With the NBA season fast approaching it is time to take a look at the Cavaliers roster and project what they will do in the again shortened season. Who will lead the team? Who will take the leap? Which new players will have the most impact on the roster? All of this and more will be answered in my Cavs award predictions.
Note: This is assuming the Cavs do not change the starting lineup dramatically, as well as Kevin Porter Jr. does not time from his off the court issues because that is impossible to predict.
MVP Collin Sexton
Starting off with a bang we have the MVP, I decided to go with Collin Sexton. An honorable mention would be Kevin Love. The reason for going Sexton over Love was purely based on the number of games. Love has had his fair share of injuries combined with him likely to rest a couple games here and there leads me to choose Sexton who has been a tank not missing a single game in his 2 years in the league.
If Collin can keep up his post all star break pace or even exceed it he should definitely be in the running for Cavs MVP. In the 5 games during March before the shutdown he averaged 30.0 ppg, 4.6 apg and 3.6 rpg on 58% from the field.
This combined with his offseason focus on defensive film and gaining strength should lead to improved defense from him. If he keeps something close to that pace combined with better defense that makes him the obvious choice for MVP.
MIP Darius Garland
Next up was a tight race for Most Improved Player between Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr, Garland ended up being my choice. The main reason I ended up picking Garland was his perception around the NBA. Porter Jr is seen as a very high upside talent that has the potential to be a multi time all star while Garland is seen as a bust after only one season that was stacked against him. Let me explain.
Darius Garland was put into a position to fall because of the circumstances. After playing only 5 college games due to a meniscus injury he was thrown into the fire and was starting from day one. He essentially went from High School to starting on an objectively bad NBA team while coming back from a major injury. He did not have the explosiveness and first step we saw in his limited college time.
After all the hype Darius is receiving around camp it is fair to expect some solid improvement from him. I would expect him to be more aggressive around the rim and attacking the pick and roll this year. Last year he played too passive, letting the game come to him instead of forcing his way into the game and creating problems for the other team the way elite guards can do. I would also expect his shooting percentages to increase a fair bit after shooting 40.1% from the field and 35.5% from 3 this past year.
ROTY Isaac Okoro
Here we have a pretty straightforward pick for the Rookie of the Year, and that is Isaac Okoro. The only person in competition with him is Dylan Windler who is also technically a rookie after missing all of last year. I just believe Okoro will be given a chance to secure himself as a rotation piece before Windler does.
After JB Bickerstaff came out and said he is most comfortable running a 10 man rotation with an “X factor” player or two at the end of the bench I think Dylan will be the odd man out in the wing rotation.
I believe Okoro’s immediate impact will be pronounced and obvious. I do not expect him to be a stat stuffer out the gate but he will instantly improve one of the league's worst defenses. Along with his criminally underappreciated playmaking gene and his ability to attack the basket giving him a fairly safe floor on offense. There have also been many reports from coaches and fellow players saying that his shooting is a lot better than it is made out to be. If that is true and he is a solid shooter to start his career that increases his floor and ceiling massively.
DPOY Isaac Okoro
Another quite obvious award is Defensive Player of the Year, I again have rookie Isaac Okoro. The only person that was an honorable mention was Larry Nance Jr for his versatility at the bigman spot. Do not be mad at me Drummond diehards, he just does not come close to them.
There is no reason to sugarcoat it, the Cavs defense last year was terrible. The guards are too small and the bigs are not versatile enough and do not give effort on defense. This was the main reason for the Okoro selection in the first place. The Cavs are planning on Okoro being a defensive anchor to build on, and there is fair reason to believe that. If you check out my breakdown on Isaac Okoro you will see the kind of versatility and effort he brings to the team.
He can guard just about anyone on the perimeter. His ability to keep up move for move with quick guards and stay in front of bigger more physically dominant wings is quite impressive for someone of his age. There is not a bad matchup for him on the perimeter. He is also very good at defending the pick and roll. Never getting hit by the screen and always staying attached to his man. He will just need to be cautious of getting into foul trouble doing this against the elite of the elite offensive engines like James Harden.
Another under appreciated part of his game is his hustle and energy on the glass. He is constantly fighting for position down low and out jumping bigger players for rebounds.
6MOTY Larry Nance Jr.
Last but not least we have the Sixth Man of the Year and I have this going to Larry Nance Jr. The combo forward/bigman can do just about anything on the court and is one of the most versatile bigs. These abilities are why I truly believe he is the single most underrated player in the league and could be a championship level center if given the opportunity.
Let's start off with his most obvious contribution to a team as a pick and roll weapon. It is no surprise that he is an elite roll man due to his crazy athleticism allowing him to be a great lob threat. That combined with his inherent speed and quickness advantage over almost every other center makes him a true problem as a roller. That is not where it ends though. He is constantly improving as a shooter which makes him a better and better weapon as a popper on pick roll. After getting up to 35.2% from 3 on 2.8 per game he is a legitimate threat from outside.
Another part of his game that is not talked about enough is his playmaking ability. He is very comfortable hitting cutters and shooters on drive and kick situations. His ability to take a rebound and bring it up himself and make quality plays turns him into a transition weapon.
Perhaps my favorite part of his game is his defense. He is the perfect modern center defensively. His ability to switch onto guards and wings as well as play defense in the pick and roll is matched by only a few other bigs in the league. He can also use his crazy leaping ability to be effective as a rim protector despite being smaller than most bigs.
There you have my predictions for the Cavs awards for this upcoming season. Did you disagree with any of them? If so let me know on Twitter @_Tydog_, I would love to discuss any of these with you.
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