The NBA has announced the finalists for its seven major awards for the 2022-23 regular season, including six trophies named after historic NBA legends. The winners will be revealed throughout the week of April 17, with TNT presenting each award during its coverage of the 2023 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel.
Most Valuable Player Race
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and reigning MVP winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets are among the three finalists for the prestigious NBA Most Valuable Player award. The winner of this award will receive a new Michael Jordan trophy.
Jokic finished as the only player to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists on at least 60% shooting over a single season. He also became Denver’s all-time single-season leader in field goal percentage (63.2%), effective field goal percentage (66%) and true shooting (70.1%) this season. Jokic earned this writer’s official MVP vote for the third-straight year and topped the leaderboard in a plethora of advanced metrics.
Defensive Player of the Year
The finalists for the 2022-23 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year award are Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr., Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez, and Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley. The winner of this award will receive a Hakeem Olajuwon trophy.
Rookie of the Year
Boston Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis, and New York Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley are the finalists for the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year award. Los Angeles Lakers’ Wilt Chamberlain trophy will be presented to this year’s winner.
Sixth Man of the Year
Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan, and Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox are finalists for the 2022-23 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. The John Havlicek trophy will be given to this year’s winner.
Most Improved Player
Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero, Utah Jazz’s Walker Kessler, and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Jalen Williams are the finalists for the 2022-23 Kia NBA Most Improved Player award. This year’s winner will receive a trophy named after Minneapolis Lakers star George Mikan.
Clutch Player of the Year
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz are finalists for the 2022-23 Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year award. This year’s winner will receive a Lakers-named Jerry West trophy.
Coach of the Year
The finalists for the 2022-23 NBA Coach of The Year award are Sacramento Kings’ Mike Brown, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Mark Daigneault, and Boston Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla. Unlike the other six awards, this one is unnamed and unsponsored.
The Bucks and Thunder led all teams with three award finalists each. The winners will be determined based on voting results from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
In conclusion, this year’s awards present unique opportunities to honor some of the game’s greatest legends while also celebrating new talent that has emerged in recent years. As each winner is announced throughout the week leading up to the playoffs, we will see who among this group of deserving players takes home these prestigious honors.
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