2019-2020 Year End Awards Announcement
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 1:51 pm
Hello, and welcome to the Season 30 PBSL End of Season Awards Show. It's been a memorable season so far, and we're still reaping in some exciting moments in terms of playoff surprises, but before we look forward to crowning a new PBSL champion, let's look back and honor some of the teams and players that excelled this season by giving out some awards.
I'd like to start out by recognizing all the great GMs who voted to make this award show possible. They are:
78#
Conroy
digiskunk
Eazy P
false9
garbageman
IamQuailman
Inner_GI
JNR
kucoach7
nickmalone77
NOLa.
RPF
TheSyndicate
WigNosy
wombataholic
Pat yourselves on the back and throw 3 shiny PBSL points into your banks.
Media Entry of the Year
Before we spotlight the players and teams, PBSL wouldn't be the phenomenon it is today with a huge audience of over 27 people, if it wasn't for the sportswriters and podcasters who analyze the action and really highlight the great things about PBSL. Our nominees in this category are four very diverse types of media, so in my heart, they're all winners, but because of a recent rule change, only one of them can get the coveted 5 points that come with the Media Entry of the Year Award.
Let's take a look at the nominees!
Erik Haynes: Now or Never by digiskunk waas an in depth look at #1 draft pick Erik Haynes...but in true digiskunk fashion, it wasn't a look at something so commonplace as his basketball skills. Rather, it focused on his political activism and his experience interacting with quadrennial Presidential alt-candidate Vermin Supreme. Haynes, who the article claims is an outspoken liberal, was drafted by the Kings to play behind Spencer Hawes, who has a reputation for being one of the few conservative players active in PBSL.
Horns & Fangs Episode 7 by JNR and Garbagemaan was undoubtedly the 7th episode of Horns and Fangs. The Podcast was nominated again after a 2nd place finish last year, but returned this year with a more fan-focused format, answering their mailbags instead of sludging through each team's outlook for the upcoming season/
How to Train Your Player 2 by kucoach7 was regarded as the best stats-based article of the season. Kucoach ran 50 simulations to try to demystify the beast that is Training Camp, and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a lot more GMs going 3-3-3-3-3-10 next season as a result of his findings.
Will He Stay or Will He Go: A Top Free Agent Speculative Analysis by IamQuailman was a handy guide to all the big names in UFA, and wouldn't you know it, a pretty accurate one, too. Not only did he predict that Harris, Fareid, and Klay were locks to resign, or that Kawhi would land an oversized contract, but he predicted the Kyrie Irving debacle before it happened. Great insight on Quail's part here, and perhaps an article that tipped the scales for some GMs decision-making skills.
AND THE WINNER with 94 points...
How to Train Your Player 2 by kucoach7
Congratulations kucoach7, you may collect 5 points.
Other scores
2nd: Horns & Fangs - 90 points
3rd: Will He Stay or Will He GO? - 62 points
4th: Erik Haynes: Now or Never - 34 points
Most Improved Player
The largest field of any of the awards races, Most Improved Player showcased a wide range of players who stepped up their game for a wide range of reasons.
Bojan Bogdanovic, Miami Heat: Bojan left the Detroit Pistons for a much larger contract with the Miami Heat with a point to prove. After spending the last few seasons spreading the floor to give Anthony Davis more room to operate, Bojan took over as the primary option on a rebuilding Miami Heat team. While his scoring went up, so did his usage. The veteran improved by taking on a larger role.
Chet Dooley, Denver Nuggets: For a former 6th pick in the PBSL draft, Dooley was on 4 teams before his rookie contract was up. The Nuggets decided he was worth a max contract coming out of RFA, and it looks like Chet's finally found a home in the Mile High City. The floor general almost averaged a double-double with substantial increases in points and assists. Anyone who doubted his max-worthiness at the beginning of the season should be wholly convinced he earned his paycheck by now.
Boris Hailey, Houston Rockets: From max to min, Boris Hailey signed with a team that was in tax trouble, a team that truly needed him, for a veteran minimum contract. It's the first season in which he played all 82 games...in fact, he started all 82 of them after only starting 9 in his previous 3 years. The work ethic that the undrafted Hailey has shown through his commitment to improvement should pay off in a better contract next year. He averaged a double-double in points and rebounds and was a big reason that Houston's been having success in a season where nobody saw it coming.
Nikola Jokic, New York Knicks: The 'Brokic' nickname should finally be put to rest. Though he's had struggles living up to potential in the past, the Knicks front office and fanbase finally have Jokic at full pace, and at his potential, Jokic is possibly the league's most dominant Center. There's very little Jokic didn't do well this season, and if it wasn't for the Gary Harris injury, Jokic would have led the Knicks to an upset win in the playoffs over division leader and rival, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Damion McNary, Milwaukee Bucks: With an RFA Max on Damion McNary, the Bucks cleared out their roster to work around him, and once they start filling in pieces around their remarkable PF, they're going to be a McScary team to compete against. McNary made his first All Star Game and made All League Third Team, putting up 23.5 points a game on an incredible .562 from the field. Folks have predicted McNary was going to be good since he was drafted, and his progress from year to year just shows him continuing to improve.
Patrick Riordan, Phoenix Suns: The Suns, who are built around Kevin Love and now James Harden, have other players on their team, and as a small market, a lot of PBSL fans probably couldn't name too many of them. But it takes more than 2 players to be the best team in the conference, and their faith in their sharpshooting PG Patrick Riordan earned him the starting role again this year. He became more efficient from the field and dropped 17.7 points per gamem shooting over 80% from the line and .415 from beyond the arc. He may not be a household name now, but he should be, and at 2 million a year, he's an incredible value for PHX.
AND THE WINNER with 86 points...
Damion McNary
Congratulations, IamQuailman, you may collect 2 points.
Other Scores
2nd: Chet Dooley - 50 points
3rd: Nikola Jokic - 38 points
4th: Bojan Bogdanovic - 36 points
4th: Patrick Riordan - 36 points
6th: Boris Hailey - 34 points
6th Man of the Year
The Sixth Man of the Year candidates would make for an interesting starting 5, but who would be the star on that squad? Well, here are the nominees!
Danilo Gallinari, Chicago Bulls: Though trades late in the season eventually settled on Danilo starting, Danilo led the Bulls 2nd unit as an offensive weapon, dropping 12.3 points in 24.4 minutes for the 5th seeded team in his homecoming season on an MLE contract.
Russell Gomez, Houston Rockets: When Horford or Hailey needed a break, Russell Gomez made sure that the Rockets did not lose a step. His combination of fierce offensive boardwork and inside scoring made him the 2nd most efficient player on the team so that the Rockets gameplan worked all 48 minutes on the floor. He was a solid 10.5 point, 5.5 rebound contributor all season long.
Jeremy Lamb, Portland Trailblazers: Jeremy Lamb is no true 6th man, but the wing player straddled the line between SG and SF while logging fewer minutes than only Derrick Rose. Still, he poured out 15.5 points, 5.7 boards, and 2.4 assists in 34 minutes a game and led his team in +/- when he was on the court. Undersized for a 3 and not as explosive as starting SG CJ McCollum, there really wasn't a great spot for him in the stacked Blazers' starting lineup, but he was too good a player not to soak up a majority of 2nd unit minutes.
Alvin Pack, Milwaukee Bucks: Alvin "The Alpaca" Pack provided a scoring boost for the rebuilding Bucks in 2nd unit time. He dropped 11 points in 21.7 minutes and looks to be an interesting player going into RFA.
Iman Shumpert, Utah Jazz: The only candidate to have been traded during the season, Iman Shumpert packed his bags and headed to Salt Lake City to help the young Jazz secure their first playoff bid in the post-Paul George era. Though an injury kept him sidelined for more than half the season, Iman's 12 points, 4 boards, and staunch defense helped get Utah back in the brackets as a sign of good faith for their fans to start getting excited about the Jazz's bright future.
AND THE WINNER with 112 points...
Jeremy Lamb
Congratulations, kucoach7, you may collect another 2 points.
Other Scores
2nd: Danilo Gallinari - 70 points
3rd: Iman Shumpert - 52 points
4th: Alvin Pack - 26 points
5th: Russell Gomez - 20 points
General Manager of the Year
And now for the big one. We've got five great candidates for GMOY, but who will take home the vaunted 5 points and the GMOY trophy? Will it be:
78#, Houston Rockets: While being ont he wrong side of the tax stunted the Rockets' offseason, a few savvy min signings, a midseason trade for Robert Covington, the excellent play of Al Horford, and some good overall game planning on a cohesive team has the Rockets entering the 2nd round of the playoffs with ease after staying neck and neck with the Mavs atop the otherwise quiet Southwest division. Though the Mavs won the division series, 78's head to head game planning showed the skill of a GM who could do a lot with a little.
ballsohard, Philadelphia 76ers: The 76ers didn't change things up too much this year, and that's because they didn't have to. With their younger stars finally filling into their shoes and their veterans still with plenty of juice, the 76ers had the strong season everyone expected they would have, and they moved on to the 2nd round of the playoffs for the first time since their 2012 Finals appearance.
Garbageman, Chicago Bulls: Through trades and training, Garbageman pulled the Bulls out of a fast rebuild. Putting his focus on rookie contract players like Dennis Smith, Jr. and Vernon Desantis paid off as the early season saw them becoming more productive than team leaders like Victor Oladipo and TJ Warren. It was the latter two who got packaged for Russell Westbrook, which instantly vaulted them into contention for a deep playoff run and a couple years left on their competitive window.
LoCo89, Vancouver Grizzlies: The other foot dropped on the tax bill for the Grizzlies, but LoCo89 still finds himself among the nominees for GMOY. His team didn't make waves (or the playoffs), but they outperformed a lot of expectations with many pegging them as the potential worst team in the league. They were far from it, and LoCo's dedication to winning no matter what the circumstances and sticking it through during times of tough consequence are a testament to his character.
TheSyndicate, Denver Nuggets: Before the season started, the Nuggets were discussing whether to go all in or sit all out. They managed to do the former without giving up their young core entirely. Sure, they lost Chet Dooley, but the ROI there was massive in Blake Griffin. Though Blake's injured now, the Nuggets still have the firepower to stay in the playoffs, perhaps until he's back to give them a boost, as the 2nd best team in the West and the Division leaders in possibly the toughest division in PBSL this season.
AND THE WINNER with 78 points...
Garbageman
...AND THE OTHER WINNER....ALSO WITH 78 POINTS...
#78
Congratulations, #78 and garbageman, you may both collect 5 points
Other scores
3rd Place: TheSyndicate, 54 points
4th Place: ballsohard, 50 points
5th place: LoCo89, 18 points
I'd like to start out by recognizing all the great GMs who voted to make this award show possible. They are:
78#
Conroy
digiskunk
Eazy P
false9
garbageman
IamQuailman
Inner_GI
JNR
kucoach7
nickmalone77
NOLa.
RPF
TheSyndicate
WigNosy
wombataholic
Pat yourselves on the back and throw 3 shiny PBSL points into your banks.
Media Entry of the Year
Before we spotlight the players and teams, PBSL wouldn't be the phenomenon it is today with a huge audience of over 27 people, if it wasn't for the sportswriters and podcasters who analyze the action and really highlight the great things about PBSL. Our nominees in this category are four very diverse types of media, so in my heart, they're all winners, but because of a recent rule change, only one of them can get the coveted 5 points that come with the Media Entry of the Year Award.
Let's take a look at the nominees!
Erik Haynes: Now or Never by digiskunk waas an in depth look at #1 draft pick Erik Haynes...but in true digiskunk fashion, it wasn't a look at something so commonplace as his basketball skills. Rather, it focused on his political activism and his experience interacting with quadrennial Presidential alt-candidate Vermin Supreme. Haynes, who the article claims is an outspoken liberal, was drafted by the Kings to play behind Spencer Hawes, who has a reputation for being one of the few conservative players active in PBSL.
Horns & Fangs Episode 7 by JNR and Garbagemaan was undoubtedly the 7th episode of Horns and Fangs. The Podcast was nominated again after a 2nd place finish last year, but returned this year with a more fan-focused format, answering their mailbags instead of sludging through each team's outlook for the upcoming season/
How to Train Your Player 2 by kucoach7 was regarded as the best stats-based article of the season. Kucoach ran 50 simulations to try to demystify the beast that is Training Camp, and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a lot more GMs going 3-3-3-3-3-10 next season as a result of his findings.
Will He Stay or Will He Go: A Top Free Agent Speculative Analysis by IamQuailman was a handy guide to all the big names in UFA, and wouldn't you know it, a pretty accurate one, too. Not only did he predict that Harris, Fareid, and Klay were locks to resign, or that Kawhi would land an oversized contract, but he predicted the Kyrie Irving debacle before it happened. Great insight on Quail's part here, and perhaps an article that tipped the scales for some GMs decision-making skills.
AND THE WINNER with 94 points...
How to Train Your Player 2 by kucoach7
Congratulations kucoach7, you may collect 5 points.
Other scores
2nd: Horns & Fangs - 90 points
3rd: Will He Stay or Will He GO? - 62 points
4th: Erik Haynes: Now or Never - 34 points
Most Improved Player
The largest field of any of the awards races, Most Improved Player showcased a wide range of players who stepped up their game for a wide range of reasons.
Bojan Bogdanovic, Miami Heat: Bojan left the Detroit Pistons for a much larger contract with the Miami Heat with a point to prove. After spending the last few seasons spreading the floor to give Anthony Davis more room to operate, Bojan took over as the primary option on a rebuilding Miami Heat team. While his scoring went up, so did his usage. The veteran improved by taking on a larger role.
Chet Dooley, Denver Nuggets: For a former 6th pick in the PBSL draft, Dooley was on 4 teams before his rookie contract was up. The Nuggets decided he was worth a max contract coming out of RFA, and it looks like Chet's finally found a home in the Mile High City. The floor general almost averaged a double-double with substantial increases in points and assists. Anyone who doubted his max-worthiness at the beginning of the season should be wholly convinced he earned his paycheck by now.
Boris Hailey, Houston Rockets: From max to min, Boris Hailey signed with a team that was in tax trouble, a team that truly needed him, for a veteran minimum contract. It's the first season in which he played all 82 games...in fact, he started all 82 of them after only starting 9 in his previous 3 years. The work ethic that the undrafted Hailey has shown through his commitment to improvement should pay off in a better contract next year. He averaged a double-double in points and rebounds and was a big reason that Houston's been having success in a season where nobody saw it coming.
Nikola Jokic, New York Knicks: The 'Brokic' nickname should finally be put to rest. Though he's had struggles living up to potential in the past, the Knicks front office and fanbase finally have Jokic at full pace, and at his potential, Jokic is possibly the league's most dominant Center. There's very little Jokic didn't do well this season, and if it wasn't for the Gary Harris injury, Jokic would have led the Knicks to an upset win in the playoffs over division leader and rival, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Damion McNary, Milwaukee Bucks: With an RFA Max on Damion McNary, the Bucks cleared out their roster to work around him, and once they start filling in pieces around their remarkable PF, they're going to be a McScary team to compete against. McNary made his first All Star Game and made All League Third Team, putting up 23.5 points a game on an incredible .562 from the field. Folks have predicted McNary was going to be good since he was drafted, and his progress from year to year just shows him continuing to improve.
Patrick Riordan, Phoenix Suns: The Suns, who are built around Kevin Love and now James Harden, have other players on their team, and as a small market, a lot of PBSL fans probably couldn't name too many of them. But it takes more than 2 players to be the best team in the conference, and their faith in their sharpshooting PG Patrick Riordan earned him the starting role again this year. He became more efficient from the field and dropped 17.7 points per gamem shooting over 80% from the line and .415 from beyond the arc. He may not be a household name now, but he should be, and at 2 million a year, he's an incredible value for PHX.
AND THE WINNER with 86 points...
Damion McNary
Congratulations, IamQuailman, you may collect 2 points.
Other Scores
2nd: Chet Dooley - 50 points
3rd: Nikola Jokic - 38 points
4th: Bojan Bogdanovic - 36 points
4th: Patrick Riordan - 36 points
6th: Boris Hailey - 34 points
6th Man of the Year
The Sixth Man of the Year candidates would make for an interesting starting 5, but who would be the star on that squad? Well, here are the nominees!
Danilo Gallinari, Chicago Bulls: Though trades late in the season eventually settled on Danilo starting, Danilo led the Bulls 2nd unit as an offensive weapon, dropping 12.3 points in 24.4 minutes for the 5th seeded team in his homecoming season on an MLE contract.
Russell Gomez, Houston Rockets: When Horford or Hailey needed a break, Russell Gomez made sure that the Rockets did not lose a step. His combination of fierce offensive boardwork and inside scoring made him the 2nd most efficient player on the team so that the Rockets gameplan worked all 48 minutes on the floor. He was a solid 10.5 point, 5.5 rebound contributor all season long.
Jeremy Lamb, Portland Trailblazers: Jeremy Lamb is no true 6th man, but the wing player straddled the line between SG and SF while logging fewer minutes than only Derrick Rose. Still, he poured out 15.5 points, 5.7 boards, and 2.4 assists in 34 minutes a game and led his team in +/- when he was on the court. Undersized for a 3 and not as explosive as starting SG CJ McCollum, there really wasn't a great spot for him in the stacked Blazers' starting lineup, but he was too good a player not to soak up a majority of 2nd unit minutes.
Alvin Pack, Milwaukee Bucks: Alvin "The Alpaca" Pack provided a scoring boost for the rebuilding Bucks in 2nd unit time. He dropped 11 points in 21.7 minutes and looks to be an interesting player going into RFA.
Iman Shumpert, Utah Jazz: The only candidate to have been traded during the season, Iman Shumpert packed his bags and headed to Salt Lake City to help the young Jazz secure their first playoff bid in the post-Paul George era. Though an injury kept him sidelined for more than half the season, Iman's 12 points, 4 boards, and staunch defense helped get Utah back in the brackets as a sign of good faith for their fans to start getting excited about the Jazz's bright future.
AND THE WINNER with 112 points...
Jeremy Lamb
Congratulations, kucoach7, you may collect another 2 points.
Other Scores
2nd: Danilo Gallinari - 70 points
3rd: Iman Shumpert - 52 points
4th: Alvin Pack - 26 points
5th: Russell Gomez - 20 points
General Manager of the Year
And now for the big one. We've got five great candidates for GMOY, but who will take home the vaunted 5 points and the GMOY trophy? Will it be:
78#, Houston Rockets: While being ont he wrong side of the tax stunted the Rockets' offseason, a few savvy min signings, a midseason trade for Robert Covington, the excellent play of Al Horford, and some good overall game planning on a cohesive team has the Rockets entering the 2nd round of the playoffs with ease after staying neck and neck with the Mavs atop the otherwise quiet Southwest division. Though the Mavs won the division series, 78's head to head game planning showed the skill of a GM who could do a lot with a little.
ballsohard, Philadelphia 76ers: The 76ers didn't change things up too much this year, and that's because they didn't have to. With their younger stars finally filling into their shoes and their veterans still with plenty of juice, the 76ers had the strong season everyone expected they would have, and they moved on to the 2nd round of the playoffs for the first time since their 2012 Finals appearance.
Garbageman, Chicago Bulls: Through trades and training, Garbageman pulled the Bulls out of a fast rebuild. Putting his focus on rookie contract players like Dennis Smith, Jr. and Vernon Desantis paid off as the early season saw them becoming more productive than team leaders like Victor Oladipo and TJ Warren. It was the latter two who got packaged for Russell Westbrook, which instantly vaulted them into contention for a deep playoff run and a couple years left on their competitive window.
LoCo89, Vancouver Grizzlies: The other foot dropped on the tax bill for the Grizzlies, but LoCo89 still finds himself among the nominees for GMOY. His team didn't make waves (or the playoffs), but they outperformed a lot of expectations with many pegging them as the potential worst team in the league. They were far from it, and LoCo's dedication to winning no matter what the circumstances and sticking it through during times of tough consequence are a testament to his character.
TheSyndicate, Denver Nuggets: Before the season started, the Nuggets were discussing whether to go all in or sit all out. They managed to do the former without giving up their young core entirely. Sure, they lost Chet Dooley, but the ROI there was massive in Blake Griffin. Though Blake's injured now, the Nuggets still have the firepower to stay in the playoffs, perhaps until he's back to give them a boost, as the 2nd best team in the West and the Division leaders in possibly the toughest division in PBSL this season.
AND THE WINNER with 78 points...
Garbageman
...AND THE OTHER WINNER....ALSO WITH 78 POINTS...
#78
Congratulations, #78 and garbageman, you may both collect 5 points
Other scores
3rd Place: TheSyndicate, 54 points
4th Place: ballsohard, 50 points
5th place: LoCo89, 18 points
#illuminati