Although the Playoffs monopolize all eyes in the final stretch of the 2022-2023 season, there is always a space for one of the hottest debates of each NBA campaign: the delivery of the prizes for the best of the course. After an intense and exciting Regular Phase, it’s time to recognize those who have stood out above the rest.
This Friday, April 14, prior to the definition of the Play-in, The official NBA announcement of the finalists for each of the awards to be delivered this year has arrived.voted as usual by a panel of specialized press around the world.
The finalists for the seven awards honoring top performers from the 2022-23 NBA regular season ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rHyjQ375Gf
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 14, 2023
Who will win the prizes? Who are the finalists? All the details, below.
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MVP: Award Finalists
- Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
In this race there does not seem to be much doubt regarding the finalists, beyond the superlative level of Jayson Tatum. The best of each Conference leader would be found together with an Embiid who sustained a fantastic production throughout the course, with the not least detail of having been the top scorer in 2022-2023 (he averaged 33.1 points, with the best efficiency of his career, 54.1%, plus 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists).
Rookie of the Year: Award Finalists
- Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
- Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz)
Another expected trio, beyond good performances by Bennedict Mathurin (Indiana), Jaden Ivey (Detroit) and Keegan Murray (Sacramento), to name a couple of cases. Banchero starts as favorite after becoming the top scorer among rookies (20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists on average); while both Williams and Kessler, with fewer numbers, have had a greater impact on the collective performance of teams that exceeded competitive expectations prior to the season.
Best Coach of the Year: Finalists for the award
- Mike Brown (Sacramento Kings)
- Joe Mazzulla (Boston Celtics)
- Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Very complex category to stay with just three, although they seem to have done enough merit. Brown he led some Kings that not only put an end to his eternal streak without Playoffs, but also finished in third place in the always brave West. hammer, in his debut, gave continuity to the Celtics after the traumatic departure of Udoka; while Daigneault it turned OKC into a Play-in team when most had them as a Lottery set.
Sixth Man of the Year: Award Finalists
- Malcolm Brogdon (Boston Celtics)
- Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks)
An award with an open and disputed panorama, which for the fifth year in a row will have a different winner from the previous season in which the winner was Tyler Herro.
Most Improved Player: Award Finalists
- Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
- Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
One of the most disputed categories, since defining what “progress” is is always a question of many criteria. The concrete thing is that the three mentioned go if they did, from every point of view, to the point that two of them were selected as All-Stars. Brunson was not (god if he deserved it), but he did manage to qualify his Knicks directly to the postseason (SGA led OKC to the Play-in).
Defensive Player of the Year: Award Finalists
- Years Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Jackson and Lopez are the big favorites for the award, as anchors for their respective teams, while another young man like Evan Mobley joins the group with the great season of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Clutch Player of the Year: Award Finalists
- De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings)
- Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat)
- DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls)
This award will be given for the first time this season and aims to celebrate the player who has excelled the most in extreme situations in close matches. Again, several candidates have stood up for their teams, but Fox seems to be on point: he has been the leader of the Regular Season in total points in the clutch (194, quite a difference over the second, DeRozan -159-) and he has also been, by far, the most efficient of the 10 who scored the most in these situations (52.9% from the field).
The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
