By Vince Carter, Soraya G, + FRPC Contributors
Part 1 was for the vibes.
Part 2? This is for the game.
We’re now entering the real territory of FRPC’s 2024 NBA Awards. The storylines the big outlets gloss over. The narratives that matter in the locker room, but never make it to First Take. And yes — we give out an actual award called the Kendrick vs Drake Trophy.
These aren’t just picks. They’re frameworks. Watch guides. Ways to appreciate the season through film, feel, and facts.
So whether you’re breaking down synergy data or screaming at your TV during Ant’s 4th quarter takeover, this one’s for you.
👶 1. Rookie Watch: Castle, Ware & the Ones You Don’t Know Yet
Most ROY discussions start and end with who scores the most. We don't care.
The real rookie impact lies in:
Floor presence
Poise under pressure
How soon the coach trusts them
🎯 Spotlight Players:
🧱 Stephon Castle (San Antonio)
A point guard with a grown-man floater package and better-than-expected reads in the PnR.
What he lacks in highlight moments, he makes up for in winning decisions.
“Castle looks like he’s already done a playoff rotation assignment.” — Vince
Advanced stat to know:
San Antonio’s offensive rating jumps +5.3 when Castle is on the floor — even with a shaky 3-ball.
🌊 Kel' el Ware (Miami Heat = Culture)
If you blinked, you missed the moment Kalel became a legitimate rim protector.
Similar rim deterrence numbers to Jarrett Allen
Raw but fearless
Miami has him switching onto guards
“He’s that quiet 8 & 7 dude until you realize he’s anchoring your entire weak side.”
🎯 Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks )
Smart, efficient, confident. Most 3- point games by any rookie in his class!
Hawks quietly cooking a new rotation staple — and he’s sneaking into playoff impact moments.
📌 Keywords: NBA rookies defense, Kalel Ware, Charlotte Hornets future
📌 Hashtags: #KalelWare #ZacharyRichard #MiamiBasketball #NBAProspects
💥 2. Most Improved Player Tier Debate
We hate lazy MIP takes.
Going from 8 to 14 PPG? Cute. But what if the improvement is on defense? In clutch moments? In leadership?
Let’s tier this out like grown-ups.
💡 Tier I: Role Jumpers
Peyton Pritchard (Celtics)
Became a tempo god off the bench. Reads defenses like an NFL QB.
On/off splits are chef’s kiss.Ty Jerome
Quiet consistency in big lineups, rediscovering confidence.
🚧 Tier II: Defensive Demons
Dyson Daniels
Locked up multiple All-Stars this year. Starting to look like Jrue Holiday 2.0 — with better instincts in space.
Soraya says:
“There’s a kind of player who doesn’t show up in fantasy stats but kills every clip breakdown. That’s Dyson.”
🧱 Tier III: Late Bloomers
Ivica Zubac
Elite rim defense, vastly improved footwork
Quietly averaging 13-11 in March and April.
🎭 3. Kendrick vs Drake Award
The Pettiest Narrative of the Year™
This award is less about basketball, more about control of the room.
Sometimes it’s beef. Sometimes it’s power. Always memorable.
🎯 Nominees:
Jimmy Butler & Pat Riley vs Everybody
Their passive-aggressive interviews were legendary. You could feel the “talk to me nice” energy in every quote.ESPN vs TNT
Shady graphics. Omitted stats. Chuck throwing daggers on national TV.Drake vs Kendrick... but NBA?
Warriors vs Grizzlies. PG13 vs Ja. The league was full of subtweet matchups.
Winner: Miami Heat’s Front Office Energy
Nothing beats the Pat + Jimmy standoff press energy.
“He gave that interview like it was a diss track.” — Zach
📌 Keywords: Jimmy Butler Pat Riley drama, NBA media wars, Kendrick vs Drake NBA parallels
📌 Hashtags: #HeatCulture #KendrickVsDrake #NBAAgendaWars
🔥 4. Sixth Man of the Year: Is Malik Beasley Already It?
There’s no stat that fully captures Malik Beasley’s value this season.
But you feel it every time he checks in.
Why Beasley?
+3.7 Net Rating in all second units
Shoots 39% from three off movement
Doesn’t need the ball — just space
“If the Bucks make the ECF, he’s a big reason why.” — Vince
Honorable Mention:
Norman Powell (LAC): Consistent scoring, but less disruptive
Bogdan Bogdanović (ATL): Tough stretch mid-season
Monk (SAC): Injury took him out of race
Stat Pull:
Beasley led all NBA bench players in total made 3s in wins.
📌 Keywords: Sixth Man of the Year 2024, Malik Beasley case, Bucks second unit
📌 Hashtags: #6MOY #BenchMob #MalikBeasley #NBAAwards
👑 5. MVP Race: Who Actually Moves the Needle?
Let’s cut the fluff:
MVP isn’t just stats. It’s how much you matter when the game breaks down.
Let’s rank the real ones:
👑 1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)
Control of pace
Elite clutch time stats
Top 2 in +/– vs Top 10 teams
Zach says:
“Shai plays like he’s reading ahead — like he’s looking into the fourth quarter in the first.”
🔥 2. Anthony Edwards
Most two-way impact
Fearless in big games
Wolves ceiling entirely tied to him
“The charisma stat alone is MVP-level.”
🧠 3. Jayson Tatum
Best player on the best team
Knocked for being too good at blending in
“He doesn’t scream. He flows.”
😤 4. Giannis
Milwaukee is only functional with him
Top 3 in EPM, TS%, and team dependency
🪨 Nikola Jokić: The Numbers Are Nasty, the Case is Clear
(Updated 2024–25 MVP Snapshot)
At this point, it’s not “Is Jokić MVP worthy?”
It’s “How do you explain him not winning?”
Let’s look at what he’s doing in 70 games this season:
Stat | Value |
|---|---|
🕒 Minutes | 36.7 MPG |
📈 PPG | 25.5 |
🎯 FG% | .576 |
🧊 3P% | .417 (on 6.2 attempts!) |
🪣 FGA/FGA% | 19.3 / .627 |
🪙 APG | 9.8 |
🔄 RPG | 13.3 |
🛠️ AST% | 44.1 |
🧠 Usage Rate | 28.2 |
💥 TS% (True Shooting) | .663 |
🔁 Offensive Box +/- | 12.8 |
🛡️ Defensive Box +/- | 2.4 |
💯 BPM (Box Plus-Minus) | 16.4 (!!) |
🧠 Advanced Stats Translation:
.663 TS% on 25.5 PPG? Ridiculous. That’s elite efficiency at volume.
44.1 AST% with a turnover rate of just 3.0 per game? We’re looking at the best passing big man in NBA history, again.
BPM of 16.4 is GOAT-tier — this puts him in LeBron 2013 / MJ 1991 territory.
“Jokić is the only MVP candidate who doubles as both the conductor and the symphony.” — Soraya
And that .417 from three? That’s lethal spacing from a guy who’s already torching drop coverage and punishing switches.
🏆 Bottom Line:
If Denver Front Office and coach could have played nice, Jokic numbers are Proof of Concept!
🔚 OUTRO (100 words)
Awards don’t always belong in glass cases. Sometimes they belong in tweets, group chats, or IG Stories. These ones? They belong in basketball history.
The rookies you’re not paying enough attention to.
The MVPs who don’t make ESPN’s first segment.
The moments that felt like diss tracks in postgame pressers.
“We give trophies to truth, not just trends.”
Tag us with your picks. Build your own. Disagree with ours — just don’t pretend Beasley didn’t earn his flowers.