5,729 ardent NBA fans on Reddit's r/nba subreddit came together recently to vote for the end-of-season awards. These awards include:
- The Most Valuable Player (MVP)
- Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)
- The Rookie of the Year (ROTY)
- The Sixth Man of the Year (6MOTY)
- The Most Improved Player (MIP)
- The Clutch Player of the Year
- Coach of the Year (COTY)
The NBA is huge on individual awards, and just before the playoffs start on Saturday 15th April, I decided to do a post on the winners (and losers) of the polls, and some of the interesting insights I garnered from the results.
r/ nba's The Most Valuable Player (MVP) |
| Embiid beat out Giannis (surprisingly) to second place and Jokic to third |
This has been the most hotly debated, some would even say toxic, MVP race I have ever seen in my stint as a close NBA fan. Joel Embiid leads the league in points per game at 33.1, while also averaging 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He shoots an insane 11 free throws per game, at a ridiculous 85% clip, making him one of the most lethal scorers in the league.
Giannis is fifth in scoring at 31.1 pts per game, while he averages 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. He is also one of the best defenders in the league and plays for the best regular season team, and is the favourite to win the title in May (Milwaukee Bucks). He got second most votes, just a tad ahead of Nikola Jokic.
Nikola Jokic, one of the best playmakers in basketball, came in third. He is the two-time defending champion and an offensive savant who ranks as probably the best passer in the league despite playing centre. He averages damn near a triple-double this season, with 24.5/11.8/9.8 points/rebounds/assists PER GAME. His defence leaves a lot to be desired, with many calling him a negative on that end. That might have cost him votes at the end while having won two MVPs and yet to play in the NBA finals, many might have wanted to see a new face as the league's MVP.
In my view, Nikola Jokic is the MVP. The Denver Nuggets look like a vastly inferior team when he seats, and his playmaking chops make Denver Nuggets one of the best teams in the league. But I think Joel Embiid is a worthy winner if he ends up winning the vote that counts; that of the journalists who vote for the award.
r/nba's Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)
The DPOY is the second most valuable award given out to individuals in the league, and with last year's winner Marcus Smart off the grid this time round, the league is going to have a new winner this time round.
For what it's worth, I think Brook Lopez should win it, but playing next to Jrue Holiday and Giannis can affect a man's votes negatively. shout out to my boy Evan Mobley.... I have been high on this kid from the very start, and as I told my cousin Dave over and over again, this is the next Kevin Garnett. I love seeing him fourth on this poll...
r/nba's Rookie of the Year
This was a pretty uncontested poll... Orlando Magic's Paolo Banchero won it easily, with more than twice his nearest competitor, OKC's Jalen Williams...despite having shot hot and cold all season long.. Drafted first by Magic, he plays with maturity and calmness beyond his years... I love the kid Keegan Murray too, these are the future All-Stars in the league...
r/nba's Sixth Man of the Year
The sixth man of the year typically goes to the guard who scores the most points off the bench, and this year is no different.
New York Knicks' Immanuel Quickley beat off stiff competition from Boston Celtics' Malcolm Brogdon, and I don't have too many complaints about that... in my view, both would be deserving winners. Quickley averages 14.9/4.2/3.4 off the bench for the Knicks, who have had a great season, finishing fifth in the West and facing a winnable series against Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
r/nba's Most Improved Player of the Year
The MIP is an interesting award. Does it reward the player moving from ok to good, or from good to great?? Every season seems different... but this time, r/nba has chosen a worthy winner: the Finn Lauri Markanen.
No complaints from my side, Lauri has been immense for Utah Jazz this season, with 25.6/1.9/8.6 points/assists/rebounds this year. That is a huge improvement and he made the All-Star team and might even get third All-NBA. Shai and Mikal Bridges have been great on the floor too, but Lauri has made the highest, most unexpected leap... we shall see if the official voters award him the accolade too.
r/nba's clutch player of the year
This is an award given to the player who is most impactful during the "clutch", the last five minutes in the game where the lead is less than five points. r/nba decided to give the award to De'Aaron Fox of Sacramento, one of the fastest, most exciting and indeed, most clutch players in the NBA. according to nba.com, he is the clear winner, averaging 5.5 points, on 58.8 FGs and 35.7% from three. He is a joy to watch... he should win this award uncontroversially.
Finally, r/nba's Coach of the Year. (COTY)
This is a pretty prestigious award, usually given to the coach who overachieved most success through training, in-game adjustments and man management to push his team to heights greater than the sum of their parts.
Sacramento Kings' Mike Brown should have this award sewn up by now. He has led the Kings' to third in the Western Conference, and a first playoff berth in 16 years for the long-suffering fans of Sac Town... A great matchup with Golden State Warriors awaits them... Sacramento was also the best offensive team in the NBA, with Domas Sabonis, Malik Monk, De'Aaron Fox and Keegan Murray shooting lights out and playing aesthetic, amazing basketball all season long.
Indeed, the Kings and Clippers played out a 176-175 game this year, broken down here brilliantly by Thinking Basketball...
So that's it. Your r/nba awards for the 2022/23 season. to Recap:
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