Welcome back to the 4th Annual Brian “The Custodian” Cardinal Award. For those who are not up on the award it is for the hustle players or grunts of the team a.k.a. the hard workers. The last three years this award has been handed out to the power forward or center position, this year we have a first time occurrence. This year a guard will win the award, I didn’t think this was possible, but the dynamic of the San Antonio Spurs led me down this road.
Congrats to the 2014 NBA Champions the San Antonio Spurs and secondly congrats to Marco Belinelli the 4th Annual winner of the Brian “The Custodian” Cardinal Award. Marco is not a grunt by any means, but he had some very important contributions in limited minutes during this series.
Game 3 Marco made the biggest three in the blowout of Miami (in Miami). With the Spurs up seven in the 3rd quarter Marco made a three extend the lead back to ten in the Spurs never looked back. Those were Belinelli’s only points in that game, but they were huge because without that three who knows if the Heat keeps climbing back for one of the biggest comebacks ever?
Belinelli’s stats during the finals:
5 games, 11.8 mpg, 47% field goals, 44% 3-point, 1.2 rpg and 4.6 ppg.
Marco never played more than 22 minutes in any game and in the game he made his most important contribution he only played 6 minutes. I bet Gary Neal is at home saying what about me? Wrong place, wrong time for Mr. Neal.
Congrats to Marco Belinelli he is the first Spurs to win this prestigious award, Kawhi got the NBA Finals MVP and Marco takes home the best award of the year. We will be back for next year for the 5th Annual don’t miss out.
Check out the previous Award winners below:
1st Annual Brian “The Custodian” Cardinal Award
2nd Annual Brian “The Custodian” Cardinal Award
3rd Annual Brian “The Custodian” Cardinal Award
