Who will win top individual honors in 2018-19? Our NBA writers and analysts make their picks for MVP, Rookie of the Year and more.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER. Rob Mahoney: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks. Tempting as it is to pick.
More: Experts' picks for the conference finals, NBA Finals
Rookie of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year. Kurt Helin: Anthony Davis (Lakers) Davis was the Lakers’ anchor a year. The NBA season officially begins tomorrow night and we asked our writers to predict which players will take home hardware this upcoming year. Here is The Crossover’s 2020-21 NBA awards predictions. The 2020-21 NBA season is here. No, for real, it’s here. That means it’s time for The Ringer’s NBA staff to offer its predictions. On Monday, we examined the most intriguing questions. LA Clippers Betting Outlook. Inside the Stats (2020-2021) Overall: 9-4 SU, 7-6 ATS, 8-5 O/U Home: 4-2 SU, 2-4 ATS, 4-2 O/U After being eliminated by the Nuggets during the second round of last year’s post-season, the Clippers appear to be playing a completely different brand of basketball with their new head coach, Ty Lue, and the rest of the pieces LA’s front office has elected to.
Final tally: Luka Doncic (12 votes), Deandre Ayton (8), Trae Young (1).
Coach of the Year
Predictions For Tonight's Nba Games
Final tally: Brad Stevens (7 votes), Quin Snyder (6), Mike Budenholzer (4), Gregg Popovich (2), David Fizdale (1), Nate McMillan (1)
Defensive Player of the Year
Nba Coach Of The Year Prediction 2021
Final tally: Rudy Gobert (7 votes), Kawhi Leonard (6), Anthony Davis (3), Draymond Green (3), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2).
Sixth Man of the Year
Final tally: Eric Gordon (5 votes), Terry Rozier (3), Dennis Schroder (3), Jaylen Brown (2), JJ Redick (2), Lou Williams (2), Spencer Dinwiddie (1), Tyreke Evans (1), Dirk Nowitzki (1), Marcus Smart (1).
Most Improved Player
Coach Of The Year
Final tally: Brandon Ingram (9 votes), Tobias Harris (2), Jamal Murray (2), Markelle Fultz (1), Juan Hernangomez (1), Lauri Markkanen (1), Donovan Mitchell (1), E'Twaun Moore (1), Ricky Rubio (1), Pascal Siakam (1), Myles Turner (1).
Best Nba Coach
MVP
Final tally: LeBron James (9 votes), Davis (4), Antetokounmpo (2), Kevin Durant (2), Leonard (2), James Harden (1), Kyrie Irving (1).
With the start of the NBA season just more than a week away — it’s predictions time. We’ll be covering most of the postseason awards between now and the opening tip of the NBA season.
As a disclaimer, we get it: making NBA preseason awards predictions is like nailing Jell-O to a tree. We’ll be wrong. But it’s fun, so the NBA staff here at NBC is making our picks. Today…
COACH OF THE YEAR
Kurt Helin: Quin Snyder (Utah Jazz). This race, like the NBA itself this season, is wide open. And also like the NBA this year, don’t sleep on Utah’s coach picking up some hardware. Outside of that guy in San Antonio, no coach has built a better system and culture than Snyder has in Utah. He has constructed an elite defense around Rudy Gobert owning the paint. On offense, the Jazz can’t just throw the ball to a Stephen Curry or James Harden, so Snyder has implemented a ball and player movement system that keeps defenses off balance. Utah won 50 games last season and this season adds quality veterans in Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic — guys who will fit in with that culture. The Jazz are a high profile, potential contending team this season because of what Snyder has built, and the improved status will have voters wanting to recognize Snyder.
Dan Feldman:Brad Stevens (Boston Celtics). Stevens is a good coach. He has flaws, most notably recently his inability to connect with a star like Kyrie Irving. Irving can be particularly difficult to coach, but some of his issues follow most top talents. Stevens will have to show growth in his ability to guide a championship contender. But with these Celtics, Stevens can coach to his strengths — communicating clear roles to his players in a sound scheme. There’s a clear path for Boston to have a good record in the East, and credit for Stevens would likely follow.
Dane Delgado:Alvin Gentry (New Orleans Pelicans). The New Orleans Pelicans have a tough road ahead, with several new players and an outstanding rookie that still needs to get accustomed to life in the NBA. But there’s a lot of hope in The Big Easy that Zion Williamson and the Pelicans will be a postseason team this year, and you can count me in the camp of folks who believe New Orleans will make that leap in it 2019-20. If that’s the case, head coach Alvin Gentry will be tops on the list out west to take home the award for best coach in the NBA. Gentry has a bit of a head start — he’s a proven coach, and last year his team battled admirably through the Anthony Davis trade fiasco. If Gentry can go from 33 wins to the playoffs, one season removed from losing a franchise cornerstone player, I’m not sure who else would even challenge him for Coach of the Year.