We're less than six weeks away from playoff basketball and it's only a matter of time before the hardwood turns into a battlefield. We're seeing individual players giving their absolute all every night, pushing their team to the edge and showing they're as good as anyone in this league.
With that being said, here are my predictions for who will take home this season's most coveted NBA awards. There's some wiggle room left for things to change, but I'm confident that each of these picks will be in the final conversation.
Starting off with —
NBA Hustle Award — Dyson Daniels
Daniels is in the conversation for many awards right now, including Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of The Year. Daniels' game skyrocketed upon leaving New Orleans, bringing his scoring average from just five points per game to fourteen. While this is impressive, scoring isn't what makes Daniels so valuable. He's averaging three steals per game and leads the NBA in deflections as well as consecutive steals + blocks, becoming the first guard to do so since MJ in 87-88. Daniels is consistently ready and eager to push the tempo whether it's on the fastbreaks or loose ball possessions. Daniels isn't getting the love he deserves from the casual fan, but one thing is for certain—his play hasn't gone unnoticed by analysts. I'm hoping this kid takes at least one piece of metal home this offseason.
Clutch Player Of The Year — Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson gets my pick for this—sorry, Jokic. Brunson is currently leading the NBA in clutch points per game with 5.3, and additionally has the highest field goal percentage of anyone in the top 10. Brunson comes alive in the fourth quarter, simple as that. The Knicks keep the ball in his hands throughout the duration and every move seems meticulously calculated—it's exceptional to watch. There are many decent finalists for this award, but I think dagger against the Hawks last month seals it, at least in my book.
Most Improved Player — Dyson Daniels
You guessed it. With Tyler Herro and Cade Cunningham making it a stiff competition, I'd be disappointed if anyone else but Daniels walks away with this award. Granted, Cade and Herro are playing phenomenal basketball right now and are sinking their teams further into the playoff picture. But here's my vice—we knew both of these players would be this good. Neither Herro nor Cunningham's statistics have taken the insane leap that Dyson's have. Dyson Daniels was relatively unknown to casual NBA fans just sixth months ago—he wasn't a first overall pick, and he CERTAINLY didn't have a song named after him. Daniels has been a defensive stalwart all season long, and I think giving him this award could give him just the push he needs to maintain this high level of play throughout his career.
Let's heat things up...
Sixth Man Of The Year — Payton Pritchard
Celtics fans STAND UP! Our favorite long-range sniper remains on top of the Sixth Man Award odds table, with Malik Beasley sitting comfortably behind. Pritchard's 43 point, 10 three pointers made performance propelled him into the rankings rather quickly, where he's been a star-studded reserve on a championship caliber team all season long. With 14.1 points on 47% field goal percentage while shooting 41% from three, Pritchard is 14th in the NBA in field goal percentage, having played the second most amount of games as anyone above him. Pritchard's availability and energy of the bench provides the Celtics with a necessary spark, easily making him one of the most valuable second unit guards in the league.
Defensive Player Of The Year — Evan Mobley
With Wemby out of the picture, the award is all guaranteed to be Mobley's. In a surprising All-Star caliber season that (thankfully) prevents Rudy Gobert from looking like the G.O.A.T., Mobley's defensive presence has been an anchor for the Cavs, providing them with a commanding defensive push and clinching them the best record in the entire league. Don't let the stats fool you—while Mobley's game doesn't look super effective on paper, his 7'4" wingspan makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing bigs. Jaren Jackson Jr. makes a strong case in his own right, but a nagging ankle injury puts my confidence in Mobley to take home the metal.
Rookie Of The Year — Stephon Castle
This one was a tough pick. The race seems for the Rookie Of The Year Award seems to be fluctuating each and every day, but somehow this close knit race remains underwhelming to most. This year's draft class seems to have gone over people's heads, and it's up against some pretty bold groups when compared with the draft classes we've seen these last few years. Still—some of these kids have SERIOUS potential, and the first name that comes to mind for me is Stephon Castle. Explosive, lively, and unyieldingly driven, Castle provides athleticism and aggressive defense off of the bench for the Spurs every night. I'd like to see him become a full time starter before the season's end. At 6'6, he has the size to fit in between Fox and Vassell, and pairing that core with a healthy Wemby and Sochan makes this a dangerous team. Castle made things clear in the Rising Stars Challenge—he means business, and this is only the beginning.
Most Valuable Player - Nikola Jokic
Before I go any further, let me be clear that this is my PREDICTION for who will end up with the award when it's all said and done. If it was entirely up to me, I'd hand it over to the young, fresh-faced, scoring leader over in Oklahoma without a second glance. But I can't ignore the statistics, and it's pretty simple : Nikola Jokic IS the Nuggets. Averaging a 29 point triple double and making it look effortless, Jokic has completely redefined the capabilities of the center position. His court vision and scoring ability has elevated the Nuggets to the 2nd seed in the Western Conference, and he continues to make a strong case each and every day for one of the greatest to every lace them up. It would be hard to be truly upset with Jokic securing MVP number four, because the reality is we're watching greatness take place.
Those are my picks, and I'll put it all on the line and say that at least three of these predictions will come true—my money's on the sixth man. How do these line up with your own predictions? Let me know down below!
With that, the final buzzer sounds.
If you made it this far, you're the real MVP—KD would be proud.
Until next time,
JP