Each remaining NBA team’s MVP so far

With Boston and Cleveland coming away with victories in Game 7s over the weekend, the matchups for the second round of the NBA playoffs are set.

It will be the Cavaliers taking on the Toronto Raptors in a rematch from last year’s Conference Semifinals, and the Celtics will go up against the Philadelphia 76ers in a clash of Atlantic Division rivals. Out west, the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets have taken 1-0 leads against the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz, respectively.

Here are each remaining team’s MVP so far.

Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green

It’s tough to pick just one player for MVP of the Warriors. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson are averaging 20-plus points in the playoffs, and either one of them would be an acceptable choice for MVP, but what Green has done in the playoffs is hard to ignore. On top of bringing it every night on the defensive end, Green has become Golden State’s de-facto point guard in Stephen Curry’s absence with 8.5 assists per game. In Game 1 against the Pelicans, he dished out 11 assists as part of a triple-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds. When Curry returns from a knee injury, it’s possible he might challenge Green for the role of team MVP, but for now it’s Green’s title to hold.

New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis

Nobody would have guessed that the Pelicans, without DeMarcus Cousins, would be the first team to advance to the second round, but that’s exactly what happened after New Orleans made quick work of the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. Davis was an absolute beast at both ends of the floor with series averages of 33 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.

With that said, Davis and the Pelicans weren’t entirely ready for Golden State. Even though Curry sat out, the Warriors routed New Orleans 123-101 on Saturday night behind a combined 53 points from Durant and Thompson. The Pelicans, on the other hand, got 21 points from Davis and no other player had more than 15. This probably won’t end well for New Orleans, but Davis should end up with some impressive numbers when it’s all said and done.

Houston Rockets: James Harden

Harden isn’t just Houston’s MVP but almost certainly the league’s as well. He’s had a fantastic season, and with the exception of an off night he had in Game 2 of the Rockets’ first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he hasn’t disappointed in the playoffs. After scoring 44 points in the opener against Minnesota, Harden got to cooking in a hurry in Game 1 against the Jazz, finishing with 41 points in 37 minutes of work. His 31 points per game rank second among postseason players after LeBron James’ 34.4. Having Chris Paul at his side has definitely helped Harden along the way, but there’s no question who numero uno on the Rockets is.

Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell

Even after losing their best player in Gordon Hayward to free agency last summer, the Jazz find themselves back in the Conference Semifinals thanks to their unheralded rookie, who has been nothing short of phenomenal. Mitchell averaged 28.5 points in the first round against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which he capped off with a historic performance in Game 6.

Donovan Mitchell could not be stopped. pic.twitter.com/6TV0bwRl7d

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 28, 2018

Unfortunately for the Jazz, beating the Thunder has led to a second-round matchup against Houston, which came out to a fast start in Game 1 on Sunday. Utah trailed 64-39 at the half and never really caught up as the Rockets hit shot after shot before settling on a 110-96 result. The Jazz were not at full strength with Ricky Rubio sidelined because of a hamstring injury he suffered in Game 6 against Oklahoma City, but multiple reports have indicated that he could be out as many as 10 days. Rubio’s absence puts a lot of pressure on Mitchell to be a scorer and facilitator for the Jazz. We’ll see how he handles it going forward.

Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons

It’s no secret the Sixers like to play fast. Their 102.99 possessions per 48 minutes is currently the fastest pace in the playoffs, according to NBA.com/Stats, and they finished fourth in that department during the regular season. A youthful roster helps, so does having a super athletic point guard in Simmons. The redshirt rookie has been sensational with the ball in his hands, pushing the tempo and keeping the defense on its heels.

Granted, 20 turnovers across five games is not what you’d like to see from him, but Simmons has been effective, nevertheless. He averaged 18.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, nine assists and 2.4 steals per game in the first round against the Miami Heat. Simmons and the Sixers pose an interesting challenge to Boston, which is one of the better defensive teams in the postseason.  

Boston Celtics: Terry Rozier

Rozier’s breakout performance in the playoffs has been a welcomed surprise for the Celtics, who continue to show resilience in spite of injuries to key players. Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks was no different, as Boston pulled out a 112-96 victory on Saturday despite losing Jaylen Brown in the second quarter to a hamstring injury. Rozier had his best game of the series, scoring a career playoff high 26 points to go with nine assists. He finished the series with averages of 17.6 points, 6.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

With Brown doubtful for Game 1 against the Sixers on Monday night, Rozier undoubtedly will need to have a big game, as will the rest of the starters. Philadelphia has been the highest scoring team in the postseason with 114.2 points per game.

Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan

In spite of pedestrian scoring totals in Games 1 and 6 against the Washington Wizards, DeRozan had a relatively strong showing in the first round. He averaged 26.7 points on 43.6 percent shooting from the field (38.5 percent from 3) and 81 percent from the foul line to go with 4.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds. In all fairness to the Raptors, though, DeRozan hasn’t been solely responsible for his team’s success. When he struggled in Games 1 and 6, his teammates picked up the slack, which speaks to Toronto’s depth. Still, the Raptors are tough to beat when DeRozan is rolling on the offensive end, and that’s reflected in the win-loss column. Toronto is 9-3 in postseason games when DeRozan scores 30-plus points.

The Raptors have been eliminated from the postseason by Cleveland two years in a row, but they will be going in as the favorites against a Cavaliers team that lost Kyrie Irving in the offseason and frankly isn’t as good as in years past. This might finally be the year the Raptors get the monkey off their backs after falling short the last couple of years.

Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James

It took a monumental effort from James to get Cleveland through to the second round as the Indiana Pacers proved to be a more difficult opponent than expected. In a hard-fought victory in Game 7 on Sunday, James scored a game-high 45 points to go with nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals across 43 minutes. He finished the series with averages of 34.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. The Cavaliers bench, which averaged 41.2 points per game during the regular season, has been almost non-existent in the playoffs, averaging just 25.6 points per game. As a result, James has had to push himself. He averaged 41.4 minutes per game in the first round and experienced cramping in Game 7 that required him to go to the locker room for treatment.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that James is Cleveland’s MVP. That said, the Cavaliers might not stand a chance against the Raptors if James doesn’t get some help, as Toronto’s bench has been solid with 35.2 points per game.