Overview of Way-Too-Early 2027 NBA Player Awards — Ringer NBA Show
Howard Beck and Michael Pina returned for their annual “way too early, way too spicy” NBA awards draft, where they made bold 2027 predictions for MVP, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year. They used a fun set of constraints: no repeating last season’s winners or runners-up, no picking current betting favorites, and no Clutch Player of the Year.
The episode mixed genuine basketball analysis with lots of speculative roster chaos and a big opening discussion about the Kawhi Leonard cap-circumvention investigation, which Baxter Holmes reported could drag into 2027. From there, the hosts went category by category, making both a “jalapeño” pick and a much hotter “Carolina Reaper” pick in each award race.
Main News Item: Kawhi Leonard’s Uncertain Future
The episode opened with the latest reporting on the Kawhi Leonard investigation and the possibility that the issue could linger into 2027.
Key points
- Beck and Pina debated what team Kawhi will actually be on by opening night of the 2026-27 season.
- Beck argued a Raptors return is plausible, while acknowledging the strange possibility that the Clippers situation could remain unresolved.
- Both agreed there is no real precedent for a situation like this.
- The broader concern: a league-altering investigation could create an awkward, unresolved offseason.
Award Picks and Predictions
Defensive Player of the Year
Michael Pina
- Jalapeño pick: Amen Thompson, Rockets
- Elite defender who could benefit from more offensive help and less on-ball responsibility.
- Houston’s defensive ceiling, especially with healthy personnel, could make him a strong candidate.
- Carolina Reaper pick: Bam Adebayo
- Pina called him one of the best defenders of his generation who has never won DPOY.
- He noted Miami’s defensive versatility and the possibility of another elite team defense.
Howard Beck
- Jalapeño pick: Scottie Barnes, Raptors
- Beck liked Barnes as a growing two-way linchpin who can guard multiple positions.
- He argued Barnes could shine defensively whether or not Kawhi Leonard is actually in Toronto.
- Carolina Reaper pick: Anthony Davis
- Beck leaned into a very long-shot scenario where Davis stays healthy and the Wizards become respectable defensively.
- The pick was framed as plausible in theory, but highly dependent on health and a lot of things breaking right.
Sixth Man of the Year
Michael Pina
- Jalapeño pick: Anfernee Simons
- Pina liked Simons as a pure scoring bench weapon in a role that could maximize his shot creation.
- He envisioned him thriving in staggered lineups and bench minutes.
- Carolina Reaper pick: Ja Morant
- One of the wildest picks of the episode.
- Pina argued the roster situation could force a bench role in a weirdly constructed team context.
Howard Beck
- Jalapeño pick: Ace Bailey
- Beck liked Bailey’s scoring upside and role potential in Utah.
- He pointed to solid rookie-year production and the possibility of a bigger role on a more competitive Jazz team.
- Carolina Reaper pick: Mitchell Robinson
- Beck argued Robinson can change games immediately with rim protection, rebounding, and energy.
- He noted that if Boston gets enough notice for role players, Robinson could enter the conversation.
Most Improved Player
Michael Pina
- Jalapeño pick: Peyton Watson
- Pina sees Watson as an ascending player who can thrive with Nikola Jokić and in a larger role.
- He highlighted defense, shooting growth, and the possibility of more minutes.
- Carolina Reaper pick: Chet Holmgren
- Pina argued Holmgren could bounce back from his disappointing playoff memory and take a major offensive leap.
- He suggested Oklahoma City may intentionally expand his role.
Howard Beck
- Jalapeño pick: Bilal Coulibaly
- Beck pointed to late-season improvement, increased scoring, and better efficiency.
- He likes the idea of Coulibaly taking a real step forward in a more structured role.
- Carolina Reaper pick: Zaccharie Risacher
- Beck chose a massive long shot, betting on a fresh start and a better context in Dallas.
- He emphasized that former high picks can reset expectations in a new situation.
Rookie of the Year
Michael Pina
- Jalapeño pick: Braden Burries
- Pina liked Burries’ poise and low turnover count after summer league.
- He viewed him as a player who could seize opportunity on a shallow Bucks roster.
- Carolina Reaper pick: Yaxel Lendeborg
- Pina was impressed by Lendeborg’s summer league, passing, strength, and general feel for the game.
- He acknowledged the role may limit his counting stats, but saw a path if Golden State exceeds expectations.
Howard Beck
- Jalapeño pick: Caleb Wilson
- Beck thought Wilson was too good to ignore after a strong summer league.
- He emphasized his size, skill, and the opportunity to play immediately on a rebuilding Bulls team.
- Carolina Reaper pick: Darius Acuff
- Beck liked Acuff’s toughness, poise, and potential to carry a big offensive load.
- He noted that Sacramento’s situation could give a rookie a real chance to shine.
Coach of the Year
Michael Pina
- Jalapeño pick: Will Hardy
- Pina praised Hardy’s creativity and how well his system fits Utah’s personnel.
- He sees the Jazz as a team that could outperform expectations and earn Hardy major credit.
- Carolina Reaper pick: Ime Udoka
- Pina argued Houston could emerge as an elite defensive team and maybe a top seed.
- If the Rockets jump again, Udoka would get the coaching credit.
Howard Beck
- Jalapeño pick: Mitch Johnson
- Beck thinks the Spurs are set up for another huge leap and that Johnson deserves more recognition.
- He credited Johnson for last season’s breakthrough and the challenge of integrating young talent.
- Carolina Reaper pick: Mike Nori
- Beck made a sympathy-and-upside case for Portland’s coach in a messy ownership situation.
- The logic: if the Blazers keep improving despite chaos, the coach will be rewarded.
Most Valuable Player
Michael Pina
- Jalapeño pick: Jayson Tatum
- Pina expects Boston to be excellent and Tatum to benefit from a bigger load without Jalen Brown.
- He likes the combination of team success, durability, and a strong individual statistical season.
- Carolina Reaper pick: Kawhi Leonard
- Pina’s ultra-spicy pick assumes Kawhi ends up in Toronto and stays healthy.
- He argued a big season, strong two-way play, and team success could put Kawhi back in MVP territory.
Howard Beck
- Jalapeño pick: Luka Dončić
- Beck believes this is finally a plausible MVP year if the Lakers win enough games and Luka dominates the offense.
- He stressed that the team is now more clearly built around Luka’s style and usage.
- Carolina Reaper pick: LeBron James
- The episode’s wildest prediction: LeBron as a 76er and MVP candidate.
- Beck argued that if the Sixers are great, LeBron could rack up huge assists and control the game enough to earn serious MVP traction.
Biggest Takeaways
- The hosts expect another season dominated by the same elite tier unless one of the top three stars misses enough games.
- Team context matters a lot in these awards, especially for Coach of the Year, Sixth Man, and Most Improved Player.
- Several picks depended on extreme hypothetical roster outcomes, which made the exercise entertaining but intentionally unreliable.
- The most common theme was opportunity: players like Ace Bailey, Bilal Coulibaly, Peyton Watson, and Caleb Wilson were chosen because they could get minutes, shots, and responsibility.
- The episode ended with a classic Ringer bit of self-sabotage, with Beck’s LeBron-to-Philadelphia MVP pick turning the conversation into complete chaos.
Final Note
This was less a prediction show than a playful thought experiment about which players could unexpectedly enter award conversations if health, role, team success, and weird offseason moves break just right.