The NBA has gone back to its usual format of releasing the list of players that have been nominated for its six awards. In the recent past, the NBA has announced the award list at the end of the season.
The six awards for this season include the NBA Coach of the Year, Kia NBA Sixth Man, Kia NBA Most Improved Player, Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and Kia NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year.
The NBA shortlisted three players for each award based on the results of a vote that came in from a global panel of broadcasters and sportswriters.
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Nominees For The Main Awards
We take a look at the nominees for each of these awards this basketball season.
NBA Coach of the Year
The three coaches who made the shortlist are Monty Williams from the Phoenix Suns, Quin Snyder from the Utah Jazz and Tom Thibodeau from the New York Knicks.
Kia NBA Sixth Man
The three players who made the cut are Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson from the Utah Jazz and Derrick Rose from the New York Knicks.
Kia NBA Most Improved Player
The votes for the three most improved players this season include Julius Randle from the New York Knicks, Jerami Grant from the Detroit Pistons and Michael Porter Jr. from the Denver Nuggets.
Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year
The players that made the shortlist for the defensive player of the year award are Ben Simmons from the Philadelphia 76ers, Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz and Draymond Green from the Golden State Warriors.
Kia NBA Rookie of the Year
No surprises to see the shortlist for the rookie of the year award as the three nominees have more than impressed this season. The shortlist includes Tyrese Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings, LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets and Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Most Valuable Player of the Year
The most popular award in the NBA is the Most Valuable Player (MPV) of the year award. The players that make this season’s shortlist include Nikola Jokić from the Denver Nuggets, Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76ers and Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors.
If Jokić or Embiid end up winning, it will be the first time that a center has won the MVP award since Shaquille O’Neal did it in 2000.