NBA Awards Watch: Week 2
By Ben Nadeau
Defensive Player of the Year
1, Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs (Last Week: 2, Up 1)
Is this year finally the season that Kawhi Leonard is handed the keys to everything in San Antonio? Leonard looked like a hungry and improved player, even exploding offensively in Week 1 as well.
If the Spurs are as good as advertised, it will be difficult to pry the trophy away from Leonard as he sits at an awesome 84.0 Defensive Rating on an a championship contender with three Hall of Famers and Gregg Popovich — simply put, we even haven’t seen his best yet.
As the Spurs look to rest Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and the rest of their aging core, Leonard has proven that he can be reliable on both sides of the ball. If he keeps scoring like he did in the opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, we may start seeing his name crop up in MVP conversations as well.
Leonard’s Line of the Week: 10/28 vs. OKC — 32 points, 8 rebounds, 0 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 3 TOs, 13-22 FG%
Week Grade: B+
2. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz (Last Week: 3, Up 1)
It’s almost unfair to put Rudy Gobert here without mention of his partner in crime, Derrick Favors. Combined, the Utah Jazz duo boast the two best Defensive Ratings in the NBA (Gobert at 80.1, Favors at 80.2, the aforementioned Leonard is third with 84.0) and have the upstart franchise at 2-1 after wins against the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers.
However, it’s Gobert that has blocked 10.2 percent of all shots, good for 3.7 per game and third in both categories. It’s certainly possible that Gobert could lead the Jazz to a 3-1 record this week (vs. POR, DEN, MEM, and CLE), in which case, we’ll have to seriously consider him for the top spot.
Gobert’s Line of the Week: 10/31 vs. IND — 9 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 steals, 2 blocks, 2 TOs, 3-5 FG%
Week Grade: B
3. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons (Last Week: Unranked, –)
I know, I know, the Los Angeles Clippers are 4-0 and DeAndre Jordan has been just impressive as Rudy Gobert, so what gives? Frankly, Jordan doesn’t deserve the top three yet as the Clippers have beaten up on the potentially low-key disaster Sacramento Kings twice already among having one of the deepest times alongside him.
Besides all that, Andre Drummond has stormed into the 2015-16 season on a high note, leading the Detroit Pistons to an incredible 3-1 record, including quality wins against the Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz, and Chicago Bulls.
Thus far, Drummond has been exactly what we expected, averaging 20 points, 19.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks over 39 minutes per game. Although it’s early, of course, these numbers would be career highs in every category.
With a tough weekend schedule coming up against the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, and Golden State Warriors, we’ll get a better look at whether or not Drummond and the Pistons are contenders or pretenders.
Drummond’s Line of the Week: 10/30 vs. CHI — 20 points, 20 rebounds, 0 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 3 TOs, 8-19 FG%
Week Grade: A
Bounced Out: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls; Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors; Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat; Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder; DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers; Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers.
Week 1: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Week 2: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
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