NBA Awards Watch: Week 5
By Ben Nadeau
Most Improved Player
1. Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns (Last Week: 1, –)
Can a player win Most Improved and be in the MVP race at the same time? Asking, uh, for a friend — OK, you caught me, I’m talking about Eric Bledsoe, who has not only kept the Phoenix Suns afloat in the tricky Western Conference, but has also formed one of the league’s best backcourt duos with Brandon Knight.
As of Nov. 25, the Suns are 7-7, good for sixth in the West and just 1½ games out of third.
Yes, all the hysteria thus far is rightfully on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, but some of that attention should trickle down to Bledsoe and the NBA’s newest success story eventually. Although Bledsoe has been hampered by a minor knee injury, the Suns have a chance to put the league on notice by winning that Friday night showdown against the Warriors.
If they stop the streak and go on a very plausible tear between now and Christmas, then fans will have no choice but to pay attention to Mini-Westbrook and his 22/4.2/5.8/2 stat-stuffing averages.
Bledsoe’s Line of the Week: 11/22 vs. NOP — 29 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 5 TOs, 7-15 FG%, 4-8 3pt%
Week Grade: A-
2. Danilo Gallinari, Denver Nuggets (Last Week: –, Up 2)
In many ways, Danilo Gallinari regressed in Week 5, but, truth be told, he was unlikely to recreate that masterful 32/8/8 game from last week anyways.
The Nuggets, now 6-9, took a bit of a free fall after losing all four games — thankfully they won’t have to play San Antonio, Phoenix, Golden State, and the Los Angeles Clippers every week — but it seems obvious that the Nuggets will live and die by Gallinari.
The Nuggets are 5-1 when Gallinari scores 20 or more and with Wilson Chandler officially sidelined for surgery, they’ll need him more than ever to score at a consistent clip. Things stay tricky this week for Denver as they play the Spurs on Friday before going on the road against the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks — can Gallinari keep them in the playoff race?
Gallinari’s Line of the Week: 11/24 vs. LAC — 20 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 TOs, 2-10 FG%
Week Grade: B
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (Last Week: 3, –)
Raise your hand if you thought the Milwaukee Bucks would be at the bottom of the Defensive Efficiency rankings after fourteen games? (The Bucks rank 29th, just ahead of New Orleans, with a stunningly bad 107.6 rating)
Next question: How many of your expected the Bucks to be the Cinderella of the season, set the Eastern Conference ablaze, and watch Giannis Antetokounmpo turn into a star? Well, after they retained Khris Middleton and snagged Greg Monroe over the summer, perhaps we all got a bit ahead of ourselves on the Bucks’ Hype Train.
Now, there’s obviously plenty of time for the Bucks to turn it around, but it’s obvious that such an improvement would start and end with Antetokounmpo. It would ultimately be tough for a player even of Antetokounmpo’s caliber to win this award if the Bucks only manage to beat out the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference, so at three he stays for another week.
Antetokounmpo’s Line of the Week: 11/23 vs. DET — 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 2 TOs, 6-10 FG%
Week Grade: B-
Honorable Mentions: Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics; Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers; Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks; Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves; Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers; Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz; Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz; Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
Week 1: Eric Bledsoe
Week 2: Eric Bledsoe
Week 3: Eric Bledsoe
Week 4: Eric Bledsoe
Week 5: Eric Bledsoe
Next: Splash On Fleek