man of the year, ladies and gentlemen. Jordan Clarkson’s production has declined from last season. While Herro has played fewer games, he’s been much more productive. Unlike Clarkson, Herro knows a little bit about this thing called passing the ball.
The stars are aligning for Bubble Boy to get 6th man of the year.
(Good) Surprises of the Year
Which players/teams/coaches have surprised me this season? Who has been overperforming my expectations, as well as the expectations of the basketball world? There are too many to list out in this article, but these guys have been the most surprising this year.
Cleveland Cavaliers + JB Bickerstaff
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the underdog story of the year. Their young core has blossomed, leading the Cavs to the 4th seed in the East at the break. The playoffs seem inevitable, which was a pipe dream just a few months ago.
Garland, Mobley, Allen, Okoro, Love, and Markkanen have done great things. JB Bickerstaff also deserves a great deal of credit for this team’s success.
I have never been a Bickerstaff supporter, but he’s living proof that having a talented roster is all you need. We’ve seen coaches get fired prematurely just because the roster is poor. The Cavs stuck it out with Bickerstaff, and now he gets to lead a team into the future.
Both Bickerstaff and the Cavs have enjoyed joyful 2022 seasons, with more on the horizon.
DeMar DeRozan
If you told me that DeMar DeRozan would be in MVP conversations this season, I would have told you to get lost. DeMar DeRozan? MVP? Get outta* town.
Instead, DeRozan has done what I thought was impossible. With his co-stars dropping like flies, DeRozan has done things that no other player in NBA history has done. He notched seven straight games of 35+ points on 50% shooting before the break.
What. The. Hell.
His mid-range mastery has gotten the attention of Kevin Durant, Chicago, and the entire basketball world. He’s putting on the best season of his career after many thought his signing with the Bulls was “the worst move of free agency.”
Deebo is the sole reason the Bulls are tied for first place in the East right now. The sole reason. Again, before the season, DeMar and MVP didn’t belong in the same sentence. Now, there’s a lot more truth behind that statement.
28.1 points / 5.2 rebounds / 5.1 assists / 52% FG / 60% TS / 4.3 OBPM
Disappointments of the Year
On the other end of the spectrum, who has been disappointing this season? Which players came into 2022 with expectations that looking back on it, were unreasonably high?
Atlanta Hawks + New York Knicks
The two teams that met in the first round of the playoffs last year have been terrible in 2022. For Atlanta, it’s more disappointing than it is for the Knicks. Despite housing one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, they can’t figure things out. Their defense has been terrible, leading them to be a fringe play-in team.
The Knicks went all out in free agency, trying to beef up their offense. After a fast start, somebody pulled the rug from underneath them. Walker, Fournier, and Randle have been underwhelming. Thibodeau’s rotations don’t make sense. This team, last year known for their energy and toughness, are flaccid.
Just one year removed from magical seasons, both these teams are dead. Oh, how a year can change things.
Michael Porter Jr
A historic sophomore campaign pursued Denver to give their rising star a payday. Porter Jr signed a 5yr/$172 million dollar extension in the offseason. That contract matched the likes of Trae Young and SGA, fellow 2018 draftees.
Porter’s final year of his rookie deal leading into that extension couldn’t have been worse. After nine crappy games where he looked off, Porter went under the knife for back surgery. Back injuries are the reason he fell to the Nuggets in the draft back in 2018.
He hasn’t played since, and we don’t know if we’re going to see him again in 2022. Paying him $172 million seems a lot riskier than it did last summer. Porter has somewhat overcome the injury concerns he entered the league with, but can he do it again?
For Denver’s sake, the answer to that question better be a resounding yes.
Tobias Harris
With Ben Simmons out of the picture, Philly needed Tobias Harris to be their second option. They chose to pay him instead of Jimmy Butler. Now, in a time of great need, they needed their highest-paid player to play like it.
Instead, Seth Curry became Philly’s second-best player. And Tyrese Maxey assumed the third option. Yikes.
Harris’s 2022 season has been a sharp decline in production compared to 2021. His 3-PT shooting touch has disappeared. Overall, his efficiency has plummeted. The borderline All-Star from last season is having an ok season, which is less than Philly needed.
With Curry gone and Harden in the picture, Harris will have to become the third option. If Philly wants to win a title, they need that from Harris. He has a chance to redeem himself after a poor start to the season. Can he do it, or will he crumble?
That remains to be seen.
What Would You Change About My Award Picks? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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