The 2015-16 NBA regular season has come to a close. With it, award season has arrived. Who are HoopsHabit’s 2015-16 NBA award winners?
After seven calendar months, the 2015-16 NBA regular season has come to a close. The postseason field of 16 is set, and the league’s elite teams and players will now turn their attention from jostling for position in the standings to pursuing a championship.
The postseason simply cannot commence without a proper acknowledgement of the events that preceded it.
The 2015-16 NBA regular season was the platform for many breakout campaigns by those who are now recognized as presently or potentially elite players and coaches. From feats of statistical wizardry to flashes of pure brilliance, much was achieved this past season.
For that reason, the best of the best deserve to be honored.
In order to do so, a panel of HoopsHabit’s writers came together to vote on the six major NBA awards: MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Rookie of the Year. The results were tallied, and that brings us to where we stand today.
The question is, whom did HoopsHabit name as your 2016 NBA award winners?
Next: Rookie of the Year
Rookie of the Year: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Votes: 100%
Position: Center
Slash Line: .542/.341/.811
Season Averages: 32.0 MPG, 18.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.8 ORPG, 2.0 APG, 1.7 BPG, 0.7 SPG
The Rookie of the Year award was thought to be a two-man race between Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis put together a historically significant season, but Towns pulled away and gained tremendous separation.
In one of just two unanimous vote counts, Towns won HoopsHabit’s Rookie of the Year award.
Towns is the first rookie to average at least 10.0 points and 10.0 rebounds since Blake Griffin in 2010-11. Before Griffin, it hadn’t been done by any player since Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor in 2004-05, Elton Brand in 1999-2000, and Tim Duncan in 1997-98.
Not only is that extraordinary company, but it’s a sign of just how quickly Towns has adjusted to playing in the NBA.
For what it’s worth, Towns is the youngest player to average at least 18.0 points and 10.0 assists since Anthony Davis in 2013-14. Before that recent season, the last two players to achieve the feat were Brand in 1999-2000, and Shaquille O’Neal in 1992-93.
Towns may or may not go on to become an NBA superstar, but his rookie season has placed him on the right path.
Others Receiving Votes: N/A
Next: Sixth Man of the Year
Sixth Man of the Year: Will Barton, Denver Nuggets
Votes: 30.8%
Position: Guard/Forward
Age: 25
Slash Line: .432/.345/.806
Season Averages: 28.7 MPG, 14.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.4 3PM
One of the most pleasant surprises of the 2015-16 NBA regular season was Denver Nuggets swingman Will Barton. He’d shown flashes of brilliance with the Portland Trail Blazers, but after shining with Denver for 28 games in 2014-15, Barton had a chance to break out.
According to HoopsHabit’s voters, that’s exactly what he did.
Barton wins HoopsHabit’s 2015-16 Sixth Man of the Year award behind the strength of his well-rounded and versatile production. The athletic dynamo vastly improved his jump shot, making a massive jump from 23 3-point field goals made on 27.1 percent shooting in 2014-15, to 112 at 34.5 percent in 2015-16.
That helped Barton average a career-high 14.4 points in just 28.7 minutes of action per game.
This was the closest race for an award, as Jamal Crawford, Andre Iguodala, and Enes Kanter all received a significant number of votes. Both were deserving candidates, but in the end, it was Barton who emerged victorious as the best reserve in the NBA this season.
Bright things are in the 25-year-old’s future.
Others Receiving Votes: Jamal Crawford (23.1 percent); Andre Iguodala (19.2 percent); Enes Kanter (15.5 percent); Victor Oladipo (3.8 percent); Tristan Thompson (3.8 percent); Hassan Whiteside (3.8 percent)
Next: Most Improved Player
Most Improved Player: C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
Votes: 73.3%
Position: Shooting Guard
2014-15 Slash Line: .436/.396/.699
2014-15 Season Averages: 15.7 MPG, 6.8 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.9 3PM
2015-16 Slash Line: .448/.417/.827
2015-16 Season Averages: 34.8 MPG, 20.8 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 2.5 3PM
No player has improved more than Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard C.J. McCollum. After spending two years as a reserve with limited production, McCollum erupted for a tremendous third season in the NBA.
Thus, while others received votes, McCollum was the runaway selection for the 2016 HoopsHabit Most Improved Player award.
McCollum posted per 36 averages of 15.7 points and 2.4 assists on a slash line of .436/.396/.699 in 2014-15. In 2015-16, he upped his per 36 numbers to 21.6 points and 4.4 assists on a slash line of .448/.417/.827.
That only begins to scratch the surface of what makes McCollum the clear choice for this award.
McCollum has evolved from a capable shot-creator with a nice jump shot into one of the best half court scorers in the NBA. He can take even the best of on-ball defenders off the bounce, convert the 3-ball at an elite level, and finish in traffic.
Both statistically and fundamentally, McCollum is the Most Improved Player in the NBA.
Others Receiving Votes: Kemba Walker (11.5 percent); Stephen Curry (3.8 percent); Draymond Green (3.8 percent); Damian Lillard (3.8 percent); Isaiah Thomas (3.8 percent)
Next: Coach of the Year
Coach of the Year: Terry Stotts, Portland Trail Blazers
Votes: 38.5%
W-L Record: 44-38
Key Losses: Arron Afflalo, SG; LaMarcus Aldridge, PF; Nicolas Batum, G/F; Robin Lopez, C; Wesley Matthews, SG
The Portland Trail Blazers shouldn’t be anywhere close to as good as they are in 2015-16. Damian Lillard has been remarkable at point guard, and, as previously alluded to, C.J. McCollum has been a revelation at the 2 spot.
One simply cannot overlook the fact that Portland lost five starters from 2015-16, replaced them with—respectfully—inferior talents, and still made the playoffs.
Portland lost LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Robin Lopez, and Wesley Matthews—all of whom started at least 59 games for Portland in 2015-16. The Trail Blazers also parted ways with Arron Afflalo, who started 19 games and ranked No. 4 on the team in scoring.
Behind the leadership of head coach Terry Stotts, the Trail Blazers have made history in 2015-16.
Portland is first team in NBA history to make playoffs returning 2 or fewer players with 1,000+ mins in previous year-Lillard/Kaman (Elias).
— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) April 7, 2016
That’s a shining example of why Stotts won HoopsHabit’s Coach of the Year award.
Portland has replaced Aldridge, Batum, Lopez, Matthews, and Afflalo with the likes of Al-Farouq Aminu, Allen Crabbe, Ed Davis, Gerald Henderson, and Mason Plumlee. With all due respect to said players, who have been very solid in 2015-16, the rosters simply do not compare.
Related Story: Who have been the biggest overachievers in 2015-16?
Portland was projected by most to be one of the five worst teams in the NBA. Stotts didn’t let that happen, and that’s why he’s Coach of the Year.
Others Receiving Votes: Brad Stevens (19.3 percent); Steve Kerr (13.5 percent); Steve Clifford (11.5 percent); Gregg Popovich (7.7 percent); Dwane Casey (3.8 percent); Dave Joerger (3.8 percent); Luke Walton (1.9 percent)
Next: Defensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Votes: 59.7%
Position: Small Forward
Defensive FG%: 39.2
Opponent’s Average FG%: 44.9
Defensive Rating: 94.9
The San Antonio Spurs are No. 1 in the NBA in defensive efficiency, and by a rather wide margin. Only one other team is letting up less than 100 points per 100 possessions, the Atlanta Hawks, and even they are a healthy X.X points behind the Spurs.
The driving force behind the Spurs’ remarkable success on the defensive end of the floor has been Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard is widely regarded as the most dominant on-ball defender in the NBA. That’s easy to justify when one considers the fact that Leonard routinely defends the opposition’s best scorer, and still has a defensive field goal percentage of 39.2.
Leonard is also No. 1 in the NBA in defensive rating amongst players who averaged at least 30 minutes per game.
The statistics are impressive, but to truly understand Leonard’s defensive impact, one has to watch him play. Even when a player is able to record impressive statistics, no one makes opposing players work harder than San Antonio’s silent assassin.
Between his individual brilliance, and the level at which San Antonio has played as a team, Leonard was the clear choice for HoopsHabit’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Others Receiving Votes: Hassan Whiteside (19.2 percent); Draymond Green (17.3 percent); Tim Duncan (3.8 percent)
Next: Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Votes: 96.2%
Position: Point Guard
Slash Line: .504/.454/.908
Season Averages: 34.2 MPG, 30.1 PPG, 6.7 APG, 5.4 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 5.1 3PM
The Golden State Warriors have completed what was, arguably, the greatest regular season in NBA history. At the heart of that success was Stephen Curry, who built upon his 2014-15 MVP campaign and produced one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history.
As if there were any chance of a different outcome, Curry was named HoopsHabit’s 2016 MVP with an overwhelming 96.2 percent of the votes.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, Curry is the first player in NBA history to average at least 25.0 points on a slash line of .500/.450/.900 or better. Furthermore, his Player Efficiency Rating of XX.XX is No. X all-time, for those who value that statistic.
Across the board, Curry had a season that will be spoken about for years to come.
Curry was a mile ahead of the pack in both Win Shares and Win Shares per 48 minutes. He had three 50-point games, 12 outings with at least 40 points, and a pair of triple-doubles during his remarkable run to his current status as the most feared scorer in the game.
More hoops habit: Which teams were the biggest overachievers of 2015-16?
Many players had sensational seasons, including the likes of Kevin Durant, Draymond Green—No. 1 in the NBA in net rating—LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Russell Westbrook, but Curry is very clearly the 2016 NBA MVP.
Others Receiving Votes: Draymond Green (3.8 percent)