The NBA regular season is almost over and it’s time we start predicting who will get which awards before the season ends. This season has been quite the ride and definitely will be interesting to see what happens in the playoffs and of course… the award races.
Let’s get into the picks that the writers of SidelineCue have chosen…
MVP: Nikola Jokic (8 Votes)
This one makes a lot of sense as Jokic is having another insane year. He’s kept the Nuggets as a top 6 seed in the West without stars Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr playing. He’s averaging 26.3 PPG, 13.5 RPG, and 7.9 APG while shooting an insane 57.7% from the field. He’s averaging nearly 8 assists as a center which is just unheard of. Jokic is definitely the leading MVP candidate right now.
Others receiving votes:
Joel Embiid (2 Votes)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (1 Vote)
6MOY: Tyler Herro (9 Votes)
Herro is having a breakout year this season while coming off the bench. He’s been the second leading scorer for the Heat and been quite essential in the scoring department. Although he’s not the greatest defender, the Heat don’t need him to be. He’s able to fill up the points column and be valuable off the bench for the team.
Others receiving votes:
Kevin Love (1 Vote)
Kelly Oubre Jr. (1 Vote)
DPOY: Giannis Antetokounmpo (10 Votes)
With Brook Lopez being injured, Giannis has had to play the center position more this year and the Bucks defense has not hindered one bit. It’s been has hard to score on the Bucks with Giannis at center or whatever position, he’s that good defensively. It was proven vs the Suns in the Finals last year and it holds again this season.
Others receiving votes:
Rudy Gobert (1 Vote)
Most Improved: Ja Morant (6 Votes)
This award was the one where there was a lot of disparity between all the writers. Although Morant seems to be the majority pick for Most Improved due to his play going from stardom to superstarom, there’s been a lot of great candidates for this award this year. Morant has propelled the Grizzlies to a top 3 seed this season with his play. Others receiving votes included Desmond Bane getting 2 votes and honestly I can see why.
Even without Morant playing, the Grizzlies are 15-2 this year and Bane has been a big reason why. Bane went from averaging 9.2 PPG in his rookie year to 18.2 PPG in his sophomore year. He nearly doubled his points average as the #2 scorer for the #2 seed in the West.
Others receiving votes:
Desmond Bane (2 votes)
Darius Garland (1 Vote)
Anfernee Simons (1 Vote)
Miles Bridges (1 Vote)
ROTY: Evan Mobley (8 Votes)
Evan Mobley has been exactly what the Cavaliers wanted this season and more. He’s averaging 15.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.7 BPG as a rookie. He’s been a force defensively and also been a consistent threat on the offensive end for the Cavaliers. He’s been a frequent outlet for Darius Garland to go to when they need a bucket. Not surprising at all the majority of writers went with this pick…
Others receiving votes:
Scottie Barnes (2 Votes)
Cade Cunningham (1 Vote)
