The race for MVP is over before the restart even begins in a most unusual NBA awards season
Instead, the NBA opened a week-long voting period for its major awards Tuesday with plans to announce the results after the playoffs commence in mid-August. Byron Spruell, president of league operations, said in a statement that the NBA decided to complete awards voting before the bubble restart to “ensure a fair process in which players and coaches from all 30 NBA teams will have the same opportunity to be honored as top performers.” Eight teams were not invited to Disney, clearly harming their players’ chances to win individual awards or to earn all-NBA or all-rookie selections.
This decision didn’t prompt the typical end-of-season campaigning, which often involves teams sending gifts and information packets to voters. There are plenty of higher priorities and more pressing concerns in the bubble. Even so, Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James, the top two MVP candidates, weighed in on a race that was tightening before the league shut down March 11.
“I know there’s going to be a lot of people out there talking about the MVP,” said Antetokounmpo, 25, who jumped out as the early favorite and guided the Milwaukee Bucks to the league’s best record at 53-12. “That’s not my main focus. My main focus is to get better, win games, help my team play good basketball, go and try to win the big trophy. The last time we did that was 1971. That’s my main focus right now.”
It’s no surprise that Antetokounmpo, who won the award last year but fell short in the playoffs, would remain solely concerned with his team’s success. James, though, was a little bit more willing to indulge in self-promotion after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the Western Conference’s best record at 49-14.
“I’m not disappointed [that the upcoming games won’t count for awards],” said James, a four-time MVP who appeared to be gaining on Antetokounmpo in March. “Things happen. Control what you can control, and I can’t control that. As far as the MVP race, I showed what I’m capable of doing, not only individually but from a team perspective, [with] us being number one in the West.”
The 35-year-old James, who averaged 25.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 10.6 assists, went on to argue that his prolific season had answered questions about whether his dominance would translate to the deeper West.
“There was a lot of conversation about, ‘LeBron can do those things in the East, but if he ever came to the West what can he do?’ I heard all of that,” said James, who joined the Lakers in 2018 after spending his first 15 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. “To be able to have our team on the top of the Western Conference and playing the way we were playing at that time and the way I was playing, that’s definitely a good feeling.”
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The Washington Post has a policy against participating in the official voting process, but the choice here would be for Antetokounmpo to become the first back-to-back MVP since Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in 2015 and 2016. Antetokounmpo led the league in player efficiency rating and real plus-minus while averaging 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists, a stat line that hasn’t been matched in the modern era. He was the most important piece on the NBA’s top-ranked defense — making him a leading defensive player of the year candidate — and the Bucks paced the league in wins and point differential.
James had an MVP-caliber season; Antetokounmpo’s case was just slightly better. Here’s who else deserves to take home the hardware.
Defensive player of the year: Antetokounmpo should join Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994) as the only players to be named MVP and defensive player of the year in the same season. His length, strength, quickness, instincts and versatility make him an ideal on-ball and help defender, and his consistent effort is second to none.
Most improved player: Luka Doncic. Yes, everyone expected Doncic to make a major leap in his second season. But he still managed to smash expectations, emerging as a top-five playmaker and leading the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA’s No. 1 offense.
Rookie of the year: Ja Morant. Given that Zion Williamson played only 19 games, Morant should be the runaway winner. The slithery, 20-year-old point guard displayed excellent leadership intangibles while turning the young Memphis Grizzlies into the NBA’s biggest overachievers.
Sixth man of the year: Montrezl Harrell. The Los Angeles Clippers had the NBA’s highest-scoring bench thanks to Harrell and guard Lou Williams, who won this award the past two seasons. Williams said this week that he would like to “share that award” with Harrell but added that voters should “give it to him outright” if a tie wasn’t possible. Harrell earned it with his high-energy rebounding and underrated offensive game.
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Coach of the year: Frank Vogel. Don’t forget that the Lakers were a mess last season, sidetracked by trade rumors, Magic Johnson’s abrupt resignation and coach Luke Walton’s departure. Vogel’s arrival injected badly needed stability: He quickly connected with James and Anthony Davis, and he coaxed excellent defensive effort out of a reshaped roster.
Executive of the year: Sam Presti. The easiest pick of all. The Oklahoma City Thunder general manager traded both of his franchise players — Russell Westbrook and Paul George — in asset-hoarding deals, only for his team to unexpectedly take a step forward. Oklahoma City will be cashing in first-round picks acquired in those blockbusters through 2026, and young guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who arrived in the George deal, already looks like a potential star.
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