2016-17 NBA Awards Season: Top 5 Fringe MVP Candidates
Mar 8, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives in against Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
With the 2016-17 regular season over, it's time to review the top candidates for NBA awards season. Here are the top 10 fringe MVP candidates outside of the obvious top-four.
The 2016-17 NBA regular season is over and the 2017 NBA Playoffs are already underway. But even with the postseason getting started, there's still one thing that needs to be taken care of: NBA awards season!
Though a Golden State Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers Finals battle seems inevitable for the third straight year, basketball fans were treated to a truly exceptional regular season.
From Russell Westbrook's triple-double feat to Kawhi Leonard's rise to greatness to a historic, unexpected season from James Harden, there were plenty of awe-inspiring performances and juicy story lines for NBA fans to digest in the MVP debate this season. Unfortunately, that also makes it much harder to decide between all the leading candidates for award season.
The debate over LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Russell Westbrook deserves its own in-depth breakdown, but with so many superstars having exemplary seasons, it felt wrong not to give them their due as well. Bearing that in mind, it felt right to cover the five fringe MVP candidates that we'd be talking about if our four frontrunners didn't exist.
We've already covered Coach of the Year candidates, the top 10 for Rookie of the Year, the best Most Improved Player of the Year options, the Sixth Man of the Year frontrunners and a tight Defensive Player of the Year race, so today we'll be inching our way toward perhaps the greatest MVP race in league history.
Honorable Mentions: Rudy Gobert, Chris Paul, Draymond Green, Paul Millsap, DeMar DeRozan, Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Anthony Davis, Mike Conley
Apr 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts after a play against Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (notpictured) in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Milwaukee defeated Toronto 97-83. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Lost in all the chatter about the legends at the top of this list was the quietly historic season Giannis Antetokounmpo had at just 22 years old.
Averaging 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.6 steals per game, the Greek Freak became the fifth player in NBA history to lead his team in all five categories, and he also became the first player ever to finish in the top 20 in the league for all five. He was also the only player in NBA history to average those numbers for an entire season, per Basketball-Reference.
The Greek Freak @Giannis_An34 becomes the first player in NBA history to finish Top 20 in points, assists, rebounds, steals & blocks! pic.twitter.com/zpWcHFDvGQ
— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2017
Not only did Giannis function as the team's point forward, but he doubled as their most versatile defender, using his length to smother wing defenders, switch onto ball handlers out of pick and rolls and challenge shots around the rim.
It feels like it's only a matter of time before the Greek Freak is the new alpha male in the NBA. Though the Milwaukee Bucks' 42-40 record clearly holds him out of the main conversation, Antetokounmpo's breakthrough season should earn him Most Improved Player honors and put him on voters' MVP radars for the next 5-10 years.
Apr 19, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) reacts after making a three point field goal against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
4. John Wall
When the Washington Wizards started the season 3-9, not many expected them to even sniff the playoffs, let alone win 49 games as the Eastern Conference's fourth seed. And yet, thanks to John Wall and (finally!) a fully healthy season from Bradley Beal, here we are.
In his first season under head coach Scott Brooks, Wall posted a career-high 23.1 points, a career-high 10.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds and a career-high/league-leading 2.0 steals per game. He also shot a career-high 45.1 percent from the field. Sensing a trend here?
Though Washington's defensive decline since the All-Star break has something to do with Wall's effort during that span, he's become a legitimate two-way star and clearly stated his case for the title of best point guard in the East this season.
The Wizards didn't win enough to legitimately put him in the conversation, but he belongs somewhere in this conversation as one of the game's premier offensive orchestrators, an improved scorer and the driving force behind one of the league's better midseason turnaround stories.
Feb 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) in action against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Golden State Warriors won 119-108. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
3. Kevin Durant
Had Kevin Durant stayed healthy this season, he'd probably leapfrog the next two players on this list for the No. 1 spot. But since he missed 20 games in his first season with the Golden State Warriors, even his colossally efficient numbers only get him so far.
Though his raw numbers don't compare to his 2013-14 MVP season, KD still managed to put up 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game on impressive .537/.375/.875 shooting splits. When healthy, he also looked like an All-Defensive team candidate, leading the Dubs in blocks and using his versatility to help make up for the departure of rim protector Andrew Bogut.
Durant led the team in rebounds as well, and before his injury-related absence when Stephen Curry took over, he was the team's leading scorer. For most of the season, he was the best player for a Dubs powerhouse that won 67 games. His floor spacing, perimeter shooting, defensive instincts and ability to create one-on-one were invaluable parts of Golden State's success this year.
The missed time and the fact that he plays with three other top-20 players keeps him well out of the main MVP debate, but before his injury, he was more than deserving of the first spot on this list.
Mar 5, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) celebrates a fourth quarter three pointer against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Celtics 109-106. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
2. Isaiah Thomas
Last season with the Boston Celtics, Isaiah Thomas was an entertaining performer, but he was also an inefficient gunner, with his career-high 22.2 points per game on middling .428/.359/.871 shooting splits.
This season, IT made the leap to superstardom as an efficient scorer, posting a career-high 28.9 points per game on .463/.379/.909 shooting — all while remaining one of the most entertaining performers on a night-to-night basis of any Boston sports team.
Seeing as how these Celtics earned the No. 1 seed in the East, IT's massive contributions to an offense that was a whopping 14.6 points per 100 possessions worse this season without him on the floor.
That's no small feat considering Boston ranked eighth in offensive rating this season, en route to the league's fourth-best record. His transformation from "fun" to "legitimately dangerous" was one of the NBA's best story lines this season, but his defense and the potency of the next guy on the list place him just on the outside of the top spot.
Apr 19, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) after a three point basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
1. Stephen Curry
Before his injury, Kevin Durant was the best player on the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors. But the Most Valuable Player award is not the same as "Best Player," and the way Stephen Curry spearheaded the offense during KD's absence was remarkable.
Finishing the season with a team-high 25.3 points per game, the two-time reigning MVP also averaged 6.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game on .468/.411/.898 shooting splits.
Now, compared to his last two historic seasons, those numbers seem like a step backward, and they are. The truth is, he hasn't had to carry as much offensive weight with KD onboard.
But to say that Chef Curry isn't Chef Curry anymore would also be ridiculous, since he still managed to lead the league in plus/minus while knocking down 324 three-pointers — the most in the league and the second-most in a single season in NBA history, trailing only to his mark of 402 last year.
Curry stepped up his offense to 26.9 points on .473/.421/.848 shooting with KD sidelined, he set the record for most three-pointers in a game (13) and the floor spacing, ball handling, passing, shot creation, effective finishing around the rim and knockout punches he provides remain invaluable for this Warriors juggernaut. For those reasons, he should lock up that fifth and final spot on plenty of MVP ballots outside of the four main contenders.
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