With just six days left in what was a wild NBA season, it’s time to reflect. So strap on the tux, it’s awards time:
Most Outstanding Player: Kevin Durant, OKC — Those that spent the No. 1 overall pick on KD can’t complain. He’s the only player averaging at least 1.5 treys, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. He also set a career-highs in rebounds (7.9), assists (3.5) and field-goal percentage (50.1). Most importantly, he didn’t miss a single game all season. It’s an epic, dominant season.
Most Valuable Player: Paul Millsap, UTA — Concerns about losing minutes to Derrick Favors made Millsap a mid-round draft pick. He ended up as a top-10 player thanks to his elite 1.8 steals per game and well-rounded, roto-friendly style.
Injury of the year: Stephen Curry, GSW — Perhaps we should have known it was headed down this road when Curry missed time in the preseason due to an ankle issue. But no one could have predicted that he’d miss 40 games and be limited in the majority of the others. Derrick Rose and Eric Gordon deserve consideration here as well.
Bust of the year: Dorell Wright, GSW — Wright was a third- or fourth-round pick in most leagues and then found himself on waivers about a month into the season. It’s a reminder that when a team changes coaches, non-elite players without much of a resume often get squeezed.
Sleeper of the year: Ryan Anderson, ORL — This was a layup for anyone paying close attention. Anderson got a clear path to playing time thanks to Brandon Bass’ departure and always had one of the best 3-point strokes in the game. He ended up making an absurd 2.4 treys per game to go with 7.7 rebounds and 15.7 points.
Waiver add of the year: Goran Dragic, HOU — Once Kyle Lowry went down, Dragic instantly played at an All-Star level. Check out these numbers as a starter: 18.5 points, 8.5 assists, 1.9 treys, 1.8 steals, 3.5 rebounds. Absurd.
Most overrated: Blake Griffin, LAC — As discussed many times in this space, a dominant real-life game doesn’t always mean a great fantasy game. Blake shots a Shaq-like 51.7 percent from the free-throw line while taking 7.0 per game. He also blocked just 0.8 shots a night. That’s unacceptable for a big man in fantasy.
