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NY Knicks: The Reverse NBA Awards

By Avishai Sol

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 08: JaKarr Sampson #14 of the Indiana Pacers is seen during the game against the Detroit Pistons at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 8, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 08: JaKarr Sampson #14 of the Indiana Pacers is seen during the game against the Detroit Pistons at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 8, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OHIO – MAY 04: Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns brings the ball up court during the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on May 04, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO – MAY 04: Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns brings the ball up court during the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on May 04, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Reverse NBA Awards: The Shane Battier Award For Guys Who’re Better Than Their Stats

  1. Chris Paul
  2. Jimmy Butler
  3. OG Anunoby

Named after the great Shane Battier, this award is measured by the disparity between a player’s stats and their actual ability on the court. Battier himself was a career 8 points, 2 assists, and 4 rebounds, but he was one of the most impactful role players of the 21st century. Some of these candidates are a little more than just a role player, but none of their stats do justice to the force that they are.

OG Anunoby is criminally underrated within the league. Not really a star yet, he’s still one of the best defensive players on the planet and would be in line for an All-Defensive team had he played enough games this season. That’s why it’s weird that he doesn’t actually log a ton of steals and blocks. Always matched up with the best player on the other team (say Julius Randle) Anunoby has less opportunity to play the passing lanes and get steals because he’s always defending the primary ball-handler. There are plenty of Knicks like that too. Cough cough* Barrett *cough

Jimmy Butler‘s stats aren’t bad, but anyone who watched last year’s finals knows that it’s the intangibles that turn him from an All-Star to a superstar. He’s been the heart and soul of every team he’s been on, he’s still an elite defender, and with the ball in his hands, he’s still the man who went shot-for-shot with LeBron James and won in game 5. That’s worth more than 21 points a game.

Still, the ultimate example of this award is personified this year by Chris Paul. CP3 may score less than Buddy Hield at 16.4 a game, but he is unquestionably been one of the most valuable players in the league. Taking the reigns of the Phoenix Suns and transforming them from a league bottom feeder to one of the top contenders in the West.

CP3 is at the stage of his career where he doesn’t care about wreaking havoc all night. He’s content to run the offense, set guys up, and then take it over with the game on the line. It’s the kind of thing all the true geniuses of the sport learn eventually and Paul does it better than anyone today except maybe LeBron. You can’t measure things like “ok, this is an important possession and I should take over and make sure we score” or “my big man worked really hard on defense just then, I should reward him with an easy basket now”. That stuff goes beyond the stats and beyond the box score. Chris Paul everybody.