The NBA Awards are always controversial. Every fanbase will make their voices heard if they feel one of their players was snubbed for an award. This year will be no different, especially for the Most Valuable Player award. This is one of the tightest MVP races we have ever seen.

Three players have separated themselves from the rest: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic.

DeMar DeRozan just broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record for consecutive 35+ point games on 50%+ shooting (7 games), and yet DeMar is indisputably in 4th place. That’s how strong this year’s MVP race is.

The MVP Blog is here to provide some clarity as to who we feel should win each award, and in this blog, we will make our own midseason picks for the following awards:

• MVP
• Defensive Player of the Year
• Rookie of the Year
• 6th Man of the Year
• Most Improved Player
• Coach of the Year
• All-NBA Teams
• All-Rookie Teams
• All-Defensive Teams

Here we go!

Most Valuable Player

Ryan: Joel Embiid (PHI)

This race between Embiid, Jokic, and Giannis is as good as they come. You can tell me that any three of them deserve the MVP and you won’t get any arguments out of me. For me, though, the argument boils down to Embiid vs Jokic. Giannis has a very good supporting cast, and if you take him off the Bucks, they are still a playoff team. Jokic has been playing exceptionally without the help of his two best sidekicks in Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray. Embiid has played without Ben Simmons all year. You take either of these big men off their respective teams, and the cities of Denver and Philadelphia would be looking forward to the lottery, not the playoffs.

Joel Embiid gets my vote for MVP because of his dominance on the offensive end. He routinely makes grown men look helpless. He leads the NBA in scoring at 29.6 points per game. Embiid gets double-teamed or triple-teamed every time he touches the ball, and yet he will routinely power his way through multiple defenders to get a bucket anyway. The NBA hasn’t seen low-post dominance like this since Shaquille O’Neal.

For the last few seasons, Joel Embiid has put himself in the MVP conversation with his fantastic play before an injury derails his chances. Well, it looks like this is finally his year. He hasn’t gotten injured yet, and hopefully it will stay that way. Embiid is well on his way to lifting his first MVP award.

Ben: Nikola Jokic (DEN)

The Joker has been sensational this season, to no one’s surprise, but his ability to elevate his game to a new level despite the lack of help around him is incredible. As we know, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. have been sidelined for virtually the entire season so far. Regardless, Jokic has stepped up for the Nuggets to keep them in the playoff race.

A great way of measuring the impact Jokic has had this year is by using FiveThirtyEight’s RAPTOR ratings. RAPTOR uses play by play tracking data to calculate wins above replacement (WAR) as an individual statistic. This allows FiveThirtyEight to assign accurate categorical ratings for every player in the NBA.

Here’s how Jokic stacks up against the rest of the league:

• Offensive RAPTOR: Jokic ranks 1st overall with a score of 9.0, well ahead of Trae Young’s score of 7.3, good for second place.
• Defensive RAPTOR: Jokic ranks 2nd overall with a score of 5.8, just behind Rudy Gobert’s score of 6.7 in first place.
• Total RAPTOR (Offensive RAPTOR + Defensive RAPTOR): Jokic ranks 1st overall with a score of 14.8, which dwarfs the 7.9 score of Giannis Antetokounmpo in second place.
• RAPTOR WAR: Jokic ranks 1st overall with 15.7 wins above replacement, while Jayson Tatum takes the 2nd place spot with 9.2 wins above replacement.

Nikola Jokic has very clearly had the best season in the NBA, and he should be rewarded for his efforts with a second straight MVP award.

Defensive Player of the Year

Ryan: Rudy Gobert (UTA)

I used to think that Rudy Gobert was slightly overrated. Then I watched the Jazz play when Rudy Gobert was sidelined with an injury just a few weeks ago. Their defensive shortcomings without Gobert were glaring. Gobert is as good as they come on that end of the floor, and he leads the league in rebounds and is second in blocks to prove it. With his biggest rival for this award (Draymond Green) still out injured, this is Gobert’s award to lose.

Ben: Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)

The Milwaukee Bucks have needed every bit of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s defensive brilliance this year. I could scour the internet for stats to back up my argument that the Greek Freak deserves to be this year’s DPOY, but the eye test is more than enough. In particular, his defensive performance against the Boston Celtics on Christmas stands out as proof of his unmatched dominance at that end of the floor. Here’s his outrageous game-sealing block as proof:

When the time comes, I fully expect Giannis to take home his second DPOY award in the last three years.

Rookie of the Year

Ryan: Josh Giddey (OKC)

With all due respect to Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes, this is a two-man race between Evan Mobley and Josh Giddey. I’ve been on Mobley winning this award all year, but Giddey’s recent play has catapulted him ahead of the Cavs’ standout rookie. Giddey recorded three consecutive triple-doubles heading into the All-Star break. He is 19 years old. Enough said.

Ben: Evan Mobley (CLE)

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the best “feel good” stories of the NBA season so far, but Evan Mobley gives the Cavs the potential to be more than that. I am already sold on Mobley as a generational two-way big man, which is a massive statement for me to make given that I was quite low on him before the 2021 NBA Draft. I have made a full 180 on my opinion of Mobley, and I believe he is so good on defense in particular that he also deserves a nod for the All-Defensive second team this year.

Mobley is a safe bet for this award. There’s no reason that he will slow down in his pursuit to become the 2021/22 ROY.

6th Man of the Year

Ryan: Tyler Herro (MIA)

This is an open-and-shut case for this award. Kevin Love and Kelly Oubre have been fantastic this year, but Tyler Herro has elevated his game to another level in his third year in the league. He’s averaging career highs in points and assists. With Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry missing a lot of time up to this point, Herro has been forced to take more shots, especially in big moments. He has responded incredibly well, and he is a huge reason why the Heat are tied for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Ben: Tyler Herro (MIA)

Tyler Herro is by far the most talented 6th man in the NBA, and he has proven that so far this year. He’s averaging 20/5/4 on 43/37/88 shooting splits for a surging Miami Heat team which has recently returned to full health. When he was forced into a starting role due to the Heat’s myriad of injuries this season, his performances have remained consistent, averaging a near identical 21/5/4.

Kevin Love deserves praise for his ability to seamlessly transition into a 6th man role for his exciting Cavs team, averaging 14/7 on nearly 40% from three, but he’s not in the same stratosphere as Herro.

I don’t see a universe where Jack Harlow’s favorite guard doesn’t walk away with 6MOY honors.

Most Improved Player

Ryan: Dejounte Murray (SAS)

Gregg Popovich has been telling the world how special Dejounte Murray is since the day the Spurs drafted him. We had been seeing flashes of it in the last few years, but those flashes are nothing compared to what he is doing this season. With DeMar DeRozan leaving town, the Spurs instantly became Murray’s team, and although the Spurs haven’t been winning a whole lot, Murray has been spectacular. He is a triple-double threat every time he steps on the court, averaging 19.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 9.3 assists, all career highs. On top of all that, he leads the NBA with 2.0 steals per game.

Ben: Ja Morant (MEM)

It’s weird to look back at Ja Morant’s relatively disappointing 2020/21 season given how incredible he’s played in 2021/22. Last year, he averaged 19/7/4 on 45/30/73 shooting splits, which isn’t exactly bad, but compare those stats to his stats this season to see why Ja is the frontrunner for the MIP award. This season, he’s averaging 27/7/6 on 50/33/76, catapulting the uber-athletic point guard into the MVP conversation. He’s averaging the most points in the paint (16.4) by any player in the NBA this season, a great representation of his remarkable ability to stay in attack mode every time he’s on the court. He’s the face of the Grizzlies’ franchise, he’s a true leader, and he’s a winner.

Ja Morant may not deserve the MVP award, but he obviously deserves this year’s MIP award.

Coach of the Year

Ryan: J.B. Bickerstaff (CLE)

Let me reintroduce two of my favorite numbers about the Cavs:

• +50000: Those were the odds for the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA Finals coming into this season, tied for the worst odds in the entire NBA. They had the same odds as the Pistons, Magic, Thunder, and Rockets. The current odds for the Cavs to win the NBA Finals are +6000.
• 26.5 wins: That was the over/under win total for the Cavaliers at the beginning of the season. They hit the over on January 17th.

No team in the NBA this season has overachieved more than the Cleveland Cavaliers. I love Monty Williams, but the Suns entered this season after an NBA Finals appearance, while the Cavaliers came in off the back of a 22-50 season. J.B. Bickerstaff deserves COY recognition for the remarkable turnaround in Cleveland.

Ben: Monty Williams (PHX)

The Phoenix Suns have been the best team in basketball pretty much all season, and much of the credit can be attributed to Monty Williams. Under his command, the Suns have the best net rating in the NBA (8.2) behind a stellar offense (114.1 ORTG) and a stout defense (105.9 DRTG) to match. His ability to devise rotations and defensive schemes to effectively neutralize the best players on the opposing team is extraordinary, and he’s able to do this on a nightly basis.

In their last 19 games before the All-Star break, Monty Williams’ Phoenix Suns squad went 18-1. For me, he’s a lock for this year’s COY award.

All-NBA 1st Team

Ryan
Guard: Chris Paul (PHX)
Guard: DeMar DeRozan (CHI)
Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
Forward: LeBron James (LAL)
Center: Joel Embiid (PHI)

Ben
Guard: Luka Doncic (DAL)
Guard: DeMar DeRozan (CHI)
Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
Forward: LeBron James (LAL)
Center: Nikola Jokic (DEN)

All-NBA 2nd Team

Ryan
Guard: Luka Doncic (DAL)
Guard: Stephen Curry (GSW)
Forward: Jayson Tatum (BOS)
Forward: Kevin Durant (BKN)
Center: Nikola Jokic (DEN)

Ben
Guard: Ja Morant (MEM)
Guard: Stephen Curry (GSW)
Forward: Jayson Tatum (BOS)
Forward: Kevin Durant (BKN)
Center: Joel Embiid (PHI)

All-NBA 3rd Team

Ryan
Guard: Ja Morant (MEM)
Guard: Devin Booker (PHX)
Forward: Jimmy Butler (MIA)
Forward: Pascal Siakam (TOR)
Center: Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN)

Ben
Guard: Chris Paul (PHX)
Guard: Devin Booker (PHX)
Forward: Jimmy Butler (MIA)
Forward: Draymond Green (GSW)
Center: Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN)

All-Rookie 1st Team

Ryan
Josh Giddey (OKC)
Cade Cunningham (DET)
Franz Wagner (ORL)
Scottie Barnes (TOR)
Evan Mobley (CLE)

Ben

Josh Giddey (OKC)
Cade Cunningham (DET)
Franz Wagner (ORL)
Scottie Barnes (TOR)
Evan Mobley (CLE)

All-Rookie 2nd Team

Ryan
Ayo Dosunmu (CHI)
Jalen Green (HOU)
Chris Duarte (IND)
Davion Mitchell (SAC)
Herbert Jones (NOP)

Ben

Davion Mitchell (SAC)
Jalen Green (HOU)
Chris Duarte (IND)
Herbert Jones (NOP)
Alperen Sengun (HOU)

All-Defensive 1st Team

Ryan

Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
Draymond Green (GSW)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM)
Joel Embiid (PHI)
Rudy Gobert (UTA)

Ben

Dejounte Murray (SAS)
Matisse Thybulle (PHI)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
Draymond Green (GSW)
Rudy Gobert (UTA)

All-Defensive 2nd Team

Ryan

Dejounte Murray (SAS)
Matisse Thybulle (PHI)
Mikal Bridges (PHX)
Robert Williams (BOS)
Jarrett Allen (CLE)

Ben

Chris Paul (PHX)
Marcus Smart (BOS)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM)
Evan Mobley (CLE)
Myles Turner (IND)

Who do you think will win these awards at the end of the season? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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Authors: Ben Pawlak and Ryan Macdonald

Published: 2/24/22 at 6pm EST

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Sources/Works Cited:

“The Best NBA Players, According to Raptor.” FiveThirtyEight, 23 Feb. 2022, https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/nba-player-ratings/.

“Giannis Saves Christmas for Milwaukee with the CLUTCH BLOCK 😤.” YouTube, House of Highlights, 25 Dec. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na1xR7zx3v8. Accessed 23 Feb. 2022.

Google Images, Google, https://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en.

“NBA.com.” The Official Site of the NBA for the Latest NBA Scores, Stats & News. | NBA.com, https://www.nba.com/.

Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com – Basketball Statistics and History. https://www.basketball-reference.com/. 7 February 2022.

StatMuse, https://www.statmuse.com/.