The NBA regular season is winding down so all these sites are churning out generic predictions about who will win what award.
That’s boring. So GoingFor2 decided to take this in another direction and give out awards that are actually worth winning.
Let’s get this show going.
Paper Boi Always Bout That Paper Boy: Kawhi Leonard
One of the most intriguing story lines this season is the status of Kawhi Leornard’s injured quad. The Spur superstar only played nine games this season and there is no timetable for his return.
The weird part? The Spurs medical staff has cleared him back in February. With that being said then a great question remains, why is he still out?
No one really knows outside of Leonard’s camp. The story goes that he still feels pain in his quad and really isn’t trusting the Spurs opinion. For the record, the Spurs have no history of mistreating injuries. That’s Boston’s job.
A few things about this situation. First, Kawhi is doing the right thing by sitting out. We don’t know how he’s feeling and he’s due for a MAJOR payday this offseason. We’re talking about five years, $217 million on the table. Why rush back and potentially hurt your value?
Ah, yes. I can hear the fanboys screaming “team first” and all the their other favorite cliches.
How did that work for Isaiah Thomas? You know, they guy who played through a torn labrum, lost his sister a day before the playoffs began, had additional surgery on said labrum, and rushed back before he was 100%. That Boston diss makes sense now, right?
He got traded to Cleveland, then LA and won’t be getting the Brinks truck he always hoped for.
The window for elite athletes to earn millions of dollars is slim and it’s rare when the have the leverage. The Spurs are either going to pay Kawhi or trade him to somebody that will.
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He shouldn’t play one minute of competitive basketball until the check clears.
I mean, paper boi did give us the book on negotiating…
Yeezus Piece: Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons is not only taking home ROY but he has the honor of taking the inaugural Yeezy award. This award goes to someone who is extremely cocky but has a good reason to be. Ben Simmons has met, and exceeded the hype he received coming out of LSU by putting on an 82 game clinic this year. He leads a FIFTY-TWO WIN Sixers team in the playoffs and will enter as the three seed. He’s done it with and without Joel Embiid and has put up some insane numbers this season.
ICYMI, I looked up a bunch of numbers from Ben Simmons' rookie season and wrote about them here: https://t.co/v7cysP7IEW pic.twitter.com/BDn6KZiUwI
— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) April 10, 2018
It’s evident that Simmons has the skill on the court but how does that earn him the Yeezus award?
He’s arrogant af, that’s why.
Philadelphia guard Ben Simmons tells ESPN “100 percent” he’s the Rookie of the Year and when asked what rookies have caught his attention, his response: “None.” https://t.co/ydwOq9qGEu
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 9, 2018
For the record, I love an athlete does doesn’t play humility politics. If you’re good then you have every right to let us know.
The greatest testament to Ben’s greatness? He hasn’t taken a 3 all year and teams still can’t stop him.
Nelson Muntz Trophy: Kevin Durant
We all know that guy. The guy who huffs and puffs but couldn’t blow a tissue. That’s Kevin Durant. This year the Warrior’s star was ejected five times, leading the league. Durant has adopted a tough guy persona and he thinks we’re falling for it.
Here’s the thing. You can’t walk around these Twitter streets with burner accounts defending yourself then talk trash to others. I don’t make the rules, man, but that’s how it goes.
Ultimate Warrior Entrance: Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook followed his MVP season which was highlighted by averaging a triple double was followed by ANOTHER SEASON OF AVERAGING A TRIPLE DOUBLE. Last year he was the main piece of a fun Thunder team so it’s really impressive that he was able to do the same thing with Melo and PG by his side.
Quick quip. The Thunder let three league MVPs (James Harden is getting his this year) go and it all started b/c they picked Serge Ibaka over James. OKC fans gotta be sick.
Westbrook’s greatness and tenacity can only be described by one of the best gifs on the internet.
The Better Aunt Viv Season: Steph Curry
For those who don’t get the reference please just stop now. If you don’t know the best Aunt Viv then I can’t help you.
Back to the topic.
Everyone thought the Warriors were so loaded that any one of their stars could go down and the team would keep humming at optimum efficiency. We can put that in the fiction category.
Exhibit A:
The Warriors' final 17 games (all but 25 minutes without Steph Curry)
7-10 record
-62 point differential
105.7 offensive rating
107.8 defensive rating
-2.2 net— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 11, 2018
There was no secret that Steph made this engine purr but damn; one would think that Kevin, Klay, and Draymond could pick up some of the slack.
This team is still great and probably still make it to the finals but the absence of Steph takes a little something special away.
Since you’ve been kind enough to make it to this point I’ll now give my predictions for the awards the NBA actually recognizes.
Rookie of the Year: Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
Coach of the Year: Dwayne Casey, Toronto Raptors (The Raptors still won’t make it to the conference finals, though.)
Sixth Man of the Year: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clipper (With a nickname like Sweet Lou he should win it every year.)
Most Improved Player of the Year: Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers
Defensive Player of the Year: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Executive of the Year: Daryl Morey, Houston Rockets
Most Valuable Player: James Harden, Houston Rockets
Hit me @madads14
As always, thanks for reading.
ATTN Dynasty Commissioners: Do you want to do something cool for your league? How about a 1-hour live show dedicated to YOUR league? Team-by-team breakdowns, rankings, and more. For details and to book a show, visit: GoingFor2.com/plp.
