Award ballots for the 2020-21 NBA season are due in one week. Some categories have a clear winner. Last week, I detailed Nikola Jokic’s MVP case and, as we’ll get into soon, I also believe Rudy Gobert is the pick for Defensive Player of the Year. Sixers fans, don’t worry, you’ll be cheered up by multiple All-Defensive team selections. But there are a lot of candidates—seemingly more than usual—for every honor this season. One thing is for sure: there will be a ton of snubs.
I’d imagine there will be anger from fans once ballots are published and winners are announced in the coming months. As I researched my ballot, I became increasingly frustrated too. There are some super talented players having great seasons that will be left empty handed. It sucks. But a large number of snubs is the by-product of a league flooded with talent. It’s a good problem for the league and fans to have. But maybe not for players or teams. Maximum contract extensions are tied to awards for some players who could meet the supermax criteria. This year, Jayson Tatum could lose $32 million because his contract extension value is determined by his All-NBA status. The same goes for Bam Adebayo and Donovan Mitchell. Some or all of them will miss out.
Stats won’t change much over the final week. Neither will the standings. But with some races being so tight, the final few games could clarify some choices. Here’s my ballot as of now plus my thought process behind some of the more difficult decisions:
All-DefenseFirst Team
C: Rudy GobertF: Bam AdebayoF: Draymond GreenG: Ben SimmonsG: Jrue Holiday
Second Team
C: Clint CapelaF: Joel EmbiidF: Giannis AntetokounmpoG: Mikal BridgesG: Matisse Thybulle
All three players from my Defensive Player of the Year ballot—Gobert, Simmons, and Adebayo—obviously made the first team here. Holiday gets in too. He hounded every star he defended this season and he’s been an integral part of Milwaukee’s increasing willingness and ability to switch screens. As detailed earlier, his teammate Giannis still belongs in the conversation here but makes the second team this year.
Instead, Green makes his return to the first team following a poor 2019-20 campaign. He looks rejuvenated and helped lead the Warriors to a top-five defensive rating. There isn’t a player in the league who talks more on that end of the floor, directing his teammates to where they should be. Opponents shoot only 46.1 percent near the rim when he’s lurking too, one of the best marks in the entire league. He can switch on to the perimeter. He can battle inside. He makes hustle plays. Draymond may not be quite back to prime levels, but he’s ready to compete for a title again once Klay Thompson returns.
Embiid probably would’ve made the first team had he not missed so many games, but he slides to a forward spot on the second team to open space for Capela at center. Capela plays a role similar to Gobert, dropping to the paint and allowing his teammates to stay closer to their assignments. He’s fourth in blocks per game, and third in defensive rebounds per game. He’s been integral to the Hawks’ turnaround this season.
Myles Turner, Anthony Davis, and Jakob Poeltl were also considered at center. Turner might have received the nod had he not gotten injured. Same goes for Davis. Poeltl has turned himself into a good positional defender—Capela is just better.
It’s also worth noting Adebayo and Green are eligible at center. I would fault no one for placing either of them (or Embiid) at center to make room for an additional forward or guard. There are a lot of them. In addition to the choices above, I considered Chris Paul, Dejounte Murray, De’Anthony Melton, Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and T.J. McConnell, and these forwards: Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Royce O’Neale, Lu Dort, OG Anunoby, and Jae’Sean Tate.
Ultimately, Bridges and Thybulle get the nod for the second team guard spots. Bridges is the centerpiece of Phoenix’s sixth-ranked defense. The Suns use him as an on-ball stopper across all positions, and he’s active and smart defending off the ball.
Thybulle averages only 20 minutes per game, yet in that time he logs 1.6 steals, 1.1 blocks, and 3.1 deflections per game. No defender has blocked more jump shots than him, per Second Spectrum. There is no one better at recovering off-ball to get back into a play. He has outlier-level instincts and reaction time. He is one of the best defenders I’ve ever watched in my life and if he someday becomes a 30-minute-per-game player, he’ll be in the conversation to win Defensive Player of the Year. I’ll have more on Thybulle this Thursday on The Void.
Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie Teams1. LaMelo Ball
2. Anthony Edwards
3. Tyrese HaliburtonFirst Team
LaMelo BallAnthony EdwardsTyrese HaliburtonJae’Sean TateSaddiq Bey
Second Team
Jaden McDanielsPatrick WilliamsImmanuel QuickleyIsaac OkoroDesmond Bane
Rookie of the Year is between Ball and Edwards. I’ll let this final week play out before making my final decision, but it’s close. Ball was the clear leader before he broke his wrist on March 20. He’s already one of the league’s best playmakers as a teenager, and he’s proved to be way ahead of the curve as a scorer and defender, averaging 16 points while grabbing 1.6 steals per game. He’s already very good and could someday compete for more prestigious awards.
When Ball got sidelined, some people wondered if Haliburton would catch him by the end of the season. And while the Kings rookie deserves a top-three nod for his two-way performance, he has been surpassed by Edwards, who’s averaging 22.6 points on 56.5 percent true shooting with 5.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists since Ball’s injury. Edwards got off to an inefficient start in Minnesota but has improved every step of the season. He has logged 21 more games than Ball this season. That matters.
The All-Rookie teams are also a bit unsettled, but for now, Bey and Tate finish up the first team. Bey has been rock solid defensively and hit nearly 40 percent of his 3s. Tate’s offensive numbers are underwhelming, but he has been fantastic as an individual defender during this lost season for the Rockets. He makes a winning impact, and if you haven’t read Mirin Fader’s story about him, you should.
Most of the rookies on the second team made a strong defensive impact considering their minimal experience. Cole Anthony, Facundo Campazzo, and Isaiah Stewart were the other first-year standouts that just missed the list.
Award ballots for the 2020-21 NBA season are due in one week. Some categories have a clear winner. Last week, I detailed Nikola Jokic’s MVP case and, as we’ll get into soon, I also believe Rudy Gobert is the pick for Defensive Player of the Year. Sixers fans, don’t worry, you’ll be cheered up by multiple All-Defensive team selections. But there are a lot of candidates—seemingly more than usual—for every honor this season. One thing is for sure: there will be a ton of snubs.
I’d imagine there will be anger from fans once ballots are published and winners are announced in the coming months. As I researched my ballot, I became increasingly frustrated too. There are some super talented players having great seasons that will be left empty handed. It sucks. But a large number of snubs is the by-product of a league flooded with talent. It’s a good problem for the league and fans to have. But maybe not for players or teams. Maximum contract extensions are tied to awards for some players who could meet the supermax criteria. This year, Jayson Tatum could lose $32 million because his contract extension value is determined by his All-NBA status. The same goes for Bam Adebayo and Donovan Mitchell. Some or all of them will miss out.
Stats won’t change much over the final week. Neither will the standings. But with some races being so tight, the final few games could clarify some choices. Here’s my ballot as of now plus my thought process behind some of the more difficult decisions:
All-DefenseFirst Team
C: Rudy GobertF: Bam AdebayoF: Draymond GreenG: Ben SimmonsG: Jrue Holiday
Second Team
C: Clint CapelaF: Joel EmbiidF: Giannis AntetokounmpoG: Mikal BridgesG: Matisse Thybulle
All three players from my Defensive Player of the Year ballot—Gobert, Simmons, and Adebayo—obviously made the first team here. Holiday gets in too. He hounded every star he defended this season and he’s been an integral part of Milwaukee’s increasing willingness and ability to switch screens. As detailed earlier, his teammate Giannis still belongs in the conversation here but makes the second team this year.
Instead, Green makes his return to the first team following a poor 2019-20 campaign. He looks rejuvenated and helped lead the Warriors to a top-five defensive rating. There isn’t a player in the league who talks more on that end of the floor, directing his teammates to where they should be. Opponents shoot only 46.1 percent near the rim when he’s lurking too, one of the best marks in the entire league. He can switch on to the perimeter. He can battle inside. He makes hustle plays. Draymond may not be quite back to prime levels, but he’s ready to compete for a title again once Klay Thompson returns.
Embiid probably would’ve made the first team had he not missed so many games, but he slides to a forward spot on the second team to open space for Capela at center. Capela plays a role similar to Gobert, dropping to the paint and allowing his teammates to stay closer to their assignments. He’s fourth in blocks per game, and third in defensive rebounds per game. He’s been integral to the Hawks’ turnaround this season.
Myles Turner, Anthony Davis, and Jakob Poeltl were also considered at center. Turner might have received the nod had he not gotten injured. Same goes for Davis. Poeltl has turned himself into a good positional defender—Capela is just better.
It’s also worth noting Adebayo and Green are eligible at center. I would fault no one for placing either of them (or Embiid) at center to make room for an additional forward or guard. There are a lot of them. In addition to the choices above, I considered Chris Paul, Dejounte Murray, De’Anthony Melton, Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and T.J. McConnell, and these forwards: Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Royce O’Neale, Lu Dort, OG Anunoby, and Jae’Sean Tate.
Ultimately, Bridges and Thybulle get the nod for the second team guard spots. Bridges is the centerpiece of Phoenix’s sixth-ranked defense. The Suns use him as an on-ball stopper across all positions, and he’s active and smart defending off the ball.
Thybulle averages only 20 minutes per game, yet in that time he logs 1.6 steals, 1.1 blocks, and 3.1 deflections per game. No defender has blocked more jump shots than him, per Second Spectrum. There is no one better at recovering off-ball to get back into a play. He has outlier-level instincts and reaction time. He is one of the best defenders I’ve ever watched in my life and if he someday becomes a 30-minute-per-game player, he’ll be in the conversation to win Defensive Player of the Year. I’ll have more on Thybulle this Thursday on The Void.
Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie Teams1. LaMelo Ball
2. Anthony Edwards
3. Tyrese HaliburtonFirst Team
LaMelo BallAnthony EdwardsTyrese HaliburtonJae’Sean TateSaddiq Bey
Second Team
Jaden McDanielsPatrick WilliamsImmanuel QuickleyIsaac OkoroDesmond Bane
Rookie of the Year is between Ball and Edwards. I’ll let this final week play out before making my final decision, but it’s close. Ball was the clear leader before he broke his wrist on March 20. He’s already one of the league’s best playmakers as a teenager, and he’s proved to be way ahead of the curve as a scorer and defender, averaging 16 points while grabbing 1.6 steals per game. He’s already very good and could someday compete for more prestigious awards.
When Ball got sidelined, some people wondered if Haliburton would catch him by the end of the season. And while the Kings rookie deserves a top-three nod for his two-way performance, he has been surpassed by Edwards, who’s averaging 22.6 points on 56.5 percent true shooting with 5.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists since Ball’s injury. Edwards got off to an inefficient start in Minnesota but has improved every step of the season. He has logged 21 more games than Ball this season. That matters.
The All-Rookie teams are also a bit unsettled, but for now, Bey and Tate finish up the first team. Bey has been rock solid defensively and hit nearly 40 percent of his 3s. Tate’s offensive numbers are underwhelming, but he has been fantastic as an individual defender during this lost season for the Rockets. He makes a winning impact, and if you haven’t read Mirin Fader’s story about him, you should.
Most of the rookies on the second team made a strong defensive impact considering their minimal experience. Cole Anthony, Facundo Campazzo, and Isaiah Stewart were the other first-year standouts that just missed the list.
