We’re a quarter of the way through a roller-coaster of the season. Storylines are in abundance – the Pacers Offense, the Wolves Defense, the Celtics Everything, In-Season Tournament Success, In-Season Tournament Courts Failure, Kenny Smith’s beard, etc. But for this exercise, let’s hand out some awards!
To provide some clarity, these are my picks for who deserves these awards IF the season ended today. They are not my end of year predictions, which I’ve already written about.
Defensive Player of the Year
- Rudy Gobert
- Defensive Win Shares: Ranked 1st in the NBA – 1.5
- Total Reb%: 6th – 19.7
- Reb/game: 4th – 11.6
- Blocks/game: 5th – 2.4
- MIN – 2nd in Points Allowed/game – 105.9
- MIN – 1st in Defensive Rating – 107.94
- Deserves Mention:
- Anthony Davis
- Joel Embiid
- Mitchell Robinson
Coach of the Year
- Jamahl Mosley – Orlando Magic
- Record: 14-6
- Last 10: 9-1
- Deserves Mention
- Chris Finch – Minnesota Timberwolves
- Mark Daigneault – Oklahoma City Thunder
- Rick Carlisle – Indiana Pacers
6th Man of the Year
- Immanuel Quickley – New York Knicks
- PPG: 15.4
- 3pFG%: 37%
- FT%: 88%
- Deserves Mention
- Bobby Portis
- Tim Hardaway Jr.
- Kyle Anderson
Most Improved Player
- Tyrese Haliburton
- PTS/Game – Last Year to This Year: 20.7 –> 27.0
- AST/Game – Last Year to This Year: 10.4 –> 11.8
- FG% – Last Year to This Year: 49% –> 52%
- 3P% – Last Year to This Year: 40% –> 44.7% (8.8 attempts per game)
- VORP: 1.7 (5th in NBA
- Win Shares: 3.1 (5th in NBA)
- Deserves Mention:
- Alperen Sengun
- Tyrese Maxey
- Franz Wagner
Rookie of the Year
- Chet Holmgren
- PTS/game: 17.6
- BLK/game: 2.2
- Reb/game: 8.0
- Ast/game: 2.6
- Stl/game: 0.9
- FG%: 53.1%
- 3p%: 39.5%
- OKC’s record: 13-6
- Deserves Mention:
- Jaime Jacquez
- Victor Wembanyama
- Jordan Hawkins
Most Valuable Player
- Nikola Jokic
- Deserves Mention
- Joel Embiid
- Jayson Tatum
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Shae Gilgeous-Alexander
- Tyrese Haliburton
All NBA Teams
- Using the updated rules, where positions do not apply, and players must play at least 79% of games to be eligible. This is based on the minimum games played rule of 65 out of an 82 game season.
- 1st Team:
- Nikola Jokic
- Joel Embiid
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Shae Gilgeous-Alexander
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- 2nd Team:
- Steph Curry
- Jayson Tatum
- Anthony Edwards
- Luka Doncic
- Kevin Durant
- 3rd Team:
- Damian Lillard
- Jalen Brunson
- Paolo Banchero
- Bam Adebayo
- Tyrese Maxey
