My Official Awards + All-NBA Teams Ballot

I don’t enjoy making this post once a year. As I go through endless amounts of data, I find myself second-guessing myself a lot. Who should be on All-NBA third team? What’s going on with the defensive player of the year award? Why is the most improved player award so dumb?

Rest assured, I did more than enough homework to make these picks. I also have watched enough basketball for a lifetime this season. Aka, I’m a loser. So without further ado, here are my official picks for the 2022 NBA Season.

(Disclaimer: If you disagree with these picks, kick rocks)

Most Valuable Player: Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets / Center)

2022 gave us one of the craziest MVP races in recent history. I don’t think there’s ever been an MVP field that has been this contested. So many players tried and failed to stake their claim as the league’s most valuable player. Once the dust settled, however, only one man remained. His name is Nikola Jokic.

Jokic is the best center in the NBA by a mile. For months, people talked about Joel Embiid winning MVP. And it was frustrating. Jokic was the better player having the better season, but it didn’t matter. Nobody wanted to pay attention to the Serbian doing things that haven’t ever been done in the 75-year history of the sport.

Thankfully, it seems like Jokic will get his second straight MVP, an award which he deserves. Here’s Jokic’s crazy season, by the numbers;

Basic/Counting Stats

33.4 minutes
45-28 record
27.0 points (11th)
13.7 rebounds (2nd)
7.9 assists (9th)
2.2 stocks
58% FG
34% 3-PT
81% FT (6.4 FTA)

Advanced Stats

32.8 PER (1st – best all-time)
66% TS (4th)
10.6 offensive win shares (1st)
14.9 win shares (1st)
.299 win shares per 48 minutes (1st)
9.2 OBPM (1st)
4.5 DBPM (1st)
13.7 BPM (1st)
9.5 VORP (1st)
31.7 USG% (11th)

Jokic is the first player ever with a 25/13/6 season. Jamal Murray hasn’t played a game all season. MPJ has only played nine games. And still, he put up one of the greatest statistical seasons ever. That’s what you would have to do to win MVP, Joel.

The Defensive Player of the Year Award Is A War of Words

Winning defensive player of the year isn’t easy. To be considered the best defender in the NBA is a hard thing to do for many reasons. The main reason is that our idea of defense is so different. We all weigh things like help defense, gravity, and impact in totally different ways.

So that’s why we have a war of words for the award this year. Marcus Smart has said his two cents. So has Rudy Gobert, who has made a monopoly of the award in recent seasons. Let’s review the tape, shall we?

“As guards, we do a lot more before [our man] gets to the paint. Contesting the 3, contesting pull-ups, making sure he doesn’t get to his spots.” – Marcus Smart

“[Centers] call out all the coverages. They know what is going on. They call out all the plays and stuff. That’s the way it’s always been. That’s why most of the DPOY in the past have always been bigs.” – Joel Embiid

“[Award voters] must not know how difficult it is to keep a guy in front of you and not be able to really touch him as much because they’re going to call a foul, and just how talented these guards and everybody else on the wing and perimeter are.” – Mikal Bridges

“Nothing against Rudy, but Rudy can’t guard all five spots. I can guard all five spots, and I have been doing it. I’ve done it very well.” – Marcus Smart

You get the gist. All of the players above made valid arguments for their position. In my opinion, the award should go to;

Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Smart (Boston / Guard)

I think that bigs are the most important defensive player on the floor. Joel Embiid is right about that. But, Marcus Smart has a perfect storm brewing for him. Rudy Gobert has voter fatigue. Giannis has already won the award. And Joel Embiid has never been in the running for the award.

So, the award goes to Smart by default. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t earned it. There’s a reason he could become the first point guard to win the award since 1996. Here’s why Smart deserves it;

Since January 1st, the Celtics have had the best defense in the NBA (104.9 DRtg). The next closest team (Memphis) is at 108.3.
There have been 33 five-man lineups this season that has played 200+ minutes together. Of those 33, Boston’s starting five has the best defense (94.2 points allowed per 100 possessions). That lineup is Smart, Brown, Tatum, Horford, and Williams.
Smart is 11th in total deflections and 6th in total steals. He’s also 4th in loose balls recovered (75).

The eye test separates Smart from the rest of the pack. You’re not going to find a more tenacious defender. Smart wears his emotion on his sleeve. He takes charges, is usually the first guy on the floor, and can guard all five positions. He’s not lying when he says that.

The Celtics took a risk when they gave him that extension last summer. As of right now, it’s paying off.

All-NBA Teams

All-NBA teams are perhaps the worst thing in basketball. For starters, we don’t know how the hell people vote on these. Secondly, the NBA has an arbitrary system for the All-NBA teams. You’re only allowed to pick two guards, two forwards, and a center from each team. The best 15 players in a given season aren’t going to fit into the mold, but here we are.

Another problem with the All-NBA system is the classification of players. Is Luka Doncic a forward or a guard? Can centers be classified as forwards? What about guys who can play both guard and wing, like DeMar DeRozan?

But, until the NBA changes the way they do things, I’m not going to bend the rules. Embiid and Jokic both can’t make the first team. No matter how much they may deserve it.

Here’s how I made my decisions on these teams;

Winning: Winning matters when you’re talking about the best players in the league. If you can’t win, what’s the point of the numbers you’re putting up? Winning isn’t the most important thing to me, but it’s a good tiebreaker between players with similar seasons.
Importance: How important are you to your team? How much do you contribute to winning?
Perspective: How good was your season compared to other guys in your field? You have to be really nit-picky to sort out all the great players we have in the league nowadays.

This section of the blog will undoubtedly get the most flack. Without further ado, here are my picks.

All-NBA First Team

Guard: Luka Doncic (Dallas) – Third Straight Selection

Before getting in shape, Doncic had an argument to make this team. Now that he’s healthy? Not only have the Mavericks been rolling, so has Doncic. Here’s what the wunderkind has done since February;

32.1 points / 9.5 rebounds / 8.4 assists / 40% 3-PT / 60% TS

Doncic is the only player averaging 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists this season. He doesn’t have any All-Star teammates. And he’s 4-2 against the likes of Jokic, Embiid, and Giannis this season. Wunderkind, indeed.

Guard: Devin Booker (Phoenix) – First ever All-NBA Selection

Choosing a second guard for the first team was difficult. But, I kept coming back to Booker. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Booker is the leading scorer on the best team in the NBA. He’s been unbelievably good in the clutch. When Chris Paul went down with injury, he did this;

28.2 points / 4.6 rebounds / 7.0 assists / +102 plus/minus / 64% TS / 8-3 record

While other guards around the league may have better numbers, Booker is contributing to winning basketball. He’ll have another chance to show his true colors in the postseason, as he did last year.

Forward: Kevin Durant (Brooklyn) – 7th First-Team Selection

Kevin Durant is arguably the best player in the league. I don’t have to tell you why he belongs on this team. However, you might be saying something about injuries. Durant has played in 52 games this season. If he plays in every remaining Nets game, he’ll end the season with 55.

Do you want to know the lowest amount of games a player has played, but they still made All-NBA first team? 55 games. In 1985, the great Bernard King played just 55 games. He still made All-NBA first team.

So, as much as I would love to give Jayson Tatum this spot, Kevin Durant barely makes my cut.

29.9 points / 7.3 rebounds / 6.1 assists / 64% TS / 33-19 record / had to deal with Kyrie and Harden*

*I don’t think we talk about this enough. Seriously, I think I would have asked for a new dust filter for my Hoover Max Extract Pressure Pro model 60.*

Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) – 4th Straight Selection

It seems crazy that Giannis’ amazing season is going to end up third on the MVP ballot, but that’s where we are. The Greek Freak put together another season that made you go, “how?”

His combination of efficiency and defense is unheard of. The athletic plays he makes are something I’ve never seen before and may never see again. The most unstoppable force in the league since Shaq has made a mockery of the regular season. He may not get another MVP in his career, but his numbers from October to April don’t make any sense.

29.9 points / 11.6 rebounds / 5.8 assists / 63% TS / 2.4 stocks / 11.1 BPM / 32.1 PER (2nd best all-time)

Center: Nikola Jokic (Denver) – Third All-NBA First Team Selection

Read his MVP section.

All-NBA Second Team

Guard: Stephen Curry (Golden State) – 5th All-NBA First Team Selection

Even though this may be his 7th or 8th best season in the pros, Stephen Curry is having a great season. Compared to his standard of excellence, he’s having an off-year. But, for mere mortals, these numbers are amazing;

25.5 points / 5.2 rebounds / 6.3 assists / 60% TS / 1.3 steals / 5.4 OBPM

Curry is the greatest shooter in NBA history. He broke Ray Allen’s record for the most regular-season 3-pointers ever. Every night, defenses swarm him, forcing him to take impossible shots. Despite that, not only does he shoot 11.7 threes per game, he makes 38% of them.

His gravity on offense is unlike any other player in NBA history. The open shots he creates for other teammates simply by being on the court is unparalleled. Not to mention he’s not a negative on defense, either. So, Steph’s supposed “down” year makes him one of the ten best players in the league. Go figure.

Guard: Ja Morant (Memphis) – First All-NBA Selection Ever

Ja Morant is an enigma. I can’t tell whether he’s had a great season or not. The numbers tell me he’s on track to win the most improved player award. That he improved across the board offensively, leading a high-powered Grizzlies offense.

On the other hand, his team was 20-2 without him. That’s the reason Morant is on the second team. You can’t be one of the five best players in the world when you’re team wins 91% of their games without you.

Still, Morant had a great season. Assuming he’s fully healthy for the postseason, his Grizzlies have a great chance to make some noise.

27.6 points / 5.7 rebounds / 6.7 assists / 58% TS / 1.2 steals / 6.2 OBPM

Forward: Jayson Tatum (Boston) – 2nd All-NBA Selection

Somehow, Jayson Tatum didn’t make an All-NBA team last season. This season, things were shaping up the same way. Tatum would be an All-Star, but his numbers would get overlooked by a mediocre Celtics teams. So what did he do?

Since January 1st, both Tatum and the Celtics have been on a tear. We talked about their defensive turnaround with Marcus Smart. Tatum added to that by becoming a legit MVP candidate for a few weeks. He was playing the best basketball of his career.

No longer was he looking up at the upper echelon of players in the NBA. He was starting them right in the eyes.

Jayson Tatum Since Jan 1st

28.1 points / 7.4 rebounds / 4.9 assists / 62% TS / +525 plus/minus!!! / he’s only 19

If not for KD, Tatum would have made the first team easily. Instead, he’ll have to settle for the second team. Oh well.

Forward: DeMar DeRozan (Chicago) – Third All-NBA Selection

DeMar DeRozan was the glue that kept the Bulls together for a few weeks. While they’ve bottomed out in recent weeks, he deserves his flowers. People called his offseason move to the Bulls the “worst of the offseason.”

Instead, DeRozan put up the best season of his career. His mid-range scoring was at another level. But, this season was a mix of his entire career. You had the awesome scoring from his Toronto days, along with the playmaking from the Spurs.

Deebo has earned this spot.

28.2 points / 5.3 rebounds / 5.0 assists / 59% TS / 3.6 OBPM

Center: Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) – 4th All-NBA Selection

For the second straight season, Joel Embiid has watched as the MVP trophy slipped through his fingers. This time, it wasn’t because of injuries. It was because he stopped playing well. To start the new year, Embiid was on a scoring tear. He was averaging more points than minutes.

But, as soon as the James Harden rumors heated up, Embiid slowed down. He’s still had big games with Harden, but they don’t come as frequently as they once did. His shooting numbers dipped after the All-Star breaks. The narrative around his scoring is that free throws carried him.

As he watches Jokic take his second straight MVP, he’ll have to settle for his fourth second-team selection.

30.4 points / 11.6 rebounds / 61% TS / 2.6 stocks / 9.4 BPM / 31.2 PER

All-NBA Third Team

Guard: Chris Paul (Phoenix) – 11th All-NBA Selection
Guard: Trae Young (Atlanta) – First All-NBA Selection
Forward: Zach Lavine (Chicago) – First All-NBA Selection
Forward: Lebron James (Los Angeles) – 18th All-NBA Selection
Center: Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota) – 2nd All-NBA Selection

Chris Paul is the heartbeat of the Suns. Trae Young is having a fantastic season on a shitty Hawks team. Zach Lavine and Karl-Anthony Towns have been steady all year long. Those four guys, to me, are locks for the third team. I find it hard to believe that any of these guys, save Paul, make a team higher than this one.

Except for Lebron James.

James’ “horrible” ankle sidelined him when LA needed him most. The Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs, ending a miserable season. While James was in contention for the scoring title, I found a hard time fitting him into the All-NBA race.

His numbers seem empty. Did he make his teammates better if LA missed the playoffs? That’s the whole appeal of his game, to make the guys around him better. But, it seemed like his goal was to score, not pass.

In 2019, when the Lakers missed the playoffs, James got an All-NBA third team despite not deserving it. I figure the same thing will happen this time around. But, for all that is good in the world;

DON’T GIVE HIM ANYTHING HIGHER THAN THIS

Because he doesn’t deserve it.

6th Man of the Year: Tyler Herro

*Googles who’s leading the league in bench scoring*

Most Improved Player Award: Miles Bridges

The most improved player award isn’t well thought out. Similar to other awards, “improvement” means different things to everybody. In recent years, this award has become boring. The winner is the player who increased their scoring average by the most compared to the previous season.

I think that’s a lazy way to do the award. As you probably read above, I think Miles Bridges deserves to win this award. If we’re actually going off of improvement, it has to be him. But, there are two ways to classify this award.

Guys With More Volume

Some players don’t improve from one season to another. Sometimes, they just get a bigger slice of the pie. While they may improve marginally, their boosted stats have more to do with their volume than their improvement.

Two players come to mind when I say this;

Ja Morant / Dejounte Murray

Yes, both of these guys are having great seasons. But, they’re both just getting the ball more. Dejounte Murray is on a rebuilding Spurs team. Morant’s usage rate has never been higher (33.8%).

Both players didn’t improve, per se. They just have the ball more.

Guys Who Improved (like the award says)

Miles Bridges and Desmond Bane are the actual frontrunners for this award. Or, at least they should be. Bridges ended 2021 on a hot streak and has carried that into 2022. His shooting, ball-handling, and isolation skills have blossomed.

Desmond Bane has turned into one of the best volume shooters in the NBA. His off-the-dribble game and defense have also improved this season.

Bane and Bridges are prime examples of the correct award recipients. No offense to Morant or Dejounte, but they haven’t improved.

But I’m shouting into the wind. Neither Bane nor Bridges will get to win this award or come relatively close. Damn you, Ja.

Rookie of the Year: Evan Mobley

Even though I thought Evan Mobley had a chance to be the best player from this draft, I didn’t expect him to be this good. His lack of lower body strength caused me to believe he would somewhat struggle as a rookie. Instead, he had one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory.

His defensive versatility has been put on full display this season. He can guard all five positions but remains one of Cleveland’s anchors down low with Jarrett Allen. This season, he’s contested 12.3 shots per game, which ranks third in the league.

When opponents try and shoot within 6 feet against Mobley, things don’t go well. They’re shooting just 52.7% from the field when that happens.

On top of that, Mobley hasn’t been half-bad on offense. He’s displayed his range and shooting touch at times. His offensive rebounding has been a pleasant surprise. And, he works well in the pick-and-rolls with Darius Garland.

He’s been leading this award for the past few months now. With the Cavaliers in the play-in tournament, we’ll get to see Mobley in the playoffs. That should be fun.

Coach of the Year

I sound like a broken record at this point, but coach of the year is another award that needs some clarifying. One of two things happens with this award;

The team that dominated the league
The team that improved the most from the previous season

Last season, Tom Thibodeau won coach of the year. He won the award because of option #2. But, we’ve seen coaches win because of option #1, too. This season, there are candidates in both fields.

The Far and Away Better Than Everybody Else Category

I shouldn’t call this a category. I don’t think that would make sense since there’s only one person in this one. Monty Williams and the Suns have run laps around the rest of the league. They’ve won a franchise-record 63 games this season, the only team to hit the 60-win mark in 2022.

The Suns run like a well-oiled machine largely in part of Williams. He’s beloved by players, great at making adjustments (except in the Finals), and is one of the best coaches in the NBA.

I wouldn’t be mad if Monty won this award.

The Most-Improved Category

Two coaches fit this mold. Both of the teams they coach have had turnaround seasons for 2021. Let’s start with Chris Finch and the T-Wolves.

I may be biased about this team because I love the Timberwolves. I figured that this was their breakthrough season, and I was correct. Finch has become the de facto second-best coach in franchise history, behind the late Flip Saunders.

Finch has turned around this defense, from 28th last season to 13th this year. Since January 1st, Minnesota has also had the best offense in the league. Minnesota needs just one win in the play-in to reach the playoffs. That win could push Finch to the top for this award.

Then there’s Ime Udoka. I’ve talked about the Celtics enough in this blog. They’ve arguably been the best team in the league over the past few months. Udoka turned the Celtics from a sluggish mess in December to an absolute buzzsaw.

Both Finch and Udoka are serious candidates alongside Williams for coach of the year.

And The Winner Is…

To be honest, it’s hard to pick between those three guys. But, if I had to pick one, it would have to be

CHRIS FINCH

What he’s done to turnaround this team is downright impressive. And, the fact that the Timberwolves have rarely had a coach on the caliber of Finch pushes him over the top for me.

All-Defensive Teams

The next ten defenders I’m going to name are very good. But, I’m not going to list out a bunch of reasons as to why they deserve to be on the team. I don’t think I need to. You know all of these guys are all-world level defenders. Let’s get started, shall we?

All-Defensive First Team

Marcus Smart
Mikal Bridges
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bam Adebayo
Rudy Gobert

All-Defensive Second Team

Jrue Holiday
Mattise Thybulle
Herb Jones
Evan Mobley
Robert Williams

Picking Timelord over Jaren Jackson Jr was tough. Snubbing Alex Caruso because of all the games he’s missed was harder. But, for the most part, these are the ten guys you’re going to see on the All-Defensive teams.

We’ll just have to wait and see in what order they end up.

What Are Your Thoughts On My Award Picks? Leave A Comment Down Below!

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My Official Awards + All-NBA Teams Ballot