NBA Awards Watch: The All-Star Break ballot
By Brad Rowland
6th Man of the Year
Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns – I’ll be the first to admit that the three-PG rotation in Phoenix isn’t my style, but Thomas has posted numbers that are undeniably good. The diminutive scorer is putting up 15.2 points in only 25.7 minutes per game (21.4 points per 36 min), and with a career-best 57.9% true shooting and an excellent 19.6 PER, the case makes itself. There is a nagging feeling that Thomas still hasn’t been used to his maximum value given the other pieces available to Jeff Hornacek, but that looks like a smart contract right now.
Lou Williams, Toronto Raptors – Williams hasn’t been good lately, but for the full season, his value to Toronto has been significant. The 28-year-old appears to be all the way back from an ACL tear that severely limited his play in Atlanta, and Williams has provided much-needed scoring punch (15.2 points per game on 55.8% true shooting) off the bench for the Raptors. His defense and play-making isn’t quite what it was at his peak, but in a weak class, he’s been quite good.
Marreese Speights, Golden State Warriors – I can’t believe it, either. Speights has been the equivalent of an also-ran for the majority of his NBA career, but as the Warriors have dominated the league, he has played extremely well. Speights is shooting 50.1% from the field on the way to 12.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, and he provides Steve Kerr and company with a no-conscience option offensively off the bench. Personally, I wouldn’t wager on this level continuing for 30 more games, but here we are.
Next: Defensive Player of the Year