NBA First Quarter Awards Ballot

The first quarter of the 2021-22 NBA season is in the rearview and things are only getting more interesting as we approach the start of the new year.

One of the biggest topics throughout every NBA season is the MVP race. So that got me thinking: Who would be the league MVP right now if the season ended today? But why stop there, what about the other big-time rewards like Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year that we oh so admire?

So similar to the report cards we used to get in school that used to keep us updated each quarter on how we were doing in class, this is going to act as my NBA First Quarter Awards ballot. The ballot will have my current leading candidate and analysis supporting the decision as well as a short list of the other four players in consideration for the award.

This will be the first of a four-part series where through each quarter of the NBA season leading up to the Playoffs, I will update my ballot based on the trajectory of the season. With that being said, here is my first update on who I believe are the leading candidates for the five major NBA awards!

Most Valuable Player

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors:

Let’s start off with the most anticipated and most discussed award so far this season: MVP.

In parody-riddled seasons like this one, league MVP may be the hardest award to vote on by the end of the year. I mean on one you have the up-and-coming young guys who are starting to grow before our very eyes and on the other we have the grizzled veterans turning back the clock. This of course will be the most fun award to keep track of this season but through 25+ games, the MVP is definitely Stephen Curry.

Next to maybe Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant, Curry has easily been the most dynamic offensive player in the NBA thus far.

On the season he is averaging 27.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. But of course, when it comes to awards like these, you have to look beyond the typical counting stats. From an efficiency standpoint, Curry is hooting 43.3% from the field and as if he needed to shoot more threes, he is also shooting 40.4% on a career-high 13.4 attempts per game.

He has been the driving force for a Golden State Warriors that clearly overachieved as they sit Top-2 in the East when most projected them to finish 6th or lower at the start of the season. Plus, as a cherry on top, Curry is likely to break Ray Allen’s three-pointers made record within the next 24 hours or so which is a nice plot point to add when making his MVP case.

Rest of the Ballot:

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

3. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

4. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

5. Demar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls

Defensive Player of the Year

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks:

The Milwaukee Bucks have arguably been one of the most injured teams in the NBA, yet it hasn’t slowed them down a beat. That has to do a lot with the two-way play of reigning NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In the mainstream media, most will focus on everything that he does on the offensive end because of all the gawdy counting stats and highlight plays featured on SportsCenter’s Top-10. But especially in a season like this one, Antetokounmpo may actually be having a more impressive year on the defensive end.

Through 28 games for the Bucks, they are ranked 14th in opponents points per game and 7th in overall defensive rating. To put that into perspective, last season they finished the regular season 22nd in opponents points per game and 10th in overall defensive rating.

Now as I noted earlier, Milwaukee has been pretty injured. Brook Lopez has not played since the season opener. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton both missed six to eight games. The only person who has actually played in all 28 of the Bucks’ games is Pat Connaughton who isn’t even the 5th leading scorer on the team. That brings me back to Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Not only is he the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, but he is also their primary rim defender with Lopez out. He also is one of the team’s best perimeter defenders. And outside of Holiday and Middleton, he does not have a strong defensive roster around him. No offense to Connaughton, Bobby Portis, and others, but the Bucks are definitely a more offensive based roster.

So essentially, Antetokounmpo’s impact is magnified by his ability to elevate the team’s defense as a whole and do more with less.

Rest of the Ballot:

2. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

3. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

4. Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers

5. Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers

6th Man of the Year

Montrezl Harrell, Washington Wizards:

The former 2019-20 6th Man of the Year is back to his game wrecking ways off the bench as part of a fresh start in DC with the Washington Wizards.

So far this season he is averaging 14.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 64.3% from the field. With this current stat line, he is averaging more points than last season and his rebounding average is the best of his career.

To emphasize even further how much Harrell has bounced back, last season he scored 931 total points along with 428 total rebounds and 73 total assists in 69 games played. This season he already has 403 total points, 213 rebounds and an impressive 58 total assists through only 27 games. Harrell is also Washington’s second leading scorer ahead of guys like Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Kuzma.

But even more so than the offensive production he is providing for the Wizards, Harrell’s improvement on the defensive end is what helps him stand above the crowd for this award. On my ballot he is probably the second-best defensive player behind only Alex Caruso.

Harrell’s steals and blocks numbers might not be as eye-popping but if you watch him on defense you can see that he is playing with more effort. Alongside Daniel Gafford, he is one of the team’s most reliable rim defenders standing at only 6-foot-7. Not to mention that at 240 pounds, he acts as a physical body down low which helps with deterring drives and not getting killed on post ups.

Harrell’s combination of offensive and defensive production thus far has made him potentially the most impactful player acquired out of the Russell Westbrook trade. It also helps him in the 6^th Man of the Year as the most complete, two-way style player on the ballot.

Rest of the Ballot:

Tyler Herro, Miami Heat

Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks

Alex Caruso, Chicago Bulls

Dennis Schroder, Boston Celtics

Coach of the Year

Steve Kerr:

Now some may ask: How can Steve Kerr be Coach of the Year when he has the leading MVP candidate running the show? If you look at the rest of the roster, the answer is in the details.

Last season the Golden State Warriors were 12th in scoring, 18th in opponents points per game, 20th in offensive rating and they surprisingly had the 5th best defensive rating. Now let’s compare that to this season. Through 26 games the Warriors are 3rd in scoring, 1st in opponents points per game, 4th in offensive rating and have the best defensive rating in the league. Mind you, this significant improvement has taken place with essentially the same roster as last season.

So why are they so much better? Internal development.

If you look across Golden State’s roster, outside of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green they do not have a lot of well-known commodities.

Jordan Poole showed flashes of potential last season hence why entered the season as a leading candidate to have a breakout season this year. But beyond him there’s guys like Nemanja Bjelica who is on his third team in three seasons. Gary Payton II who has wowed people with his defense this season but would not have even made the roster had Golden State elected to keep Avery Bradley.

Guys like Kevon Looney and Damion Lee are playing major rotation minutes while on most of the other contending teams they probably would not see the floor much. Yet he has this squad sitting 2nd in the Western Conference with big early season victories over the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns.

What Stephen Curry is doing as an individual talent is remarkable, but Kerr’s ability to maximize the production of this roster is slightly more impressive in a way.

Rest of the Ballot:

2. Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee Bucks

3. Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls

4. Wes Unseld Jr., Washington Wizards

5. Monty Williams, Phoenix Suns  

Rookie of the Year:

Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers

Of all the rookies from the 2021 class, Evan Mobley has definitely been the most impactful and is doing it on both ends.

So far this season he is averaging 14 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists per and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the floor. That would put him at 4th in scoring amongst rookies, 1st in rebounding and top-8 in assists per game. Not to mention he is making things work next to Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt which most analysts viewed as a potential issue entering this season. Which brings me to his defense.

Mobley right now is 6th in defensive rating (101.8) just behind his Jarrett Allen who has a defensive rating of 101.3 As part of this top-6 he also joins the likes of some of the league’s best defenders including Draymond Green, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert. The combination of Mobley and Allen has not only helped lead the Cavs to a surprising 16-12 start, but they are also one of the best defensive teams in the NBA thus far.

Through 28 games, Cleveland is 2nd in opponents points per game and 3^rd in defensive rating. So far this rookie class has struggled offensively as a group in terms of monster performances, efficiency stats and overall impact. But as far as two-way players go, Mobley has shown the most flashes of potential super stardom so far this season.

Rest of the Ballot:

2. Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors

3. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

4. Chris Duarte, Indiana Pacers

5. Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder