I have been adamant for years that we need Playoff awards of some sort. But since the NBA refuses to listen to a pale Australian Cavs fan, I’m taking matters into my own hands and awarding my OWN Playoff Awards. Some of the similar awards from the regular season roll over, with a few new ones to spice things up.
IF you like what you read be sure to check out more SportsbyFry articles by hitting this link. Make sure you keep up to date with the latest NBA articles and follow our fan pages on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram to never miss a minute of the action!
Playoff MVP: LeBron James
KEVIN Durant may be a bit hard done by here, but there is no way you can’t choose LBJ for the MVP. Even if it was for the Finals alone I would be tempted to still choose LeBron, who had more total points, rebound and assists in the last five games than he has had in any five game stretch OF HIS ENTIRE CAREER! One day he will start to decline and look human, until then I will still believe he’s a cyborg.
Honourable Mentions: Kevin Durant & Kyrie Irving
Image from footwearnews.com
Breakout Star: Giannis Antetokounmpo
ANOTHER tight race that could be argued in multiple directions. John Wall announced his arrival as a superstar, but ‘The Greek Freak’ did things to make the rest of the league take notice. Whether it was blocking shots into the front row or displaying his go-go gadget arms for a transition bucket, many Eastern Conference teams will hope they don’t come face-to-face with playoff Antetokounmpo in the coming years.
Honourable Mention: John Wall & Gordon Hayward
Head-turning Playoff Outfit: Russell Westbrook Game 1 Pre Game
TURNING heads with his outfits is a daily occurrence for Russell Westbrook. He started the playoffs in the exactly the same fashion. It’s hard for Russell Westbrook to out Russell Westbrook himself, but his half buttoned up Kiss shirt set the tone for the rest of the postseason.
Honourable Mention: Rondo’s short sleeved suit & LeBron’s short shorts
Sixth Man of the Playoffs: Andre Iguodala
THIS one’s easy, Iggy came to play this postseason. The beneficiary of wide open transition buckets, while playing sold defense on the wing, Iguodala’s presence gave the Dubs a reliable bench member who they could use, while resting Durant/Thompson/Curry, and feel safe that he wouldn’t fail. The former Finals MVP is a free agent this offseason and as his career winds down he proved he could still get it done.
Honourable Mention: Joe Johnson & Marcus Smart
Highlight of the Playoffs: LeBron Self Alley-Oop
EASY one here. Michael Jordan had his spontaneous mid air hand switch against the Lakers in ’91, LeBron now has his spontaneous self alley-oop in ’17.
Honourable Mention: Kevin Durant’s clutch 3 & Marc Gasol’s Game Winner
Best Performance: Isaiah Thomas (Game 2 Eastern Conference Semifinals)
ISAIAH Thomas’ playoff heroics were a testament to his mental toughness. The sub six foot star tragically lost his sister on the eve of the playoffs and eventually wore down, missing the last few games of the Cavs series with a hip injury. He still scored over 23 points a game, with the highlight clearly coming in Game 2 of the Wizards series. He out-duelled John Wall’s 40 point night with 53 points in an overtime win.
Honourable Mention: Kevin Durant (Game 2 NBA Finals) & LeBron James (about 7 times)
Blooper of the Playoffs: Robin Lopez’s floater
THE end of the season means another Shaqtin’ A Fool MVP is announced. With a plethora of bloopers and WTF moments, the playoffs were no exception, with moments from Raymond Felton, Robin Lopez and Al Horford the funniest/wackiest ones of the bunch.
Honourable Mention: Al Horford rebounding & Ray Felton’s jump shot.
All-Playoff Teams
1st – Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Draymond Green
2nd – John Wall, Bradley Beal, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Deandre Jordan
A guard heavy playoffs means a guard heavy All-Playoff team. The Wizards backcourt earn honours for the second team flanked by Harden and Leonard. Centers are slowly becoming an extinct breed, but DeAndre Jordan still did his thing averaging 15.4 points and 14.4 rebounds in his seven postseason appearances. Finals MVP and the SBF Playoff MVP obviously crack the first team along side three other Finals participants.
Honourable Mention: Mike Conley, Isaiah Thomas, Giannis Antetokounmpo & Paul George
Banner from nba.com