NBA awards: Our picks for MVP - Jokic, Embiid or Antetokounmpo? - rookie of the year, most improved

The conversation around this season’s NBA MVP award turned sour.

But the award will still be given to a deserving player, whether that is Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid or Denver’s Nikola Jokic.

On Monday, ballots for the league’s regular-season awards were due. The NBA will announce winners over the next six weeks.

If this exercise of choosing players for awards proves anything, it’s that choices are difficult and the league is rampant with talent, from rookie of the year to most improved to sixth man to defensive player of the year to clutch player of the year and MVP.

Disclaimer: To help narrow the candidates of the major awards, such as MVP and All-NBA, I eliminated players who didn’t play in at least 70% of their team’s games. If a player is missing a third of games, it limits his impact. Yes, this rule eliminates some of the game’s best players. TNT’s Ernie Johnson said last week a player must play in at least 58 games of 82 regular-season games (70.7%). Fifty-eight is not a completely arbitrary number. That’s how many games a player needs to play to qualify as a statistical leader, such as scoring, assists or rebounding champion.

Beginning next season, as agreed to in the recently reached collective bargaining agreement, players must play in at least 65 games to be eligible for regular-season awards.

On to the awards …

Rookie of the Year

1. Paolo Banchero, Orlando

2. Walker Kessler, Utah

3. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City

All-Rookie teams

First team

Paolo Banchero, Orlando

Walker Kessler, Utah

Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City

Jaden Ivey, Detroit

Keegan Murray, Sacramento

Second team

Jalen Duren, Detroit

Jabari Smith Jr., Houston

Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio

Shaedon Sharpe, Portland

A.J. Griffin, Atlanta

Most Improved Player of the Year

1. Lauri Markkanen, Utah

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City

3. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis

Clutch Player of the Year

1. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento

2. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia

3. Jalen Brunson, New York

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Malcolm Brogdon, Boston

2. Immanuel Quickley, New York

3. Malik Monk, Sacramento

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis

2. Evan Mobley, Cleveland

3. Brook Lopez, Milwaukee

All-Defensive teams

First team

Forward: Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis

Forward: Evan Mobley, Cleveland

Center: Brook Lopez, Milwaukee

Guard: Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee

Guard: Alex Caruso, Chicago

Second team

F: O.G. Anunoby, Toronto

F: Jimmy Butler, Miami

C: Draymond Green, Golden State

G: Derrick White, Boston

G: Dillon Brooks, Memphis

Coach of the Year

1. Mike Brown, Sacramento

2. Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City

3. Joe Mazzulla, Boston

All-NBA teams

First team

F: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee

F: Jayson Tatum, Boston

C: Nikola Jokic, Denver

G: Luka Doncic, Dallas

G: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City

Second team

F: Julius Randle, New York

F: Lauri Markkanen, Utah

C: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia

G: Damian Lillard, Portland

G: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland

Third team

F: Jimmy Butler, Miami

F: Pascal Siakam, Toronto

C: Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento

G: Jaylen Brown, Boston

G: De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento

MVP award

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver

2. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City

5. Jayson Tatum, Boston

Explanation: While Jokic didn’t average more points than either Embiid or Antetokounmpo, it’s mitigated by Jokic averaging four more assists than Antetokounmpo and as many rebounds as Embiid. Jokic nearly posted a triple-double (24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists) per game and shot considerably better than the other two players from the field, on 2-pointers and 3-pointers. You can dig deeper into other statistics, such as offensive, defensive and net ratings and Jokic still has a slight edge. This wasn’t easy. A case can be made for all three. You can’t split your vote. You have to put one player No. 1.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt

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