NBA Award Summary

For the 2nd year running, Giannis Antetokounmpo won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award and with it the Defensive player of the year award too. Giannis had an impressive year, no doubt, but to become only the 3rd ever player to win both accolades in the same season seems like a step too far for the Buck. There is a rather convincing argument that both the MVP and DPOTY awards should have been given to the two stars, and champions, in LA: LeBron James & Anthony Davis, but it’s fair to suggest that this thought process was heavy influenced by what happened in the post season as opposed to the regular season, making it all the more farcical as to why these awards are given out so late in the basketball calendar. 

Justice was done in the vote for Rookie of the year as Ja Morant won the vote ahead of Zion Williamson. Zion is one that seems destined to go on to have a great career and do great things, but having missed so many games this season while Morant stared on a team that was in desperate need for a star, there was no other winner so deserving. 

For the 4th time in the last 5 seasons, the 6th man of the year award again goes to a Clipper, uncontroversial yes, but difficult to take seriously when you consider how the Clippers fared in the playoffs.   

Brandon Ingram took home the Most Improved Player award for this season which is another fair result and one which Ingram will surely take extra pride in as he was infamously used as one of the pieces the Lakers used to trade with the Pelicans for Anthony Davis, although it’s still fair to say the Lakers won that trade all things considered.

Raptors’ coach Nick Nurse took home the Coach of the year award, again another deserving winner, as he guided the reigning champion X in his first season to getting agonisingly close to the Eastern conference finals. Without context this may not seem like a huge achievement, but after the departure of 1-and-done star Kawhi Leonard, many people predicted the Raptors would have a disastrous season, yet under the leadership of Nurse they were able to finish 2nd in the conference only 2 games behind the Bucks.