Way too early NBA Awards predictions
In a season that is shaping up to be one of the most crucial of all time, primarily because of the free agent fire power in 2018, we take a dive into who could be taking home some hardware this upcoming season!
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Let’s start with the Most Improved Player Award. Last season, Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo improved tremendously, took home the award, and even made the All-Star team for the first time in his career. This season, I expect Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers to take the next step and become a 20 points and 10 rebounds per game guy while also making his first NBA All-Star game.
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The NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award was a close race between teammates Eric Gordon and Lou Williams, but ultimately, Eric Gordon was able to come away with the award, the first of his career. This season, I anticipate Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler to take home the award. With the addition of Paul Millsap to the roster, Chandler will find very little time in the starting lineup, but he will still be the first forward to sub in for the Nuggets, and will likely play just south of 30 minutes per night. Expect the Nuggets to be a playoff team in 2018, which sets things up nicely for Wilson Chandler to win the award.
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The Defensive Player of the Year Award was a 3 man race between Draymond Green, Kawhi Leonard, and Rudy Gobert last season. This season, I expect Green and Leonard to have growth in the offensive department, which ultimately opens the door for Jazz big man Rudy Gobert to win the award. Gobert’s eight foot wingspan allows him to rebound, alter, and block shots with ease which makes him a nightmare on the interior. Look for the Jazz to still be a playoff team next season despite the departures of Hill and Hayward, and for Gobert to be the biggest reason for the success of the Jazz this season.
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The NBA Rookie of the Year race is going to be very interesting this season. There are going to be way more impact rookies than last season, and two of my favorites to win the award are Lonzo Ball and Dennis Smith Jr. The NBA is becoming a more guard oriented league than ever before, and these two can be effective in a lot of different areas. However, their teams will not be fantastic. Personally, I think the edge goes to Lonzo Ball because he will have more around him to compliment his game this season than Smith Jr, will. Look for the Lakers to finish just outside the playoffs in the West this season as either the 9th or 10th seed.
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Last but not least, the Most Valuable Player Award. There are obvious choices of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Russell Westbrook as choices. Personally, the teams they all play on now are too loaded with talent for them to be considered the sole most valuable piece to their respective team. I think Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard are two serious candidates to win the award next season. I believe that Kobe Bryant’s challenge to Antetokounmpo is going to light a fire under the Greek Freak and inspire him to win the MVP this year. He is a 7 footer that can do everything well on the court. The Bucks will be without Jabari Parker until around early February, so more of the workload will continue to fall on Giannis to lead the Bucks to wins. He led them in all statistical categories last season, and I expect him to do the same this season as well.
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The NBA season is just two short months away! It is going to be one of the most crucial seasons of all time, and I expect these awards to actually play a minor role on where a lot of the star powered free agents end up after the 2018 offseason!