NBA awards: Our picks for MVP – Jokic, Embiid or Antetokounmpo?
The conversation around this season’s NBA MVP award turned sour.
But the award will still be given to a deserving player, whether that is Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid or Denver’s Nikola Jokic.
On Monday, ballots for the league’s regular-season awards were due. The NBA will announce winners over the next six weeks.
If this exercise of choosing players for awards proves anything, it’s that choices are difficult and the league is rampant with talent, from rookie of the year to most improved to sixth man to defensive player of the year to clutch player of the year and MVP.
Disclaimer: To help narrow the candidates of the major awards, such as MVP and All-NBA, I eliminated players who didn’t play in at least 70% of their team’s games. If a player is missing a third of games, it limits his impact. Yes, this rule eliminates some of the game’s best players. TNT’s Ernie Johnson said last week a player must play in at least 58 games of 82 regular-season games (70.7%). Fifty-eight is not a completely arbitrary number. That’s how many games a player needs to play to qualify as a statistical leader, such as scoring, assists or rebounding champion.
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Beginning next season, as agreed to in the recently reached collective bargaining agreement, players must play in at least 65 games to be eligible for regular-season awards.
On to the awards …
Rookie of the Year
1. Paolo Banchero, Orlando
2. Walker Kessler, Utah
3. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City
All-Rookie teams
First team
Paolo Banchero, Orlando
Walker Kessler, Utah
Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City
Jaden Ivey, Detroit
Keegan Murray, Sacramento
Second team
Jalen Duren, Detroit
Jabari Smith Jr., Houston
Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio
Shaedon Sharpe, Portland
A.J. Griffin, Atlanta
Most Improved Player of the Year
1. Lauri Markkanen, Utah
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City
3. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis
Clutch Player of the Year
1. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento
2. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia
3. Jalen Brunson, New York
Sixth Man of the Year
1. Malcolm Brogdon, Boston
2. Immanuel Quickley, New York
3. Malik Monk, Sacramento
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis
2. Evan Mobley, Cleveland
3. Brook Lopez, Milwaukee
All-Defensive teams
First team
Forward: Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis
Forward: Evan Mobley, Cleveland
Center: Brook Lopez, Milwaukee
Guard: Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee
Guard: Alex Caruso, Chicago
Second team
F: O.G. Anunoby, Toronto
F: Jimmy Butler, Miami
C: Draymond Green, Golden State
G: Derrick White, Boston
G: Dillon Brooks, Memphis
Coach of the Year
1. Mike Brown, Sacramento
2. Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City
3. Joe Mazzulla, Boston
All-NBA teams
First team
F: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee
F: Jayson Tatum, Boston
C: Nikola Jokic, Denver
G: Luka Doncic, Dallas
G: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City
Second team
F: Julius Randle, New York
F: Lauri Markkanen, Utah
C: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia
G: Damian Lillard, Portland
G: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland
Third team
F: Jimmy Butler, Miami
F: Pascal Siakam, Toronto
C: Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento
G: Jaylen Brown, Boston
G: De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento
MVP award
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver
2. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City
5. Jayson Tatum, Boston
Explanation: While Jokic didn’t average more points than either Embiid or Antetokounmpo, it’s mitigated by Jokic averaging four more assists than Antetokounmpo and as many rebounds as Embiid. Jokic nearly posted a triple-double (24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists) per game and shot considerably better than the other two players from the field, on 2-pointers and 3-pointers. You can dig deeper into other statistics, such as offensive, defensive and net ratings and Jokic still has a slight edge. This wasn’t easy. A case can be made for all three. You can’t split your vote. You have to put one player No. 1.
Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt
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