Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan argues a call during the second half of a game against the Spurs in April. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
No matter what else happens in these NBA playoffs, this executive, team, coach, and player are already winners.
Executive, Neil Olshey, General Manager, Portland: There is no general manager who was questioned more about what he did with his team last summer than Olshey. He lost last summer’s biggest star — LaMarcus Aldridge — to San Antonio during free agency. He traded sharp-shooting forward Nicolas Batum to Charlotte, but bolstered the bench with spark-plug shooting guard Gerald Henderson in return. He allowed fan favorite Wes Matthews to walk during free agency. He signed Al-Farouq Aminu to a $30 million contract, to raised eyebrows. He traded for high-energy big Mason Plumlee to replace Robin Lopez.
He placed the team in point guard Damian Lillard’s hands and built around him, reshaping the team from one that operated inside-out, to one that spreads the court and operates as a shooting, slashing unit led by two high-scoring guards. That plan was worked beautifully. Portland was not projected to make the playoffs at all, but not only did it make the playoffs, it did so as the fifth seed and is in the second round of the playoffs giving Golden State a hard-fought series.
Honorable mention goes to Cavaliers GM David Griffin, for continuing to add the right pieces to an already potent equation. The midseason acquisition of stretch center Channing Frye was genius, giving opponents yet another shooter to worry about, and helps the Cavaliers transformation to a faster, more spread out style of play.
Coach, Billy Donovan, Oklahoma City Thunder: Every college coach that enters the NBA has a lot to prove, but few have been under more pressure to perform immediately in the way Donovan has been. That was for a multitude of reasons. First, was the burden to prove a college coach could make the jump. And Donovan backed out of his first pro coaching opportunity with Orlando years ago, adding fuel to those wondering if he was truly ready now.
He was tasked with figuring out how to get Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant to share the ball more and make the offense more dynamic — which admittedly still has some evolving to do — and get the Thunder improved on defense.
Defensively, the Thunder has been solid against the Spurs, who are one of the toughest teams to corral. Donovan has proven he’s up to the task of taking over a high-profile situation and helping it grow. Whether that convinces Durant to stay in town? We’ll see…
Honorable mention goes to Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue. It was rocky when he took over for David Blatt halfway through the season, but things have quickly ironed out since. He’s cracked the code on getting Kevin Love consistently involved in the offense. He opened up play and made the Cavaliers right now look as deadly as they ever have since LeBron James’ return.
Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
Player, Goran Dragic, Heat: Just when it seemed he might forever fade into the background, Goran Dragic has stepped to the fore in these playoffs, making big shots, contributing big numbers on offense, and helping Miami be a very tough out in the Eastern Conference. Those who watched him play in Phoenix aren’t surprised. He was named third team All-NBA in 2014. The only surprise was why it wasn’t necessarily translating in Miami. It is now. He averaged 20.75 points in the four games leading up to Sunday’s matchup against Toronto.
Honorable mention goes to the Golden State duo of Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. With star Stephen Curry on the shelf due to injury, these two have not only stepped up but played like superstars in his absence. Thompson has carried the scoring load while Green, the all-purpose juggernaut, does everything from being the team’s best defender to, many times, running the show as the de facto point guard. Impressive, from any angle.
Team, Portland: The Blazers haven’t been Leicester City fun, but they’ve been a joy to watch grow in these playoffs. Damian Lillard is a flat-out star. C.J. McCollum is quickly paving his path to stardom, and they’ve got a bevy of other shooters and young, athletic players that appear to be a legit nucleus of a team that could grow into a bonafide contender in the near future. Coach Terry Stotts was many experts Coach of the Year, and he’s continued to be very good in getting the Blazers ready each night in these playoffs. Whatever happens in the series against Golden State is icing on an already sweet cake.
Honorable mention goes to Toronto. Whew – ! – to the near first-round exit. But the Raptors survived. And now they’re settling into playoffs life. Coach Dwane Casey is easily the most underappreciated, least-discussed coach in the playoffs, and that’s too bad because he’s done a stellar job navigating this team, which underachieved in the past, to start to realize its potential.
Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @chrisadempseyor email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com
