If you happen to had been to place NBA followers into tiers by way of their curiosity in particular person awards from extraordinarily , kinda detached to fully oblivious, you’d most likely need to create an additional tier for me – the “Why not abolish particular person awards?” tier.
I simply have by no means heard one cheap clarification how particular person awards make a workforce sport higher. They don’t imply a lot by way of successful a championship. They may slightly generally tend to distort notion.
Among the many most up-to-date ten NBA MVPs just one has managed to guide his workforce to a championship the yr they received MVP – Stephen Curry in 2015. Nobody has performed that ever since. Some performed for MVP slightly than to win a championship – Westbrook and Harden spring to thoughts. And each Giannis and Jokic received their ring within the season after their MVP steaks snapped.
There’s one factor that the MVP and the opposite awards assist. They’re efficient advertising software, and never simply within the sense of the blokes who win them. A good portion of NBA protection is devoted to those awards. Even the nerdiest of NBA content material creators received’t do with out “Month-to-month Awards Updates”. Most likely as a result of even the nerdiest of NBA content material customers deeply care in regards to the awards and the unusual discussions round them. I simply don’t.
This yr, my dismay at particular person awards had popped up even earlier than the beginning of the season. Wemby was penciled in as DPOY, the one factor that stood between him and likewise successful MIP was the notion the award perhaps shouldn’t go to second-year gamers. Some even noticed him within the MVP dialog, in case the Spurs in some way could make the playoffs.
Ten video games into the season, actuality has caught up with the expectations many, together with most likely himself, placed on Wemby. However no less than he had an encouraging recreation within the residence loss to the Utah Jazz. Or did he?
Takeaways
Whether or not or not the MIP award ought to go to a blue chipper in his second yr is presently irrelevant when it comes Wemby. The reason being unhappy however easy: To date, there’s regression slightly than enchancment – down 4 proportion factors in discipline aim proportion, down 5 proportion factors in three-point proportion, down even in discipline aim makes an attempt per recreation, and the much less mentioned about his assist-to-turnover ratio the higher. The principle downside with Wemby is that the Spurs permit him to use himself largely as a wing participant on offense. Let’s not child ourselves right here, that’s what 29 groups within the league need him to do.
Although Wemby’s efficiency from final evening appeared higher on the stat sheet, it wasn’t actually that completely different from what we had seen within the video games earlier than. It’s simply that an unsustainable variety of his photographs from deep went in. Sadly, that wasn’t sufficient to beat the Western Convention backside dwellers. Wemby wants to grasp he’s not the second coming of Kevin Durant. He wants to grasp he’s acquired a degree guard subsequent to him now who turned rim-runs-only DeAndre Jordan right into a Allstar. Wemby and the Spurs aren’t taking almost sufficient benefit of that chance.
On the defensive finish, Wemby goes to win the MIP award if nothing unexpected occurs. Seven blocked photographs isn’t one thing that’s alleged to occur in a recreation that’s extra unfold out than ever earlier than. It’s completely ridiculous what Wemby does and can proceed to do as a rim protector. However, actually, how a lot worth is left from his otherworldly protection when for each blocked shot there’s a turnover – seven for six final evening, and 4 for 3.7 on the season.
On a extra constructive be aware, Devin Vassell returned, scoring a degree a minute in 21 full minutes of play, underlining that his self-creation capabilities are fairly clearly probably the most superior of any participant on the roster. Nobody else brings to the workforce what he does, and what he brings is tough to interchange. Whether or not he can turn into a greater defender and extra constant this yr stays to be seen, however his comeback efficiency was wonderful, interval.
Stephon Fortress had a little bit of a breakout, scoring 23 factors with good effectivity in 35 minutes. He made as many threes final evening as in his NBA profession as much as that time. Taking pictures seems to be his solely main weak point to this point, however I belief him to get higher. He strikes me as a critical basketball participant, a no-nonsense man. I’m unsure he has an excellent talent on offense, however the truth that he’s in a position to get to the basket (and to the road) regardless of being notably expert as a handler nor notably fast I discover outstanding. Let me put it this manner: He performs with nice composure.
