2017-2018 NBA Preview: Award Picks
Hey guys, we are now less than a week away from the NBA season beginning. I have two more articles to get out before that date and this is one of them. I’ll be making my predictions on who wins the NBA awards. Let’s begin.
MVP: Kevin Durant: Kevin Durant is about to go through the same LeBron James went through in 2012. After playing his first year with a new team, Durant is going to flourish during his 2nd year. He knows the offense and he’s got the chemistry down pat with his Golden St. teammates. Plus, the Warriors are going to win 70 games.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert: After finishing 2nd in the award last year, Gobert will take the defensive crown this year. He’s going to be playing a lot more with Gordon Hawyard moving on, which means his blocks and steal go up. Draymond Green will give Gobert a run at it though.
Rookie of the Year: Ben Simmons: Like Blake Griffin in 2011, Ben Simmons will have an advantage over every other rookie this year. He’s been around the team for a year and knows how an organization works. It also helps that he’s the former number one pick in the draft and freakishly talented.
Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau: The Timberwolves are going to make a huge jump in the standings this year. Part of that is due to the talent upgrade but the other part is because of the coach. Tom Thibodeau is reunited with star Jimmy Butler now that he is no longer in a rebuilding situation, the Wolves will improve by at least 20 games.
6th Man: Rudy Gay: After coming off a major injury, Gay is taking a smaller role with the Spurs. This is a genius move on his part because he’s going to thrive in it. Gay is still a really good scorer and he’ll be playing a lot against 2nd units. Greg Popovich knows how to get the most out of players and Gay still has a lot in the tank.
Most Improved Player: Dennis Schroder: Whenever I look to find candidates for most improved player, I always look for opportunity. The Hawks let go Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard go and left nothing for Schroder. So considering he’s an up and coming player still and no one else is on the team; he’ll get a lot of opportunities to put up stats.
Executive of the Year: Danny Ainge: This one is pretty obvious. After wheeling and dealing all offseason, the Celtics landed both Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Not to mention he also drafted Jayson Tatum 3rd overall. I’d be shocked if anyone else wins.
Written By: Steven Santoro (SVS_1993)
