NBA Awards Watch: Karl-Anthony Towns Blows The Competition Away

Defensive Player of the Year

1, Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (Last Week: 2, Up 1)

If we all have a Steph-Infection, then we do we call our utter fascination and obsession with Draymond Green? Yes, he’s a chatterbox and, yes, he knows how to get under the skin of anybody that happens to have the misfortune of trying to score on him that night, but this is a revolutionary player.

And, no, I don’t mean that this is the beginning of Green’s run to the Hall of Fame or that he’ll go down as a legend — but, have we talked about how he’s changed the game of basketball? The way that Green impacts a possession is nearly on par with Curry himself, which is insanity to even type, much less believe, but here we are. As much as the league doesn’t know how to guard the MVP, they also don’t know how to succeed against the Warriors’ small-ball lineup on either end and that credit belongs to Green.

Green’s Line of the Week: 12/3 vs. PHO — 16 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 5-14 FG%
Week Grade: A-

2. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs (Last Week: 1, Down 1)

Like I suggested last week, this is becoming a bit of a 1A, 1B scenario in which there’s a very good chance we’ll just have to flip a coin to decide between Green and Kawhi Leonard for this honor. One of my favorite NBA activities these days is when Leonard swallows somebody up on defense, steals the ball, goes coast-to-coast for an emphatic slam dunk, and then watching him not react emotionally. Most athletes in the league  — see: Draymond — would yell and pound their chests, which is absolutely fun and exciting in its own way — but there’s something special about Leonard’s non-reaction, knowing that you’re seeing a potential Hall of Famer grow in front of your very eyes.

Leonard’s Line of the Week: 12/21 vs. IND — 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 10-19 FG%
Week Grade: B+

3. Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat (Last Week: –, Up 1)

Hassan Whiteside is an interesting specimen, isn’t he? Although he has a tendency to be a total hot-head, may be playing this well only because he’s about to get paid this summer, and has a wonderful supporting cast around him, it’s tough to ignore his ability to change shots at the rim. And sure, Whiteside may not be the best man-to-man defender out there, but remember how physically opposing Roy Hibbert was a few years ago when the Pacers made their furious run to the Eastern Conference Finals? That’s Whiteside for this Heat team.

And while he realistically has no shot to win this award thanks to the other-worldly talent above him, Whiteside is a name to pay attention to as the Heat continue their grind towards the top of the conference.

Whiteside’s Line of the Week: 12/20 vs. POR — 22 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 5 blocks, 2 turnovers, 10-13 FG%
Week Grade: B+

Week 1: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Week 2: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Week 3: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Week 4: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Week 5: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Week 6: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Week 7: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Week 8: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Week 9: Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

Next: Chip off the old Blatt