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NBA Awards Watch: The wizardry of Mike Budenholzer

By Brad Rowland

Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer talks to guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer talks to guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) hits his chest after attempting a shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 112-94. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) hits his chest after attempting a shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 112-94. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

Most Valuable Player

  1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors – Curry’s MVP candidacy checks all boxes. He is the best player on the best team in league, with Golden State sitting atop the West on the strength of a 29-5 record. In addition, the individual numbers are there for Curry, who is going for 22.9 points, 8.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game with an absurd 49/39/93 line of shooting splits. There is little doubt in my mind that his numbers would be more comical if the Warriors weren’t loaded elsewhere, but he has done a fantastic job as a floor general (in addition to being their best scorer), and with the advanced metrics (leading the league in win shares per 48 minutes) in his favor as well, Steph Curry is the choice.
  2. James Harden, Houston Rockets – Harden is the leading scorer in the NBA by a considerable margin (26.8 points per game), but it is his development elsewhere that gets him added respect this season. The 25-year-old is now the consensus “best shooting guard in the NBA”, but prior to this season, he was infamous for being a sieve defensively. That has steadily improved during this campaign, and while he isn’t a lockdown defender (yet), he needs only to be passable on that end because Harden averages 26.9 points, 6.6 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. Houston currently sits at 26-11, which is good for a top-four seed in the West, and their shooting guard gets a bump in credit for that team success.
  3. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans – Anthony Davis is pretty good at basketball. Unfortunately, the rest of his team isn’t quite as proficient, and as a result, Davis will be punished for his team’s 18-19 record on the year. Still, the 21-year-old power forward is leading the NBA in PER with a mark over 30, and Davis is putting up 24.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and an obscene 2.9 blocks per game. Value isn’t reliant on team success, and without Davis, New Orleans would be in disastrous shape.

Next: What are the greatest shooting seasons in the history of the NBA?

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