MVP
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Just look at his per game averages: 27.2 points, 12.7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.4 steals. He is 7th in the league in points per game, 5th in rebounds, and inside the top 20 for assists and blocks. He is also only 0.23 steals per game away from cracking the top 10 in that category. All while leading the Bucks to its best win record in 17 years with 20 games still remaining. His team is #1 in the league (with three more wins than Golden State) and they look poised to make a deep playoff run with him Giannis leading the way.
Defensive Player of the Year
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
The Stifle Tower should have been an all-star. And he also should defend his crown as the league's best defensive player. He’s averaging more than two blocks per game and almost ten defensive rebounds per game while anchoring a defense that’s the 4th best in the league in terms of points allowed. The all-star snub might have done him some good as he has averaged 2.5 steals and 2.5 blocks in his last two games.
Rookie of the Year
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Just give the kid the trophy already. No other rookie has been this dominant in recent memory and Doncic just continues to show that he is ready to become a superstar in the NBA. His averages of 20.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.7 assists tells us that he is the real deal and deserves no less than the ROTY award when the season ends.
Sixth Man of the Year
Derrick Rose, Minnesotta Timberwolves
We swear there was a ninja cutting onions when we were watching Derrick Rose score a career-high 50 points late last year. It was hard to witness a great young player’s too-early decline into obscurity and we are just so happy that D-Rose has found his way back to relevance. Just last year he was averaging less than 10 points a game and people were talking about him having to quit the game. True, he might not be his MVP self anymore, but he is scoring well and making shots for the Timberwolves who are only four wins away from the #8 seed in the crowded West.
Most Improved Player
Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
Siakam was not a particularly well-regarded player in his first two years in the league. This year, though, he is a vital cog in the Eastern Conference’s #2 team. He is taking twice the number of shots he attempted last year while increasing his overall field goal percentage. He has more than doubled his points per game average (from 7 to 16) while also increasing his rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. With Jonas Valanciunas gone and with Marc Gasol and Kawhi Leonard most likely needing days off (especially since they’re more or less assured of a playoff spot), Siakam has all of 20 games to solidify his lead and run away with the Most Improved Player award.
Coach of the Year
Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee Bucks
Budenholzer is no stranger to the Coach of the Year award. After winning it in 2015 when he led the Atlanta Hawks to a surprising 60-22 record, he is poised to win his second coaching accolade with a first place finish in the regular season standings. In his first year with the Milwaukee Bucks (and with 20 games left), they have already won 46 games, a number they’ve only reached four times since 1987.