From MVP awards to Coach of the Year awards to All-NBA teams to All-Rookie teams, NBA Insider Brett Siegel has given his final picks for the 2022-23 NBA season-ending awards.
The 2022-23 NBA regular season is over, which not only means it’s time for the postseason, but it also means it’s time to debate every award race until everyone turns blue in the face!
This NBA season has been one of the most competitive years we’ve ever seen and most of these contests come down to the last few days or final week of the regular season for most voters.
To start things off, I’m a big believer that the media shouldn’t vote for awards and All-NBA teams, especially since some of those honors mean players will see more or less money on their next contract, but hey, that’s me. It is not your responsibility to decide that!
Each voter has their own criteria and opinion on who should receive each recognition, but here are my official and final award picks for the 2022-23 NBA season for the six major awards, plus all of my picks. -NBA teams, All-Defensive teams and All-Rookie teams.
Most Valuable Player Award:
- Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)
- Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
I’ve been a big fan of Nikola Jokic all season and he’s been pretty good since December, I’m calling him the MVP of the season. The reason I’m picking Joel Embiid over Jokic for MVP this season is because of how Embiid has stepped up his game over the last few months of the regular season and how he’s made an impact. Philadelphia 76ers.
Look, you can’t go wrong with Embiid, Jokic, or Antetokounmpo here, but the biggest thing for me is that Joel Embiid gets the second straight scoring opportunity, and he’s improved tremendously on the defensive end of the floor. They’ve been largely overlooked, and if they take Embiid off the 76ers, they’re a great playoff team. Joel Embiid is the only reason the 76ers have a chance to win a championship this season, and his 52 points at the end of the season is the best since 2009. Boston Celtics It was enough to win him the league MVP.
Rookie of the Year Award:
- Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
- Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Keegan Murray (Sacramento Kings)
Paolo Banchero had a rookie season with himself. Orlando Magic And they led all rookies in every offensive category. He will be a superstar in this league one day and this award was truly one Banchero would win every week.
Jaylen Williams was great with. Oklahoma City Thunder And he is a big reason why they have a chance to make it through the Play-In Tournament in the Western Conference. I’ve been on the Williams hype train and truly believe he has the potential to be an all-star player for many years to come.
Banchero gets the majority of the votes for Rookie of the Year, but I’d be fine with Keegan Murray getting the nod for the award. Murray broke the rookie scoring record in a single season this year and was instrumental in the 3 seed’s success. Sacramento Kings.
Most Improved Player Award:
- Laurie Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
- Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
The most improved case of the player award for me is knowing that both Jalen Brunson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were outstanding talents a year ago and we expected them to take a big step forward in the 2022-23 season.
However, I’m not sure anyone saw the season Lauri Markkanen had with him. Utah Jazz. Not only did Markkanen earn his first All-Star honor of his career, but the Jazz, who many thought would win the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, have 37 wins this year and are in contention for the playoffs. Heading into the final week of the regular season!
Markkanen is a guy the Jazz have been building around for years, and when you look at his impact and style of play heading into the 2021-22 season, he was truly the most improved player in the league this season.
Coach of the Year Award:
- Mike Brown (Sacramento Kings)
- Joe Mazzula (Boston Celtics)
- JB Bickerstaff (Cleveland Cavaliers)
This award is not up for debate. Mike Brown is this year’s Coach of the Year and he needs to prove to everyone that if you don’t get 100 percent of the votes, the media shouldn’t be voting on these awards! Of course, anyone who didn’t vote for Brown as this year’s Coach of the Year is ineligible for those awards again. There is no argument that you can resist Sacramento Kings And here’s their head coach.
Sixth Man of the Year Award:
- Malcolm Brogon (Boston Celtics)
- Emmanuel Cloy (New York Knicks)
- Malik Monk (Sacramento Kings)
Both Malcolm Brogdon and Emmanuel Quickley both deserve Sixth Man of the Year awards this season. However, that’s exactly what Brogdon’s impact is off the bench. Boston Celtics They were lacking a season ago and he’s a big reason they not only have a chance to return to the NBA Finals, but a title. Brogdon is the best bench player on the league’s second-best team, which is why he gets the edge over Quickley for me.
That’s not to say that Quickley didn’t have a great season, as he is very deserving of such an honor and has had an amazing season for the Kickers. As for Malik Monk, he led the bench in scoring this season with 1,041 total points off the bench. Monk also proved to be an important part of Kings success.
Defensive Player of the Year Award:
- Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Like the MVP award, I have no problem with any of these three guys winning Defensive Player of the Year. Jaren Jackson Jr. leads the league in blocks, Brock Lopez blocks more shots than anyone else this season and Evan Mobley has made the biggest impact as a defender in the paint by converting shots.
To me, the fact that Lopez played all but four games for the Milwaukee Bucks speaks volumes, especially compared to Jackson, who missed 19 total games and only played 1,787 total minutes this year. While the debate between Mobley and Lopez is pretty much 50-50, it’s amazing how Brock Lopez has changed his style of play and gone from being a low-post scorer to being the anchor of the Bucks’ defense. That’s why he gets my vote for Defensive Player of the Year.
All-NBA first team
G – Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
G – Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)
F – Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
FC – Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
C – Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
All-NBA second team
G – Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
G – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
F – Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
F – Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
C – Domantas Sabinis (Sacramento Kings)
All-NBA third team
G – De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings)
G – Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
F – Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
F – LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
C – Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
All-Defensive First Team
G – Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
G – Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics)
F – Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)
F – Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
C – Brock Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)
All-Defensive Second Team
G – DeAnthony Melton (Memphis Grizzlies)
G – OG Anunoby (Toronto Raptors)
F – Jayden McDaniel (Minnesota Timberwolves)
F – Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
C – Nicholas Claxton (Brooklyn Nets)
All-Rookie First Team
G – Jaden Evie (Detroit Pistons)
G – Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder)
F – Benedict Maturin (Indiana Pacers)
F – Keegan Murray (Sacramento Kings)
F – Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
All-Rookie second team
G – Andrew Nemhardt (Indiana Pacers)
F – Jeremy Sochan (San Antonio Spurs)
F – Jabari Smith Jr. (Houston Rockets)
C – Jalen Duren (Detroit Pistons)
C – Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz)
Be sure to follow the new episode The Fast Break Podcast Prepared by Fastbreak itself Brett Siegel!
Streaming Apple Podcasts And Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast It takes you around the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from people close to the action for all 30 teams. Stay tuned for new episodes every Friday.
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