It’s nonetheless solely late November and fewer than 1 / 4 method by means of the NBA season.
However what higher time to make some (way-too-early) predictions for the key awards and season forward? This contains a mixture of overreacting to issues we’ve seen to this point this season together with normal ideas.
With that, under are foxsports.com.au’s way-too-early predictions for the NBA common season awards, plus the Finals.
*All stats/numbers correct forward of Thursday’s video games (AEDT).
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3! – Ingles sends a number of males leaping | 00:27
MVP – Nikoka Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Operating out of issues to remain say in regards to the ‘Joker’. Put merely, no different NBA participant is on the identical degree because the Serbian famous person. With Jamal Murray sidelined once more, Jokic has needed to tackle one other monster load for the 10-5 Nuggets. He’s averaged a career-best 27.4 factors to go along with 13.1 rebounds and eight.7 assists per sport and continues to do issues on the court docket we’ve by no means seen earlier than from a participant his dimension as an unstoppable juggernaut. Actually, his 32.84 Participant Effectivity Score (PER) is the second-best ever in NBA historical past – trailing solely his personal 32.85 PER from his second MVP season in 2021/22. Maybe Jokic’s very best quality is how he makes the gamers round him higher, which is the true testomony of an MVP, whereas his enchancment on the defensive finish has made him an all-round bundle. Plus, now that Jokic is considered the consensus ‘greatest participant on the earth/league’, what number of further votes will he obtain? Notably after he led the Nuggets to final 12 months’s championship in a season he was snubbed the NBA’s prime particular person honour in favour of Joel Embiid.
CLUTCH PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC Thunder)
Not far down the MVP scores at this level. Gilgeous-Alexander has backed up his large breakout 2022/23 season with one other huge begin to this marketing campaign, main the much-improved Thunder to a 11-4 begin – the third-best document in the whole league. In fact, that is particularly an award about the most effective clutch participant – so it’s a tricky one to foretell given it’s predicated on explicit late-game moments. However when it comes to which participant we’d most need the ball within the palms of in such conditions, you may’t go previous Gilgeous-Alexander for his sheer effectivity on the offensive finish in maybe his biggest trait. This season he’s shot a career-best 53 per cent from the sector with 1.4 triples (up from 9.9 final season) and 92.8 per cent from the road on 6.4 makes an attempt (down on his ridiculously excessive 10.9 makes an attempt final season). If he’s not scoring, he’s attending to the road and simply by no means appears overawed by the massive moments. Good luck stopping him from getting a bucket.
‘Shai challenged the GSW organisation!’ | 01:15
COACH OF THE YEAR – Mark Daigneault (OKC Thunder)
Persevering with on from the Gilgeous-Alexander reward, the Thunder have been excellent – and Daigneault deserves a ton of credit score. The Coach of the 12 months Award normally goes to both the coach accountable for the outright greatest crew or the coach main a crew nicely past expectations. Daigneault isn’t far off ticking each containers proper now, although OKC was anticipated to take one other leap. As talked about, the Thunder’s 11-4 document is third-best in the whole NBA with a prime seven offensive ranking and prime 4 defensive ranking, whereas solely Boston has a greater total web ranking. Maybe what’s most spectacular is, outdoors of Gilgeous-Alexander (and now perhaps Chet Homgren), the Thunder don’t have any clear-cut All-Stars and are nonetheless actually younger, whereas Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams have been slightly up and down. It’s the Daigneault-led system that’s been so vital, so it’s scary to suppose how good this crew may be when all of it comes collectively.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Time to provide Gobert his flowers. For all of the slack he copped final 12 months and criticism of the mega haul the Timberwolves gave as much as purchase him, the French centre and defensive beast is now delivering after which some. Any elite defence is constructed round its centre, and Minnesota has the No. 1 defensive ranking this season led by Gobert, who’s averaged 11.8 rebounds and a pair of.2 blocks (ranked prime 4 within the NBA in each classes) – nicely up on his 1.4 blocks final season. We’re seeing the Utah Gobert of outdated once more when it comes to the best way he can impression video games defensively when he’s on. His major rival proper now can be Anthony Davis, however given Minnesota’s scorching 11-3 begin to the season, we’ve given Gobert the sting – and it’d be remiss to to not acknowledge the Wolves not directly!
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers)
We’re seeing a famous person evolve earlier than our very eyes. Even when he’s cooled off barely from the primary few weeks, Maxey has taken his sport to insane new heights this season– and seemingly made the Sixers higher publish the James Harden commerce – because the crew’s new co-star alongside Joel Embiid. Maxey has posted career-highs throughout the board together with 27 factors per sport, 3.4 triples, taking pictures 93 per cent from the free throw line, 4.7 rebounds and 7 assists. Lots was made about Philadelphia not getting a star again within the Harden deal, however it was addition by subtraction and giving a transparent runway for Maxey to have the ability to do what he’s doing that’s confirmed to be a grasp stroke. They usually nonetheless have property to recruit one other star – although you’d suppose it’d now should be somebody who matches in because the third star within the pecking order given Maxey’s ascension. Toronto’s Scottie Barnes can also be within the combine for Most Improved, whereas Houston’s Alperen Sengun is beginning to mount his case.
Thunder strike Warriors in large street win | 01:04
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – Chet Holmgren (OKC Thunder)
That’s proper – not Wemby! It’s a transparent two-horse race between Holmgren and Victor Wembnayma, however for those who needed to enter your poll proper now, you’d be choosing Holmgren regardless of No. 1 decide Wembanyama being the short-priced favorite going into the season. After lacking all of what would’ve been his rookie season as a result of a foot damage, Holmgren is making up for misplaced time in a large method. He’s averaged 17 factors per sport, 1.6 threes, 7.8 rebounds and a pair of.2 blocks per contest and is presently posting 50-40-90 taking pictures splits (area objective, three-pointer and free throw share) – splits not achieved since 2019 and solely 9 different gamers have posted in NBA historical past – to emerge as OKC’s second star alongside Gilgeous-Alexander. It included a monster efficiency towards Golden State (36 factors, two triples, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) the place Holmgren hit an enormous three-pointer to power time beyond regulation. We knew Holmgren was going to be good and fill a key large man want on the Thunder’s roster … however this good? Higher than Wembanyama good!? The very fact he’s performed such a giant function on one of many prime sides and has been so environment friendly is why we’ve tipped him (for now no less than) over Wembanyama. “What is going on proper now’s utterly unprecedented within the historical past of the NBA if the Thunder are a 50-win crew proper now … a part of was the issue projecting precisely what Chet Holmrgen can be immediately, and oh my god! Chet Holmgren is the Rookie of the 12 months proper now over Victor Wembanyama. There’s by no means been a crew this good now with this many future first-round picks. It’s by no means occurred earlier than … I’m shocked how good they’re,” ESPN reporter Zach Lowe mentioned on the Lowe Submit.
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR – Austin Reaves (LA Lakers)
The award that’s maybe most up within the air proper now with no clear standouts. However since Darvin Ham moved Austin Reaves to the bench towards Phoenix earlier this month, the Lakers have gone 6-2 and he’s maintained strong manufacturing, averaging 13.7 factors, 5.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.1 steals throughout the season. Even when Reaves hasn’t made the third-year leap some anticipated – notably coming off a USA World Cup marketing campaign – he’s nonetheless a useful participant in a position to impression video games in a number of methods. And so extrapolating his stats – perhaps with barely improved scoring – and the Lakers’ uptick in kind throughout a complete season and he’d probably be recognised because the league’s premier reserve. Of the opposite contenders, Dallas’ Tim Hardaway Jr. has loved a scorching begin to the marketing campaign and New York’s Immanuel Quickley has additionally been strong – however in a extra crowded rotation – although Reaves, ought to he stay on the bench, would possibly simply have the clearest runway.
NBA Wrap: Lebron’s document factors haul | 02:03
NBA FINALS – Boston Celtics defeat Denver Nuggets
To cap issues off, we’ve given our predictions for the Finals. It’s laborious to go previous the Celtics proper now with what they’re doing, They’ve the NBA’s greatest document at 12-3 (that means they’d have home-court benefit), the No. 1 total web ranking, No. 2 defensive ranking and sixth-best offensive ranking. The additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Vacation have given Joe Mazulla’s crew extra versatility and total starpower on the ground, and it’s going to take some kind of effort to take 4 video games from this crew in a seven-game collection. Philadelphia has been phenomenal in its personal proper and Milwaukee is figuring issues out with Damian Lillard, however the Celtics stay the facet to beat within the East. Out West, maybe solely Nikola Jokic and the reigning champion Denver can cease the Celtics. Minnesota and OKC are darkish horses too to succeed in the NBA’s grand stage – and don’t depend out the Suns or Lakers – however the expertise and chemistry of Mike Malone’s facet units it aside. Plus, the Nugs have the most effective participant on the earth. To return-t0-back, nonetheless, they’ll must undergo the Celtics, who seem like a distinct beast to any crew final 12 months.