The 2018 NBA Awards show is tomorrow night. The first ever awards show was hosted by Drake last summer. This summer is a bit different. Anthony Anderson will be the host tomorrow night with thousands of NBA fans tuning in on TNT. The best thing to do before the show tomorrow night is to make predictions. Let’s get into NBA Awards Predictions.
Most Valuable Player: James Harden
Candidates: James Harden, LeBron James, Anthony Davis
The MVP race was made a lot closer at the end of the season with LeBron’s ridiculous run to finish the last part of the regular season. If this award also included the postseason, LeBron would be the winner. However, since it is a regular season award, James Harden will win without a sweat.
Harden finished the regular season averaging a career-high 30.4 points per game on 44.9% shooting from the field. Harden also recorded 8.8 assists per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. Leading Houston to the top seed in the Western Conference makes Harden the easy choice for MVP for the 2017/18 season.
Rookie of the Year: Ben Simmons
Candidates: Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum
The Rookie of the Year award will be one of the most scrutinized awards tomorrow night. There was a never-ending debate throughout the regular season about what being a rookie actually means. Even Donovan Mitchell got in on the action wearing the definition of a rookie shirt. However, because the NBA considers Simmons a rookie, he takes home the award.
In his first (or second if you like controversy) season in the NBA, Simmons blew away the doubters. Everyone that said he couldn’t shoot, was I guess right, but it didn’t matter. Simmons still averaged 15.8 points per game, 8.2 assists per game, and 8.1 rebounds per game. He did all of this without making a single three-pointer.
Sixth Man of the Year: Lou Williams
Candidates: Lou Williams, Eric Gordon, Fred VanVleet
This Sixth Man of the Year award was an easy choice. Lou Williams had one of the best seasons a sixth man could possibly have. Averaging 22.6 points per game on 35.9% shooting from deep is unheard of out of a sixth man. There is no question about who should be receiving this award tomorrow night.
Coach of the Year: Dwane Casey
Candidates: Dwane Casey, Quin Snyder, Brad Stevens
The winner of Coach of the Year will be another close race. However, the tipping point is that the award, once again, is a regular season award. That being said, Dwane Casey, who led the Raptors to a 59-win season should be the winner. Yes, the Raptors got swept in the second round of the playoffs. But, that doesn’t matter. This is a regular season award, so Casey should be the winner.
Most Improved Player: Victor Oladipo
Candidates: Clint Capela, Spencer Dinwiddie, Victor Oladipo
If Victor Oladipo doesn’t win the Most Improved Player award, NBA fans are going to burn a building down. Oladipo was hands down, the most improved player this season. After being a cap dump for the Thunder in the Paul George trade, Oladipo led the Pacers to the fifth seed in the East. Oladipo averaged a career-high in points, assists, rebounds, steals, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage. Those are the most important stats in basketball. If that doesn’t win Oladipo most improved player, I don’t know what would.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert
Candidates: Rudy Gobert, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis
The only reason that Gobert wouldn’t win Defensive Player of the Year tomorrow night is because of his injury. Gobert missed 26 games this season for the Jazz. However, when he played, the Jazz were the best defensive team in the NBA, and it wasn’t close. Blocking 2.3 shots per game, Gobert did more on the defensive side of the ball than what shows up on the stat sheet. Gobert alters shots at the rim like no other big man in the NBA does. That, along with his shot blocking skills, should win him Defensive Player of the Year.
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