The NBA announced the 2022/23 finalists for its seven major awards on Friday, revealing the top three vote-getters for Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year, and the newly added Clutch Player of the Year.
Some of these awards have felt like foregone conclusions for a while, but some results could be genuine surprises when they’re revealed beginning this week.
Today though, we’re not focusing on which players will win the awards, but the ones you believe should win them. Select your winners for this year’s major NBA awards in the seven polls below, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts.
Our polls only include the three finalists in each category, but if you think someone else deserves to win one of these awards, be sure to use the comment section to “write in” that pick and explain your reasoning.
Who should win Most Valuable Player?
Joel Embiid (Sixers)
48.05%
(628 votes)
Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
28.00%
(366 votes)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
23.95%
(313 votes)
Total Votes: 1,307
Who should win Defensive Player of the Year?
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
49.79%
(605 votes)
Brook Lopez (Bucks)
35.80%
(435 votes)
Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
14.40%
(175 votes)
Total Votes: 1,215
Who should win Rookie of the Year?
Paolo Banchero (Magic)
76.38%
(915 votes)
Walker Kessler (Jazz)
12.60%
(151 votes)
Jalen Williams (Thunder)
11.02%
(132 votes)
Total Votes: 1,198
Who should win Most Improved Player?
Lauri Markkanen (Jazz)
46.78%
(581 votes)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
32.93%
(409 votes)
Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
20.29%
(252 votes)
Total Votes: 1,242
Who should win Sixth Man of the Year?
Malcolm Brogdon (Celtics)
46.74%
(567 votes)
Bobby Portis (Bucks)
27.12%
(329 votes)
Immanuel Quickley (Knicks)
26.13%
(317 votes)
Total Votes: 1,213
Who should win Coach of the Year?
Mike Brown (Kings)
83.13%
(1,010 votes)
Joe Mazzulla (Celtics)
9.47%
(115 votes)
Mark Daigneault (Thunder)
7.41%
(90 votes)
Total Votes: 1,215
Who should win Clutch Player of the Year?
De'Aaron Fox (Kings)
70.31%
(810 votes)
Jimmy Butler (Heat)
17.10%
(197 votes)
DeMar DeRozan (Bulls)
12.59%
(145 votes)
Total Votes: 1,152
Pretty easy here. MVP & DPOY are all so close there isn’t really wrong answers, just biased ones.
MVP – Embiid
DPOY – Mobley
ROY- Paulo
MIP- Markkanen
6MY- Brogdon
COY- Mike Brown
CPOY- Fox
quickley guys don’t come after me, 6M was tougher than MVP honestly
MVP is hard. I like Mitchell cause he leveled up the Cavs significantly. But he played less than 70 games.
I also like Morant who also missed games, but to fair, it’s because A. silver so it shouldn’t be held against him
after further investigation, I’m actually looking at Randle and Sabonis. Randle is 7th in total pts, 6th in Total Reb and 50th in totals asts, which is really good for a PF. And Knicks made the playoffs without a doubt….Sabonis is 29 in total pts. 1st in total Reb and 5th in total asts which is amazing for a PF and Kings made the playoffs without doubt. As well as the Kings significantly leveling up after he went there. So if the awards were actually legit it would be one of those two.
But since the NBA awards are more of a popularity contest, it should go to Giannis. Bucks had the best record in the league and Middleton barely played.
Mvp is so obviously jokic its insane and anyone who thinks otherwise shouldn’t be allowed to talk about basketball. Jokic is far and away ahead in win shares and vorp. Also if you are looking at the outdated old stats he has the best stat line in the nba on a team that he carries that literally always loses without him. When he comes off the court the team craters. In every way jokic is the mvp and it’s really not close.
ShOuLdNt BE AlLoWEd tO tAlK about BaSkEtBaLl
What a two year old thing to say.
Jokic is a shiesty player but would get dominated 1v1 against Embiid or Giannis
This is a really stupid take. Like one of the dumbest ever. 1v1 is not basketball. Michael beasley would beat jokic 1v1. Beasley is not in the league. Try again.
It is stupid, but we are talking most valuable player not most valuable team mate. Embiid is scoring almost 10 points more a game and they’re winning.
Jokic should win MVP easily, but let’s be real. The bias of the voting electorate and league wants Embiid to win it. It doesn’t matter that Jokic keeps improving his game and getting better each year on top of still maintaining being the best regular season player, the electorate gets bored voting for the same person each year not making the right decisions. Embiid has the MVP sewed up after years of his complaining for the award.
You people find every darn reason to hate on Embiid. What part of Jokic’s game is better than Embiid’s?
Jokic has better court vision, is a better shooter and is a better rebounder.
He is absolutely not a better shooter than Embiid
FG% Jokic .632 Embiid .548 3p% Jokic .383 Embiid .330, eFGP% Jokic .660 Embiid .573.In every shooting stat except FT% Jokic is absolutely a better shooter.
Not to mention passing, where he’s averaging almost 10 assists per game. As a center.
What does Jokic have that Embiid doesn’t? Leadership. He takes ownership of his team’s successes and shortcomings.
Clutch player is a stupid award.
And, more importantly, who should win:
Least Valuable Player.
Least Defensive Player.
Worst Rookie of the Year.
Player Most Needed to Improve.
15th Roster Spot Player of the Year.
Coach Most Deserving to Be Fired.
Choke Artist of the Year.
AS WELL AS:
Most Overpaid Player.
Executive Making the Worst Trade.
Executive Making the Best Trade.
Worst Player That Was Traded For.
Largest Amount of Player Buyout Paid.
Rostered Player Who Actually Played the Least
Player Who Played the Most Minutes.
Every Detroit Piston should win one of those awards!!
Mommy all the other star centers won MVP and they won’t give me a turn!
Why don’t we just focus on winning a title first and then —
MOMMMYYYY ITS NOT FAIIIRRRRRR
Okay son the voters are tired we’ll let you have it this year.
LVP: Miles Bridges
LDP: Ice Trae
WROY: Chet (or Moussa Diabetes if Chet is a cop out)
NMIP: Jalen Suggs
15OY: Justin Champagnie
CMDF: whoever is in charge of the Hornets
CAOY: The Warriors on the road
Jonnie Davis Washington could get worst rook ha
Thibs should be in the coaching award. Mike Brown should win it though.
Mvp Joker (duh!)
Rook Jalen Bronco
6th easily Brog Dog in bean town
MIP Lauri
Coach of year , no option for Coach T Jenkins ??
DPOY my thought is is neck and neck
Jjj and Splash Mtn, let Spash have it
JJJ has years to come to win it and still needs to reduce foul rate to enter top 20 conversations going forward