NBA Awards Watch: The Case for Chris Paul

Mar 8, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the ball next to Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) in the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 106-89. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

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Minnesota Timberwolves small forward Andrew Wiggins (22) reacts with point guard Zach LaVine (8) during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Timberwolves defeated the Knicks 95-92 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Rookie of the Year

Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves – Workload matters. Andrew Wiggins actually ranks behind every other conceivable ROY candidate in PER (13.53) and that has made for fodder among some detractors. Still, the 20-year-old is playing 35.8 minutes per game as arguably the go-to player in Minnesota, and while some of the other contenders have put up big-time numbers down the stretch, Wiggins hasn’t been folding in his own right. In fact, the number one pick is averaging 19.2 points per game since the All-Star break, and given that this is a season-long award at any rate, he is the best choice. The gap is closer than we all thought it would be, but removing the blinders of recency bias provides clarity in the direction of Wiggins.
Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers – If this was a “best rookie of the second half” award, Noel might win. His offense trails Wiggins’ offense by a wide margin, but Noel is shooting better than 49% from the floor since the break and that goes along with 13.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.2 steals per game. Those are dominant defensive numbers for any player, much less a rookie, but we can’t overlook that Noel’s true shooting still stands below 50% on the season and he has a long way to go on that end. Lastly, per-game numbers in Philadelphia aren’t equal to per-game numbers in Minnesota given pace, and if we examine the collective of 82 games, Wiggins outshines Noel.
Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic – I’ve held strong in assigning Payton to this space over Chicago’s Nikola Mirotic, but this week, Payton’s inclusion has more to do with a recent flop from Mirotic than anything else. Still, Payton is averaging 11.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game since the All-Star break, and he has carried a big workload in Orlando for the entirety of the season, averaging 29.9 minutes per game at a grueling position. Payton must improve his jumper to become an above-average point guard in the league, but I’m a sucker for pass-first guards, and his distribution skills are already there.

Next: Most Valuable Player

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