Predictions for 2021-22 NBA season awards
Finalist for different NBA awards with NBA commissioner Adam Silver in the middle.
As the 2021-22 NBA season is officially over, it’s time for the NBA season awards.
NBA season awards are an annual ceremony that focuses on the success of each player and coach for the 2021-22 regular season.
Each award would recognize the top NBA performers based on six categories:
NBA Most Improve Player of the Year (MIP)
NBA Six Man of the Year
NBA Coach of the Year
NBA Rookie of the Year
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)
NBA Most Value Player (MVP)
Sportscasters and writers would vote on the three finalists for each NBA award and the winner is going to be announced throughout the playoffs.
The 2021-22 regular season had a lot of players that impacted the season defensively and offensively. Furthermore, the coaching also impacts NBA teams to find strategic game plans to win games.
The list of the finalist for each award was listed this Monday for NBA fans to view.
Here are the predictions for the winners of each NBA award.
NBA Most Improved Player of the Year: Ja Morant
Memphis point guard Ja Morant sitting on the bench in street clothes due to an injury.
Runner-ups for NBA MIP: Darius Garland and Dejounte Murray
The selection of NBA MIP would go to Morant because of the season he had compared to his previous one.
Morant was expected to ascend to a player that took the Memphis Grizzlies to the next era after players like Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen got older.
He was drafted into the NBA in the 2019-20 season at the age of 20. During his first two seasons, he averaged 17.8 and 19.1 points per game.
In the 2021-22 season, Morant’s points per game increased to 27.4 and he was in consideration to be an MVP before getting a knee injury.
Morant is one of the main reasons for the Grizzlies being second in the NBA Western Conference playoffs. He is also the first player in the last 33 years to break the team’s record in consecutive games.
Garland and Murray both had improved from last season led their teams to qualify for the Play-in Tournament, but how Morant became a superstar is hard to ignore him as the NBA MIP.
NBA Six Man of the Year: Tyler Herro
Miami Heat point guard Tyler Herro is recognized as the six men on a roster with depth.
Runner ups for NBA Six Man of the Year: Cam Johnson and Kevin Love
The selection of Herro as the NBA Six Man of the Year is an award he deserved with how he led the Heat’s bench.
Herro had a better season in scoring (20.7 points per game) than his sophomore-slump season (15.1 points per game).
The Heat point guard’s performance in the 2021-22 season closely resembled his performance in the NBA Bubble games in 2020. One of the resemblances is scoring Herro’s career-high 35 points off the bench while breaking multiple records against the Charlotte Hornets.
While Love and Johnson help contribute to their team’s success off the bench, Herro’s impact off the bench while the starters are injured and how he add more production to a Heat team with depth.
NBA Coach of the Year: Monty Williams
Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams (right) coaching Suns player Devin Booker (1) (left).
Runners up for NBA Coach of the Year: Erik Spoelstra and Taylor Jenkins
The selection of Williams as the NBA Coach of the Year is an honor he could win because of the 64-18 record the Suns accumulated under his coaching.
Williams’ philosophy in his playing style is called “service”.
The Suns head coach wants to build around his players to help his players the best he can.
“I want to help them win games, but I want to do it in a way that allows for them to think, ‘That guy cares about me,” Williams said during the Sun’s turnaround in 2021.
This philosophy was implemented as a coach in his relationship with Spurs head coach Greg Popovich.
As for Williams’ coaching scheme on the court, he runs a 0.5-second offense, which would give Suns players a mandate to either shoot, drive, or pass the ball when it’s in their hands. This would eliminate isolation or long-offensive positions.
Williams recently became a recipient of the Micheal H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award and he could possibly win the NBA Coach of the Year as well.
NBA Coaches Association tweeted on Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams winning the NBCA Coach of the Year award.
NBA Rookie of the Year: Scottie Barnes
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) (right) with Gary Trent Jr. (33) (left) on the court together against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 16, 2022.
Runner ups for NBA Rookie of the Year: Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley
The selection of Barnes as the NBA Rookie of the Year is an honor that is debatable with Cunningham leading rookies (17.4) in points and Mobley (8.3) leading rookies in rebounds.
Barnes is averaging 15.3 points a game, 7.5 rebounds a game, and 3.5 assists a game. These stats don’t “pop out” as other rookie finalists, but he did enough for the Toronto Raptors to make the playoffs.
Unlike Cunningham and Mobley, Barnes could do more off the ball to help his team.
The 6-foot-7 Raptors rookie’s ability to do everything defensively and have basketball passing IQ while getting his on shoot makes Barnes a versatile player.
Barnes’ ceiling is high like other rookie finalists, but helping the Raptors make the playoffs would support Barnes’ case for winning the NBA Rookie of the Year.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Smart
Boston Guard getting the recognition as a good defender.
Runner ups for NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Miles Bridges and Rudy Gobert
As of this writing, Smart officially won the NBA DPOY on April 18, 2022.
Smart becomes the first guard to win it since NBA legend Gary Payton won it in the 1995-96 season.
The reason for Smart winning the award is the coaching decision in moving to point guard. by Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, who has trust in Smart to handle the ball up the court. Furthermore, Smart could be the first player to defend the NBA’s best offensive players at the top of the key. He matched his career-best in steals (1.7).
His ability to anticipate the pass as well as aggressively guard bigger players made him one of the best lockdown defenders in the NBA.
NBA Most Valuable Player: Nikola Jokic
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic would win another MVP.
Runner ups for MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid
Lastly, the selection of Jokic winning the MVP is another debatable selection with Antetokounmpo having another MVP-like season and Embiid winning the scoring title with 30.6 points per game.
Jokic’s case for MVP is how valuable he is for the team to get into the playoffs as well as his stats (27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists) being his career-high minus the assist.
The Denver Nugget center could score inside, outside, and posting up while setting up no-look or over-the-top passes in different positions.
If Jokic wins the 2022 MVP, this will be his second time winning it as well as Jokic’s consecutive season as reigning MVP.
Conclusion
Overall, the winners of each NBA award are uncertain besides knowing that Smart won the NBA DPOY.
The anticipation of knowing who will win five of the awards will be exciting for NBA fans as the NBA playoffs continues.