National Basketball Association

NBA Award Watch: Quin Snyder sets the Jazz beat

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:25 p.m. ET

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Through the first week of December 2016, here are the six front-runners from the major NBA awards in this week’s NBA Award Watch.

We are only a couple of weeks away from Christmas 2016, the time of year where the NBA season really starts to take off. The 2016-17 NBA season is roughly a quarter in the books and we’ve had some interesting story lines.

The Golden State Warriors have transitioned smoothly after the Kevin Durant acquisition. On the other side of the coin, things could not be more bleak for the hapless Dallas Mavericks.

Through the first week of December, here are the leaders for the major end-of-year awards in this week’s NBA Award Watch.

Dec 5, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates a three-point basket as Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha (25) is shown on the play in the third quarter at Philips Arena. The Thunder won 102-99. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Most Valuable Player: Russell Westbrook

After a bit of a rough patch in the middle of November, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is the clear front-runner for 2016-17 NBA MVP. By sheer will, Westbrook could lead the Thunder to 50 wins in the regular season.

Westbrook will likely have a strong case regardless of the Thunder’s final win total, but if they come close to 50, it will be hard to deny a player who’s averaging a triple-double through 22 games.

Westbrook is averaging 31.0 points, 11.3 assists and 10.9 rebounds per game. This gives him a PER of 29.7 and 3.6 Win Shares on the season. Westbrook is becoming a better three-point shooter, making 33.3 percent of his shots from distance. That and a commitment to offensive distribution will help him win his first NBA MVP award.

Westbrook is not just doing it on the offensive end either. He leads the league in Box Plus/Minus at 14.3. His Offensive Box Plus/Minus is a league-best 9.7, but his Defensive Box Plus/Minus is a solid 4.6 as well. This also helps give him the best VORP at 3.2. If Westbrook keeps up this pace, the MVP award is his.

Dec 6, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) defends against Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) in the first half at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Player of the Year: Andre Drummond

If there’s the first month and a half of the 2016-17 NBA season is any indication, there’s a good chance the Defensive Player of the Year Award will go to a frontcourt player.

Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green has forced his way into the conversation, but three traditional centers have battled it out for the first part of the season: the Atlanta Hawks’ Dwight Howard, the Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond and the Miami Heat’s Hassan Whiteside.

The Pistons are playing better ball than the Hawks and the Heat through early December, and Drummond should be the front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year for his great work with them.

Drummond leads the league in Defensive Win Shares at 1.8 and has a Defensive Box Plus/Minus of 4.1. His total rebound percentage of 24.2 is among his best seasons on the glass to date. He’s averaging 9.8 defensive rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game this season.

Drummond is seeing the court very well for the 2016-17 Pistons as their defensive anchor. It’s close, but he edges out Green, Howard and Whiteside.

Dec 6, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid warms up prior to the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Rookie of the Year: Joel Embiid

Though he’s only played in 14 NBA games, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is the runaway favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year. The pitiful 76ers are unwatchable when Embiid isn’t on the court. Eventually they’ll get back No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons, but Embiid is a spectacular find for this rebuilding basketball team.

Through 14 NBA games, he’s averaging 18.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game for the 76ers. He’s averaging only 23.3 minutes per contest, but Philadelphia will remove his restrictions at some point.

Embiid runs like a gazelle and has ridiculous touch as a shooter for a seven-footer. He’s shooting 46.8 percent from the field, 50 percent from three and 77.6 percent at the line. We’re essentially looking at Hakeem Olajuwon with modern NBA range.

There are other players that could challenge Embiid for Rookie of the Year in the coming weeks or months. The two most likely candidates to usurp Embiid atop the rookie pedestal are Denver Nuggets shooting guard Jamal Murray or Embiid’s Philadelphia teammate Dario Saric. For now, this is Embiid’s award to lose.

Dec 3, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives for the basket against Brooklyn Nets guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) in the first quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Most Improved Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo just turned 22. He might be the best 22-year-old basketball player on the planet — the Greek Freak is knocking on the door of superstardom already.

Antetokounmpo will be a first-time Eastern Conference All-Star this season. He’s averaging 22.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game playing for Jason Kidd’s Bucks. Milwaukee will be an Eastern Conference Playoff team if Antetokounmpo continues to play at an All-Star level.

He may never become even a mediocre 3-point shooter (23.9 percent in 2016-17), but that shouldn’t matter for a player as talented as Antetokounmpo. He’s still shooting 51.9 percent from the field, has a PER of 27.0 and is responsible for 3.4 Win Shares for the Bucks.

If Westbrook wasn’t averaging a triple-double, Antetokounmpo might honestly force his way into the MVP conversation. He’s been that good for the Bucks this season. The Eastern Conference should be lucky to have found another superstar in Antetokounmpo. He’s the type of player that can bring a championship to Milwaukee with the right supporting cast around him.

Dec 2, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lou Williams (23) goes up to the basket against Toronto Raptors center Lucas Nogueira (92) at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Sixth Man of the Year: Lou Williams

The Los Angeles Lakers having been hovering around .500 in the early part of the season for several reasons. They’re playing a freer form of basketball under first-year head coach Luke Walton.

Los Angeles is getting some of its young players like Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle to elevate their level of play. The Lakers are getting key veteran like Lou Williams to thrive in their supporting roles.

Through the first week of December, Williams is the front-runner to win NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. He edges out Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter for the 2016-17 honors.

Williams has the best PER of a non-starter in the NBA at 24.3. He’s averaging 18.7 points, 3.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game this season. Williams is shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 39.7 from three and 86. 4 percent at the line. This gives him an impressive 53.4 effective field goal percentage and 2.1 Win Shares this season.

This would be Williams’ second Sixth Man of the Year. He won the 2014-15 honors as the Toronto Raptors lethal 3-point shooter. Williams is shooting very well this year, but has elevated the rest of his offensive game considerably for the 2016-17 Lakers. If the Lakers hang around .500, this will be Williams’ award at season’s end.

Dec 1, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder talks with guard Raul Neto (25) during the second half against the Miami Heat at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Miami won 111-110. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Coach of the Year: Quin Snyder

Of all the major end-of-year awards, Coach of the Year is the hardest to predict right now. Seemingly every week, another great NBA coach steals the spotlight from another deserving candidate.

Through the first week of December, Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is the guy to beat. He edges out David Fizdale at Memphis, Gregg Popovich at San Antonio, Mike D’Antoni in Houston, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luke Walton.

Snyder has Utah at 14-9 through 23 games and in the Western Conference Playoff picture as the No. 7 seed. Utah is eighth in both offensive and defensive rating. The Jazz play at a sluggish pace (30th at 91.3 possessions per game), but no team is better at opponent’s points per game (95.5) that Snyder’s Jazz.

One would think that going up-tempo would be the best course of action for an NBA team playing 41 home games a year in the Rocky Mountains. However, Snyder sets the beat for the Jazz’s tempo by making sure their dominating frontcourt makes the opposition earn its bucket on every possession.

People have had their eyes on this Jazz team for years now, waiting for Utah to pop. This may not be the 50-win team many expected, but Utah is a sure-fire playoff team in 2017. Snyder is a huge reason for this and will be in the conversation for Coach of the Year at season’s end.