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NBA Awards Watch: The MVP race is over

By Brad Rowland

Feb 27, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after hitting the game winning shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder in overtime at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after hitting the game winning shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder in overtime at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend 2016 at Air Canada Centre on February 13, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend 2016 at Air Canada Centre on February 13, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Rookie of the Year

  1. Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C Minnesota Timberwolves – There is a real argument that Towns would be the player in the entire NBA to choose if building a roster from scratch. That, of course, does not mean that he is better than Stephen Curry, LeBron James or even Anthony Davis, but Towns’ age and overall profile indicate that he is a one-in-a-million player. The now 20-year-old is averaging 20.4 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per 36 minutes while being coached poorly (sorry, Sam Mitchell), and his defense is already quite impressive. Towns is also markedly efficient (58.8% true shooting, 22.8 PER) and no comparison seems wrong, even when shooting for the stars with a Hall of Fame player like Tim Duncan. KAT is just that good.
  2. Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C New York Knicks – The Porzingis mania has cooled a bit as the Knicks have fallen off a cliff as a team, but he has still been quite good. The 7-foot-3 big man is averaging 18.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, and if not for the sheer presence of Towns, he would have a profile of a Rookie of the Year winner. It would be nice to see Porzingis receive some guidance and, frankly, that probably isn’t coming from Kurt Rambis, but the Knicks have a keeper for the long-term and the fan base rejoices.
  3. Nikola Jokic, C Denver Nuggets – Jokic lags considerably behind Philadelphia’s Jahlil Okafor in raw production, averaging just 9.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 19.8 minutes. However, the 21-year-old big man is simply playing fewer minutes, and if you line up the two players according to per-36 numbers, Jokic compares favorably (17.2 points, 11.1 rebounds) and actually performs better on the glass. More than anything, though, Jokic is a far superior defensive player right now, and the Nuggets are much better (net rating of +3.0 per 100 possessions for a losing team) when he plays than when he doesn’t this season.

Next: Most Valuable Player

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