NBA 2021-2022 Season Awards plus All-NBA Teams: Why wasn't Jordan Poole selected as a finalist for Most Improved Player?
Who should win and who will win each award for the 2021-2022 NBA Season other than DPOY to which Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics already won
Advanced statistics used in this article are gathered from ESPN.com, NBA.com, and StatMuse.com.
Award season is upon us as Marcus Smart was rightfully awarded Defensive Player of The Year a couple of days ago and became the first guard since Gary Payton in 1995-1996 to win the award. Smart deserved it, although I thought Jaren Jackson Jr., not Rudy Gobert, should have been the other finalist alongside Mikal Bridges for the award.
As I mentioned on my latest podcast, Jackson Jr.’s defensive prowess is one of the biggest reasons why Memphis has transformed into a defensive powerhouse that should be sustainable for years to come as long as he stays healthy.
Nonetheless, there are still many awards to be handed out so I am going to go through who I think SHOULD win the award regardless of whether they were nominated or not then I will transition into who WILL win the award of the three finalists. Here we go.
Most Improved Player: Who SHOULD Win: Jordan Poole, PG/SG, Golden State Warriors
Jordan Poole has kept the Warriors afloat all season long being one of the lone healthy players for the Warriors most of this season. I know many people reading this will critique me for choosing Poole because of “recency bias”, considering Poole’s play in the first two playoff games this postseason, but I have been adamant about Poole’s development being awarded for quite some time.
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green most notably missed substantial amounts of time and Jordan Poole consistently continued to put up 20-30 point games on extreme efficiency from the floor (averaged 18.5 PPG on the season). His TS% of 59.8 and eFG% of 54.8 are some of the most remarkable numbers for a guard this season, especially when you take into account that Poole averaged 14 field goal attempts and close to 8 three-point attempts per game on average this season.
It is only Poole’s 3rd season in the league, but he has already drawn comparisons to Stephen Curry because of his shiftiness and ability to do everything to get open shots on the offensive end. The efficiency is there and it is crazy to think that Poole is still developing as a playmaker with how good he already is at getting his teammate’s open shots.
Poole has improved every facet of his game this season. In the 2020-2021 NBA season Poole only averaged 12 points and 5.6 3PT attempts per game in limited minutes (19.6) per game. One could argue that Poole would have burst onto the season last season had he been given more minutes because his production was only slightly worse with a TS% of 58.1, an eFG% of 53.5, and a 3PT% of 35.1 (vs. 36.9% this season). Perhaps this is why Poole wasn’t named a finalist for the Most Improved Player Award.
He was so good last year that voters believe that only the upgrade in minutes resulted in the production that was already previously there. Nonetheless, when the 53-29 Warriors needed Poole to step up and take over as the team’s best offensive player, he stepped up to the plate single every time. Poole scored 29+ points and 5+ 3’s in both of his first two playoff games so far this postseason and if he continues to play like this, then the Warriors may be unbeatable for years to come.
Who WILL Win: Ja Morant, PG, Memphis Grizzlies
The actual three finalists aren’t bad selections as Dejounte Murray almost averaged a Triple-Double and led the Spurs to the Play-In Tournament, Ja Morant was already a star but made the jump to superstardom this season leading the Grizzlies to the 2nd best record in the NBA, and Darius Garland became one of the most efficient playmakers in the NBA, a remarkable turnaround from being very inefficient early in his career.
Dejounte Murray isn’t the most efficient player from the floor (eFG% of 50 and TS% of 53.3) as I noted in one of my past articles about who deserves an All-Star selection, but it would be disrespectful and quite frankly irresponsible for me to disregard how hard it is to average 21+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 9+ assists per game to go along with 2+ steals per game as well in the NBA. His PER of 22.32 is ranked 13th overall because of how he impacts the game on both ends of the floor even though his advanced shooting metrics are underwhelming. That shows just how dynamic of a player Murray is.
The same argument about Jordan Poole being great last year could be attributed to Murray’s development as he still averaged 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists to go along with 1.5 steals per game last season, but realistically that same argument could be made about all of the finalists. Darius Garland and Ja Morant were both amazing last season, but Morant’s efficiency reigns supreme over Garland’s efficiency, who had similar numbers last season, just without the wins that Cleveland accumulated this year.
Garland averaged 17.4 points and 6.4 assists last season to go along with an eFG% of 51.7, a TS% of 54.7, and a 3PT% of 39.5, whereas this season Garland averaged 21.7 points and 8.6 assists with an eFG% of 53.6, a TS% of 57.6, a PER of 19.04 (37th in the NBA) and a 3PT% of 38.3 on only 1.8 fewer attempts per game on average. Yes, Garland improved a lot, but not as much as Morant or Murray.
Ja Morant averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game with an eFG% of 48.7, a TS% of 53.7, and a 3PT% of 30.3, whereas this season he averaged 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game with an eFG% of 53, a TS% of 57.5, a 3PT% of 34.4, and a PER of 24.53 (7th in the NBA).
The Grizzlies also improved from the 8 seed last year and being in the Play-In Tournament to having the second-best record in the NBA this season at 56-26. It is obvious that Morant and Murray improved the most, but Morant’s ascension into one of the league’s best players and leading a team to one of the best records in the league makes him the selection here and I think voters will agree.
Sixth Man of The Year: Who SHOULD win: Tyler Herro, PG/SG, Miami Heat
Who WILL Win: Tyler Herro
There is no debating here as Herro is the undisputed 6th man of the year and his statistics and impact prove it. What a comeback story right? Herro had unrealistic expectations put on him of being a perennial All-Star following his enigmatic and amazing performance in the bubble as he helped lead the Heat to the NBA Finals with numerous 30-point games.
After failing to emulate his bubble performance in his second season (only 15.1 points per game with an eFG% of 51.6, a TS% of 54.3, and a 3PT% of 36) Herro averaged 20.7 points per game with an eFG% of 52.5, a TS% of 56.1, and a 3PT% of 40 this season, helping secure the Miami Heat the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Herro also recorded a PER of 16.30, which ranked 71st overall in the NBA, showing that he was very efficient in his role as well. What is even more miraculous about Herro’s scoring bursts is him doing it off of the bench and having to come into the game midway through the first quarter and deliver extraordinary results.
The other finalists, Cameron Johnson and Kevin Love, both excelled in their roles this season, but not to the level of Herro, especially in the scoring department. Johnson is by far the most efficient player on this list and maybe even in the NBA as he averaged 12.5 points per game with an eFG% of 59.6, a TS% of 62.5, and a 3PT% of 42.5, all of which are some of the best numbers for a guard in the NBA this season.
Johnson also did this on way fewer attempts than Herro, and since the offense focused more on stars such as Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and DeAndre Ayton, it allowed Johnson to get many more open shots than Herro which is indicative of his PER of 15.26 (89th in the NBA) despite his miraculous shooting metrics.
Nonetheless, Johnson’s season was great, but he didn’t play enough minutes or score enough points to catch Herro and his overall impact for the Heat. Kevin Love averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game with an eFG% of 55.3, a TS% of 59.4, a 3PT% of 39.2, and a PER of 19.67 (34th in the NBA) all in only 22.6 minutes per game.
Love has the highest PER by far of this group and what Love did in limited minutes is extremely impressive (as Herro averaged 32.2 minutes per game and Johnson averaged 26.2 minutes per game). However, what separates Herro from the others is his ability to score at will and help lead the Heat to the #1 seed in the East, which will result in him winning the award for Sixth Man of The Year. Kevin Love should finish second and Cameron Johnson should finish third for this award.
Coach of The Year: Who SHOULD Win: Monty Williams, Phoenix Suns
Who WILL Win: Monty Williams
Monty Williams deserved this award last year and he will finally get it this year after coaching the Phoenix Suns to the best record in the NBA of 64-18 (even with Chirs Paul missing over 20 games). The Suns are the most balanced team in the NBA with the 3rd-best defensive rating of 106.8 and the 5th-best offensive rating of 114.2. The Suns also led the league in Net Rating at 7.5, had the 4th-best team eFG% of 54.9, the 5th-best TS% of 58.1, and the 4th-best TOV% of 12.9 in the NBA.
These advanced metrics are obviously indicative of the Suns’ best record in the NBA and they wouldn’t be in the position that they are in without the brilliance of Monty Williams.
Taylor Jenkins led a remarkable turnaround with the Grizzlies, who finished with the second-best record in the NBA this season and he will finish second in this category. Although Erik Spoelstra did a fantastic job leading the Miami Heat to the 3rd-best record in the NBA and 1st in the Eastern Conference, I don’t think the Heat’s season was as impressive as the Suns or Grizzlies and their dominance over the league. Spoelstra will finish third.
Rookie of The Year: Who SHOULD Win: Scottie Barnes, PG/SF/PF, Toronto Raptors
Scottie Barnes is already the de facto starting point guard for the 5th seeded Toronto Raptors in his rookie year and the team wouldn’t have even made the playoffs without him (as it shows with their performances against the 76ers so far this postseason without him).
Barnes averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game with an eFG% of 52.4, and a TS% of 55.2, while also being already one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA in year one. Barnes also recorded a 16.37 PER (1st among rookies, 69th in the NBA overall).
Evan Mobley had a fantastic season for the Cavaliers where he averaged 15 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 0.8 steals per game with an eFG% of 52.2, a TS% of 54.9, while also being one of the best interior defenders in the NBA already in year one. Mobley also recorded a 16.15 PER (second among rookies, 74th in the NBA overall)
The difference here other than Barnes slightly having better-advanced shooting metrics is that he helped lead the Raptors to the 5 seed and Mobley, unfortunately, couldn't do enough to lead the Cavaliers into the playoffs. I know that may be an unfair statement considering the Raptors have a better roster (arguably) than the Cavaliers, but in the regular season, down the stretch without All-Star Jarett Allen, Mobley couldn’t keep the Cavaliers out of the Play-In Tournament.
Cade Cunningham had a brilliant second half of the season where he averaged over 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block per game with improved advanced shooting metrics. Unfortunately for Cunningham, his miserable first half of the season and the Pistons’ awful record wore off on people, especially the voters and it initiated skepticism of whether Cunningham deserves the award.
If I could build my team around any one of the rookies it would be Cunningham as he is already one of the best young stars in the NBA and is poised to average 23+ points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists per game in year 2 with improved efficiency.
But for this season, that first half really hurt Cunningham as his final averages of 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game with an eFG% of 47.1, a TS% of 50.4, a PER of 13.12 (144th in the NBA), and a 3PT% of 31.4 aren’t impressive enough to warrant receiving the award.
Although Cunningham’s advanced shooting metrics improved dramatically in the second half of the season, his atrocious first half showed in his final averages with some of the worst offensive shooting metrics in the NBA.
I would vote for Barnes to win the award, Mobley to finish 2nd, and Cunningham to finish 3rd even though I would take Cunningham over even LaMelo Ball to start my organization as crazy as that sounds.
Who WILL Win: Evan Mobley, C, Cleveland Cavaliers
I think the voters have been drawn to Mobley all season long and will use his weaker roster as the difference in why Barnes’ team made the 5th seed and Mobley’s team finished with the 9th seed.
Their metrics are very similar and the 1.7 blocks per game are extremely dominant for a first-year player, despite Barnes doing more on the perimeter end which doesn’t show in statistics. The voters will select Mobley to be the Rookie of The Year even though Barnes deserves the award.
Most Valuable Player: Who SHOULD Win: Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets
Who WILL Win: Nikola Jokic
The Serbian superstar deservedly so will be named a back-to-back MVP of the NBA. Jokic finished with the highest Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of all time at 33.94, just missing becoming the only player in the history of basketball to record a 34 PER.
He may do it next year as he keeps getting better. In his MVP campaign, last season Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game with an eFG% of 60.2, a TS% of 64.7, a 3PT% of 38.8, a 20.1 PIE (Player Impact Estimate), and a 31.36 PER (which ranked 1st by a mile last season).
He was rightfully awarded the MVP last season and he was even better this season as he averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game with an eFG% of 62, a TS% of 66.7, a 3PT% of 33.7 (on many more attempts per game), a PIE of 23, and the highest PER in the history of basketball at 33.94.
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetoukounmpo had arguably the best season of his career so far as he averaged 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game with an eFG% of 58.2, a TS% of 63.3, a PIE of 21, and a PER of 32.12 (one of the top 10 PER’s of all time).
This season was an improvement over his 2nd place finish in MVP voting last season where he averaged 28.1 points, 11 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game with an eFG% of 60, a TS% of 63.3, a PIE of 19.6, and a PER of 29.24.
This season marked Antetoukounmpo’s highest PER of his career and the highest point per game average of his career as well, yet he won’t win the MVP because of Jokic’s greatness. He won’t even finish second even though I think he should.
Last season Joel Embiid was an MVP candidate for most of the season as he averaged 28.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1 steal per game with an eFG% of 54.5, a TS% of 63.6, a league-leading PIE of 20.3, and a PER of 30.32.
This season Embiid, like Jokic and Antetoukounmpo, also improved his game dramatically as he averaged 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game with an eFG% of 53.4, a TS% of 61.6, a PIE of 21.2 (2nd behind Jokic) and a PER of 31.2 (3rd in the NBA this season).
Embiid and Antetoukounmpo both would have won the MVP award in any other season besides last year (where Jokic’s 2020-2021 campaign is still better than either of their campaigns this season). All of these guys did something special this year, but voters will get it right again this year and select Nikola Jokic as the MVP of the 2021-2022 NBA season.
All-NBA Teams:
All-NBA First Team:
G: Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
G: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
F: Giannis Antetoukounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
F: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
C: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
All-NBA Second Team:
G: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
G: Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
F: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
F: Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets
C: Karl Anthony-Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
All-NBA Third Team:
G: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
G: Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
F: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls
F: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
C: Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Honorable Mentions that just missed:
Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns (because of injury missed time and it was between him and Curry)
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
Mikal Bridges, Phoenix Suns
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs
Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers
Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics