The NBA postseason awards races haven’t gotten any clearer, even though the regular season is nearing its conclusion. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the favorite to repeat as MVP. But after Victor Wembanyama laid out his own case two nights ago, some have started to rethink their positions.
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First Team All-NBA is an even bigger quagmire because there are only five spots available, but more than enough deserving candidates. On a recent episode of KG Certified, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce got into a heated debate about who should make the cut.
Pierce offered Luka Doncic, SGA, Wemby, Nikola Jokic, and Jaylen Brown as his First Team. KG shook his head and said, “You trippin’. Luka’s not in the First Team, bro.”
Pierce hesitated when asked if he would take Luka over his fellow Celtic. But his loyalty won out, and he picked Brown. He took Luka over Cade Cunningham, though, and that’s where he and KG differed.
“The number one team in the East, you got him sixth?” KG asked about Pierce’s decision to put Cade on his Second Team. “You can’t win!”
Cade, of course, has had a phenomenal season. But there’s a chance that the Cade vs. Luka question could be a moot one if he doesn’t play anymore in the regular season due to his collapsed lung. That would keep him below the 65-game threshold. Though the players’ union has called for a rule change, it’s probably too late to make a difference.
Pierce correctly pointed out that Luka has been on an absolute tear and definitely deserves a spot. “Luka’s the best player in the league right now,” he said.
“He just went for the 40, then he had the 30 triple-double versus Joker, then he went to the game-winner,” added Pierce.
And the episode was recorded the day before Luka dropped 60 on the Heat. Ao add that to the list, too.
Garnett was a fierce defender in his day, and he just can’t ignore that side of the court. That’s where Luka falls short against these other guys, he argued. “He played no defense, arguing with the ref every third call,” said KG.
“J. Brown and Cade Cunningham are having better years of all-around basketball than bro. And I’m not a Luka hater, I’m a Luka fan,” asserted Garnett.
Luka’s recent heater has solidified the Lakers’ hold on the third seed in the West. The reality is that as long as he plays in five of their final 10 games, he’s going to make First Team.
Doncic is also leading the league in scoring by a wide margin, and he’s been one of the most clutch players in the league. He’s probably going to finish third in the MVP voting, so there’s no way he’s getting left off All-NBA First Team.
